Good-bye SMAP

At this time SMAP is officially no more. I really do not know how to feel about this. I was never more than a casual fan of the group but there is still a pain in my heart from knowing their time as a group has come to an end. Perhaps if things ended on a better note it would be easier to take. Or at least I would have less uneasy feelings about it. But at least I got to see the love the fans have for the group as they tried to find a way to say good-bye to them.

There is a certain amount of pride I cannot help but feel knowing that their best selling single, Sekai ni Hitotsu dake no Hana, has reached a new milestone as it crossed the 3 million units sold mark in this year. And it was thanks to the fans of the group that have doing everything they can to keep the single in the Oricon rankings as well as trying to reach that goal. It was truly amazing to see that happen in this past year.

It just seems like quite the shame the group could not at least perform in concert one final time as a farewell to those dedicated fans. Or at least a final performance on one of the usual year end shows they had been on. But their final performance on the final episode of SMAP X SMAP was a nice enough finish though it still feels like they went out on a whimper instead of the bang I am sure many fans were hoping for.

As for me, I still feel like I am in shock at the very idea and SMAP is no more. They always seemed to be there and trying to think of a future without them feels off. Even watching the end of year programs this year felt a bit emptier without them. In time I may get used to it but I doubt I will stop missing them anytime soon. And I just consider myself a casual fan, so I cannot imagine what the more hardcore SMAP fans must be feeling.

No matter how it ended SMAP left their mark on the Japanese entertainment industry. They have left plenty of memories as a group from their programs and their music that are not going to be forgotten anytime soon. For me, Kono Toki, Kitto Yume Jyanai to this day remains my favorite SMAP song and I still listen to it frequently. It is one of those songs that I get strength from and I will always be grateful to SMAP for it.

I wish success for the members as they continue on with their solo careers and hope that they continue to bring the smiles and joy to people as they did as a group.

So thank you SMAP, for everything.

April 2016 Marvel Collector Corps unboxing

Unboxing the Civil War themed box from Funko's Marvel Collector Corps.

NEWS' EMMA

Since I have some free time with the holiday weekend I am going to try to catch up on things. On the top of the list is of course NEWS. They still remain my favorite Johnny's group and thankfully they are already set to release a new single in the coming year.

The single will be titled EMMA and will be released on February 8th, 2017. It will be the theme song for the Fuji TV drama series Kirawareru Yuki, which Kato Shigeaki will be appearing in. There will be three editions, two limited and the usual regular edition.

The limited edition A will come with the title track, the B-side Snow Dance and a DVD with the music video and making of feature.

EMMA [w/ DVD, Limited Edition/Type A] / NEWS

The limited edition B will have the same two tracks as the LE A as well as Sakura Girl and I ZA NA I ZU KI.

EMMA [Limited Edition/Type B] / NEWS

The regular edition will have the title track, Snow Dance and a still untitled song included as well as the karaoke versions of all three songs.

EMMA [Regular Edition] / NEWS

CDJapan is selling all three versions as a bundle set. If you pre-order the single that way you will be insured that you will get the first press bonus that will come with each copy of the single, a clear folder. There are three different types that each come with a version of the single.

EMMA [Bundled Set of All 3 Editions] / NEWS

I pre-ordered my copies the moment I learned about the single, and even ordered my first piece of Yuri!!! on Ice merchandise while in the process. I am basically broke until I get paid next but I never want to risk not being able to get the limited editions of a NEWS single if I can help it.

Honestly I am really excited about the re-release of songs if they are indeed re-recorded. Though honestly it would be so awkward if they were not, but Johnny's is cheap so I will keep some reservations until I find reliable information to confirm if they are re-recordings.

But honestly re-recordings feel long overdue for NEWS. They have such a big back catalog of songs from the pre-4nin days and it is not like the current group has avoided performing those songs. And of course there is going to be differences with only four members to have lines. Especially a song like I NA KA I ZU KI which came out in NEWS' 8nin days. And Sakura Girl has special meaning for the group as it was revealed by Tegoshi Yuya that his father, who passed away in 2015, had told him that was his favorite song. So I see it being one that continues to be performed at concerts for some time to come.

Without the potential of re-recorded songs though I would be looking forward to this release as I am always happy for a new NEWS release. And I am glad to have something to look forward to already in 2017, outside of it no longer being 2016.

Busaiku lives!

It has been announced that the Kis-My-Ft2 sub-unit Busaiku will be releasing their fourth single on January 4th, 2017. The single features the title track Michishirube, which the four members of the sub-unit wrote themselves.

The limited Type A comes with a DVD with the PV for the song as well as a making of documentary.

Michishirube [w/ DVD, Limited Edition / Type A] / Busaiku

The limited Type B also comes with a DVD with a Busaiku documentary.

Michishirube [w/ DVD, Limited Edition / Type B] / Busaiku

The regular edition is just a CD, but comes with a bonus track, which is a remix of the title song.

Michishirube [Regular Edition] / Busaiku

Honestly I have been a bit worried about Kisumai for a while now. This year was the 5th anniversary of their debut and yet nothing was really done for it. Though that in itself is not overly worrying as other groups have not really celebrated that anniversary, such as Kanjani8 and Hey! Say! JUMP. But coupled with the slow down with releases from the usual schedule I am stuck wondering what Johnny's plans for the future of the group.

While this is not the Kisumai release that I really am hoping for I am still quite happy to see that Busaiku is continuing on. It really is a good platform for the members of the unit to promote themselves, even if it is in a comedic light. And honestly considering what has been going on with the agency I thought with the scrapped album for the group it was going to be ended. So I am pleasantly surprised to see that it has not after all.

Catching up with Taguchi Junnosuke

Taguchi Junnosuke has been my favorite KAT-TUN member since I learned about the group. While his departure from them and the Johnny's & Associates agency earlier this year was heart breaking he was the main reason I still had an interest in the group. Not that I dislike the group or its members, but Junno was the only one that kept my attention over the years. So I was happy to have him resurface later with his own website and then the announcement of a solo CD release.

   

Even before Junno announced leaving KAT-TUN I wondered what he would do if he left. Mostly because it always felt that he may eventually get fed up about hiding his relationship to his longtime girlfriend and want to marry. I always assumed something related to dance, as that is one of his strengths. This solo career is not too far off from that guess. It makes sense as this is what he has been doing since his teenage years and he did not continue his education so he does not have that to fall back on. I doubt he plans to have major success but as long as it profitable for him it makes sense for him to continue with it.

I have gotten the Type A limited edition of the single, Hero, so far and enjoy it. It is clear that he is lacking the kind of backing he got with Johnny's but I enjoy the songs and plan on picking up the other editions, as each one has a bonus B-side unique to it. And I am a complete sucker for getting bonus tracks.

On another note, I can understand KAT-TUN fans still feeling angry at his departure. While it seemed like he was trying hard to leave on the best terms possible (waiting for his contract to end, talking with group members beforehand and announcing it ahead of time so the group could fulfill their obligations) it still has placed the group's future into doubt. The very fact they are currently in an indefinite hiatus is constant proof of that. Hopefully there will be some resolution to that in the near future as it can only make fans worry when the silence continues. Something that as a NEWS fan I know too well. I can only hope KAT-TUN fans have a similar happy ending waiting for them.

But I remain a Junno fan and I am interested in seeing what he does now that he is on his own.

Catching up with Chu-Z

In the months of inactivity on my end Chu-Z has had a couple of things happen that are worth noting, even if belatedly.

First they have announced the addition of two new members to the group, bringing the size of the group up to seven. The new members are MAYU (with the black hair piece) and Honomi (with the white hair piece).

They have also recently released a new single. The single is title Mada Kimi ga Suki de and has three editions. Each edition has the same three song tracks, the title song and two B-sides, MEOW! and Keep Me Out of Heaven. The single came out on November 23rd.

The Type A limited edition comes with a DVD that has the PV for the title song as well as a back stage documentary.

Mada Kimi ga Suki de [w/ DVD, Limited Edition / Type A]

Chu-Z

The Type B limited edition also comes with a DVD but has different contents on it. It has performances from a concert the group did at Akasaka BLITZ.

Mada Kimi ga Suki de [w/ DVD, Limited Edition / Type B]

Chu-Z

Then the regular edition is just the CD with a different cover than the over two and of course cheaper.

Mada Kimi ga Suki de [Regular Edition]

Chu-Z

I have unfortunately fallen quite behind with following just about all J-pop acts so I still need to pick up the new single. I definitely will as Chu-Z has yet to disappoint me and I want to see and hear the group with the new members.