J-pop

Ikimonogakari Announce “Love to Peace! / Yume Dai ~Tooku e~”

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Ikimonogakari

Ikimonogakari has announced the release of their 31st single titled Love to Peace! / Yume Dai ~Tooku e~.

The song Love to Peace! itself will be used as the theme song for a drama titled Isan Souzoku, featuring an uptempo sound with a ballad feel.

New releases are great news and nothing feels better as a fan to hear that a song will not only be an a-side, but that it will also be released as a double a-side with one of the songs being used for a theme song.

Of course, so far we don’t the covers or a sound preview but we should be getting a few in the coming weeks since the release of the song is less than a month away.

The release date is set for November 3, with the drama Isan Souzoku being broadcasted on October 22.

Source: Barks.jp | Oricon.jp

Ichiki Kyoka To Leave E-Girls and FLOWER, Retire From Entertainment Industry

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Ichiki Kyoka

Ichiki Kyoka has announced that she will be graduating from both E-Girls and FLOWER, as well as retiring from the entertainment industry.

According to Ichiki, she has reflected upon the idea of leaving the entertainment industry to live a life of a regular person. This means that FLOWER will continue as a 6 member group with Washio Reina taking the reigns for vocals.

While it’s sad to see a member leave it’s always an interesting decision that not many understand. Sure, you’re leaving fans who have supported you in all your performances, but sometimes it does seem like a bit overwhelming for the average person so it’s understandable.

Regardless, fans will definitely have the previous releases to enjoy material with her. It will be interesting to see how it will go from now on since the group will have a few changes here and there to accomodate the smaller group size.

Good luck Ichiki Kyoka!

Nogizaka46 “Ima, Hanashitai Dareka ga Iru” MV Released

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Nogizaka46 Ima, Hanashitai Dareka ga Iru Regular

Nogizaka46 have released the MV for Ima, Hanashitai Dareka ga Iru.

Shortly after reporting about the release of the covers and details for the single we get a chance to enjoy the MV and from what I can hear the song sounds quite solid with an amazing, catchy sound that is sure to make fans of the group smile.

Unfortunately, the MV is only available in Japan from what I can tell but a quick plugin should help solve the problem. If you manage to be able to check out the MV I hope you enjoy it, if not then I’ll make sure to update the post with a more visible version of the MV.

Check out the MV after the break alongside updated tracklists for the versions!

The release date is set for October 28.

Source: Natalie.mu

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C-ute “Arigatou ~Mugen no Yell~ / Arashi wo Okosunda Exciting Fight!” Covers Released

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Regular A
Regular B
Limited A
Limited B
Limited C
Limited D

The covers for C-ute’s 28th single titled Arigatou ~Mugen no Yell~ / Arashi wo Okosunda Exciting Fight! have been released.

We reported on the preview of the cover being released quite recently, so not surprisingly we now have all the covers to enjoy at our leisure.

From what I can tell it seems like we’re in for an amazing release, and it’s a relief to see that the somewhat bland but fashionable Regular A cover is only a drop in the more stylized versions. The one that stands out the most for me is definitely Limited D, with a warehouse as the background and cool poses it seems to sum up the energy of the song we had previewed a while ago.

I encourage fans to pick up a copy or two to support the group since it seems like they’re rising quite rapidly to become among the main groups in Hello! Project.

The release date is set for October 28.

Source: Hello! Project Page

C-ute CDJapan

SKE48 Debut New Sub-Unit, Announce 2nd Album Release

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Love Cresendo

SKE48 have announced the debut of a new sub-unit titled Love Crescendo.

The unit will consist of Yuna Obata, Yuna Ego, Ryoha Kitagawa, Haruka Kumazaki, Rara Goto, Maya Sugawara, and Jurina Matsui. They will be debuting in November with a single while 4 other units will have b-sides on the release as well.

Alongside that announcement, we also got confirmation that a 2nd album is in the works with a release in 2016.

New units are great news since it gives a chance for members who might not be that big in the limelight a chance to shine. Despite not having many details about the theme for this unit it seems like quite a talented group, so fans will definitely be pleased to see the members.

Likewise, the release of a 2nd album for the group is perfect news for fans who have been waiting for a few years since their 1st album.

I’m looking forward to finding out more about this release, but it seems like we should get more details around the end of the month!

The unit will debut in November 25.

Arashi “Japonism” Album Details Released

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Arashi

More details for Arashi’s most recent album titled Japonism have been released.

Regular Edition
Yoitoko Edition
Limited Edition

Arashi are among Japan’s most recognizable groups and it’s hard to argue against that since they are all quite talented with a legacy that is hard to rival against. Sure, the covers above do show a bit of repetition since the poses are all alike (heads are turned 45 degrees to the right on the Yoitoko Edition). Despite that, this release seems like quite a strong one for the group!

The lead song seems to set the theme for the rest of the album with a strong sound combined with folk instruments that represent Japan. A slight rapping section combined with a slower tone combines to form a quite unique song that fans will love.

The tracklist is quite extensive, so check out the details for the tracklist and the preview for Kokoro no Sora after the break!

The release date is set for October 21.

CDJapan Arashi

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Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku “Super Hero” MV Released

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Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku Super Hero

Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku have released the MV for their most recent single titled Super Hero.

We reported on the announcement a while ago, so it’s great to see that we are finally getting a chance to hear the song and find out a bit more about the theme and so far I’m impressed.

At first glance the use of long colored pieces of cloth as the capes for each of the members is a unique concept since it gives them a nice simple style that seems to suggest that anyone can be a superhero. The song itself is quite interesting with a powerful ballad sound with a cheerful undertone that’s hard to explain in words.

Check out the song for yourself after the break!

The release date is set for October 21.

Source: Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku OHP

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DAOKO “ShibuyaK” MV Released

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DAOKO ShibuyaK

The MV for DAOKO’s ShibuyaK has been released.

Regular
Limited A
Limited B

This double A-side single will be available in 3 versions: Regular, Limited A, Limited B. There is an MV for the second track titled Samishii Kamisama that is used for a video titled GIRL. You can check out the video for that over here!

From the video, we can definitely tell that DAOKO is quite talented since she mixes in a rapping style with a more traditional J-pop sound that is super catchy. Of course, she does have an amazing look that is quite fun to see, with my only complaint being that it seems like she looks half bored most of the time (rapping must be hard).

Nonetheless, she is definitely among the most impressive singers since not many can meld two genres as good as she does. Definitely take a look at this MV and get a copy of her single once it’s out!

The release date is set for October 21.

Source: DAOKO OHP

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Nogizaka46 “Ima, Hanashitai Dareka ga Iru” Single Details Released

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Regular
Yokosake Edition
Limited A
Limited B
Limited C

Nogizaka46 have released more details for their 13th single titled Ima, Hanashita Dareka ga Iru.

There will be 5 versions: Regular, A, B, C, and Kokosake Version. The a-side and b-side (Shitto no Kenri) are both similar, but there is a unique song for each release. Apart from that the theme song will be used for the anime film titled Kokoro ga Sakebetta Gatterunda.

The unique songs for all of the versions are definitely among the highlights of the release since each of them features a different lineup. Regular version features a song titled Sukima, featuring the same lineup as Hoka no Hoshi Kara.

Limited A features Po Pi Pappa Paa which is sung by the senbatsu members. Limited B features Otona Heno Chikamichi which is performed by the new unit titled Cinq Etoiles. Limited C has the theme song for the documentary for Nogizaka46 titled Kanashimi no Wasurekata.

As you can tell this release is quite packed, with multiple tracks, and of course, an amazing theme that ties in with the anime film, a small detail that gives fans a reason to check out the movie for themselves.

Check out the covers and if you like the preview definitely consider getting a copy to support the group!

The release date is set for October 28.

Source: Nogizaka46 OHP

Nogizaka46 CDJapan

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