Introducing: Charisma.com

Charisma.com is an electronic rap duo consisting of two office ladies. Feeling it yet?

Introducing: GI

GI, or Global Icon, was a South Korean girl group with a boyish concept. And yeah, was. They debuted in 2013 and released a few real badass songs. After that followed a couple of years of silence and major member changes. It's really a pity there are no more songs from the old GI, but here they are and you should totally listen to them.

GI did come back earlier this year with a digital single called Echo. (The video I had linked got removed, sorry!) It's not particularly a bad song, but shows how yet another unique girl group was ruined along member changes. (Forever bitter about groups such as Fiestar and Hello Venus. And now GI. Maybe I should do a post about that?)

Introducing: Dempagumi.inc

I guess Dempagumi.inc really needs no introduction as a group, but if someone hasn't listened to them, now's the time.  I've been jamming to W.W.D like crazy for a few weeks now.

So Dempagumi.inc is a denpa idol group, consisting of six otakus: Mirin, Risa, Nemu, Eimi, Moga and Ayane (Pinky!). They're great. That's what you need to know, and to listen to their songs. They have a very distinctive style, all of the members are presented greatly as individuals and their music videos are a great big party!

(My lovely friends just bought me a Dempa glowstick from Paris, can't wait to get it!)

Otsukaresummer~

Sick & Tired of Human Boys

I present you a playlist including some of the best Japanese music from the past five decades. I put up this playlist just by picking the songs that I felt like fitted in it from the music I've been listening to lately, with the theme of retro hits, party music and oddness in mind. Thought I'd share, because I've enjoyed this playlist like hell.

Seishun Kozo ga Naiteiru- Another Version

Let's talk about Morning Musume '15's Seishun Kozo ga Naiteiru. And yeah, the regular version is okay. The another version will make your mind blow up and become a part of the greater existence.

The another version is directed by Shuhei Shibue, who won the Big Chance competition with this video. It was quite clear already back then the music video he would get to direct was going to be something completely different. His style is really unique.

Of course I like this MV already a bit better, because it has Zukki! I have nothing against Karin, and I know putting her on Zukki's place in the promotion edit(s) was a considered move, but I just don't think she fits the atmosphere of Morning Musume songs.

Anyway, Seishun Kozo ga Naiteiru. What a great song! And this another version is possibly the best music video from Morning Musume ever.

What's great about Sibue's MV is everything. Seriously, it's innovative, interesting and inspiring. The atmosphere is really fantasy-, even dreamlike throughout the video. It's exciting, even thrilling to follow. It has everything you could ever wish for - references to art, school uniforms, cheerleading, great GC, some fanservice, and an actual idea. (Which of course is the 12kies joining their scary senpais, who already have their personalities sorted out, in a wacky journey trough idolhood.) I'm not actually a big fan of long story MV's, this is just the amount of plot I need.

The best part is when the girls tear their way trough the wall. The shot has a really mysterious, even intimate feel to it and is very unusual. I love the detail when Maachan flips the piece of paper out of her way. Another great scene is when they break to the chorus for the last time and the petals start falling due to lighting. Like, what? Everything makes so little sense it's just utterly great.

There's a lot going on in the MV, and it still doesn't get messy. There's just more and more to discover - which fits the song, it's the same. For once, there's a music video that really embraces the song, its lyrics and the girls, and really is something suitable only for this one song. I wish there were more music videos like this, hell, Morning Musume could get hugely popular again if all their videos were like this.

Lastly, a couple of words about the song. It's written by Tsunku, who recently lost his ability to speak completely because of cancer. (If you're wondering whether I'm extremely sad about his loss or extremely happy he's still with us and working with music, I'm totally both.) The untranslated parts are from an old Japanese poem, and mean something like this:

Even the blossoming flowers
Will eventually scatter
Who in our world
Is unchanging?
The deep mountains of karma
We cross them today
And we shall not have superficial dreams
Nor be deluded.

If you're still not amazed by Seishun Kozo, I'm not sure what I should do with you.

♥ screenshot credits ♥

Listen to! March

The unintended "Girl Groups Rule" -edition.

I've gotta say at first I thought FM was really boring, but now that I've listened to it more, I think it's musically one of Crayon Pop's best songs. They're still quirky and unique, but this is very different from anything they've released. Anyway, girl groups. The best kind. I always find myself getting back to listening almost only girl groups, but then again, they're great! Why avoid greatness? ♥

Ps. Notice Red Velvet and Moso Calibration wear clothes with led lights.
I think it's a thing right now.

Concerning Love Live!

So, obviously, Love Live! has been a huge thing recently.

I've heard some songs from μ's, seen some clips from the anime and I've got a lot of friends who are crazy about this series. I tried downloading the rhythm game once, but it didn't work on my device. I've fancied the character designs of Love Live! for a while, but never really felt like or felt pressured to watch the anime. I never said I never would, either, like the case might have been a few years back, when I was ridiculously negative towards idol animes.

Then, one day I stumbled upon the song Happy Maker!, and I went; "Why not."

Now, I'm not an anime person, I could say I usually watch one to two series a year, and don't even finish most of them. Still, I watched the first season of Love Live! in less than two days, and I was actually surprised how quickly it ended. I really liked the first season, and I wrote most of this after watching it. Season 2 was mainly boring, to be honest. I'd say only the last 2 episodes were actually worth something.

Here, read why Love Live! is so popular.

”When talking about this topic, it's important to note that the "idol" genre had been simmering in some corner of the overall anime media universe for a long while. -- They weren't really shows about idols, at heart. It was always "<x> with idols", x usually being some other already well-established genre, like mecha with idols or mahou shoujo with idols. -- Needless to say, Love Live didn't do that - the story was about the girls, and about the girls only.”

As an long-term idol fan I can say I'm surprised how long it took for an anime like this to appear and to become popular. (We can argue if this is the first pure idol-anime or not, but at least it's the first to go this big. Well, LL does have school genre in it too, but as school idols are an actual thing, you could call it a pure idol anime.) I mentioned how a few years back, when AKB0048 came out, I was really pissed about anime idols. I was the only idol fan I knew outside the internet and suddenly all my friends loved animated idols, do you get me?

Recently the situation has changed. It's partly because of LL and partly it is the reason why LL is so popular. Idols are a thing now. Artists like AKB48 and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu started becoming more popular around the same time Love Live! was released, and K-pop was getting even huger too. Nowadays it's very common to meet other idol fans at conventions and such, and I feel it's because everything just happened to happen at the right time. Japanese and Korean music and Japanese animation together caused an idol-boom. And I couldn't be happier about it. I don't know if people get it but even if it's "just" anime idols, after spazzing about idols alone for years, I feel so delighted to hear people talk about idols, to see people loving idols. (Note: Remember, I can only talk about my personal experiences, and I am only involved in the Finnish con scene.)

Why didn't this happen a few years ago? I think it wasn't only my childishness that was the reason I didn't like anime idols, it was because anime idols weren't ready yet.

Love Live! has nailed anime idols. The animation is beautiful, the girls are interesting each in their own way, and the songs are actually good! All I can compare LL to is random clips from AKB0048 and some other idol animes, but I don't need more to know LL is way out of their league. 0048 was so messy! Everything in that anime drowned under everything in that anime. Really, know how to stop.

So, if we ignore some disturbing facts about Love Live!, like how all the girls can just magically sing quite well and pull off concerts without microphones, or how a bunch of high school students can afford that many glorious costumes, the anime is good. And if I like an anime, boy, then it seriously is good. Sometimes I can't watch even my favourite series because everything that is characteristic to anime tends to disgust me. LL is a very generic anime, and yes, some things in it do annoy me, but it succeeds to hide all that under the great mood that is very genuine and idol-like. In season 2 the anime does become a little slow and lack the feeling, but it's still bearable. Two times 13 episodes is a nicely short anime for someone like me.

Love Live! lacks logic, but it succeeds on fulfilling the most important thing - being a Happy Maker!, like they sing in the song above. So, even if I still prefer my idols in the flesh, I can suggest watching Love Live! if you're even slightly interested in it. At least season 1. 

Itooshikutte Gomen ne / Koi Dorobou

I'm still getting used to the fact that Momoko is part of country girls, to be honest, I don't think she completely fits in there. However, like people have already voiced out, she doesn't really stand out too much in the PV's, which is good. Anyway, Itooshikutte Gomen ne is a song that has that kind of a legendary feeling in it. It feels like a song that will be remembered & that will be sung in concerts for years. I think it's catchy and cute - in a bit cheesy way, but in a good way, I think. Hello!Project has been lacking a cutesy group for a while, so I really like the image given to Country Girls.

The music video is quite basic, but very nice. I like that there are more than one kinds of close-up shots, and god, aren't the girls just adorable. The outfits and the dance fit the song too, even though there's nothing especially great about them. Oh yeah, and each girl has more than one outfit. The casual outfits are perfect!

Song ★★★★☆

Dance Shot ★★★☆☆

Close-up ★★★★★

Clothes ★★★★☆

Overall ★★★★☆

Koi Dorobou one is a bit too pink, but only slightly. The setting is very cute and pretty and looks fabulously fluffy! Flowers are always great. The song is okay, quite a basic double A-side song. I love the chorus, but the counting after that just kinda kills it for me. Everything about this song does fit Itooshikutte and Country Girls' overall image though, and there's not anything actually wrong about it.

Still, the dance is kind of meh, and so are the outfits. I just watched the PV but I have got no idea what the girls were wearing. Oh, okay, they're real cute, I would wear most of those clothes myself, but they maybe they blend into the background too much. I'm starting to be quite sure both of these songs should get a 3½ out of 5 stars, but I haven't given myself that option, so, we'll just go with this. I do these reviews based on first impressions.

Song ★★★☆☆

Dance Shot ★★★☆☆

Close-up ★★★★☆

Clothes ★★★☆☆

Overall ★★★☆☆

Listen to! February

It's March already, but here are some songs I've been listening to lately.

▼

Plus: Yesterday Block B performed in Helsinki, Finland, to some 1500 people. Like my friend said, it's hard to believe there are so many people in Finland who listen to K-Pop. However, the venue was very nice and full and the atmosphere was damn amazing. Block B was sweet and the show was very pleasing!
It's great to have this kinds of events in your homeland. However, the delivery of information about them is still very lacking and the organization of K-Pop events is only taking its baby steps.

I'm eagerly waiting to see how far we can go.

♥

Introducing: Kavka Shishido

Kavka Shishido, real name Yuna Shishido, is a Japanese singer & drummer. Formerly part of a rock band The News, she still plays the drums by herself in all her promotions. She has also worked as a runway model, and no wonder. She's badass. Love her.

As long as I have love, passion and friendship, Miss. Miss Me
Goodbye to instincts, kleshas, emotions and lovesickness, Miss. Miss Me
I’m a woman that can’t shed tears

Taiki Bansei / Otome no Gyakushuu

ANGERME's first single with the new name and with 3rd
generation girls! What do I think of it?

It it even possible to be this excited for a song? Even though I only started following S/mileage properly last year and I'm not still too keen on the name ANGERME, I have been waiting for Taiki Bansei like crazy. One reason might be that alongside Meimi the new members appeal to me more than most old members. Especially Rikako, and I'm super happy too see her as a center here.

I also really like the dance and the setting of the dance shot. There's great energy there, even though its camerawork is slightly too messy. The clothes are casual but classy, which I adore. Only one minus: why oh why is Akari wearing a hoodie? That is only casual and she looks very out of place.

The horrible member introduction parts from the HaroSute version fortunately got deleted, but it wasn't enough to save the MV completely. The rainbow flag as the background of the close-up shots is fugly and doesn't fit the dance shot at all. The lighting makes some of the girls' hair look really messy. I guess they were going for a happier feeling with a colorful background, but let's be honest here - there's no way Taiki Bansei would need more happiness.

Song ★★★★★
Dance Shot ★★★★☆
Close-up ★☆☆☆☆
Clothes ★★★★☆
Overall ★★★★☆

When I saw Otome no Gyakushuu on HaroSute, my first reaction was to dislike it because it was so weird and nothing I had expected to hear after Taiki Bansei. But now that you think about it, Otome no Gyakushuu is the kind of song you would except from a group named ANGERME. And it really grows on you!

I actually really like the high-pitched parts, as well as the chorus. I just think the whole song could have been a lot more melodic instead of singing one particle at a time. There clearly has been a genius idea for a song, but the execution lacks a bit. The lyrics are interesting but don't always make sense, plus the arrangement is a bit off. The last ten seconds of the song are completely useless, I just wish it would have ended with the "la-la-la"s, it would've been so much more powerful.

And the MV is great! The setting is gorgeous, the close-ups are beautiful and there's more than just the dance and close-up shots! I love it! The antique furniture, the roses and the paleness fit the song perfectly. And so does the dance. Even though it's a bit weird, it has really fine parts, especially in the C-part. The outfits are fine. But just that, there's nothing very special about them.

Song ★★★★☆
Dance Shot ★★★★☆
Close-up ★★★★★
Clothes ★★★☆☆
Overall ★★★★☆


To be honest, even though I rate this song lower than Taiki Bansei, I think I will like Otome no Gyakushuu for a longer time. I just have that kind of a feeling. Anyway, overall, I think this is an all-kill single. Very nice start for ANGERME.

Introducing: SPICA

SPICA is one of the most vocally talented k-pop groups. On performances you can really see they concentrate on singing above anything else, so they sound awesome even MR removed.

Even though they're not completely unknown, I think they're still way too underrated. SPICA sounds and looks perfect and their music videos, especially You Don't Love Me and Tonight, which are my favourites, are beautifully executed.

Last fall they also made their US debut with an English song "I did it" in KCON.

Make way for chubby idols!

As one of the most controversial new trends in J-pop, oversized idols begun their conquest to rule the world last year, and I gotta say happiness is guaranteed after listening to these songs! Let's take a look at some chubby idol groups:

The-not-actually-chubby-idols: Chubbiness

380 kilograms of idols: Pottya

And one more round trio: la BIG 3



Now I want to see a chubby idol group that doesn't sing about being chubby and eat delicacies on their videos. An idol group that is purely an idol group that just happens to be chubby, not an idol group whose existence revolves around being chubby. Seriously. Every one of these songs has the word macaron in their lyrics. Look at all the food and the pastel colors. I don't even have to look up the lyrics to know what they're singing about. Like it isn't possible to be chubby and live healthily?

Chubby idols got even the Americans thinking: Is this positive song actually positive?
(This video has surprisingly good arguments. Among the bad ones. Still, watch it!)

They're getting a bit sidetracked, let's return to the point:
These three groups are the exact copies of each others.

So, is every chubby idol destined to be like every other
chubby idol for the rest of their career?

No. This trend is still very young, and only taking its baby steps. I think Japanese music industry will keep evolving as quickly as it has to present day, and one day chubby idols won't be a thing anymore. They'll just be idols that are chubby. This is just the annoying first level of trying something new, where everyone are clones of each others.

I could almost say I know the positive lyrics are meant to be positive. These groups are created to honestly encourage girls to love themselves, not to eat more. A new idol group's survival just depends on having a personality. This "chubby concept" is something really rare in the Japanese music industry, so it will guarantee you the interest of the public. One of the Japanese characteristics is to generalize things and that's why these girls are loving the food.

Many fear Japanese chubby idols will get flushed down the toilet, like their Korean sisters Piggy Dolls got. Read more here. It's a possible scenario.
Then again, I have faith. Chubby idols won't go distinct, but eventually a few groups will be able to maintain the balance between chubbiness and the right concept and to succeed. They'll start making songs about regular idol subjects, they'll stop eating candy in each of their MV's. They'll possibly still be marketed as chubby idols, but by then the trend has got over it's awkward-teenage-phase. That is my hope and belief.

I will be very excited to follow what is next for chubby idols. Stay with me, and while waiting for more controversy, enjoy their great music!


By the way, I'm not saying anything about individual groups, but don't say the entire "chubby concept" is embracing All About That Bass that was released on June 30, 2014, when Chubbiness' auditions were held on June, 2013. And That Bass is so original with the 50's theme!

♥

Introducing: ST.319

ST.319 is a Vietnamese dance group & production tem. Originally a dance crew founded and produced by member Aiden, these guys film the most awesome k-pop dance covers. They also have two recording artists, MIN and MR.A.

Do check them out!

Makes you want to dance too, right?

Introducing: EXILE TRIBE

EXILE TRIBE is another Japanese mess of brother- and sistergroups, units, collective units and subunits. But they're awesome. Their basic idea is that they have vocalists & performers separated - some members of the group are purely dancers. Here's a chart for you to understand the parts of EXILE TRIBE:

Simply: HIRO created J Soul Brothers, which became EXILE. Later, second (Nindaime) and third (Sandaime) generations of J Soul Brothers existed. THE SECOND from EXILE is basically the same group as Nindaime J Soul Brothers. There's also a unit called Generations (from EXILE TRIBE) and some other minor units. Many of these artists above are also part of the main group EXILE. E-Girls is short for EXILE Girls unit, and it consists of units Dream, Flower and Happiness as well as some original members.
EXILE TRIBE is a collective name for these units.
There was nothing simple about that.

What is simple is that their music is great. And that their "Short Versions"
of songs usually last for 5 minutes. It's heaven.

Introducing: FEMM

Betterly known as FEMM, Far East Mention Mannequins is a group everyone should know about. I, as well as many other fans of theirs, believe these girls will go viral at some point. It would not be a surprise, because everything about them is unique.

FEMM's concept is that they're plastic mannequins fighting for their rights, managed by their personal agents. They sing most songs completely in English. Decent English. Their songs are daring. I'm pretty certain their dances would have me taken to the hospital. They even have this gorgeous website built for interaction with fans.

Having debuted last april with the EP Astroboy, FEMM now has 13 music videos, if I understood right, for each of their songs. They released a full album, FEMM-ISATION in October.  It rocks.

One thing I love about FEMM is their funny and daring lyrics, like in Wannabe above, or Fxxk boys get money: "Gimme your number, Imma give that shit right back."

FEMM has also started a campaign called "DANCE IS NOT A CRIME."
and it's important.

Japan, until this day, has a law that basically forbids dancing after midnight, because somehow it's still associated with prostitution. Many clubs are troubled by this law, obviously. The Japanese mostly acknowledge this law is way out of its time, but nothing is done to it. Damn, let the people dance!

Do you think FEMM is awesome?

Bringing it back - again!

Hi guys. I'm bringing Musume no Hoshi back from it's second unofficial hiatus! I'm doing it anyway, but I would really appreciate if you commented on this post after you've read it. Just say quack, for instance. It feels nice to know you're heard!

While MNH has been down, I've still managed to keep my main blog somehow active. A while ago, I listed my Favourite music of 2014,  and some music stuff will still be found in there in the future too.

See you! ♥