BAMF of the Week: Takahashi Minami

Takahashi Minami

Jeez, am I just not watching enough Japanese TV or something?  If you want to recommend one for next week please email me, evidence helps (my profile has my email).  This one is somewhat recent (it was brought up in a variety program) but a long-standing reason.  Takamina wears what she feels comfortable in.  She doesn't like going to public baths or wearing anything too revealing.  I'm not saying that everyone should, but it is nice to see someone stand up for themselves.  She doesn't make any excuse or blame something else for it; she owns it.  I love that about her.  She is more conservative but she doesn't make you feel like your horrible or wrong for not being the same way.  (I got some great subtitled clips after the jump for you guys to enjoy.)

Kasuka na Kaori 『微かなカオリ』 - Perfume

Singer : Perfume (Kashino Yuka, Oomoto Ayano, Nishiwaki Ayaka)

ne fuwatto kaoru himitsu no koi ni
kimi wa kidzuite kureta kana?
suki da yo sarigenai koto
dake shika tsutae rarenai kedo
yasashii kimi no honto no kimochi
shiritai n da kedo kowai kara
kakushite shimau n da yo koishiteru kasuka na kaori

futari de irareru riyuu wo itsumo sagashite ita
issho ni itai nante ienai kankei dashi
kimi no suki na mono ni mo kuwashiku natte iku uchi ni
kono kimochi mo ookiku natte shimatta yo

ne fuwatto kaoru himitsu no koi ni
kimi wa kidzuite kureta kana?
suki da yo sarigenai koto
dake shika tsutae rarenai kedo
yasashii kimi no honto no kimochi
shiritai n da kedo kowai kara
itsumo to kawaranai koto dake shika hanasenai n da yo

futari de irareru jikan wa itsumo sugu ni sugite
hitori ie ni mukau jikan wa nagakute
yoru wa kimi kara no MEERU ni sugu kigatsuku you ni
keitai nigirishimete neru kuse tsuita yo

ne fuwatto kaoru himitsu no koi ni
kimi wa kidzuite kureta kana?
suki da yo sarigenai koto
dake shika tsutae rarenai kedo
yasashii kimi no honto no kimochi
shiritai n da kedo kowai kara
kakushite shimau n da yo koishiteru kasuka na kaori

ne fuwatto kaoru himitsu no koi ni
kimi wa kidzuite kureta kana?
suki da yo sarigenai koto
dake shika tsutae rarenai kedo
yasashii kimi no honto no kimochi
shiritai n da kedo kowai kara
itsumo to kawaranai koto dake shika hanasenai n da yo

koi no kasuka na kaori fuwari himitsu no koi
kimi no honto no kimochi koi no kasuka na kaori


Album : Laser Beam/Kasuka na Kaori
Lyric : Nakata Yasutaka (中田ヤスタカ)
Kanji Source : littleoslo.com/lyj

The Most Infuriating K-Pop Group Ever?

This post brought to you by the sponsor of caffeine and the college practice of staying up late at night.

This onslaught was instigated by the Japanese version that was recently released.  However, I found the Korean original with English subtitles which was also upsetting (for the same reasons but with different details).  Therefore I am posting both for you to enjoy.

JAPANESE VER.

KOREAN W/ (not the best) ENG SUBS


I despise their first Japanese single, Bo Peep Bo Peep, because of the annoying cat girl scenes coupled with the Mean Girl-esque dance shot.  We again, with Yayaya, see a single with egyo girls with an incoherent title and lyrics.  So, why does this one get a whole post?  First of all it is insensitive and racist and ridiculous.  Let me just say now that the song itself is catchy, so I put most of the blame of the video and choreography.

I've yet to see the girls outside of being egyo.  Plus, none of the girls seem to break out of the mode.  They characterize themselves, and women in general, in a negative light.  In both singles they are superficial and lacking brain cells and individuality.  No wonder they always have guy issues they are annoying!  Read the lyrics of Bo Peep or watch the Korean version of Yayaya.  The only reason you would want to date them is because of their looks!

The storyline is ridiculous, then again at least there is one in the Korean version.  They kidnap this poor guy and tie him to a pole.  They leave him there and then one by one they try to seduce him while he is clearly not into it.  He thinks you are annoying too, so back off.  Can T-ara take a hint?

Finally, there is the depiction of Native Americans.  In the Japanese version they are viewed as violent.  In the Korean version. . . they keep the poor guy tied to a pole!  Even if we look past the actions, the fact that they dressed up makes me uncomfortable.  What if they did black face?  Here is a quote that I thought put it nicely:

"I will say this flatly - please do not dress yourself or your kids up like 'Indians'!  Although it should not be necessary for me to have to explain why this is a no-no, I will elaborate briefly....  I have an African American friend who told me that on several occasions on halloween night he came to his door to find a white child who was dressed up like a 'black' person, complete with painted face and fake afro.  He was never upset with the child, but did say he thought the parents needed a swift kick in the rear!  I also have, as you can imagine with all the 'Poca-haunt-us' hoopla, endured countless cute little kids dressed up like 'Indians' by their folks. There are many problems with this.  One big problem is that it trivializes the American Indian race.  Our traditional regalia is much more than clothing.  It is a sacred and personal spiritual expression of our most holy ways.  When we paint our face a certain way, wear eagle feathers and design our incredibly complex patterns of bead, quill, leather, shell and so on, these are all very holy and sacred interpretations of our spirituality. To dress an innocent child in silly colored chicken feathers, a brown paper sack and paint their face with mock 'Indian' designs is an insult to the sacred spiritual expressions of American Indian people.  That having been said, I think it is important to say that no one should ever 'dress up' like an 'Indian', an 'Asian', an 'African', or any other race.  It is simple common sense.  To do this is to make a game of somebody's ethnicity, to trivialize a race for the sake of 'fun'.  (By the way, a 'pilgrim' is not a race)  So, it is my hope that people will learn that it is insensitive and just plain morally wrong to dress up like someone else's race.  May we all learn to be considerate of others......."  

Now I will remind you the reason why I say these things, besides bringing awareness about insensitivity, but because I can like T-ara and they can be better than this.

Epik High Fever's End Mini Review

Tablo's album release! woot woot! That's what's up!

I am so excited for this release! I've been a fan of Epik High for well over 4 years now and have been following their activities on a religious basis...hahaha (but really now)

This release is the first part of the album which contained 5 tracks [Airbag (ft. Naul), Home (ft. Lee Sora), Bad (Ft. Jinsil), The Tide (Scratch by DJ Friz), Try (ft. Bumkey)] The second part of the album contains another 5 tracks [Tomorrow (ft. Taeyang), Trace (Scratch by DJ Tukutz), Dear TV, Thank you for Breathing (Ft. Yankie, Bong Tae Gyu), Expired) 

The track featuring Taeyang will actually become the Title track so I can't wait for Tablo's promotions with Taeyang. Even though it is rumored/reported that Tablo won't be actively promoting. Either way I understand as a fan and as a fellow music lover. Sometimes you just have to get your message out and have that be that. But I'm so happy that so many talented artists is showing their love to a fellow musician.

Honestly, I think that Tablo joining YG Entertainment has been one of the best decisions ever made by Tablo. If he would have been under a bigger and more powerful company like YG, I think the whole Tablo controversy might have blown over a lot sooner than with Woolim( now I'm not bashing) because even Tablo felt like his entertainment company didn't help him much.

YG to Tablo, I feel, is just a name and outlet for him to let his creative juices run. I think YG gave Tablo a lot of creative freedom on this album and I'm happy to see familiar names on this album from pass Epik High tracks. Tablo doesn't need YG, however, having YG as a backing doesn't hurt his reputation and is the right stepping stone for him to get back into performing.

Airbag was released first as a digital single and I immediately fell in love with it. If you followed the whole Tablo controversy this song touched your heart as a fan. I wanted to be Tablo's airbag!! <3 tehe But like a lot of Tablo's other works it's really airy, simple and beautiful. I love how all Epik High songs hold this type of feel. An effortless, epic, heartfelt rhyme. They nail it all the time.

The rest of the album also has this very airy, simple and slow sounding tempo. Probably a direct line to where Tablo is emotionally in his life. Maybe I'm reading too much into things again but that's what English majors do ya know! hehe

My favorite tracks on this first part is Try (ft. Bumkey). I just dig Bumkey's voice so much! He's featured in a lot of different khiphop artist songs  and is such a good accent to this song and album. (Surpreme Team- Super Lady I like this song. Check it out! ^^) The beat for this is so simple, however, the combination of Bumkey's voice and Tablo's flow makes the song seems far greater. I love the pauses in the beat where it's just Tablo's voice. This song was done so artfully that I can't help but love it! FYI - This whole album is done artfully.

Another one I really enjoy is Bad (ft. Jinsil). It's nice hearing just Tablo rapping in this album (I love Mithra of course) But its Tablo's solo album and I think he holds his own quite well and doesn't lose any type of creativity during the process. It sort of reminds me of 1Minute 1second days, however, Jinsil has a certain twang to her voice that makes me prefer her voice over Taru's.

The music video for Bad was just released recently and was totally WTF material. At first I was thinking vampires then I thought better. Then I had this whole story running through my mind with hidden meanings jutting out here and there. I'll probably have this as a whole different post! ^^

I love all of the songs but those two just really stood out to me. The Tide was great too and DJ Friz is one of my favs from Planet Shiver. And Lee Sora's voice in Home sounded like an angel! I swear Home just hits home somewhere in the heart. (that was not intentional at all ;p)

All in all this was a great album and I can't wait for part 2 to come out and for Tablo's promotions!!

This Album is just chalk full of meanings everywhere. Even in it's title 'Fever's End'. If you guys know about the whole Tablo incident (I know I keep mentioning it because its a big deal) this is a meaningful title. I will probably talk about all that in my Tablo - Bad MV story time review. :)

Want the translations? 

-Ramen

Riyoku Desu ~ Yo Ro Shi Ku

To start off... I love Supercell. I love them. Ryo is too awesome of a composer.

This is one of my favorite Supercell songs. Please worship the lyrics. They're sooooooo well-done. -sob-

That aside... Harro. Riyoku speaking! Mina-chan introduced me to wotaintraining... and even though I'm not exactly huge on idols, I love Japanese pop music.

I love doing vocaloid covers. I'm looking for something (probably Chimu-san) to duet with me on Melt and Koi Wa Sensou. I can do both Miku and Luka voices, so please consider doing a cover with me~

To put things in persepective, Vocaloid is a digital voice synthesizer and can be used as a substitute for a singer in music. Supercell started off with Vocaloid, and then got a real singer who was known as Gazelle on Nico Nico Douga. Gazelle then debuted with Supercell as Yanagi Nagi.

Other Nico Nico singers also cover Vocaloid music. Some of my favorites are:

• Choucho - Her cover of Melt has highly impressive high-ranges, and I'd say she's better than Yanagi Nagi of Supercell. The scream she did in World is Mine is spectacular. Her cover of Black Rock Shooter and Magnet are both superb. I'd say she's the most balanced Nico singer I know.

• Hanatan - Known for her high ranges and vibrato. She does original music as well as vocaloid covers.

• Valshe - Valshe is female and can pull off both girl voice and guy voice. She has a powerful sound and very good articulation. Naturally, she can do a duet with herself.

• Ritsuka - The piece I like best from her is her cover of the Luka Vocaloid original song "Akahitoha." She has a sweet, traditional, and emotional rendition.

• Yamai - Powerful voice with great range. My fave from her is Koi Wa Sensou.

• Sekihan - Male and Ryouseirui (can sing both female and male voice.
• Piko - Same as Sekihan.
• The Sekihan-Piko duo's Magnet is a sight-- er... sound to behold. Gosh, they sound better than me when they sing as girls. -JEALOUSY- Graaaah! Their male voices are really good already. WTF!

• Nodoame - Oooooh gaaaaawd! His Koi wa Sensou was SPECFUCKINGTACULAR. That scream at the end of the opening line expressed so much 'ikari,' it was great! It made up for missed notes in the verses. When he says "ore wa" in the end of the bridge right before the chorus, it was freakishly sexy...

Now I'm not even a million miles close to as good as any of them, but I've done rough covers (some shortened) of Magnet (with myself, urk... self-cest? Someone PLEASE duet it with me,) Romeo and Cinderella (piano+vocal version,) Meltdown, Cantarella, and Hanabi (which has nothing to do with Vocaloid; it's a Bleach ending... hurhur...) Psst... the only really half-decent one in there is Hanabi. (._.|||) I'm quite ashamed to say this. -despairs-

Sooooo... please duet with me for either Melt or Koi Wa Sensou! I can try to voice Len or Rin... I'm not good at either of them. Urk... What am I talking about? I sound like a Riyoku.

- end of introduction -

Fweee~

Holding Back Love

I am still a little groggy from sleeping, but I had the strangest dream last night.

I was living in Japan for a visit. I was living with my Mother (who has been dead for more than fifteen years). We had dinner plans that night and were to catch a train the next day before we left the country two days later.

I decided to spend my morning going to the AKB48 practice studio to try and watch for a bit, though I was concerned I would be seen as a stalker, just hanging about. As I got to the studio, the angels were playing soccer outside. It was well organized and being run by their dance coach. It was not a proper match, but a stylized game designed to practice some skill or another. The ball got kicked off the pitch and I ran to get it, but some of the younger research students I did not know were quicker and got it first. I decided to sit and watch at a nearby concrete embankment.

As I sat there the dance coach came over and spoke with me. The conversation was pretty strange. He indicated that the ladies of AKB48 felt I was holding back. I was at first surprised that they had even noticed me, but did not know what he meant. He said they felt that I was not loving them as completely as I could, I was not giving myself over to AKB48. The members, who had noticed me, felt I was deliberately keeping distance between myself and them; that I was unwilling to share who I was with them. I explained I had tried all I could, but was unable to get tickets to a theater show. He asked when I would like to see them.

At this moment my mind raced, when was I leaving- early tomorrow. Was he seriously able to get me admission to a theater show? The only time I could do anything was that day! I asked about today. The dance instructor nodded and told me to be back at four. He indicated I could travel with the group when they went to an event that they were going to walk to together.

I went back to where we were staying and it had started to rain. It was a cold rain like none I had experienced in my summer in Japan. I told my Mother I would be going out at four and would probably miss dinner. She was not entirely happy, but accepted my decision. I looked through my clothes, and decided to wear pants because of the strange cold, as I tried to pick out a decent outfit.

As I picked out my clothes, I contemplated the dance instructor's words. Was it true I was holding back? I thought of the possibility that the angels of AKB48 might actually enjoy meeting me a little bit. And then, as I half woke up, I began to wonder if the statement about holding back applied to my waking life. I had a girlfriend for ten years and when she dumped me, it hurt quite a bit. Was I holding back so that there would be no possibility of suffering that kind of hurt again?

As I am more fully awake, I find myself asking, am I using AKB48 to hide myself from the world, yet meet some of my emotional needs. While I joke and write in hyperbole about my worship of Watanabe Mayu, I do love and care for her, Uchida Mayumi, Kimotoa Kanon and the others. It pains me to learn of Mayuchi's struggles with self esteem and her weight that come across in her blog. I can care and love without any of the danger. These angels will never reject me, and on rare occasion some of them have even noticed I exist. These angels play an important part in my need to love and I don't really ever have to be open myself and give myself over to the love, and possible rejection, of another.

Three-Way Tie for BAMF of the Week!

Tomochin, *Sunny, and Shiorin

I would of just done Nakamata Shiori (Shiorin), but the main reason is kind of old news and the other two were only based on appearances so I'm doing all three.

SYKE! 

It seems Sunny's new hair-do which 'is' amazing was only a wig.  That is a disappointment.  She is pretty enough to rock short hair, plus it is not like SNSD have a lot of members with short hair (none actually).

Tomochin got added because her performance on Hey!Hey!Hey! was flawless like usual, but more so for how natural it appeared for her to be with a white tiger.  She was the first one to approach it and hold it with ease.  She was super excited when they brought it out.  Tomochin is a BAMF because she looks like someone who has a white tiger for a pet.

Finally the real BAMF is Shiorin.  She is a member of Team 4 and besides being a stand-out from their first stage she is best known for her intelligence.  Waseda and Keio switch back and forth between the best University in Japan, in other words, Ivy League.  She was accepted into Waseda's Economics Department which is serious business.  For her to undertake higher education of that level and an idol career means a lot to me.  Any idol who does that gets major kinds of bonus points in my book, but Shiorin is above expectations.

Ramen's Epic Intro!

Hi! Hi! Hi wonderfuls! I'm a newbie on this great blog about awesomeness so I thought I could do an intro blog. (And plus the head honcho of this blog recommended it ^^tehe) I realized from personal experience and how the world is changing in general that people don't really like to read. Probably why sites like youtube get a lot of views for there is no reason to read. However, if you are on a blog you probably know it comes with reading....I think I'm getting off track here but...v.v"

I'm a student of Japanese and English Literature. My plan is to teach abroad in either Japan or Korea and I do plan to learn Korean in the future. French is also on my list of languages to learn. ^^ I'm only a 2nd year Japanese student so don't expect epic translation pieces anytime time soon but I'd love to get into that too.

My main interest in idols or music, ranges from hiphop to jpop. I don't just limit myself to Japanese, Korean or American so if you have a good recommendation please message me or leave it in a comment.

I plan to blog about all areas of my interest. Film, food, music, videos, fanfics, youtube videos, actors, actresses or whatever I feel like. (Feel free to visit my personal blog that I recently started up for more goodness! ) However, my main contribution to this blog will probably be in the kpop area. I've been a kpop fan for well over 5 years now. And against popular belief I was actually a kpop fan before being a jrock/vkei fan. (It's usually the other way around in most cases from what I've heard)

JaeJoong was probs close to everyone's bias at one point

My history about getting into kpop: My aunt showed me DBSK  - Hug. At this point they were already into their Triangle phase, so around 2-3 years into debut. My aunt knew I liked to read a lot so she recommended me a fanfic on soompi which was "Paper Airplanes" by babyanika.  (I recommend it full heartedly) My aunt swore that reading this fanfic would be 100 times better if I had some awesome Korean music in the background. And I agreed. I stayed up till 6 am reading this fanfic. It felt like a Korean drama and I just couldn't stop for I wanted to see what would happen next chapter and the next chapter and the next! 

When I first got into DBSK Changmin was my bias

However, at this point in my life I didn't watch Korean dramas nor did I read fanfics. I actually took part in poking fun at my aunt with my uncle that she listened to '"Korean" stuff and she's not even Korean!' But ever since being exposed to it with an open heart I've learned why she liked it so much. And ever since them I began my wonderful journey into dramas, kpop, jpop and etc.

Alice Nine - Number Six...dorks *cough

I got into Vkei/jrock my sophomore year in high school. I guess I was going through a little phase and jrock/vkei was just that creative, awesome and 'I don't give a F***' outlet that I found. The first band I got into was Alice Nine. And the first song I heard was Alice Nine - Number Six. That song holds a special place in my heart. I think even deeper than DBSK - Hug.

Well, enough with that. Let's give a run down on the music that I like. I've grouped them into different groups and ranked them in each group.

Japanese

Ayaka

Yui

M-Flo

Ayumi Hamasaki

Utada Hikaru

Arashi

AKB48

Takamina is my oshimen

Jrock

MUCC

Miyavi

Ellegarden

One Ok Rock

Dir En Grey

Alice Nine

The Gazette

LM.C

Antic Cafe

School Food Punishment

SuG

MUCC has grown to be one of my favorite Jrock bands. MUCC - 9gatsu 3ka no kokuin

Korean

Epik High

2NE1

Younha

Big Bang

JYJ

Shinee

Sunny Hill

BeG

Super Junior

B1A4

Infinite

Epik High - Fan performance. I just thought the dance was funny. tehe

SNSD (Girls Generation)'s The Boys MV Review

Initial Reaction:
I did not like it at all, when it came to the song.  I first watched it in Korea without subtitles.  I didn't find it catchy and I do not appreciate artists who say how great they (as a group) are in the lyrics; so i was turned off early on.  I did like the music video itself.  It was nice to see them be confident and therefore sexy, not aegyo.  However, I felt like the intro built up the rest of the video to be something completely different.  First of all, the whole setting at the start was odd (a giant crystal in a cold wasteland) then she sees something within a jem. . . okkkaaaaay.  Then we get Super Junior bass with all the girls in formal dresses in a super dramatic scene.  I was expected a power hitting song and video like BEG's Sixth Sense which had a dramatic intro, but nope.  Girls Gen blue balled me, anticlimactic isn't something you want to describe your video.  What happened to that dove?

The Costume and Set Designs:
There were three different dance shot sets and two close up sets.  The close up shots were gorgeous.  The background for the dance shots were standard quality, some kind of cool set but nothing too colorful.  The costume designers had some work to do.  Each girl and dance shot had a different outfit, but both the close ups had the same dress.  Unlike K-Pop boy bands (with the exception of Super Junior), all of their clothing choices were beautiful.

Now when it came to a particular issue, that I touched on earlier, I was unsure where to address it.  Like the instrumental intro compared to the rest of the song, one of the close-up shots didn't fit.  The black back-drop with the rose petals is absolutely lovely and I would love to see this used again, but where did it come from.  Yeah and while we are at it, what about the dove?  How does this have anything related to the crystals used everywhere else, and nothing seem to match the lyrics.  I mean they have a floating crystal, but that is just lazy.  My theory is they are dancing inside the crystal cave and then they dance in front of it and the rose room is just. . . there I guess.

Cinematography (Angles and Lighting) and Choreography:
Again the cinematography is pretty standard; no cool camera techniques like Super Junior's A-Cha.  They do some variety, so it isn't too dull like Hello Project's dance shots.  They do play around with the lightning, again nothing spectacular (for example BEG's Abracadabra).  Everything looks great, but I wasn't in love when I saw it.  I expect that from Girls Gen.  They do the standard that most female units do but better (close up and dance shots in a studio).  The choreography didn't grab me, they tend to do a good job.  There wasn't any dance formations or moves that stood out.  I did like something here or there, but nothing dance wise worth mentioning.

The Lyrics, Vocals, and Instrumental:
I don't love the instrumental or the vocals.  The lyrics were alright.  I like variety, I like different, so Girls Gen is kind of boring because there are like 50 other girl groups in Korea doing the same thing, maybe with a smaller budget.  I do not approve of the English version at all.  Kudos for trying it, but the lyrics are not as good as the original Korean and it is lame.  The rhyming and meaning is generic.  I don't believe it is worth it.  Oh, and couldn't understand what they were saying at times.  I much prefer the hilariously bad uses of English in foreign songs to generically poor English version.  At least AKB's had the same meaning, but didn't sound as natural.

[I originally posted the English version of their song, 

but apparently they don't have it available in AMERICA!  WTF!] 

Overall Opinion:

The video was kind of a less impressive female version of Super Junior.  I like that played around with the chorus by doing a rap-like thing, but the lyrics were not up to snuff.  They did a good job, but not something I would want to show people.

Mina's Idol Interests

I feel since that I started this blog the groups I follow have changed.  However, I do still keep an eye on units out of loyalty to my readers.  (This usually only amounts to me including them in PV reviews now that I don't do as many release and news posts.)  The biggest development is my interest in Hello Project over to K-Pop idol acts.  I am going to explain as to why I like or dislike certain groups.

Ranking of My Favorite Idol Groups (subgroups excluded):

1. AKB48
2. Arashi
3. Brown Eyed Girls
4. SKE48
5. BiS
6. Tokyo Girls Style
7. NMB48
____________________________
8. Super Junior
9. Kara
10. 2NE1
11. Morning Musume
12. Super Girls
13. Fairies
14. 4Minute
15. C-ute
16. Miss A
17. Hey! Say! Jump
18. Chocolat

The lower they are the less attention I pay to them, but I consider them on my own personal radar.  After the line are the groups I like, but am not invested in.  They don't appeal enough that I would go to their concert or purchase their CD.  Morning Musume is back on my list now that Takahashi has graduated and they have new members, so I am curious.

Groups I Am Not Interested:

S/mileage
Momoiro Clover
T-ara
Girls Generation
Rainbow
After School
Idoling!!!
Berryz Koubou
Dream Musume
KAT-TUN
Kis-My-Ft2
NEWS
Sistar

These could be separated into sub-groups.  There are the boy bands that I just don't care about.  There are the K-Pop, female units who do this sexy but cute girl act that I find unbelievable annoying.  They fall back on my original stereotype of K-Pop girl units: barbies.  Finally, J-pop girl groups who have not released anything attracts my interest.  After Momoclo lost Akari I felt they lost a needed element.  She was different.  I also dislike their consistent 'mentioning' of Japan's biggest annual musical program.  It tastes of desperate.  S/mileage also suffered a significant loss, and at the same time they became diluted.  I wasn't surprised because after they released their first album their singles began to dip in quality.  Berryz Koubou and Idoling!!! seemed to have dropped off the face of the Earth, well not really.  They just don't come up much, or at least I never notice them.

I hope no one gets upset by this, it is just my opinion.

Braces.. It hurts T^T

Recently my mom took me to the dentist and put braces on me..
It really hurts after 2 hours DX



right now i'm suffering it TwT hope it'll getting better soon~

BAMF of the Week

Brown Eyed Girls!

Yeah, I am biased.  However, the music industry is shallow and they have one member who is 30 and two are 29.  Ga-In is youngest at 24, which isn't young in terms of idols.  They come out with powerhouse vocals and performances as sexy, powerful women and not the stupid sexy, cute girl thing that a lot of those female K-Pop groups do.  They are one of the, if not the most, talented girl groups in Korea you probably can include Japan there as well.  LIKE A BOSS.

Mina's Last Morning Musume Album Review?

I am going to say a not definite no to that question, but I'm getting there.  I finally got what I wanted.  Morning Musume has been sinking since Takahashi Ai became leader, but that not be her fault at least not all of it.  They did the other thing I've been desperate for, new members.  I wish Kame and the Pandas didn't have to leave, but nothing we can do about it now.  Let's see if Tsunku can do it.  Reinvent the group.  There are tons of theories floating around as to why Morning Musume isn't popular anymore.  It may just be a time thing (but if you look at JE groups that doesn't seem to ring true); Akimoto already said he plans on disbanding AKB48 once they've been around for 10 years and they are already past their half way mark.  Back on topic, I no longer identify as a fan of Morning Musume or any Hello Project unit for that matter.  I do like them all together, Mobekimasu was kind of awesome. Why is this album called smart?


1. Give me 愛 (☆☆☆☆)
This is a pretty good opening track.  Not as powerful, actually out of character, compared to their last two album opening tracks.  I guess it is due to Takahashi's graduation.  It reminds me of their B-sides.  It has a similar style to 10 My Me, which I loved and bought.  

2. Only you (☆☆☆)
This would of been better without all the auto-tune.  I actually really like it but those sections ruin it for me.  I do want to mention that, while I do like it included as an album track, I do not think it is a good single.  It sounds like a B-side or an album track.


3. シルバーの腕時計 (☆☆☆)
This song is packed with mix messages.  At first it reminds me of Memory with the hip-hop combined with a ballad-like pop song.  The verses are beautiful.  Then there is the chorus. . . not so much.  It may be the high-pitch, but I find it too pop-y compared to the rest of the song.


4. 好きだな君が (☆☆☆☆)
There is nothing I dislike about this song, with the exception of the first part of the dance section.  The techno beat matched with the adorable cute lyrics.  It lacks the punch needed to get the last star.

5. 怪傑ポジティブA (☆☆)
Nope.  This conversely possess not quality that I do enjoy. 


6. この愛を重ねて (☆☆☆)
My body wants to sway along to, but it is difficult for some reason.  I just can't get into the beat.  I like the vocals, but the instrumental is off.  I do like elements of the instrumental.


7. この地球の平和を本気で願ってるんだよ! (☆☆☆☆)
This is pretty good, but that is it.  It lacks what is needed for me to want to listen to it over and over again. . . I guess that means it isn't catchy.


8. 彼と一緒にお店がしたい! (☆☆)
I absolutely did enjoy the absurd PV for this song, but the song isn't my cup of tea.  It reminds me of Break Out! 3! 2! 1! which I didn't care for either.


9. My Way~女子校花道~ (☆)
Everything sounds wrong.  I can't help but making a concerned, confused expression.


10. 乙女のタイミング (☆☆)
I don't even care.  Cliche and not catchy.


11. OK YEAH! (☆☆☆☆)
I dig the techno, similar style to ones of Team B's encore songs.  


12. まじですかスカ! (☆☆☆☆☆)
Why couldn't Only You be this good.  It is catchy, fun, and features all the members.  I actually listen to this song more than once or look for it instead of it just coming up on shuffle or a playlist.  


AVG Score: ☆☆☆ = I like it.

AKB48's Latest TV Program: Bimyo! Review

I bet you AKB48 fans have heard about it by now.  I was unsure about the quality or if I would even understand the humor, Japanese comedy can go over my head at times.  Anyway, after viewing the first two episodes with my limited Japanese I have a clear opinion. . .  I love it!  Yeah, some of the skits aren't too funny because it doesn't suit my funny bone.  However, the majority were hilarious.  Unless someone starts subbing these you might need some background in Japanese to get it.  You might also need some familiarity with AKB because it is mixed in to the sketches.  The last thing that may be a disadvantage, it is Japanese comedy.  It is usually very over the top acting.  My favorite is Sae teaching some of the members like Ucchi how to perform Heavy Rotation.  I highly encourage to check it out, especially now that AKBingo! isn't as awesome as it used to be.

YouTube Channels 4 Our Obsessions

Here are a couple of my favorite uploaders, of various styles related to the things I usually talk about.

First I have someone who uploads the Oricon charts for the week, month, and year.  I like to find new music and artists through this.  Plus it is interesting to see what is popular in Japan.


These people plus my friends from college are responsible for my new love for K-Pop, which is maturing.

My final recommendation is for a subber of AKB48 songs.  They are definitely the most consistent when it comes to AKB.  Plus, they do a variety from singles to stage units.




I'm picky when it comes to OPVs, especially if they consist of photos.  This is one of the few uploaders who actually does it right!  If you want to see shots from AKB48's recent dome concerts and tour check it out, they were great.

Mina's Back with her Top Ten Idol Ranking

I'm baaccck!  Thanks to having a set deadline because of midterms I caught up with all my classes.  After also getting over the worst cold I've ever had, as far as I can recall, I'm doing much better.  Since I still have a lot on my plate I spend every school night and Sunday in the library.  However, I need study breaks and this works well.  Anyway I got some stuff for you guys.  I am ranking my top ten idols of all genres (K-Pop, J-Pop, men and women).  I'm also starting a weekly series: BAMF of the Week.  Ideally it will be based on recent events, but if I don't pick up anything I'll use some that I want to recognize.  I'm thinking Fridays.  I decided to do it because it will be an easy way to keep blogging and I love me some bad-asses.  They won't always fit the general definition, but idols who do something spectacular or boundry-pushing.  Safe is boring.

1. Mii-chan (AKB)
She isn't always the frontrunner within AKB48.  She also seemed to settle for the comedian role within the group.  I miss her cute, cool, frontgirl presence she had.  That is what I get from watching her variety.  Put her in a single, concert, any kind of musical performance and she shines like she used to.  She is beautiful dancer and singer.  I think she should put her hair up more often because at the General Election she looked like perfection.  At the moment I just want to see her as and idol.  I'm not ready for her to become a comedian/ variety talent just yet.

2. Nino (Arashi)
The lonely, sexual powerhouse, handsomely cute, acting lyricist is Arashi's Nino.  I half loved, half wasn't too impressed, compared to the one before it, with their album.  However, one of stand-outs was Nino's solo which was absolutely lovely.  He is gifted in so many ways.  While I was in Japan my first host had a TV and Nino was on every other commercial break.  I never got sick of it because he was refreshing.  He got Oscar buzz for his role in Letters from Iwo Jima.  He has written music for Arashi.  He has a reputation as sex craved.  Maybe it comes from him being lonely, which is how he identifies himself.  Not to mention his TV personality is hilarious, sassy little bitch.

3. Narsha (BEG)
I'm quite anti-plastic, but I have a amnesty policy to those who are upfront about it.  It lets us know that they are not a realistic image.  Narsha always looks amazing, which mainly focuses around hair.  I worship her solo singles and her singles with Brown Eyed Girls.  Have you seen her hit that high note in Sixth Sense?  Damn BEG, that is why I desperately wait for your resurfacing.  I've watched some clips of Narsha on YouTube and I enjoyed watching her effervescence.  Girl, you fierce.

4. Acchan (AKB)
I was tempted to put her as my number one, but I didn't.  I just gravitate to her.  She is relatable, introverted, hardworking, and awhhh desirable!  I want to meet her more than Mii-chan.  I don't know what I would do if she wasn't center; she would probably be forever my oshi.  I am a bit disappointed that her next single sounds like another singer-songwriter track.  I am one for variety, which is why AKB is my favorite artist.  Infinite, well it is called a hyperbole, variety.

5. Riida (Arashi)
Ranking the rest of Arashi after Nino was difficult to say the least.  I almost had them all at number five, but I beat myself down because ties are unacceptable (if you've looked at number seven well then that's better than a four way tie).  Ohno is a great dancer, a wonderful singer, and adorably entertaining.  He is definitely one of the more American-guy friendly member (her fishes).  MatsuJun and Nino are both dedicating to getting in his pants, lolz.  I adore his rawesome, spiky dragonball hair.  Just look at his facial expression.  

6. Sho (Arashi)
I think the picture says it all. . . ok not really, I'm not that shallow.  I find it amusing that he is the rapper of the group and he is the one with the prestigious education.  My parents want me to attend Keio while I'm abroad, but Nanzan has a better Japanese and homestay program.  He is a good dancer and singer.  Plus, he has a belly button piercing.  He always does these over-the-top reactions/ facial expressions.  He is unfortunate when it comes to animals, with the exceptions of small, cute ones.  He reads the newspaper often, which is an attractive trait in guys.  Hey I like 'em smart.  Then again, with that body I wouldn't mind if he was dumb.  I give idols who attend college tons of points.

7. MatsuJun and Aibaka (Arashi)

Come on!  Aiba is hysterical (best person to watch for Engrish).  Jun is amazing in dramas and has a nice butt.  They are the weakest singers within Arashi.  I've been talking too long so I'm running out of steam, plus I'm trying out The Vampire Diaries to see if I'll dig it.  I can't even describe it.  

8. Sayaka (NMB)
I was skeptical when she was pushed as NMB48's center.  However, once I watched her perform Bird I was impressed.  I enjoyed it more than Takamina's performances.  She had an aura around her in their first stage.  I've enjoyed the glimpses of her in AKB48's single PVs.  I hope to see more of her.

9. Ga-In (BEG)
Meet the dark and sexy Ga-In.  Watch Brown Eyed Girls version of Gee and you'll see it.  She is a great dancer, one of my weak spots, that and being a bad-ass.

10. Takamina (AKB)
Wow, I know.  All of a sudden she has just been spectacular.  Before she was more of a comedian in my eyes, but she has been a bit more fashionable (without losing her personality) and has experimented with her hairstyle.  She is one of the best singers in AKB48, and she isn't a bad dancer to boot.  She has a complete package which is why she makes so many solo TV appearances.  I respect her because of her terrific leadership.