The number one single last week was “Hikaru monotachi” (ヒカルものたち) from Watanabe Mayu-san, which sold an impressive 91,907 – very good for a solo release. If she manages to get a 10% second week, she’ll break gold in the coming week.
Momoiro Clover Z‘s “Saraba, Itoshiki Kanashimi yo” (サラバ、爱しき悲しみたちよ) also had a good first week at #2 with 73,745 copies sold.
“Brave It Out” from Generations took #3, selling 71,932.
Shoujo Jidai’s “Flower Power” scored what can only be described as a grave disappointment, selling only 29,065 copies at #5 in its first week. Perhaps some potential buyers held off, waiting for the release of their album today to purchase both at the same time, but even then it’s going to be a significant drop-off.
Kis-My-Ft2 was at #7 in the second week of “Ai no Beat” sales, adding 20,453 for a total of 279,362. That’s a mildly disappointing second week.
2PM’s “Masquerade” was right behind at #8, with its two-week total 149,723.
An event gave Nakayama Yuma-kun’s “Missing Piece” a boost, bringing in 12,340 sales in its fourth week to pull it up from #30 to #13. It’s total now stands at 64,540. That surge was good enough to temporarily put it ahead of AKB48‘s “UZA”, which was released in the same week.
“UZA” from AKB48 held #15, cracking 1.2 million with 1,202,890 copies sold after four weeks.
Funky Monkey Babys’ “Sayonara Ja Nai” (サヨナラじゃない) was at #17 in its first week, selling 10,610.
NMB48 took #18 in the third week of “Kitagawa Kenji” sales, bringing its total to 346,620.
三代目 J Soul Brothers’ “Powder Snow ~Eien ni Owaranai Fuyu~” dropped to #24 in its second week. That was good enough to break gold with a total of 100,987, but it was a 6% second week – a bit on the disappointing side.
In albums, Matsutoya Yumi-san (松任谷由実) took the top spot with her 40th anniversary commemoration best-of album: “４０周年記念ベストアルバム 日本の恋と、ユーミンと。” It sold 336,234 in its first week.
Kato Miliyah-san’s “TRUE LOVERS” got the second spot, selling 58,866.
JUJU‘s pair of compilation albums took #3 and #5, with “BEST STORY ~Life stories~” breaking 200k with a three-week total of 203,365, and “BEST STORY ~Love stories~” close behind at 181,957.
Hikawa Kiyoshi-san’s “Enka Meikyoku Collection 17” (演歌名曲コレクション１７) was at #6, selling 29,003 copies.
J-Everything 
I’m not going to dwell too much on this past week beyond saying congrats to GENERATIONS for selling a LOT for a debut single and for letting my jaw drop at Yuming. She blew away my expectations and sold an additional 52,000 copies on the final day of the week (she sold 28k the day before), so that #1 is very well deserved.
Now then though, this week. I’m going to do Singles first, since to be honest, albums are what really matter to me this week. The Monsters (made up of SMAP’s Katori Shingo and Yamashita Tomohisa) opened at #1 with 68,934; they have an EASY #1 this week. At #2 and #3 respectively are FTISLAND with 19,400 sold and Boyfriend with 16,929 sold. Both K-pop groups, so don’t particularly care. The only saddening thing is seeing Kobukuro open at #5, though I expect them to climb up through the ranks as the week goes on.
Now then, Albums. Mr.Children opened on top with a healthy 217,544 copies sold-that’s 38k more than Sense’s first day and just under 12k less than HOME’s first day. Only time will tell how much longevity this one will have, but since Mr.Children appeared on FNS’ Best Artist last night and will appear on Music Station this week, I have high hopes for it. I also have my copy of the album already, delivered in 24 hours flat by Amazon.jp-tis nice (just finishing up my first listen). They’re back to using a normal CD-case for this release. Not as nice looking, but sturdier. Shoujo Jidai start at #2 with 46,031 with UVERworld right behind them at #3 with 41,235 copies sold. Honestly, SNSD did better than I thought they would, but I expect a fairly close competition between them for #2 this week. Honestly, I’m in UVERworld’s corner, since THE ONE might just be the best album they’ve released thus far, and I mean that. Experimental, yet still them at its core.
That’s where we stand right now-oh, and if you haven’t seen it yet, the Kohaku performer’s list!
http://www.tokyohive.com/2012/11/nhk-announces-artist-line-up-for-63rd-kohaku-uta-gassen/
Enjoy!
With the singles, my main interest was on the Shingo-Yamapi offering, but without any competition and any idea what might qualify as a decent showing (as long as it breaks gold), I have to consider the single scene a yawn. I’m surprised by the weakness in the Kobukuro single. They have wide variance in single sales, but I thought this one would be at the upper end of their recent range.
Based on the first day sales, how do you see the week shaping up for the Mr. Children album? I’m expecting 650k-675k with 700k as the positive surprise line, but there are plenty of factors favoring the high end of the estimates, including all their appearances.
The Shoujo Jidai vs UVERworld race should be an interesting one to watch. I’ll take your recommendation and try to listen to the UVERworld album.
I did see the Kouhaku line-up, and have formulated many thoughts about it over the past few days – not all of them fit to be shared publicly. As I said before, I’m happy to see Kanjani8 on, not so happy to see NYC on. To be fair, though, I prefer NYC over some of the other debuts this time around. In particular, I have an especially bad impression of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, and can’t understand how that selection is justified. I mean, I complained that NYC hadn’t earned their spot on Kouhaku, but now they look great by comparison (and I’m hoping that NYC performs “Haina”, which might actually suit Kouhaku). I like Momoiro Clover Z and Naoto Inti Raymi as entertainers, but in both cases, I think their appearances are premature. I’m relieved that there’s no Shoujo Jidai or KARA, but disappointed that Mr. Children aren’t going to be there.
I could go on, but the long and short is this – I found last year’s Kouhaku a bit lackluster, and I think I’ll have the same reaction to this one, given the line-up. As long as the old mainstays are in, though, I’ll survive. For the 2013 Kouhaku, they should do something a bit more nostalgic with the line-up in honor of Kitajima Saburo’s fiftieth time on. A bit more enka, and a bit less of the desperate attempts to boost ratings.
That’s about the range I’m predicting (hoping) for this Mr.Children album as well, given how HOME sold. I really can’t predict what longevity [(an imitation) blood orange] will have, so I’m eagerly looking forward to the daily charts tomorrow. I’ve also formulated my own opinion, which will likely end up quite lengthy, of the album that I’ll share once you post your own review of it here. After listening to the studio version and looking at how Japanese fans are receving it, I’ve been able to come to terms with how I feel about this one.
As to UVERworld, yeah, I really recommend THE ONE, as it’s a very solid offering from them and it actually shows some experimentation with new sounds.
As it turns out, I’ve learned that Mr.Children actually have a certain policy when it comes to Kohaku. To quote someone who explained it:
“Mr.Children is very famous for not appearing in NHK’s Kouhaku Uta Gassen. although Kouhaku send invitation to them almost every year but they refuse at all.
Misuchiru ‘s members have agreement that they don’t appear on Kouhaku Utagassen because “they don’t want use Music to decide the winner or loser..” they have never been on Kouhaku once ,although they are very very famous .
Anyway ,2008 is special for them because they served NHK ‘s Olympic theme song so they have necessary to make FIRST APPEARANCE on Kouhaku but after then they haven’t appeared on it again :)”
I’d also imagine that they want to spend New Years with their families, honestly, much like Namie Amuro does. I wouldn’t blame them.
Kouhaku needs to stop trying to pander for ratings, aye-there are some acts that REALLY should have made it this year (though they weren’t as active this year, I wanted to see Sakanaction) and some that really shouldn’t, like NYC and Kyary. Naoto and Momoiro I’m … alright with, since they can sing and have something to add to the night, though it might be a bit too soon, aye.
What I’ll also say, and I mean this firmly, I will NOT be able to take Kouhaku seriously at the moment until they get a male host other than Arashi. They’re great entertainers, but I’m not sure they’re the best fit for this event honestly. They need to pick both hosts and artists a bit more carefully and actually focus on providing a cohesive performance/experience, rather than one focused on getting ratings. They’ll come if the show is good enough. That’s my thoughts on it anyway.
Hmm – not wanting to turn music into competition is an interesting reason to avoid Kouhaku. I suppose Mr. Children doesn’t accept awards either? Well, it’s a shame, but I guess I understand their point of view. Their music certainly tends to brings the Japanese together.
Spending the night with their families certainly makes more sense to me, but in that case they could have just said so.
I agree with your final point wholeheartedly: Kouhaku’s ratings problem is that it lacks a very coherent identity – it really should try to have more of a festival spirit, and to encourage acts to perform lively music for New Year’s Eve. It’s not about the acts. Right now, viewers might like one act then hate the next, and it makes for a very uneven night, but viewers would be able to forgive the acts they don’t like if at least those acts contributed to an overall atmosphere. I happen to love both (good) Enka and (good) J-pop, so it’s theoretically possible for me to go through the entire night with a smile on my face. Why don’t I? Because some of the performances are unsuitable for the occasion, by any standards. That includes some of the enka performances, by the way. I can’t imagine why anyone would think Kyary would boost ratings, though. And the organizers really need to get on their knees and beg Johnny’s to replace NYC with KAT-TUN or, at the very least, Hey! Say! Jump. At least I can see how Momoiro Clover Z might give ratings a bump, and their performance will definitely be in the real spirit of the evening.
I’d like to propose a compromise on behalf of Arashi fans – how about just Sakurai-san as the male host? I agree that, optically in the very least, it’s been awkward seeing the five of them up there with the single female host, and the other four aren’t really very experienced MCs – they usually let Sakurai handle that role. Sakurai-san has television experience outside Arashi on a news show, which at least puts him on-par with other announcers. He’s also much more fluid when interviewing other artists than the other members of Arashi. In terms of merit, I think he should qualify for hosting duties. On the whole, if you could put up with Nakai-san for all those years, I think Sakurai-san shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
Thank you for your thoughts!
I’m not sure what’s premature about Momoiro Clover Z, unless you look strictly at record sales. They are just simply among the biggest celebrities in Japan right now. Their DVD & Blu-Ray releases (and there are many, more than their singles) always top the charts, they get lots of commercial appearances ( just spent 10 minutes in a Family Mart and they were on the PA the entire time), they are media darlings, they are the face of NHK, and average Japanese who know nothing of idols know them well. It’s nearly impossible to score tickets to their shows. If you limit Kouhaku to artists who have only had 5+ years of sustained success, you end up with a yawn fest of the usual suspects.
Ah, I should definitely expand on what I meant on that – your points are all very good.
I actually had in mind the fact that they cited it as their ultimate goal when they appeared on Himitsu no Arashi. When I heard them say that, I think I applauded – it’s a great goal to have. I think it’s too quick because I wanted them to continue seeing it as a pinnacle to reach, driving their further improvement. The fact that they’re already going there . . . again, I like them, and I’m glad they’re there (just like I’ll be glad to see Naoto Inti Raymi), but I hope that they can come up with a similarly laudable goal. I think, as a young group, it’s important to have something to aim for.
I certainly didn’t want to suggest that they didn’t work for it, or that they weren’t popular. And to be sure, many of the artists who have been on Kouhaku for decades first appeared when they were young, so that should not be a disqualifying factor. I also think that their spirit will fit the evening perfectly (connecting to the further discussion about making Kouhaku a more festive atmosphere).
In short – it was only in consideration of what might be best for the group, and I did not meant to cast doubt about whether they deserved it (and again, that’s exactly the same as my opinion about Naoto Inti Raymi). This is different from my attitude toward NYC, for instance. In that case, they were thrown into Kouhaku in their first year with half of a single under their belt, and that really was a case of not deserving it.
Thanks for your comment!
Aye. Honestly, my main issue with Arashi is that it really does feel like there’s too many cooks in the kitchen when they’re hosting Kouhaku. If it was just one of them, and then not each and every year (mix it up a little bit here and there) then yeah, I wouldn’t really mind. Kouhaku should be geared toward being a festival/performance, with everything tying together and playing a part in the whole, rather than the segregated ratings-fest that it’s turned into now. Here’s hoping that will change in the future.
Mr.Children does accept awards (they’ve won the Japan Record Award twice), though I think that that’s because it’s not necessarily using music to win or lose, but their music being recognized. Honestly, I can believe both of their reasons, because the first seems like them, and the second just makes sense.
Singles-wise, The Monsters add 38,660 to their total, with Kobukuro now in second with 9,416 sold today (I’ve a feeling that they’ll maintain better and be #2 this week in the end-just a feeling) and FTISLAND in 3rd with 8,475 sold.
As to albums, Mr.Children had a BIG drop down to 103,762 (lower than Sense’s second day), however, it’s expected that they might have both a Music Station and a Weekend boost later on, as seems to be the trend for older artists these days. For the moment though, I’m adjusting my prediction for (an imitation) to 570-600k until further notice. Shoujo Jidai remains at #2 with 24,068 and UVERworld is breathing down their neck at #3 with 23,792 sold. Both are still within 5,000 copies of each other, so anything could happen over the next couple of days. Honestly though, I just want UVERworld’s album to break 100k first week, since it really deserves it.
Looks like we’re on the same page regarding the hosts. I can only hope there are people sending the same message about the need for coherence to the Kouhaku organizers in Japanese. Right now, it looks like the organizers are flying blind.
My very tentative model for Mr. Children album sales suggests that second day sales should be around 63% of first day sales, so I was expecting around 136k. I’ll assume that this drop will not carry through following days (that is, that the rest will follow the original trajectory), which means this fell 32k short, giving a new prediction of around 615k-640k. Your adjustment would be the right one if the drop was also indicative of a change in trajectory for the rest of the week, so I’m being deliberately optimistic.
I’ll be crossing my fingers for an UVERworld overtake.
Thanks for your comments and the update.
Well, I’m not exactly happy with how this Mr.Children album is charting, but honestly I started to have a feeling this might not do as well as I expected as soon as I saw how mixed the reviews for this set were. Nonetheless, Singles first.
The Monsters add another 13,900 to their total (now at 121,494). I’d say 140-160k first week for them. Not too shabby, all things considered. Kobukuro hold 2nd and sell an additional 4,680 copies; I’ve a feeling that they’ll snag the #2 spot this week since they’ll remain consistent. Lastly, Boyfriend is in 3rd with 2,958 sold.
Now then, albums. Mr.Children sold an additional 51,655 copies (once again lower than Sense’s 3rd day) to bring their total to 372,961 thus far. I do have a feeling that they might see a boost over the course of the weekend, particularly on the last day of the week, but I’ve a feeling that anything from 500-580k is possible at this point, depending on how it all plays out. Yumi Matsutoya has climbed back to #2 with an additional 14,797 copies sold. I’ve honestly a feeling that with her consistency, she should manage to snag the #2 right out from under SNSD’s feet this week, with SNSD in 3rd and UVERworld in 4th. Speaking on SNSD, they’re in 3rd with 11,326 copies sold today.
Now for some brighter news-full version of Monkey Majik and Oda Kazumusa’s Christmas song is out. I really like it, actually! It’s … sweet. 🙂
The video for the Monkey Majik + Oda Kazumasa song is definitely adorable. The song itself feels very organic. If it weren’t a Christmas song, I’d have to point out that it’s a bit repetitive, but pretty much all Christmas songs are (by design), so it suits its purpose. As usual, I can’t get enough of Oda-san’s delicate voice.
The Monsters are looking pretty good. On Mr. Children though . . . so much with trying to be optimistic. This is aiming to be on the disappointing side, thought there’s still the weekend, like you said. Perhaps it’s because so many of the songs were out there already?
I started listening to the UVERworld album, but quickly realized that I couldn’t listen to it and do other work at the same time. It sort of commands attention, doesn’t it? So, I’ll have to put it off until I have a solid block of free time.
Thanks for the update and the video!
Yeah, UVERworld tends to do that, although I feel that I could do work with 23 Word in the background, for some reason. Eh. Yeah, the MM song is a bit repetitive, and certain parts reminded me vocally of Headlight, but it is what it is.
I’ve a feeling that has something to do with it, though a lot of the negative reviews I’ve seen on Amazon.jp have also been criticizing the heavy use of piano and the lack of evident guitar on this album, a problem that their last more poppy record, Supermarket Fantasy, didn’t have. After listening to my actual copy of the album, I’ve noticed a couple of things, namely that the album’s greatest strength (its flow) is also its biggest weakness. It flows so well because a lot of the songs have similar sounds. This album, while not bad, does lack in diversity on the whole, and because so many songs had tie-ins, they had to have a certain marketable quality to them.
[(an imitation) blood orange] is an unbalanced album, which doesn’t make it bad, but does make it not quite as good as their previous few works, where they’ve balanced rock and pop sounds more (even though they’ve been leaning slightly more towards pop for a while now). I really want to see Mr.Children have a normal era before their next album, releasing 3 or so singles and then building up to an album release like they have in the past.
Though to also be fair, some fans are just too attached to the musical sound that Mr.Children had from 1996 until around 2000. The members lives have changed since then and they’re not going through such wild times anymore; we’re not going to get another rock masterpiece like Shinkai from them. All I want is a more balanced album from them next, with a normal release cycle leading up to it.
Nice analysis on the Mr. Children album! It also lacked a touch of edginess and the sort of pleasant surprises that would make an albums stand out. It’s a good, solid album with very little actually wrong with it, but it doesn’t have anything that would make me jump up and say “wow, this is great!” Perhaps, like you said, better balance and diversity in their next album would make for a more powerful impact on the listener.
Just popping in to say: The Monsters are #1 this week with 160k first week sales
Mr.Children are #1 with 530k first week sales (largely thanks to a 46k weekly adjustment).
Thanks for the update! How does the weekly adjustment thing work, by the way?
It’s when, after all the daily sales for the week have been added up, Oricon adds in the numbers from those stores that only send in their data once a week (those in the country/less major areas/locations) and any additional online sales made during the sales week. So, before the adjustment, Mr.Children had sold around 484k. With this first week total though, they managed to beat Sense’s first week by 28k.
Thanks for the explanation! There are a lot of dubious “adjustments” to data in certain arenas, but this one’s straightforward. At least they beat the numbers for “Sense” – that was an unusual release, if I recall. I really liked “fanfare”, though.
Honestly, I did prefer Sense to [(an imitation) blood orange] on the whole, but that’s just me. Happy that they managed to beat Sense’s sales as well though, even though this release is almost as unusual in some ways.