Berryz Koubou

	Saki Shimizu Birthday: 1991-11-22 Birthplace: Tokyo Blood type: O * Leader
	Momoko Tsugunaga Birthday: 1992-03-06 Birthplace: Tokyo Blood type: O
	Chinami Tokunaga Birthday: 1992-05-22 Birthplace: Kanagawa Blood type: O
	Maasa Sudou Birthday: 1992-07-03 Birthplace: Tokyo Blood type: O
	Miyabi Natsuyaki Birthday: 1992-08-25 Birthplace: Chiba Blood type: O
	Yurina Kumai Birthday: 1993-08-03 Birthplace: Kanagawa Blood type: B
	Risako Sugaya Birthday: 1994-04-04 Birthplace: Kanagawa Blood type: A
	Maiha Ishimura Birthday: 1992-11-20 Birthplace: Chiba Blood type: O * Graduated as of October 2nd, 2005.

Berryz Koubou (or sometimes BerryZ Koubou or Berryz Kobo) is the current Hello! Project kids group. It now consists of 7 members: Saki Shimizu (leader, 14), Momoko Tsugunaga (14), Chinami Tokunaga (14), Maasa Sudou (14), Miyabi Natsuyaki (14), Yurina Kumai (13), and Risako Sugaya (12). The former member is Maiha Ishimura (13), who “graduated”, left, in October 2005 to focus on her schoolwork.

Berryz Koubou (which translates to Berryz Workshop) was announced as the newest Hello! Project kids unit in early 2004. They were originally going to constantly rotate member of the Hello! Project kids into this unit, but this didn’t happen and the remaining Hello! Project kids formed their own group, °C-ute (although, °C-ute hasn’t released any singles).

Berryz Koubou is said to be Hello! Projects newest Morning Musume and will grow up very strong, vocally. So far, Berryz has released 9 singles, 2 albums, and a mini-album is coming in early December. This article will mainly focus on their singles, although a complete discography will be included. Sometime later, I’ll post articles on their albums!

Their first single, Anata Nashi de wa Sekite Yukenai, was released on March 3rd, 2004. It’s a very funky, cool hip-hop song with lots of interesting instruments and sounds. I personally love this song. I believe it’s made very well – if you’re wearing headphones and only listen to one side, it’s almost a totally different song. They really put different instruments on different channels and whatnot to make it a really fun musical experience. I’m not particularly fond of their voices, but I love their songs and I got used to their voices that I don’t mind much anymore. Plus, I’m around their same age (13!) so I don’t really feel there’s anything too special about their age.

Their second single, Fighting Pose wa Date Janai is a bit of a contrasting upbeat, cute, poppy song. It was released on April 28th of 2004. The girls singing definitely fit this style of singing and songs better. This song is filled with fun tons of cutesy
instruments, creepy man voices, and “woo!”ing. Pretty much the standard Hello! Project song, right? XD

Their third single, Piriri to Yukou is another very fun song. Released on May 26th of 2004, it has a big Okinawa style influence to it, with the various instruments and even Okinawa words and chants (and a very catchy chorus!). Even the choreography and outfits fit this fun Okinawa theme.

On July 7th, they released their first album, 1st Cho Berryz. The album contains 12 tracks, which includes their 3 singles, a remix of their first single, their version of the Hello! Project theme song, and 7 previously unreleased tracks.

August 25th of 2004 continued their busy year with the release of their 4th single, Happiness ~Koufuku Kangei~. This single is another very fun, energetic, upbeat, and fun song.

Their 5th and last single of 2004 was Koi no Jubaku, a nice vacation from the wholly poppy songs they had released previously. Koi no Jubaku is an upbeat “mysterious” song with a very good beat and percussion instruments. Koi no Jubaku does translate to “Love’s Curse” or “Love’s Spell” so the composition of the song does match very well with the lyrics and song title.

2005 was/is another great and busy year for them. Their 6th single, Special Generation, was released on March 30th. Special Generation is one of my personal favorites from Berryz Koubou. It’s an upbeat, catchy, yet DIFFERENT song of theirs. It has got a bit of the same mysterious feeling as Koi no Jubaku has, and yet it’s different. I don’t really know how to correctly descrbe this song, but it is excellent and you should listen to it for yourself.

On June 8th came another single, titled Nanchuu Koi wo Yatteru YOU KNOW?. This song is another odd song, which is a total trance/dance song. It striked me as really strange when I first heard it, but it soon grew onto me. I didn’t know how Berryz Koubou could pull off this style of song, but they managed to do it well. Sometimes, though, the background instruments drown their voices (which may or not be a good thing XD). But I really do like this song, another one of my personal favorites.

Berryz Koubou released their 8th single on August 3rd, titled 21 Ji Made no Cinderella. This song brings Berryz Koubou a little bit back to their earlier energetic poppy songs, although it still has a hint of the other songs. This is another really great song for Berryz, with its catchy verses and equally catchy choruses and “dere dere cinderella”s.

On November 16th, their second album, Dai 2 Seichouki came out. It contains 12 songs, including 5 singles and 7 other tracks.

Their 9th, and latest, single is titled Gag 100 Bun Aishite Kudasai and was released on November 23rd. I am constantly listening to this song, it’s plain awesome. I think it just might be my favorite Berryz Koubou song. This song has a really great upbeat, fun beat with very catchy lyrics and notes, especially when they do this “suki nan da, suki nan dakke?, suki ka kikasete” thing where the notes go higher and higher than lower and higher and yeah. It’s really awesome. :) This song is also very exposed since it is the theme song for a highly anticipated movie called Pretty Cure Max Heart 2.

Their third release within 3 weeks time is another album, but it’s an “extended play CD”, titled Special! Best Mini ~2.5 Maime no Kare~. It’s much like a best album. It includes Gag 100 Kai Bun Aishite Kudasai, Special Generation, 21 Ji Made no Cinderella, Piriri to Yukou, Anata Nashi dewa Sekite Yukenai, and a new song titled Arigatou! Tomodachi.

Berryz Koubou really proves to be a great addition to the Hello! Project and is always releasing something. Throughout their under 2 year career (which is growing), they already have many releases under their belt, and at such young ages! Let’s take a look at their discography and you can download some of the songs as well. I think you may like them berry, berry much. …*crickets chirping* …Enjoy!

Singles

1st Single: Anata Nashi de wa Sekite Yukenai

1. Anata Nashi de wa Sekite Yukenai
2. BERRY FIELDS
3. Anata Nashi de wa Sekite Yukenai (Instrumental)

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2nd Single: Fighting Pose wa Date Janai!

1. Fighting Pose wa Date Janai!
2. Natsu Wakame
3. Fighting Pose wa Date Janai! (Instrumental)

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3rd Single: Piriri to Yukou

1. Piriri to Yukou
2. Kaccho ee!
3. Piriri to Yukou! (Instrumental)

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4th Single: Happiness! ~Koufuku Kangei!~

1. Happiness ~Koufuku Kangei!~
2. Yuujou Junjou oh Seishun
3. Happiness ~Koufuku Kangei!~ (Instrumental)

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5th Single: Koi no Jubaku

1. Koi no Jubaku
2. Passion E-CHA E-CHA
3. Koi no Jubaku (Instrumental)

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6th Single: Special Generation

1. Special Generation
2. Koi Shiteru Toki Wa Itsumo
3. Special Generation (Instrumental)

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7th single: Nanchuu Koi wo Yatteru YOU KNOW?

1. Nanchu Koi wo Yatteru YOU KNOW?
2. Yume de DO-UP
3. Nanchu Koi wo Yatteru YOU KNOW? (Instrumental)

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8th Single: 21 Ji Made no Cinderella

1. 21 Ji Made no Cinderella
2. Himitsu no U･TA･HI･ME
3. 21 Ji Made no Cinderella (Instrumental)

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9th Single: GAG 100 Kai Bun Aishite Kudasai

1. GAG 100 Kai Bun Aishite Kudasai
2. Nigiyaka na Fuyu
3. GAG 100 Kai Bun Aishite Kudasai (Instrumental)

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10th Single: Jiriri Kiteru

1. Jiriri Kiteru
2. Toshoshitsu Taiki
3. Jiriri Kiteru (Instrumental)

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11th Single: Waracchaou yo BOYFRIEND

1. Waracchaou yo BOYFRIEND
2. Suhada Pichi Pichi
3. Waracchaou yo BOYFRIEND (Instrumental)

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Albums

1st Album: 1st Cho Berryz

1. Anata Nashi de wa Sekite Yukenai
2. Piriri to Yukou
3. Nicchoku ~Geinoujin no Kaiwa~
4. Fighting Pose wa Date Janai!
5. Koi wa Hipparidako
6. Semi
7. Anshinkan
8. Kozukai UP Daisakusen
9. TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY
10. Bye Bye Mata ne
11. Anata Nashi de wa Ikite Yukenai (FUNKY Remix)
12. Hello! no Theme (Berryz Koubou Version)

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2nd Album: Dai 2 Seichouki

1. Special Opening
2. Special Generation
3. Nanchu Koi wo Yatteru YOU KNOW?
4. Joshi basket-bu～Asaneriattahi no Kamigata
5. Koi no Jubaku
6. Ohiru no Kyuukeijikan
7. Happiness ~Koufuku Kangei~
8. Sabori
9. 21 Ji Made no Cinderella
10. Aisuru-hito no Namae wo Nikki ni
11. Berryz Koubou koushinkyoku
12. Special Ending

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Mini Albums

1st Mini Album: Special! Best Mini ~ 2.5 Maime no Kare ~

1. GAG 100 Kai Bun Aishite Kudasai
2. Arigatou! Tomodachi
3. Special Generation
4. 21 Ji Made no Cinderella
5. Piriri to Yukou
6. Anata Nashi dewa Sekite Yukenai

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2nd Mini Album: (3) Natsu Natsu Mini Berryz

1. Jiriri Kiteru
2. Maji Natsu Sugiru
3. Natsu Remember You
4. Yeah! Meccha Holiday (Risako Sugaya)
5. Chu! Natsu Party (Yurina Kumai, Miyabi Natsuyaki, Chinami Tokunaga)
6. Halation Summer (Saki Shimizu, Maasa Sudou, Momoko Tsugunaga)

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