Your Favorite Japanese Pop Videos of 2015

10. Durian Shounen – NMB48

At number ten we have Durian Shounen by NMB48. This looks like earlier AKb48 this is pretty much a video featuring girls in Bikinis and squeezing bikini tops to try to show cleavage yes I was looking forgive me please. This is not one of my favorite style of music for Japan oh well there is a lot of cuteness here and I am wondering where we are at in this video? The video was filmed in Taiwan and that is why we get the whole Chinese vibe going on here. I like the roller coaster shots and what looks like some sort of celebration going on, yes like older Akb48 videos this is just a bunch of girls having fun singing into dead lizards on a stick and doing cute stuff like that. Hey Otakus pick your favorite you know you have one. This music reminds me of so many Akb48 songs like give me five and girls sing lyrics that sometimes does not match the song itself. I think maybe this group of course the sister group of AKb48 did this song and video so that AKB48 could mature, we will see later.

9.Choice&Chance – Juice=Juice

 I absolutely love this song and video. I totally get it.It is a good vibe. It is a good pick me up. I would love to wake up to this song every morning. It is a great song to get your Cardio going in the morning. The video is good as well. I love the quick cuts as well. The part where the girl just pushes the Pieces on the game board is my favorite part and it sticks in your head as a great visual. This was really good they have a promising future as a Hello Project. I feel the intensity of the song. Of course they will have to compete with Morning Musume and Ciao Bell Cinquetti as well though. Keep at it girls. If you crank out tunes like this I will  listen!!

8.Nogizaka46 - Inochi wa Utsukushii

The rivals of AKb48 became your favorite in 2015. The music is very similar to their counterparts' but it is the stunning dark and romantic and gloomy sometimes visuals from their video Inochi wa Utsukushii. I love the Gothic Lolita Fashion here. I could definitely throw them torn stuffed bunnies, they are so dark and cute. The Bleeding eyes in this video of certain members is what you want from your Idol group, the lyrics are clear but you have a deep dark sensitive subject here. The name of the song is Life is Beautiful which is telling people to keep going on no matter how dark things get in your life. You can Look at these lyrics if you do not believe me and remember the Night will end.
                                             
With the moon drops at its back
The single leaf shivers in the wind
It’ll be easier if I can let go of your hand
So why am I clinging on?
What am I living for?
No matter how many times I ask
The darkness reaching to the end of the sky remains silent
If I can dream, I’ll close my eyes
Even with troubles, the night will finally end
Life is beautiful
Since the day I realized that
All this sorrow
Just disappeared
Things don’t last forever
Like the transcience of flowers
Every single moment like this
Is the meaning of life

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7. Itooshikutte Gomenne – Country Girls

 Okay for all the time I have been watching Japanese Idol groups this video by the Country Girls is totally embracing the good parts of what I liked about Idol groups of the past. Schoolgirls Jumping around being cute but this video cracks me up but I will always love when Japanese Idols tribute old rock Roll and Roll idol songs of the past and this what I like about this. Hey pop is suppose to be fun and this is fun. I am sorry for being adorable the whole statement cracks me up I will be saying this all year now but what the heck. Okay what the video does is that it makes me laugh. Especially when the girls start writing on the screen and the white schoolgirl outfits. It is fun and I do not feel like a dirty old man watching it!

 

6. Parallel World – Ayami Muto

 

   

I can not say too many good things about this song and the wonderful filming of this video, it looks like it is done in one take, if it is awesome! I love this song too it is very catchy and I could dance to it what about you? The Lyrics tell us a Story and the title fits the lyrics for change yes I can see many other Japanese Idol influences here but Hey Ayami Muto for now!!

5. Taiki Bansei – ANGERME

 

 I love the energy these girl put in this song. It does have a disco feel so you can dance to it but I love the different collage of outfits instead of the same "everyone must wear the same thing to be an Idol group" they seem to give me that they can Identify with the regular girl but these girls make me feel like they can dance. Angerme is another Hello Project thing that is catchy and upbeat and they can really get your attention short and simple like the haircut in this video I am just saying! Maybe you liked them better as S/mileage

 

 



4. Bokutachi wa Tatakawanai – AKB48



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 You can't have a list without Akb48, all I can say is wow both them and Morning Musume put in some great efforts as far as videos with special effects but are the tunes that good? The tune here is softer to show off the singing talents I will give them that but we have a great video that surpasses the  tune which is why they are ranked fourth this year as one of your favorites. There is not much cuteness here folks a lot of Akb48 members getting their little butts kicked then coming back to kick major butt. Did the action take away from a musical group? You bet your plushies it did. The video is good. I would not play this song over and over again though.

3.Seisyun Kozou ga Naiteiru
Morning Musume.'15  

 

What can I say this video should of been number two yes vey creative a little bit of different tune as well. The creative juice were flowing when this was made. I like everything of this video the tune is not the best this year obviously because it is a hard tune to groove with but I give them much respect to do what they did and that is something different. Morning Musume in my opinion has always been the group to watch for when you do anything new in the Japanese Pop world because they have been the cutting edge in the past five years. Akb48 has been geared towards men while Morning Musume can bring in the female fans.

 

2. Sakura Gakuin 2014 ~ Aogeba Toutoshi

 



   This videos of course was voted by you the fans , I give you the one I really do not think belongs where it's ranking is and that is Aogeba Toutoshi. This video is very adolescent and yes they did spawn Baby metal the group Sakura Gakuin that is but this video would be great if I was say ten. I do not care much for it. It has an Ewok coming down to Earth to visit Japan. I guess Ewoks like Japanese Schoolgirls oh well you have to see the video to believe what I am saying is true. There are few dance steps but it gets lost in all the production of this video with this Child like song oh well not everyone likes onions either.

                    1.    Nippon Manju -Lady Baby

 

Whether the video is an out and out commercial for Japan or is it a Mockery of Japanese Idols it is addicting with great edit cuts and unforgettable visuals and it has a dude in a dress a hairy dude in a dress. In my opinion this video should win video of the year worldwide. It brings in something that J-pop Idols really need  a sense of humor, I laughed when I saw this and I am still laughing that is your pick and that is my pick as well. I am not going in deep details with this one there it is in all its glory your pick for number one!       

 

 For more discussion of what you think the best videos where you can click Here!

 

 

 

 

Magical Idol: Chpter four... The Dirty Dirty South

The next day after an evening with Fukumoda. I kind of looked forward to work. Amy gave me a message from our Atlanta division from one of our clients who was a DJ down in Atlanta the message was about a singer. DJ Phat Dillon did a great job with us we averaged about 350- 400$ a night from Dillon which really was good for a DJ.We were in business with 5 different Dj's in Atlanta. We received half of the night's work in Atlanta and other towns where we represented DJ's. We took care of scheduling,taxes, equipment, Insurance and booking and promotion in return they paid us for half of the services and split the nights' Pay. If they got a tip which I am sure many did, I would probably say they did not tell us if they received one or not. I know it sounds a lot to pay us 50% but they did not have to worry about anything, scheduling,Insurance, equipment and taxes. They just had to show up.If one DJ did not make their appointment their were plenty in line who would. It was a sweet deal and extra money and we did this in four other places as well. Some of the equipment was already paid for five years ago from John and mine own past of doing DJ work so we were making a good profit and Amy and the program we used for scheduling which was a program designed by UPS one of the Nations top company helped tremendously.
 I called Dillon as soon as I got into my office. I knew he might still be in bed considering like Vampires most Dj's melt at just the sight of the Sun. Dillon answered the call and started talking to me about a talent he met at a Karaoke bar he did service for last night. " Hey you have to check this girl out" he breathed out excitedly." I will send you a video" . Dillon sent me a video from his phone to mine. I looked at it. It was a girl alright from what I heard she belted out some of the most beautiful tones that was her voice to the tune of Lady Marmalade. I looked at the phone and from what I saw she looked pleasant enough as well which is a plus for a pop star. She had beautiful light Cinnamon brown colored hair and big Brown eyes. I told Dillon on the phone thanks and told him I could not promise him anything. Dillon said he understood and then I headed straight to Jon's Office
 I took a deep breath and started walking was this what I needed a trip down south to forget about the recent failures or just accidents or whatever they were? A broken relationship and a failed attempt in the business was what I had been thinking about maybe this would get my mind off those things. I knocked on the door of Jon's Office it was too early for clients to be in there. Jon told me to come in. I showed my phone and told him what Dillon told me and asked what he thought. "  I think it would be worth you going Toru" Jon nodded in agreement go to Amy and get a ticket as ASAP!" John  Authoritatively told me. I talked to Amy and she found a nice weekend special to Atlanta. I knew the drill. Atlanta was not play time we had a studio in Atlanta and Shawn and Richard were our Engineers down there, they needed checking up on as well. I had four hours to get to the Airport. I drove past my place packed a couple suits in a Suit bag and grabbed my handbag with some shirts and Khakis and my lingerie bag with new underwear and toiletries I kept in case of a trip which happened every month. I was ready to go I smiled as I locked the door behind me. I got in my car and drove back to work and called Jon to take me to the Airport there was no since in paying for parking at LAX. Jon drove me to LAX and told me to take my time and enjoy Atlanta, check out the singer and get our Engineers in gear, check the equipment, and see if there needs to be any replacement for equipment that sort of thing and talk with some our best clients like Dillon and Mercy Throat a band who had recorded with us since we opened up in Atlanta two years ago. I gave him a salute and Yelled " Roger That!" I headed to the computer to swipe my passport and to upgrade to first class if there was a seat available because there was no way I was riding coach if I could pay 50-75$ for first class with my credit Card to upgrade. There were two available first class seats one swipe and I was done and took my ticket and receipt and headed to the gate entrance which would open in an hour. I would get me some coffee and a Guitar Magazine and read until the Gate opened for seating.
 I get to Atlanta at 7:00pm Atlanta time changing time zones suck. I just left around lunch time in LA. I was going to be in Atlanta for a week . I was going to make sure of that. I decide for a cab at the cab station at the airport I really did not feel like renting a car yet. I will be honest I do not like driving in Atlanta. I Call Jon from the Cab and tell him that I will head to the studio after I check in to my hotel and rent a car tomorrow because the drive from the motel to the studio was not too much of a trouble. I arrived at our usual small hotel business inn you know the type no pool and the complimentary breakfast is a little debbie honey bun ,coffee, and a banana. The cheaper the Motel the more money we could invest in singers and equipment plus we did not know if this trip would pay off we never know if any trip will pay off. Amy called me on the phone while I was unpacking  and she told me that Fukumodo's assistant had a package for me and Amy told the assistant to send the package to Atlanta. Amy told me she felt a nice gift might cheer me up. Jon probably gave Richard and Shawn a heads up that I was coming. They thought of me as a replacement I came down there if any of them needed sometime off. The Recording facility in Atlanta was small just enough room for a band and Karaoke type singers. There was two recording rooms and a office and vault room for cash and a master mixing room Studio A and Studio B.Studio A was a nice place with a piano and room for Guitars, bass, Drums and two booths for singers and a Nice Pro Tools Hd set up, Tonight  was Saturday evening I get the desk clerk to call me a cab to the Studio and I was ready to go.  I make my self comfortable in the office of the Studio and dial Dillon's number again. "This girl how can I Reach her?" I ask Dillon on the phone. "Dawg you down here?" Dillon responded in a question. "Yup"! I answered gleefully. " You in luck she is in a contest at The Merger" Dillon explained. " The Merger!' I barked back. "Is that not in the black part of town?" I laugh. " Well you is talking to a black man" Dillon smirks back on the phone." What time is this contest?" I inquire. Dillon responds "well I believe it is nine or what you people will say nineish" Dillon  and I socialize a bit on the phone and I check to see how one of our top clients in Atlanta was doing. Shawn seems to be doing an excellent job with equipment especially . Shawn was one of the best tech guys in the business I had ever seen. Dillon is happy and all is going well in the recording facility there is a band being recorded by an intern with Richard and Dillon. Life is good down here. The Atlanta Recording Facility looks like they are going to be busy all night and at 500$ an hour for studio time that is not a bad thing.  I do not have time to check on them long I sat in for thirty minutes while Richard and the intern are setting up Microphones up to the amp to record some guitar. The band looks like a group of middle aged men with beards who have not quite left the sixties. I look at the parking lot when I start to leave for my cab and I see a few Harley Davidson Motorcycles out there.  I call my cab I am ready to go.
 I get to the Merger and see what I usually see drunks listening to people singing Karaoke loudly. The singers are competing for cash money the winner is decided by a cheap applause meter.I hate those things they never semm to work right. The girl I am waiting for is named Teonna, I sit for an hour I get a Sprite with Cranberry Juice from the waitress and then decide on some cheese stix. Teonna is about the seventh singer on stage and she grooves again to Lady marmalade. She is gorgeous as the sound that comes from her mouth she entices the audience like a siren and the song kind of turns me on while I am looking at her I am thinking this could be the one to get me out of the slump I am in at work.

Magical Idol: Chapter Three ... The Wager

 I kind of liked Fukumodo he was just like a tall ugly six foot child watching the game. I remember the child like expressions in glee on his face when we passed by the Magic Johnson statue on the way to the entrance of the Staples Center. The game was loud and fast paced the way I like Basketball. I played a little basketball in High School but did so well in other subjects I had to put it to the side because I did not think I could make a career in Basketball but I loved the game and still today. Fukumodo got an eyeful of the laker girls and  it is something that I knew about any non American from traveling the world is how their men just stare at women especially at our American Women. Now do not get me wrong we Americans stare but if we stared like foreign men do we would be called stalkers or creepy. I have learned the art of staring since I was a child. I could get an eyeful of that booty before she even knew I was staring. Why can't Foreign men learn this? They are just too obvious. Trust me if you want to blend in here in America learn not too stare to leeringly and most of all stop wearing those girly designer jeans it is very un-American.
 Fukumodos yells " They are just like Giants those guys are." I hear him over the roar and cheers of the crowd. I actually enjoy his company I eat my usual popcorn at the center I love popcorn at the movies and games. I could eat popcorn everyday. I wash it down with a Dr. Pepper I am in one of those moods tonight no Diet drinks.
 Fukumodo was a conservative 6'2 thin business man. He was balding at the top and is it not really socially acceptable in Japan for an elder business man to shave his head in Japan. Fukumodo seemed like a happy person but I think it was the California air that he liked the most and the women. The game ends and people start leaving the center "You want to grab something to eat?" He smiles at me. "Sure my company has a nice expense account for dinner lets go" I explained. "What about Drinks?" he asked. "Maybe for you not me I have to work tomorrow" I tell him. "Awwe work grrrrr" he growled jokingly. " All work and no Play make Toru old boy" He laughed as though he had taken a few sips of alcohol already. Our driver pulls up at the station our Limo is about 5 cars down. The night air felt good and I have forgotten about the horrible day today. I was at the end of the day coming out of the Lakers game and into a Limo.
 We get to the restaurant and after a few drinks Fukumodo tells me. "You know business is good". I smiled "Really?" as I take a sip of my usual banana strawberry smoothie. "It is good because I do not use my own money" He laughs. "What is your secret?" I patronize him just a little." Sponsors!".. he pauses and starts talking again "I make these contracts with these girls just to get them to an Idol Pageant and a company pays for their sponsorship meaning all I have to do is find the girls and they the company pays for the rest to get her to the pageant. She loses it's on her not me". The ratings in the television market are high so the company wins." I look for the girl who creates drama or stirs emotions in the audience while you have to struggle with every diva who gives you a hard time and then start all over again when you find her drunk in the gutter or pregnant. The Japanese Idol has to be the Ideal lady for young girls every where. She has to be purged through the fire of the competition until she comes out gold." She is shamed if she fails while you are blamed if your whore cannot deliver, your diva as you call them will blame the patriarchy or you or her father she is forgiven even though all the work you did is wasted all the money you put into her is never appreciated not just once. " "Did I paint the picture correctly?" Fukumodo smiles at me and put his glass down. " You are right but you are also drunk." I laugh. "You need an Idol not not just any Idol you need a Japanese Idol." He points to me as though he was given fatherly advice. "Seriously all women are the same" I pull back my head. " No No No " Fukumodo shakes his hand in my face "Japanese women are different" He continues." We took over the entertainment industry and that is what they follow that is where you American men lost when you let women take over your entertainment industry. Women do not pay attention in school,temple or family they will watch hours of entertainment and if you get hold of the entertainment you can influence the culture." He finishes and sips another drink. I look him in the eye and say" You're Drunk". He laughs. I change the subject I feel the waitress knows we are talking about a delicate subject and I do not want to upset her. I talk about the game we just watched and it gets his conversation away from women and the whole Idol thing he is talking about. I get Fukumodo in the car he is wasted. We sit down and I hand him a bottled water from the fridge in the Limo. " Hydrate yourself you will feel a little better in the morning." I point out. " You know if I traded you one of my contracts for your contracts you know you would be a lot happier?" Fukumodo Jest  "Okay but my client would be mad if you showed up to the door instead of me." I pulled my head back in hopes of reasoning with him. "I know!" Fukumodo sighs"driver stop the Car!" He yells. We stop in front of a street basketball court the light is on and no one is on the court. I know you have seen the court behind the restaurant were a lot of Mexicans play. I am intrigued. "We play the basketball game Horse you win I let you have one of my contracts I win I take one of your contracts . I am thinking okay I know which one you can have. The one that has our company in a financial hole. Do I do things without thinking yes I do. I am thinking now that if I play him in horse he will forget all about this incident in the morning. "Okay your On!" I jump out of the car. " I guess that means HI!" he slowly stumbles out of the car. It is no contest the game last no longer than maybe 15 minutes. I go retrieve Fukumodo who has passed out on the court. I take him to the Limo. The driver and I help him out to the hotel. We make sure he gets safely to his room. Tony our Driver is getting a generous tip tonight. I tell the driver to take me home.