ROMANTICA from the lips? Hell yes!

I’m a bit behind, probably, since everyone else who would has probably blogged about this video already. But here’s my take on it:

I’m stunned.

This is the first time I have not wanted a dance scene or dance shots in an AAA music video. Actually, this is just the first time I have not wanted to see AAA dance, period.

Because everything else in the video for 唇からロマンチカ [Kuchibiru kara ROMANTICA] just completely overshadows it.

It works both ways.

It’s funny. AcQuA EP, the rock-ish boyband-ish group composed of hosts from Osaka, released their first single in September 2006. 6 months, 3 singles, 2 DVDs, 1 tour, and 1 album (Didn’t See Us Coming) later, they’ve announced their plan to disband – after another tour and another DVD, of course.

Who could’ve thought that such a project would’ve happened to begin with – breaking into the music industry with a bunch of hosts? In retrospect, it seems a bit obvious, but before they banded together, it probably wasn’t thought of seriously.

And now, with one member from their 8-man lineup gone, they’ve decided to disband and form another project, presumably with the same current 7 members, maybe more. It just won’t be called AcQuA EP. It’s a bit odd how they couldn’t have just gotten a name change, since they have apparently managed to develop a dedicated fanbase (one which I’m clearly not a part of, since I’m not weeping or spazzing or any of the normal reactions to this sort of news).

But as the title of their first album proclaimed, we didn’t see them coming. And we definitely didn’t see them going. Thankfully it won’t be for long though, because their first album is a decent work that shows some potential.

The Cash Cow Effect?

Lately I’ve been going back and giving anime music more of a listen.

Oh, wait. I’m sorry, did I just say anime music? I meant the moo-sic of anime and video-game cash cows. I’m talking Digimon, Sakura Taisen, Pokemon, Prince of Tennis, ONE PIECE. You can slip Final Fantasy in there too, if you so like.

Surprisingly, though, music associated with these brands have a tendency to turn out decent. I’m not talking any anime-associated releases, just the ones who are meant to wring out all the money they can from you like a certain avex-produced dual-gendered dance-pop group. The ones with all the bonus merchandising like gachapon figurines and toys that really have no use as far as you’re concerned except as collectibles. The ones that continue going on for at least a year or two, refusing to die even after you’re tired of it.

Rather than pumping out the stereotypical techno-infused upbeat pop or a bland ballad, the cash cows delve into every genre they can. Sure, on one hand, it’s a typical pop album that tries to be too much and falls flat too soon. On the other hand, it’s got the ability to appeal to listeners of various styles.

It’s funny, because when cash cow marketing methods are applied to an artist, the quality of their works decrease, often to the point where when they put out a song that you do like, you leap on it with as much as hope as possible. But in the case of anime and games, the quality of the associated music increases, even if you don’t quite think the actual product has improved. Is it because they’re expected to earn more money, thus allowing producers to hire better songwriters? Or is the standard lowered for them because the commercial focus is elsewhere?

Just a thought that I’ll probably expand on at some point.

COSMICOLOR me pleased.

I know I’ve gone on about my lack of attention span when listening to music, regardless of how much I like the activity itself.

Generally, the ideal environment for me to listen to music and actually have me focus on it is during a commute where I am by myself. During that specific time period, however long it actually is, I have nothing else to actually do or distract me, and so my mind centers on the music blasting from my earbuds and weakening my eardrums. (I am also of the generation that likes their music loud; sorry if you happen to be of the generation that waves walking canes at mine for doing so.)

So I’m not sure what it was that made me sit down and listen carefully to m-flo’s latest (and last in their “loves…” series) album COSMICOLOR during a time period where I had plenty of distractions, but I’m glad it did.

JPTV Spring 2007 Season

I think it’s really amusing how much of a hold Japanese Television has on me, especially in comparison to the lack of a hold American Television has. Granted, I’m watching the shows days after it airs on Japanese channels, but we bow to the glory of the Internet for that.

With that said, I foresee hours of me sitting in front of my laptop this season, engrossed in shows spoken in a language I do not completely understand. Possibly failing my finals as well, thanks to lack of studying from too much watching.

Pirate Anthem → Karaoke Anthem?

While I came out of the first je_nyc meet-up feeling seemingly half-dead, I did get a bunch of things to ponder about.

For example, how a bunch of girls, ranging from their mid-teens to early twenties, with different tastes in Johnny’s groups, all managed to find one thing in common.

NEWS‘ only single of 2006, サヤエンドウ [SAYAENDOU].

There are no good titles for this post.

Because, I’m sorry, titles like Get チュ－! [Get CHU!] and SHEの事実 [SHE no Jijitsu] don’t allow for much. So enjoy an enlarged cover for SHE no Jijitsu taking up my usual intro text space instead.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, this post is going to be about AAA’s latest single.

The Problem with JE Fans and Me. Or Maybe Just Me.

I never thought it possible.

But surprisingly, today, after a meet up with the lovely ladies at je_nyc (LiveJournal) and then walking around to almost all the Japanese commercial areas in NYC, I am… karaoke-d out? What? No! Say it isn’t so! I love going karaoke and singing my heart out!

So there is the alternative. Which says I am… Johnny-d out. Huh. Now there’s an odd verb.

But nonetheless true – the first episode of Kuitan season 2 aired today. (Yesterday. Whatever.) I’ve been looking forward to it for months. I was looking forward to it heading out of the house going to the meet-up. And then coming home, I found I didn’t want to look at a single pretty boy. (With the exception of Urata Naoya, who’s currently not-as-pretty anyways. Him and his ridiculous machismo streak.)

Don’t get me wrong. Despite the title, I don’t have a single bad word to say of the girls whom I met and spoke to (both online and off) for the very first time today – and before you bring up any news article where some foolish teen went and met with people s/he met over the Internet and came away with a tragic story, don’t. Been there, done that. (Thank you, mommy.)

Continuing. Let me repeat – there is nothing bad I have to say about these girls. And if anything, I can thank them for the unusual experience of playing tour guide to a bunch of residents of the same city they are “touring”. (I also know what isn’t my ideal job now, too.) And as far as fangirls go, they’re amazingly nice. Fanatic about their particular obsession, yes, but not about to force it on anyone. Welcoming, really. Some of them are a bit shy about singing, but hey, can’t blame them for that in front of total strangers.

Furthermore, everything I did today is exactly the same as I would when being with my usual crowd of friends – whose musical tastes, while they don’t extend to Johnny’s (oh, far be it), do lie securely in the range of the Japanese.

So where does the problem lie?

With me, for being a relative newbie to Johnny’s Entertainment? After all, beyond NEWS, Domoto Koichi, and a basic knowledge of JE that any J-Pop fan ought to have, I know nothing. I don’t quite know if you could even call me a fan of JE. Which does put me at a bit of an odds with a roomful of 6 or 7 JE fangirls.

With me, for generally being a not-so outgoing person? I have self-confidence and a measure of extroverted traits, yes. I certainly wouldn’t be able to meet a group of people where I didn’t know a single soul or have all that much in common with if I were completely introverted. But it’s a bit hard to communicate when you do tend to like things that (gasp!) the others seem to have never heard of and they like things that you clearly have no interest in. (Oh, AAA, I failed you today. That karaoke medley will have to come another time.)

With me, for apparently retaining a subconscious unwillingness to completely understand giant musical production groups like Johnny’s, Hello!Project, Girls’ Box (while it was still around), and the mess of artists under SM Entertainment? If you mention how I’m a fan of wFL – no, not really. My main fandom is w-inds. I keep up with FLAME and Lead’s exploits for the sake of completion. I’m really surprised that I even recognize the names of anyone who was in Morning Musume for at least two years, never mind having a general idea of what generation they were in.

Or with Johnny Kitagawa, who is apparently going to both directly and indirectly take over the world – between his empire of pretty boys and using their fans to kill the minds of non-fans. Don’t laugh! You weren’t there! I experienced the horror!

Meh, however you look at it, I guess this is just a lesson to me. Stick with meeting fans online and not face-to-face – unless I want to come out ready to fall apart.

The SEAMO Winds of Change

The fangirl in me squealed.

“OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG.”

Both KURO and MICRO, the MCs of HOME MADE KAZOKU, are known for the hats they wear. In KURO’s case, a beret – in MICRO’s, usually a visor. Small changes are usually noted by fans with some wonder – such as when MICRO changed up his visor for a fedora in Nagareboshi.

Well, apparently FAMILIA is the album of hat changes, because in their latest video promoting fantastic3 from that same album, they’re wearing… no hats at all?

Please Don’t Steal This Album

To reiterate a really bad joke I made when the title of YUI’s second studio album, CAN’T BUY MY LOVE, was announced…

You can’t buy her love, but you can buy her music.

Yeah, I told you it was bad. Thankfully, the album’s anything but! (That aside, don’t you just love these titles that allow for silliness? I remember seeing an Edison Chen album titled “Please Steal This Album”- hence the title of this post.)