Solo Debut for Kikkawa Yuu!

Finally!  This excites me beyond all belief.  Seriously, I may not have followed Kikka very closely in the beginning but I know now that this girl would’ve been wasted in Morning Musume if she’d gotten in.  She’s got the biggest fanbase of all the eggs and finally let her personality out to shine!  I also sincerely believe that Kikka is going to go so much farther than Mano Erina.  There’s so much more charisma in Kikka than in Mano to me.  Mano is cute and everything but Kikka’s got SPUNK.  I like spunk.

At any rate, it’s been announced finally that former Hello!Pro Egg Kikkawa Yuu will have her solo debut in March.  This crazy talented girl’s debut single is called Kikkake wa YOU and will have four different versions.  Like S/mileage’s fourth single Shortcut, each version will have a different b-side to go along with it.  The b-sides for all of the singles will be the songs that she performed as the opening act for the Hello!Project winter 2011 concerts.  These songs include Sayonara Namida, Candy PoP and Fuyuzora Hanabi.

In a rare move for any Hello!Project member, Kikka has been signed to Universal Music Japan.  I’m sure that Tsunku will likely be writing her solo material but the fact that she isn’t with a label affiliated to Zetima will probably mean so much more promotion for her than any of the other artists under H!P.  She’s also slated to perform alongside BEAST and SDN48 at the UNIVERSAL DREAM LIVE 2011 event at Osaka and Universal Studios Japan on March 19th. Kikka also has over 10,000 subscribers to her mobile site already.

So who’s going to be the next H!P Egg to debut? Mori Saki also recently completed her Egg training so there’s no knowing what’s going to happen next.  Actually, there’s a lot of exciting coming out of H!P lately.  Buono are back in action, Berryz Koubou’s got a new album coming out this year, C-ute are releasing good songs again and Morning Musume’s set for what seems to be quite the comeback.

Expect a H!P news roundup in the next couple of days!

Berryz Koubou does Sakura Con 2011

You read that right, folks!  Berryz Koubou will be making their North American debut at Sakura Con 2011!  As announced by Captain herself at the last concert of BK’s fall tour.  It took Morning Musume over ten years to make their debut in North America so it’s great to see that the girls in Berryz are getting their chance to shine.  Their last single didn’t wow me at all (compared to Maji Bomber which I love) but regardless, it’s really great news to know that they’re making their way to Seattle in April.  I wish H!P would come up to one of the major cons in Canada but I really think the chances of that happening are slim to none.  However, I’d be all over that if they did come up here.  I’d blow the entirety of my savings to go to that particular convention.  Regardless, if you’ve got the time and money to spare, head on down to Sakura Con at the end of April and support Hello!Project.

If they get enough support, I bet you anything that they’ll make every attempt to cross over into the North American music scene.  I’d love to hear some more H!P english tracks.  Who knows, we just might get a revival of Coconuts Musume!  It really makes me wonder what songs their gonna pic for the setlist.  Of course, the BK staple Special Generation will be performed (it’s a given even if it’s overated) but I’d love to see a medley of the Inazuma Eleven themes (with the exception of Shining Power.)  Berryz Koubou and most of Hello!Project can pull off the Pop Rock genre with relative ease.

Excited yet?  I am! :D

Morning Musume not to appear at this year’s Kouhaku Uta Gassen

This year’s Kouhaku Uta Gassen artist list has been announced and Morning Musume aren’t part of the show this year, the first time in ten years. It’s not exactly known why Morning Musume won’t be performing this year as single sales haven’t been particularly bad and I wouldn’t say they’re any less in the public eye than they were the year before – perhaps a little less out of the tabloid press – which is a good thing.

Last year Berryz Koubou, C-ute and Morning Musume all performed at Kouhaku as part of the Hello! Project 10th Anniversary Celebration. Also not on the roster this year is AKB48 who have expereniced their best year yet. This again is a little odd.

What’s worse for Morning Musume and Hello! Project in general is that they’re aren’t scheduled to appear on any Christmas specials. They will however been appearing along with most of (the active) TNX and a few others on the Sharan Q 20th Anniversary concert which is being broadcast on WOWOW on 12/6. Does anyone know – is this a popular television station?

To end on a slightly happier note, the Hello! Project Winter Tour begins on 01/02.

Today’s Events (2008-09-28)

2008-09-28

14:30: Berryz Koubou Concert Tour 2008 Aki ~Berikore!~ @ Gunma Kenmin Kaikan
14:30: Resonant LIVE: Morning Musume Concert Tour 2009 Autumn @ Harmony Hall, Kanagawa
18:00: Berryz Koubou Concert Tour 2008 Aki ~Berikore!~ @ Gunma Kenmin Kaikan
18:00: Resonant LIVE: Morning Musume Concert Tour 2009 Autumn @ Harmony Hall, Kanagawa

Berryz Koubou’s Autumn tour comes to a close today.

Today’s Events (2008-09-27)

2008-09-27

14:30: Resonant LIVE: Morning Musume Concert Tour 2009 Autumn @ Harmony Hall, Kanagawa
18:00: Resonant LIVE: Morning Musume Concert Tour 2009 Autumn @ Harmony Hall, Kanagawa

Morning Musume’s autumn tour begins today, below you can see the setlist, their could be some inaccuracies as this isn’t official just yet.

1. Sono Bamen de Bibiccha Ikenai Jan! – Morning Musume
2. Mikan – Morning Musume
3. MC1
4. Pepper Keibu – Morning Musume
5. Opening Movie
6. TOP – Morning Musume & Kamei Eri Dance Solo
7. Yah! Aishitai – Morning Musume
8. MC2
9. Inspiration! – Morning Musume
10. Ambitious! Yashinteki de Ii Jan – Morning Musume
11. Purple Wind – Takahashi Ai, Niigaki Risa, Kusumi Koharu, Junjun, Linlin
12. Lemon Iro to Milk Tea – Kamei Eri, Michishige Sayumi, Tanaka Reina
13. MC3
14. Tan Tan Taan! – Kusumi Koharu
15. Watashi no Miryoku ni Kidukanu Donkan na Hito* – Mitsui Aika
16. Guruguru JUMP* – Kusumi Koharu, Junjun, Linlin
17. INDIGO BLUE LOVE – Niigaki Risa
18. Take off is now* – Takahashi Ai, Niigaki Risa, Tanaka Reina
    
19. MC
20. Dou ni mo Tomaranai* – Morning Musume
21. Koi No Dial 6700* – Morning Musume sans Linlin
22. MC
23. Souda! We’re Alive – Morning Musume
24. Onna ni Sachi Are – Morning Musume
25. Roman ~My Dear Boy~ – Morning Musume
26. Koko ni Iruzee! – Morning Musume
27. MC
28. Resonant Blue – Morning Musume
29. MC
30. Ame wo Furanai Hoshi de wa Aisenai Darou – Morning Musume
31. Aozora ga Itsumademo Tsuzuku You na Mirai de Are! – Morning Musume

Quite an interesting set-list! The songs with an asterix next to them haven’t appeared on any Morning Musume or other Hello! Project artist’s discography as of yet. One can assume most of them, if not all will be on the upcoming album COVER YUU, though a few of them I’ve never heard of.

I find it interesting Morning Musume will be performing W’s canceled final single, I wonder if it will use the arrangement meant for W?

Today’s Events (2008-09-21)

2008-09-21

12:30: °C-ute Concert Tour 2008 Natsu ~Wasuretakunai Natsu~ @ Aichi Kousei Nenkin Hall
15:00: Berryz Koubou Concert Tour 2008 Aki ~Berikore!~ @ Koube Kokusai Kaikan
17:00: °C-ute Concert Tour 2008 Natsu ~Wasuretakunai Natsu~ @ Aichi Kousei Nenkin Hall
18:30: Berryz Koubou Concert Tour 2008 Aki ~Berikore!~ @ Koube Kokusai Kaikan

Today’s Events (2008-09-14)

2008-09-14

12:30: °C-ute Concert Tour 2008 Natsu ~Wasuretakunai Natsu~ @ NHK Osaka Hall
17:00: °C-ute Concert Tour 2008 Natsu ~Wasuretakunai Natsu~ @ NHK Osaka Hall