After Falling Off The Internet For a While…
Posted by: hotaruenlightening on: October 11, 2009
I realized that I’m too lazy and also too busy to make proper reviews on things. So, here is a super-quick rundown on my opinion on things that have happened in the Hello! Project world lately.
Graduations:
(nevermind the sort of crappy pictures…)
Arihara Kanna: I honestly expected her to graduate due to her “leave because of bunions” then not being there for two singles. Its not surprising, and it doesn’t make me sad, since she wasn’t a favorite of mine.
Umeda Erika: This graduation, on the other hand, is a little depressing. I liked Erika despite always being in the background. I hope she is successful in her modeling career, though.
Kusumi Koharu: When I read this, my jaw dropped. She gave Morning Musume a lot of popularity due to Kirarin. It makes me wonder what will happen with her gone. As I sat and thought about it, though, I realized that perhaps it wasn’t too unexpected, since Goto Maki left after being a huge success for Momusu also. She wasn’t a particular favorite of mine, but as soon as I started to warm up to her, I hear that she’s leaving, which is sad, I guess. I wish her a successful career in the modeling industry anyway, though.
Morning Musume:
Shouganai Yumeoibito: Its such a sad yet pretty song. The PV is very well done. I am pleased that it is more than a “dance and close-up” PV. All of the girls are wonderful in it, and I can understand why it would receive #1 on the Oricon Rankings.
Nanchatte Renai: I love this song so much. As strange as it is, Morning Musume often comes out with singles that can be related to the things going on around me. Everything about the song is wonderful, especially the rap portions and Kamei’s beautiful solos. Although the PV is a little bleak, the dance is so pretty and fun to do, I and the girls all look so gorgeous that all is forgotten.
Kimagure Princess: When I first heard this, I was really…shocked. Chipmunk voices? Really? Oh Tsunku…But then! The PV came out, and I was taken aback at how beautiful it is. Yes, it is a Dance shot + Close up PV, but the setting is elegant and pulled off so well. Although the girls aren’t wearing revealing clothing, they still look sexy. The gate/fence scenes are wonderfully done. All of the girls look like the belong. They are all doing the right thing. Its amazing. I can see Koharu-fans disliking it because it doesn’t particularly emphasize her despite it being her last single, but since I don’t like or dislike her, it doesn’t affect me. The only thing that bothers me (other than the chipmunk voices) is Gakisan’s voice…it doesn’t quite fit. Kamei finally being a main vocalist made me so happy, too. So, Tsunku, now we know that you can almost achieve perfection…just lose your fascination with chipmunk voices.
Berryz Koubou:
Seishun Bus Guide/Rival: I love both songs, actually. I love Seishun Bus Guide’s moving bass line and amusing PV. Rival’s PV is so colorful in contrast to Seishun Bus Guide, and upbeat in completely different way. The lake of Chinami makes me sad, though. Both songs are so cute, though. Momoko shines so well in both! One thing really bothers me about Rival though: why is Miyabi wearing an entirely shiny dress when none of the other girls are? I realize the theme is black and white stripes, and she has them, but she still looks incredibly out of place. Her voice makes up for it though! I am enjoying Berryz Koubou at the moment a lot, and I am looking forward for their next single.
C-ute:
Shochuu Omimai Moshiagemasu = Boring. Want moar Chisato. Too much AiriMaimi Show. The song as a whole is boring, but sort of catchy, too.
Everyday Zekouchou: A bit better than the previous single, but not much…There was some Chisato, which is also appreciated. I would have liked to see a bit of Erika though, since its her last single and all…oh well. The PV is very bleak and vacant. It isn’t notable in anyway…C-ute is sort of disappointing to me lately. Hopefully they will pick up the pace and be awesome again?
Buono!
Take It Easy! : I like this song, but its probably my least favorite Buono! song. It sort of has a countryish feel, which is properly reflected in the PV, but I’m not a big fan of it. I love Momoko, Airi and Miyabi in it. Their vocals are always good, and the PV is entertaining…its just not really to my taste.
S/Mileage
Asu wa Deeto na no ni ima sugu Koe ga Kikitai: I only have one thing to say about this.
It may be a crappy cap, but I’m sure you all understand.
S/Mileage = Tanpopo, therefore I like them.
And so, this ends my quick opinion on the things I care about. Other groups, like Guardians 4 and Mano Erina bore me so much that I have nothing to say about them.
Byebye!
A Spy Mission for…Cake! – Buono!’s MY BOY Review
Posted by: hotaruenlightening on: May 24, 2009
Buono never fails me! I’ve enjoyed all of their seven singles, but My Boy has become one of my favorites easily.
The song itself has all the elements I love about Buono!, the pop-rock-ish-songs are always done right with Buono!. I love that there are electronic elements to the song. The girls sound mature and fully-in-control of their voices, I’m happy to see how far they’ve come. It also matches well with the PV!
The PV is wonderfully crafted to be professional, humorous and cute. I love the concept of Buono! being spies/theifs. Each girl takes on a different obstacle to reach their destination, Airi’s being the most humourous to me.
“Oh no! A room full of lasers! Luckily, they forgot to sufficiently add layers to the bottom part of this room.”
Of course, Momoko makes the best out of the PV, doing all the silly cute things like having a feather gun and being surprised by a suit of armor. While the other girls add to the fun spy-theif element, Momoko always adds that little humor that makes Buono! Pv’s memorable.
The girls know how to make the best of the PV with cute reactions and awesome clothes. I love the dance and their outfits in the dance shot. I do wonder why Airi and Miyabi only have one earring whereas Momoko has two. Only wearing one earring seems to be becoming a common appearnce in Buono! PV’s, hasn’t it?
Sorry for the nasty-looking screencap. I’m getting better! I especially like Airi’s outfit.
The only thing I really don’t like about MY BOY is Miyabi’s hair. She’s had her hair this way for a short while, hasn’t she? I haven’t really noticed because it never bothered me so much as it did when I saw the cover of MY BOY. She just…does not look pretty at all. She looks much better with longer hair, in my opinion. In the MY BOY PV her hair really doesn’t bother me. It just bothered me so much when I saw the covers…Miyabi, plese grow your hair out again!
Cute…Cute…Wait what? Is that even a girl?
Warp! is also a fun song to listen to. It sounds much more suited for an anime. I like the brass-instrument elements. Its a cute song, and any big-fan of Buono! certainly should listen to it.
If you can’t tell yet, I’ll say it again: I really love MY BOY. I don’t have any complaints other than Miyabi’s hair, which can’t really be helped. I really hope that Buono! continues even after Shugo Chara! ends.
I recommend listening to this! This single passes with an A!
First Impressions on Spring Anime
Posted by: hotaruenlightening on: April 19, 2009
- In: Anime
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Well, I have to say…I’m not very impressed by my options this season. I was anticipating three new series, but…not all three ended in disappointment!
K-on!
I didn’t expect a masterpiece out of this series, but I didn’t expect it to be so irritating, either. The whole cast is full of moe stereotypes. None of the characters have strong enough of a personality to really stand out to me. The main character, especially. How could you have gone all your life just staring at the clouds with that dopey look on your face? Seriously, these sorts of things bother me.
Just because you played the castanets in freaking kindergarten doesn’t mean you can become a musician. Yui’s moe-aspect is such a dominant part of her personality that it makes her look thoughtless and a pointless character, even though she’s clearly the main character. The rest of the characters are just as irritating. The “feisty and sort of strange Ritsu” on the drums, “Sort of maybe tsundere but actually really awkward and polite Mio” on bass, and “rich and sheltered Tsumugi” on piano.
Unless I start reading reviews like “There was character development and they all matured significantly” (I’m not waiting till the very end of the series for something like that to happen, though) I’m not going to watch this. Its disappointing that the characters are all so boring (since the characters make the anime in this sort of series), because the I actually enjoy the opening and ending to K-on!. Thats the only thing I do like about it. In conclusion, this series gets a “No,” from me.
Shangri-la
At the very least, I was mildy impressed with it because I wasn’t expecting much at all. The plot ended up being a bit more complex than I expected, also. But, it isn’t very interesting to me. A Oil-Global-Warming-Issues-Anime could be interesting, the plot isn’t bad, but I find it lacking in very interesting characters. I feel like I would watch this anime if Kuniko was a bit different. The “Princess-That-Doesn’t-Want-To-Be-One Delinquentish Outgoing Girl” is just sort of…boring…to me. I love Momoko though. The show itself didn’t really entertain me until the fight scene, where Momoko’s entertaining fighting style took place.
Seriously, the only reason I would continue watching this series is to see what Momoko does next, but then again, she doesn’t have the weird charm that Leeron had from TTGL. Right now, the only reason I’m watching is for Momoko, and even so, its not a strong enough reason to watch. Most of the time Momoko was just the “motheringish friend character”, which makes me think she’ll stay that way throughout the series, only showing up here or there. So I’m not really interested in her at the same time. I feel like this series just isn’t worth watching. I might watch more, I might not. I’m not quite sure yet.
Eden of The East
This series is a yes all the way for me. The story is presented in a manner that reveals just enough to make you keep watching, unlike the other to series (at least, that is how I felt when watching K-on! and Shangri-la). The characters are revealed in a way that keeps you interested about them and the things they do throughout the episode. There is a likable feel that both Saki and Akira have, the kind that makes them believeable people. The animation is also well done. The character designs are different. I like them.
There is a soft feel to them. I’m interested to see how the story progresses. I’m also interested to see what role Saki will play in the midst of Akira’s…cell phone conflicts.
To promote the series more, the opening song animation is very good, and the song is good too. I recommend it. I prefer the ending song, though. The paper-animation that goes along with it is impressive, also. I can’t wait to the next episode.
Overall, I was a little disapointed in the anime airing this season, but am thoroughly impressed with Eden of The East. I recommened watching it.
-Hotaru
Hello! Project Rankings
Posted by: hotaruenlightening on: April 8, 2009
I entered my scorings in a while ago, but I have not really had a chance to justify my rankings until now. I really enjoyed this poll, because I didn’t have to be like “Well, I know that girl is last” I just got to focus on the positive 
1. Tanaka Reina
She’s been my favorite for quite a while, and I don’t think that will change anytime soon. She’s got a look I like, a voice I like and a personality I like. In my eyes, she’s great.
2. Junjun
The first time I saw her I knew there was something special about her. Through watching concerts, tv specials and Haromoni, I can confidently say that Junjun is one of the most entertaining members of Hello! Project, despite her not being around very long. The fact that she doesn’t always understand whats going on fully is one of her good points, she manages to pull it around to be something humorous most of the time. Vocally, she’s not amazing, but given time, I’m sure she will improve imensely.
3. Kamei Eri
At first, Kamei was just sorta “That girl over there whos pretty adorable,” but Kamei started getting more and more attention, and I started to fall in love with her. I mean seriously, she still doesn’t get the attention she deserves, but she still manages to pull through and continauly get more and more solo-lines and attention. I feel like Junjun and Kamei are tied for 2nd, because I love them both so much.
4. Tsugunaga Momoko
This is one girl that I didn’t quite notice at first. She always caught my eye in Berryz PV’s or in concerts, but I could never form a straight opinion about her. When Buono! formed, though, my awareness of Momo’s adorable increased quickly, and I started to like her a lot. Now I’m always awaiting another performance from her!
5. Okada Yui
She’s actually the only member of V-u-den that I truly had an interest in. Her voice has a special quality that I always look forward to hearing. To me she is also entertaining off stage. I really hope she continues to have a successful career, I feel she is too valuable to let go so quickly.
6. Tokunaga Chinami
I’ve enjoyed watching Chinami grow over the years she’s been in Berryz. She’s very entertaining, and she always looks like she’s making the best out her idoling career. She works very hard (as can be seen from her collapsing on stage) despite not receiving much attention a lot of the time. I’m happy she is being given more solo time, and that might even boost my interest in her *shrugs*.
7. Okai Chisato
Such a tiny girl with such a powerful voice! I love listening to her sing. Its a shame that C-ute is mostly “The Airi and Maimi show” because this girl has a lot to offer. One day, I believe she will be given the opportunity to take Airi or Maimi’s place for at least one single!
8. Yaguchi Mari
I love that she didn’t give up on her career when she got busted for dating whatshisface, and is even recording and releasing songs. She is still positive despite her situation, and that says a lot about her good character. I loved her while she was in Morning Musume, and her leaving so abruptly didn’t change how I perceived her.
9. Suzuki Airi
Same as Momo, Airi really grew on me when Buono! was formed. She’s always impressed me with her voice, and her stage presence is getting better and better. I don’t like that she gets all the lines in C-ute songs, but at the same time, shes good at singing, so its all right. Her voice has a certain quality that I can enjoy. Plus, she’s super cute.
10- Fukuda Kanon
I don’t know much about her other than that she’s in Shugo Chara Egg! cosplaying as Suu. From what I’ve heard of her though, she has a cute and good quality voice, that if trained, would be great. She’s also adorable, and the only Hello! Project Egg that has grabbed my attention. I look forward to seeing her in the future!
So there are my rankings! Thank you Paul for making these polls the past couple years. Each year they get prettier and more complex, and they are always lots of fun
-Hotaru
Platinum 9 Disc
Posted by: hotaruenlightening on: April 4, 2009
My copy is in the mail! Reviewing Platinum 9 Disc, Morning Musume’s 9th album, as my first review on my new site seems like a good idea, right? I certainly hope so. This is the first time I’ll be hearing the album, so the review will be kind of like “First Impressions”, but the will be accurate enough, I think
First of all, I feel like calling their album “Platinum 9 Disc” is kind of lame. Yes, we know that the contents of the album case is going to be a disc. Calling it “Platinum” doesn’t make it all the more appealing. Then again, I thought “Sexy 8 Beat” was an uncreative and stupid title for an album also. If Tsunku didn’t have an obsession with putting a number in all of his albums, the titles would probably be a lot better. But, I’m not about to judge an album based on its name!
1. Songs
It sort of reminds me of TOP!. I love the intro. It feels really abrupt when Aichan started singing. After that, though, the song flows well. It provides a big benchmark for the rest of the album. The vocals are good, but they have been slightly ruined by the robot-voice-add-in. I feel like the song is practically begging us to listen to the rest of the album through “Let us sing a song” being repeated several times in the most obnoxious voice-changer-thing (the only thing I dislike about the song). At the very least, the song a good opener for the album and probably a great opener for a concert. (4.5/5)
2. Resonant Blue
I wrote my opinion of this single on my VOX blog. Long story short: I like it a lot. (5/5)
3. Ame no Furanai Hoshi de wa Aisenai Darou?
Such a beautiful song. I love this song so much! When I first heard this at one of Wonderful Hearts concerts DVD’s (I don’t remember which one), I was almost crying from the beauty. Its sung well, and the harmonies are very well done. The best part of all is Junjun and Linlin’s solos, of course. When I heard Junjun singing, I really started crying! It made me so happy! And wow! Linlin actually has an amazing voice, it surprised me. Although I feel like the live version of this song is more moving, this is still a great song. The placement within the album is a little questionable, but its such a great song, I wont question it. (5/5)
4. Take Off Is Now!
I like how the style of the song is definitely RnB-like (I actually am unsure what to classify it as), but it has a slight reggae-salsa feel to it at points. Its awesomely sexy, which is a strange observation, but I feel it is an appropriate description. Its powerful and fierce, and is perfect dancing music. The only thing I don’t like is the sometimes far-too-high harmonizations, they sort of distract from the great main vocals. Other than that, great song. (4.8/5)
5. Naichau Kamo
I never made a proper review of this on my VOX blog…so here’s a little blurb on my opinion. At first, I didn’t really like it. It was very samey-samey and boring to me. But slowly, it started to grow on to me to the point where I actually enjoyed listening to it. I still enjoy it. Its very catchy, which is probably why it grew on me. I do wish for a single where Aichan and Reina were not the main vocals, but I still think that this is a pretty good song. (4/5)
6. Watashi no Miryoku ni Kizukanai Donkan na Hito
hmm. Aika’s voice doesn’t have that cute charm anymore. Its not a bad song and it doesn’t have terrible vocals, the song itself just doesn’t have any appealing spark. I want to like it…but the vocals are on the mediocre side, and the tune itself just sounds like a cheap-anime-opener. Oh Aika, What have they done to you!? I love you, please come back with your cute charm! (3/5)
7. Guruguru Jump
Ahh! What a surprise! Its so energetic and happy! I love it. The beginning kind of reminds me of a Kirarin song. The addition of Junjun and Linlin tone down the “Oh my goodness everything!!”-vibe from Koharu, but boost up the cuteness, making the song a perfect balance of energy and adorable. Plus, its so catchy! Even though its carefree feel is a little out of place compared to the rest of the album, it still great. Plus, its so catchy!This is guaranteed to be playing through my head one of these days. (5/5)
8. Mikan
I like the song, but its a little too old now… (4/5)
9. Jounetsu no Kiss wo Hitotsu
Significantly less captivating than Take Off Is Now!. Possibly my least favorite song on the album. The style is boring, but the vocals are very good. Its a very predictable song, though, which gives it a (2.5/5)
10. It’s You
Wow, the intro is…silly. Sayumi singing this good is quite a landmark. I never would of expected this from her a year ago. You have to proud of her, she works so hard! The song itself isn’t really the type I tend to like, and a bit more emotion from Sayumi would have been preferable, but its still quite a landmark of a song. (3/5)
11. Onna ni Sachi Are
Ahhh, I love ONSA. (5/5)
12. Kataomoi no Owari ni
Oh my goodness. I love Eri’s voice. So. Much. I’m so happy she got a solo song on this album. Her voice has matured significantly. Its calm and rather soothing. I could listen to her all day…I love it. The song itself is enjoyable to listen to. Kamei has the kind of voice that is entertaining to listen to, no matter what she is singing. So why isn’t she given more lines in singles? Why why…!? Anyway..This song is great. If you are going to listen to a song from this album, this is the song to listen to! (5/5)
13. Kanashimi Twilight
I haven’t heard this song in a while! Its a great song…the time when Yossie and Miki were still in Morning Musume, ahh the memories. Morning Musume has quite a different feel with this lineup compared to the lineup of today. They are both good feelings, but this lineup makes me kind of nostalgic…. (5/5)
So, as a whole, this album is solid. The songs are more entertaining and even more…advanced musically than Sexy 8 Beat’s were, in my opinion. Haha, thats probably really biased. Regardless, the album is worth a listen!
Overall Album Scoring: (59/65) A-
-Hotaru
Spring Season
Posted by: hotaruenlightening on: March 30, 2009
- In: Anime
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There are actually quite a few new anime this season! There probably are every spring, but I have just started seriously tracking anime, so its exciting for me. I’m not interested in most of the anime airing this spring, but I will be checking out these few series:
K-on!
Quick Summary: Four girls decide to try to start up a music club, but unfortunately, none of them really know how to play musical instruments.
Kyoto Animation is doing K-on!, so I have high hopes for this! The trailer doesn’t really provide much for opinions, so I will definitely be watching the first few episodes. I believe it will be quite entertaining and humorous. Kyoto Animation has not failed me yet!
Eden of The East
Quick Summary: On November 22, 2010 ten missiles strike Japan. However, this unprecedented terrorist act, later to be called as “Careless Monday,” does not result in any apparent victims, and is soon forgotten by almost everyone. Then, 3 months later… Saki Morimi is a young woman currently in the United States of America on her graduation trip. But just when she is in front of the White House, Washington DC, she gets into trouble, and only the unexpected intervention of one of her fellow countrymen saves her. However, this man, who introduces himself as Akira Takizawa, is a complete mystery. He appears to have lost his memory. and he is stark naked, except for the gun he holds in one hand, and the mobile phone he’s holding with the other hand. A phone that is charged with 8,200,000,000 yen in digital cash. (taken from Anime News Network)
A very interesting premise. It sounds like it will be an interesting story. The animation is of good quality and the style is a bit different from most anime. Plus, the cell phones are pretty cool looking. I’m am highly anticipating this series.
Shangri-la
Quick Summary: The story is set in a neo-futuristic age, in which Tokyo has turned into the world’s largest “jungle-polis” that absorbs carbon dioxide. A tower city called Atlas houses the rich and privileged, and is the object of yearning of all that are not allowed to enter. But Atlas also has ancient secrets which cause a sudden whirl of events. Festooned by colorful characters such as a riotous teenage girl, a child genius, a juvenile princess, a drag queen, a female doctor, an army major, and an elderly gentleman and lady, Shangri-la’s hard-core world view plays out as an anime action saga.
I may or may not actually watch this series. The premise sounds interesting and the art is pretty, but I fear that with a premise like it has, the series could end up being really lame. Also, it is produced by the shudder-upon-uttering-its-name Gonzo. I don’t have anything against Gonzo, but then again, I haven’t seen much by them, either. I certainly hope this series will turn out well, instead of being lame like my head is telling me it will.
So, there are the three series I’m definitely checking out this season. I may or may not start to watch another series, but currently, these are the only three I’ll be watching.
-Hotaru
A New Start
Posted by: hotaruenlightening on: March 30, 2009
Hello, this is Hotaru from hotaruandhp.vox.com.
I decided to take my blogging elsewhere. Vox is a really great place, but I felt tied down to restrictions about what I could write about. I wanted to start doing things like anime reviews, and reviews on music other than Hello! Project. I also fell off the face of the earth with my vox blog, but thats another story in itself. I am no longer commited to school 13 hours a day, thank goodness, so I am going to start doing things that are entertaining, that I enjoy doing. I hope that that this new start will be successful for my growth in writing, and it will keep others entertained, too.
I will do my best!
-Hotaru
