Destination...Hawaii!!

I wanna be a Nihon-jin!

Japanese fans have the best perks. They get to enter contests to attend handshake events (Why can’t these be filmed and sold?) which I can’t join even if I bought the single as I’m not a Japanese living in the country. Go on FC tours and purchase limited edition goods. I want so much to buy the solo angle DVDs that come with specific concerts (‘Bonkyu Byonku Bomb’ and ‘Resonant Live’), BUONO FC concert, MM Hawaii FC DVDs among others! I bet I’m leaving out countless more amazingly splendid stuff Momosu wotas get to enjoy.

I hate the fact that I can’t get in on any of the remarkable action *SIGH*. I’m more than 101% willing to give up five years of my lifespan to have contact with every girl on my LIKE list. These include Risa, Koharu, Sayumi, Eri, Momoko, Miyabi, Airi and Maimi. Losing forty years of my existence is nothing XDDDD

Behold the awesomeness of the 2008 Morning Musume Hawaii Fanclub Tour.



Gaki-san seems to be slightly chubby but her tummy is so yummy I can’t quite find it in myself to care about whether she tips the scales XD I need to give the stylist who assigned her that outfit a big hug. The way the front of her blue top flaps is SMEXY to the max! What’s more, her hair is adorable. I’m gushing aren’t I? :P I can’t understand why Risa likes singing this song since I find it’s not really a solo piece. Nevertheless, Gaki-san was entertaining enough and the beginning (Rolling train effect during which Koha was darn sexy herself) and second half (Where all the members came out to join her) is pure gold ^^




Seriously, ‘Hare Ame Nochi Suki’ has been an all-time favorite of mine. I even wrote a fanfic about it :D And if the songs sung by the girls were chosen by them, then I declare that Eririn has really good taste. As soon as she walked out, I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Gawd, even the way she walks is appealing. LOL. I’m sorry for sounding a wee bit creepy here but it’s true! Out of all the girls I find Eri has the nicest hair and clothing combination. Or maybe it’s Eri who makes everything look good XD I don’t know why I noticed her ears during this performance. They are really small and cute, just like she is.



I remember seeing Sayu’s solo PV for this song in one of the Best Shot DVDs. At that time, I thought her singing was terrible and was incredibly tempted to mute the sound in order to stomach continuing watching her pretty self dressed in a yutaka strolling the streets and visiting a temple. However, that opinion totally changed with this performance. Not only did Sayumi not maul the song, she did well. Plus her “Boreber” (Read: Forever) made me melt into a puddle of goo. My only complain is the two flowers on her head which were super distracting. PS: I have always been attracted to the bunny’s hands. Don’t you think they look so small and cute? I especially love how she doesn’t have the habit of overdoing up her nails.



Koharu’s performance needs a warning tag. Something along the lines of ‘DO NOT place ears near speakers and turn down level of earpiece.’ Really, Miss Kusumi is exploding with so much energy and vigor that her voice blasts through at an extremely loud volume. Not that I’m complaining since this is exactly what I need to wake me up if I’m half asleep :D The girl ain’t that bad singing live so will haters please stop slamming her? :P As always her grin is infectious. Bottomline, Koharu makes me smile ^^ Lalula Lalula~~!!!



The only reason why Ai’s perf in here is cus Risa made an appearance. Otherwise there is no way I’m linking it as unfortunately, this isn’t a song I’d say I’m in love with XD Check out Ai’s “Gaki-san come on!” at 1:07 min. I found it really funny :P What’s even more hilarious is Risa disappearing after shaking her booty in that dance segment for approximately 27 seconds (Way too short if you ask me) after she first emerged. I have to admit the little high-5 the husband and wife pair did was kinda cute *beams*

Highlight of the talk part, Koharu’s Konnichipaaaaa~~~

First off, lemme get this out of my system, I WANT THAT SHIRT SO BAD!!! The one all the girls are wearing. Both the colors and design are so sweet! Why can’t UFA sell it to overseas fans too *whines* Now that I have that outta the way, I can focus on praising the interaction between the girls.

I thought the Koha-Aika mic snatching was cute. *Gasp* Are those muscles I see on your arms Koharu? Awwww Eri was adorable when Jun Jun was introducing herself. I could watch her all day <3 Kame-chan is sooooo pretty! Is that green hair band a love token from Risa? :P Gaki-san’s expression when she grudgingly said “Minna Konnichipa” was hilarious. She constantly has the best quips :D (Head over to OnDiet’s blog for a translation of what she said as well as an extremely detailed and compelling review of the DVD)

Hammy and the Mamestalk

Hands up all of you who have read or heard of the story ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’? Most of you would have and as a kid, I did too. It wasn’t my favorite fable (I liked ‘Sleeping Beauty’ XD), although it was one story which left me with a deep impression.

Fast forward to the present, to a world where I have discovered my very own beanstalk. One of the Niigaki variety :D As a fan of MM and H!P in general, I never thought much about buying their CDs, DVDs, photobooks and other concert merchandise. A true fan should support their beloved idols by purchasing their products. However, when the obsession reaches a stage where it starts to creep into my daily life… it deserves its very own blog post! (What did you think I was gonna say XD)

And so, I present to you some examples of how my love for Gaki-san and her fellow beanmates..oops, I meant BANDmates, have affected my choices when shopping or otherwise.

I got these made a long time back. Which explains why I got the blue instead of a red. You can’t see it in this picture but the words ‘gaki-san' are on the other side of the green wristband.

I call this my keypod and it fits my door and room keys inside snugly. It’s made of rubber and prevents my stuff from getting scratched. This happens a lot since I usually just throw my things into my bag without first putting them in separate compartments.

GakiKame / KameMame anyone? I swear I didn’t think of the turtle and bean pair when I bought these shoes. It only struck me after I wore them the first time.

It’s the same for the fishy fishy. I've been poisoned too deeply by the KameMame virus :P Is there a proper name for these things? One keeps my cellphone handsfree kit in place while the other prolongs the life of my mp3 player earphones.

I have a planner to remind me of what I need to do and to note down random stuff. This year, I got one from ‘Muji’ as I really liked the natural look. On a whim, I bought some of those glitter stickers that Japanese girls love to stick on their phone or Nintendo DS lite and ended up with this. I know it's not much but I'm really proud of it :D

There are so many new clips out these couple of days. MM have appeared on a couple of TV programmes to promote 'Naichau Kamo' (Sayumi, GakiKoha etc.), Music Fighter, the making of the NK PV, in addition to the Hawaii FC tour DVD. All of which I have yet to watch and blog about. Hopefully I'll find time to touch on those in the next few posts.

Come On! Come On! Come On!

Nai Chau Kamo or ‘I Might Cry’ will be released on February 18th 2009. Being MM’s first single for the year, you could say I had high hopes for it. While having expectations is not always a good idea since you tend to get disappointed when things don’t turn out the way you want them to, I think it’s safe to say I am one happy camper after viewing the HQ version of the PV endless times. Yep, HAPPY!!! (dakara happy~~~) Geez, I have to stop singing Koharu/Kirarin songs XD. So the PV wasn’t the most creative, repetitive at best and I can pick out more than a couple of dance steps and backdrops that were reused in one or more of their older songs. But hey, at least the girls looked beautiful and the song didn’t get annoying after repeated listens. Some things I liked and found funny about the ‘Kamo’ song in order of appearance. (I thought they were singing Come On x 3~!) That explains the title of this post.

Moments I go YAY!

1. Ai-chan’s hair (There seems to be fans for and against her hairstyle but personally I like it)

2. The lack of a towel on Eri’s head (She had a hood or something in the promo pics on the official website. Thank god they didn’t make her wear it in the PV)

3. Jun Jun’s hair (I never thought the day of me complimenting her would ever come. But yes, I do think she looks cool with cornrows)

4. Sayu’s solo line (The girl can sing!! So what if she took almost 6 years to do it :D)

5. Ai-chan crying (Don’t cry Ai-chan. Go get Risa to console you :P)

6. Eri’s sad expression (Once again, I’m positive thousands would gladly die for her)

7. Risa dancing (Gaki-san is a true all rounder in my eyes. She is a competent singer/dancer/host/etc)

8. Sayu in a red leather coat (Hawt HAWT HAWT, her hair helped a lot)

9. Eri’s solo line (I really like her voice. It’s so distinct and soothing)

10. Wet Koharu (Daaa-mn, aim the water hose at her 24/7 please XD)

11. Koharu’s hair (Both the cool and wavy styles. Curls on the ‘Miracle’ is never a wrong move)

12. Sayumi’s second solo line (It was low, husky and so very sexy. Not to mention she was in tune with the song :P)

13. Eri dancing (To me, Kame will ALWAYS be the best dancer within MM <3)

14. Risa's solo (Well I am a Mame fan)

15. Sayumi dancing (She finally lost the ‘deer in headlights look’ and can concentrate fully on appearing droolsome)

16. The wardrobe not looking as bad as originally thought (The nightmares I had after seeing those promotional pictures are gone for good. Who knew rain worked so well in camouflaging unflattering outfits?)


The LE, RE and Single V Covers

Laughable Moments

1. Aika trying to emote (Being just 16, you can’t blame her for failing to project the correct emotions)

2. Jun Jun looking like a wet chicken (Somebody had an accident with a pail of water XD)

3. Reina’s ridiculous pout (It so did not go with the theme of the song. Maybe if it were a cute song that would have worked)

4. Lin Lin's disheveled look (I didn’t know she had a starring role in ‘Qian Lin and the case of the runaway hair brush XD)

5. Lin Lin’s head piece (I’m almost certain a staff member is bearing a grudge against her. That hat could double up as a prop on Old Macdonald’s poultry farm)

I thought the raining scenes were done exceedingly well. The wall of umbrellas and rain effect matched the overall theme of the video and while it was pretty obvious that the girls weren’t really soaked, each of them managed to project a somewhat forlorn feel. With the exception of Aika as mentioned earlier. Despite having some flaws, I’m still a firm believer that this song is a winner.

Live Performance on the MM x TRF Collab Show

Subbed Version of the PV

Everybody Loves Eri

If you know about that American drama called ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’, you’ll understand why I named this post that. Then again, maybe you won’t know the reason since I’ve never watched that sitcom myself. But the title just stuck and I will always get reminded of Eri whenever I come across it again. Everyone in MM loves the turtle and no MM fan can say they hate Eri. She might not be their number 1 but she is never far behind on the list. And hence I conclude that there is indeed something about Eri that attracts people in general. I’m not sure what it is but its working tremendously well and I hope she never loses that appeal.

After rambling so much about that, it’s time to get on with her latest PB proper. Before this release, I never knew there was another way of calling a person when she has reached 20 years of age (Who says you don’t learn anything from worshipping idols? XD) See, I learnt that besides Ni Ju Ni Sai, there is a term ‘Hatachi’. 20 is Eri’s seventh PB out in Japanese stores on the 23rd of December 2008. Yes, you read right, SEVEN. Pretty soon she might even catch up to Ai-chan who has nine. Currently Eri is tied with Reina at second spot. Third in line is Sayumi with five books, excluding the one she did with Rika – Angels. When is UFA gonna let the girls release another joint effort? I want a TakaGaki or KameMame PB!!!!

Anyway, back to Kamei-chan. As expected from Elizabeth Kamei / Eric Kamezou/ Victoria something (her character from the Hakkan commercials), you won’t be disappointed. Not only does she photograph beautifully, she has a great body to boot! Some might argue that her tights are too fat or that Ai has flatter abs. But hello, her tights are exactly what makes her so attractive. You can’t go wrong with a little meat on those legs. Mind you, I said a little. Eri has just the right proportion. Sayumi’s are a tad too skinny and Reina? Don’t even go there. I shan’t say anything about Risa since it might be difficult for me to remain unbiased :P So, my point of this entry? It is this; Kamei Eri looks great in a bikini. LOL, that closing wasn’t the best was it? Fine, I shan’t end it here then.

Next up. ‘20 Dreams’. I have not watched it yet so I don’t know what it is about except that it was shot in Okinawa and has scenes of Eri talking about her dreams (for the future most probably). You can be sure there will be lots of images of her prancing around in various bikinis. Good stuff I say :D (Catch the preview below)

And now for my ten favorite pictures from 'Hatachi'.


#10

I like how the sun in shining on her hair giving it a warm brownish glow. Her face and figure is gorgeous and the added plus, that turtle print bikini. Kame wearing Kames, how cool is that! :P

#9

I adore this outfit for its fun and cheerful factor. Not to mention Eri looks absolutely adorable with that pose and hat ^^

#8

Can you say sexy... *dies*

#7

Too many reasons why this picture is a fave. (read: beret + tartan + heels + thighs + suggestive glance :D)

#6

Her face says it all. Doesn't Eri have the prettiest eyes? *swoons* It's so easy to get lost in them <3

#5

This picture strikes me as Eri being in between (Don't think pervy, you XD). Like she's no longer a girl but not yet a woman. Am I making any sense?

#4

This shot makes me wanna hug Eri real bad. She seems so sad *sniff*

#3

Another heartrending expression. Oh man, ERI!!!!!!!!!! XDDDDD

#2

So pretty and sweet. Those rosebud red lips, cute cheeks and mesmerizing windows to the soul.... (What did I tell you before about her eyes? Now don't you agree with me? :D)

#1

I like the overall feel of this one. Shiny, healthy hair, fingers hidden by sleeves, nice jacket and oh so droolsome stomach.

The Cinderella Effect ~ Part 3

As predicted, my copy of the Cinderella DVD did arrive on said Saturday. Needless to say, I was elated. I slotted the disc into the player the first chance I got and sat impatiently through the starting credits. Since I was excited to watch the TakaGaki scenes, I skipped the front chapters after gaining enough satisfaction from seeing Risa's name alongside that of Prince Christopher :D

After repeated viewings of Cinderella and her Oji-sama's dance in addition to being enthralled by the body contact between them, the icing on the cake came in the form of the way they were gazing into each other's eyes (Tee hee hee) I was so over the moon after witnessing the subtle interactions between those two, you could say I was floating ridiculously close to my ceiling XD Over that same weekend, I ran through the musical a total of four times. I know that is scarcely enough tribute to be paid to one of my favorite MM pairings. But I truly had no more opportunities to watch it again. Since I own the actual DVD, there is plenty of time throughout the rest of my life to view it again XDDD Here are my thoughts and opinions of the girls (up till 7th gen) after watching.

Takahashi Ai

I had never doubted Ai’s abilities and unsurprisingly, I was satisfied with her presentation of the main role. Leader is a disciplined young woman and judging by Ribon no Kishi, you know Ai-chan would spare no expense so as to deliver the highest level of perfection. Her amazing dancing skills aside, what made me view her in a whole new light is her crying scene during the duet when Cinderella and the Prince held onto each other. How she managed to tear on cue without the help of those little bottles of eye wash solutions would probably remain one of Earth’s greatest mysteries.

Niigaki Risa

Ahhhh my beloved Gaki-san. What can I say except that I was floored by her portrayal of the Prince? Granted, she didn’t make him out to be a cool or imposing figure as most people would expect. But hey, this was indisputably new and refreshing. Prince Gaki was endearing and charming. Akin to the little boy nephew or neighbor who you would whisk home in a heartbeat to showoff and parade in front of all your family and friends. He is the perfect epitome of cute in that red jacket and white pants. With regards to Mame-chan, the only imperfection came in the form of those scarily tall boots.

Kamei Eri

In the beginning, I didn’t feel her hairdo at all. I mean, an orange/pink wig with loops and a weird bun? Nonetheless, it’s hard to not fall in love with Eri. She could pull off adorable even while playing the bratty younger sister. How many actors given the evil character can do that successfully? Her blatant tossing of those cakes / puffs /? added delight to her acting and appealed to the audience. I felt whatever little time she had with the Prince was done exceptionally well. I don’t know if the hand rubbing at the ball was initiative on her part but it was awesome and really upped the comic factor. One final thing about Portia, the peeks you get of her stomach every now and then due to the design of her costume leaves you craving for more *drools*

Michishige Sayumi

As contrary to popular belief, Sayumi did get lines. They weren’t significant ones but at least she got to speak. I’m not sure if I’m right on this but it did seem that the fairies were on stage rather frequently throughout the musical. It could have been due to the fact that they had to flank the godmother in quite a number of scenes. Nevertheless, the bunny did a great job. She was beautiful in a youthful manner whenever she appeared as a townsfolk and relatively believable as the clad in green fairy. I have to give Sayumi extra credit for agreeing to wear that awful shiny green outfit. Oh and she was breathtakingly stunning in the pink gown. Her dance with Koharu? Mesmerizing.

Tanaka Reina

Reina has always struck me as the kind who would fit right into a cosplay function or as a waitress in a maid café. Hence, I didn’t find her image of Joy too hard to swallow. In my opinion, she didn’t exhibit any astonishing acting chops. Her behavior and actions as Joy is very similar to the usual Tanaka Reina of MM which she portrays repeatedly on screen. Although I probably shouldn’t fault her too much for her lackluster performance as it could have been worse if another person was thrust with the elder sister role.

Kusumi Koharu

With her height, Koharu has no problems playing a guy. Previously, I would have had reservations considering how high pitched and squeaky her voice is. However, she has shown both fans and haters alike that she is capable of pressing her voice low. Her role as the herald while not that substantial did make an impression on me. I cracked up every time she had to recite the Prince’s outrageously long name with a straight face and is still dumbfounded by how she manages to not get tongue tied. Koharu can emote to a decent level so I feel she has potential and can achieve great things if trained properly. Her dancing with Sayumi at the ball was perfectly in synch and I find them a very attractive looking pair. I know I mentioned this already but I just had to say it again :D

The Mini Live

As a fan, I love watching MM sing and dance. Therefore, having a mini concert thrown in works for me. On the other hand, if I were someone who went to the musical for the sake of the Takarazuka actresses, the flesh display in sexy red outfits would in all certainty scare me off. Let’s say I was somewhat impressed with the idol group’s performance and was willing to not condemn them to the lowest point in hell after the graduation of every single member I could effectively connect a name and face. Seeing young nubile girls half my age burst onto the stage shaking their hips and flaunting a size zero figure wouldn’t make me a happy camper. No sir, I think I would be extremely annoyed that my respected Takarazuka actresses were placed on the same level as yet another idol group. By catering to wotas, UFA pretty much blew their chances of easing MM or H!P for that matter back into the mainstream fan base. *Sigh* That was from a sensible fan's POV. Now that I can kick off that goody persona, I can announce my utmost delight and affection for the performance. Seeing Ai, Risa, Eri, Sayumi and Koharu looking so hawt in Cinderella Complex, The Peace, Shabodama and Resonant Blue makes my day :P