In Rii’s pure+ photo book she is wearing red dress in one indoor photo set. When so-called left over photos from that session were published in Hello! Project Digital Books I realised that these only in web released photos are even better than the original ones in pure+. Rii looks so stunning and… sensual in that simple red dress.
Rii has been one of the most criticised Berryz Kobo member since the beginning of group’s existence. Reasons are numerous. She gets too many lines. She has too much screening time in PVs. She is annoying. She has had too much solo photo books. She is fat. And most of all: She can’t sing.
Pardon me but I don’t agree with any of those criticisms. I’ve always said that Rii is not the best singer or even the second best. But that’s really not important. She can sing and she has learnt to sing better and better during these BK years. And most of all: I love her voice.
Aisuru Hito no Namae wo Nikki ni from BK’s second album (2005) performed in Sakura Mankai concert 2007:
Zutto Suki de ii desu ka, Aya Matsuura’s single from 2005 performed in BK solo event 2008. It’s pity that we can’t hear & see the whole version of this song because Up-Front International has faded the end of the song away from FC DVD. Rii is singing so gracefully this Aya tune:
Hito Natsu no Keiken (“A one summer experience”) Momoe Yamaguchi’s single from 1974 performed in Berikyuu! 2008:
Up-Front Agency’s collector’s photos are nice documents those bring us back many sweet memories from Berryz Kobo’s career. All these Rii photos are from year 2006. It was especially this year during which Rii was growing up from late childhood to her teens.
1st set : Rii wearing Jiriri Kiteru outfit
2nd set : “Berryz Kobo Concert Tour 2006 Haru ~Nyoki Nyoki Champion!~” Remember Rii’s hip hop dance number with Miya and Saki!
3rd set : School uniforms were there in BK’s DVD Magazine vol.7
4th set : Pretty white dress on Rii
5th set : Rii on the waterfront
6th set : Ice-cream bar uniform from “Waracchao yo Boyfriend”
7th set : Yukata from “Berryz Kobo Summer Concert 2006 Natsu natsu ~ Anata wo Suki ninaru Sangensoku ~”
8th set : Tennis photos from “Munasawagi Scarlet” jacket shooting session.
9th set : “Nyoki Nyoki Champion!” concert tour special photos taken during filming BK’s DVD Magazine vol.4
I love wild and characteristic girls. It’s always been this way also in my real life. I myself am quite calm and considerate type of person so I need an energetic girl close to me to keep the balance right. I guess it’s kind of Yin-Yang thing also here.
One interesting side in Rii’s character is her wildness. Although she seems to be quite shy in public amongst firends her mischievous and wild person comes captivatingly out in a wonderful manner. That’s of course one reason I love that girl so much.
There are lot of examples about wild Rii beginning from her H!P Kids era. However I chose here a video clip from BK’s Summer Concert Tour 2006. It’s a collection of scenes from backstages, dressingrooms and practising sessions.
Long version from Rii’s fan club special edition DVD:
http://www.veoh.com/videos/v345571B2rDmbHA
Short clip from previous long version:
Bonus video: Fan made collection of wild Rii:
Time to get this started. Risako Sugaya is celebrating her 15th birthday on Saturday 4th of April. Yep, it’s in the end of next week. Rii’s B-day countdown starts… Now!
As I look Rii’s life in all and retrospectively her career as an idol, first adjective that comes in my mind is “kawaii”. She’s just born with that kawaiiness in her character. Just take a look at all those video clips when Rii was trying her best in H!P Kids auditions. That cuteness was already there although she was just 9 years old in spring 2002.
Many times I’ve been thinking is that kawaiiness of hers always unconsscious manner or is there sometimes calculated acting involved. But that’s only a rhetorical question. Who can tell when kawaiiness is acted or natural? When Rii is kawaii all the time it just can’t be full time acting.
When Rii was younger she had that awkward smile just like Miya also had. Even when Rii laughed with her mouth wide open she was still cute kid. If you say she looked weird I think you don’t really love her.
In 2003 Rii acted in Hiroshi Sugawara’s movie Hotaru no Hoshi. She is one of film’s main characters, a quiet and shy school child who comes alive when gets excited with a class project aiming to raise fireflies. It’s a wonderful movie with an environmental protection overtone. For me this movie is a tearjerker.
This clip is from Hotaru no Hoshi. In this clip Hikari (Rii) is angry because older school boys had destroyed sinks where younger children were raising fireflies. Cute Rii is doing there an evil thing and for a good reason. Kawaii ne!
Time to exhibit some recent Buono! pictures made by various fan artists. Again plenty of style variations and impressions. Which ones are your favorites this time?
