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Hello! Project Power Rankings September 2015

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Guest Contributor @thenumber244 here with a look at the last month in Hello! Project land. That’s right: I balance two pencils at 90 degrees atop a circular list of the Hello! Project groups and chant “Charlie, Charlie, who rules the Projects?” Sometimes Charlie makes a mistake or two, but I always suss enough from the peculiar poltergeist to accurately assess the Project people. You would think I’d just create a near-comprehensive list of H!P activity by group, but that wouldn’t be nearly as fun.

At the very end of this month, we got the somewhat shocking news of former Morning Musume Kago Ai’s descent and search for redemption. In an interview timed before Morning Musume 15’s appearance on Music Station, the troubled and disgraced former idol talks frankly about her public scandals and subsequent abusive marriage.

While “Kago Ai Nearly Tricked into S & M Porn” may be the big headline, I like to focus on this once-loved public figure and her tumultuous search for approval and stability. Aibon serves as a reminder that these young girls we idolize may have deep issues under the surface of their public lives which may be exacerbated by their public personas. I wish Aibon the best of luck.

And, on that unhappy note…

Rankings, Come On!

RankGroupLogo Comments
Morning Musume '15morningmusume15logo(+2)The number one spot this month goes to the flagship group. This result should not be a surprise considering the success of their last single, "Oh My Wish! / Sukatto My Heart, and Ima Sugu Tobikomu Yuuki". If you only glanced at the weekly ranking, where the single scored the number two spot, you missed out on how well the song performed for the group.

"Oh My Wish / Sukatto My Heart / Ima Sugu Tobikomu Yuuki" is their third best performing single since 2002 with only "Egao no Kimi wa Taiyou sa / Kimi no Kawari wa Iyashinai / What is Love?" and "Wagamama Ki no Mama Ai no Joke / Ai no Gundan" performing better. So, if you love Platinum Era Morning Musume, then Morning Musume '15 more than doubled that lineup's best performing single (Nanchatte Renai).

As expected, the 59th single came to us accompanied by a series of media appearances, not all of which focused on Suzuki Kanon and her weight. Early in the month, the girls performed on "Inochi no Uta" to commemorate the sad 70th anniversary of the atomic bomb drops on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Under the shadow of the Atomic Bomb Dome in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Morning Musume '15 sang the affecting "Ame No Furanai Hoshi De Wa Ai Senai Darou?" Later in the month, the group went on to perform "Oh My Wish" on Music Japan and on Music Station alongside AKB48, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, and Arashi.

August also gave us another edition of leader Fukumura Mizuki in Young Gangan in a pleasing photoshoot good for late-summer needs. The newest of the Musume, Ogata Haruna, also got a summer themed (read: bikini) photoshoot alongside frequent models Fuku-chan and Kudo Haruka in Weekly Shonen Sunday. Beneath that porcelain skin is a well-trained physique honed through years of competitive ice-skating. I'm not surprised if we see Haa-chin in these magazines with increasing frequency.

Up next for the flagship group is the Morning Musume. '15 Concert tour Aki ~ PRISM ~, an (boys and girls be) ambitious schedule that runs from September 19 until December 8. The tour culminates in two dates at Nippon Budokan, but I don't think anyone will be surprised if a bigger venue materializes for the tour finale.
Country Girlscountrygirlslogo(+2)With August barely out of diapers, Country Girls released their second single "Wakatteiru Gomen ne / Tamerai Summer" subtitled (by me) "How I learned to stop worrying and live without Shimamura Uta". As lovely as I thought the single was, the 30,087 first week units represents a 33% drop off in sales from their debut single.

Add the Country Girls' shut out from the top three spots in the daily charts, and you have yourself a fairly disastrous outing on the single charts. The optimist in me says that "Wakatteiru Gomen ne / Tamerai Summer" performed better than most of Berryz Koubou's singles, Buono!'s singles, and the early part of C-ute's career. The 2nd Country Girls single even performed better than a Morning Musume single (Mikan), a feat that seemed like a benchmark for the MoBeKiMaSu era of Hello! Project.

In typical idol fashion, Country Girls aren't letting this sales dip affect their outlook. I'm seeing increased presence by the girls in media outlets, including Morito Chisaki in Gravure the Television. Inaba Manaka's presence also increased over the past month with her eye-catching contributions to the H!P Dance Club (seen in Hello! Station) and her Manakan Music" corner on Utabi. It seems the strategy of using Tsugunaga Momoko to leverage media appearances for her fledgling group works.

Up next for the Country Girls is the Country Girls Live Tour 2015 Fall that (so far) runs from October 13 to November 6, culminating in Sapporo. Putting the new group through two solo tours so early in their career seems a bit enterprising for Hello! Project. Intragroup relations (with Momoko-senpai as an anchor) seem very strong at the moment; let's hope this added pressure doesn't break any of the Girls.
Kobushi Factorykobushi-factory-logo(+3)August has been very, very good to the Factory Girls. The girls released the promotional videos for all three of the A-sides from their early September release, "Dosukoi! Kenkyo ni Daitan / Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san no Uta / Nen ni wa Nen (Nen Iri Ver.)". The quality of the videos seemed to surprise HaroWota with "Dosukoi! Kenkyo ni Daitan" receiving a location shoot with extras and a loose plot. Inoue Rei also continues to provide constant exposure on Oha! Suta.

For the most impactful event of Kobushi Factory's August, look no further than their performances at Tokyo Idol Fest 2015 (seen here and here). The performances unleashed the new group on the idol world in general and heralded the new generation of Hello! Project .

You don't need to look further than September 2, when Kobushi Factory releases "Dosukoi! Kenkyo ni Daitan / Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san no Uta / Nen ni wa Nen (Nen Iri Ver.)" to see the future of Hello! Project. Against Arashi and J Soul Brothers, the Factory Girls face insurmountable opposition in the weekly charts. However, if the Factory Girls chart decently, perhaps third place, then the single and debut will look like a success.
C-ute(+1)August looked like another off month for the C-ute girls. Without a new single to promote, the group seems like it is operating in neutral. The month saw C-ute performing at the Rock in Japan Festival as the sole Hello! Project representative, SOUND SPIRIT OTODAMA SEA STUDIO 2015, and (puzzlingly) at the 23rd World Scout Jamboree Closing Ceremony. This collection looks like an odd hodgepodge of performances, and I struggle to find a connective thread.

Well, that hodgepodge may be warm-up for C-ute's impending performance in Mexico City. It's finally here! You'll likely see an explosion of C-ute in the Western Fandom coinciding with their "℃-ute Cutie Circuit ~¡Vamos a México!" performance on September 19. I hear tickets are all but sold out (I haven't tried buying one yet).

After a half-year, we got confirmation of a new single from C-ute. In a blog post, Yajima Maimi revealed a new double A-side single is in the works, but was unable to confirm song titles or a release date. Hopefully, those going to see the group in Mexico will get a taste of the new songs!

Aside from this, look for more of Suzuki Airi in Ray magazine, Okai Chisato on the variety circuit (where she "revealed" that she uses dog shampoo?), and Chisato again in more Pussuma Spicy Food challenge. If all else fails, know that Yajima Maimi released her photobook "Nobody knows 23" (some preview here). That'll raise your spirits.
Angerme
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It's hard for me to tell which group had the better month. Certainly, ANGERME and Juice=Juice proved unable to keep pace with the rest of Hello! Project's busy month. Perhaps the two groups needed this brief layover after their busy schedules the last two months. We all expect a little break after a release, right?

That would be a great story, except both groups currently find themselves in the middle of concert tours. ANGERME begin their "2015 SUMMER/AUTUMN ~FIGHTING NINE~" tour on August 18, and Juice=Juice continue their "LIVE MISSION 220 〜Code1→Begin to Run〜" tour. Life is tough on the Power Rankings when a group goes on tour, right?

August is probably too soon to speculate over the next single for the Juicers. But, for ANGERME and Fukuda Kanon's upcoming graduation, any news is welcome. The farewell single for Kanyon is scheduled for November 11. We don't know much about this single yet. Hang on to your handkerchiefs, prep your deep pink light pens, and get ready for Cinderella's last dance.

 
Like always, you’re free to disagree. Give me an earful in the comments below, my personal twitter, or the New School Kaidan Twitter. Don’t forget to visit me at my main blog The Number 244, where I contemplate the near-nakedness of the ladies of Juice=Juice.


Hello! Project Power Rankings October 2015

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Guest Contributor @thenumber244 here with a look at the last month in Hello! Project land. That’s right: I balance two pencils at 90 degrees atop a circular list of the Hello! Project groups and chant “Charlie, Charlie, who rules the Projects?” Sometimes Charlie makes a mistake or two, but I always suss enough from the peculiar poltergeist to accurately assess the Project people. You would think I’d just create a near-comprehensive list of H!P activity by group, but that wouldn’t be nearly as fun.

To begin things, it doesn’t feel quite right to put Tsubaki Factory into the rankings just yet. I should, however, note that the Camellia sextet released their debut indie single this month. You can take a watch and listen to “Seishun Manmannaka!” on the 135th edition of Hello! Project Station.

Perhaps the biggest story in Hello! Project is the shocking confirmation of Tsunku’s resignation as producer of the Projects. Most people already noticed the decrease in Tsunku’s participation in Hello! Project singles. With his new book, Dakara, Ikiru. (you can read translations here), the grand wizard of the Projects tells us that from now on he will serve as a musical contributor for Morning Musume and will leave the rest of the Projects to other producers.

Since I became aware of the inner workings of the Projects I long contemplated the inevitable life after Tsunku. Now that its arrived, I’m saddened by the circumstances that ushered the second life of Hello! Project. Well, time for us all to put on our optimistic hat and drool over the possibilities that now lay ahead for the Projects. Which guest musical producer / composer / arranger gets YOU most excited about for Hello! Project?

And, on that note…

Rankings, Come On!


 

RankGroupLogo Comments
C-ute(+3)Top spot this month goes to Yajima Maimi and the girls of C-ute. October felt like a month of celebration for the girls. Well-deserved celebration in my opinion, as the girls celebrated their 10th anniversary and their ability to overcome personnel losses and a sales roller-coaster that finally sees the girls atop the Projects both in ranking and in seniority.

To celebrate, C-ute blasted into Mexico with "℃-ute Cutie Circuit ~¡Vamos a México!". While I didn't attend personally, it seems the concert was a resounding success. Tons of blog photos of the girls cavorting through Mexico (in general) and Cancun (in particular) also surfaced from their trip. Let's see: a group of five attractive Japanese girls in their prime celebrating in Cancun? Where do I get tickets to that!? Let's hope a photo book comes out of this, right?

Of course, 9/10 is C-ute day. This year we get news of a new single from the girls to be released on October 28. Previews of "Arigatou Mugen no Yell / Arashi wo Okosunda Exciting Fight" have made their way out. Most are pleased with the balance of ballad and rock with the single. For geeks like me, Music+ aired studio footage of the recording process of "Arashi wo Okosunda Exciting Fight" punctuated with the vocal recording sessions on DATE. If you want to see how the sausage is made, I highly recommend checking it out.

Okai Chisato continues to rule the television waves this month. This month's highlight is Chisa's appearance on the Pussuma spicy food challenge with Morning Musume '15's Ikuta Erina - watch Chisa eat here. The main news from that particular program involved Eripon, so more on that further down in the rankings. Also for your eyes, Yajima Maimi released the cover of her latest Blu Ray release, "Flowing". That October 21 release is sure to cause a firestorm around the Projects, so look out!

As we reach the end of October, look for C-ute's 28th single. I'll be chart watching on my twitter. Won't you join me?
Kobushi Factorykobushi-factory-logo(+1)Kobushi Factory narrowly misses out on the top spot for October. The group did everything they could to overcome the Queens of the Projects, but they fell short by a slim margin. The Factory Girls launched "Dosukoi! Kenkyo ni Daitan / Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san no Uta / Nen ni wa Nen (Nen Iri Ver.)" early in the month and kept on burning throughout the month.

Don't let the weekly number 3 rank fool you: Kobushi Factory's debut 34,639 units means the single performed better than almost all of the Berryz Kobo discography, the entire S/mileage catalog, a good chunk of C-ute's early catalog, and even some Platinum Morning Musume singles. Most idol groups would kill for those numbers.

This month, Inoue Rei wasn't alone in providing exposure to the young group. Kobushi Factory shined in their own sparkling billboard at the Shibuya Crossing. The Factory Girls made their rounds through television guest spots during release to further bolster their exposure. Things wrapped up for the girls in September with their performance at Hello! Project New Fes II with Tsubaki Factory, Country Girls, and select Hello Project Kenshuusei.

Up ahead for Kobushi Factory is a set of concerts with their sister group, Tsubaki Factory, and the Hello! Pro Kenshuusei. The Hello! Project Countdown Party 2015 lies just after those concerts (spoiler: the magnolia girls won't make it to midnight). Further ahead, of course, is their as-yet-unnamed second single. That next release will really show us what these Factory girls are made of!
Morning Musume '15morningmusume15logo(-2)Morning Musume '15 steps down from atop the rankings after their successful 59th single, "Oh My Wish! / Sukatto My Heart, and Ima Sugu Tobikomu Yuuki". September's most memorable event from the group was their participation in Music Station Ultra FEW this month. Dressed in fancifully plumed silver outfits, the group shone through its performance of "Love Maching (Updated)". Perhaps defiantly, Morning Musume '15 began their performance by striking poses from their most recent singles, which began a fun round of "guess the pose" for us MoWota. The Music Station performance also provided us moments with the '15 girls and their OG senpai like this and this.

In other collaborations, Morning Musume '15 appeared with former Up Front artists YuiKaori on "FujiTV NEXT Atashi no Ongaku" performing "Sukatto My Heart", "The Peace", and "Morning Coffee". You might want to check out these performances since Morning Musume '15 perform with a live band (which means no backing tracks). "The Peace" is a great collaboration with MoMusu and YuiKaori, while "Morning Coffee" gives us a wonderfully stripped down vocal / piano arrangement.

For a bit of controversy, you might want to check out the Pussuma Spicy Food Battle I mentioned early. You'll be rewarded with some Ero/Gravure models, ahem, "encouraging" Yuusuke to endure the spice. You'll also get to see Team Yuusuke pop balloons by squeezing the airbags between their bodies. Apparently, some people didn't like to see Yuusuke, a confessed Eripon wota, thrusting into Ikuta...I guess you'll just have to watch it.

Finally, I can entreat you to enjoy some Fukumura Mizuki in Young Gangan. I don't think we need to say more about that.
Juice=Juice(+2)After spending last month in the basement, Juice=Juice warm up a bit in September with a couple of items of note. Firstly, an event that seems long anticipated: Uemura Akari will release her debut solo photobook, "Akari", on October 24. This seems a bit weird when you remember that I once teased the girl for having the body shape of a ladder. Then again, Akari's grown up a bit since then. The cover images of the (regular edition and Amazon edition) have been wowing people all over the social media airwaves. Will you make a place on your bookshelf for Aarii?

In other news, the group concluded the first leg of their "Mission 220" tour. The group hopes their grueling tour schedule culminates with a live performance at Nippon Budokan sometime next year. To celebrate their first step in that direction, Juice=Juice will hold (held) live performances in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Adding some magic to the experience, these visits will be the first time overseas for Kanazawa Tomoko, Miyamoto Karin and Uemura Akari.

Up next for the group are those overseas performances (of course), the "Juice=Juice LIVE MISSION 220 ~Special Code→J=J Day 2015~" on October 10 and 12 (10/10 is Juice=Juice day!), and the brief (in comparison) "Juice=Juice LIVE MISSION 220 ~Code2~". It seems the Juicers will spend the rest of 2015 bringing the juice to the people!
AngermePRank-angerme-logo(=)Tough decisions to be made here after. It seems most of Hello! Project took a step sideways to allow C-ute and Kobushi Factory to shine in September, including number five on the Power Ranking, ANGERME. News was a bit difficult to come by, but there are a few items of note. In sad news, Sasaki Rikako's association with Pichile magazine comes to an end as the magazine ceases publication. As pretty as she is, I don't doubt Rikako will emerge in another magazine somewhere out there.

In more bittersweet news, ANGERME spent most of September on their ~Fighting Nine~ Tour enjoying their last moments together as a group of nine. As "Fukuda Kanon Watch" enters its final month, we learned that Maro wrote the lyrics to her solo graduation song herself, a move that is unprecedented in the projects. Then again, there isn't much precedence for Kanon.

Rarely do we see the entire arc of an idol's career from training to debut to graduation. Considering her bumpy road, it must be satisfying for Kanon to hold control over the last act of her career. As more details of the release emerge, look for ANGERME to rise in the rankings.
Rank06Country Girlscountrygirlslogo(-4)Judging by their Power Rank for October, you would be correct in guessing that the Country Girls slowed things down a bit for the month. Inaba Manaka continues on with "Inaba Manaka's Manakan Music" corner on "Utanabi!"; this month the Country Girl highlighted Disney Music - you can see her thoughts on "Part of Your World" here.

At the end of the month, the Country Girls took a guest role in the Hello! Project New Fes 2. And really, that's it for Momoko, Risa, Manaka, Chisaki, and Mai. I don't foresee a new single for the girls before the end of the year, so it seems they have their Fall Tour 2015 starting this month, the year-end Hello! Project Countdown Party, and that's it for 2015. Let's hope I'm wrong on this.

 
Like always, you’re free to disagree. Give me an earful in the comments below, my personal twitter, or the New School Kaidan Twitter. You can also come over and say “Hello” at Japan Expo 2015 on October 17 and 18 in Los Angeles, where I will be following Cheeky Parade around like a lovesick teenager. Don’t forget to visit me at my main blog The Number 244, where I give Country Girl’s Morito Chisaki a good looking over in Gravure the Television.

The Evening Show With NSK Episode 43

Hello! Project Power Rankings November 2015

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Guest Contributor @thenumber244 here with a look at the last month in Hello! Project land. That’s right: I scatter seeds and other food around my cul-de-sac and observe the pecking of the feral chicken on my block. You probably won’t believe it, but those pesky poultry predicted the passing of Tsunku’s producer position. You would think I’d just create a near-comprehensive list of H!P activity by group, but that wouldn’t be nearly as fun.

October was capped off by a new single record and the graduation announcement of a popular member of the Projects. But, what you won’t see on the rankings is the YouTube Red dilemma (or the recent Country Girls news -GM). To summarize: the implementation of YouTube Red, YouTube’s new subscription service, necessitated new contracts with content providers like Up Front. For the time being, all music channels from Up Front / Hello! Project are region blocked from the USA.

This affects me greatly. The blockade puzzles me since the Projects in recent years have been all about gaining a worldwide presence- remember “reverse importation?” The current moment feels a little bit like the dark ages, but hopefully a resolution will be worked out.

And, on that note…

Rankings, Come On!

RankGroupLogo Comments
Morning Musume '15morningmusume15logo(+2)Sayashi Riho graduates from Morning Musume '15 on December 31, 2015.

Well, Sayashi Riho fans … I don't know what happened. I don't know why the 9th generation member and Morning Musume '15 ace is graduating. Official reasons for RihoRiho's graduation concern her future plans and her desire to study English and dance. Most of the time, the "study abroad" graduation reason meets a good deal of skepticism; this time is not an exception. I don't want to speculate here on the Power Rankings, but something feels wrong with the timing of this graduation and the hasty manner in which Hello! Project threw it together.

With only two months to go, a graduation single and solo song doesn't seem likely. A proper graduation concert at the largest venue possible won't happen. Sayashi's last visit to her hometown Hiroshima happens/happened on October 31, and her last concert a.k.a. her graduation will be the "Hello!Project COUNTDOWN PARTY 2015 ~ GOOD BYE & HELLO ! ~" on New Year's Eve at Nakano Sun Plaza. Really? The most significant addition to the group is graduationg at Nakano Sun Plaza? Given that Rihorin threw Morning Musume on her back almost from day 1, no one doubts the huge hole that will emerge with her departure.

This being a monthly column, we'll have more of Riho's graduation in the next two months; we should, talk more about the month that was Morning Musume here. As hinted above, the "Morning Musume. '15 Concert tour Aki ~ PRISM ~" made five stops in October bringing the extravaganza from Sapporo in Hokkaido to Kumamoto in Kyushu. Although no one participated in a spicy food battle, and this is important for the foreign fas, the group maintained a strong presence on overseas television with appearances on J-Melo and Tokyo Girls Update TV, both on NHK World.

The most memorable moment on TV for October occured on the "KanJAM Kanzen Moeru SHOW ". Ikuta Erina used her lack of lines, especially in the group's breakout song "One-Two-Three", to great comedic effect. Eripon's public gripe about line distribution reminds me of Morning Musume OG Michishige Sayumi's similar shtick during the "Resonant Blue" promotional campaign. But, this is the part that really got people talking, another corner of the show highlighted the Senpai / Kouhai relationships within Morning Musume '15.

Most of us are aware of the distinct social order of Japanese interpersonal relations. Riho obviously plays senior to most of the other girls in the group including 10th generation member Sato Masaki. As fans watched MM15 analyze performance video (similar to an NFL team looking at game tape), they were noticeably divided on Riho's sharp criticism of Sato Masaki's performance. Maa-chan's meek responses to Riho's evaluations probably made matters worse.

Personally, I found the timing of KanJAM and Riho's graduation announcement too close for comfort - almost like this event and its reception begat the graduation. I highly doubt that's true though. I posit that Sayashi's sharp analysis is the effect of her looming graduation and Sayashi's limited window to influence and improve the performance level of the group.

Morning Musume '15 continues the "Morning Musume. '15 Concert tour Aki ~ PRISM ~" through December 8, where the tour will finish up with two performances at Nippon Budokan. Look for Sayashi Riho's graduation on December 31st at the "Hello!Project COUNTDOWN PARTY 2015 ~ GOOD BYE & HELLO ! ~" at Nakano Sun Plaza. I hear some of the other groups will be there, too...
C-ute(-1)Up until about an hour or two ago, C-ute perched at no. 1 in these Power Rankings. I don't know if you would say that Yajima Maimi and the girls are hard luck cases, though. Unlike the mixed news from Morning Musume '15, the news coming from the Hello! Project Kids is strictly upbeat.

Things start and end with single releases here on the Power Rankings, and C-ute certainly flexed their well-toned muscles with "Arigatou ~Mugen no Yell~ / Arashi wo Okosunda Exciting Fight!". The group's 28th single is poised to post the group's best first week numbers ever with 58,347 units sold on its first day of release. Those are incredibly impressive numbers.

C-ute keep themselves busy through the rest of the year with an impressive string of tour dates that started in October. Promotion for the new single also spiked the number of television appearances the girls made in the month. While there didn't seem to be a breakthrough or lynchpin television appearance, the number of promo stops combined with the girls' recurring appearances amounted to a heavy schedule.

In the next few months, look for C-ute to criss-cross Japan on their "℃ -ute Concert Tour 2015 Aki ~ ℃ an't STOP !! ~" and "Naruchika 2015 winter ℃ -ute" tours. Meanwhile, let's keep track of "Arigatou ~Mugen no Yell~ / Arashi wo Okosunda Exciting Fight!" to see if the single has legs. Of course, Maimi, Nakky, Airi, Chisato, and Mai will make an appearance at the "Hello!Project COUNTDOWN PARTY 2015 ~ GOOD BYE & HELLO ! ~". Let's make sure to cheer on the girls, lest the Countdown Party becomes a Graduation Party.
AngermePRank-angerme-logo(+2)As the release date for "Desugita Kui wa Utarenai / Dondengaeshi / Watashi" approaches, Wada Ayaka, Fukuda Kanon, and the rest of the Angry Angels begin to percolate to the top of the Projects yet again.

October finds Kanyon (who will always be Cinderella to me) poised to exit the group on a high note as her graduation single shows all the earmarks of a winner. Although a bit uncharacteristic for the S/mileage part of her career, "Desugita Kui wa Utarenai / Dondengaeshi / Watashi" sees Kanon rock hard with the rest of the group.

The more serious sound of ANGERME, which the group long cultivated since (since the end of 2012) reaches a climax with "Desugita Kui wa Utarenai" and "Dondengaeshi" sounding as heavier than anything ever produced in the Projects. Whether the group will continue producing the heavy in future singles remains to be seen, of course. Regardless, HaroWota should definitely watch the performance of the 20th single: exciting times are ahead!

The girls road schedule proved challenging for all of 2015, and October was no exception. The Fukuda Kanyon farewell show made 7 stops in October as part of the "ANGERME Live Tour 2015 SUMMER / AUTUMN ~FIGHTING NINE~" show. Next month finds the nine girls playing four dates on the "ANGERME First Concert Tour 2015 Aki 'Hyakka Ryouran'" tour before finishing at Budokan for the "~Fukuda Kanon Sotsugyou Special~". Their return to the venerated venue promises bittersweet tears for the obvious reasons.

Of course I'll be chart watching "Desugita Kui wa Utarenai / Dondengaeshi / Watashi" on my TheNumber244 Twitter. With the new single release and a graduation on tap for November, look for ANGERME to rise up on their wings in the next Power Rankings.
Juice=Juice(=)Juice=Juice treads water this month with a number 4 ranking. A pair of overseas concerts in Taiwan and Hong Kong provided a much needed edge for the Juicers over the rest of the Projects. Somehow, Juice=Juice beat ANGERME / S/mileage in two interesting categories: first to a weekly number 1 single and first to an overseas live. If Juice=Juice manages an Alo-Hello! before ANGERME, I think someone is going to flip tables.

Back to the overseas concerts, the one-day events seemed rushed to me. I would have liked to see Juice=Juice take their time at both locals, perhaps shoot a few videos for YouTube, or maybe even produce an actual photobook to document the events. But, like all fans, I'll just have to sit here at my laptop and want for more (I'm used to that already).

I'll briefly mention that Juice=Juice began the second leg of their "Code 220" tour with 8 dates in October. These girls are BUSY. Including the two overseas dates, Juice=Juice averaged one concert every 3 days in the month. That's a lot of performances for a group of young girls. On top of that, the Juicers announced their participation in a Fuji TV drama called "Budokan". The girls will star in the work as a five-person idol unit called NEXT YOU. The 8-episode drama will focus on the rise to fame of NEXT YOU.

None other than our friend Tsunku composes the songs and produces the imagery and choreography for the group. That sounds familiar to my ears. The drama films in November, and Juice=Juice will hold events as their alter-egos throughout the month. Look for the 8-episode run of "Budokan" next year.

Finally, Uemura Akari released her "AKARI" photobook as October closed out. I don't think I need to say much more than that. Look for Juice=Juice continuing their "Juice = Juice LIVE MISSION 220 ~ Code2 → NEXT to YOU ​​~" with seven dates throughout November.
Country Girlscountrygirlslogo(+1)With no single to promote, Country Girls stayed afloat pretty well. Their "Country Girls Live Tour 2015 Fall" made five stops in October, spreading cuteness all throughout. The tour started on rocky ground with Playing Manager Tsugunaga Momoko abset for health reasons (she was resting/recovering from vocal cord polyps).

But, Momo is back and putting her pinky power to good use. Even though the group only has two singles, the group draws on the long histories of both Country Musume and Hello! Project to fill out 19 song set list. Don't you want to see a Morito Chisaki / Ozeki Mai Robokiss?

The group continues to have a strong presence on TV with both Momoko and Inaba Manaka hitting the circuit. This month, Manakan Music hit Western music with her takes on Ne-Yo and Rihanna. Momoko, meanwhile, took the Downtown DXDX cameras to a Country Girls handshake event.

This balanced attack, albeit at decreased volume, should power the Country Girls through the end of the year, where the (say it with me) "H!P Countdown Part 2015 ~Good Bye and Hello!~" and a new single awaits.
Rank06Kobushi Factorykobushi-factory-logo(-4)Kobushi Factory tumbles down to the cellar this month. What went wrong? Well, after spending the last few months near the top of the ranking, the Magnolia Girls cooled down a bit with their activities. Without another single to promote, the group has relatively little to do...except for Inoue Rei. ReiRei is always on Oha Star, isn't she?

Things pick up for Kobushi Factory in November when Ayapan and co. hit the road for "Kobushi Factory Live Tour 2015 ~ The First Ring! ~". This first tour will make 9 stops throughout Japan. Let's take guesses on the Berryz Koubou hits the Magnolias will perform, shall we? I'm hoping for "Gyagu 100 Kaibun Aishite Kudasai" for no other reason than my personal like of the song.

Like the rest of the groups in Hello! Project, the fresh young faces make an appearance at the New Year's Eve "Hello!Project COUNTDOWN PARTY 2015 ~ GOOD BYE & HELLO ! ~". Hold onto your hats! That new single announcement could happen any day, any time, any place!

 
Like always, you’re free to disagree. Give me an earful in the comments below, my personal twitter, or the New School Kaidan Twitter. Don’t forget to come over to my blog at TheNumber244, where I check on Makino Maria‘s progress as the latest Morning Musume magazine queen. Well, she’s more of a princess at this point, right?

The NSK Podcast 260 – The show about Japanese idols and bubonic plague

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The NSK Podcast 263 – Fukuda Fanon

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Hello! Project Power Rankings December 2015

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Guest Contributor @thenumber244 here with a look at the last month in Hello! Project land. That’s right: I scatter seeds and other food around my cul-de-sac and observe the pecking of the feral chicken on my block. You probably won’t believe it, but those pesky poultry predicted the passing of Tsunku’s producer position. You would think I’d just create a near-comprehensive list of H!P activity by group, but that wouldn’t be nearly as fun.

Hello! Project’s big event in November was the Satoyama / Satoumi event on the November 21st weekend. Although no big announcements were made, Morning Musume ’15 did perform their new single “One and Only”. The event seemed more somber than usual with Sayashi Riho’s graduation little more than a month away. As if it was a prequel to her actual graduation, Riho sang “Cabbage Hakusho ~Haru Hen~” solo during the Opening Ceremony.

November was a month of coming and going for the Projects as a whole. In the closing months of 2015, Hello! Project will see the graduation of a group’s long-time anchor and bridge to the Project’s past, and the center and brightest star of the flagship group. In their place, three new members join the Projects with the possibility of more fresh faces by the end of the year.

And, on that note…

Rankings, Come On!

RankGroupLogo Comments
AngermePRank-angerme-logo(+2)The incredibly dense month of extreme ups and downs edges ANGERME over the top and into first place this month. November began with the group's 20th single release "Desugita Kui wa Utarenai / Dondengaeshi / Watashi" delivering underwhelming first day sales with 14,916 units - just more than half of their usual numbers. Sources tell me this unexpected number had something to do with late delivery of box sets for the Fukuda Kanon swan song. Things eventually righted with great weekend numbers including an impressive 13K day on Friday (when was the last time an H!P group sold more than 10K on a Friday? C-ute's (Kokoro no Sakebi wo Uta ni Shitemita / Love take it all" in 2014).

The first two metal laden ANGERME tracks, "Desugita Kui wa Utarenai" and "Dondengaeshi", are dead serious takes courtesy of LoVendoR's Uozumi Yuki and Uchuu Kei. The former song features an impressive operatic guitar solo. "Watashi", the Fukuda Kanon solo graduation song, features a Taisei composition and original lyrics by Kanon that have me scratching my head - do I really notice the inside Kanon, her charming part? Well, I do know Kanon eventually shelves her glass slipper.

Fukuda Kanon, of course, figures greatly on ANGERME's ascension to the top of the Power Rankings this month. Nyon's graduation on November 29 seemed a changing of the guard in Hello! Project. Her ceremony was a wonderful event where Kanon turned back into Cinderella one last time complete with a big pink dress, a fur collar, and a studded tiara. ANGERME's performances have become very powerful with the influx of heavy hitting songs this year, and the graduation concert served in many ways as a showcase for the evolution of S/mileage.

In a segment conceived by herself, Fukuda Kanon sang a short duet with each of the members of ANGERME in a medley that highlighted the charm of her group-mates (full set-list here). Seriously, I can see this medley becoming a staple in all graduation concerts to come.

Finally, the new member of ANGERME was revealed to be Kamikokuryo Moe, a 16 year-old from Kumamoto who participated in the Morning Musume 12th generation auditions. So far, Moe seems to be greeted with positive reviews - cute looks, good voice, should be a good match for the Angel Tears. The bridge to the future of ANGERME stands at 150 cm, and can be heard singing karaoke in the shadows of her now defunct Twitter account (or here) if you are impatient for her debut next year.
C-ute(=)C-ute began November with a big bang. Their 28th single, "Arigatou ~Mugen no Yell~ / Arashi wo Okosunda Exciting Fight!" sold 69,952 (read: a micro-miniskirt away from 70K) before anyone's Halloween hangover officially dissipated. If you keep track of these things like I do, you noted that the final C-ute single of 2015 is their best selling single to date just on its first week sales figures.

That's power: beating your entire discography with just one week on the charts. Congratulations are due, and everyone should eat cake. However, the sobering month in the other reaches of the Projects seems to have dampened the celebration just a bit.

C-ute did much more in the month than just sell platters like deli-trays at a Bar-Mitzvah. The queen bee group of the Projects was everywhere in November with their "℃-ute Concert Tour 2015 Aki ~℃an't STOP!!~" and "Naruchika 2015 Fuyu ℃-ute" tours, where the group played a total of 17 concerts in 30 days.

Incredibly busy, yes; but no rest for the weary. The girls of C-ute will likely anchor performances in both the "Hello!Project COUNTDOWN PARTY 2015 ~ GOOD BYE & HELLO ! ~" and "Hello! Project 2016 WINTER ~ DANCING!SINGING!EXCITING!~" concerts in the coming month. C-ute's 2015 was a banner year from the group, but with graduation and induction on the minds of HaroWota everywhere, I wonder how long the group can keep up their pace.
Morning Musume '15morningmusume15logo(-2)Morning Musume felt like it was reeling from shock the entire month of November. Not surprising since their ace, Sayashi Riho, announced her graduation on October 29. Of course, RihoRiho's graduation is not completely unprecedented: the ninth generation Morning Musume members are already the longest intact generation, and shortly after Riho's graduation Fukumura Mizuki, Ikuta Erina, and Suzuki Kanon will enter the top ten length of tenures for the group.

Still, it's jarring when the center and standout performer of the group becomes the first member of her generation to graduate. As custom has it, Rihos graduation is accompanied by a single release coming at the tail end of December. Remember last month when I said a graduation single seems unlikely? Well, I was wrong. "Tsumetai Kaze to Kataomoi / ENDLESS SKY / One and Only", a triple A-side again, contains the first all-English song for the flagship group, "One and Only".

The latest development, following the overseas Morning Musume concerts and the induction of a bilingual English speaker further cements Hello! Project's dreams of a worldwide idol group. Like "What is Love?", the song serves as the theme song for NHK World's "J-Melo" music program. The talented and adventurous among you can even enter the "One and Only Singing and Dancing Contest". Hope to see you on NHK soon!

Personally, I like hearing news about the PonPon combi (Fukumura Mizuki and Ikuta Erina), and there are news items for both members of the Q-ki pair. Firstly, Ikuta Erina found herself in the Mitsu Suitomo VISA Pacific Ocean Masters Pro-Am. Golfing being her thing, I greatly enjoyed watching Eripon swing the clubs again. As for Fukumura Mizuki, the leader releases her third photobook on on December 5th. Mizupon's photobooks are always great, ahem, "conversation starters" for HaroWota. Mine is already ordered, of course.
Country Girlscountrygirlslogo(+1)The Hello! Project renewal program mostly occupy the lower half of the charts this month. But, Country Girls is a perfect example of how November was a month of parity in the Projects. The "Country Girls Live Tour 2015 Aki Fuyu" kept the girls on the road for a part of November, and Inaba Manaka is still appearing on Utanabi! with "Inaba Manaka's Manakan Music". But, the two big items that added some buoyancy to the Country Girl bounce were not Tsugunaga Momoko's musubi.

The resurrection of Country Musume celebrated its one-year anniversary in November. I took some time to reflect on my first impressions of the group in November (and you can reflect here too!) and the roller-coaster ride on which these girls embarked one year ago. I'm personally glad the girls survived and came out stronger and tighter than ever...and with REINFORCEMENTS.

The 5-nin Country Girls lineup imminently becomes the 7-nin Country Girls with the addition of Hello! Project Kenshuusei Funaki Musubu and Yanagawa Nanami . The announcement came as a bit of a surprise, but seemed understandable given the year for the Girls. Musubu worked around the Projects as a Kenshuusei for the last two years, while Nanami (also a Kenshuusei) has only wandered the Projects for little more than a half-year. Both girls are wee slips, barely topping off at 150 cm. You can read a bit more about them at my The Number 244 site.

As yet, there is no word on a release date for the third Country Girls single. But, I can feel it in my bones. Country Girls will be releasing soon in the 2016. Beware of Momochi sized Country Girls roaming the Projects!
Kobushi Factorykobushi-factory-logo(+2)Even though the group is wrapping their activities for the year, one big news item kept Kobushi Factory out of the cellar this month. More on that in a moment, let's briefly look at what else the Factory Girls were up to in November.

Like much of the Projects, the Magnolia girls spent time on the road with 10 performances spread over 6 days in the month. Not too terrible a schedule, but then these are rookie performers who are still in school. It's a little unreasonable to expect Kobushi Factory, or most of the Hello! Project groups for that matter, to hit the road HARD like C-ute or Morning Musume.

On YouTube, the girls started an amusing series of videos with the group members preparing and eating ramen - you can watch Hamaura Ayano and Taguchi Natsumi win their bout against ramen here. And, of course the broken record says that Inoue Rei still appears with frequency on Oha Suta.

The big news for the Factory Girls is their win for "Best Newcomer Artist Award" on the 57th Japan Records Awards. This is the same award previously won by Morning Musume, C-ute, and S/mileage. So, this award is a big deal for the Projects. The big ceremony will be held on December 30, when we will see if if they will WIN - even though they've already won? Honestly, I don't really understand it. Given the burst of energy and excitement the girls provided the Projects, I sincerely helpe they "win". Fingers crossed.
Rank06Juice=Juice(-2)The Juicy girls find themselves at the bottom of the Power Rankings this month for no good reason at all. The "Juice = Juice LIVE MISSION 220 ~ Code2 → NEXT to YOU ​​~" continued with 5 stops across Japan and an interesting gap in its schedule from November 8 to November 28.

I have no doubt this lapse was filled with the Juice=Juice alter ego group NEXT YOU. The fictional idol group from next year's "Budokan" drama came to life in November with an Official YouTube Channel. NEXT YOU held "Homeroom Events" (handshake events) at the Satoyama / Satoumi event on November 21 and before the Juice=Juice live in Hiroshima on November 28. The fictional group even opened a real Twitter account and will have a very real single release, "Next is you! / Karada Dake ga Otona ni Nattan ja nai ", on February 3, 2016.

Interesting, isn't it? The first single from Juice=Juice in nearly a year and the first single (so far) from Hello! Project in 2016 is from a fictional group and written by a very real Tsunku.

 
Like always, you’re free to disagree. Give me an earful in the comments below, my personal twitter, or the New School Kaidan Twitter. Don’t forget to come over to my blog at TheNumber244 , where I get ridiculously sentimental on Fukuda Kanon’s graduation.

Garry’s “Things I Actually Liked” 2015

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NSK2015-web-blackThanks to MagoPad&Co for the sweet graphic.

With 2015 officially in the books, Garry takes a moment to reflect back on what he enjoyed over the past 12 months.


The Setup

I’m not entirely sure how to kick this whole thing off if i’m being completely honest. In case it isn’t abundantly obvious by now, there isn’t going to be any kind of end of year podcast content coming from me. Still, I did want to at least put some kind of end of year post out so here it is.

This year has been pretty busy for me. If you don’t know, I currently work part time and also go to school part time. As a result, I don’t have anywhere near as much time for anything really as I did in years past. This means I have to cut stuff out of my schedule, the main thing being keeping up with practically every “big” idol CD release this year. I just don’t have the time to be in that game anymore.

While I certainly don’t have the time anymore, if I’m being honest, a lot of idol music this year just flat out sucked anyway. Of course there were some incredibly good releases, a lot of which I’m going to be writing about in this very article. However, overall a lot of stuff just did absolutely nothing for me. I suppose you can argue that perhaps I haven’t listened to everything or to things enough for them to bed in, but like I said, I’m a busy man these days.

Those of you who are dedicated followers of the website will have probably noticed that I haven’t been producing much content since early on in 2015. Being busy isn’t the reason for that, as surprising as that may sound after I went on about it so much in previous paragraphs. A few things happened that I don’t think there should be any problems if I talk about it here so here goes.

With regards to podcasting, hopefully some of you will remember The Evening Show. Yoshi and I started it a long time ago, we had a bunch of co-hosts on over time, etc, etc. Anyway, it kinda just stopped with pretty much no explanation. What happened was we pretty much just burnt out (there were some disagreements and misunderstandings thrown in too) on talking about idols every week. We didn’t care about most of the stuff we were talking about and the best thing about the show was probably when we went off on silly tangents. I wish it could have maybe gone out in a better way but them’s the breaks.

As far as my writing is concerned, the handful of people who bothered to read This Week in Music will have noticed that hasn’t been happening for several months now. I also didn’t really write that much else in 2015 either. There’s a lot of reasons for that, the main ones being lack of motivation and the fact that I have to be mindful of what sort of image NSK is trying to project within the community.

My style of writing is…abrasive shall we say and I like to talk about what I think are important points and issues, no matter how controversial. That’s cool, but if at some point NSK were trying to work with someone and say I’d written something less than charitable about them, that could be an issue. I’ve become a lot more mindful of my actions in the past year, for better or worse.

Man, this intro piece is dragging on way longer than it should. It’s also super depressing, hats off to anyone who made it this far. Okay, let’s get to talking about all the idol stuff that I actually liked in 2015. Hopefully that’s what you’re all reading this for after all.


Yoshi’s Top 10 Singles Of 2015

Hello! Project End Of Year Power Rankings 2015

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Hello everyone! Guest Contributor @thenumber244 here with a look at the Projects – the Hello! Projects. I’m back from vacation and ready for another year staring at Suzuki Airi’s navel. In this belated edition, I present an analysis for how the groups performed for the year 2015. It’s the first time I’ve ever done something like this so I don’t have any snazzy trend-lines to present. Not to give away the whole article, but the group driving all of the Projects should not surprise anyone.

The 2015 for Hello! Project can probably be summed up in one word: ch-ch-ch-changes. So much of what we knew about H!P changed in the course of one year that it is barely recognizable to anyone who took a break from following H!P. Additions – three new groups were added to the lineup in 2015: Country Girls, Kobushi Factory, Tsubaki Factory, and Angerme (I know: technically…).

The new groups breathed life into a lineup that was beginning to show its age. Subtractions – S/mileage, Berryz Koubou and Tsunku. The Hello! Project Kids are the last remaining connection between the “Golden Age” of H!P and the current lineup. The tear-filled graduation of Berryz remains one of the indelible moments for the year. Meanwhile, Tsunku’s decreased involvement in H!P, while understandable, frustrated many longtime HaroWota. We are living in a world where Hello! Project is no longer Tsunku’s personal playground.

As we count down, I’ll try to pay special attention to the December standings of each group. Some pretty significant events went down last month, and we need to talk about them!

2015 EoY RankGroupLogoComments
Morning Musume '15morningmusume15logoWell, it happened. With no more Platinum Musume to graduate, Morning Musume just graduated their first "new" girl. Nobody really entertained the possibility of losing Sayashi Riho to a hurried, unceremonious graduation for nebulous reasons. After viewing some of the footage, Riho's graduation at the year-end COUNTDOWN PARTY 2015 ~GOOD BYE & HELLO!~ looked mostly how I expected. Sayashi Riho in a red gown faced her silver clad groupmates.

Leader Fukumura Mizuki fell apart while a single tear fell from Sayashi's eye. An emotional rendition of "Endless Sky" capped off Riho's career in Morning Musume with the Ninth generation members at center together for the last time. Now the question must be faced: where do Morning Musume '16 go from here?

Back in January we waited for the new single announcement. Then we waited more. When "Seishun Kozou ga Naiteiru / Yuugure wa Ameagari / Ima Koko Kara" finally delivered in April. We got a release with Suzuki Kanon missing from ⅔ of the promotional videos, her spot filled by Juice=Juice's Miyamoto Karin. Rightfully, this decision drew the ire of many. I don't know how much we can attribute to protest, growing pains, or disappointment, but Morning Musume '15's initial release sold a disappointing 101,275 units on its first week.

Things weren't all negative for the year. Especially in the international community, 13th generation member Nonaka Miki became a favorite new member. Fluent in English, Miki took an all-English verse in the new version of "Koko ni Iruuze!", provided English translations to announcements from the group, and formed half of the favorite "HaaChel" combination with fellow 13th generation member Ogata Haruna. Miki's piano performance skills highlighted in her "Greeting ~Nonaka Miki~" e-Hello DVD gave us even more reason to cheer the talented new member.

As for trends, the group led Hello! Project with 385,343 first week units, approximately 5% less than their first week sales in 2014. Considering weak sales of "Seishun Kozo… / Yuugare wa… / Ima Koko…" a 5% decrease seems like trifle. Also, looking at the sales figures for the last two Morning Musume '15 singles gives a strong impression that the group is back on an upswing. In this second year of the 13th generation Musume, a long break between singles probably won't happen. Keeping the group out in the public eye with further developed characters from Ogata Haruna, Nonaka Miki, Makino Maria, and Haga Akane might be the best plan of action for the group.

What's next for the flagship (do we still use that term?)? HOUSTON, Texas, USA on February 26 & 27. I'll see you all there.
AngermePRank-angerme-logoI had a good mind to put ANGERME in the top spot this year. Unless you turned a blind to Hello! Project, "Taiki Bansei" was everywhere. ANGERME, who already experienced a significant upswing in the final days of S/mileage, built themselves into a solid member of the H!P lineup capable of generating numbers that might eventually catch up to senior group C-ute. I think about how the group bounced back from a disaster story of personnel changes, and ANGERME really becomes a success story. So, what happened?

Well, everything changed for ANGERME. Aside from the name change, the group is barely recognizable from its 2007 debut. We can start with the lineup changes. With the additions of Murota Mizuki, Aikawa Maho, and Sasaki Rikako, ANGERME found an amazing vocalist, a high-energy beauty, and an ultra cutesy member. Call me insane, but that's the perfect mix of girls for an idol group.

Next, the group found itself a musical direction. I know not all of their songs will sound thusly, but "Taiki Bansei" set the bar for the group with an ardent, funky, horn-driven dance number. While the cute factor still crops up in songs like "Mahou Tsukai Sally", I think the days of trifling songs like "Shortcut" are in the past. That might be a loss, but it also means that the group will be considered seriously in the music arena.

Next came more changes! Founding member Fukuda Kanon left ANGERME and Hello! Project on November 29. Did you know that even though the group lost and gained members over the last six years, no S/mileage member ever held a graduation concert/ceremony? Kanon's graduation closely followed the induction of 4th generation member Kamikokuryo Moe. Most of HaroWota are expecting great things from the diminutive Moe - karaoke videos from her (defunct) Twitter account indicate the girl has vocal skills that will flourish with her idol duties. This is a great development considering the loss of Kanon and her steady yet under-appreciated vocals.

More changes still? 2nd generation member Tamura Meimi (she of the Dracula fangs) announced her graduation in December. This announcement really caught me off-guard. Equal parts lovable and crazy, Meimi looked poised to carry the group's sound after Kanon's graduation. We can probably look for one more release from ANGERME + Dracula before her May 30 graduation at Budokan.

With the loss of two strong singers, will ANGERME continue to develop? Naturally we don't know the answer to that question. HaroWota can only hope that 2015's advances will be followed with a continued effort by management to hone ANGERME into a marquee idol act. Look for Tamura Meimi's swan song early in 2016. After this next release we will see how much Hello! Project are committed to the ANGERME agenda.
C-uteFirstly, C-ute celebrated their 10th anniversary in 2015. That's 10 years with the same girls albeit with more than a few subtractions. These ten years saw the group rise up from "the girls who didn't make it into Berryz" to the most senior group in the Projects. How's that for a worst-to-first story? At this point the group has long passed the average length of service for an idol group, and we really should start talking about them in tones reserved for legends. Whether or not you choose to believe it, C-ute occupy a rarified place among idols.

This year C-ute really emerged as the class act of Hello! Project. C-ute's 2015 average sales per single continued to grow to 65,321 units. Their October 28 offering, "Arigatou Mugen no Yell / Arashi wo Okosunda Exciting Fight" currently sits at 73,018 units sold. This marks the first time an H!P Kids group passed the 70,000 barrier. It's also worth noting that the good feelings from their April 1st release "Gamusha LIFE" contends strongly for the most "feels-worthy" song of 2015.

In C-ute, we are witnessing a group at its absolute highest level, and that is an exciting feeling. Of course, there might be only one way for the girls to go from here, so we might want to prepare ourselves mentally for that possibility.

C-ute kept a steady stream of entertainment going throughout the year with Okai Chisato on television and Suzuki Airi in Ray Magazine. That might not be headline worthy, but the stability brought by these two assures the group won't fall from notice anytime soon. For my money, some of the best viewing of the year was courtesy of C-ute and their recording-process videos documented in the Music+ YouTube channel. I know not many people are entertained by these videos, but I was captivated with every new track.

As the crown of their achievements, Maimi, Saki, Airi, Chisato, and Mai headed to Mexico for their ¡Vamos a Mexico! concert on September 19. I'm really kicking myself for not going. Look, this is the first time a Hello! Project group made an appearance in Central America and is notably not New York, Los Angeles, or Paris. With just this one concert, Hello! Project show they are likely to play anywhere in the Western World.

Now, if only more photos of C-ute in Cancun would materialize into the hottest C-ute photo book ever (sorry I'll pick up those hormones in a minute...)
Country GirlscountrygirlslogoWhen Tsunku hinted at a Country Musume reboot early in 2014, I don't think anyone knew exactly what was in store for the unit. When Country Girls finally appeared fully formed like Athena from Zeus's throbbing forehead in November 2014, we still didn't know what to expect. And then early in 2015 it struck: Uta fever.

With Shimamura Uta, the group seemed on the verge of a bona fide phenomenon. Uta fever infected everyone: even the other Project girls were stricken! With an identity equally informed by Uta's saccharine appeal and throwback arrangements, the Country Girls debut "Itooshikutte Gomen Ne / Koi Douboru" sold an impressive 45,032 first week units, and HaroWota felt the Projects may lucked into another 50,000 selling group.

Of course, it wasn't to be.

Thankfully, the other girls managed to sell their charm points in the post-Uta reality. Yamaki Risa turned into the princess character with an artistic hand, Inaba Manaka's already reputable dance skills vaulted her to the top of the dance club, Morito Chisaki's cuteness came to the forefront, and Ozeki Mai's bold, genki character won hearts. And, as endearing as these characters became, they could not quite power the group in the same way - their second single, "Wakatteiru no ni Gomen ne / Tamerai Summer" came with a 33% drop-off in sales.

As we get started in 2016, we already see the positive effects of new members Yanagawa Nanami and Funaki Musubu. The true test will be the performance of the third Country Girls single "Boogie Woogie LOVE / Koi wa Magnet / Ranrarun ~Anata ni Muchuu~" slated for a March 9 release.
Juice=JuiceRemember when Juice=Juice looked like they were going to take over Hello! Project? Those were good days. It's not as though the Juicers sat on their hands the whole year though: they were actually very busy! But, they were busy doing the things that largely go unnoticed if you're looking from the outside in.

The group's ambitious "Live Mission 220", in which the group aims to perform 220 times in a year's time, doesn't mean very much to those of us sitting half a world away. By the end of it, Juice=Juice hope to earn a spot performing at the venerable Nippon Budokan.

Of course, a few headlines were generated from the Live Mission 220 tour. Chief among their accomplishments were Juice=Juice's first overseas performances in Taiwan and Hong Kong in October. These performances are an incredible vote of confidence from the H!P organization. Now the Juicers sit squarely with Morning Musume and C-ute in terms of overseas presence and performance. With just a pinch of luck, growth of the group will lead to further opportunity in faraway lands. So, let's all hope Juice=Juice gets a concert in Los Angeles so I can get Karin-freaky this year.

Sadly, Miyamoto Karin played a part in the Suzuki Kanon affair early in the year, which might be the year's biggest scandal. Thankfully, the whole event didn't seem to affect sales as the group's only single in 2015 "Wonderful World / Ça va? Ça va?" showed an upturn in sales with 34,127 units. The single also deserves distinction as the only Hello! Project single to hit number 1 without a Morning Musume member.

Juice=Juice also released their debut album "First Squeeze" in July 2015. An omnibus release, the album contained 29 tracks spread among 3 versions and spawned promotional videos for two additional songs: "CHOICE & CHANCE" and "Tsuzuiteiku STORY". Did I mention a 30 track Blu Ray PV collection and a 32 track Live DVD? Not that I want to sell you CDs, but "First Squeeze" is a beast of a release.

In 2016, Juice=Juice comes out swinging with a new single, "Next is you! / Karada Dake ga Otona ni Nattan ja nai" scheduled for a February 3 release and a drama titled "Budokan" scheduled for a February 6 debut on Fuji TV. The group filmed much of the drama's performance footage as the fictional idol group NEXT YOU late in 2015 in-between performances as Juice=Juice. The drama will follow the fictional/alter ego idol group as they strive to perform at the titular venue. You know, that plot sounds vaguely familiar.
Rank06Kobushi Factorykobushi-factory-logoYou know I really hate putting Kobushi Factory at the bottom of the yearly ratings. The more I see of the group, the more impressed I am. A strong case for "Song of the Year" could be made for Kobushi Factory's "Nen ni wa Nen". The song exploded the group onto the scene with its tight, cohesive dance and cocksure vocals.

Kobushi Factory began life as a surprise announcement at the January 2 H!P Winter Concert. The nameless group looked like a resurrection for leader Hirose Ayaka and Inoue Rei as they were scooped from the Nice Girl Kenshuusei system for inclusion. The group received its moniker on February 25 (courtesy of Shimizu Saki), and is meant to carry the legacy of Berryz Koubou both in name and spirit.

As such, Kobushi Factory stood out as a bright spot in the funerary Berryz Koubou Matsuri in late February, and their performance seemed to have everyone talking about their spark. The group was Hello! Project's only entry in this year's Tokyo Idol Festival, lending them even more credibility and increasing their fandom. Finally, Kobushi Factory enthusiastically delivered their September major debut single "Dosukoi! Kenkyo ni Daitan / Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san no Uta / Nen ni wa Nen (Nen Iri Ver.)".

The item that will be worth talking about from December, and really for the rest of the year, is Kobushi Factory's win as "Best New Artist" at the Japan Record Awards. No one can take that award away from them now. Now we need to see if the group will be infected with the sophomore slump: the group's second single, "Sakura Night Fever / Chotto Guchoku ni! Chototsu Moushin / Osu! Kobushi Tamashii" is set for release on February 17.

 
Well, that does it for 2015! What were your favorite moments? Do you disagree with my assessments? Let me know in the comments below, my personal twitter, or on the New School Kaidan Twitter. Happy New Year, everyone. See you all in Houston!

Yoshi’s Monthly Highlights: June 2016

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Had a couple of slow months in terms of quality releases for me so here are the highlights for June and a couple notable releases from March through May!

[download]

Super☆GiRLS – Kareinaru V!CTORY
March 9th, 2016

LinQ – Supreme
March 23rd, 2016

X21 – Yakusoku no Oka
March 30th, 2016

BABYMETAL – KARATE
March 29th/April 1st, 2016

Up Up Girls (Kari) – Party People Alien/Seven☆Peace
April 5th, 2016

Hiiragi Rio – BANZAI! BANZAI!
April 6th, 2016

Takoyaki Rainbow – Nanairo Dance
April 13th, 2016

LADYBABY – C’est si bon Kibun
April 14th, 2016

ANGERME – Tsugitsugi Zokuzoku
April 27th, 2016

Wa-suta – Ultramiraclecle Final Ultimate Choco Beam
May 4th, 2016

Morning Musume. ’16 – Utakata Saturday Night!
May 11th, 2016

Pimm’s – Gekiyavacation

Cheeky Parade – WE ARE THE GREATEST NINE9′
June 1st, 2016

Tsubasa Fly – END OF THE DAY
June 7th, 2016

Minus Shikou – N.G.T.V.mind
June 11th, 2016

Zettai Chokkyuu Joshi! Playballs – Naiyademo Gaiyademoii Kyuujoue Tsureteittene
June 22nd, 2016

Hello! Project Power Rankings July 2016

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Morning Musume July 2016
Hello everybody, guest contributor TheNumber244 here to bring you up to date with the new month of Hello! Project rankings. I know this edition appears a bit late, owing mainly to my four-day lockdown at Anime Expo early in the month. But, enough with my silly excuses! The early goings of June were dominated by an outpour of emotion for the graduations of Tamura Meimi on May 30th and Suzuki Kanon on May 31st. That’s a lot to take in for a fandom that held both girls in high esteem since their induction into the Projects in 2011. How did the rest of the Projects deal in June? Well, let’s find out together!

And now,
Rankings come on!

mm16ss

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Morning Musume ’16
Previous Rank: 3
Change: (even)

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Morning Musume ’16 ride high on the rankings for another month. Some of their ascension can be attributed to the lingering hangover of their latest release ” Utakata Saturday Night / The Vision / Tokyo to Iu Katasumi“. Toss in a few television performances, a photobook release, and the graduation of a senior member, and Morning Musume ’16 ended up on the lips of all HaroWota for the last month.

To begin things, 11th generation member Oda Sakura released her debut photobook “Sakura Moyou” right at the start of the month. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t spend much ink on the release of a photobook. But, “Sakura Moyou” holds special significance in that Oda Sakura is the first member of the newer generations (read: “younger” than Kudo Haruka) to contribute to the group in this manner. As for the content, well you’ve all probably seen Alo Hello! 7, right?

The big news for the group in July was the graduation of 9th Generation member Suzuki Kanon. After losing their ace member Sayashi Riho less than six months ago, the loss of another senior member contains potential to rock the group’s foundation. Outwardly, Zukki provided solid vocal and somewhat underrated performance for years. Within the group, Suzuki provided emotional stability and a friendly face to the newer generations. Morning Musume’s younger generations need to find a way to keep the vocal performance stable and re-unify the girls’s purpose to keep the group on top of the idol game.

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Kobushi Factory
Last Rank: 5
Change: (+3)

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Kobushi Factory shoot up ladder to the number two spot this month. Most visibly, the Factory girls made a number of appearances on the visual side of the idol world. Pink Kobushi Hamaura Ayano released her first photobook “Hamaura Ayano” early in the month. Not to be outdone, Inoue Rei appeared solo in the June issue of UTB+. But the big damage from Kobushi Factory came from the promotional cycle for their upcoming July 27 release, “Samba! Kobushi Janeiro / Bacchikoi Seishun! / Ora wa Ninkimono”. The group made about 20 stops across Japan in split-squad groups with more to come in July. With a samba-themed song just in time for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics and a baseball-themed song timed for mid-season baseball, Kobushi Factory seem to have summer all tied up with all but a beach-themed song. With less than a month until release day, expect the rest of the promotional videos to roll out at a quick pace.

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C-ute
Previous Rank: 2
Change: (-1)

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The girls of C-ute get knocked down a peg this month to the number three position. C-ute maintained their usual mix of recurring appearances with Suzuki Airi in RAY magazine, Nakajima Saki in “P★LEAGUE Bowling”, and Okai Chisato appearing in various variety programs, etc. June brought a few festival announcements for the girls of C-ute. First, C-ute perform a set at the OTODAMA SEA STUDIO on August 3. Next, C-ute made a date with the ROCK in JAPAN Festival on August 14 at the Park Stage. Lastly, C-ute confirmed an appearance at the Buono! Festa 2016 on August 25. That’s quite a bit of anticipation for the group! As a kicker for June, C-ute finished their “℃-ute Concert Tour 2016 Haru ~℃ONCERTO~” at Nippon Budokan on the 20th with Tsubaki Factory performing a special opening set.

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ANGERME (tie)
Previous Rank: 1
Change: (-4)

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The next two groups took decidedly different paths to the fifth spot in the Power Rankings. ANGERME seemed to maintain their profile through a series of visual media appearances. Fan favorite Murota Mizuki announced the release of both her ~Greeting~ Blu-Ray and its supplemental mini photobook. Mizuki gets a bit of a reputation as a fan-service oriented member, so some of you may want to keep your eyes on her. Newest member Kamikokuryo Moe joined the photo parade with an appearance in UTB+ magazine, and senior members Wada Ayaka and Katsuta Rina contributed an appearance in TOP YELL. And, don’t forget about Sasaki Rikako’s monthly appearance in SEVENTEEN Magazine.

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Rank05
Country Girls (tie)
Previous Rank: 4
Change: (-1)

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The Country Girls stayed out of the cellar with the remainder of their “Country Girls Live Tour 2016 Haru Natsu” dates in June. The girls busied themselves with the remaining 16 performances of the Inaba Manaka-less tour. Notably, Morito Chisaki fell onstage with dizziness during their penultimate performance at Fukushima leading many to start whispering about the “Country Musume curse” again. While I can’t comment one way or the other regarding such supernatural matters, I can only lament that maybe Manaka loss put the Country Girls in “park”. Like Kobushi Factory, Country Girls should have announced a new single by this date (factoring their last release). The Country Girls performed two new songs on this latest tour, but no news of a single from their lips. As we wait for more news, expect the Country Girls to sink even further in the rankings. But, there is a bright spot: Country Girls will make an appearance at “Buono! Festa 2016” on August 25!

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Juice=Juice
Previous Rank: 6
Change: (even)

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Juice=Juice round things out for the Hello! Project Power Rankings with their second consecutive month in the basement. For most of June, the Juice girls found themselves on the road for the third phase of their Code 220 tour. In all, June looked to be a bit of calm before a storm of new activity. The release of the “Budokan” drama Blu-Ray disc set was announced for July 6; and, Uemura Akarai’s second photobook, “Akari II” is slated for July 25. Pretty soon things will really gear up for the Juicers with a new single impending, the fourth and final phase of Code 220, and their solo date at Budokan all slated for later in the year. But, this month? Right.

Like always, you’re free to disagree. In fact, please disagree! That’ll give us something to talk about! You can give me an earful in the comments below, my personal twitter, or the New School Kaidan Twitter. Don’t forget to visit my blog at TheNumber244 where I took a closer look at iDOL Street Carnival 2016 and the rebirth of the Avex idol campaign. Until next time!

Hello! Project Power Rankings August 2016

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Kobushi Factory 200160806
Hello everybody, guest contributor TheNumber244 here to bring you up to date with the new month of Hello! Project rankings. This month in Hello! Project saw a new addition, a future foursome, and a TV Summer Spectacular. In addition, July saw nine performances of the Hello! Project 2016 Summer Tour- “Sunshine Parade” and “Rainbow Carnival”. Throw a new release on top of the mix, and it’s a wonder who will fall on top of the heap! Well, I did some of that work for you, so ease your seat back and get ready for the August Hello! Project Power Rankings!

And now,
Rankings come on!


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Kobushi Factory
Last Rank: 2
Change: (+1)

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Kobushi Factory complete their ascent up the Hello! Project ladder and grab the top rung in August 2016. To start with, the group’s third single, “Samba! Kobushi Janeiro / Bacchikoi Seishun! / Ora wa Ninkimono” unleashed the samba beats to Japan on July 27. Kobushi Factory’s third release opened the week with a record 29,709 units, although the single only managed a number three ranking. Even though the weekly results for “Samba! Kobushi Janeiro ….” are strictly the province of next month’s Power Rankings, you should expect that the record opening and third place ranking presages the eventual outcome of the single. And just in time for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, right? Did they plan that?

Of course, the new release comes with a flurry of activity that pushed Kobushi over the top in August. To focus in on a couple of things, look at Kobushi Factory’s feature in Seventeen Magazine. Hirose Ayaka and the rest of her crew received a great styling job that really transformed some of the members to bring out their beauty. No, it’s not a flashy spread. There isn’t anything in the way of gravure, but damn the Factory Girls look great!

This is also the appropriate time to mention Hamaura Ayano’s appearance in Weekly Shounen Sunday. Along with Juice=Juice’s Miyamoto Karin, Morning Musume ’16’s Makino Maria, and Country Girls’ Morito Chisaki, Weekly Shounen Sunday gave us another glimpse into a future of Hello! Project that is rapidly becoming the present. With just a bit of debate, these four girls seem to be the ones charged with carrying Hello! Project into the future. I do not have much quarrel with these choices: all the girls selected seem to have broad appeal, better than average performance skills, and a great relationship with their fan base. Hamachan (the Colonel) definitely belongs in any group that touts itself as the future of the Projects.

Finally, the ~Greeting~ Blu-ray series continued with a joint video release featuring Inoue Rei and Hirose Ayaka. This bit of news probably would not normally make headlines, but this is the second time H!P released a joint ~Greeting~ video. I am not sure exactly what this means, but I do know that ReiRei is one of the more popular girls, visually speaking. Perhaps the influx of new girls has finally flooded the release calendar. In any case, look for the continued release of ~Greeting~ video releases and the eventual outcome of Kobushi Factory’s “Samba! Kobushi Janeiro / Bacchikoi Seishun! / Ora wa Ninkimono” on next month’s Power Rankings.


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ANGERME (tie)
Previous Rank: 5
Change: (+3)

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Second place this month belongs to Wada Ayaka and the girls of ANGERME. The big news first: Kasahara Momona became the sole member of the fifth generation of the surging Hello! Project group. It really seems like H!P is hell bent on keeping ANGERME at nine girls, doesn’t it? A few stats on Kasahara- she is a twelve-year old girl from Kanagawa. Her birthday is October 22, 2003 and her blood type is type-A. Kassa, as her admired senpai Aikawa Maho nicknamed her, belongs to the 24th generation of H!P Kenshuusei and began her life in the Projects on April 1, 2015. What is the connection between AiAi and Kassa? They both take ballet!

The biggest performance of the month came July 18th, when ANGERME and H!P’s other two senior groups (C-ute and Morning Musume ’16) received an invitation to perform on Fuji TV’s FNS Summer Festival of Song. Perhaps owing to the new member in their midst, ANGERME did not seem to get as much screen time as the other two H!P groups. Unlike Morning Musume and C-ute, Angerme did not get an invitation to the afternoon’s idol medley at the pool. Nevertheless, their performance of “Taiki Bansei” in the evening definitely sparkled! New member Momona definitely fit right in with the group; I expect big things from this girl in the future!

mm16ss

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Morning Musume ’16
Previous Rank: 1
Change: (-2)

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Morning Musume ’16 seemed all over the place this July, and I mean that in a good way. Firstly, Kudo Haruka released her fifth solo image Blu-ray “Haruka -Haruka-” early in the month. Keeping with the theme, Ishida Ayumi also released her “It’s a Beautiful Day” Blu-ray on July 27. A pair of video releases in the same month from the same group strikes me as a relative rarity in the idol world (I do not have much more editorializing that that really). Also in the visual realm, Makino Maria appeared in “Weekly Shounen Sunday” as noted above, which probably put an even bigger target on her back. Finally, Morning Musume ’16 notably appeared in Fuji TV’s Summer Festival of Song with the “who’s who” of the idol world. The group appeared twice during the festival with a performance of “Happy Summer Wedding” at the idol pool and a performance of “Nagisa no Sinbad” during the Idol Summer Song Cover Medley later in the night. While this diversity of activity keeps the group fresh, it definitely was not enough to elevate Morning Musume ’16 past the two groups above them in the list.


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Juice=Juice
Previous Rank: 6
Change: (+2)

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Juice=Juice are back on the rise with some great news from July. Firstly, the Juicer’s eighth single, “Dream Road ~Kokoro ga Odoridashiteru~ / KEEP ON Joshou Shikou!! / Ashita Yarou wa Bakayarou” finally gets a release date on September 7. The new single’s production credits are loaded with all-stars from Tsunku, to Hyadain, to DANCE MAN. Hell, even Fukuda Kanon gets in on the action by penning the lyrics to the third a-side, “You’re an Idiot If You Leave Something Until Tomorrow” (which sounds just like Kanon). Melon-flavored Uemura Akari released her second photobook, “Akari II” Late in July with a companion image Blu-Ray, “Take it Early” to be released in August. Not to be (too) outdone, Miyamoto Karin appeared in that H!P loaded Weekly Shounen Sunday with MM16 Maria, CG Chisaki, and KF Ayano. Finally, there will be a time when I stop mentioning “LIVE MISSION 220” with Juice=Juice. This isn’t that month, though. Juice=Juice kept it going with “Code 3” and “Last Code” performances during the month. With a single release in September and a Budokan solo live in November, Juice=Juice may have the rest of 2016 all lined up. We will see if there are any more surprise announcements.


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Rank05

C-ute
Previous Rank: 3
Change: (-2)

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C-ute did not do much to make waves this mid-summer month. Not that July was completely devoid of news for the senior Hello! Project group. Yajima Maimi at the rest of the girls appeared on the Fuji TV summer festival along with Morning Musume ’16 and Angerme, as has been noted above already. Speaking of Maimi, the leader announced a new solo photobook and Blu-ray release for later in the year. This is notable because Maimi is a woman. But for my money, the news that drove the month was the successful surgery on Okai Chisato’s vocal cords. The operation was deemed a success, and Chisato appeared on the Fuji TV FNS Summer Festival of Song with barely a week of recovery time. Speaking of the FNS Fest, C-ute treated us to two performances: “Naze Hito wa Arasoun Darou” and 2011’s “Momoiro Sparkling”. For my money, the best moment of the fest was NMB48’s Yamamoto Sayaka’s seriously wota-fied face as she cheered for Suzuki Airi. I am serious; it’s dead classic.


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Rank06
Country Girls
Previous Rank: 5
Change: (-1)

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Country Girls remain in idle for another consecutive month. With their feet off the gas, Tsugunaga Momoko’s Girls descend to the depths of the projects. As of my writing, we know major news about Inaba Manaka broke; the ailing Manaka chose to graduate from the group. Manaka’s decision won’t be felt until next month’s rankings as per the rules of this little game. Country Girls, who began their resurrection with full momentum definitely slowed down with Inaba’s hiatus. Unable to announce a new single and unable to promote a new single with Manaka’s status in limbo, I think we can all understand what happened here. Still, a bright spot for Country Girls and all of Hello! Project is about to go dim; we are not better for that.


Like always, you are free to disagree. In fact, please disagree! That will give us something to talk about! You can give me an earful in the comments below, my personal twitter, or the New School Kaidan Twitter. Don’t forget to visit my blog at TheNumber244. Until next time!

Hello! Project Power Rankings September 2016

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H!P Power Ranking 201608

Hello everybody, guest contributor TheNumber244 here to bring you up to date with the new month of Hello! Project Power Rankings.

In Hello! Project news that doesn’t fit in these rankings, Tsubaki Factory gained three new members! The other Factory Girls picked up H!P Kenshuusei Ono Mizuho, Onoda Saori, and Akiyama Mao. These girls are some real jewels in the KSS system. Onoda Saori is an experienced idol having been a part of the local Shizuoka idol group Princess♪Ribbon and is also the voice of one of the main characters in Kopinks COSMOS. Akiyama Mao, meanwhile, is a noted skillful dancer whose KSS rival is/was … Ono Mizuho! Read more about the new members at my blog. Look for this group to accelerate forward in the coming months.

The other monumental event in August took place at Nippon Budokan. After about four years, the super group of the Hello! Project Kids reunited on their biggest stage. Along for the ride were Tsugunaga Momoko’s Country Girls and Suzuki Airi’s C-ute. Natsuyaki Miyabi probably had the biggest day, though. Not only did the August 25 event take place on Miya’s birthday, but the “New Natsuyaki Miyabi Group” finally received it’s name: Pink Cres. (that’s short for Pink Crescendo). Crescendo is a music term that directs musicians to gradually increase volume, which is the hopeful trajectory for this new group with new girls Nihei Yuuka and Kobayashi Hikaru. Best of luck girls!

Take the good with the bad, though. August saw a major announcement in the world of Hello! Project that flavored Buono! Fest with a bit of the bittersweet. We will get to that news shortly, but before we do, let’s look at Tsunku’s Aflac commercial.

And now,
Rankings come on!




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C-ute
Last Rank: 5
Change: (+4)



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I cannot stress the enormity of the August’s big news enough.

C-ute is disbanding.

After more than ten years and a career that saw Yajima Maimi, Nakajima Saki, Suzuki Airi, Okai Chisato, and Hagiwara Mai (along with Murakami Megumi, Arihara Kanna, and Umeda Erika) start as a footnote in the Berryz Koubou Wikipedia page and finish up as the queens of Hello! Project, C-ute will hang up their microphones after a date with Saitama Super Arena in June 2017. The news shocked the idol world since C-ute’s long standing and well-noted abilities make them an admired senior group to almost the entire idol community. In their statements, C-ute intimated that a few options for the continuation of the group beyond Hello! Project existed. But, the group wanted “C-ute” to always remain a thing of Hello! Project.

Let me decipher that: C-ute would rather break up than no longer be a part of Hello! Project. That’s hardcore!

The end of C-ute made the Buono! Festa particularly poignant. The biggest Hello! Project concert in August seemed like a mix of goodbyes (C-ute), hellos (Pink Cres), and wassups (Country Girls). Of course, it’s pretty unlikely that anyone in attendance for Buono! would be unfamiliar with C-ute, but the August 25 event was the largest event for C-ute in the month.

In revealing news of a different nature, Yajima Maimi’s 11th photobook, “Hitori no Kisetsu” hit the racks on the 27th of August. The girl has released a photobook every year since 2007, but I don’t think anyone is tired of seeing her. As a bit of news to brighten up the corners, I’m happy to say that Maimi is still very fit. You can check out the previews on my blog if you don’t believe me.




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Country Girls
Last Rank: 6
Change: (+4)



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Well, the news doesn’t actually get any better. On August 4, Inaba Manaka dropped a bombshell by informing us that she was graduating Country Girls effective immediately. The dance leader of Hello! Project just could not sustain her health for any length of time in the Tokyo air. I feel a real sense of sadness when I think that Manakan probably chose to graduate for fear of holding back her group. With Shimamura Uta and Inaba Manaka both gone, it seems that new members Yanagawa Nanami and Funaki Musubu really are taking up the torch for Tsugunaga Momoko’s Country Girls. And, as it was in the beginning, Country Girls are now a group of six.

Perhaps not coincidentally, the fourth single from Country Girls was announced a mere two weeks after Manaka’s departure. “Dou Datte Ii no / Namida no Request” will hit shelves on September 28. “Dou Datte Ii no” is a Nakajima Takui penned number filled with more 50s rocking swing, and “Namida no Request” covers a 1984 release from The Checkers. Down a couple of members, let’s hope Country Girls keep their enthusiasm and spirits up for this new release. Of course, seeing how the group operates, I am filled with optimism still.




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Kobushi Factory
Last Rank: 1
Change: (-2)



Kobushi Factory
Kobushi Factory promoting “Bacchikoi Seishun!”

All told, there really isn’t much to write about with Kobushi Factory this month. However, the one piece of news is pretty substantial. Kobushi Factory’s third single, “Samba! Kobushi Janeiro / Bacchikoi Seishun! / Ora wa Ninkimono”, became the group’s best selling single to date with 39,662 units sold during its first week. Even though that number are a personal best, it was only good enough to garnish the group a third place finish in the Weekly Oricon chart.

In further news, Inoue Rei (along with Morning Musume ’16’s Makino Maria) became models for the magazine LOVEberry. I suppose Reirei was getting pretty bored after her graduation from OhaSuta?

As the one year anniversary of the group’s debut approaches, a bit of reflection is not undue. Even though Kobushi Factory fast-tracked its way to a major debut, they do not seem any worse for wear. The group’s original members are all intact, and no one has uttered the words “2nd generation” yet. Even better, the group still seems to be on an upward trajectory. Not bad for a group of girls who were languishing in Hello! Project’s Kenshuusei system less than two years ago.




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Morning Musume. ’16
Last Rank: 3
Change: (-1)



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The Mizukingdom continues to court the overseas market with its activity in August. With a date in Taiwan announced late in July, Morning Musume ’16 sent leader Fukumura Mizuki, 10th gen member Kudo Haruka, and 12th gen member Ogata Haruna to Taipei mid-August to drum up enthusiasm. The three of them seem to have had a great time. My money’s on Ogata Haruna for the biggest winner on this event becuase of her hilarious boba milk tea photos. She loves that stuff!

August was also a big month for 12th gen member Makino Maria. The former H!P kenshuusei released her first photobook on August 6 titled “Maria”. While there’s not really much to say about the release other than “it happened”, I think we can safely predict Maria will probably become the photobook machine of the group after the graduations of previous PB monsters Michishige Sayumi and Sayashi Riho. Couple this photobook with Maria’s new modeling gig with LOVEberry (mentioned above), and you got yourself a Maria kind of month!

Oh, and they can just announce Morning Musume ’16’s next single anytime now. Do you hear me, Up Front? ANY TIME NOW!




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Rank05

Juice=Juice
Last Rank: 4
Change: (-1)



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Not much in the way of activity for Juice=Juice this month. Like always (for the last year), the Juicers “keep on” with their Live Mission 220 tour. Perhaps more significantly, the group’s 8th major single, “Dream Road ~Kokoro ga Odoridashiteru~ / KEEP ON Joshou Shikou!! / Ashita Yarou wa Bakayarou” had its release date pushed back to October 26. Some details about the single? “Dream Road ~Kokoro ga Odoridashiteru” is a Tsunku composition, “KEEP ON Joshou Shikou!!” is a Hyadain composition with arrangement from DANCE☆MAN and instrumentation from THE BANDMAN. “Aishita Yarou wa Bakayarou” returns a familiar face to Hello! Project with Fukuda Kanon penning the lyrics to an Itagaki Yusuke composition. Meanwhile, Miyamoto Karin unleashed a preview of her pages in “Weekly Famitsu”, and she looks great. Not to be outdone in the looks department, Uemura Akari released her solo DVD/BluRay “Take it Easy” mid-August. Akari is really taking the visual lead in the new Hello! Project, isn’t she?

As the release date approaches, look for the promotional videos for Juice=Juice’s 8th single. As always, remember that J does in fact equal J.




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ANGERME
Last Rank: 2
Change: (-4)



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To tell the truth, there wasn’t much news for Angerme in the month. Perhaps the group has their hands full breaking in new member Kasahara Momona, or maybe they were in the basement cooking up new tracks. Either way, there isn’t much to report. What I can do for you is point you to these videos of the group performing “Tsugitsugi Zokuzoku” and Taiki Bansei” with a live band accompaniment that were recorded for Full Chorus late in August. I wish we could get more of these; ANGERME clearly shows why they quickly becoming the tops of Hello! Project, even if they are in the basement for this month.

Like always, you are free to disagree. In fact, please disagree! That will give us something to talk about! You can give me an earful in the comments below, my personal twitter, or the New School Kaidan Twitter. Don’t forget to visit my blog at TheNumber244 where I go HEAD OVER HEELS for Tokyo Performance Doll’s Jonishi Seira. Until next time!

New PV Alert: ANGERME – The Human Evolution of Love, the Human Degeneration of Love

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Angerme presents the lead promotional video from their 22nd single release. Wada Ayaka and co. sing a lyrically odd meditation on the paradoxical lack of love in the 21st century given the technological advancements of the age. If you wanted newbie Kasahara Momona, you’ve got her delivering the track’s lead lines and playing an integral part in the choreography. I especially like the mime of placing Kassa’s heart into her lifeless being. “Umaku Ienai / Ai no Tame Kyou Made Shinkashite Kita Ningen, Ai no Tame Subete Taikashita Ningen / Wasurete Ageru” is set for release on October 19, 2016.

Buy Juice=Juice’s “Dream Road ~Kokoro ga Odoridashiteru~ / KEEP ON Joshou Shikou!! / Ashita Yarou wa Bakayarou”!

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ANGERME Official Links
Web Site | Blog 1 2 3 | Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | iTunes

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New PV Alert: Angerme – I Can’t Describe It

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Fresh off the press, Angerme present “I Can’t Describe It”: their latest earworm of a song. Ashes to ashes, funk to funky “Umaku Ienai” will stick in your head with its slap-and-pop bass line and a chorus that’s as hooky as Ferris Bueller taking the day off. Along the way, Wada Ayaka and company draw up a few blueprints, saw a few metal conduits in half, and eventually spray water from a firehose like it’s a Brooklyn summer. None of that really matters because the girls look great, the song sounds great, and you’ll be chanting “Umaku Ienai” in your sleep tonight. “Umaku Ienai / Ai no Tame Kyou Made Shinkashite Kita Ningen, Ai no Tame Subete Taikashita Ningen / Wasurete Ageru” is set for release on October 19, 2016.

Buy ANGERME’s “Umaku Ienai / Ai no Tame Kyou Made Shinkashite Kita Ningen, Ai no Tame Subete Taikashita Ningen / Wasurete Ageru”!


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ANGERME Official Links
Web Site | Blog 1 2 3 | Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | iTunes

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NSK’s PV Power Hour 10/01/2016

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New PV Alert: Angerme – I’ll Forget Everything for You

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With “Wasurete Ageru”, Angerme have played their full hand for their 22nd single release. In many ways, the song feels like a bit of a flashback to Hello! Project history with its strong string accompaniment and mishmash of sounds (sitar anyone?). Visually, the girls deliver the emotional lyrics through mirrors strewn on a carpeted floor and a dance shot in a room that looks eerily like my apartment during my college days. The neatly ordered dance set contrasts with the haphazardly decorated floor scenes to presumably symbolize a pristine countenance that hides an emotional being filled with disorder. “Umaku Ienai / Ai no Tame Kyou Made Shinkashite Kita Ningen, Ai no Tame Subete Taikashita Ningen / Wasurete Ageru” is set for release on October 19, 2016.

Buy ANGERME’s “Umaku Ienai / Ai no Tame Kyou Made Shinkashite Kita Ningen, Ai no Tame Subete Taikashita Ningen / Wasurete Ageru”!


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NSK’s PV Power Hour 10/08/2016

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Angerme – Ai no Tame Kyou made Shinkashite Kita Ningen, Ai no Tame Subete Taikashita Ningen / Umaku Ienai / Wasurete Ageru (NEW SINGLE)

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