C-ute and S/mileage joint concert

Looks like C-ute and S/mileage's 2011 Spring Concert will be done together.

My first reaction was like "nooooooooo~". I like S/mileage and I like C-ute. So what's the problem? Ever since their 2008 concert ended, I've wanted an encore of Berryz and C-ute's Battle Concert because it was beyond epic. This announcement means that it probably won't be done anytime soon (if ever). Oh well.

Thankfully C-ute will also be having a normal solo tour (and I assume S/mileage will do the same). Poor Airi. She has four concerts virtually back-to-back-to-back-to-back to do (H!P 2011 Winter, Buono! 2011 Winter, C-ute 2011 Spring, C-ute/Smileage 2011 Spring) now.

Emotions aside, this could actually end up being pretty interesting. Especially if they actually mix the girls and have them sing each others songs. Airi, Chisato, Ogawa Saki, and Yuukarin Bishoujou Shinri version please.

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今日で21歳になる！！

Que my blog readers frantically going to Google Translate.

Here, I'll help you out: today I'm turning 21! woot!

I can't believe it. I'm getting old.

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HAIRCUTZZ

Thanks to Yaguchi, I can never hear or say that word again without busting out laughing. CANNOT UNHEAR.

Anyway, S/mileage members Wada Ayaka and Maeda Yuuka have now cut their hair (probably something to do with their fourth single, titled Shortcut).

Now all of the S/mileage members have short hair.

I must say that I was worried about Yuukarin when I heard the news, but she might actually look better with short hair.

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9th Gen auditions to appear on TV

No real surprise here, but the Morning Musume 9th generation auditions will appear on Bijou Gaku for the December 16th and 23rd episodes.

This could very well mean that the new girls won't be shown at the graduation concert, but I don't really mind. December 15th is Eri, Junjun, and Linlin day. It would be great to just be all about them, and not about the newcomers.

And speaking of graduations, December 15th is coming up really soon! Just seven more days (Japan time)! I know there is no way I will be going to sleep on the 14th. I'll be up waiting for any recordings of the graduation concert and any breaking news.

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Aitai Lonely Christmas 1st week sales, rank

Ranked at #6 for the week, C-ute's 14th single Aitai Lonely Christmas sold 23,682 copies.

This is C-ute's highest selling first week since Everyday Zekkouchou. In the coming weeks, it will definitely surpass their other three singles from this year and become C-ute's highest selling single for 2010. It is also the second highest selling first week for a H!P single that isn't a Morning Musume song (Otakebi Boy/Tomodachi holds first place).

Good job C-ute, way to end the year strong.

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Covers of old H!P songs to go on sale soon on iTunes

According to the H!O twitter, a new project titled "Hello Cover" will be underway soon. Hello! Project members will release covers of old Hello! Project songs for sale via iTunes. We've already seen something like this before, but this seems that it will be more widespread throughout the whole company.

Starting on December 8th, Kamei Eri will release covers of nine songs of Hello! Project's illustrious past that she hand picked. The songs are as follows:

• Memory Seishun no Hikari  (Morning Musume)
• Furusato (Morning Musume)
• Koi wo Shichaimashita (Tanpopo)
• Seinaru Kane ga Hibiku Yoru (Tanpopo)
• Egao ni Namida ~Thank You! Dear My Friends~ (Matsuura Aya)
• Love Namida Iro (Matsuura Aya)
• Koi no Hana (Abe Natsumi)
• Onegai Miwaku no Target (Melon Kinenbi)
• Kousui (Melon Kinenbi)

I've actually never heard of a couple of those songs (never got into soloists nor Melon Kinenbi much), so half of the songs will be a completely new experience to me. The other half are songs I know pretty well and look forward to hearing Eri's interpretation. It will certainly be interesting to compare her version of Love Namida Iro with Chisato's (and Ayaya's of course).

However that is what I expect the major problem with this will be. I fear far too many will get caught up in arguing who sang what better, instead of just enjoying some pretty cheap (assuming they follow the $0.99 pattern) songs. You'll only be paying $8.91 for what is basically a mini-album -- something that would normally cost foreign fans upwards of $20 to enjoy.

Also, apparently more Hello! Project members will follow in Eri's footsteps and release nine covers of songs of their choosing. While I would love to see some more Airi or Takahashi solos, I think this is a great chance to have some of the girls who don't normally get a lot of lines in singles to shine. Linlin, Yurina, and Hagiwara, I'm looking at you.

Out of the songs she chose, I think Memory Seishun no Hikari and Kousui are the two songs to look out (listen out?) for.

Reina did a really awesome cover of Memory Seishun no Hikari a couple of years ago on one of those Morning Musume Best Shot FC DVDs. Reina did an amazing job on that song, especially when you consider her age at the time it was filmed. I'll be really looking forward to hearing how Eri handles a Morning Musume classic like that.

Kousui is just a song that I expect Eri to sound great in. It just seems like a song that will fit her voice well.

Lately, Hello! Project has been taking all of my money and it looks like they've did it again.

Short video announcement:



Quick edit: apparently it's Manatsu no Kousen and not Memory Seishun no Hikari. Oh well.

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