Journey to the sparkling side
Shonen Club HD Cuts 09/02/2011 (Osaka Show). All videos are 1280 x 720 res., all Avi, all on MU since I still can't use MF at all.
So this is the first show from Osaka this year..and because the "Kansai Jr. ni Q" segment was dropped from the show since the departure of Koyama and Nakamaru, I haven't seen most of the protagonists for a veeery long time.
Opening
Main opening song is "Next stage" performed by almost everyone of the Kansai Jr. groups. Special guests NYC are adding a short version of "NYC" after the song is finished. Nice opener, altough I wouldn't have needed the "NYC" part necessariliy. But well, if they are here why shouldn't they sing it..after all it is still the best song that this unit has to offer.
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Intro Talk
Short Intro talk with Arioka Daiki and NYC in wich the episodes theme "Tabi" ("Journey") is announced.
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Tabi Medley
The theme medley. To be true I don't know in wich way songs like "Big game", "Dreamin' blood" or "Sign of dreams" qualify for the theme "tabi" but whatever (I also have to admit that I don't really know the lyrics of these song so maybe the songs fit the theme perfectley well..). Performed by 7 West, KyoOtoko, Shadow West, B.A.D. and Veteran. Very nice! Some notes: In the KyoOtoko performance Nitta Naoto is missing. Since I'm not very up to date with Kansai Jr. formations I don't know if this is just a temporary absence or if he is no longer with them. During the performances of "Dreamin' blood" and "Sign of dreams" the so called "Fresh Juniors" Yoshino Iori, Shiramoto Shota, Nagase Ren, Nishihata Daigo and Yoshinori Masakado are backdancing, we'll see more of them later in this episode. Asada Junya of Shadow West has matured a lot since I saw him the last time (wich was about half a year ago) and Hamada Takahiro now seems to be a part of Veteran after BOYS were disbanded. It looks like he still have to adjust himself to the way of Veterans dancing since he looks kind of maxed out at the end of the performance..
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Talk
Talk part with Daiki, Yamada and Chinen with Nakayama Yuma and 7 West in very unfashionable outfits (this remark goes to Yuma and 7 West).
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Yuma Medley
Medley performance by Nakayama Yuma. First part ("Biri Biri Dance") with B.A.D., Veteran and the fresh juniors I mentioned above, second part "Zutto arigato" with 7 West and KyoOtoko ad the finale with 7West, Shadow West and Little Gangs.
I kinda liked it but it was far to glittery, shiny, colorful and sparkling. This performance looked to me as if it was a lost scene from Tim Burtons "Charlie and the chocolate factory" (Speaking of "Charlie and the chocolate factory": doesn't look Shiramoto Shota a lot like Mike Teavee?). A bit too much for my eyes. Also I have to say I like the B.I.Shadow version of "Bir Biri Dance" a lot better.
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Jr. YouBin
Presented by Nakama Junta and Kiriyama Akito. The introduced Juniors are Nishihata Daigo and Yoshino Iori. Daigo seems a bit nervous while Iori looks more confident. Iori is a good example of the fact that something that is generally considered as a flaw can give a person something special: His slight squint in combination with his smile makes him really adorable, I think.
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Junior Medley
The Medley starts with one of the smash hits of my personal charts: "With you". Performed by the Kansai Juniors fronted by Shiramoto Shota, Nagase Ren, Yoshinori Masakado, Nishihata Daigo and Yoshino Iori with Iori being in the center position. Very nice, but I would have loved to see them performing the whole song. I have to give extra praise to Iori: This boy is the youngest (just ten years old) of all the frontliners and yet he gives a spotless performance of absolute selfconfidence in the center.
Second part is Shadow West performing their original song "Beat your heart". A year ago Shadow West performing was more like Mukai Koji performing solo with some backdancers. Now they've become a real unit, still with Koji clearly being the leader, but now it is a group he leads and not just a bunch of backdancers. I like that. Very much. Just too sad that I can see them performing only once a year. If its for me they should visit the Tokio SC now and then. And they should bring the "With you" Juniors "With them", too.^^
PS: Little Gangs are backdancing during "Beat your heart".
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Colosseum
It's "Johnnys Song Quiz" again, finally! The Colosseums with this game have always been highly entertaining and this one is no exception. Daiki, Yamada and Chinen as MCS, the Teams are Kiriyama Akito/ Kaneuchi Toma/ Kamiyama Tomohiro/ Senzaki Ryota and Nakama Junta/ Hamada Takahiro/ Shigeoka Daiki/ Mukai Koji. Asada Junya and Fujiwara Joichiro are also here, but just as helpers.
Highlights: Lots!! Just watch it. I haven't seen such a funny Colosseum in a long time! (My absolute Highlight was Mukai "Ho!" Koji..very,very clever....) PS: This outfit looks SO much better on Shige than what he had to wear in the first performances!
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Veteran-Medley
First part is "Give me" by Hamada solo, but the main part of the medley is a really nice song I don't know ("Go!" ?) with memorable lyrics ("Break the world! Bring it out, Bastard!") by the full Veteran lineup. At the end Hamada looks once again as if he would have collapsed if the performance was just five seconds longer.
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Kansai Jr. ni Q
The Jr. ni Q is presented by Shigeoka Daiki and Kiriyama Akito. It would be totally useless to list who is also on the board and who is not, because the Kansai version of the Jr. ni Q is still way more chaotic (and more lively) than the one from Tokio. I have missed these. I hope they will bring back the Kansai Jr. ni Q to the regular episodes, too. Watch it and you will see why I think so.
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Talk
Talk part with Daiki and NYC prior the NYC medley performance.
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NYC Medley
Medley of "Yume Tamago", "Yoku Asobi Yoku Manabe" and "100% Yuuki". I only like the last of these songs, the only one wich isn't an original NYC song. Maybe I said it before: I like Yuma, I like Yamada and of course I like Chinen. But I don't like NYC. These songs are children songs, nothing against it but I don't think Yuma,Yamada and Chinen are very suitable performers for such songs.For instance it causes me almost physical pain to watch them hopping around in circles like kindergarten kids at the beginning of "Yume Tamago". I know that there is a market for NYC and that these songs wouldn't have selled as they did if they were performed by more fitting younger Juniors (like the ones here in the back of "100% Yuuki"), but it just isn't my cup of tea.
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PS: As mentioned the Juniors from above (Daigo,Shota,Ren,Masakado and Iori) are backing up in this one.
Talk
Short talk part with Daiki, Yamada and Chinen before the endstage.
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Ending
Ending song is "Kimi ni kono uta wo" performed by B.A.D., Shigeoka Daiki, Hamada Takahiro and Kamiyama Tomohiro with everyone else joining in.
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