Morning Musume. Concert Tour 2011 Haru Shin Soseiki Fantasy DX - 9 Kimen wo Mukaete -

I was looking forward to this DVD to see how the four new girls from 9th Gen fared in their very first Morning Musume concert. I'm happy to report that they do a great job. They're full of life, joy and exuberance and they bring a welcome supply of new blood to a group that's long needed it. I loved all of them, but I was especially impressed with Riho Sayashi. She's clearly the best singer and dancer of the four and she seems to be given more solo lines than the other three during the course of the concert. She's even put into a strenuous dance number with group leaders Ai and Risa and she keeps up with them every step of the way! I'm also quite taken with Erina Ikuta, who's a good dancer also and brings the right spirit to the stage. She's clearly enjoying herself and is happy to be there, making us, the viewers, happy as well. Kanon Suzuki is terminally adorable and has a cute voice, but is a little rough around the edges and needs a tad more discipline. Mizuki Fukumura is pretty, poised and pleasant, but needs to pump it up a little more and remember that she's no longer just a back-up dancer. I'm quite confident that both will improve vastly over the next few months. I haven't been this excited about Morning Musume since they came to Anime Expo in L.A. in July 2009. The songs tended to be loud and bouncy, emphasizing group singing rather than solo lines. There was a high energy level and lots of dancing throughout the concert. If you like the slow, tender songs, this wasn't the concert for that. The five older girls all did a great job and work together seamlessly. I suspect the infusion of new blood affected them as well. Many of the songs were recent and unfamiliar to me. The last MM song to make a strong impression on me was "Kimagure Princess," which is performed here in a medley. They do such a good job on it that I wish they'd performed it full-length as a separate number. Another medley has three old-school MM hits, "Love Machine," "Ikimasshoi," and "Renai Revolution 21," ideal numbers for welcoming in the new girls. The only older MM hit that gets a full performance is "The Manpower" and I have to say it's one of the best performances of it I've ever seen, with revised choreography for a nine-girl lineup on a small stage and heavy-hitting on the vocals by Ai and Risa, who get up and WORK it! Now I can't wait for the next concerts.

I urge everyone who is a fan of things that are awesome to buy this DVD this very instant. The 9th generation is awesome. The other members are awesome. Everything about this DVD is awesome!