[3/13] Berryz Kobo 31st single : Asian Celebration

[danzarely]

I don't get it. This song was awesome.

[wotakubrandon]

It really was. Shame.

[321BreakinOut]

Dan you know everything we think is "awesome" Japan Hates

[Rm88]

I think it lacked some "punch", and a half-decent arrangement too. It wasn't tragic or anything, but it's hardly something that would make Berryz break the 40k barrier.

[DARC1993]

This did just as I expected.
I'm not disasapointed. We all know how low Berryz was selling the last couple of years so this reaching 30k is great.
Next single is when we should expect more.


I still love this song and i hate how underrated it is...

[esm]

Seems like they already are stabilizing at 30k. With the exception of S/mileage who is now selling less than they were prior to 2012 everyone has reached a new normal in terms of sales.

Morning Musume - 100k

C-ute - 50k

Berryz - 30k

I think before that it was 50k - 20k - 20k
Though I know Berryz was at 30k before when they were doing Inazuma 11.

And personally, I think it makes sense because MM and C-ute are a LOT more interesting these days than Berryz and S/mileage, so I'm hoping the latter two get something more interesting soon. I mean, their songs are good but MM gets more complex songs and dances, and C-ute looks really cohesive and more like a non-idol group these days.

[AyuHikaru]

I love Berryz, I do. My girls Risako and Miya are there. Momo is popular on the variety circuit, Yurina kinda has that "LOL I'm tall" thing. Chi and Maasa are funny. Captain is da bomb dancer and rapper.... but they really are lacking that fighting spirit.

When I watched the subbed Tsunclub I was shocked when Miya said that Captain was passive and then Captain just completely confirmed it. She's sooo passive as a leader and Berryz just kinda does whatever. They don't feel like their fighting for anything. Even watching their concerts, there not as full of energy as Morning Musume, nor as on point and electric as C-ute are. They are falling flat, they are comming across boring. They need a fighting spirit put in them, like, right now.

THAT's why they aren't selling as much. Look at Momusu right now, look at C-ute. They are Electric, shocking, vibrant. Morning Musume is being called Reborn, C-ute is being called the Idol group to watch live. Berryz is floundering, the girls need to care more. They just come across as happy with their place (Except Momo). It's a harsh truth, but it is the truth.

[zam_ho]

^I noticed that too. I'm still supporting Berryz but I do wish they climb back up. Maybe it has to do with something behind the scene, a decision made by management that kinda deflated their fighting spirit. I think back in the Heroine ni Narouka period, they were full of energy.

[wotakubrandon]

THAT's why they aren't selling as much. Look at Momusu right now, look at C-ute. They are Electric, shocking, vibrant. Morning Musume is being called Reborn, C-ute is being called the Idol group to watch live. Berryz is floundering, the girls need to care more. They just come across as happy with their place (Except Momo). It's a harsh truth, but it is the truth.

I never noticed any of that at all. They always seem like a delight to me.

[Zunu]

They aren't selling as much because they Yurina and Maasa have horrible singing voices, and as long as those two keep getting lines, they're going to make their OTHERWISE AWESOME songs sound crappy. And although I do love Yabyab, from an unbiased perspective, BK don't have any knockout beauties on their roster. Captain's cute WHEN she's dressed a certain way and tilts her head so you don't see the drop-eye, Miyabi's hot unless you don't like horsey faces, Socko and Maa are pretty except for their tendencies to chub out. Chinami's shaped like a chocolate bar on Pocky stilts, Yurina's beautiful but graceless and Momoko's Momochi.

Although there is something to be said for the fact that Berryz have gone EIGHT years now with no change in lineup. Longer I think than any other H!P group beside MKB, who went 9 years in H!P (and about 10 overall) with a stable lineup. And we know how well THEY did. Even in the golden era of H!P they managed to only eke out 38K sales for their best selling Akai Freesia. Coincidentally just over the 37K top sales for jing a jing a jingis khan. Although of course BK has had much higher total sales due to a much steadier push by Up-Front. And maybe that kind of consistency, with no sense of urgency imparted on them by Up-Front, has led to complacency. There is a kind of "amateur hour" quality to their performances, like they're a group of girls from a local high-school instead of an elite idol troupe.

I admit it's baffling that nobody's tried to leverage Momochi's popularity/notoriety into toward other members of the group. I wouldn't scapegoat Captain though. Blame management. After all, Maimi is just as laid back as Captain. Maimi's just fortunate to be starting from a better spot than Captain in having a passable voice, and also being taller and gorgeous doesn't hurt. Plus, Airi is a full blown star in her own right who to C-ute's incredible luck is seemingly humble enough that she hasn't pressured Up-Front to go solo. As far as Sayumi's leadership skills, they're helped tremendously by the fact that for a long time, she was in a kouhai position in the flagship group, where she was allowed to fail and make a fool of herself, and thereby learn what works and what doesn't. And now, she is far older than the other girls, and they look up to her. She's more than just a senpai -- she's earned respect. If she says, "Do like this," they'll listen because of her vast experience. Do you think Miyabi's going to unquestioningly obey lil Cap'n? lol.