Jpop Mix: Juice=Juice, First Squeeze!

Juice=Juice is a Japanese idol group I introduced previously here. After more than 2 years since their debut, the group has finally dropped their first album. While there were many editions available, with the limited editions containing dvd content and even an extra CD filled with cover songs, due to financial issues, I settled on just buying the CD from iTunes instead of splurging on a physical copy. This is one purchase I definitely do not regret! 

The first CD is filled with songs previously released as singles from the group. As each song has been promoted significantly, there isn't a single one I would say I dislike. There were even a couple songs I hadn't listened to much when they were released and after listening to them I've realized what amazing songs they are and they have become new favorites. Songs such as Samidare Bijo ga Samidareru, Senobi, Ten Made Nobore, Date jyanai yo uchi no jinsei wa and Kaze ni Fukarete are all songs I developed a new appreciation for. My favorites though are definitely: Watashi ga iu mae ni dakishimenakya ne, Ijiwaru shinai de Dakishimete yo, and of course, Hadaka no Hadaka no Hadaka no Kiss. Here is the track list that also links to the music video for each song so you can tune in and listen!: 

Diving Back In

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to dive back into my Tobira textbook for a while. While I haven't picked up the textbook, I have finally started reading a book I have owned for a good 4 years or so. I bought the pink book below, when I first started becoming interested in the Japanese music scene. At the time (and arguably until today) one of the most well known artists was AKB48. I had watched some of their television shows and found them interesting, so I decided to buy this book thinking, hey, I know hiragana, katakana and about 200 kanji, I'm sure I can read a good part of this. Yeah, no. I got the book and immediately set it aside for the "future" where I would be "better" at Japanese and recognize more of the kanji.

I definitely recognize more kanji, but I've also forgotten a ton of them. So, despite these drawbacks, I decided to start reading it this week. It has been a very very very slow start. I feel like the second picture says it all....especially taking into account that it took me like 3 hours to get through the prologue. Jeez! Luckily the next page was not that bad and I actually got through it pretty quickly (pretty quickly being in about 1 hour and a 1/2). The third page was the easiest because it has words said by the members themselves. I find it a lot easier to read dialogue so that went by pretty fast. I'm really proud of myself for having at least started this and hope that by March I'll have 2 chapters done (this is my goal. It's kind of a sad goal, but if I reach it I will be super proud of myself. Never mind that each chapter is like 8 pages long >.<)