[2/19] Berryz 34th single : Otona na no yo! / 1 Oku 3 Senman Sou Diet Oukoku

[Sohee]

Why would they be laughed at? o.O If anything, I think we've gotten it proved to us that UF management /cares/ about these girls and why would they do something to degrading as laughing at them if they would be asking a serious question?
Momoko and sure, maybe Miyabi but just barely. But the rest of Berryz - while they have expressed dreams and whatever, there's never anything coming about how to get to this or that point. Which is why I say passive.

They need more promotion for sure, but they also need a push in general even as a group. What's the group's goal/dream these days anyway? Catch up with C-ute?

[BerryzCelebration]

I think the group's dream is become more popular in general. Like get more TV appearances/performances, perform in larger venues, have posters. I think Saki pointed out the poster thing in that interview.

I wish the girls could just be given a year where they could manage their own groups (I guess they would be given the money from UF*, of course.). I think that if that happened, it would be a really great year for Hello!Pro .

[iceymoon]

i don't think Berryz is doing anything different than any of the other groups. if they had a cohesive look (meaning less members that stand out in odd ways) and music that people can more easily respond to, they'd be doing pretty well for themselves.

but they don't have control over either of those things, so they do their best with what they have. same with ℃-ute and Momusu and S/mileage and Juice=Juice.. doing the best with what they have, and it just happens that what ℃-ute and Momusu have (too soon to tell with J=J imo) appeals to a larger crowd. i'd say the only individual making a difference for Momusu is Sayu, and Berryz has Momoko in that field. for Momusu it was mostly the refresh of 9 new (and appealing) members that made the difference, and Berryz can't do that.

℃-ute certainly isn't putting themselves out there personality-wise, they had many years when they were less popular than Berryz and they weren't doing anything special about it except trying to improve their skill, which all groups do. Berryz just can't show that off as much because they have more members and more diversity in the skills of their members, so while some have improved at dancing, some have improved at singing, some have improved at expressions, and some have improved at talking, there's always someone who is not good in those areas that drags the overall level of the group down. and then they still have the awkwardness due to their lack of cohesive look to contend with.

so basically it's more of an uphill battle for Berryz than it is for other groups, except maybe S/mileage (who has similar problems). and so they may be trying just as hard as other groups, but they won't see as much results for it unless they get a really freaking good song. if anything, what they need to do is to be trying harder than everybody... they have to be willing/active about doing things when they get a TV appearance that ℃-ute wouldn't do, and milk every opportunity. and maybe revolt when Tsunku gives them a song they don't think will help them in this journey lol.

but they may not necessarily do that or be able to do that, and i don't blame them. it's been 10 years since their debut, at this point some of them would probably rather graduate than face the difficulty of trying to catch up in popularity. or, continue as they have now up to now.. keep trekking along even when they aren't doing so well, and maybe they'll eventually get a look and a sound that will appeal to a wider audience.

i still think the group needs to be split in two (unless either they or Tsunku or UF have a surge of inspiration for getting the group out there as it is now). look at this perfection in the center, those 3 would make a very appealing unit.

[wotakubrandon]

Yeah but you can't have a group of just Maasa, Momoko, Chinami, and Yurina.

I think Berryz just need to show their personalities more. Give them videos (but not necessarily songs) like Asfjk;lghis Khan. The already impressive girls were still impressive but it gave Maasa and Chinami a chance to shine and be hilarious and entertaining.

[iceymoon]

^ i think you can because Momoko would be the center and bring a lot of fans in by herself, Yurina would take the second lead for vocals, and then Chinami and Maasa get more time to showcase their personality when there's less girls to talk to/focus on.

not that i don't want Berryz to stay as it is, but i think they have a better chance at thriving when they are split up into groups that play to their strengths.

[Sohee]

My issue with the group is that they're simply not fun to watch.

MM, Cute, Juice and hell, even S/mileage, I find are more entertaining and interesting to watch. Even if the song is only so good, at least they have something that keeps the viewer (at least me) engaged. Whether it's good dancing and/or good/fun expressions. S/mileage aren't the best at dancing, and Rina and Kana are definitely not strong in either field. But the rest of the group make up for it. Though they're definitely not at the same level of the other three groups.

Berryz on the other hand... have Risako and Miyabi and sometimes Saki. As for the other 4, as gorgeous as Yurina is and as much as I respect Momoko, they're not fun to watch. The group in general has nothing that keeps me engaged in their performances as a whole. And when Chinami and Maasa carry expressions like that they just wanna get the fuck out of there anyway, it's surely not helping. Just getting mediocre/just okay songs aren't helping either, of course. But to me that's not the biggest issue. Diet was tons of fun after a few listens. It's very Berryz and I like it as a song. But that won't make me think they're fun to watch when they perform because (as proven in Hello!Station this week) they... aren't much fun to look at. I'm not not-watching though, definitely keeping up on that part.

...all my opinion of course, I shouldn't have to write this but I will just to be safe. :b

[stam4o]

^Well, I agree with most of what you're saying. And with the passivity from before too. Their performances are weak, it's something easy to see. Momoko is still sometimes fun but Maasa is a disaster. Berryz's arrangemnt sure is a trouble, as always it has been, but the girls aren't helping it either and in fact it seems sometimes they're making things worse.

Anyway, the release is good. Numbers will get settled somehow. Better not to worry about muc of this stuff because I'm sure the organization, or just the "people in charge" are pretty aware of everything what's going on and are taking their own measures. Not to worry about graduation either because at this point any graduation would just end it up all and bye-cya Berryz. They'd just rather announce it like officially with a final release or something instead of spending time and money and stuff in graduations and all that. And of course each girl would just take her own way after that. But that's still for the future.

So yeah, just stop worrying, guys.

[otaku_blue]

They should've tried making a subunit of Berryz during the time of Satoyama and see how the better girls can work on their own.

Even now it might be good to try one, just to create more tension amongst the members and give them that extra push. Plus I really want to see it happen haha.

[Zunu]

℃-ute certainly isn't putting themselves out there personality-wise, they had many years when they were less popular than Berryz and they weren't doing anything special about it except trying to improve their skill, which all groups do. Berryz just can't show that off as much because they have more members and more diversity in the skills of their members, so while some have improved at dancing, some have improved at singing, some have improved at expressions, and some have improved at talking, there's always someone who is not good in those areas that drags the overall level of the group down. and then they still have the awkwardness due to their lack of cohesive look to contend with.

You're omitting the fact that C-ute jettisoned its members who didn't want to be there and that's why they are now so cohesive both as performers and (seemingly) as colleagues. They may not all be equally skilled but nobody's half-assing it on stage, because they all feel invested. Berryz still have their half-assed performers, and what's worse, they're half of the assets in the group. Forget subunit; at least two of 'em need to point blank graduate out of H!P and try their luck in one of the other Up-Front stables. Maybe they'll end up marrying millionaire sports figures. More likely, they'll shack up with some leftover J.P.ROOM performers.

EDIT: I should add that I really don't care about their poor sales. Plus, I think this single is awesome.

[Chatin]

After seeing the live performance on H!S.. wow, what disaster. No one was looking very good, no one was on their game. I thought Maasa actually looked the best until I focused on only her during the performance and then noticed the train wreck I usually overlook because I'm busy watching the other girls. Maasa just kind of walks around the strange and awkwardly attempts to copy what the other girls are doing. It was a really awful performance.