Berryz Koubou is a group of 8 perky young girls whose ages range from 11 to 13. Leader Saki Shimizu, the shortest member, gets entrusted with the role as group leader purely for being the eldest in the group; born November 22nd, 1991. The age gap between the eldest and youngest usually doesn’t make a difference, but when you’re working with a group of babies an extra two years is a lot. Members Yurina Kumai (1993) and Risako Sugaya (1994) make up the youngest in the group, despite being two of the tallest members. Momoko Tsugunaga, Chinami Tokunaga, Maasa Sudo, Miyabi Natsuyaki, and Maiha Ishimura complete the group and make up the majority, all born in 1992. What the group lacks in show biz experience is quickly made up in spades with genuine charm and innocence only a group of young girls can provide.

The title track on the single, Happiness ~Koufuku Kangei~, is an upbeat song which focuses your attention to the girls voices more than the clever instrumentals. With a backing track consisting mainly of simple drum beats, various synthetic tones, and xylophones, it’s difficult to imagine this song not bringing a smile to your face. As if that weren’t enough, the cheery voices of the girls will basically force you into a state of perpetual happiness. If it seems too good to be true, it’s probably brainwashing, they repeat the word “Happiness” no less than fourteen times in the song. Hell, if you don’t find yourself smiling after a round of the song, you’re either dead or are missing the lower portion of your jaw.

The next track, equally uplifting and upbeat, Yuujyou Jyunnjyou oh Seishunn is equally enjoyable. With an instrumental track consisting of rock elements, including the use of guitar and drums, this has a more serious quality than its counterpart. One of course could argue, how serious can it be when you’re a group of prepubescent girls, touché. Regardless of which way you see it, this song has cute written all over it, and is a welcome surprise to the coupling track world. The third track, as expected from most Japanese singles is a karaoke track to the title song, though the track doesn’t quite hold up sans lyrics.

In the music video we join the girls riding some kind of futuristic super train in the sky. Logically their destination seems to be a Chinese restaurant with real estate on a cloud. The restaurant owners must be extremely arrogant to assume their food is worth the trouble of having to visit aboard a flying train in the first place, arrogant or stupid, difficult to tell. The video continues showing the girls wearing a somewhat bland, and virtually identical, shiny gray dresses. Some of the cutest scenes from the video are from the spinning tray shots, where we join the girls doing everything but eating at the table. Food isn’t important to a group of girls with so much money to burn they can afford flying trains, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary to see the girls not only eating food but putting it on their heads. Intermittently they go back outside to dance up a storm, causing the owners loads of property damage before fleeing back into the train, but not before striking a triumphant pose as the video ends.

Overall, the single is a great buy and is definitely recommended amongst fans of bubbly songs. Generally if you like one song from the group, you’re bound to love them all, so it’s in the bag for fans like us. After all there is nothing better after a long day or school or work, than to come home to a bunch of girls whose sole purpose seems to be spreading happiness.