The New Pepsi Drink Coming Soon In Japan

I’ll just break off for a second from Japanese entertainment to report on the new disgusting flavored Pepsi drink which will hit Japan’s convenience stores from June 23rd.

After previous years’ Ice Cucumber and Blue Hawaii comes Pepsi Shiso which will have a minty kind of flavor. I’m actually looking forward to trying it out when I head over to Tokyo in July.

EDIT: I did get to try this drink out and it wasn’t too bad. The taste reminded me at first of a medicine I had as a child. I got used to it in the end and it was enjoyable. I’d easily have downed another bottle of it if I had one.

Minimoni To Be Revived

It’s been announced on his blog that Tsunku plans on ressurrecting the much missed H!P unit Minimoni. Minimoni which disbanded in May 2004 was one of H!P’s most popular unit. Already one member has been chosen to be in the new incarnation namely Kanon Fukuda and the other 3 members will be announced soon. Will the new Minimoni be any good? We’ll soon find out.

The original Minimoni lineup

Confusion Reigns Over Who’s Going To France

There’s a little bit of confusion as to who from AKB48 is going to turn up at the Paris Expo. The picture below shows a mixture from different teams that are definitely coming but is that for the Expo appearance or the FC tour? There was some rumours that the whole of Team A was going to come over and they even made a promo video but nobody knows for certain what the hell’s going on. I’m sure it’ll be cleared up before July.

Japan Top 40 Singles – 24/5/09

The latest CDTV charts week ending 24th May 2009:

40 – Haruka Tomatsu – “Koi no Uta”
39 – Yuki Nagaho – “Anta no Enka”
38 – Masashi Sada – “Watashi wa Inu ni Naritai 490 Yen”
37 – Ayaka – “Yume wo Mikata ni/Koi Kogarete Mita Yume”
36 – Shoko Nakagawa – “Namida no Tane, Egao no Hana”
35 – ONE☆DRAFT – “Jounetsu”
34 – SOPHIA – “Baby Smile”
33 – Miko Takegawa – “Misaki no Onna”
32 – Early Morning – “Oitekebori no Thirty”
31 – Hideaki Takizawa – “Sha La La/Mugen no Hane”
30 – Ayumi Sakai – “Yokogao”
29 – Junko Akimoto – “Ai no Mama de…”
28 – TRIPLANE – “Ai Kotoba”
27 – Yoko Takahashi – “Zankoku na Tenshi no Thesis 2009 VERSION”
26 – EXILE – “THE MONSTER～Someday～”
25 – Daisuke Kitagawa – “Omae wo Tsurete”
24 – angela – “Spiral”
23 – Hiroshi Itsuki – “Akai Hana”
22 – NICO Touches the Walls – “BIGFOOT”
21 – Tohoshinki – “SHARE THE WORLD/We Are!”
20 – Kaori Mizumori – “Aki no Miyajima”
19 – Hiroshi Takeshima – “Kinjirareta Omoi”
18 – Yuzu – “Aitai”
17 – SID – “Uso”
16 – Sakurako Keionbu – “Cagayake!GIRLS”
15 – Kaela Kimura – “BANZAI”
14 – Naohito Fujiki – “Crime of Love/Iindaze ~Kimi ga Itekurereba~”
13 – Sakurako Keionbu – “Don’t say lazy”
12 – NEWS – “Koi no ABO”
11 – Superfly – “My Best Of My Life”
10 – Kiyoharu – “Kurutta Kajitsu”
9 – Ryoichi Higuchi – “Tegami ~Shinainaru Kodomo Tachi He~”
8 – Mika Nakashima – “Over Load”
7 – JUJU with JAY’ED – “Ashita ga Kurunara”
6 – THE ALFEE – “Sakura no Mi no Jukusuru Toki/Kaze no Uta”
5 – Miliyah Kato X Shota Shimizu – “Love Forever”
4 – VAMPS – “EVANESCENT”
3 – Yuzu Guren – “two you”
2 – w-inds. – “Rain Is Fallin’/HYBRID DREAM”
1 – Morning Musume – “Syou ga Nai Yume Oibito”

A Sudden AKB48 Graduation – Risa Naruse

Another graduation from AKB48 Team K as Risa Naruse has quit the idol group. This news has come out of the blue. Risa had been out with a back injury but she made the decision that even though she’s getting better she won’t be able to move as good as before so it was best that she should leave. Apparently she still aims to become a model so good luck to her in the future.

Scandal – Shoujo S PV

Here comes the PV to Scandal’s new single Shoujo S which is released on the 17th June. It’s also the latest OP song to the anime Bleach. I love the song. As well as the PV, I’ve also put the 3 limited edition covers that will be available when the CD comes out.

Idoling!!! – Baby Blue PV

I should have put this PV up a while ago but I forgot but anyway here is Idoling!!!’s latest single Baby Blue. In it’s first week on the Oricon Charts, 14,383 copies were sold and it peaked at no.10 before dropping down the following week.

Japan Top 40 Singles – 17/5/09

The latest CDTV chart week ending 17th May 2009:

40 – Mai Kuraki – “PUZZLE/Revive”
39 – PSYCHIC LOVER(Project.R)/Hideaki Takatori(Project.R) – “Samurai Sentai Shinkenger/Shirokujimuchuu Shinkenger”
38 – GReeeeN – “Kiseki”
37 – Perfume – “ONE ROOM DISCO”
36 – Fiction Junction – “Parallel Hearts”
35 – Namie Amuro – “WILD/Dr.”
34 – Madoka Oishi – “Roji Shigure”
33 – Angela Aki – “Tegami ~haikei juugo no kimi he~”
32 – IDOLING!!! – “baby blue”
31 – Gackt – “Journey through the Decade”
30 – Buono! – “MY BOY”
29 – Quruli – “Yukai na Peanuts”
28 – Megumi Hayashibara – “Shuuketsu No Sono He”
27 – PENICILLIN – “BLACK HOLE”
26 – Kano Eikou – “Love Hurricane”
25 – alan – “Kuon no Kawa”
24 – Yusuke – “Himawari”
23 – Arashi/Kenta Yano starring Satoshi Ohno – “BELIEVE/Kumori Nochi, Kaisei”
22 – SMAP – “Kono Toki, Kitto Yume jyanai”
21 – Kobukuro – “Niji”
20 – Masashi Sada – “Watashi wa Inu ni Naritai 490 Yen”
19 – Early Morning – “Oitekebori no Thirty”
18 – Yutaka Mizutani – “Daijobu Dayo/Silhouette”
17 – Kazuyoshi Saito – “Don’t Worry Be Happy”
16 – Kaori Mizumori – “Aki no Miyajima”
15 – Ayaka – “Yume wo Mikata ni/Koi Kogarete Mita Yume”
14 – Junko Akimoto – “Ai no Mama de…”
13 – Shoko Nakagawa – “Namida no Tane, Egao no Hana”
12 – Yuzu – “Aitai”
11 – Tohoshinki – “SHARE THE WORLD/We Are!”
10 – May’n – “Kimi Shinitamo Koto Nakare”
9 – EXILE – “THE MONSTER～Someday～”
8 – Sakurako Keionbu – “Cagayake!GIRLS”
7 – SOPHIA – “Baby Smile”
6 – SID – “Uso”
5 – Sakurako Keionbu – “Don’t say lazy”
4 – Kaela Kimura – “BANZAI”
3 – NEWS – “Koi no ABO”
2 – JUJU with JAY’ED – “Ashita ga Kurunara”
1 – Hideaki Takizawa – “Sha La La/Mugen no Hane”

Berryz Koubou – Rival PV

The PV to Rival – the 2nd song in Berryz’ double A-side single is now out. Enjoy.

AKB48 Team K Member Maachan Out For A Month

Little 13 year old Manami Oku of AKB48’s Team K will be out of action for a month due to suffering from Osgood-Schlatter disease. Apparently it’s a growth-related condition that affects kids that are active in sports  or other physical activities.  She’d been complaining of pain in her knees.

Doctors have advised Oku to take a month off to rest. She should be good to go come the end of June. Get well soon.