[SINGLE REVIEW] NEWS are back and they're on a quest to take over the world!

AKA: Would you like some Pekora with that good news?



All opinions are my own and I don't expect you to agree with them, necessarily. You have your opinion and I have mine, so, let's keep it at that.

 

NEWS, the quartet boyband extrordanaire in what kind of looks like pajama bottoms

 

So, WORLD QUEST/Pokopon Pekorya is NEWS’ next single after their explosive, and extremely successful, comeback (an actual comeback, too, none of this K-Pop shit where they wait a couple of months before releasing and, then, smack the phrase ‘COMEBACK’ over everything to make everything seem far more exciting than it is, ignoring fully the fact that bloody group didn’t go anywhere and took a perfectly normally waiting period before putting out anything new `(*coughbapcough*)),and first release as quartet (after the tragedy of 7^th October 2011 – yes, it was a tragedy; I very nearly cried, that makes it tragic), Chankapana, which managed to chart for a good nineteen (or so I’ve read) weeks. It was also the first single since the group’s only 2009 release, Koi no ABO, to hit the 200, 000 sales mark in its first week. Pretty good going, I’d say. And, now, NEWS have continued to impress, topping the Oricon charts with their 15^th single, WORLD QUEST/Pokopom Pekorya. Let’s take a look-see~

1. WORLD QUEST

This is the main track of the single – I don’t care that the title of the single clearly implies there’s some double A-Side business going on, the other song doesn’t even have a bloody PV, so, yeah, this one’s the main one. It will also be used as the image song for ‘TOTOYA presents FIFA World Cup Japan 2012’, much in the same way that KAT-TUN’s DIAMOND was used as the image song for ‘Dramatic Game 1844’, only, obviously, this is football and not baseball. I don’t give a flying fuck about footie but, just so you know, this World Cup is ‘a soccer tournament to determine the top club team from more than 300,000 club teams in the six continents’. On top of this, NEWS’ own Tegoshi Yuya will be working as a caster on the games, much like KAT-TUN’s Kamenashi Kazuya does with Dramatic Game. Oh, and Tegoshi will also be working as a host on a new sports show called ‘Soccer Earth’, much in the same way as, hm, KAT-TUN’s Kamenashi does with baseball for Going! – what is this, are NEWS trying to become KAT-TUN’s football-loving brother or cousin or something?

Anyway, all that aside, it’s time to focus on the song itself. This song is NEWS. Really. It just sums up everything NEWS are. Every aspect of it. Except for parts of the lyrics, seeing as their songs aren’t normally full of football references. But, seriously, I should think that anyone very familiar with NEWS would agree with me when I say that this song practically just screams NEWS at whoever gives it a listen. That isn’t to say, though, that it sounds like any other NEWS song – it’s definitely a brand-new song but it just captures that NEWS feeling so brilliantly. This song reminds me of everything that makes me love NEWS (except for Yamapi, because he is, pretty much, a reason to like the group but he’s not in the group anymore so whatever).

The vocals in this song are absolutely gorgeous, too. This is possibly the best I’ve ever heard from Shige – note that I’m not saying Shige’s bad in anyway at all, he just sounds really nice in this. And, of course, Tego’s bridge line is to die for. It’s absolutely stunning, he sounds so amazing. I do honestly believe that Tego is JE’s very best vocalist; his voice is so clear and powerful. I don’t think I’ve ever actually heard a botch note or anything like that from Tego, even live, in his entire NEWS career, which has, I must point out, lasted since he was 15 or so (so, basically, 9 years this September). His vocals never fail to impress, I swear. Also, the falsetto parts in the chorus are brilliant, too.

I really love the arrangement of this song, too. The piano is a really beautiful touch and I do love the clap-like beat in the build-up to the first chorus. The echo/overlaps in the chorus add a really nice touch to it.

The mood of the song is absolutely fantastic, too. The song manages to be extremely upbeat whilst remaining really quite calm. I can’t actually tell if this song is perfect for Summer or Winter (as I tend to associate certain songs with these seasons) because it seems to be a perfect blend of the two. It’s truly a song perfect for the entire year! Also, for a football song, it’s bloody good, seeing as most football-themed tracks seem to feel the need to incorporate crowd-chanting. That doesn’t work for me that well, that’s all.

2. Pokopon Pekorya

This is the second A-Side of this single, the PV-less one. This song is actually pretty adorable in its own way and sounds an awful lot like something you’d hear from some kind of teen girl idol group. However, NEWS have managed to be a boyband who can do cute songs without pissing me off somehow, but that’s probably to do with the fact that all those 12-year-olds currently taking over Johnny’s Jr don’t actually interest me at all, and the fact that, however open I am to listen to young girls sing, I don’t really see myself buying into the whole squealing over underage boys thing. But that’s just me. God, I barely pay boys under the age of 20 much attention (the youngest that I’ll take interest in is 17, and that’s probably just an excuse to claim that a younger Kame is pretty). Let’s just ignore that I do think that Tego was entirely adorable straight from his debut and I actually liked him. I do make exceptions, but I can’t help that most of the young boys in Johnny’s are a little sickly to me. Besides, they spend their whole time trying to be both sexy and cute at once and it really isn’t working for me, However, NEWS are all in their mid to late 20s and aren’t going overboard with the cutesy thing. It’s just a cute song, that’s all. A properly cute song.

The song starts off with this little tune that doesn’t actually crop up anywhere else in the song and it’s a nice touch. And, then, it breaks off into bagpipes! I love when they’re used in J-Pop cause they do actually sound so nice in certain songs (MilkyWay’s Anataboshi’s another example of a song like this. The melody of all the instrumental parts is just so catchy and upbeat, it really wins you over, even though the big one in the middle does suddenly have a bunch of dog noises for some strange reason.

The chorus is also extremely catching and easy to remember. The lyrics are simple and fun and the entire song seems to be about food. Songs about food are always fun~! The chorus does actually have a fantastic melody, though, in terms of catchiness. The song may not be your thing, necessarily, but you’d still have to admit that at the very least. The bridge, a big Massu solo, is also pretty nice. The way it breaks into gibberish at the end is cute, too. I could honestly see some girlgroup singing this yet NEWS do it so perfectly as well that I don’t even care.

It’s actually a dead shame this song doesn’t have a PV, because I’d love to see it, granted that they shoved Tego in pink tartan somehow (same goes for the other three, but in their respective member colours – platinum blonde and pink just seems like a nice combo). Though, I don’t actually know what kind of bagpipes they are. Coloured tartan’s just cute.

3. Hello

This is the first of the single’s three B-Sides and it’s a calm, almost ballad-like song. This song is also very typically NEWS (though, I can’t say that it would impossible to see KAT-TUN singing something like this, or even Arashi). It’s a very peaceful and emotional track. I have to say, I’m a sucker for songs like these. They make me want to cry, just a little, and I don’t know why. I mean they’d be nice tears but still. It’s just such a pretty song. Honestly, this song, to me, is flawless. The vocals are absolutely fantastic in this song and feature the members at their peak of vocal prowess, especially at the bridge. Every single member just smashes their solo lines there and it sounds really, really nice.

The melody of the entire song is really sweet and pretty and, while not necessarily being the most memorable or catchy, it all definitely has an impact. The chorus is simply gorgeous, too. It all has such a dramatic calmness to it that I can’t help but feel completely drawn in by it all. This is a song I’d love to fall asleep to, it’s that calming. But, it’s important to remember that, as calm as it is, this song is also pretty powerful. It’s a really sweet little song and it’s in a style that NEWS are always brilliant at. They do have a bunch of songs in this same kind of style, after all, and they’re all wonderful as well.

4. 36°C

The single’s next B-Side is another peaceful, ballad track, which opens with a really nice solo from Massu. He suits this kind of song very well. In fact, this song is very similar in style to Hello, only this songs a lot more NEWS-ish, to the extent that it’s harder for me to see KAT-TUN or anyone else singing this one. In fact, while Hello was a perfect example of an amazing album track (even though that’s not what it was), this is the kind of song that would do really well as an A-Side ballad. This song is a lot catchier than Hello and would do really well just as a single, I feel. It also sounds like it deserves a PV, in my opinion.

The melody and arrangement of this song are beautiful, I do have to say. It’s all very sweet and relaxing but it’s still rather upbeat, though not in the same way as WORLD QUEST. 

Speaking of PVs, the kind of PV I would see this song having (and, yes, that counts as an expression of how I feel about the song, shut up) is one that either features a lot of warm-toned flashback kind of scenes of nice romantic things with close-ups by windows or doorways or parks or something, or one with not very much plots but lots of close-ups and group lip parts against starlit backdrops with other shots involving the members being all friendly and being excited about falling stars or something. I don’t know, regardless of the lyrics, that’s the image with which this song provides me and it’s a total endearing set of images in mind head, so, no complaints there. Basically, it’s a gorgeous little song that doesn’t more than the life of a B-Side (even though I’m a person who actually thinks B-Sides and albums tracks are just as important as any other song).

5. Quntastic

This song is completely different in style to the other two B-Sides but is still very NEWS-esque. It’s a much dancier song, akin to the likes of tracks like FREEDOM and Dancin’ in the secret, at least in the verses. The whole song is actually really catchy and I do mean it this time. Actually, when I first heard this song, it was stuck in my head for a while and I kept getting the urge to just listen to it (along with the single’s A-Sides). Tego’s first solo is brilliant too; I just thought I’d point that one out, even if his pronunciation of ‘MY WORLD’ is a little off. This song is very upbeat but much less calm than the other tracks on this single. Actually, it’s probably my 2^nd favourite song on the single (with WORLD QUEST being 1^st), regardless of how beautiful I may find the two ballads and how cute I think the other A-side is. This song really won me over from the very moment I heard it. Besides, it’s got a good name – it’s a play on words of some description! Kyun (meaning boom, in some cases, but is also a shortening of the phrase ‘kyunto’, which is something along the lines of the pure feeling of falling in love and is often associated with a very cute and sweet romance - it’s that instant feeling of attraction a young girl (typically) feels when they see someone they like) is changed to Qun, and obviously, whatever is being referred to is tastical in its kyunfulness and is, therefore, Quntastic. Ta-dah! The ‘boom’ aspect might be backed-up, though, in the line ‘blowing blowing blowing blowing up’. The vocals in this song are very good but they’re less crisp than in some of the other tracks – quite simply, this is not a song that could ever act as a vocal showcase for the members. However, the blending is fantastic and the emotion and energy in the members’ voices works extremely well with the backing, so, there’s really no issue with that. This is fun and catchy song and I seriously love it.
 

The Four Kings of Pout - excluding Kame and Pi, of course, but that's hardly a fair competition

This entire single is nothing short of a glorious, glorious success on NEWS (and the writers)’ part. I’d take this single over Chankapana any day, though, this is possibly less comeback-worthy. This whole single is, though, in my opinion, much better and I love every single track. Honestly, they’re all flawless. This is probably, to me, the best combination of tracks in a NEWS single in a long time. Actually, this is probably one of my favourite combination of tracks in one single ever. I can’t tell you how ecstatic I am that this group is back – really, they’re back and they’re still going seriously strong. Even if people immediately assumed otherwise upon Pi and Ryo’s departures, I knew that losing members wouldn’t hold NEWS back (it’s not like it’s a first for them, even if this time round it was the two most popular ones). They’re, quite simply, unstoppable.

 

 

TOP 5 JAPANESE CHRISTMAS SONGS

All opinions are my own, and that should really go without saying. Please respect that.

Christmassy GACKT is always good, I find.

So, that time of year has come yet again. Actually, Christmas is my favourite time of year, for many reasons. Winter, I've finally realised, is my favourite of the four seasons. I love this time of year, and all that is just enhanced by all the special songs you only listen to at that same time of year (I refuse to listen to them outside of December, in all honesty).
Now, Japan has released a good bunch of Christmas songs, despite being a non-Catholic country - in fact, South Korea have barely any Christmas songs despite the fact that, though being a generally non-Catholic country, many K-Pop stars are openly Catholic. I suppose Japan must make a bigger deal of it all and, of course, J-Idol Pop in particular is a genre somewhat built on gimmicks, right?
As an avid fan of Christmas and Japanese music, I'd like to take this opportuniy to give my personal Top 5 Ranking of Japanese Christmas Songs!

5. Arashi - Dear Snow

Jun, that garish jacket does not fit in. Way to ruin the colour scheme, pshhh.

This ranking is kind of Johnny's dominated (an accident, I promise), and, as such, it kicks off with none other than JE's popular export, Arashi(though, that being said, SMAP actual have a better sales ranking to their name, as do Kinki Kids, so, their success is only about 3rd in the rankings - bare in mind that these statistics may be outdated)~!
To me, this sounds really Christmassy - it has the right balance of warm and cold to it. Also, the instruments and such, the arrangement and that, is very clever in getting that Christmassy feel across. It's very typically Arashi, but it has somewhat of an old English Christmas feel to it that I can't quite place. It's a really gorgeous song and it's nothing but Christmassy, though, without being all in-your-face cheesy. It works really, really well.
The lyrics aren't the cheeriest (as you scroll down, you'll realise that there is actually one song that isn't just sad in this ranking), but they're sweet. Yeah, they're definitely nice lyrics. In the song, the narrator is in love yet they can't follow through with this love, they can't convey their feelings. They know the love is unrequited and, rather than being a total arse and dwelling on the fact their love isn't paying attention to their lovely feelings of lovely love, the narrator's accepting that it simply cannot be with them. They do state what they'd do if only the two could be together but the song ends on a far less hopeful note, with a line that basically means 'It will never happen but I'll still love you' - it's sweet but harsh, definitely. I believe this works well with the idea I presented earlier regarding the blend of warm and cold tones. It's a lovely song, really.

4. °C-ute - Aitai Lonely Christmas

That fade effect isn't very good, though, is it? No wonder Nakky looks so pissed and Maimai looks so judgemental.

Regrettably, this is only song in this ranking by a female artist. However, there are plenty more in my Top 10 and Top 20 lists, but, I'm not going to post anything so pointlessly long if I don't have to. So, yeah, kudos to °C-ute! I honestly think that °C-ute are the H!P group with the best talent and sound the best live out of all the groups. Anyhoots, onto the song, right?
This song seems to be about a girl who wants to spend Christmas with her love, so, nothing really very special or original here, though, there appears to be a catch. They lyrics don't explain anything and the PV is pretty much plotless, so, what the catch is, I'm really not sure. My assumption is that she can't see her love for whatever reason, though I'm pretty sure they haven't broken up. Yet. It seems like they're on the verge of breaking up though they haven't even reached Christmas - this makes the girl sad because she really just wanted to spend Christmas wih her love. She's never felt this kind of love before and she really just wants to cherish Christmas with him. She tries her best to hide her pain but it's not so easy, so, this song is her feelings conveyed through the voices of °C-ute - metaphorically, of course, seeing as the lyrics weren't written by any young girl afraid of an impending break-up and were, instead, written by Tsunku♂, a 44-year-old man with a wife and kids. It's quite a bittersweet song and I like that about it.
Though, my brain, upon having just read the translation, has drawn an automatic connection between the lyrics and the drama, Tatta Hitotsu no Koi. Obviously, it doesn't all match-up, but some parts do. It's of note that this drama is my 2nd favourite drama of all time and my favourite anything of the romance genre. I'm picky when it comes to romances, but this one hits all the right keys.
The melody of the song is really catchy and the arrangement is fantastic. This is one of my all-time favourite °C-ute songs, to be honest, which is sad since I'll only let myself listen to it in December. The tone of this song gives it an almost cool feel, as well as a sad and sentimental touch. And, on top of that, Airi and Chisato sound bloody amazing (don't they always, though?).

3. NEWS - SNOW EXPRESS

Since this is an album track and I couldn't find any decent screenshots, here's a wallpaper graphic made using screenshots of their performance of this song from the DIAMOND Concert DVD. Credits go to rabbid-mongoose @ devART.

 In my head, this song isn't strictly a Christmas song but, all things considered, it does qualify, so, in the list it goes! Besides, there's no denying that its a really Wintery song, and that's not just because of the title. Honestly, you just have to listen to it to realise that it practically just screams Winter at you. Also, at the start and end, there are little sound effects like wind. I think this adds a really nice a really feel to the song and seriously emphasises the Wintery effect. Listening to this song around Christmas time really allows you to get lost in that snowy feeling.
The melody of the song is also really catchy and the song is nice and upbeat. That's another thing I like about the song - it makes you think of snow and cold stuff without being a sadder song.  The line distribution is practically perfect, too, ignoring that Yamapi technically gets the most lines (hey, no complaints, I love me some Pi). Of course, I don't mind when line distribution isn't great or, even, when it's terrible, it doesn't bother me, but it's still nice when the line distribution is properly good. Well, to be fair, in terms of singing lines, it is just perfect, but Yamapi actually has an extra rapping part and, oh, god, his rapping. Sure, he's not the best rapper ever, but his rap in this song is really good. It sounds really cool and fits in the song extremely well. And, oh, by the way, I mean seriously cool.
I can't actually find any translations of the song that aren't blocked by the school's censorship filter, so, I can't analyse the lyrics. However, I will say that I find the idea of a 'SNOW EXPRESS' really endearing. In my head, I automatically think of a train and, to be fair, I blame the film, Polar Express, for that one, but I really like that inage in my head. It's really cute. (It's unrelated but I plan to do a drawing based on this image within the week - I want to do a Christmas drawing~!) Though, to be fair, the song starts off with a line about being on a bus, so, really, that image is purely in my head.


2. KAT-TUN - White X'mas

Koki - 'Draw me like one of your French girls'
And, Junno, at least try to look like you're a part of the picture!

This might look biased - my 2 favourite artists topping the list.
Well, y'know what, maybe it is but like hell do I care! Of course I'd be biased towards a Christmas song by my favourite group - it hardly takes a genius to work that one out. Ahem.
White X'mas is a track that can be described only as a heartfelt ballad with the narrator looking back on memories of Christmasses passed by, supposedly spurred on by some kind of winter scenery. I wouldn't say it's a terribly depressing song, but, at the same time, I would not say that it is a cheery song by any stretch of the imagination. Though the title is something often associated with idyllic and sweet Christmas scenes (all blame goes, no doubt, to Bing Crosby's famous single), this song doesn't really reflect that at all. Actually, rather than the snow resembling anything sweet and heartwarming, it's kind of shown for what it really is - cold and piercing. It's possible that, for the narrator, this sort of weather was once something warm and comforting, but something, presumably a break-up, has lead them to associate it all with something less pleasant as they're reminded of better times. It's sort of bitter-sweet in that respect. Sure, Christmas is a time of joy and love and all that, but, I'm really drawn to the mood of this song. I do have a bit of a thing for sad or tragic Christmas songs; they're always a nice break from the painfully cheesy stuff. Oh, and that god-awful Mariah Carey song. I hate that bloody song, with a burning passion.
This song is a ballad, which I suppose many people wouldn't really want to listen to in the build-up to Christmas - ballads don't really get you riled up that often. However, since I've made a point of only listening to this song in December, if I can help it, my brain's made the natural connection between this track and Christmas, so, in a way, it still gets me excited. It's not the most obviously Christmassy song ever, but it's extremely Wintery. Christmas and Winter practically come hand in hand, so it all works. Anyway, it's a really beautiful ballad, to be fair. It's got a gorgeous melody and it's been arranged in such away that it's all kind of...resonant, if that makes sense. Possibly not, but, if you know the song, you might get what I mean. It's sort of mystical in that sense, I feel, and the effect also adds to the tone of the song greatly.

1. GACKT - 12 Gatsu no Love Song

Lots of people kissing and absolutely no GACKT - that's a dead disappointment

This will always be my favourite of all Christmas songs in the history of Christmas songs. It's a really fantastic song - I mean, it was a enough that GACKT actually had a Christmas song at all. To be honest, there are actually four main versions of this song with about eight updated versions. The four main versions were released as separate singles within the years of 2001 and 2004 and each song was performed in the four different languages in which GACKT is fluent - Japanese, English, Mandarin Chinese and Korean, respectively. I'm not as familiar with the Chinese version - this is something I plan on recitfying this year, mind - but the Japanese, English and Korean versions are all absolutely brilliant. What I love about the different versions is that it means you can just listening to the song three times in the row without getting too sick of the song - aside from the obvious linguistic differences in the songs, there are always other things that set them all apart from each other, be it arrangement, bridge melody, adlibs, whatever. Each version of this song is a unique version and it really adds to the listening experience.
As to what version would be my favourite, I think I'd have to say the original, Japanese-language version. Probably because it's the one I heard first and, though I do love the adlibs in the others, I like how the melody stays consistent and pure in this. I feel that, somehow, a Christmas song is best with a simplistic melody.
 The message conveyed by this song is really nice. Lyrically, the song initially seems to be your bog-standard romantic ballad, but, as is always the case with GACKT, there's always something deeper hidden between the lines. In this particular case, it's a plea for world peace. But, that's not all - it's also a celebration of the love in the world. This highlighting of the bonds people can form with each other acts makes a strong point regarding the situation of 3rd world countries, trying to tell us that our love should be given unto such people. This song was also written as a result of his trip to Madagascar where he had seen many children, though living in poverty, still smiling, being truly happy over the smallest things; something that seems to have been especially touching at the time, which wasn't too long after the 9/11 attacks. This situation, apparently, also brought light to huge gap between the rich and the poor. So, overall, I think this song has a pretty good message. And, to be fair, I'm cool with Christmas songs being politically motivated.
Though, it must be noticed that, on the surface, this is basically a song about love lost and the resulting loneliness. Maybe that's just a typical GACKT ballad, but it could also be a metaphor by the corruptions of society causing us to mindlessly hate the people we should love. Who knows?

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So, there we have it, my personal Top 5 Christmas songs from Japan. 

Thanks for reading and have an absolutely brilliant Christmas~! Merry Christmas to you all!

November Top 5

All opinions are mine and, surprisingly, not your's! Gahsp! Who'd have thought?

 

Here, have some adorable derp Kame. I don't care if he has nothing to do with this Ranking.

So, the time has come for the second installment of my Monthly Top 5 singles overview. Again, this ranking will be focussing soley on singles released in Japan, purely because I can't think of any other Novemember releases I actually cared about.
And, yeah, last time I said something about GACKT showing up this time but, as it turns out, Winter Lovers isn't out until December. I swear that wasn't the case before, but whatever.
Anyway, let's get on with the ranking!

5. S/mileage - Samui ne

I like this cover best, it's cute and Christmassy. But the editing isn't too impressive.

One thing I don't like about S/mileage is their song style. The cutesy act doesn't always work for me. I do love cute stuff, but S/mileage often end up being too much. Besides, I'm really not a big fan of Dawa's voice and her singing squeakier and more cutesy than normal isn't something I find particularly pleasant. I'm sure Dawa's lovely but I'm just not huge on her voice. However, this song is a more mellow and mature song. However, that cutesy feel is still retained. Also, it's a winter song. I'm a sucker for winter songs, really. This I will admit without even an ounce of shame. Basically, I would honestly like to see more of this from S/mileage. Maybe then, I'd like them better - I love the girls, particularly 2nd Gen. In my opinion, S/mileage are getting a tad generic for my tastes, but, with this single, I think there's some improvements.

4. Shoujo Jidai - FLOWER POWER

I find it odd that, despite being officially known as 'Shoujo Jidai', their Japanese single covers don't actually seem to provide any evidence of this. Also, it may just be me, but I find those outfits quite unflattering.

I'm not a huge SNSD fan - I like them enough but I'm not mad about them. I'm a casual fan. A really casual fan. I don't know if I'm even really a fan. But I do like them and there are a couple of songs of their's that I honestly adore. This isn't one of them, but I do really like it. Now, being a 'really casual fan', I haven't actually given any of this single, past the A-Side, a listen and, since I want to get this up at a decent time, unlike my last Monthly Top 5, I'm going to be lazy and not bother with them. But, that being said, it does mean that this is a good enough A-Side for me to consider among the month's Top 5 without any support from extra songs. This song is a very typical SNSD song which does do the track many favours for me. There are certain SNSD songs I'm less drawn to, but this particular kind of song is normally a hit for me. It's a very catchy song and it's got a really good beat. It's everything good about SNSD, I suppose.

3. DIY♡ / GREEN FIELDS - Forefore ~Forest For Rest~ / Boys be ambitious

The cover sucks because Miya's hair is much nicer in the PV. Okay, it doesn't actually suck. It's better than a lot of H!P Single covers. Shut up.

This single is only in these charts because of DIY♡. I couldn't actually care less about GREEN FIELDS and their generic little track. Sure, I feel like an arse for being so harsh right off the bat with this part of the ranking but it has to be said. In order to get it out of the way quickly, I'll explain exactly how I feel about Boys be ambitious! - it's not a bad song, perse, but in comparison to its coupling track, it really doesn't stand out to me at all. It is, as I said, generic. That doesn't make it an inherently awful song and I do need to stress that I don't think of it as such. It just didn't have enough going for it to get itself anywhere near this ranking alone. I kept this single on the ranking purely because I realised that, even if this single had contained DIY♡'s track and nothing else, it would still have done well on the ranking. Boys be ambitious is simply not my kind of song and the line-up, though I do like the girls, save for Yuka, purely because I don't even really know who she is, does nothing for me. Forefore ~Forest For Rest~, on the other hand, is an absolutely fantastic track and I would easily say that is one of the best songs to come out of H!P in quite some time. This, Wakuteka Take a chance and WANT! are all renewing my faith in H!P - not that I had ever lost faith, as such, but, I was certainly wavering. Please keep in mind that, faith or no faith, my support for H!P never once weakened. DIY♡'s track is ridculously catchy and it really gets stuck in my head for ages after I listen to it - it's a bloody earwig, I'll tell you! The melody is seriously good and the arrangement is among the best in recent H!P releases. I really love the melody of the instrumental break - things like that always get me. I also think it's brilliant how this a dancey song without masses of autotune (I'll admit, I basically repeat this observation later on, only applying it to a different song all together) - this is especially unusual in current H!P, so it's really nice to see. Harunan is still not too a strong a singer but this song truly compliments her voice, so that's always great - personally, though I am fully aware that she is somewhat vocally weak, I will not deny that her voice has this certain charm to it and, as such, I'm drawn to her voice. Also, lastly, in the PV, Miya's hair is great, it suits her so well. Keep this hair, Miya! Drop the extentions!
 

2. Kis-My-Ft2 - Ai no Beat

So, is Tama-chan just going to adopt the trademark Yamapi glare? I mean, they're both beauts, so I can work with that.

This single is pretty interesting - it's got a pretty substantially-lengthed tracklist with 4 tracks; 2 A-Sides and 2 B-Sides, but that's not the best part (cause that's not actually very interesting at all, is it?). The great thing about this single is that it features two different versions of the A-Side - the Dance version and the Rock version, both of which sound really good and equally, quintesentially Kis-My-Ft2. Both versions have a different feel to them and they have such different approaches taken toward them, regarding arrangement and so on, but they both work so well. It's really impressive - well done to the people who wrote this one.  On top of that, the lyric s are fast, at parts, yet easy to sing along to (granted you know the lyrics or have them on you, of course), which is always great~ Stuff like that makes for memorable lyrics!
As brilliant as the Dance version is (even with its intro sounding exactly like part of a JLS song), my favourite of the pair would have to be the Rock version. Though, that makes sense, seeing as my favourite artists are GACKT and KAT-TUN. Actually, as much as this song could only be a Kis-My-Ft2 song (this is something I love about KisuMai), there are elements to the rock version that remind me somewhat of KAT-TUN's pre-debut songs, namely 'SHE SAID...'. Honestly, I just the fast-pace of the rock version; the drums are bloody effective. It just sounds so cool, really. Though, it's probably worth noting that's not really that rocky at all. There are clkear rock elements, but it's still pretty poppy, if you ask me.
The B-Sides are both really nice, too. First off, there's Winter Lovers which is a nice, relaxing song. The first time I heard it, I was trying to sleep on a bus, so, yeah. It's a pretty little song and it's really perfect for the winter season. It sounds like it would be perfect to listen to on a snowy morning, with a clear sky. But, that kind of clear where the sky is that really weird shade of pale blue. I hope Scotland gets that at some point - we do like our horrendous grey skies, it seems.
Lastly, we have Never End LOVE. Personally, I think this sounds really nice. The verses, at least, remind me kind of Yamapi's Ao and some NEWS songs. In fact, this whole song sounds like it should be an older NEWS song back from when they still had eight members. In some ways, it's like a less cheesey version of Private Hearts, except..not, obviously. If you get what I mean. But, it's so typically JE without being one of those cheesey messes chock-full of prepubescent 12-year-olds.


1. The MONSTERS - MONSTERS

This is one of my favourite single covers of the year, by the way. It's so cool.

So, this month's winner is this little jem of a subgroup. This group was formed to perform the theme song to drama, MONSTERS - oh, and it's worth mentioning that the members actually play the main characters of the drama. Funnily enough, the last time JE formed a duo with two members of a drama cast and got them to sing the theme song, Yamapi was involved, as he is this time. However, MONSTERS doesn't have much on Shuji & Akira's Seishun Amigo, I find - some may call it Kame-bias, but I just call it fact. Okay, no, really, I just think that Seishun Amigo's a better song.

Of course, that being said, I still think that this is a really good single. The A-Side is quite dancey without being an autotune fest, which is always interesting. I mean, I'm not adverse to autotune but sometimes it's used purely to make a song seem dancey which is a bit of a cop-out. I mean, if it sounds great, that's fine, but, y'know. There are a lot of vocal effects in this song, though, I won't deny it, and there's probably some autotune in there, too. This song is bloody catchy and I find it totally engaging. It's quite nice hearing Shingo tackling this genre, because I swear you don't hear all that much of this from SMAP (I mean, you do occasionally - take Just Go! for example). My favourite part is the whole bit at the end with Shingo singing all low, with Yamapi doing adlibs in the back. It sounds seriously cool.

The B-Side, Monster or Monsutaa, is a cover of a classic Pink Lady song and it's absolutely fantastic. In fact, I actually prefer it to the A-Side. I haven't had much experience with Pink Lady aside from UFO and the songs covered by various Hello! Project artists, but, even so, this song is so obviously a Pink Lady song, it's odd. But, I do like Pink Lady's songs, as far as melody and beat go. I love when a favourite artist of mine covers one of their songs. Funnily enough, though, this rendition of the song reminds me of H!P at times, probably because of the obvious influences Tsunku has taken from the classic duo. It's amazing, though, how well this pair work this song. In fact, I'm all for Yamapi singing more songs in this genre because his voice sounds so lovely here. I really love the electronic twist on the song that kicks in from the second chorus onwards, it sound so cool. And the shouting lines are brilliant, too. This whole song is a fabulous, fabulous success for me and, on top of that, it's wonderfully catchy. This is one of my favourite tracks of the year, quite honestly. I am so glad this happened.

 

------

 

So~ That's all for November~

Check back next month to see whether or not GACKT will lose to a certain Johnny's quartet on their world quest? Or, could it be that Berryz Koubou could get that spot? - they do want it so bad~

(major awful pun alert)

 



[PV REVIEW] Go for a drive in the snow with GACKT!

All opinion are my own and, if you an issue, keep it to yourself~ Otherwise, I will murder you. Or something to that effect.

 

GACKT - WHITE LOVERS ~Shiawase na Toki~

 

If you don't see how beautiful this man, then, I can only assume that you've had your eyes gauged out at some point in this past. That, or you've got some kind of horrendous eye infection. Or you've just got no taste, whatever -coughs-

 

Right, so, I was stunned when I first saw this video. Okay, it's not exactly anything special in the grand scheme of things but it was still really, really nice. You have to realise that all we've gotten from GACKT, regarding (non-YFCz) PVs, since last July is a bunch of animated shots, a one-shot PV of GACKT walking through the city ('m not bashig, I love that vid), him sitting around in armour whiel some video game clips are played and a rehash of an existing PV. I've enjoyed all his PVs in that time (okay, no, UNTIL THE LAST DAY was not a good PV, sorry - thank god for the song itself!!), but, this, this is much better! It's a new and totally endearing PV - I don't know how to tell you how pleased and excited I was when I saw the video. It's the best GACKT PV since Stay the Ride Alive, which was released nearly three years ago now (the single came out on New Year's Day, '10, but the PV came out mid-December '09). Take that into account and, now, imagine how happy this must make me. Seriously, the end of this year has been absolutely amazing, GACKT-wise! He's finally getting back into the flow of things and doing what he does best.
 

 

 

He's back. He's brilliant. Rejoice!

 

All that aside, let's focus on the actual video. The video, people, the video!

The main driving (pun not intended) point of the video seems to be GACKT going for a ride in his big-ass, fancy car in a dark winter's night. During his drive, he begins to reminisce about his love. So, sadness, separation, cars, lots of dark blue-ish colours and pretty lights - typical GACKTy stuff, only, this time, nobody dies! As far as I know, anyway. The woman in the video could be dead and that's why he's thinking of her. But, she's also in a non-flashback scene. But she is just standing there in the snow, looking wistful. Uh. I don't know. Let's just say that...mystery is a typical asset of a GACKT video, too? Over-analysation can come later, anyway. We're focusing on the basics right now.

 

This video is hardly appealing based on budget and production alone, though, as is the way with all things, money doesn't always make it. I've seen enough shitty Hollywood films and high-budget music videos that lack any substance whatsoever to know that. Now, I'm not saying it's low-budget or that the production is bad, but, rather, granted you're the kind of person who's convinced that all music videos have to be big and flashy and not much else, this may not be your thing. This video doesn't have much going for it in terms of special effects, as in there aren't too mnay of them. Of course, special effects aren't always necessary in some cases and this is one such case. I mean, there are still obvious special effects being used here but they're mostly used to indicate flashback scenes or, rather, GACKT's memories. They're nothing too extravagant, either, juts a few lightening and colouring filters to give them that kind of distant yet fond feel. It's a typical look for flashbacks, isn't it? There's a kind of warmth and coldness in these parts...it doesn't make sense in words but if you watch the PV itself you might just get what I mean. Anyway, the warmness kind of gives that fond feeling, a pure love kinda thing, while the coldness shows the distance, as it's something far away and out of reach. Something like that. And...well, I don't know how real that snow is.

 

Actually, on that note, the colour schemes in this video are very effective. What this video lacks in flashy appeal it definitely more than makes up for it with the more subtle little touches. Who cares how fancy it is or how many scene changes there are when you have a video with such sweet little touches that the mood of the entire thing is so clear just like that? There seems to be an over-ruling blue theme to this video, which, I think, really emphasises that wintery look the video's clearly trying to go for. Of course, blue is also a colour most associated with, as far as emotions are concerned, sadness. Now, this is a melancholic GACKT video - sadness is key. That kind of pained feeling of loss is quite strong in this video. On top of that, it's also a darker blue - darker colour schemes are pretty common in GACKT videos, granted they aren'tm one of his more upbeat songs (though, that being said, he has plenty of more emotional tracks with lighter coloured PVs). Darker colours are also a really good way to symbolise sadness - darkness isn't happy, after all, right?

 

What I think is really cute about the flashback scenes, though, is how happy some of them are. GACKT (or his character, whatever, we'll just call him GACKT for simplicity's sake, all right?)'s clearly trying to remember the more pleasant times, the happiest times. I also like how he doesn't appear in any of the flashbacks, and the way they're filmed. Like that, you really get the feeling that this is what he remembers seeing through his own eyes. The close-ups of the girl really get this feeling across, too. And, she has a really pretty smile, so I just end up being all like 'Aww, look how happy she is, aww, look how nice, aww'. Whoever she is, she does those scenes awesomely, so kudos to her.

 

However, I'm particularly drawn to the car scenes. Okay, no, they're most of the video, I know but...no, scratch that. I'm drawn specifically to the car scenes that aren't in a bloody tunnel. That first tunnel actually pissed me off just because it was way too long. But, that was only because I was paying too much attention to it, stupid long tunnel. Aside from that, the tunnels were fine. However, I'm a total sucker for that kind of cityscape at night kind of look. The bridge he drove over, too - so gorgeous. The lights it was casting on the windscreen were beautiful. Actually, that one scene is probably my favourite in the whole video, as I was pretty stunned by the way the reflection of the lights were sliding across the windscreen as the pillars they were lighting disappeared into the distance. And the snow falling, too. Unf. And GACKT driving that very car, too. Unf. To be honest, a lot of why I'm so drawn to this scene, aside from the cityscape/nightscape thing, is that...I don't know, I just think things like that are really beautiful. I've always loved it on long car trips when you get to points like that and the lights are just bending and twisting inside the car while you sit there. The world is dark and light at the same time and I find it fascinating. I'm a fool for a light/dark contrast, I admit it. Beautiful.

Though, when I'm going through a tunnel in a car, I really love that, too. I'm really not interested in cars, so, when I first sar how car-orientated the video was going to be, I was a little unsure, but, in the end, all the video did was remind me of my favourite parts of long car journeys. This is sort of a personal attraction more than anything, to tell the truth, but it really made the video for me. To me, this is an absolutely gorgeous video, GACKT or no GACKT.

 

Now, onto the plot analysation~!

As I said before, I'm not actually sure what the backstory of this PV is. But, that's common in GACKT's PVs. I don't think it's poor direction, though - it leaves you to write the story yourself, just a little. Interpret in your own way. Something like that? Regardless, I personally love the enigmatic feel to his videos. But, now, here's the thing, I'm pretty sure the video would make a little more sense if you took the lyrics into consideration. Now, I don't speak Japanese (I only know some basic stuff, as far as vocabulary goes), and I'm at school and everything's blocked, so I can't provide any translations other than the horrendous mess with which Google Translate has kindly provided me. Having given the contorted English translation a look, it seems like the love interest in this video did, in fact, die as I had guessed. Okay, there's no specific evidence that it's the case, but, based on the lyrics, that's the idea I get. The line 'Your warmth disappears, Embraced by snow, Ah, leaving, leaving only memories' gives off that feel doesn't it. After all, if she's leaving and the warm is disappearing...well, death would be the most obvious conclusion, I feel. Besides, this song seems to be a heartfelt farewell and, if tis does in fact tie in with the video, why would she be crying if she had chosen to leave him? Well, there are many reasons, but I think it all makes the most sense if she's dead. It also explains all the lonely reminscing. It's a really beautiful video if you consider that. And,  granted my theory is true, I really like how they don't dwell on it, as such. They don't play the obvious cards and give you explicit proof of any death. A lot of music videos do that and it's a bit clichéd, I feel. However, the way this video is presented, there's definitely a heartrending feeling to it. Actually, suddenly, my appreciation for this video has increased quite a bit. Kudos to the video director. After all, I love sentimental thing like this. They're emotional and tragic without being mushy. For the record, I don't do well with mush. And certainly not fluff.

 

Of course, we'll have to look at the song itself. I think we've already established that I like the story that the lyrics are conveying. But, really, long-running snow metaphor? Yes, please. I like snow metaphors - it's lame but true. Seriously, it can signify a kind of delicateness but, it can be cold and piercing, too. Here, GACKT compares snow to tears a lot, too. I like GACKT's imagery in his songs, it's something he's really good at. It contributes quite a lot to my love of his lyric-writing. The melody of this song is really good and the arrangement is flawless. It's very reminscent of much older GACKT songs, but with a hint of his newer styles as well. What a fusion! Also, as always, the emotion conveyed in his voice...oh, it gets me everytime. I mean, it's one thing that he can sing beautifully (like, I'm not even being biased, he is a really good vocalist), but the emotion he conveys is unnaturally powerful. He's a truly fantastic musician. He never disappoints and, oh god, this is one of the best things he's produced these last two years. Absolutely brilliant. And I'm maybe a little bit biased. But, I have reasons. Actually, no! I just gave you reasons as to why I should be biased so why am I implying it's bad to be biased. Well, ignoring that, this is a truly fantastic song and, granted it's your kind of thing, I'd definitely recommend it, PV and all!

 





The Ultimate Battle - Momoko vs Momochi

All opinions are my own. Please respect that. If you have Allodoxaphobia or something, then, why the hell are you reading ablog based on opinions, hm? Uh...anyway, my point is...my opinion is mine and your opinion is your's. Obviously, our opinions will clash. I'm fine with my opinions being challenged, as long as it's in a civilised manner.

 

You don't like 'Momochi'? Yurushite nyan!

 

So, if there's one thing that any H!P fan knows, it's that 'Momochi' seems to be, generally, hated. However, what amuses me is that people don't seem to realise that 'Momochi' isn't real - she's a character, an enhanced version of Momoko. I wonder if anyone has noticed that, if anyone complains about Sayumi's based on her 'ichiban kawaii' act, they will blow a proper gasket trying to prove to you that it's all put on for the sake of entertainment, but, when the same accusations are made of our Pinky Queen, no-one appears to be nearly as quick to jump to her defense. Why that is, I'm not entirely sure but, regardless of the reason, here I stand, in protection of Momoko's...um...dignity, maybe? Well, surely, you get my point.

Please love me, nyan~!

 

I believe it's basic knowledge that Sayumi's stint as the (self-proclamied) cutest girl in MoMusu, if not the world (though, isn't this all opinion? I find Reina cuter than Sayu, to be perfectly honest - she kind of reminds me of a cat at times and I'm extremely biased towards cats, and, she also has a kind of dainty, pixie look going for her) is all put on - some people believe that it's a little more than that seeing as it's been her default character since she joined the group (once she got past being the Tetris master, seeing as the appeal of that can only draw people in for so long), while others believe it's her own personal attempt to raise her self-esteem, due to the fact she didn't have many friends at school. Whatever the reason for it is, I don't really care, it's not my business, but, regardless, it's being used to her advantage as a selling point and nearly everyone seems to be aware of that by now. However, people are still accusing of Momoko of being annoying and vain. Is it because she's had less time for people to get used to the whole act? But, then, she hasn't even been 'Momochi' for her whole career. In fact, she's not even 'Momochi' all the time, which is something that makes her stand out from Sayu. If anything, the fact that she does make clear switches between these two personalities should make it more obvious that Momoko and Momochi are, technically, different people.

Momoko without the Momochi look. Face it, she looks far less creepy and somewhat endearing, too~

You have to consider that Momochi has actually done great things for Berryz Koubou, and Hello!Project in general. She's definitely brought attention to them, anyway. The 'Momochi' character makes for great telly, face it, and producers are aware of this. Why do you think Momoko's been getting so many TV shows lately? Viewers will eat the constant slapstick, sarcasm and tsukkomi-boke Momochi allows and provides right up, that's what the producers have come to realise. The moments where you can see her inner-Momoko slipping in through the cracks when Momochi is insulted or repremanded is also amusing, I find. I mean, this is an undeniable truth - do you see any other H!P members appearing as guests on VS Arashi, one of the (many) hugely popular show hosted by, y'know, only the most popular boyband Japan has ever seen? And just once! Twice, at least! So many people want to see H!P become more relevant in the world of J-Pop, particularly the groups that aren't MoMusu, seeing as theyre already a group destinied to go down in history, pretty much. Then, why, tell me, do they hate Momoko for her Momochi character? I mean, I get that they hate Momochi, but, why Momoko? Unless they disliked Momoko herself already, before the Momochi thing properly came about. That's fair enough.



Momo on VS Arashi - sure, I wanted a shot with her actually anywhere near Arashi, but the school's filtering system screwed that one up.

Though, I understand fully what the stigma towards the Momochi character is about - for a while, I wasn't too fond of it, but, now, I don't entirely care either way, granted I still get me some Momoko on the side. So, what's the deal with Momochi? Well, most people I've talked to about it find her annoying, creepy or both. She's got that weird, kind of forced smile and that squeaky-beyond-all-reason voice - the latter being an issue in that some people, who don't care enough about Momoko to pay her any attention yet bash her regardless, appear to have decided that this is her natural voice. Again, and I can't stress this enough, it's an act! Of course, there are some who do appreciate this but hate that squeaky voice because they find it irritating. Honestly, I think idol fans would be used to this by now. And, besides, at least you know it's meant to sound like it's put on. I'd prefer that to any of those god-awful idols who speak in soft and squeaky voices that are clearly fake without any kind of personality trait to pick it up. Of course, some people do just have squeaky voices but you can normally tell which ones are faking - they often speak in voices that only an awful fetish-tastic anime girl would have. On that note, the fact that Momoko's doing it as part of Momochi is a lot more appealing than what I just mentioned, seeing as Momochi's meant to be kind of annoying and not desirable or sexually enticing.

Okay, I admit, when she pulls things like this, I could see why people would find her a little creepy

Of course, a lot of the hate for Momochi appears to be directed specifically at her pigtails - why are they called pigtails anyway? I mean, just in general, pigs don't have two tails? To be honest, Momochi's pigtails look more like the tail of pony than any ponytail she's ever worn. That aside, the overwhelming majority of the H!P fandom, myself admittedly included, are bored to tears of seeing those bloody pigtails. Whether you thought they were kinda cute at first, or you hated them with a passion from the get-go, you're probably sick of them by now. Though, she very, very rarely wears her hair like that for Buono! - in fact, the Momochi act doesn't even touch Buono!, thankfully. As much as I love the girl, I want a break from the Momochi thing, too! Of course, she keeps up with the constant claims that she's the cutest but it's all clearly in good humour. The pigtails are a little scary, in their own right, in that they don't move. They're solid or something! Well, they move sometimes, I'm exaggerating, but, really, just watch the Be Genki! Naseba Naru video (which was, on a separate note, filmed in Minato 21, Yokohama, which explains why I thought the set was so pretty Yokohama, it's gorgeous).

My pigtails creep you out? Yurushite Nyan!
I swear, the Yurushite Nyan gag is pretty damn easy to catch onto. I won't lie - I do use this gag to piss my sister off. I don't blame Momo for using it so much, it's kinda fun.
 

I think one of the main issues with the whole Momochi thing is the obvious effect it has on her as a Berryz member. Now, I say Berryz member as, like I said, it doesn't really show up in the Buono! world. We were all sick of seeing her with the physics-defying pigtails and unnerving wide-eyed smile (eye-smiles are better on you, Momo!) in Berryz's PVs. Though, I'm sure the entire H!P fandom rejoiced when the pictures for their new single, WANT! were revealed, and, then again when the PV was dropped. No pigtails, no creepy smiles, nothing! Just 100% pure Momoko. The antics of Momochi were not able to taint this PV! I would even say that Momo looks the cutest she has in a long time in this PV. Yes, Momoko just showed Momochi how it was done. Yes, Momo just showed herself up.

Seriously, though, she looks lovely like this!! And purple suits her so well.

My personal belief is that they had her in the Momochi get-up for the last few singles, so that people who had seen her on TV could spot her easily. Maybe, if they had found her funny or entertaining, they'd become unwittingly interested in Berryz Koubou and, eventually, become a fan, however casual. But, since Momochi's been strutting her stuff for some time now, it's probably gotten to point where she's easily recognisable and distinct just on her own. Basically, as far as Berryz are concerned, Momochi's work is done. Though, I am in no way suggesting that Momochi will be taking the back seat. I imagine she'll remain on TV Screens, getting herself into embarrassing situations and confusing guests, for a good amount of time longer.

I have respect for Momoko, though. I'm honestly impressed by her ability to keep up the persona, but also switch to a different persona (unlike Sayumi, whom has, essentially, become her persona on camera). In this sense, she's a fantastic actor. On top of that, she's actually pretty talented. Sure, the Momochi voice distracts you from it, but she's a really good singer. When she sings in her lower, more natural voice, granted she's not doing that shouty thing she does, she sounds amazing. And, face it, regardless of what tone she's using, she's pitch-perfect. I still harbour much respect for Momoko, who was the person I admired greatly and wanted to be just like when I was between the ages of 12 and 14 (I'm currently 16, 17 on Saturday, so), and she's my favourite in current H!P (she's second overall - I can't deny the perfection that is Ai-cha, I apologise). I'd like to admit it, right now. I'm proud to claim that I am, in fact, an otomomochi!

Top 5 Korean → Japanese K-Pop Tracks

All opinions are my own, of course~ If you don't agree, then, well, meh, your problem. Don't make it mine ;D

 

And, here we have a lovely GIF of HyunJoong being a dork. Why? Because he's my favourite K-Pop artist ever yet he is in no way relevant to this article. He. Needs. To. Be. There.

 

 

So, any fan of K-Pop knows that it's customary for a Korean artist to test the Japanese waters by releasing a carbon-copy of one of their older songs, normally one of the more popular ones, only with, more often than not, shoddy Japanese. Some even go on to release more past their debut single, releasing about 3 or 4 carbon copy tracks before actually bringing out anything new and interesting. This process is the bane of many a K-Pop fan's life, too. However, from time to time, they come out with a remake that is actually listenable and, even more rarely, comes out better than the original! My god!

 

Okay, hugely sarcastic and critical tone aside, this post is dedicated to highlighting what I think is the very best of K-Pop's 'Japanese versions', basing it on pronunciation, how well the lyrics flow and how right it sounds.
Also, for simplicity's sake, I will be focussing only on A-Side tracks. And, also, only songs that were released separately from their Korean counterparts. Some are released together (all of BIGBANG's ALIVE songs, DBSK's Why? Keep Your Head Down and SHINee's Sherlock, for example).

So, let's get started~!

5. Shoujo Jidai - Genie

And Kanyon named this lot as S/mileage's leg rivals. Fat chance, Kanyon, their legs are in a different league.
Also, SooYoung is gorgeous. No arguments allowed.

Shoujo Jidai, Girls' Generation, SNSD, call them what you will, but I will be referring to them from her on out as SNSD (even though, in person, I normally call them Girls' Generation), for simplicity's sake. I'm too lazy for all those...ugh...words...
Anyway, I have to give kudos to the girls for finding their way into my heart with a remake of what is one of their biggest Korean tracks. Seriously, Tell Me Your Wish, more commonly known as 'Genie', was a huge hit back in Korean and became one of SNSD's most famous tracks, with a ton of dance moves that will go on in K-Pop dance history for evermore. Normally, when a group tries to tackle something like that, and for their debut Japanese single no less, it goes wrong. Terribly wrong. Okay, over-exaggeration there but it's difficult to make such an iconic song work when you completely change the worlds. To be honest, though, I always thought that, granted it was done right, Genie had the potential to work really well in Japanese. The lyrics flow perfectly and don't sound unnatural at all. It really does just sound like the original but in Japanese. Shame their second Japanese single didn't have the same success for me (Gee was a hot mess in Japanese, okay?)

4. KARA - Mister

Jumpin' jumpin' jumpin' now Jumpin' now - wait, wrong song.
Look at how cute Seungyeon is here, though!

Interestingly enough, Mister, despite not being a digital single or having a MV, was hugely popular in Korea, when it was performed alongside 'Wanna' as part of the promotions for the group's 2nd album, Revolution. The famed 'butt dance' played a pretty important role the track's popularity. Just over year later, the song was used as the girls' debut song in Japan with fantastic results. It seems the glorious 'butt dance' hit off with Japanese audiences just as well as it did on its home soil. The butt dance is loved by all, why deny it? And, honestly, this single landed, KARA have seen incredible success in Japan. Sure, they get #2 and #3s more often than they do #1s, but the #3 is still fanatastic. After all, MomoClo have yet to earn themselves a single #2 on the Oricon weekly, nevermind a #1 (and, seriously, based on sales numbers, MoMusu do better than MomoClo, generally), and there's absolutely no denying their popularity! As such, KARA's success cannot be ignored! Besides, not many Hallyu artists, aside from the obvious pair, BoA and Tohoshinki (or, DBSK, whatever works best for you), have managed to get #1s on the Oircon Weekly Chart.
Anyway, that aside, it's time to focus on the actual song. This version actually varies slightly from the Korean version in that the song's arrangement is slightly different and the verses are sung much higher - trying to pander to the Japanese audience, who are used to consuming singles by higher-pitched girlgroups, maybe? However, personally, I do prefer the Japanese version. It's cuter, I guess, and not just cause of the pitch. The lyrics are really cute and memorable, because of the simple syllables. The make-up of the Japanese language is nicely complimented by this song. Also, the fact they've included lyrics from the original version is really nice, too. The whole song's totally sweet but has a cool edge to it, as well. It's totally appealing. It's definitely one of the most memorable Korean → Japanese remakes, that's for sure.

3. BIGBANG - My Heaven

If you look carefully...you can see people in TOP's glasses. Specular Reflection has failed you, Tabi!

My Heaven is the Japanese remake of an older BIGBANG song, from their 3rd mini-album, Stand Up. This track was actually called 'Heaven'. BIGBANG are probably the only K-Pop group I can think of, aside from KARA, of course, that decided to go with an album track as their debut, which I think was quite interesting. It was a way of showing what the group were actually like, without spending time on a new song which may or may not flop, and appealing to those who were already fans without churning out some remake of that one song everyone knows. I'm actually quite impressed that they didn't go ahead and just shove a remake of Lies in everyone's faces.
Now, I prefer this version to the Korean version but that's also probably because I heard this version first, and, as always, I prefer Japanese, but, the thing is, it's not any better than the Korean version. That is to say, they're really both as good as each other. But, thing is, it's such a good remake that it still has to be in here.
Everything about this remake just works. The lyrics are fantastic and still retain that soft yet catchy feel of the original. I love it when a remake captures the same feel as the original completely (though, I like it even better when the remake enhances it~).
This song is also very important to the VIPs, form what I gather. In their lives, this tends to be the song that's sung at encores, or just at the end of the concert, or whatever. The fans are invited to sing along and the performance really emphasises the bond BIGBANG have with their VIPs, which, I must say, is a particularly strong one.

2. RAINBOW - Mach

Surefire way to appeal to the Japanese market - dress up like Sexy Power Rangers (or Super Sentai, I suppose)?
Also, am I just biased or does JaeKyung look best in that outfit? Or is red just a more flattering colour? Who knows?

Mach never started out as a heavily promoted track with an MV - it was a Digital Single in its own right and it did get a few live performances on Korean music show though. When I first heard the Korean version of this song,  I really loved it. It sounded really slick and cool, I was immediately drawn to it. However, it didn't become one of my favourite RAINBOW songs. Okay, no, it was up there, but not quite high enough to get all that much attention from me. That being said, when I heard that their 2nd Japanese single was going to be Mach, I was ecstatic. It made me remember how much I had loved the song the first time I heard it. And, then, the PV landed and everything was perfect. Yes. The PV concept was seriously cool and the girls looked stunning! especially JaeKyung
However, an amazing PV and concept being given to a previously MV-less song is not enough for a song to become my 2nd favourite Korean → Japanese remake song. The Japanese lyrics really work with this song, more than I feel they did with the Korean. Like, in the Korean version, it still sounded really cool and, of course, it was still a fantastic song but the Japanese version just had that little bit extra. Just a little more oomph.
Actually, this was a seriously close 2nd place. But, since I'm a bigger fan of SHINee, I had to let bias win over this time round. It was the only option I had, promise!
 

1. SHINee - JULIETTE

Actually, this CD cover would make a seriously awesome poster!

Quite honestly, I'd take this version over the original any day. I seriously the Japanese language version of this song to the Korean one. In Korean, it's a nice song and I like it enough but I was never properly taken by it. However, when I first heard the Japanese version,  I instantly fell in love. Something about the Japanese version sounds slicker and cooler and, though I haven't got a clue what that something is, it makes all difference to me. I think it's really just down to the lyrics - the sharper sound of Japanese really works with this song. Like, seriously. It brought the song up. The flow of the Japanese language is more fitted to this song than the flow of the Korean language. The Korean version sounded, somehow, a little cheesier than the Japanese vesion which, in turn, sounded more powerful. Now, I do prefer the Japanese language, but I would like to stress that there is no bias on my part here as I think the Japanese version of Lucifer failed to do the original any justice whatsoever and that the lyrics in the remake were a mess, in terms of composition and flow. Furthermore, this version of JULIETTE has a much better line distribution than its Korean-language counterpart. The song started off as what seemed to be somewhat of a Jonghyun-fest, while this version is a lot fairer. Of course, there's still a lot of Jonghyun, regarding solo parts, but, here, a number of his parts were given to Taemin who had barely any lines at all in the original. Improvements all round~!

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So, there ya have it. My Top 5 Korean → Japanese K-Pop Tracks. This was actually a pretty hard ranking to write up and, truthfully, the first 3 are all extremely close. Note that I didn't do it based on group-bias, though, since BIGBANG are actually my favourite group of the lot.

 

I'll just sum up what my Bottom 5 Korean → Japanese K-Pop Tracks would be, just because it's pretty easy to do so.

Secret's Madonna  and then all of T-ARA's Japanese singles thus far (i.e; excluding Sexy Love) -coughs-

 

Well, until next time~!