It still feels like July where I live, so I am going to try and cool down with a photo card collection of SKE48 members wearing lovely yukata.
Please enjoy this photo gallery of SKE48 Trading Cards, 2015. OK, everyone get your fans ready …
Notice that every time this page loads, the the mosaic changes.
Rena Matsui.
Rena graduated SKE48 and the AKB48 Family in August, 2015. Is this the end of the Matsui-to-Matsui axis? Who will step up — to team up — with Jurina and become the new “dynamic duo” within SKE?
Matsui squared — Rena and Jurina (no relation).
Starlight: I may have to travel to the planet of the Cold Turkeys for some time …
“Mrs. Brown you’ve got a lovely daughter … Girls as sharp as her are somethin’ rare …”
Krabby (in Japanese: クラブ “Crab” ) is a Water-type Pokémon.
Turns out Misty had crabs!
Krabby evolves into Kingler (in Japanese: キングラー “Kingler” ) at level 28, where it remains a Water-type. (There is not a Mega-Evolution form for this Pokemon yet — but if there were, I would hope that it would be a water and STEEL dual-type.)
I like to name a Krabby “Herman” as a nod to the British pop band “Herman’s Hermits”. Hermit crabs, get it? Hermits’ front-man Peter Noonan is great in this vintage clip of “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter”.
Perhaps, “Mrs. Brown” would be a good name for female Krabbys?
Real hermit crabs are much smaller than Herman’s Hermits, but crabs can make interesting pets.
“Walkin’ about … even in a crowd, well … You’ll pick her out, makes a bloke feel — so proud…”
Another possible name is “Cancer” or “Kancer” after the Zodiac sign of The Crab.
A female could be named “Patty” or “Pattie” after the Craby Patty sandwich from SpongeBob. Mr Krabbs would approve.
I think that “Boston” or “Boston Crab” would be interesting. “The Boston Crab” is a famous wrestling hold. If you ask me, this hold — like most wrestling moves — is better appreciated with lady wrestlers.
I have used the name “Klinger” for Kingler. Klinger was of course the famous character from the American TV show M*A*S*H.
I like the name “KrispyKreme” after the doughnuts, even though it is not crab related. The exoskeletons of a crab are hard and “crisp” like I suppose.
I have also used the name “Alaska” as in Alaska King Crabs.
What Sayaka Yamamoto looks like when I’m out of colorful ideas.
Sorry, Yamamoto-san, you can go home. You are doing everything right as usual, I just can’t get my imagination going now.
What happened to the COLOR options in the WordPress editor!?!? I used to be able to create color text. The button was there now it is gone … My signature “Starlight” sign-off is supposed to be written in RED. Otherwise, how would you know that I’m moving rapidly away from you, and not towards you? Now I am living in the “Black and White World”.
SING IT, Elvis (link here). My heart is not in this drab world, Sayanee. Here are the lyrics. You read them dear girl, while I sort this out.
Written by Elvis Costello: “Black and White World” 1980.
I was looking at the black and white world It seemed so exciting If you’d only put me back to back with that girl When the night’s inviting
With just a little lighting There’ll never be days like that again When I was just a boy and men were men You never go from moment to moment You’re the living double of a single fiction You’re very colourful with your compliments As you feel the finger’s friction
It’s a freeze-frame Still it’s real life You don’t want to look Cause you’ve seen the film and you’ve read the book I was looking at the black and white world Trying to name some pin-up Those days she was just a beautiful girl Now she’s framed and hung up
I thought she was young Up until I saw her last night in close detail Though they all fade away when you’re so pale It’s more than just a physical attraction
It starts with a face and ends up a fixation But you’re never gonna feel a fraction Of the way it used to work on your imagination When you were looking at the black and white world…
Starlight: I guess we can’t work in the 0.4 to 0.7 micrometer range anymore?
Voltorb (in Japanese: ビリリダマ “Biriridama”) is an Electric-type Pokémon of course. It appears to us like a Pokéball: a ball that is red on top and white on the bottom. Voltorb evolves into Electrode (In Japanese: マルマイン “Marumine”) at level 30, where it remains an electric type. Electrode also looks like a Pokéball, except that Electrode is white on top and red on the bottom. Um …
I will admit, I often forget if Voltorb is red on the top and white on the bottom, or the other way around.
I think that the PERFECT nickname for this Pokémon would be “Cyrkle” or “The Cyrkle”. This pop trio had a great pop hit in 1966 called “Red Rubber Ball”.
Here is the music video of The Cyrkle. Sorry for the low volume on the first one. This particular YouTube post was apparently designed for the hearing impaired. It does have the lyrics subtitled in a large, easy-to-read font. This makes it easier to sing along with … at least for those of us who remember the single. Note the “red rubber balls” in the back ground set. Could these really be Voltorbs in disguise? You know … similar to how they hide themselves in buildings, such as the Team Rocket hideout? You think it is a Pokéball ,or an item to pick up, then ZAP — you have to battle the electric balls!
This is a much better sounding YT vid. This does better justice to this proto-power-pop song.
“Red Rubber Ball” was written by legendary singer-songwriter Paul Simon (of Simon and Garfunkel fame). I think it is a well-crafted, perhaps almost “textbook” mid-sixties song. It clocks in at two minutes twenty — leaves you with the hook, and you want to play it again! Although I was just a larva in 1966, I loved listening to my transistor radio under the bedcovers at night. AM radio-pop songs were great at that time. I think that the song composition style of mid-1960s music is the template for everything I would like later.
Unfortunately, Mr. Simon did not like his own composition. He wrote the song for a publishing house, and referred to it as a period when he was a “hack” songwriter. I think it is great. In fact, I like it better than “Bridge Over Troubled Waters”. (What is that one really all about anyway?)
Check out these lyrics from RRB: “The roller-coaster ride we took is nearly at an end – I bought my ticket with my tears, that’s all I’m gonna spend”.
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel only performed the song as a “novelty” song at just a few live performances. You can listen to that Simon and Garfunkel version linked here. Pretty cool stuff for we pop music historians!
Oh, right … electric balls again …
I named one “Cold-Hearted” as in “cold hearted orb which rules the night” line from the famous poem “Late Lament.”
“Voltaire” is a literary reference for any sophisticated Voltorb trainers.
Other names I have seen for Voltorb and Electrode include:
“Da Bomb”“BOOOOM” or “Ka-Boom” and the like are common, as Voltorb may use moves such as Explosion and Self-Destruct. Some players have named Voltorb after terrorists/suicide bombers — because they blow themselves up.
“Thunderball”, or “Oddball” may be good. How about “RollerBall” as in the classic1975 sci-fi film? Pretty cool metal ball!
Regarding the “balls” names: If you want, add an “s” or “z” to the end as in “Lectro-Ballz”.
Other names for electric types such as “Shocker” or some variant would be OK. I might suggest the name “Shockey” as in the former NFL tight-end Jeremy Shockey.
Electrode has no Mega-Evolved form. If someday there is one, I hope that it will be a Steel and Electric dual type, and look something like the RollerBall in the movie poster.
What do you name your electric balls of steel? Please comment.
(Don’t mind me, I ‘m still gasping a little …) Her post today contains a few images from the brand new Jurina Matsui photobook! If you like photography, Japanese pop stars, and/or photography OF Japanese pop stars — do yourself a favor and have a gander at the new photobook she previews there. If you like fashion or fruit salads you will not be disappointed.
You can also BUY your own copy the photobook from CD Japan. Link here. Here is the cover:
Starlight: Just came out this month. If you follow MorningBerryz48, then you will not have to wait light years for the good photobooks!
For more fashions, see my Jurina Matsui board on Pinterest!
I was happy that a YouTube user re-posted this interesting performance by a young Hanako Oku!
Hanako Oku makes a cameo appearance on this (unknown) Japanese Television show from several years ago. Although I do not understand much of what is said, it is still fun to watch. She plays some snippets of her commercial jingles and other songs, then laughs and jokes with the other two performers.
Notable:
Well, Hanako Oku dressed as a mouse.
Hanako Oku wearing a SKIRT. Note that because she is a LADY MOUSE she is wearing a mini-skirt. Only time I have ever seen her in one (… at least a skirt that short)!
I had seen this a long time ago, when I was first falling in like with HO songs. It was taken off — and I had to wonder why. What possible harm was there to the other performers, their companies or their lawyers? I have to credit YouTube user サバイデサバイ for recently posting several PRICELESS videos of early Hanako Oku performances. There are several rare live clips which show Hanako Oku early in her career. Thank you sir (or ‘mam) … I bow respectfully to you. You are making it very enjoyable to participate in Hanako Oku’s 10 year anniversary! (I hope I don’t get them in trouble by posting this.)
Just enjoy it for now, all Hanako Oku fans … all three of us in North America, I guess. If you are not a fan, you don’t know how much we enjoys clips like this. She endears herself to us. To us, it is instant joy to see The Little Great One. I feel like buying her records all over again.
Starlight: I do not have a date of origin … does anyone know?
Joltik (in Japanese: バチュル “Bachuru” ) is a dual-type Bug and Electric Pokémon.
The little creepy crawler evolves into Galvantula (in Japanese: デンチュラ “Dentula”) at level 36, where it remains a bug/electric dual type. This little electric arachnid is often found in caves.
Galvantula does not Mega-Evolve, at least not at this time. Apparently they are easy to breed.
You could name a male Joltik “Joltin Joe” after baseball legend “Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio“. I was at a loss for what to name a female Joltik … I thought … “it is a crawler … No, a walker…” so I finally came up with “WalkAwayRené” after the famous 1966 hit song by Left Banke — “Walk Away Renée”. I maxed out my 12 allowed letters.
Listening to this really takes me back. Here is the original black and white music video. It is pretty cool for a 1960s promo clip. Remember there was not an MTV or such outlet for this type of promo film back then! Watch for Renée to appear in the clouds above the trees — it is a sweet moment. The sound of this vid was recorded very low however. You can also listen to a 45 record with better sound linked here, or a crystal clear CD linked here. Lyrics are linked here. You will note that this song has a very pretty melody. It is also a sad and haunting melody. You see, back in the mid 1960s — pop songs actually had melodies!!! Kids, learn something from this well-crafted 1960s song.
I bet you will be getting into it when you try it at karaoke tonight … you shy little spider.
Remember Renée from up in the clouds? Well, here she is again in a little Galvantula cosplay:
“Your name and mine inside a heart upon a wall — Still finds a way to haunt me — though they’re so small”
“Just walk away, Renee — You won’t see me follow you back home — The empty sidewalks on my block — are not the same …”
Considering Galvantula: I chose the name “Boris” as a tribute to John Entwistle’s song made famous by The Who.
The spider can learn moves like Electroweb, Electroball and Sticky Web. However, I prefer straight ahead attacks such as X-Scisscor, Bug-Bite or Thunderbolt.
I have also used the name “Galveston” after the town out on the barrier island coast of Texas — and the Glen Campbell song of the same name!
Galveston should never be confused with Houston, Texas however. Both cities are coastal, but there are some notable differences between them. Galveston is a more idyllic resort area. Not so with Houston. Galveston is well known as a good place to go for Spring Break! Galveston has several “Bikini Contests” each season.
“I clean my gun … and dream of Galveston” — Glen Campbell.
Houston? Meh. There is this old joke about the married couple from Dallas, Texas who wanted to spice-up their sex life. The man asks his wife if there was anything new he could do to please her in sexually. She replies “I want you to kiss me in that place that is down-and-dirty.” So he drives her to Houston.
Oh, yeah … I was talking about yellow electric spiders … Other names I have seen for Galvantula include “Voltaire” – after the French writer of the Enlightenment. Voltaire might be a good name for any electric type, and would be probably be a better nickname for a Voltorb. Voltaire wrote during The Enlightenment, so do you think he ever used “Flash“?
“ArachNode” – after a “node” or an interescting point of electrical wiring. “Killabite” would be a play on the kilobyte term in computers and electronics. “Kumonga” – the name of the giant spider who battled Godzilla. “Tetrawatt” or “Quadravolt” may work, as these are both plays on the fact that Garvantula only has four legs apparently. Four less than a spider should have.
What is the name of your electric spider? Please comment.
It is with great pleasure that I am re-blogging the MorningBerryz48 post on the AKB48 “Halloween Night” single. Many of you have seen the video clip before, however her Berryzness has also included a weath of photos and also included the “coupling songs” (“B-sides” to those of us who remember 45 records) which come with the different versions of the single/dvd.
Wow. Her post is better than any dissertation that I could write.
I especially love the Enka-song and dance for “Ippome Ondo”. I wanted to make my own special post for “Kimonos on Monday” with a preview video of the song, but you can view it here in its entirety! Photos too!
My brain almost exploded with happiness when I saw Haruka Kodama in the Under Girls “Sayonara Surfboard”. Also if you watch Next Girls “Mizu no naka no dendouritsu” you get a pretty good answer to the question: “Is it soup yet?”!
… and so much more!!!
Go see for yourself. If you have been following my blog for the Jpop culture, you should follow MorningBerryz48.
Mrs. Wiggins, cancel all of my appointments today. I’m busy.
Likes: Pop Culture, Humor, Japanese Culture, Iwasa Misaki, Hanako Oku, AKB48 History, Kurosawa films, Kimonos, Anime, Lolita fashion, Buddhist philosophy, and finding the perfect nicknames for my Pokemon.
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