Debut of a BABY☆STAR

Good Choice Entertainment debuted their latest female idol group BABY☆STAR on April 18th at the Good Choice Matsuri. (A concert featuring the groups from the agency.) The agency so far has the female idol groups Chu-Z, WenDee and amorecarina in their roster and it looks like they are doing well enough to continue adding new groups with this latest one.

They are a seven member group with most girls between the ages of 16 to 19. (As a disclaimer my Japanese is limited so I am not 100% about the romanization of the last names so I have the original Japanese included just in case.)

Takanashi Mio (小鳥遊美桜)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BABYSTAR_mio

Blog: http://ameblo.jp/babystar-mio/

Nishi Moeha (西萌葉)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BABYSTAR_moeha

Blog: http://ameblo.jp/babystar-moeha/

Kiyose Nijie (清瀬虹絵)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BABYSTAR_nijie

Blog: http://ameblo.jp/babystar-nijie/

Michikawa Riho (道川莉帆)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BABYSTAR_riho

Blog: http://ameblo.jp/babystar-riho/

Abe Sayaka (阿部紗也加)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BABYSTAR_sayaka

Blog: http://ameblo.jp/babystar-sayaka/

Higashi Sena (東瀬奈)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BABYSTAR_sena

Blog: http://ameblo.jp/babystar-sena/

Nagai Yuuhi (永井ゆうひ)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BABYSTAR_yuuhi

Blog: http://ameblo.jp/babystar-yuuhi/

With their debut the girls have been given a challenge to sell stickers to get certain things. Like the first goal was to sell 300 stickers so they would get individual twitter accounts. They reached that target on April 19th and then hit their second goal on April 26th. The full list of goals is;

300 stickers will get them individual twitter accounts
500 stickers will get them individual blogs
1000 stickers will get them an official home page
2000 stickers and they will hold an event
3000 stickers will get them an original song and a CD debut

And to help them out they have plenty of lives they will be doing in the upcoming month already announced.


Since I am a Chu-Z fan I am interested in learning more about their sister groups and while I find amorecarina a bit too young this group is in an age group that I am more comfortable following. I just need to wait to see/hear them to tell if they will manage to win me over as a fan or not. So I hope they are successful in reaching their final goal and get a CD debut. I think that will at least ensure that there will be videos to be found for the group then.

Uta no Prince Sama Maji Love 2000% Episode Thoughts 6

Ren may have embraced being an idol but he still has reservations about his relationship with his family.

21APR 2015 Play-Asia order

Got some Uta no Prince-sama goodness to start what will be a growing collection of goods for the series.

Uta no Prince Sama Maji Love 2000% Episode Thoughts 5

Otoya gets a chance to shine as we actually learn about his past in this episode.

Uta no Prince Sama Maji Love 2000% Episode Thoughts 4

Masato gets the chance to be a lead in a play but has trouble with acting out the love scenes and gets the rest of STARISH to help him out.

NEWS - Kibou ~Yell~ (1st major single)

Limited edition

Officially this single is considered to the the group's debut single and it is either this release date or the date that the group was first announced that is used for anniversary dates for them. This is their first major release and the first to chart on the Oricon chart.

The title track of the single was used as the theme song for the 2003 Volleyball World Cup

Between the previous single and this one Moriuchi Takahiro left the agency and the group continued on as an eight member unit.

By this time Yamashita Tomohisa, Koyama Keiichiro, Kusano Hironori and Kato Shigeaki were no longer being placed with their Junior groups, which signaled the disbandment of K.K.Kity but 4TOPS continued on as 3TOPS for a while longer. Nishikido Ryo and Uchi Hiroki though were still allowed to remain members of Kanjani8, as that group was picking up in popularity which would later lead to a debut later in the year.

While Masuda Takahisa did not have a prior Junior group he was in before NEWS he was asked to join one post-debut. He was a member of Kis-My-Ft. (which would later change membership to become Kis-My-Ft2) as they needed someone who could roller skate, a main feature for the group. But he was not always present for Kis-My-Ft. activities as NEWS was his priority.

The B-side Stand Up was actually performed by several of the members of NEWS before the group was even announced (see the October 5th, 2003 Shounen Club episode). It was an English version of the song though but it had the same title.

The single topped the Oricon charts at number one which began their streak of number one singles from their debut.

Regular edition

Release date: 12 May, 2004

Versions: Limited, Regular

Limited track listing:
1. Kibou ~Yell~
2. Stand Up
3. Good News!
4. Kibou ~Yell~ (original karaoke)
5. Stand Up (original karaoke)
6. Good News! (original karaoke)

Regular track listing:
1. Kibou ~Yell~
2. Stand Up
3. Good News!
4. LET'S GO TO THE PLANETS

Group members: Yamashita Tomohisa, Nishikido Ryo, Uchi Hiroki, Koyama Keiichiro, Kusano Hironori, Kato Shigeaki, Masuda Takahisa, Tegoshi Yuya

Uta no Prince Sama Maji Love 2000% Episode Thoughts 3

Syo gets a chance to live one of his dreams to co-star in a drama with Hyuga but is made to question if he can still be a fan and a professional.

Thennary Speaks – J-dramas

I go over some basics for J-dramas (Japanese dramas).

Uta no Prince Sama Maji Love 2000% Episode Thoughts 2

Cecil makes his presence and feelings for Haruka known to all, but runs into the problem that if he wants to be with her he has to become an idol, love ban included.

Uta no Prince Sama Maji Love 2000% Episode Thoughts 1

STARISH and Haruka join the Master Course to help the newly debuted idols of Shining Agency and meet the sempai group Quartet Night. Also Cecil finally is ready to be more than just a dream.

Taking a guess for Kis-My-Ft2's 2015 releases

It seems like the idols I follow are all in a lull phase where there is not much going on, or at least nothing as a foreign fan can really enjoy. So I have begun to try to guess when the next releases for them may happen and honestly Kis-My-Ft2 is the only group I feel that I can guess with any kind of accuracy.

My guess is basically up next it will be an original album from the group followed by the usual single release in August and possibly another single in November.

Last year it looked like they wanted to switch up the release schedule by having a single collection album being released in March instead of the usual original album. Of course that just was a delay for the annual original album from the group as it was released in July. Since that album there has been three single released for Kisumai and two for Busaiku so an album release this July would make sense. Or even late June, but with Kitayama Hiromitsu and Fujigaya Taisuke busy with stage productions in May, with Fujigaya's running to the end of the month, it may not be enough time to record everything. Especially as they are the main vocals of the group. That is of course if there has not been some production done for it already.

The big indicator will be a concert tour announcement, as Kisumai is a group that tours when they have a new album out. So if there is an album coming this summer we should first get a concert tour announcement preceding one for a new album.

There has yet to be a year that Kisumai has not released a single in the first half of August and I do not see this year being the exception. This will be the fourth anniversary of the group's debut and seeing as they had a special anniversary edition last year I can see there being one for this year too.

The only issue would be that it could be cutting it close for Kitayama, as he has the overseas Takizawa Kabuki shows in Singapore to do starting the 18th of that month. But if they wrap up promotion for the single quickly it may not be too much of an issue. Or if they release it on the 5th and not the 12th. Though they have kept this August single release as close to the release date of their debut single, August 10th, so the latter is more likely for the release date based on that.

Also it has been announced that Tamamori Yuta will be starring in a drama that begins airing in October so I will assume that the group will do the theme song for it. That said I can see that being for the usual single release near the end of the year, and they have released two of those in November so the timing would work out for it.

So basically my guess is that we get a new album most likely in July with a slight chance for late June. Then the usual anniversary single release in August, with the 12th being the more likely date. And to finish up the year a single in November.

Of course there could be a new Busaiku single thrown in there somewhere, but those are much harder to place as they do not really follow a pattern. I just doubt we will get one before the next album drops.

Uta no Prince Sama Maji Love 1000% Episode Thoughts 13

Can Haruka overcome her ordeal and be a part of STARISH's debut? I'm pretty sure we all know the answer to that, but the anime gives a wonderfully over the top way to do it that's a joy to watch.

Sailor Moon Crystal episode 20 Episode Thoughts

We learn who the Black Moon are and what's up with the 30th century. Also more Pluto.

Uta no Prince Sama Maji Love 1000% Episode Thoughts 12

Tokiya's secret has come out as he returns to Saotome Academy after making his decision.

Uta no Prince Sama Maji Love 1000% Episode Thoughts 11

Tokiya is faced with having to finally choose between his current career and attending Saotome Academy.

NEWS - NEWS Nippon (debut single)

East version

While NEWS Nippon can be considered the group's debut single the fact it was not a typical release rather puts it in a grey area. It is officially the following single that is counted for a debut date for the group, as that is when the group officially became a group and that release was their first major release.

Getting back to NEWS Nippon itself though, this single was released only through 7-11 convenience stores, hence the issue of whether or not this can be counted as the official debut single of the group. It came out November 7th, 2003. There were two versions, East and West, with each being released in different parts of Japan. (East for Eastern Japan and West for Western Japan.) Each version had a different B-side for it, Ima, Arigato (which featured Moriuchi Takahiro, Masuda Takahisa and Tegoshi Yuya) for East and Private Hearts (which featured Koyama Keiichiro, Kusano Hironori and Kato Shigeaki) for West.

Private Hearts was a song for the Junior group that Koyama, Kusano and Kato were members of, K.K.Kity. The group was one of the Junior groups that Domoto Koichi from Kinki Kids had a hand in creating and the lyrics for this song were written by him.

The title track was used as the official theme song for the FIVB tournament that NEWS was made the official supporters of in connection of it. It made them the third group, after V6 and Arashi, to have their debut in connection to the sports event.

When the group and single were announced in September 2003 it was not made known that this would be a permanent group. Even the group members were in the dark about this, especially since Nishikido Ryo and Uchi Hiroki still were active with their Kansai Junior group, Kanjani8. The others who had Junior groups (Yamashita Tomohisa with 4TOPS and Koyama, Kusano and Kato with K.K.Kity) also remained with those groups as well as performing as NEWS during this time.

Though those chosen out of their groups were some of the more popular members of them, especially Yamashita (Yamapi) who was one of the most popular Juniors of that time. Masuda had been a Junior for some time and Moriuchi had been getting pushed by the agency in the months prior. Tegoshi Yuya was relatively unknown, as he had only joined the agency about four months before this.

There is no sales record for the single because of its special release status but one can assume it must have done well enough for Johnny's to debut the group officially in the following year.

West version

Release date: 7 November, 2003

Versions: East, West

East track listing:
1. NEWS Nippon
2. Ima, Arigato
3. NEWS Nippon (original karaoke)
4. Ima, Arigato (original karaoke)

West track listing:
1. NEWS Nippon
2. Private Hearts
3. NEWS Nippon (original karaoke)
4. Private Hearts (original karaoke)

Group members: Yamashita Tomohisa, Nishikido Ryo, Uchi Hiroki, Koyama Keiichiro, Kusano Hironori, Kato Shigeaki, Masuda Takahisa, Tegoshi Yuya, Moriuchi Takahiro

Final single for Moriuchi Takahiro.

NEWS - A Release History introduction

I do not think I need to spend much time talking about how much I love NEWS. I have done so several times on this blog and various other places and if anything I have found a new way to share that love. And that simply is this project for this blog.

I will go over all their CD releases and give commentary about the releases, as what was going on with the group around the time of the releases and something about the releases as well. By doing this I hope to give a history of the group, mostly for those who may not be familiar with them.

I will be skipping solo and sub-unit releases though, just to help keep things simple mostly. Especially when a lot of the solo and special releases are tied to Yamashita Tomohisa, who is no longer a member of the group.

I plan on doing one release a week, so I can keep on schedule, and will finish things up with the latest release, whatever that may be when I get to it. So every Friday there will be a new entry for this project starting later today with NEWS Nippon. And if there are new CD releases by the group before I finish with this project it will just be added to this project.

Uta no Prince Sama Maji Love 1000% Episode Thoughts 10

Where Haruka makes the selection I think most can agree on with her choice for graduation audition partner.

Uta no Prince Sama Maji Love 1000% Episode Thoughts 9

All the guys let Haruka know that they are all eyeing her to be their partner for the graduation audition, putting her that much closer to achieving her dream.

Uta no Prince Sama Maji Love 1000% Episode Thoughts 8

It is a beach episode with much brooding, swimsuits and a magical meeting. That seems to be literally magical.

Sailor Moon Crystal episode 19 Episode Thoughts

The SMC debut of Sailor Pluto! Also some scenes that just did not translate well from the manga to the anime.

Uta no Prince Sama Maji Love 1000% Episode Thoughts 7

Tokiya is still having trouble with bringing heart to his singing and has to deal with Haruka knowing his secret about Hayato.

23MAR2015 CDJapan order

I go through my latest lot of CDs from CDJapan. This order contains:

Busaiku - Yacchatta! Regular Edition single

Wagakki Band - Hanabi Limited Edition BD

Chu-Z - Hana no Arch/Brand Boy Type C single

Chu-Z - Bombastic Type A single

Uta no Prince Sama Maji Love 1000% Episode Thoughts 6

It's Shinomiya Natsuki's turn for some focus, though it seems a bit divided with Tokiya's story line. But I do hope Natsuki gets some good focus later as I feel only the surface has been scratched with him.