75 posts tagged “arashi”

Arashi's♥ new single "My Girl" (with a t.v. drama of the same name~ *hopes it's released onto DVD soon so I can watch (^-^*) ) goes immediately into my favorites♥ o(*´∀｀)o゛～！With sales already exceeding  a reported 432,000+ ＼(^o^)／☆ and yet another #1 place atop the Oricon charts~ everything is so rightfully so~ as this single is just beyond *wonderful*!! ＾　＾

Luckily with just two editions purchased you can have everything~ ♪♪ ～　♪♪　～ which includes a 16 color photo booklet & DVD with their LE along with a second b-side coupling with track and karaoke versions for all three songs~ included with their RE~...the latter being exclusive to the RE making it as enticing to own of course~!

I've yet again been saved by YesAsia in a time of great panic~!! (゜ロ゜ノ)ノ！！！as "My Girl" as always with any Arashi LE sold out seemingly in just a few hours after being posted from Cdjapan's site! I'm receiving it then a bit later but definitely so so *happy* that it's arrived safely~!

While Arashi's "My Girl" LE Japanese version is out of print you can still find their RE as well as the Korean LE w/DVD release still here at YesAsia.

As always~ Arashi so stylish and *sexy*~..the colors blending so beautifully with the collaboration of a simple background and sweet wardrobe~.....Nino♥ purple pantsu?! (￣▽￣)

Saying simply that "My Girl" is Arashi at their very *best* when it comes to most elegant ballads~ won't do justice to the very essence of this song♪♪～ and how much it embodies the most unique and special bonds they hold as groupmates♥ through and through as demonstrated so much till now.....but with an extensive look into all of its production and  comradeship there within~...."My Girl" really displays so much more than being one of their most awesome and touching ballads to date~.

The LE's DVD offers not only their pv for the title track but in addition with a running time exceeding 33 minutes....we're given a most close up look into the production behind this most moving pv~.

Here are complete scans~ of the LE's 16 page photo booklet...


Cool~! the entire pv for "My Girl" is completely scripted not unlike a mini movie of sorts~ and with complete dialog being rehearsed ahead of shooting it's just one of the special looks you'll get while watching the making of/ behind the scenes footage♥~. While the music is surely being heard throughout the most of the pv~ it's still very much impressive to see Arashi busy at work..albeit amidst lots of playfulness…(^q^)! as they work from the written page to the homelike set awaiting them~.

.....Riida's um....."monomane" (impersonation) of Seattle Mariner's Ichiro♥~! っo(*´∀｀)o!～！！to...

....Nino♥ who keeps wanting to laugh during Riida's most dramatic *moment*~! I hear actors always get the giggles~ sometimes ne~ Σ(￣◇￣*)！。。。

...a bit of cellphone mischief.....and the.......

........hilarity that ensues~! Poor Riida ne~ (´⌒｀。)。。。

...and...............

....a private Matsujun *moment* interrupted~!!! (・_・)；。。。

....so much for *privacy* as the boys~ work.........

....late into the night~! (￣Ｏ￣*)。。。and I do wonder what Matsujun said to be censored in that tiny bit during their word association game~? (・_・)；。。。。

.............CK♥ has just done a most *cute* final drawing for the winner~!......please click here to visit his VOX blog to see the results~! ＾　＾

CK♥ is also the author of Chuo Dori~ a most *wonderful* AKB48 fansite~, the co-author of the very *cute* & *sexy* My Sweet Meetan~ fansite as well as an administrator at IW~....mite ne~! =)

This past Saturday night~ brought the exciting results on the track as well as off of it as the final four entries which will lead to a single winner of Arashi's best of album was decided! So many driver choiced overlapped here with all eleven entries so this final result was sure to be extremely close!!!

There was a little mixup with one entry from aiLaMarie and I'm so sorry as I should have reviewed more thoroughly...but there turned out to be two drivers in your picks which were chosen twice.....in Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin. Again I apologize so much for not reviewing more completely as I hadn't noticed you had two drivers chosen twice in your entry. I'm so sorry. =(

And without further delay......here are the final results from the race at RIR!.......

The top four *fantasy* race teams will go to a one time final drawing which will be held by my sweet♥ friend CK here at VOX~ o(*´∀｀)o゛. And everyone did really *awesome*!! with such amazing final average finishes with their driver choices.....this was really close! ＾　＾

10th place- Matsuzy's drivers Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch & Jeff Gordon finished in 17th, 11th, 12th, 25th, 5th & 3rd respectfully~ for a combined average finish of 12.1.

9th place- Murr's drivers Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Jimmie Johnson Juan Pablo Montoya & Mark Martin finished in 3rd, 17th, 10th, 11th, 19th & 4th respectfully~ for a combined average finish of 10.6.

8th place- Bianca's drivers Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin & Tony Stewart finished in 5th, 4th, 25th, 11th, 1st & 17th respectfully~ for a combined average finish of 10.5.

7th place- Mousoufest's drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin & Kurt Busch finished in 4th, 25th, 17th, 11th, 1st & 2nd respectfully~ for a combined average finish of 10.

6th place- Tautterkle's drivers Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart, & Mark Martin finished in 11th, 1st, 10th, 13th, 17th & 4th respectfully~ for a combined average finish of 9.3.

5th place- Ale-Chan's drivers Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman & Greg Biffle finished in 17th, 11th, 1st, 3rd, 10th & 13th respectfully~ for a combined average finish of 9.1.




4th place- Anise & Cloves' drivers Greg Biffle, Brian Vickers, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman & Mark Martin finished in 13th, 7th, 17th, 3rd, 10th & 4th respectfully~ for a combined average finish of 9.

*Thank you* to everyone who shared their favorite♥ Arashi songs in the earlier posting which celebrated their 10th anniversary♥ together entertaining and bringing unmeasurable joy to fans everywhere~.

The eligible VOX members who posted their favorite♥ Arashi songs by the entry deadline of August 30th are: Anise & Cloves, Sofia, Murr, aiLamarie, Bianca, OrenjiSky, High King, Tautterkle, Mousoufest, Purpletarochan, matsuzy & Ale-chaN.

To win this new LE copy of Arashi's "5x10 All the BEST! 1999-2009" CD all you need to do is compete in a one race *fantasy team* challenge and be in the top 4, from which thereafter a random drawing will be held including those 4 finalist where a single winner will be decided~! I'm been thinking about asking CK to do the drawing for me as he's already a two time winner at these *fantasy team* races..hmm if he has the time♥.

To enter:

Please choose six driver's (within the top 35 in points, posted just below ↓↓↓) whom you think will have the best combined average finish when the checkered flag waves at the"Chevy Rock & Roll 400" to be held at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday September 12th~. Please post just two of your driver's names here in this post and PM (private message) me your other four driver choices.

After the race is completed on September 12th I'll post the four *fantasy teams* with the best combined average finish amongst their 6 chosen drivers. A final drawing will then be held with those four best finishing teams to determine the one winner~! All entries must be received no later than on or before September 10th to be eligible~.

What I hope makes these types of giveaways a bit more exciting and fun is that the races are all broadcast live on t.v. and even if you're not familiar with the Cup Series~ or racing in general just think of it like picking the winners in perhaps horse racing....only that these cars have 800 horsepower~!! If you have any questions please ask.....*good luck* and happy racing~.＾　＾

Congratulations Arashi♥ on your 10th anniversary~!!!

I really wanted to have at least one magazine celebrating Arashi's landmark anniversary together...and there Myojo was on the shelf and it was their last copy! I sometimes end up spending $15~$20 on a single issue but this one's soooo worth it!!

………(゜∀゜)………。♥

Please enjoy the scans..＾　＾

I've only been *lucky* enough to have been a fan for the past few years of Arashi's music♪♪~...a truly one of a kind group which inspires....moves, engages and ultimately entertains so many fans around the world through their unique brand of oneness~. So much can be expressed about the very endearment of each member, their unmatched closeness....relationships, a brotherhood which goes far beyond their ♪♪~ which *touches* us with each inspired and gently sent note~.

~Thank you Arashi~......10 years of love♥~ and the journey's just begun ne~. o(*´∀｀)o゛ If you'd like to win a new copy of the limited edition of this amazing Arashi collection the details are later in this post...please vote for your favorite♥ Arashi member too ne~. ＾　＾

Arashi releases can be ordered here at Cdjapan.

Arashi releases can be ordered here at YesAsia.

Arashi releases can be ordered here at HMV Japan.


By now I imagine I would sound so much like a redundant bore *gushing* ヽ(。´▽`。)ノ。。！！♥ about Arashi and why I love and adore them sooooo much (/∇＼*)...so to spare…(^q^) one's patience here I'll try restraining myself...(*´艸`)!

What I really wanted to do here today was to write up and *share* a favorite♥ all time song list from Arashi's amazing discography. (￣Ｏ￣*)! No doubt a most daunting task!!!!....lol would I actually be able to place songs in order of personal endearment (*´∀｀*)♥??? It's something that I haven't done in quite awhile and Arashi's music...with so many songs loved......appears as my Mt Everest~ of J-Pop rankings in a sense at this very moment. XD

First the details of the Arashi's landmark release: "Arashi 5x10 ALL the BEST! 1999-2009" was released as both a LE as well as a standard version. The standard release would include 32 best of songs including their "5x10" track on two discs while the LE first pressing in addition comes housed in an outer slip case....includes in addition to a lyric booklet for discs 1 & 2, a special 52 page pictured lyric booklet for the extra bonus disc #3 with all ten tracks on the third extra disc being chosen by Arashi members themselves! The inner casing is presented in a beautiful gatefold style~ which houses all three discs while an extra pocket holds the disc 1 & 2 booklet in the LE~.

Arashi is so *wonderful* too in that they always share their open emotions with fans directly through songs written by the members themselves.....like special heart felt thank you's~ and with this in mind.....

Above is a scan of the back of the LE's outer slip case........10 years.......such an *amazing* discography of hits♥ and for any fan perusing the track listing......this truly only touches the surface ne~ (42 here and counting!). ＾　＾

I was in such a panic when I first realized that Cdjapan was indeed already noting Arashi's latest single as "out of print"...and in just a few hours since their new release newsletters were sent out! きゃぁーっっっ(/∇＼*)！So I quickly searched YesAsia and (*sigh*...) luckily they always seem to still have Arashi available even when other sites sell out so quickly....thank goodness! (*´∀｀*) Just shows just how popular Arashi is!!!! It did take a bit longer to arrive from YesAsia but just knowing that Arashi is on the way kept me in happy suspense!

Debuted at #1 on the Oricon...check!.....with first day sales already topping the 135,000 mark! Sugoi~ne!

Arashi's "Everything" RE CD single can be ordered here at Cdjapan.

While YesAsia is also out of stock of the LE, the RE as well as a LE Korean version w/DVD can be still ordered here at YesAsia.

Arashi's "Everything" RE can be ordered here at HMV Japan.

Just continuing to ♥ Arashi CD releases including their music videos!.....H!P..(hint! hint!) Both the limited edition and regular editions have quite similar cover artwork with the LE being set on a beach while the RE was shot with a bit of greenery which looks to be just a bit further away from the shorline~. While the LE includes said *wonderful* pv the RE includes karaoke tracks for both title track and coupling with songs which is a rather nice touch.

I'm so hesitant to describe "Everything" as purely a ballad as its song structure is rather well driven and upbeat all the while making me *misty* eyed by its beautifully euphoric feeling ヽ(。´▽`。)ノ。。！！ which resonates clearly in its melody♪♪~. The second verse in particular is a most favorited part of mine as the member solos really show off their strong and so unique vocals~. And leave it to Riida to raise *everything* to further heights during the bridge portion. =) "Everything" will be such a crowd pleaser in concert where I can imagine the entire arena seranading in unison~.

From the slightly grainy feeling of the film, to the pv's in studio setting, the circle of mics in addition to the casual attire you just get such a feeling of *warmth* along with an underlying aura of realism to the overall style and look of the pv~. Add in the walking scenes shot in the glow of the sunset and this is absolute joy to watch! Simply, no one does it any better than Arashi~.


The coupling track "season" will make you *smile* too...such a ultra genki song~ kiite ne~! ＾　＾

With sales exceeding 400,000 and a spot atop the Oricon chart..Arashi continues to flex their musical♪♪~ and "………(゜∀゜)………。♥" appeal power!

While the advent of the 3 version release doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon Johnny's does its best to maximize the love by including both original pvs...(so wish that H!P would return to releasing their pv DVD singles on the same day as their "accompanying" CD releases…(u_u*) ) albeit that fans must purchase both LE editions Types 1 & 2 in order to own both music videos~.

Type 1 LE includes the pv for "Ashita no kioku" while type 2's LE includes the pv for "Crazy Moon~kimi wa muteki~"...but not to be totally outdone Arashi's regular edition includes a *cute* sticker sheet.....scanned below.....as well as karaoke tracks for both songs♪♪.

Arashi's "Ashita no kioku"/ "Crazy Moon~kimi wa muteki~" RE can be ordered here at Cdjapan. (note: both LE's are out of print)

Arashi's "Ashita no kioku"/ "Crazy Moon~kimi wa muteki~" LE types 1 & 2 are available in Korean versions and can be found in this listing at YesAsia.

While the CD jackets are a single sheet bearing both track's lyrics, both LE's also include mini photo booklets featuring solo photos of each member and as with all Johnny's releases you just know that their photography will be great!........

Just released on March 25th!, "Arashi Around Asia 2008 in Tokyo" is 210 minutes of pure *heaven*! While numerous concert videos now offer post concert backstage footage, "AAA 2008 in Tokyo" takes the experience a giant leap forward by immersing fans in preliminary concert rehearsals, stage planning, run through of backstage preparation, song rehearsals, tons of private footage as well as an in depth look at the recording of their Asian tour's theme song "Re(mark)able."

In all the opening segments of the DVD run approximately 39 minutes leading up to the actual concert beginning with.....(and note that I'm only scratching the surface here as there are just so many wonderful surprises included in the opening footage): Approximately 9 minutes of early rehearsal footage & behind the scenes coverage leading up to Matsujun's inspirational final concert speech to everyone (I cracked up at Shokun's antics of randomly coughing at Riida and the sight of seeing Matsujun warm up his vocals with a CD player was a most intimate and real moment!) / Footage of the arena's preparation including the set up of those wonderful moving indiviual lifts and platforms!! / approximately 6 more minutes of rehearsals, candid interviews (which run throughout) as well as Arashi's first time surveying the site before set up would begin. / Approximately 7 minutes documenting the recording of "Re(mark)able" including individual in studio member recordings where notably Nino is just so confident and so much the professional with his parts~!.....and an amusing moment with Shokun as he encounters a few little mishaps during his rap! XD / Approximately 5 more minutes of rehearsal footage. /



Furthermore all of the extensive pre-planning and run throughs needed for a concert of this magnitude are broken down wonderfully and in particular during the practice for "Re(mark)able", fans are given incredible insight into the inner workings of such a production on a grand scale~! Just the size of the venue itself is amazingly large and if I understood correctly this was a former host of the Olympic games many years ago.....and Arashi at one point gets a close up look at the cauldron which beared the flame once! The camera's access in this opening is nothing short of extraordinary giving a unique and rare look into all that goes into the amazing concerts that Arashi always perform for fans.....moving, raw, insightful...*beautiful*.......

Arashi's "AAA 2008 in Tokyo" can be ordered here at Cdjapan.

Arashi's "AAA in Tokyo" can be ordered here at YesAsia.

(and now for a bit of picspam from the opening before a few favorite performances...) Note: Shokun's custom shoes!, Aiba being dunked! :o Brrrrrrr!!!!!!!! and a lack of shirts being worn here! =) The comradeship, always so special with Arashi~. (*´∀｀*)

The included 28 page booklet consists of mostly the lyrics of the songs included in the concert's set list but there are some cute photo collages includes as well.......





I've been *dreaming* of a live concert performance of their most beautiful mid tempo ballad "Still..." for some time now~.............alas my dreams are answered! ………(゜∀゜)………。Shokun's rap gives me *goosebumps*…(^q^)

There's so much ~♥~ in Arashi's performances and after watching this concert surely you'll feel tired!!! XD They just put so much energy and effort into their stage choreography and their ability to connect with fans throughout their shows are truly second to none~. From the opening with one of their most beloved songs♪♪ "Love so sweet" till the finale which ends with the fun antics resembling a giant "slip & slide" across the stage, Arashi delivers the complete concert experience.....precise, memorable, awe inspiring.....*re(mark)able*. ＾　＾

The stage setups are always so awe inspiring!!! Moving platforms, individual lifts and amazing choreography always guarantee that no bad seats in the house are ever present~ ^o^ From sunset to nightfall to the dark of night Arashi are at their best~.






...from the very first launching of the hundreds of balloons, you just know this was going to be very special~. "One Love".............


Ah~ and did I previously mention the water games?!.......when a concert ends with shirtless members and a giant slip & slide you just know it was a phenomenal concert!!!! =) Here is just a prelude for things to come as a soaked Aiba will tell you~! ^ ^

..........and the *wet* finale~!..........

...hmm..still not ordering "AAA 2008 in Tokyo"? ^ ^



........and in fitting fashion...........



.......at the end of it all...............



.................................................................


...............a "storm" was brewing~. 嵐。