And the winner is...

So my first contest has come to an end, and I have chosen a winner!  I first wanted to say thank you to everyone who participated.  I was so happy to see so many people participate!

I also want to say that I almost didn't want to hold this contest, because I knew that I couldn't give a prize to everyone.  If I had 30 copies of this card, I would love to share them with everyone! Lol.  But there had to be only one winner.  I used an iPhone app to randomly generate the winners name for me.

That person name is Lily! Congratulations!

E-mail me at helloraffi@gmail.com, with your name and address, and i'll send you your prize straight away.

For those of you who didn't win, better luck next time!  Since I got such great participation in my first contest, be sure to see more in the future.

Thoughts on Momusu's Latest PV's

I just wanted to give my thoughts on the two PV's for Morning Musume's 47th single double A-side's: Kono Chikyuu no Heiwa wo Honki de Negatterun da yo / Kare to Issho ni Omise ga Shitai.

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Lets start off with the first one, Kono Chikyuu no Heiwa wo Honki de Negatterun da yo.  Man that's a mouthful.  I don't think i'll ever learn to say the whole thing in one shot...let alone write it out.  There were some parts that I like a lot, and some parts (that might be Aika biased) that I didn't like either.  For starters, the song is really great.  I love the opening of it; the way the PV started off was one of my favorite parts.

Outfits: The outfits were overall great, although I didn't really like Ai's.  She looked like a really expensive Cleopatra cosplay or something.  It didn't work well, but that's just my opinion.  The tiara seemed appropriate, since, you know, she's like leader and all, but it made the outfit look tacky.  I feel that Sayumi rocked her outfit the most.  She looked flawless.  Everything about her was perfect and I wouldn't change a thing.  Riho and Erina looked really nice as well, and I liked the way both of their hair was done up so nicely.  I wasn't a fan of Risa's updo at all.  It didn't suit my preference.  Reina and her bow are just getting old, and it's been seen countless times.  Moving on~

Dance: The dance seemed like a very half-assed disco that the girls learned an hour before they filmed the PV.  I didn't find anything special about it, and none of it looked in synch.  I didn't like it at all really.

Stage: The opening of the PV was creative, with the whole walking into space or whatever.  The dance shot looked like it took place on Mario Kart's Rainbow Road, as i've heard many previous people mention before me.  It wasn't anything special.  I liked the close up stage much better.  The purple and starry theme looked great, and the girls looked good in front of it.

Dislikes: It may sound biased, but I thought the PV was rather...unfair towards Aika.  Because of her injury, she wasn't able to dance...or even stand.  I bet it made shooting both PV's extremely difficult.  It must have made Aika feel like such a burden on the others.  What I noticed was that for a PV with one member missing from the dance shot, they sure used the dance shot version for majority of the PV.  It was almost as if Aika wasn't even in Momusu.  I didn't like that at all.

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Whew.  Moving on to Kare to Issho ni Omise ga Shitai.  Another mouthful.  What happened to the simpler titles like ONLY YOU?  So much easier to remember!  Anyways, I liked this PV a lot.  It was great to see Sayumi get a chance to be the lead.  The song itself is upbeat and enthusiastic.  I thought the PV as a whole was great.  The costumes were ridiculous, and the animations were off the walls crazy.  It's wonderful.

Outfits: Oh boy.  I don't really know what to think of these outfits. I mentioned it before, but it looks like the girls were dressed by a blind pre-school teacher.  I think Reina's is the only outfit I find mildly acceptable. Risa has WAY too much makeup on, and she looks like an old lady.  All four kyuukies and Aika look like perschoolers, and Sayumi looks like their teacher.  I like Aichan's red outfit, but I don't like her hat.

Dance: Is there even a dance?  I honestly didn't see one in the PV.  Maybe it's going to be another 'Aitai Lonely Christmas' type of thing, and have a completely unnecessary dance shot version on the side later.  Either way, the 'dance' portion I suppose was their march or whatever.  It was cute.  Even though Aika, Fuku, and Erina sitting on clouds half the time.  The other times, Aika was sitting on a chair, faux-marching.  At certain points you can even see that she's sitting on a stool lol.  Come on.

Stage: There's so much going on that I can't even think of one set place that they stood.  Everyone's background was different, which I guess is cool, because it gives them some more originality.  I liked all the insane images and random parts that they used.  It added to the fun of the PV.

Dislikes: There isn't much that I dislike about this PV.  The outfits are bizarre, but I don't dislike them really. Maybe the worst thing about it is the chapstick that came to life and applied itself to a sleeping Sayumi.  Awkward much? lol

Ai Believe ~ Takahashi Ai Graduation Setlist

I want to start off by saying Thank You to everyone who is participating in my first raffle!  The amount of you that participated is astounding!  I wish I had as many Maasa cards to give out to all of you.  I'm still leaving the contest open until Monday, September 5th 9:00pm PST.

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The setlist for Takahashi Ai's graduation concert has already begun, and the setlist has been released to the public.  This is what we're in store for:

1. Mr. Moonlight

~Opening VTR~

2. Konno Chikyuu wo Honki de NEgatterun da yo

3. Kare to Issho ni Omise ga Shitai

~MC~

4. Resonant Blue

5. Yamete yo Sinbad

6. My Way~Joshikou Hanamichi~

~Reina/Erina/Riho/Kanon MC~

7. Suki da na, Kimi ga (Sayumi/Mizuki)

8. Kono Ai wo Kasanete (Ai/Gaki)

~Ai/Gaki MC~

9. Suki na Senpai (Ai/Gaki)

~Sayumi/Reina MC~

10. Yume Kara Samete (Ai)

~Ai Believe VTR~

11. Songs

12. Give Me Love

~MC~

13. Special Medley

~MC~

14. OK Yeah

15. Only You

16. Maji Desu Ka Ska

~MC~

17. Bravo

Encore:

~MC~

18. How Do You Like This Japan?

~MC~

19. Tomo

Evening Setlist Changes:

~2nd MC swaps Reina for Sayumi~

7. Silver no Udedokei (Gaki/Reina/Riho)

10. Jishin Motte Yume wo Motte Tobitatsu Kara (Ai)

13. Special Medley Changes

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Wow, first thing I noticed was that there are quite a few MC's!  I guess there's a lot to talk about.  During the first MC, it will be explained why Aika isn't participating in this concert, but i'm sure by now we all know why.  It's rather sad that she wont be able to participate.  I'm hoping she recovers as quickly as possible.  There's also been rumors going around that because of this injury, she's going to graduate early, but that's probably just the haters doing what they do best.  I try to deflate those rumors as I walk past them.

Second thing I like to point out is that the italicized performances above are new songs from the upcoming Momusu album 12Smart.  I'm really curious to see what those new songs are going to sound like.  I hear Silver no Udedokei is going to have Risa rapping?  That sounds pretty awesome to me.

I'm curious about the second VTR as well.  It's a segment where all the members are going to talk about Aichan.  That's usually something that's seen in DVD Magazines or Graduation DVD's, so I wonder what that's going to be like.  This concert seems pretty interesting so far, even though the outfits are rather meh.  I would have liked to see something really flashy, since it is the queen of H!P's graduation after all.  But that's another story.

Raffi's First Contest!

To say thank you to everyone who has supported my blog, and for sticking around through all of my posts and lame jokes, I decided I wanted to host a small giveaway!  It's nothing huge, but it's a token of appreciation.

This contest is really simple.  Rather, it's a raffle.  There aren't any special instructions.  All you need to do to be entered into this contest is to simply leave a comment on this post.  A simple "I'm in!" would be good enough.

Here's what you all will be playing for:

A beautiful mint-condition Sudou Maasa L-sized photocard from the Winter 2011 Shinsen Matsuri Concert Tour.

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All you need to do is leave me a comment below, and i'll draw a name out of  hat, or something similar in order to be completely random.  I'm closing this contest on Monday, September 5th at 9:00pm PST.  You guys have 5 days to leave me a comment!  Sounds simple enough right?

If this raffle goes well, and I get enough participants, expect to see more contests with better prizes in the future!

Sekaiichi Happy na Onna no Ko Profile Pictures

HelloProject has updated profile pictures on their website for C-ute's new single Sekaiichi Happy na Onna no ko.  Here's what they look like now:  I find it rather strange and amusing how the profile pictures/CD jacket outfits have NOTHING to do with the PV!  I find that weird.  Others might not.

 Seriously what are these outfits?  WHERE IS THE CREATIVITY?  THE PASSION? Well I guess the creativity exploded in the PV.  I swear it's like a kawii rainbow unicorn threw up on them there.  It might have blinded the designers into making simple white looks for the CD cover, so we would be totally unexpected to see da rainbowz in the PV.

OK hi Nakky Mrs.NoShorts.  The next thing that I noticed when looking at these profile pictures was that it seems that Airi has stolen a pair of my underpants.  They look better on me her.  Also, since when did Chisa dye her hair that shade of brown?  I didn't notice it before.  Maybe it's all the blinding white in these pictures.  In addition, I always  thought that S/mileage was supposed to be the "legs" group.  What's going on Tsunku?

He must of had one thing on his mind.  It's the kind of thing that seems to be on many of our minds I'd assume.  Especially with these outfits.  C-UTE PILLOW FIGHT!

CAN I GET A WHAT WHAT?

Collab Singles

It has been announced that all 5 groups of Hello!Project are going to collaborate for a mash up single that's due for release on November 16th.  The title is going to be Busu ni Naranai Tetsugaku.  Surprisingly, the single is going to be released as a Regular Edition, and 6 Limited Editions (A-F).  Aichan will not take part in this single, and neither will Ogawa Saki, but the new S/mileage members will.  I'd love to know if there is going to be a PV involved.  That would be great!

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Other then the complete Mobekimasu single, C-ute and Berryz alone are going to be collaborating for their own single to be released on November 9th.  It's going to be titled Amazuppai Haru ni Sakurasaku.  It seems that this single is going to be the ending theme song for the movie Oosama Game that all of Berrikyuu are taking part in.  This will be released as a Regular Edition, plus two Limited Editions.  I'm looking forward to hearing what both of these are going to sound like!

New S/milage Profile Pics

New profile pictures for their upcoming single Tachi Agaaru were uploaded to Hello!Project's website:

 I really do like these new outfits for the single.  The new member's pink outfits reminds me of the outfits s/mileage had for their Bijin Mama single, and the OG member's red outfits remind me of flight attendants.  Maybe it's just the hat, but either way they're really nice.

Today ended Ogawa Saki's time in S/mileage and Hello!Project. It's not quite the same without Sakitty to be honest.  The profile page looks incomplete.  It's our first S/mileage graduation, let's see how things go without her.