Another magic episode and honestly I am looking forward to these now since they have been retooled.
The guest for this episode is novelist Hada Keisuke. He was more engaging than I thought he would be, as authors are not usually known for being out going. But he added some humor to the episode just as much as the guys of Kis-My-Ft2.
This time around there are two magicians that are competing on who can fool Kisumai and their guest the best with their tricks. There are three rounds, the first is for card tricks, then coin tricks then the final round the magicians are given a table with a variety of items they can pick from to use for their final trick.
With this episode it looks like Yokoo Wataru at least realizes that the tricks are just as much head games as they are slight of hand. He ends up being the MVP of the episode and at the end gets to do a simple card trick.
I never thought I would come to like the magician episodes but with the new series they found a way to make them more enjoyable. If only they could have done that with the other dreaded game.
The next episode brings back the search engine game so I am dreading that. I wish they would drop it if they cannot do anything new with it.
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
CDJapan order 15OCT2015
Catching up still with all the unboxing videos I have. Hoping to have them all up before the end of the year. This order has a couple of Uta no Prince-sama items and the S.H.Figuarts Sailor Chibi Moon figure.
Love Live School Idol Festival time suck
So after seeing that there was a U.S. version of the Love Live School Idol Festival mobile game I decided to give it a shot. I knew next to nothing about the franchise going in other than I had some friends on twitter that were fans and their tweets about the game made it looked fun. So I downloaded the game, picked my starter solely based on the fact that she had the same blood type as I do and began giving up all my free time in the hope of getting more cute girls I can idolize.
Despite knowing so little about the series I ended up enjoying it quite a bit and have been spending probably too much of my free time playing it. I have been a sucker for collecting things in a series, when I was younger I had plenty of trading cards that I tried to collect all of, so that aspect of the game is an instant like. And while it can be challenging at times nothing seems too difficult to make want to just give up.
Honestly I am not that great at rhythm games but I love playing this game and I have improved quite a bit from when I started. I have also learned a lot which has made achieving my goals easier. Though I still need a good luck for some of them.
As I have leveled up and can wait longer until the bar refills enough for me to play another round I have found it easier to pry myself away as I no longer feel I am letting those points go to waste. It will be nice to get up more in level where that no longer feels like a concern at all. But I do enjoy the game and while I doubt I will ever do well enough in it to get the top prizes in the events they still are really useful for me to participate in and I hardly walk away empty handed with them.
Overall it's a pretty fun game and I am happy to see that it has an English version, so learning the ropes of it is not that hard with less trial and error. Just if you like collecting as I do it is easy to let time slip away from you...
Despite knowing so little about the series I ended up enjoying it quite a bit and have been spending probably too much of my free time playing it. I have been a sucker for collecting things in a series, when I was younger I had plenty of trading cards that I tried to collect all of, so that aspect of the game is an instant like. And while it can be challenging at times nothing seems too difficult to make want to just give up.
Honestly I am not that great at rhythm games but I love playing this game and I have improved quite a bit from when I started. I have also learned a lot which has made achieving my goals easier. Though I still need a good luck for some of them.
As I have leveled up and can wait longer until the bar refills enough for me to play another round I have found it easier to pry myself away as I no longer feel I am letting those points go to waste. It will be nice to get up more in level where that no longer feels like a concern at all. But I do enjoy the game and while I doubt I will ever do well enough in it to get the top prizes in the events they still are really useful for me to participate in and I hardly walk away empty handed with them.
Overall it's a pretty fun game and I am happy to see that it has an English version, so learning the ropes of it is not that hard with less trial and error. Just if you like collecting as I do it is easy to let time slip away from you...
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Chu-Z My Selection for 2016
Chu-Z announced on Christmas that on March 9th next year they will be releasing their second major album. It will be titled Chu-Z My Selection and will only come in one edition.
Outside of those bits of information and the price there is nothing else known about the album. I will assume their A-sides for their past three singles will make it on it. I am hoping the A-side to their most recent release, a concert only CD single called Gimme a Chance, will make it on the album as well. Outside of that I can only hope that this album will be as solid as their previous one and that we get more sub-unit songs.
So to say the least I am quite excited about this news. The wait will seem a bit painful because there is so much time between now and the release date, yet on the other hand it gives me plenty of time to make sure I have the funds ready to pre-order it. In any case this is a must get for me and I hope we get more information, like the track list, soon.
Outside of those bits of information and the price there is nothing else known about the album. I will assume their A-sides for their past three singles will make it on it. I am hoping the A-side to their most recent release, a concert only CD single called Gimme a Chance, will make it on the album as well. Outside of that I can only hope that this album will be as solid as their previous one and that we get more sub-unit songs.
So to say the least I am quite excited about this news. The wait will seem a bit painful because there is so much time between now and the release date, yet on the other hand it gives me plenty of time to make sure I have the funds ready to pre-order it. In any case this is a must get for me and I hope we get more information, like the track list, soon.
CDJapan order 10OCT2015
Going to try to catch up with videos, especially all the unboxing vids I have. This order is mostly Uta no Prince-sama items that I picked up when CDJapan had their Fall sale back in September.
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Uta no Prince-sama - Maji Love 1000% - Idol Song Cecil Aijima CD review
Title: Uta no Prince-sama Maji Love 1000% Idol Song Cecil Aijima
Artists: Cecil Aijima (Toriumi Kousuke)
Release date: 07 September, 2011
Version: n/a
Packaging: Finishing the series up the cover for this does not break away the established theme. You would not be able to get much of Cecil's personality from the art of the cover, but at this point in the anime series he is just the mysterious guy that is somehow connected to the cat Haruka befriended at the school. So with that in mind that can be forgiven. Like the rest in the series the release features the character color for the single, which for Cecil is green.
Tracks:
1. Eternity Love
This is a nice slow pop song that uses the flute, Cecil's character instrument, prominently. I love Toriumi's voice in this. He has the kind of tone that can sound nasally at times but since this song uses his lower register more that is mostly avoided. I really liked how the flute was used throughout the song and it did well to help it stand out from other songs in the series without making it feel overused.
2. 愛と夢とアナタと (Ai to Yume to Anata to)
A quicker tempo song than the other on this single but features heavily the flute as well. In fact the flute is the quickest way to figure out which songs are Cecil's solos as IIRC they all have them. Toriumi's nasally tone is more noticeable in this song but if you are familiar with Japanese male singers than you know his is not that bad. The song is a nice contrast to the other on the single with the extra energy it has.
3. Eternity Love (off vocal)
4. 愛と夢とアナタと (Ai to Yume to Anata to) (off vocal)
Overall: Not a bad single to finish off the series. The placement in it seems a bit off as the one episode he gets any decent amount of screen time in is about midseason. But with the fact that he is not present in most of the first season is most likely why he got shuffled to the end.
I do like the songs, especially Eternity Love, though I know Toriumi has that nasally sound to his voice that can be grating to Western ears because of language differences. But I do think that is rather toned down in these songs so it should not be too much of an issue. And if you do not have an issue with that type of singing voice then like the rest of the releases in this single series the songs are pretty solid pop songs that are nice to listen to.
Artists: Cecil Aijima (Toriumi Kousuke)
Release date: 07 September, 2011
Version: n/a
Packaging: Finishing the series up the cover for this does not break away the established theme. You would not be able to get much of Cecil's personality from the art of the cover, but at this point in the anime series he is just the mysterious guy that is somehow connected to the cat Haruka befriended at the school. So with that in mind that can be forgiven. Like the rest in the series the release features the character color for the single, which for Cecil is green.
Tracks:
1. Eternity Love
This is a nice slow pop song that uses the flute, Cecil's character instrument, prominently. I love Toriumi's voice in this. He has the kind of tone that can sound nasally at times but since this song uses his lower register more that is mostly avoided. I really liked how the flute was used throughout the song and it did well to help it stand out from other songs in the series without making it feel overused.
2. 愛と夢とアナタと (Ai to Yume to Anata to)
A quicker tempo song than the other on this single but features heavily the flute as well. In fact the flute is the quickest way to figure out which songs are Cecil's solos as IIRC they all have them. Toriumi's nasally tone is more noticeable in this song but if you are familiar with Japanese male singers than you know his is not that bad. The song is a nice contrast to the other on the single with the extra energy it has.
3. Eternity Love (off vocal)
4. 愛と夢とアナタと (Ai to Yume to Anata to) (off vocal)
Overall: Not a bad single to finish off the series. The placement in it seems a bit off as the one episode he gets any decent amount of screen time in is about midseason. But with the fact that he is not present in most of the first season is most likely why he got shuffled to the end.
I do like the songs, especially Eternity Love, though I know Toriumi has that nasally sound to his voice that can be grating to Western ears because of language differences. But I do think that is rather toned down in these songs so it should not be too much of an issue. And if you do not have an issue with that type of singing voice then like the rest of the releases in this single series the songs are pretty solid pop songs that are nice to listen to.
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Kisumai Magic 27 October 2015 episode review
This episode gives us something completely new as Kis-My-Ft2 and their guests have to guess if the child actors they are watching are reacting to something real or just acting.
The guests are Okubo Kayoko and Mitsuura Yasuko from Oasiz, who get to add some insight with being mothers.
Most of the rounds are set to have the child actors react to something that is hidden from view from the panel. The group is told what the child is supposed to be reacting to and they have to guess which one they are just acting for. If the majority get the answer correct they win the round.
The only difference to that is the final round where they have the child actor talking on a phone to someone who is supposed to be her father. Miyata Toshiya gets to ask a question for the girl to ask her dad and give an answer to it.
At the very end is easily the most entertaining portion as Nikaido Takashi is asked to show off his acting skills by having to eat a wasabi cake and do the usual "delicious" routine that is done with just about all variety programs.
It is not a bad game, as it is easy to play along with as a viewer. But I did not find it all that engaging or entertaining. It is still miles better than the previous episode and the kids are cute at least.
The guests are Okubo Kayoko and Mitsuura Yasuko from Oasiz, who get to add some insight with being mothers.
Most of the rounds are set to have the child actors react to something that is hidden from view from the panel. The group is told what the child is supposed to be reacting to and they have to guess which one they are just acting for. If the majority get the answer correct they win the round.
The only difference to that is the final round where they have the child actor talking on a phone to someone who is supposed to be her father. Miyata Toshiya gets to ask a question for the girl to ask her dad and give an answer to it.
At the very end is easily the most entertaining portion as Nikaido Takashi is asked to show off his acting skills by having to eat a wasabi cake and do the usual "delicious" routine that is done with just about all variety programs.
It is not a bad game, as it is easy to play along with as a viewer. But I did not find it all that engaging or entertaining. It is still miles better than the previous episode and the kids are cute at least.
ANGERME to loose its fangs (Meimi to graduate)
It was announced that Tamura Meimi is going to be graduating from ANGERME and Hello! Project in the Spring of 2016. She plans to move onto becoming a musical actress post-graduation. No other information was given about the graduation.
Honestly it took me by surprise as I assumed if another member of ANGERME were to leave it would be Wada Ayaka next. But reading her words about why she decided to graduate now I can understand it. She has had a good run as an idol and has a focused goal of becoming a musical actress that would be better for her to aim for when she is still young. Especially as she will be entering her final year of high school soon so it is the time for those her age to start thinking about what they want to do for their future and start moving towards those goals.
That all said the news hit me hard. Meimi is one of my favorite members of ANGERME and her smile always made me smile. Her fangs were endearing. I love her voice and wished she had more chances to let it shine, though considering her new goals she likely felt the same way or something similar. I will miss her being a member of the group so much. And it just feels too soon after Fukuda Kanon's graduation. I think I need some time to really let it all sink in still.
Next year looks to be one of many changes for the group, with Kanon gone, Meimi soon leaving and then the addition of Kamikokuryo Moe. I just hope there will be two ANGERME singles before Meimi leaves, as it just does not seem right that Kamiko's first single to be Meimi's graduation single.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Kisumai Magic 20 October 2015 episode review
I confess I have been dragging my feet when it comes to reviewing this episode. It sadly has had very little changed from when this game was played on Kisumai GAME and suffers just as much for it.
This is the search word game with Yahoo! and it is still as boring as it ever was. Matayoshi Naoki from Peace is the guest of the episode but does not supply much comedy in the episode.
Like usual the most interesting portion of the game are the VTR segments that star the show's AD. Because there is not way to make people guessing search words interesting.
The only real change is that for one of the searches they had a contest between the guys from Kis-My-Ft2 versus Matayoshi. Unfortunately it was far too little to make things engaging.
Miyata Toshiya gets to try to show off a bit when he recognizes the anime series Hibike Euphonium when it pops up during one of the searches. Which is a series I really need to get around to watching one of these days.
There is nothing that can save this game and it needs to be axed or completely overhauled like with the magician episodes. Thankfully the next episode will introduce a new game which should be much more interesting than this one was.
This is the search word game with Yahoo! and it is still as boring as it ever was. Matayoshi Naoki from Peace is the guest of the episode but does not supply much comedy in the episode.
Like usual the most interesting portion of the game are the VTR segments that star the show's AD. Because there is not way to make people guessing search words interesting.
The only real change is that for one of the searches they had a contest between the guys from Kis-My-Ft2 versus Matayoshi. Unfortunately it was far too little to make things engaging.
Miyata Toshiya gets to try to show off a bit when he recognizes the anime series Hibike Euphonium when it pops up during one of the searches. Which is a series I really need to get around to watching one of these days.
There is nothing that can save this game and it needs to be axed or completely overhauled like with the magician episodes. Thankfully the next episode will introduce a new game which should be much more interesting than this one was.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Kara - In Love iTunes (US) mini-album
Title: In Love
Artists: Kara
Release date: 26 MAY 2015
Type: mini-album
Version: iTunes
Packaging: None.
Track listing:
1. Starlight
The group brought up that while they wanted to show change with this mini-album they also wanted to stay true to their past style. Starlight is definitely something that falls into their past style and could fit in well with the rest of their discography. Though probably a better fit for their Japanese songs as it shares the same light poppy-ness of those songs. I love the use of the horns in this, they work as a good additional element to help the song stand out.
2. Cupid
A bit of a switch up to something that sounds like it takes more from the K-pop side of the group's discography. It has a more cool vibe to it with more of a dance sound to it. The electronic accents in the song work really well as they are used sparsely so there is never a worry about it overtaking the rest of the song. There are a few change ups through the song and they all work well, even the rap that gets worked in about the halfway mark. It just seems to be missing a strong hook to make it into an earworm, but it is still a solid pop song without that.
3. 그땐 그냥 In Those Days
A slow laid back song that has grown on me with repeated listens. Typically I do not care for the slow-paced/ballads from the group but I really enjoy this. It probably helps that it has some nice hooks to it so it has a catchy element to it, making it easy to remember instead of being another generic slow song. This has ended up being one of my favorite tracks from this release because of that. That and I love that the girls are able to match their voices so well to this song with keeping them airy sounding.
4. I Luv Me
This song picks up the energy for the mini-album once more. This song does not do much for me in general. There does not seem to be anything wrong about it, it just fails to click with me. Even though I do enjoy the rap in it more than I have the other songs on this that have one as well. The rest of the song just does not pull me in as it does sound like what they have released before and seems to keep it all rather safe with nothing of note to make it really stand out compared to the rest of their discography.
5. Peek-A-Boo
This is the first of the two duets that feature Park Gyu Ri with another member of the group. For this song it is with Hur Young Ji. It is upbeat and poppy that the light vocals match so well with. It is definitely one of the cuter sounding songs from the group but it is rather solid, even though the rap in the middle seems a bit out of place but it is not distracting enough to pull the song down too much.
6. Dreamlover
Gyu Ri sings with Seung Yeon for this song which is a ballad. It does not bring anything new to it but it is a nice pleasant listen. The only thing I question about this is the placement since it is such an 180 from the track before it. I cannot help but think it would have sounded better on the mini-album if it was placed next to In Those Days. That aside it is a basic ballad that does little to really stand out compared to others of its ilk. It is nice though to have the vocals put up front so Gyu Ri and Yeon get to show off their voices well in this.
Overall: I really do not feel that this is a break away from the group's usual sound. Especially if you take in their early releases and Japanese discography. But it is still a solid release from the group and I honestly appreciate KARA is a K-pop group that has a distinct sound to their music and do not simply change their style to fit whatever music style that happens to be "in" at the moment. I am sure there are others that do the same but for the small selection of K-pop I listen to KARA is the one I notice.
Enjoyed this mini-album and hope that next year brings plenty more music from the group. Though it would be nice to have more of their Japanese releases on the USiTunes.
Artists: Kara
Release date: 26 MAY 2015
Type: mini-album
Version: iTunes
Packaging: None.
Track listing:
1. Starlight
The group brought up that while they wanted to show change with this mini-album they also wanted to stay true to their past style. Starlight is definitely something that falls into their past style and could fit in well with the rest of their discography. Though probably a better fit for their Japanese songs as it shares the same light poppy-ness of those songs. I love the use of the horns in this, they work as a good additional element to help the song stand out.
2. Cupid
A bit of a switch up to something that sounds like it takes more from the K-pop side of the group's discography. It has a more cool vibe to it with more of a dance sound to it. The electronic accents in the song work really well as they are used sparsely so there is never a worry about it overtaking the rest of the song. There are a few change ups through the song and they all work well, even the rap that gets worked in about the halfway mark. It just seems to be missing a strong hook to make it into an earworm, but it is still a solid pop song without that.
3. 그땐 그냥 In Those Days
A slow laid back song that has grown on me with repeated listens. Typically I do not care for the slow-paced/ballads from the group but I really enjoy this. It probably helps that it has some nice hooks to it so it has a catchy element to it, making it easy to remember instead of being another generic slow song. This has ended up being one of my favorite tracks from this release because of that. That and I love that the girls are able to match their voices so well to this song with keeping them airy sounding.
4. I Luv Me
This song picks up the energy for the mini-album once more. This song does not do much for me in general. There does not seem to be anything wrong about it, it just fails to click with me. Even though I do enjoy the rap in it more than I have the other songs on this that have one as well. The rest of the song just does not pull me in as it does sound like what they have released before and seems to keep it all rather safe with nothing of note to make it really stand out compared to the rest of their discography.
5. Peek-A-Boo
This is the first of the two duets that feature Park Gyu Ri with another member of the group. For this song it is with Hur Young Ji. It is upbeat and poppy that the light vocals match so well with. It is definitely one of the cuter sounding songs from the group but it is rather solid, even though the rap in the middle seems a bit out of place but it is not distracting enough to pull the song down too much.
6. Dreamlover
Gyu Ri sings with Seung Yeon for this song which is a ballad. It does not bring anything new to it but it is a nice pleasant listen. The only thing I question about this is the placement since it is such an 180 from the track before it. I cannot help but think it would have sounded better on the mini-album if it was placed next to In Those Days. That aside it is a basic ballad that does little to really stand out compared to others of its ilk. It is nice though to have the vocals put up front so Gyu Ri and Yeon get to show off their voices well in this.
Overall: I really do not feel that this is a break away from the group's usual sound. Especially if you take in their early releases and Japanese discography. But it is still a solid release from the group and I honestly appreciate KARA is a K-pop group that has a distinct sound to their music and do not simply change their style to fit whatever music style that happens to be "in" at the moment. I am sure there are others that do the same but for the small selection of K-pop I listen to KARA is the one I notice.
Enjoyed this mini-album and hope that next year brings plenty more music from the group. Though it would be nice to have more of their Japanese releases on the USiTunes.
Monday, December 14, 2015
Nakayama Yuma - YOLO moment LE B/RE single review
Limited Edition Type B |
Title: YOLO moment
Release date: 22 April 2015
Type: single
Version: Limited Edition B/Regular Edition
Regular Edition |
The regular edition is the typical packaging from Johnny's Entertainment with a slim jewel case with no back jacket. The front jacket is a gate fold cover with simply the lyrics on a white background inside, though it does make use of the extra sides by having two additional photos of Yuma in the cover outfit.
Since the limited edition comes with a DVD as well it has both a front and back jacket. The back has images of Yuma on both sides of it. The front jacket is a smaller booklet than the regular edition with just the lyrics to the two tracks in it on the same plain white background. There is another image of Yuma so between the two editions there are plenty of photos to pick a favorite from.
Tracklisting:
1. YOLO moment
The title is rather hokey but I am more than willing to forgive it as the song is great. It's fun, really catchy and one of those songs that you want to just bounce around to. Or whistle, as that is used to good effect throughout the song. I am pretty sure this was Yuma's first time writing the lyrics for one of his songs and honestly while simple they work well with the song and since he uses YOLO for its original meaning of seizing the moment and not letting it pass you by and not the more recent meaning of excusing yourself to do whatever you want, it is not so cringe worthy. Instead it fits with all the other J-pop songs with "do your best" lyrics.
2.葉桜 (Hazakura)
The B-side exclusive to the limited editions of the single. A slow paced song that definitely fits as a B-side, as there is not much that stands out about it. It does have some moments though, like the instrumental build up right before reaching the chorus keeps it from becoming sleepy. Being a slower song though it does let Yuma's vocals shine more so it is nice to have paired with YOLO moment on a single to show off the two different sides of his music and that he can be versatile.
2.Friday Night ~こんなミライ~ (Friday Night ~Konna Mirai~)
The first of the three B-sides exclusive to the regular edition of the single. This fits very well with the title track as it is another fun pop song. Not nearly as strong as YOLO moment but still pretty solid. It is nice and upbeat and the chorus is a bit catchy, just not the ear worm the title track is. I do love the section that the instruments are dialed back to focus more on Yuma's vocals as it slows down which adds to the contrast to the chorus that it moves directly into after that.
3. VOICE
Things are slowed down with this song though not enough to put it quite into ballad territory. It does work well as a song to wind things down even more from the previous song. My favorite parts of the song is a section of the verses that have lyrics that must be sung rapidly. It makes the song stand out and helps with the build towards the chorus.
4.ネガイゴト (Negaigoto)
Now the regular edition reaches the ballad/ slow song for it. I love the chorus for this as it has such a nice build up to it from the soft start of the song and it just flourishes when it hits giving it an uplifting feeling. The dynamics of the music in this makes it an enjoyable listen and I prefer this slow song to Hazakura honestly.
(The limited edition also has the karaoke track for YOLO moment.)
DVD:
The fan event is broken into a few song performances and then talk portions, which is mostly Yuma just talking freely about various topics but he does have a laptop to share pictures of hanging out with other Johnny's with and some video of past performances, mostly PLAYZONE related.
The performances are strong and really let Yuma shine. Considering how long he has been performing and that he has been working as a soloist for a while now it is no surprise he looks quite comfortable on stage.
He does get some visitors from Johnny's, though unless one is familiar with the dance units they are not instantly recognizable. But they are Juniors that Yuma has a work history with and you can tell they get along well.
At the end we get to see him do the "high touch" for the fans as they leave then get some final thoughts from him after that was done.
Overall: After his debut album I was looking forward to Yuma's next single and this one definitely delivered what I was hoping for. All the songs are solid though some more than others, but none are something I would skip with a play through of it.
As someone who lives overseas going to a fan event is basically a pipe dream so it was nice to have that included for the bonus in the second limited edition. It felt more than worth it to get it as it was a good showcase of Yuma's performance level as well as how comfortable he has become being able to be on stage on his own and do a talk.
Really solid release all throughout and it just feels like a complete shame more people do not follow him.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Uta no Prince-sama - Maji Love 1000% - Idol Song Ichinose Tokiya CD review
Title: Uta no Prince-sama Maji Love 1000% Idol Song Ichinose Tokiya
Artists: Ichinose Tokiya (Miyano Mamoru)
Release date: 31 August, 2011
Version: n/a
Packaging: The cover image covers the moodiness of Tokiya that is his main character trait for most of the first season of the anime series. Of course like the rest of the single in this series everything is done in his character color, purple. Outside of that it sticks to the usual packaging elements all the singles have had in this series.
Tracks:
1. 七色のコンパス (Nanairo no Compass)
I love that this song starts off a cappella, as it not only helps it stand out among all the other songs in this series but for Tokiya his character instrument is listed as his vocals so it is a nice way to give that a nod. It is a nice slow pop tune that from the start slowly builds up to the chorus but even then remains light with the instruments to keep the vocals front and center. And I do love that it finished off with just the piano as it gives it a nice quiet end to match the quiet of the start of the song.
2. My Little Little Girl
Well Tokiya wins the "most awkwardly titled song" for this series of Utapri singles. Because I feel certain he is not singing about really young girls in this song like the title would suggest to a native English speaker. That all aside it is another enjoyable slow pop song that is very much in the same vein as the first track. There is enough difference between the two tracks with how they progress, some of the instruments and this track having a bit more energy to it once it gets going. And while I do enjoy the song it does not stand out too much to me, especially when paired up with Nanairo no Campass.
3. 七色のコンパス (Nanairo no Compass) (off vocal)
4. My Little Little Girl (off vocal)
Overall: I have come to expect any Tokiya solo song to be a song that I will like. The real distinction for me is if I will love it or not. Nanairo no Campass was an easy one to love while My Little Little Girl stays with just being liked. Both are solid slower pop songs but I do feel the former just stands out more than the latter.
That said it does do a good job in giving someone a good idea of what to expect for Tokiya when it comes to his solo songs. And I do like that both do well to let the vocals shine as like I mentioned that is what the character is meant to be his instrument so it only makes sense to show it off with that in mind.
Artists: Ichinose Tokiya (Miyano Mamoru)
Release date: 31 August, 2011
Version: n/a
Packaging: The cover image covers the moodiness of Tokiya that is his main character trait for most of the first season of the anime series. Of course like the rest of the single in this series everything is done in his character color, purple. Outside of that it sticks to the usual packaging elements all the singles have had in this series.
Tracks:
1. 七色のコンパス (Nanairo no Compass)
I love that this song starts off a cappella, as it not only helps it stand out among all the other songs in this series but for Tokiya his character instrument is listed as his vocals so it is a nice way to give that a nod. It is a nice slow pop tune that from the start slowly builds up to the chorus but even then remains light with the instruments to keep the vocals front and center. And I do love that it finished off with just the piano as it gives it a nice quiet end to match the quiet of the start of the song.
2. My Little Little Girl
Well Tokiya wins the "most awkwardly titled song" for this series of Utapri singles. Because I feel certain he is not singing about really young girls in this song like the title would suggest to a native English speaker. That all aside it is another enjoyable slow pop song that is very much in the same vein as the first track. There is enough difference between the two tracks with how they progress, some of the instruments and this track having a bit more energy to it once it gets going. And while I do enjoy the song it does not stand out too much to me, especially when paired up with Nanairo no Campass.
3. 七色のコンパス (Nanairo no Compass) (off vocal)
4. My Little Little Girl (off vocal)
Overall: I have come to expect any Tokiya solo song to be a song that I will like. The real distinction for me is if I will love it or not. Nanairo no Campass was an easy one to love while My Little Little Girl stays with just being liked. Both are solid slower pop songs but I do feel the former just stands out more than the latter.
That said it does do a good job in giving someone a good idea of what to expect for Tokiya when it comes to his solo songs. And I do like that both do well to let the vocals shine as like I mentioned that is what the character is meant to be his instrument so it only makes sense to show it off with that in mind.
Kisumai Magic 13 October 2015 episode review
Back to a familiar game brought over from the previous series, Kisumai GAME. And with very little changed at all.
The set up it the same as before, Kis-My-Ft2 with the guest for the episode have to guess who the voice actor is with a series of questions and eventually asking to say quotes of who they think the character they voice might be. The guest for this episode is one half of the comedy duo Audrey, Kasuga Toshiaki.
There are four rounds to this and the first made me quite happy because it is one of the few voice actors that I know, mostly because of One Piece. The others had me stumped though I was familiar with the movie the last one was in, but it had been forever since I had watched it.
When it comes to showing the punishment for the wrong answers very little time was given to it. Though with four rounds it was not that surprising for them to have to rush through something.
It is brought up in this episode that Yokoo Wataru is a fan of Ghibli films, as he is called on by the other members of the group to help out with any voice actors that seem to have been featured in one.
I am glad they did not really change anything for this game. It works well as it is and the only worry would be running out of voice actors the guys would recognize. But all that aside these tend to be some of the more fun episodes as the voice actors tend to be brimming with personality and as long as you are familiar with the more mainstream anime series you can play along as well.
Next episode brings back the search engine game. I can only hope for that they decided to change something up or it is back to another bore of an episode.
The set up it the same as before, Kis-My-Ft2 with the guest for the episode have to guess who the voice actor is with a series of questions and eventually asking to say quotes of who they think the character they voice might be. The guest for this episode is one half of the comedy duo Audrey, Kasuga Toshiaki.
There are four rounds to this and the first made me quite happy because it is one of the few voice actors that I know, mostly because of One Piece. The others had me stumped though I was familiar with the movie the last one was in, but it had been forever since I had watched it.
When it comes to showing the punishment for the wrong answers very little time was given to it. Though with four rounds it was not that surprising for them to have to rush through something.
It is brought up in this episode that Yokoo Wataru is a fan of Ghibli films, as he is called on by the other members of the group to help out with any voice actors that seem to have been featured in one.
I am glad they did not really change anything for this game. It works well as it is and the only worry would be running out of voice actors the guys would recognize. But all that aside these tend to be some of the more fun episodes as the voice actors tend to be brimming with personality and as long as you are familiar with the more mainstream anime series you can play along as well.
Next episode brings back the search engine game. I can only hope for that they decided to change something up or it is back to another bore of an episode.
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Morning Musume '15 - Seishun Kozo ga Naiteiru / Yugure wa Ameagari / Ima Koko Kara RE A single
Title: Seishun Kozo ga Naiteiru / Yugure wa Ameagari / Ima Koko Kara
Artists: Morning Musume '15
Release date: 15 APR 2015
Version: Regular Edition type A
Packaging: Hello!Project tends to go with simple packaging for their releases and this is no exception. There is the jacket booklet, the CD and the jewel case to hold those and that is it. I picked this version for the cover as I thought it was one of the better ones and I liked how it showed the new generation prominently on it. There is one more group shot on the other side of the jacket that is with the group in the same outfits and the 12th generation in the front.
As I pre-ordered the release I did get a first press with the bonus card and I ended up getting Fukumura Mizuki, who like always looks lovely.
Track listing:
1. 青春小僧が泣いている (Seishun Kozo ga Naiteiru)
Truthfully when I first listened to the song I did not like it much at all. With repeated listens I have come to enjoy it much more and it is now my favorite track on the entire CD. Most of it is getting used to the breaks in the song, once you know they are there it is easier to get used to them. It is still very much within the EDM sound that the group has been doing for a while but stands out their other songs in the genre. A part of it from the lines delivered like a cheer and of course those pauses. It changes up quite a bit and that is one of the reasons I enjoy it as it never really repetitive and keeps my attention more with them.
2. 夕暮れは雨上がり (Yugure wa Ameagari)
While I do enjoy this track I tend to forget about it. There just does not seem to be much about it that makes it stand out compared to some of their other recent songs. Though I love the piano intro and I do like that it more melodic than the first song. It still does not break away much from what the group has been releasing before, it is just one of the more slower paced ones. I do like there are a few lines in the verses right before the chorus that have the music give a burst of strong impact. The chorus has more energy than the rest of the song which works well to stop it from sounding monotonous.
3. イマココカラ (Ima Koko Kara)
I love this song but it also annoys me. My annoyance mainly comes from the feeling that it ends too soon without having a real climax to it. It is more of a standard pop song and works well with Oda Sakura having a prominent vocal lead in the song. What I love is from the quiet and soft start it builds and swells to the chorus with an uplifting tone that works well with it being a theme song for one of the Precure films. It is just that instead of ever taking the song anywhere it just stays on that plateau of the chorus and ends. It does try to do something at the end with the focus going to the vocals but it just is not completely satisfying. If it ended with something softer, like how it began I think it would have worked better.
4. 青春小僧が泣いている (Seishun Kozo ga Naiteiru) (instrumental)
5. 夕暮れは雨上がり (Yugure wa Ameagari) (instrumental)
6. イマココカラ (Ima Koko Kara) (instrumental)
Overall: For the first single post-Michishige Sayumi and with the 12th generation it is a solid addition to the Morning Musume discography. It does not stray far from the group had been releasing as Morning Musume '14 so it seems to be more to let fans know there is nothing changing too drastically with the membership change. At least not yet.
So it just feels like a safe single and one they knew they needed to release because they had that Precure tie-in with this.
That said I do wish the new generation would have been pushed to the front more with this being their first single. It would save it from sounding like more of the same, which would have really helped solidify the changes with the group.
Artists: Morning Musume '15
Release date: 15 APR 2015
Version: Regular Edition type A
Packaging: Hello!Project tends to go with simple packaging for their releases and this is no exception. There is the jacket booklet, the CD and the jewel case to hold those and that is it. I picked this version for the cover as I thought it was one of the better ones and I liked how it showed the new generation prominently on it. There is one more group shot on the other side of the jacket that is with the group in the same outfits and the 12th generation in the front.
As I pre-ordered the release I did get a first press with the bonus card and I ended up getting Fukumura Mizuki, who like always looks lovely.
Track listing:
1. 青春小僧が泣いている (Seishun Kozo ga Naiteiru)
Truthfully when I first listened to the song I did not like it much at all. With repeated listens I have come to enjoy it much more and it is now my favorite track on the entire CD. Most of it is getting used to the breaks in the song, once you know they are there it is easier to get used to them. It is still very much within the EDM sound that the group has been doing for a while but stands out their other songs in the genre. A part of it from the lines delivered like a cheer and of course those pauses. It changes up quite a bit and that is one of the reasons I enjoy it as it never really repetitive and keeps my attention more with them.
2. 夕暮れは雨上がり (Yugure wa Ameagari)
While I do enjoy this track I tend to forget about it. There just does not seem to be much about it that makes it stand out compared to some of their other recent songs. Though I love the piano intro and I do like that it more melodic than the first song. It still does not break away much from what the group has been releasing before, it is just one of the more slower paced ones. I do like there are a few lines in the verses right before the chorus that have the music give a burst of strong impact. The chorus has more energy than the rest of the song which works well to stop it from sounding monotonous.
3. イマココカラ (Ima Koko Kara)
I love this song but it also annoys me. My annoyance mainly comes from the feeling that it ends too soon without having a real climax to it. It is more of a standard pop song and works well with Oda Sakura having a prominent vocal lead in the song. What I love is from the quiet and soft start it builds and swells to the chorus with an uplifting tone that works well with it being a theme song for one of the Precure films. It is just that instead of ever taking the song anywhere it just stays on that plateau of the chorus and ends. It does try to do something at the end with the focus going to the vocals but it just is not completely satisfying. If it ended with something softer, like how it began I think it would have worked better.
4. 青春小僧が泣いている (Seishun Kozo ga Naiteiru) (instrumental)
5. 夕暮れは雨上がり (Yugure wa Ameagari) (instrumental)
6. イマココカラ (Ima Koko Kara) (instrumental)
Overall: For the first single post-Michishige Sayumi and with the 12th generation it is a solid addition to the Morning Musume discography. It does not stray far from the group had been releasing as Morning Musume '14 so it seems to be more to let fans know there is nothing changing too drastically with the membership change. At least not yet.
So it just feels like a safe single and one they knew they needed to release because they had that Precure tie-in with this.
That said I do wish the new generation would have been pushed to the front more with this being their first single. It would save it from sounding like more of the same, which would have really helped solidify the changes with the group.
NEWS' light for 2016
NEWS is already set for their first release of 2016 with a new single announced. It will be a double A-side single titled Hikaru no Shizuku/Touch and it is set to be released January 20th. It will come in three editions, two limited editions and a regular edition. Each edition will come with a bonus clearfile for each version if you pre-order.
The Limited Edition Type A comes with a DVD that will have the PV and making of footage for the song Hikaru no Shizuku on it. It will only have the two title songs on the CD.
The Limited Edition Type B comes with a DVD that will have the PV and making of footage for the song Touch on it. It will also only have the two title songs on the CD.
The Regular Edition is just a CD but it will have B-sides on it, two new songs Hoshi no Tabibitotachi and whisper. There will also be the karaoke tracks for the A-sides on it.
And like usual there is a bundle of all three you can pre-order through CDJapan.
It seems weird for the group to have a song called "Touch" as that was the name of the group's debut album. But seeing as they did not have a song with the name on it is not too weird.
And I am overall pleased with what has been announced so far for the single. I liked Yonjushi but it did feel like a rip-off as there was little included that would not have been with a regular CD release yet the price for it was much higher.
That said there are now two recent songs for the group that are without a CD release, Sirius and ANTHEM. I fully expect that both will end up on the album that the group is bound to release in 2016. In fact after this single I expect that to be the next release from the group and it should be out in the Spring.
I am looking forward to that album already and I am glad that there is already a 2016 Johnny's release I can look forward to.
The Limited Edition Type A comes with a DVD that will have the PV and making of footage for the song Hikaru no Shizuku on it. It will only have the two title songs on the CD.
The Limited Edition Type B comes with a DVD that will have the PV and making of footage for the song Touch on it. It will also only have the two title songs on the CD.
The Regular Edition is just a CD but it will have B-sides on it, two new songs Hoshi no Tabibitotachi and whisper. There will also be the karaoke tracks for the A-sides on it.
And like usual there is a bundle of all three you can pre-order through CDJapan.
It seems weird for the group to have a song called "Touch" as that was the name of the group's debut album. But seeing as they did not have a song with the name on it is not too weird.
And I am overall pleased with what has been announced so far for the single. I liked Yonjushi but it did feel like a rip-off as there was little included that would not have been with a regular CD release yet the price for it was much higher.
That said there are now two recent songs for the group that are without a CD release, Sirius and ANTHEM. I fully expect that both will end up on the album that the group is bound to release in 2016. In fact after this single I expect that to be the next release from the group and it should be out in the Spring.
I am looking forward to that album already and I am glad that there is already a 2016 Johnny's release I can look forward to.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
The Shounen Club 03 June 2011 review
No your eyes do not deceive you, this is another Shounen Club episode review. I confess I fell behind with watching the program regularly when new episodes came out as well as dropping off with doing reviews for these earlier episodes. But with SixTONES becoming more of a regular feature in the program I have started back up and figured I should probably see about doing at least a couple more reviews before the end of the year. I am still hoping to at least review an episode a month, but I cannot make promises.
Onto the actual review now. The episode opens up with Morimoto Shintaro and B.I.Shadow leading a performance of the SMAP song Original Smile. We get to see the main Junior groups and groupings but the focus remains on Shintaro and BIS for most of it.
That is until the big name groups come out, which is all ten members of Hey! Say! JUMP, A.B.C-Z and Kis-My-Ft2. Or basically all the groups that were already debuted or debuted soon after.
It is odd now to look back and see HSJ with its original line up as now that it has been over four years it has been plenty of time to get used to them being only nine members. But Morimoto Ryutaro's scandal is just around the corner and I think this month is the final time he can be seen on the program.
HSJ are the hosts for the episode and they introduce the theme which is Warai (smile, laughter).
This is directly followed by the theme medley that features mostly the Juniors but some HSJ too. Like Chinen Yuri, Yamada Ryosuke and Arioka Daiki starting off performing Smile Song.
Most of the Junior performances are with mixed groups which is nice as that is something that makes the performances stand out a bit more. And for those on watch for little Juniors on their way to debut Sato Shori and Matsushima So get some good screen time during the medley.
The medley ends with a performance of the Morimoto brothers, Shintaro and Ryutaro, for what I am sure is the final time they are seen performing together on the program. According to the screen the song they perform is Maby Your Love. I somehow don't think that is quite right though.
Daiki, Yamada and Yabu Kota are the MCs for the first talk segment where they talk to various Juniors about times that made them smile. The Juniors they talked to are, Tanaka Juri, Kikuchi Fuma, Kawai Fumito and Matsushima So. Fuma talks about how Miyata Toshiya trying to look cool made him laugh, Juri had a story about his dog, So talked about the first concert he back danced for, and then Kawai had a story about talking to some fans who when asked who the liked answered with "Yamada".
B,I. Shadow then do a medley of songs, or basically the few group songs that they had. It was nice to see all four of them on stage from the start instead of it just starting with Nakajima Kento and Fuma with the other two coming in near the end.
It is then time for another talk segment and it is HSJ up this time. Inoo Kei gets to tell a story about Takaki Yuya and how child-like his excitement was. Then then go over a part of their new song, OVER, to explain it a bit for how the word is used in things like radio communication.
The group then performs the song. This will be the A-side to their final single as 10 as Ryutaro's scandal hit right before the release date. I rather like the song and it felt that HSJ was finally on their way to creating a more mature image for themselves. Who knew they would get stuck in this phase between cutesy and mature for so long?
After the performance is the Junior Nekketsu Battle, that HSJ members judge the four participating Juniors, Senga Kento, Goseki Koichi, Nakaken and Kawai. They all have to act out scenarios, most of them romatic but a few cover other topics, like Goseki having to act out a scene involving him being mistaken for another idol on the street.
After that wraps up A.B.C-Z perform a medley of their group songs. The medley actually only consists of two songs and the second one gives Question? some focus with them. But both are high energy songs that fit Ebi's style perfectly.
This is followed by a Junior ni Q segment where Juniors are asked to show off something that they have kept secret. Some of the answers to note is that Kochi Yugo talks about a story involving Matsumura Hokuto during a concert noting that the latter's fly was open as they were performing on stage.
That segment is followed by the Junior Youbin segment that has Nakaken, Yugo and Kawai reading fan letters. They start off with one that asks to learn more about Hagiya Keigo so he is brought out with a board of information to go over.
And that is all they have the time for as the segment ends you can see the audience getting up from their seats in preparation for the next performance. From the rise in volume from the cheers it is not surprising to see that Kis-My-Ft2 is up and they perform their group song Smile. The has Yokoo Wataru on the guitar and being a slow tempo song not a lot of movement in general for the performance.
It is not the final song of the episode as directly after it HSJ with a bunch of little Juniors come on stage to perform Bouken Rider.It is a remixed version of the song with more classicaly instruments used and honestly i would have loved to have had this version find a way onto a CD. I doubt it will ever happen though.
With this and the next episode the shadow of HSJ losing a member looms. Especially with this episode where Ryutaro gets the chance to be highlighted a bit with his performance with his brother.
Getting past that it is an enjoyable episode of the program. There feels to be a good balance between HSJ and the Juniors. It's easy to tell which Juniors are the highest in the pecking order, Kisumai at the top but seeing as they are not long before their debut but Ebi and BIS not too far behind.
Onto the actual review now. The episode opens up with Morimoto Shintaro and B.I.Shadow leading a performance of the SMAP song Original Smile. We get to see the main Junior groups and groupings but the focus remains on Shintaro and BIS for most of it.
That is until the big name groups come out, which is all ten members of Hey! Say! JUMP, A.B.C-Z and Kis-My-Ft2. Or basically all the groups that were already debuted or debuted soon after.
It is odd now to look back and see HSJ with its original line up as now that it has been over four years it has been plenty of time to get used to them being only nine members. But Morimoto Ryutaro's scandal is just around the corner and I think this month is the final time he can be seen on the program.
HSJ are the hosts for the episode and they introduce the theme which is Warai (smile, laughter).
This is directly followed by the theme medley that features mostly the Juniors but some HSJ too. Like Chinen Yuri, Yamada Ryosuke and Arioka Daiki starting off performing Smile Song.
Most of the Junior performances are with mixed groups which is nice as that is something that makes the performances stand out a bit more. And for those on watch for little Juniors on their way to debut Sato Shori and Matsushima So get some good screen time during the medley.
The medley ends with a performance of the Morimoto brothers, Shintaro and Ryutaro, for what I am sure is the final time they are seen performing together on the program. According to the screen the song they perform is Maby Your Love. I somehow don't think that is quite right though.
Daiki, Yamada and Yabu Kota are the MCs for the first talk segment where they talk to various Juniors about times that made them smile. The Juniors they talked to are, Tanaka Juri, Kikuchi Fuma, Kawai Fumito and Matsushima So. Fuma talks about how Miyata Toshiya trying to look cool made him laugh, Juri had a story about his dog, So talked about the first concert he back danced for, and then Kawai had a story about talking to some fans who when asked who the liked answered with "Yamada".
B,I. Shadow then do a medley of songs, or basically the few group songs that they had. It was nice to see all four of them on stage from the start instead of it just starting with Nakajima Kento and Fuma with the other two coming in near the end.
It is then time for another talk segment and it is HSJ up this time. Inoo Kei gets to tell a story about Takaki Yuya and how child-like his excitement was. Then then go over a part of their new song, OVER, to explain it a bit for how the word is used in things like radio communication.
The group then performs the song. This will be the A-side to their final single as 10 as Ryutaro's scandal hit right before the release date. I rather like the song and it felt that HSJ was finally on their way to creating a more mature image for themselves. Who knew they would get stuck in this phase between cutesy and mature for so long?
After the performance is the Junior Nekketsu Battle, that HSJ members judge the four participating Juniors, Senga Kento, Goseki Koichi, Nakaken and Kawai. They all have to act out scenarios, most of them romatic but a few cover other topics, like Goseki having to act out a scene involving him being mistaken for another idol on the street.
After that wraps up A.B.C-Z perform a medley of their group songs. The medley actually only consists of two songs and the second one gives Question? some focus with them. But both are high energy songs that fit Ebi's style perfectly.
This is followed by a Junior ni Q segment where Juniors are asked to show off something that they have kept secret. Some of the answers to note is that Kochi Yugo talks about a story involving Matsumura Hokuto during a concert noting that the latter's fly was open as they were performing on stage.
That segment is followed by the Junior Youbin segment that has Nakaken, Yugo and Kawai reading fan letters. They start off with one that asks to learn more about Hagiya Keigo so he is brought out with a board of information to go over.
And that is all they have the time for as the segment ends you can see the audience getting up from their seats in preparation for the next performance. From the rise in volume from the cheers it is not surprising to see that Kis-My-Ft2 is up and they perform their group song Smile. The has Yokoo Wataru on the guitar and being a slow tempo song not a lot of movement in general for the performance.
It is not the final song of the episode as directly after it HSJ with a bunch of little Juniors come on stage to perform Bouken Rider.It is a remixed version of the song with more classicaly instruments used and honestly i would have loved to have had this version find a way onto a CD. I doubt it will ever happen though.
With this and the next episode the shadow of HSJ losing a member looms. Especially with this episode where Ryutaro gets the chance to be highlighted a bit with his performance with his brother.
Getting past that it is an enjoyable episode of the program. There feels to be a good balance between HSJ and the Juniors. It's easy to tell which Juniors are the highest in the pecking order, Kisumai at the top but seeing as they are not long before their debut but Ebi and BIS not too far behind.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Kisumai Magic 06 October 2015 episode review
So Kisumai GAME transitions into Kisumai Magic and seems to really have only changed in title and keeping to more low key games. Which of course means we continue on with magicians, but there are changes so it is not the same tired game.
Instead of simply tricking Kis-My-Ft2 and their guest we have a competition between returning magician Fujii Akira and a trio of young magicians he has to face in three rounds of competition.
The guys watch the trick then hold up one of three signs with their answer and each wrong answer awards the magician points.
The guest for this episode is judo practitioner Shinohara Shinichi. I do not see how magic tricks and judo mix but Shinohara proved to be a solid guest as he looks to be rather sharp. He even had a magic trick of his own to show off at the end.
There is no one member that stands out for this episode but there was an entertaining bit when they were discussing if the cameraman in their midst had a good view to be able to see through the tricks.
Honestly I am rather shocked that I ended up kinda liking this episode. The magician episodes in GAME were easily some of the most boring but all the changes they made really improved the enjoyment factor with Magic. The competition is far more engaging since there are actual clear winners and losers unlike previously where there did not seem to be much in the way of rules so it was hard to tell if anything was at stake. So far the change from GAME to Magic is looking to be a good one.
The next episode brings back the voice actor guessing game. I enjoyed these episodes with GAME and it does not look like they changed much so I am looking forward to this one.
Instead of simply tricking Kis-My-Ft2 and their guest we have a competition between returning magician Fujii Akira and a trio of young magicians he has to face in three rounds of competition.
The guys watch the trick then hold up one of three signs with their answer and each wrong answer awards the magician points.
The guest for this episode is judo practitioner Shinohara Shinichi. I do not see how magic tricks and judo mix but Shinohara proved to be a solid guest as he looks to be rather sharp. He even had a magic trick of his own to show off at the end.
There is no one member that stands out for this episode but there was an entertaining bit when they were discussing if the cameraman in their midst had a good view to be able to see through the tricks.
Honestly I am rather shocked that I ended up kinda liking this episode. The magician episodes in GAME were easily some of the most boring but all the changes they made really improved the enjoyment factor with Magic. The competition is far more engaging since there are actual clear winners and losers unlike previously where there did not seem to be much in the way of rules so it was hard to tell if anything was at stake. So far the change from GAME to Magic is looking to be a good one.
The next episode brings back the voice actor guessing game. I enjoyed these episodes with GAME and it does not look like they changed much so I am looking forward to this one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)