Today is the day: Berryz Kobou held their 11th anniversary concert at Budokan and they will go on an indefinite hiatus now. This means that it's finally the time to really say goodbye to them. I already did two PV reviews and an unboxing in the last few days, so I've been preparing for their goodbye. But here comes the real last post for this group!
After becoming a Morning Musume fand and learning more about H!P, I also discovered Berryz Koubou sometime in August/ September 2012. Cha Cha Sing was the first song I listened to, since it was recently released at that time. I then searched more about them and found out all the informations. The members were originally part of the Hello! Project kids, together with the C-ute members. Berryz Koubou was formed with 8 of those kids in 2004: Shimizu Saki, Tsugunaga Momoka, Tokunaga Chinami, Sudo Maasa, Natsuyaki Miyabi, Ishimura Maiha, Kumai Yurina and Sugaya Risako. Their major debut single was released on the 3rd March 2004.. which is today 11 years ago.
Through these 11 years, the group of course changed a lot. To see the change, I will now take a look at every single from them and I will write very briefly what i think about it.
1. Anata Nashi de wa Ikite Yukenai (2004.03.03)
This is their debut single that everything started with! Surprisingly not as cute as you would expect from a group made of 9-12 year olds. Well, their voices are really high-pitched (I think it's so freaking funny) but that's what makes this song so special. I do like the 2013 version, but the best tribute is the 04-13-15 version. If you haven't listened to that, do that right now! BEST THING EVER!! *cries*
2. Fighting Pose wa Date ja nai! (2004.04.28)
2nd Single and now we have a cute song. Not actually one of my favourite Berryz songs, but it's fun! And the video is pretty cool. xD Sadly, this is their lowest selling single..
3. Piriri to Youkou! (2004.05.26)
3rd Single is another fun song and I really like this one. It's just so cool. *-*
4. Happiness ~Koufuku Kangei!~ (2004.08.25)
I've talked about this one before. This is seriously one of my favourite early Berryz songs, because it's just so happy and energetic. :3
5. Koi no Jubaku (2004.11.10)
Berryz is a bit more serious with this single. I've always liked this song, though the 'Ah's were a bit odd at first. Nevertheless this is a cool song.
6. Special Generation (2005.03.30)
Probably one of their most famous songs. Special Generation will always be a special song for me, as it was the first song of Berryz kids that I knew. It's just such an awesome song and I like the dance. :D
7. Nanchuu Koi wo Yatteruu YOU KNOW? (2005.06.08)
This song is pretty serious and I love me my dark songs. *-*
8. 21ji made no Cinderella (2005.08.03)
Last single to feature Maiha. This is a fun song again and I really love the instrumentals here. Adding to that the video is sooo much fun and even though Maiha isn't highlighted or anything, I think this is a perfect last song for her. :)
9. Gag 100 Kaibun Aishite Kudasai (2005.11.23)
First single with the current 7-nin line-up. Another really, really fun song and one of my favourites! The video is just epic (especially Chinami) and I love the dance. As you might know, part of this dance was used for 'Hare Hare Yukai'.
10. Jiriri Kiteru (2006.03.29)
Serious Berryz is back and I love it! I especially really like the dramatic intro and the running scenes in the video. One of Berryz' best!
11. Waracchaou yo BOYFRIEND (2006.08.02)
Not one of my favourite songs, but it's still fun to listen to this retro style.
12. Munasawagi Scarlet (2006.12.06)
With having a more rockish beginning, this song stands out. I really like the chorus. :D
13. VERY BEAUTY (2007.03.07)
Very Beauty is a very beautiful song! xD But seriously, this is a bit slower than their other songs and it's just so nice to listen. Also, those lyrics. <3
14. Kokuhaku no Funsui Hiroba (2007.06.27)
Now this is a very slow and melancholic song. It sounds really sad, but I like it. :)
15. Tsukiatteru no ni Kataomoi (2007.11.28)
A happy song, though I don't really like it that much. x'D
16. Dschinghis Khan (2008.03.12)
Here comes the cover of the German song 'Dschinghis Khan'! I like the original, and the Japanese version is just soooo much fun. I like it a lot more, too. xD
17. Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance (2008.07.09)
Berryz as Monkeys. I think this concept is simply halirious! xD The song is really catchy and I looove the crazy video. I can't understand why anyone can hate this. Okay, it'sa bit weird, but it's so much fun! XD
18. MADAYADE (2008.11.05)
One of their catchiest songs in my opinion. It's just really hard to get that 'Mada mada mada' part out of your head. xD Really like this song and the video is funny. ^^
19. Dakishimete Dakishimete (2009.03.11)
This is a pretty cool dance track if you ask me. I love the whole disco theme and Captain is rocking the video!
20. Seishun Bus Guide/ Rival (2009.06.03)
Berryz Koubou's first double A-side, woohoo (remember the days when this was something special..).
Well, both songs aren't that special to me. Seishun Bus Guide is a bit too boring for me. And I know, everyone loves Rival, but I'm not the biggest fan of it.^^'
21. Watashi no Mirai no Danna-sama/ Ryuusei Boy (2009.11.11)
Berryz Koubou's second double A-side Single. Watashi no Mirai no Danna-sama is a nice song.
But I prefer Ryuusei Boy. It's a really cool song, only the video looks a bit cheap. :'D
22. Otakebi Boy WAO!/ Tomodachi wa tomodachi Nanda! (2010.03.03)
3rd double A-side in a row.
And I simply loooooove Otakebi Boy WAO!!! The song is epic and the vocals are sooo good. Especially Risakos, she's totally rocking this song. *-*
Tomodachi wa Tomodachi Nanda is a nice song. Who doesn't like songs about friends? :D
23. Maji Bomber!! (2010.07.14)
We're back to only one A-side. A really cool song and I like how they all look so mature in the video!
24. Shining Power (2010.11.10)
Disco Berryz. The song is okay, but what's even more special is the Yurina domination here. Having her as center just looks so balanced and I love her. :D
25. Heroine ni Narou ka! (2011.03.02)
This is a really cool dance track and Yurina is still very prominent, so yeaaaah. :D
26. Ai no Dangan (2011.06.08)
I'm a fan of the dramatic song; not so much of the outfits and the video.
27. Aa, Yo ga Akeru (2011.08.10)
Berryz is getting experimental concepts now. The song is very different.. I still kind of like it, but not always.. xD The chorus is beautiful though.
28. Be Genki (Naseba Naru!) (2012.03.21)
After a really long time, Berryz is getting a genki song again. It's fun, that's for sure! xD
29. Cha Cha Sing (2012.07.25)
Yeay, my favourite Berryz single! I talked about this one before, and I just really adore everything about this: the concept, the song, the dance and the members are so energetic and happy. :D
30. WANT! (2012.12.19)
Berryz now has a sexy concept. I like the song and I think they made this pretty good (especially Yurina *-*)
31. Asian Celebration (2013.03.13)
After having succes in other parts of Asia, they released this song. I didn't really like it in the beginning, but it grew on me and now I think it's a good song.
32. Golden Chinatown/ Sayonara Usotsuki no Watashi (2013.06.19)
Now the double A-sides started again and won't leave us this time.
Golden Chinatown is a pretty boring song!
Sayonara Usotsuki no Watashi is waaay better and I really like it. it's just sad, that the video looks so cheap. ._.
33. Motto Zutto Issho ni Itakatta/ ROCK Erotic (2013.10.02)
I wasn't the biggest fan of the first song when it was released, but just like Asian Celebration it grew on me. It's their slowest song in a while, but I like the emotions. The video looks cheap though.
ROCK Erotic has a pretty cool concept! But the song falls a bit flat and I just think they could have done this a lot better. As you can see, 2013 isn't really their best year. :'D
34. Otona na no yo!/ 1 Oku 3 Zenman Sou Diet Oukoku (2014.02.19)
I like the concept of Otona na no yo, since they are all adults now. Not my favourite song, but it's okay.
The diet song though, wow. I quite like it, especially the lyrics!! Tsunku is really experimenting with Berryz songs and lyrics now, which is often interesting.. but not always.
35. Ai wa Itsumo Kimi no Naka ni/ Futsuu, Idol 10nen Yatterannai Desshou!? (2014.06.04)
Fuch yeah!!! Ai wa Itsumo Kimi no naka ni is one of Berryz best songs ever! I love that song, it's so strong and badass and gaaah.. I needed this after the rather boring singles before! :D
The Idol song is okaaaaay. It's not bad, but I expected something better for a song deticated for their 10th anniversary.. :/
36. Romance wo Katatte/ Towa no Uta (2014.11.12)
Their final single!!!
Romance wo Katatte is a lovely song and my favourite out of the two A-sides.
Towa no Uta isn't bad though. The song is very fitting for a last song, since it's so happy and the old concert footage is awesome.
Love Together (2015.01.21)
This isn't a single, but it was included in their last Best Of Album. Love together is the sad goodbye from Berryz and the video amde me cry the first time I watched it. It's a simple video, but its beautiful and I like how they included the old dances..
Though I have to complain a bit about this. In my opinion they deserved something even more better and something special. There last videos were mostly dance shots and close-ups, just like every other H!P video. I'm not fully happy because of that, but I have to accept it..
So let's talk about Berryz singles a bit more. In the first few years (2004-2006), Berryz had mostly happy songs, but also a few darker songs. As you could see, I liked most of those songs. Until 2013 I guess I can really say that I've been a pretty big fan of almost all of their singles. But the last two years were really bad. It's just really sad, but it seems like they didn't get ANY budget in 2013 and I didn't really like most of the songs. At least 2014 was a bit better and I'm happy that they got a nice farewell single. But as I already mentioned, they still deserved something better. They have been around for 11 years and all they get is a bit of concert footage with the simple H!P videos?? You know, this just makes me really sad and angry. Sayumi got such a nice farewell song with Mikaeri Bijin and they couldn't even do somethign like that for Berryz? Like, get them outside and show more group scenes etc.. *sigh*
I really love their older songs and a few of their newer songs, so they are still a great group for me.
But let's talk about all the members now:
Shimizu Saki (1991.11.22)
Saki, or rather known as Captain, since she is the captain of this group.
When Berryz just started she looked like she was one of the youngest, even though she was the oldest! She was just really tiny (and is still not that much taller). Adding to that, she was often looking pretty awkward in music videos. To me this is pretty funny, but yeah, I wouldn't expect her to be the captain. But after a few years she was finally looking older and even grew a bit. Especially the last few years, she turned into a really beautiful and sexy lady. o.o It's so odd if you compare that to the 12-year old Saki, who looked so awkward. She definetely grew up a lot. I don't really know that much about her, but she seems to be a great captain from what I've seen. The most interesting thing about her though, is her dance. Saki is by far the best dancer in Berryz Koubou and one of the best in Hello Project. I'm a big fan of her dance and I loved her in High King (that sub-group was so perfect). Well, she doesn't really have a very good voice, but that's okay.
I'm happy to know that she will continue in H!P as an advisor, since she can teach the young kids a lot with her experience! :)
Tsugunaga Momoka (1992.03.06)
Here we have Momochi, the girl that never really grew up.
because seriously, she still looks so freaking young, even as the second oldest!! How come, the two oldest are the tiniest?? XD
To be honest, I disliked her at first. I found her to be reaaaaaally annoying with the whole Momochi pigtails character, especially her voice could be quite awful to listen to. Okay, I knew it was only a character, but still. Of course, I was finding out more about her after some time, so I slowly started to like her a bit more and now I even respect her. She's actually a really smart woman, who studied succesfully in University and could now become a teacher. At the same time, she was the most successful member out of the group and was on many TV shows. There she not only showed her weird character, but also promoted her group. I even like her singing voice, when she isn't in her Momochi character, she does have some great vocals! I would say she really loved being an Idol, which is why she is the only one to continue as an Idol. She is now a member of the group Country Girls and will lead them at least for a few years. I do think she will help them a lot, and I also hope she still ahs a lot of fun!
I'm kind of happy that she will still be around, so we will still see lots of her pigtails. (aah, hopefully not) ;D
Togunaga Chinami (1992.05.22)
Next up is Chinami.
Well, even though she isn't really the best dancer or singer, this girl was always so much fun to watch. She always did crazy faces and was just so energetic, that you simply had to like her. :D
This is also the reason why she is one of my favourites of the group. I really like those genki idols and she was always special. :D
I'm happy that she will continue as an adviser in H!P, together with Saki. Having the three oldest girls staying in the Project is really great and I look forward to see what Chinami will do to help the new kids.
Sudo Maasa (1992.07.03)
Next up is Maasa. Well, I guess I don't have thaaat much to talk about her. She wasn't really thaat visible in many videos and in my opinion wasn't as interesting as the other members. But what I definetely liked about her is her beauty. Especially with long hair, she was simply beautiful. Adding to that, she has a very nice smile. It's a bit sad, that she looked bored lately, but yeah.
I'm happy that she had longer hair for the last concert today, that was pretty cool. :)
She will be in a musical soon, so I wish her luck for her future. :)
Natsuyaki Miyabi (1992.08.25)
Here we have Miyabi. Well, I really liked her as a child, she was just so much fun to watch! And when she grew up, she looked really really beautiful and she has a pretty voice too.
Oh, and I do think it's interesting, that she changed her hair quite a bit. Though, I don't like a lot of her hairstyles, especially the 2013-2015 ones. (Yes, I'm not the biggest fan of her Love Together hairstyle).
Still, I didn't care thaaat much for her, since she doesn't seem so interesting personality wise for me. I do like her and I hope to see her in the entertainment industry in the future.
Kumai Yurina (1993.08.03)
Now it's time to talk about Yurina.
Yurina was also always a lot of fun to watch, since she was almost smiling like crazy. She wasn't the best singer and dancer, but I quite liked her voice. :)
One of the most interesting things about her is of course her height. With 176 cm she is not only the tallest Berryz Koubou member, but also the tallest Hello!Project member.. well, was.
Adding to that, she is a very beautiful woman, so i do hope she will be a great model after she finished her education.
Sugaya Risako (1994.04.04)
And last but not least is Risako.
Risako has always been one of the main vocals and has a great voice in my opinion. Especially her darker voice in the last few years was very appealing to me. Of course, her voice wasn't perfect and she didn't hit all the notes, but I still liked her voice a lot, since she has a lot of power. Risako transformed from a cute girl into a beautiful lady. Though I didn't like all of her hairstyle, I think it's interesting that she changed them up a bit (just like Miyabi). Risako is now one of my favourite members (she wasn't in the beginning, but I know more about her know), so I think it's sad, that she will go on a hiatus. Of course, it's her decision, but I hope she will come back in the future.^^ She should train her voice a bit more and then I could expect her to be a great solo artist. :)
Coming to the end now, I would say that Berryz Koubou had very interesting and different members. They were a really entertaining group, especially in their early years. The last few years they didn't seem as excited as they have been before, so it probably was the right decision for them to go on this indefinite hiatus. Adding to that, it seems like they only got cheap songs an videos, which is a shame.
Still, it's really sad to see them go. They were part of my youth, though not as much as some other groups. The last few weeks I have been listening a lot more to their songs again and I've been watching old concerts and stuff, so it's hard to say goodbye now. But as I mentioned, I can understand them and I look forward to their outside activities. I hope we will still hear from the members and of course I will continue to listen to their songs. :')
Thank you for your awesome songs, concerts and just for being there to make us happy!
Thank you Shimizu Saki!
Thank you Tsugunaga Momoka!
Thank you Tokunaga Chinami!
Thank you Sudo Maasa!
Thank you Natsuyaki Miyabi!
Thank you Kumai Yurina!
Thank you Sugaya Risako!
And Thank you Ishimura Maiha, for your little time in the group!
Thank you Berryz Koubou!
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