Saturday 22 June 2013

アダムとイブのジレンマ Adam and Eve's Dilemma - C-ute REVIEW

Hey guys do you like the new layout and design of the blog? It's not a lot different to the old design but with me being a part of this blog for over a year now I decided to shake things up with a new design. Do you like it? I think it looks very cool and fits with the music video of today's review!


Due to be released on the 10th of July is C-ute's 22nd single and first double A-side release with Kanashiki Amefuri and Adam to Eve no Dilemma. Today's review will be of my favourite of the A-sides Adam to Eve no Dilemma, however I do plan on reviewing Kanashiki Amefuri next. From the feedback I have seen from different fans of C-ute a lot of people are in love with this single and my guess is that it will receive the same success if not better success with it's sales than their previous release Crazy Kanzen na Otona which was a kick-ass single in it's own right! (I bought two copies it was that good!)

I was first introduced to Adam to Eve's no Dilemma when I heard a concert rip of the song and when I heard it and saw the costumes I was very excited to hear it's proper recorded version. I fell in love with the outfits straight away and I was fascinated and loved the theme of Adam and Eve. Then as it was getting closer and closer to the single's release date, which is still in the future, I was really excited to see the PV for Adam to Eve no Dilemma compared to Kanashiki Amefuri to see how they used these beautiful, green outfits in terms of the PV. And I wasn't disappointed! I loved everything about it and again I do know that this single will be another milestone in C-ute's career which is just getting better and better step by step.

The music video begins with a white background with red apples which is easily symbolism of the forbidden apple that Eve decides to take from the garden of Eden in the biblical story. I really liked it, it was simple but I liked it.
Once again Airi locks me in with her beautiful eyes, her beautiful expression, her beautiful everything! Everything is about her is beautiful, whenever I see her on the screen I get encapsulated! She has that effect on me even if she isn't my favourite #1 C-ute member. Sorry Airi fans, but I still love her!
It wasn't going to be long before the sexy C-ute makes their comeback yet again and straight into the beginning of this music video. From the pictures I'd seen of their performance of this song live, from the outfits I knew this song was going to have a sexy number and I wasn't wrong! 
The girls really executed their dance so well and even though it isn't as complicated as Morning Musume's recent dances, C-ute have amazing dance skills and can dance in synch so well! That's what seperates an A-grade performance from a B-grade performance.
In the past Mai never stood out to me, in fact she was one of my least favourite C-ute members but recently with her maturity blossoming I've loved her more and more! She's now got to #3 in my C-ute ranking!
I was also really happy that there was a change of lines in this song, of course Airi still gets to be the front girl but Chisato is much more dominant in this song and I like it. She's clearly enjoying herself and working it!
Ahhh Airi why do you have to be so perfect?! You make me jealous of you! I want your beauty!!!
WOW! Saki, where did this sass come from? She really worked it with sass in this music video and I'm not the only one. An awful lot of people commented that Saki was amazing in this PV. Maybe she'll get more lines in the next single and get a push like Mai did in this single? That would be great!
Oooft Maimi! My perfect #1 C-ute star! She is so sultry in this music video and I just want to be her! Even for a day, is that so much to ask? It's a shame she doesn't get many lines in this song because she has an amazing voice, but this music video allowed her dancing talents to shine more which I don't mind instead.
Do you have to ask why I screenshot this moment? Look at it! Airi's perfect curves and midriff! How is she so beautiful and yet has such a perfect body? Scratch that I don't want her beauty now I just want that perfect midriff and figure! I think any girl would kill for Airi's body!
Go on Maimi keep pouting for me! Work it, and show UFP that they made a mistake for not giving you more lines!
Maimi was so sexy in this moment of the dance, she is quite a tall member, not Yurina Kumai tall, but still pretty tall! And her legs are just so perfect that I had to capture this moment and fall in love with it all over again!
The red apples make their comeback and Airi has gone from a sexy girl to this sweet and innocent character which suits this backdrop especially because it makes her beauty much more innocent. It kind of reminds me of Snow White with the red lips too!
Saki isn't one of my favourite C-ute members but no one can deny her beauty in this! Her lips are just so pretty and pouty!
One thing in this screenshot is that I loved Mai's posture in this dance move. Not many other people might have noticed it but it really stood out to me. Mai isn't usually a dancer for me but her posture in this move is just fantastic!
Chisato: I'm front girl, I'm workin' it and I know it! No one is gonna bring this girl down!
I have to agree Chisato you showed people who was boss and brought your haters down! Preach to the world that you can be a fantastic front girl!
All I have to say for this is: HIPS!!!! <3 They know how to work those hips! Teach me your hip power!
Maimi is just so beautiful! Is there no pose that she can do where she isn't beautiful?!
Oooh Saki you are making me fall for you! Stop it! 
I fell in love with this shot, my top three C-ute members in one shot? YES PLEASE!!! They should be a unit seriously!
Maimi: I agree with you Jenny! Storm into UFP with me and make them see sense!
Yes! Anything for you Maimi! I would knock down mountains for you!
Chisato and Saki just make an amazing A-team! Maybe they should be the 2nd Kanashiki Heaven? Just a thought there! That would be quite cool and it makes me curious to how they'd sound together!
Don't hug yourselves let me hug you instead! Let me show you some love! In a completely non-disturbing way of course! 
More hips! Damn I love this move in the dance! Please show me your hip talents and teach me the art senseis!
I cannot stop loving this trio and Maimi decides to be a little coy with her finger to the lip. I know what you're doing Maimi, but don't worry I will never stop loving you. Keep up with your perfection!
Mai isn't usually the best singer of C-ute but her last note in Adam to Eve no Dilemma kicked ass! I'm not going to deny it it gave me chills! She just keeps impressing me more and more!
Kick ass pose for a perfect ending! *APPLAUSE*

Now this song just as C-ute written all over it, a cool instrumental, a sharp and sexy dance number and of course flawless vocals from all of the girls who always come into their own when they are thrust into the spotlight. I loved the change up of this single, and it did throw me off a bit when I heard a lot more Chisato and Mai then the usual Airi and Maimi line dominance. However, I didn't mind it, in fact I embraced it with both arms held wide. Mai is usually just a background member for me but lately she's really caught my attention and UFP must have agreed with me by giving her more spotlight in this song. She doesn't have an amazing voice like Airi and Maimi but she sang very well in this release. The one moment that impressed the most was Mai's amazing note at the end. Usually she doesn't belt but she sang well with what she has with her voice and really left an impression at the end of the song when I listened to it.

Of course, Chisato also got given a front girl status in this single and even though she does get a lot of lines anyway these days, she got given a little more and you definitely noticed it and she did too. Throughout watching the music video I noticed a lot more attitude and confidence coming from her and I was impressed. She always has an amazing voice but sometimes she doesn't impress me on camera but she made a solid statement in this release.

Maimi, was for a change, pushed to the back which I wasn't happy with at first because she's my favourite but then I realized it is nice for a change to get other members into the spotlight so then I was more warm to embracing less of Maimi's lines. However, for what she made up in lack of vocals she did with her amazing dancing skills. For me she is one of the best dancers in the current H!P line up and she executed this dance so well and especially in the stretching move when it came to her lines. She is a tall woman anyway but it highlighted Maimi beautifully in those moves and made her look stunning like a model.

Airi and Saki were also very impressive and really know how to work their expressions in their solo shots. They really stood out to me in the scenes where they were laid down on a pale pink sheet with red apples. They were effortlessly beautiful and they reminded me of Snow White even though that's a different tale to what this music video and song is actually based on.

I loved the lyrical content of the lyrics and how they related to today's relationships upon the tale of Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve is a tale of the first humans on earth and they are in love with each other but then their lives are ruined when Eve is tempted by Satan disguised as a snake and she steals an apple out of the Garden of Eden even though God has forbade her to do so. Therefore, they are cursed with mortal lives instead of the immortal lives they were given in the beginning. What I think the lyrics are trying to say is that in every relationship we face troubles and temptations and that allows us to make mistakes, however if we focus on the positive and learn to love each other and fight the temptation then the relationship will be perfect. It is very creative and I do like it!

There was also a lot of symbolism in the music video which I adored as well because I love being able to pick out symbolisms and their meanings in a music video. Starting off with the green costumes that represent Eve and her private areas being covered with green leaves. There is also obvious appearances of apples which easily symbolizes the apple that Eve stole from the garden of Eden. The red in the solo shots reminds me of lust and how people can be tempted to other people in a relationship because it's something that we want but can't have like the forbidden apple which Eve is tempted to have but isn't allowed to. But then in the dance shot the grey colour of the apples symbolise the truth of the situation, the temptation is meaningless and isn't and shouldn't be attractive in the first place because we have paradise with what we already have. The chains could also symbolise the struggle that Eve faces with her temptation and trying not to cave into it like C-ute are representing with their loves.

This music video is also another typical and cheap UFP music video that I am not surprised about however they prove once again that it doesn't matter about the budget just as long as it's creative. Adam to Eve no Dilemma does exactly that and makes me want to watch the music video again and again! The white contrast in the dance shot to the green of the outfits is very effective and brightens the green even more to make it stand out so they look like beautiful emeralds.

C-ute also prove once again that they are amazing dancers with the impressive dance routine for this single! They were all very sharp and in synch with each other so it impressed me with their skills and I wouldn't have minded if this music video was based on a dance shot like Morning Musume's Kimi Sae, however I also don't think it would have been a good idea because then we would have lost out on a lot of amazing symbolism. And I need symbolism! I'm a performance student I need to analyse these things!

This song is also very cool and catchy just like C-ute's recent numbers and this is what I prefer from H!P's sound. I love a lot of H!P singles but their cooler singles is what really makes me smile. The introduction was very impressive and I loved how it slowly built up and then snapped into this very uptempo instrumentation that just made me want to bust amazing moves like the C-ute girls. All of the girls sounded amazing in this too and their vocal talents just impress me everytime I hear them in a new release. As a group they work together so well and individually too so everyone has their moment. Sometimes I forget that C-ute is an idol group and I think of them as an amazing and cool girl group. This song has C-ute written all over it and it's a winning combination of C-ute, flawless vocals, sharp, precise dancing and an added zing of sexy to top it all off.



This release has been one of my favourite's this year and I am so excited what C-ute have up their sleeve for their next single!

RATING: 9/10

Thanks for reading guys! You can continue sending me requests! They can be anything from J-Pop, even if it's something I haven't listened to before, request it!

Saturday 15 June 2013

新しい私になれ! Be The New Me - S/mileage REVIEW

A few days ago S/mileage's newest double single A-side music videos were released onto their official channel and when I watched and heard Be The New Me for the first time I knew I instantly wanted to review it. Usually I'm not a huge follower of S/mileage but in the past some of their releases have caught my attention such as Suki Yo and Uchouten Love among others. However, when I heard this song it just made me fall in love with S/mileage right there and then again. Lately, they did go through a dark patch and a lot of people didn't know what to make of S/mileage at this point. However, now that they've been given a double A-side single I guess it's given them a little kick in the butt and it's worked wonders. They've really blown me away this time!!!

When I watched the music video there was so many amazing moments that I knew I had to screencap some of this so I do warn there will be many screenshots of this music video. There will be a lot of pouts so be warned! Teehee!
When I first saw these moves being executed I didn't know what to think. It was a very different thing I was expecting from the usual S/mileage.
I'm used to seeing this cute little Meimi jumping around in all bundles of kawaii genkiness or whatever you want to call it. However, in this music video there's a completely different side to her and I like it! Viva las mature Meimi!
Ayaka is usually "just there" for me in a PV but in this case she really showcased how sexy she can be. In some instances she did remind me of Maimi Yajima from C-ute which is  a FRICKEN GOOD THING! It's either the sexiness or the similiar hairstyles, but I love long hair on an idol!
The dance looked and flowed with the song well but then this dance move comes along and I was just so confused. It didn't go with the song at all, they reminded me of those golden Chinese trinket cats that bounce their paws up and down!
Ayaka and Kanon: These 2nd gen girls may be getting better but we still own this crib! Never forget that homegirl!
Gotta support their 1st gen spirit! It did make me giggle to see the contrast between these girls though Ayaka just oozed sexiness whereas I think Kanon was going for the more coy look or she had puppy eye syndrome.
Akari is just flawless on her own, she can just bat her eyelashes and pouty smile and I'm putty in her hand! She is the tomboy of the group but she can work it and prove she can be a sexy girl with the rest of these chicas! But be aware in the far distance is the Rina ready to prove herself! She wants to break through this Akari/Kana wall!
Rina has had luck on her side today and proved to people that she can be an awesome asset to S/mileage! I had to screenshot this because I loved her expression in this.
RINA: I can prove myself! Rina is the underdog soooon!
Okay I get it I get it I love you, please don't hurt me!
You want me to now leave you alone...okay master...but in future please be more clear so I don't get punished from the underdog Rina! Keep working it gurl!
Rina isn't the only other girl here who's trying to prove herself as an awesome idol! As the emptiness of Tanaka Reina's presence from Morning Musume in H!P blows through like dust, Meimi has decided to take the reigns of the sulky pout for those who miss Reina. She either as a plan for H!P domination or she does care for Reina's wota's sobbing from her graduation!
Ayaka you keep working it! Throughout the whole PV she really knew how to work to the camera and I was impressed. She may not be the best singer of S/mileage but she knows how to work her other talents.
Ayaka and Akari have now teamed up to rebel against the underdog that is Rina!
AKARI: She might have walked through my wall but she didn't know me down!
AYAKA: Preach girl! Showing you some senpai lovin'!
Ayaka! I love Akari so don't try and pull at my heartstrings! It's never going to work! I love you but Akari...she's my S/mileage #1! Even if you do look so stunning!
I know Akari is the tomboy of the group but she has this natural feminine beauty that really showcases itself flawlessly! When I screenshot this I thought this could be photo shopped into a fantastic fashion mag cover. One of you readers is going to do it aren't you?
AKARI: Me, a model? Gurl I pose in my sleep! *Pout*
Oh I know you could I could never deny your perfection!
Kana's hair was so just so pretty in this! I hope she keeps styling it like this it really does make her stand out! She's so adorable!
I really am in love with Meimi's posing, for a teen she knows how to pose sexy!

All in all I really enjoyed listening to this song, it was a cool song that really conformed to my preferences. I love a lot of H!P singles but the more cooler ones are the ones that I tend to love the most. The instrumentation was just so cool that the introduction didn't sound like a H!P or idol song at all in my opinion. It sounded like something a proper girl band could execute and I liked that. Also, in all honesty I don't really think that this sounds like a S/mileage single, but that isn't a bad thing. I really like how the girls have ventured into something new with this A-side. They have done cool songs before but not songs that have had to require so many mature vocals and sexiness to be executed. Some of the girls such as Kanon still sounded their same old cutesy S/mileage selves but other members such as Akari and Meimi really allowed the cool sound of this single to allow them to showcase the variety of their vocals and what genres they could apply themselves to. H!P is always about change so it's a good talent to have in my personal opinion for an idol in general to expand to different genres. However, despite the maturity of the song within the instrumentation and the verses, it's the chorus' that really reminds you again that this is a S/mileage song. Once they all sing together in the chorus' the typical high pitch that is S/mileage is re-introduced and I remember that this is a S/mileage single all over again.

Another thing that I love from H!P is when they use a lot of white. I don't know why but when I see PVs from H!P that are dominantly white they look sleek on my laptop screen. I guess that's why I'm still in love with the Only You outfits from Morning Musume's PV due to the heavy use of white. And this PV executed the same effect with me and I love the outfits!!!

With the dance shot the background did remind me of a familiar set that has been used in H!P plenty of times before (for example Juice=Juice's 1st indie single PV when they had the same background for their dance shot). But this is UFP and they like to recycle to save money, remember the less money they spend the better for them. That's a typical feature and will not be forgotten in a hurry.

Again in terms of typical H!P there again wasn't a lot of variety it was just the same old dance shot, solo shot number with a little, but not really counted as, variety with the use of different shots of the dance and the members stood with notes and the alley shots. One thing that annoyed me is that when I say alley shots they aren't really an alley. Do you recognize the studio wall? Watch some H!P behind the scenes videos of other PVs and you'll recognize that wall like it's your best friend. Again they are using resources they've used before. I won't complain because I did like those alley shots and the girls worked that shot well. They all looked very sexy in it but they all did it in their own ways. Ayaka was very sexy, Kanon was the coy sexy, Meimi was the moody sexy etc.

In terms of members I wanted to chart how much they impressed me!

1. Meimi!
Usually I'm not a big fan of Meimi and hyper idols in general. However, in this PV she managed to tone it down and showcase a mature side of her that I never thought I'd see before. And this showcases the maturity of her voice so much as well. She does have a fantastic cutesy voice but her mature voice is just 10 times better and I do hope that UFP recognizes this and keeps up with this mature sounding voice of hers.

2. Ayaka!
Again, another member who I hardly notice as made her way to the forefront for me which is for me impressive. When it comes to members who I hardly notice, if they manage to attract my attentions then they've done a great job because it takes a lot for someone to take my eyes away from my oishiis. Ayaka had great chemistry with the camera throughout the video and showcased that she has more variety than her genki idol character. She is 17 now so definitely reminded people of that in this!

3. Akari!
Akari was herself in this music video which was a good thing but she used her face in such a good way! She hardly moved her face but at the same time she emoted so much! She looked so beautiful but you just had to look into her eyes to see that and it blew me away. She might be the tomboy of the group but I still see her as a beautiful girl sometimes!

4. Rina!
Even though Rina was background in this music video most of the time, in the small moments she did get to the front of the dance she worked it effortlessly. She had a lot of, I hate to use the word, swag, in this video and I liked it. She might not get a lot of lines but I hope she can make herself stand out in other ways. But she does deserve more lines...just saying!

5. Kanon!
I can't believe this because usually Kanon blows me away and I always notice her. However, she stood out in this in a bad way. I could see she was trying to look sexy but she just looked typical S/mileage cute all over again and it stood out like a sore thumb between the other sexy solo shots. Her voice did sound amazing in this though!

6. Kana!
I have to admit Rina has always been at the bottom of my S/mileage ranking. There's just nothing about her that stands out to me. Yeah, she got a push in Yattaruchan but she just doesn't catch my attention as an idol. I do notice she is blossoming into a beauty but that's about it. I really don't know what else to say.

The outfits were also amazing in this music video and I was wish I had an outfit like that too so I could learn this awesome dance. Throughout the dance there were some weird moves such as the golden cat paw and the hugging/gropey moves at the beginning that did make me cringe because some of these girls are still very young, but apart from that it was a sexy yet simple dance that I like. It catered to all of the members' dance abilities and they danced well together. Of course it's not as awesome as Morning Musume's recent dances but they still know how to bust moves!

All in all this song along with Yattaruchan as a double A-side single is very impressive! I know Yattaruchan is the main A-side but this song will have to be my favorite out of the two. Yattaruchan bored me and was too cutesy for me even though their energy was very fun to watch! This single does prove that S/mileage does have what it takes to be an amazing group and the contrasting A-sides allows people to see that S/mileage can cater to more than one genre. I am excited to see how successful this single will be.

Thank you reading this review and if you have any requests please let me know!!!