28 February 2013

Chihiro Yonekura - Yakusoku no Hi e

                                                                Fairy Tail OP 14

Tracklist:

1. フェアリーテイル~約束の日~
2. 君に伝えたい
3. フェアリーテイル~約束の日~ (instrumental)
4. 君に伝えたい (instrumental)


1. フェアリーテイル~約束の日~

The song opens with a rather weird voice, which startled me a bit >.> The arrangement here is generic anison, a combination of guitars and violins. It can't really be compared to other Fairy Tail openings, because the track is very bland and unmemorable. Honestly, the only thing that saves this song from being a complete fail are several good guitar solos.
Rating: 3 (of 10)

2. 君に伝えたい

The usage of piano and strings in this song is much better than the previous one. It's a pretty simple, slow, but effective arrangement. Chihiro's vocals are excellent here, for a change, with no straining in singing at a high pitch. I'd rather put this as an ED, than the first song as an OP.
Rating: 7

The B-side of this single is better by a long shot. Fairy Tail, being the great anime that it is should have matching music, which this single failed to deliver. My overall rating is: 5.

The comment box doesn't bite ; be polite when feeding it, though.


Perfume - Mirai no Museum

       I normally wouldn't review Perfume, but this IS tied to Doraemon, after all...

Tracklist:

1. Mirai no Museum
2. だいじょばない
3. Mirai no Museum (original instrumental)
4. だいじょばない (original instrumental)


1. Mirai no Museum

The song begins somewhat like a soundtrack from a Pokemon game, and then slides in this very relaxing chorus. I don't usually like cute-ish songs, but this one would definitely be an exception. The refrain is very catchy, and the engrish used is hillarious (Fantaji, Fantaji xD), so i can see myself listening to this more.
Rating: 8 (out of 10)

2. だいじょばない

I'd think they threw in FAKE IT if i didn't look at the song title (I am pretty sure i even heard a "Fake it" near the end of the song O.o). The arrangement and usage of synths in this song is much more upbeat than "Mirai no Museum", basing on a lot of repetitions throughout the song. The vocals mix in with the music, being very choppy, but it still sounds appealing.
Rating: 8.5 (out of 10)


I see many people complaining how Perfume released another generic cute song, but i think this is far from being unoriginal. The Doraemon movie is now getting an excellent theme song. My overall rating for this single is: 8.3

The comment box doesn't bite ; be polite when feeding it, though.


25 February 2013

Mami Kawada - Fixed Star

Tracklist:

1. FIXED STAR
2. intersection
3. FIXED STAR (off vocal)
4. intersection (off vocal)

1. FIXED STAR

The song starts very unusually, almost reminding me of hip hop, but then returns completely to Mami's usual style, rock mixed with techno/trance. This track isn't very original, as the verses sound like No Buts! and the chorus like JOINT, and her voice is under filters as usual. I like the fact that the melody can be used to make an excellent ballad, as is shown near the end of the song, but i hope she'll stop releasing 50% copies of her previous songs.
Rating: 6 (out of 10)

2. intersection

This next song is very different from the previous, moving into a darker sound, with more guitars and less synths. Much heavier than FIXED STAR, and very appealing to the ear. I'd rather put this as an A-side, since it's as good, if not even better.
Rating: 8 (out of 10)


The single is a good ending to "To Aru Majutsu no Index: Endymion no Kiseki", even though it's a bit unoriginal. My overall rating for this release is: 7.

The comment box doesn't bite ; be polite when feeding it, though.

24 February 2013

Weekly News – SAO Dub, Honda Chieko Passes Away, and more

- Aniplex USA confirms Sword Art Online English dub -

Aniplex of America confirmed that its release of the Sword Art Online anime series will include an English dub. Also, a question and answer session with SAO light novel creator, Reki Kawakara, and an appearance of the opening song performer, Aoi Eir will be held at Sakura Con in March.

- 27 arrested in Japan for file sharing -

Japan's National Police Agency announced that it had arrested 27 suspects across the country for uploading anime, manga, music videos and games on the internet. At least two suspects allegedly used Perfect Dark, a sharing software intended to maintain the privacy of the user.

- Date A Live ends abruptly due to artist's health -

The April issue of the Monthly Shonen Ace magazine announced that the manga adaptation of Koushi Tachibana's Date A Live light novel series is ending because the artist's health makes it difficult to continue serialization. The anime adaptation will air in April.

- To Aru Majutsu no Index movie premieres -

The theatrical movie "To Aru Majutsu no Index: Endymion no Kiseki", based on the popular To Aru Majutsu no Index and To Aru Kagaku no Railgun series premiered yesterday in Japanese cinemas. The movie's ending theme song, "Fixed Star", is a new single from a popular anison singer, Mami Kawada.

- Voice actress Chieko Honda passes away -

The talent agency Aoni Production announced on Friday that the voice actress Chieko Honda passed away due to multiple forms of cancer on February 18th. Honda was undergoing treatment before succumbing. Her roles include Kozue Kaoru from Revolutionary Girl Utena, Ennil El from After War Gundam X, and many more.

20 February 2013

Aya Hirano - TOxxxIC


Tracklist:

1. TOxxxIC
2. ミライボイジャー
3. ミライボイジャー (Aya ver.)
4. TOxxxIC (off vocal)
5. ミライボイジャー (off vocal)

1. TOxxxIC

Right from the beggining, we get something very unlike the old Aya. Aside from the ocassional dubstep, the whole track is very similar to American pop music, and very synth-heavy. This is not a surprise, as it was composed by Steve Diamond, who writes for Britney Spears and some other pop stars. The song is one of those where you'll either love or hate it intantly. Aya's vocals are a bit underwhelming here, but nothing too bad (like the performance on the Haruhi Suzumiya concert). I can partially blame the song itself, since there aren't almost any jumps out of the range of 3-4 tones.
Rating: 7 (out of 10)

2. ミライボイジャー

I'm not quite sure if this is Aya with too much vocoder, or an actual Vocaloid. Unlike TOxxxIC, the song sounds like it is made for an anime. It's very upbeat, featuring Aya's signature light rock style from her older days with Lantis. The vocals have greater "quality" than usual Vocaloid voices, especially in the refrain, where her voice can be very high. I like it very much! :3
Rating: 7.5

3. ミライボイジャー (Aya ver.)

Exact same song as the previous, except that the Vocaloid-ish voice is replaced with legit Aya. Now, it sounds like a true Haruhi Suzumiya opening or character song. What Aya lacks in vocals in the first song, she makes up here, singing to the same heights as the voice in tne previous song.
Rating: 9


Universal Music, the label Aya has transferred to after leaving Lantis completely changed her style for this single. It seems that she won't be singing as much anime-tied music as before, but more J-pop stuff. Change can be a good thing, as long as they don't overdo it, which will result in Aya losing her originality she has (like the generic K-Pop music video for this song; lots of dancing and revealing clothes). My overall rating for this single is: 7.6 (don't expect accurate math from me)

The comment box doesn't bite ; be polite when feeding it, though.

19 February 2013

The Kawaii is a lie. So are the cookies.


Welcome to the blog which will soon become your main source of information, downloads, reviews and quality reading. I chose to begin doing this because I found that Japan offers a great deal of inspiration with its unmatchable and unique culture. I hope you will, too.

28 February 2013

Chihiro Yonekura - Yakusoku no Hi e

                                                                Fairy Tail OP 14

Tracklist:

1. フェアリーテイル~約束の日~
2. 君に伝えたい
3. フェアリーテイル~約束の日~ (instrumental)
4. 君に伝えたい (instrumental)


1. フェアリーテイル~約束の日~

The song opens with a rather weird voice, which startled me a bit >.> The arrangement here is generic anison, a combination of guitars and violins. It can't really be compared to other Fairy Tail openings, because the track is very bland and unmemorable. Honestly, the only thing that saves this song from being a complete fail are several good guitar solos.
Rating: 3 (of 10)

2. 君に伝えたい

The usage of piano and strings in this song is much better than the previous one. It's a pretty simple, slow, but effective arrangement. Chihiro's vocals are excellent here, for a change, with no straining in singing at a high pitch. I'd rather put this as an ED, than the first song as an OP.
Rating: 7

The B-side of this single is better by a long shot. Fairy Tail, being the great anime that it is should have matching music, which this single failed to deliver. My overall rating is: 5.

The comment box doesn't bite ; be polite when feeding it, though.


Perfume - Mirai no Museum

       I normally wouldn't review Perfume, but this IS tied to Doraemon, after all...

Tracklist:

1. Mirai no Museum
2. だいじょばない
3. Mirai no Museum (original instrumental)
4. だいじょばない (original instrumental)


1. Mirai no Museum

The song begins somewhat like a soundtrack from a Pokemon game, and then slides in this very relaxing chorus. I don't usually like cute-ish songs, but this one would definitely be an exception. The refrain is very catchy, and the engrish used is hillarious (Fantaji, Fantaji xD), so i can see myself listening to this more.
Rating: 8 (out of 10)

2. だいじょばない

I'd think they threw in FAKE IT if i didn't look at the song title (I am pretty sure i even heard a "Fake it" near the end of the song O.o). The arrangement and usage of synths in this song is much more upbeat than "Mirai no Museum", basing on a lot of repetitions throughout the song. The vocals mix in with the music, being very choppy, but it still sounds appealing.
Rating: 8.5 (out of 10)


I see many people complaining how Perfume released another generic cute song, but i think this is far from being unoriginal. The Doraemon movie is now getting an excellent theme song. My overall rating for this single is: 8.3

The comment box doesn't bite ; be polite when feeding it, though.


25 February 2013

Mami Kawada - Fixed Star

Tracklist:

1. FIXED STAR
2. intersection
3. FIXED STAR (off vocal)
4. intersection (off vocal)

1. FIXED STAR

The song starts very unusually, almost reminding me of hip hop, but then returns completely to Mami's usual style, rock mixed with techno/trance. This track isn't very original, as the verses sound like No Buts! and the chorus like JOINT, and her voice is under filters as usual. I like the fact that the melody can be used to make an excellent ballad, as is shown near the end of the song, but i hope she'll stop releasing 50% copies of her previous songs.
Rating: 6 (out of 10)

2. intersection

This next song is very different from the previous, moving into a darker sound, with more guitars and less synths. Much heavier than FIXED STAR, and very appealing to the ear. I'd rather put this as an A-side, since it's as good, if not even better.
Rating: 8 (out of 10)


The single is a good ending to "To Aru Majutsu no Index: Endymion no Kiseki", even though it's a bit unoriginal. My overall rating for this release is: 7.

The comment box doesn't bite ; be polite when feeding it, though.

24 February 2013

Weekly News – SAO Dub, Honda Chieko Passes Away, and more

- Aniplex USA confirms Sword Art Online English dub -

Aniplex of America confirmed that its release of the Sword Art Online anime series will include an English dub. Also, a question and answer session with SAO light novel creator, Reki Kawakara, and an appearance of the opening song performer, Aoi Eir will be held at Sakura Con in March.

- 27 arrested in Japan for file sharing -

Japan's National Police Agency announced that it had arrested 27 suspects across the country for uploading anime, manga, music videos and games on the internet. At least two suspects allegedly used Perfect Dark, a sharing software intended to maintain the privacy of the user.

- Date A Live ends abruptly due to artist's health -

The April issue of the Monthly Shonen Ace magazine announced that the manga adaptation of Koushi Tachibana's Date A Live light novel series is ending because the artist's health makes it difficult to continue serialization. The anime adaptation will air in April.

- To Aru Majutsu no Index movie premieres -

The theatrical movie "To Aru Majutsu no Index: Endymion no Kiseki", based on the popular To Aru Majutsu no Index and To Aru Kagaku no Railgun series premiered yesterday in Japanese cinemas. The movie's ending theme song, "Fixed Star", is a new single from a popular anison singer, Mami Kawada.

- Voice actress Chieko Honda passes away -

The talent agency Aoni Production announced on Friday that the voice actress Chieko Honda passed away due to multiple forms of cancer on February 18th. Honda was undergoing treatment before succumbing. Her roles include Kozue Kaoru from Revolutionary Girl Utena, Ennil El from After War Gundam X, and many more.

20 February 2013

Aya Hirano - TOxxxIC


Tracklist:

1. TOxxxIC
2. ミライボイジャー
3. ミライボイジャー (Aya ver.)
4. TOxxxIC (off vocal)
5. ミライボイジャー (off vocal)

1. TOxxxIC

Right from the beggining, we get something very unlike the old Aya. Aside from the ocassional dubstep, the whole track is very similar to American pop music, and very synth-heavy. This is not a surprise, as it was composed by Steve Diamond, who writes for Britney Spears and some other pop stars. The song is one of those where you'll either love or hate it intantly. Aya's vocals are a bit underwhelming here, but nothing too bad (like the performance on the Haruhi Suzumiya concert). I can partially blame the song itself, since there aren't almost any jumps out of the range of 3-4 tones.
Rating: 7 (out of 10)

2. ミライボイジャー

I'm not quite sure if this is Aya with too much vocoder, or an actual Vocaloid. Unlike TOxxxIC, the song sounds like it is made for an anime. It's very upbeat, featuring Aya's signature light rock style from her older days with Lantis. The vocals have greater "quality" than usual Vocaloid voices, especially in the refrain, where her voice can be very high. I like it very much! :3
Rating: 7.5

3. ミライボイジャー (Aya ver.)

Exact same song as the previous, except that the Vocaloid-ish voice is replaced with legit Aya. Now, it sounds like a true Haruhi Suzumiya opening or character song. What Aya lacks in vocals in the first song, she makes up here, singing to the same heights as the voice in tne previous song.
Rating: 9


Universal Music, the label Aya has transferred to after leaving Lantis completely changed her style for this single. It seems that she won't be singing as much anime-tied music as before, but more J-pop stuff. Change can be a good thing, as long as they don't overdo it, which will result in Aya losing her originality she has (like the generic K-Pop music video for this song; lots of dancing and revealing clothes). My overall rating for this single is: 7.6 (don't expect accurate math from me)

The comment box doesn't bite ; be polite when feeding it, though.

19 February 2013

The Kawaii is a lie. So are the cookies.


Welcome to the blog which will soon become your main source of information, downloads, reviews and quality reading. I chose to begin doing this because I found that Japan offers a great deal of inspiration with its unmatchable and unique culture. I hope you will, too.