Perfume promoting Dream Fighter
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Artist: Perfume
Product Code: TKCA-73390/5
Release Date: 2008.11.19
Genre: Technopop
Highest Ranking: #2
Label: Tokuma Japan Communications
Format: CD, CD+DVD
Limited Edition: CD+DVD version
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Dream Fighter concludes their successful 2008 run. It was a single that generated a lot of hype, from forums to blogs. When the 15 second preview came out, everyone became somewhat confused. “This doesn’t sound like Perfume” a fan says. Until the full radio preview came out, people expressed their opinions. Some say that it carried too much pop than techno, some say it sounds different from their previous works, but most people still like it anyways.
Despite the success that they had on Love the World and GAME, their ORICON single sales rank fell short to UVERworld’s new single: Hakanaku mo Towa no Kanashi, which is UVERworld’s first #1 single based on the highly popular mecha series Gundam 00 S2.
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Proposal Daisakusen Promotional Photograph
“Proposal Daisakusen“, otherwise known as “Operation Love”, is a Japanese television drama series. This series started being aired in April 2007, with the season finale at the end of June on Fuji TV. A total of eleven episodes were recorded, which is the standard in Japan. In March 2008, a special was aired to conclude the whole series.
This drama was extremely popular in Japan, with an average rating of 17.3%. Consequently it has won a fair amount of awards. At the 53rd Japanese Television Academy Awards, it won the award for Best Drama, Best Theme Song and the Special Award. Furthermore at the 11th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix it won the award for Best Drama and Yamashita Tomohisa and Nagasawa Masami won the Best Actor and Best Actress respectively. Hamada Gaku and Eikura Nana also won the Best Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress awards.
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Arashi in Popolo, September 2008
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Artist: Arashi
Product Code: JACA-5109/5111/5113
Release Date: 2008.08.20
Highest Ranking: #1
Label: J-STORM
Limited Edition: DVD, special cover and tracklist
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In the summer of 2008, Arashi’s leader Ohno Satoshi was given the starring role in the summer TBS drama Maou. At the same time, member Sakurai Sho was given the honor of covering the 2008 Beijing Olympics for NTV. Arashi contributed “truth” as the theme song to Ohno’s drama and “Kaze no Mukou e” as the theme for NTV. The two songs were released as a special 3-version double-A side single. The B-side on the single was also used in CMs for Tongari Corn snacks, with Arashi as the spokesmen.
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Kurage, Nagareboshi's booklet image
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Artist: Ai Otsuka
Product Code: AVCD-31497/98/99/500
Release Date: 9.10.2008
Genre: Pop/Ballad
Label: avex trax
Limited Edition: 5th aniversary edition covers, Comment Card, Jacket Sticker
Format: CD+DVD
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Rumors of Ai Otsuka’s 18th single began two months prior to its release just as its predecessor, Rocket Sneaker. Many were skeptical, preferring a new album to avoid another LOVE PiECE and its high single content. Fans despaired too soon though as more would be revealed at the end of the month.
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Ayumi on SCawaii, January 2009 Issue
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Artist: Ayumi Hamasaki
Product Code: AVCD-31580/81/82/83
Release Date: 2008.12.17
Highest Ranking: #1
Genre: Pop/Ballad
Label: avex trax
Format: CD or CD+DVD
First Press: Vertically long cardboard slipcase and poster
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Yet another year is almost over and the festive Christmas season is back. Despite of the current world economical situation, the whole J-Pop industry is once again booming with winter releases. The plethora of releases by the end of the year, create a rather exciting atmosphere at the end-of-year variety shows, especially since many artists perform and unveil their winter releases for the very first time. Pop-diva, Ayumi Hamasaki has also returned after eight months of absence to release her 44th single, just in time for the festive season.
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