15 posts tagged “utb”

Gomen ne~ I'm so late in scanning the latest issue (ノロ≦。)！Kawaguchi Haruna is this issue's covergirl~ and this the first time I think she's making an appearance in UTB?...chotto that could be wrong~, she's currently starring Fuji TV's drama "Tokyo DOGS."

AKB48 continues to have many articles and picture features in UTB which has been a growing trend in these pages and (more ♥ for CK ne~!) they're really taking the idol group genre to chart topping heights in both position as well as sales~! Takusan~! AKB features in this issue!!! with both solo and group pictorials/articles on AKB48's Oshima Yuko & Maeda Atsuko, SKE48's Matsui Rena & Mukaida Manatsu as well as an AKB48 feature and a mini group named ”く～のね4”。。(should have read "Watarirouka Hashiritai" :P thank you~! CK & Wendychi for clearing my confusion~)seifuku♥ so *kawaii*~!! ＾　＾

H!P who's been a mainstay in UTB also has *cute* features on Maimai with additional off shots not included in her 1st solo shashinshuu~, an upcoming preview of Riichan's new shashinshuu always so *adorable* ne~! and Maimichan's♥ ongoing photo feature continues towards the back of this issue with what I think is possibly her most *kawaii* photo shoot to date for UTB~! ＼(^o^)／☆

While the format of UTB has seen so many changes over the years one of their staples has always been their high level of photography, engaging articles w/ idol games...news...interests..hobbies♥ as well as the occasional idol♥room invasion~! (・д・`*) With their glossy covers and flat spines back now for some time~ UTB has really returned to their original prestige in idol♥ publications setting the standard so much~.

The extras which in the past has included pull out posters, clear files and a most impressive DVD in each issue...now published every other month~ are randomly inserted photo trading cards and you'll receive with each issue a chance for one out of three possible sets~! This month I received set "A" and for the most part your favorite♥ idols are divided up pretty well within these card sets so for instance if you're a fan of either H!P or AKB48?SKE48 you'll receive at least one member in your set no matter if it's A, B or C~ ＾　＾。

In addition...in the middle variety features section there's more on S/mileage with member profiles so you can learn their personalities much better, a solo shashinshuu article with Riichan♥ where she reflects on her previous pb releases~ and Nakki & Airiin preview C-ute's upcoming "best of" album which has a tentative release date of November 18th~!

Okay~! before I lull you into sleep ( 」´０｀)」Zzzzzzz with any more of my talk~…(^q^) here are those aforementioned article's scans.....I'm beginning with Maimichan's♥ as I think it's the most *wonderful* pictorial in this issue and really she's just so so *adorable* here as she portrays daily activity *moments*~ from waking to playing to sleepy time here's Maimichan in "Days" vol.5 up first.....

Just a few weeks ago the one and only Conan O'Brien made a bold prediction here amidst a darkened room...his handy flashlight and pal Andy....but wait!..he was few months too early on his prediction as he did say..."in the year 2010!" (ノロ≦。)！

But in any case though that flashlight of his coupled with his glowing face in the darkness and operatic reciting does seem to produce some true visions…(^q^) as Maimai will be releasing a solo shashinshuu on October 10th through WaniBooks~!


Up To Boy subscriptions are available here at Cdjapan.

Individual issues of Up To Boy can be ordered here at Amazon Japan.

I really actually thought that either Nakki or Ume would be perhaps next to release their first solo pb~ but being that Ume is soon heading to a career in modeling...it seems that made it Maimai's time~. I'm thinking the photography should be playful and fun reflecting the joys of teen life and as these preview photos show, it looks like the photographer really got it right~. ＾　＾

AKB48 presents a *gorgeous* cover and the all white background along with each member's pretty dress gives this cover an angelic~ glow to it! Also in this issue are SKE48 features & pictorials...solo AKB48 members gravure....and lots and lots of H!P♥! (*´∀｀*)

Out of the three randomly inserted trading card sets which include 5 cards in each, my issue included set B which features Maimai, Manoeri and three AKB48 members...Sato Amina, Kashiwagi Yuki & Ohshima Yuko~. Each of the three sets include an abundance of AKB48 member trading cards along with at least one H!P member so whether you're a fan of just one or both...you won't be disappointed no matter which surprise set greets you upon opening the little card pouch~. ＾　＾

Also notable are the lengths of the feature pictorials as some are covered over 9 to 11 pages! and with photography throughtout along with their text~. It's just another way in which UTB continues to improve and even with its 1200￥ price it's definitely so worth it to either subscribe or even just choose particular issues which interest you...however if you're a fan of H!P or even AKB48/SKE48....every issue at this time does include lots and lots of coverage of your favorite♥ idols with off shots, news articles, trading cards, shashinshuu previews, idol games & challenges along with the occasional idol room invasion..(。ーωー。).

I tried to scan as much as possible (in all 44 scans...) including the features on Tsugunaga Momoko who just recently released her 4th shashinshuu, Hagiwara Mai's feature (which is above), one of the articles on SKE48 where all the girls look so so *amazing* and just so glamorous!!, Manoeri's feature which has really a *scenes~of life type of feel to it wth pretty and warm photography~♥, & Yajima Maimi's ongoing photo features which continues in this issue with volume 4 "Tabikoi." But even with these pages scanned here this really just begins to touch upon what UTB has to offer any idol fan who *adores* cute photography at its best~!

And before getting to the rest of the scans it's most worth mentioning that......

...in just a little over three weeks from now Kohachan♥ will be releasing what will be her 4th solo shashinshuu on September 27th! I adore her soooo much!!! and she's so so so perfectly *cute*! o(*´∀｀)o゛I hope all of that most hyper *energy* can be captured on film without wearing out photographer-san~…(^q^)! Please enjoy the scans....=)

A~h Ayakachan's sooo *adorable*!!......but then I couldn't think of a title for this post but then I saw this giant zipper which she's trying so much to open!…(^q^) Ikezawa Ayaka is a fairly newcomer to the actress world in both movies and television dramas.....oh and CMs too! But I hope she appears in more shows in the future as she has a most *cute* smile and personality. I've included a short photo shoot from UTB just below so you can see just how *adorable* she is in motion as well as her article from the issue. Umm..think of this as a visual post where I shut up and go to *sleep*~~~~~actually I started this much too late to allow for more babble from me. ＾　＾

Um....more from Conan later.....but first...

..I received a most *endearing* e-mail earlier this morning from a most dear friend in the UK....which has got me through today in a most happy and euphoric mood...please forgive my strangeness which may show tonight while I type this~ (。ーωー。) ♪♪~

I'm currently watching an older anime series "Comic Party" that a friend sent me awhile back so I promise to try not babble for too long! (￣Ｏ￣*)!

UTB continues to return to grand form and by that I do mean in my most biased of senses....as H!P is really being featured much more as they used to once absolutely fill this publication with member/group features from cover to cover. =) The highlight first and foremost being the latest issue's *covergirl* Maimichan! ＼(^o^)／☆ Also it's notable to say that if you're a fan of AKB48 you'd surely find this idol magazine a worthy read as they're regularly featured in every issue...a trend which has lasted for at least the last few months till now and it doesn't appear to be fading away anytime soon either~! Hmm....I'm a bit puzzled by the appearance of SKE48....dare desuka? (・c_・;)？A mini unit? Shuffle group? Has Tsunku gotten to them too? (^o^)!!

Even the new spine of UTB says it all......awesome quality & long gravure! Σ(￣◇￣*)！Or should I say longer gravure as the main idol features have certainly grown in length....add in glossy covers, flat style spine, 110 pages+, beautiful photography, informative articles, idol games, idol news and Yes~! lots of H!P! =)

Subscriptions to UTB are available at Cdjapan.

Individual issues of UTB are also available at Amazon Japan.

While the beloved DVD extra is no longer included the return or those cute trading cards has commenced and in each issue you'll receive a total of five cards....randomly inserted from three possible sets (scanned above). UTB does a great job at separating all that a fan may love with the idol's being featured as for example if there are three H!P members, each set will then include one of their cards each so no matter which set you end up receiving you're assured to find a most *adored* member waiting there for you in that little pouch midway through each issue~. My issue included set A w/ Maimichan! ＾　＾

C-ute's Yajima Maimi headlines the issue with the very first idol feature and as has been with the past few issues her photos aren't off shots from her recent shashinshuu but rather 100% original~. As always *seifuku*= ~♥~

Although it's about twice the cost of an issue of Kindai, UTB really proves its worth not only in its beautiful photography...but also in the magazine's aesthetics as well which is printed on thicker stock glossy pages (note: a small portion of news and some features are in black & white in each issue), features a flat spine design and UTB has also long offered special extras with each issue. =)

The current extra being the inclusion and return of the photo trading cards~! UTB & Bomb! magazine really revolutionized the idol trading card/ magazine relationship back in the mid to late nineties and along the way UTB through it's numerous restructurings has offered extras such as clear files, posters and one of their most ingenious to date still remains their special DVDs which really brought to *life* each issue through "up♥dates", gravure photo shoots, idol games, etc...which featured the idols included in each issue~. Also notable are how extended each of the main photo features have become as they're now 8-10 pages in length!

And for any AKB48 fans...they've now appeared regularly for the past few issues....and in this issue alone AKB48 have five features including four of them being solo~.  ＾　＾

Subscriptions to UTB which is published bi-monthly can be purchased here at Cdjapan.

UTB's trading cards are randomly included between 3 possible sets of five cards per issue.......one great thing for all H!P fans is that the trend so far has been separating H!P member cards between the three sets....so matter which set your issue includes you can rest assured to receive at least one of them! =) My issue included "set C" or the "Airiin" set~.

Manoeri, Airiin and Maimichan are featured in photo shoots for this issue....here are the scans...


Manoeri continues to be an UTB favorite~♥....her photogenic personality and natural *adorableness* surely great reasons!





Manoeri's debut shashinshuu & major label music release is also covered...what's so awesome about these events is not only how close up fans get to their favorite idols but there are also usually signing opportunities as well~.

Berryz Koubou's Riichan shares a timeline from her birth up to her recent 15th birthday and it's cutely presented in a board game like format~. =)

Some of the following photography is of a mature nature so if you're a younger visitor you should avoid scrolling down or viewing this post.

It's been awhile since I last posted about a gravure idol here...tonight's visual focus will be Fukudome Yuko and part of the real irony here is that while some of the photography presented in her debut shashinshuu are rather on the mature side she herself was 17 at the time of this release..(sensual photography not nudity of course!) Japan's idol culture has long been one of contradiction in that while laws prohibit the youth under a set age not to appear on live broadcasts after a set time of the early evening (seemingly to protect) there really doesn't seem to be any barriers holding back the very essence in which idols may be presented in official publications.

The very existence of the acronym "U" ("Under") which precedes various ages of idols to categorize them into age says a lot in this regard and while cinema continues to feel a form of "censorship" which is all but non existent in other countries, it has lended itself to be leaked into other avenues of artistic expression...most notably the anime market where the extreme is often pushed to "adult" standards. Whether or not this is really a form of suppression on their society can be left up to debate but whilst this contradiction remains, what continues to be true is the unbarred presentation and expression of idols in Japan.

Fukudome Yuko's shashinshuu "Prime" can be ordered here at Amazon Japan.

Fukudome Yuko's "Ka.bu.ri.tsu.ki" DVD can be ordered here through sellers associated with Amazon Japan. (note: DVD is out of print).


UTB has gradually grown into somewhat of a more mature publication over the years but it remains to keep a younger audience as well as many of its idols and content are catering towards its youthful audience. In recent issues a distinct change towards an older audience is clearly visible in their inclusion of much more mature pictorial as well as older idols making regular appearances....many in much more "spicier" photo shoots.

Fukudome Yuko appeared in Young Jump as well as UTB issues just a few years ago and going from a simple pictorial to her debut pb what I found surprising at first glance at its arrival is the cover which you see to the right. It really wasn't what I was expecting and while here in the U.S. an idol of Yuko's age being presented in such a sexy way would be unheard of.......(although we do have those youth beauty pageants) in Japan it's clearly the norm as it's notably a thriving market in their society from past to the present.

A very nice surprise was seeing that Yukochan signed her entire set of first pressings of her debut pb.....(photo: above;top left)..as it adds a most personalized touch to those not fortunate enough to attend a premier book signing in person in Japan. =)

Yukochan's most striking feature has to be her *smile*~ (￣▽￣).......free of apprehension or pretense she has one of the most beautifully natural *smiles* ever I think!..........matched but perhaps not exceeded! =) She's really really ＊pretty＊ and on her DVD her fun personality really comes out as well~! I was thinking that she's a bit thin but I won't be one to judge as I could probably use a few more pounds, or at least I've been told (._.;)! It's grown into sort of a running joke aimed at me by co-workers....."you really should eat something!" :o

Again, some of the scans below from her debut pb "Prime" are quite on the "spicy" side.........you've been warned! XD Scroll down at your own risk! :P But many are on the ultra *adorable* cute side to counter.....so there's an alluring blend of sweet & sexy throughout her release making it quite a visual stunner to put it mildly! :o

............but first while the scans below are loading through your browser, here you can.....um watch Yukosan apply some skin lotion above~. XD She's quite the *sensual* idol too~. o(*´∀｀)o゛And here's a few screencaps from her debut DVD "Ka.bu.ri.tsu.ki♥"........
..."か.ブ.リ.ツ.キ♥" has a running time of approximately 50 minutes with an additional 10 minutes of shashinshuu making of footage including some candid funny moments and a few bloopers~. While most of the chapters are dedicated towards *girl* candy there are a few thoughtful moments of dialog as well as a showcase of Yukochan's background in hip/hop dance~.

The following scans are from her debut shashinshuu "Prime"...


............now here's where it gets interesting~.....um as all girls truly dream of heading down to the park...partially undressing and then swinging from a tree!! Wheeeee!!!! Okay, kidding!! I've never dreamt of doing such a thing ever!…(^q^).....(*sigh*) the life of a gravure idol. ＾　＾

May '98 marked the first appearance of Momusu/H!P on the cover of an issue of UTB (every H!P cover appearance is above) and over the next few years H!P would continue to dominate with numerous cover appearances which towards 2005 & 2006 would find their peak as H!P artists would appear exclusively as covergirls over that two year period leaving perhaps much of the rest of the idol world a bit shunned. While all streaks must inevitably meet their end at some point that run of consecutive cover appearances remains as one of the most rare feats for any artist(s) in terms of dominating a single publication where the magazine is no way exclusive to said artist.

After this impressive streak though came a long drought in which H!P while still appearing prominently in UTB (as Wani Books is the parent publisher of most H!P shashinshuu releases) didn't appear on another single cover dating back to the December 2006 issue which featured Aichan as their cover girl......in hindsight I imagine that no regular subscriber could have imagined that that particular issue would be H!P's last cover appearance for more than two years.

The April 2009 issue features one of the most beautiful H!P/UTB covers over their long history as Manoeri ends the over two year drought in dazzling fashion~! And while UTB seemingly continues their current restructuring of their presentation which has seen more facelifts than Joan Rivers (Gomen! XD) this issue in particular is showing definite signs of looking more like UTB's past in general as much of the format is quite reminiscent here. ^ ^

Manoeri doesn't only grace the front cover as she also is given back cover honors, here promoting her upcoming major debut release single.....shashinshuu scans can be found here.......and release information here.

UTB also returns to including trading cards with their issues with the first three sets of five being randomly included.....my issue included set 3 including Maimichan's debut trading card in UTB. As the trading cards are once again being numbered I imagine that this sequential offering will continue in the next issues to come which is a nice return to the extras which UTB was so popular for offering in the past. =)

The trading cards had quite a run as they numbered enough to fill nearly an entire binder on their own! Bomb! magazine would also follow suit shortly after UTB debuted their trading cards as theirs offered randomly inserted cards which like UTB were two sided with photos but also included occasional card sets which would be smaller pieces to a larger picture when all cards were layed side by side in order on their reverse side. UTB Vol. 190 includes an impressive amount of H!P coverage and the gravure idol pictorials have also increased in page count which is also representative of their past...all of which gives this issue a retro feeling and quite a welcome one at that! Now if only we can get that DVD magazine back! ^ ^

The following pictorials that I've scanned include: Manoeri supporting her debut shashinshuu & major music release debut with off shots from her pb as well  as an event memorial shot, Suzuki Airi pictorial, Manoeri major debut special which includes a "growing up" documentary & an "A to Z" personal look at all which is manoeri......watch for her so so so adorable baby pictures too!!! ^o^, a flower dance (Hula) lesson with Tokunaga Chinami where hula's beautiful language is revealed with specific dance points which translate into this dance form's unique way of expression, Hagiwara Mai & Okai Chisato show their photography skills  where only two will be named "best shot!", Takahashi Ai's pictorial poses the question of whether her image here can pass her as being 17 years old?...as she portrays her character in ther drama "Q.E.D." (currently watching! ^ ^ ), and lastly Yajima Maimi returns with her third installment of picturesque beauty! She is so beautiful!! ^ ^

But first, Mr.Children's song "Kurumi" has had me wondering for years now if perhaps a girl could be named "Kurumi" somewhere in Japan as Sakurai is addressing a woman named Kurumi in the song's lyrics.......alas Shimizu Kurumi ends all questions! "くるみ" means "walnut"....so I've just always wondered.........I think it's a cute name~!

Below is the mp3 for "Kurumi".....please enjoy listening along with the scans. ^ ^

Reichan has the right idea here!!...she's making me sleepy~~...

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! ^ ^

I was hoping to be able to find a link for an online seller taking pre-orders but it appears to be a bit too soon as I don't believe any have surfaced just yet. The set date for release is February 10th so while it's still a ways ahead of us I think there's great reason to be very excited about this news! UTB which is published by WaniBooks has been very active in supporting Manoeri in recent issues leading up to this announcement so it was rather inevitable as they truly seemed to be setting the table for her pb debut...and with Maimichan being shown a lot of ♥ recently too in UTB I'm getting a feeling that she may have something new on the horizon as well...but of course that's purely just a gut feeling. :P

It however is a bit surprising that Manoeri beat out quite a few members of both Berryz Koubou and C-ute in acquiring her first pb release and I seriously wonder if this is truly just UFA/WaniBooks playing favorites or perhaps if particular members aren't interested in releasing them. Both could be valid reasons and in some ways I hope that the latter is true as it would be a bit sad to know that UFA is purposely ignoring a few key members in their "Big 3" lineup...including Momusu too of course. Surely though UFA must have data on fan favorites through sales and FC information in general so perhaps it's a "business" decision which is deciding which members are getting pb releases while other aren't getting any at all...truly a sad thought though.

As evidenced in each of these UTB articles as well as in official UFA photos and her indies single covers, Manoeri is so naturally gifted in front of a camera and even with her youth there's seemingly not even a hint of awkwardness or any sense of being uncomfortable either which says a lot about her confidence and poise. ^ ^ It may be still too early to speculate on what sort of image WaniBooks will present her with but going by the styles of photoshoots so far released in their publication, I'd have to predict it'll be something elegant and sweet♪♪ for the most part. But judging by the above image shared on WaniBook's official site it looks to include mizugi scenes as well. Tanoshimi desu ne~! ^ ^