Oricon Jpop Charts: Week 20

Here’s a look at this week’s Oricon Jpop rankings, with links (when possible:

Oricon, Week 20

1. (N) Going — KAT-TUN
2. (N) Devil Side — VAMPS
3. (N) Nakama — Ketsumeishi
4. (N) Thousand Enemies — Girls Dead Monster
5. (2) Arigatou — Ikimonogakari

Turning in a No. 1 this week is pop/rap group KAT-TUN with their song going. The song mixes fast-paced electronica with a mix of boy band and rapped lyrics.

This week’s charts adds a little guitar power to the Jpop charts, and The Vamps’ Devil Side packs a Marilyn Manson inspired vocals with some fast-paced guitar riffs. The video strongly emphasizes gothic/erotic imagery with good old fashioned glam rock ideals – ie brooding rock star surrounded by sexy groupies.

Taking fourth is Girls Dead Monster with Thousand Enemies, from the Angel Beats soundtrack (link is non-video). Remeniscent of 90s pop/rock, the song is catchy and fun, if a little (not a lot) generic.

Check it! Gothic Lotita Psycho trailers

Two trailers have been posted for the upcoming film Gothic Lolita Psycho on Nippon Cinema’s website. (Gothic Lolita Psycho)

The movie is about a girl who gets revenge on those who killed her mother by dressing up in gosurori – gothic and lolita styles mixed together – and wreaks carnage on them with, among other weapons, a machine gun umbrella.

The movie seems to mix gore with humor, especially evidenced by the gag trailer also posted.

The film is slated to release at the Theater N in Shubuya on September 4, 2010.

Oricon Jpop charts: Week 19

Jpop band AAA

As per usual, the top five have nearly completely changed, as they do almost every week. Here’s the chart with links:

Week 19
1. (N) AAA – Dream After Dream
2. (N) Arigatou — Ikimonogakari
3. (N) Momoiro Clover — Ikuze! Kaitou Shojo
4. (6) Mata Kimi Ni Koi Shiteru — Fuyumi Sakamoto
5. (2) GO! GO! MANIAC — HO-KAGO TEA TIME

Noteable:

Topping the charts this week is a synth-rock anthem from AAA, Dream After Dream. The song combines modern Japanese pop sensibilities with an 80s rock pace that makes for a mildy interesting combination.

Momoiro Clover brings a sound that isn’t a great different at the No. 3 spot – same near rap mixed with fast paced drum beats – though instead of a co-ed boy band we have all school girls… in the outfits.

Check it! Summer anime preview posted

Compiled by data from moonphase, the latest chart featuring anime series debuting in June and July has been posted.

Here’s the breakdown from J Geeks:

The good: Seikimatsu no Occult Gakuin holds the promise of a fun supernatural/academy series, with an occult university locked up like a fortress. Nurarihyon no Mago, based on a manga series, holds promise in the form of taking an anime staple – the reluctant demon – and turning it on its head.

The bad: The Legend of the Legendary Heroes might as well be called Generic adventures of the Generic Stock Characters. I got bored just reading this title. I realize the title makes a little more linguistic sense in Japanese – but only a little.

The moe: Strike Witches 2. Love it or hate it, its about as moe as they come.

The weird: Osaka Hamlet. As far as anime goes, maybe this isn’t so weird, but one character’s obsession with the character Hamlet might pave the way for some interesting Shakespeare references, rending this beyond the usual fare of animation from Japan.

Wanna see for yourself? Check out the chart, plus a very extensive release schedule,  here: (Summer anime).

New Gantz movie footage revealed

Footage from the newest Gantz movie has been posted online and can be found here: (Gantz movie).

Gantz is the story of two college students killed in a train accident, but are forced to join with several other recently deceased people in order to fight aliens in a chance to regain their lives.

The first of the two movies will be released in 2011.

The Tatami Critic: High Kick Girl

Several recent American martial arts releases have tried to take genre to higher levels than simply chop-socky kung fu fare: and failed. Perhaps the most recent example comes from Red Belt, which opened many plot twist avenues only to get lost in its own tangle of possible themes.

Coming from overseas is a film that avoids this recent trend, instead favoring a fairly a straight-forward plot and theme. High Kick Girl, while unfortunately carrying an ominous title more suggestive of hentai antics than actual martial arts, keeps things simple: Karate fighting at its best.

Check it! Build your own PC w/ anime girl

Windows 7 mascot Nanami Madobe

Follow Windows 7 mascot Nanami Madobe as she walks you though building your very own PC (extremely quickly), and the wonders of the Windows 7 platform. (Nanami Madobe)

The voices are, of course, in Japanese, but the curiosity factor should be compelling enough.

Nanami is one of several OS-tan personifications, depicting various operating systems as anime characters. The “tan” suffix is a cutesy way of the “chan” suffix, which in itself is a way of rendering affection or adorableness.

Link courtesy of Moetron.

Rookies’ Sato to star in Manzai Gang

Ryuta Sato

Ryuta Sato, who played Kowato-sensei in the drama and movie versions of Rookies, will star in a new film called Manzai Gang.

Based on a novel by Hiroshi Shinigawa, Sato plays Kurosawa, one half of a comedy duo whose partner has quite and who has drowned his sorrows in sake. After being locked up he meets another prisoner, a natural straightman, and the two take their act to the streets.

Filming is expected to wrap up in June, with an undetermined 2011 release date.

Oricon J Pop charts: Week 18

Here’s a look at this week’s Jpop top five, with links:

Week 18
1. (NEW) Go! Go! Maniac — Ho-Kago Tea Time
2. (NEW) Listen!! — Ho-Kago Tea Time
3. (1) Mahou no Ryori – Kimi Kara Kimi E — Bump of Chicken
4. (6) Mata Kimi Ni Koi Shiteru — Fuyumi Sakamoto
5. (New) Campus life – Umarete Kite Yokatta — C-ute

This week’s top two songs come from Ho-Kago Tea Time, the band from fan-favorite K-on! Go! Go! Maniac is a high-energy ball of anime energy; Listen is a little less frentic, more reminiscent of the series first ending theme.The organ riff lends a nice touch to this tune.

Interestingly enough, the guitarist from Bump of Chicken, No. 3 on the charts, seems to own the same guitar as Yui from K-On. Their style seems to be a lot more laid-back and mellow, however.

If you want to kick a little more old school (really old school) this traditional song by Fuyumi Sakamoto hit the charts at No. 4. You’ll see this type of music on the same kind of commericials that you do Hank Williams in the States – interesting that it would hit the Oricon.

Following up at No. 5 is C-ute, every bit aptly named as they dance and strut in quasi-school girl outfits and standard Tokyo style to pretty standard J-pop fare. The name sums up the selling point here.