Tegomass will be releasing their single “Tanabata Matsuri” (Star Festival) on July 8th. The following week, they will be releasing their debut album “Tegomasu no Uta” (Tegomass’ Song) on July 15th. These releases will accompany their first around-Japan summer tour. Both the album and single have limited editions that contain DVDs.

The single “Tanabata Matsuri” sounds significantly different from Tegomass’ previous works. It’s in a significantly lower range and focuses more on Massu’s vocals than Tegoshi’s. There doesn’t seem to be a focus on harmonizing and instead more on singing the melody. The song itself is a cheerful midtempo with an almost country-western feel to the instrumentation at times. The vocals are spot on as usual, and the song is fun and catchy – perfect for a summer festival mood.

If you’re pining after the amazing ballads Tegomass usually releases though, you’re still in luck, because the coupling B-side to the single “Hanamuke” gives just that: a midtempo ballad with gorgeous harmonizing in their trademark smooth vocals paired with an amazing orchestral and synth instrumentation.

The PV is also refreshing as it puts Tegomass in the middle of what looks to the a temple, playing with kids for what we can assume is Tanabata while still looking very Johnny’s-stylish. The limited edition DVD has the full version of the PV as well as the making-of clip.

As for their debut album, the tracklist is

1. ミソスープ (Miso Soup)
2. キッス～帰り道のラブソング～ (Kiss~ Kaerimichi no Love Song; Kiss~ Going Home Love Song)
3. アイアイ傘 (Ai Ai Gasa)
4. 片思いの小さな恋 (Katamoi no Chisana Koi; Little Love from One Side)
5. たったひとつだけ (Tatta Hitotsu Dake; Just the ONly One)
6. 夏への扉 (Natsu e no Tobira; Summer’s Door)
7. What’s going on?
8. くしゃみ (Kushami; Sneeze)
9. HIGHWAY
10. POWER OF EARTH
11. サヨナラ僕の街 (Sayonara Boku no Machi; Farewell My Town)
12. 四季彩 (Shikisai; Color of Four Seasons)
13. 雨のち晴れ(Ame Nochi Kare; Rain Then Clear) *
14. チキンボーヤ (Chicken Boy) *
15. MISO SOUP *
* Regular Edition only

The limited edition to the album has a DVD with live footage of (according to Johnnys-net) a Ai Ai Gasa Live, with Miso Soup, Moshimo Boku ga Pochi Dattara, Bokura no Uta, Ai Ai Gasa, and Kiss ~Kaerimichi no Love Song~, as well as a documentary of Tegomass in Sweden.

If you’re a fan of Tegomass, let’s be serious: when have they disappointed with their releases? No matter what you think songs like “Chicken Boy” are going to sound like or if you’re unsure if “Tanabata Matsuri” is really your type of song, you can be sure that they’re going to deliver fun and deliciously well sung pop songs.

And as always, support the boys! “Tanabata Matsuri” and “Tegomasu no Uta” will both be showing up at my doorstep come July, let it come to yours too!

Tanabata Matsuri:
CDJapan: Limited // Regular
Yesasia: Limited // Regular
HMV: Limited // Regular

Tegomasu no Uta:
CDJapan: Limited // Regular
Yesasia: Limited // Regular
HMV: Limited // Regular

NEWS will be the hosts of this year’s 24 Hour Television, NTV’s yearly fundraiser that takes donations while broadcasting – you guessed it – 24 hours straight of related television. (It’s pretty much the Japanese form of PBS Telethons for charity.) Pretty much every JE group, including most recently Arashi, have been hosts before; this will be NEWS’ first time. The  program will start August 29th. It’s the 32nd time, and the theme this year is “START!~Ippo wo Fumidasou~” (START! Taking One Step Out).

Producer Matsuoka said NEWS was chosen because “NEWS are active as individuals and as a group. The have the support of young women as well as people of all ages, and with their appeal to the public, they deserve to be the main personalities. NEWS can sing and dance, but they also have a smart image, and through this program I want to show viewers the NEWS that shed sweat and tears just like them.”

Personally, I’m thrilled NEWS is finally getting a chance to have something to do in television! Although they have no experience hosting their own show, I hope they do a great job as hosts.

Also, since it’s 24 Hr TV, there’s bound to be a wide variety of clips and events. I’m hoping for:

- giant NEWS medley sometime in the midnight hours

- Yamapi acting in a touching melodrama

- Tegomass songs!

- NEWS goes and visit people in need of help.

- Kame appears and there is a reprisal performance of Seishun Amigo somewhere.

- A lot of money raised for good causes, thanks to NEWS!

Each member had a comment. A quick and rough and possibly incorrect at parts translation:

Yamashita Tomohisa: Hopefully I can help viewers smile for 24 hours.  I hope what we do will help change the world for the better.

Koyama Keiichiro: Being on 24 Hour Television is one of my dreams. I don’t know what I myself can do, but this is a great program. I always watch this program and is always touched by thoughts of “the value of life, hope, courage.” I’m very happy to be able to be a part of this. 24 Hr TV is summer’s big event and will be the best of your time!

Masuda Takahisa: Becoming the TV personality that children watch on 24 Hour TV, I’m really happy! I’ll do my best to help everyone smile!

Kato Shigeaki: I’m glad to participate in this ledgendary program.  I want to do NEWS proud when I am on this program.

Tegoshi Yuya: 24 Hour TV is on each year, and I hope to learn from my seniors who have hosted this program before. I know there are many viewers, and I look forward to it.

Nishikido Ryo: In the past decade, 24 Hour TV has become ledgendary, to let NEWS be hosting this, I’m honestly very happy.  To make the show the best end of summer, I’ll work hard and do my best.

Information is all on the main site. Definitely something for NEWS fans to look forward to!

I think Johnny’s always have the best debut songs and everyone else needs to take a note with their new artists. A Johnny’s group’s discography might not always be good as a whole, but their debut songs are generally epic – cheesy, exciting, infective, which, when all put together, mean totally awesome.Unlike many other artists, who try to gain momentum with their later releases, JE debut songs always have a strong impact and often stay as one of the group’s most popular songs throughout their career.

Here’s a ranking of the best 10!… or, since I’m only considering the still active groups (aka nothing BS: Before SMAP) the best and worst. (…what, my title isn’t that deceiving.)

10. SMAP – Can’t Stop!! -LOVING-

By putting SMAP in last place, I know I’m coming off as a total SMAP hater (I’m not really, honest) – but even the biggest SMAP fans can’t help but admit the group’s early musical releases aren’t exactly… good. Debut songs are supposed to be embarrassing and overdone in Johnny’s universe, but the song is such terrible bubblegum idol pop that it’s no wonder they didn’t get popular when they first debuted, and no wonder the group doesn’t sing this song EVER.
Can’t Stop!! -LOVING’- Live

9. V6 – Music for the People

Firstly, isn’t it odd when the song comes out around when half the members had barely broken voices, but still sound deeper and huskier than they do ten years later? Hard techno, deep voices – the song is actually really catchy, but sounds much better when they sing it years later without all the seriousness – yeah, V6 sounding really serious while singing a ridiculous song is probably what puts it in this spot. (This is where every song on the list becomes good, and the rankings are, to be honest, pretty arbitrary.)
Music for the People PV || Music for the People live, 2006

8. Tackey & Tsubasa – True Heart

Okay, so technically this was on a debut album – but let’s not be technical, okay? The song should otherwise be a bad song – cheesy lyrics, boring instrumentals, mediocre vocals – but the simple tune wedges into your head in your head, and before you know it, you’re singing along to “I feeeel… I dooo” in all of this debut song’s melodramatic glory.
True Heart PV || True Heart live at Hatachi concert (hilarious!)

7. Hey!Say!JUMP – Ultra Music Power

“Ultra Music Power” is catchy, catchy, catchy. I know, some of you aren’t fans of this group because it’s like watching a group of middle school (primary, if you stare too long at Morimoto or Chinen) boys try to be sexy, but it’s just hard to not sing along. Musically, it’s somewhat standard, and the longevity of this song might be limited by how long Chinen can keep his voice from breaking, but this is just catchy to death.
Ultra Music Power PV || Ultra Music Power live

6. Kanjani8 – Naniwa Iroha Bushi

I wouldn’t say “Naniwa Iroha Bushi” is a song most people listen to often anymore unless they’re big Kanjani8 fans, but there’s no way you could get this out of your head when you first hear it. The mix of semi-rap parts and enka (both good (from Subaru) and bad (from everyone else, sadly)) so unique and unforgettable.
Naniwa Iroha Bushi PV || Naniwa Iroha Bushi rock version live

5. NEWS – NEWS Nippon

The song had fast paced pop portions, ballad portions, and rap portions – it’s like they tried to fit every genre into this song. Actually, each portion is charming and catchy in its own way, but the pop chorus is what sticks with you for days. You’ll never forget their name (I am 100% in support of sneakily placing your group name into the song MULTIPLE times) and never forget the chorus either.
NEWS Nippon PV || NEWS Nippon live 2004 || NEWS Nippon live, 2007

4. KinKi Kids – Garasu no Shounen

Put together two boys with the same last name, have them sing about glass boys (yeah, everyone first snickers at the song title) in a catchy tune against a really dramatic backing track – and you’ve got a hit that no one forgets. Even as KinKi Kids become KinKi Men, this is still one of their title songs that represents the duo – which says something about its awesome staying power.
Garasu no Shounen PV || Garasu no Shounen live, 1997 || Garasu no Shounen live, 2007

3. Real Face – KAT-TUN

It’s not often you debut with a catchy single that sells a million plus copies. That’s “Real Face” for you. No matter how much good singing, rock, tough rapping, beat-boxing, or obscene sound effects KAT-TUN tries to throw in the future, nothing can exceed this song because it has all of the aforementioned and does each aspect to perfection. Not only does the song have terrific composition and production, it’s iconic and established KAT-TUN as Japan’s hip-thrusting, tough-looking slutty idols wth just one song.
Real Face PV || Real Face live

2. TOKIO – Love You Only

“Love You Only” is an amazingly sweet and fun song and, quite honestly, is one of the best songs the group has ever had. TOKIO obviously agrees with me, because they even re-recorded this song in their more modern rock style at their tenth anniversary. Aside from the normal cheese factors of being a Johnny’s song and singing about love as if the entire group were middle schoolers, the song is actually pretty good just as a song. Plus, who can forget the short-shorts Nagase wore that are almost synonymous with this song? Whether it’s because you love Nagase’s legs or is just traumatised by them, the answer would be no one.
Love You Only live, 1994 || Love You Only PV || Love You Only, 2004 ver PV

1. Arashi – A.RA.SHI

It’s one thing to have your fans love your debut song ten years after your debut – it’s another to have everyone still love this song everywhere. “A.RA.SHI” is catchy, employs rap, ballad, and tempo changes, and name drops the group the most out of any debut song on here. You know it’s a good song when it’s still performed on national television even a decade after its debut and, not only does it manage to not sound too dated, people still love it despite your popular image and sound being completely different now. Ten years later, people can still associate the “arashi, arashi for dream” dance motion with the song. Now that’s a debut song done right!
A.RA.SHI PV || A.RA.SHI live, 1999 || A.RA.SHI live, 2008

NEWS’ next single “Koi no ABO” will be released April 29. The song is currently being used in NEWS’ new promotions for the RUSS-K brand. The limited edition of the single will have a 12-page booklet and a DVD with concert clips, while the regular edition will have two additional songs – including a live concert recording.

When I first heard a 30-second clip of the song, I wasn’t particularly impressed. It was really catchy right on the spot, but the music itself sounded a little dated. Besides, aren’t they singing about blood types?

Well, now it makes sense why it sounds a little 80s – because they’re going for a total Saturday Night Fever style. Okay, okay – music first: the song is, in typical NEWS style, fun and catchy. It pretty much goes full on synth – drumkit beats, synth effects, even some techno background effects thrown in. The vocals are good this time from everyone – even Shige sounds decent and has a fairly large amount of solos. And Tegoshi’s solo bridge at around 3:00 – man, that boy can SING. The song is funky and funny and infective – I’m singing along to the “Koi ooo koi ooo AB OOoooo” right now.

The PV though is the real star – it’s just FABULOUS. Watch and see for yourself. NEWS starts off the PV as cool hosts in a swanky club, smoothly picking up girls – then go DISCO. And we’re not talking Nakata-style “cool disco” – no, NEWS is busting out all the oldschool disco moves, and then some. By the end, they’re doing the disco in white racer suits, with stunner shades and wild hairstyles. It starts from cool-NEWS and dissolves into transforming into a giant dorky disco party. I love videos where the boys don’t take themselves too seriously while still staying classy – exactly something like this.

The boys look terrific – those closeup shots are amazing. This video looks like it actually had a decent budget, with extras, camera effects, and (we haven’t seen this since, what, TEPPEN?!) multiple sets that aren’t just set in front of a greenscreen! Plus, cool suave NEWS doing a disco is honestly one of the most unexpected yet awesome ideas there are.

And if you’re like me, you were waiting for it while watching the entire video…

Yes! Score another PV for the YamaP cups.

A great song plus all the extras (a NEWS release with an actual DVD!) make this a definite buy. I have to say, this is the first time since “weeeek” that I’ve really been anticipating getting my copy. If you’re a fan, remember to support the boys!
Limited Edition: CDJapan/HMV/Yesasia
Regular Edition: CDJapan/HMV/Yesasia

It’s that time of year again! For those who are new to this: Johnny’s releases calendars for their artists every year, but according to the school year: that is, from April of this year to March of the next. All calendars are around 2000 yen and go on sale late February or early March. (Only Arashi and groups that debuted afterwards have calendars – so for big fans of V6, Kinki, or SMAP, sorry.)

You can watch the news clip to see everything, but if you are lazy/your internet is slow/youtube takes down the file, I’ve summarized everything below with available online purchase links. (Remember: Yesasia jacks up the prices, but calendar shipping is pricy – around $20USD to get to North America. Play around with it to see which is cheapest for you.)

Arashi: A thick 125-page planner-calendar plus a large 7-page poster wall calendar filled with gorgeous, sexy member photos shot by Mika Ninagawa. Oh, and holographic stickers as an extra.
CDJAPAN/YESASIA/HMV

Tackey & Tsubasa: A 32 page wall-calendar plus an extra Love Q&A book, which is kind of like a text-y photobook.
CDJAPAN/YESASIA/HMV

NEWS: A pink binder that can have pages removed to fold out into strip calendars – with about 3 standard paper sheets’ of a photo folding out under a calendar. Also comes with a large poster.
CDJAPAN/YESASIA/HMV

Kanjani8: A school planner-calendar, plus some extra hot-spring themed member-special goodies and postcard, since the photos were taken at a hot spring.
CDJAPAN/YESASIA/HMV

KAT-TUN: A weekly frame calendar: has a CD-sized frame that you change a weekly photo+calendar into. Everything comes in a nice box case.
CDJAPAN/YESASIA/HMV

Hey!Say!JUMP: A 15-page desk calendar, the kind on a cardboard stand that you flip. Also comes with a “secret card” set, which you can take as a set of nice photo postcards.
CDJAPAN/YESASIA/HMV

Johnny’s Jr: A huuuuge wall poster-sized calendar.
CDJAPAN/YESASIA/HMV

If you have no strong bias for a Johnny’s group but want a Johnny’s school calendar, I would reccommend you to GET THE ARASHI ONE. They’re one of the most popular groups in Japan right now and it’s their ten year anniversary – when else is JE going to spend this much effort designing a calendar again? The calendars are generally pretty nice this year but Arashi really just outdoes it, and if anything, that wall-poster (see right) is well worth it.

Because this is the new years countdown I really care about.

Arashi were the hosts again this year, and the Tokyo Dome stage used NEWS’ layout since they had dome concerts at the same time. Different was this this year the broadcast was split – KinKi Kids were broadcast from Osaka Dome, and Tackey and Kazukiyo Nishikiori (of Shounentai) were broadcast from the stage of the upcoming Tackey stage show.

The full setlist of songs performed was this:

Step and Go – Arashi
DON’T U EVER STOP – KAT-TUN
LIPS – KAT-TUN
Taiyou no Namida – NEWS
Summer Time – NEWS
Happy Birthday – NEWS
Wahaha – Kanjani8
Musekinin Hero – Kanjani8
Mayonaka no Shadow Boy – Hey!Say!JUMP
One Love – Arashi
Happy Happy Greeting – KinKi Kids + all
Garasu no Shounen – KinKi Kids + all
Aisareru Yori Aishitai – KinKi Kids
Yakusoku – KinKi Kids
DAYBREAK (Otokogumi) – Uchi Hiroki
Aoi Inazuma (SMAP) – Uchi Hiroki
A.RA.SHI – Arashi
Kansha Kangeki Ame Arashi – Arashi
Sakura Sake – Arashi
Love so Sweet – Arashi + all
Happiness – Arashi + all
truth – Arashi
Beautiful days – Arashi
Mezamero! Yasei (Matchy with QUESTION?) – Imai Tsubasa
Made in Japan – V6 + all
LIGHT IN YOUR HEART – V6
Sorafune – TOKIO
Amagasa – TOKIO
Ai Kakumei – Takizawa Hideaki
Daite Senorita – Yamapi + all
Sushi Kuine (Shibugakitai) – all
LOVE YOU ONLY (TOKIO) – all
Kamen Budoukai (Shounentai) – Tackey + Kazukiyo Nishikiori
Real Face (KAT-TUN) – all
weeeek (NEWS) – all
Sukiyanen Osaka (Kanjani8) – all
Seishun Amigo – Shuji to Akira + all
Ai Nanda (V6) – all
Midnight Shuffle (Masahiko Kondo) – all
Hatsuta – all

All indicates one of those huge everyone-join-in singfests.

I always love Countdown – seeing all the Johnny’s groups together being total dorks is something that only happens at Countdown now. Also, it’s just pure energy – they’re mostly lipsyncing but you can hear some real vocals too, there’s so many people the sound people always mess up and mute or amplify the wrong mikes so sometimes you hear some really offtune parts, everyone is jumping around and hugging or mauling their friends from other groups – just pure fun.

Overall, this year was pretty good – which doesn’t really say much because I always think it’s pretty good. I don’t like having everyone be split up though – no Tackey + everyone else love! – so I’m hoping everyone reconvenes at Tokyo Dome next year. I think the show is lacking a bit in more intergroup songs, but it’s understandable since Arashi sang a lot by themselves for their anniversary.

So definitely notable this year was the Arashi 10-year anniversary. It’s pretty awesome to be in the business for 10 years and have that year be the biggest year in your entire career. Arashi is arguably the hottest thing in Japan right now, and it’s great to see them get the loudest screams (fangirls went crazy when truth came on). Arashi also did a good job hosting this year – not as loud and nervous as last year.

I am sad at the lack of camera time for my favorites though – throughout the whole show I only saw fleeting glimpses of my beloved NEWS members. ):

So props for Tackey for being so cheery even when he’s in an empty auditorium. Also, look at the Dome stage! Hooray to NEWS for being the ones to host the dome over the new years.

Of course, you can’t do countdown without some celebration of Koichi’s birthday (January 1st.) While there’s no Nagase mauling Koichi this year, Tsuyoshi gives us a nice photo of young dorky Koichi.

Uchi Hiroki gets stage time without NEWS or Kanjani8 – indication of his career direction, I guess? Also, epic Arashi medley – when you can trump all your young and shiny peers and get the loudest cheers singing your old songs while wearing shiny gold sequined outfits – you’ve made it.

Speaking of epic, Tsubasa contributes with his epically ugly hair.

V6 still are perkier than their younger kouhai. Also, TOKIO still rocks – Subaru and Jin, two of the company’s best singers, sang the intro to “Sorafune” and couldn’t hold a candle to Nagase.

Tackey shows us how epically dramatic “Ai Kakumei” is. As if the emo spoken word at the beginning wasn’t enough, he also throws in jets of water and flying and a thousand gaudy fluffy juniors.

Yamapi and Jin slap each others’ butts during “Daite Senorita.” This is true friendship.

In order to get over child labor laws that don’t let the underaged members of Hey!Say!JUMP perform after midnight or something, they just show them on camera. As audience. Don’t worry, it’s only another five years before all the jailbait can appear on stage! …it’s going to be sad when everyone gets old and only one or two of them still get stuck offstage.

It is confirmed that everyone sucks at dancing “Seishun Amigo.” Okada and Nagase are terrible, Nino is pretty bad, and Ryo still sucks even though he did this at last year’s Countdown too. Even Yamapi and Kame are pretty lackluster at it, but Yamapi is forgiven because he looks really good. Hah. Also, in an odd decision, everyone sings “Midnight Shuffle,” not a happy or danceable song, while all squeezed on a rotating idol cake stand.

2009 is the year of the ox. Four people fit into this cycle – Yamapi, Koki and Taguchi from KAT-TUN, and Ohkura from Kanjani8. Cow = “ushi,” four = “shi”, so management decides to name them the “Ushishi4.” The next day, Yamapi complained during the NEWS concert about how stupid this name is, and I agree.

Matsujun is manhandled by TOKIO. Just goes to show you can be the most popular member in the most popular group and Nagase will still grope you mercilessly on national television.

And just some more caps filled with good looking boys to round out this recap.

Uchi Hiroki – the current Johnny’s trainee who was suspended from NEWS and Kanjani8 for underage drinking – will have his own solo live show.

There will be two shows at Yokohama Arena on December 20th and 21st, and three shows at Osaka-jo Hall on January 3rd and 4th. 75,000 tickets will be available. His backing band will be Johnny’s Jr. band Question? (the guys who released “Mezamero Yasei” with Matchy).

After starring in Playzone and his drama Osen, Uchi hasn’t been given activities; it’s speculated that the success of his show will affect decisions on his activities in the spring, and whether he will go solo or return to group activities.

Uchi reportedly said that during his suspension, he really longed to be on stage, even so much that he and his friends sang Mr. Children songs on the street. He’s glad for this opportunity, and to finally be able to really see his fans.

This is exciting news! I love Uchi and I’m so glad he’s getting this chance and that the Jimusho still believes in him. I would take the go solo or group activities part with a grain of salt, as its not consistently reported, but what’s definite is that Uchi is getting a chance to really redeem himself and prove to Johnny’s what he can bring them.

As for the future… not to start conspiracy theories or start fights, but do you think he should return to one group, two groups, or no group? If he is returned to NEWS, there is no reason to not return him to Kanjani8. But if he returns to NEWS, would Kusano return at the same time? Because he was suspended during a time of NEWS activities, he is often quoted as just being “NEWS member Uchi Hiroki;” it would be odd and spark some controversy if he only returns to Kanjani8. And with both NEWS and Kanjani8 scoring huge hits and some new fans after his suspension, does the company really want to change the groups at the height of their success? If he goes solo, how many fans will follow him, and how many will be heartbroken that he will not be restored to his respective groups? Of course, worst case scenario is that he quits and fades away…

Still, what’s to come will to come. I wish best of luck to him, and hope that his solo show is a great success.

Sources: Yomiuri // Sanspo // Nikkan Sports

NEWS will be releasing their third album “color” on November 19th! Like their sophomore album “pacific,” there will be two editions, where the limited edition will come with a photo booklet, and the regular edition will have an extra track.

Tracklisting is

1. weeeek
2. STARDUST
3. SUMMER TIME
4. SNOW EXPRESS
5. Forever
6. MOLA
7. KESENAI*
8. ordinary
9. Minna Gairu Sekai Wo Hitotsu Ni Ai wo Motto Give & Take Shimasshou (Everyone in the world Give and Take More Love)
10. MURALIST*
11. Taiyou no Namida
12. Smile Maker
13. Happy Birthday
14. FLY AGAIN
15. Towairo no Koi (Regular Edition Only)
* translated by me from katakana, not sure what they mean; will wait and see if better interpretations come up

As someone who adored “SNOW EXPRESS,” I’m glad to see it make it onto the album. And I’ll be lying if I say I’m not curious to death about what track number 9 sounds like. There, unfortunately, seems to be no acapella – but I’ll wait and see what songs like “MOLA” and … well, track number 9 end up sounding like. It’s too early to judge anything about the album, but I’m pretty happy that they’ll be getting a release.

As always, support the boys! They’ve just had their 10th consecutive number 1 single “Happy Birthday” – now my wallet will help to try and get them their 3rd number 1 album – won’t you, too?

CDJapan: Limited // Regular
Yesasia: Limited // Regular

Yamashita Tomohisa of NEWS, or who we all fondly know as Yamapi, has graduated from Meiji University with a degree in marketing! At the last graduating period, he was a few credits short – but he has made it up and is now a graduate.

He entered Meiji just as NEWS was first formed. I’m impressed and proud of him: in these four years, he has gone from a very popular junior idol to one of the most popular entertainers in Japan. He’s the leader of NEWS, had several succesful side singles, acted in wildly succesful dramas, headed his own movie, and is a very visual spokesperson and celebrity. And through it all, he stuck through his education the whole way.

A rough translation from me comprehending the Japanese and Chinese subtitles best that I can, correct me if you see a mistake!

Yamapi: “You only live once. Being able to experience the college life was great.”

NEWS’ Yamashita Tomohisa has graduated from Meiji University’s business school; he is at the commencement.

…

Yamapi: Four and a half years of hard work made me realize that this is really a special experience.

With his extremely busy schedule, Yamashita Tomohisa was unable to graduate in four years and has taken another half a year.

Yamapi: It was definitely a big shock for me. But looking back, it might have been a good thing. That is… well, I definitely did my best.

Q: Do you have any regrets?

Yamapi: Like playing soccer, or other kinds of activities like that, I couldn’t go to many. It’s a bit regretful.

Q: But you couldn’t help it, right.

Yamapi: Right, right. I really haven’t been able to make more friends…

Now that Yamashita has entered the working society, what are his plans for the future?

Yamapi: I want to learn more languages. Also, I’ll try my best to become someone who can bring happiness to other people.

Congratulations, Yamapi!

Also, with his graduation bringing the graduates count of NEWS up to two (Koyama graduated Meiji in 2007) with two more (three, if you still count Kusano) members in school, NEWS can probably now be officially considered the smartest Johnny’s group?

NEWS’ next single “Happy Birthday” will be released on October 1st; the PV is now out.

The full song rip has already been out, so my thoughts on the song are still not that changed. After a few more – well, a lot more – listening, the song has grown on me considerably, but I still don’t think it’s that great a song. I do like some of the solo parts considerably, but parts of the song, whether it’s the melody or the beat or the mix of everything, irk me a little.

But to it’s benefit, “Happy Birthday” has a really cute PV, complete with CG visuals and the boys acting like dorks. Though it’s obviously shot entirely on greenscreen, the CGs turn out well and don’t look cheap. The dance is NEWS-caliber dancing (read: not so impressive choreography) but some of the moves are quirky and fun, like the little bow – the live performances should be very fun to watch. And just as a little extra, I actually think the single cover is okay this time – the “present” ribbon on the limited edition is a nice sassy touch.

“Happy Birthday” is not a great song musically, but it is sweet. At the end of the PV, NEWS wish everyone happy birthday. To be honest, this release probably wouldn’t be worth it to pick up for casual j-pop listeners – but for NEWS fans, this is a fun and cute must-have.

And of course, we still get the Yama-cups. That’s always a plus.