I finally update with some pictures of my Now and Forever (CD + DVD) package from CDJapan! If you guys haven’t bought their CDs yet and are still basically living off youtube and the odd download or so, I hope these pictures (and these too will change your minds. Hinoi Team CDs are chockfull of goodies thanks to avex (or some Vision Factory marketing genius)! Anyway onto the goods…The First Press Sticker:

The Unopened CD:

Back of the CD: (I think Keika looks weird here)

Contents of the package: CD, DVD, Lyrics booklet, and KEIKA TRADING CARD (!)

Zooming in on the delectable KEIKA:

And since I like the card so much:

Back of the trading card + lyrics booklet:

Edit: CD Scans Here!

There has been much talk about this particular single, given that it is Hinoi Team’s fifth single and the one right after their collaboration with Korriki. On the Oricon charts, it seems to have lived up to expectations. According to the information posted by Made in Paradise, the single sold 3,789 copies in the first week and 1,701 copies in the second. For an under-15 group like Hinoi Team, this is a pretty decent showing, and their highest ranking and sales without the help of Korrikki.

Off the top of my head, there are two main reasons for this slight jump in popularity. Firstly, it could be because the collaboration with Korikki worked, that is, helped Hinoi Team gain more exposure in the Japanese media, and earned them more fans. The other reason is the new “sexy” and “adult” image drawing ever more perverted old Japanese men, or getting the same few ones to buy multiple copies at handshake events.

I’d like to be optimistic, but at this point in time I am more inclined to go with the second reason. Compared to most non-Hello Project girl groups, they are doing very much better. However, in the entire Jpop scene, Hinoi Team is still a relatively new and unknown act, especially since their genre of music, para para, is decidedly un-mainstream.

My theory is that making the switch from Para Para to “Eurobeat” or Electronica / Dance is a particularly good move when it comes to attracting more Otaku attention. Before Now and Forever, idol otakus used to be able to do the Para Para choreography while watching them Live at handshake events. (no offence, but from what I see in the Goo videos they looked rather pathetic doing it… worse than Korrikki) Now, with the new “sexy” choreography, hardly anyone can keep up with the moves, described by Rina as “Hip Hop and Jazz”, but seems better described as “OMG buttshaking”. So we have all the Otaku eyeballs focussed on the girls and their… moves. And we all know that hormones are a good CD sales driver.

Personally, I think that the NOWEVER dance is rather distasteful at certain points, especially since the girls were wearing very short shorts or skirts in the Promotional Video. We all know they have very nice long legs already! Often, more is… more. But I am not sure if I am saying this only because I am not an otaku.

For now, the marketing strategy seems to be working. The main thing that the management can do now, in my opinion, is to keep on innovating and coming up with new things to surprise fans with. Also, perhaps moving into the more mainstream genre of pop music would be able to push Hinoi Team out of the “idol girl group” category. I think the girls have showed great promise in the coupling songs, Summertime and I’m gonna carry on, both of which are bordering on pop if not for the strong electronica beats in the background. Let’s hope they keep on improving their music style and break into the mainstream.

I can’t wait for the next release. XD