Review by James Reed

Tsunku, head of Hello! Project, and Maeyamada Kenichi a.k.a. Hyadain, writer of Momoiro Clover songs, pick their choices for the 300 best idol songs of the past decade. And what do you know? They choose a lot of songs they wrote and produced themselves! Over half this book is filled with their own songs, and many songs that should be included here are simply left out. For example, my favorite idol group, Sakura Gakuin, has only one single here. Their debut single, "Yume ni Mukatte" / "Hello! IVY", is one of my favorite idol singles, and it's not even included! Sakura Gakuin's beautiful cover of "Tabidachi no Hi ni" is also missing. Shiritsu Ebisu Chuugaku have three of their singles (written by Maeyamada) here, but my personal favorites "Ebizori Diamond!!" and "Oh My Ghost? ~Watashi ga Akuryo ni Nattemo~" are missing. Singles by Jewel Kiss ("Koisuru Sniper"), PEACEFUL ("START!!"), Party Rockets ("Hatsukoi Rocket"), Prizmmy ("Everybody's Gonna Be Happy" and "my Transform") and Fairies ("More Kiss" / "Song for You") are also absent. H!P singles not written by Tsunku, including songs by Shugo Chara Egg! and Guardians 4, have been ignored as well. Hopefully someday someone will write an unbiased book about idols, covering many less known groups. This book is mostly for fans of the two men who wrote it. A 16 track CD is also included, with 15 groups that are less known than the ones I already mentioned, plus one track by THE Possible. Tsunku's sticky fingers just had to take away another group's spot on the CD!

The first Sakura Gakuin single with Nakamoto Suzuka as leader is a wonderful rock tune about the different countries around the world, and the unique cultures one can experience in them. The B-Side is "Song for smiling", a up-tempo rocker that is guaranteed to bring a smile on your face! The lyrics include "We are very happy girls" in English at the end of the first and third choruses. I'm really glad that you are happy, because your music makes me happy! The bonus for this edition is an All Region DVD with "Song for smiling" performed live at TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL 2012. It's a great performance from this awesome group! Sakura Gakuin do not disappoint their fans with this release!

The quartet of junior idols known as Prizmmy are back with an A-Side that crosses a ballad with a hip-hop song. It may sound a bit strange, but if you give "BRAND NEW WORLD!!" a few listens it starts to work. I prefer the ballad-y chorus parts the most, but I do have respect for Karin's fast rapping. The B-Side is is another cute Prizmmy song that's even more fun than the A-Side! From what I understand, the backup vocals for "Prizmmy's AISATSU SONG" feature the mothers of Prizmmy (Mamazmmy) and members of RONi GiRLS. (I'm not sure which members of RONi GiRLS, but I would be disappointed if avex artist academy and RONi GiRLS members Mori Hanano, Nakano Yuuka, Konishi Rika and Asada Moka weren't included.) A Region 2 DVD is also included, with two versions of the video for "BRAND NEW WORLD!!" This release certainly will please Prizmmy fans, and if you're not one yet, now is a good time to learn about these girls!

Party Rockets are six girls who were originally in B Flat. This is their awesome debut single, "Hatsukoi Rocket". ("Renai Rocket" is incorrect.) The title track is the most fun of the two, and the music will pin you to wall with its high-energy rock guitar riffs and drum beats. Th B-Side "High Jump Bullet" is also pretty cool, with some keyboards throughout the song, and short hip-hop style drums in the break. Thankfully the rock guitars and drums are more prominent. The DVD contains a three-and-a-half minute video for "Hatsukoi Rocket", and it's definitely a fun video video to watch. This is my favorite new idol group, and these girls are someone to look out for! Rock on, Party Rockets!

This is a 70% great, 30% not-so-great, indie idol CD. The LinQ and Negicco songs are too bland for me to get into. Himekyun Fruitcan's "Koi no Binetsu" is wild techno-pop song that's one of my favorites! B Flat's "NO: ID" is the song I wanted the most on CD, but this is a re-recording. I prefer the original music to this reworked version. The Jewel Kiss song is very nice, although I miss Ono Momoka, who left the group in November 2011. "Renge -Lover's Flower-" was originally released on an indie CD. Mary Angel's "Like an Angel" is really good! Dorothy Little Happy's "Life goes on" is really cool, and this may have originally been a digital-only release. Shizukaze's "Pink no Rocket" is another cool techno-pop song. BABYMETAL's "Ii ne!" is not one of my favorites. It's actually the Vega Mix Version also on "Sakura Gakuin 2011 ~FRIENDS~". Dempagumi.inc's "Kuchizuke Kibonnu" is a really interesting pop song with vocal styles that change throughout the song. I think "NO: ID" and "Life goes on" are making their CD debut here, so it's possible some of the others are too. Some of these groups are new to me, but I did enjoy seven of the ten songs.

How do you review a magazine? Well, if the contents interest you, and the articles are well-written, I suppose you can mention these things. However, I cannot read Japanese. I can't comment on the text, so I will concentrate on the photos. That is why most people will be purchasing this. I bought this for two groups I like: Sakura Gakuin and Shiritsu Ebisu Chuugaku. In the case of the former group, Nakamoto Suzuka, Horiuchi Marina and Taguchi Hana have four pages where they are looking classy in their school uniforms. In the latter group's case, Hoshina Mirei, Matsuno Rina and Hirota Aika have four pages where they are posing in miniskirts. They look very pretty, and not too inappropriate. I can't say that for most of the other girls posing in this magazine. I'm actually shocked that girls young as Sakura Gakuin and EbiChu's members are in this magazine, since there are a lot of young women wearing bikinis in this. I wish there was a family friendly magazine for the idol groups that I like that did not have any sexy photos, especially those from the H!P and 48 family groups. You now have all the info you need to know about whether this would be purchasing.

This is the second single for Sakura Gakuin, and the first recorded for Universal Music Japan. As the school bell rings, it's time for....square dancing? No, it's a fake out intro to "Verishuvi"! This really awesome mix of pop-rock with folk music is certainly unique, and no one else besides Sakura Gakuin can pull it off! There are twelve cute girls who all get a chance to sing, sometimes solo, sometimes in harmony with other girls. "Sakura Hyaku Nin Isshu" is the B-Side, and it's a rap. This is not my favorite musical genre, and I don't care for it as much as the awesome title track. Having heard it a few times since the single was released, it has sort of grown on me a bit, but it will always be my least favorite song from Sakura Gakuin. In any case, at 7:40, it's the longest idol song I've ever heard! That's a record time, as far as I know. Who else would dare try to make a lengthy idol song but the greatest idol group ever?! This version of the single comes with a bonus 10 minute All Region DVD with two versions of the video for "Verishuvi". Both videos are fun to watch. So, I may not care for some of the music of the B-Side, but I am giving this release a higher rating than the one I gave the Regular Version. Sakura Gakuin are, if nothing else, the most exciting and unique idol group I've ever come across!

The debut (and so far only) single by Hokkaido idol group PEACEFUL contains three fun dance songs. The first song is the title track, "START!!" It's a very nice dance tune that the leader, KAEDE, and MARIN sing on during the verses, and MANAKA joins during the choruses. The next song is "Rondo", and it is nice too, but it's my least favorite of the three. MARIN sings most of the time on the last song "life is game?", which is electronically distorted. In fact, all three have a bit of electronic-sounding vocals. However, I love "life is game?" the most of the three songs. I think the chorus is very catchy, and the whole song has some English parts which I like to sing along with! The members on this single were KAEDE, MARIN, SAYO, MANAKA, RIKA, KANON, and SARI. Unfortunately, RIKA has now left the group, and has been replaced by SHION. Hopefully this exciting dance group will release a new single soon!

While most idol groups are sticking with dance pop sounds that are popular with young people who like pop music, there are a few groups who dare to be different. They want to sing idol rock songs, and these groups have a different audience in mind for these type of songs. Up-Up Girls are one of these groups, and their debut single "Going my Way" is proof. (The Japanese title actually has an arrow pointing up instead of "Way".) These former Hello! Pro EGG members know how to harmonize well, but get a chance to sing solo too. The title song and B-Side "Onegai Miwaku no Target" are heavier than most songs by idol rock groups such as Buono! and Passpo, but not quite as heavy as Sakura Gakuin's hard rock anthems. Still, this is an awesome single for those who love girls who know how to rock.

"Everybody's Gonna Be Happy" is the debut single from this new group of young girls from the avex stable. It's the fourth ending theme for an anime series titled PRETTY RHYTHM AURORA DREAM. You don't need to be a fan of that series in order to enjoy the catchy dance pop music Prizmmy specialize in. One strange thing about the lyrics of "Everybody's Gonna Be Happy" is the booklet prints "Everybody's Wanna Be Lucky like You". Proper English would be "Everybody wants to be lucky like you." As fun and energetic as the title song is, the B-Side "Popple Heart" is faster and possibly cuter! The four girls in this group range in age from 10 to 12-years-old, and they are all cute and great singers and dancers. Their names, for those who want to know, are Kobo Reina (12), Kusakabe Mia (12), Takahashi Karin (11) and Sema Ayami (10). There are two versions of this single, and I bought the one that comes with a DVD. It has three versions of the video, the "regular" version with a story about Prizmmy auditioning for a Caucasian man and failing their first audition, the TV Size (and textless) edit used for the anime, and the "Dance Master" version. I used a program to play this Region 2 DVD on my computer. This is an excellent debut single!

The Prizmmy girls were given their own anime series with PRETTY RHYTHM DEAR MY FUTURE, in which they try to become "Prism Stars" who sing while ice skating! "Dear My Future ~Mirai no Jiban~" is the opening to this series, and it's another cute dance song sure to please those who enjoyed "Everybody's Gonna Be Happy". The B-Side is "Party driver", and it's just as fun to listen to as the A-Side. This time around, avex did not give buyers an option of a CD only and a CD + DVD set. You have to buy the CD + DVD version if you want this single, and the DVD is Region 2. I love the videos, both the "regular" and "Dance Master" versions of "Dear My Future", but on my computer there is streaky lines whenever there is movement. This is the only caveat emptor about this release. (This is why I'm giving this a 4 instead of a 5. Also, there isn't a TV Size version of the video since the opening is all anime and no live action. However, there is a picture on the back of the CD showing the anime versions of the four girls.) Perhaps if I had an All Region DVD player the DVD might look better. But if you live in a Region 2 country the picture will hopefully not present a problem. Prizmmy are a promising group, and I look forward to more great songs from them!

The third release from those cuties known as Prizmmy is the end theme to their anime series PRETTY RHYTHM DEAR MY FUTURE. "my Transform" is a hip-hop flavored dance song that wasn't one of my favorite songs at first. After listening to it a few times it grew on me, mostly due to the chorus, which is more pop than hip-hop. This might be Prizmmy's step into "mature" territory, but I sure hope these preteens will go back to their cute sound with their next single. "Summer day" is the B-Side, and it's a bit more to my liking as it's pop. But overall, I do like both songs. Again, avex didn't give buyers a CD only version, so I hope you don't mind a Region 2 DVD with your single. Much like the DVD for "Dear My Future ~Mirai no Jiban~", it plays on my computer, but with "combing" (those streaky lines that appear when people move). I don't understand why the DVD with "Everybody's Gonna Be Happy" was perfectly fine and the the DVDs with the second and third Prizmmy singles aren't. That's the main reason for the 4 rating. I'm still behind the girls 100% as long as their songs are really good.

Shiritsu Ebisu Chuugaku's major debut is here! It's about time too! There are three versions of the single "Kari Keiyaku no Cinderella". The three editions have the first two tracks in common, but have other differences from that point on. Limited Edition A starts off, of course, with the song "Kari Keiyaku no Cinderella". It's a typically quirky and cute pop song in the best EbiChu tradition. The lyrics are about the girls wanting to be Cinderella, even temporarily, in order to win the Prince's heart. This is a perfect song for EbiChu's major debut. The second song is "Houkago Getabacko Rock 'n' Roll MX", an "idol metal" song. Yep, it's an idol song with loud, fast guitars, drums and vocals just like heavy metal songs, but sung by cute idols! The screamers at the start of the song are Hirota Aika and Yasumoto Ayaka. Then EbiChu's best vocalists, Hoshina Mirei, Mayama Rika and Kashiwagi Hinata, sing the first verse (with additional help from Suzuki Hirono, another fine vocalist). Every girl in the group gets a chance to give their vocals a workout here, and the song really rocks hard! The third song is "Agero! Ebifurai", another quirky track with bizarre time changes and sound effects (frying food?). Which version of the single you get depends on what double B-Side you're interested in, unless you're a huge fan like me and will want all three! It should also be noted that the backs of the CDs have the girls positioned to spell the words "Kari Kyaku" (yep, they skipped the "ei"), so you'll need all three to see this. Limited Editions A and B also come with member cards.

Sakura Gakuin's sophomore effort is an almost perfect collection of J-Pop and J-Rock. "Verishuvi" opens the album with an exciting rock song crossed with a folk dance. "FRIENDS" is a guitar-driven pop rocker that will make you rock along to the beat. "Please! Please! Please!" is the first of two Twinklestars songs. It's a piano and guitar laden song that really swings! "Rapicamu" is the second Twinklestars song, and it's a synth pop song. That's different for Twinklestars, but still nice. "Hashire Shoujikimono" is the sleepiece song, and it's a catchy synth pop song like the previous album's song. I think it's a cover song, too. "Yokobari Fille" is the Minipati song, with the new lineup. It's another cute synth pop song for fans of this genre. "Ii ne!" by BABYMETAL is next, and it is sadly the worst song on the album. I'm not a fan of mixing trance, hip-hop and death metal, as these types of music are not to my taste. "Otomegokoro" is a song with all 12 girls, and it's an exciting rocker, like the classic Sakura Gakuin songs from the first album. "Pictogram" is next, and it's a an electro-pop song, a bit different than I expected from Sakura Gakuin. The quirky and exquisite "3.a.m" is next, and it is a song with three different styles for the three graduating girls who sing it. Ayami's typical idol pop is followed by Airi's electro-pop followed by a dance pop sound for Ayaka. My favorite track, due to Ayaka having a solo. "See you..." is a peppy and fast-paced rock song. "Tabidachi no Hi ni" is the beautiful ballad that closes this album. The DVD included is All Region, not Region 2, and lasts 45 minutes. It has the "Verishuvi" music video and some exciting and fun features that will make you laugh.

I believe this is a collection of cover songs, J-Pop classics from the 1970s covered by today's artists. I purchased this CD for the song "Door Of Summer" by Miyazaki Reina, Mayama Rika, Hoshina Mirei and Kashiwagi Hinata of Shiritsu Ebisu Chuugaku. It is a very nice and relaxing song (which appears as track 9 on the CD, not 6 as listed here on CD Japan). I also like "Morning Lemonade" (track 2) and track 8. I don't know the title of track 8, nor do I know the artists for tracks 2 and 8. The tracks on the CD are in a different order than what is listed here on CD Japan. The other songs were good, if not too memorable.

This magazine contains four pages dedicated to the three girls in Sakura Gakuin who are graduating, Muto Ayami, Miyoshi Ayaka and Matsui Airi. I love the photos, and all three girls look very beautiful! There are also photos of girls who I don't know, some of which have them posing in their under garments. I don't really care that sort of thing, but if you do, by all means pick this up. I only look at the pages with the Sakura Gakuin girls, as nothing else interests me.

I bought this magazine a second time to try to get a better copy. It was worse than the first copy I bought, with a crease in the center of the book, and a circular impression with a thin object such as a pencil on the front cover. I guess all copies are similarly damaged. The photos of Miyoshi Ayaka are very nice, though. She is the reason I bought this twice. The cards I got in a packet weren't for anyone I have an interest in.

"Tabidachi no Hi ni" ("The Day Of Departure") is the final single for the three oldest girls in the group, Muto Ayami, Miyoshi Ayaka and Matsui Airi. It is a sad piano ballad about graduating and moving on to the next stage in life. It may make sensitive fans cry a bit. I think it is extremely beautiful and should be listened to by all fans of soft and sweet music. The second track is a "J-MIX" version, with certain parts of the song sped up, and with additional instruments. Ayami, Ayaka and Airi all get brief solos. The third track is the bizarre "Planet Episode 008", which is about visiting other planets. The song has multiple time changes and musical styles, and makes me smile when I listen to it. There are also instrumentals for all three songs. Also included is an All Region DVD with music videos for the two versions of "Tabidachi no Hi ni". I was pleased to learn that the DVD plays fine on my Region 1 DVD player. The videos are very beautiful, and the final shot in the second video made tear up. This is Sakura Gakuin's best single since their first!

One of the more promising idol groups in Japan is Fairies. This is their second single, another double A-Side CD. The first track is "HERO", and it begins with a scratchy record playing, followed by Miki Shimomura and Kawane Kiyomura singing, "Don't be afraid, believe in yourself" in English! Believe it or not, around 90% of the lyrics for "HERO" are in English! This is pretty unusual for a Japanese pop song, but very welcome. I think the song is fairly exciting, and it will probably be a favorite of those who hear this CD. For me, the next song, "Sweet Jewel", is even better. It's faster-paced and has an old-fashioned pop feel to it. Two singles and four songs so far, and Fairies has not disappointed me!

This is Shiritsu Ebisu Chuugaku's fourth indie single. "The Tissue ~Tomaranai Seishun~" is a really fun, fast-paced pop song about allergies! Many teens get allergies, and I've had them all my life. This is probably the theme song for many people who suffer from allergies all around the world. The second track is "Ebi Chuuichi Shuukan" (according to one source) and is another fast-paced song. If you want energetic pop fun sung by cute Japanese girls, this song will not disappoint! Sadly, this was Rio Koike's final single with the group. Highly recommended!