My views on the great debate: Berryz Koubou vs. C-ute

It's impossible to be a fan of H!P without getting caught up in the debate as to which group is better, Berryz Koubou or C-ute. Because both groups sprung forth from the communal well that was the Hello! Project Kids, direct comparisons abound, and damn you if you don't pick a side. So I'm going to let it all out and tell you that between the two I believe that C-ute is the superiour of the two, and by a wide margin.

The true purpose of creating the Hello! Project Kids in 2002 (yes, even before the Morning Musume 6th Gen joined in 2003, which seems kind of weird when you think about it) may never be known beyond Tsunku and the unholy star chamber that is Up Front Agency, but it proved to be an amazing idea that worked. At first the 15 girls were used to fill the casts of the Mini Moni movie, and Koinu Dan no Monogatari, (of which sprang the album track Ganbachae! for MM's 5th studio album) and then they became backup dancers to W and the H!P solo artists. Then came ZYX! and Aa! and eventually, in 2004, Berry Koubou.

Much lore has already been made about the original concept of Berryz Koubou, which was to be a rotating line-up of the H!P Kids for each successive single. That plan was eventually dropped, and wisely too for it is almost impossible to form a group and an identity for that group if the members change for each song....Morning Musume notwithstanding because MM is unique in it's regenerative abilities.

For 2 years Berryz Koubou flourished, rather unremarkably when considering single and album sales, but they did manage to forge their identity and cut out a piece for themselves in the JPop universe, but especially in the kingdom of H!P with it's legions of fans. But what about the other remaining H!P kids that didn't become part of Berryz Koubou? Well, they hung around during the entire time, still being referred to as the H!P Kids.

And then in 2006 the remaining H!P Kids were assembled under the banner of C-ute, but they were still being treated as the unworthy step sisters to Berryz Koubou as C-ute's first four single releases were never released to mass market, but only available in limited release. But if one takes a listen to those four independent releases by C-ute, they blow the living shit off of many other singles released by H!P to the mass market.

In 2007 when C-ute's first mass released single, Sakura Chirari, was released, I had grave feelings that the group had taken a step back. They had to deal with the unfortunate loss of Megumi Murakami who was no doubt the equal to Airi Suzuki in terms of vocal ability and flat out charm in the group. Compared to the four independent releases, Sukari Chirari was a vocal and musical letdown, not to mention a visual letdown as the dance and PV discplayed none of the previous high energy of the independent releases. But the fans disagreed and Sakura Chirari went on to sell more than any of Berryz Koubou's singles. I still don't like Sakura Chirari, but who can argue with sales figures?

Since then, all of C-ute's singles have gone to higher and higher sales, with their 3rd single selling close to the territory held by the lowest sales of a Morning Musume single which, despite the direct comparison to MM, is still relatively lofty when considering Japanese music sales as a whole.

So then, why the ascendency of C-ute compared to Berryz? It can be argued that Tsunku and UFA have temporarily focused all of their energy to advancing C-ute, giving them the better song selection and investing more in their promotional campaigns. This could very well be, but it's hard to argue the fact that C-ute as a group has done a spectacular job with keeping up on the demands made on them, much like the demands made on Berryz Koubou when they first debuted.

That Berryz Koubou has been relegated to the H!P mediocrity bin for the time being is somewhat hard to ignore. In spite of their sell-out concerts at Saitama Super Arena, it seems Berryz Koubou has found it difficult to keep up the energy of their previous 3 years together. To sell out SSA was quite an accomplishment, but it also has all the markings of a group that has "jumped the shark." Their singles since have been musically limp (despite higher sales than their previous releases, save Special Generation) and so have their live performances. The SSA concert to me lacked any energy from Berryz Koubou, as though they were just going through the motions, not being able to feed off the adoration of their audience.

C-ute, on the other hand, with less of a reportoire to feed off of, gets to cherry pick which songs from the H!P back catalogue they can perform, and thus can fill it with their own interpretation and fill it with as much energy that they can muster. One has only to look at the perspiration of Maimi Yajima during every concert to realize just how much she is giving it, and thus is being transferred to her group mates, and thus is refleced to the audience, and then again back to the group.

Then there are the intangible qualities that each group possesses. It's hard to argue that Berryz Koubou as a group is a tight and cohesive ensemble, perhaps moreso than Morning Musume with its generational cliques. Whereas Berryz Koubou can be seen as one group with each memeber contributing something to the whole, C-ute has been likened to being comprised of five children under the care of Maimi Yajima and Erika Umeda. This is somewhat true, but as the younger members of C-ute grow up (and get a little taller) there's little doubt that image will disappear. Saki Nakajima, Kanna Arihara, and Chisato Okai are already showing more of the precociousness of early teenage-girlhood, and Mai Hagiwara is forging an identity as being one of the groups powerhouse performers. Airi Suzuki is one the younger members of the group yet because of her vocal prowess it's somewhat difficult to see her as a child.

In a contest of vocal abilities it's hard not to give the edge to C-ute. When Megumi Murakami was still in the group, she and Airi Suzuki along with Maimi Yajima to a somewhat lesser extent, were a formidable JPop combo. With Murakami's departure the vocal requirements have been distributed to Erika Umeda. Berryz Koubou was, at most, adequate to the task. Each of the four "preferred singers", Risako Sugaya, Momoko Tsugunaga, Miyabi Natsuyaki, and Yurina Kumai are not possessing of any great musical or vocal ability.

Unless Berryz Koubou comes out with a single that comes close to the promise of Special Generation, then they will continue to be relegated to mid-volume sellers with a loyal fanbase. C-ute, meanwhile, is again due for yet another spectacular single which will not be dependent on an ensconsed fanbase, but to one with a much larger reach, and therefore higher sales beyond the traditional purchasers of H!P singles.

No post comparing Berryz Koubou to C-ute can be complete without an inevitable ranking of the individual members of each group. Because I prefer C-ute to Berryz Koubou, I will rank the Berryz members first, but in no way am I saying that overall I think the C-ute members rank higher than the Barryz members. I just don't have the patience to all fourteen by preference without first placing them in their respective groups. It's just easier this way.

Berryz Koubou

Berryz Koubou #7: Risako Sugaya - She was an adorable kid, but as she's grown up and gone through a rather awkward pre-teen to mid-teen phase, she's lost a whole lot of the adorableness she had. And yet she's been given two PBs, which to me makes no sense. I've already stated above that I find her vocally unremarkable, and her live performances lack any energy.



Berryz Koubou #6: Momoko Tsugunaga - What she lacks in vocal ability (that voice of her's is annoying as hell) she makes up for in performance energy. I don't find her charming, but rather fascinating. She's got some muscles on her for someone so small.



Berryz Koubou #5: Maasa Soudou - She deserves more than being relegated to the back of many of Berryz Koubou's PVs and chroeographed routines. Her contributions to fanclub shows and her natural sense of humour deserve to be put in a bigger spotlight. She looks absolutely fantastic in the Jiriri Kiteru PV and live performances.



Berry Koubou #4: Miyabi Natsuyaki - I find her voice to be very nasal, but nonetheless she gets many lines. She has more personality than Momoko and Risako combined so she has that going for her.



Berryz Koubou #3: Captain Saki Shimizu - Despite her size, she truly leads Berryz Koubou. Her live performances are the most energetic of any of the girls and she is undoubtedly the most accompished dancer of the group.



Berryz Koubou #2: Yurina Kumai - Though she's grown freakishly tall in relation to the other members of the group, it suits her, and more importantly it suite Berryz Koubou. Although she possesses what plagues the rest of Berryz Koubou, a weak singing voice and a lack of energy in live performances, she does have a noticeable charm and budding sexuality that is more genuine than anything displayed by Risako Sugaya.



Berryz Koubou #1: Chinami Tokunaga - She doesn't sing very well, and at times her voice is as grating as Momoko's and Miyabi's, but she has a winning smile and attitude that can't be ignored and is contagious, in a good way. If only Risako would observe Chinami and learn to catch her energy, the group would be stronger for it. Energetically right at the top with Captain Saki Shimizu. She was near the bottom of my list when she had long hair, but when she cut it short for the Special Generation PV, the change was for the better and helped her stand out.

C-ute

C-ute #7: Kanna Arihara - I've penalized her a bit because she came over to C-ute as an H!P Egg, and therefore hasn't paid the same dues as the other girls. But she is funny, and I don't find her "uncute" and just like the rest of the girls she does give it all in her performances.



C-ute #6: - Erika Umeda - She's a bit bland for my tastes, and her face is not what I would deem to be cute in the traditional sense. She's been given many of the lines that were originally sung by Megumi Murakami, which doesn't really highlight how much of a good singer Erika is, instead it shows how great a loss Murakami's departure was to the group.



C-ute #5 - Mai Hagiwara - Perhaps it was the sunglasses phase, or perhaps because out of all the Hello! Project Kids, her selection was mostly because of cute she was, and not really because she would develop into an idol, that I still don't find her all that interesting. Her inclusion in C-ute will give the group the appearance as a not musically-serious effort, but as she grows up and continues with her energetic performances and sense of humour, that moniker will disappear. She's already growing out of childish image in Tokaikko Junjou.



C-ute #4 - Chisato Okai - This girl is underappreciated. She knows how to bring the funny, and more importantly, she knows WHEN to bring it. Full of genki wonder and surprise and with a terrific stage presence. Unfortunately, her dark skin and tomboyish looks keep her from being showcased more, but when she is camera range, you can't help but be drawn to her.



C-ute #3 - Saki Nakajima - She's growing up to be a cutie, moreso than she was when she was a Kid! She can dance and she has energy, but is still a little timid. As the group grows up, it will be hard not to notice her even more.



C-ute #2 - Airi Suzuki - Cute beyond words (despite that chin, and those god awful teeth) and with vocal abilities greater than many in the whole of the Hello! Project, only better things will come from her.



Cute #1 - Maimi Yajima - Not the best vocally, especially in comparison to Airi Suzuki and Megumi Murakami, but she does lend a special range and tone in songs that the other girls just don't have. She doesn't appear to be as much of a hands-on leader in comparison to the leaders of other H!P groups, but then again she doesn't really have to be as the girls in her charge are more or less already veterans of the idol world. A fantastic dancer who's perspiration filled performances display the full energy she gives. Appears to be completely sweet in natural settings, but is given "bitchy" acting roles mainly because of her drop-dead gorgeous looks and patrician demeanour. Of all the former Hello! Project Kids who have grown up and become members of Berry Koubou or C-ute, she was the only one truly deserving of a Photobook. A duet with Natsumi Abe in 2008 shows the faith that Tsunku and UFA have in her to be able to pull-off such a feat.



So there it is. Agree or disagree?