SCI FI CHANNEL GREENLIGHTS WCG GAMEQUEST FOR EARLY 2009

Los Angeles/New York, October 30, 2008 – SCI FI Channel has greenlit to production WCG GameQuest (working title), an 8-episode elimination-style reality competition, pitting 12 contestants against each other in a series of video game challenges in order to find the “Best All-Around Gamer” in the United States. Shot on location in Los Angeles, GameQuest is slated to premiere on SCI FI in the first quarter of 2009.

The series features top game titles from various studios and includes physical challenges that bring video games to life, as well as elimination challenges in an arena before hundreds of spectators. This exciting new format features a diverse group of contestants who embark on an intense and emotional journey, all hoping to win a prize package that includes $100,000 and trips to future World Cyber Games (WCG) events across the globe.

“With two out of every three American households playing videogames, it’s clear that this mainstream phenomenon is a perfect arena for the Channel’s agenda of broadening the brand while celebrating imagination,” said Dave Howe, SCI FI Channel President. “The colorful and eclectic group of men and women competitors will simultaneously fit and completely shake up the ultimate gamer stereotype. We are thrilled to be partnering with WCG and Samsung for this fun and engaging show.”

“Since 2000, the WCG has been at the forefront of e-sports and as we’ve grown to 78 countries represented and 1.5 million participants, we’ve seen that passion for gaming knows no geographic or demographic boundaries,” said H.S. Kim, WCG President. “Go to any WCG event or one of the many millions of gaming households across the globe and you’ll see the love and excitement that people share with their favorite titles. As gaming continues to be the fastest growing sector of the entertainment industry, we are delighted that we can continue to lead this revolution and with SCI FI, Granada and Samsung as partners, bring this show to viewers. The world has never seen a gaming-related TV series like GameQuest and we are confident that it will appeal to all levels of gamers and even non-gamers.”

In WCG GameQuest, contestants will be first tested in real life challenges based on a variety of games and then must master the actual video games themselves. Ultimately, contestants will be forced to rely on real world and virtual world skills like attentiveness, coordination, and endurance in order to avoid elimination. But similar to video gaming where the person with the most skills doesn’t always come out on top – for the winner of GameQuest, it may all come down to pure strategy and knowledge of other opponents’ weaknesses in order to outlast the competition.

Samsung Electronics, the official worldwide partner for the World Cyber Games, is also the official series production partner.

“As a company that believes in the power of passion and imagination, we know that there is no place where this is more evident than in the WCG,” said Gregory Lee, Chief Marketing Officer of Samsung Electronics. “Samsung televisions, monitors, mobile devices and notebooks are fantastic platforms for video games and we’re pleased to extend our commitment to the WCG and partner with SCI FI and Granada to make this one-of-a-kind show a reality.”

“GameQuest will showcase the latest in consumer electronics and video games. Being a part of this ground-breaking series proves Samsung’s commitment to creating products this technology-savvy gamer audience craves. Samsung is focused on understanding what our consumers want, and then delivering it to them with leading technology and design to enhance their digital experience,” said Steven Cook, SVP and Chief Strategic Marketing Officer of Samsung Electronics America. “We are confident that GameQuest will set an industry precedent for gaming reality competition and we look forward to seeing what the season has in store.”

WCG GameQuest is a format created by Michael Agbabian and Dwight D. Smith (“Phenomenon”, “Gameshow Marathon” and “Last Comic Standing”) who will executive produce.

“This deal is very exciting on several levels,” said Paul Buccieri, President and CEO, Granada America. “We are delighted to partner with not only one but two top brands in the WCG and Samsung. When the WCG and Samsung approached us with the opportunity, we were definitely up for the challenge. Michael and Dwight crafted an imaginative and compelling format that combines the enormous popularity of video gaming with the real drama of competition. Producing this as our first project for SCI FI is especially gratifying.”

“We are thrilled to be the broadcast partner for such a unique and innovative programming deal which extends our commitment to reality programming,” said Chris Czarkowski, SCI FI’s VP, Sales. “Electronics and gaming are both categories that have mass appeal for our core SCI FI consumer, making the WCG and Samsung the perfect brands to produce this kind of cutting edge gaming show.”

Ivan Garel-Jones, Senior Vice President, Business Affairs, Granada America, brokered the deal with the WCG and Samsung Electronics. The WCG and Samsung brokered the deal with SCI FI.
SCI FI Channel is a television network where “what if” is what’s on. SCI FI fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic Web site (www.scifi.com) and magazine. Launched in 1992, and currently in 93 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies.

World Cyber Games (WCG) is the global leader in video game tournaments and video game television. Each year over 1.5 million players compete in WCG events and online tournaments across 78 countries. The annual WCG Grand Final is often dubbed the “Olympics of Video Gaming” by major media outlets as it showcases competitions between national teams and crowns world champions in the top PC, console and mobile video games. The first WCG Grand Final took place in Seoul, Korea in 2000. The WCG 2008 Grand Final will take place in Cologne, Germany, November 5-9, 2008. The WCG 2009 Grand Final will be hosted by the city of Chengdu, China. WCG event coverage is presented live on television networks around the world, on WCG.com and via numerous partner outlets.

Granada America is one of the largest international producers for the US market and a major force in acquiring, developing and producing scripted and non-scripted programming for US networks. Since launching in 2004, Granada America has become a leading producer of non-scripted and scripted programming in the US producing a slate of successful formats with major US networks, including Hell’s Kitchen and Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares for Fox, Celebrity Fit Club for VH1, Phenomenon and Hit Me Baby One More Time for NBC, Sensing Murder for Discovery as well as First 48 and the S.W.A.T series for A&E. Granada is a world leader in television production and distribution, with international production centers in the UK, Germany and Australia as well as America and programs distributed to over 155 territories worldwide. Our US hit TV show, Nanny 911, has been sold to more than 60 countries.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2007 consolidated sales of US$103.4 billion. Employing approximately 150,000 people in 134 offices in 62 countries, the company consists of four main business units: Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business, and Telecommunication Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), based in Ridgefield Park, NJ, is a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (SEC). SEA markets a broad range of award-winning consumer electronics, information systems, and home appliance products, as well as oversees all of Samsung’s North American operations including Samsung Telecommunications America, LP, Samsung Semiconductor Inc., Samsung Electronics Canada, Inc. and Samsung Electronics Mexico, Inc. As a result of its commitment to innovation and unique design, SEA was ranked #6 in the Electronics Industry segment in Fortune Magazine’s “Most Admired Companies 2008,” and named as one of Fast Company’s “Fast 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2008.” Among popular Business Week rankings, SEC ranked #26 in the publication’s “Most Innovative Companies of 2008″ and #21 in the “100 Best Global Brands” for 2007. SEC is also a top patent holder, ranking second overall in the U.S. in 2007. Please visit www.samsung.com or call 1(800) SAMSUNG for more information.

 

ARCADE MANIA! The Turbo-Charged World of Japan’s Game Centers (a J!-ENT Book Review)

Photo from “ARCADE MANIA!” @2008 Kodansha International”

“The definitive video game book to buy if you are a fan of Japanese-based video games.  May you be into the arcade UFO catchers, a fan of shmups, fighting games or arcade shooters, Brian Ashcraft and Jean Snow, does gamers a definite service with their research on the genre and interviewing important names in the industry including the hardcore gamers of that video game genre!  Well-written, well-designed.  This book is absolutely fantastic and definitely a must own video game book!”

BUY THIS BOOK

BOOK: ARCADE MANIA! The Turbo-Charged World of Japan’s Game Centers

AUTHORS: Brian Ashcraft with Jean Snow

COMPANY: Kodansha International

PAGE COUNT: 196 pages

I’ve always been fascinated with the video games that have come from Japan and it’s no secret that I play a lot of the imports (good and bad) and even in Tokyo, well take some time playing at the video game arcade machines at the local arcade or on the second-story of a grocery store in the middle of nowhere.

When you’re in Japan, may it be at Sega Joypolis or a dingy arcade, you can’t help be mesmerized by the various types of machines available for people to take part in.  The types of games that are attracting various gamers and there is just so much available, to cover the various machines would be a major task.

That was until I read “ARCADE MANIA!” by Brian Ashcraft (with Jean Snow).  I’m literally in awe of how much coverage was featured in this book.  The first thing that caught my attention was the hip layout but most of all, the people featured in the book and the history behind the various arcade machines.

Brian Ashcraft’s work for Kotaku.com and Wired Magazine is well-known, along with Jean Snow who also writes for Wired Magazine’s Game|Life blog.  Both men delivered in what probably is one of the best written books on video gaming.

Chapter 1 features “CRANE GAMES”.  I have to admit that when I’m in Tokyo, I spent a bit of money trying to get some of the items at these various crane games.  Because the prizes offered are not always stuffed animals but some prizes are just rare items specifically for the crane game (or UFO catcher).  And in Japan, when you think of crane games, you think of Yuka Nakajima.

Just reading this chapter and reading the interview with Yuka Nakajima giving her game tips, seeing the various photos of UFO catchers and also the competition between Yuka Najajima and Aya Toyoda was surprising to find its inclusion in this book but immediately, I liked where this book was heading.

Chapter 2 then goes into sticker-picture machines aka Purikura machines.  If you are into Japanese pop culture, may it be a trip to your local Japanese mall in America or somewhere in Japan, it’s quite fun to get a group of friends and hit the purikura machines.  But what was cool about this chapter was the interview with Sakurina, a model for “Koakuma Ageha” magazine who was discovered by a scout because of purikura and now she’s featured outside a variety of those machines.

Chapter 3 goes into rhythm games and its history in Japan and an interview with Aaron Chmielowiec who scored a AAA on “Dance Dance Revolution” and his ability to remember patterns (including the algorithms of “Pac Man” when was younger).  This chapter was pretty cool because it features quite a bit on various rhythm-based machines including “Taiko no Tatsujin” and “Rhythm Tengoku”.

Chapter 4 features shooting games (aka shoot ‘em ups or shmups).  From the history of “Space Invaders” to “Ikaragua” to the “Shmups skills test”.  There is a lot of cool information on the genre in this chapter and I really enjoyed the interview with Kenta Cho who is known for his doujin software such as “Gunroar” and “Tumiki Fighters”.

Chapter 5, my favorite chapter, covers fighting games.  From “Street Fighter II” to SNK games and the popular PC game “Melty Blood”, I just felt this chapter was well-written.  And there was one key thing that definitely caught my attention in this chapter and that was the interview with Daigo Umehara and also a piece on his battle with Justin Wong at EVO 2004 (Evolution is a competitive fighting tournament that primarily featured fighting game competitions at the time).

I was at the event to interview Daigo (and the other Japanese fighting game competitors) at EVO 2004 and was also to see that comeback against Justin Wong which was detailed in the book.  It was one of the most impressive competitive battles I have seen in my life and both Daigo “The Beast” and Justin Wong are two competitive individuals.  To find that certain match included in this chapter was truly awesome.  Wasn’t expecting to see it mentioned at all but just shows how thorough Ashcraft and Snow’s coverage was in each chapter.  Awesome!

Other chapters include “Games of Chance” (for those who love mahjong games), “Dedicated Cabinets” featuring specialized games from gun games to driving games and a cool interview with Sega’s Yu Suzuki.  There is a chapter on “retro games” and a cool interview with Goichi Suda (Suda 51) of Grasshopper Manufacture fame.  And a well-written in-depth chapter on “card-based” games

I can’t tell you how impressed I was with this book.  Brian Ashcraft and Jean Snow have done a great job with this book which was well-researched, good selections for their interviews and just a wealth of information that this book has… I’m very impressed of how well-written and well-researched this book truly is.

I’ve read a good share of video gaming books and to have one written about the Japanese arcade game industry but also how it seems to crossover to the video game console systems, I have no doubt that people who are fans of Japanese video games of various genres will surely find this book, not only just a good read but it’s absolutely fantastic.  Definitely an A+!

BUY THIS BOOK

 

Sophie Monk at New Wave Entertainment in Burbank

PicApp: Sophie Monk at New Wave Entertainment in Burbank. Pictured: Sophie Monk Picture by: LPK / Splash News. Content © 2008 Splash News. All rights reserved.

 

Director Clint Eastwood and actress Angelina Jolie pose backstage during the Hollywood Film Festival’s Gala Ceremony

PicApp: BEVERLY HILLS, CA – OCTOBER 27: Director Clint Eastwood and actress Angelina Jolie pose backstage during the Hollywood Film Festival’s Gala Ceremony held at Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 27, 2008 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Hollywood Film Festival)   Content © 2008 Getty Images. All rights reserved.

 

J!-ENT spotlight on the 2-hour prequel special of “24: REDEMPTION”

Greetings everyone!

Our J!-ENT spotlight article by Dennis A. Amith on the upcoming “24: Redemption” 2-hour prequel special is available for download. Check it out by downloading it here!

 

The One about the Low Gas Prices…

If there is one silver lining that I have found with this dismal economy of our nation, that is the dropping of our gas prices. It was not that long ago, I really thought we were going to go $5 for a gallon of unleaded gas.

I can tell you that I’ve been quite pissy this whole year since the gas prices have pretty much put a halt to my usual surfing getaways this year (fortunately I was able to get nearly a week in Santa Cruz) but what surprised me is how much it’s dropping and I hope it continues.

Just today, for the first time in probably 4-5 years, gas was at $2.59 for regular unleaded in this part of California and I would imagine that it would be much cheaper in different parts of the states (note: Wichita, Kansas reported gas at $2.26 a gallon).

But the drop is due to crude oil prices and demand. In America, less people are driving including during the holiday season and the all-time high was just in July 2008 at $4.11 and oil was $147 a barrel. As of Oct. 24th, oil was $64.15 a barrel.

If it goes below $2.25 here in California, that would be so awesome! I can remember filling up my car in the past for $18-19 and in July, it was at $37. Today it was $24 to fill up my car and again, if there was a silver lining to this bad economy, it’s that we are getting a break on gas prices.

Knock on wood that it continues to stay that way!

 

TV TALK – Tuesday Musings (Oct. 28, 2008) – 90210, Privileged,

I started my Tuesday TV watching with “Real Housewives of Atlanta” on Bravo.  I have never watched the Atlanta version of “Real Housewives” but I figured, why not give it a try. It definitely caught my attention and probably will continue to watch every Tuesday.

Off to the CW and after weeks of repeats, finally a new episode of “90210″ with episode 8 titled “There’s No Place Like Homecoming” and continues from the last episode in which Adrianna survives her drug overdose and now put into rehab (courtesy of an anonymous person). As for Annie and Naomi, they become good friends and Annie joins the cool group but what happens when Naomi finds out that there is more to the friendship between her ex-boyfriend Ethan and Annie.

Personally, I thought we would see a death (with Adrianna), sort of like the emotional impact the old “Beverly Hills 90210″ (for those who remember that accidental shotgun shot that killed David Silver’s friend). Otherwise, for Navid fans, you get to see more of Navid in this episode.

Then it was time for episode 7 of “Privileged” with “All About Haves and Have-Nots” featuring Rose and Sage having dinner with Megan and her father (whom Megan is not really close with) and her sister Lilly (who Megan does not get along with). Otherwise, an interesting dinner and as much as I really enjoy that show, I had a few problems with it. For Megan’s sister Lily, the last episode, we were left knowing that her sister is a thief and stole Rose’s bracelet. But yet, at the dinner party, Lily wears the bracelet (which she gets caught by Rose’s sister Sage and outed).

<div style=”text-align:center;;height:425px;” class=”picappstyle”><script src=”http://pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Javascripts/PisV3.js”></script><script src=”http://pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/javascripts/DataV3.ashx?ImageId=227887&PublisherId=9036″></script><a href=”http://www.picapp.com/PublicSite/ViewDetails.aspx?ImageId=708527″ target=”_blank” class=”remove”><img id=”picappimg” src=”http://cdn.picapp.com/ftp/Images/6/6/4/d/1f.jpg” width=”420″ height=”279″ oncontextmenu=”return false;” onload=”try{registerLoadImage(this)}catch(ex){}” alt=”Premiere Party for CW Network’s “90210″ – Arrivals”/></a><script type=”text/javascript”>var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(420,279,227887,”http://pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css”)}catch(ex){}}()</script></div><div class=”ClearItems”></div>

Obviously, Lily has some lying and stealing issues but for her to come back and wear it in front of her family and the people she stole it from, definitely hope to see a Lilly-driven storyline and find out what is wrong with her.

After “Privileged”, went to my DVR and watch shows I’ve recorded weeks ago. I watched a History Channel episode titled “Crime Wave: 18th Month of Mayhem” on the 1930′s and the crime spree during the Great Depression when John Dillinger, Machine Gun Kelly, Baby Face Nelson, and Bonnie and Clyde were stealing from the banks, killing cops and feds and because the nation’s displeasure of banks and the government (Because they lost their money they had in the banks – Note: During that time, a person’s money was not insured), people during the 1930′s supported and applauded the “Public Enemy” criminals and almost held them up to superstar status.

I was blown away to find out and see so many people who really thought of these criminals as rockstars and so many would go in line to see the open caskets of these criminals after they were caught and killed.

Also, surprised that each time they were apprehended and jailed, they escaped. Literally by the criminals going to the police stations which only several cops were working late and thus overpowering them and freeing the criminals.

All in all, a pretty good documentary worth catching!

 

Eva Mendes attends the 150th birthday celebration for Macy’s department store in New York

PicApp: Actress and Macy’s spokesperson Eva Mendes attends the 150th birthday celebration for Macy’s department store in New York on October 28, 2008. (UPI Photo/Ezio Petersen) Photo via Newscom Photo via Newscom. Content © 2008 Newscom. All rights reserved.

 

COLDPLAY, LEONA LEWIS TO PERFORM AT “2008 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS”

Coldplay and Lewis Join Kanye West, Jonas Brothers, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Ne-Yo, New Kids
on the Block, Pussycat Dolls, Taylor Swift, P!nk, The Fray and Annie Lennox at
36th Annual AMAs; Presenters Include David Archuleta, Ashley Tisdale,
Demi Lovato and T-Pain; Winners Determined by Online Voting at amavote.com

“American Music Awards” producer Larry Klein announced today that two of the hottest musical acts, Coldplay and Leona Lewis, will join the outstanding group of artists confirmed to perform at the live ceremony, SUNDAY, NOV. 23 (8:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT) on ABC. He also revealed that David Archuleta, Ashley Tisdale, Demi Lovato and T-Pain will award trophies at this year’s ceremony.

Jimmy Kimmel will host the 36th annual AMAs which will feature performances by Kanye West, Jonas Brothers, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Ne-Yo, New Kids on the Block, Pussycat Dolls, Taylor Swift, P!nk, The Fray and Annie Lennox — who will receive the special Award of Merit. Additional performers and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks. The show will be broadcast live from the NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE. AMA tickets and VIP ticket packages are now on sale (please visit www.ticketmaster.com or call 1-877-AEG-TICKETS).

Said dick clark productions President Orly Adelson: “We’re thrilled to have Coldplay and Leona Lewis, both first-time AMA performers, on our live show this year … Coldplay’s unique rock sound and Lewis’ soaring pop vocals add extraordinary new elements to this year’s superb group of performers.”

For the second year, winners will be determined by online voting at amavote.com, the official voting location (votes will be collected from October 14 to November 7). Artists will be honored in the categories of Pop/Rock, Country, Rap/Hip-Hop, Soul/R&B, Alternative, Adult Contemporary, Latin and Contemporary Inspirational. Fans can go to the official homepage of the “2008 American Music Awards,” ama.abc.com, to find performer and presenter announcements, artist information, etc.

About dick clark productions, inc.
Founded in 1957, dick clark productions, inc. (dcp) is a leading independent producer of television programming. dcp produces perennial hits such as “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest,” the American Music Awards, the Golden Globe Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards. dcp also produces popular weekly television programming, including “So You Think You Can Dance,” and owns and maintains one of the world’s most unique and extensive entertainment libraries, which includes more than 30 years of “American Bandstand” footage. For additional information about dcp, please visit www.dickclarkproductions.com.

About the American Music Awards
In 1973 Dick Clark created the American Music Awards to pay tribute to popular musicians from various genres of music and to put audiences in touch with the latest phenomena in American music. Since its founding, the AMAs have honored and showcased the talents of some of the biggest names in the music industry. For press credential requests, please go to www.dickclarkproductions.com/ama

 

CLUB PRINCE – Party Yaro!! (a J!-ENT World Groove Album Review)

“The first album from a boy band which is focused in driving people to a Kabukichou host club.  As for the album, if you enjoy para para, this album is for you.”

BUY THIS ALBUM:

CDJapan | Amazon | Yesasia

BAND: CLUB PRINCE

ALBUM: Party Yaro!!

LABEL: avex trax

CATALOG #: AVCD-23471/B

DURATION: 1:07:33

RELEASE DATE: January 9, 2008

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

1. Intro
2. LOVEドッきゅん
3. パーティー野郎!!
4. Love & Peace v(^^)v
5. シ♂ゲ♀キ
6. Greatful Days
7. チューナイ!!
8. Abracadabra
9. 流星物語
10. パ☆リ☆ラ
11. Shake it Now!
12. Outro
13. LOVEドッきゅん (DELACTION REMIX)
14. LOVEドッきゅん (EUROBEAT REMIX VERSION)
15. チューナイ!! (EUROBEAT REMIX VERSION)
16. CLUB PRINCE PARTY MEDLEY

DVD: Region 2, Aspect Ration: 4:3, Duration: 34 minutes

1. LOVEドッきゅん – Music Clip
2. チューナイ!! – Music Clip
3. パーティー野郎!! – Music Clip
4. LOVEドッきゅん – Dance
5. チューナイ!! – Dance
6. LOVEドッきゅん – Off-Shot
7. チューナイ!! – Off-Shot
8. パーティー野郎!! – Off-Shot

When Club Prince was announced in 2007, the concept of a boy band based on “the power” of host clubs (as opposed to bars where guys pay women to sit with them and buy the ladies drinks, its the opposite with women who pay guys for companionship at a club or bar setting).

The group consists of YUGA, SORA, TSUYOSHI, RAN and REO of the Kabukicho club Prince men’s New club.  An actual host club that these guys promote.  According to an interview with Japan Times, YUGA (former member of the boy band Kids Alive), “I want to create an image similar to that of an amusement park, like Disneyland, for the host world,” says the 22-year-old of the group’s single, which is a high-tempo dance number that starts off with a call for free-flowing alcohol. “Since music is a worldwide language, I decided to use a song to convey this message to as many people as possible.”

According to the article, after the breakup of Kids Alive, YUGA went on to a career in host clubs and managing his own club.    Of course, avex trax’s roots is through dance clubs in the past such as Juliana’s Tokyo and VELFARRE but host clubs is definitely an interesting direction.

Upon listening to CLUB PRINCE’s first album “Party Yaro!!”, the music has a very Eurobeat to para para style of sound.  In fact, if there is one way to explain the band, I guess if you take the boy band V6 and combine them with Hinoi Team, you get Club Prince.

I’m sure this will confuse people by mentioning a boy band and a girl band but when you listen to the music, you hear the YUGA singing and the guys as a supporting role in the background vocals.  But also, you hear the girls talking and singing in the background as well.  So, despite the album focusing on the five guys of the host club, the female background vocals are a part of the actual music tracks.

And the music focuses on that similar upbeat dance style.  There are no musical variations.  Just upbeat Eurobeat and para para music which fans of the genre will enjoy.  YUGA is the main vocalist of the group and his vocals are pretty good.   But with five members of the group, for those expecting the typical boy band vocal differences with each male member, you’re not going to find it on this album.

As for the DVD, the DVD features the music videos, making-of and off-shot segments of each music video.

So, for example, “Love Dokkyun” features the guys in their rococo-era style clothing and surrounded by these women in either scientist outfits and sexy women doing para para.  The guys eventually get the female scientists to shed their robes for their party outfits and they all start doing the para para.

The second video “Chuu Nai” (a pun on the Japanese Good Night or Guu-nai.  In this case, “chuu” means kiss) and features the guy in their white outfits doing their para para dance and the ladies sitting and doing para para dances and kissing.

The third video for “Party Yaro!!” is a “Saturday Night Fever” late 70s like setting with the guys in their SNF John Travolta outfits and ladies in the club dancing with each other.

The next two videos feature the guys showcasing their dance choreography.   So, for “Love Dokkyun” and “Chuu nai”, the group is sporting afros and showcasing their para para dance.  This is intended for the women who want to learn the dance moves.

The final three videos feature an off-shot segment for the music videos and each member of the group being interviewed, performing live in Shibuya, the live recording of the album and more.

The CD insert is an 8-fold booklet featuring the music lyrics and production credits on one side.  Pictures of the guys on the other side.  Also, a flyer promoting the group’s club Kabukichou Club Prince.

I’m sure there are people who may be curious about this group and it is a boy band with one major vocalist, while the others are more dance support.  Also, I guess it’s more of a promotion and marketing for a popular host club in Japan by a major music label which is different, kind of odd but if it works an the club makes money, then I suppose that all is successful.

It’s well documented that women spend a lot of money on these host club’s looking for companionship.  It’s a big business in Japan and also has received notoriety for its ties with crime and also women putting themselves in tremendous debt because of their addiction to the scene.

But Club Prince is a para para/club group that has its following and the music on the album is not bad at all.  In fact, I’ve listened so many Japanese boy bands and the combination of the vocals, Eurobeat/para para music and the women singing in unison in the background, talking or cheering is also something that many people who have been used to with groups like Hinoi Team can probably understand.

But this is not a Tohoshinki style of group where the emphasis is on each member’s vocals, it’s all about having fun, dancing and this album pretty much embodies that whole atmosphere of the group and their club.

BUY THIS ALBUM:

CDJapan | Amazon | Yesasia

 

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