Berikyu! Vol.1

"Berikyu!" is a TV show featuring the members of Berryz Kobo and C-ute and is similar to what "Hello Morning" did with Morning Musume, only calmer and more restrained. Vol. 1 features three different themed sections and is 73 minutes long. The first section offers 15 minutes of the two groups competing in games and contests in a studio. The second offers up 20 minutes of concert and backstage footage. The third features a cooking contest that lasts about 30 minutes. Finally, as a bonus act, there's an "Uta Doki"-style solo number by Berryz' Risako Sugaya, introduced by Hello! Project soloist Erina Mano. Most of these are pretty accessible to non-Japanese speakers. In the opening games, five members of each group compete against each other in questions of knowledge, including identifying a tune played for them and figuring out the use of a particular utensil. The best bit involves the C-ute members being assigned to adopt Japanese superhero Ultraman's trademark pose and having to close their eyes as they do it so they can't copy each other. The concert footage is from "Berryz Kobo & C-ute Nakayoshi Battle Concert Tour 2008 Haru - Berryz Kamen vs. Cutie Ranger," a joint concert held on April 20, 2008 at the Yokohama Arena. (And one which I've reviewed quite favorably here.) We see footage of them rehearsing and then bits of songs from the concert itself along with ample backstage footage of the girls. The food contest is the best part and features three Berryz girls (Miyabi, Chinami, and Momoko) competing with three C-ute girls (Maimi, Airi and Kanna), one at a time and then all together. 1) Miyabi and Maimi make a salad; 2) Chinami and Airi put together seaweed wraps; 3) Momoko and Kanna cook up a mix of meat slices, vegetables and spices in a saucepan and then pour it over rice. Then they all work as teams to repeat #3 with a more elaborate mix of ingredients. The announcer guy comes out from behind the camera to taste the food and judge it. The winning team made some mouth-watering dishes and won each of the four match-ups. The losing team...? Well, thankfully they don't need to know how to cook in order to put on great concerts. There are short transitional bits featuring Erina Mano wandering outside, usually in a campus setting, reading from a book and then addressing the camera. I couldn't tell you what these are about.