Best of 2010: Live Performances

With all of the Hello! Project concert DVDs finally released (I was just waiting on S/mileage's DVD release two days ago), I can finally make my top five live performances of 2010. I wanted to make sure that every single concert had a chance to make the list.

Speaking of this list, I had so much trouble making it. I went through all of the setlists of the concerts released this year, picked out all of the memorable performances and came up with about 15 performances that I felt worthy. Then I re-watched each performance so that I could narrow the list down more. That was the easy part. I was able to get it down to nine before I got stuck. There were about six performances that I really wanted to include no matter what, but the other three were so amazing that I didn't want to leave them off the list either. Eventually I decided to go with the original six and I managed to drop one to make the final product.

5. Cinderella\Complex (C\C) - by C-ute (Welcome to Cutie Gakuen Vol. 1)



Cinderella\Complex is one of my favorite shuffle songs of all time. Naturally, I was extremely excited when I saw C-ute performing this song. A little background info: the songs of this FC event's setlist were picked by C-ute via a lottery system (blindly picking a numbered ball from a box). Because they literally had no idea what they were about to sing (besides a list of a couple dozen songs), there are mistakes. Despite this being a rare imperfect performance, I enjoyed it so much that I had to put it on the list.

4. Love Like Crazy - by Takahashi Ai, Kamei Eri, and Shimizu Saki (H!P 2010 Winter: Shuffle Date)



I actually own the CD that this song appears on, but this was my first time listening to it and seeing it performed live. One of my many mistakes. This song is so awesome on so many levels. Its style is totally different from most of the H!P songs of today. Captain's last "kisu ni shite" line makes the whole thing worth watching over and over again. I love it when current H!P members breath new life into old H!P songs.



3. Dance Medley - by C-ute (C-ute 2010 Summer Concert)



I wrote a miniature essay in my review of C-ute's 2010 Summer Concert so all I will say here is this is the greatest medley ever. Every song, whether it was picked by the girls themselves or staff, were absolutely perfect for their voices, even if nearly the whole thing was lipsynced.

2. Kimi ga Ireba - by Buono! (Buono! 2010 Rock'n Buono! 3 Concert)



You can't deny how beautiful this song is. Every single time Buono! sings it, I get chills. But this performance is head and shoulders above any other because of the acapella intro. This song is the reason why I love ballads. Up-beat songs have their place, but ballads, if done correctly, can move you in a way nothing else can. It's performances like this that makes me so glad Buono! will be continuing their activities in 2011. If Hello! Project ever had a group made up of all-stars, Buono! would be it.

1. Namidacchi - by Morning Musume (Morning Musume 2010 Spring Concert)



It wasn't easy beating out Kimi ga Ireba, but Morning Musume did it. If Kimi ga Ireba is the perfect example of a ballad done right, Namidacchi is the perfect example of an up-beat song done right. The high energy in this song is really infectious. It makes me want to join in and dance, no matter how horrible I may be. The thing I love most about Namidacchi is its dynamics. Listening along is a musical rollercoaster as it jumps from somewhat calm to pandemonium, which all is capped by the climax of the song - 8th gen's rapping and Gakisan's intense monologue. I remember when 10 MY ME first came out, this was the only song that I didn't like. Now it's my favorite performance of 2010.


Morning Musume came so close to dominating this list since two of the four performances that barely missed the list were their songs (from the recent graduation concert), but they were barely beat out by C\C and C-ute's dance medley. Overall I'm happy how this list (and my other top five lists of 2010) came out. Having difficulty making lists like this one is a good thing - it means 2010 was a great year all around.

I still have one more best of 2010 list to make though. I will rank my #1 favorite H!P things overall for 2010. For example, with live performances I will take in account the whole setlist of a concert (as opposed to just one performance) and rank my #1 concert of the year. With songs, I will take in account the A-side and B-side (instead of just one song), etc. Look for that post soon~