アダムとイブのジレンマ Adam and Eve's Dilemma - C-ute REVIEW

Hey guys do you like the new layout and design of the blog? It's not a lot different to the old design but with me being a part of this blog for over a year now I decided to shake things up with a new design. Do you like it? I think it looks very cool and fits with the music video of today's review!

Due to be released on the 10th of July is C-ute's 22nd single and first double A-side release with Kanashiki Amefuri and Adam to Eve no Dilemma. Today's review will be of my favourite of the A-sides Adam to Eve no Dilemma, however I do plan on reviewing Kanashiki Amefuri next. From the feedback I have seen from different fans of C-ute a lot of people are in love with this single and my guess is that it will receive the same success if not better success with it's sales than their previous release Crazy Kanzen na Otona which was a kick-ass single in it's own right! (I bought two copies it was that good!)

I was first introduced to Adam to Eve's no Dilemma when I heard a concert rip of the song and when I heard it and saw the costumes I was very excited to hear it's proper recorded version. I fell in love with the outfits straight away and I was fascinated and loved the theme of Adam and Eve. Then as it was getting closer and closer to the single's release date, which is still in the future, I was really excited to see the PV for Adam to Eve no Dilemma compared to Kanashiki Amefuri to see how they used these beautiful, green outfits in terms of the PV. And I wasn't disappointed! I loved everything about it and again I do know that this single will be another milestone in C-ute's career which is just getting better and better step by step.

The music video begins with a white background with red apples which is easily symbolism of the forbidden apple that Eve decides to take from the garden of Eden in the biblical story. I really liked it, it was simple but I liked it.

Once again Airi locks me in with her beautiful eyes, her beautiful expression, her beautiful everything! Everything is about her is beautiful, whenever I see her on the screen I get encapsulated! She has that effect on me even if she isn't my favourite #1 C-ute member. Sorry Airi fans, but I still love her!

It wasn't going to be long before the sexy C-ute makes their comeback yet again and straight into the beginning of this music video. From the pictures I'd seen of their performance of this song live, from the outfits I knew this song was going to have a sexy number and I wasn't wrong! 

The girls really executed their dance so well and even though it isn't as complicated as Morning Musume's recent dances, C-ute have amazing dance skills and can dance in synch so well! That's what seperates an A-grade performance from a B-grade performance.

In the past Mai never stood out to me, in fact she was one of my least favourite C-ute members but recently with her maturity blossoming I've loved her more and more! She's now got to #3 in my C-ute ranking!

I was also really happy that there was a change of lines in this song, of course Airi still gets to be the front girl but Chisato is much more dominant in this song and I like it. She's clearly enjoying herself and working it!

Ahhh Airi why do you have to be so perfect?! You make me jealous of you! I want your beauty!!!

WOW! Saki, where did this sass come from? She really worked it with sass in this music video and I'm not the only one. An awful lot of people commented that Saki was amazing in this PV. Maybe she'll get more lines in the next single and get a push like Mai did in this single? That would be great!

Oooft Maimi! My perfect #1 C-ute star! She is so sultry in this music video and I just want to be her! Even for a day, is that so much to ask? It's a shame she doesn't get many lines in this song because she has an amazing voice, but this music video allowed her dancing talents to shine more which I don't mind instead.

Do you have to ask why I screenshot this moment? Look at it! Airi's perfect curves and midriff! How is she so beautiful and yet has such a perfect body? Scratch that I don't want her beauty now I just want that perfect midriff and figure! I think any girl would kill for Airi's body!

Go on Maimi keep pouting for me! Work it, and show UFP that they made a mistake for not giving you more lines!

Maimi was so sexy in this moment of the dance, she is quite a tall member, not Yurina Kumai tall, but still pretty tall! And her legs are just so perfect that I had to capture this moment and fall in love with it all over again!

The red apples make their comeback and Airi has gone from a sexy girl to this sweet and innocent character which suits this backdrop especially because it makes her beauty much more innocent. It kind of reminds me of Snow White with the red lips too!

Saki isn't one of my favourite C-ute members but no one can deny her beauty in this! Her lips are just so pretty and pouty!

One thing in this screenshot is that I loved Mai's posture in this dance move. Not many other people might have noticed it but it really stood out to me. Mai isn't usually a dancer for me but her posture in this move is just fantastic!

Chisato: I'm front girl, I'm workin' it and I know it! No one is gonna bring this girl down!

I have to agree Chisato you showed people who was boss and brought your haters down! Preach to the world that you can be a fantastic front girl!

All I have to say for this is: HIPS!!!! <3 They know how to work those hips! Teach me your hip power!

Maimi is just so beautiful! Is there no pose that she can do where she isn't beautiful?!

Oooh Saki you are making me fall for you! Stop it! 

I fell in love with this shot, my top three C-ute members in one shot? YES PLEASE!!! They should be a unit seriously!

Maimi: I agree with you Jenny! Storm into UFP with me and make them see sense!

Yes! Anything for you Maimi! I would knock down mountains for you!

Chisato and Saki just make an amazing A-team! Maybe they should be the 2nd Kanashiki Heaven? Just a thought there! That would be quite cool and it makes me curious to how they'd sound together!

Don't hug yourselves let me hug you instead! Let me show you some love! In a completely non-disturbing way of course! 

More hips! Damn I love this move in the dance! Please show me your hip talents and teach me the art senseis!

I cannot stop loving this trio and Maimi decides to be a little coy with her finger to the lip. I know what you're doing Maimi, but don't worry I will never stop loving you. Keep up with your perfection!

Mai isn't usually the best singer of C-ute but her last note in Adam to Eve no Dilemma kicked ass! I'm not going to deny it it gave me chills! She just keeps impressing me more and more!

Kick ass pose for a perfect ending! *APPLAUSE*

Now this song just as C-ute written all over it, a cool instrumental, a sharp and sexy dance number and of course flawless vocals from all of the girls who always come into their own when they are thrust into the spotlight. I loved the change up of this single, and it did throw me off a bit when I heard a lot more Chisato and Mai then the usual Airi and Maimi line dominance. However, I didn't mind it, in fact I embraced it with both arms held wide. Mai is usually just a background member for me but lately she's really caught my attention and UFP must have agreed with me by giving her more spotlight in this song. She doesn't have an amazing voice like Airi and Maimi but she sang very well in this release. The one moment that impressed the most was Mai's amazing note at the end. Usually she doesn't belt but she sang well with what she has with her voice and really left an impression at the end of the song when I listened to it.

Of course, Chisato also got given a front girl status in this single and even though she does get a lot of lines anyway these days, she got given a little more and you definitely noticed it and she did too. Throughout watching the music video I noticed a lot more attitude and confidence coming from her and I was impressed. She always has an amazing voice but sometimes she doesn't impress me on camera but she made a solid statement in this release.

Maimi, was for a change, pushed to the back which I wasn't happy with at first because she's my favourite but then I realized it is nice for a change to get other members into the spotlight so then I was more warm to embracing less of Maimi's lines. However, for what she made up in lack of vocals she did with her amazing dancing skills. For me she is one of the best dancers in the current H!P line up and she executed this dance so well and especially in the stretching move when it came to her lines. She is a tall woman anyway but it highlighted Maimi beautifully in those moves and made her look stunning like a model.

Airi and Saki were also very impressive and really know how to work their expressions in their solo shots. They really stood out to me in the scenes where they were laid down on a pale pink sheet with red apples. They were effortlessly beautiful and they reminded me of Snow White even though that's a different tale to what this music video and song is actually based on.

I loved the lyrical content of the lyrics and how they related to today's relationships upon the tale of Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve is a tale of the first humans on earth and they are in love with each other but then their lives are ruined when Eve is tempted by Satan disguised as a snake and she steals an apple out of the Garden of Eden even though God has forbade her to do so. Therefore, they are cursed with mortal lives instead of the immortal lives they were given in the beginning. What I think the lyrics are trying to say is that in every relationship we face troubles and temptations and that allows us to make mistakes, however if we focus on the positive and learn to love each other and fight the temptation then the relationship will be perfect. It is very creative and I do like it!

There was also a lot of symbolism in the music video which I adored as well because I love being able to pick out symbolisms and their meanings in a music video. Starting off with the green costumes that represent Eve and her private areas being covered with green leaves. There is also obvious appearances of apples which easily symbolizes the apple that Eve stole from the garden of Eden. The red in the solo shots reminds me of lust and how people can be tempted to other people in a relationship because it's something that we want but can't have like the forbidden apple which Eve is tempted to have but isn't allowed to. But then in the dance shot the grey colour of the apples symbolise the truth of the situation, the temptation is meaningless and isn't and shouldn't be attractive in the first place because we have paradise with what we already have. The chains could also symbolise the struggle that Eve faces with her temptation and trying not to cave into it like C-ute are representing with their loves.

This music video is also another typical and cheap UFP music video that I am not surprised about however they prove once again that it doesn't matter about the budget just as long as it's creative. Adam to Eve no Dilemma does exactly that and makes me want to watch the music video again and again! The white contrast in the dance shot to the green of the outfits is very effective and brightens the green even more to make it stand out so they look like beautiful emeralds.

C-ute also prove once again that they are amazing dancers with the impressive dance routine for this single! They were all very sharp and in synch with each other so it impressed me with their skills and I wouldn't have minded if this music video was based on a dance shot like Morning Musume's Kimi Sae, however I also don't think it would have been a good idea because then we would have lost out on a lot of amazing symbolism. And I need symbolism! I'm a performance student I need to analyse these things!

This song is also very cool and catchy just like C-ute's recent numbers and this is what I prefer from H!P's sound. I love a lot of H!P singles but their cooler singles is what really makes me smile. The introduction was very impressive and I loved how it slowly built up and then snapped into this very uptempo instrumentation that just made me want to bust amazing moves like the C-ute girls. All of the girls sounded amazing in this too and their vocal talents just impress me everytime I hear them in a new release. As a group they work together so well and individually too so everyone has their moment. Sometimes I forget that C-ute is an idol group and I think of them as an amazing and cool girl group. This song has C-ute written all over it and it's a winning combination of C-ute, flawless vocals, sharp, precise dancing and an added zing of sexy to top it all off.

This release has been one of my favourite's this year and I am so excited what C-ute have up their sleeve for their next single!

RATING: 9/10

Thanks for reading guys! You can continue sending me requests! They can be anything from J-Pop, even if it's something I haven't listened to before, request it!

新しい私になれ！ Be The New Me - S/mileage REVIEW

A few days ago S/mileage's newest double single A-side music videos were released onto their official channel and when I watched and heard Be The New Me for the first time I knew I instantly wanted to review it. Usually I'm not a huge follower of S/mileage but in the past some of their releases have caught my attention such as Suki Yo and Uchouten Love among others. However, when I heard this song it just made me fall in love with S/mileage right there and then again. Lately, they did go through a dark patch and a lot of people didn't know what to make of S/mileage at this point. However, now that they've been given a double A-side single I guess it's given them a little kick in the butt and it's worked wonders. They've really blown me away this time!!!

When I watched the music video there was so many amazing moments that I knew I had to screencap some of this so I do warn there will be many screenshots of this music video. There will be a lot of pouts so be warned! Teehee!

When I first saw these moves being executed I didn't know what to think. It was a very different thing I was expecting from the usual S/mileage.

I'm used to seeing this cute little Meimi jumping around in all bundles of kawaii genkiness or whatever you want to call it. However, in this music video there's a completely different side to her and I like it! Viva las mature Meimi!

Ayaka is usually "just there" for me in a PV but in this case she really showcased how sexy she can be. In some instances she did remind me of Maimi Yajima from C-ute which is  a FRICKEN GOOD THING! It's either the sexiness or the similiar hairstyles, but I love long hair on an idol!

The dance looked and flowed with the song well but then this dance move comes along and I was just so confused. It didn't go with the song at all, they reminded me of those golden Chinese trinket cats that bounce their paws up and down!

Ayaka and Kanon: These 2nd gen girls may be getting better but we still own this crib! Never forget that homegirl!

Gotta support their 1st gen spirit! It did make me giggle to see the contrast between these girls though Ayaka just oozed sexiness whereas I think Kanon was going for the more coy look or she had puppy eye syndrome.

Akari is just flawless on her own, she can just bat her eyelashes and pouty smile and I'm putty in her hand! She is the tomboy of the group but she can work it and prove she can be a sexy girl with the rest of these chicas! But be aware in the far distance is the Rina ready to prove herself! She wants to break through this Akari/Kana wall!

Rina has had luck on her side today and proved to people that she can be an awesome asset to S/mileage! I had to screenshot this because I loved her expression in this.

RINA: I can prove myself! Rina is the underdog soooon!

Okay I get it I get it I love you, please don't hurt me!

You want me to now leave you alone...okay master...but in future please be more clear so I don't get punished from the underdog Rina! Keep working it gurl!

Rina isn't the only other girl here who's trying to prove herself as an awesome idol! As the emptiness of Tanaka Reina's presence from Morning Musume in H!P blows through like dust, Meimi has decided to take the reigns of the sulky pout for those who miss Reina. She either as a plan for H!P domination or she does care for Reina's wota's sobbing from her graduation!

Ayaka you keep working it! Throughout the whole PV she really knew how to work to the camera and I was impressed. She may not be the best singer of S/mileage but she knows how to work her other talents.

Ayaka and Akari have now teamed up to rebel against the underdog that is Rina!

AKARI: She might have walked through my wall but she didn't know me down!
AYAKA: Preach girl! Showing you some senpai lovin'!

Ayaka! I love Akari so don't try and pull at my heartstrings! It's never going to work! I love you but Akari...she's my S/mileage #1! Even if you do look so stunning!

I know Akari is the tomboy of the group but she has this natural feminine beauty that really showcases itself flawlessly! When I screenshot this I thought this could be photo shopped into a fantastic fashion mag cover. One of you readers is going to do it aren't you?

AKARI: Me, a model? Gurl I pose in my sleep! *Pout*

Oh I know you could I could never deny your perfection!

Kana's hair was so just so pretty in this! I hope she keeps styling it like this it really does make her stand out! She's so adorable!

I really am in love with Meimi's posing, for a teen she knows how to pose sexy!

All in all I really enjoyed listening to this song, it was a cool song that really conformed to my preferences. I love a lot of H!P singles but the more cooler ones are the ones that I tend to love the most. The instrumentation was just so cool that the introduction didn't sound like a H!P or idol song at all in my opinion. It sounded like something a proper girl band could execute and I liked that. Also, in all honesty I don't really think that this sounds like a S/mileage single, but that isn't a bad thing. I really like how the girls have ventured into something new with this A-side. They have done cool songs before but not songs that have had to require so many mature vocals and sexiness to be executed. Some of the girls such as Kanon still sounded their same old cutesy S/mileage selves but other members such as Akari and Meimi really allowed the cool sound of this single to allow them to showcase the variety of their vocals and what genres they could apply themselves to. H!P is always about change so it's a good talent to have in my personal opinion for an idol in general to expand to different genres. However, despite the maturity of the song within the instrumentation and the verses, it's the chorus' that really reminds you again that this is a S/mileage song. Once they all sing together in the chorus' the typical high pitch that is S/mileage is re-introduced and I remember that this is a S/mileage single all over again.

Another thing that I love from H!P is when they use a lot of white. I don't know why but when I see PVs from H!P that are dominantly white they look sleek on my laptop screen. I guess that's why I'm still in love with the Only You outfits from Morning Musume's PV due to the heavy use of white. And this PV executed the same effect with me and I love the outfits!!!

With the dance shot the background did remind me of a familiar set that has been used in H!P plenty of times before (for example Juice=Juice's 1st indie single PV when they had the same background for their dance shot). But this is UFP and they like to recycle to save money, remember the less money they spend the better for them. That's a typical feature and will not be forgotten in a hurry.

Again in terms of typical H!P there again wasn't a lot of variety it was just the same old dance shot, solo shot number with a little, but not really counted as, variety with the use of different shots of the dance and the members stood with notes and the alley shots. One thing that annoyed me is that when I say alley shots they aren't really an alley. Do you recognize the studio wall? Watch some H!P behind the scenes videos of other PVs and you'll recognize that wall like it's your best friend. Again they are using resources they've used before. I won't complain because I did like those alley shots and the girls worked that shot well. They all looked very sexy in it but they all did it in their own ways. Ayaka was very sexy, Kanon was the coy sexy, Meimi was the moody sexy etc.

In terms of members I wanted to chart how much they impressed me!

1. Meimi!

Usually I'm not a big fan of Meimi and hyper idols in general. However, in this PV she managed to tone it down and showcase a mature side of her that I never thought I'd see before. And this showcases the maturity of her voice so much as well. She does have a fantastic cutesy voice but her mature voice is just 10 times better and I do hope that UFP recognizes this and keeps up with this mature sounding voice of hers.

2. Ayaka!
Again, another member who I hardly notice as made her way to the forefront for me which is for me impressive. When it comes to members who I hardly notice, if they manage to attract my attentions then they've done a great job because it takes a lot for someone to take my eyes away from my oishiis. Ayaka had great chemistry with the camera throughout the video and showcased that she has more variety than her genki idol character. She is 17 now so definitely reminded people of that in this!

3. Akari!

Akari was herself in this music video which was a good thing but she used her face in such a good way! She hardly moved her face but at the same time she emoted so much! She looked so beautiful but you just had to look into her eyes to see that and it blew me away. She might be the tomboy of the group but I still see her as a beautiful girl sometimes!

4. Rina!

Even though Rina was background in this music video most of the time, in the small moments she did get to the front of the dance she worked it effortlessly. She had a lot of, I hate to use the word, swag, in this video and I liked it. She might not get a lot of lines but I hope she can make herself stand out in other ways. But she does deserve more lines...just saying!

5. Kanon!

I can't believe this because usually Kanon blows me away and I always notice her. However, she stood out in this in a bad way. I could see she was trying to look sexy but she just looked typical S/mileage cute all over again and it stood out like a sore thumb between the other sexy solo shots. Her voice did sound amazing in this though!

6. Kana!
I have to admit Rina has always been at the bottom of my S/mileage ranking. There's just nothing about her that stands out to me. Yeah, she got a push in Yattaruchan but she just doesn't catch my attention as an idol. I do notice she is blossoming into a beauty but that's about it. I really don't know what else to say.

The outfits were also amazing in this music video and I was wish I had an outfit like that too so I could learn this awesome dance. Throughout the dance there were some weird moves such as the golden cat paw and the hugging/gropey moves at the beginning that did make me cringe because some of these girls are still very young, but apart from that it was a sexy yet simple dance that I like. It catered to all of the members' dance abilities and they danced well together. Of course it's not as awesome as Morning Musume's recent dances but they still know how to bust moves!

All in all this song along with Yattaruchan as a double A-side single is very impressive! I know Yattaruchan is the main A-side but this song will have to be my favorite out of the two. Yattaruchan bored me and was too cutesy for me even though their energy was very fun to watch! This single does prove that S/mileage does have what it takes to be an amazing group and the contrasting A-sides allows people to see that S/mileage can cater to more than one genre. I am excited to see how successful this single will be.

Thank you reading this review and if you have any requests please let me know!!!

~~My favourite idol~~

Hello guys!
Today I wanted to do a different post to what I usually do and I wanted to talk about my favourite idol, how I came across them and why it is that I love them so!

My all time favourite idol is Takahash Ai! She joined Morning Musume in 2001 as a 5th generation member of Morning Musume and was a very popular member within her 10 year reign as a member of Morning Musume! After Yoshizawa Hitomi graduated 2007, and then after Miki Fujimoto graduated soon after Takahashi Ai become the leader of Morning Musume and ran a fantastic line up through the Platinum Era and into 2011.

I first discovered her when I watched the Onna ni Sachi Are PV and I just adored how she acted on camera and how she really captivated you with her amazing acting skills. Then after watching a few Morning Musume live performances I was blown away by how amazing Takitty's voice was. She surpasses the typical talent you expect to find in an idol a hundred times over and I am not surprised she received so much work after graduating Morning Musume. She truly deserves it!

As I listened back to her debut and the first few years of her career in Morning Musume I was very surprised she wasn't straight at the front of the line up. I always found her to have an amazing voice even in her audition clips. However, I am glad that she slowly worked her way to the front, so it proved to people that she did deserve the lead lines she received in singles throughout her Morning Musume career. And it allowed her to learn about herself as a person and an idol and what her weaknesses and strengths were so she could work on them. Not everyone is perfect but by the time Morning Musume got to the Platinum Era Takitty was in full force. Not just as a leader but as the perfect idol! She become a confident performer and she owned herself in a variety of songs. She could do everything from sexy, fun to cute.

And that made me learn how much of a cry baby Takitty was. I found it a very appreciated quality of hers that I loved from the start. She isn't afraid to show her true emotions and with this I could feel what she felt and I could empathize with her and I felt much closer to her as a fan. I know Takitty is just an idol that I will never ever meet in my life, but sometimes I do think of her as a sister. She's a huge influence to me and I couldn't think of any other idol who will ever have the same impact on me as Takitty.

I really loved it when Takitty performed ballads too and even though she was such a versatile performer and could perfectly do whatever she put her mind too, I always felt her strongest expertise was ballads. She could perfectly put so much emotion into a song that once she started to tear up singing the song that's when the performance captivated me. When I saw eng subs of these performances it made me appreciate the song, not just for it's sound, but for it's lyrical content. 

I also feel like I'm similiar to Takahashi Ai in some parts so that's what makes me feel even more connected to Takitty. She's a cry baby like me, seriously the littlest things can make me cry especially if it includes cute bunnies and puppies. I have a passion for singing and theatre like she does and one main thing is that we're both shy yet when we're both performing we have this confidence that we wouldn't usually have in reality.

I will continue to support Takahashi Ai! I know she has a bright future ahead of her in the future and I will never stop believing in Takahashi Ai! I will always support her! I love you Takahashi Ai!

Thanks for reading!~~

Shangai Honey - Orange Range (Review)

Hello guys!

Now today's blog post is a little different to my usual blog posts. Usually, I have planned what song I want to review next but this week I've been in the mood to discover some new Japanese acts (well not new-new but acts that I've come across for the first time). Phew! I'm glad I got that confusion out the way! And back to the topic I basically asked people I knew online if they had any requests to send my way and my good friend Nakatsu asked me to review Shangai Honey by Orange Range!

Now the song didn't click with me straight away cause the rapping was a turn off for me (out of the J-Rock bands I know Uverworld is the only band that's impressed me with their rapping) but apart from that I like the rest of the song! The group has a lot of energy and really know how to gel together well. The chorus' were very catchy and I still have them stuck in my head! I'm a big fan of J-Rock and a lot of stuff I get introduced to or discover is usually v-kei and a lot of it is dark, so many J-Rock acts I like have dominantly dark music material. But it's a nice breath of fresh air to discover a band such as Orange Range who are still rock but they have a much more upbeat, positive vibe about them. And it's a very catchy song for me to listen to through the summer and I think with a few more listens I will definitely download it. Songs are only legit for me once they are downloaded onto my mp3 player because I cannot leave the house without it. And i cannot risk 40 minute bus drives to university and back if there isn't any good music to listen to. I think this song will be a grower on my list just for it's catchiness and simplicity. I'm glad it wasn't an  over the top and complicated song.

Then when I watched the PV (Original version) and I just couldn't stop giggling throughout the whole thing. It was like they were doing a slap stick of a typical 90's RnB music video with the bodyguards stood with the speakers and the typical slim women swimming around in a pool. But then you get this other woman who enters who is completely different to the other women (in this case she is much more muscular and less feminine) and suddenly the band are all rushing to grab her attention instead of the typically beautiful women you'd expect them to fawn over. So I loved how they tricked us into thinking they were being serious and then pull one over on us when they do something different to what I expected. So I learned my lesson in the sense that just because you see a beautiful woman doesn't mean every man is going to bow down to her feet to be their prince charming. Thank you Orange Range for giving me morals! (Sorry I sound so hyper in this I'm drinking wine as I'm writing, naughty Jen! haha!)

Speaking of wine as I watched this PV I giggled and laughed a lot at how many sexual innuendos there are in the music video! They're better in screencaps because wording them will not give them justice:

Here is the stereotypical white bikini I always seem to see in music videos to suggest supposed "innocence". All I can think is Beeeatch please!

And the more I watch this the more I realize why they have white bikinis. Well Orange Range don't have X-ray vision do they? Dirrrrty! Hehe! Can't blame a guy for trying!!

However, these girls know what Orange Range's gameplan is and so with their oh-so-awesome dance moves they show the guys that they are thinking to insinuate they have intelligence and should not be just looked at! You go girls you show them! Let them work hard for their Asian rendezvous! GRR!

No, girls this isn't a pure love when you ruin your plans by shaking your toooshe to the camera! I thought we had something here girls but oh well...keep shaking the booty!

Oh but these girls don't care what I have to say do they? I thought it was sisters before misters.

Well no more respect from me! Even though those bikinis are quite pretty!

One compliment and they agree with my thoughts again! Women should not be seen as a common object! So they brought their friend Gunta to prove a point! You go girl! You flex those lady muscles!

Now these guys just can't make their minds up about who they want can they? And you white vest dude, put your mic away! We're in public! Come on it's so strategically placed you have to turn onto dirty mind mode here!

But I think Gunta has the same idea as me about these perverted men! She's shown her rage with lightning and hurricanes to scare them off! Make them work for your affections! Go Gunta!

Pfft! Didn't take long for these two did it! What happened to sisters before misters and bros before hos? You all make me sick! I'll just drink more wine to drown my sorrows!

Now this guy can agree with me! Bring on the bubbly, we'll both get drunk while these young'uns go on with their escapades of orange themed fun!

But don't think that popping that bottle open in that way is going to make me think dirty thoughts!
You sir are totally wrong!
I'm sorry but can anyone else see this innuendo? It's too rude for me to put it simply!

But through all of my mind war games of morals and people popping mics and bottles we forgot about one poor little fellow! The drummer who hasn't managed to have a break! Through the PV I realized the drummer was not interested in those women at all. He's probably looking for an intelligent woman to share clever banter with, I can spare some time comrade!

Or you could hang out with these two cool speaker dudes and fill out the health and safety forms? With all of that water you knew there would be loads of paperwork! You could have ran with the ladies but instead you decided to work hard! Good for you!

Sorry for the weirdest screen caps! It's just when I watched this music video this is what I was thinking throughout the whole thing. There were so many suggestions and innuendos that with all of the wine I've had it made me giggle so much and I had to share this with you! It's a very fun music video to watch and it was a simple stage set, pool and beach and I liked the whole white and orange themes of the women's bikinis to showcase different things. From my perspective I think the white represented the plain look that we get given in the media when it comes to women in Japan and then we get this orange bikini'd woman who is not the type of girl we see in the magazine, and the way the band are attracted to her proves something. That girls we see everyday in the magazines aren't what men always want. Everyone has different types and it's a shame the media can't really recognize that.

I think I might give Orange Range a chance and listen to more of their songs! Despite it being catchy it didn't click with me straight away so I might check out more of their other songs to see if they can still pull me in and make me a fan! And thank you to Nakatsu again for this request I had a lot of fun writing this blog post!

Guys if you have anymore requests for me in the future, please do not hesitate to request them to me! They can be H!P, AKB, any other idol groups, J-Rock or even some K-Pop if you feel adventurous!

Thanks for reading!

Tanaka Reina ~~Graduation Commemoration Post~~

How can you write about a Morning Musume member who is due to graduate yet you don't really know what to write? Tomorrow is Tanaka Reina's graduation from Morning Musume and of course a lot of wotas and fans hearts will be breaking that their MoMusu oishii will be leaving. Do not fear though Reina will not be disappearing from the face of the earth, she will still be in the music industry with her new rock project Lovendor. So it is a big massive part of Morning Musume that will be graduating but at the same time it isn't going to end the world.

Now when I first became a fan of Morning Musume Reina did stand out to me at the start. At this point the first song I'd come across by Morning Musume was Onna ni Sachi Are and Reina was one of the girls that was pushed to the front. So, really I had no choice but to take notice of her. And she did stand out to me, with her sultry glares, I would have said stares but glares sounds more like our yankee Reina. I thought she was very beautiful and really fit with the theme of the song with her pretty vocals. I've never thought of Reina as having a strong voice in terms of Ai and Gaki but she always had this pretty tone to her voice that I always liked.

However, after a while and becoming more familiar with Morning Musume and all of their other member, I learned to realise that this was the Reina I would always be given. In Onna ni Sachi Are I thought her careless attitude was due to the song being a serious one and this was just her relating to the songs. However, in singles after that and even to this day I realised this was the Reina we would always have. She still had amazing talents and looks but it never seemed like she was as passionate about Morning Musume like Michishige Sayumi for example.

In earlier songs such as Shabondama Reina had passion and looked like she enjoyed herself and that was the Reina I loved. I will be honest and say I loved Reina from the beginning of her Morning Musume career compared to the Reina now. I still like her, but I loved her energy and much more mature sounding voice in her earlier years in comparison to now. Through the Platinum Era Reina's vocals turned very squeaky and now she does sometimes sound mature but that's only depending on the kind of song she is given to sing.

There was times where I really loved Reina in her career and then there were times where I still liked her but she just meshed with the other members of Morning Musume who also just meshed into the background. But I have never had a dislike towards Reina, she has always been one of my favourite vocalists. Of course behind Ai, because if you know me, you will know that no other idol no matter what will top Ai in being the perfect idol. And in terms of being an idol, despite all of the glitter and cat ears etc, Reina never really seemed like an idol to me. Her bored personality kind of took her away from that and her lack of an idol personality made me think of Reina as more of a much more serious, professional singer. From what I've heard of Lovendor so far Reina does need to transition from her idol vocals to a much more rockier vocals but it isn't going to happen overnight. And if Reina doesn't want to be seen as an idol anymore she really needs to get rid of the glitter and cat ears she has been wearing in performances because even if she is graduating, it still makes Lovendor Reina look like the Morning Musume Reina.

It isn't going to happen overnight but if Reina manages to change her image and vocals to conform better to a rock group then they will sound fantastic. And from the previews I've heard of their first album so far I have good hopes for this group, but I don't know how they will do sales wise.

In terms of Reina's graduation I do hope she goes out with a good farewell due to her 10 long hard working years as a member of Morning Musume. I do hope the concert is one that showcases Reina well with plenty of glitter and bows to last a lifetime. Even though there were times where Reina didn't stand out the most to me, I've always liked her and respected her as a member of Morning Musume. There have been times in her career where she was isolated from the rest of the group but she still managed to go onto the stage with a smile and interact with her fans which I think is a true quality in an idol. No matter what happens you can always smile and keep the spirit within your fans hearts. I will miss Reina, but at the same time I am very excited to hear what Morning Musume have to offer once Reina is gone.

What do you think of Reina's graduation? With only 24 hours left I will be excited to hear what the other members have to say to Reina as their farewells. Another member of an amazing era has retired her idol microphone ready for the next line up of Morning Musume to take it's place.

Farewell to the glittery yankee of Morning Musume! I wish you all the best for Lovendor!

Cascada - Glorious (Review (The Cheesy Eurovision Edition))

Today is the final of the Eurovision song contest and it's an hour before it airs in my country! Now one of my favorite contenders this year to be the winner of Eurovision 2013 is Germany's entry this year which is Glorious by the world famous Cascada. Unlike the UK, sorry to bash my country but it's true we suck with out entries, apart from Jade Ewen, Germany have took a good card out of the deck and have crowned Cascada as their representatives for this year. So I decided to review Glorious. I know it's a lot different to my Japanese music reviews but with Eurovision airing tonight I knew I had to review this song.

Cascada is a band that I grew up listening to since their first single Everytime We Touch and they've gone through quite a transformation since their debut and they are pretty famous in the dance scene in Europe now. So when I found out they were performing in Eurovision this year I was quite shocked yet so excited to see what they had up their sleeves. I was quite shocked because a lot of UK acts have used Eurovision as an excuse to push themselves back into the spotlight which doesn't work, but luckily Cascada have managed to maintain popularity since their debut. And their vocalist Natalie Horner is one of the best vocalists I have heard out there in my music favourites.

Now I decided to in this review express my opinions on not just the song but also the performance because I saw it for the first time in the semi-final performance and it gave me goosebumps from the get go. I'm not just saying this because I love Natalie Horner, but because I went through some years where I hadn't listened to Cascada at all. So this year is the first event in a while where I've listened to them again, and Natalie's voice is still as amazing as ever, if not better than when I last heard her. And she is also one of them rare talents where they sound amazing in both recordings and live performances.

Now I was very happy with this performance because it still maintained the pink colour scheme that it had from the music video. I also loved the simplicity of it because out of Eurovision all of my favourite acts have always had simple performances and not over the top stage performances that a lot of countries use in Eurovision. The simple staging in this performance was a platform with stairs leading to the real stage, two backing singers and white drapes that were used well so they could change colour depending on the lighting which was also very simple and didn't distract away from the performance itself. Just Natalie's amazing vocals did it justice by itself and I loved how the backing singers didn't try to sing too loud because sometimes backing singers can really clash with the main vocalists badly.

Natalie's costume was also very pretty and I loved how it matched the drapes of the stage but also maintained the classical costume that she has worn in Cascada performances in previous years. The top half which looks like some sort of sparkly corset reminded me of the Because the Night music video so I loved the connection with that. She also wore a simple, short, white skirt with a lace trail at the back to add an elegance to it. And I cannot deny that it showcased her beautiful legs well. She might as well add some sexiness to get votes eh? ;)

When I was watching this performance it actually felt like I was watching a winners performance and I loved the energy that Natalie was showcasing throughout the song and that's a quality I love in her as a performer. She knows how to work the song, the crowd and still maintain the emotion of the song whilst also maintaining the technicality of her amazing vocals. I am not lying but I had chills throughout the performance! And it made me love the song all the more! I also think her voice sounds just like the recorded version but it had a more raw sound to it in the performance to add more raw emotion in it and she knows how to belt a good chorus!

Now in terms of the song itself I think it's a very impressive song for a Eurovision entry and to also cater to Cascada's original fan base. The song maintains that same formula of verse, chorus, long instrumental, verse, chorus, long instrumental, chorus. It allows the classical European dance sound to emit itself in classical Cascada style, so it makes me want to dance to it like I would do with any other Cascada track. However, in terms of lyrics and how the chorus' are so powerful and carry the themes of believing in yourself, it also conforms itself well to the typical poppy formula that is seen in Eurovision.

In terms of competition, I can't say for sure whether Cascada will win but they have a pretty good chance, They are pretty popular all over Europe so just the mention of their name may give them votes. However, there are some other fantastic acts in Eurovision this year and in such a huge competition like this it's never easy to predict a winner for certain. Even if she doesn't win I know for sure she'll be a very high ranking in the table! I just gotta listen through a long hour or so of the points being tallied by the different countries!

Who do you think will win Eurovision this year?