Book Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

You know what's weird? I've had Shadow and Bone on my to-read list for about 3 years but I still read Six of Crows, which is set in the same universe but was released much later, first. Anyways, Shadow and Bone was a book that originally caught my attention as it was listed as a recommendation at my local library. It took me forever to actually pick it up and read it though. After reading Six of Crows (you can check out my review here) I decided that I really wanted to learn more about the Grisha and dive back into the world that Leigh Bardugo created. Luckily Shadow and Bone is the first book of the original trilogy so I settled down to read it as soon as I could.

The country of Ravka was divided many years ago when the Dark Heretic created the Shadow Fold, an area of impenetrable darkness that separates West Ravka from the rest of the country. Within the fold, live creatures that were once human known as Volcra. Corrupted by darkness, they feed on the human flesh of travelers and soldiers that make the dangerous trip into the Fold. Enter Alina Starkov and Malyen "Mal" Oretsev. Both orphans due to the Border Wars that Ravka raged against its neighboring countries, Mal is a tracker with the First Army of Ravka while Alina is a mapmaker. During their first trip into the void, they are attacked by Volcra and it's during this attack that everyone witnesses a display of Alina's powers. Deemed a Grisha, practitioners of the "Small Science" and akin to sorcerers, Alina is whisked away into a world of politics and power.

Ok, that was a pretty lame summary but really, I can't tell you much without giving it all away! Shadow and Bone was a book that I read in approximately three hours. I was actually completely ignoring my schoolwork and just devouring this book! It's an easy read and fast paced so that every time I stopped, I did so begrudgingly because something was always going on. I liked its fast pace and I especially liked the realistic way in which Alina was portrayed. She went from, "Idk what I'm doing, I'm going to fail so horribly at this" to "Come at me bruh." Mal was difficult to figure out, and while he had some character development, I felt like I wasn't 100% sold on this character even at the end. Other characters were similar in that I felt like I had only skimmed the surface with them. And that's actually ok, because as the first part of a trilogy, I think it's acceptable to do so. While the books get reviewed as separate entities, they're all telling a part of one overarching story, so I hope that I see more of the supporting characters and more character development in the following books.

Jpop Mix: Morning Musume '16 - Utakata Saturday Night, The Vision, Tokyo to Iu Katasumi

With a new year, Morning Musume has evolved from MM '15 to MM '16. Their first single with a 12 member line-up after the departure of 9th generation member Sayashi Riho is also the final single for 9th generation member Kanon Suzuki (pictured front row, center, in the blue outfit). Suzuki's final single is a triple A-side single, each with a distinct flavor showcasing the flexibility the group and also showing a gradual changes in musical and presentation style(s). 

The main A-side single is Utakata Saturday Night. This song has a disco vibe very reminiscent of Golden Era Morning Musume. As Morning Musume has mostly promoted EDM songs, this was a breathe of fresh air and served as a great farewell song to Suzuki. She has always been praised for her smile and her positivity, therefore this song reflected her personality well and even allowed her to have a special solo part just for herself! The choreography of this song is fun and wacky, once again mirroring Golden Era MM where members didn't have quite the same level of dance skill as the current lineup does. The "do it" dance has to be one of the most fun and yet also amusing parts of the dance. The music video is amazing, I absolutely loved it (I mean that explosion at the end? Awesome!). 

On: Shadowhunters: The Revival of a YA Urban Fantasy

A few years ago, I decided to read the first book in the Mortal Instruments series, City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare. My main motivation was that the movie was about to be released on DVD. I had wanted to watch it while it was in theaters but didn't have the time to read the book. So, I proceeded to read not only the first book, but the second, third, fourth and fifth! Then, I waited patiently for the release of the 6th and final book. While I waited, I watched the movie and to be honest, I was pretty neutral on it. I felt like certain aspects of the story were well portrayed and I liked the casting for Simon, Jace, and Clary, the 3 main characters of the show. However, the movie didn't do so hot and a sequel was trashed. After having watched the movie at least 10 times, I read the Infernal Devices, a series that takes the same universe from the Mortal Instruments, but is set in 1800's London. With the release of the final book in the series, I considered the story of Jace and Clary to be mostly done (a third series, the Dark Artifices is in the works and the first book was released this year. More on that later). 

But! I was wrong. Freeform picked up the series for a TV Show and the first season just wrapped up so I'm here to talk reactions/thoughts/general musings on the show. Now, in the world of the Mortal Instruments, there is a "Shadow World." The shadow world consists of all manner of legendary creatures - werewolves, vampires, warlocks, and fairies, referred to as "Downworlders." They're very real, but are able to hide themselves in plain sight. Along with the Downworlders, there are demons that wreak havoc in the human world if left to their own devices. To keep the Downworlders in line, kill demons, and protect mundanes (aka mortals), Shadowhunters also exist in this world. Half human, half angel, Shadowhunters are a race of incredibly strong, supernatural beings that hold tight to their traditions and interestingly enough, have a general disdain for both downworlders and mundanes. They're not tied to any specific religion, but train ever since they're young to fight demons. They use wand-like glass objects called seraph blades, to burn runes into their skin (kind of like getting a tattoo) which gift them with various powers depending on the rune - among these are swiftness, the ability to see across long distances, endurance, and healing. The Mortal Instruments follows the story of Clary Fray, a young girl who one day finds out that her mother was a Shadowhunter and that everything she thought she knew, was a lie. 

Music Mix: Morning Musume '15 Tsumetai Kaze to Kataomoi/Endless Sky/One and Only

Just two months ago, I wrote an entire blog post dedicated to one of my favorite idols of recent years, Sayashi Riho, who had just announced her graduation from the group, Morning Musume. Being that she graduates in two days time (one if you're in Japan's time zone), Morning Musume dropped one final single with Riho as a member. A tripe A-side single, this single hits a perfect balance between featuring Riho and providing a final farewell from her and looking to the future of the group. In this post, I will tell you of ALLLLL my feels and general feelings about each song.

The single's first song and main A-side is "Tsumetai Kaze to Kataomoi", whose official translation is "The Cold Wind and Lonely Love". The song was originally intended to be Riho's graduation solo song, however, the song was rearranged to include all members so that it can be promoted into 2016, after Riho's graduation. The song is a melancholy ballad that has sprinkled EDM dance breaks which sounds bad in written form but actually works very nicely in the song itself. The dance breaks are specifically for Riho to perform her solo dance(s) as she is known for being an AMAZING dancer.

I'll be honest, I'm kind of upset Riho herself didn't choreograph these solo's since I think she would do a much better job, but eh, she pulls it off. Some of the dance steps seem a bit off in certain parts but overall, she does a great job and this song stands as a great homage to Riho's skill and status as ace of the group during her tenure. The music video does a good job of showing us how much Riho has grown and her solo dance breaks are especially good because they really reflect Riho as a person: a solitary girl with great talent and a passion for performing. This music video is definitely my favorite of the three.

Book Review: Destria Waves

*Full disclaimer*: The author Lily Raine is a personal friend of mine. She has asked me for an honest review of her first book.

Anastasia's life has been marred by the memories of the brutal murder of several of her family members while she visited Russia as a child. She is haunted by the image of the murderer who calls her "Aria" and worse yet, she has instances where she disconnects with reality and sees a woman in a white dress who tries to feed her blue flowers. But when she's lured to the woods by a man in a mask who refers to her as Aria, warning of danger coming, Anastasia discovers there's something far greater than visions and the memory of a murder that make her different. 

Destria Waves (the first book of the Anastasia series) is a book that I mulled over long after completing it. There is a lot that happens in the first book, so much that at times I had to go back and reread certain sections to make sure I didn't miss something. Details that might seem insignificant in one part of the book come back in full force later in the book (like the chocolate! Read this book and then dare to tell me that the chocolate wasn't a freakin' awesome detail). The plot and pace was clearly planned out significantly which for me, instantly places this book at a higher calibre than many YA fiction series currently out there. 

Manga Review: Ōoku The Inner Chambers

History teaches us that during the reign of Tokugawa Iemitsu  and extending until 1853, Japan was an isolated country.  Contrary to popular belief though, the country wasn't entirely closed off - it continued to conduct trade with a Dutch factory as well as with its neighbors China and Korea. Little is known about what occurred within the country during these years and taking this historical event into account, author Fumi Yoshinaga depicts an alternative history of Japan - one where women, not men, rule the country.

Ōoku the hidden chambers begins during the reign of the shogun Yoshimune and follows a young man named Mizuno Yunoshin. Mizuno joins the Inner Chambers - a harem of men at the disposal of the shogun - after realizing that he will not be able to marry the woman he loves. However, anyone who enters the chambers can never leave and must live their life out as a member of the Inner Chambers. Within the first month Mizuno uncovers a shocking secret - the shogun is really a woman! The story then shifts to follow Yoshimune, the current shogun and her quest to learn the reason why female Shogun's must be presented as male to all but those within the Inner Chambers. She seeks out the oldest member of the Inner Chambers and from a chronicle that begins with the reign of Iemitsu, Yoshimune learns that the shogun was once a male and that in fact, the female line has been kept only because of the red face pox. This deadly disease affected boys and young men and almost always resulted in death. Unable to stop its spread, the male population of Japan dwindled away eventually killing the shogun as well. Japan converted to a matriarchal society, where men became precious treasures to be protected and where they could sell themselves as prostitutes to women willing to pay the high price to have a child. Reversing the roles between men and women affected every level of society, including the shogunate where Tokugawa Iemitsu became the first female shogun.

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!: 

Anime Talk: Wolf Children

Recently, I decided that I should really watch some of the movies I've been planning to watch for a while now. So, I went ahead and rented a few of them. Most of them are Hollywood movies but there are a few that are animated movies. One of the first ones I grabbed was Wolf Children or, if we go by its Japanese name, The Wolf Children Ame and Yuki. 

I have been wanting to watch Wolf Children for a while now as many of my friends and former classmates have raved endlessly about the movie. I wasn't sure what to expect to be honest. But after settling down snugly in my living room to watch it from beginning to end I TOTALLY GET IT. 

The movie is told from the perspective of an adult Yuki who is reminiscing and relaying the story of her mother Hana. Hana was a young college student when she met Yuki's father, a young man who is very reserved and is attending her college lectures without actually being a student himself. Hana notices that he doesn't have a textbook and offers to lend him hers. This eventually buds into a romance between the two, with Hana slowly but surely, getting past the young man's tough exterior and getting to know him little by little. One day however (it's Christmas if I remember correctly) he arrives VERY late to their scheduled date. He apologizes to Hana and finally reveals his secret - he is a werewolf! The last of his kind, he was raised in the country by relatives who knew nothing about his origins following the death of his parents. He decided to come to the city for work and lives a lonely life, keeping to himself due to his secret. While surprised, Hana accepts him for who he is and they soon begin a family. Yuki is born first and then one year later, Ame is born. 

Manga Review: Saiunkoku Monogatari

Left to Right: Seiran Shi, Ryuuki Shi (the Emperor), and Shuurei Hong

Perhaps one of the greatest things that can happen to an avid reader such as myself, is being recommended a good book. About one month ago, I decided to pick up the manga series, Trinity Blood. I am still in the process of reading it (I'm on volume 10) but while I added the volumes I had read to my account, I noticed that Goodreads had a list of manga it was suggesting based on my choice. One of those manga was Saiunkoku Monogatari, or, if we go by its English name, The Story of Saiunkoku. 

The story is set in the fictional kingdom of Saiunkoku, where according to legend, a great hero saved this land from chaos with the help of the Eight Sages. Each sage represented a different color. Saiunkoku's eight provinces were then named after these Eight Sages and each noble clan from each province took on the name of the color as a surname as well. Shuurei Hong is a descendant from a noble clan whose father works as an Imperial Archivist. However, Shuurei must work odd jobs in order to make ends meet. One day, she is approached by an royal advisor who asks her to become a Royal Consort for 6 months for a hefty sum. Shuurei hesitates, but the noble quickly makes it clear that her only duty would be to get the young Emperor in line. At 19 years old, the Emperor refuses to complete his duties and does not study seriously. This has caused a huge burden on his advisors. Furthermore, the Emperor is gay, so Shuurei would not have to worry about nighttime visits. 

How is that not an interesting premise? I was insanely curious to see what would happen with Shuurei and with the Emperor. Shuurei is a strong and smart girl who takes on the challenge head on. Her interactions with the Emperor were interesting and while it started out as a love story (because Shuurei's family has a very loyal servant named Seiran who is very protective of her. He doesn't stop her from becoming a consort but he doesn't exactly seem pleased about it either), it quickly becomes something more. I think I became even more interested once we moved away from the Emperor and started to look into the politics at play behind the scenes. There are many individuals vying for power and the very first instance in which you see this is actually during the 6 months Shuurei is a consort. 

Sunao Ni Narenakute [Hard to Say I Love you]

As I mentioned in my post about the j-drama Majisuka Gakuen, once in a while, I will pick up a drama or television series, usually so that I break-up the cycle of watching anime most days. I haven't actually watched any anime in well over a month! There was a total of 3 j-dramas that really caught my attention and in addition to them, I have been watching a British tv show as well (more on this will come in a post at a later time). One of the j-dramas I picked up and just finished is called Sunao ni Narenakute. To be completely honest, I started watching it because one of the actors is a singer that I quite like - Jaejoong, from the Korean group JYJ. I remember that back in 2010, when this drama first aired, I was determined to watch it, but never did. So, coming across it again about 3 weeks ago, I decided that I should watch it once and for all.

Sunao ni Narenakute follows 5 individuals whose lives intertwine due to social media. In this case, 4 of the 5 have a Twitter and follow each other. One of the five who goes by "Linda" online, suggests that they should all meet up in real life. At first he tells everyone that they should wear a red flower in order to be identified but then says, "Just kidding!" The first person to arrive is "Doctor" a young man from Korea who works at a hospital in Tokyo. He is wearing a red rose when Linda finds him and Linda explains, while laughing, that he was only joking about the red rose. Doctor looks very confused at first but eventually figures it out. I think I can count about 5 instances in which Doctor didn't quite know what was going on, since his first language is Korean, but for the most part he understood and connected well with everyone.

The next to arrive is "Haru", a woman in her early twenties who is a provisional teacher at a local high school (she failed the exam to obtain her certification in teaching). Haru brings her best friend with her. While she doesn't use Twitter, she does eventually join and follows all the members from the meet-up; she goes by the name "Peach." Finally, "Nakaji" arrives. Nakaji is a photographer who often posts the images he takes on Twitter. All 5 strike up a friendship and decide that whenever they're together, they should be as honest with each other as possible. As a group of young twenty-somethings, many things happen that cause twists and turns in their lives. As they each open up with each other, they all learn that each one of them holds secrets and pain hidden away.

Book Review: The Forbidden Library

Y'know those times when you're passing by the stacks in a library and you notice one particular spine - almost as if the book is calling out to you? Yeah, in the last 3 or so months, this has happened to me exactly 3 times. The first book that caught my eye was Time Snatchers and the second book is the one I will review today.

The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler is the first book in a planned series of 5. To my knowledge only the first two books have been published. I'll admit it, I was tempted to put the book back when I read it was the first book of a series. For the last few years I have mostly read YA books and that means series after series after series. There are some I didn't mind very much at all. Series like The Hunger Games and The Infernal Devices work well as series. But, there were some series that could have been much shorter (e.g. The Crossed trilogy, the Mortal Instruments series, etc.) So, being tired of series, I wasn't sure I wanted to pick up a jfiction series. But then I realized that I would probably finish reading the first book in like 2 days and thought, why not?

Well, it took me longer than 2 days to read the book, but that was due to a wide array of factors. But none of those factors includes disinterest. In fact, within the first 2 chapters, the book had caught my wholehearted attention. One day Alice stumbles upon a conversation her father is having in secret with what seems to be - a fairy? A few days later, her father sets of on a voyage at sea and is tragically killed when the ship sinks. Alice is shipped off to her uncle Geryon - a distant relation she didn't even know existed. A nighttime expedition into Geryon's fascinating library and a chance meeting with Ashes, a talking cat and a boy named Issac reveals to Alice that she is a Reader; she has the power to enter the world in books and in order to leave the book, she must defeat the creature inside. This realization brings forth many questions for Alice, especially when she finds out that the fairy that she saw that night speaking to her father is within the library as well.

Book Review: Time Snatchers

Back again! This time I will be reviewing Time Snatchers by Richard Ungar, a sci-fi book aimed at middle schoolers. Like many of the books I've read lately, this was a book that caught my eye at my library. To be quite honest, I was searching for a book for a patron in the jfiction section and noticed this book while searching.  I eventually checked it out because it sounded so interesting.

Caleb is living in the year 2061, where he works as a time snatcher. His boss is a man he names, "Uncle." This man took him and all the other orphaned young kids that also work for the organization in as children and took care of them. Caleb mentioned that when he was younger, Uncle was very kind to him but as the kids grew, he became much more harsh and now deals terrible punishments to those that disappoint or cross him. Anyways, under Uncle's orders, Caleb and his teammate Abbie time travel to various different times in history in order to steal precious artifacts and replace them with carefully created fakes. Despite being the best snatcher, not all of Caleb's successful snatches are counted to his total as Frank, another member of the organization, likes to steal his snatches. Often times, Frank will lie and tell Uncle that Caleb would not have been able to complete the snatch had it not been for his interference. Caleb doesn't think much of it until Uncle reveals that he wants to expand the organization, training new recruits and he isn't sure whether he wants Frank or Caleb to lead the new organization with him. However, while Caleb doesn't want Frank to lead, he also doesn't want to lead himself because it turns out that the kids that Uncle is using for his new organization are being snatched from their parents from across different cultures and different time periods in history!

Book Review: Amulet Series

Lately, I've really gotten into trying to pick up a few graphic novels here and there. One of the ones that caught my eye was the Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi. These graphic novels circulate a lot at the library where I work and I constantly found myself staring at the beautiful covers. I eventually decided to read the first volume and now I'm here, reviewing the series~ The entire Amulet series will actually be composed of 9 volumes, however only 6 have been published with the next volume slated for a 2016 release. Amulet is a series aimed mostly as young children, ages 8-12 but it's definitely a series that all age groups can enjoy. 

Emily loses her father in a terrible car accident while on their way to pick up her younger brother Navin. Some time after, her mother decides to move the family to a home that was owned by their great-grandfather and that by inheritance, belongs to her mother now. It is inside this home that Emily  finds a strange amulet and soon is pulled into a fantastical world full of mystery, political intrigue, magic and most importantly - adventure. 

Book Review: Before I Fall

Earlier this year, I read a list created by my good friend Katie over at Paperback Planes that details the 10 books she believes everyone must read at least once. Luckily for me, I have read the majority of books on the list, save for two, one of which was Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. I decided to pick this book up first namely because 1. the premise sounded really interesting and 2. Katie strongly recommended it to me and Katie's recommendations have always been spot on.

I'll admit that it took me a while to get really far into the book, but that was largely due to work and other real life obligations. But, once I got past the first 100 or so pages, I couldn't put it down (regardless of whether or not I should have really been heading to the bank...). Samantha Kingston is part of the most popular group of girls at her high school. She's also a mean girl that laughs at and torments others with her friends, actions they believe don't cause much harm. On a Friday night, Sam and her friends go to Kent Mc Fuller's party and the night ends with a car accident that leaves Sam dead. Sam is then forced to relive her final day a total of 7 times, each time changing certain aspects in order to try to save herself. It's only until she reaches the seventh time, does she come to realize that the point of reliving her final day was not what she believed it to be at all.

Manga Review: Captive Hearts

I've never really detailed here who my favorite manga authors/manga series are, simply because I have focused on reviewing new series I am reading, rather than reminiscing about series I have read in the past. However, I will admit that the author of Captive Hearts penned one of my favorite mangas to date - Merupuri. I will always lament that Merupuri has not yet been made into an anime. But anyways, due to my great love of her works Merupuri, Wanted, and (to a certain extent) Vampire Knight, I expected quite a lot from Matsuri Hino's Captive Hearts.

Captive Hearts follows the story of Megumi Kuroishi. Megumi's ancestor stole the guardian spirit of the Kogami's, and due to this, the spirit cursed the thief and his descendants to always serve the Kogami family as faithful servants. Luckily for Megumi, he has not really suffered from the curse, seeing as the Kogami family disappeared mysteriously when he was still a boy. However, the sole surviving member, Suzuka, has been discovered in China and when she returns to her parent's home, Megumi feels the full effect of the curse. Due to the curse, Megumi becomes extremely overprotective of Suzuka and refers to her as Hime (meaning princess in Japanese). Eventually, Suzuka learns Japanese and the two realize that instead of a master-servant relationship, they really long for a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. Therefore, Suzuka sets out to try to break the curse on the Kuroishi family. 

Jpop Mix: Morning Musume '15, Seishun Kozou ga Naiteiru/Yuugure wa Ameagari/Ima Koko Kara

Earlier this year, I introduced the idol group Morning Musume by reviewing their 2014 album, 14 Shou ~The Message. With the start of a new year, Morning Musume has now evolved into Morning Musume '15, and has released their first single with Mizuki Fukumura as leader. This is also the first single that includes the new 12th generation members.

Titled Seishun Kozou ga Naiteiru/Yuugure wa Ameagari/Ima Koko Kara, Morning Musume '15 starts the year off by releasing a Triple A side single (meaning that all three tracks are main tracks and equally promoted). With 13 members, the girls come back as a group trying to evolve; starting out by providing three very different tracks and featuring rotating centers. 

Jpop Mix: Kobushi Factory, Survivor/Nen Ni Wa Nen

Whoa. Hello Project! has been busy with these releases haven't they? In 2015, along with Country Girls, the agency has debuted another new unit, named Kobushi Factory. Unlike Country Girls however, this unit is debuting in the indies scene so we will have to make do with fan uploaded videos to review this release :)

Kobushi Factory (Magnolia Factory) is made up of 8 girls who are part of the Hello Project! Trainee program. All of the girls have trained extensively in singing, dancing and acting. Their years of experience shine through their live performances, where they deliver strong vocals and powerful dances, not unlike their seniors within the agency. Kobushi Factory has been largely praised for their high energy and spot on vocals. All of the members are pretty young, the youngest being 13 (Rei Inoue) and the oldest being 16 (Rio Fujii). I actually watched a video where the girls were told by the Hello Project! leader Maimi (from C-ute) that they would be forming a new group with the aim of obtaining their major debut. The girls who had been trainees for a while started crying. I felt so happy for them at that moment because you could tell how much they had wanted to debut and how happy they were with the news. Now, let's get to reviewing their first release!

Jpop Mix: Juice=Juice, Wonderful World/Ça va ? Ça va ?

Another Music Mix post? Yes indeed. I realize that this is the third one already this month, but there have been tons of releases in 2015 that I wanted to review so I've been trying to knock them out as quickly as possible. 

This time, Juice=Juice's newest single is up. Juice=Juice is an idol group signed to Hello Project! (the same group that manages C-ute, Morning Musume and Country Girls). They are considered a newer group, since they debuted two years ago; despite being one of the newer groups, they are largely considered a professional and sleek group, with strong teamwork that mirrors C-ute. The two groups are compared often as they both have 5 members, 3 main vocalists and 2 supporting vocalists. In addition, Juice=Juice is remarkably versatile, just like their seniors. 

Juice=Juice originally boasted a very unique sound. The majority of their music featured strong jazz undertones and really made them stand out amongst the other groups in Hello Project! The release of songs such as Hadaka no hadaka no hadaka no kiss and Black Butterfly marked a departure from their earlier style and the girls began to release music in a variety of different styles. They continue in this new direction with their newest release, the double A-side single, Wonderful World/Ça va ? Ça va ?

Jpop Mix: ℃-ute, Gamusha Life/The Middle Management/Turn The Next Corner

℃-ute is one of those groups that I have been following for a while now. I first really got into them in high school. I stumbled across their songs, "Massara Blue Jeans" and "Ookina ai demotenashite". I remember finding the songs extremely addictive and fun to listen too. Despite their young ages,℃-ute turns 10 years old this year. With this year being their 10th anniversary, their first release of 2015 is a triple A single (meaning that all three songs are main tracks, receiving the same amount of promotion).

℃-ute has always praised for their good performances and great teamwork. When watching them live, it's easy to see that they are veterans in the idol business and they are admired for their professional and sleek performances. Despite having more of a "cool" vibe in their music these days, ℃-ute still releases cuter songs, normally reserved for younger groups in the agency. This single gave us a bit of both worlds as well as a ballad in order to showcase how well-rounded ℃-ute are as a group and as individuals. Without further ado, let's take a look at the three title tracks.

Jpop Mix: Country Girls, Itooshikutte Gomen Ne/Koi Dorobo

Making their major debut under the Hello Project! label, Country Girls is the essentially the revival of the group, "Country Musume." The original group debuted in 1999 but the group became inactive when all but 1 member left. In 2014, 6 girls were chosen to revive the group as the new Country Musume, which was to be renamed Country Girls. Their debut single was released on March 25th, 2015. 

Titled Itooshikutte Gomen Ne/Koi Dorobo (Sorry for Being Adorable / Love Thief), the single unsurprisingly, gives no "country" vibes. The name of the group does not seem to relate to their concept in any way, which was a bit disappointing for me. I would have liked to see this group release songs that I would never have seen any other Hello Project! idol group release, but I digress. The main track on this single is Itooshikutte Gomen Ne (Sorry for Being Adorable). I absolutely loved this song when it was first released. I loved the melody, I loved the talking portions and the dance is adorable. Most of the girls are quite young, so a song like this really emphasized how fresh and new they were to the scene. However, after listening to it over and over, it became stale for me.  Whaaa? Why? Getting past the excitement of this being a new group to Hello Project, I didn't find the song to be as stellar as I originally touted it was. Nevertheless, it's still a very good song and gets a solid 3.8/5 stars.