[analysis] Artist blurbs; that's coming out when?

Here's where I crawl out of a dirty little hole among some rocks in a barren wasteland, filthy and battle-torn, and start waving a white flag--not a big one, but one of those little tiny ones that looks like it belongs in a drink in place of a cocktail umbrella. I always thought that would be funny.

Yes, I have to admit it: I've listened to all of KAT-TUN's new album, and I actually rather like it--if only for the variety and the surprising rock spin, but it's some level of enjoyment nonetheless. It turns out that what I thought I'd heard of their stuff was actually NEWS, because I mix up Japanese boy groups just like I used to mix up all of Hello! Project, or at least, the Johnny's groups. In reality, I only ever heard a poor quality live clip of KAT-TUN. What kind of a basis of an opinion is that? So I went ahead and downloaded real material, and as I said, I'm pleasantly surprised.

If I end up reviewing it, it won't be until I buy it though--I'm just like that.

Oh, but wait, I never reviewed any of that other stuff, now did I? Well, I've got two perfectly good reasons for that.

1.) I'm a lazy bastard. (There's no skirting that one...) But more importantly,

2.) It's the end of the term in school, and anyone who's in high school or remembers it well knows just how busy the end of the term is. It's starting to slow down with vacation starting after tomorrow, so I may or may not go back and review some things, but at least I'll be able to post more should the feeling strike me.

KAT-TUN aside, I'm also giving in and buying AAA's album and remix album in my next order. It's not that I had avoided them before, but that I didn't really get a good enough idea of their music the first time they caught my attention. Seeing that they were putting out that remix album, I started to dig through the section of my computer set aside for random samples that I save but don't immediately love to pieces (y'know, just in case) and found a digest of all the tracks on their album that Avex had up for streaming around its release. Even though I still haven't heard a full song by them, I do think I like it enough that it's worth giving a shot. (And this is a rare choice for me--to be honest, I'm just too lazy to bother with finding some AAA tracks and then having to download them, especially given that I have dial-up.) And as for the remix album, well, we know I like remixes anyway, so that's no problem either.

...I actually don't want to preview them further, come to think of it, because I usually have a good idea what's on an album, if not the whole thing, before I get it. It would be a nice change to hear a whole album, entirely new, for once. (Not including the 15~30 second clips in the digest.) But now that the thought of pulling up some AAA videos on YouTube has just come to mind...I'm just wishing it hadn't.

So I'll distract myself with HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR instead. I got into them right at their debut, but I lost track of them after their OVER single and have since only picked up their first album. I've noticed that they've been releasing singles, but I couldn't get myself back into them again right away. (Ah, another case of a storm of releases turning people away.) Now that they have a second album out, an album that people are saying is better than their first (which I already liked), I'm getting a bit excited again. That'll give me something to do, I think.

I'm really hating this month so far for its releases though...because there are none! Well, of course there are some, but compared to the activity of the past three months, this is stagnant to me. Without torrents of releasing flying at me from all sides, it's like I don't know what to do with myself. It's sad that it's gotten to this point, actually.

So, recent J-Pop marketing is killing my attention span. Great.

Not even my attention span though, I suppose, but rather...my patience? I don't really know what to call it. Whenever I have to stop and think about what's happening in J-Pop, what's being released and when, what new artists people have been starting to buzz about...it's no good to me. I've gotten too used to being assaulted with it before having to question it, before having to search out the information myself.

When I do have to stop and think all of that, I soon find myself going to, say, Avex's homepage, to see what the top visited artist pages are and what artists they're highlighting on their flash reel. Lately, there have been some fresh faces on the lower sections of the main page...yet no information about them? No samples? What kind of promotion is that?

It is all because of promotion, though, isn't it? I keep falling back on Koda Kumi's 12 singles lately, but that's a prime (albeit extreme) example. That was a simple release assault that kept the girl fresh on people's minds and made people buy.

Then on the other hand you have Ai what-the-heck-happened-to-her Otsuka popping out a single out of nowhere months and months after her last release that I wouldn't even know about were it not for being subscribed to CDJapan's newsletters.

Then there are other artists still, like Daichi Miura, who haven't released anything new in months. (That DVD doesn't count--I'm speaking in terms of new music.) I've been having trouble staying interested in such artists without a stream of new music, new merchandise, and new information to keep me endeared.

So with this apparent lack of promotion, where are all promotional energies going? Are they being focused onto artists I don't follow at all, and therefore, I don't feel many waves from the effort? Is this just a lazy time of year, in part because there are no major holidays and whatnot (White Day having passed), and I should just sit tight until May, when there are already releases planned?

I'd like to know if anyone else has noticed this or feels the same as me. Or, for that matter, if anyone thinks I'm just missing the mark on this one. Even if I am totally off, I still can't help but feel...strange. I'd hate to call it "promotion withdrawal", but that's what it is, isn't it? I'm getting bored because there haven't been tons of releases planned for the month, and therefore, there hasn't been tons of promotion to go with it--nor has there even been much promotion of the recent releases we've just passed at the end of March. Much of what I bought at the end of March I wouldn't even know about had I not already been interested for a while beforehand.

But that's not to say that I like promotion in general (advertising is sly and overbearing usually). To some extent, it's necessary. But the thing is, I never imagined feeling this odd without the onslaught of promotion and releases. I don't think anyone imagines it, really. I for one always complain about advertising and say we'd be better off without it, yet here I am wanting more of it.

Maybe I've just gotten too used to it?

[analysis] Another post as jumbled as trail mix.

My apologies for the mini-hiatus there. There were some...things to deal with. Let's just act like nothing happened and carry on with J-Pop happenings as usual, shall we?

I have no strong semblance of any sort of streamlined post idea in mind at the moment, and therefore, you're all getting another goodie bag of a post once again, like it or not. It's going to have a bit more value than the previous one, I think, and hopefully I can get more back into the usual swing after this one.

Expect mentions of possible upcoming discussion points, as well as a wealth of miscellaneous artist comments.

> Recent schwag

Well, not really schwag, but what I've bought. I've finally received my copy of Koda Kumi's BEST ~second session~, limited edition, with the 2 DVD's. (I ordered it really late from CD Japan, and ended up really lucky, as the day after I ordered, they marked it as out of print.) I'll probably review the CD and at least comment on some of the music videos, and maybe the concert as well...because there are a lot of snide comments to be made. Anyone who's seen the Ima Sugu Hoshii video, at the very least, knows what I mean by that. Total sleazy what-the-#!@%-ness, those types of Kuu videos are.

Also, I've placed an order for misono's VS single (CD+DVD), Daichi Miura's Live Chapter 2, and Ami Suzuki's AMIx WORLD and AROUND THE WORLD albums. Unfortunately, the last of that list was expected to ship in 3-5 days (whereas the rest are new releases, out 3/29, and in stock), so the whole order has yet to ship. You can expect to hear more about all of this as it reaches my eager little hands. (And then no more orders again for a while--liking J-Pop is merciless on your wallet!)

> Koda Kumi

I'm still amazed by her first week sales for BEST ~second session~. She's managed to pull in well over 1 million by now, and at the rate she's going, she just might break the 2 million mark, but it'll still be a bit of a stretch. As far as the CD itself goes, I really like it--this coming from someone who had only heard No Regret before, of the 12 singles A-sides. The DVD's, though...I like and dislike at the same time. She's been laying on the raunchiness a bit thick lately. Several of the videos are just fine, and others are just slightly sexed up and nothing at all beyond the norm even for J-Pop, but a handful of them are either spoiled (Lies--was gaudy purple Kumi with a pole really necessary?) or just never should have been made (Ima Sugu Hoshii). As far as the concert goes, I like hearing her live and seeing how she interacts with the crowd, but some of the outfits and the dancing were just pushing it. Like what I've said before, what's good is great, but what bad is...um...difficult to stomach, sometimes.

> misono

I might as well go through the Koda sisters back-to-back. Again, I ordered the VS single with the DVD, and now that Ray at Cult of Pop has mentioned an extended version of the PV, I'm just too eager to see it! As it is, I've been watching my low quality, came-from-You-Tube craptacular version way too much. I was disappointed by how short it was, so the promise of a longer version is wonderful. I also heard a preview of the c/w track, Gurasu no Kutsu (I think?). As Ray also mentioned in that same post, I agree that it seems like what day after tomorrow might have sounded like. I was so intrigued to see if this was right, in fact, that I searched out the samples on Avex's website. (This was a few days ago, actually.) I'd definitely have to say it's at least somewhat like d-a-t's music, having heard those clips. I personally hope she carries on with more of a VS sound as far as her upbeat songs go, though, because it's different and energizing, a strong contrast to that light pop-rock sound that has already been abundant with Do As Infinity, Every Little Thing, and possibly even some of Ai Otsuka's music lately. That, and I love misono's antics in the VS PV, and I don't think slower songs would allow for that very well.

Also worth mentioning is that the VS single debuted at #4 on the Oricon daily singles charts, and has remained in that position since its release a few days ago. Given the competition this week, this is a very good position, especially for a break-out soloist from a group that wasn't insanely popular. Very good.

> Ami Suzuki

I'm loving Ami Suzuki right now. I haven't heard her old material from when she was with Sony back in the day, but I like her new material (and voice) so much that I'm a bit afraid to go back and try it. Regardless, I love trance music, so between her original electronic songs and her amazing remixes, I'm in heaven. I can't wait to hear AMIx WORLD!

Oh, while I'm thinking of it, is anyone reading this an Ami Suzuki fan? I've made a couple of desktop wallpapers of her (two original ones, one of which I made two versions of, so three in total), so if anyone here is interested, I could post them up for you. You're also more than welcome to request them if you're just curious as to my Photoshop ability. My layout tweaks here are nothing compared to what I can attempt to pull off. Besides, I don't think the wallpapers came out too terrible. :)

> KAT-TUN madness

Honestly, are they planning on taking over Japan or something? Now, Japanese boy bands in general just can't seem to grab me. I've got some FLAME, V6, and Tacky & Tsubasa stuff, but other than that scant bit, I just can't get into it. The boys are cute, yes, sure, but that isn't going to get me to buy their music. Then again, I haven't heard a lot of KAT-TUN stuff...but still. Their debut sales are too insane. No, no, no. Just craziness.

Though I have to say, I don't really consider those true "debut" sales anyway. The way they've been out there touring already eliminates a crucial criteria of my own definition of "debut", which is that the artist is a fresh face (or comprised of fresh faces). Ami Suzuki's Avex debut, for example, doesn't count as a true debut to me. KAT-TUN already had a strong fangirl following fanbase, they've been making appearances here and there for a while now, and because of that, I don't mark it as a true debut. It might be their first release(s), but they just aren't new.

> The bottom line

I truly like seeing these recent waves in the J-Pop scene, however puzzling or disagreeable--Koda Kumi's soaring popularity, KAT-TUN's massively successful "debut", and whatever else I haven't already mentioned here. It seems like lately, more artists have been breaking out, and others have been claiming their own portion of the spotlight from the veterans. It's just nice seeing different names on the charts for once rather than the usual chart-toppers like Ayumi Hamasaki, B'z, and Mr. Children. I've been buying more CD's by more different artists in more different styles than I ever have before, from pop and rock to trance and eurobeat to hip pop, and any fusion of those styles. Heck, there are a lot of great styles out there in mainstream J-Pop now that I can't even apply any sort of label or description to. I still can't adequately describe Aqua Timez's sound, and I still haven't the slightest idea what to label misono's VS. Promotional videos, too, are becoming, in general, more interesting and/or entertaining.

Basically what I'm getting at is that, while it's sad seeing the aforementioned veterans starting to lose some of the sales they once totally captivated, it's likewise inspiring and exciting to see new artists break out and older artists gain some much-deserved attention. I know some people think J-Pop has just been going down the tubes since any given time in the late 1990's, but I think this just could be the beginning of another great era in J-Pop.

I'll take those in a doggie bag, thanks.

A much needed casual odds 'n' ends post.

First, I have to admit, as much as I wanted my blog to be the "different" one (as far as what topics were to be discussed in it) compared to a lot of the J-Pop blogs out there, it seems like, at least for the time being, I'm going to sink into a lot of Hello! Project related talk. Not entirely, but just be aware that it's probably coming. Y'know, given my recent...addiction.

Yes, I'm secretly glaring at a few of you who helped to directly, indirectly, or sideways-directly effect my submersion into H!P-dom. That's right, sideways.

But aside from my ever growing disbelief in myself, I don't think this (H!P posting) is a bad thing, as it's probably more appropriate for most of the audience who ends up reading this. (Hi, everyone.)

So, not to ramble, I'm just going to throw out what remaining thoughts I have in nice concise bullet-style. Wow, concise. How uncharacteristic of me. Huzzah!

• Viyuden (or v-u-den or Biyuuden or however you kiddies are writing it these days) is really, really good. For me, at least. Much love for VYD.
• The Kago Ai scandal is getting stupid and they need to bring her back already. The end. ♥
• W's Miss LOVE Tantei single is pure awesomeness.
• ...and for some reason, most W songs make me want to play one of the Katamari video games.
• ...actually, for me, Hello! Project is to J-Pop what the Katamari series is to games. Different, fun...and stupidly addictive. ♥ ♥
  
• The fact that I'm starting to like Berryz Koubou frightens me a little bit.
• I used to like Kaori and Miki (to some extent), but now, not so much. They're still cool though.
  
• I used to dislike Nono and Mari, but now I like them.
  
• Did I mention that I'm starting to like Berryz Koubou and it's kind of scary? [sic]
• H!P definitely needs to churn out more DEF.DIVA / Gomattou-like material, 'cause it's awesome.

I think that sums up most of my random H!P related thoughts for now. I just wanted to throw them out there, seeing as I did promise follow-ups on my Morning Musume indulgence and all. And so, follow-ups I shall provide. :)

[analysis] And so, the bubble bursts.

The sales are in for Koda Kumi's BEST ~second session~ in its first week of release, and the results are a staggering 983,359 copies. To put that into perspective, the next best-selling album that week, also a new release, was Kaera Kimura's Circle, selling only a tenth of Koda's sales at 98,439 copies.

The most recent high-selling album I can think of is DREAMS COME TRUE's THE LOVE ROCKS, which scored 212,132 sales in its first week. Even Ayumi Hamasaki's most recent album, (miss)understood, has earned just 846,021 copies to date since its release a few months ago.

(For reference, the above sales information was obtained from here.)

So, does this make Koda Avex's new powerhouse seller? Or is it all skewed because it's a best album, and we won't really be able to tell until she releases another album? Given her successful single sales, as well as hear nearly ever-present top position as the most visited page on Avex's website, I think it would be safe to pass some judgment now.

I'm actually surprised that it seems to be Koda who is gaining the most success, fitting sales-wise as a sort of "Ayumi replacement" for Avex--though I do prefer Koda, I was expecting Ai Otsuka to become the greater force to reckon with. However, this is definitely becoming a Koda revolution.

Right now, I'm most curious to see how she'll do in her second week, and if she'll be able to crack the 2 million mark with this one. Until then, I'll be keeping you posted with new Koda information (and more, of course!) as it comes in, following up as always.

[translation] Tsuji Nozomi's letter to Yoshizawa Hitomi

I don't know if it's been translated elsewhere on the internet yet, but I translated it myself as a request on the Jpopmusic.com forums, and having gone through the trouble translating it, I figured I might as well share it with a few more people.

Here's the original Japanese with my translation, part by part, and then notes.


のんがフットサルをやめたいって思ったとき、
よっちゃんの、
「ガッタスは11人でガッタスなんだから、頑張ろう」
って言ってくれたでしょ。
When Non thought she wanted to retire from futsal,
Yocchan's
"Gatas is Gatas with eleven people, try your best"
is what she said, I think.

のん、すごいうれしくて、
今までいろんな人にやめない方がいいよって言われたけど、
やろうって気持ちにはならなかった。
Non is amazingly glad.
Until now, various people said "it would be good not to stop", but
The feeling that "I should play" was gone.

でも、よっちゃんが言ってくれたその言葉で、
のんは、まけないぞって思うことができた。
But, with those words Yocchan said,
Non was able to think "I'm not going to be defeated."

本当にありがとう。
Truly, thank you.

そして、これからもこんなのんですが、
ガッタスのメンバーとして、よろしくお願いします。
And, from now on, this Non
is a member of Gatas. Please be kind.

よっちゃん、本当に大好きよ。
Yocchan, truly, I love you!

辻　希美ヨリ
- from Tsuji Nozomi


Notes:
- Obviously, Non = Tsuji, and Yocchan = Yoshizawa.
- The "I love you" isn't exactly serious, it's a playful way of saying it that's literally "to like something a lot".

Also, don't reproduce this anywhere. Link here if you want to use it in something, but don't shamelessly "bootleg" it--that's just rude, ne?

Now, to make a few comments on the letter itself, I can't help but notice how...vulnerable Nono sounds. I know she's talking specifically about Gatas, but it still seems like it could stand for something more. Of course, I'm talking about the Kago scandal. It sounds like what she's saying about Gatas could be said in exactly the same way about her idol career. I could be reading too much into it, but it might be a subtle expression of how Nono is feeling right now about everything. I just hope she, at least, will be alright through all of this.

辻ちゃん、がんばれ。