Berryz Kobubou's Kanjuku Berryz Kobou The Final Completion Box reviewed

Release Date: January 21st, 2015

Track Listing:

Disc 1

Anata Nashi de wa Ikite Yukenai
Fighting Pose wa Date ja Nai!
Piriri to Yukou!
Happiness ~Koufuku Kangei!~
Koi no Jubaku
Special Generation
Nanchuu Koi wo Yatteruu YOU KNOW?
21ji Made no Cinderella
Gag 100 Kaibun Aishite Kudasai
Jiriri Kiteru
Waracchaou yo BOYFRIEND
Munasawagi Scarlet
VERY BEAUTY
Kokuhaku no Funsui Hiroba
Tsukiatteru no ni Kataomoi
Dschinghis Khan

Disc 2

Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance
MADAYADE
Dakishimete Dakishimete
Seishun Bus Guide
Rival
Watashi no Mirai no Danna-sama
Ryuusei Boy
Otakebi Boy WAO!
Tomodachi wa Tomodachi Nanda!
Maji Bomber!!
Shining Power
Heroine ni Narou ka!
Ai no Dangan
Aa, Yo ga Akeru
Be Genki <Naseba Naru!>

Disc 3

Cha cha SING
WANT!
Asian Celebration
Golden Chinatown
Sayonara Usotsuki no Watashi
Motto Zutto Issho ni Itakatta
ROCK Erotic
Otona na no yo!
1oku 3zenman Sou Diet Oukoku
Ai wa Itsumo Kimi no Naka ni
Futsuu, Idol 10nen Yatterannai Desho!?
Romance wo Katatte
Towa no Uta
Love together!
Anata Nashi de wa Ikite Yukenai (04-13-15 Kanjuku Complete Ver.)

Disc 4 (Regular edition)

BERRY FIELDS
Natsu Wakame
Kaccho Ee!
Yuujou Junjou oh Seishun
Passion E-CHA E-CHA
Koishiteru Toki wa Itsumo…
Yume de Do Up
Himitsu no U・ta・hi・me
Nigiyaka na Fuyu – Berryz Koubou & Yaguchi Mari
Toshoshitsu Taiki
Suhada Pichipichi
Aitai Kedo…
Gaki Taishou
Seishun Oodoori
Warera! Berryz Kamen
Darling I LOVE YOU (Berryz Koubou Ver.)
Maji Good Chance Summer

Disc 5 (Regular edition)

Furare Pattern
Sono Subete no Ai ni
MOON POWER
Otakebi Boy WAO! (Spark Ver.)
Chotto Samishii na
Hero Arawaru!
Omoide
Otona ni wa Naritakunai Hayaku Otona ni Naritai
Mou, Kodomo ja nai Watashi na no ni…
Loving you Too much
Momochi! Yurushite Nyan♡Taisou – Momochi (Tsugunaga Momoko feat. Berryz Koubou)
Yuuki wo Kudasai!
Sekai de Ichiban Taisetsu na Hito
I like a picnic
I’m so cool!
Koisuru Technique

Disc 6 (Regular edition)

Amazuppai Haru ni Sakura Saku – Berryz Koubou x ℃-ute
Tanjun Suginano Watashi…
Chou HAPPY SONG (Single Ver.) – Berryz Koubou x ℃-ute
Chou HAPPY SONG – Berryz Koubou x ℃-ute
Dschinghis Khan Tartar Mix – Dschinghis Khan x Berryz Koubou
Dschinghis Khan Piston Nishizawa Two Turntable Remix – Dschinghis Khan x Berryz Koubou
Elegant Girl – Himuro Ibu (CV Sugaya Risako / Berryz Koubou)
Heroine ni Narou ka! (Early Ver.)
Marui Taiyou (Unrealeased Cover Ver.) – Shimizu Saki, Natsuyaki Miyabi, Kumai Yurina, Sugaya Risako
GET UP! Rapper (Unrealeased Cover Ver.) – Tsugunaga Momoko, Tokunaga Chinami, Sudo Maasa
Pittari Shitai X’mas! (Unrealeased Cover Ver.)
Yatto Aeta ne (New Recording)
Thank You Very Berry (New Recording)
Warera Jeanne (New Recording)

Review

Kanjuku Berryz Koubou The Final Completion Box is the final album from Berryz Koubou before their indefinate hiatus this on-coming March, and features most of the groups discography. Both the Limited editions feature three discs of the groups A-side tracks, plus Love together! and a re-do of their debut single A-side, whilst the Regular edition contains 6 discs chock-full of not only the groups A-sides, but also their b-sides, stage play songs, and a few cover tracks. Needless to say, this album is packed with years of Berryz music, and will probably keep you entertained for hours if you’re a fan of the soon-to-be-defunct group.

Keep your tissues at the ready, because this album might just make you a little weepy, if a fan.

As expected, the first three discs of Kanjuku Berryz Koubou is full of nostalgia, especially on the first disc, which features their first 16 singles, otherwise known as the better years of Berryz. It has all of their childish and carefree antics embedded in sound, bringing back that hard-hitting feeling that Berryz were once so cute and charming, innocent and raw, but still lovely all the same.

This was a fun disc to listen to, if only for the nostalgia of it all. All of the songs are cute or really really good, like Koi no Jubaku or Gag 100 Kaibun Aishite Kudasai, and just remind me that once upon a time, Berryz were pretty decent.

The second and third discs contain the songs that I was around for, more or less, with disc two being marginally better than the third song-wise. Up until around Ai no Dangan, I enjoyed the songs, and then I mostly tolerated what I was listening to. If anything, both of these discs show the growth of Berryz in terms of maturity to their sound; they lost their cute and childish image, and took on a more grown-up route, if you will. With their image change to maturity, the music changed too, though it is subject to personal opinion whether or not you found this change in Berryz appealing.

The last two songs on disc 3 are two previously unreleased tracks. Love together! is the only original track included, and the final song from the group. It’s an enjoyable song, one that sounds and feels sad in its tone, though the video for it has a lot less impact than the song itself.

The final song on the third disc is Anata Nashi de wa Ikite Yukenai (04-13-15 Kanjuku Complete Ver.), a redo of their debut single, if you will. It starts off with a few instrumental changes, as well as the original vocals from the girls, but eventually we are treated with the matured, present singing voices of Berryz Kobou. It’s a mix of old and new, and it has impact. I found this track very sweet and nostalgic, and a nice goodbye to Berryz.

The final three discs, only available on the regular edition version of the album, included two discs of b-side songs, and the final disc containing unreleased cover songs, an early version of Heroine ni Narou ka, as well as a few stage play tracks and Berrikyuu releases. Again, this is pretty much a nostalgia-filled set of discs, especially the first two discs, but the third CD is the one to listen out for, mostly because of the unreleased cover tracks, one of which is an all-Berryz affair of Pittari Shittari X’mas, as well as the fact that there is a new recording of Thank You Very Berry included in it.

For the groups final and complete album, I think this would be a great collection to have for the long-time fans more than anything, especially those who have been around long enough to watch the group grow up. It’s nostalgic, and it is everything Berryz with a little added extra in the 6th and final disc.

If you are looking to buy this, and don’t mind the loss of a photobook or DVD’s, then definitely pick up the Regular edition, because the songs and nostalgia are definitely worth every listen.

Kanjuku Berryz Koubou The Final Completion Box (Regular Edition)