The Belated Annual [J-Pop Filler] Awards!

[cheesemon]

Very belated due to work and jdrama. So do me a favor, close your eyes and imagine it's the end of 2006 again. Snowballs, snowmen, snow angels, snow cones . . got it? Good, now open your eyes and read on . . IF YOU DARE!! Mwahahaha.

★ The Best Japanese Music I-M-O of 2006 ★
Unlike 2005, I actually watched more than 10 videos this year. Way,

Comments

[infinityshark]

ELLEGARDEN - Space Sonic. Or did that come out in 2005? That six-month deployment REALLY messed me up.

[cheesemon]

2005. I remember watching it because it won a SpaceShower award and thinking the vocalists were gaijin. ;)

[infinityshark]

Well, then, it'd have to be Futari, then, from my favorite Canadian band next to The Barenaked Ladies, Monkey Majik. Around The World had it, but then they released that single. It's one of the mellower songs I'd heard that year without being overdramatic (e.g. K - "Only Human").

[cheesemon]

I've heard Futari, good song. I'm disappointed that it bombed on the charts . . it makes me think that Around the World was popular because of the drama, not because people really liked Monkey Majik (kinda like D-51 :P ). I wonder if they'll still be around by 2008 . . I know they're doing a collaboration with m-flo but m-flo hasn't been doing that great lately either.

[sonofgodzilla]

On the other hand, Chase - Chase Me! is the Worst Song and Video of 2006

I didn't realise Iire Saaya had a new group ~ this is how far behind I am with everything right now! Shame me. However, I've taken note of your post and I really will get my arse into gear and post my own thoughts on this as soon as I can get some free time. ^^

[cheesemon]

Good God, Saaya has *other* bands?? Her producer is deaf. >_< Her look is what's selling so I think she should stick with modelling and stay faaaar away from music.

[sonofgodzilla]

She was originally in a unit called Sweet Kiss but that was dissovled last year. She also acts as well as apparently having the reputation of being the big breasted 12 year old who convinced angry Chinese men to change their ways and learn to love Japan and not start fights whilst living in Japan. I kid you not.

I really quite liked the song probably for all the reasons that most normal people won't like it. My wife was grinding her teeth as I played the link. ^^

[cheesemon]

She also acts as well as apparently having the reputation of being the big breasted 12 year old who convinced angry Chinese men to change their ways and learn to love Japan and not start fights whilst living in Japan. I kid you not.

I know, you were the one who originally told me about Saaya on japanhero, remember? ;)

While I know that music is subjective, I can't understand how anyone could like that song unless they were wearing earplugs. I've never even been able to make it past the first chorus. :P You have very strong ears.

[joe_greatness]

Hey bro. Long time no chat. Hehe. Just thought I popped by to see what you've been up to as of late.

In my opinion, I think there have been a lotta great songs in 2006 as far as the j-pop scene is concerned. It's hard for me to pick a song and I ended up narrowing to these hits in no particular order:

Masaharu Fukuyama - milk tea
SMAP - DEAR WOMAN
Mr. Children - Shirushi
Sukima Switch - Garana
NANA starring MIKA NAKASHIMA - Hitoiro
Koda Kumi - Yume No Uta
Aoi Teshima - Teru No Uta
Angela Aki - This Love
EXILE - EVERYTHING
DREAMS COME TRUE - Moshimo Yuki Nara
Yuna Ito - Precious
B'z - Shodou

That reminds me, have you checked out MUSIC STATION SUPERLIVE 2006 yet? I think that year's show was better than the 2005 one.

[cheesemon]

Yo Joe! I thought you abandoned LJ for My Space ages ago! Welcome back?

I haven't heard 80% of those songs but I probably will once I get around to watching Super Live. It's been sitting in my harddrive for awhile but it's insanely long so I probably won't have any time to review it till February.

I think the show is automatically better than last year because of the lack of D-51. ;)

[joe_greatness]

LOL! I still have my LJ account, just that I haven't updated it since my last entry. Even with my MySpace blog, I haven't updated much either, but only when I feel motivated to do so.

Hehehe. I don't think D-51 was the only crap performer in the 2005 version. There were some others as well though there were pretty boring and generic. Also I think that the 2006 has a stronger list of male solo artistes compared to the 2005 one in which K was the only male solo artiste on the show.

Another song I forgot to make mention in that list is Harmony Of December by Kinki Kids. That's a really wonderful track in my opinion and has become one of my favourite j-pop Christmas tracks around.

[cheesemon]

Harmony of December was a surprisingly good song and a great music video. I'm probably not going to plug it though since most of my f-list have probably heard it by now.

I was just watching a bit of Super Live and it doesn't look like K was introduced at the beginning! I still think he's one of the best male solos around, but it seems people don't buy his CDs unless he's doing a tie-in for a drama. D-51-itis?

[girltype]

SMAP at #2. Whoa. I'm actually really put off by the Arigatou PV a great deal, up until the end where we see the boys and see them just... Smile. It's all I really need, them smiling and it sells! But I wouldn't mind another story-related PV like FLY, or some old school touchy!fanservice PV like Dynamite!

[cheesemon]

I just really like Arigatou because it's so different from the fanservice and cheap handicam/studio footage SMAP usually does. Plus, the stop animation looks like it took months of hard labor to complete.

I like interpreting the smiles at the end as: "Hahahaha!! The moon belongs to us now!! No one can stop us. NO ONE!" Who wouldn't go on an ego trip seeing their name engraved on the moon? ;)