[2018.02.07] Morning Musume. 20th mini-album - Hatachi no Morning Musume.

[aine]

we came in?

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="DonJuan" data-cid="212562" data-time="1517141727">4 ENDLESS HOME 05:41 大森靖子 大森靖子 菊谷知樹</blockquote><blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Solarblade" data-cid="212563" data-time="1517141936">4. ENDLESS HOME (Abe feat. Fukumura & Oda)</blockquote><blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Shoujo Q" data-cid="212564" data-time="1517142617">Endless Home, that sounds intriguing.</blockquote>Is it like a version of Furusato that loops seamlessly?
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="JPope" data-cid="212571" data-time="1517167185"><blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">[background=#f3e3e6]You are not allowed to use that image extension on this community.[/background]</blockquote>[background=#f3e3e6]WTF, lol?! It let me use it for the first photo, but not the second? Okay...[/background]</blockquote>You might have just made a typo or something. I fixed your post and it works.

Isn't this where

[JPope]

Coolio. Thanks!

[DonJuan]

[quote="aine"]
we came in?

 
[...]

Isn't this where
 
[/quote]
 
Spoopy.
 
To be honest ENDLESS HOME already sounds like ENDLESS SKY in my head. Wow wow wow wow wow wow Endless Hooooome...

[Purin-chama]

The leader song is like a progression of my favorite members since 2001/2002. Unfortunately, Yuko was never on the list because I was too young to appreciate her. She always should have been though. ????

[Zoe]

I was hoping for a bit more participation from the other OG, but I'm welcoming the new songs.

[WonderBuono]

I don't like the fast tempo for the new Morning Coffee. :/
 
Sooo pumped for that leader song though!

[Meikochi]

I really hope the leader song will be good because I love the line up.

Was also hoping for more OGs but it's only a mini album so had to be expected. :/

I'm not really looking for Endless Home, the title doesn't make much sense (or they are speaking about MM. being members' eternal home ?) and I would have prefered a Yuko or Asuka solo, if current members are only a feat (not sure what they mean by feat but I imagine something along the line of Fukuhime & Harunan's appareance in Shabadabadoo).

[mrsross]

I'm glad that it's mostly new songs, but I'm a bit sad that aside from former leaders and first gen that's a bit it for featuring OGs.

[Shoujo Q]

Supplies!!! Morning Coffee 20th Anniversary Edition is a rock version. That’s why it’s all fast paced. I wasn’t expecting the guitar in the intro at all.
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://itunes.apple.com/album//id1339083688' class="bbc_url" title="External link">https://itunes.apple.com/album//id1339083688</a>


Also Hana Saku ga Taiyou Aibite is available for digital download.
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://itunes.apple.com/album//id1339083272' class="bbc_url" title="External link">https://itunes.apple.com/album//id1339083272</a>


Oomori Seiko is doing lyrics and comp for Endless Home so I was right. It’s probably gonna be awesome or crazy. Or both.

[Revangelis]

Okay, I'm interested in the leader song, hope it's going to be good. Was honestly hoping for more OGs, but can't help it.
 
Not a fan of this version of Morning Coffee, though...

[DonJuan]

I've taken a look at all the OGs.
 
1st gen:

• Nakazawa Yuuko ✓
• Ishiguro Aya ✓
• Iida Kaori ✓
• Abe Natsumi ✓
• Fukuda Asuka ✓ 

2nd gen:

• Yasuda Kei: Just gave birth to her first child on January 8. 
• Yaguchi Mari ✓
• Ichii Sayaka: Her youngest child turns 1 this April; might have disqualified herself form being included in celebrations due to her comments (open irritation about not being included with Dream Morning Musume; I think the last one was that she was bullied or something? Just like last month.)

3rd gen:

• Goto Maki: Her youngest child turns 1 this March; seems like a full-time mommy now (aside from commercial deals..?).

4th gen:

• Ishikawa Rika: Heavily pregnant.
• Yoshizawa Hitomi ✓
• Tsuji Nozomi: Has taken part in the "anniversary concert" (if we want to call it that...)
• Kago Ai: Persona non grata.

5th gen:

• Takahashi Ai ✓
• Konno Asami: Basically retired yet still a public person (runs a blog). Full-time mommy (her daughter was born last September).
• Ogawa Makoto: Uhm. Came back from retirement and did a commercial last year..? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
• Niigaki Risa ✓

6th gen:

• Fujimoto Miki ✓
• Kamei Eri: Retired. Very private person. 
• Michishige Sayumi ✓
• Tanaka Reina: Has taken part in the "anniversary concert" (and the previous anniversary event).

7th gen:

• Kusumi Koharu: Has released a photobook two months ago. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

8th gen:

• Mitsui Aika: She's back to New Zealand I think. 
• Junjun: Probably busy in China? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
• Linlin: Same as Junjun? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 
9th gen:

• Sayashi Riho: Basically hiatus.
• Suzuki Kanon: Retired.

10th gen:

• Kudo Haruka: She's still in Gosenfu no Tasuki and Ai no Tane (20th Anniversary ver.).

 
I mean, management hasn't mentioned the pandas again ever since they graduated, right? Of all the ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ -options they're still the least surprising. Fitting Nozomi and Reina into it was probably too difficult since they don't really have a theme (Abe was the first ace, the leaders were, well, leaders). Seems like they've forgotten about Makoto and Koharu though since they didn't take part in any anniversary related events. 
I guess they could have squeezed Goto somewhere into it, but eh.

[Anderei]

Makoto works freelance now. She doesn't have an agency last I heard. And Koharu recently left Up Front and didn't seem to enjoy her time in the group anyway.


Album is kind of lame. I don't need another version of Morning Coffee.

[Zoe]

I'm really liking Hana ga Saku, wish it wasn't wasted on this album...

[Meikochi]

Adding Reina and Koharu to this album would have made me so so hyped.


(Also Riho is in New York so too far from UF studios.)

[JPope]

[quote="DonJuan"]
I guess they could have squeezed Goto somewhere into it, but eh.
[/quote]
 
This would have been the deal sealer for a lot of older fans that might be on the fence about this. I'd bet that Goto is still the most popular ex-Musume among the old-guard Japanese fan base that have since moved on from H!P.

[Anderei]

Probably, but I feel like her inclusion wouldn't really boost sales. 

[Madara]

[quote="Meikochi"]
Adding Reina and Koharu to this album would have made me so so hyped.


(Also Riho is in New York so too far from UF studios.)
[/quote]
 
Thanks for reminding me.     So close yet so far.

[Mukuro]

This twitter has some radio previews of the We Are Leaders song
 
It kind of reminds me of JKM.

[Zoe]

They're pretty much doing the Kashimashi thing

[DonJuan]

It's pretty cute but could do much better without that cringy English in the beginning.

[Shoujo Q]

This is up on Apple Music. I was pretty surprised about some of the songs. Very chill. I’ll need to marinate on this tomorrow to give a better review. I like it. But where it stands among the other Musume stuff is still up in the air.


The Leader song is fun. I’m gonna need to get a translation of that. I only got half of what was said. Miki’so Ehh I’m leader line made me laugh for obvious reasons.


Endless Home was very nice. It’s more just a Nacchi song with Mizuki and Sakura providing harmony.


Otenki no Hi no Matsuri was not what I was expecting at all. It’s very mellow considering it has Matsuri in the title.


Will comment more tomorrow after another solid listen.

[Solarblade]

I kind of feel in the middle with this one...first off Hana ga Saku is a thorn on this mini...the lone EDM-centric track basically.
 
I kind of dug Morning Coffee's new style...a lot more effort than "Morning Misoshiru" got.
 
WE ARE LEADERS! has a LOT of easter eggs to it and I liked it...definitely missed some of those voices (couple were rough, but it's no surprise)...Miki still sounds awesome and yeah I laughed at her dialogue.  
 
Otenki....it's there?  Kind of bland to me.
 
ENDLESS HOME is just a Nacchi solo, feels like a ballad from one of her singles (or a B-side/album track)...also kind of meh.
 
I think my favorite is Tane wo Tsubasa...same people that worked on Ai no Tane?  I really liked how this song felt like a song from the 90s too...impressed.
 
Still don't like Gosenfu...and Ai no Tane is still Ai no Tane.
 
 
 
Overall, it's fine...could've done more IMHO.

[DonJuan]

https://youtu.be/igti1RMrxOk


Morning Coffee MV preview.

[Shoujo Q]

Yeah, I've decided I could do without Otenki no Hi no Matsuri. It's very, bleh on second listen.
I had to do a double take that it was a Tsunku song. I have no clue who is singing. I'm usually good at picking out voices. But I guess everyone gets to sing? I have no idea. Help. xD
 
Tane wo Tsubasa, it IS very 90s. I think they are a little all over the place with the singing but I guess being out of it for a lil bit, that's to be expected. 
 
Personally it feels like it's got a bit of everything from the early Musume to the EDM Musume and a sprinkling of other Musume styles mixed in. I don't mind it at all. being a fan of the group for SO long, I get it.
 
For release day, the mini-album sold 38,049 copies. That's A LOT, especially for an Oricon number. #2 was only at 9k.
 
Someone on facebook broke it down. These are the 1st WEEK sales that this mini-album just broke in 1 day. (OG Power!)
 

• Rainbow 7 (35,672 copies)
• 7.5 Fuyu Fuyu Morning Musume Mini! (23,903 copies)
• SEXY 8 BEAT (24,638 copies)
• Platinum 9 DISC (14,704 copies)
• ⑩ MY ME (12,103 copies)
• Fantasy! Juuichi (10,554 copies)
• 12, Smart (11,389 copies)
• ⑬ Colorful Character (14,416 copies)
• 14shou ~The message~ (22,872 copies)
• ⑮ Thank you, too (29,852 copies)

[Meikochi]

That's some very good numbers, beating sales from February 2006 ; I underestimated OG power.

[Anderei]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Shoujo Q" data-cid="212759" data-time="1518019835">
<p>


Yeah, I've decided I could do without Otenki no Hi no Matsuri. It's very, bleh on second listen.

I had to do a double take that it was a Tsunku song. I have no clue who is singing. I'm usually good at picking out voices. But I guess everyone gets to sing? I have no idea. Help. xD


Tane wo Tsubasa, it IS very 90s. I think they are a little all over the place with the singing but I guess being out of it for a lil bit, that's to be expected.


Personally it feels like it's got a bit of everything from the early Musume to the EDM Musume and a sprinkling of other Musume styles mixed in. I don't mind it at all. being a fan of the group for SO long, I get it.


For release day, the mini-album sold <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/d/2018-02-06/' class="bbc_url" title="External link">38,049 copies</a>. That's A LOT, especially for an Oricon number. #2 was only at 9k.


Someone on facebook broke it down. These are the 1st WEEK sales that this mini-album just broke in 1 day. (OG Power!)
<ul class="bbc">[*]Rainbow 7 (35,672 copies)[*]7.5 Fuyu Fuyu Morning Musume Mini! (23,903 copies)[*]SEXY 8 BEAT (24,638 copies)[*]Platinum 9 DISC (14,704 copies)[*]⑩ MY ME (12,103 copies)[*]Fantasy! Juuichi (10,554 copies)[*]12, Smart (11,389 copies)[*]⑬ Colorful Character (14,416 copies)[*]14shou ~The message~ (22,872 copies)[*]⑮ Thank you, too (29,852 copies)[/list]</blockquote>
It's kind of sad that even with all the OGs and current members it's only 9k over the last album so far.

[Purin-chama]

But it's only first day. The 15th album numbers are the first week. First day was about half as much.

[DonJuan]

I wonder how a new "all singles complete" album would've ranked. Than again that would've been pretty expensive.

[aine]

43,629 copies sold after two days according to Billboard (second place was 11,893).

[Meikochi]

Unless sales get boosted for some reasons, they shouldn't beat Ai no Dai 6 Kan's sales (73,333 copies sold) though.