My Love/Hate Affair with Technology [plus poll winners and Idol thoughts]

TechnoMANIA and Me

Yep that's me. Sayaka 2012 poster calendar in the background yooeeh

Ever since I started with Tumblr and got back into using social media eg; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, my creativity has taken such a dive. I feel like if I was living in a time before computers my brain would be as active as Noel Fielding on crack, but being so easily distracted by so many different programs at once turns my mind into a big lump of moosh.

I love talking about idols and Japan, and even just rambling on about fitness, food and other things but I have to try and stay focused. In the new year I'd like to make this blog more personal, there will still be plenty of idol talk but it will also be about me and my thoughts. If I don't put them out there and force myself to write I will turn into another social media zombie just like everyone else, and that'd be damn sad.

Smartphones do not help either. I thought to myself 'I won't get addicted' - but of course I did and now I am just 1/100 people checking their phones on the train instead of reading a book or writing in a diary. This I dislike and would like to start some sort of weaning program in the new year. I love my phone and it is extremely handy but I do not want it to become like a third hand to me or something.

Before I started a writing course I thought writing might be something I want to do in the future, it still is but I need to have free rein over my work and not be bound by assignments forcing me to come up with a topic. This is why what I am actually doing is such a good idea, Commerce and Japanese, one of my friends keeps coming up with commerce as a generic degree but I think he means communications. Either way he doesn't realise that getting tertiary education is so important to me.

At this rate, I will now have two degrees before I turn 30 and then I can maybe start on a Masters or MBA depending on what I want to do. I feel, in my situation, the more education I can get, the better.

Here's to the New Year!

Back to Idols!

The winner of the last release round poll was Gingham Check with 5 votes, second was Kiss Datte Hidarikiki with 4 votes, and Virginity and Hashire! Bicycle both with four. Please vote on the new release round!

Graduations have been happening so much lately and now two beloved members of AKB48, second generation's Yuka Masuda and Tomomi Kasai, are leaving. Yuka got caught up in an apparent 'scandal' but it seemed like maybe she was looking for an exit anyway. I have no idea if DiVA will continue but I hope they do in some way as I really love them as a vocal group.

Tomo~omi announced her graduation at the AKB48 Kouhaku song battle, luckily with hers we are getting a solo single and a photobook, so I think perhaps she has thought about this for a long time. I'm still extremely sad that both of them are leaving, the second generation is looking very sparse these days.

Morning Musume's new single covers have been released and they are atrocious. I could do better photo editing myself and I only have gimp. *cue laughter* hey!

Type B Limited, the only decent one, albeit its simplicity. :/

check them all out here

The only good thing I seem to notice about these covers is that everyone gets a go at being in front, which is nice. Maybe now Reina is leaving they will have the chance to distribute lines better, although lets face it, Hello! Project have never been great at that! This is also the first single where Sakura Oda gets a look in, so hopefully she lifts MM to a new level. The members likeability rate is at a high so I'd love to see them actually getting good songs/designs/costumes once in a while.

The idol boom seems like it may have hit it's peak, now with all the former Team 4/KKS members being pushed in AKB48, 2013 might be a big year for graduations, so prepare yourself if you're a fan of any members who have been there a while. Tokyo Girls Style and FLOWER/E-girls are still going strong though so maybe it's time to switch focus to the newer, fresher and more musically-focused groups. Or just ride the wave like we always do and enjoy it! Idols are more addictive and pumping out more music than ever and there's loads to choose from with a personality for every fan. Let's support our favourite idols in 2013 too!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Ichigogo!

[PS: There will be more giveaways in 2013 :D]

My Love Affair with SKE48

S K E FORTY EIGHT! S K E FORTY EIGHT!

Recently, SKE48 has overtaken AKB48 as my favourite group. Their freshness, hyper-energy and consistently good songs have completely and utterly won me over in every way possible.

Jurina Matsui is my favourite member for so many reasons. She's amazingly talented at such a young age, she's super pretty and energetic, and she's kind and like a teacher to many members, even those older than her. She absorbs instructions like a sponge and also holds a place in AKB's Team K, currently appearing as the front girl for both AKB and SKE's singles. I do, however, think this puts unfair pressure on her, and hope she is put back just in SKE soon.

Akane Takayanagi's gorgeous vocals and constant smile makes me so happy and pumped. She's also such a gutsy person, she asked Aki-P (aka Yasushi Akimoto, producer of the 48's) if Team KII could have their own original stage...IN FRONT OF EVERYONE at the 2011 elections! Girl is perfect! And he delivered later that year! Guts is rewarded!

Currently making their way up my list is many beautiful and amazing girls of SKE, Manatsu Mukaida, Kumi Yagami, Shiori Ogiso, Yukiko Kinoshita and many, many more. I dislike no one. They are all such amazing, hardworking girls.

Being from Nagoya, such a chilled place, also helps the freshness of SKE48 in my opinion. When I visited there, wearing one of my SKE shirts, everyone was so kind and would speak to me about how much they loved the band. Girls, boys, everyone, even at the airport in Tokyo people would be like 'Ah! You like SKE48?' and I would get into a big fan discussion with many lovely people.

Their A-sides have always been impressive, and even if on first listen they don't get you, rest assured by third or fourth you will be absolutely hooked. My favourite A-side is Pareo wa Emerald. I can't get sick of it, no matter how many times I listen to it!

Always looking so joyous and happy when they perform, and giving you a strong urge to get up and dance. SKE48 inspire me to be my best at life, and isn't that what idols are for anyway?

New Poll + Winner of ...48 Poll!

Congratulations SKE48 - [Kataomoi Finally!] ❤


Ha! I knew you'd pick me.

So it seems you all love yuri as much as I do as SKE48 won by a landslide. This release has been their best seller so far and it's not hard to see why, with it's interesting message and girl-girl fanservice, who could say no to the gorgeous ladies of SKE48? I am surprised that NMB48 didn't get a higher amount of votes as they have also had an extremely strong release this round. Here are the stats breakdown:

1st - SKE48 [Kataomoi Finally] = 19 votes (59%)
2nd - AKB48 [Give Me Five!] = 6 votes (18%)
3rd - NMB48 [Junjou U-19] = 3 votes (9%)
4th - Misaki Iwasa [Mujin Eki] = 2 votes (6%)
4th - Mayu Watanabe [Synchro Tokimeki] = 2 votes (6%)

The new poll involves AKB girls who don't seem to get a lot of love. I am not including any girls that have been put in senbatsu and seem to get a decent amount of exposure, aka front girls in sub groups and such. I am also not including Team 4 -as they are very recently promoted and really should work their way up. Also, no other ...48 groups are included. This is pure AKB here. These are the poor, underloved 'theatre girls' that never seem to get in A-sides...ever!

'Who would you like to see featured in the next AKB48 A-side?'

You may also select multiple answers! Select as many as you like! It's a big poll this time, as there are a lot of very underappreciated girls!

If your favourite isn't there or you'd like to suggest someone else, please let me know so I can use them in a future poll!

I apologize for the slight inactive-ness of the past week or so. I am currently using very slow internet and will be back to weekly updates in the next week or so. At the moment. I am working on some new reviews for new releases, both Japanese and Korean, so you will see all of these very shortly. I'm unfortunately having to work on internet explorer right now. So I am sure you all pity me!

Let me know if there's anything in particular that you would like me to review or share on here that is J-pop or K-pop related.

Poll Winner + Graphic Competition!

Congratulations!

TEAM K!

Sayaka is so pleased with you, she will give you a cake with her face on it.

Realistically, I don't see how there could have been any other winner. Team K are amazing and their performances are often the most energetic out of all of the teams, that said, all 5 options got a good amount of votes. 86 votes all up. Thanks very much for voting everyone! Here's the vote breakdown:

Team A - 20 votes (23%)
Team K - 43 votes (50%)
Team B - 16 votes (18%)
Team 4 - 4 votes (4%)
Team Kenkyuusei - 3 votes (3%)

Now, onto the next ports of business. There are 2 things, a new POLL -
'Which is your favourite ...48 release from this round?' - Please make sure to vote! This poll is shorter than others at only two weeks so get your vote in today!

Competition!


Yui is listening..
Also, I'm looking for a new style to this blog. So I am starting up a new competition. The prize is promotion on this blog with a special part on it that links straight to your blog or website,(permanently, even after I change the layout) - the entry is going to be slightly harder this time. I want you to design a new look for my blog. Here are the requirements:

- Must be cute and sparkly, and it CAN be AKB48/SKE48/NMB48 themed but it doesn't have to be. Please no Hello Project themes. If you are going with an idol theme it would be a good idea to ask me what members I like first. (Comment below with any questions).

- Must include 'Ichigogo!' on the header in some way, but preferably hiragana. Feel free to incorporate strawberries into the logo or header.

- Include a good space on the sidebar for your own blog link and create something pretty to link to it! (an icon that will fit into the sidebar and not widen it would be perfect)

- Must be compatible with blogspot. I'd also like the dimensions of this blog to stay the same, but I would love an 'easy to access all posts' sidebar of some sort.

- Sidebar has to stay practically the same (Poll first, blog list second, popular links third, pageviews fourth, members fifth, about me and blog archive sixth)

- Header to be no wider than 975 pixels but can be higher or shorter than current.

- Feel free to create a background as well, or to use a current blogspot background.

- Please upload your pictures to your own servers, use imgur or photobucket or tinypic, please don't hotlink!

- NO PLAGIARISM. If I find anyone using someone elses work they will be disqualified.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask. This will be a month long competition. So you all have until March 8th to come up with something really pretty and get your blog or website permanently featured on this blog! (As part of it's own section with it's own graphic, not just as part of my blogroll) - Please EMAIL me the html entries to: lovelikecandyfloss@gmail.com

Good Luck!

February Release Month!

February Love!



After being rocked by scandal earlier this year, I hope that the ...48 groups and H!P and all the other idols have a very stable 2012!
This month is a CRAZY month for releases, we had a taste at the end of January with a lot of new stuff like Kumi's 10th album, Momusu's 48th single and SKE48's fantastic 8th single. February seems a huge release month, perhaps because everyone is recovering from Christmas and finally has money again? Unless you're a student in the southern hemisphere, then you are about to become very broke as it's the start of the new school year!

This month we have:


Give Me Five - AKB48


The song where the senbatsu (chosen unfortunately, not voted for, so be prepared for a big lack of Sayaka, Yuka, etc) have all learned to play instruments. A few days ago it was revealed that this had maybe been plagiarized from a classical piece, and was being investigated. They do sound similar and I really hope that nothing bad happens and it's not pushed back, as the pre-order versions have already sold out on all the major websites.

The song is really catchy but I wouldn't say it's the best Sakura single I have heard (Five is the amount of petals a Sakura blossom has, so that's where the title comes from) - I was hoping for something like Sakura no Shiori or Sakura Ki ni Narou, but perhaps that's why it's not like either of these. Aki-P loves a surprise, and this was certainly a good one! They have all worked really hard to make the instrumental sound surprisingly good for only a few months practice. I'm sure it will sell really well and they will get yet another record broken!

Next up:


Mujin Eki - Misaki Iwasa


What a beautiful release this is. I knew hardly anything about Misaki Iwasa (or Wasamin) before this release. I knew she was a stunner after seeing her in Watarirouka Hashiritai 7, but I never realized she was this talented, and she's only 17 too. I wasn't originally going to order this (how many times I've said that I don't even know...) but it's just too awesome not to have as a physical copy. Such a clear voice and a beautiful song. Enka suits her so much and I hope this won't be just a one off, and she will have many more solo outings. Unfortunately most of the PV's available are either previews or mini-versions, but I am sure once all of them are released it will be slightly easier to find full versions on youtube or youku.

Next is:


Junjou U-19 - NMB48


This is a GREAT release, with the couplings being just as good as the A-side. Also, Sayaka's solo song, which we are all hotly anticipating, as she is a gem of a find in the idol world. This song is 'Innocence U-19' - with the juxtaposition that they are all acting positively badass in the video clip. 'They aren't innocent at all!' you may cry, yes that's right, they will kick your ass, and it will hurt. This is the single where NMB are going to come into their own. Hopefully we will see them separated from the other ...48 groups and doing some promotion of their own, standing on their own two feet. I've bought this, and I'm looking forward to seeing the sparkliness of this release on the big screen!


Next:

Synchro Tokimeki - Mayu Watanabe


Full PV! Watch it quick before it gets taken down. If it already has, I'm sorry. ;_;
This is a super cute PV and an adorable song, yet her voice is super nasal here and I don't really think she suits solo releases, she definitely works better in a group. That said, she's a great actress and the 4 persona's she portrays in this video clip are all awesome. This is the theme song to her drama, and if it goes well, perhaps they will give her differently themed songs as well? I'd love to see her tackle a slower song, as her voice seems to strain when it goes too fast.


Next:

Chotto Mate Kudasai! - S/mileage


The only H!P act still worth listening to in my opinion have released yet another adorable song. First one without Yuuka Maeda but it seems they can still hold their own quite strongly. This has quite an old school sound to it that really works. Their voices collectively have come down an octave, so I can finally appreciate their songs. I wish they'd spent like, 50 more dollars on better outfits that look less like smocks though. :/ S/mileage cannot afford any more graduations, so I hope 2012 is a more stable year for them.


Next:


Guru Guru Curtain - Nogizaka46


Thanks Charlotte!

The 'rivals' to AKB48 have their first single coming out on the 22nd. It is adorable, it sounds like Onyanko Club, the costumes are hideous, it will probably reach Number 1. But let's get something straight, you are not AKB's rivals yet. Work for 6 years to get famous, with blood, sweat and tears and a load of graduations and then come back to me. Considering they have performed at AKB's concerts, I cannot consider them rivals just yet. The video above has a few CM's but you can very clearly hear the song in the background. I think good stable PV previews should be out in a few days.

Last Minute Addition!


Sakura Regret - Flower


Flower's second single's preview has come out, and the preorder links have finally come up on YesAsia. Their first single limited edition is already sold out so buying this is an investment if you love FLOWER. I think they are the most entertaining out of all the E-Girls. This song sounds great from the mini-preview above. It comes out on February 29th!



Very looking forward to all of these! Which are you looking forward to? Either these or anyone else who is releasing in February! There are a lot of them!



THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 10,000 VIEWS! I LOVE YOU ALL!

SKE48 8th Single [Kataomoi Finally] PV's out!

SKE48 are kicking other bands out of the water with this controversial PV and song. I can only hope that this isn't just used for fanservice, but also to highlight awareness for LGBT issues in Japan, a country where it's still considered taboo to be gay, and not many people even understand the background and think it's a lifestyle choice.

This isn't for any religious reasons or anything, as we all know Japan is very secular, it's because they aren't educated. It's not included in any school education, and people who are gay or fall into the 'not straight' category often hide their feelings and live very unhappy lives.

This is more true for girls rather than guys, unfortunately. Gay men are more accepted than lesbians, which doesn't surprise me really. As Japan is still quite backwards when it comes to women's rights, they never had the 60's and 70's feminism age that West went through. So it is taking tiny steps at a time that we can create a better life for LGBT people in Japan.

This release from SKE48 is helping, rather than hindering, as it is very tastefully done and with a really touching story. Aki-P has touched on this kind of subject before (with the Team K song 'Kinjirareta Futari') - but never with this kind of push. I hope this means that he is for LGBT rights and not just after wota's money.

On to the PV's! First we have their title track 'Kataomoi Finally':

WATCH ME!

Me when I first saw this video clip:



Juritan is a pimp and seems to like all the girls. (Just like in real life?) While Rena and Akane get their hearts broken, there are other pairings and such, and it's very well done. Real emotion is put into this and it shows just how good the girls are at acting as well as singing and dancing. The uniforms for this PV are also unbelievably cute.

Next, onto Shirogumi 'Hanikami Lollipop':

WATCH ME!

An extremely cute song taking influence from the war years for it's storyline, Juritan has to save everyone from being in black and white. The outfits are gorgeous, and I am glad to see a decent amount of Anna in this clip, she's so pretty and deserves more screentime. Of course Juritan saves the day, as she always does, with her power to turn things back to colour after a little boy (Who seems to be speaking English with a German accent) approaches her in a cafe and gives her what must be a magic flower of some sort. Gorgeous, and in my opinion, the better out of the two B-side PV's, but I may just be being bias.

Next up, Akagumi's 'Koe ga Kisareru Kurai':

WATCH ME!

A strange PV where each girl seems to be representing a soft drink can in a vending machine. As each girl gets bought by a different customer, she gets warm clothes to survive in. Rena is the last one standing, it seems nobody wants to buy her, her friends offer her warm clothes but she doesn't want them until eventually a kind truck-driver offers her the same clothes and she accepts. Not super sure what is really going on but it's a cool concept nonetheless. Aki-P has also approached this concept before in B-side to 'Seifuku ga Jama wo Suru' - 'Namida Uri no Shoujo' - but again he has changed it slightly and made it a completely different song.

This release is really, really good and we only have a few days left until it's release. So let's all buy a copy and support SKE48!

Winner of SKE48 Giveaway!

Hail to the Chief

I have read all of the entries over and over. I absolutely loved all of them. It was extremely hard to pick a favourite as you all really put an effort in. Thank you all so much for entering and getting involved in my blog! This will probably be the last big giveaway for a while but I promise you will be able to get involved in more projects I am planning for the future.

The Winner is....!

Rini!

I loved your entry on Morning Musume's longest serving member and how heartfelt you feel about her. All of you, keep supporting your idols! I now need you to comment on this entry with your email address so I can send you the options for SKE48's new single.

Now onto the next item of business. This blog is about to become a shrine to Sayaka Akimoto for 2012. I want to see her in Senbatsu again, and I want to see her HIGHER than her position last year (which I believe was #17) - I also want to bring existing AKB48 fans knowledge of her brilliance and beauty, and the need for her to get recognition. We have to start early, and I am thinking of getting fan shirts and banners made. This is about to turn into an AKParty! Look out for the new look for this blog and the next post, which is going to discuss what WE can do to support Sayaka this year! ❤

Poll Winner + New Giveaway!

Poll Winner!
The winner of the most recent poll asking the question:

"Which is your favourite Morning Musume album?" is.....


Yeah it's just me, you got a problem?

Fantasy Juuichi!

:/

To say I am confused is an understatement. Picking F11 over 10 My Me or Rainbow 7, or Sexy 8 Beat doesn't make any sense to me, but the fact is, I am an older fan and a lot of you are newer fans. Thinking about this, I don't think this would have gotten this amount of votes if not for the Fantasy DX concert. So it's a credit to the new girls that they can do songs they didn't originally record really well. So I am not going to make any type of judgement. There were a HUGE input of votes this time, so thanks so much everyone for voting! Here is the breakdown of stats.

Fantasy Juuichi - 27% (44 votes)
10 MY ME - 23% (38 votes)
12, Smart - 16% (26 votes)
Platinum 9 DISC - 9% (16 votes)
4th Ikkimasshoi! - 8% (14 votes)
Cover You - 3% (5 votes)
Third Love Paradise - 3% (5 votes)
First Time - 2% (4 votes)
Rainbow 7 - 1% (3 votes)
Ai no Dai 6 Kan - 1% (2 votes)
Sexy 8 Beat - 1% (2 votes)

Second Morning, No. 5 and 7.5 Fuyu Mini-album got one vote each.

Please make sure to vote on the NEW poll!

[Which is your favourite AKB48 Team?]

Right. Now to the giveaway!

Be excited. This is a good one. In celebration of one of my favourite groups, SKE48, putting out a stunning shoujo-ai themed single, I am giving away a BRAND NEW copy of Kataomoi Finally. JUST FOR YOU!


Gorgeous

That's right. Whoever wins this competition will be able to choose which version they would like of Kataomoi Finally and have it delivered straight to their house from YesAsia.com. (This competition is open internationally.)

To enter, you must be a follower of my blog, and answer this question:

What would you say to your favourite idol if you met her?

The winner will be announced 2 weeks from now! Good luck!

Poll Winners and Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations TOKYO GIRLS' STYLE!



Tokyo Girls' Style absolutely raked in the first poll. Gaining 48% of the vote. The second place getter was PASSPO* with 25%, SUPER*GIRLS got 12%, Afilia Saga East got 9% and Dorothy Little Happy got 3%. Shiritsu Ebisu Chuugaku didn't get any votes, but I am sure they will gain more popularity in the future!

I can see why Tokyo Girls' Style got so many votes, they have undeniable talent and their songs just keep getting better and better. They are young so they may have many years ahead of them (so long as Avex doesn't screw them over like they did with SweetS >.>) and they can only improve over the years.

Please vote on the NEW Poll!

Also

Congratulations Amiga Pobre!

What an inspirational and lovely entry you had about AKB48's leader Minami Takahashi.

You have won the giveaway! Please contact me with your name and address so I can send your official copy of Pareo wa Emerald Limited C by SKE48!

Thank you everyone for entering and look out for another giveaway this time next month!

SKE48 Love [and Giveaway!]

SKE48 were formed in 2008 after Yasushi Akimoto saw how high AKB48's star was climbing, the concept was to have an idol group in a lot of different regional areas. Their home base is the Sunshine Theatre in Sakae, Nagoya.

SKE differs from AKB in a few ways. I personally see them as a breath of fresh air. Their members, as a whole, are energetic and full of life, and since they have only been around for a short amount of time, they still have a new quality to them.

Their songs are fantastic, performed with vigour and passion, and their skill is held up to the bar by the dearest front girl in the ...48 family, Jurina Matsui. An extremely hardworking and dedicated girl of just 14.

Jurina starred in AKB48's PV 'Oogoe Diamond', before SKE48 had even released their debut single, and at the age of only 11. Her serene disposition and mature looks could have you mistaking her for much older though. This is a girl who knows what she wants and goes for it. She takes everything in a cool stride. I respect her very much.



SKE48's single releases are always fun, their 6th and latest single 'Pareo wa Emerald' shows this. An upbeat, summery song with a PV to match. This is SKE48 at their best. With an addictive dance and pretty, floaty outfits, this release is a total hit.



They are standing aside from AKB with this single, and even though we see Jurina and Rena in most AKB releases, they fit in and shine much more in their own group. There also seems to be less rivalry and more friendship in SKE. Which I may be taking purely at face value but I think it is important. Quoting Ayaka Umeda from AKB48's Team K 'You shouldn't see friends as rivals, good friendship means you shouldn't have to worry about that' - from a TV program that revealed a lot about different members' personalities.

But back to SKE48, the main reason I like them is their energy, their freshness and that I really want to learn more about them. I will be a fan for years to come.

Official website

Wiki

Official Youtube

Beep! Now to the Giveaway! You MUST be a follower of my blog to enter, and please spread the word! The more entrants the better!

You have to comment on this blog with a good answer to this question:

'Who is your favourite member of the ...48 family and why?'

Get creative but don't go overboard on the word count! You could WIN a Limited C version of Pareo wa Emerald by SKE48! The winner will be announced two weeks from now! [Worldwide entries welcome!]