4 posts tagged “happiness”

Adorable Tabe Mikako is second to be honored and here click play......


It took but just one drama for me to totally adore her so much as her role in "Yamada Taro Monogatari" was written to funny , witty and cute perfection! The track above is by Arashi and served as the drama's theme song.............it makes me think of awesome air guitar every time since watching this drama~! ^ ^ Definitely one of the most cute and fun drama openings ever!

 



I have yet to be swept away by AKB48 fandom but I thought these were photos were so cute and here they are honored with the "Jet Coaster" award by UTB! ^ ^





The February issue also has a section dedicated to up and coming stars of tomorrow...and here I just had to scan Uehara Miyu's feature as I just ♥ her sweater!!....hmmm...I have no idea what the writing is supposed to mean, but I think that's why I ♥ it so much! :P Japanese clothing with random English words always wins! \(^o^)/♥

Shugo Chara's Saho Akari, Wada Ayaka, Maeda Yuka and Fukuda Kanon get a two page question & answer feature and read on below to find out just why Kanon is so great an monomane (impressions)!! ^ ^


And what's most endearing about this article in particular is that the girls came up with their own questions for each other. :)


BK' resident giant...I mean um tallest member, sorry! :P ....Kumachan shares 7 secrets about herself and while her noted physical aspects are interesting, I find the her stomach's favorites to be most fascinating. The drawing is cute too....let's see we have some cocoa, chocolate, salad, spaghetti and candy amongts others faves. ♥


This month's special collaboration features C-ute's Chisa, Nakki and Kannachan in a Christmas candle making event! Working with such tiny items is so much of a challenge and all 3 candles are finished with flying colors but if I had to choose my favorite it would have to be Nakki's....just based on how busy it is. I'm thinking the more stuff the merrier! ^o^


Interestingly some of the upcoming shashinshuu ads are in black & white while others are featured in color....I'm still a bit puzzled as to how these are chosen and why WaniBooks would choose to not promote all of their own upcoming publications in full color. :/ Still Rikachan looks absolutely beautiful in the shots above promoting her pb release which will arrive on shelves on January 19th!! It's just so overwhelming how quickly H!P members are coming out with these pb releases as has been the trend for some time now. :O I may have to build a "secret" bookshelf behind one of the walls in my room very soon if this pace keeps up for much longer! :P


Aside from Kamei, Manoeri, and Kamei this may be the cutest photo shoot in this entire issue! I'm now learning that AKB48 like H!P, loves its units and these three are so adorable! ^ ^ Here we have first, Kojima Haruna who really reminds me of Ichikawa Yui even more so in some of the following photos, Takahashi Minami, and Minegishi Minami.....hmmm......there seems to be a lot of Minami's in AKB48!....just noticed another member named Minami on the previous page! ^ ^

Haruna looks to be one of AKB48's most glamorous members while Minegishichan looks about as cuddly as can be....lol I'm probably way off though as an AKB48 fan out there will soon point out! :P Wouldn't it be strange if I started listening to their music because I found this particular photo shoot to be off the scale cute? Hmm....sort of fits my profile though, not sure if that's a good thing though. :P


I admit I was getting a bit worried as the number of remaining pages were dwindling down and Kamei was yet to appear..........I kept thinking....her shashinshuu was just released recently, so surely she must be featured in this issue somewhere! Whew~! it looks like UTB packed in quite a H!P punch at the very end of this issue with features on Kamei, Manoeri and the continuing photographic feature on one of H!P's most cute!....Maimichan. Kamei's features off shots from her "20 Hatachi" pb while Manoeri's two page feature proves yet again just why she's quickly becoming UFA's it girl! It's also nice to see a full color ad for Manoeri's upcoming shashinshuu release. :) Maimichan's feature is the most extensive here and it features an awe inspiring backdrop of Autumn's many soft colors and tones making for a most elegant collection of photos....so fitting for her beautiful and delicate looks...or more directly, beautiful perfection. ^ ^ I'll stop babbling now....here are the rest of the scans. =)











UTB has long been giving away signed cards and polaroids over the years.....and all I can say is want want want want! Especially Maimichan, Manoeri, and Kohachan's signed polaroids.........but AKB48's Tomomichan has made herself into the cutest reindeer of them all..I think I want hers! All one would have to do is mail in the provided postcard which is attached near the back of every issue for a chance to receive one...although it's highly unlikely that UTB would mail me one outside of Japan even if my postcard were to be chosen. >_< Well one can dream right! ^ ^

Abe Natsumi's "Screen" CD single can be ordered here from Cdjapan.


With Elder's Club members Nacchi and Ayaya's single releases becoming few and far between in the last few years this looks to perhaps be Nacchi's final single as a H!P soloist as March looms ever nearer each day. :( First thing of note for me was that happily Tsunku penned her final release writing both the lyrics & music and I say this for two reasons...the first being for some time now Tsunku's writing attention has wavered away from the solo acts in H!P and even some of their units so it was nice seeing that he wrote both the title and coupling with tracks....secondly, this is Nacchi, H!P's/Momusu's very first spotlight member and one of the most stable building blocks one could ever hope for so with that surely Tsunku must pay extra attention to everything that Nacchi has meant to H!P over the years. ^ ^
"Screen" caught me a bit off guard in that it was really a "grower" of a single....not one that immediately captured me although I must note that it's coupling with track "Sayonara sae ienu mama" was ♥ at first listen....many probably already know that I'm so much the sucker for a good ballad!♪♪ Eventually "Screen" did win me over completely though and that with just a few listens on repeat and you really have to love that little jingly "Japanese" riff that opens the song and appears in its interlude moments. And the real hook for me was the ever present driving rhythm which accents the song at the perfect moments such as the lead in to the chorus for a bit of that extra dramatic appeal. The composition is also a perfect match for Nacchi's vocal range and she really displays her sweet vocal touches with vibrato and emotional texture...two notable nuances which only a few H!P members possess. "Screen" however isn't one of Nacchi's better singles even by a stretch but still a very solid release which is further enhanced by the presence of both a mid tempo song and a...dare I say the "B" word?...Yes~! a ballad! \(^o^)/♪♪

As mentioned earlier I fell in ♥ with this track immediately! Vocally even a bit more impressive than it's predecessor, "Sayonara sae ienu mama" has a beautiful and slightly sad longing in its chorus which Nacchi performs perfectly. The melody is a much more melancoly to sad one so the balance of having a much more upbeat song alongside in its title track works really well here....or perhaps it's just that I've had this single on repeat for a good part of yesterday afternoon and this morning :P....sending me into a mixture of emotions of night and day all in a span of about nine minutes at a time. With this being quite possibly Nacchi's final H!P single I'd just like to take a moment to reflect on ballads and what I feel is still Nacchi's best one ever...........that being.................

..."sora LIFE GOES ON", the b-side to "Yume naraba." Also this cover I think is Nacchi's most cute too! The scan above is actually the jewel case's jacket cover as this single comes in an outer slip case. Reminds me of a time when all Nacchi single releases came with wonderful extras such as posters, special packaging and cards.....hmm where has it all gone? In fact Ayaya's recent releases have undergone much the same fate as UFA is content with just providing them with no frills packaging and no first press extras to speak of but such was not the case going back a bit. I just realized that "Yume naraba" and "sora LIFE GOES ON" was released in mid 2005 which was way before this blog existed so I haven't shared these before.....the pretty cards which came along with its first pressing:

In the initial series these H!P cards were actually being numbered in order, these being #'s 128-132 but after awhile UFA abandoned numbering them and their flipsides began to represent whomever was on the opposite side of the card instead of using a universal "H!P" theme for all of them as was true with the initial series. Trading cards...another thing that H!P has abandoned in opting for the bonus disc instead (sigh...).

And since I'm spreading the "B" word here with wreckless abandon :P I thought it would be appropriate to share just a few of what I consider to be H!P's very best ballads.....those being performed by the incomparable Ayaya. ^ ^

I don't think I previously uploaded these so here's the most beautiful ballad of them all, "Egao." (*´∀｀*) ♪♪ But I won't ramble on into why I love "Egao" so much as I previously posted those thoughts here when the single was released. ^-^

Ayaya is really in my eyes the princess of ballads and she has so many more incredibly beautiful ones to choose from with the likes of "dearest", "Happiness", "Watarasebashi", "Suna wo kamuyouni...NAMIDA", "The Last Night", "Sougen no hito" and the list goes on and on but before I turn this Nacchi post into an all out Ayaya one I'll restrain myself here! :P "Suna wo kamuyouni...NAMIDA" & "Happiness" are below... ^ ^

The now most likely much talked about playful "kiss" that Nino lays on Riida at the end of this performance! They truly are so funny and it's moments of candidness like these which are so amusing for fans everywhere I imagine! At first there's a bit of shock and...Eh?!...but you can't help but laugh along with them! ^-^
Your eyes don't deceive you as Matsujun walks along a beam near the arena's ceiling upside down! His solo performance of "Yabai-Yabai-Yabai-" is innovative, creatively choreographed, and the wire work performed by Matsujun is nothing short of spectacular! And one must imagine how great his balance and strength is to perform such an amazing act so effortlessly in appearance! "Yabai-Yabai-Yabai-" is my favorite solo from their LE "Time" bonus disc as it's just such a cute song!!...and Matsujun's performance doesn't disappoint as he brings that same cute feeling from the recording to the stage with perfection!
I couldn't have dreamed of a better performance of "Cry for you" as the pyrotechnics and flair of the choreography are in full throttle here!!!!....I had to replay this performance right away as I was soooo awe struck!!!...and even speechless for awhile afterwards!!! ^-^ Is it me or is it really hot in here suddenly?!

Awwwww! I was so happy to see that "Happiness" was on the concert's set list! :P I can't even remember how many times that I've watched the pv for this song and finally being able to see it performed in a grand location like the Tokyo Dome is truly happiness...sorry I thought that may be a bit punny! :P
Ah I want one of those concert t-shirts!!! "We can make it!" is one of Arashi's best feel good songs as it can really help brighten up your mood on one of those down days! The performances on the second disc are a bit more relaxed and candid and you can really appreciate it all, after the incredible show that Arashi has been putting on for such a prolonged period of time and here it begins to wind down as they head towards much appreciated encores!
Haha I want that concert t-shirt above! "WISH" is part of the encore performances and what has become sort of a trademark in Arashi concerts is the tossing of message cards into the audience...just imagine being so lucky to catch one...well unless other fans attack you to get it! :O Hmmm...just thought about that possible aspect but hopefully all Arashi fans are well behaved! ^-^

Okay so that's a brief look at Arashi's latest concert DVD release and I hope this inspires other fans to purchase their DVD as well which can be found here at Cdjapan and it's currently in stock so there shouldn't be too much waiting for it to arrive. \(^o^)/

In closing my overall favorite performance from this concert is their emotional rendition of "Be with you." From Riida's sweet voice to Aiba's open emotions...well I think this performance speaks for itself so I'll repost it here. Enjoy! ^-^

At last my copies of Arashi's new single "Happiness" has arrived! This was my first time ordering from Yes Asia as I usually order CDs from CDjapan but they sold out of the limited edition within a few hours of listing it on their site and I missed out even though I did log on as soon as I saw their "Artist Newsmail." It took about a week to arrive and while I know that's not really a long to wait it seemed like it as my CDjapan orders usually arrive in 2 days and it also seemed like everyone else already received their copies days ago. It's said that you get what you pay for and when it comes to shipping it's no exception! Yes Asia's shipping charge was way cheap...but after a few days I was imagining it being delivered via rowboat or kayak. On the fifth day I imagined that the guy lost a paddle and had to wait for an emergency paddle to be flown in by helicopter. On the sixth day I imagined he had opened it up and was now listening to it...contemplating whether to deliver it or keep it. :P This morning I imagined that he had somehow managed to drop it overboard and was now frantically swimming around looking for it! :O Heheh but happily it was there intact in my mailbox when I got home today unopened. :D Talk about your wild imagination. In case your wondering what that little box at the top of the first picture contains it's a mini gift from Yes Asia for ordering these singles. It's from the Bandai series "Wanroom" and they're randomly inserted miniature furniture/house ware figures. I received the world's smallest nabe pot! And even the cover is removable. lol. Other figures in the 8 piece set include "Dog" sofa, "Dog" slippers (really cute actually!), kettle, kitchen sink, refrigerator, stove range, and "Dog" pot with cactus...collect them all! "Wan wan" is the Japanese sound for a dog barking and is how this amusing set got its name "Wan room" as everything has that cute dog face on it. Even the little box that it came in is amusing as it looks like a box used for moving. I decided to get both versions of this single as I considered the alternate jacket pictures to be an incentive and while the limited edition includes the bonus song "Snowflake", the regular edition does include karaoke tracks for both the a and b-sides and you never know when you may need to practice. :) I think their picture on the LE's cover looks the best but the RE does have a second close up shot of the group on the inside instead of one of them walking away heheh! "Happiness" opens with a cool sounding guitar playing a rapid steady note which is soon joined by a matching bass line and kicks in with the drums as this uplifting song which could only have been titled happiness fills the room. While Arashi has had many happy songs in the past this one really lives up to its billing with a joyous melody with all the hooks to capture the listener the very first time. It's that well defined upbeat that does the trick and it'll have you bobbing along in no time! Add in some of the best vocals in J-Pop and there you have all the ingredients for a perfect pop song. The coupling with track "Still..." could have easily been a single on its own. It's a silky smooth mid tempo pop ballad and it's chorus may even be slightly, slightly, slightly...ever so slightly catchier than the title track's. This is a really sweet song! While I'm not a big fan of rap music in general there is a definite exception when it comes to Shokun's raps. As my friend zdorama told me when he was introducing me to Arashi and their music, he said that Shokun's raps really are a part of Arashi's sound and it couldn't be any more true. He has his own distinct style and perhaps what's most impressive is that he writes these himself! While it's difficult to pick out my favorite Shokun rap I'm adding this one from "Still..." to the ballot right now. It just flows so perfectly with the music and is like sliding down a giant cookie sheet with butter...only not greasy. :P That may be one strange analogy but what I'm trying to say is that I think it's one of his best raps yet!

And now for the bonus track which made getting the LE essential. "Snowflake" This single release really has 3 very different types of songs on it. Beginning with the upbeat power of "Happiness", to the sweet buttery track "Still..." with none of the calories and no trans fat!, and ending with the pure ballad "Snowflake." While "Snowflake" doesn't sound to me like a stand alone single type of song it really is a good ballad. And when it comes to ballads Arashi really knows how to perform them with heart! This song has a slightly somber feel to it especially in the verses and the "weeping" violins in the background add a nice touch here. And it all leads up to a gently uplifting chorus which brings the listener back...to "happiness." A PV is a song's best friend and Arashi has delivered once again one of the most entertaining PVs in J-Pop. The beauty of this PV is that it's shot entirely in a candid way!! I've been holding off until my singles arrived and watched this PV 5 times in a row before writing this today. Arashi has got to be one of the most fun groups out there and they're not one of those groups that take themselves too seriously all the time and it really comes across well in this PV. I don't know if you could have more fun than they had when they shot this! That little red car kind of reminds me of the one that Matsujun is sitting on on the cover of their single "Love So Sweet" only slightly bigger. lol. And there's so much random wackiness going on in this PV that it cracked me up every time I watched it. I like the basketball scenes too and what a great Michael Jordan impression by Matsujun! :O And they even manage to give Riida the business towards the end of the PV where they're all pushing him out of the camera's view...but in the end Ohno gets the last...uh laugh!

I hope that they release a PV DVD collection soon with all of the videos that they've done since "5 X 5" was released or perhaps they'll include them as a first press bonus again. With the way that H!P releases PV DVD singles all the time for their releases I get kind of spoiled by that but at the same time it does get quite expensive and the shelf space is quickly running out again. It may be time for a new shelf...but where would I put it?! Time to maximize space again and rearrange the room. Mmmmm...for the love of J-Pop.