idol BEATS Radio New Years Countdown

idol BEATS Radio is having a countdown on New Years for the Top 100 best idol songs released in 2013. In order to get the most accurate results (accurate being closest to what the majority of fans really feel) I'd really appreciate your vote! Also, share this page with friends! We need votes by as many idol fans as possible!
The rules and guidelines are as follows:

• The songs must be idol female Japanese idol songs, and must have been released in 2013.

• The songs can be any track on a single or an album. However, they can NOT be a single from a previous year that appears on an album in 2013. The only exclusion to this is if the song was re-recorded by a new-lineup or completely re-arranged, making the song a new version. (In which case, specify that you are voting for the new version of said song.)

• You don't have to fill the entire form. For your vote to be counted, you only have to vote for at least one song. However, you are given the option of voting for up to 20, so if you can think of your Top 20 songs of the year, feel free to use all the spaces on the form!

• Please try your best to rank songs in order of your favorite to least favorite, as the votes will be slightly weighted based on where they are placed in your ranking. (Though, of course, nothing can get a song higher than getting multiple votes, ranking it higher can help.)

• Please include the song title in romaji, as well as the group/idols name.

And with that in mind, you are ready to vote!

Vote using the form below, and be sure to share it with other idol fans you know so we can get the most accurate results possible! 

Voting closes at 11:59 pm EST on December 28th.

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idol BEATS Radio "Top Tuesdays"

This post is about a special thing idol BEATS Radio will have. Every month, all idol fans will have the opportunity to vote for their Top 20 idol songs that month. We will then play the Top 100! 100-76 will be played the first Tuesday, the second will be 75-51, third will be 50-26, and, finally, the fourth Tuesday, the Top 25 songs will be played. Countdowns will be played every Tuesday at 8 a.m., 12 p.m., 4 p.m., and 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. (The times were chosen in order to give people in every timezone a time where they could catch the top ranked songs if interested, but also careful not to have them so often that you don't get many other songs throughout the day.) After the third Tuesday, voting will open for the next month, and after the fourth tuesday, it all starts over again with the Top 100 for the next month.
In case you come in late, you will hear a voice announce what number each Top 25 song ranked before it plays, so you know where the countdown is at.
The songs that did not quite make the top countdown but got close will also be scattered throughout the day as a sort of "Honorary Mention".

So, ready to vote for your favorites? Here are the guidelines:

• You can choose any song by any female idol soloist/duo/group that is still currently active. (So, you can't pick a group that has disbanded recently, but if a group is active, you can vote for any song by them, no matter how old. It's not a ranking of the best songs to release this month, but rather the ones you most want to hear played.)
• The song can be from a single, an album, or even a cover song- so long as it was officially released by the group. It must be released by the deadline for voting, though. It does not have to be a song you have heard on the station previously. (But it can be, of course.)
• You can vote for up to 20 songs, but you can vote for as few as you want. (If you only have one song you really care about ranking, just vote that one song!)
• You can not vote for the same song multiple times.
• When you vote, please list the songs in order of your top choice to your last choice.
• It does not matter if the soloist/duo/group is mainstream or indie or what their standing is. (Of course, keep in mind that, if the group is VERY indie, there is no guarantee I can get a hold of the song. However, I will try my absolute best. And if you have an mp3 of the song yourself, feel free to send it my way!)
• Please list the song title and artist. List titles and artist names in Romaji. (Unless they are in English, of course.)

Please vote for your top choices, regardless of if you think they'll win or not. You never know, and if there are ties, I will be the tie-breaker and choose the one I like the sound of the most. And, regardless, the song may be played some that day as an "Honorable Mention." It could even grow in popularity that way!

With that, pick the songs you want to hear this month below! (And please share this with other idol fans you know!)
Voting for the month is currently OPEN, and ends October 18th at 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time!

Also, remember: for the best updates on idol BEATS Radio (or just to show your support) please go like the official facebook page!
www.facebook.com/idolbeats

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I'M GOING TO JAPAN FOR TIF 2013

Ok, so before I say anything else, I have to say what I am most excited about more than anything else ever: I AM GONIG TO JAPAN! It's set in stone. Plane tickets and hotels are all booked! I will be leaving July 24th and returning August 6th.

Now, because I will be there for it and it will be my first time ever in Japan or having any chance to see idols in person, I'm sure you can imagine how unbelievably pumped I am for the 2013 Tokyo Idol Festival :)

TIF staff just announced 46 more acts to participate in the festival and I gotta say...the line-up is phenomenal. (Not to mention there is a very good chance they announce more...they added more up until about the week before last year xD)
So, I'd just like to talk a bit about some of my favorite groups that will be performing at TIF and introduce you to them a bit :)


Up Up Girls

If you've followed Hello!Project you probably at least know of the existence of Up Up Girls. It's made up of seven, very talented, past Hello!Project eggs. I've always been a big Akari fan, as when I first got into Hello!Project my Top 2 were Airi and Miyabi, so I stumbled across Aa! videos. She's cute and very talented in both singing and dancing. And I've come to learn she's an absolute nut.
All the members are pretty good as far as both singing and dancing, and they are totally cute! They always perform live, which is always very real and nice ^^ They release new indies singles like crazy, as well. xD
Here they are performing their song "Barebare I LOVE YOU" live!

Mana Ogawa

I can't get over how shocked and happy I am to see her name on the list. I love Ogamana so much, and think she would even be one of my absolute top idols i it weren't for the fact there is hardly any info on her anymore and no new performance videos. When she switched agencies, she seemed to sort of drop off the face of the earth. She stopped releasing any new music and I thought for a while she stopped performing altogether until I dug into it and found she is still performing small little lives here and there.

Anyway, this girl is super talented and is my favorite idol soloist. She is a total cutie pie, and she is SO talented. Great great great singer with fantastic songs, as well as an amazing dancer who has competed in dance competitions.

Here is the music video to her first single, Suppin Rock!

Next, I have to show you a preview to the performance that made her totally catch my eye. I have failed to find a video or download or anything of the whole dvd or even just this particular performance, so I can only give you the short preview I can find, but it's definitely worth it.

She's fantastic live.

Lastly, I must share a video of her doing one of her competitive dance routines. Absolutely beautiful.

JK21

JK21 is a local idol group from Kansai. Unlike the other groups I'm gonna post about, I didn't sit around praying this group would be at TIF. I didn't really know them. However, I heard their song "FOOTMAN" recently and it's a really nice song.  I still don't really know much about them, but I'm interested in learning and as long as they aren't scheduled at the same time as one of my favorite groups, I'd definitely like to try and see them. ^^

Here is a 42 second preview to their MV to their Major Debut single, I Ai Kansai! (All their MVs on youtube are just previews.)

SUPER☆GiRLS

I am so excited to see this group. I love them inside and out and all around, and was nervous I wouldn't get to see them while in Japan. They are beautiful girls and great performers, and the idea of seeing them live makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. They are a group I absolutely will not miss while there. I especially hope they hold a handshake afterwards, and I can maybe get to tell Mirei how great she is!! <3

I have actually written a LOT about this group in a separate post so I'm not gonna really give details here in an effort to make this post not too immense, however, if you do not know about them, I HIGHLY recommend you read my past post! They are the first group I talk about in the blog post linked here.

Dancing Dolls

I have already written a post completely dedicated to this group, and you should definitely check it (you can find it here)

When I found out this group was attending my heart flipped a couple times, I forgot how to breath, remembered how to breathe again, and then cried a little bit. xD

I really really love this idol group. I love their songs, their dancing, their performances, and the member Mii is an idol I am a HUGE fan of, and a dream is to meet her. She replied to me on twitter once and it was pretty much the best thing ever. I'd love to see her in person and be like "Hi!! I'm an American fan- you replied to my tweet! I got to see you live at last!" xD

I will not miss this group perform for anything.

Cheeky Parade

iDOL Street's crazy group, a bunch of little stars. I found this group online when they were selling their indies single at events and fell in love. They were the first non-H!P group I ever bought something from, and I cherish that single <3 I'm really excited to see this group in person, because their performances look SO fun they have so much energy! To learn more about them, check out my iDOL Street blog post here; they are the second group I mention.

Telepathy

I found this group pretty recently and am REALLY interested in them, so I was shocked and ecstatic to see their name on the list. This may be the only idol group I have major interest in that I found completely on my own. (All others I heard a friend mention, or saw a forum post on...something.) The girls are cute and their look and songs are really enjoyable. I really like their sound a lot. I'm super excited to (hopefully, so long as the TIF schedule allows it) get to see them in person. I've been becoming more and more of a fan of them since the day I found them, and seeing them live would just be it for me. Down for the count, head over heels xD

You can see them perform here:

It seems they upload all of their lives on their youtube channel, it's updated really regularly! If you're interested, the channel is airdolTube

Dorothy Little Happy

I think most idol fans have at least heard of Dorothy Little Happy. Great group! <3 I've liked them for quite a while. The girls are all good dancers and the songs are really nice, simple, enjoyable pop songs. They've been gaining in well-deserved popularity for a while now, and are about to release their 7th single (5t major single) titled "Colorful Life" on June 12th.

Here's the MV to their last single, "Life goes on":

PASSPO☆

PASSPO☆ is a group that I believe, without a doubt, deserves everyone's attention. They are an airline-themed pop/rock idol group, and they have everything it takes to get somewhere big. For one thing, every member is gorgeous. I don't mean they have some cute girls. I men they are all absolutely stunning. For another, they have powerful vocals but can successfully pull off every sound they try to go for with them. Every last song by them, from their indies days until today, is completely fantastic and I recommend everyone give them a listen.

Lastly, they give a heck of a performance.

The first time I saw them perform was when I watched the Yubi Matsuri DVD. I didn't really know anything about the group outside their name, but when the DVD was over I was left feeling they were the best performance and needing more.

The group also has their on tv show, PASSPO☆ no Shaku Uma, and it is currently being subbed by Economy Class Subs. I definitely suggest checking it out!

I am SO excited to see PASSPO live, I can't even properly express it. And, I was lucky enough to get a ticket to their August 3rd concert, so I will be seeing quite a lot of them! I'm so pumped!

Now, for those of you who aren't aware of how great these girls are, please watch the MV to their song "Candy Room"! It's fun, playful, cute and has just a hint of sexy ;D <3

That song has a bit more of a pop sound than a lot of their others, though, so for good measure let's link one more. (This translates to "there is never enough PASSPO") Here is their live performance from Yubi Matsuri! (Actual performance starts at 1:20)

Palet

Palet is considered a sister group of PASSPO. Most girls in Palet were originally contenders to be in PASSPO, but instead, after not being chosen, formed this group! The group has a definite different sound than PASSPO, much more poppy and sweet, but the vocals are soothing and the girls are cute and definitely worth looking into.

I'm still learning about the group myself, but I really like all their music and the member holding their white color, Yui, so I definitely want to go see them at TIF!

Here is a (short) MV to their song "Shouri no Seal": 

Predia

Predia is also considered to be a PASSPO sister group by most people, as they are under the same Label. (Jolly Roger) Predia is the cool, mature, sexy group of the bunch, and all the members are on the older side when it comes to idols, which is a nice change! 

Here is the MV to their most recent song "Crazy Cat"!

Baby Raids

Baby Raids is another group I was hoping with all my heart I could catch while in Japan. They have awesome music with a slight rock-ish sound and surprisingly strong vocals. On top of that, they have loads of energy! I can not WAIT to see them live and they happen to be releasing another single while I'm in Japan so my hope is to try and see them a couple times. Hopefully they have some events! I'm really into them- I'd even go so far to say they are one of my favorite idol groups right now! I'm especially in love with their most recent single. So, rather than try and explain it, how bout I just let you check it out for yourself? ;D

Here is "JUMP!" by Baby Raids:

Lucky Color's

This group I got really interested in back in January but have had trouble finding much on them. I know they all were models and it seems they are backed by the modeling agency. I also know that the internet seems to not have a studio version of a single one of their songs anywhere, and I am beginning to wonder if they have even released CDs at their events. xD

Anyway, the girls are all completely beautiful from head to toe,and from what I can hear off of these lives recorded with phones and cameras, they actually have really nice vocals. I can't really tell you a ton about this group, but something about them really draws me in and so I'm really happy I'm going to get the chance to see them.

(However, judging by their blog, it's possible they may be only 3 members now? I'm trying to figure that out...)

Anyway, here is a taste of Lucky Color's:

And, at last, that covers the groups that were just announced that I am interested in seeing. (Not to mention THE Possible, AeLL., and Sakura Gakuin, and Tokyo Girls' Style, who were announced from Day 1.) Considering how absolutely massive this post is, I hope you can see why I am as pumped as I am about TIF this year and me being able to go. I feel like it was made for me XD

They will be announcing more groups and, honestly, I don't have much more to ask for xD The biggest ones would be GEM and/or iDOL Street streetsei, Party Rockets, Prizmmy☆, Fairies, i☆Ris and Ebichu.
I also wouldn't mind Especia, Osaka BB Wave, Osaka Show Gangs, Caramel☆Ribbon, KOBerrieS♪, SKETCH, JuRias, Tenkafubu Gifu Hime Gundan, Ruchiro, and Ponbashi wktk Mates. Those groups I don't know a ton about, but I have heard a bit and very much like what I hear and am interested and open to more!


Anyway, that ends this ridiculously long blog post :P

Are any of you traveling to TIF, or have you ever?
Who are you most excited to see in the line-up?
Who are you most hoping gets announced?

Leave your answer in the comments please! <3

idols, Idols, IDOLS!

I haven't blogged in a while due to being overloaded with school work and practice in the school's musical, but I am back! And, I have a lot to talk about. Including the 2013 Tokyo Idol Festival, an awesome release I found for any idol fan, and ME POSSIBLY GOING TO JAPAN.

Ok, so, I may end up in Japan from July 24th until August 5th. I'm pretty sure I'm going, sure enough to be buying the plane tickets very soon, the only sad part is I have to sell most of my collection in order to be able to go. But in the end, it's worth it to see the girls in person!

I plan to be there for the 2013 Tokyo Idol Festival, as well as attend a H!P concert on August 3rd. On August 4th is Momoiro Clover Z's Summer Dive concert which is at their biggest hall yet so I'm hoping I have a shot at  ticket. As long as I can really get together a lot of money, it should be fine as there are always buy it now tickets on Yahoo Auctions Japan. So I'm adding that concert to my plans :D

Because of this trip, I really ask you all one favor. I have been trying to get you guys to use my CDJapan links if buying something, because I'd get CDJapan points and could buy more CDs. Which was cool. However, I have set it up to work for my Japan trip so instead of being paid in CDJapan points I am paid through paypal! So I ask more than ever, if you plan on buying something through CDJapan, think of me and try and get in contact with me on twitter (DaydreamerFly) or H!O, or facebook, or something, because I will quickly give you an affiliate link. It will cost you absolutely NOTHING extra, but it will mean I will get some money towards my trip, which means less of my collection I have to sell.

And thank you so much to those of you who have bought through these links before already ;____; <3

And now, onto talking about the Tokyo Idol Festival!

The Toyko Idol Festival is a huge event with LOADS of idol groups performing. Last year, there were 111 acts! This event brings in a couple slightly bigger groups but for the most part, focuses on indie groups, local groups, and just generally some really great non-mainstream groups.

This year the event will be held in Odaiba on July 27th and 28th. (And I sure as heck plan to be there!)

So far, 7 groups have been announced. Idoling!!!, AeLL., Sakura Gakuin, THE Possible, Tokyo Girls' Style, Negicco, and Vanilla Beans. I'm pretty pumped as I ADORE AeLL., and really really like Tokyo Girls' Style and THE Possible. And lately I've been curious about Idoling!!! and Sakura Gakuin and could see myself liking them. They give enjoyable performances, at the very least, so it should be great ^^ I don't really know the other 2 groups very well, but I know Negicco has some really strong vocals based on the song of theirs on my ipod, and I've heard their names around a lot, so I trust it will be a great show :)

Now, I just want to talk a bit about the acts I'd personally like to see there and a little bit of why! (In no particular order.) This may get a bit long, so if you don't care what idol groups I want to see, just scroll on past, honestly xD But I ask you read the end, as there is a pretty cool idol release coming out that I talk about and I think it's worth some attention.

Also, if you are ever looking for some new music/groups, I suggest at least searching up some of the groups I name, because they are GREAT <3

Afilia Saga East

A group I never have really fully followed, but find charming regardless and quite like several of their songs. A lot of their followers seem to be pretty hardcore and they are a bunch of cute girls with good songs. I'd simply like to see them perform!

Baby Raids

Super talented group that I just do not see enough of. Awesome, addicting music and girls who give energetic performances with pretty good dancing, and surprisingly nice vocals. I really like everything I've seen/heard from this group, and could see them being a favorite of mine if I could get some more access to them. They are exactly the type of group I think should be there.

Caramel☆Ribbon

Very cute girls, and I was watching a livestream where they were included back in January and I remember being surprised at how well the vocals sounded live, as I expected them to be squeaky and generic-sounding. Though Caramel☆Ribbon wasn't anything like the total opposite of most idol groups, they had a really nice kind o retro sound and did well live.

Cheeky Parade

Such a good group. Got interested in them when their indies single, cheeky Dreamer, was being sold at events. (Enough so to make my first non-H!P purchase to get it off YAJ.) This group is talented, crazy, and FUN. Seriously, watching them perform gets me excited! They are so energetic and I feel like being there in person must be unbelievable, you must just feel that excitement and energy. You can always tell they are really enjoying themselves, and I love this. Their songs are also great, and I'll honestly be shocked if they aren't there this year.

Dancing Dolls

My last post was about this group and if you read that you know I love this group. A lot. Absolutely awesome vocals, and arguably the best dancers among idols right now. They give awesome performances and always do their best. They have really awesome, catchy music- every last song. I can't possibly express how much I want to see this group there. (Especially because while I'm in Japan I desperately want to be able to see them perform, and have no idea if they'll hold any events while I'm there.) This group is full of so much talent, they deserve more recognition.

Dorothy Little Happy

This is one of the groups I kinda expect to come, but nonetheless must mention. Good songs, dancing, vocals,   and a group I personally really like and they seem to usually get a good crowd reaction as well. Some of there recent songs have been really nice, so I'd love to hear them performed here.

E-Girls

Not technically an idol group so normally I wouldn't list them, but they surprised me being listed last year, so I would love if that were to happen again. Their songs are fantastic and they just released a new album with loads of great songs just waiting to be performed. The vocalists have seriously awesome vocals, and all the girls can REALLY dance. I mean...wow. Great choreography, too. The group is just so fun to watch and a pleasure to listen to, honestly.

Fairies

Like dancing dolls, I desperately want to see this group. Tied as my current second favorite idol group, I definitely want to see them while I'm in Japan. I feel like they are also in a good spot as far as popularity to perform here. They sell well (singles usually sell about 20k) but definitely aren't over-popular. I feel they'd bring a nice crowd and they are always absolutely flawless live and bring a different feel than a lot of idol groups. I remember being surprised they weren't on the list last year, and have a bad feeling they may not be again this year. But I'm hoping with all my heart.

GEM:

The newest idol group, GEM isn't technically final until June but gosh are they talented. There are some crazy great vocals in this group. (I'm looking at you, Maaya!) Everyone who doesn't know this group needs to fix that, honestly, so I am really hoping they are at this event. There two songs so far are too good, and they are pretty good at singing them live, even with the dances they do. This group is the best new group in a while if you ask me, and I think there is a pretty good chance they appear, so here's to hoping!

Hime Kyun Fruits Can

I honestly know too little about this group, despite having several songs of theirs on my ipod. I guess it comes down to I think their songs are really nice and I just would really like to see more of them.

iDOL Street

Although I've mentioned individual idol groups underneath the idol street label, last year "idol street" was listed, which I assume meant the streetsei, their trainee members. Their trainee members are super cute and talented and idol street is pretty much just 100% perfect, so more idol street is always good. (There are also 7 original songs among the streetsei, one of which, Kitto For You, is one of the best songs I've heard in a while. Absolutely perfect.)

i☆Ris

i☆Ris is a pretty new group- their second single releases next month- but they are seriously great. The vocals in this group are really awesome and surprisingly mature. Their up and coming single is really good, and all the girls are super adorable. I actually really expect a lot from this group and plan on keeping a very close eye on them. I would love to see them live at something like this.

Juice=Juice

Hello!Project is really trying to market Juice=Juice as an indies group. They decided not to sell their second single online and in regular stores in order to keep it more indie. So, maybe since they aren't a typical H!P group, they may appear in this event? I really hope so. It'd be great for the group and H!P. The girls are very talented and have a unique sound. (Also, SKE ended up appearing last year, to many people's surprise, so Juice=Juice definitely wouldn't be that crazy.)

LinQ

A large group of really ute girls. This group didn't grab me at first, but upon a second look semi-recently, they seemed really interesting. Good music, total cuties, and half the members are really young while the other half is much older, and really mature and sexy. It's pretty interesting! It's a different concept as it doesn't seem to be a random thing that happened, but a plan division in the group. Yet they do really well together! I think this is really coo, and makes them appeal to a lot of different people. They seem to perform well and there are 29 members and I think lots of girls on one stage is always fun to watch, so I hope they appear!

Lucky Colors

This group really caught my eye like crazy on a livestream in January. Loved them! Very pretty girls (all apparently models) and nice enough vocals, cool songs, and one girl with crazy personality and another with one of the prettiest smiles I'd ever seen. They left a really good first impression. However, they were 5 members when I watched this, and the results of my googling lead me to believe they are only three members now?? That's really too bad, but if they are still performing, I still really hope to see them here.

Mana Ogawa

I don't know if there is any chance of her performing, and I think probably not, but hey, I can dream, right? Ogamana is so so talented and has such great songs. She is my favorite idol soloist ever, so I'd kill to hear her. I have been really upset she's stopped releasing music, however, she seems to still perform at events and such, so I'm gonna hope with everything I got!

Palet

Just looked into them recently because some of the girls were candidates for being in PASSPO☆. I expected a similar sound, but it's actually very different. However, I loved them all the same. Good vocals, seriously cute girls, and the music is really great. I downloaded all their songs instantly xD I find myself really falling for the member Fujimoto Yui. *_* <3

Party Rockets

This group has to be there. Talented and interesting with a super unique sound. Their music really surprised me but I have to say I'm totally hooked. They go for a more rock-ish sound than other idol groups, and the two songs on their most recent single MIRAIE were just perfect. They really shake things up and would be a really great, different sound to throw in the middle of all the bubblegum pop groups. :P

PASSPO☆

To my understanding, PASSPO☆ has been there every year? With good reason, I suppose. They don't have a single bad song, and their most recent album is AWESOME. I'm especially hooked on their songs Pretty Lie and Tap my Toe. These girls are all really pretty, really talented, have a cool theme, and sure as heck know how to give a performance! When I watched the Yubi Matsuri DVD, I had decided in advance which acts would likely give my favorite performances. And though I was right for the most part, PASSPO☆ sort of destroyed this. They were phenomenal- arguably the best performers there.

predia

An older idol group, all 18+, with one member member being 26. It's a nice thing to see in comparison to all these idol groups that seem to be getting younger and younger. Though I personally love seeing young idols grow, I think it's important that an adult group with an adult image is out there. And these girls are definitely that! They have cool songs with a super-sexy look. A must have at TIF, if you ask me ;D

Prizmmy☆

 This group has grown so much since their start already, and they are still a pretty new group. (First single released in March of 2012.) They are all very young (11-13) but have so much talent for their age. A really nice sound and vocals, and awesome dancers (if you can't tell, being a dancer myself, idols who dance well are a big bias of mine :P) I really like Prizmmy, though, and all their songs are pretty good so I hope to see them perform at TIF.

Sea☆A

I don't have very high expectations of this group appearing, but it'd be awesome if they did. THe girls are super cute and all anime nerds haha. There songs are really cute and sweet and for whatever reason I have quite the soft spot for this group, so I'd love a chance to see them.

Shiritsu Ebisu Chuugaku 

A fun, crazy, out-there kind of group. This group can be very strange, but are honestly super-awesome. Several of their members can do the perfect high-and-squeaky idol baby voice and be cute as can be, then suddenly come in with these super-powerful vocals. (A nice example of this is their member Hirota Aika) These girls are a blast to watch perform, and though they can leave a weird first impression, they can also become pretty addicting! <3 

StylipS

An enjoyable group of cute girls with good music. Not super stand-out, but great nonetheless. However, a bit unsure if they could appear at TIF, as they just lost two members and are searching for two replacements now. I suppose it depends when they get these members and how fast they learn their stuff! I'm sad to see the group change, but I'm confident they'll still be great so I hope they can make it to TIF.

SUPER☆GiRLS

SUPER☆GiRLS have a pretty generic sound for the most part, but some really great vocalists and their songs are still really sweet and enjoyable. (And they went outside of their usual sound in their most recent album, and it's too good.) The girls give a really fun performance, which I noticed in the Yubi Matsuri DVD. They really pulled me in a TON more after seeing how they perform on stage. They really have an awesome stage-presence. They are growing in popularity for sure, but I think there is a pretty good chance they may be announced for TIF, and if so I'll be absolutely ecstatic.

Up Up Girls

Love Up Up Girls <3 Good songs, good performers who have been training a while and love what they do. I expect to see them as they were there last year and seem to be at just about every idol event lately. xD (As they should be, tbh.)

In case you all can't tell, I've been getting into a lot of different idol groups lately ;D So I'm pretty dang pumped for the Tokyo Idol Festival, especially since it seems I will BE THERE IN PERSON!!! :D

The last thing I want to talk about is a really cool idol release I discovered recently. It's called "Japan Idol File" and is a boxset of 5 CDs, with 64 songs in total, all by "local" idol groups and just not really mainstream groups. There are several I haven't even heard of D: And several others I know to be great but can never find CDs of, so this is really great. Here is a picture of the item:

And here is the tracklist:

Disc 1

RYUTist – Raririreru (ラリリレル)
R☆M – Lovin’ You
Dorothy Little Happy – Triangle Square (トライアングルスクエア)
Techpri – Chocolate☆Destiny (チョコレート☆デスティニー)
Michinoku Sendai Ori☆Himetai – Sakura no Hana ga Saku Goro (桜の花が咲く頃)
Negicco – Shokuiku Ondo (食育音頭)
Fruity – Happy Smile
Whip☆Girls – Arigatou (ありがとう。)
Why@Doll – Yumemiru Tsubasa (ユメミツバサ)
Splash – Winter Chance
B♭ (B-Flat) – No:ID
Angel Generation – Sakura Girl☆ (Sakuraガール☆)
Disc 2

Tochiotome25 – Ichigo Kinenbi (いちご記念日)
Shizukaze & Kizuna – Doki Doki Panic (ドキドキパニック) (I Rock Version)
KGY40Jr. – Cosplayer
Akagidan -AKG- – Shikkara Shite yo -Dame Otoko Shikarinzu- (しっかりしてよ ―ダメ男シカリンズ―)
Barbie Lips – Happy de Ume Tsukusu Calendar (ハッピで埋めつくすカレンダー)
T!P – Zutto Isshoni ne (ずっと一緒ね)
H&A. – Shunkan I Love You (瞬間 I Love You)
Miracle – Miracle Maker (ミラクルメーカー)
dela – Limit of Love
We Love – Senkou Action (閃光アクション)
Idol Kyoushitsu – Makeruna Dreamer (負けるなDreamer)
Otome☆Corporation – Zukkyun☆Oto Melody♪ (ずっきゅん☆おとめろでぃ♪)
Apple Gakuen Ouen-bu – Ikou! Let’s Go! (行こう！Let’s Go!)
Disc 3

Izukoneko – nostalgie el
Especia – Knight Rider (ナイトライダー)
Osaka BB Wave – Shining Parade
Osaka Show Gangs – Special Island
Caramel☆Ribbon – Nijiiro (虹色)
KOBerrieS♪ – Ryuusei☆Transistor (流星☆トランジスタ)
Csli – Love Train (ラブトレイン)
Sketch – Green & Peace
JuRias – Chance
Mon Soleil 415 – Come Back Yanagase (カムバックYanagase)
Tenkafubu Gifu Hime Gundan – Romantic Hime Magic (Romantic姫Magic)
Ruchiru – Daisuki Da yo (大好きだよ)
JK21 – Footman
Mary Angel – Like an Angel
Ponbashi wktk Mates – Chika Idol Nante Yobasenai!! (地下アイドルなんて呼ばせない！！)
Disc 4

nanoCUNE – Hare Ruya! (晴れルヤ！)
S-Qty – S-Qtimes!!
Seikou Joshi – Uruwashi no Joshi Jimuin
Hime Kyun Fruit Can – Loop & Loop
Hmj Hime tsu Musume 5 – Shuriken Shu Shu Shu (手裏剣シュシュシュ)
Kimitomo Candy – Negai Drop (願いドロップ)
SakuLove – Love Phone
Saku Mai – Tenteko Mind (てんてこマインド)
S★Kip – Shining Grace
baby dolls – Kami Hikouki ~Todoke Watashi no Kimochi ♡~ (かみひこうき～届け!わたしの気持ち♡～)
Nep She☆Stars – Let’s!! Party Time☆
Marry Doll – Yes! Sonzai Shoumei! (Yes! 存在証明！)
Disc 5

LinQ – Calorie Nante (カロリーなんて)
Lucky Color’s – J.J ~Lucky Smile~ (J・J～ラッキーSmile～)
Trick8f – Brightness
Rev. from DVL – Love ~Arigatou~
Chimo – Seishun Survivor (青春サバイバー)
Seishun Gakuen – Sha・la・la・la・LA
Otome no Junjou – Karen (カレン)
Raise Chou Chou – Dream Girls
Spatio – Kiss You
Blaze – Fairy Tale
Yamaguchi Kassei Gakuen – Run!!
S★uthern Cross – Chest! ~Genki no Shiroshi~ (チェスト!～ゲンキのしるし～)

This is seriously an AWESOME release and a nice way to grab some songs by some lesser-known groups we love, as well as discover some awesome groups we never even knew about. And- get this- it's crazy cheap for what it comes with! This only costs 2587 yen!

It's such a cool release and such a deal, I seriously recommend this to everyone. It releases on May 1st, so now is a great time to grab it ;D It is on CDJapan! Here is a link to it:

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/aff/click.cgi/ZRcokempdVE/3242/A983378/detailview.html?KEY=TPRC-45

And now, a few questions I'd really like answers to from those of you willing to comment:

☆ What are your Top 3 non-mainstream idol groups?

☆ What's the most 'indie' idol group you like?

And lastly, I'm wondering if anyone knows if Toyko Idol Festival looks into idols themselves and invites them, or if agencies and groups submit something or something and TIF picks who they want? 

Please answer i you have any idea!

Thank you so much for reading!!! <3

We. Are. D-d-d-d- Dancing Dolls!



(I apologize in advance as I made this blog post on a rainy day while on vacation, and the keyboard is awful so there may be some awful typos.)

Okay, so, I've debated making this blog post for a while (not so much debated making it as procrastinating when) but I have been given the most amazing boost EVER to make this post.

This screencap shows me tweeting my favorite member of the fantastic group Dancing Dolls, and then her replying to me. So far, my most exciting idol experience yet xD I had a bit of a mini heart attack, ran in circles a bit, and then went off to tell everyone- most of whom couldn't care less. xD

Still, the fact that she replied and replied in English (since I said I was an American fan) it was really cute and meant a lot to me. Like, whether she appreciated my tweet or didn't, either way, she didn't have to acknowledge it. But she did. She thanked me, and an idol who takes to time to reach out to fans is pretty much the coolest.

So I want to tell you all about the fantaaaaastic group that is Dancing Dolls.

Sadly, there is a serious lack of information/videos on this group, so there isn't LOADS I can give you, However, what I can tell you is defnitely worth reading because they are extremely interesting, so please do read on :)

Dancing Dolls is a 5-member girl group of girls who are all childhood friends. (I love that about them, personally. Makes them more interesting and also gives them a bit of a more genuine feel somehow? More natural or something. xD) The members from left to right are (I believe): Asuka, Misaki, Hono, Mii, and Kyoka. I'm positive on who everyone is except for Asuka and Kyoka, who are twins, and can still be hard for me to tell apart at times. (Girl group with twins- somehow also really cool. xD)

Anyway, they are all childhood friends and decided themselves to form the group. They formed in 2011 and were performing on streets, in parks, and having small one-man lives at the time. They even wrote and composed their songs themselves! The choreography for their songs is also orignal, and choreographed by group member Misaki. They are extremely talented dancers, and began doing dance covers on NicoNico, as well as song covers, and doing original dances to songs.

Here they are covering a GUMI song, with Mii singing the vocals and Misaki having choreographed the dance:

Here they are covering "Life Reset Button" with all of them doing some of the vocals and, again, Misaki having choreographed the dance:

In September of 2012, they released their debut single- a double a-side "Touch -A.S.A.P.- / Shanghai Darling". Both songs were covers, though the b-side, Meromero Bakkyun" was an original song. Their second single, "Wangan Wonder Darling / Rasberry Love", was released at the end of January and had one cover on it, "Hello" which is a cover of YUI's "HELLO ~Paradise Kiss~". The rest are original songs.

Here are the three music videos they have so far:

The above one is my personal favorite song, and probably video as well. Mii is such a star, she has a great presence! And Misaki is rocking that dance beyond words. She's too cool! Everyone looks really cool here and the song is great *_*

This above MV is a bit odd...but at least you won't forget it :P Don't let the strange MV turn you off, though- the girls look fabulous and the song is so catchy! They sound fantastic.



This MV is from their most recent release and is reall fun. The girls are really cool and full of attitude in it. Definitely a fun watch, and a great song!

I highly reccomend buying their singles if you like them! All the songs are really great, and the girls deserve so much support.

Touch - A.S.A.P. - / Shanghai Darling [Regular Edition]

Wangan Wonder Darling / Raspberry Love [Regular Edition]

Wangan Wonder Darling / Raspberry Love [w/ DVD, Limited Edition]

The twins, Asuka and Kyouka, also seemed to have been their own dance unit before Dancing Dolls and were called "Asukyo". They do a lot of really cute dances, so I suggest checking out some of this as well:

Now I'm going to share with you some different ways to follow and keep up-to-date with Dancing Dolls or just learn more about them!

Dancing Dolls official website (I highly reccommend watching their DDTV videos- especially if you understand some Japanese!): http://dancingdolls.jp/

Dancing Dolls Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dancingdolls5

Staff Twitter: https://twitter.com/dancingdolls/
Staff Blog: http://dancingdolls.jp/blog/index.php
Members' Blog: http://dancingdolls.jp/member_blog/index.php

And, for some individual member stuff:

Asukyo:
Niconico Community: http://com.nicovideo.jp/community/co1271479
Asuka Twitter:  twitter.com/asukyo_asuka
Kyouka Twitter: twitter.com/asukyo_kyoka

Hono:
Niconico: http://www.nicovideo.jp/mylist/31862722
Twitter: twitter.com/honoon2

Mii:
Niconico: http://www.nicovideo.jp/mylist/30930811
Twitter: twitter.com/mii_dd

Misaki:

NicoNico: http://www.nicovideo.jp/mylist/32023471
Twitter: twitter.com/dd_misaki

All in all, Dancing Dolls is a really talented, really interesting group of girls with some great music, and I highly recommend looking into them and following them as much as you can! Whenever they release/announce something new, I will be sure to blog about it, because I really like them and there is also a major lack of information on them out there. If you want more Dancing Dolls videos, pictures, music, or have any questions about them, be sure to leave a comment! I'll definitely be happy to give you more :)



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!