Forget AX for a while, let's talk about Mi-chan.

Ya know, it's just killing me to write all these AX posts without being able to gush about other celebrities who I *didn't* get to see but really wanna die trying to do so at some point.

You're all aware by now (please read the site if you aren't) that Ms. Kayo Aiko is my first and only true love when it comes to Japanese pop music. I could give my reasons here, but again, read my old posts, that'll learn ya. Aiko really seemed to be mad at me when I ventured into Kpop and Cpop (gee thanks, Tom) but I wonder how she'd feel if she knew I had the hots for one of her friends?

Well, I'm sure Aiko will be devastated to find out that I've formed a bit of a bond with her good friend Saito Michi, a.k.a., Mi-chan, whom I've mentioned in a few previous posts. Similar to Aiko, what was at first merely an infatuation with her good looks became a full-blown obsession (and I totally called *that* one) once I discovered her music, and her photobooks.

So, what the hell; eye candy, please:

(Beavis voice): "Hey, how's it goin'?" Let's get a little more risqué...

She's beeeautiful... one more, and:

Mi-chan, let's run away together, you and me.

All of this attractiveness gets more solidified after you've heard her music. You wouldn't think that a girl who gets *this* in-your-face -- here, try *this* one instead...

So, you wouldn't think that a girl who gets *this* in-your-face could sing these really wistful, sweet songs about finding dreams and true love, with a *little tiny* voice that's just addictive (although her speaking voice is rather full and husky, but I could again be confusing Koha with someone else).

So what, Aiko? I've a right to play the field on this one.

It's interesting, because Aiko and Michi are so similar; yet become polar opposites upon further examination. Aiko's a sweet, bubbly girl who goes for all-out cuteness, sings epic songs full of twists and turns, and seems to be very outgoing without a lot of self-confidence issues. And I rather like *that*, but...

On the other hand, Michi is a reserved and calm girl who goes for a quiet sort of beauty, sings simple and soft (but man, if they ain't awesome) songs, and seems almost shy to a fault. But, who's the one going 'round dressed in skimpy swimsuits, after all? Somehow, it's as if these two were twins of the opposite-sort, but which one is the evil twin?

So, if I may venture out slightly on a limb, here, it goes like this: Aiko is a sex kitten wrapped in a disguise of cuteness, while Mi-chan is cuteness-itself disguised as a total sex kitten. It's that simple. About them both, what's not to love?

So there you have it, and if anyone thinks I should go back to posting about AX, Ms. Kayo would like to point something out:

See? It says right there in "the rules" that I can write about whatever I want to on this site. Thanks, Ms. Kayo.

Lasto, let's see a bit more of Ms. Saito, shall we? After all my going on, it's nice to have a video to illustrate my point. By the way, two words: "bathtub sequence". Oh, and all the phrases that appear on the screen describe how I feel about Mi-chan at this point...


From here on.

Intermission

Sumimasen, y'all, for how much time it's taking to get part three up. Day One was a long day, and I don't think anyone I knew was there to see me audition for AX Idol, so I'm trying to communicate all that 'flava'. Meanwhile, International Wota is listing all the people who copied my idea (j/k) and of course I'm nowhere to be found. Oh well, they're just covering all the filler until my seventh installment, Anime Expo and the Deathly Hallows.

Until then (and it shouldn't be long, it's mostly done), enjoy this video. It's called 'Whatever-the-Hell-This-Is' by Some Japanese Chicks (featuring Saito Michi). It's the most absurd (with the strange familiarity of Jpop) video that I've seen in quite a while. First, Mi-chan is the one who pulls the sword from the scabbard towards the beginning of the video and gets the cool light-reflection-effect on her eye. Next, Mi-chan is not the black guy with the cigar. Third, I soooo want to buy a ragtop Cadillac and just blast the *crap* out of this song, rolling down the strip in Vegas at about 5 miles an hour. I've got to figure out what this is, because as long as it's possible to play this video, I can never sleep again.

Also, what a perfect screencap. If you've seen such a picture and aren't even *tempted* to watch, then it's time to turn in your Japanophile badge...

I Like Everything...

...don't you just *hate* that? Warning: diatribe follows.



One of the things I accidentally left out of my Things that Tick Me Off post is something that I suppose doesn't tick me off, but instead, puzzles me to no end. People who say that they 'hate' (no, I mean really, *hate*) a certain idol or idols, yet are just as much in love with their favorite idol as I am with Ms. Kayo Aiko.

People who worship one idol and outwardly despise another... these are people that I don't want to know, really. For example, there are plenty of Kusumi-haters out there (you know who you are, you heartless bastards!), and also, plenty of people who love to hate Ms. Mitsui Aika (pictured above). When I look at that picture I don't feel anything even approaching animosity. I used to be indifferent to Aika, because to me she was relatively unknown and there were plenty of other Musume to focus on.

Look at my track record so far... I reviewed the Girls Box Movie (and liked it), brought up some of my favorites: SPEED, Perfume and Capsule, every Morning Musume album, Slayer... and I had good things to say about all of them. So why post a picture of Aika and say anything negative about her? Well, I'm not going to. I like Mitsui, and I like her alot. Damn right I do.

Yeah, I could nitpick and deconstruct her, mention how she's not as good of a dancer or singer as (insert random Musume here). I could talk about how the nickname 'Moonface' is seemingly apt -- Paul, we need another Chris post -- or how she actually did look kinda scary to me when she joined up... maybe it's all those teeth, she looks like she *does* bite:



..and if she does, well, no cutting into the queue! I'm in my rightful place, waiting to get bitten. But I digress.

Bringing up such a polarizing personality as Ms. Mitsui might get a reaction from some people, good or bad. I've been on both sides of the fence with her, from in the past possibly wishing she'd go away, to now, where I'm contemplating starting a site dedicated to her... hmm, moonface.blogspot.com? Naw, I just don't have the time; besides, if anyone, it's Saito Michi, then Nacchan, then a toss up between Sasaki Nozomi or Ogura Yuko.

I remember buying some °C-ute songs from iTunes, looking at the cover, and wondering, 'who *are* these people?' Some of them, I swore, I would not be a big fan of, especially Chisato, with this haircut:



I tried to think positively, that she was just as much a part of the group as all the rest, bad haircut and photograph and all. I just couldn't get past how boyish and strange she looked. Luckily, my reaction wasn't enough to go online and trumpet how much I despised her, nor ask ad nauseam, 'what's up with *this chick*?' By that point I'd had enough experience to know that if she was any good, I'd find out sooner or later. Nowadays, her signature adorns my wall, along with those of the rest of the °C-ute ensemble. And I treasure it. Chisato, sweetheart -- you ever need a place to crash, lemme know...

So after that ordeal, and seeing Mitsui Aika in a swimsuit (yowza!), it's not like I'm going to disown her as a Musume or as a person. All readers -- love her or hate her -- I'll say 'hi' for ya when I see her in Los Angeles.

Sorry, but this blog will remain a place of praise. Might be a little tiresome after a while if you keep reading my reviews and find out that I like everything I see or hear. Well, I don't, actually, and if you knew me better you'd be tired of my complaints by now. But when it comes to Japanese pop music and idol culture, I'm kind of biased.

My previous post mentioned how music is good for you, in a very real way. And I thought that finding Berryz Kobo, °C-ute, and Kusumi Koharu was a quasi-fountain-of-youth, bordering on the legend of Elizabeth Báthory in terms of extending my life without scientific proof.

With all the real things I have to complain about, Japanese pop songs (and the personalties behind them) are nice to have. Furthermore, none of these girls would hurt a fly (or you), unless they asked me to do the honors, whilst playing up the whole cute-and-scared angle.

So why all the hate?

It goes without saying that most of the internet is populated by well-meaning but loudmouthed teenagers who simply *must* project their thoughts into the world, whether those thoughts are rational or not. But even adults want to spread hate about their least-favorite idol, and these are the people I'm speaking out against.

If you can't stand Japanese pop, fine; but please, don't be a hypocrite. I'm already puzzled enough.

For the last time, then, here goes. If you're a Jpop lover, but still claim to hate certain idols, I've got to call you out, here and now. Of all the things you might have reason to complain about, why are you so down on some teenage girl from Japan who sings and acts cute?

Are you more attractive than she is? Are you worth more as a person than she is?

Then why the heck aren't people watching your videos and buying your records?

Again, love to Ms. Mitsui Aika, even if it makes me seem uninteresting. Seriously, why do you harbor hatred for specific little Japanese girls?

As a postscript, does anyone know Mitsui's 'concert color'? Or, For-The-Win, can anyone point me to a list of *all* the Musume's colors? I want to show my support (and recognize others' allegiances) at AX, 48 days from today.

Check out some Girl's Box music

In my post titled "Finding more Aiko..." I threatened to make the a☆girls song 'Tsuioku no Heroine' available for preview, so I've done myself one better and am making a number of Girls Box songs available.

Each song I've uploaded has three things in common: first, I enjoy these songs and think that some of you will enjoy them as well. Second, I'm not aware that any of these songs are widely available on the 'net, if you can even find a portion of them anywhere else. And third, each song has been modified so that you get most (but not all) of the song here; just enough to make you think that if only you had that extra minute or so, including the brilliant ending, your life would somehow be complete.

I'm not trying to encourage piracy, I just think you'll like them enough to search for them legitimately at some point. I'm just tired of shopping for music where you are *lucky* if you get titles, or any correct information at all. I'm also displeased with 30-second soundbytes that don't really give you any idea of the scope of the composition. I don't own the rights to any of this, and I'm not representing any company in doing this. Just getting it out there so that maybe someone else will pick up on it. I know Avex wants to sell this, and I know the retailers want to sell this. If you haven't heard these before (or, like me, you may be on the fence about some things), this will give you the chance to hear this music for what it really is. And really, what it is, is... awfully good. I've provided links to the albums at cdjapan, but now that you know what you're looking for, feel free to buy them anywhere.

So, if you're still with me, here's what I've got:

Girls Box ~Best Hits Compilation Winter~
(also available as CD-only)
There are 11 songs on this disc, and I am providing previews for:
Track 3: Hiroko Sato: "Can't Hide"
Track 5: a☆girls: "Tsuioku no Heroine
Track 8: Nanase Hoshii: "Fuyu no Opera Glass"
Track 9: Saito Michi: "Tooi Machi no Dokoka de"

Girls Box LOVERS HIGH Original Song Collection
(also available as CD-only)
There are 6 songs on this disc, and I am providing previews for:
Track 2: Nagasawa Nao: "To you"
Track 3: Kayo Aiko: "Runaway girl"
Track 4: Nanase Hoshii: "Dawn is standing on my back"
Track 5: Saito Michi: "HOLD ON"

Right, here is the collection for download at Mediafire. Please feel free to leave a comment or email me (see profile-->) with your thoughts.

Finding More Aiko, You Can't Always Trust the Internet, and Some Ground Rules

My latest cdjapan purchase was a treasure hunt of sorts.  My first selection was 'GIRLS BOX ~Best Hits Compilation Winter~.  While most of these GIRLS BOX compilation cd's include Aiko songs, they are usually singles you can find elsewhere.  Aiko fans, take note:  this cd contains a song of hers that you're not likely to have, or find on the internet.

In 2005, before there was Kingyo, there was "a☆girls", a duo consisting of Pretty Ami and Aiko Kayo.  Though I'm not sure what they did otherwise, the song "Tsuioku no Heroine" is included on this compilation.  Any Aiko completist needs this song in his or her collection.  The song is in a style that I'd term 'hard disco', similar to Aiko's 'Fantasy' with a little more variance and more sound effects, plus a few polyrythms.  In typical Aiko style, it's upbeat and catchy, slightly aggressive, but with an underlying coolness that shines through.

In the future I might make a lo-Q version of this song available, to drum up some advertisement for this album.  You'd want this song if you could hear it.

If this were the only reason I'd purchased this disc, it'd been worth it;  but there are a few more bonuses for the Aiko fans.  A long version of '3rd Xmas' (now with more 'yeah yeah yeah sha-la-la-ding-dongs!), and that song's PV (which I don't think you can get elsewhere), with clips from the Girl's Box Xmas TV series.

Also, a live clip of 'Futari no Ai Land', sung by a stage filled with every Japanese girl that ever lived.

  

Standing next to Aiko during 'Futari no Ai Land' is the incomparable Saito Michi.  Feels nice to know that Saito is Aiko's partner in crime for this song.  Plus, she gets her own song on the album, 'Tooi Machi no Dokoka de...', a Christmas song, a very good song.  I'm slowly becoming a huge Mi-chan fan, the more I hear of her.

Also among the millions on that stage, front and center is Nanase Hoshii.  She also gets a song on the album, one I didn't have before, 'Fuyu no Opera Glass'.  It's another Nacchan song which (again, dammit) defies description.  There's mellotron, referee whistles, old-Pink-Floyd style electric organ, flange guitar, and a sitar.

Prepare yourself as well for a song sung by Hiroko Sato, labelled a 'newcomer' here.  She's a ridiculously gorgeous model with a surprisingly average voice.  She's a model, after all, and unfortunately, hasn't done much with music before or since, perhaps something a little more suited to her voice.

The other item in my purchase was, unfortunately, Aiko-free.  I've seen titles of a couple songs Aiko had sung for anime, prior to her first single, and was hoping to unearth one to prove that it really did exist.  Those songs are 'ABC no Kodomotachi' and 'Midnight Horror School', and so I bit the bullet to try for the latter.  The first installment of Midnight Horror School looks like this:

My sources had listed 'Midnight Horror School' as the 'first' theme song for this anime.  There's another theme, 'Happy Mystery', credited as the 'second' theme song.  Sounds logical, then, to get the first few episodes to find my Aiko song.  Mission failed, however.  'Happy Mystery' is the theme for the first four episodes, and I know that for a fact.  The song was done by Kawakami Tomoko, not Kayo Aiko.  So if Aiko did do 'Midnight Horror School' the song is not the 'first' theme song, if your method is chronological order.

There are 13 of these MHS collections, each priced a little over $40 each, so I'm not taking chances which might ultimately cost $600 to collect the whole series, just for one Aiko song which may last 1:30.  I invite anyone with a little more knowledge on the subject to come forward on this before I empty my wallet again.

So it's bad enough that Aiko's song has been mis-labeled as the 'first' theme song when it isn't, but remember, there's also hope for another song, 'ABC no Kodomotachi', right?  Wrong.  I wasn't expecting to find it so easily, but 'ABC no Kodomotachi' is on this disc, and it's again done by Kawakami Tomoko.  Don't believe everything you read on the internet.  There's still hope that a song called 'Midnight Horror School' exists, and that it's sung by Aiko.  Otherwise, my sources were wrong, and Aiko should not be credited for 'ABC no Kodomotachi', nor the 'first' theme song of this anime.

Not all is lost, though;  the anime seems really cute and done in beautiful CGI.  Once I get over the shock I'll have to go back and watch the show.  I may enjoy it enough that buying every successor will come with time.  Sadly, this DVD is Aiko-free.

Last, as promised, some ground rules for the S.P.A.K.A. site.

I won't enforce copyright of anything I post here.  Meaning, unless other rights are reserved (the cropped Aiko pictures, for instance), this site is fully public domain.  My only goals with this, as posted before are:

1. to get in touch with Ms. Kayo Aiko and let her know we appreciate her.

2. to encourage continued support for her career in showbusiness.

3. to provide information about Ms. Kayo Aiko to anyone who wants to know more about her.

I'm not doing this for personal gain, except maybe for the chance to shake her hand and tell her 'arigatou' and 'ganbatte'.  If you have any information about her, pass it on.  It'll help me (and the entire English-speaking world) to be able to sort fact from fiction.

Girl's Box LOVERS HIGH Review Part Three

Okay, look out:  that's right, it's Mi-chan's turn.  A casual observer might confuse Saito Michi with Ms. Kayo Aiko.  It's an even bigger possibility since Mi-chan does a dead-on Aiko impersonation.  But, to hell with casual observers.  Once you've seen these girls, you either go on with your life as before, or you become OBSESSED.

So, Michi has more than a few fans out there, and I'm sure they're just as damn dedicated (damn, damn, damn dedicated) as we Aiko fans, and why not?  Her songs are catchy, her personality seems likeable (maybe a little *too* shy... oh well) and she's extremely pretty.

She's also the only main cast member who isn't involved with Kingyo in some way, and it's kind of awkward watching the group come together with no real mention why Michi doesn't get a part in it.  You really feel for her and demand to know more.  The English-language information available on her is just as scant, if not moreso, than what's to be found about Aiko.

It goes without saying, then, that I don't know enough about her to pass any real judgement beyond what's been put in the film.  And that, while it's not 'enough' in the traditional sense, is plenty to go on for the issue at hand.

When Yua and Nami get to the Girl's Box bar, what's in store for the viewer?  Mi-chan stealing the whole movie by dancing on the bar, that's what.  This scene alone makes the film worth the price of admission, and yes, I have a one-track mind.  This one appearance (a.) made me want to listen to the song 'HOLD ON' over and over again, (b.) proves that she's got what it takes to stand out amongst all the other girls here, and (c.) begins my full-blown obsession with Saito Michi.

So she plays Miku, the bartender.  And a darn good bartender at that:  all Mama has to do to get a new drink from across the room is to hold up an empty glass and point at it.  Miku then immediately hops to it.  Barkeeps like this are few and far between;  most make you wish you had stayed home so you could get served quicker.  Also, she does that trick where full shakers are stacked one by one, turned sideways, and poured into every glass in one move.  Maybe you'll just have to see the film to understand, and don't worry that they don't show her face while it's being done.  You can't prove that it's another person doing the pouring, so don't even try.

Miku makes a game of luring men, promising them the world, and then letting them down without a thought after stealing their money or whatever else she can get.  Personally, I'm not sure that anybody should be using this technique in real-life, but we don't have to suspend any disbelief that it works when watching the film.  It would totally work on me.  I'd give her all my cash, all my credit cards, take her to the ATM and drain my account, give her a map showing the secret location of all that gold I buried in the Grand Canyon, then wave to her as she drove off in my car.  "Call me later!" I'd say.

But you know she wouldn't.  Miku is calm and calculated, nice on the surface but greedy and jaded underneath.  Through it all she sticks by her friends and makes sure they get enough to drink.  The perfect woman?  Probably not, but she thinks so, and I may someday agree.