I've officially moved the two posts from this that I like the most (the ones that started it all, my jpop and jrock primers) to vox, and so I suggest if you want new reading material update your links and bookmarks to this, Sakuranbo ver. 2.

As you can see, the layout is in a state of disarray now, and you may be wodnering why. The answer is that I'm currently working on mvoing the blog to the host VOX.
I feel that it has features I will be able to work into the blog in a much better fashion than I would here.
My blog is relatively small, so It should only take till tommorow or so to get things up and running in a nice fashion again.

I haven't updated in a while, for that, I apologize. But if it helps, I have a new blog layout.
While I was gone, I've been learning such things as eating properly with chopsticks and how to make certain Asian foods (Thai sushi style sandwich rolls = <3)
Aruiteru/ Nov. 8th
I actually have started to like the single, if not only because I like the lyrics (As stupid as that is considering it's simply mass produced sugary pop lyrics written by Tsunku, meaning they're completely a dime a dozen....thousand.) They're uplifting, they sort of remind me of a 4th gen song, I WISH to be specific.
To be honest, I think everybody looks their absolute worst on the covers....except leader-sama AKA Yossie who looks about 16 million times better than usual. No seriously, Yossie is really workin' it on these covers. Yay.

Moving on,
PB: Tsuji Nozomi "Nonno19"/ Nov. 18th
Good job on trying to keep toothy-no-longer busy. Really. Speaking of, WHY IS EVEYRONE FIXING THEIR TEETH BUT ME? Even Maki did. It makes me sad. :(

You know, I don't really think this is a good idea. Why realese a new photobook for Aibons other half right in the middle of a scandal when A. Everyone knows Tsuji doesn't sell and B. It's painfully obvious it's meant only to keep her busy.
Oh well, weird things have happened in H!p land...
Speaking of which...











MMM FANSERVICE!
No, really. I mean, I guess technically H!p in and of itself is a big ball of fluffy sugar coated fanservice, but it's more targeted at 50 year old men who can't remove their hand form their pants everytime they see a Berryz member in stage costume...
But This...this is...
Lovely.
Great (ayaandmikinopun)
....expected?
Yeah, really, really expected.
I guess we know why Mikitty said the single was ecchi. :)

Don't you love it when I neglect this place?

Anyway, random tidbits

Sukeban Deka has been leaked to the internet, the entire thing. No, I'm not telling you where to get it.

Koharu's mini-album;
Tracklist:
CD
01 Koi Hanabi (Tsukishima Kirari starring Koharu Kusumi)
02 Ooki na Ai de Motenashite (℃-ute)
03 Love x Mega (SHIPS)
04 Love Dayo Darling (Tsukishima Kirari starring Koharu Kusumi)
05 Koi Hanabi (Instrumental)
06 Ooki na Ai de Motenashite (Instrumental)
07 Love x Mega (Instrumental)
08 Love Dayo Darling (Instrumental)

DVD
01 Koi*Kana PV
02 Koi Hanabi PV
(Note, I also used the pic of the DVD + CD version because the normal version only shows Kirarin and you know you have no itnerest in that.)
http://www.up-front-works.jp/discography/zetima/35/a_18/index.html
Annnnd 2nd single, Balalalalla...lalaika.
Tracklist:
1. Balalaika
2. Mizuiro Merodi
3. Balalaika (Instrumental)
http://www.up-front-works.jp/discography/zetima/29/s_40/index.html

Ohhh, damn you Koharu for growing some kind of demented little place in my heart with your oddly charming but average voice, nto so average crooked teeth, strang nose, and lanky lolicon body.
But never fear darling, after all, Maki didn't start too hot either. Actually she had all those same problems. So you could end up hot too, hell, hotter than Maki if you ask me, who is not all that hot. But everYone else thinks she is.

Moving on,
2nd GAM single, Melodies
Tracklist
1. Melodies
2. Melodies (Piano ver.) (CHEAP BASTARDS!)
I don't particularily like Miki or Aya, but hey, their making H!p more money by debuting at spot 2 on Oricon, which (all butterfly effect like) leads to better PV's and singles for everyone else. Well, everyone else who they still care about. AKA MM, Maki and Berryz. Miki doesn't look like Miki. : | She looks kind of like Yui (Biyuden Yui, not -insert ranodm idol named Yui here). Many a wota would pay for Mikitty to raise her leg the extra inch and a half it would take for her to reveal far more of herself than I ever want to see there.

OMG HOW COULD I NOT MENTION URARA. COMES OUT TOMMOROW. BUY IT, BITCHES.













There's more to add, but I'm too busy to do it all now, but this is still a big entry; for me, anyway.

Some Wotas! Touch

This title leaves it's self open for so much mocking. I'm sure 99% of you have heard the radio preview of Maki's new single, and if you haven't, it'll be at the end of this entry.
I'm going to start here to say...I like the song, and hate the cover.
Why? Because I go to H!P for my sugary-to-normal girlpop. I go to Koda Kumi for my skank-fix. I'm not asking Tsunku to keep Maki with a childish, stupid (as much as I love songs like Genshoku Gal Hade Ni Yukube, come on. I can't picture a, what, 21 now(?) woman to sing songs like that.) image. I'm simply asking for him not to let go of one of the things that represents H!P (its innocence) for money (though H!P could really do with higher sales now, and Maki or Ayaya are probably his only chances, Maki mainly.)
I'd much rather see something like this being sang by Takahashi. Why? Because hearing Maki's ultra high voice echoing "touch" is to loli-baitish or even me (plus, I just really hate Maki's voice.)
That all said, it's a great song. I'm not a big fan of the B-side, as it's a total miss-match with the A-side, but who really buys the single for the B-side anyway (not counting Go Girl ~Koi no Victory~, Koi ING kicked ass.) ? You know what would be cool? Some Boys! with Glass no Pumps as a B-side...hmmm... but maybe that's stretching it a bit. But whatever, they ARE in the entertainment business, which is purely about money when you get to the bare bones of it, and Glass no Pumps was clearly a good move when looked at from that perspective, even my friend, a complete j-pop hater loves the song, because it's pure, saturated pop that will appeal to most of your average wota AND female listeners. The song has a trance/dance touch I've never heard from H!P before, and I like it.

On another note, about my talk of Momusu's sells.
I never knew how big it was until now. the decline, I mean. But whatever. It's simple really, Momusu wasn't doing EXCEPTIONALLY well before Love Machine, and afterwards the sells were slowly piddling down. The only reason people care now is that by 5th gen, they didn't like the new members, so now they say that's the reason for it. But it's clearly a natural decline. I think Koi no Dance Site was a pitiful single, and it had good sales, less than Love Machine, but still. And it slowly went down from there, the only reaosn 4th gens sales were better, is because Momusu still had the ability to run from Love Machines success, but eventually the fumes ran out and they have to start over. Lightening only strikes once, and I'm sure within 2 years Berryz will be outselling Momusu, or atleast on equal playing ground. That said, I hate Berryz, and love almost everything Momusu has put out.

And that's how the cookie crumbles...

Some WOTAS (i mean...boys...)!Touch

Breif entry;
I just realized, even though Thanks! and Ambitious! both used the same set, it also reminded me of something else.
Both songs have a very anime-opening-ish style to them.
Which makes me think H!P may be taking a new direction.
I seem to be on of very few going, "Oh hell yes." to this and not "Oh hell no."
Meh, they needed to try something new anyway.
They started only doing mature songs, then around 3rd gen debut, they went for a disco sound, and then they did their gangstahloli/rockpop thing, but after that it was sort of a mix-and-match of styles.
So I'm glad that for once they're again settling for one sort of style, and it also happens to be one that I favor.

Key of Heart - BoA

View - Purchase

I didn't start listening to BoA until recently. That sounds stupid, but I'd just never bothered (though, I've heard Every Heart a 1,000 times.)
Also, guys, I'm trying a new format tonight, as you can see by the links above, so bear with me.
It sounds very....western. I don't really like BoA's voice, and I think this song ALMOST compliments it but not quite, but overall I think there are much stronger jpop/kpop singers out there that don't get enough credit. I find he roverrated.
But anyway, the song has some nice effects on it. Overall, an okay single, a little boring but it's the type of song that might go on ym play list, but only get played every once and awhile because too much would get tiring.

Now and Forever - Hinoi Team

Veiw - Purchase

Cute song, but it's a cover so not much to say there. I don't particularily like their voices (too nasally for my taste. But I'm an Ayumi Hamasaki fan.)
I like the dance this time, it's not as heavily para-para as I'd expect. Quite cute, and looks easy to learn.
So, best way to describe this single is "cute". I liked the part suring the dance sequence, though there was a bit of an editing problem midway through.