10 posts tagged “awesome”
I apologize for the lateness of this. I actually had this done last week, but Band Camp came up so fast, I didn't have time to put it up! My apologies. Please enjoy my review on C-ute's Latest Single, Edo no Temari Uta II! Oh, and if you can't tell, I really don't understand this song. I sincerely apologize if my title is horrible and offensive and such.
(I was really really worried when I saw these covers..."Oh Mah God noo...Not lumberjacks!")
This song took me by surprise! Its so strange sounding...and its really short for the average Hello! Project song! I really wasn't sure what to make of it the first time I heard it...! It is a fusion of more traditional Japanese music and more modern hiphop (yes, I used the word hiphop.) noises...although I could be mistaken, it may just be an enka(ondo?)-pop fusion. I must say, Edo no Temari Uta II did a good job at leaving me clueless as to what they are trying to portray and what style the song is in...But that doesn't mean I don't like it! I think choosing this song for C-ute was a good choice. I especially love the line distribution. Everyone gets a solo line :D! I really love how Chisato gets a longer solo line (her being my favorite and everything..). I also noticed that Saki's voice didn't sound incredibly squeaky here! In fact, she sounds pleasant. Actually, I find myself very impressed with the vocals with song, even the weaker voices in the group sound great.
I personally find the neon lights in the PV great; they fit to me, since I associate the piano parts to 'downtown' and I only see Neon lights like that 'downtown' nowadays...anyway, I'm actually impressed at how intricate this PV is, I didn't notice it at first, but the spaces between the neon lights are plastered with Hello! Project CD covers! Its a fun idea to do this, but not all too original (Theres something like that Do It! Now, right?). I like how the covers are making more of a cameo than obviously being there, unlike in the Do It! Now PV. The sunrays and clouds add to the Japanese feel of the PV, and also add some background color to let the girls stand out more (but blend into the PV...) because of the black background behind everything.. The girls dancing in the background are also very Japanese and add to the overall feel of the PV too... No, I can't identitfy the girls. I'm guessing they are Eggs. They clearly are not meant to be identified since there are shadows on their faces most of the time! Having backup dancers for a group so large seems like a stupid thing to do, but it really added to the scenary and overall feel to the PV.
Member Review!
Umeda Erika: The only thing I don't like about Erika in this PV is that she is wearing black. It washes her out, which makes her look like a ghost along with making her look a bit out of place when you see the dance shot. Purple or a Dark Green would have been better (if they were tryng to go for a darker color). Erika herself shined beautifully despite the bad costume choice (whoever decided that: shame on you!). Her solo line was executed nicely. I had worries in the past that her voice would grow to become more whiny as time progressed, but she has relieved me of these worries!
Yajima Maimi: I really like Maimi in this PV. I've read some complaints about her "liberty bell" red dress, but I personally like it. I think it suits her. The bright red brings out Maimi's facial features flawlessly! I love it when Maimi wears her hair down. It is so pretty that way :D. Vocally, Maimi is great also. Her solo line sounds deeper and more mature than all of the other girls solo line. It fits the song magnificently; having her as the first solo line was a good choice.
Arihara Kanna: I love the color of her modified kimono. I don't love her shoes though (they aren't that great...). I kinda feel bad for her because her light-y pose was really awkward looking...like they only gave the girls one chance to do something and thats all she could think of and now she is thinking to herself "Dang, I wish they gave me another shot at that. :(" Vocally, I have to give an award to Kanna. She is very consistent in her singing voice, and never sounds very tired. Her voice may not be very strong or nice sounding, but it is very consistent! Therefore, I am very impressed by Kanna. She's cute, too, right...? EDIT: I just read the backlash on Kanna's scandal. I'm really just disappointed in Wota for doing such a deliberately mean thing to a 15-year-old girl who was behaving like a 15-year-old girl would. I understand that it is basically forbidden for members of the younger Hello! Project groups to have boyfriends, but I'm pretty sure UFA could torment her enough about her date. Hopefully this will blow over and not become a huge scandal. Since there wasn't a lot of news right after it happened, I don't think there will be...
Nakajima Saki: I like the yellow of Saki's Dress, even though its a sort of mustard yellow. It looks flattering on her, though. I first noticed that Saki and quite a few of the other girls are wearing gladiator style sandals. I don't really prefer those, but they fit the outfits quite well here. Saki's voice impressed me the most about her in this PV. She isn't squeaking out all of her lines, the style she sings in is much more mature. I hope that she continues to sing in this style, but something tells me she wont. Which is unfortunate, since this style is a lot nicer to hear.
Suzuki Airi: Her dress is one of my favorites. The shade is perfect for her. Its also really short! Airi really left a good impression in this pv. Usually I find her to be a little on the boring side, but she pulled this song off beautifully. Because there are only seven members and eight solo lines, someone had to get two. Naturally, Airi got the second solo line. She molded her voice to fit the music perfectly! I love it!
Okai Chisato: I've read some positive and negative responses to Chisato's outfit...I personally think its really cool. Its the most "ancient Japan" looking, and it also fits Chisato. She looks like a warrior XD. Chisato's Light-y-up shot is perfect! Her pose was the best, in my opinion. Although it is a bit biased, I love Chisato in every aspect in this PV. I love her solo line, and I love that it was one of the longer "E~ E~" ones. So, in conclusion, Chisato rocked in this PV, and I really wish she had a more prominent role in more singles!!
Hagiwara Mai: Maimai's dress is clearly the winner in this section. It is awesome. The way its made to look like a modern and traditional kimono at the same time (actually, all of the dresses are like this, but Mai's is the best made). The blue and the white and the flowersss *fangirls* its just so great XD. On the bad side...Mai's solo line was kinda breathy and less mature than the other girls. Although, Mai always sounds like this. We must take into account that she is quite a few years younger than the other girls. I'm actually pleased with her performance, she looks a lot less like a dead fish just hanging there where as all the other girls are giving it their all.
This was really an amazing performance for C-ute! All the girls seemed to give it their all! A+!
This sounds much more like an "anime song" than Renai Rider or Honto no Jibun does to me. At the same, Buono! has a unique sound that makes Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! sound like it is not part of an anime at all, and just a great sounding single. Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! is a combination of cute and "punk" sounds. Normally I would be very skeptical about the description I provided (coming from other people..?), but when its a single by Buono! I know that the product wont be disappointing. (If it was bad, I would be very very sad.) I will admit, this song is a bit more generic than Buono!'s previous singles. Even so, it is still incredibly fun, with pretty food vocals and even a harmonica (how often do we get to here a harmonica properly placed in music these days?)
The PV is my favorite of Buono!'s. Its in a school, like in Honto no Jibun, but the girls school uniform outfits don't look horrible and unflattering. I also love that the girls are drawing all over the chalkboard, as if they are just messing around instead of cleaning up. I love the cleaning scene with Momo just hopping up and down to dust the top windows XD. A lot of the PV seems rather surreal, as I can't really imagine a school in Japan to be so colorful and fun looking! When its "lunch time" the girls all have vibrantly colored trays. I love them! I wish I some for myself XD. The outfits for the Hallway-Instrument-Scene aren't as wonderful as the school uniform ones...but I love them because Miyabi is wearing her hair down! She looks so pretty with her hair down! As said before, this PV is definitely my favorites of Buono!'s. It so fun! It makes me want to go that school and clean XD
Member Review!
Suzuki Airi: To be honest, when I usually watch the PV, I don't focus on Airi at all, and miss her when she appears on screen sometimes...I feel bad about it, since Airi is cute and a good singer! I just now noticed that the girls are only wearing one earing when they wear their school uniform outfit. Thats interesting...Airi's is a green and pink treble cleft! Its really big, but I like it. Airi was given a guitar to play with, which appears to fit her very well! She appears to be having fun with it XD. I like Airi's outfit in the Hallway-Instrument-Scene. I like her accessories a lot more, though, haha. They are also only wearing one earing in this outfit too! It appears to be dangling silver heart. I wonder why they are only wearing one earing...Ah well. Airi's vocals sound great in this PV, and she is cute and energetic in the PV (She unfortunately doesn't stand out to me as much as Momo or Miya do...)
Natsuyaki Miyabi: She should wear her hair down more!! I already said this, but she looks so pretty with her hair down! I like Miyabi's Hallway-Instrument-Scene Outfit the best...its great! Miyabi's earing in her school uniform outfit was hard to find a clear shot of! I have determined that it is a white and black boom box (after about seven minutes of searching the internet for a clear screen shot/picture). Her earing in her Hallway-Scene outift is all dangly with red and black stars. I used to have earrings like that XD. I honestly think that Miyabi shined in this PV! She looked comfortable and brought out an energy that perfected the PV :D
Tsugunaga Momoko: She is like the icing on the PV...she is the most entertaining part of the PV! She hops up and down adorably to clean the windows (I can't say I haven't done that myself...), she plays drumsticks like a harmonica, and reads a cute bunny book while the other girls are reading novels..! Maybe its that I'm biased, but I really think Momoko was the best part of the PV. I like Momoko's big pink candy earring in her school uniform outfit, but find her huge star earring to be a little...too big. Actually, I find her Hallway-Scene outfit to be unflattering. It washes her out, even though she's adorable anyway. I darker shade of blue would have been a better choice..!
I'll say it again, I really love this single. I can't help but give it an A!
-Hotaru <3
I left the Idol-World for a day and everything happens -_-...This happens quite frequently to me.
Well...the first big news (and the more interesting..): Goto Maki is back!
The other news is that Mano Erina is actually getting her own single!
-Hotaru <3
I got this a while ago...and I am just now reviewing it. I feel kind of bad for not reviewing this sooner...but at least I'm doing it now! I now realize my problem. I procrastinate like crazy! I will try to stop such a bad habit. With no other comments to say, on to the review!
Song: I have really liked this song ever since I first heard it, which is the main reason why I bought it. Its very...danceable. A lot of Morning Musume songs make me feel like I should learn the dance because I wouldn't know how to dance to them without it...but not this song! Which is...very different, but a good different. Anyway, more about the song itself. I really enjoy how the song is "Kuuru" at the verses, but sad at the chorus. I also really liked the beginning...it reminds me of Roman ~My Dear Boy~ for some reason XD. So basically, the song is everything is great in my opinion, right? I do really like the song, but I really feel like something is missing. That something is probably Mitsui, Junjun, and Linlin. I seriously thought Koharu's solo lines were Mitsui's at first. I was incredibly disappointed when I found out they weren't. As much as a ReinAi duet was a given with this line up, I still want the rest of the girls to have their own solo lines, also. The lack of them nearly ruined it, but...fortunately for the purchase of the single, I still liked it a lot. I really hope to find singles in the future featuring more than just Reina and Ai, but I guess if this really is "The start of a new Musume", having Reina and Ai start it is good.
Oh, and I asked my boyfriend what he thought of the song and he just says "It sounds like a "look, we're speckxy" type of Musume song. There are only three types of songs by the Musume: ZOMG Kawaii Genkiiiii!, I'm an angweee guwrl, or "RAPPPPEEEE MEEEE"".....I tried explaining to him that the song was more about being lonely but being surrounded by people, but he didn't get it. He's not really into Hello! Project, so...oh well.
PV: I was really disappointed when the dance shot was put up on Dohhh Up!. It was like my hopes were shattered in the two minutes it took to buffer the whole video...It features no one but Reina, Ai, (nooo) Koharu, and a split second of Sayumi (which frightened me, really). Although I do like the hand thingy the girls do in the intermission, I'm not very impressed... I was so happy when "Another Ver." was uploaded onto Dohhh Up!. I love that they show the girls in a "rehearsal". Its very different from other dance shots (and not cheap looking!). The Rehersal Dance Scenes and the Showing-The-Girls-Alone-Or-In-Their-Free-Time-Scenes make the PV worth it. I really think that the PV would have left a better impression if it was just the Rehearsal and Free Time scenes, but noo, we must milk the icky dance shot for all its worth! I wish UFA would make better decisions. I think we all wish that.
The C/W: Sono Bamen de Bibiccha Ikenai jan!
First of all, I am very excited to see Junjun and Linlin getting solo lines...even though its only on the C/W. I am happy that Reina and Aichan did not play a very prominent role in this song, since they basically stole all of the light in Resonant Blue. Although the C/W is always much less known, I can imagine this being a song to appear in a few concerts. The best part about this is probably Eri getting more lines. I really love Eri! She has a very nice voice; I really don't understand why she is not represented better in the A-sides (main song?). Although this is really your average C/W from Morning Musume with the happy positive lyrics, I really like this song.
Member Review Time!
Takahashi Ai: I feel as though she is going towards the "friend" leadership position. Thats fine really, but not being in control at all will leave you sad in the end! (Someone else *cough* Reina *cough* will try to take your position). She will most likely never read this words, but...they must be said. Hopefully she will get the picture and step up. But, knowing Aichan, she may just let Reina take the reins (ohoho, I made a pun.). Back to the PV. For Aichan's special scene in "Another Ver." , she gets to excercise. Woo. Although her scene is a bit bland, maybe it shows her determination? She certainly looks extremely serious about her excercising. I know these scenes are supposed to show the girls outside of work/potentially loneliness, but really now...I'm sure they could have come up with something better for Aichan to do -_-. But, its okay, because it fits very well for the beginning of the PV.
Niigaki Risa: I was disappointed she didn't get much recognition with this single, but I'm happy she got more than nothing (8th Gen D:). I love her and Kamei at the "Dakedo" part (who didn't?)...She got some "Oo's" and "Whoa's" also, but those aren't as notable. In "Another Ver.", Risa is seen alone in a taxi (I'm assuming its a taxi...). Its very dark, so it is hard to actually see Risa. That is disapointing... D: She appears to be texting someone at one point, so maybe she tried to hang out with them but was denied in the end. Maybe it was Aichan! Her and her need to excercise, jeez. Risa does look a bit lonely...aside from just looking bored. Her representation in this single is about the same ammount as Mikan, not much, but she wasn't thrown to the side either. I really hope there is another single where Risa will have a larger part, like in Egao YES Nude....
Kamei Eri: Her representation was about as much as Risa's, but a bit less. She didn't get any "Whoa's" or "Oo's". It is sad she didn't get any solo lines, but at the same time, it doesn't feel as though her voice would fit anywhere except for the "Dakedo" part in this single. Which is unfortunate D: In "Another Ver.", Eri is with Sayumi at an amusement park eating crepes (I've always wanted to eat one of those...). Perhaps the two are lonely because they can't really go to the amusement park without being spotted by paparazzi and being chased by fans...but this is all speculation. I don't really know how the two are sad and lonely, being at an amusement park and all...hm. I wish there was more of everyone thats not ReinAi/Koharu *sob*.
Michishige Sayumi: Unfortunately, this is basically the same as Eri's, but...Sayumi did get a line "Help Me!". She came out of no where! She startled me at first! Sayumi is very pretty, and that is shown throughout the PV where ever she was randomly shoved in. She is in the same Carnival-Crepe scene as Eri...I already covered that, but I will say that I like Sayumi's outift a lot more than Eri's. I also love her Kitty Ear Sweatshirt that she wears in the Rehersal Dances Shot. As a closing note on Sayumi, I really hope she gets a couple lines in the next single, since she really has improved as a singer ._.
Tanaka Reina: Although Reina is my favorite, she is loosing favorite points quickly! I honeslty don't like her a whole lot in the Dance PV. If I just listen to the song, its fine...but not the Dance PV. Well, "Another Ver." isn't so bad, but watching her in the dance version is painful. She is either representing/exemplifying the songs lyrics in her actions too well, or just being really fake. I don't like fakers, be real Reina! She really is a big part of "Another Ver.", isn't she? She is shown first in the beginning walking through a graffiti'd alley (or something) and then on the city streets. She represents the songs direct meaning the best, I would think. Even though she is surrounded by a city of people, she can't find anyone, and is therefore lonely. I think of the girl in Resonant Blue as being a city girl, so its fits my impression well :D
Kusumi Koharu: Okay, seriously, whoever made the choice of giving Koharu the extra lines that ReinAi didn't sing, that...was a bad idea. In their performance on Music Fighter...its pretty obvious she wasn't singing. *sigh* With that aside, lets talk about the good stuff. I personally find her "Another Ver." scene to be the best. Although Koharu is surrounded by people giving her lots of attention, taking pictures and asking her questions, she still has sad eyes. She is lonely (at least the Koharu in the PV) even though she is surrounded by people. I actually wrote a short story-ish thing about feelings like that a few years ago. Perhaps I can relate the most to Koharu in this PV, since the "Being surrounded by people yet being incredibly lonely"-feeling plagued me for a year or two. I really do like that I can relate to the girls in this PV, instead of it being a "Look at the idols in their crazy costumes doing strange dances yay!" PV..
Mitsui Aika: I was so disappointed when I found out that it was really Koharu singing the miscellaneous solo lines. I really thought (at least one of them...) was Aika D: Well...at least she has the spotlight at the very beginning of the dance shot PV (and rehearsal?). Her point and walk backwards thing was very well done, but unfortunately we don't really get to see her much for the rest of the PV. Her "Another Ver." scene is depressing. Poor Aika is alone waiting for a train on a dark night. At one point she looks annoyed, as if thinking "Where is that train!? I'm so bored!", haha. There really wasn't enough 8th Gen. in this PV :( I want more!
Junjun: I considered doing both her and Linlin in the same paragraph, but I opted not to. Did you notice that in "Another Ver.", the scenes are mostly of Kamei or Junjun doing something? I really liked that XD. Her special scene is with Linlin (surprise, surprise) at some resturaunt. I would think Junjun to be the most lonely at the moment. Although she has Linlin and can speak rather good Japanese (she is learning quickly!), she must feel homesick a lot, and might not be able to eat some of the same cuisine (this is what I'm getting out of the restaurant-ness), and is therefore sad and lonely (this goes for Linlin too). Maybe I am wrong...but this is how it seems! I really love Junjun! I love her little clap when the food arrives :D.
Linlin: Although most of my comments on Linlin are in Junjun's paragraph thing, I will make a few comments! First of all, I really like the outfit she is wearing in the restaurant scene. Its something I would wear, thats why! I also think that the outfit she wore during the rehearsal scene fits her well. It looks good on her. Oh! I also like her curly hair in the dance scene. That also looks good :D Haha, I hope my reviews on Linlin aren't always like this! I wish I had more to say.
So, Resonant Blue is a pretty good single. I really like the song and the "Another Ver." PV, along with Sono Bamen de Bibiccha Ikenai Jan! This single is definitely a A-! 95% (I hate the dance version, and it was the first one to be released...)
:D
-Hotaru <3
Yay! I finished this before the end of the week! I was worried I wasn't going to be able to..with all the craziness going on in my life (Test, Essays, Musicals).
I got it though...so here it is, Hotaru's Review for Renai Rider~...The song is awesome :D
The Song: The first time I heard this, and I think quite a few people thought this, it was okay, but it wasn't as good as Honto no Jibun. It doesn't flow as well as Honto no Jibun...but after hearing it a few more times, I fell in love with it. I might like it more than Honto no Jibun. Its definitely catchy. I'm also humming it! P-chu at "P-chu Piano Labs" said that this song was probably originally in the key of G...I totally agree. It probably was. (Yeah...I can be called a band geek.) I can't really see the song being as catchy in G for some reason though...the girls probably couldn't sing that low either XD. Anyway. This song is ridiculously fun. The verses could have been boring, but whoever arranged this made them fun with the "Hawaiinish" Style and the like. I love the concept of the "real instruments" being used in this group. I think that this group is closest to what "The People" want right now...they've got it :D
The PV: Simple, but not cheap looking. Its great. The colors bursting out in circles and splashes gives it a great retro feel, something that the song seems to be portraying a bit. The three girls quickly take their vehicles, leaving poor Momo with a tricycle (which she later simply gives up and just starts running.) Its creative, while still being on the simple side. Which is a great improvement for Hello! Project PV's!! The only point where the PV looks icky is the interlude-part with the black screen and the circle-y-colors flying out with the girls dancing in front...You can really tell its a green (or blue? as seen in the making-of) screen. The little hearts popping out was a bit cheesy, and would have been cooler if the hearts weren't the same...but its still better than the black-scene...other than those slight problems, this is a really good PV!!
The C/W: Janakyamottainai!
Amazing. This is good stuff right here, I tell you. Would this have done better as the A-side? Maybe...maybe even a double-A side...both songs are so good! More on Janakyamottainai...it sounds much more mature and "hard core" (I can't think of any other word D:) than pretty much...anything in Hello! Project. Its pure genius. Each girl gets a pretty even ammount of solos...and each girl shines individually. If you haven't heard this, go listen to it right now!!!
Member Reviews:
Natsuyaki Miyabi - She has such a nice voice...its very good for this group in my opinon. She fits being that more 'level-minded' of the three...at least...thats how it seems! She gets a mini red motorcyce (Which matches her scarf) and rides off! Lucky her, she didn't get gipped into getting the tricycle.....On a last note: Miyabi's Hair and Clothes. Her clothes? Great, much better than the ones in Honto no Jibun. Her hair? Nonono...a bigger hairstyle + a longer face = no. But other than that, yay Miyabi :D
Suzuki Airi - The best thing about Airi being in Buono! is that she gets solo lines and doesn't end up being the only member who gets solo lines...eheh. Really now...I love Airi, but UFA/Tsunku need to give other members in C-ute their proper solo lines. Airi also picks a green mini motorcycle to match her scarf (color coordination is very important!) and rides off! For her hair and clothes: Her clothes are probably my least favorite...the mesh-looking jacket just looks strange on her. But its not terrible! Her hair is the cutest out of three...the pig tails match her perfectly!
Tsugunaga Momoko - In my opinion, she's the most impressive out of the three. Her voice seems very developed into her role in Buono!...something that is very impressive! She's also the most interesting role throughout the PV...getting gipped out of a yellow mini motorcycle and having to ride a Tricycle. She looks very confident when pointing at it though! "I choose you!" The way she sings in Janakyamottanai is great...she's not being the happy squeaky familiar Momo...which proves that she can be a really good singer <_<. For her Hair and Clothes? I loved her clothes the most...they were the most fun. I forgot what her jacket said..but it was something amusing....her hair was similar to Miyabi's, but it worked on her :D.
Overall, Renai Rider is a solid good single :D
A+!!!
-Hotaru <3
Although its a bit early (its Christmas Eve as we speak) I received some of my Christmas Presents early! Its only one ittem...Morning Musume ALL SINGLES COMPLETE ~10th Anniversary~! This is very exciting for me, for I have had nothing to do over the past few days...!
This CD was a gift from my boyfriend, but unfortunately, the gift didn't come until today. He is currently in Wisconsin with his relatives, so he gave me permission to check his mail for the CD XD.
Since a lot of people have already put up scans of the CD, its not so bad, I hope!
The cover's great, in my opinion. It leaves you reminiscing about the past and yet wondering whats in store for the future (at least, thats how I feel). All of the girls look pretty expressionless, except for Reina! She looks pissed XD.
The Cd's (again, its a pretty horrid picture...) are unique, yet stay with the "10 Years, Yay!" theme. While the first CD is clearly a '10', I'm not sure what to make of the second CD. Is it a plus or a multiplication sign? Or both!?
Or...hm...upon further contemplation, perhaps it is the roman numeral X for 10. Yeah, that seems likely. So much for my multiplication idea
Within the cover there are multiple shots of the "Morning Coffee" scene, which are all very adorable! Unfortunately camera took a particular hate towards taking a picture of the inside cover, so I do not have a picture to share!
The CD also came with a very nice thick booklet with all of the singles lyrics and interviews of all of the Past and Present Morning Musume who are still in Hello! Project today.
The only new track, HELLO TO YOU~Hello! Project 10 shuunen kinen theme~, is a very nice step up from Hello no Theme. The beginning is really cool with the guitars and such...although it does sound a lot like Hello no Theme! I can imagine this will be a pretty good opening to a Hello! Project concert, similar to how Hello no Theme was XD
So...I would commentate on their clothing, but unfortunately, I don't have the time! I must fit in some late wrapping-of-presents! Merry Christmas Everyone!!!
Although the taste of (real) eggs make me gag, the thought of Hello! Project Eggs getting some spotlight makes me very happy :D Add some Konkon and you have completed Hotaru's daily happy meter. So when I heard about Ongaku Gatas, I was pretty much insanely excited..! There are so many good things about this group, I would really like to them to more stuff! But anyway, on to the review.
The Song-
When I first read the title of the song "Narihajimeta Koi no Bell", I immediately thought that it was going to be a peppy song that was similar to Go Girl! ~Koi no Victory~. Why? I don't know...! The title just struck me as that kind of song. I'm very pleased that its not, though. This song is sort of 80's-rific. The bass line is really fun, it almost sounds like it was ripped from a disco song. Actually, the whole song is...awesome. It reminds me of Egao YES Nude....but in the sense that someone went in and fed Egao YES Nude upbeat awesome steroids ._. (Oh dear, I am sleepy.) This group sounds very developed, even though its their first single. I would love to hear more from this group!
The PV:
Man, this PV reminds me of Egao YES Nude...But its not like "Shiny crap everywhere!!! Yay!!!" The style of the two PV's is very similar...Mostly black and white, except for some of the clothes that the girls are wearing. Even though there isn't a whole lot going on in this PV, it feels...tasteful...and not cheap. Everything about this PV was extremely well done, being their first release. Everyone fits in...and sticks out (in the good way)......I don't feel like anything else I say would convince you that you need to listen and watch this song and PV....I am very sleepy...
Quick Notes on the Members:
-Yay Yossie! I'm so happy she's in a group, and not just cast off to the side, like Iida or Yasuda. She's gets a pretty good ammount of screen time too, which she didn't get when she was in Morning Musume. Yay :D
-I think Rika is a good addition to this group, and I'm glad that she isn't getting all of the attention in the PV. At first, I thought she would, when the PV first started. There isn't much to say about her, I didn't pay much attention to her D:
-ZOMG YAY Konkon!! I was ecstatic when I read the news that she was coming back to Hello! Project, and then be in a group so quickly? She does great throughout the PV, you wouldn't be able to tell if you didn't know that she had left Hello! Project for some time. She adds a cute but not too cute edge with her voice...its a great addition to the song!
-I never knew how much I liked Satoda Mai's voice. I never really paid attention to Country Musume until Asami and Miuna graduated. And even then, I didn't really listen to their stuff...I think I'll start watching/listening to more of their stuff now :D
-I don't have much to say about Korenaga Miki or Mutou Mika, for they weren't in the PV much! Which is a shame, really. I would like to hear something worthwhile *not just ahhs* from of all of the members in this group :D
-As for Sengoku Minami and Sawada Yuri, what little solo parts they had, I enjoyed them. Especially Sengoku's.
-And last, Noto Arisa and Mano Erina. Its apparent that Erina is getting the most attention out the eggs, and thats great, shes rather talented, but I like Arisa a lot more! She kinda reminds me of Aibon in her looks...and her voice is nice, too.
I want to here more!! I demand that they come out with more stuff :D. I give this a 10/10!
I like The Pillows. I was introduced to them by my boyfriend, but I had heard of them beforehand. I believe he discovered The Pillows through the popular show Fooly Cooly (FLCL). Its a pretty good show, I watched it myself. Actually, I can't say that its an anime for those that don't like anime thats pretty boring for half the show and then crazy and drug-induced for the other half. But anyway! Thats not the point.
As you can probably tell by now, this is a review of their latest single, Ladybird Girl.
1. Ladybird Girl
This is a really fun song. It seems to fit with summer, and thats good, since it came out in the summer (Where am I going with this...) The song is upbeat and makes you want to shake your head to the beat. Everything blends so nicely.... The PV is kinda...random. But then again, thats what makes them The Pillows: Random, but really cool and fun. Another thing I noticed is that all of the members had a Hotaru's-boyfriend/Beetle Haircut. I really recommend that everyone listens and watches this PV at least once...Its fun, I promise :D
2. And Hello!
This more of your calm "Yeahhhh, Mannnnn, Chillll" Pillows song....At least it is to me. Its more calming...almost like a "this song will calm you down after the awesomeness of Ladybird Girl!" or something...Its fun to listen to, but not as fun as Ladybird Girl. There isn't much to say about this song, I've only heard it a few times...
Anyway, this is a great single, I recommend it to everyone....ever.
10/10
EDIT: And Just for anyone who wonders, I had a good time at Band Camp, even though it rained quite a bit! :D
A while ago I was bored and decided to watch and listen to all of HALCALI's singles one day. At first I thought "These songs sound really weird.." but after listening more, I randomly just fell in love with them. It was like a "I never realized I loved you until I hit my head on that door and you were there to give me an ice pack." or something (XD). I was introduced to the group through the popular anime Eureka SeveN. I recommend this anime to fans who want a love story with robots in the background. But anyway, as fans of the series would know, the first song I heard by them was Tip Taps Tip. It doesn't really sound like any of their other songs, so when I listened to their first single, Tandem, I was surprised....
Anyway, this post is going to be about me expressing my opinions on their singles!
Starting with their first: Tandem!
The Song-
Its an upbeat song with lots of electronic beats. The song almost has a tropical-ish feeling at the beginning. Its makes me want to dance....I like this song a lot. Its fun and almost sort of random. All of their songs sort of have the same lyric pattern...and this is the start of it!? (Ahhh, Hotaru doesn't know what else to say...)
The PV-
Their second single: Electric Sensei
The Song-
Much like Tandem, Electric Sensei is upbeat and electronic beat-filled. Unfortunately, I feel that this song is a tad bit more Boring. Although I do enjoy the part were they spell out "Electric Teacher". They also inserted random spanish XD. Overall, the song is okay, but I liked Tandem better.
The PV-
Random and Kind of Boring are the words that come to mind when watching this PV. The two are wearing prison-outfits and are dancing...they're also playing ping-pong. There is a giant ping-pong spectator in the background, which frightened me a bit the first time I saw it....this isn't a very exciting PV at all, but I like the song. I'm not sure whether its due to the fact that its HALCALI, or I just like it.
Third Single: Giri-Giri Surfrider
The Song-
I'm not going to lie to you, this song rocks. It has a 50's or 60's like sound to it, but with HALCALI mixed in, which makes it awesome. It sounds fun, and makes me want to just get up and dance randomly (which happens a lot). But the awesomeness doesn't end, the PV is great too.
The PV-
Its focused on two gangs, a Yankii one, and a more Lady's like one. They go to fight...and instead of fighting...they have dance off! While that is going on, there will be parts shown with the two girls singing and dancing. Theres one part where they're using Maracas as microphones, and one theirs is upside down! Haha...I learned from this PV that HALCALI will solve all of your fighting. And that Dancing and Singing is better than fighting. Its a great PV. Seriously.
Now...This little...thing-y of mine will be broken up in four parts, and this is the end of part one!
And as a side-note, I am leaving tomorrow for Band Camp (Oh joy) and wont return until Friday. I hope I have fun...! I also hope I wont miss anything big in the j-pop world...!
Until Friday, Good bye!!
Recently I bought the book Japanese Schoolgirl Inferno: Tokyo Teen Fashion Subculture Handbook by Patrick Macias and Izumi Evers. The book is, as you guess it, about Tokyo Teen Fashion. It has everything from the Sukeban (Yankii) to Decora (Harajuku Girl) Gals. Its a very useful book, and I recommend it to anyone whose interested in learning about Japanese Fashion throughout the years. They have Ganguro Gals, Kogals, and Gothic Lolita's, among some. Its a very entertaining and informative book.
Its a really great book, especially if you randomly had to write a paper on Japanese Fashion. It tells you basically every bit of information about the stereotypical subculture. Its so cool XD.
I give it a 10/10!
