TAKAHASHI AI This isn't anything new either. There are idols that come and go from my dislike list, mostly due to fake behavior. This might be due to the fact that I'm from the Midwest. In the Midwest we don't tend to be upfront about things, so I tend to read in between the lines when it comes to behavior. It is the small things. This is kind of crazy because I adore Maeda Atsuko who gets a similar personality description as Takahashi. What I think causes the difference is Takahashi over doing the sexy/ confidence thing and not being herself. I'm not sure, but she comes off conceited to me. It doesn't help she gets a ton of solo lines. The good news is she will be graduating but not leaving Up Front Works. That means she will do some TV appearances, musicals/ plays, maybe release a photobook, possibly join Dream Musume, and if she is lucky a couple of solo singles. The agency hasn't been doing a good job with their talent backed up from Morning Musume graduates, so I don't expect to see her around much afterwards.
MINAMI MINEGISHI (AKB48) This was a difficult choice for me because I like a lot of idols. I determined this from the fact that there isn't anything I dislike about her. She is an amazing dancer, her voice is lovely, she works hard, cute, and she is entertaining. She was my first favorite of AKB48 and after a short stint where Miyazawa Sae was my AKB oshi she returned to her rightful place. She collects hats so I want to, someday, give her a cheesehead. I am from Wisconsin so we have tons of them and they cost over 10000 yen in Japan. I would stick out and it isn't something that expected.
Well now that I've become a housewife (I'll explain in a small tangent in a moment) I have a lot of free time on my hands. The only way to keep myself from getting bored out of mind, because there isn't any place to go besides the 7-11, is to find something to watch. (There isn't enough people to play cards.) I could watch movies on Netflix, but that only works in the US (same goes for Hulu). I've caught up with the Daily Show, and now I wait for each episode of True Blood to go online. What is another good source of TV. . . Japan and Korea! Unlike my last host, we don't have a TV but thank NPH for the internet. There are a couple new shows in Japan that I want to check out, but I've also got some recommendations for ones from Korea.
Side Note: I am WWOOFing which is basically a host program where you work for a family (usually on a farm but there are a variety of hosts) in exchange for housing and food. All you need to pay is for transportation and the small program fee. I was potato farming earlier, but now I have been reassigned to stay at home with another WWOOFer and do the cleaning and cooking.
Friend's Recommendations for Dramas: My Girl Devil Beside Me Royal Family Lie to Me Oh! My Lady Coffee Prince Goong Gegege no Onna
Japanese Dramas Airing w/ Promise: Hana Kimi Remake Ouran High School Host Club Ikemen Desu Ne (Japanese version of You're Beautiful) IS
Hana Kimi Remake First Impression
Let me start with a comment I left on someone's blog. . . I was looking to see if the raw for the second episode had been uploaded yet, but I found someone hating on the show instead.
How I responded:
"They can’t bring back the main cast of the original because that aired like five years ago so the actors are one two old and two doing other things. It is not uncommon for the OP to be sung by an idol group if their lead is from that group. . . pretty much every drama which has a member of Arashi in it has them singing the OP. AKB48 has tons of female fans and it is about time they do more things targeting their female audience. I have to admit it is hard to find any male actors that can surpass IKUTA Toma and Oguri Shun, but the guys aren’t all completely hideous. I am enjoying it so far because it is basically the same style but with different scenes. I also enjoy the new take on the girls school. (You also left out the fact that the main girls are all AKB48 members.) After I saw the guys I wasn’t sure if I would like it, but the girls make up for it (Maeda who is the lead may surpass the original in my eyes)."
There are a couple cute guys in the show, but I think everyone can agree it is hard to beat Shun or Toma. The good news is the nurse. . . I mean doctor (?) is a hottie McHot Pants (who I've seen in multiple boys love films). The Shun replacement is cute, but not my type. Toma is meh when it comes to looks but he does the character well.
What I recommend is: old Hana Kimi fans should not watch for pure man-candy. Instead watch for more Hana Kimi antics. The style of the show and pacing is almost identical so far. The lead female is almost like a clone of the first. But the scenes are different even though it still follows the main plot points. I am enjoying how they change things. I haven't read the manga which this is based off of so I don't know if one follows the manga better or if they just picked scenes that didn't appear in the first drama. I did read a comment by a fan of the manga saying that this one is closer compared to the 2007 version. Therefore, maybe fans of the manga who got frustrated by how off the 2007 series was give the 2011 version a go.
I adore the Hibari Four! They look like they came out of a manga. Kashiwagi is playing a different version of Maeda's rival love interest. This time it is less of a joke and more of a legit rival. That means the fighting over the guys will be more intense. The other three are perfect variety. We have cute Miorin, sassy Minarun, and gorgeous Mariyagi.
I suggest people watch it. A remake doesn't have to be better than the original. To have a good remake it must either surpass the original or present a different take/ twist on the original. This doesn't seem to be going for better, but different. Like, did you notice how the guys' school is run down and they don't have that red carpet?
Sungkyunkwan Scandal Review If you haven't heard, I am picky when it comes to Korean dramas. I could like the concept or plot, but the acting would ruin it for me. However, this is one of my exceptions. This is also one of the few period dramas that I've enjoyed too. It is the usual gender bending plot of a girl dressing up as a man which causes love complications. The great thing about this series is that it incorporates some feminism into it which I love to see in East Asian dramas and there is a lovely love shape included. We have the usual good guy whose life becomes complicated after meeting the protagonist who is actually a female. We have the bad boy, but actually a nice guy, rival. We have the expected adored female who falls in love with the protagonist. But here is what makes the series, we have another love interest in a playboy rich-kid who spends the first half trying to prove that the protagonist is a female and then the second half trying to make the good guy be okay with being a homosexual or flirting with the bad boy.
The romantic plot is great (beside that fact that you know right away who gets the girl) and so is the gender-bending plot. I don't care for the politics or the fight scenes. I'm was also bored with watching them solve riddles and such. Therefore the last couple episodes were not my cup of tea. The ending is pretty predictable. I've only seen one gender-bending drama that ended in a way that I didn't see coming, Mendol Ikemen Idol. (Whenever I try to convince someone to watch it I have to spoil the ending because it makes that show.)
This is an introduction into AKB48. AKB48 is the top female idol group in Japan at the moment and I hope this helps new fans or curious viewers. If you are interested in further 'reading', I recommend this post.
AKB48 is the flagship group produced by Yasushi Akimoto. He writes the majority if not all their lyrics. He also contributes to their other projects, like their drama Majisuka Gakuen. Fun Facts: He is a professor and vice president of Kyoto University of Art and Design. He has written lyrics for various artists, but he is well known for producing popular '80s idol group Onyanko Club. (He married a member of the group.) The group was founded in 2005. The name is short for Akihabara where their theatre is located, within the Don Quijote store. The concept is 'idols you can meet' so they perform on a daily basis. The small-venue frequent concerts are also probably a result from the fact that most artists profit from concerts over CD sales. At first they performed to spotty attendance, however it is now difficult to get tickets to their theatre performances. (I applied a month and a half ahead of time for an overseas ticket and didn't get one.) AKB48 was originally only meant to have 48 members, and they did for some time. However the number has increased since then for various reasons (see Team 4 and Trainee Team). The teams were originally formed based on auditions (first set became Team A, second round became Team K, and so on). After the three main auditions, and some exceptions, if a member graduated or left the group a trainee would take her spot. Recently AKB48 underwent a shuffle where members changed teams. I believe this was to even out the popular members among teams as well as other things.
The Teams and Sister Groups Team A
Team A is known as the typical idol team. This team has some of the original aces. Maeda Atsuko is considered the face of AKB48. There is Takahashi Minami, known as the voice and leader of AKB48. (She is also the official Team A captain.) Other long-time popular members are airhead Kojima Haruna and model Shinoda Mariko.
Team K
Team K was originally known for their chemistry and strength as a team. Fans were upset when the teams were shuffled mainly because it broke up Team K. Team K is known for their unusual idol image and strong dance ability. Therefore during the shuffle, the stronger dancers like original Team A member Itano Tomomi were transferred here. Team K's captain is Akimoto Sayaka. Popular original members besides their captain are handsome-idol Miyazawa Sae and second most popular member of AKB48 Oshima Yuko.
Team B
Team B was originally the least well known team of AKB48 because they had few members that appeared regularly in singles. Although, they were popular among their devoted Japanese fans which caused one of their stage songs to be voted the most popular in 2009. Team B is known as the cute idol team. Original popular members are cyborg-idol Watanabe Mayu plus reaction queen and captain of Team B Kashiwagi Yuki. Their stages (theatre concerts) are still popular. Out of all the news stages of 2010 a Team B song got voted the highest which is why it was included on AKB48's first album.
Team 4 and the Trainee Team
Even after AKB48 had 48 members they continued to hold auditions. Those who pass the auditions are added onto the Trainee Team (kenkyuusei or research students). They can be cut and have to undergo tests to show improvement. Lately there has been a build up of worthy trainees that Akimoto promoted. The problem is that there are no spots open, incorporating them into the current stages would be difficult, and no one wishes current members to graduate. Therefore Akimoto formed Team 4 which has ten promoted members. Before the trainees would perform as substitutes if a member couldn't make a performance or as back up dancers. Now they have a unit (four or less members that perform a song) at the beginning of stages and they also perform their own version of Team B's stage (each team has their own concert set that they perform).
SKE48
SKE48 is AKB48's first sister group which is based in Nagoya. They debuted in 2008 and now have all three teams (Team S, Team KII, and Team E). Their singles have seen increases in sales so they are now under Avex (who also release music from artists like Hamasaki Ayumi and Koda Kumi). Because of AKB48's sky rocketing popularity, and the fact that seeing has become more difficult, some fans have considered moving over to SKE48. For further reading please see this post.
SDN48
SDN48 is called AKB48's older sister group because they require the members to be over the age of 18. They do not base their costumes on school uniforms and also have a sexier image. SDN stands saturday night, which is also when they perform in the same theatre as AKB48. Graduated AKB48 members have transferred to SDN48. Kayo Noro, Ex-AKB48 Team K captain, is the captain of SDN48. Out of all the sister groups, SDN48 is the only one with a foreign member thus far. They have yet to split into teams, instead they perform based on their generation.
NMB48
NMB48 is the newest sister group, based in Namba, Osaka. There is only Team N so far, but they do have two generations of trainees. They debuted in 2010.
Upcoming Groups There will be a sister group in Taiwan and HKT48 based in Hakata, Fukuoka, Japan. There are occasionally rumors about future sister groups, like AKB48 staff poking around in Hokkaido.
I may make this a series, but I will be stopping at this point. If there are any topics you wish me to go over let me know.
Congratulations! She got a lot votes from the first week, I'm so happy to know theere are a lot of Nakky fans since the agency didn't give her a lot of spotlight in most of the MVs ;w; The rank for the poll is : Nakajima Saki (18 votes), Suzuki Airi (12 votes), Yajima Maimi and Hagiwara Mai (Maimai X3) (2 votes each), and last Chisato Okai (1 vote).
The next one with random member! They 're Tokunaga Chinami, Sudou Maasa, and Chisato Okai. Please vote!!
This song is a perfect mix for Itano Tomomi. Because of her unique voice she can liven up a ballad, but her personality suits a dance track. The PV is mostly showing off Tomochin in a variety of looks. I like the muted color scheme, it reminds me of the same scheme using in Marie Antoinette. There is a variety of shots and angles, which keeps the video interesting. It sold me, so I would say that it is a good PV. ☆☆☆☆☆
Those close up shots make me giggle, but I do like the dance shots. I'm not a fan of this group, just to let you know. The guys look so goofy during their storyline shots, but I do like that they added a storyline. Notice how the camera rarely isn't moving, this is always a good idea to make a good PV. ☆☆☆☆
Another disclaimer: I haven't liked Kara since they hit Japanese shores. I don't like the barbie-esque look to this whole video. What is with the choreography towards the end of the chorus? I did enjoy the beach scenes, and the verses. Besides that, I could live without the Korean barbies and chorus. ☆☆
First off if anyone is confused about the storyline and why the little girl becomes Acchan: there was never a little sister, it was always Acchan. I don't know how to explain it the best, but the little girl is not real. This PV is perfect for Acchan because it highlights her acting abilities by making her cry a lot. The whole supposed 'big-little sister relationship' is adorable. I wish the scene with all the pin wheels on the beach were a larger element because it matches the title. I didn't mind the fact that there is no close up shot because we get plenty of that while she was promoting the single. ☆☆☆☆☆
Yeah, MaiMai gets another single! It has been a while, which isn't surprising because she hasn't been selling well. I don't know if I like it from what I've seen. I adore the extra close up shot of her singing at the beginning, but I want to cut the medium shot. I was thrilled to see a different set, which isn't a good sign, but I don't know what to make of the three people and her dance shot outfits. We'll see. ☆☆
I like the song, and the dark overtones in the video match it. . . but the robot girl. Wait, are the guys robots too? I like the effort, but something bugs me about the robot girl. ☆☆☆
HANGRY&ANGRY are also back! They should of ditched the stuffed animals by now. Besides that, I think the video is great. The marionette shot is awesome for the slow verses. Them behind the wires and netting is great. The lighting is awesome. I'm not the biggest fan of the costumes, but this is promotion from a fashion brand (so not much you can do about that). ☆☆☆☆☆
I wish they just stuck with the white dresses and outdoor scene for the entire video. They could of done some different things with it, but I love the color contrast and mood. The jean outfits sitting inside just don't do anything for me. ☆☆☆
Here is the Red Team's preview. I don't have anything bad to say about this video. It is perfect. ☆☆☆☆☆
Wow, they did a good job with White Team's PV too. I don't care for the song. ☆☆☆☆
AKB48's choice PV get away is Guam, is SKE48's Hawaii? Now that they are with Avex, they probably could afford it. I like the idea of the blue and white costumes instead of just swimsuits. The jumping into the ocean shots are cool! This was a home run for me. ☆☆☆☆☆
Solid job so far. I don't love the song, but the PV improved my impression of the song. ☆☆☆
The PV doesn't do anything for me. There are some nice things about it, but the main set is used so much that it looks like they were under budget constraint. It didn't sell this song or the artist to me at all. ☆
NMB48's first PV, this will set the tone of what style singles they will probably release onwards. I love the concept because you always notice how new idols have their black hair, but after debut dye it. I like the effect of adding the traditional pattern. The dance shot and close ups are basic, but they have different angles, lights, wind, ect so they keep the pace. I'm thrilled they feature NMB48's sexiness and good dance skills. Another great thing about this is that it includes each member. This isn't unusual if you consider AKB48 and SKE48's first PVs. The question is if this will continue if they release another single before the addition of a second team. ☆☆☆☆
This is a new look for No Sleeves. I like the use of various shoots at one time. I don't care for the passing along different item shots, and them playing cards. I don't think they add anything to it. Besides that, they did a great job with adding some edge to the song. ☆☆☆☆
I don't like the over-use of the word over, or the fact that they keep making the telephone-hand sign in the choreography. I first heard this song when they were promoting it. I actually love it. The dance shot is amazing. I like the close-ups, but they aren't anything special. I probably wouldn't have minded having the whole PV be the dance shot. What ruins this PV for me is the floating objects. Floating objects have never been used well in a PV except an AAA PV. ☆☆☆☆
Blue and white colors make a really clean, summer PV. The lighting, the different angles and pans, and the sets are all on point. The only thing I would cut out is the running shots. I am surprised they didn't try anything more complex when it came to the dancing considering they were back up dancers. ☆☆☆☆
