My Idol Inventory (as of 9-16-11)

My 1st copy of Morning Musume's 47th Single came in today! (My Ai-chan copy is coming later) So today in my excitement I will show my small idol collection, which I was planning on doing someday anyway. 

"Mobekimasu" and "Berikyuu" Collaboration Singles Announced

All Mobekimasu artists (Momusu, Berryz Kobo, C-ute, Mano Erina, S/mileage) will release a collaboration single titled, Busu ni Naranai Tetsugaku, which will be released on November 16th. 

C-ute Momoiro Sparkling Full PV

Regular Edition Cover

I haven't followed any of C-ute's releases for a couple of years, but this is a refreshing change compared to their last couple of singles. 

Hopefully fans will support them by buying the singles and helping them get high sales! 

Releases for the J-pop World

Some of the releases that were postponed due to the earthquake now have new release dates:

Morning Musume-Maji Desu ka Ska! (45th Single)

C-ute: Chou WONDERFUL 6 (6th Album)

SDN48- Ai, Chuseyo (2nd Single)

will be released on April 6th, 2011. 

Morning Musume Concert Tour Autumn 2010 ~Rival Survival~ Blu-Ray (Kamei Eri, Junjun. Linlin Graduation) will be released on April 13th, 2011

Hello! Project 2011 Winter ~Kansei Shinsen Matsuri~ A Gana/B ttkuri Live will both be released on April 27th, 2011. 

No word so far on AKB48's album or Kikkawa Yuu's debut single. 

Massive 8.9 Earthquake in Japan

By now I'm sure that everyone has heard about the massive earthquake that Japan had last Friday. The quake was 8.9 in magnitude and was centered in Sendai. Even today there are still huge aftershocks going on there. Even worse is the growing worry at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and the radiation leaks.

Here is footage of the tsunami that the earthquake caused. It is not for the faint of heart so please watch at your own will.

I truly pray for the safety and well-being of all of the citizens in Japan right now and to those who have lost so much due to this quake. And to everyone wishing to do something to help there are countless foundations that are taking donations to help the relief effort in Japan. Any small amount makes a huge difference.

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund by Global Giving

Salvation Army Donation Site

American Red Cross

Everyone is involved in the relief effort. AKB48 has been very active in the relief effort so far. The have announced that they have opened a bank account to accept donations on behalf of the Japanese Red Cross as well as pledging to donate 500 million yen from themselves and from Akimoto Yassushi as well.

As far as group activities go, it has been announced that various activities and releases have been either pushed back or canceled entirely. The release date for AKB's first original album has been pushed back from its original date of April 6th to an currently unknown date. There five concerts scheduled at Yokohama Arena have also have been canceled due to the quake. The AKB theater has also been closed and there is no word on when it will reopen again.

Hello! Project has also been hit by the quake. Morning Musume's 45th single and C-ute's 6th album have also been pushed back to an unknown release date. The release of Kikkawa Yuu's debut single has also been pushed back. Various fanclub events for Berryz Kobo, C-ute, S/mileage and Kikkawa Yuu have also been canceled with the promise of rescheduling.

Once again I truly wish for the safety of everyone in Japan and I pray for those who have been directly effected by this disaster. I strongly encourage all of you to please consider donating to one of the relief efforts listed above or any others you may find. Anything at all is helpful.

C-ute - Kiss Me Aishiteru

The PV for C-ute's Kiss Me Aishiteru was released last week. 

Starting off with the song, it seems that C-ute having less members is good in terms of line distribution. Every member has an almost even number of lines, with the favoring of Airi, Maimi, and FINALLY Chisato.

The song itself has a nice beat to it and ~nee parts in the middle add a nice touch.

For the video, as usual for H!P PVs, we have a standard dance shot, close-up shots, and an additional shot in a kind of hallway.  

The dance shot takes place in an empty room with a white and black checkerboard dance floor. The dance is in typical C-ute style as there is a very intricate dance to the song. 

The white room contrasts very nicely with the gold and purple outfits that the girls are wearing. 

The close up shots are done in the same room with each girl sitting in a bubble chair while wearing headphones and holding a glass apple. First, what is with the headphones? Why are the holding the apple. I haven't seen a translation yet so pardon me if it's in the lyrics. Second, i would have liked it if the outfits from the cover (above picture) were used here instead of the same ones from the dance. 

Lastly there is the alternate shot. This is shot similar to the hallway shot used in Onna to Otoko no Lullaby Game, except instead of just singing in it there are also small clips of each girl dancing in it in the shadows. 

Overall, the PV is good in terms of the standard Hello! Project criteria and is a good start for C-ute for the year. For your viewing pleasure, the PV is posted below. 

The single will be released on Feb. 23