NEWS: They've done numerous TV appearances and press conferences, have tons of articles about their debut plastered all over the Taiwanese media ... so what next for Ice Creamusume's promotion for their album 1st Best!? Why! Street performances, of course!

The girls hit the streets with megaphones to promote their debut mini-album which was released yesterday in Taiwan. Watch the girls below as they perform their title song Lian Ai Deng Chang in all their megaphone glory!

NEWS: Ice Creamusume made their first TV appearance last week, according to one of their blog's managers (however they were on MTV almost a month ago, though that was really just a quick 2 min introduction) - The girls appeared on Azio Entertainment News to promote their upcoming album 1st Zui Bang!

Unfortunately both Anchii and Guu-chan were unable to make the recording due to school commitments so instead they had some replacement members to fill in for the two missing girls.

*lol* XD Apparently the other 4 girls couldn't stop laughing when they saw the life sized cutouts of the other two members.

The girls each got to perform on the show. PeiPei sang at track from the album while Youko sang a Goto Maki track (nice taste!). The other two girls danced, ShenShen doing a bellydance (of which we already know she's awesome at) and ReiRei taught everyone the dance to Lian Ai Deng Chang, the leading track from their album.
They then performed Lian Ai Deng Chang and the manager was very excited that the girls all sang live (no lip synching for these girls!).

The show is airing tomorrow evening, 7pm on Azio TV. If anyone has the ability to cap it for all us fans, please do ^_^

NEWS: Matsuura Aya is starring in a new series of commercials from Japan's MAFF ( Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) intending to spread awareness of healthy eating.

In the first commercial, Ayaya is seen cooking herself a big bowl of rice before she leaves for work while in the second she doesn't have time to cook and instead picks up an Onigiri (rice ball) from the store. So in other words always eat breakfast to stay healthy! The commercials feature Ayaya singing a new song Shiawase Gohan no Asa.

NEWS: C-ute was honoured yesterday evening with a EXCELLENT WORK award, at the 50th Japan Record Awards, for their song Edo no Temari Uta II.

The award put them amongst artists such as EXILE and Koda Kumi in the running for the BEST WORK OF THE YEAR award. While they didn't win the top prize, which went to EXILE's Ti Amo, they were invited to perform at the ceremony, where they sang their nominated track.

This is the second year in a row that the girls have performed at the Japan Record Awards. Only a year ago the girls were nominated in the New Artist category, ultimately winning the BEST NEW ARTIST. Let's take a little stroll down memory lane to see how far the girls have come since this time last year!

C-ute is once again cementing themselves as the group to watch in H!P, being recognized for the second year in a row for their music. A BIG congratulations to C-ute, this is QUITE an honour and truly deserving :D

NEWS: Berryz Koubou had the privilege of performing at the 41st Nippon Yuusen Taishou Ongaku Shoujushou Award show last night and were also nominated for the Wired music prize.

The performance was really great with some cute new costumes. There seemed to be some audio problems: Risako's mic was booming while some of the others were hardly audible, but that may have been intentional XD

Fujimoto Miki also performed at the awards which was a nice, little surprise. She sang a duet with Takao Horiuchi.

Unfortunately I don't think Berryz won the award they were nominated in - at least I haven't heard anything about it and if they had, I'm sure I would have. The nice thing is that everyone gets an award. C-ute was nominated for the best new artist last year at these awards and despite not winning they still got little medals. Yay for Berryz.

C-ute will appear later this month at the 50th Japan Record Awards where they won the Best New Artist award last year. This year they are nominated for the Excellence Award for their hit Edo no Temari Uta II.

NEWS: hANGRY & ANGRY (Yoshizawa Hitomi / Ishikawa Rika), the Harajuku fashion based duo, will make their USA debut at next April's Sakura-con 2009. The event, held in Seattle, Washington, will see Yossie and Rika perform at their first non-Hawaiian USA event - how very exciting for the both of them! :D

The official USA hANGRY & ANGRY myspace site released the following press statement:

Sakura-Con to host Hangry & Angry premiere US performance!

Seattle, WA- 12-16-2008 ANCEA is pleased to announce the final headlining performers for Sakura-Con 2009. "Hangry & Angry" will make their US premiere at Sakura-Con 2009, April 10-12 at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center.

Hangry & Angry is a collaboration with a Harajuku fashion store which goes by the same name and is the brand of popular Japanese designer h.NAOTO . Illustrator GASHICON draws the gurokawa (grotesque-cute)-style characters "Hangry" and "Angry". What is Hangry & Angry? Hangry & Angry represent a potent synthesis of fashion, illustration, fantasy and music.

The characters "Hangry" and "Angry" are said to come from the H44 Star Nebula in order to save the world from global warming. They arrived in the present in their time machine dubbed "LOVE MACHINE."

NEWS: Ice Creamusume's official blog opened today and although there are no posts, it does have bios on each girl which include new (much easier to remember) nicknames. We also learn that their name is written with a joint of Cream and Musume - Creamusume.

Guu-chan
(グーチャン)
DOB: 1996.12.14

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GUU-CHAN!

Youko
(ヨウコ)
DOB: 1992.8.28


PeiPei
(ペイペイ)
DOB: 1991.2.10


ReiRei
(レイレイ)
DOB: 1994.1.16


Anchii
(アンチー)
DOB: 1989.7.23


ShenShen
(シェンシェン)
DOB: 1988.1.10

NEWS: Matsuura Aya has a new commercial deal with Family Mart for the Christmas, Holiday season. She also sings the theme song for the cm, titled Kitchen and Chicken. Family Mart have a youtube video channel where you can see a number of videos about Aya's new commercial deal, including some little talk videos. They also have a making of style video of Aya singing the track.

It's interesting, to say the least. Is it wrong that I like this song better than anything she's released recently -_-;;

NEWS: Earlier this evening, C-ute and Fujimoto Miki both performed at the Lyricist Award Show, a ceremony held in honour of the great lyricists of Japanese Music - Tsunku has been a past winner at the awards show.

C-ute performed twice, opening the show with ZARD's MAKENAIDE before later performing their hit single Edo no Temari Uta II which was nominated for an award, Yoshioka Osamu being the writer of the song. You can check out both performances below:

Fujimoto Miki paired up with Horiuchi Takao (who she had previously worked with on Oki tegami) to sing Itsu demo yume wo. I can't find any vid of the performance yet though. But I do have pics ^_^

NEWS: As you may or may not have already heard, it was announced today that Iida Kaori's 6 month old son passed away back in July from chronic renal failure. A memorial service was held for the child in September and Iida-san plans to return to the stage sometime next year.

I can imagine that losing your own child would be one of the most painful things to endure and I'm just really shocked and saddened by this news. Iida is such a kind, generous soul and it's so unfair something like this had to happen to her. With the love and support of her friends and family, I pray she can make it through this rough time.
My deepest condolences to Kaori and her family.

NEWS: I was a bit reluctant to report this 'news' since I don't know much about what is going on lol, but Mano Erina is appearing in some sort of dorama titled Pocky 4 Sisters ~Dasenai Tegami and it's getting a bit of publicity :D

The other Pocky Sisters are played by Omasa Aya, Kanai Miki and Okamoto Anri and the dorama is scheduled to air from the 27th of Dec on BS-i. I don't know much more other than that lol, but I'll make sure to get you Mano fans any new info I hear.

Check out some great Magazine scans which include some shots from the dorama as well as some scans of Mano featured in Kindai. Click for high-res obviously ;)

NEWS: The Taiwan H!P NEWSTARs have finally been given an official group name, from now forth they shall be known as Ice Cream Musume!

Back row: Zhōng An Qí, Gǔ Yún, Lán Ai Zi, Light bulb
Front row: Céng Dé Píng, Wú Sī Xuán

The group definitely has a Winter theme for themselves, or at least their debut album. They all look very cute in their ice cream jackets, leggings, furry boots and mini ice creams - some girls also seem to have been given mini makeovers since traveling to Japan. Xuán's hair has been cut in a bob now it seems and she looks strikingly like Sawada Yuri, I think lol. Píng has been given a short haircut too by the looks of it. Zi and Yún look really similar, could they be the next two top? Qí is looking gorgeous and Light bulb is Light bulb - cute as can be ^_^

The guy isn't part of the group - for those who were unsure ^^;

So thoughts on the name? It's cute and Ice Cream is my favourite thing in the world + their jackets suspiciously match the red/pink colour I'm always using on my blog... hmmmmm. It's great finally seeing them on the road to a debut and I can't wait to see what kind of songs they'll be singing!

I've also updated all the past NEWSTAR posts with the Ice Cream Musume tag, so click it to read up on the history of the group if you wish.

NEWS: The 2008 Japanese Nail Queen awards were held yesterday at the Japanese Nail Expo in conjunction with the JNA (Japanese Nailist Association) and the results are in! (exciting, yeah? ^_^ ) (click images to enlarge)

Homare Sawa, Peter, Yonekura Ryoko, Koda Kumi, Watanabe Ann, DAIGO

Yonekura Ryoko took home the top prize in the actress category, while Watanabe Ann (model) recieved the prize in the talento catagory. DAIGO (BREAKERZ) represented the men and I'm sure he loves being called a Queen ... or maybe he's the Nail King? I have to admit, nail art looks cool, but I dunno if I'd do it. If you're a dude, I think you have to be a rockstar to pull it off. Homare Sawa and Peter also won awards in the sport and special categories.

Koda Kumi was also named a Nail Queen in the artist category. She has held the title since 2006 and because she has now reigned 3 years in a row, Kuu was inducted into the Nail Queen Hall of Fame. She was presented the award by fellow Hall of Fame-er Becky, who had won the Talento category from 2005-2007. Koda had her claws out proudly at the awards - I think you'll agree, they're very impressive ...

NEWS: Exciting news for Buono! as they become the spokespersons for PIZZA-LA, self described as the "No.1 delivery pizza". They feature in 2 cms both 15sec long - You can watch them below or at higher quality here.

While I'm not a huge fan of takeaway pizza, it's still exciting news for Buono! I'm glad they're branching out from Shugo Chara! and really standing alone as artists rather than just a group specifically for the anime.

NEWS: The winners of Taiwan's NEW STAR auditions traveled to Japan this past Saturday to begin rigorous dance training and preparations for their debut album.

Zhōng An Qí, Lán Ai Zi, Céng Dé Píng, 'Light bulb', Wú Sī Xuán, Gǔ Yún

After the six girls were selected by Tsunku himself in September, over a month was spent with the girl's parents organising for their futures in the entertainment industry and in contractual talks. The girls also immediately began training and now that all affairs have been sorted can now travel to Japan for training and recording for their debut album.

Although the sun had not yet even risen, the spirits of the members were high on the morning of the 8th of November as the girls all arrived at the airport. The girls declared their excitement with many not being able to get to sleep the night before, in anticipation.
12 year old Gǔ Yún, the daughter of track athlete (decathlon) Gǔ Jin Shui, will be heading abroad for the first time by herself. Her father is not worried though, describing his daughter as independant and clever.
Céng Dé Píng expressed a desire to lay a firm foundation of Japanese pronunciation before tackling Japanese conversation while 14 year old, Lán Ai Zi acknowledged that training will be tough, concerned that she may not be able to keep up with the other members. She maintained that she will try her very best to make the most of her Japanese trip.
Light Bulb had one of her classic moments at the airport after being told drinks and liquids were prohibited from being brought on the plane, extremely concerned she would be branded a terrorist for having to bring on cold medicine. Her tension was deemed cute and amusing to the staff and other members.
Elder members Zhōng An Qi and Wú Sī Xuán showed motherly spirit, caring for the younger members' whereabouts and emotions. The pair have also been strenuously practicing the lyrics of their Japanese songs together.
While the girls have very serious training ahead of them, their biggest concerns seemed to be excitement over visiting Tokyo Disneyland, revealing their childish, cute sides.

Their debut album is expected to be released before the new lunar year (Jan/Feb 09), though the article is scarce on details. More information, including a release date, will be revealed as the girls progress through their training. They are all hoping to have great results from the training, bringing glory as they represent Taiwan.

I'm very excited for this! I can't wait to see what these girls can bring to the table and the style and sound Tsunku has in store for them. Thanks to Estrea @ JPH!P who posted a full translation, I fixed up a few errors I had made in my summary. Check out the link for more details.

NEWS: Canaria Club's Rippon (Sugira Riho) will graduate from the group and TNX's NICE GIRL Project in January next year to focus on her studies.

She is reported that her last job as a Canary will be participating in Tsunku Theatre, from the 10th to the 12th of January.
Rippon really impressed me while watching the Canaria Club Live Document DVD - she was very personable and funny, just a joy to watch. She was one of my favourites in Canaria Club, and I'll definitely miss her. Bye bye Rippon :(

Thanks to menO at the jpm forums for the news.

NEWS: Shocking news this afternoon as the official Hello!Project website announced the mass graduation of every Elder Club member on the 31st of March, 2009.

Graduating Members


Nakazawa Yuko, Iida Kaori, Abe Natsumi, Yasuda Kei, Yaguchi Mari


Ishikawa Rika, Yoshizawa Hitomi, Tsuji Nozomi, Konno Asami, Ogawa Makoto


Fujimoto Miki, Satoda Mai, Inaba Atsuko, Maeda Yuki


Melon Kinenbi
Saito Hitomi, Murata Megumi, Ohtani Masae, Shibata Ayumi


Miyoshi Erika, Matsuura Aya, Okada Yui


Ongaku Gatas' Eggs
Korenaga Miki, Noto Arisa, Sengoku Minami, Sawada Yuri

While the girls are graduating from Hello!Project, they will apparently still remain part of UFA and continue as artists without being idols. Whether this refers to all members is unclear at this point. The Eggs will likely remain within the Hello! Pro Eggs, other than Korenaga who graduated as an Egg since joining Ongaku Gatas.

I gotta say... This is just horrible news. To me many of these artists are who I think of when I think of H!P. How can you have H!P without Yuko or Nacchi? Mari or Kei? Crazy Johnson? The incredible 4th gen? All the soloists? Ahh, it's gonna take a bit to get my head around this. Just the other day I was ranking my fav members in H!P with a friend and they were surprised I had so many of these Elder Club members so high. I really do respect and adore these girls. They will be missed.

NEWS: ... and married apparently. On the last day of her very uneventful tour, Leah announced that she is getting married and that she is pregnant. No word on who the mystery man is at the moment but Ms. Dizon is holding a special conference tomorrow where no doubt everything will be revealed.

After her final show in Shibuya during the encore, Leah announced to her fans that she was married last Friday and that she was pregnant. She explained that she will rest for a while, but that she is hoping to return to the industry. I won't hold my breath lol.

UPDATE: Rumours are circulating that her new husband is a stylist who worked with Leah on the shoot of an album cover about a year ago. Leah pregnancy is also apparently 4 months along. This will no doubt be verified tomorrow.

Congratulations to Leah anyway and to her new hubby ... whoever he is.

NEWS/PREVIEW: Some kick ass news tonight as a new unit is announced: Yoshizawa Hitomi and Ishikawa Rika are HANGRY & ANGRY! (images can be clicked for larger pics)

The duo take on the role of HANGRY (Yossie) and ANGRY (Rika) for HANGRY & ANGRY, a Harajuku based clothing store specializing in Punk and Gothic/Lolita styles. HANGRY prefers Punk fashion while ANGRY likes Gothic/Lolita.

HANGRY & ANGRY

The girls already have an official myspace site where you can preview their first release. I recorded a rip off of it so you can just take a listen here to their debut song Kill Me, Kiss Me.

Kill Me, Kiss Me is very different to the usual H!P song, it's pretty much unlike anything H!P has done before. I really like it, straight from the first listen. The chorus is addictive especially the Kill Me, Kiss Me bits. I love these two girls and I'm so glad that this unit has been created. I hope it isn't just a one shot and actually has some legs.

HANGRY & ANGRY's mini-album Kill Me, Kiss Me is released on the 19th of November. I cannot wait! I even redid the blog's banner for this awesome duo! Hope you all like it ^_^

NEWS: Kago Ai is starring in a new commerical for goo-net.com which I believe is an auction site for motor vehicles? You can view the cm at the link above, featuring a rocked out Aibon. It also includes a making of video which is a nice addition.

Oricon also has an article about Aibon, featuring a photo gallery of images from the cm shoot. Click the pics for the full images.