Brainstorming & More Juice ;D

Ok so, I feel like I have a lot I want to blog about right now, so I may make a blog post every day, or even make one twice a day or something. We'll see...
But, since the Brainstorming MV just came out, I decided this one should probably be first! And yet...I really want to talk a bit more about Juice=Juice.
Since they both are H!P groups, I decided to throw them into one post. Hope you don't mind. Feel free to read whatever part interests you :)

First: Morning Musume's 53rd single, "Brainstorming / Kimi Sae Ireba Nani mo Iranai"

For both the main tracks on this single, I was a bit iffy upon first listen. However, brainstorming has definitely grown on me to the point that I really really enjoy it, find it stuck in my head, and am often walking around humming it. Sakura's voice booming in is fantastic and gave me chills, and Mizuki and Masaki solo lines are pretty much the best thing ever. My only complaint towards the song would be that I'd really like to hear Morning Musume do something else, I don't want this to be their only style now. It will get very repetitive very fast.

As for Kimi Sae Ireba Nani mo Iranai...I have given it several listens, but it is not quite doing it for me. I don't hate it, and the chorus is nice, but the verses do absolutely nothing for me. I feel like they are boring and there is just no oomph to them, and they just really don't sound pleasant... :/

Today, the MV for Brainstorming released, and on the off-chance you haven't seen it, here it is:

My thoughts: 

I really like that they used their member colors behind the girls. Nice little touch. Besides that, there isn't a lot to say, which could be good or bad, and in this case I'm a little unsure which it is. It's a little uninteresting, and yet, I feel that's a lot better than a lot of unnecessary flashy effects? So, I'm not sure where I stand on the Mv. Don't dislike it, but don't particularly love it. It does it's job, I suppose.

Mizuki looks like she owns the room whenever you see her. I love that so much.

Zukki looks the best she has....possibly in any single yet. The outfit works on her, and her makeup is great, and her expressions are nice. She looks very pretty, and I'm super happy about this.

Still, I personally prefer watching the dance shot:

It's a simple dance, but with some really cool elements and it works perfectly with this size of a group. It looks fun! I love that they make an "M" with their hands. I love that Ayumi and Riho get a mini dance battle. I love how Riho looks like a total diva from 1:56 to 2:00. She rocks it.

And my favorite part are those breakdowns during the instrumental, like from 0:11 to 0:18. I think those were really well done.

Also, if you don't watch Riho during this, you're nuts. Even though I like plenty other members more, Riho can DANCE. Seriously. She is so strong and tight and puts exactly the right amount of everything needed for each move. You can tell she always is on time perfectly, because it just works. It looks so right. I love watching her do this dance, because she makes the simplest of moves look really clean and awesome.

And now, for Kimi Sae Ireba Nani mo Iranai (Dance Shot):

For starters, unlike most people, the outfits are the least of my problems, Though they aren't the best outfits in the world, they are kinda cute in a weird kind of way. I wish they suited EVERY member a bit better, but honestly, there have been much worse. I'm cool with the outfits.

However, I honestly have no idea what the concept was...what thought possibly went into this dance? I've seen a couple people compliment it and say they really liked it, and to each their own, but I feel it could be so SO much better. I was left feeling unimpressed and kind of...bored. (I wanted to choreograph it myself, afterwards, to be honest xD)

It starts off interesting and kind of coo- creative, at the very least- but it completely loses it. The whole routine becomes walking and switching formations. And though that can be cool...it needs to be done right. I truly, TRULY feel that whoever made this routine may have done so in a matter of about 5-10 minutes. I'm not exaggerating- it is that simple and lacking much of...anything. I have no idea what they were going for.

However, the single has many other tracks, all of which seem great so far. We have only heard fan-recordings, but every track sounds extremely enjoyable, and Reina's solo is fabulous. Though I acknowledge that Reina is a super great singer, her voice has never been quite my type. However, she really rocks this. The song itself and her singing it- it's totally great. Absolutely love it.

In the end, I still find the single to be great overall, and if they wear the outfits from Brainstorming on the covers (which they are bound to for at least some/most of them) I'm sold. Those were great.

The single releases April 17th, and all versions still have first press copies in stock! these copies come with an A3 size poster! GRab em while you can ;D

As usual, if you are interested in buying this single, it'd mean a lot to me if you bought it through the links below, as I will get CDJapan points for it. (At of course no extra cost to you.)

Regular A    Regular B   Limited A  Limited B

Limited C    Limited D    Limited E   

Regular A comes with Reina's solo "Rock no Teigi"

Regular B, Limited A, Limited B, and Limited C come with a group B-side titled "A B C D E-cha E-cha Shitai"

Limited D comes with "Tokimeku Tokimeke" sung by Sayumi, Mizuki, Erina, Haruna, and Ayumi

Limited E comes with "Itsumo to Onnaji Seifuku de" sung by Riho, Kanon, Masaki, Haruka, and Sakura.

Although I still hope all of you who like the single and can afford to buy it do purchase it, I'm not really worried about sales for this one. With 7 versions, a boxset at events, and it being Reina's last single, I'm sure it's going to sell very well no matter what.

Still, if you enjoy it and have the extra money, support the group! :D

First off, I would like to start off the Juice=Juice post by saying:

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who bought 

their single through my blog!

I did get enough CDJapan points thanks to all of you to be able to buy the single myself, despite my lack of cash. I truly can't thank you all enough.

Now, getting to the purpose of this post: I am really falling for Juice=Juice. To the point where I'm pretty sure (will confirm this after we get more on them) that they are my #3 group in H!P, passing both s/mileage and Berryz Koubou. 

I know this seems crazy, but I just can't help it. Obviously, this isn't set in stone. They hardly have anything yet. But I get a certain vibe from the group, and I already know I adore the girls. If I continue to love their future releases, they are going to definitely be one of my favorite idol groups of all time. A truly great group of girls. I am just so excited to see more of them I can hardly stand it.

Can we get the MV already?? xD

Since I'm pretty into Juice=Juice and also have a major thing for japanese magazines (I love how so many different idols from different groups and agencies can all be in one issue! It's exciting!) I decided to try my best to keep track of all their magazine appearances. The ones they've been in so far, and I am going to try, to the best of my ability, to keep track on all their future ones as well. So keep a look out for that! :D

So far, Juice=Juice has already had 3 magazine appearances that I know of, and you can buy the magazines (through me) below if you are interested in grabbing them:

DeView (Buy Here)

DeView was their first magazine appearance which is pretty exciting, though it was a pretty small one. It introduced the members with a pictures and a bit about them. Though the amount of Juice=Juice content is small, it is also their first magazine appearance and is only 462 yen, so if you're a big fan it may be worth a grab! (Also contains Up Up Girls, Berryz Koubou, and Saki Nakajima for you H!P lovers, as well as NMB48 and E-girls)

CDJournal (Buy Here)

I have no seen any scans from this yet, so I can not tell you quite what's inside. (which actually makes me personally want this more. I'm dying to know xD) However, Juice=Juice are the second listing on the front cover, which usually signifies a decent amount of the issue is them. (This issue also has Berryz Koubou and 9nine.)

(No cover found for this on yet. If you have a picture of it, please let me know!)

UTB+ 13 (Buy Here)

This one is bound to be great. UTB has fantastic photoshoots, and we were given a little sneak-peak of them working on this shoot in pretty little white dresses:

This is bound to be a gorgeous shoot, definitely worth buying. I plan to grab it as soon as I get enough cash xD I definitely recommend grabbing this issue if you're taking interest in the group! (I don't know exactly what members of each group as the issue releases on March 23, but I know their are HKT, NMB, AKB, and Nogizaka46 girls in the issue, as well as Mano Erina and NaaboDofu@Nana)

Anyway, I hope you all consider grabbing some of these issues (and if you can't afford them, you'll be hoping with me that some scans get out ASAP!) and grab their first single if you haven't yet.

I really hope everyone comes to be as interested in this new group as I am!

A New Group Appears in the Idol World!

So, anyone who follows Hello!Project whatsoever is very aware of the new group Juice=Juice. Everyone has some different opinions on the new group- the members chosen, the eggs who were not chosen, their image, their sound, etc. Here I'm going to blog about the group and my opinions!

First, I'm going to start with the members of this group:

Miyazaki Yuka

Yuka is 18, going on 19 very soon, and is the only member who is not a H!P Kenshuusei to be added to Juice=Juice. Personally, I think it was a good decision. She is talented, pretty, and older. I think she will be very good for the group, and will be good for anyone who took special notice of her in the unit Green Fields and wanted to get to know her better. She has a really nice voice that is only going to improve in an active group. Her "fruit" (color) is Peach. I personally really look forward to getting to know her better.

Kanazawa Tomoko

Tomoko is 17 and super pretty. She was first introduced to us at the December 2012 H!P Kenshuusei concert, so she has been in training a very short time before being chosen for a group. Her fruit color is Apple. We know very little about her at this point, but I am really excited for that to change. I can see her trying to take on a very 'cool' sort of image. Her profile picture and color give off that vibe for me. Also, I read that she likes the idol group Fairies (a favorite group of mine, read about them in this blog post) and they have a very mature and cool sort of image, so she might really like that sort of image and want it for herself.

Takagi Sayuki

Sayuki is 15 and a total cutie. She's been in H!P Kenshuusei since 2009, and the training shows. She has surprisingly strong vocals despite her baby face, and is a pretty powerful dancer. She gives a really great performance. Her color is Lemon (which is pretty impossible to read on white, and for that I apologize. xD) Sayuki is a favorite of mine, and may end up as my oshi in Juice=Juice. Only time will tell~

Otsuka Aina

Aina is 14 and the short-haired member of the group. (Clearly I'm running out of things to say, but personally I love seeing a group with one girl with shorter hair. xD) Aina was first seen by H!P fans in the 9th generation Morning Musume auditions. She did not pass, but in 2011 was added to Hello!Project's kenshuusei program. Her fruit color is Orange. I was a fan of Aina during the auditions, finding her to show a lot of potential and to be the best singer at that time. I've followed her a bit since then, quite liking her, but not completely considering her a bias of mine. However, I was very excited to see she would be in this new group, and after seeing her perform with them, I fell for her all over again, and am really excited to see more of her in this group. Clearly, she is the other girl in this group who may end up as my oshi. It's a tough battle! xD

Miyamoto Karin

Karin is 14 and is the most experienced member. She joined H!P kenshuusei in 2008, and since then has been in the shuffle unit Shin Mini Moni, and has also been in many plays/musicals, has had some photoshoots in magazines such as UTB, and has done solo work as kopink, with 5 digital singles and a mini-album releasing on March 20th. Her color is Grape. Karin is definitely talented as a singer and dancer, and I hope Juice=Juice gives her a chance to shine (as she has been waiting for this for several years) as well as show/develop more of her personality which, I feel, we have seen surprisingly little of in her 4 and a half years with H!P kenshuusei.

Uemura Akari

Akari is 14 and surprisingly the youngest member of Juice=Juice. (She has a rather mature appearance, so, compared to the other girls, I find it a small shock she is the youngest. xD) Akari was added to Hello!Project kenshuusei suddenly in 2012, and drew a bit of attention at that time. She was in the 213th issue of UTB, and will be in a stage play with several current and past H!P members in April. Her fruit color is Melon. Akari gives off a 'cool' image to me. We have seen surprisingly little of her since she joined H!P kenshuusei, but it seems that will finally change.

Those are the members of the new H!P group known as Juice=Juice! Despite the definite cuteness quality of some of the members, we were told by Tsunku Juice=Juice would have a cool, sexy image. This shocked many fans, but when you take a second look, I think it's very possible and can really work for them. Especially as they are an indie group- by their major debut I am sure they will have had the time to truly perfect this image. Tomoko and Akari already give off quite a cool image naturally, and though Aina can be really adorable, she is great at showing a bit of attitude. Yuka is going on 19, so I am positive she can pull this image off. Sayuki and Karin are the biggest "cute" looking members of the group, but they are also the two with the surprisingly strong, mature voices and the most dance training. I truly believe this image could work well for them.

Many people are upset about eggs who did not make it, but I do not worry. H!P is getting older, and will need to begin building some new groups, as much as I hate to think it. The members not chosen likely did not fit the image of this group, and they are going to be added to a new group in the future, that may even already be in the planning process. I expect a group very different from Juice=Juice, a group with a fun, lively, energetic, and maybe childish sort of feel. So don't lose hope if you are fans of eggs not chosen- I can see them fitting very well into a group more like that!

Juice=Juice will be releasing their first indie single, Watashi ga Iu Mae ni Dakishimenakya ne,

 on April 3rd, and many of are extremely excited for it. If you have not seen it yet, I definitely recommend you check out this video of the live performance:

All of them performed really well, and it was live, which makes it more impressive for me. The dance is very cool, the song has an awesome sound (loving that saxophone <3) and all the girls are very capable singers. I was pleasantly surprised by Tomoko's voice when I heard it- it's really great! Karin, Sayuki, and Aina all shine a lot on the dancing, and that smile Aina has going on is too cute. 

All in all, a really great first release, and a really promising group.

I highly recommend everyone buy their first indie single, if you like them at all and can even possibly afford to. It's a great song and a promising group of girls, and I'm really hoping it can sell well. 

If you are interested in grabbing a copy, please buy from the link below! I will get CDJapan points so I can buy the single, too. (Currently, I only have $2, which overs about 2/5ths of the shipping cost. However, thanks to those of you who have bought things through my blog, I have 761 CDJapan points. So I only need about 300 yen to be able to grab this! I'd like to say thank you SO much to those of you who have bought through my blog, it means the world to me. And anything you buy by March 31st will give me the points by April, so I can grab Juice=Juice's debut single! If you have anything you plan to buy from CDJapan soon, let me know and if it's something I have interest in, I will blog about it and post a link on my blog so you can buy through me. It'd mean so much to me!)

Buy Here

Hopefully this single sells really well for an indies single, and the group gets some attention and makes a quick debut!

And now, some questions for those willing to comment:

♪ What was your first reaction upon hearing there would be a new H!P group?
♪ Do you think you will like Juice=Juice?
♪ Do you have a favorite member yet? (If so, who?)
♪ What do you think of their first single?
♪ Did you buy or do you plan to buy their first single?