The Cinderella Effect ~ Part 2

**WARNING! The following post may contain extremely incoherent and illogical ramblings.

I couldn't hold back anymore. After multiple checkings on the status of my parcel and realizing it's nowhere near my country, I turned to YT for aid. My prayers were answered and someone (who deserve a whole truckload of thanks btw) put up a few clips from the musical!!! OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I thought the first thing I would notice is Risa's unbelievably tall boots but noooooooo, what grabbed me earliest was how funny Gaki-san looked as she stared at the glass slipper she put on the ground XDDD I held my breath during the long silence that followed after she told Ai to come try it on. Ai was all ballerina stance when she slipped her foot inside. I totally cracked up when Risa did the "Ah har..." bit and put her head close to the slipper. I snickered again when she tilted her head gradually up to look at Ai.

While standing up, she placed her right hand on Ai's dress / hip (?). I wondered if she was gonna to rip off Ai's outfit. Now that would be an amazing scene :D I have to give Gaki-san props for pulling off the whole boyish / manly feel. I thought her hand movements were very good in portraying this.

Here comes the climax, the long-awaited hugging scene!! Are there more? I have no idea but this one already made me all giddy and high. I LOVED how Risa's fingers kinda pawed (I apologize for the lack of a better descriptive word) Ai's shoulder. The part where they broke apart slowly? I totally died. And the way Ai looked at Risa? I'm being laid to rest in a cemetery. XD

Their scary eye make-up kinda killed the moment for me but oh heck it, the entire part before was too good and made up for everything. I was going "WTH?" at Risa patting Ai's head :D I get the feeling that wasn't in the original script but Gaki-san forgot and did something she usually did to Ai. I'm sure I've seen her pat Ai's head like that somewhere before.



The singing was awesome!! Gosh, I CANNOT beginning to relate how much I love Risa's low singing voice. I've come to refer to that as the 'Prince-ly' singing voice. Watch out for 54 sec - 57 sec. When Risa slid her hand down Ai's arm before holding her hand? Priceless. I don't know if this was the scene Lolli was talking about but man, the resulting effect was too good. I could totally feel what Risa was feeling for Ai. Did I make any sense at all? LOL.

One thing that left me scratching my head was, how could Risa be chubby with all the stress that came along with the staging of this musical? Her face was like a little round ball especially in this clip :P Oooooh I HEART Risa's acting from 1 min 34 sec - 1 min 39 sec. She channeled the dejected, hopless and forlorn look so well! 1 min 57 sec, when they took each other's hand but had to let go after a while? I don't know why but I'm so fond of that scene. Risa joining in when Ai sang = BEAUTIFUL. I'm left speechless.

I wish I could see the rehearsal where they are dressed in their own clothes. Unfortunately UFA decided to make this a 2 disc instead of 3 disc product. ARGH, why didn't Risa kiss Ai's hand for real at the end? She only faked kissed her *pouts*



I couldn't wait to see C/C Cinderella Complex. I really like this song and was bummed that Risa wasn't in the original line-up. Hence this is one perf I was highly anticipating. When the curtains rose and the girls came up from a trap door (are those called trap doors?) the first person I noticed was Sayumi. Though she didn't evoke any reaction from me :P Next I saw Koharu and my thoughts were, "Wow she looks good with pants. That jacket is really nice on her too."

Finally I hit the jackpot! Risa flashed past. And when I say flashed, I mean flashed. It was a blink and you'll miss moment. I couldn't tear my eyes away from her after I determined her position. I was super engrossed in being captivated by how mesmerizing she was. That was until the appearance of Ai and her shocking hairdo XD

HOLY SHIZZLE GAKI-SAN!!!!!!!!!

Risa danced so well I think I started to get goosebumps at this point. Even if a fire was raging outside my door, I wouldn't leave the monitor till I finished watching her.

Eri looked...cute? It wasn't exactly the image I was hoping for since I like hawt Eri. But still she didn't disappoint. Did Sayumi's dancing improve? She sure had some nice moves. When Risa flicked her head at 1 min 24 sec? My head rolled off together with that move onto the floor. Hmmmm apparently Risa's abs aren't as gorgeous as they usually are nevertheless she's still incredibly hawt. Her Halloween eye liner and shadow didn't seem so bad now :P

*Sigh* I wanna see the talk portion at the end. I heard from a very reliable source (stefy) that when saying their Thank Yous, Eri made a mistake and Risa turned to make fun of her. She even snaked her arm almost around Eri's waist! Stefy even went as far to say that and I quote,"Gaki was like so sweet to her (Eri) and left Ai to one side. Gaki's a play girl!" This comment made me wanna see the musical even more. Hurry up and arrive my greatly beloved DVD, I can't survive another day without seeing you! *Boo Hoo Hoo*

The Cinderella Effect ~ Part 1

Why do I not have decent pictures of Risa in her prince get-up? *looks all over storage gadgets* Nope, natto. The hell?!?!? Pardon the language but I was pretty sure I did have at least a couple. If any kind souls could point me in the direction of where to find some (specifically a Lolli I know XD) that would be great. Better yet, zip it all in a folder so I can dl them (Gosh how can someone be this lazy? XD)

Like I wrote in the title, this is part one as I have not yet seen the actual DVD. Part 2 should be up after I view the DVD countless times. The holy package should arrive on Saturday 6th December 2008. Do I have to be this precise? YES! Cuz I'm gonna be waiting beside the post box for Mr Postie to arrive. In this case however, I'm guessing a van will pull up instead since I did choose express shipping.

While the days drag slowly by from now till then, I can only sustain myself by looking at the pictures I do have. These are mostly from the rehearsal. I don't think I've expressed myself here about my thoughts of Risa during rehearsal. If the word to describe Sayumi is hawt, then for Gaki-san it would definitely have to be droolsome.

I mean look at her!!! *gawks openly at Risa photos* That hair, it's so darn cool and boyish. Which is weird as a pony-tail isn't really supposed to be boyish. Anyway, it is for me and it makes her look so hawt and droolsome. I especially like all the TakaGaki interaction that will be present in the musical. As can be seen from the photos, there's gonna be a fair bit of hand holding. Oh dear god, why the lack of an on-stage kiss??? *Wails sorrowfully* If GAM can do it in a PV I'm sure TakaGaki can pull it off too. We are talking about two very professional entertainers here and Ai-chan did kinda proclaim her love for Risa in one of the MC dialogues from the current tour :D Here it is, see it to believe it.

Quoting SxY, who quoted OnDiet (I edited the language a little)

Morning Musume Resonant Live, 29th November 2008 Osaka (Night)

Topic : Niigaki Risa

Aichan talks about the 8 years being together with Gaki-san. The time they spent together is even more than that with their families and they know each other really well. Many things have happened in these 8 years and there were occasions where they quarreled.

Ai: Its embarassing to say this..but.. because there's Gaki-san, that's why I'm here. (Meaning, I can be here because of Risa's existence)

Apparently Risa took a few steps away from Ai after hearing that declaration as she got shy. But the leader called her sub-leader back and continued talking about how much Risa had helped her when she just became leader.

Awwwwwwww I can just imagine that scene on stage. It's surprising neither of the girls teared knowing how much of a cry baby they can be.

That line, the one Ai-chan uttered? It's amazing how it's almost identical to the line I put at the ending of this OPV. And I made it quite some time ago. Written in the stars, much? Okay, I have no idea what I'm typing at this point. I'm basically rambling now :P

I think 'Cinderella the Musical' will keep these 2 at the top of my fav pairings list for a LONG time.

Prince Christopher: What would you like to do after the dance?

Cinderella: How about we head back to your grand and very costly bedroom?

Prince Christopher: Ehhhhhhhhhhh~~! Nani x 3 ?!?!?

Cinderella: You know you want to.

Prince Christopher: USO!! *blushes madly*

Me: XDDDDDD

Love Story with A Letter

What comes to mind when you think of Sayumi? One word....HAWT!!! XDDD

Getting back on the right track, Michishige Sayumi (gawd even her name sounds and looks pretty) is one of the best female specimens in the Japanese entertainment industry. I might be completely biased about this but forgive me? :P I can't think straight whenever it comes to Sayu.

If you watch 'Love Story' (The hour long DVD) from the beginning, don't be misled by the first 5 minutes. The video gets better, once she loses that hairdo XD In my opinion, Sayumi looks the best with her hair down, as you can see from the clip below.

Sayu's English conversation in the DVD with some random man (He was probably attracted to her OR the camera XD)

Sayu: Let's go! Hi.

Man: You are model?

-Sayumin puts her ear closer-

Sayu: Ok ok ok.

Man: What is your name?

Sayu: EHHHH...Sayumi Michishige.

Man: Nice to meet you.

Sayu: Bye bye.

I found the way she said bye bye really cute ^^

One of my fave OPVs of the Michishige.

It's not from her latest PB (Love Letter) but all's good. My thoughts as I watched the video.

1. She's so milky white she looks good enough to eat XDDD
2. -Bikini scenes- @@
3. Cute with the plaits and oh so adorable in a jumper.
4. Wahhhhhh lucky swing!!!
5. Even a messy uniform transforms to something awesome when Sayu is the one wearing it.

To conclude this post, I shall rank my top 5 pictures from the 'Love Letter' photobook (There were more but limiting myself seemed a good idea in case I ended up posting > 80% of the book :P). This is worth every penny so if you haven't contributed to Sayu's pay packet, DO IT!!

Erm... after looking through the entire PB I ended up with 18 fav pics. I had to think real hard and make some tough decisions before settling on these 10 so... scratch the top 5 pics bit. It's gonna be top 10 now XD From 10th to 1st position they are:

10th

There's something about the way she looks at the camera. The expression in her eyes *dies* Oh and that lace material on her thigh? Very nice touch :P

9th

So cute, so innocent, so milky, so Sayumi ^^

8th

I love it when a girl is having fun.

7th

The emerald green bikini matches her skin tone beautifully.

6th

White dress with silky black tresses. Need I say more?

5th

Again with the look! I'm almost certain Sayu pawns the other members when it comes to making the 'you know you want me' expression.

4th

It's the jeans, and then her pose. Self touching works, every single time.

3rd

I was completely mesmerized by the top row rightmost pic. It channels a somewhat melancholic feel. Bottom row = cute feet = LOVE

2nd

Vast blue sky, endless green field, baseball gloves, Converse shoes. A lot of thought was put into this picture. Now why doesn't Risa get PBs like this?

And the Winner~! (1st)

Sayumi writing a letter. Don't you think it's the perfect shot for a PB named 'Love Letter'? Plus I can always pretend she's writing a love letter to Eri or Gaki-san :D

Cover Me, Cover You

I believe by now most of you MM fans should know about the November 26th release of the 'Cover You' album featuring songs written by Aku Yuu. When I first saw the tracklist I was thrilled! The main reason for my excitement was seeing Risa being featured prominently in 2 songs. The chibi devil at the back of my mind protests at the measly percentage (2 out of 14 songs is only 14.29%) but the chibi angel in me thank the powers that be. (Chibi angel and devil?!?! I think I've been affected by Sayumi's radioshow segment more than I realized XD)

A duet with Ai-chan (Wooooohoooo~~~ TakaGaki!!!) and a IBL reunion. Whether I will add this CD to my next online purchase hinges on the quality of these 2 songs. After scouring YT for the previews, I present you with...

街の灯り (Prince Christopher + Cinderella)

I don't think anyone can disagree that when TakaGaki sing together, the world stops turning. Okay, okay, so I'm exaggerating a little but their voices do mesh very well. They blend so beautifully together there are times when I can't tell who is the one singing. I like the string instrument beginning and the piano accompaniment. I love how Ai's voice is soothing while Risa's is distinct. The melody has a calming aura and the song is kinda touching even though I have no idea what the lyrics mean. I gotta search for the English translation when I have more time on my hands.

ジョニィへの伝言 (KameMame + 07)

I like the introduction bit of this song. It's odd that I can't hear anyone else other than Risa during the solo parts. Are Eri and Reina singing in a different manner? Or did Gaki-san get more lines? I guess I will have to wait until someone puts up the color-coded lyrics to find out. I adore how Risa has this deep and super sexy voice when she's singing. I can totally see why this is her fav song on the album cuz it's battling with the duet to be mine too. Oh and btw, who is this Johnny guy she's singing to? Assuming she is singing to him XD Like I said, I don't know what they are singing.

Pictures from the lyrics booklet?

The colorful art background is great! Koharu, Reina, Ai and Lin Lin look gorgeous. Sayumi could've looked awesome if she would just lose that huge-ass bow/ribbon. Aika and Jun Jun are alright. This must be one of the rare times Risa didn't get stuck with the worst hairdo. Not her best picture but I still love her (Tee hee). And Eri...well Eri... The award for the most Eeeky hairstyle goes to Kame-chan~~!! :P The granny bun is definitely my most hated style on any of the girls. And that's the only reason why she doesn't look as pretty as she usually does.

The complete tracklist:

1. Nagisa no Sinbad

2. Douni mo Tomaranai

3. Izayaka (Itsuki Hiroshi & Ai)

4. Pepper Keibu (ALBUM Version)

5. Shiroi Chou no Samba

6. Seishun Jidai

7. Ringo Satsujin Jiken

8. Romance (ALBUM Version)

9. Machi no Akari (Ai & Risa)

10. Koi no Dial 6700

11. Pin Pon Taisou (Eri, Sayu, Reina, Koharu, Mitsui, Jun & Lin)

12. Watashi no Aoi Tori

13. Johnny e no Dengon (Risa, Eri & Reina)

14. UFO

I have not gotten around to listening to the rest of the album properly. Wild horses couldn't tear me away from appreciating these 2 songs and Risa's voice *blushes* Thus my opinion of the remaining songs will come later, if the review does materialize at all XD

PS: Did anyone else have weird (Read: pervy) thoughts when they read the words Cover You? Maybe it's just me *shrugs shoulders*

Is It a Bird?? A Plane?? It's A Miracle~~!!!

What is 162 cm tall, extremely loud, has crooked teeth and endless energy? The answer… one very hyper miracle girl called Kusumi Koharu. Ever heard of the phrase, ‘believe in miracles because life would be crappy without them?’ Well for me, Koha is exactly that.

Koha-pink is the spazziest member in the current Morning Musume. She doesn’t take herself, or anyone seriously for that matter. She is KY (If you’re a MM fan you should know what this means) and not the best singer. But you know what? I am not that concerned about her flaws. What makes Koharu endearing to me is, she’s funny. Like really, REALLY hilarious. Just observe her as teacher in Yorosen and you’ll see why. I couldn’t stop laughing while watching her. Who would unzip their jacket and stuff their boobs (t-shirt whatever, not much difference) into the “students” faces. Who could sumo throw a teddy bear so awkwardly and who else dares to death grip Lin Lin on the neck? It’s all Kussun. *Sigh* Just recalling Koharu and her crazy antics brings a smile to my face.

Yet this Niigata born little lady (she’s hardly little standing at that height but you know what I meant) isn’t merely personality. There are occasions where she manages to carry a tune and comes across as reliable. Her first album, Mitsuboshi comprises of songs that she rendered rather competently like ‘Hoshi no Shizuku’, ‘I Miss You’ and ‘Koi Hanabi.’ Kirarin Land was not as awesome song wise, nevertheless ‘Very! Berry! Strawberry’, ‘Futari wa NS’ and ‘Shiawase Clover’ ain’t all that bad. I’m anticipating her 3rd, Kirari to Fuyu. Hopefully it will maintain a satisfactory standard.

The other thing that keeps Koharu among the top 5 in my ranking is how she interacts with the other members. She hits it off well enough with the love of my life, Gaki-san. (Refer to MM DVD Magazine 16 and MM Tanjo Kinentai Concert backstage).

I couldn't find a clip of the backstage so this is another example. Does anyone know what this recording was for? Keep an eye out for Risa poking / jabbing Koharu at 0:29 and them fooling around with a funny pose at 3:03 XD



This clip has GakiKoha with Eri thrown in. Slumber party with these three would be a dream come true.

And also with Sayumin. Morning Days Vol. 3 is an absolute treat! I haven’t finished viewing the complete video but from the modest portion I’ve seen, it promises to change your mindset of Koharu. She strikes me as rather boyish in it and I can totally see her as Sayu’s boyfriend. (blatantly advertising my fic Glass Slipper : Chapter 1 Chapter 2 here XD) No really, even before I linked the two I already felt that the Rainbow Pinku pair looks kinda good together.

Look at how adorable they are with that kissing action :D

Koharu has never been one of the more welcomed members and I doubt she ever will be. But the next time you feel like criticizing this kiddo or slamming her left, right and center, just remember that without her, MM would be drastically different from what it is today. And who can say for sure that in such a universe, things would be much better than what it’s like now?