[TNX] Ogawa Mana - Genki ni Nare!

[AEUGNewtype]

High-quality PV

Live TV performance



The new single and PV from TNX/NGP's biggest group is out already, after Daisuki ni Nare just came out in late October '09. This song marks a pretty big departure from the previous 3 MM Gakuen Gasshoubu singles. Its much more calm, relaxing, and cute, where the other singles were very hyper, energetic, and happy. I think its a really nice change, and it also gave them the opportunity to throw a bunch of musical instruments at the girls and teach them how to fake playing them! This is pure awesome. Although the Possible have done this a lot in the past, the main group from this video is mostly Canary Club girls.



The group that's mainly featured in the video is:

Ogawa Mana (CC, vocals)

Robin (Possible, guitar)

Mororin (Possible, bass)

Iguchi (CC, keyboard left)

Macchan (CC, keyboard right)

Ayube (CC, drums)



These are all basically my favorite girls from all of NGP except its missing Ucchi and Peach, but you can't win 'em all. Its a little odd that for this song, the other girls in MM Gakuen besides Mana don't actually sing anything, they're just there to look nice in the PV. In the other songs, they at least did backup vocals, and in Meccha Mote Summer, this same group of girls minus Iguchi and Mana plus Akkyan did all the main vocals. Anyway, if you're new to TNX, this might not be the best entry point, but for those of you who have followed a bit, you may appreciate it a lot more. Not to say people unfamiliar with TNX can't enjoy it, but its not very representative of the work they usually do.



Also, the single has a b-side that has EmEl thoroughly confused as to what the point is, he says it sounds like an instructional dance tape, and that seems to be basically what it is. Mana is doing the song as her character from the anime (Kitagami Mimi,) and basically telling you that you should work out if you want to be as perfect as she is...











Any thoughts, from those who know the group, or those who don't?

[tsukinobyouin]

One thing I missed out on - has Ogawa Mana graduated from CC to do solo(ish) stuff full time, or is she basically pulling a Koharu in Kirarin?



I've loved every one of these MM Gakuen Gasshoubu songs, but this one doesn't grab me right away. A lot of mid-tempo songs like this don't grab me on a first listen, but they tend to grow on me after a few listens. I'm sad to hear about the b-side though, they've had such awesome b-sides for these singles so far. Is it up on youtube anywhere to preview?

[AEUGNewtype]

[quote name='TnB' post='74419' date='Jan 20 2010, 09:09 PM']One thing I missed out on - has Ogawa Mana graduated from CC to do solo(ish) stuff full time, or is she basically pulling a Koharu in Kirarin?



I've loved every one of these MM Gakuen Gasshoubu songs, but this one doesn't grab me right away. A lot of mid-tempo songs like this don't grab me on a first listen, but they tend to grow on me after a few listens. I'm sad to hear about the b-side though, they've had such awesome b-sides for these singles so far. Is it up on youtube anywhere to preview?[/quote]

She has not graduated from CC, she's very much like Koharu was to Kirarin while still in MM. I don't see any previews of the b-side on youtube anywhere, I searched both English and Japanese, no results, but don't take the fact that its a dance instructional song as it meaning its a bad song, the song is fantastic, just a bit quirky and out of the ordinary.

[Shoujo Q]

Of all of the Gokujou! Mecha Mote Iinchou songs, this one isn't one of my favorites but Ogawa Mana has such an awesome voice that I kind of don't care. I could listen to her sing the phone book and I probably wouldn't care. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... #>/wub.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' />





The single came out yesterday so it should be hitting the web soon I hope? <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... iggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' />

[EmEl]

I think both these past two Kitagami Mimi singles are a great introduction to TNX for H!P fans. Just as he has done with The Possible and Canary Club, there's no reason to even view them as separate entities in our minds since clearly Tsunku is using his trusted arrangers. Suzuki Shunsuke, Hirata Shoichiro, and Tanaka Nao all arranged for the past two releases. "Daisuki ni Nare!" certainly had the more immediate appeal, but "Genki ni Nare!" is so H!P that there's no way to dislike it. But, I still don't know the girls of TNX as much as I know the music, so the whole MM Gakuen group still confuses me as to who is actually in it.



The funny thing about her being the new Koharu/Kirari is that she seems to have been on Oha Suta for the last few episodes with Koharu. But maybe this has been a long term thing since I wasn't paying attention to that show. I think I remember the animation team was the same for the two shows, am I remembering incorrectly?



[quote name='The☆AEUGNewtype' post='74416' date='Jan 20 2010, 08:52 PM']Mana is doing the song as her character from the anime (Kitagami Mimi,) and basically telling you that you should work out if you want to be as perfect as she is...[/quote]

I've never actually seen the show, even though I meant to watch the episode with the animated version of Tsunku. Are my ears just weird, ro does she sound almost like a different person in this song? I know a lot of it is her talking in character, but the way she sings "instructionally" could fit so well into some sort of children's album. Her motherly singing tone is an interesting shift that she seems to have made easily.



[quote name='TnB' post='74419' date='Jan 20 2010, 09:09 PM']Is it up on youtube anywhere to preview?[/quote]

I haven't seen it on youtube, but you can listen here. And, yeah, it's a great quirky b-side: I was just hoping someone who knew the show or japanese could better explain what was happening in the song.



[quote name='PQ' post='74426' date='Jan 21 2010, 05:00 AM']The single came out yesterday so it should be hitting the web soon I hope? <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... iggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' />[/quote]

It hit the internet a little early yesterday, too! I love the internet. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /weeeh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' />

[AEUGNewtype]

I haven't seen it on youtube, but you can listen here. And, yeah, it's a great quirky b-side: I was just hoping someone who knew the show or japanese could better explain what was happening in the song.

I was going to listen to the lyrics a little more closely pretty soon, though it's just like every other instructional/workout song (think Pucchimobics) where they repeat the same kind of stuff over and over again, but this is also why I propose we have a data section for TNX as well, so we have song translations and such so people can understand some of this stuff a little more.

[Shoujo Q]

I haven't seen it on youtube, but you can listen here. And, yeah, it's a great quirky b-side: I was just hoping someone who knew the show or japanese could better explain what was happening in the song.

I was going to listen to the lyrics a little more closely pretty soon, though it's just like every other instructional/workout song where they repeat the same kind of stuff over and over again, but this is also why I propose we have a data section for TNX as well, so we have song translations and such so people can understand some of this stuff a little more.

If someone wants to post lyrics for TNX stuff in the Data section we have now, more power to them. I don't think we need ANOTHER data section just yet. (We need to get a NGP!/TNX section first) Priorities, priorities!~ xD

[koolmon]

I haven't seen it on youtube, but you can listen here. And, yeah, it's a great quirky b-side: I was just hoping someone who knew the show or japanese could better explain what was happening in the song.

I was going to listen to the lyrics a little more closely pretty soon, though it's just like every other instructional/workout song where they repeat the same kind of stuff over and over again, but this is also why I propose we have a data section for TNX as well, so we have song translations and such so people can understand some of this stuff a little more.

If someone wants to post lyrics for TNX stuff in the Data section we have now, more power to them. I don't think we need ANOTHER data section just yet. (We need to get a NGP!/TNX section first) Priorities, priorities!~ xD

I'm sorry that TNlyriX is no longer in existence guys. T___T I have no credit card to pay for it.

[Juju]

[quote name='Koolmon93' post='74448' date='Jan 21 2010, 06:14 PM'][quote name='PQ' post='74434' date='Jan 21 2010, 06:48 AM']

If someone wants to post lyrics for TNX stuff in the Data section we have now, more power to them. I don't think we need ANOTHER data section just yet. (We need to get a NGP!/TNX section first) Priorities, priorities!~ xD[/quote]

I'm sorry that TNlyriX is no longer in existence guys. T___T I have no credit card to pay for it.

[/quote]

You don't need a credit card, lots of places take PayPal. But there's no need to worry, I'll take care of it soon. >_< I feel like it's my fault and I feel pretty bad about it, but it will come back! In the meantime, I think it's a good idea to post stuff in the Data Station. I haven't seen the lyrics for this single in any of the usual places yet. It takes forever for TNX stuff to be posted, not just on Japanese lyric sites, but it seems like the singles and such take forever to get uploaded. I was surprised how fast this one did...



Anyway, maybe I should talk about this single.

Genki ni Nare is an alright song, although it's my least favorite of the Mecha Mote singles so far. Daisuki ni Nare was so much better. I liked that they brought back the idol band, using members from Canary Club this time as well. Moterecchi Song is... weird. I don't really like it. XD

[AEUGNewtype]

[quote name='Juju' post='74451' date='Jan 21 2010, 07:25 PM']Anyway, maybe I should talk about this single.

Genki ni Nare is an alright song, although it's my least favorite of the Mecha Mote singles so far. Daisuki ni Nare was so much better.[/quote]

I figured I'd hear a lot of this kind of response, just because of the change of pace, where a lot of people don't like this song much after hearing the other MMGG songs, but I really like this MUCH more than the first single (Meccha Mote I LOVE YOU) and its actually a strong contender for tying with Daisuki ni Nare, but Meccha Mote Summer is going to be hard to EVER beat. I can't make a final decision, this is just such a sweet, endearing song, though it feels like it should've just been a Mana solo song. Nothing wrong with that, its just strange to classify it as something that all of NGP was involved with when the rest of them don't really do anything.



And on the subject of TNlyriX, I remember when it was still around, it was an awesome resource. And I didn't really mean I'd like to see a whole separate section for the TNX data stuff, just a sub-forum within a TNX main section or something. Its definitely not something that would necessitate its own section like the H!P one does, at least not the way I see it.

[Special Needs Tricycle]

I like this! It reminds me a lot of Daisuki ni Nare, which is what sparked my interest in NGP.



I was going to go off into a mini-rant about how the last thing NGP needs to do while growing is the throw one girl in the spotlight and have the rest behind her doing whatever, but is this a voice acting gig of hers? If so, then yeah, I guess it would be hard to squeeze other girls into the song beyond what they're already doing. :X Better than nothing, though!



Have the other groups been doing much recently? I want to see more of Robin. :<

[Shoujo Q]

[quote name='Special Needs Tricycle' post='74563' date='Jan 24 2010, 10:08 AM']I like this! It reminds me a lot of Daisuki ni Nare, which is what sparked my interest in NGP.



I was going to go off into a mini-rant about how the last thing NGP needs to do while growing is the throw one girl in the spotlight and have the rest behind her doing whatever, but is this a voice acting gig of hers? If so, then yeah, I guess it would be hard to squeeze other girls into the song beyond what they're already doing. :X Better than nothing, though!



Have the other groups been doing much recently? I want to see more of Robin. :<[/quote]



Robin has an idol DVD coming out on March 20th. :x

[EmEl]

[quote name='Special Needs Tricycle' post='74563' date='Jan 24 2010, 09:08 AM']Have the other groups been doing much recently?[/quote]

Not really. Since Canary Club's and The Possible's last releases in August/September, everything TNX has put out has been S/mileage and the Mecha Mote singles. But those "old" groups don't really have such a high speed of releases anyway. But they were all in a very good concert DVD which was released last month. I think Karen also released an album last month as well.

[Sabaku Ika]

Is Ami Tokito still alive?

[koolmon]

[quote name='Sabaku Ika' post='74579' date='Jan 24 2010, 10:18 AM']Is Ami Tokito still alive?[/quote]

She's under J.P. Room now, I think. The same management as Mano Erina and Fujimoto Miki. After her mini-best-of-album, she basically retired from singing and has been doing random TV appearances and such.



Oh, and Niwa Mikiho (Mikki) from Canary Club is the new Yellow Ranger for this year's Super Sentai series. o.O

[AEUGNewtype]

[quote name='EmEl' post='74572' date='Jan 24 2010, 11:09 AM'][quote name='Special Needs Tricycle' post='74563' date='Jan 24 2010, 09:08 AM']Have the other groups been doing much recently?[/quote]

Not really. Since Canary Club's and The Possible's last releases in August/September, everything TNX has put out has been S/mileage and the Mecha Mote singles. But those "old" groups don't really have such a high speed of releases anyway. But they were all in a very good concert DVD which was released last month. I think Karen also released an album last month as well.

[/quote]

This is all true. The artists on TNX have had a much less vigorous release schedule than most H!P artists, surely because everything that gets done in TNX basically comes out of Tsunku's pocket, financial-wise. Not to say that's not a HUGE pocket, but not having a huge production and record company behind you could surely slow down things a bit.

[Shoujo Q]

[quote name='Sabaku Ika' post='74579' date='Jan 24 2010, 01:18 PM']Is Ami Tokito still alive?[/quote]



Tokito Ami has a small part in an upcoming movie called COACH ~40sai no Figure Skater~, in which Ogawa Mana does the theme song for. ;D

[Ap2000]

[quote name='PQ' post='74594' date='Jan 25 2010, 12:34 AM'][quote name='Sabaku Ika' post='74579' date='Jan 24 2010, 01:18 PM']Is Ami Tokito still alive?[/quote]



Tokito Ami has a small part in an upcoming movie called COACH ~40sai no Figure Skater~, in which Ogawa Mana does the theme song for. ;D

[/quote]



Do you know how "small" ? I might watch it just to see new stuff of her...





@topic; I saw this thread when you made it and listened to the song halfway through. I was in a hurry then and thought "I like this", now I finally listened to it a second time and still like it.

Daisuki ni nare also seems quite nice. Probably will look into them (aka "listen to them a few more times and then make up my mind about them") some more.



As for Ogawa Mana, the only thing I knew about her were the photos I occasionally saw on the H!O picboard. I thought she was some Egg and just does background dancing at concerts. lol

[EmEl]

As I mentioned earlier, Mana has been on Oha Suta a few times lately. Well, I actually got around to watching last week's and she actually leads Koharu and company to do the motions described in the song while "Mote Recchi Song" is playing. I think it's saying that "recchi" comes from "stretch" and doing the workout is how you get nice legs or something?



She was also on the show leading the dance on the day before and the day after on non-Koharu Oha Suta days.

[AEUGNewtype]

[quote name='EmEl' post='74712' date='Jan 27 2010, 06:01 PM']As I mentioned earlier, Mana has been on Oha Suta a few times lately. Well, I actually got around to watching last week's and she actually leads Koharu and company to do the motions described in the song while "Mote Recchi Song" is playing. I think it's saying that "recchi" comes from "stretch" and doing the workout is how you get nice legs or something?



She was also on the show leading the dance on the day before and the day after on non-Koharu Oha Suta days.[/quote]

This is awesome! Nice find. I rarely ever watch the Oha stuff anymore, but this is definitely worth it.