Momoiro Clover Z has been at the head of the idol sengoku jidai, a rising group that comes closest to threatening AKB48′s hegemonic hold over the proverbial Iron Throne of Japanese music. In April of 2013, the 5 girls from Stardust Promotions released their second album, titled 5th Dimension. The album reached the top of the Oricon charts, selling a total of nearly 200 thousand copies over three weeks.

The group had a website for their upcoming album before it launched, containing information about the album and its contents. Using crowdsourcing to play the game that was on the site, fans managed to reveal the tracklist, along with the composition and writing credits of each song.  On the hype front, the group couldn’t have done much better; fans around the world were activated to help with the unlocking.

Momoclo continues with an evolution of their theme from previous releases, but this time they took it a step further. Promotional material saw the girls in costumes that came out of science fiction, donning facemasks that would make all but the Hellraiser fans amongst us take a step back. While the radical look should earn some brownie points, one wonders why  it was done in the first place.

The album itself is a 13-track epic that covers more genres than you can shake a stick at. The members themselves have described it as an album with a flowing narrative, and one should listen to it as a concept album as a whole. Personally however, this might have been a lofty goal rather than something the group actually achieved, as there is no indication that it is a concept album. The tracks are individually great, but do not flow into each other as one might imagine in a concept album.

The album perhaps starts a little too ambitious. O Fortune from the Carmina Burana kicks off the album, setting an epic scene only to meet a letdown as Neo Stargate starts proper. It seems like a really awkward way to set the mood, and cheapens one of the most important points of an album. The album picks up steadily, however, and goes into a full gallop at Mugen no Ai. Accompanied by Marty Friedman and operatic backing vocals, Momoclo take their vocal range to the limit and end up with a song that befits their space opera image.

Mugen no Ai is the start of a stretch of solid songs almost unheard of in idol album history. 5 The Power is an organic hip-hop track, Roudou Sanka sounds like it came out of a blaxploitation soundtrack, and Get Down features a ridiculously catchy chorus with an oddly nostalgic sound. If you ever wanted to let your parents hear Momoiro Clover, that song would be your best bet.

Otome Sensou brings back the old Momoclo of yore, and it’s really the first time you hear the ‘idol’ in Momoiro Clover in the album. If you prefer Hashire to any of the songs before this, then Otome Sensou is for you. Tsuki to Gingami rounds up this crazy exploration of genres, and does it with style as the girls sing in harmony to a track that would remind many of Queen.

This is interrupted briefly by Birth Ø Birth, which in this writer’s opinion, is the weakest song of the bunch. Compared to the previous songs, the EDM influence in this song seems rather uninspired and unexciting. While the fact that the Momoiro Clover girls are not the best singers should be known to many, the vocals in this track sound especially bad; while some may appreciate the sentiment of not correcting it, it just sounds grating.

The ending of the album seems to be a homage to history. Jukyou Monogatari is an ode to Momoiro Clover; the excitement is infectious, even without watching them. Sora Tobu would not sound out of place in an old Morning Musume catalog. Saraba rounds up the metal quotient in the album, and Hai to Diamond ends the album on a softer note. It’s an uncharacteristic but poignant end to an album full of experimentation.

Momoiro Clover fans are so for many different reasons. Yet, no matter if you were a fan of their music, their personality or just the zaniness, everything comes through perfectly on 5th Dimension. If there’s only one idol album you should check out for this year, pick up 5th Dimension. You’ll realize why they’ve sold out concerts in 3 minutes and why their rise has been meteoric.

There’s really nothing particularly wrong with Kagi no Kakatta Heya. Last year’s take on what must seem like the necessary yearly forensics crime mystery offering, the show features an all-star cast and an even more spectacular list of guests. But somehow manages to leave the viewer feeling somewhat, empty.

Kagi no Kakatta Heya (鍵のかかった部屋), literally The Locked Room (though changed to The Locked Room Murders in English) stars Arashi’s Ohno Satoshi (Maou), Toda Erika (BOSS, Code Blue, LIAR GAME) and Sato Koichi (Pride, Suppli). As the name suggests, the show focuses on  the three solving various locked room cases.

The cast break the fourth wall during each opening sequence to describe the case. and offer some clues

The drama is based off the series of novels and short stories by Kishi Yusuke, which in turn may have been inspired by Paul Auster’s The New York Trilogy from the 1980s. The show follows a episodic format so the various stories have been scattered in no particular order. The result though, is that there is very little, if any real overarching plot for Kagi no Kakatta Heya.

As is common with Japanese forensics stories, Ohno plays the story’s “genius”, solving cases with his keen sense of observation and his knowledge of security systems. While no fault of himself, Ohno’s character is shown to be a mysterious, eccentric character with an obsession for unlocking puzzles. He even barricades himself in a similarly cluttered basement to Fukuyama Masaharu. Ohno does a good job of portraying the role but the character itself is as generic as it gets. The shows actors are no strangers to mystery dramas, though Toda seems to be especially familiar with them. A lawyer, she approaches Ohno each episode to assist with a new locked room case.

Sato Koichi as Toda’s narcissistic but good hearted boss.

There are many parallels between Kagi no Kakatta Heya and the classic Trick series. Kagi no Kakatta Heya borrows cinema elements used in Trick to create an uncomfortably strange atmosphere in each episode and all of the show’s characters are not without quirks of their own. The main characters are all well likeable, which makes it a waste that none of them are developed beyond the first episode.

Nounen Rena also plays a minor role as Sato’s assistant.

The show also attempts to involve viewers directly in the mystery solving each episode. Balancing this right can be difficult. So often, mystery shows fall at extreme ends. Some mystery dramas stretch it too far from reality that they seem ridiculous, while others like Mr. Brain treat viewers as if they were idiots, explaining every simple action in unnecessary detail. Kagi no Kakatta no Heya greatest strength is that it strikes a pretty good balance. In most episodes at least, viewers are presented with all the clues they need to solve each mystery. Provided they know where to look.

The trio solve their cases in a cluttered basement.

Visually, Kagi no Kakatta Heya looks really good. The drama uses almost only creamy close ups and plenty of establishing shots, the later allowing viewers to mentally map out the crime scene themselves to help with the mystery solving. Coupled with a soft filter, this also has the side effect of making the drama look like a higher budget movie instead. It is perhaps this cinematic quality that has helped Kagi no Kakatta Hey net the best drama awards for the 3rd quarter of 2012.

Ohno’s moment of inspiration.

If you’re a fan of mystery dramas, there are far worst than Kagi no Kakatta Heya. In fact, Kagi no Kakatta Heya might even be considered one of the better ones in at least the past couple of years. The popular cast and guests help ease things and experienced viewers of the genre might enjoy how the plot points are presented in a straightforward manner, while still being sufficiently well thought out.

The Kouhaku Utagassen should be familiar to most people interested in Japan. A yearly occurrence, it is a singing contest where red and white teams battle it out on the last day of the year. The AKB48 Kouhaku is AKB48′s version of this famous competition. Occurring near the end of the year as well, the Kouhaku is a glorified shuffle concert with an extra bit of competition mixed in. AKB48′s second try of this format however, turns out very well.

Kobayashi Maya and Sakai Masaaki were the hosts for the night.

Oshima Yuko is hype.

Set in the relatively cozy Tokyo Dome City Hall, the event has a rather lackluster start. The red and white teams each perform their own version of Team B Oshi and Wasshoi B! respectively. While in theory it sounds great, both these songs have lost much of their attraction after the many reiterations and it just sounds very tired. Thankfully however, they were pretty much the only non-passable songs in the whole concert, and the rest of it was more than bearable.

Shimazaki Haruka in Sore Demo Suki da Yo was the highlight of the night.

This installment of Kouhaku saw some old songs popping up; besides the perennial favourites like Heart Gata Virus, the audience also got to see songs like Takeuchi Senpai. Team A stage classic Koike was given a hilarious twist, with the monologue being changed to take a dig at resident judge, Kiyohara Kazuhiro. A personal favourite was Tonari no Banana, where the duo from Kansai turned the monologue into a short skit of manzai.

Newbies HKT48 do an oldie, Takeuchi Senpai.

Sometimes the added entertainment outshone the actual performances.

Kiyohara can do nothing else but laugh.

Sister group JKT48 also got their time in the spotlight. While their time on stage last year was a little awkward (mostly due to them not having a clue about what was going on), this time the girls rocked the stage with a great rendition of NMB48 single Kitagawa Kenji (in Bahasa Indonesia, no less), aided by an appearance from the man himself.

The JKT48 girls and Kitagawa Kenji.

Streaming Heavy Rotation live for HEY!HEY!HEY!

There were also some pleasant surprises for this year’s Kouhaku, as some girls were given the chance to showcase their talents on the big stage. Ooya Shizuka got to be part of a group that did Oogoe Diamond acapella, while Matsui Sakiko accompanied Kojima Haruna and Yamamoto Sayaka in their version of Anata to Christmas Eve. Itano Tomomi and Matsui Jurina performed UZA, having been changed to add a dance break, making it more danceable and even more generic sounding.

Yui and Miyuki perform Tonari no Banana.

Masuda Yuka and Akimoto Sayaka lead the acapella group in their cover of Oogoe Diamond.

Matsui Sakiko accompanies Haruna and Sayaka.

Celebrity appearances were also rampant in this edition, with Dachou Club and Takeuchi Riki making appearances, amongst others. In terms of star power though, nothing beat the day’s performance of Give Me Five!, which saw a superband of big names Japanese rock accompanying Oshima Yuko as she fronted the band solo.

Takeuchi Riki pops up as they call for him.

Yes, that is LUNA SEA’s Shinya.

Team leaders Takahashi Minami and Shinoda Mariko also took their turn on stage. While Minami was good as always, Shinoda Mariko definitely stole the show, appearing in a kimono and armed with an umbrella as she busted out a cover of Iwasa Misaki’s Mujin Eki. For someone who has a reputation of being a dreadful singer, it was really good.

Umbrella songs are always popular.

All in all, it was a great show. Aside from the main concert however, there’s also extra content including footage from a camera trained on the girls on the benches, which can sometimes be more interesting than what’s happening on stage. The second disc also contains the non-shuffled single performances, should you be so inclined to want to watch those.

HD lovers should rejoice as well, the concert is also available on Blu-ray, and the quality is marvelous. It’s only the first quarter of the year, but I’m already looking forward to the next one.

There was a time when drama reviews made up a significant portion of this site’s content. It’s not that I’ve stopped watching dramas, but rather, there just hasn’t been that many dramas really worth introducing. Rich Man, Poor Woman has intrigued me enough to take the reviews out of hiatus.

Got the heads up about this drama from the folk over at basugasubakuhatsu! and was definitely glad to have watched it. Despite a simple premise, it’s easily one of the best dramas in recent years.

Rich Man, Poor Woman.

On the surface Rich Man, Poor Woman is your typical work-romance Japanese drama. It does draw some elements from shoujo manga-esque dramas but otherwise doesn’t stray far from convention. Many of the plot points in the show will seem very familiar to those who’ve seen at least a romance drama or two. However, in its simplicity, the producers may have struck gold. And save for its uninspired name, the minimal cheese in Rich Man, Poor Woman is the show’s greatest strength.

Surprisingly, the show has most of the SNS and DLC facts down right.

Rich Man, Poor Woman stars Oguri Shun, Ishihara Satomi, Iura Arata and Aibu Saki. The title of the show sums up its concept quite clearly. Its theme seems to have been inspired directly by GREE’s founder Tanaka Yoshikazu. Oguri Shun returns as a more fleshed out version of role in Densha Otoko, as an eccentric and somewhat narcissistic programmer who has accumulated tremendous fame and fortune through his social media enterprise.

Out of the public eye, Oguri is shown as being a likeable character.

I must admit that I’ve never been much of a fan of Oguri. He fits as basically the Japanese equivalent of Keanu Reeves, with an utter lack of emotion. But the producers have done a good job casting him in the drama. Oguri’s straight face actually lends itself well to the character, who is shown to be vulnerable, despite a strong front. He is also shown to be hardworking, doing most of the actual work around the office. For a 300 billion yen company, there are way too few staff in Oguri’s company and they spend most of the time goofing off. While Oguri’s character is blunt, he is shown to only have good intentions for the people around him. It doesn’t take much to like the charismatic character played by Oguri.

Ishihara initially comes across as the typical slapstick shoujo heroine.

Ishihara Satomi, takes a break from appearing in crime shows to play Oguri’s love interest. Despite being well into her late 20s, she takes on the role of a normal student who inevitably crosses paths with Oguri. She isn’t quite poor as the title suggests, but is meant to contrast Oguri’s character with her unextraordinary life. Ishihara and her character come across as overenthusiastic, so it takes a while to get used to her acting.

But she fits into the show’s serious scenes well.

The show shines in the scenes where the two leads come together. Oguri Shun and Ishihara Satomi work amazingly well together, with some great chemistry on set. It’s enjoyable to see the two actors play off of each other. Story-wise , it’s nice how the two characters complement each other. The producers breaks convention by having Ishihara well capable on her own, filling up for the flaws in Oguri’s.

Iura is Oguri’s only friend, and the business brains behind the company.

A rare sight in dramas, Iura Arata plays Oguri’s business partner and opposite. For better of for worst, the interaction between the two characters takes a backseat to the romance aspects of the show, but nonetheless, Iura adds an interesting dynamic to the drama. Iura, who is more often seen in art films, is also one of the cast’s better actors.

Aibu plays a supporting role in the drama as Iura’s sister.

For a romance drama there are surprisingly few sappy scenes in Rich Man, Poor Woman. In fact, most of the drama is devoid of such scenes, with the story preferring to focus on the characters growing as individuals. Many other dramas in the genre tend to throw in trivial conflicts on a weekly basis to challenge the couple. But in the case of Rich Man, Poor Woman, there are enough inter-character plots to not have to rely on such. Oguri and Iura keep busy with their business ventures, while Ishihara tackles her problems job hunting.

Convention works in Rich Man, Poor Woman’s favor.

Rich Man, Poor Woman, isn’t groundbreaking by any means. But it doesn’t have to be. The plot delivers on all viewers expectations and is a joy to watch. There’s no sidetracking and every scene contributes towards progressing the story. They’ve even resisted the urge to throw in tacky plot twists, with all of the key points being introduced within the first few episodes. Where there are changes, it’s usually slight and positive. The small tweaks and an old, successful formula makes the drama an amazing guilty pleasure.

Both Oguri Shun and Ishihara Satomi have won a couple of best actor and best actress awards in recognition of their work for Rich Man, Poor Woman. A movie special, “Rich Man, Poor Woman in New York” is also scheduled to air tomorrow at 9PM on Fuji TV.

Avex’s lovable girls’ dance and vocal group released their eagerly-awaited third album in end January. Fresh from their record-breaking concert at Nippon Budoukan, the girls face a challenge of living up to lofty expectations as the new year begins. How does Yakusoku (約束) stand next to the rest of their albums? We take a look.

Tokyo Girls’ Style has always been a group that differentiated itself from the rest of the pop sphere. Likewise, this comes through in their music as well. While I expected Yakusoku to continue on the usual path of catchy funky pop tunes of Limited Addiction and Kodou no Himitsu, it was a pleasant surprise to hear that the group went for even more experimentation in their new album.

Intro

While it would seem a little superfluous to write about the start of an album, I found this rather interesting tidbit while listening to the album for the first time. The intro track actually provides a pretty good description of the feel for the album; the intro of Yakusoku is in the outro of Limited Addiction. It is also a little reminiscent of Electric Light Orchestra, at the start.

Bad Flower

The first proper track of the album is their most recent single, Bad Flower. The transition from the Intro is a little haphazard, but it works well enough that you probably want to listen to them in order. I’m not particularly fond of the track myself, but it has a catchy hook and Ayano’s voice fits the song very well.

Tsuioku

The single version of Tsuioku makes an appearance in the album. The girls show off their well-honed harmonizing in this slow song, and each girl gets an opportunity to show off her solo chops. While not a bad song overall, there’s not much to note of it, other than being very pleasant to listen to.

Discord

The first thing anyone notices when it comes to Discord is the vocoded vocals at the start of the song. An uptempo guitar number, it’s also the theme song for the Transformers anime that’s currently airing. It’s a great song to get pumped up to, and the guitar has just the right amount of cheese to rock out to.

Sore de Ii Jan

The first of the new album songs is Sore de Ii Jan, a midtempo song with what I would term the ‘TGS sound’. Many I talked to loved this song the most on the album, mostly due to its great funk sound and great singing. There’s even a part near the end where the keyboard and guitar faces off in a short interlude.

Taisetsu na Kotoba

According to the girls themselves, this is the only ‘kawaii’ song on the album. I am not inclined to disagree myself. The melody and use of horns in this song certainly makes it rather uplifting, and it’s no wonder that this was the second A-side to accompany the slower Tsuioku when they were released as a single. Overall, it’s a track that demonstrates TGS’ youthful side very well.

Tsuki to Sayonara

Personally, this is the best track on the album. With music done by Hiroshi Matsui, the track sounds like it belongs more in a JiLL-Decoy association release than a Tokyo Girls’ Style one. The track is a brilliant example of great production; the infectious bassline is supplemented well by the horns and the girls do a good job of sounding mature as they sing for this one. This track would not be out of place in a jazz bar’s playlist.

Maboroshi

The jazz is thrown out for funk in Maboroshi; the jazzy lines are substituted for tight bass slapping, and the music speeds up considerably. In terms of exploring the girls’ ranges, Maboroshi definitely gives the girls in a challenge in that aspect, as they reach for the higher notes. While it perfectly complements the music, it remains to be seen how this song will song live, as good as it sounds recorded.

Overnight Sensation ~Jidai ga Anata ni Yudaneteru~

TGS cover avex seniors TRF on this particular track. They have been performing this at live performances for the longest time; before this it was only available on a compilation album, so it is nice to have this in CD quality. IRF leader Shoji Mei has several lines in this song, and in lives takes over the hype-man position from Arai very well.

Futarikiri

This track is Yakusoku’s W.M.A.D. Opening with a guitar solo, this track has moodmaker written all over it. It is a ridiculously effective earworm; after one or two listens there’s no way you’re getting the chorus out of your head. The parts where the crowd participation is supposed to be is made clear with the inclusion of ‘yay’ chants as they sing. While the description sounds a bit silly, it adds to the excitement when you listen to it, definitely.

Lolita☆Strawberry in summer

The mood of the album mellows out a little bit as the album draws near to its close. Lolita is a SweetS cover, and is quite the favourite amongst fans. This is a throwback to the rather stereotypical avex girlgroup sound; nevertheless, it is a good interpretation of a fan classic.

Yakusoku

The album comes to a close with its title track, Yakusoku. The mood of the song definitely fits the title – it’s a little slow and there’s a lot more group singing parts; the older fans of the group would definitely feel some pangs of nostalgia as the song goes along. While it’s a little off-kilter compared to the rest of the album, it shows the versatility of TGS and is a great closer to a great album.

Himawari no Hoshikuzu

TGS’ second non-Japanese track after the Chinese language Onnaji Kimochi is an English version of Himawari to Hoshikuzu. While it is a little weird to hear in English and some parts are near incomprehensible, the enunciation in the chorus is crisp and there is clear indication that the girls spent a lot of time practising for this. One is left wondering why it came after the outro instead of with the rest of the album, however.

The number of singles in between albums has lessened in between album releases for Tokyo Girls’ Style. While this would be a bad idea for most groups (at least those in the Japanese pop limelight), I feel like this is a good direction to go in for TGS. They have a versatility in their sound that is better exploited in an album format, and I feel like releasing singles (even if they’re all double A-sides) seeks to only narrow this.

Concerns aside, Tokyo Girls’ Style has done it yet again. Despite making a marked departure from the sounds of the previous two albums, they have managed to keep a firm grasp on their style, thus keeping fans who love their established sound happy. The experimentation and its subsequent success however, is what really makes TGS so interesting to follow.

Sakamichi no Apollon (坂道のアポロン, translated officially as Kids on the Slope) is an anime adaptation of a manga series of the same name by Kodama Yuki. Set in 1960s Japan, the series is a coming-of-age story that focuses on a group of friends in a small town on Kyūshū. Apollon is aided by a soundtrack that is unparalleled and weaved deeply into the narrative, making for a series unlike any other in recent times.

The slope from which the anime derives its name.

Despite not being much a fan of recent TV anime (mostly due to the moeblob invasion), Sakamichi no Apollon came highly recommended by friends acquainted with my own tastes in animation. Looking at the credit roll however, it is not hard to imagine why. Director Watanabe Shinichirō heads the list, with composer Kanno Yoko doing the music for the series. Much like their previous collaboration Cowboy Bebop, music plays an important role in Apollon, but even more so this time.

One of the main characters, Nishimi Kaoru.

Nishimi Kaoru, a typically weak (both physically and mentally) high schooler, moves to Kyūshū after years of regularly moving due to his father’s profession as a sailor. In class, he ends up befriending the well-known school bully, Kawabuchi Sentarō. Along with the class monitor Mukae Ritsuko, the three form a bond unlike any other, as the characters are confronted with the usual issues that plague anime high-schoolers – friendship, love, and everything in between.

The trio is characterized by a shared love for music, namely jazz. This was actually the only reason I even decided to watch this series; I was delighted to find out that jazz plays a big role in the series, unlike any other anime I’ve seen, including ones that are actually about music. Jazz cats would be happy to know that the series takes its music seriously, and references to legends such as Art Blakey and Coltrane are thrown around with accorded reverence.

My Favorite Things.

Story-wise, Apollon pans out like many other high school anime, but it inherently feels more ‘adult’ if only because of the music. There are some parts where it turns rather stereotypical, but the intricacies of the plot play out more like that of a josei manga than the shoujo manga. At no point during watching Apollon did I need to skip a scene due to rising levels of fremdschamen, something I usually find myself doing when watching anime.

Episodes are named after jazz standards.

One thing that I found interesting was how Apollon does not go for the lowest denominator when it comes to narrative conflict. The setting in which Apollon is set is rife with stereotypical anime tropes, but the anime seems to deliberately gloss over them, instead finding that conflict elsewhere. Said tropes were kept in reserve and used sparingly, and accordingly resulted in a much better impact when they were actually used.

That doesn’t mean there’s none of it though.

For example, one would expect Kaoru’s high brow upraising to be the main point of juxtaposition, especially placed next to Sentarō, a high schooler with 4 other siblings. However, this fact is treated as though it is of little significance, coming up only in passing and only really being shown when Kaoru decides to practice on his own piano at home.

Instead, Apollon goes in a totally different direction; at the start of the series, Kaoru’s difficulty in learning jazz is blamed on his background as a musician. He finds jazz hard to grasp due to his classical training, and gets thrown off by the seeming chaos of jazz improvisation. Anyone who knows a classical musician can easily tell you how true this is.

The anime is full of references like these, which are a treat to discover for those in the know, and yet simple enough to appreciate if not.

AKB48 fans would be delighted to know that Satou Amina has a small role in this anime as well.

Mention anime with music, and some would name you series like Beck, Noiseman Sound Insect or Samurai Champloo. While music played a very big role in each of these shows, the music integration of Apollon is more like Nodame Cantabile than anything. Jazz provides the series with a very formidable soundtrack, but it is how the music is navigated in the narrative itself that really brings out the brilliance in the series.

Sentarō, who plays the drums, has a passion for jazz that is driven not simply by a superficial love for the sound, and this shows in how he plays it. As his mood changes in each episode, so does the way he plays the drums; a viewer who does not share his passion for music can nonetheless hear and feel the difference as he drums to tunes by Miles Davis, or improvises some drums to Lullaby of Birdland.

It is this particular attention that is paid to the music in Apollon that sets it apart from the rest, and ultimately makes the show what it is. Jazz is integrated so deeply and perfectly in the anime that music is moved from being simply a nifty addition to one that plays a significant role in the shaping of the narrative. Sadly however, it might also be the same reason that some people cannot stand watching the show; jazz is not for everyone, after all.

Another area that Apollon excels is in its animation. There are many anime titles that skimp on animating people playing music, although there are entirely reasonable decisions to do so. It is good to know however, that Apollon is not one of them.

Apollon’s animation of music playing is great.

Much like Nodame or that one bunkasai episode of Haruhi, the music-playing is animated perfectly, with each beat resonating both audibly and visually. Slight camera shaking whenever the ‘camera’ zooms in close also gives a nice impression of being in that cramped jamming area as the band plays around you, and it adds to the authenticity of the anime.

While the anime doesn’t do anything wildly out of the ordinary (think Gankutsuou), the plain style works well for Apollon. The characters, while stereotypically ‘anime’, do not look exaggerated proportionally, which is what turns me off most other anime. In that sense, you could say Apollon‘s character design is a plus.

Characters are drawn to look like people.

Fans of music-focused anime should definitely check Sakamichi no Apollon out, if only for its near-perfect integration of jazz music. Its differing approach to the genre is also refreshing (in this writer’s opinion) for those who prefer their anime with a dose of reality. Sakamichi no Apollon stands out for more reasons than one, and for that reason, comes highly recommended, even to those who don’t regularly watch anime.

AKB48′s Janken Taikai, has now become routine in its third consecutive year. The extravagant event held at the Nippon Budokan, Tokyo’s “Martial Arts Hall” arena has the pop group and its extended members competing for screen time in their next single release through “janken”, or rock-paper-scissors. At the same time, publisher Kobusha takes this opportunity to release its annual AKB48 Janken Taikai Official Guide Book. Here’s a look at 2012′s.

A look at past years books puts the Janken Taikan Official Guide Book as one of the year’s most attractive. The cover with AKB48 members decked out in their senbatsu single costumes is easily one of the most graphic of the year. Add in a foil cover into this year’s mix and it looks especially attractive. Unfortunately, the contents aren’t exactly impressive. I’ll spare you an overused cliche here.

A poster and two pages of stickers now.

The sousenkyo single winners.

Just a couple pages of coverage from the preliminary rounds for each sister group.

Member messages from NMB48, SKE48, HKT48 and the AKB48 research students.

Little has changed in this year’s format for the guide book. This makes it a nice collectors item, when sitting beside past books. It is slightly thicker though, now that the competition has expanded to include members from Team 4, and more from the AKB48 sister groups.

Since not all members are featured and little actual profile information is provided, the yearly AKB48 General Election Guide Book is a better who’s who book. Instead, the exclusive full body shots of each participating member is definitely the draw point here. The layout of the book isn’t as strong as last year’s book, but there’s a more nagging qualm with this year’s photographs.

Heavily ‘shopped.

Contents are similar to last year’s.

Even before the heels, there should be quite a discrepancy between the two.

Rather than keep each member’s photographs to scale, someone had decided to scale each photograph to the entire page. Even the shorter members are stretched to ridiculous scales and is especially apparent due to the format of the book. Only in the cases where members are photographed together (like when the Team 4 members are paired up with trainees) or if they are already of already similar height, are the proportions kept.

One such example.

Giant Miepi.

The addition of more members also gives the book an excuse to cut down on all the other content, an excuse they willingly take. While some of the predictions from “charisma” celebrities return, candid pictures and coverage of past events have been reduced to nearly naught. Most of that missing information will no doubt find its way into the “AKB48 Janken Senbatsu Report Book” which will be kept for after the janken tournament.

Only these two pages of off shots.

And a couple of interviews.

Predictions from ‘charisma’ fortune tellers.

Back cover.

Personally, I’d give the AKB48 Janken Taikai Official Guide Book 2012 a miss as even some of the most stout of AKB48 fans have been disappointed by its content. For those who must absolutely get their hand on one, this year’s book retails at a slightly pricier 1,100 yen (but is thicker) and can be found online or at the local Books Kinokuniya store.

RUN RUN Makoto is a photo book by the renowned Japanese photographer Kawashima Kotori and featuring Passpo’s Okunaka Makoto. While it has been out for quite a while already, as a big fan of Kawashima’s works, RUN RUN Makoto is deserving of mention as possibly one of my favorite photo books to have come across.

Those laying their hands upon the book will immediately noticeable that it is presented in an horizontal format quite uncharacteristic of your typical idol photo book. And sure enough, RUN RUN Makoto distances itself from Okunaka’s idol reputation, with Makoto even going as far as to use a different signature for this project. Those first press versions of the book came with a random large frame-worthy sized print.

Run Run まこと.

Bonus print and sign.

In certain ways, this book can be compared to our previous reviewed photo book Yu, Yu, Yukirin in that the entirety of the book appears to consist of photos taken by a 35mm film camera. RUN RUN Makoto is done in a lot more of Kawashima’s trademark style than say Secret Serina and this book featuring “Mako-chan” is a lot closer to his best selling “Mirai-chan” book. Kawashima uses his Nikon F6 to amazing results.

It’s no secret that Kawashima favors landscape shots, and each photograph gets to take up an entire full color page. While not the norm, the book’s horizontal format allows these photographs to shine, with the entire book spanning 160 photographs.

Each photo takes up a full page.

Kawashima favors landscape shots.

Lovely photos.

The magic of a wide angle lens is that it captures about as much of the surroundings as the subject. In this way, the scenes are as much a subject of each photo as Okunaka. This allows for a story to be told with each photograph, instead of the typical gravure shots.

The photographer uses proportion and perspective to stunningly graphic results.

The scenes are as much a focus as the model.

Kawashima seems to have been given free rein when it comes to RUN RUN Makoto, and he and Okunaka work magic together. Perhaps it is her younger age that makes her more impressionable or her own quirkiness that shine through in the photos but the works tend to be a lot more comfortable and imaginative than Kawashima’s works with Serina. As a result, many of the photographs fringe on Kawashima’s surreal style and can be pretty bizarre by idol standards.

Pretty out there.

At least by idol standards.

Moments captured on film.

Each picture seems to tell a story.

The shots in the book are spread out through a great variety of locations, especially when you consider that about every 6 pictures out of the 160 features a different theme. I had a hard time choosing just some of the many lovely photos to show in this review. Similarly, there were actually many more great photos shown in early previews that didn’t make the cut into the book.

Lots of different locations.

Rich saturated images.

A nice point is that the settings are established.

Like in Kawashima’s other works, there’s a lot of nature and ambiance captured in the photos. In fact, a couple of photos do not even feature Okunaka at all. One nice point is that the locations are established, allowing for a better feel of each scene in a very cinematic way. In the others that do, he uses Okunaka Makoto’s diminutive size as a contrast to the surroundings to good effect.

Being a Japanese photo book and all, RUN RUN Makoto does of course come with the expected bikini photos. But the ones inside are tastefully done and less in your face.

Lots of imagery.

Even the arbitrary bikini scenes are tastefully done.

Perhaps the only qualm about RUN RUN Makoto is the paper quality. The glossy paper used is thankfully not the worst I’ve encountered and doesn’t affect the prints. But to accommodate the sheer number of pages, it uses stock just slightly above most magazines and is thin enough to crease with repeated flipping. It’s not as bad as Mirai-chan which literally falls apart after a short time but a book like this is likely to see lots of wear.

A reference to Kawashima’s most popular works.

Not your typical idol photo book.

A whopping 160 full sized photos.

Fans of either will appreciate the book.

Judging from the amount of modeling work that Okunaka Makoto has been enjoying as of late, it looks like RUN RUN Makoto has made her somewhat of a darling with the photographic community in Japan.

As always, you can find copies of sale online. RUN RUN Makoto retails for 1900 yen. This is one photo book I definitely recommend getting your hands on especially for fans of either Kawashima Kotori or Okunaka.

Definitely recommended.

Back cover.

On a related note, a final question to our readers. Would you like to see us cover older photo books as well or even Passpo related content in the future?

AKB48 releases their long awaited fourth album on the 15 August. Its title 1830m, alludes to the distance from the AKB48 theater to the girls’ destination, Tokyo Dome. AKB48 albums tend to be full of already released content, and as such rarely worth it for non-diehard fans. We take a look at 1830m and see if it’s the case here as well.

The album is notable for a variety of reasons, the most obvious of which is the title. The group’s official blog title is loosely translated as ‘The Path to Tokyo Dome’, and 1830m’s release only weeks before the momentous concerts at Tokyo Dome; according to leader Takahashi Minami, AKB48 is at a turning point now, with the album being the last one that also has ace Maeda Atsuko in it. Symbolically, 1830m is AKB48′s most important album yet.

As far as albums go, 1830m comes close as one of the longest, with a whopping 34 tracks spread over 2 discs.

Fans who have been buying AKB48 releases consistently might balk at the selection of songs for the first disc, which is crowded with already-released single songs and b-sides. Nevertheless, previously unreleased songs like Miniskirt no Yousei (performed by the Research Students) are available on the first disc. Also on it are the tie-up songs Yasai Uranai and Ren’ai Sousenkyo.

More interesting is the second disc, which contains original songs and specially formed units. There are songs available from all the teams, of AKB48, and even one song that incorporates all the sister groups. We look at some of the more notable songs, and how they stand together as an album.

The front and back covers for the 2CD/DVD version.

Plastic no Kuchibiru

Shinoda Mariko’s first foray into solo singing for AKB48 results in an electronic dance track. The song is a little house-y with copious loads of autotune, no doubt to mask the fact that AKB48′s fashion ladder can’t keep a pitch if her life depended on it. Nevertheless, it is a good effort, and the song sounds pleasant enough, if you’re not turned off by the vocal modification.

Omoide no Hotondo

A ballad with the power duo, Maeda Atsuko and Takahashi Minami. A ballad with lyrics alluding to the pair’s partnership over the course of the past 6 years, fans who have followed ‘Atsumina’ will be in tears by the end of the song. There is minimal accompanying music, with much of the song driven by the girls’ naked vocals. It is a fitting song for the voices that have dominated every AKB48 single, and a fitting tribute to a partnership that will continue to grow forward after Acchan’s departure.

Bokutachi wa Ima, Hanashiau beki Nanda

This song is sung by a combination that came from left field in Itano Tomomi and Kashiwagi Yuki. Much like how unexpected the pairing is, also unexpected is how their voices go well together. While the gap in singing ability is apparent whenever they sing consecutive lines, the girls generally harmonize well together. Disappointing however, is the fact that the song itself is rather bland and not very memorable.

Sakura no Hanabira

The last song on the album has Maeda Atsuko covering AKB48′s well-known debut, Sakura no Hanabiratachi. Maeda gets a bad rap for being at the center of the group without any ostensible talents, but this song is proof that definitely can hold her own, even if most of her live performances have been plagued by nerves.

It is no accident that she sings the song she first sang with the rest of first-gen AKB48. Sakura no Hanabira is an excellent nod to Acchan’s contributions to AKB48, and an excellent close to an album full of symbolism and nostalgia.

Theater version covers.

Listening to fan comments about music videos, Akimoto Yasushi decided that 1830m will allow fans to pick a song (limited to AKB48′s) that they feel deserves a music video, with the top song getting a music video that will be included in the single slated for release in December.

Sparking from a meeting about which songs deserve a music video of their own, the producer decided it best to let the fans decide, in what has been called AKB48 Music Video Request 2012. The voting period will last from release date to 20 September.

All in all, 1830m far eclipses any of the previous albums, especially in the tracklist. Coupled with the fact that 1830m is such an important part of AKB48′s history, it’s definitely worth a buy.

This past April, sousenkyo #3 Kashiwagi Yuki released her eagerly-awaited second photobook, titled Yu, Yu, Yukirin. Promoted as showing both the ON and OFF sides of Kashiwagi Yuki, the book follows her as she visits Hong Kong, Taiwan and her hometown of Kagoshima. The book is a well-balanced mix of cool, sexy and cute, showcasing all sides of the woman some people refer to as the perfect idol.

The photo that comes with the book.

The photographer and art director this time is none other than Yanai Michihiko. While the name might not ring a bell, his work on Tower Records’ No Music No Life campaign certainly should. The campaign is now eponymous with the Tower brand, and should give an idea of the kind of photos the book offers. An interesting point is that the photobook is shot with mostly Leica rangefinder cameras, giving it a feel unlike many other books.

Physically, the book itself is large. It dwarfs pretty much every other photobook on hand, and is significantly thicker as well. It comes with a bonus photo, and on the back of the book a QR code redirects readers to some extra video material. Keep in mind however, that the bonus website will only last till 19th October of this year. The obi of the book, which usually only has promotional blurbs, also has printing on the underside, which was pretty surprising.

The underside of the obi.

Yu, Yu, Yukirin’s aesthetic does not appeal to everyone. Due to it being photographed on film cameras, the photographs have a certain element of nostalgia because of the film effect. This gives nearly everything a light yellow hue, which can put people off, especially if they’re used to looking at digital photograph prints. Full page shots are also few and far between, with many of the pages divided into two for smaller photos.

Taking self-shots with a disposable camera.

The good news is, the splits also mean there are just more photos.

Besides the issue of small photos, there is also the issue of the full page photos being a little noisy. While again, this would not faze anyone used to film photographs, it can seem a little off-putting to others. However, it has to be said that the noise is handled well and adds to the photographs nicely, helping to keep the theme of the book consistent. A particular spread of interest is a collage of self-taken bikini photos; Yukirin triggers the camera herself with a remote shutter.

Full-page shots end up a little noisy.

Interesting collage of self-shots.

Compared to her previous photobook, this one does not have as many bikini photos; nevertheless, the ones that do make it in are sufficiently attractive and the relative scarcity only makes these bikini photos look even better. However, well-placed shots and angles make even the shots where she is fully clothed sexy; maybe Kashiwagi has her own innate attractiveness that hasn’t really shown itself till Yanai came along.

Obligatory bum pic.

Sometimes, more is less.

Chronicling Yukirin in Taiwan.

Fan favourite.

It’s hard to say why Yukirin looks so good in everything, but it is pretty clear that she does. While she’s not particularly known to be a fashionable person, her build and stature lends itself well to being dressed up. Being able to cover all bases in a photobook gives her great versatility in theme, and Yanai takes advantage of this, using a great variety of shots to fill the book.

Capturing playful Yukirin.

Extending the series from the cover.

No idol photobook is complete without one of these.

Playful & Sexy in one spread.

Yet, the whole product does not seem as disjointed as one might expect: the decision to shoot exclusively in film might have aided this. Kashiwagi is definitely shown from all sides in this book, to the point where she even appears in photos with minimal make-up.

With Maeda Atsuko leaving soon, Yukirin is the best candidate to inherit the crown of photobook queen. One wonders whether she’ll be able to top this release with her next photobook.

In the 11th century, a book commonly known as the world’s first novel was written by a woman calling herself Murasaki Shikibu. This was of course, the Genji Monogatari. One would need scholarly knowledge of the classical Japanese language to appreciate Shikibu’s work; more contemporary Japanese works however, do not. Breaking into Japanese Literature is a book that offers an introductory look into the more well-known authors and their works.

Breaking into Japanese Literature is a compilation of 7 short stories from renowned Japanese authors Natsume Soseki and Akutagawa Ryunosuke (you might know him as the namesake for the literary Akutagawa Prize). Soseki’s stories come from Ten Nights of Dream, while Akutagawa’s are In A Grove, The Nose and Rashomon.

Readers are given an introduction with a short biography of the author.

If you’ve ever learned Japanese you’d know that no beginner would be able to read a proper book in its native Japanese, much less literary classics. This book helps to ease readers into this with its parallel text format, allowing them to read it in Japanese and then check their own interpretations with the English text. Giles Murray, the author, explains that the book keeps to the source text meticulously, with no superfluous interpretation in its translation to help in readers’ own learning.

Illustrations and a synopsis to start off a short story.

The book also allows for improvement in one’s command of Japanese, with kanji being marked with reference numbers (to Kodansha’s Kanji Learner’s Dictionary) to aid any future referencing. The dictionary at the bottom of each page allows for quick referencing, with any new kanji being introduced placed there, along with the relevant meaning. Sound files are also available for free on the Internet, with professional actors reading out the lines.

A spread contains Japanese and English text, along with a dictionary at the bottom.

The A5-sized book is a great companion on short commutes; The dictionary makes it great standalone reading material, and placing both English and Japanese text side-by-side makes it ideal studying material as well. Most importantly, it gives readers a taste of what it’s like to read Japanese literary classics, an experience that I find is rewarding all on its own.

Last winter, Sony Magazines released the first ever mook featuring avex’s own pop idol family. Just like the previous issue, the iDOL Street OFFICIAL BOOK Vol.2 is meant to be a comprehensive guide to everything related to SUPER☆GiRLS, the newly formed Cheeky Parade and the iDOL Street students. It’s chock full of profiles, photos and updates of what the groups have been up to in the past 6 months.

Pre-ordered copies come with one free photograph. In usual avex fashion, the photos were pre-determined and could be previewed ahead of time online at the SUPER☆GiRLS website. We decided to pre-order our copies from 7-Eleven in Japan, which gave the nicest of the lot. You can see it inside the shrink wrap here. You’ll also be able to find it for sale at Neowing’s CDJapan of course for the same price.

iDOL Street OFFICIAL BOOK Vol.2.

The new iDOL Street book looks and feels identical to the original, which is a great thing for collectors. There is a nice consistency between the covers, photographs and size of the book. Note that the book is now double sided though. It can be read in reverse for the Cheeky Parade content.

Double sided covers. Features Cheeky Parade on reverse.

There is no bonus poster this time round. Instead, the mook comes with two random photographs (2 of 54 different types) featuring SUPER☆GiRLS, Cheeky Parade and the iDOL Street students. Accordingly, the price of the book has also increased from 1,575 yen to 2000 yen. Personally, I would have very much preferred to do away with the photographs and get a cheaper book but this comes down to a matter of preference.

Random L sized photos inside.

In typical mook fashion, the book opens up with profiles of each of the group’s members after the page of contents and a short magazine spread. Once again, the book features a ton of full color images and the photography is top quality. The print quality of the book is excellent too so none of the iDOL Street goodness is wasted upon that technicality.

The mook is made by Sony Magazine’s M-ON! Entertainment team, which also publishes the GiRLPOP magazine. Maeda Atsuko’s graced the covers of the magazine’s revival issue last year for Flower.

As I initially suspected, the photography is courtesy of Kojiro Hosoi from the b-irthday team. Hosoi’s style is quite distinct and excellent at capturing movement in portraits. He’s had a close relationship with Sony and was responsible for most of the promotional photography for Watanabe Mayu’s Synchro Tokimeki. You’ll also recognize many of Hosoi’s works in UTB Magazine, which he is a regular contributor too.

SUPER☆GiRLS profiles. KP.

Rachel.

Amita.

Each of the SUPER☆GiRLS members are given two pages for their profile. The layout is organic. There are no fixed number of pictures here. Instead, the editor chooses some of the nicest shots for each member, the best of which is featured as a full page blowout. The candid handwritten Q&A interviews with each member make a return, though to make room for the more photographs, they are shifted to a separate section.

Q&A section is now separated.

The book chronicles the group’s progress in the same manner like the last. Again, this is presented as a free for all discussion between the SUPER☆GiRLS members themselves. Till now, this has been the most novel means of presenting a timeline, since it provides an interesting read for even the most knowledgeable of fans. Props if you read it in your head in Maeshima Ami’s high pitch squeals and Mizote Ruka’s short tongue.

Timeline of events.

Some of the key events are also highlighted in a series of photo collages, namely the larger concerts performed since the release of the last book. These come complete with commentary from the members. The pictures from the last book were good, but they’ve managed to up the standard even more, possibly since the venues are much better lighted this time round.

Photo coverage of the past 6 month’s performances.

A portion of the book is dedicated to the remaining iDOL Street students in some new uniforms. The older orange polos have in turn been passed down to the newer generation. They get their own profiles and a photo shoot too, in a sizable number of pages, when you consider that there are only 7 of them left. The theme is simple, but the contrast in vibrant colors is nice.

The remaining iDOL Street students.

Share the pages for their profiles.

Quick photoshoot.

The next few pages cover the recent 3rd generation iDOL Street auditions with short profiles for the girls that made the cut. There are noticeably much less commentary and interviews from the staff this time round since they’ve had to fit in other contents. Most missed is the “Costume Check” section from last issue which showed sketches from the group’s costume designer.

3rd Generation auditions.

The 3rd generation iDOL Street students.

Cut to compilation of photos from a exclusive shoot for the mook. The theme this time is Special Graffiti and has the SUPER☆GiRLS members creating a set themselves with nothing but some blank canvases and glass panels. It’s a refreshing theme and the versatility of the photographer really shows. Like in the last book, the shoot blends the lines between spontaneous and organized for a dynamic and fun series of photographs.

Another interestingly themed shoot.

All fired up.

The deco section makes a return with the SUPER☆GiRLS making some DIY candles and Cheeky Parade some bracelets. Each book comes with a mailer that gives fans a chance to win one of these handmade gifts.

Another arts and craft section.

Cheeky Parade, making bracelets.

Readers have a chance to win the candles made by the girls.

Though oddly placed, the book ends with a behind the scenes look at the girls at a recent Recochoku handshake event followed by a space for the members to write messages to their fans.

A candid look from before a handshake event and an advert for Maidoru! SUPER☆GiRLS.

Ending word from the members.

Starting at the other end of the book gives you coverage on iDOL Street’s second group Cheeky Parade which was formed earlier this year by the remaining candidates from the first audition and 2nd generation students. The new group had only recently released their first single Cheeky Dreamer. Much of their content in the book mimics SUPER☆GiRLS, with the standard profile and Q&A sections.

On the other side.

Cheeky Parade spread.

More member profiles.

As before, each copy of iDOL Street OFFICIAL BOOK Vol.2 comes with a unique keycode that can be input into the SUPER☆GiRLS quasi social game fan club Maidoru! for rewards. It’s not a major point, but is a nice finishing touch to make fans feel a little better about an already great purchase.

The sheer quantity of pointless mooks released by other pop groups and the fact that none of them match up in terms of quality or size can be annoying. While I initially expected a new Official Book every 3 months, rather than release a new book for every minor footprint over the year, it’s great that avex chooses to compile everything into one semi-yearly release.

I’m going to rank the iDOL Street OFFICIAL BOOK Vol.2 as a must purchase for fans of SUPER☆GiRLS. The only thing that could have made the iDOL Street Official Books better was if all their spines lined up to make one giant photo ala the Mr. Men series.

In early March, NMB48 released its guidebook, the NMB48 Complete Book 2012. This marks the first time the Osaka-based group has released an official guidebook since its formation in October of 2010. With pages covering the whole of NMB48 (this includes teams N, M and all the research students), the book is a hefty one. Described by some members as a book where you can “learn everything” about NMB48, what does it have in store for the fans?

Stickers of all members.

The first thing you see when you open the book is a set of stickers depicting all the members in various clothes (ostensibly, their own). While personally I’ve never found the use of small stickers like these, I’m sure others would beg to differ.

Interview with Yamada Nana.

This is followed by interviews with the Top 3 members of NMB48, namely Yamada Nana, Watanabe Miyuki and Yamamoto Sayaka. They speak of their experiences over the past one and a half years, and how far they’ve come since then. It gives fans an insight on how these girls (who represent the group as a whole) think about their own fame. Also included is an interview with the producer of the 48 groups, Akimoto Yasushi.

A page for Kinoshita Haruna.

Team M member Hikawa Ayame.

The 3rd generation research students get a page each.

The pages are standard fare for guidebooks, with questions on their preferences, likes and several lifestyle questions. There are also small pieces of profile information, like their nicknames and date of birth. Of note are the write ups that each girl does on herself. The topic seems to be open; Shiroma Miru starts off by saying how she cries really easily. Also included at the end of each team’s section are some things they were made to do: for example, Team N’s has a tabulation of their answers to a survey.

The timeline of NMB48.

After the member pages end start a section named ‘NMB48 CHRONICLE’, where they trace NMB48′s history, from the first day of auditions to February 2012. Giving an overview of all the important happenings, this spread provides easy reference to satisfy any fan’s curiosity.

Photos from Team N in Singapore.

The subsequent pages recount the milestones in NMB48′s career, with events such as the Rock Paper Scissors tournament and Team N’s visit to Singapore last year. In addition to shots of the girls performing, fans also get a glimpse of what it’s like backstage.

An interview with Kaneko Takeshi.

Those interested in what it’s like to be the manager of NMB48 would be glad to see that there’s also an interview with Kaneko Takeshi. The NMB48 manager gives his opinions on the goings-on in NMB48, and what challenges they faced at the start.

Candid shots of the members.

The book comes to a close with off-shots of the members and pages describing various signed goods as well as introducing readers to the discography of NMB48.

The A3-sized poster included with the Complete Book.

All in all, the book is a great buy for both new and old fans alike. The complete profiles of all the members are available, with all the information one could possibly want being provided in the members’ individual pages. Coupled with solo shots (for the ones officially placed into teams), the NMB48 Complete Book is worth the 1429yen it costs to purchase it.

On the 1st of March, one half of SKE48′s double Matsui combination released her photobook, Kingyo. Transliterated to Goldfish, the photobook is Matsui Rena’s first solo photobook, making it the first one from the SKE48 family. Even at the time of writing this, Kingyo is still in the top 5 of Amazon Japan’s best-seller ranking, nearly a month from its release date. We take a peek…

Behind the camera for Kingyo is Marutani Yoshihisa. A photographer for various advertisements and magazines, Yoshihisa has under his belt works for companies like Epson, Calbee and was also responsible for photos taken to promote the AKB48 single, Namida Surprise. So him being in charge for Rena’s photobook comes as no surprise, nor is the resulting quality of the book.

Starting off the first pages.

When Kingyo was first announced, many fans (including this writer) wondered what kind of book it would be. Matsui Rena, not known for having the most robust of figures, would certainly be an ill-fit for anything that showcased her body. Of course, considering the high bikini content of most idol photobooks, most fans wrote Kingyo off as destined for failure.

One of many shots showcasing her legs.

It turns out that these worries were for naught. While there were still some rather provocative shots in the photobook, frontal shots of Rena were obviously avoided, showing a great deal of awareness on the photographer’s part of Rena’s shortcomings.

Putting Rena in different dresses.

Instead, Yoshihisa took advantage of Rena’s thin stature to showcase a variety of dresses and get-ups, utilizing her as a model to show off cocktail dresses and casual wear not unlike what one might see in everyday Japan.

More from the cover shoot.

The book also contains a few well done 2-page spreads. Most photobooks use such spreads to showcase the model’s full body length, which turns the center binding into very visible distraction of the photo. Kingyo uses spreads to instead showcase landscapes, allowing for wider composition of shots.

Great landscape spreads.

Thematically, this photobook is top-notch. While some may complain of the relative depression of the photobook, much of the book is allegory to Rena’s own existence as an idol. It showcases the happiness one gains from one’s job, and slowly gets darker as the day ends and she retreats to her home after work. The time of day seems to reflect the mood in the photos; the night shots are broody, while the day shots happy and bright.

Close-up shots of Rena in the rain.

All-in-all, Kingyo is a photobook beyond my own expectations. By playing off Rena’s strengths (that lie in her ability to convey emotions) and not forcing the shots (like with unneeded bikini photos), what turns out is a result that would surprise even the Rena fan.

The poster that comes with the photobook.

I would gladly recommend Kingyo to first-time photobook buyers. Its thickness and quality make it a no-brainer purchase, especially at the cheap price point of 1429 yen. Hopefully, this trend continues with other photographers. I for one, would like to see more of Fashion Rena, and less of Swimsuit Rena.

In celebration of her turning 20, Maeda Atsuko’s new photobook has been released. Titled Bukiyou (不器用, Clumsy), the book is Maeda’s fifth since debuting as an AKB48 member. Following a gap of nearly two years since the release of her photobook trilogy, Bukiyou follows Maeda on a trip to Paris. Fashion photographer Nakamura Kazutaka takes the rein for Bukiyou. While he has photographed celebrities like Fujii Rena or Tanaka Rena in the past, much of his experience has been with advertisements and fashion shoots. How does the more street-oriented Bukiyou compare to its predecessors?

Sharing some laughs with locals.

The photobook itself seems to look (and feel) more like a travel diary than it does a simple collection of photos. While this could be intentional, it does give the reader the feeling of being able to see the real Maeda Atsuko interacting with the sights, sounds and people of Paris.

A collage of photos of Maeda eating.

Bukiyou takes advantage of Acchan’s voracious appetite, with many shots of the idol eating and even a collage that consists mostly of photographs of Maeda and food. She has expressed more than once her desire to visit Paris, and Bukiyou captures her delight at being able to walk the streets of the city of light.

A precursor to the more revealing shots.

Of course, it is widely known that many do buy photobooks for the raunchy photos you might get, especially when considering the previous Acchan photobooks. While a photo of a hand-bra had fans up in arms about the inappropriateness, the shots were all tastefully done and showcase Maeda’s versatility as a photography model. Of course, it being Paris means there aren’t any bikini photos in the whole book. Instead, those are substituted with lingerie and not-so-subtle cleavage photos.

While not many, the two page spreads are great.

However, the photobook does have some flaws. While it gains points for sticking to a diary theme and does it well, the same street-photography mantra results in technical issues with many of the photographs. The photobook is rife with photos that are out-of-focus or blurry; there are some where this is justified, the blur showing movement and creating excitement. In others, this just seems to be a case of bad photo choice. As an aside, the cover of the book is not in crisp clear focus either.

It's not our photograph, it's really that blurry.

It was a little disappointing to see that there were not many shots of her in different outfits, or trying out some fashion shots, given the location the shoot is staged in. However, in the grand scheme of things, this is a minor complaint that doesn’t lessen the experience.

A fold-out poster-cum-diary comes with the book.

Thematically, Acchan’s new photobook is great. Fans both new and old will love the candid feel of Bukiyou as they follow her exploits in Paris. The thematic success of the book is marred, however, by the large amounts of blurry photographs within. Nevertheless, it is a good buy, although some might be wary should they want to obtain it for tips on good photography.

Released last month, Amita is the photo book featuring SUPER☆GiRLS member Maeshima Ami (前島亜美), who also goes by the title’s nickname. As one of the group’s most prominent members, this is Maeshima’s, as well as SUPER☆GiRLS first foray into gravure books. Maeshima, known for her kung-fu kicking antics on TV, brings her megawatt smile into this softcover compilation.

Front cover. The book itself is a larger size akin to hardcover ones.

Actual cover.

Comes with stickers for some reason. Including large full body ones.

This particular copy came signed.

Amita is a gravure book in the most typical sense. Ignoring the fact that she is the group’s youngest member, the majority of the books 80 pages are filed with bikini photos. And while she is never put in a compromising position, the contents will likely put some people off. But if you’ve purchased any other idol book before, you’ll know what to expect.

Opens up straight with some beach photos.

Just happy pictures.

Colorful, happy pictures.

Short personal write up from Maeshima about her SUPER☆GiRLS activities.

The photographer in question here is Toru Tokunaga (徳永徹) who I am unfamiliar with. I haven’t managed to find any other works credited to him other than this book. Thankfully, the shots are pretty well taken.

Notably absent are any of the usual glum, artsy type photographs found in other gravure books. While it is refreshing, this also makes it feel like there is generally no theme to any of the pictures. But the attention seeking idol, who has had experience modelling for fashion magazines works well with the photographer to bring a plentiful number of lighthearted shots.

Indoor shoot.

Rather straight forward.

Pajama theme.

Another short essay, this time on her modelling work.

Simply put, this is a book of happy pictures for Maeshima fans. Everyone else will see no point to it.

Shopping.

Some history, childhood photos and unnecessarily detailed statistics.

Ending note.

On a side note, I may have been missing it but as far as I can tell, this book does not come with a keycode for Maidoru! SUPER☆GiRLS.

Amita is available online for 1900 yen.

With SDN48 performing an amazing final concert in Singapore last weekend, I guess now would be as good a time as any to look through this photo book by one of the group’s most prominent members. Though she had worked with gravure prior to joining SDN48, Secret Serina is Serina’s first actual book. It is especially notable for being produced by one of the finest photographers, Kawashima Kotori.

Secret Serina was released last November but with plentiful scans all over the internet, I hadn’t found the motivation to open it sooner. As mentioned above this is Serina’s first own photo book. Though prior to this, the 26 turning 27 year old model had appeared in one of Kobayashi Motoyuki “schoolgirl” books as a youth.

Now as one of SDN48′s centers, Serina has teamed up with the talented Kawashima Kotori. While Kawashima has worked with some AKB48 members on magazine shoots in the past and is responsible for some of their most impressive photos ever, this was his first time publishing a book with any of the 48 family members.

Deceptive Obi.

Back cover.

This particular copy was autographed by Serina herself.

Kawashima’s powerful imagery attracted the attention of the internet back in 2010, when he released Mirai-chan, a wonderful collection of superrealist photos of his friend’s daughter. In typical internet fashion, his pictures went viral among the English speaking world as  ”amazing photographs taken by a Japanese mother”.

Photos by Kawashima Kotori.

Quite a nice collection of photos.

Arbitrary bikini shots.

As you can see, Secret Serina features a rather dreamy collection of photographs. Most of the shots inside were taken outdoors in daylight, giving the photos a natural but expressive feel. The themes here are not as bold as those found in Mirai-chan and are more typical gravure affair but as in his past works, Kawashima Kotori manages to work in a lot of nature into the shots.

100 Questions.

Fave list.

Pretty comprehensive interview.

Pictures from 2007-2011.

About 1/4 of the book is dedicated to more candid content, such as an interview, list of Serina’s likes and Q&A section. This is a pretty good balance that adds value to the contents without actually distracting from the photos. Photo books that feature just photos tend to get boring after a while (such as Hello! Project’s) while those from more popular fashion models tend to have so much other contents that they turn into a scrapbook of endorsements instead.

Mostly outdoor shoots.

Another occuring theme in such books.

Dreamy lighting.

Overall, Secret Serina as a pretty good buy. Even the necessary bikini sections are handled tastefully here. The photos might not tell as much of a story as Kawashima’s other works and certainly aren’t his best, but are still nice shots.

Saucy section.

Candid pictures from while making the book.

Messages from her friends.

Ending note. In typical Serina playfulness.

Ultimately, I would recommended Secret Serina to any Serina fans if they haven’t already gotten it. Though as a friend pointed out, this is actually the first photo book I have bought. But surely that has got to count for something.

For those interested, Secret Serina still widely available at online stores for 1700 yen.

Last month, SUPER☆GiRLS made their inevitable debut into mooks with the iDOL Street Official Book Vol.1 Winter 2012. Judging from the title, it’s the first in a series of seasonal books chocked full of photographs and coverage of SUPER☆GiRLS and iDOL Street related events. This first issue takes on the task of introducing readers to the two fairly new groups and all of its members.

The iDOL Street OFFICIAL BOOK Vol.1 is oddly published by Sony Magazines and available at major retailers and web stores for 1,575 yen. It’s a fairly standard sized mook, weighing in at 87 pages but the contents are invaluable enough to warrant notice.

iDOL Street OFFICIAL BOOK Vol.1.

Back cover.

The book opens up with an introduction to all of the members from the two groups, starting with of course, the SUPER☆GiRLS seniors. You’ll find lots of excellent, full color photos spread throughout all of the mook’s pages.

Introductory spread of all the members.

SUPER☆GiRLS.

Despite its less than overwhelming size, there are some great reads inside. Instead of providing a simple, statistical comparison of all the members, profiles come in the form of handwritten answers to a series of simple questions.

This adds a really nice personal touch to this segment of the book and is something I haven’t seen in any mook other than the SKE48 Complete Book. SUPER☆GiRLS takes it one step further though by adding more colorful emotes to their answers.

Profiles for each of the members.

Handwritten answers.

Colorful collage.

The member profiles are broken apart by colorful photo collages shot exclusively for the mook, these contribute to the overall happy, playful theme of the book.

Also instead of the usual write ups you get on each member’s achievements as typical of AKB48 mooks, the remaining space here is filled by a couple of longer Q&A answers direct from the respective members themselves. This keeps in line with the personable feeling of the book and lets you learn some genuinely new information about each member.

Amita!

Rather than a write up, each profile is a Q&A with that member.

More collages.

Street Students.

The book also provides profiles for the first 18 iDOL Street Project Members, who are split up into the Kanto based east street and Kasai’s west street. They don’t get the large full page photos or more elaborate Q&A like their SG counterparts but do retain the handwritten profiles.

I must admit, one of my reasons for purchasing this book was so that I could put some names to the alien iDOL Street members I had seen performing the day before.

Smaller but still handwritten segments.

Interview with the group's producer, staff and more.

There is a certain amount of input from the production staff inside. You’ll find two long interviews with iDOL Street’s producer and B.L.T’s editor as well as some short snippets from the group’s dance instructor and makeup artists. One segment that really caught my attention though was a two page spread showing off the concept art for the girls’ costumes from their Chouzetsu Shoujo concert.

Their fashion designer is a particularly good an artist, capturing many of the girls nuances and considering them well. This explains the group’s rather awesome costumes. I really hope that future issues of the magazine continue to feature this “Costume Check” segment.

Really amazing concept art for the girls' outfits.

The later half of the mook covers some of the memorable moments in iDOL Street’s short history. But instead of simple timeline of events, it is presented in the form of a 4 page free for all discussion between the members of SUPER☆GiRLS. Here they recount some interesting and embarrassing events from the group’s conception, concert and practices.

SUPER☆GiRLS timeline.

Here we see coverage of the two groups’ recent lives, the SUPER☆GiRLS Chouzetsu Shoujo Joshiryoku Paradise Vol.3 / 4 at Shibuya BLAZE and iDOL Street Kirakira Holiday at Shibuya WOMB. Photographs are plentiful and again, you’ll find excerpts from each member’s post concert thoughts. There are also candid photos from some of the groups’ other excursions.

Concert reports.

For iDOL Street too.

Behind the scenes photos.

To top things off, we have another photo shoot for the purpose of the book at the back, this time set to a party theme. Like the rest of the book (and pretty much everything produced under the SUPER☆GiRLS branding) there’s a very strong graphic quality here. For once, you can tell that attention has been paid to the mook’s layout rather than haphazardly pasted together.

I’m not sure who is responsible for this or if it’s even a conscious effort but whatever SG is doing they are doing right. It could be that they just have the right people for each job.

A fun photo shoot.

A strong graphic style.

Behind, there are some additional segments with the book in mind. Here the SUPER☆GiRLS members spend some of their free time decorating compact cases. The section comes with an usually detailed recounting of how the girls decorated them.

The mook comes with a lucky draw mailer that gives you a chance to win one of the member decorated mirrors. The iDOL Street members also do a little crafts and physical challenges on a separate occasion.

Art and craft session.

Physical challenges.

A chance to win the items decorated by the members.

The mook also comes with a poster, probably randomly selected of either SUPER☆GiRLS or the iDOL Street Project Members. Unfortunately, here I got the later.

Overall, the iDOL Street OFFICIAL BOOK Vol.1 comes as a worthwhile buy for any fan of the group, or anyone beginning to find interest in these idols. And even if SUPER☆GiRLS related merchandise were not as scarce, I’d still recommend it simply for the quality of its contents.

And as with all other SUPER☆GiRLS merchandise, the book comes with a keycode for the Maidoru! SUPER☆GiRLS online social system. Entering the code immediately unlocks for you a spiffy trophy and a 150 PP bonus. It also opens up 3 sequential secret quiz missions that will reward an additional 120 PP when completed.

I’ve included the answers for the quizzes below for those who need the help. Stay tuned for a full guide on how to register and use Maidoru! SUPER☆GiRLS coming soon.

Bonus poster.

セルフポートレートのコーナーで、うさぎの耳をつけていたのは、さおりーぬ、あみた、あともう一人は誰?
In the “Self-Portrait” corner, the ones wearing rabbit ears are Saoriinu, Amita and another one more person who is?
A: ぴの (Pino)

Look Back to SUPER☆GiRLSのコーナーで、ごっちゃんが愛の告白をした相手は誰?
In the “Look Back to SUPER☆GiRLS corner, who is the one to receive Gocchan’s confession of love?
A: るか (Ruka)

デコNo.1決定戦で、最後まで居残りしてたのは誰?
In the “Deco No.1 Contest”, who ends up staying overtime?
A: みやり (Miyari)

Today we look at another, newer SKE48 book, SKE48 Bukatsu Damashii (Club Spirit) by Fusosha Publishing. Released in September, the book features many candidly taken photographs, set to the book’s extracurricular activity theme.

SKE48 Bukatsu Damashii.

SKE48 Bukatsu Damashii differs from most other mooks in that text is kept to a minimum. This may be a good or bad thing depending on the individual.

Lots of photos within.

Candid photographs of the group.

There are still interviews with individual members scattered across the different themes but most of the pages are filled with random shots from each set. Thankfully, the nature of the photographs do make them more interesting than most.

Photos are split into different club activity themes.

Some interesting sections.

With that in mind, there is little to be said for this book. It is a simple package that will appeal to those looking to see a more spontaneous side of their idols. If I were to compare it to a previous release, it would be to the twin AKB48 Yusatsu books, though the photographs here are better taken.

Fashion check.

Note though that not all members are featured in the book equally, if at all. Fans of less prominent members will be disappointed. On the other hand, the Top SKE48 members are given star treatment within. Quite a few pages are dedicated to the six most popular members in what looks like one of their best studio shoots for a mook.

Akarin.

Churi.

The SKE48 Bukatsu Damashii is a fairly thick book, coming in at 165 pages. The fact that it costs only 1,200 yen does make it more tempting too. If that wasn’t enough, the book comes with two additional bonus L-sized photographs to sweeten the deal. As you would have expected, photographs are chosen at random from a variety of (barely) different poses from a small pool of selected members.

Bonus photos.

Overall, SKE48 Bukatsu Damashii provides some additional content for die hard fans at great value but will likely only appeal to a selected number of this already niche group.

Not exactly a new book, but the SKE48 Complete Book 2010-2011 is a nice compendium of SKE48 knowledge. The book was released last December and remains in print, though judging from the title it will most likely be phased out soon. Completionists will want to grab a copy before that happens. But even if not, it still contains enough sweet treats within to warrant attention.

This is actually the first refresh of the SKE48 Complete Book, with the first one being the 2008-2009 edition. It serves a purpose similar to the AKB48 Visual Book series but receives my thumbs up over its previous version as well as the AKB48 variation for a number of reasons which will be mentioned.

The front sleeve.

Back.

The SKE48 Complete Book 2010-2011 comes in a standard mook sized package but is slightly thicker than average. Peeling away the obi and sleeves will reveal the cover which features all the SKE48 members in cute super deformed form.

Cute actual cover.

The usual stickers.

Senbatsu photoshoot for the book.

Unlike newer editions of the AKB48 Visual Book, profiles of all 3 SKE48 teams and research students are present in one convenient book. The SKE48 Complete Book is price at 1,980 yen, which is cheaper than getting a complete set of A, K and B (1,500 yen each) as well as the previous 2009 version of this book (3,000 yen).

Most members get a two page profile.

Interesting question and answer with each member.

All of the member profiles come with studio photos taken for this occasion, an introduction to the member and a short Q&A segment. The Q&A segment features such interesting questions like “What is your favorite type (of guy)” and “What is a secret about another member that only I know”. Another plus point is that the girls’ own handwritten answers are printed here, adding to the personable feeling.

There was a contest to win these polaroids.

Mini-question sections in between.

Team E.

And the kenkyuusei get only one page each.

Another highlight of the book is the generous number of pages dedicated to the history of SKE48. This time though, key events are presented through never before seen candid photos. There are also features on the different SKE48 stages, their participation in the AKB48 elections and the SKE48 Request Hour Set List Best 2010. This is the equivalent of multiple AKB48 mooks worth of coverage.

SKE48 Chronicle.

Timeline of SKE48 events.

The same history in photo form.

Exclusive candid photographs from member birthday celebrations.

More candids from the making of this book.

As an added bonus, each copy of the SKE48 Complete Book comes with 1 of 4 possible double-sided posters. This one contained the version with a large spread of Takayanagi Akane from Macau. For once, the poster isn’t sealed or attached to the book itself so you don’t have to risk damaging your copy. Something that frustrates me greatly with most AKB48 mooks.

One of four random double-sided posters.

Size comparison.

If you’re living in Singapore. There should be a number of copies still available at the local Kinokuniya though somewhat pricier. Otherwise, you will also be able to find it at CDJapan through the generated link below.

Released this past November, THE SPEC KIT Watarirouka Urikomitai (THE SPEC KIT 渡り廊下売り込み隊) follows the growth of one of AKB48′s most popular sub-groups, Watarirouka Hashiritai. The B5-sized book chronicles the group from the start. A picture timeline and essays from those involved with the group traces the milestones in Watarirouka history.

At first glance, one can already tell that the book is a little different from others. The obi, usually a narrow sash of paper with promotional type, is a lot wider in Spec Kit and instead of duplicating the cover (as they normally do), provides graphics to an otherwise bare front. The faux-leather texture and gold lettering are reminiscent of bounded journals that one would find in a university library, a rather poignant cover given the theme of the book.

The plain cover of Spec Kit without its obi.

The book starts off with the expected group photos of the girls, as well as a tongue-in-cheek set of instructions on how to get into an exclusive event.

Appealing to Shoujo-ai fans.

Content page adorned with anime illustrations.

As can be seen by the content page, each member has a set of pages dedicated to her. Of course, the prerequisite gravure shots are present, but the girls also get a few pages in their sections for their own works. Hirajima Natsumi becomes Hirajima-sensei, dishing out mock relationship advice (yes, the irony is not lost) to readers that write in. Iwasa Misaki speaks of coping with her unique voice, it begins with a quote about her disappointment at having a non-cute voice and entering Watariouka Hashiritai.

Bikini photos are par for the course.

Tackling two fetishes at once.

Watanabe Mayu draws an anime version of Watarirouka Hashiritai 7.

Wasamin's short essay.

After the individual pages, the book shifts focus onto the group itself. A pictorial timeline greets the reader with rich photographs and text showing Warota’s growth from a 4-member unit to the relatively large 7 that they currently have.

A timeline with photos of the group.

Some fans would definitely be interested in the sections that follow; an essay on the happenings in Watarirouka since its formation in 2008, and a section where various people who have worked with Warota (like Yamasato Ryouta) write on their opinions of the group.

The gossip rag look is not coincidental.

Akihiro Kiuchi & Toshiro Kunikawa give their take on Watarirouka.

To close off, the book ends with a few more group shots, and a retro-styled series of photos, which in the opinion of this writer looks the best of all the photos in the book.

Hirajima Natsumi

A parting shot and some messages from the members at the end of the book.

Released by Wani Books, the book has a slightly steep price point of 1500yen. However, fans who are interested in Warota should see no waste in this expense. The uniqueness of the book’s cover alone should give it a decent place in any collection. Unlike the first photobook release, this does not have as many photos, but the inclusion of personal write-ups are a nice addition to the photographic contents of the book.