Cute Concert Tour 2008 Natsu - Wasuretaku nai Natsu

This is probably the best C-ute concert I've yet seen. At 110 minutes long, it features most of their best material and some of the best dancing I've seen them do. It's a high-energy performance from start to finish, with only a few breaks for short skits, with one performed entirely in English! The girls have five costume changes--all gorgeous--and they perform on a good-sized stage with lighting that's bright and even for the most part, although the lighting director indulges in a few distracting tricks early on, like using pink and red lighting on the girls which makes them near invisible when they've got pink or red costumes on. (Just for that I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5.) The clear highlight is a tap routine performed by the girls in Chapter 12, a song with "Enjoy Girls" in the title. Maimi and Airi each get tap solos, but the best parts are the group tap shots. The camera occasionally cuts to their faces, so we miss some of the tap steps, but it could have been worse. Other highlights: performances of their latest singles right at the beginning, including "Edo no Temari Uta II"; Airi's solo number; Airi's duet with Maimi; and Maimi's solo. However, Maimi does an even better solo at another performance, as seen in the DVD's extra footage. (I don't know the name of the song.) I wish they'd included that one in the concert proper. (Another reason for 4 stars instead of 5.) Also, a song performed in a different finale as seen in the extra footage is better than the ones they sing in the concert finale we do see. The backstage footage in general is pretty great, particularly the tap rehearsal. A non-singing highlight for fans who don't understand Japanese is found in Chapter 9 with a skit featuring Kanna and the two most adorable performers in Hello! Project, Mai Mai and Chisato, speaking entirely in English!