Lalalalalalala...I forgot the lyrics! - LALALA Shiawase no Uta Review
Hello! I finally got this up! This was meant for last week, but unfortunately major homework assignments came up (which includes writing a 131 Poem and reading 45 pages of history)! I'm glad their over now (mostly), so I have a few hours to actually finish this!
Before I start though: Happy Birthday to International Wota :D
Most people have been comparing this song to Berryz Koubou's "Munasawagi Scarlet" because...well, the PV certainly is similar to it. I also have found similiarities in a Morning Musume song. I'm sure you can guess which one.
The Song-
How come its always the songs that you don't really like that always get stuck in your head? Probably because they're always so catchy!! Shiawase no Uta is diffently not my favorite single C-ute has come out with (this is including indie singles...) but its much more composed than Sakura Chirari or Meguru Koi no Kisetsu. The group sounds much more confident and the group sounds more developed. Which is great, but doesn't make me like the song itself much more. A good thing would be...instead of having Maimai and Saki having the "minor solo lines", it could Okai, Erika, or Kanna. seriously...those two girls may be super cute, but their voices grate on my ears (and I'm positive they grate on others). Not even in a Koharu, way. I can handle Koharu, her voice can be fine a lot of the time, but Saki...I can feel my ears shudder when she sings...But really, other than my Saki/Maimai problem the song isn't bad. The whole minute of La's gets annoying, but reminds me of Aruiteru...which grew on me considerably. Its definitely fun. I think it would have been a better song to release in the summer, but hey, C-ute's also releasing another single towards the end of April. Its like Tsunku/UFA were saying "JK!!!! We're going to have C-ute release a real single soon, lawlz." *sigh*
The PV- It definitely owns Munasawagi Scarlet budget-wise...The make-up is much more fitting of a younger girl to be putting on/playing with. Theres lots of shiny things, too! Like necklaces and probaly some bracelets. Its a lot more like "dress up" then "Lets do each others make up, yays!" (the later being Munasawagi Scarlet). The whole set looks much less cheap, even the hideous costumes/outfits are less hideous than Berryz. The background, which is an off-whiteish-gray, makes the outfits fit, at least I think so. The dance which is...most of the PV, is very cheerleader-esque and very simple to dance to...which makes me happy. So, while that song isn't great, the PV is at least pretty good.
The C/W: Saikoukyuu no Enjoy GIRLS
I love the Tenor Sax XD It just fits the song perfectly. I honestly think this should have been the A-side. Have the original song on the A-side, a cover of a song should always = Coupling With song. But thats just my opinion...It also has a much more even ammount of solo lines...which always desirable. This song is very fun, like LALALA, but its not as catchy. I still like it better, though!
Member Review!
Umeda Erika- Like most/all of the girls gipped out of solo lines, she looks very bored throughout the PV. When dancing, putting on makeup, or trying on a necklace, she looks bored. "I wish this song was more interesting." is what her face reads. Really, I love Erika, and for her sake, I wish she played more of a role in the PV! "Gawd, please make it end!"-Erika
Yajima Maimi- I've been enjoying her much more since Tokkaikou Junjou. She seems to be having a pretty good time throughout the PV. Well, she can...she actually gets camera time! She also gets to wear the pink dress, which is less hideous, in my opinion. She has every right to look happy...She's arguably the most popular member of C-ute right now (part of this is based on Paul's Hello! Project Poll), therefore she gets a lot of screen time. I'm not saying this is bad. Maimi seems like she puts her heart into everything she does. That says a lot for me...idols actually caring about what they do...(yeah, she's gone up in my list)
Arihara Kanna- Similar to Erika, Kanna looks bored. Unlike Erika, Kanna looks like shes actuallly trying to look like she's having fun. Throughout the PV her 'happy' look goes downhill, eventually forming into "Wow, I'm really bored." This can be seen when the song starts its "LALALA's!" toward the end. She looks as though she is about to laugh and say "This is completely worthless, I'm only going to get like 3 close ups." Her next close up, she looks completely bored. Its kind of amusing, but depressing at the same time..
Nakajima Saki - Ah! This girls voice is terrible >_<. Its good that other members are getting lines, they all deserve them, but come on...Erika has a kind of squeaky voice, but sounds more developed...They could have used her instead (and maybe Erika wouldn't be so bored out of her mind)! This PV shows that Saki may be a good person to talk to maybe, but please don't ask her to sing! The part that really bothers me (more like creeps me out!) is that in a close up of her in the "Lalala" part of the song, her veins in her neck bulge...maybe its just me. That has always creeped me out. *shudders* This isn't to say I truly dislike Saki, I don't. I don't know much about her...but....from what I know, I don't like her much.....
Suzuki Airi- It looks like C-ute is becoming more and more Maimi centered. I like Maimi, but I like a lot of the other members more...Airi being one of them. I prefer her voice over Maimi's (Maimi used to sound really strange to me). Both girls are deserving of solo lines (but this still doesn't make me wish other girls had solo lines)...I suppose I'm just naturally drawn to Airi more. I feel as though she got less screen time than Maimi, but thats not really bad either, since she dominated Tokkaiko Junjou...I'm really neutral towards Airi, if you can't tell! She's c-ute and has a good voice...I like her better in Buono! (maybe the trio just go better together), though. I feel as though I can't make a proper review of her because of my neutrality! Maybe I'll have more of an opinion with her next single ._.
Okai Chisato- Frst things first: Has anyone noticed that it looks like Hagiwara Mai has surpassed Chisato in height? This is very strange for me...but it makes Chisato an adorable shorty? Haha. Unlike Kanna or Umeda, she looks like she's having fun most of the time. Maybe, like Chinami from Berryz, she can have fun no matter what. Thats a really good quality, really...I wish I had it. Or maybe she's just a good actor. Eh, whatever the reason is, I still love her :D. It sort of surprises me that she just...doesn't get any lines...ever. I can understand why she would be unpopular, she's adorable in a different way from most of the girls in C-ute, making her sort of an aquired taste. Her voice is amazing, but I've seen people say "I don't like her because her voice is too mature for C-ute." This sort of baffles me, but hey, its their opinion. Even if she never gets a solo line in an A-side of a single (from C-ute), she will still get lines on the the C/W..which I guess is good....
Hagiwara Mai- "Stop looking like a dead fish!" is what I want to tell her. She looks...emotionless for most of the PV. Or she has shy-ish reactions. She's still young and has time to develop, but really now...what kind of a persona is 'dead fish'? *sigh* She has the potential to be a pretty good singer and a decent dancer, but it really just seems like she's along for the ride XD. Her voice teeters between bad and good quality, which she could improve on if she tried...I guess she just seems like she has a lot of potential, but she just doesn't really care. It sort of bothers me. Perhaps this will change throughout time!
Overall, this single was only...okay. Even a lot of the girls seemed bored with it. I did like the C/W, though...so, this single will be graded as a C.
Just a straight C, like 75%.
As a closing note, I will be gone starting on Wednesday to...next friday? I think? I'm going to Hawaii for spring break! I will hopefully have less of a homework load afterward...
Bye for now :D
-Hotaru <3
