Help me!! Radio Preview

Set to release on January 23rd, 2013, Help me!! is the 52nd single for Morning Musume, and the debut of sole 11th generation member Oda Sakura. With Morning Musume's sudden revival thanks to the Reborn Era, the girls seem to continue tackling the sound of auto-tune, taking on a more mature and cool appearance along with it, but will everyone like this sound as much as they liked One Two Three or Wakuteka Take a Chane? Who knows, but here are our thoughts on the song itself, and what we expect from it!

Pon-Chii:

I'm a part of the very small, very much disliked, minority who hated One Two Three with a passion. Even now I still strongly dislike it, but it's bearable... so when people began to claim that the short preview of this song sounded like One Two Three, I was deeply worried that I would once again hate a song by Morning Musume. Luckily the full radio rip came out before I could fully dwell on the thought of hating this single for all it was worth, and, luckily enough, I don't hate it. But I don't love it, either.

It sounds good; better than One Two Three, but not as good as Wakuteka Take a Chance. I actually like Help me!! the more I listen to it, but I still can't get over the fact that Riho sounds terrible in it, and Reina isn't far off from sounding horrible, either. The saving point of this song has to be the dynamic sound and the refreshing impact Sakura's voice has in the song; really, I have never been so refreshed by a voice like hers, because it's this sudden change of tone. She doesn't shriek like Riho or squeak like Reina, and her voice isn't high or grating on my ears. It's just different, a bit nasally at some parts, but different thanks to the lower tone and the fact that Sakura can handle a song like this, whilst Riho clearly can't and Reina just sounds the same.

Listening to this song, it's pretty clear that it's a Reina-Riho-Sakura lead, which isn't totally unexpected, but that doesn't mean that it's wanted, either. Honestly, I would have loved someone else leading, maybe Sakura and Mizuki with a bit of Reina and Sayu on the side, heck even Ayumi would be good in all her shout-y glory, because Riho's voice just gets worse with every song she sings. Sadly, the domination of Re/Ri is obvious from the get-go, and quite frankly, I wince when I hear Riho's voice. Some people love it, though, but I certainly don't, and I won't sugarcoat how I feel towards the song just because I quite like it. Thank goodness Sakura is a saving factor, though honestly her voice isn't anything stellar in this song either.

My mood to bash is rising...

From what I can hear, Sayu gets a few minor lines and Fukumura gets some speaking lines, which actually brings me to what I think this song sounds like; it reminds me of C-ute's Tokkaiko Junjou, especially with the speaking lines. It has that similar vibe and feel. Also, there seems to be a little bit of As for One Day thrown in there and some elements of One Two Three. Considering two out of these three songs are songs that I strongly dislike, they actually mix to make a pretty decent song which I find enjoyable to listen to.

Help me!! is looking to be a pretty promising single in my opinion. Regardless of the hookerish, trampy looking costumes, it seems like it'll be pretty decent - let's just hope that the music video setup is going to be good and minus the stupid amount of useless sparkles. I would wish that this song was based outside, but sadly this song has 'studio PV' written all over it. Well, I can dream, can't I?

And you know what? I was really hoping that this song would be a lovely Sakura-themed spring ballad, one with Yukata's and flowers in their hair or some poncy prettiness like that. Alas, the auto-tune has affected their brains and only allows us to experience Riho's terrible shrieks in high songs, and some okay, but quite trashy, costumes.

Let's hope that the PV's amusing, eh?

Nerupon:

My predictions were close, I was expecting more information on the 52nd single around Christmas.. Yeah let's say I was close even if I weren't. I was so excited to hear Sakura-chan's debut single! How would it sound? Will it be as awesome as Wakuteka Take a chance? And that's where it went wrong. I was too excited, thinking this would be an awesome dubstup-autotune song . And yes it has autotune and dubstep, but less then I actually want. It's not bad either, so I guess I'm okay with it.

The song starts of with Mizuki and Sayumi doing a talking part, with a lot of autotune effects, echo's and robotic sounds. On the background you can hear the dubstep sounds. Neru has a dubstepgasm. The dubstep continues with some violin thrown in, and a few "ah's" being repeated for the whole time, not sure who's doing these but I could guess Sayumi and Mizuki because these sound similar to the ones in One Two Three. The song continues with some Reina lines, Riho lines and suprisingly I think I heard a Masaki line. Then the music gets tuned down a bit with only a drum sound for Sakura's solo, which I find kinda out of place. The song suddenly goes from awesome dubstep to the old style from Momusu in my opinion. I don't hate it, but in this song it kinda seems out of place. But after all I'm sure they did that to show off her voice since this is her first single within Momusu. After Sakura's solo, the screaming squirrel Riho sings a part and some rapping shows up. The refrain has a more upbeat sound and it's sung pretty high. The whole thing gets repeated again and then there's the talking part back with violion sounds on the background. One last refrain and it ends again with the dubstep.

As for the song I'm pretty satisfied. Not like 100% satisfied, but I'll say 80%. Lines distribution? I'll say bad until the PV lets me show it's better then I thought. Sakura got the lines she deserved, nothing less or more and I'm happy for that. But what happened to the at-least-one-solo-for-everyone concept? Seriously, after this happened in two singles I was so satisfied this process would keep on for every single. Why have I been so naive again? And to be honest, even Sayumi just got the talking parts and some add autotune lines. I did hear a big non-autotuned Mizuki line so I'm happy for her. And Masaki got two autotuned lines I think, but no Ayumi solo's?! Really?! Are you like.. serious? No that can't be.. I'm sure she got one solo or more, I probably can't tell without a PV. Or did she have no solo's because of Sakura.. I might think they replaced Ayumi with Sakura now, as she's a better singer and can lead Momusu better. This is a "Bish, your time is over!" situation. Awch. Daishi replaced.. It might be that.. But for Daishi I hope it's not. Couldn't they just give this Riho lines to Ayumi she's a better singer than her after all! Tsunku you didn't had to leave Ayumi out of the leads, poor girl!

Overall, this single might be interesting! I would recommend it for Oda Sakura fans of course, and if you liked Wakuteka Take a chance you might like this too. I'm having a few points on cdjapan left, so I might buy it.

Neru's rating: 7,5/10 (I was going to give it an 8, but the lines distribution made the ratings lower..)

Asupon

I was so excited to first hear that the Radio Rip of the new single was out. I didn't know what to expect really...but all that was running in my mind at that time was I hope it will be something a little different or at least will still catch me like their previous releases. Well? I actually got hook right away in the first listen! I mean it appeared again that Morning Musume is still in the same phase of music. But I can't complaint about that because I'm huge fan of Electropop which got me the first time and plus this single was "So Sick!" (Forgive me for the lingo but that was first words that came out my mouth.) What I loved about this release is the monolog at the beginning which starts with Mizuki then mixture with Sayumi and another person. Well I love the concept behind it then the music began. I have a funny thought that pop into my mind it did sound like Tsunku just mixed their past three instrumentals into one but it did sound pretty interesting. Now I know most people are going to talk about the use of effects and autotune used. But I found the use of it not bad at all. If you think about it that gave the song a little of a pop, yet not taking to much from the medley. As for the line distribution at first I didn't think most of the girls will get ever a solo line but after numerous of listens I know each girl at least gets one solo part in the song or can be heard a little clearly in duet parts. (But we gotta wait until the music video will be release.) Which I'm do look forward to! Can I add that outfits is Asupon approved? Animal print and pink? Heck yes! (Yes I love both things but lets get back on topic here.) If I can give Tsunku a message about one thing which is thank you for picking Sakura Oda. Seriously, I really enjoyed hearing her sing and how great she powered everyone vocals as well. This new girl definitely got my support and also I know she will have a bright future to come.

All and All, I give this song 8.5/10.

So this ends another roundpon review! I hope you all enjoy reading and until next time thank you for reading. Also what do you guys think of this release?

BiS x Dorothy Little Happy: GET YOU Music Video (The Wei-view)

AzuPon's Thoughts:
For myself, that's bias with Avex in general this hasn't been the first time I heard of both groups. BiS (which stands for Brand-New Idol Society) are unique in their image, edge, and vocal range. Dorothy Little Happy which is a local idol group from the Miyagi Area in Japan just this year signed up with Avex Trax has the usual idol format but still has a sweet sound. Which makes both groups really refreshing to hear. In their collaboration for their 1st joint single called, GET YOU, which will be release on 1/9/2013 has shown a lot symbolism and style to this song.

For both groups really represent their styles fully here! Which is why I really like both of them as a whole. For example, BiS may not be everyone's ideal idol group but you really got to give these girls credit on how hard they work of their cool image and their sound in this track really brings balance to DLH's vocals. Yes, they have a dark edge but their true charm shines proudly in the music video. While Dorothy Little Happy pulls in the light airy feel and sound to the track. Their white outfits represents that image perfectly. Overall, I really enjoy this video for delivering that very fact, also showing how fun both groups had with their playtime moments, and just how two different styles comes together to bring great harmony. Both BiS and DLH have made me a new fan of both! My rating for this music video gets a 8.8 of 10 stars.


Nerupon's Thoughts:

First of all I want to mark this is my first time "blogging" on the PonPon Wei: Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu!!

Normally I don't listen to other songs then H!P and UFA but lately I am trying to listen to other idols too.. So this is a good start! I have never listened to a song from BiS or Dorothy Little Happy before, but I remember reading "Dorothy Little Happy" a lot on the internet so that's why I can keep their groupname in my mind. As well didn't I know who Dorothy and who BiS were, but after all I'm happy I could tell them apart. Since Dorothy's groupname sounds cute, you could guess that the girls in the white dresses were the members.

From my first impression I have to tell I like Dorothy more, some of them have that cute idol look like the girl at 0:18~ She's totally my favourite after watching the whole video. BiS in my opinion.. they're really weird. 1:00 for example, the girl at the left has a really weird shape of face which really scares me. And I don't know who cut the hair from the girl at 1:00, but it's freaking weird. The girl with the short hair looks old to me. And this girl (1:58) is pretty, but she has a weird chubby face (I don't hate chubby but it looks a bit weird on her) and she really does not amuse standing there. Overall I'm not even happy with Dorothy since only the girl with the ponytails looks an idol to me. I guess I'm just a bit picky with idols? They're not bad though, just a bit.. different or not like I expect idols to be.

Now about the singing.. I'm pretty dissapointed. They all miss power and emotion. It's a serious song with a lot of feelings so why are they sounding so bored?! Even if they can sing really good, emotionless voices are just a no for me. This song is kick-ass but the flat sounding voices make it boring. If some of these girls would sing more powerfull I wouldn't be bored after listening for one minute. The only thing that really gets me everytime is the opening line. Overall I like the song, the little autotune parts are a nice add! Which I like the most is the ending from the song, makes me feel happy and peacefull.

Finally the mv itself. It seems like a group of angels and a group of witches playing "Jankenpyon!" and slow-motions from slapping each other. The part in the middle which seems like a making-off speed up with chipmunk voices is also pretty random (but I guess this is the edit in 'edited version'). I liked their close-ups though, the Dorothy ones seemed angelic and the BiS ones seemed devilish. Not counting the awkward slapping and Jankenpyon parts, I liked the pv! But the black hats from BiS or whatever they are seem a bit out of place lol no big deal. I can't say I really loved this mv, but it's good.

If I would give this marks, I give this a 7/10.

Pon-Chii's Thoughts:

I want to firstly get it out there that I am not a fan of either of these groups; BiS are known for their weird and different outlook on Idol Society, being a bit abstract from what other Idol groups are like... and they are definitely a lot weirder than MomoClo, by far! With Dorothy Little Happy, I just don't pay attention...

So, this is my first time listening to GET YOU. For a song that BiS are involved in, I find that it's really tame... and very Tokyo Girls' Style. It sounds like something Avex would bring out, definitely, but I find that it's a song which really allows us to appreciate the vocal ability of BiS, because most of the stuff they bring out is a lot heavier, so I barely listen to it because of that factor, and I don't find myself appreciating their voices. Here it's a different matter; they are clear, and they actually have really nice voices. I was surprised.

The song is nice, too. It's really catchy, but again, reminds me of TGS and SweetS. It also has auto-tune, though it isn't heavy and I actually had to listen out for it, so it's pretty subtle and adds a good effect to the song. It seems like the sort of song that Dorothy Little Happy may sing again and again, being poppy and fun, but not overly generic or sugary sweet to the point where I want to pull my teeth out.

The video itself is very good, showing both of the groups personalities and individual styles well. DLH has this sweet, innocent look to them, very much like TGS, whilst BiS have a more mature and rebellious look, creating a Yin and Yang effect. The video features slapping, which is quite weird to be honest, but works effectively for both groups; it shows off that playful side to group as well as their more forceful, competetive sides, showing off the bond of a friendly rivalry between the girls of BiS and DLH. It works really well, and whilst nothing much else goes on in the video, I find that it works effectively for both groups.

GET YOU is a good video and a nice song. It's fun and catchy, and it shows off the earthy, mature tones of BiS' vocals which really compliment the innocent, raw tone of Dorothy Little Happy perfectly. It has that familiar Avex sound to it, meaning TGS and SweetS, that we all know quite well, but it doesn't sound generic or too girlish and child-like like it could have done. It's an effective song, and the video works well with both groups, showing off the differences between the girls but cementing that friendly rivalry that they are sure to have together as competing Avex groups.

I give it a hearty ~ 7/10

UPDATE: Nerupon the Cute!

Hey guys, Pon-Chii here, or The Chii, whatever you want to call me. No matter what, the Chii stays there!

Anyway, I have an update for you all; after a while with not updating, both Mamba-Pon and Meipon have been taken off of the author list. Mamba-Pon has a daughter, and when I asked her what she would be doing, she said that she had no time to work on a blog and look after her daughter, so she will be focusing on her daughter whilst loving Idols in her free time after college and her baby!

With Mei-Pon, there was little to no activity, so Azupon and I decided that we would try to start again. With that, we have added a new Member/Writer to our roster, Nerupon!

Nerupon is a friend of mine from Facebook who I met through dubbing, and I asked her (as a fellow lover of Eripon, how could I not!?) if she would join Azupon and I on our blog! Nerupon has also created her own blog, based on the beautiful Eripon, titled Pyonderful World! So please go check out her own blog as well as support Nerupon with us here in PonPon Land!

Pon-Chii over and out! :D

PON-Candy!

It's Christmas soon, and it's getting colder! So break out your sweaters, especially those long ones, and warm up with your favourite Idols! If not, then just enjoy some sweater-wearing 9ki's! Winter has never looked better, in my opinion!

- Pon-Chii~

The PonPon Debate: Morning Musume, Meet Your Member!!!

Morning Musume, meet your newest member! 11th Generation's sole member, Oda Sakura, has been added to Hello! Project's flagship group. A former Hello! Project Kenshuusei, Sakura is 13 years old and was one of six finalists in the 11th generation auditions. Beforehand, she had participated in the S/mileage auditions but failed to make it into the group, and was instead added into the Kenshuusei. Now, she is a member of Morning Musume and will start her activities soon!

Pon-Chii's Thoughts:

I didn't expect this. I really didn't, especially considering the finalists were revealed only yesterday, so needless to say, I am honestly surprised, a little overwhelmed, and incredibly happy. I wasn't expecting any sort of announcement at all, but to know that the girl I really liked made it into a group I love, I am extremely glad and quite proud of her achievement. I think that she really fits the 'Suppin Utahime' image that the auditions were looking for.

I am happy - like, really happy that Sakura made it in. When I saw the finalists and heard them fully, she was the one I liked the most. I loved her voice and how happy she sounded when she sang, so I really wanted her in because, out of all the six finalists, I felt that Sakura was the strongest, so when I came home and my sister told me that the finalists were picked, and I saw Sakura there, I was really happy. Probably not as happy as when 9th or 10th gen were announced, but I was still happy about her being added to the Morning Musume lineup.

The shocker for most people though would be the fact that Tsunku picked one girl. A lot of people didn't want that as far as I remember, but from the start, I wanted a small generation for the 11th gen. When the auditions started, I was hopeful for one member, but as it went on I thought two or three would be okay, but not four. I'm glad that Tsunku picked one in the end, because the current lineup is filled with new members already, and also... I am pretty glad that the girl chosen was a trainee, because she would already know the members, so she wouldn't be a total stranger to them all.

I'm glad that Sakura was added. Her voice struck me in her audition, and I thought that her energy, how she looked like she loved singing, and how she sounded was what Morning Musume needed. She has this endearing look to her, and a clear passion for singing that will fit well with Morning Musume, and I hope that she will become a key member to the group the more we get to know her. Right now, we don't know much, but let's just say that I won't have to pick many favorites in the 11th generation lineup. 

Azupon's Thoughts:

Can I say I remember the first time I heard the news was posted on Twitter I literally fell out my chair and started to post it around the H!P groups. When I first heard about the finalists the  day before I really like the group of girls at first. (Of course I had my favorites such as  Reina, Haruka, and Sakura.) Who would have known after the turn of  events Tsunku would pick just one. We all thought Tsunku was going to pick up to 3 to 4 girls. (WHAT A SHOCKER!!!) 

My thoughts of Sakura is that she's very sweet plus adorable! When I first  heard her sang the audition song, Be Alive, her vocals were very strong plus she looked very confidence in what she was singing. Plus she touched me to the point I teared up after. That really shown that Tsunku wasn't playing around when he picked her. I definitely known for sure that  she will have a bright future with MM. Lastly, she will have my fullest love & support as a fan.

As of my thoughts for the next current lineup, I know most people are going to say this is going to be awkward or that there should have been more members picked. But in my opinion I think one is a perfect number because it is rare for one girl to be picked. The last time we had a 1 member generation was 3rd generation & 7th generation. So this is very fitting to have just one girl. Plus she will have her time to shine more for sure!

Mambapon's Thoughts:

When I woke up to see the YouTube video I thought to myself, "Whoa, Audition footage on my b-day~" and then I found out it wasn't audition footage... But the 11th Generation Member Announcement. Well then... *Starts to Gangnam Style*

So, I didn't really get to see much footage of auditions as everything came out very, very quickly, and thus I never got to pick a member to root for. However, from the very brief footage, I did want all of them to join. I thought all of them showed varying forms of talent and could all do well in Momusu.

Tsunku managed to deny my wishes of a six member generation and gave me one member. One girl to pin all my hopes and dreams of Morning Musume over throwing AKB48.
...I'm not going to count my chickens before they hatch...

Thank goodness he picked Oda Sakura. Definitely one of the better finalists. Adorable (but somewhat plain), has great confidence, a relatively good dancer and has a beautiful voice. I really hope UFA actually do something with her in terms of line distribution rather than throwing her in the back with the under-appreciated Zukki. What would be the point in having a one girl generation and then not flaunting her around a bit?

I am very pleased with the decision to add Sakura, my only concerns are 1) She may feel a little lonely, although she has spent a little time with Morning Musume as a Trainee, I highly doubt she is just going to fit in straight away, there's going to be some awkwardness. 2) I'm worried that she'll have a lot of pressure placed upon her to be really amazing with little training. She's the only one in her generation, there's bound to be some pressure - if not from UFA, then definitely from fans.

I wish her luck, and I hope everybody supports her.

 

Mei- Pon's Thoughts; 

Sigh. ヽ(ー_ー )ノ Looks like I'm going to be the downer here. I never wanted a single member gen. I don't think it worked out very well with Goto Maki or Kusumi Koharu, so I'd been hoping for two girls, an egg and a "regular". From the second I heard the finalists, I'd had my heart set on Kishimoto Yumeno (As you can see in my other post     (*≧艸≦) ) so I guess some of my dislike towards Sakura stems from being bitter at Kishimoto's failure. Also, Sakura didn't really stand out to me, at all. She fits in with the background, and I predict she'll end up as one of those voices you always hear in the back but is never a lead.     ~(>_<~)

I really don't want to come across as a hater, truly. （；へ：） I just think it wasn't a wise decision to add only one member. I also don't think its wise for fans to start putting so much hope into Sakura. She's been a member less than a day, and already shes being type-casted as "The New Aichan". Her voice is plain. Her looks are plain. Maybe she will amount to something more as the time passes, but at this point I'm not really impressed. Let's bring back Kishimoto, or Haruka, or even Maria. I don't think they were given a fair chance. o(╥﹏╥)o

Back to Pon-Chii

To counteract Mei-Pon: I do think that people are jumping the gun with Sakura, which is where I do agree with Kamei to some extent, however I don't feel that her voice is 'plain'. Looks, a little bit I guess, but her voice? Not really. I think that Sakura has a very pure and likeable voice, one which isn't too deep or squeaky, it's a nice medium which makes her stand out in the current lineup.

And with the little bit about the auditionees not given a fair chance; These auditions went on for a while, and whilst we may think that the time the girls were given since the news broke out concerning the finalists, we need to remember that auditions went on for much much longer than that, and big chance the footage we saw concerning finalists is probably a week or to old, who knows? It takes time to shoot scenes, it takes more time to look at the girls and check out their voices, and even more time to edit an episode of Satoyama Life, so whilst it may seem 'short' for some people, there is a chance that Sakura got the news that she had become a member of Morning Musume way before we got the confirmation that she became a main member, so I do feel that the other finalists had the chance they needed, because it was clear from some footage we received that there was a final judging stage.

Azupon wanted to added: Alright, I too had to jump in just say I do agree with both Mei-pon on people assuming Sakura will the next this or the next that. Honestly, Sakura is her own person that we need to get use to and see what personality plus image she will delivered up to Morning Musume. But I still feel that she really did step up in the audition fair and square gain the shot needed.

11th Gen Training Camp Finalists!

Hey~o, Minna! ヾ(＾∇＾)

Training camp starts next week and we got to see the 6 finalists that will participate in the training! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ At the end of the camp, they will all preform for Tsunku and he will choose 1-4 members to join officially into Morning Musume.    ＼（＾ ＾）／ The ages seem the same as last audition, with mostly 12/13 year olds and one 16 year old. While I think it would be good to add in another 16 year old, or older member in general, my hopes are set on two 12 year olds. Here is a sneak peak at our lovely new candidates! 
（⌒▽⌒ゞ

My favorite as of yet is definitely Kishimoto Yumeno, or Kissu-chan as I call her!  (｡♥‿♥｡) She was formerly an actor, here is her page; Kissu-chan's page! Isn't she the cutest? Her voice is also amazing! Its so sweet and tiny. (´∀｀)♡

My second favorite would be Makino Maria, she is just the sweetest little thing in the world. See her? A~h~h!  (●´□`)♡

And then there is our little derpy Meimi-look alike, Ichioka Reina!     ヽ(。_°)ノ (Or MeiRei, as I have titled her!) She also has a preview page, an Ameba account. You can see that here; MeiRei's blog!


Next up is Ono/Oda! I think they make a cute little couple, and Ona has a killer voice, Oh~My! I reconzied Oda instantly from the S/Mileage auditions, so I think it would be great if she made it in! Even though Fuyuka didn't....

And then Hamaura Ayano! She's an egg, and super cute. She is on the bottom of my list, however, I can't really point it out but she just seems like ace material and I don't wanna root for an ace this time around! 







Anyway, I am looking forward to the training camp and seeing all the talent these young ladies possess! Fingers crossed for Kissu-chan and Maria! 

About Our Blog!

Greetings All! I, Asupon, reporting! 

I wanted to to take the time to talk about what our blog, The PonPon Wei, is all about. This blog will be focusing on the Asian Music Culture related to the Japanese Pop & Japanese Pop Idol Genre to be more specific. 

Each of us will be posting about the different areas of this exact music culture from introducing a new groups, covering the latest news, making reviews, recommendations, and much more!

We are still currently getting things set up as we speak and we would like for you guys to be patient & please support also check out lovely blog paradise! So until our next post which should be sooner as you know we hope to see you guys there!

Goodbye Pon~!!