[Koda Kumi] The 182nd Thread - Celebrating the WINTER of LOVE

[Corvina]

I am such a collector, so I am truly glad they decided to make DVD and Blu-Ray version the same. I hope it stays that way for further releases.

Recochoku ranking for 01/24:

Single track/ Chaku Uta full
#115 On And On (78)

Album
#3 Winter of Love (1)

Chaku Uta
#28 On And On (20)
#58 NO ME WITHOUT YOU (95)

RBT
#55 WALK OF MY LIFE (-)
#99 Moon Crying (-)

Video
#6 On And On (20)
#34 NO ME WITHOUT YOU (77)

Scans VIVI March issue:


Credits:
Katharsis blog

[Gustavopc]

I always think on the content first, but if I have the chance I'll get the version with my favorite cover also (like I did when I bought the CD only version of WOML, that cover gives me LIFE), so I agree with Pimenta on the DVD x BR covers issue - the less differences the less I am tempted to buy another version.

[kaled kalil]

@Cloudsoldier The password is in the booklet.

That's why I'm asking you guys if you got your copies already. haha The same goes to the 360º version of Dance In The Rain. There is a link to download there, but the password is in the booklet.

[ilovekodaa]

Originally Posted by Cloudsoldier

Limited_yan has uploaded Kuu's 15th Anniversary a-nation Premium Live. Does anybody knows the password?

http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/-5zwJV4un0E/

the pass is "Takao"

THE ANATION PREMIUM IS A M A Z I N G <3

[Cloudsoldier]

Awesome! Thanks Kaled & ilovekodaa!

Thanks Limited_yan for the upload! Does anyone knows how to purchase fanclub edition album?

[Gustavopc]

Except for the leopard pants, EVERY SINGLE OUTFIT from the concert was amazing! Seriously, they were not her usual concert outfit stuff, and she looked great in all of them. Plus, the lights effects for the concert were INCREDIBLE. It was indeed a great concert, a shaaaame it's not getting a BR release. And the new arrangement for Poppin' love cocktail was so refreshing, loved it!!

[kaled kalil]

YAS it was a great concert indeed! I actually loved the leopard pants, it fits her so well. Sadly my favorite outfit of the night wasn't there (from Loaded), but everything was on point.

I remember people who went to the concert saying that Lisa was all weird and stuff, and she was. I don't know what happened to her, but something was going on.

[Corvina]

Winter of Love debuts at #2 weekly on Oricon with 23k sold.
Oricon also published, that Kuu is with that in the Top 10 for albums for 14 consecutive years (since grow into one in 2003).

They also published another article baout her today, where she's speaking about her wish to sing ballads, her success with ero-kakkoii instead and how her feelings and attitude changed with her going all through these years and having a own family.
It's here:
http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2065871/full/
It's in the Top 3 of most popular articles on Oricon today.

Thanks for the link and pw for the a-nation live!

[abestfah]

Originally Posted by Corvina

Winter of Love debuts at #2 weekly on Oricon with 23k sold.
Oricon also published, that Kuu is with that in the Top 10 for albums for 14 consecutive years (since grow into one in 2003).

They also published another article baout her today, where she's speaking about her wish to sing ballads, her success with ero-kakkoii instead and how her feelings and attitude changed with her going all through these years and having a own family.
It's here:
http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2065871/full/
It's in the Top 3 of most popular articles on Oricon today.

Thanks for the link and pw for the a-nation live!

Not bad, and digital sale also goes well for this album

[kaled kalil]

Great sales overall! Better than SoL already, that ended up selling 21k total.

[pimenta]

^ SUMMER of LOVE sold 23,215 copies on total according to oricon.

23k on the first week is great, less than 200 copies needed to outsell SoL haha

[Gustavopc]

When this was announced I was afraid it would sell even less than SoL... I shouldn't have underestimated the power of winter ballads

[Minttulatte]

^Never underestimate the power of Kuu's winter ballads. They sell like crazy in Japan.

And did I read she wishes to sing more ballads? Omfg, does it mean her next album will have more ballads on it? If that's true, then I will die from happiness. I loved WOML more than most fans here but it annoyed me that there was only two ballads on it. I have been hoping that her next album has more of those on it. *_____*

[KarenPang]

Koda Kumi Did Not Want Sexy Image When She Debuted

During an interview with Oricon, Koda Kumi shared that she originally wanted to be a ballad singer, not someone who danced and exuded a sexy image.

Koda Kumi recently released a best-of album titled "WINTER of LOVE". The album is a collection of the singer's best ballads.

When she was auditioning to become a singer, Kumi originally wanted to be a ballad artist. "I personally like ballad, so when I was auditioning, I sung Mayo Okimoto's 'Alone' and Mariko Takahashi's 'For You'," she said.

Despite wanting to do ballads, her agency thought it would be hard for her to start with ballads, so her staff proposed that she do upbeat music and dance. She was given a sexy image which has stuck with her ever since.

"Although it wasn't my ideal image I had envisioned for myself, I wanted to meet their expectations," she said.

After gaining success with her sexy image, Kumi was able to start promoting ballads later in her career. A balance was found between the sexy image that she because most known for and the touching ballads that she truly wanted to do.

"I had confidence that one day I'd put out an album that was only love ballads. I'm now able to release the ballad album I've always desired," she said.

http://www.jpopasia.com/news/koda-ku...ed::18966.html

[Gustavopc]

Well, it does make sense if you think about what she said on Koda Reki about seeing her mother singing and moving people's heart. And I remember her saying on the book as well she always wanted to put out a ballad single and was allowed to do so only when she got some success. But it could be worse, she put her efforts in doing her best with what was given to her and managed to succed in both fields

[jean-baptiste]

WINTER of LOVE is the ballad album she's always wanted? I wonder if she likes it better than BOUNCE & LOVERS or if she just totally forgot about it haha. Could just be a marketing strategy as well, to say that.

I also am very shocked at how well WoL did. Already almost outselling SoL surprised me. Awesome!

[Gustavopc]

^ iirc around B&L release she stated her fans always said they wanted to see more of her dancing on PVs but when they held polls for favourite songs, her ballads would always win, so that's where the idea for B&L came from. It was more of a fan-driven release than something she wanted to release, so that may be why

[jean-baptiste]

Originally Posted by Gustavopc

^ iirc around B&L release she stated her fans always said they wanted to see more of her dancing on PVs but when they held polls for favourite songs, her ballads would always win, so that's where the idea for B&L came from. It was more of a fan-driven release than something she wanted to release, so that may be why

Interesting! Never knew B&L was based on fan polls. Good to know.

That makes WoL a bit more special, haha.

[Gustavopc]

^ I mean, I don't know if the setlist itself was all taken from polls, but maybe she noticed a pattern and picked some ballads to fill the CD

btw talking on B&L made me remember that Ashita e... exists, such an amazing song and never got any attention from Kuu ):

[Minttulatte]

I have always known that Kuu loves her ballads to death. She has always enjoyed singing those and that's also why I became a fan after hearing you, Promise and Kiseki. Those took my soul and never let it go again. Even to this day I get most excited when she releases ballads. Upbeat songs are great too, but for me Kuu's ballads are the ones that charms me the best.

Also, one of my all time favorite J-Pop albums is full of ballads. It's BoA's VALENTI. I have always loved it and I think songs in that style would fit Kuu very well.