Here it is: Part II of the Eurovision 2019 series. This time, we will focus on the songs and contestants from three countries: Belarus, Cyprus, Finland.
If you haven’t check it out already, please check out Part I of the series to check out the songs from the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Montenegro.
check out the songs by clicking here
Happy Sunday everyone! I just want to let you guys know that I saw Sato Meiko at a mini-live last week. I wrote a semi-detailed report on it on the Japanese pop site Arama! Japan.
Here is an except:
These are the wishes made by Sato Mieko, a singer-songwriter who recently promoted her newly released Triple A-side “Mou Chotto / Kimi wa Mahoutsukai / Kaze ni Natta Anata e” at a free mini-live in front of Nagoya’s Parco on January 7th.
Sato is no stranger to the Nagoya music scene. She originally started her music career as a singer-songwriter under the pen name “Fuuka Koyoi”, releasing only one single in 2007. She then went on to join the mega-idol group SKE48 in 2008 as a member of Team S. There, she regularly performed with her fellow members on the local SKE48 stage or on stages in front of thousands around the country.
She left SKE48 in 2015 to continue her dream of being a singer-songwriter. The musician went on to release a single in 2015 named “YOUR COLOR” and an album named “Yakusoku” in 2016 under an indies label. She recently released another single, her first triple-A single, on December 21, 2016. However, because of the holiday season, she couldn’t promote until January 7 when she appeared at Parco in Nagoya’s Sakae shopping district.
You can read more at: http://aramajapan.com/news/saito-mieko-promotes-her-triple-a-side-single-with-abundant-zeal/69145/
😀
It seems that this weekend is Up-Front Group Weekend! I talked about Morning Musume’s first English song on Friday. Then I saw Ciao Bella Cinquetti yesterday, performing a mini-live at a mall in central Nagoya. And now I am going to talk about a former Hello! Project member, ayumi shibata.
This sweet-sounding singer got her start in 1999 after passing the 2nd Morning Musume and Michiyo Heike Little Sister Audition with three other girls: Hitomi Saito, Megumi Murata, and Masae Ohtani. These four then-teenagers formed the group Melon Kinenbi and released their debut single and one of my favorite songs, “Amai Anata no Aji”, in the winter of 2000. While releasing material with the group and going on various concert tours, ayumi also participated in various project in Hello! Project like 11WATER, Tanpopo, Elegies, and others.
However, she left Up-Front Group for another agency, Trick Function, a month after Melon Kinenbi broke up in 2010. She changed agencies in order to start a solo career with a clean slate. She performed her first self-penned song, “YOU&I”, during a small event held in Tokyo a few months later. ayumi wouldn’t release a physical debut single until a year later when “believe” was released.
“Babyrock” is the newest digital single released by this artist under the label SMC Entertainment. It is described as a pop-rock tune with a lot of girly rock flavor packed inside. You could say that this song is more upbeat than a Kana Nishino song while slower than one from Ai Otsuka. But what makes “Babyrock” different from other girly pop-rock songs is that this piece is very upbeat, has a summer-like flavor, and always presents a positive feeling. The nature of the song makes you want to stand up and bounce to the beat during the chorus as it’s so refreshing and makes you feel totally happiness.
As the blog Selective Hearing mentioned in their review, “Babyrock” is actually similar to the pop-rock music that Melon Kinenbi was doing at the end of the group’s career. So if you were fan of that side of Melon Kinenbi, you would most definitely love “Babyrock”. Plus, it really suits ayumi’s vocal skills. Although her vocals are not the best and can be too nasal sometimes, they mesh pretty well with the instrumental. ayumi wasn’t my favorite Melon Kinenbi member (That honors goes to Masae Ohtani, who had amusing song names) but she is pretty decent and got some decent material for a solo career.
During late July and August, ayumi went around to various malls, radio stations, and venues to promote her new single. One of the places she visited was Kanayama Asunal, which was holding a tenth anniversary special live for a weekly @FM radio program on August 6th. She was one of three guests who appeared at the live event along with the mall’s own idol group Juliet and an acoustic version of T.M. Revolution, Bokota.
I was able to find a seat in the bench section that was located in front of the stage thirty minutes before the live’s start time. It was very hot during that time and I really didn’t want to stand up for the entire time. During the long wait, Juliet came on to do a mic check and to practice their songs.
Then the live event started promptly at 6:30 pm. The event was formatted like a radio program where the artists would perform a couple songs while getting interviewed by the show’s hosts in between. The first group up was Juliet, whom I didn’t bother to pay any attention to because they were not my cup of tea. Their vocal skills were weak and I felt like they had bad makeup and/or fashion. They looked like unflattering Barbies. This group didn’t really appeal to me when I watched them perform.
Thirty minutes after the show started, Juliet exited the stage while the show’s hosts then introduced the one person I came to see. This singer started off her mini-live by singing a fast-paced song. ayumi sang about four songs in total during her time on stage. I don’t know exactly what were the songs but I suspect that the majority of what she sang came from her single “Hito Kakera no Kiseki”. I just remember that she sang a beautiful ballad that almost brought me to tears as it was so touching. She closed the program by singing “Babyrock” which she rallied up the audience to clap along.
After she finished, I decided that I wasn’t going to stick around for Bokota as I was too hungry to stay. I went to Chieco Kawabe’s Hawaiian-themed pancake shop “88 Huit Huit”. While Chieco is my favorite Sailor Mercury ever (besides Ayako Morino), the restaurant has tasty food and great drinks.
If you are into the likes of Carly Rae Jepsen, Kana Nishino, Ai Otsuka, or other pop-rock female artists, then you should absolutely out “Babyrock” below with no hesitant. It’s an upbeat song that leave you with a good feeling inside and outside.
One of my dreams came true this summer when I was given a chance to meet a Hello! Project (or H!P for short) group. I been a Hello! Project fan for about eleven years now and I haven’t stop loving them as old members leave and new ones come in. I was also able to meet one of my favorite H!P members, Kanon Fukuda. Yes, I was able to meet ANGERME!!! 😀
ANGERME originally started off in 2009 under the name S/mileage with four members who were picked from the Hello! Project trainee program. Hello! Project is an umbrella group that represents very popular Japanese groups and acts like Morning Musume, Berryz Kobo, Aya Matsuura, Maki Goto, and others. Having a chance to debut in a group that is associated with Hello! Project is a tremendous honor as the groups under Hello! Project are considered top idols across Japan. In the past, new members for these groups have been picked through random auditions. However, producers and managers have been forming groups lately with members in the trainee program as these girls have been taught the ways of Hello! Project.
With a group name that blends together the words “smile” and “age”, S/mileage made their indies debut with the single “aMa no Jaku”. They released three more indie singles, including one of my favorites “Otona ni Narutte Muzukashii!!!”, before the infamous Hello! Project producer Tsunku announced that the girls would make a major debut if they completed a mission, collecting 10,000 photos of people smiling. The girls were able to complete their mission and released their debut single “Yume Miru Fifteen” on May 26. “Yume Miru Fifteen” was an instant success and fan favorite as it reached #5 on the daily Oricon charts. I even loved it as it’s strong, cute, and some different from the other groups.
Over the years, S/mileage added more members as two graduated from the group. In 2015, the group changed their named to ANGERME, a combination of two French words that meant “angel” and “tears”. Sorry guys, it doesn’t mean the group is angry at all. The group also changed their image; going from a girly cute sound with everyday teenage thoughts to a much mature one with hard truth lyrics.
I was very grateful to go this event thanks to my friend Petit Melon who told me about this event. And, I was also grateful for a couple of people in the Hello! Project fandom who bought singles through me so I could use their tickets for the handshake event. Meeting any member of Hello! Project is a dream come true because I loooooooooooooove Hello! Project. Yes, I’m a die-hard fan.
After I left early from the HR mini-live event, I caught a bus from Nagoya Station to a mall that is next to a regional airport outside the city. It took about thirty minutes to get there. But as soon as the bus reached the mall’s bus stop, I got off the bus and raced to the event space which was on the third floor. While on the way up, I bumped into the crew of the Solar Impulse 2 plane, who were grounded for a while in Nagoya due to weather problems.
I reached the event space and quickly bought the tickets and obtained the handshake tickets. I then went to the side as the staff were lining up people based on their ticket numbers. It took a while, but I got a spot in the middle section and next to a good-looking male fan who I was trying miserably to make small talk with him. I was shy as well as I didn’t know what to really talk about besides “Who is your favorite member?”. I missed my chance in having a boyfriend. 😦
The set list was:
1. Gashin Shoutan (臥薪嘗胆)
Introductions MC
2. Mahoutsukai Sally (魔法使いサリー )
3. Please Miniskirt Postwoman! (プリーズ ミニスカ ポストウーマン！)
4. Taiki Bansei (大器晩成)
Announcement MC
5. Nanakorobi Yaoki (七転び八起き)
Overall, it was a pretty good mini-live. I was really excited when they sang “Please Miniskirt Postwoman!”, “Taiki Bansei”, and ‘Nanakorobi Yaoki” as they are pretty awesome. So awesome that I joined the fans as I sang, danced, jumped up and down, and did other crazy (but appropriate) things. I had a blast!
As soon as the mini-live finished, the girls thanked everyone for coming and exited the stage as the staff prepared for the handshake event. There wasn’t much preparation; just put a couple of tables on the stage and make a line at the beginning of the event space. It didn’t take a long time until the girls came out and the line was moving.
I went through the handshake line four times, each time lasting barely a minute. I barely had a second with each girl as the staff hurried me along. General handshake events for Hello! Project are usually fast-paced as there is a lot of people to get through the line. The first time I went through the line. it was a mad rush to say a message to each girl like “Congratulations” to Kanon or “I Love You” to Meimi. My nerves and pacing got better gradually as I became relaxed by the fourth time. The members were starting to be more open as a lot of the members, especially the third generation, tried to speak English.
This event was one of the highlights of this year because I loooooooooooove ANGERME. I love Kanon (the Kago Ai look-a-like), Rikako, and Meimi. And, I love their music; both Smileage’s and ANGERME’s. It is so great, just listen to “Nanakorobi Yaoki” below. A haunting but uplifting song that talks about never giving up even if you fail many times.
And if you like that, check out ANGERME’s discography!
Ah, summer!
What comes to mind when you think of this fabulous season? Is it the beach? The heat? The heaps of ice cream you get to eat?
Whatever may be the case, as we head towards winter, you are probably missing those dog days of summer. HR can help by reminding you of those feelings with their debut single “Natsuiro Candy” (Summer-Colored Candy).
HR, short for Hakata Reboot, is an enormous idol group based in Hakata, Fukuoka Prefecture aka southern Japan. The group formed in 2010 with fourteen members with a simple motive; be an AKB48-like group for girls who want to become idols but can’t move to Tokyo. It sounds a bit fishy but plausible because, despite Japan looking like a tiny country on international news reports, the distance between Tokyo and Fukuoka is over five hundred kilometers (or over three hundred miles). That might or might not seem a lot. But, a hopeful idol who wants to make it big in the idol industry, it is.
Trying to keep their dreams alive, HR opened their own theater on the third floor of Box Town Hakozaki. Interestingly, a sister group of AKB48 performs in another theater near HR. Selective girls perform on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, which are the days that HKT48 closes their theaters in order to have members do promotional work all over Japan. Smart thinking, HR managers!
The group constantly adds members with countless auditions they hold throughout the year. And, like all mainstream idol groups, members graduate or leave the group. However, I feel like members in HR leave faster compare to other indie/not-so-popular idol groups due to the prospect of other, well-known, Fukuoka-based groups like LinQ and HKT48. If you take a look at HR’s Japanese Wikipedia page, there are more graduated members listed than active members. That is a bit surprising.
Nevertheless, the group persisted and released their debut indies single “Kimi ni Spark” on May 2, 2012. Three years later, they released their debut major single “Natsuiro Candy” on June 24 under the Columbia Records label. To promote the single, the group split up into “teams” and did various promotional store events across the country.
I decided to go see HR at Nagoya’s Kintetsu Passe before I went to see ANGERME at another mall because I wanted to kill some time. Like most of the groups I mention on this blog, I didn’t know about HR before I saw the mini-live. I actually briefly saw the music video for “Natsuiro Candy” and wasn’t impress. Seriously, the music video is basically having is girls dancing and singing in bikinis on some beach, I thought it was unflattering, boring, and a blatant ripoff of AKB48’s bikini fest music videos.
I arrived at Kintetsu Passe five minutes before the event started. There were a small number of male fans starting to queue their place in the event space. By the edge of the area, members were circling around, chatting with fans and non-fans while promoting the event to people passing by. No really approached me and tried to start a conversation with me sadly. I was a little disappointed because I was hoping that someone would want to strike a conversation with me. Maybe they were afraid to or that there wasn’t enough time to chat.
Once it was one o’clock, the members headed towards the stage and began to sing their opening number. I don’t remember which song they sang. But, I stuck around for three songs before I had to catch a bus to see ANGERME. I can’t recall what songs they song, what was their opening talk about, and can’t seem find a set list anywhere on the web.
HR isn’t my cup of tea since, like I mentioned above, their music videos and songs are an obvious ripoff of famous AKB48 summer songs like “Labrador Retriever” and “Sayonara Crawl”. Although they are AKB48’s most popular singles, I find them to be bland and tasteless as they feature simple vocals and basic instrumentation. Though “Labrador Retriever” has somewhat of a plot going through the music video, the primary focus is on the girls doing a plain choreographed dance in their bikinis. Maybe I am looking at these summer songs at the wrong angle but I don’t find them interesting at all. I am more of a “RIVER” and “Halloween Night”-type of fan.
In the same regards, that is how I feel about HR and “Natsuiro Candy”. The girls are pretty nice, cute, and ambitious. But, their songs are a snooze fest. There is no personality or taste in both the song and the music video. I understand that this is their debut single and they probably didn’t get a lot of money to get a great song or music video. But, for the love of all things good, put that money to good use by making something diverse. We don’t need ANOTHER AKB48-sounding group!
I would recommend HR if you like the 48 family or knock-off groups like Idol Kyoushitsu. If you aren’t, you could still enjoy them since they are pretty cute and have a feel good attitude. However, don’t expect too much as “Natsuiro Candy” isn’t much of a memorable song. HR just needs time to find their sound as they should stop copying a popular idol pattern and do their own thing.
They will release their second single, “Toy Soldier”, this Wednesday. It’s much better their debut single but still copying that bland idol formula.
Fun Fact: HR’s image color is “Mentaiko pink”. Mentaiko is marinated fish eggs from pollacks and cods. It is part of the Japanese cuisine. The group’s hometown of Hakata is famous for “spicy Mentaiko”. Thus, the group’s image color pays homage to their hometown dish.
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay, ☆ai love music☆ now has over 2,000 views for this year! I want to thank all those who have read and supported the blog! I really appreciate and love you guys! 😀 😀 ❤ ❤
Today’s Reporting Live is brought to you by the Japanese pop-rock band Chelsy. The group was founded in 2011 after vocalist and guitarist MIO, drummer AMI, and bassist SHIZUKA passed an audition hosted by Sony Music and Honey Bee Records. This audition was also supervised by YUI’s producer. The band started to perform all over Japan the following year, first under the name MIO band and then Chelsy. However, the band hit a snag when MIO announced retirement by the summer of 2012.
To fill in MIO’s position, the company hired keyboardist ARISA. However, she only stayed in the group for ten months as she left show business on May 2013. By that time, MIO had returned to the band as the lead vocalist and guitarist.
From their beginnings to early 2013, the band mostly performed at various types of events. They even hosted a free live concert to capture more fans. By the spring of 2013, Chelsy finally got to release their first CD, a single named “I’LL BE ON MY WAY”, that was only sold at Shibuya’s Tower Records for a limited time. It was later in the year that they released their major debut single, “I will/Animation”, under the label Being. “I will” was used as an insert song for the anime series AO–HARU–RIDE.
Chelsy arrived to Nagoya to promote their third single, “SistAr”, at Tower Records Nagoya Parco. After checking out the store’s site and the band’s Youtube channel, I decided to check them out after my part-time job on Saturdays. I thought, Hey, why not check them out? They seem cool! while watching the “SistAr” music video.
I got to the event space right as MIO started to strum the first notes for their opening song. I can’t find the setlist for that day anywhere online. However, they played a few songs and did a couple talks within a thirty minute period. The atmosphere at the live was pretty much chilled as MIO played and sang, SHIZUKA supported MIO with the bass, and AMI just drummed soothing beats with a cajón. The weather was also perfect that day, making the whole event splendid.
After the band performed their last song, MIO announced that they would be starting the meet and sign event soon for anyone who bought a CD. I quickly bought a CD and jumped into the queuing line. It took only ten minutes to line everyone up and prepare for the event.
The meet and sign event was pretty relaxed. As I approached the table, I first talked to MIO, then AMI, and finally SHIZUKA. I just chatted with the girls about how I enjoyed their live, where I am from, and thanking them for coming to Nagoya. It ended with them singing the CD and shaking my hand. It sounded short but actually, I was able to talked to each girl for a minute or so. I just forgot all the little details of the conversations.
If you are into girl artists or bands like YUI, LoVendoЯ, or Scandal and/or you like pop-rock music, Chelsy is a band you must check out. Their song “SistAr” showcases MIO’s versatile vocals, SHIZUKA’s neat bass skills, and AMI’s on-point drumming. It is a song that is quiet mellow but upbeat at the same time, which will bring a jovial feeling to the listener’s state of mind.
Also, check out their super-cute announcement for Akihabara Expo 2015:
Make sure to check them out at Akihabara Expo 2015 this December in the Los Angeles area! 😀
I finally can finish writing up all the in-store live events for May! I swear May was one of my busiest month in terms of attending events.
Nevertheless, the last in-store event of May was for the idol group GIRLS4EVER at the Tower Records in Nagoya’s Kintetsu Passe. The group is made up of four members; the sweet Airi, the “hip” Rico, the beautiful Japanese and French Sakura, and cute and energetic Aika. The group is fairly new as they made their debut at a live event in Akibahara last year. That same year, they also released their debut single, “The Girl of Fate / LOVE&TRAIN”.
For this time around, the group was doing in-store lives to promote their new single “Down the Line”, which was released at the end of April 2015. I checked out their new single via Youtube after I discovered that they were coming to Tower Records. I was on the fence about going as I thought “Hey, they don’t seem so bad. Maybe I should check them out” one day and then “I don’t know, maybe I shouldn’t go” the other. A Facebook friend of mine named Peter, who this post is dedicated to, helped me get out from this rut as he recommended me to go.
I went to the store fifteen minutes before the live was scheduled to start. I got a spot near the stage pretty easily as there wasn’t a lot of people in the event space. But, as I put my stuff down and settled in, I noticed that there was an array of cameras all around me.
Wait, that isn’t normal!
Why is the guy next to me holding a professional camera?
The common sense rule of idol events is that there is NO picture-taking whatsoever.
These were the thoughts that were running though my head. I was so confused. Luckily, the host of the event explained a few minutes later that it was ok to take photos. Relieved, I whipped out my iPhone and stood to the side to get ready to take a lot of photos.
I don’t remember the set list very well. I do remember they sang “Down the Line” and “Keekyuu de Ikou ~Koi no Romance Seat~”. They probably sang a couple more songs and had at least three talk times. I am not really sure because it was four months ago. It also seems that there isn’t any reports about the event anywhere on the web. Sorry, guys. 😦
After the live, I decided to buy two singles so I could shake the girls’ hands and take a photo with one of the members. During the in-between time, I joined the line for the handshake event. I was one of the first people to get into the line. The first person who I came up to was Airi. Our conversation was basically thanking each other for today, where I was from, and other little things. It was a very quiet and short conversation. After Airi, I went to Aika next and boy, did things change. Aika is verrrrrrrrrrrrrry energetic and chatting. She asked where I was from. And, when I said I was from America/United States, she tried to speak English. Although, she told me in Japanese that she wasn’t very good. She was very cute and so bubbly. Too bad I had to go to the next girl, I would have like to stayed and talked to her forever because she is such a chatterbox.
Next girl I approached was the hip leader Rico. She was coolm and collected as we talked about basic things. Our conversation was very short too; maybe because I didn’t have much interest in Rico (and also Airi). Then finally, I was reached the final member, Sakura. I first said my “hello”s and “thank you”s. Then, she told me that she is part French and knows some English and French. I told her that I can’t speak any French. 😦 We ended up having a short conversation in English before I had to leave the line.
After going through the handshake line, I went to the side of the event area and waited a bit for the next event to start. After a while, the event manager announced that they were ready for the two-shot/photo-taking event. Since I only had two tickets, I could take a picture with one girl. It was between Sakura and Aika, which one should I choose?
As you see, I chose Aika because of her funny and bubbly personality. When I came up to take a picture with her, she kept on trying to speak English. She was such a goof. We also talked some more in Japanese as I also try to “teach” her some English. As we were waiting for the photo to dry and for her to sign it, Sakura kept on telling me in English that Aika can’t speak English well. And Aika playfully fought back, saying she could. Haha. I love these kinds of moments.
GIRLS4EVER is a typical idol group with ok vocals. However, their personalities make up for the lack of amazing vocal skills. These girls each have their own unique personality that makes this group special. I personality love Aika because of her chatty and bubbly self. But, I wouldn’t mind seeing all four girls again in the future as they are lovely group who loves to have fun.
Thanks Peter for recommending this event! ❤
Here is the music video for “Keekyuu de Ikou ~Koi no Romance Seat~”, the b-side of their second single, “Down the Line”:
Here are some more pictures from the event:
J☆Dee’Z has become the newest addition to the list of Japanese groups that I like. When I first watched their new single’s music video, I really like them because they are enjoying performing a lot in everything they do and it shows. Also, they are pretty talented too!
Formed in 2010 when the company DANCE STYLE KIDS were looking for a new dance team for their public relations, J☆Dee’Z first started with five Generation Z-ers; Meik, MOMOKA, Nono, AO, and Moe. The group’s concept was simple; be sexy and wild while being backup dancers for popular artists like BoA and Mai Kuraki.
The group experienced a little setback a year later when Moe decided to leave the group when she successfully passed the audition to be a trainee for AKB48. AO would also leave the group in 2012 when she became a backup dancer for Kyary Pamyu Pamyu while making a major debut with the group TEMPURA KIDZ. But, that didn’t stop J☆Dee’Z as their manager decided to add a member from the dance school Dance Studio TRAX, ami, before AO’s departure.
The girls became regular guests on the Sunday morning show “Pokemon Get☆TV”. They released a collaboration single with the show, titled “Pokemon de Odorou”, on July 23, 2014. The title song was used as the first and second endings for the show “Pokemon XY”. They made their debut two months later with the single “Beasty Girls/Let the music flow”.
To promote their second single “Daisuki”, the group decided to do various promotional events around Japan. One of their stops was at Tower Records in Sakae, Nagoya. How I found out about this information was on the store’s website. I was randomly browsing on the site one day and noticed that they were making an appearance on May 22. I asked myself “Who are these girls?” as I searched Youtube for their music after spotting their names on Tower Record’s website. Once I found the music video for “Daisuki”, I decided that I wanted to go the event and support these girls.
However, getting to the event was a bit tricky. I arrived in Sakae early enough to have time to chill at the local Starbucks while charging my phone. Once it reached fifteen minutes before show time, I began to head to the event location, entrusting that Google Maps would take me to the right direction.
However, it didn’t.
Welllll, it led me to the place in a roundabout way that caused me to get lost and waste twenty minutes trying to find the location. If I only followed the maps at the subway station… Also, I didn’t read the event page correctly and decided to go the store on the eighth floor first than the actual location (the event space on the first floor). I barely made it to the event, arriving when they sang their last song. 😦
I don’t really know the set list because I arrived late and no one has even posted it anywhere. The only song that I was able to see them perform was their new song. After that, the girls went off to the “green room” to take a break while the staff got the stage area ready for the second part of the event. I decided to buy a single so I could take a picture with the girls.
After buying a single, I jumped into the line. It wasn’t really long, which make waiting less frustrating because I didn’t have to wait for a long. The girls came out soon after and said a few words to start the event.
The photo above is the result of the said event. After handing my phone to the staff, I quickly jumped in the center. I said a couple of words like “Oh, you guys are so cool and cute”, “I found you guys out on the website”, and “I really enjoyed the live”. The girls said thanks and we chatted a bit. The girls even wished me a Happy Birthday because I said I was all dolled-up because it was my birthday the day after. I swear ami couldn’t stop looking at me because she kept on smiling and saying how pretty I was. But, in truth, her makeup and everything about her style made her prettier than me.
J☆Dee’Z is still a new group that is slowly getting some attention. The girls are really cute, they seem like they are having fun, talented at dancing, and don’t have really bad singing voices. I feel like this group is the Tiny Tim (from “The Christmas Carol”) of dance/singing/idol groups in Japan. Their fanbase is small and they are so young. However, they are full of determination and spirit that might make them brighter stars in the future.
Check out their music video for “Daisuki” here:
Did you know “Daisuki” is a cover of the same-titled song by Okamura Yasuiyuki. Released in 1988, the song\s PV has Okamura obsessing over girls, a woman who has a chocolate bar, and big blueberry.
After I saw Otome Shinto at their promotional event for the single “Kimi to Piikan☆NATSU Sengenn!! “, I decided to stick around for another promotional event that the boyband ZOLA was having.
You are probably asking, who is ZOLA?
That is what I am asking myself too. There isn’t a lot of information about them on the web, According to the Victor Entertainment site, ZOLA was started in 2014 as the “ZOLA Project”, a Yamaha vocaloid project that employed three male models-turned-singers. Nanokkusu, Maui, and Tokito released their first single, “Tokyo Generation / BORDERLESS”, in the summer of that year. Some time after that release, DJ 3G joined the group as ZOLA changed concepts, ditching the vocaloid, pop sound for a more urban, club boy band feel.
The event I went to was to promote their new mini-album “Loop”, which they co-released with another band, DOKUMO BOYS!&GIRLS!. Truthfully, I never heard of either band before this event. When I was leaving the Otomo Shinto event, I looked at the store’s event schedule and saw that they were having another event a two hours later. So, I just wandered around Kintetsu Passe and read some Harlequin Books in Japanese at the book store to pass the time. Trust me, I was a bit bored.
I went back to Tower Records around six-thirty to see how would the staff let people into the event space. The event staff came onto the small stage shortly after and started to let anyone who pre-ordered the album into the area first. It wasn’t until about fifteen minutes later that they let everybody else in. However, there wasn’t a lot of people at the event, so finding a great spot to see the guys was a breeze. I was about four rows back from the stage, surrounded by a lot of teenage or young adult girls.
ZOLA came onto the stage at around seven o’clock. They sang three songs, including their new song “Join Us!” (じょいなす！) while doing a little conversation with other and the audience once in a while. Though the live was short, the members seemed to have fun as they were joking off, singing, and performing. I enjoyed the live a lot because of the energy they had. It was so delightful.
I have to say that, from watching the event, my favorite member of the group has to be Tokito (時人). He is a pretty good rapper and seems like a fun person to be around. When he was doing his self-introduction, he was slamming those lyrics down smoothly and with such passion. I love this guy.
If you like boybands, especially the pretty K-Pop ones, then you must check out ZOLA. Their sound is pretty much the same as any group from Johnny’s or Korea. But, “Join Us!” (じょいなす！) is a pretty catchy song with mediocre vocals, a fantastic rap section, and an upbeat chorus that you can celebrate summer with. You should also try to see one of their lives (they will be at Otodama Sea Studio near Yokohama this summer) because they have such lovable, fun personalities.
Happy July to all my readers. Hopefully the summer weather isn’t getting too hot. It’s still rainy here in Nagoya. It’s suppose to be rainy all week. Where did you go, summer sun?
Speaking of summer, it is the season of going to the beach, wearing cute beach swimsuits and sandals, and the release of many new singles and albums. A lot of groups release their “summer single” in May with many trying to emulate the AKB48 style of summer song with cute bikinis. Thankfully, Otome Shinto chose to go another route with cuter summer costumes with beach appeal, white dresses, colored vests and ties, and beads.
Otome Shinto is yet another idol group from Japan. Formed in 2012, the girl group includes these members: Yurika Takahashi (Pink), Ayame Tajiri (Yellow), Mari Aihara (Blue), Mayu Ogata (Green), Arisa Sonohara (Red), and Airi Hasegawa (Pearl). The group came together under the concept “Positive “2 Armies” Roughly Middle School Student Idols” (ポジティブな“2軍”ほぼ中学生アイドル). The “2 Armies” is furthered explained as “whatever class you pick from, these are the girls that will be liked easily” (どこのクラスにもいそうで、それでいてちょっと気になる女の子).[1] Nevertheless, the group’s mission is “fighting to bring their positive attitude and their energy to people while trying to become popular.”.[2]
The girls released their first single, entitled “Mousou Koukan Nikki”, on February 20, 2013 under the VAP Records sub-label Fuwa Fuwa Records. The title song’s lyrics were penned by Kenichi Maeyamada, also known as his stage name Hyadain, who produced various songs for artists like Momoico Clover Z, former Morning Musume. member Koharu Kusumi, and Dempagumi.inc. At a release event for the single, the group further expressed their “girl’s manifesto”, as they wanted to make Japan “lively” (or “genki”) with all their efforts (わたしたちが日本を元気にします！ ……できる範囲で) starting from this single.[3]
I wanted to see these girls after reading their “girl’s manifesto”, thinking this might be another fun-loving idol group. I was a bit skeptical at first because I didn’t want Otome Shinto to be a generic AKB48 sounding group like Idol Kyoushitsu is. Putting my doubts aside, I raced to Nagoya Kintetsu Passe as fast I could after work. I got there within thirty minutes amid the sea of people making their way to the same shopping area.
The “stage area” (which was basically a rooftop) was divided into three sections; one for those who pre-ordered the single beforehand, one for those who didn’t, and the special “Girls-Only” section. A convent corner, the girls-only section comes in handy when you want to get close and personal with any artists on stage. And, you could get really up close at an idol event because there isn’t a lot of female fans. They are growing in number but there is still more guy fans that come to these things than females.
Ten minutes before the event was scheduled to start, the event manager announced that they were going to open up the girls-only section and the pre-ordered section for everyone, including those who didn’t buy yet. I walked into the girls-only section and found a spot that had a pretty great view of the stage. It wasn’t close but it wasn’t far away. I was actually standing behind a mega Otome Shinto fan (she was toooo into their songs) and in front of another non-Japanese fan.
At the same time, the girls came onto the stage to do a mic check. That lasted only for a few minutes when they announced that they were finished and headed back to the “green room” to rest up before the event. Then, around 4 pm, Otome Shinto came on stage and performed this set list:
1. Otome 365nichi (乙女の365日)
2. MC
3. Viva! Otome no Daiboukenn!! (ビバ！乙女の大冒険っ！！)
4. Kimi to Piikan☆NATSU Sengenn!! (キミとピーカン☆NATSU宣言っ!!)
5. Tokimeki☆ Paradox (ときめき☆パラドックス)
{Thanks to Kids Model, Kids Actors Audition Information site for the set list. I know, I know. It’s a bit strange that this kind of site has information from the live. Somehow, someone has to find their new idols by reporting these things?)
Throughout the whole event, I was totally awkward. Everyone around me was getting into the mood by dancing, singing, and doing their fan chants. But here I am, just standing still with my arms crossed, trying to study the group intensely to see whether or not I could like this group. You could say that I had this expression during the first song or two:
My mood lightened up and I was able to participate with the audience when they performed their new song “Kimi to Piikan☆NATSU Sengenn!!”. The members taught us the dance to the chorus part of the song, which was just spelling “NATSU” with our arms. I was a bit timid as I just did small moves within my own personal space. Even though I wasn’t very outgoing during this live, I had lots of fun and enjoyed the dancing and singing.
After the mini-live ended, the girls went back to the green room as the staff got the stage ready for the special events. I went over to the CD table, pre-ordered a single, and got in line for the handshake event. Fifteen or so minutes later, Otome Shinto came back on the stage and said a brief message to start the handshake event while standing behind a wooden table. I was a bit sad that I could only do the handshake event (thanks to it being the week before payday) because they were giving away free pictures of the members and you could do other special events like taking a photo with a girl if you pre-ordered more singles.
As I approached the table, I first shook Yurika Takahashi’s hand. We chatted a bit as I told her that she was cute, that I found this event out on Twitter, it was my first live and I had fun. She then replied that she was excited to hear that and said that she saw me in the crowd, trying to do my best. Guilty. I felt a little bad when she said that because I wasn’t the greatest fan out there. I was just standing there and looking like a fool.
I went down the line after talking to Yurika, shaking the other members’ hands. I can’t really remember what I said to each girl and what were their responses. But, I do remember telling Airi Hasegawa and Mari Aihara that I liked them and their outfits. I really looooooooooove this single’s outfits because each girl had mini versions of different summer appeal incorporating in their hair style. Mayu Ogata had some cute beach sandals and beads with her side ponytail.
“Kimi to Piikan☆NATSU Sengenn!!” is a fun summer song that will have you dancing “cha-cha”-like moves anywhere. Recently, I had the chorus stuck in my head because I always think the song goes like “Natsu no Pecan (YAY!)”. That is because I mistake the meaning of the Japanese word “Piikan” to a name of a nut, which isn’t true. However, with the energetic vocals, dance moves, and the summer-y instrumentation of a high school’s drumline and crystallized synthesizers, “Kimi to Piikan☆NATSU Sengenn!!” is a memorable, adorable idol summer song that will make you think that great songs don’t need a bikini.
Did I forget to mention that the music video is a great tourist video? It was shot in Australia. I feel sorry for those girls trying bungee jump though, That looks very scary (but I am deadly afraid of heights and would have someone knock me out before I try something like that).
References
[1] “乙女新党.” – Wikipedia. 26 Dec. 2012. Web. 4 July 2015.
[2] “Otome Shinto.” JPop Idols. Web. 4 July 2015.
[3] “乙女新党、CDデビュー会見で「乙女ニフェスト」宣言.” 音楽ナタリー. 27 Dec. 2012. Web. 4 July 2015.
☆ai love music☆ 
