Your favourite Jpop album of the year?
 

I think I only bothered with FIVE and Girls' Generation so I have to say Girls' Generation. It really surprised me..

MAA's BubbleMan Engine, hands down. ;)

I've only "liked" two or three jpop albums this year, and MAA's is the only one I've listened to more than like three times.

Love Songs and FIVE
Super Girl by Kara was really good
Voice -Maki Goto amazing album
Girl Generation was also good :)

- Shojo Jidai - The 1st Japan album
- Perfume - JPN
- Tohoshinki - TONE


There were a lot of fantastic kpop albums this year though. Like Brown Eyed Girls, IU, Miss A, TVXQ, f(x), Infinite, Wonder Girls, Tablo, and SISTAR. And these are just the artists who released full albums, there were so many flawless minis too.

Nishino Kana - Thank you, Love
Tohoshinki - TONE
Shoujo Jidai - The 1st Japan album

My 5 favourites...
• MAA - BUBBLEMAN ENGINE - Awesome electropop with a dark twist.
• Girls' Generation - GIRLS' GENERATION - I love the way that this featured their best melodies so far, every song was addictive.
• Maki Goto - Ai Kotoba (VOICE) - She really topped herself on this one, it was preceded by four amazing EPs, and this did not disappoint.
• Perfume - JPN - I just loved the cute atmosphere on this album, the production value was amazing.
• Kyarypamyupamyu - Moshimoshi Harajuku - It contains PONPONPON. Duh.

In no particular order.

The 5 worst were:
• School Food Punishment - Prog-Roid - This was SO disappointing after the eargasm that was amp-reflection, one of 2010's best albums.
• Ayumi Hamasaki - FIVE - Every song was boring except BRILLANTE.
• Berryz Kobo - 7 Berryz Times - Typical H!P fodder. Some tracks were good, but overall it was like everything else Berryz have done since 2003.
• TOKYO GIRLS' STYLE - Kodou no Himitsu - CUTENESS OVERLOAD! Too cute.
• AKB48 - Koko ni Ita Koto - Not enough group songs. And the songs were, um, unusual.

Except for FIVE I haven't heard anything good this year I think...Namie's Collab album, but does that count as 2011?

^ Why wouldn't it? It was released in april this year.

Checkmate! is my favorite album this year.... and it is pretty much the only Jpop album I've listened to.. I've listened to Five but only liked 2 songs on it. Kinda neglected the whole jpop scene this year.

Because I wasn't sure if it counts as original album or just compilations since most of the tracks had been released before? But well, it was definitely very good. With a few low points, but overall good.

KOTOKO's Hiraku Uchuu Pocket with its amazing songs, great variety, few missteps and tons of replay value. I can't even count how many times I've heard the whole thing in its entirety since it came out.

Others deserving a mention would be:
- Maon Kurosaki's Butterfly Effect, a very refreshing surprise from an artist I had never heard about before.
- Do As Infinity's EIGHT, which I still consider their best album due to the uplifting sound, some very catchy songs and complete lack of bad tracks.
- Lia's Key+Lia Best 2001-2010, which might also have been competing for #1, but I can't really give it the honor since it's just her old stuff with one new track thrown in. All of the old tracks are still gorgeous pieces of music though, some made even better with remastering or rearrangements. Too bad the only new track was kinda mediocre.
- MAA's Bubbleman Engine and Saori@destiny's Domestic domain, both featuring what these awesome women do best. However, these albums actually had some not-so-good tracks, which keeps them away from the top spots.

MAA's Bubbleman Engine, it was just pure epicness

Ayu - FIVE

Mademoiselle Yulia's Mademoworld slightly beat out MAA's Bubbleman Engine for me as my favorite.

But those are my two top albums.

JPN and Checkmate!

• ayumi hamasaki - FIVE

2011 was very disappointing year for me + I don't listen to japanese music so much anymore, some single artists only. :P

Definitely Kalafina's After Eden.

BUBBLEMAN ENGINE :yes

Albums must have really sucked this year because I can hardly think of one. I would say Checkmate, but that is mainly a compilation album. Maki's Aikotoba also was half compilation album.

Can Love Songs still count? If so, it would have to be Love Songs.

MAA's Bubbleman Engine!! :luv2 :luv2
And TVXQ's TONE :luv2

Namie Amuro - Checkmate
BIGBANG - BIGBANG 2
who else....

TONE.
It's not my usual fare, but TVXQ have become my new bias.

Perfume - JPN

it wasn't a particularly exciting year for j-pop, imo.

May'n - If you...
is my favourite

Other good ones:
Girls' Generation - First Japan Album
AKB48 - Koko ni Ita Koto
No Sleeves - No Sleeves
Tokyo Girls' Style - Kodou no Himitsu

My favourite album this year was Ken to Kaede by Onitsuka Chihiro! :smitten

But I also love "After Eden" by Kalafina and "TONE" by Tohoshinki.

"FIVE" by Ayu and "Beautiful World" by Arashi were okay, even though I expected something better from both albums!

1. BREAKERZ GO
2. Kou Shibasaki Circle Cycle
3. Yuki Kajiura Fiction II
4. Moumoon 15 doors
5. Seiko Matsuda Cherish
6. miwa guitarissimo

It's been a terrible year for JPop IMO (or at least the JPop I like). Only purchased maybe a dozen albums this year, but I'd say that Girl Next Door - Destination is my favorite purely because Freedom and 運命のしずく～Destiny's star～ are absolutely amazing tracks.

YUI - HOW CRAZY YOUR LOVE
miwa - guitarissimo
GIRLS' GENERATION - 1st japanese album

1.MAA's Bubbleman Engine
2.BENI's Fortune
3.Chara's Dark Candy
4.Superfly's Mind Travel
5.Kaela Kimura's 8EIGHT8

in that order

2011 was okay,2010 was amazing in comparison, 2012 already seems great so excited

meh, 2011 wasn't a really good year for jpop :/ here my few list:

MAA - Bubbleman Engine
MADEMOISELLE YULIA - MADEMOWORLD
KOKIA - pieces
KyaryPamyuPamyu - Moshi Moshi Harajuku
VERBAL - VISIONAIR
Koda Kumi - Dejavu
Perfume - JPN

B'z- C'mon
SPYAIR- Rockin' The World
Girls' Generation- 1st Japanese Album
Meisa Kuroki- MAGAZINE

Chiaki Kuriyama's CIRCUS and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's debut mini album.

moumoon - 15 doors

- BREAKERZ -- GO
- SPYAIR -- Rockin the World
- girl next door -- Destination
- ayumi -- FIVE
- ON/OFF -- Legend of twins II
- SID -- dead stock
- Hilcrhyme -- RISING
- ARASHI -- Beautiful World
- BENI -- Fortune
- School Food Punishment -- Prog Roid
- B'z -- C'mon
- YUI -- HOW CRAZY YOUR LOVE
- Koda Kumi -- Dejavu
- Tegomass -- Tegomass no Mahou
- Kuroki Meisa -- MAGAZINE

wow quite a lot of albums I listed down & imo 2011 was good. Guess this helps when I listen to a lot of artistes ;-)

I guess I'm excited for 2012 to swing by since next July will be BRZ's 5th anniversary so yayness I so cannot wait man :-D

mmmh..

Meisa Kuroki - MAGAZINE
BENI - Fortune
Shoujo Jidai - GIRLS' GENERATION
Miliyah Kato - M BEST (if that even counts but since I listened to it a lot..)

1- Koda Kumi - Dejavu
2- Meisa Kuroki - MAGAZINE
2- SNSD - GIRLS' GENERATION

MAA - BUBBLEMAN ENGINE
KODA KUMI - Deja Vu
NAMIE AMURO - Checkmate!
KANA NSIHINO - Thank you, Love
GIRL'S GENERATION - 1st JAPAN ALBUM
MAAYA SAKAMOTO - YOU CAN'T CATCH ME

Bubbleman Engine - MAA

:yes

-FIVE
-EXIT TUNES PRESENTS Supernova5 [VOCALOID]
-WORLD OF FANTASY [capsule]
-TRIBAL LINK-R [I've Sound]
-TRIBAL LINK-L [I've Sound]
-Hiraku Uchu Pocket [KOTOKO]
-Moshimoshi Harajuku [Kyary Pamyu Pamyu]

As for remix albums...
-ayu-mi-x 7 presents ayu trance 4
-ayu-mi-x 7 -version HOUSE-
-ayu-mi-x 7 presents ayu-ro mix 4
-enigmaticLIA 4 -Anthemical Keyworlds- [Lia]
-enigmaticLIA 4 -Anthemnia L's core- [Lia]

1. Girls' Generation [1st Japan Album]

Never would have thought in a million years I would actually enjoy one their albums. I'm not a huge fan of SNSD (in any way shape or form), but their debut Japanese album was the only Japanese release to overly impress me this year. Sad story. :P

My Top 10.

• Maki Goto - Aikotoba (VOICE)
  Every single track in this album is awesome enough if released as a single. What a solid album.
• Miu Sakamoto - HATSUKOI
  This is the real pop with some classical flavors, unique and versatile album.
• Chihiro Onitsuka - Ken to Kaede
  This album gives a strong message and emotion. I love the various genre included in this album.
• Superfly - Mind Travel
  Pure awesomeness. Most of the genres are pop rock but most of the arrangements are so different from any other Pop Rock music.
• Yuki Kajiura - FICTION II
  Vocal talent meets genuine arrangement & composition. This album is pure magical.
• Love - Tsunagaru Kimochi
  Probably the best Pop R&B album of the year. This album sounds so fresh compared to other R&B music this year, it's just so catchy.
• Oda Kazumasa - Doumo
  Calm and mesmerizing, this album is soft yet sounds great.
• Kalafina - After Eden
  Another album with pure magical sounds, amazing.
• Shibasaki Kou - CIRCLE CYCLE
  This album has the most unique arrangement imo, it sounds like an experimental pop and then succeeded, very interesting album.
• Do As Infinity - EIGHT
  Has pretty good flow, and some of the album tracks is as epic as the A-side.

I just knew I forgot to include a few more albums in the list 8D

Shota Shimizu - COLOURS
Ken Hirai - JAPANESE SINGER

Kuroki Meisa - MAGAZINE
Shoujo Jidai - GIRLS' GENERATION
ONE OK ROCK - Zankyou Reference
MAA - BubbleMan Engine
Maki Goto - Aikotoba (VOICE)

Ayumi Hamasaki - FIVE
Yamashita Tomohisa - Supergood, Superbad
MAA- BubbleMan Engine
BENI - Fortune
AILI - Vivid
moumoon - 15 Doors

Let's see...

SPYAIR - Rockin' the World
Home Made Kazoku - Akatsuki
Tohoshinki - TONE
Kylee - 17
Monkey Majik - westview
Sakanaction - DocumentaLy
KyaryPamyuPamyu - Moshi Moshi Harajuku

.... That's all I can think of. Many great albums, especially on the rock side!

Another one 8D

Yamashita Tomohisa - SUPERGOOD , SUPERBAD

I'm surprised I like the SUPERBAD side a lot more than expected :laugh

Hamasaki Ayumi - FIVE
Shibasaki Kou - CIRCLE CYCLE
AAA - Buzz Communication
galaxias! - galaxias!

Koda Kumi - Dejavu
Namie Amuro - Checkmate
Kana Nishino - Thank you, Love

These are the best. I think FIVE is great, but it's not as awesome as these three are to me. :/

definitely not FIVE. Don't think Deja Vu impressed me thattttttt much, Checkmate! was mainly a compilation so I'm not gonna include that.

It's either BUBBLEMAN ENGINE by MAA or Thank you, LOVE by Kana Nishino...

I think I'll go with Queen Kanayan :D

BubbleMan Engine by MAA. Gold Lion is the most flawless song ever.

Perfume - JPN
Kalafina - After Eden

Girls' Generation - 1st Japan Album --> wasn't expecting a great first album by a K-pop group debuting in Japan, and it was even better than lots of their Korean stuff in my opinion..
Maki Goto - Aikotoba (Voice) --> so she released this album, turns me into a fan, and retires *sigh*

miwa - guitarissimo
MAA - Bubbleman Engine

I think 2010 was a better year in terms of J-Pop...

Some pretty good stuff this year.

I loved Noanowa's Hi! How are you?, although that was a mini-album. Sakanaction's Documentaly was great, as expected. Chiaki Kuriyama's CIRCUS had some awesome songs on it. moumoon's 15 doors was really good. I think the first half of the year was better.

I loved Girls' Generation too, really really strong album, not as much longevity as something like Sakanaction, but still good.

And Rie Fu and Nana Mizuki both released best-of albums... which don't really count but they have amazing songs on them. ♥ I've been pretty happy with 2011.

Very naff year.

Koda Kumi - Dejavu

Rina Aiuchi - Forever Songs -Brand New Remixes-

Dream Morning Musume - Dreams 1

So, a post retirement remix album, a tired bands revival surviving on 10 year old hits and a Kumi album so badly by the numbers even she named it like it was something you'd heard before.
2011 = bad year for J-Pop.