Wait, there's no scrumming in bowling! - Fumetsu no Scrum [PV REVIEW]

Fumetsu no Scrum

All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Basically, they don’t need to agree with your own. So, don’t start trying to get all batshitty at me if our views clash~

Okay, so I half-told myself that there was no way that my next review would be a PV review, because I’m not that good at PV reviews. Yet here I am, writing a review on…oh, right, a PV. Oh well, I’m never going to get better unless I make an attempt, right?

Of course, it would only be natural for my risky review to be of a KAT-TUN PV, right? So, I’ll be reviewing KAT-TUN’s new PV for their latest single, Fumetsu no Scrum.

I’ll say it straight out – this PV did not impress me as many other KAT-TUN PVs. Oh wow, I started out a KAT-TUN review with a negative comment. Well, it’s better to be honest than biased, I find. Anyway, my point is…it’s so simple. I am fully aware that other KAT-TUN videos are somewhat simple – ULTIMATE WHEELS only had two one-colour sets but, at least, it had that fancy camera and the light and shadow stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the PV, really. I do honestly like it and probably prefer it to a great many other PVs – you have to take into account I’m purely comparing it to other KAT-TUN PVs here.

The PV was definitely entertaining, though. I think it was probably a really good PV, it just didn’t put me in that weird state of ‘Oh my god wow oh my god this is so wow and so perfect oh god’ that the past few PVs have managed to do – the last PV that failed to manage that was probably Going! over 2 years ago. Aside from that, the concepts of the dance & close-up shots and the bowling scenes clashed a little. Thanks to the editing, they stilled worked well together and with the song, mind.

It's irrelevant, but I LOVE the outfits from this single's covers~

My main complaint about the bowling scenes was their outfits, to be perfectly honest. Okay, yes, they were wearing bowling clothes but gold sparkly looked a bit…naff, maybe? It’s not really of too much consequence, but, personally, the outfits didn’t sit well with me. It has to be taken into account, though, that I don’t like bowling outfits anyway, so that opinion can’t be helped. The bowling scenes were cute, though, definitely. The boys just looked so happy and like they were having fun, it was sweet. Especially their circle dance after Kame’s victory – I honestly love that bit. I love watching these guys interact and I suppose this PV gets lots of bonus points for being, like, the only video where that really happens (ignoring Kame and Maru’s conversation in the background of THE D-MOTION and similar cases, seeing as they weren’t even intentional). Sure, maybe I wasn’t overly impressed by the PV but, as I sit here reflecting over these scenes, I’m getting ready to have a giggly fit over how lovely it all is. But, I’m in public right now, so, that’s a bad idea e.e

Icky shirts but just look at Kame's attempts to sexy things up with those sunglasses

My favourite part of the video was possibly the dance shot – one reason for this is…their trousers. I want their trousers and they’ve now been added to my list of trousers I’ve seen male celebrities wear and would quite like for myself (along with the ones they wore in their ShoKura Premium LOCK ON performance and so many of the ones I’ve seen Yamapi wear). Honestly, I just love their outfits in those bits and that definitely more than makes up for my feelings toward their bowling outfits. Another reason as to why I love this part is the choreography which was written by Junno himself (if you didn’t know already). Sure, it’s not the best choreography ever but Junno did really well for his first attempt at group choreography. You have to understand that in my saying that it’s not the best ever means nothing more than it’s simply not among the best dances I’ve ever seen but KAT-TUN don’t normally have the most impressive dances anyway so it’s not exactly important – just to clear that up. But, what I think is important, at least for a song like this, is that this is definitely a fun and light-hearted dance that fits the group and their style (or styles, since none of them seem to want to dance the same way) extremely well. Maybe the dance would be even better if these derps could dance on time with each other =w= But, I love their lack of synchronisation, don’t worry.

Rub-a-dub-dub~   

The close-ups weren’t anything to be hugely amazed by, though, the big lights in the back were definitely cool. They added a really nice effect to the video. Though, there’s never much to comment on with the close-ups unless they actually stand out in some way since, past that, it’s all down to the members. I can say that they looked awesome against that backdrop, but I’d rather that, for now, I was reviewing the video and not gushing over the members *coughorkamecough*.

Could it be? A gorgeous turtle come to prove my point! /helooksawkward/

However, I’d like to gush a little now, is that okay? ;w;

I think they looked amazing in this video. I mean, as amazing as they could seeing as I don’t actually find all the members attractive. And you can’t judge cause I’ll just point out that it means that I just like them for their voices and personalities rather than just their faces =w=

I really liked Koki’s hair in the dance and close-ups, the way it was tied back. I believe that he should go back to the straight long hair. I just prefer it to the poodle perm, that’s all.

Kame was gorgeous in this PV. Like, no, especially in some points. I admit that I’m probably hugely biased towards this man, but I can’t help that he’s so stunningly beautiful, okay? =3= I really like his hair in this video, though. And that glare when Maru pats his back *.* Those eyes >< That man has such lovely eyes. And legs. I love the way he moves his legs and those trousers looked good on him, uhh. I’ll stop here out of here that I’m just going to get derailed and bore you. So, basically, to summarise this whole paragraph, I love Kame and am fascinated by his existence. There. Done.

Can you really blame me for my feelings? I refuse to be blamed!!

Now, I think it only makes sense to conclude with a quick review of the song itself, right? What’s the point in reviewing a video without appreciating the entire package?

My first comment would have to be that the actual style of the song differs somewhat from the typical ‘KAT-TUN Style’ that has been built up throughout the past six years or so – they’ve been around for 11, I know, but most of style was developed via singles. This difference in style doesn’t bother me – in fact, songs of this style appear quite frequently as B-Sides and album tracks. On top of that, I love when groups release things in different styles, as long as the songs retain their essence. This is something KAT-TUN are very good at – no matter what genre of song they tackle that same feeling is always there that makes them stand out. I also think that KAT-TUN’s ‘experimentalism’, if you can call it that, makes them original. Someone once told me that they were one of the most generic groups in J-Pop right now and I was immediately sure they hadn’t actually listened to the bloody group. I can’t actually think of another Japanese group that sound like KAT-TUN, even in JE. Okay, sure, maybe the odd song, but for the most part, they’re fairly unique-sounding. Obviously, they’re not perfectly original but on a small scale they can be referred to as such. Besides, this person was an AKB-stan – I like AKB48 and all but they’re hardly something original. The fact that most of the 48 groups, at first listen, sound just a little like carbon copies of each other kind of proves this.

I don’t actually know what this song is about, so I won’t comment on lyrics or meaning, but it has a very upbeat feeling to it. I imagine it’s a song with an uplifting or powerful message, granted they don’t pull a GACKT on me or something and stick me with a lovely, happy-sounding song with a dark and depressing message. 

Victory for KAT-TUN! 

That’s all for now~!

I’ll hopefully be writing a review on the PV for Koki’s solo, BLACK OR WHITE, which featured as a B-Side on the First Press edition of this same single, tomorrow!

Thanks for reading!

Top 5 People || Top 5 Songs

All opinions expressed here are my own. If you have a problem with that, then, shoo, I don't want you here! And if you have an issue with any obviously biased opinions then...what are you doing on a post that's just about loving things!

Also, please ignore the obvious crappiness of the banner. I'm a lazy git.

So, what is this post?

It's a Top 5 Ranking review, to put it simply.

I'll be looking at each of my Top 5 individual singers (so, no groups and whether or not they are in a group is irrelevant) and, then, out of all the solo songs they've produced, I will choose my favourite and write up a brief review on it.

The list of people who I will be looking at are (according to the banner from left to right);

GACKT, Kamenashi Kazuya, Yamashita Tomohisa, Takahashi Ai & Kim Hyun Joong

So, let's start, then~

I'll be dealing with this in reversed order of preference.

5. Kim Hyun Joong - Lucky Guy

This wasn't an easy one, to be perfectly honest! I was probably stuck between this, Please Be Nice To Me (from the SS501 Solo Collection) and Break Down (from the...uh...Break Down album, obviously). Eventually, I went with this one, just because of the pure love it got from me when it was released. I don't know if you know, remember or care, but I actually did a small review of this when it came out. It was actually my 2nd legitimate review on this blog ((the things before didn't count as reviews)). 

I do actually adore this song, though. It's extremely catchy and upbeat. I really like how it stands out from most male K-Pop artists' music in that it doesn't really have many electro elements to it. I admit I'm not good with genres at all, so I can't exactly place what it is, but, it's not electro whatever it is.

On top of having a catchy beat, the words are pretty catchy - the chorus has enough English and simple enough Korean even for people who can't remember Korean songs by the lyrics (I'm guilty of this, most of the time, though I can get this chorus - though, I have a habit of remembering the lyrics of the Japanese instead now -.-')

The song also has a really awesome dance routine. It's actually really fun to do, even if you're barely following it!! xD

Here's the PV for you to check out yourself (if you're interested, the song you can hear parts of at the start and end is Do You Like That?)

4. Takahashi Ai - Cosmos

This one was also quite hard because...for Ai, who had been a lead in Morning Musume for almost her entire Morning Musume career, she has a surprisingly small number of solos! It's worth noting that I'm trying to limit myself to CD-released solos, as, otherwise, I would have chosen her performance of Goto Maki's Sayonara "Tomodachi ni wa Naritakunai no" (which is the best thing I've ever seen her do, oh my god, it was perfect. It's such a beautiful and emotional performance). I was also discounting the Hello! Cover single - I don't think it would've made much difference, but her cover of Matsuura Aya's dearest. certainly had a chance.

So, in the end, out of the 4 songs I could choose from, this managed to stand out as a fairly obvious winner for me. This song, found on the Champloo 1~Happy Marriage Song Cover Shuu~, is a cover of Yamaguchi Momoe's 1977 hit. This makes me feel cultured, because now I know J-Pop songs from the '70s =w=

This song is a really beautiful ballad which, based on a translation, seems to be about a young woman, who is getting married, and has to leave her mum who is, evidently, alone. Ai sings the words with powerful emotion and her voice suits the song perfectly. I do believe that giving Ai this specific song is one of the best things UFA have done because the result sounds rather gorgeous. Actually, this sounds weird, but this song seems really befitting of a Summer's day with a slight breeze - I want to stand in the breeze while listening to this! Aren't songs that have this kind of effect on you the best~?

This song doesn't have a video, so I'll leave you with this. Quite embarrassingly, one of the first things that comes up on YouTube when you search for this is my dub of the song from a year ago -.-''

3. Yamashita Tomohisa - One in a million

I chose the blue cover cause I like his shirt best out of all the cover. That's the only reason.

God, that wasn't an easy choice. Seriously, I adore Yamapi's entire discography - okay, sure, there's the odd song I'm not crazy about, but, for the most part, I love it. So, there was a lot to choose from here, but, I managed to narrow it down to this track - One in a million. I mean, I could have shown off with my glorious knowledge of every solo track he has ever released on CD, but, nope, I'll go with a single. Because I'm not going to lie to look better or some sort of arsery like that.

Now, this song came out after I'd gotten over the whole 'Ew no autotune is dead rubbish and ruins everything for everyone why do you hate me?' thing, which, quite honestly didn't last long - I mean, GACKT taught me otherwise with GHOST and Koakuma Heaven over a year earlier. Actually, at this point, I could readily accept that, granted it was used correctly, autotune could actually sound really quite cool. One in a million is one such song where the autotune sounds pretty cool. It works.

This song is pretty dancey - very electric and extremely catchy. Of course, there's some dodgy English from Yamapi in parts (his English has improved so much recently, though!). I really love this song. I actually often find myself forgetting that this is one of my favourite Yamapi tracks until I listen to it - that's when I remember it's actually my favourite of them all. I don't know why I forget, though. You think that'd mean it's not my favourite, right? But, really, when I do listen to it, I enjoy it so much. Honestly, I think it's good that I forget, because I'm kind of worried that if I listen to it too much then I'll get sick of it. I probably wont, but safety precautions, you know? Maybe it's dumb, but I have these worries! =~=

On top of that, the PV is pretty cool. Or, maybe, I'm just a sucker for black&red colour schemes because, really, I am. Honestly, I'm extremely grateful that the school I go to's colour scheme is black&red, even if there are so many other things I really don't appreciate about it. But, even so, this colour scheme makes the PV look that much cooler. Plus, Pi rocks sunglasses like no other, I swear. He looks too cool like that. And that's all I say there, because I think it's getting to the point where it's stopped being a review and suddenly become an opportunity to gush over Yamapi.

Here's a live performance of the song because I can't find the PV on YouTube o~o

Also, as a bonus, here's an English version by some Austrian singer and it's not nearly as good.

Kamenashi Kazuya - 1582

Well, here's a nice contrast to the openings of the three previous reviews - this was not a hard choice at all. I swear, this was almost painfully easy. Like, I don't even know if I'll be able to write this properly without just gushing and spewing fangirl liquids - keeping in mind I mean tears and drool and things. Basically, this song is up there as one of my favourite songs of all time. I could listen to it so many times and still not get sick of it. It has such a brilliant blend of sensuality, elegance, pain, sadness, hope and...argh...the list goes on. 

The song has a distinctively Japanese feel to it, though it isn't obvious - that is to say, we don't hear flutes and Koto in the backtrack. In fact, the backtrack is pretty electric and really not very traditional. A lot of that mood is brought in by the lyrics; take for example the use of 'watakushi' over 'watashi' in the chorus parts - 'watakushi' is still used in Japan today, but is very formal and rarely used in casual situations. Of course, such formal speech patterns are normally associated with a more old-fashioned way of talking, right? Also, a lot of the Kanji used in the song are less modern, such as the more formal Kanji for 'hitomi' (eye) being used, when the phonetic version used is clearly 'me', a more modern term with the same meaning, as well as the Kanji for 'izuko', an outdated version of 'where', being used for 'doko'. 

I really like the lyrics in this song for that reason. I also like the meaning of them - the story they tell. It's all a bit confusing, really, but beautifully written nonetheless. The lyrics seem to tie themes of sex and death together - the sexual referencing in this song is far from sleazy, though and is a lot more based around lust and romance. The impression of pain and suffering in this song is pretty strong, too. Just the words and the imagery used is so poetic and powerful, I've always thought that.

Another thing that draws me to this song is the ambiguity of it all, the theories behind it. First off, the lyricist is 'n' - this had been a mystery for a while and all that was known about 'n' was that they had also done the lyrics for Kame's solos 'w/o notice??' and 'SWEET'. Maybe n was Kame's assigned lyricist? Even so, n managed to raise a decent amount of questions in the fanbase. Eventually, it was revealed that n was Kame, big surprise. Thing is, though, he had actually hidden this fact so that fans wouldn't over-analyse 1582's lyrics. Apparently, it didn't stop them. So, did he have something to hide? Or was he just bored of the Akame fans ruining everything?

But, that's just one thing. There's also the discussions about what the real story of this song is. The most popular theory is a pretty interesting one, I have to say. Here, we assume that the title of the song refers to the year - 1582 AD, which would support Kame's description of it being a song with a Japanese feel. Why? Because 1582 is the year of a rather significant event in Japanese history - the death of Oda Nobunaga at Honno Temple or, simply put, the Incident of Honnoji. Now, it's no secret that Oda is Kame's most admired historical figure - he's said it enough times. Also, the fact that Oda died by way of committing Seppuku when he was trapped in the burning Honno Temple would explain the burning sounds at the beginning of the track. But, taking that into account, with these lyrics, from's who point of view was the song written? It is believed that Kame wrote the song through the eyes of Mori Ranmaru - the ever-loyal vassal of Oda. It's a bit too much to go into detail about in this review, so, maybe I'll write up another post on it one day, but, for now, I'll just say that whole theory made this song more interesting for me. But, don't get me wrong, regardless of that, this would still have been my #1 Kame song.

If all that wasn't really enough, the song also has one of the best live performances I've ever seen. No. Really. No biased involved, trust me. It's just so beautifully...well, over-the-top. The extravagance of it all is simply stunning - the stage production is mind-blowing. Okay, maybe I'm getting a bit too excited now, but, really, it helps that Kame is an amazing performer. He has such stage presence and he really makes this performance special. The live version of the song also had different lyrics, which add an extra level of depth to the song's meaning!

Here's the album version of the song;

And here's the glorious live performance;

The difference in lyrics is the only real reason I provided two videos.

1. GACKT - Mind Forest

Hardly the most flattering picture of GACKT, I admit, but I don't care

Oh, god' sake. If I said the ones before were hard to choose then I was wrong. This was the hardest. I was really drawn between this, FLOWER, In Flames and Rain. But, I think I'll let Mind Forest win due to the fact that, out of all of those songs, this one was the first I ever owned on CD. It was on the first GACKT CD I ever owned, actually, so it probably has the most meaning to me. Basically, I love all four songs equally, but I'm only allowed to review one, so, for discussion's sake, I had to choose one of them.

First off, I adore the use of traditional Japanese instruments in the backtrack of this one - the way they're blended with a much heavier and more modern selection of guitars and drums and stuff (I'm so smart-sounding when it comes to musical terms). The constant switching between soft and heavy is very effective, too. It adds to the mood of the song beautifully. Also, the flute (or whatever it is) is a brilliant instrumental - it sounds so sad and lamenting. It adds a really tragic feeling to the song, while that fluctuation of strength and tone adds a sense of emotional instability. It's brilliantly done. Also, did you know that GACKT songs are some of the only songs where I find myself going 'Oh, the instruments sound amazing, I mean, listen to those drums'? I guess I appreciate the whole package more often with his songs, somehow.

The backtrack builds emotion all on its own, of course, but GACKT's voice itself is packed with so much power and emotion. Listening to his songs, I always just find myself caught up in how beautiful his voice is. His voice is amazing and he does have a fantastic vocal range, but the emotion he can transmit in his single is just overwhelming sometimes. Especially pain - he conveys pain and sadness so well, I've found my eyes just watering at the sound of his voice often enough. I also forget how amazing I think his voice is and end up getting really caught off-guard by it. Ah, damn, that's stupid of me.

Of course, as is the way of many GACKT songs, the song appears to have a tragic tale behind it. Due to the fact I can't understand Japanese, just reading the translated lyrics doesn't allow me to understand the full story (maybe if the lyrics had some kind of footnotey guide or if they were on a subbed vid it would help. I can't be bothered looking, though). The real issue is that most GACKT songs are very poetic, so plain translated lyrics alone don't sum up anything about the song's true meaning. He has a tendency to use words with double meanings, or that, with a change of Kanji (but same phonetics) the line has a whole new meaning, that still relates to the song's story as a whole, but also adds extra insight. I've always been fascinated by his clever application and manipulation of the Japanese language in his lyrics, so, as I said, until I know the full details of this song, there isn't much I can really say about the lyrics as I will surely be missing something.

Here's the song;

There's also an English version of the song by GACKT's now-defunct band, YELLOW FRIED CHICKENz;

Personally, I prefer the Japanese version, but that's just me.

All right, that's all of the songs - sorry for going overboard with the Kame song. I think, out of all the songs I chose, it was definitely the easiest to right about. I apologise if it bored you, though! xD

I think my next post will be something other than song reviews, considering I'm being constantly reminded about how little I actually understand music. I'll go for another opinion rant or drama review or something. Or that 1582 summary I mentioned earlier.

Well, anyway, thanks for reading~! I'm going try and up the activity levels from here on out.

A Potentially Unpopular Opinion!! - So, I hear YELLOW FRIED CHICKENz are breaking up?

All opinions expressed here are my own. I'd prefer if you didn't go and judge how good a fan I was based on this, because, really, screw off, I don't have to love everything the man does to be his fan.

Thank you~

YELLOW FRIED CHICKENz, the band formed by GACKT -y'know, the amazing-looking one in the front

So, it seems that YELLOW FRIED CHICKENz will be splitting up come the 4th July - which is also the 39th birthday of the man responsible for it all.

And, as cruel as it sounds, I almost sort of...rejoiced upon hearing that news.

Oh, that's right -  I was openly happy that the project my favourite artist had been working on for so long was coming to an end.

I invite you to work out why this may be - is it because I can't handle that isn't all about GACKT all the time; I can't accept that there's some white dude stealing the spotlight; I can't put up with all that English in some songs (god forbid!); is it because I'm not a true GACKT fan?

And, I can easily tell you, it's nothing like that at all.

In fact, I have nothing against Jon at all.

Jon Underdown - in case you couldn't work that one out on your own

Well, it's worth pointing out that I don't active love the guy, but he seems perfectly nice and I do like his voice. Besides, it blends a treat with GACKT's, so, I can't really complain. I mean, he talks like he's still stuck in the 90s ('Hey G, I'm stoked for the show tonight!' would be a typical Tweet from this guy), but that's no reason to dislike someone, now, is it? And, he seems totally enthusiastic about everything, too. So, all in all, I honestly do like Jon - even if my Mum disapproves of the fact that 'he isn't as beautiful as GACKT' (Oh Mum, it's cruel, but I agree). Jon is not the reason I feel a little relieved about the split-up - I'm not some weaboo who doesn't want boring old whites like me mingling with those perfect Japanese adonises (please, sense the sarcastic tone here). I'm not that kind of fan. 

And I refuse to hold it against GACKT that he did something different for once. I can accept that if I don't love it, no-one's forcing me to. I'm aware of how elitist some members of the GACKT fandom are, that there's this sense of having to belong in the fandom, having to be worthy of the fandom - honestly, all that puts me off sometimes. And, to be fair, I've never actually managed to fit into the fandom, somehow. I probably haven't tried hard enough, but I just don't think I can handle so much fandom drama. I don't mind drama, but in the GACKT fandom, it's a huge problem. There seems to be a bunch of fandom splits, after all. And, this sounds harsh, I know, but, those fans who go around acting like they own GACKT, like he's their man or even being slightly over-protective of him? Never liked 'em. Not even for a moment. There's a large fraction of the fanom that are like that, though, so, yay. Lucky me.

Image (c) j-music-confessions.tumblr.com - I didn't submit this, but it seemed pretty apt, right? Sort of summed up my feelings?

Fandom Civil Wars aside, the reason why I'm not so overly-enthusiastic about YFC?

It's pretty simple, really.

They're just not my thing.

Okay, I admit, I do like them, but, thing is, they're a tad on the generic side for me.

No, seriously, their songs are just like watered-down GACKT songs. It's like GACKT, with an extra voice but without that extra...extra...oomph that GACKT's solo stuff has. GACKT's solo stuff is special, it's original, it's like nothing else I've heard. Whereas YFC...sound like a band. Just a band. A band that has the honour of the powerful vocals of GACKT at their disposal, yes, but whatever. If I gave them a proper listen, I'd probably love all of their song, but they still wouldn't hit me in the same way as GACKT's solo stuff.

GACKT's solo stuff always had a stronger impression on me, even if it did sometimes involve him getting up on stage and belting out those tunes whilst being dressed as a Nazi commandant. Well, I'll give him that he wasn't promoting Naziism in anyway - rather, he was condoning war as a whole.

Another point is that YELLOW FRIED CHICKENz are too overly-erotic.

And, before you all start judging me and getting all like 'You idiot! GACKT's been erotic for years! And you call yourself a fan!' - I know that. I'm not stupid.

But, my issue with YFC is that it's too in your face erotic. Mind, the fact that Yamapi has an album coming out called 'Ero' doesn't bother me in the slightest.

I don't mind erotic stuff, though. If it really bothered me, I would have probably gone off GACKT the moment I saw anything from the D.R.U.G Party con, as opposed to ending up more drawn to him (I'm sorry, he was particularly gorgeous in that con). Or the famed live version of Vanilla, for that matter (or even upon reading the lyrics for that same song). Hell, I would have ditched KAT-TUN by now, and Kame would not be my favourite, if anyone!

Go, GACKT, go! HUMP THAT GACKTJOB MEMBER! - A screenshot from the live perf of Vanilla, well-known for its huge helpings of BoyxBoy Sexytime

A typical KoKame moment - Here's Koki (who's resposible for a collection of tracks loosely known as the MAKE U WET Trilogy, may I add) midway to shoving his face in Kame's crotch, just to further my point.

So, I have no problem with eroticism or suggestive songs or performances, especially if there's no misogyny involved whatsoever. This is a mould most of GACKT's more sexual solo songs manage to fit with great ease, but, as to YFC's stuff? I'm not so sure, due to the fact that I've heard of arguments within the fandom about GACKT being sexist. Obviously, I haven't looked into it in much detail due to lack of interest in the meanings behind YFC's music, but I'll just leave it as it is - whatever it's like, it probably doesn't rival that pile of shit Jin Akanishi came out with earlier in the year.

Despite him once being a favoured artist of mine, the moment I heard that disgusting excuse for a song, 'That's What She Said', I was well and truly put off, but that's another story for another time.

My point is that all is forced eroticism on YFC's parts make the more sexual songs seem pulpy. At least GACKT's solo stuff with suggestive lyrics had a general sensual feel to them. Like...they were unf as a song, for want of better terminology. Whereas YFC's don't have that same feel. I also adore the experimental nature of GACKT's solo work - YFC seems to be a bit safer where genres are involved. That's arlight, seeing as it's just a side-project and all. I mean, doesn't that just make them another product of GACKT's experimenting?

It's funny, though, considering that YFC started off as nothing more than a tour name, really. I missed both the YFC gigs in London due to being abroad on holiday, but, given the choice, I would choose the '10 gig over the '11 one anyday. After all, it was the '10 gig that was essentially just a GACKT gig in London, no offense to YFC. I think, really, part of the reason I'm glad that this is happening is because YFC meant less Solo GACKT. It wasn't that I wanted to see more of GACKT in the splotlight, it was just that I prefer his music by a long shot. YFC splitting-up basically means that GACKT may release more solo single or maybe even an album! His last solo album was released in 2009, after all - I'd say us Dears are due a new album. I'm not interested in any of this YELLOW FRIED CHICKLETz nonsense, I'm already a dedicated Hyphen on the side of being a Dear, what more do you people want from me?!

I preferred it when Yellow Fried Chickenz was just another one of GACKT's weird tour concepts, this time having been inspired by his grandad who, apparently, looks like Colonel Sanders

[ALBUM REVIEW] Tohoshinki's TONE, even though it came out ages ago

TONE

All opinions expressed in this post are my own, and are merely my opinion, so don't bother getting pissed off if you disagree. However, if there is some more factual area I have messed up on, feel free to point it out to me. But basically, if you don't like the post, you don't like the post. If you feel the need to tell me why I suck, I'd rather you screwed off. Right. Now.

This album was actually released in September, so, based on release dates alone, especially considering we've got a couple of lovely tracks in there from last January, this album isn't even close to relevant. But, I don't remember there being any rules against reviewing old stuff, and it's a good album, and I feel I have enough to say about it.

1. Introduction ～ magenta ～

This song, at the very very start, sounds like a weird Christmas Carol. And then it just ends up sounding like a nursery rhyme, and then a Christmas Carol again, and then something from weird old cartoon musical from the past. I don't even know what I think of this song. It's an intro, so it's really short, but it's not a particularly catching intro. I like intros to be hard and fast-paced, in order to draw me in. Hm.

2. B.U.T (BE-AU-TY)

I love this song. Really.

I love the title, it's quite clever, in a weird way, I think xD

It's extremely catchy and has that awesome hard electropop that seems to be a signature of SMEnt. No complaints, I love that bloody signature. The 'dondondon' bits are little weird, at first, but, they're add a nice effect to the song.

And the 'B-U-T-T-T-T-Wow' bits are so cool xD And both members rap which is, as much Yunho's a muuuuch better rapper than Changmin anyway, always quite fun to hear. I love Changmin's voice, and I still love it when it raps.

But, I do agree that it sounds very SuJu-esque, as people said. But, I don't dislike SuJu or anything, so I can't say anything.

3. I Think U Know

This song...is...

Well, when I first heard it, I just...I dunno.

I thought it was really weird, somehow. But extremely catchy. Like...realllly catchy.

The instrumental break bits, with that one repetitive piece of music, scare me a little bit, though. I'm not sure why. I think they remind me of this gypsie folk-dance band I saw in a square at France, and they had these weird clips from really old cartoons, like Betty Boop and Pop-Eye and Felix the Cat, and those cartoons are....somewhat traumatising, I find xD Okay, an exaggeration, but I had a Felix the Cat video, and that was some messed-up shit, okay?

I was also quite surprised by how low Changmin's lines were in the verses. I'm used to him belting out those big high lines all the time, so, it was nice to hear another side to his voice. IT'S SO FECKING VERSATILE.

4. Duet

Oh god. I can't even explain how much I love this song.

It's so pretty sounding. These guys convey emotions SO well in their songs, their voices are so powerful. The blending and harmonies are all equisite.

I love how the chorus really picks up and gets pretty fast, but still retains that soft and reserved tone of the rest of the song. I don't even know what to describe this song as, cause it's not really a ballad.

I think my favourite part of the song is the second chorus? I don't why, just their voices fit their given lines so well in those parts. I also love how that chorus fades into the little part before the bridge. It has stunning harmonies and the melody there is so nice. Brilliant song,

5. Thank You My Girl

The opening of this song makes me thing of some kind of creepy-ass horror movie. With the weird tapping noises, which are quite...haunting. And then the weird fuzzy track that breaks of. Chilling. Sorta.

I absolutely adore how the mood just changes straight after, and turns into a proper poppy song. The backtrack is really nice. The chorus is very...how to explain?

It kind of fits this kind of creepy old-fashioned horror theme, with its strange synthesised violins and harmonies which make it sound almost...classical? And then having the one member, mainly Yunho, I believe, cause its Changmin doing the high parts, I guess, singing over the top. Agh, sound so good.

The weird 'Kiss me, you're my only girl' lines freak me out, though. What was that about? And then the instrumental reverts to the mood of the verses, only more dancey. I'll just say...this is one confusing song. But it's really good.

6. Telephone

This song is the perfect song for driving in a late Summer afternoon. Why am I so obsessed with drives? I can't even drive! I guess it's cause I always listen to a lot of music when I'm in the car.

It's a very mellow and emotional song, with a poppy backtrack accompanied by acoustic guitar. And, though, it appears to be a slow song, it has a very...warm feeling. Like, it makes me think of warmth of the colour orange and sun, while most ballads make me think of dark blue, rain, sun, and cold. It's a really nice feel. I love the cold songs, but warm songs are a nice chaning.

Also, I have no idea why, but this song reminds me of 'Roadtripping' (Red Hot Chili Peppers).

7. Back to Tomorrow

Speaking of slow songs that make me think of rain...

This song is a ballad, definitely, but it's a pop ballad, so it's not just piano. It's got the synthesised stuff going on and even hints of guitars. This is quite possibly my favourite track on the entire album, and out of the of the non-singles, it is DEFINITELY my favourite. I LOVE the bridge lines. The contrast of Changmin's power and Yunho's softness there is stunning.

The chorus is beautiful as well and the backtrack is one of the most beautiful things on the whole album. This group have one the best blends in the entirety of the K-Pop music scene, despite there only being two of them, and the harmonisation is always absolutely gorgeous! The adlibs behind the last chorus sound so sad and touching, and though Yunho sings them quite softly, they deliver such a powerful sense of emotion and feeling.

I honestly cannot fault this song, and it is definitely on of my favourite songs in TVXQ's entire discography. Note that I referred to them as TVXQ and not Tohoshinki (ignoring that I prefer the name DBSK to TVXQ). This means I'm including their entire huge-ass Korean disography, too, not just their Japanese stuff~

8. Why? (Keep Your Head Down)

This is the song that made me fall for this group. Before that, I only really knew Mirotic but, even though I really liked it, I had never thought to check out any of their other stuff. I heard this not very long after it was released, maybe a month or so after, and I was completely taken in by the sheer power of their vocals. Of course, I'd heard the Korean verison, but after hearing the Japanese version...I can honestly say I do not know which version I prefer. Because, sometimes Japanese versions don't sound as good because the lyrics sound trippy and don't fit the song as well as the original (example; SHINee's Lucifer), but they can also sound better to me than the original because the lyrics really fit in well the tune and sound of the song and it sounds so perfect (example; SHINee's Hello -just to clarify, I do not have a love-hate relationship with SHInee. I love them, and that's as far as it goes).

I love the rap to death in both versions, though, the Japanese one sounds weirder, and by weird, I mean in a way that makes it sound more original and, therefore, more interesting.

Changmin's adlibs in this song are absolutely brilliant. I saw the performance of this song on the MUSIC STATION SUPER LIVE and, by god, he rocked them so well, even after dancing. I was completely blown away, especially since his voice cracked a few times during the early performances of the Korean ones. Well, Mr. Changmin, I'm very impressed.

This song is ridiculously powerful. And it's probably my fav DBSK song. Ever.

9. MAXIMUM

Now, this song had never really left too huge an impression on me. Don't get me wrong, it's a brilliant song, but to me...it's just not anything outstanding. It's a song that's quite good, and I'm not sure what else to say about it. Only, I'll have to say something about it, otherwise that'd make for a really rubbish song review.
I could only imagine this song having some kind of....ridiculous stereotypical martial arts Dojo thingy as a setting if it were to have a PV, which would involve HoMin trying to beat each other and then it would have ridiculously epic dance shots thrown in and lots of drama. It's a really awesome song and all, but I only listen to it occasionally. Though, it's also one of these songs I never listen to much, but when it comes on sometimes, I can't skip. I swear I prefer the Korean version, too. I can't remember.

10. I Don't Know
I remember this coming out and it being really exciting. I hadn't gotten the chance to watch the PV for some reason, but I had managed to snag myself a copy of the PV Rip just before I headed off for France for a family holiday. The PV had been stupidly LQ, so it was a pretty rubbish MP3 >< But, when I got home,   once I'd gotten over the fact that KAT-TUN's new PV, which I had spent the entire holiday being excited over, had come out the day I got back, I found time to listen to and appreciate this song properly.
Honestly, I love this song. Again, as I keep saying, the harmonies were perfect. These guys really blend, it's amazing. And, they both rap again, which is always fun~
I really love the bits between the verse and chorus, with the low whispery voices and the harmonies. And I adore how the second chorus works, with Yunho doing the main lines and Changmin joining in, before it switches to an extended chorus with Changmin doing those powerful high lines. And Yunho's falcetto sounds fantastic, too.
I also really love the video. I know there are some people who aren't so into the dark colour-schemes, but, personally, I love them and think they look really cool. It's just a cool video.

11. Superstar
Somehow, I paid more attention to I Don't Know, but when I finally got round to listening to this amazing track, I found myself preferring it to the latter song. If you're not huge on autotune, it's probably not your thing. I mean, it's not overboard audio, but it's that kind of techno electropop-ish thing? Okay, I don't know genres, shut up. But there are so many layers of vocals for a duet, so it's really interesting to listen to. I mean, if you're willing to sit down and just pay attention to it all. If you like the group enough to do that kind of thing, I really recommend it. There are so many little background adlibs and it really adds something to the song. It makes it sound so powerful and full. I love Changmin's high notes in the back of the last chorus, too. It's a really catchy song. Like, seriously. It's got a damned memorable tune and it was stuck in my head for absoultely ages after I first got into it.
It's a brilliant song~

12. Shiawase Iro no Hana
This is a song I don't listen to as much as any other on the album. It's a ballad, and I think I've listened to it, like, once. I guess, normally, when I'm in the mood to listen to a ballad my first choice is GACKT or KAT-TUN. But it's a really pretty song. The chorus sounds amazing. I'm getting repetitive now, but the harmonies, the blending, the emotion and the power...
I'm sorry, but these guys really just nail all of those areas, and they're both amazing singers. I can't actually fault either of their voices, which is probably what brought me to love this group so much. I mean, I can't fault any member in the history of TVXQ's voices, they've all been exceptional singers. And, in this song, their voices are smooth yet powerful, and the final product is very beautiful and relaxing track~

13. Easy Mind
I had only listened to this song once until recently. When I listened to it again, getting on the bus to Glasgow one day, I found myself asking myself 'Why? Why haven't I listened to this song properly?'
It's just a happy, upbeat song and it's very J-Pop-esque, compared to rest of this very K-Poppy album. I mean, they're a K-Pop group, that's not shocking, but I always love when K-Pop artists have J-Poppy songs in their Japanese releases. It's really peppy and energetic, and sounds very Summery.
If this song had a video, I could only imagine it being like...a Summer party with unnaturally green grass and a weirdly blue sky outside of this big white house with inflatable swimming pools lying around and BBQ standing somewhere. And there'd be those little paper triangle flags, and the members would be spraying each other with water guns. Of course, I couldn't imagine HoMin pulling that off, because that's the kind of thing you see in Japanese all-girl idol groups not Korean boyband duos, hm.

----

RIGHT, I'M ONLY REVIEWING THE VERSION A CD, THE PINK ONE (like the pic)
This is because;

1. I'm lazy and can't be bothered reviewing the other 2 songs
2. The version of the CD I own is Version A (it had all the PVs, so I had to~)

 But, overall, this is a really good album. It was one of my favourite albums of 2011 (first place went to Yamapi with his SUPERGOOD SUPERBAD album, which I may consider reviewing one day because I have a LOT to say and praise regarding that album).
If you're a K-Pop fan, I RECOMMEND THE FUCK OUT OF THIS. Honestly, I've come across people who are diehard K-Pop fans and they haven't listened to a single song of TVXQ's. I even met someone who didn't know them! I found this a little shocking considering they were a huge group in the past. They were THE Korean boyband, before BIGBANG came along and worked their magic. And, even now, they're the biggest Korean act in Japan. They're bigger in Japan than in Korea, right now, from the looks of things. Which explains why so many new K-Pop fans aren't really aware of them -sighs-
This album is brilliant, though, and it sold extremely well in Japan. It sold so well that Hyphens everywhere were worried that the single they released after it (Winter Rose) would maybe beat KAT-TUN's BIRTH to the coveted #1 Oricon spot (which KAT-TUN have never lost). Of course, KAT-TUN got the #1, but, yeah. It sold really well. And it makes sense. It's obvious why. Yep.

[ALBUM REVIEW] KAT-TUN's 6th Album, CHAIN

CHAIN

All my opinions are my own. Got a problem with it? Then, screw you.

Also, WARNING, I'm biased 8D

Okaaay~ So, recently, as in about...2 weeks ago, KAT-TUN released their 6th album. As a dedicated Hyphen, I decided I should revive this blog by reviewing this album. So, how did this album fare with me, then?

1. LOCK ON

When the existence of this song was first announced, I had a pretty set idea of what it was going to sound like, y'know, like, what kind of song it was going to be and what elements it would include. And, when I first heard the radio rip of it, I was pleased to find that my guess been pretty much perfect, aside from the fact that I had expected more autotune. You could say I had almost 'Locked On' to song's sound, couldn't you? ;D /shot/

Anyway, I really loved the song. Like, really. Before the album's release, I'd already played the radio rip to death, but the PV and the prospect of hearing the song in full, decent quality got me excited again. It's such a great song.

It's got that weird electro-poprock thing that KAT-TUN have developed in the last few years, which I love. These songs are amazing. And no autotune means there's just pure voice. It's a good, powerful song, and it's damned catchy.

2. ONE DAY

Hopefully, I wont be as stupidly repetitive with this song as I was with LOCK ON xD

But, really. I haven't got a single complaint about this song, either. It's another total winner on this album, there's actually a high chance it's my favourite track. The chorus is ridiculously catchy, considering the words are pretty easy to remember and the tune totally gets in your brain. It's less rocky than LOCK ON, but it's got that little hint of electro blended in with pure hyper poppiness. It's a song with a somewhat serious sound, yet it's still a really upbeat and happy song. I'm a total fool for songs like that, so it gets my vote. I love successful blends of sounds, so...yeah.

3. BIRTH

The first single on the album. Ah~ The wonderful theme song of Yokai Ningen Bem.

This song automatically reminds me of Yokai Ningen Bem, so I really love it as a result. I mean, at first, I preferred STAR RIDER, when the PVs for that single were released, but...Bem did his beautiful work and converted me. Also, the drums in the song sound REALLY good on headphones, so that kind of drew me to it, as well. Furthermore, as they sang this song a lot live near Christmas, and a lot of big year-end music shows were on, this song has fond memories for me. Cause...I woke up earlier than normal just to watch the ones that KAT-TUN were performing on. I watched the whole things, as well, even after KAT-TUN had long buggered off.

4. ULTIMATE WHEELS

Another single.

I love the instrumental track for this song, it's so...dramatic xD More dramatic than the rest of the song, actually.

This song has an odd line distribution, but I like it. The whole duo line stuff is really awesome.

The 'Never Let You Go' parts...the tune has always reminded me of My Chemical Romance's Ghost of You xDD

5. FINALE (Junnosuke Taguchi)

This is the first solo song on the album.

And, arguably, Junno's best. Even though I'm still partial to WIND, for some reason. It just makes me happy.

This song surprised me in the same way that GIRLS did, back when CHANGE UR WORLD was released. I was really expecting something akin to SAMURAI LOVE ATTACK, to be quite honest. So, when this autotune-filled techno-fest fully revealed itself, I was really surprised. Pleasantly surprised, of course.

I mean, it's not necessarily my favourite Junno solo, but it's probably the best. That makes sense, okay? xD I mean, I like other ones better because they're stupid and fun, not because they're really good songs.

Also, it's nice to hear Junno do a low, mature solo. It's really refreshing. This song makes me think of city nightscapes and bright lights, both of which I love, so, it puts nice images in my head. It also gives me this image of Junno chilling in a big shiny chair in a club like a boss ;D

6. STEP BY STEP (Yuichi Nakamaru)

Of course, nearly everyone already knew this song, thanks to the Shounen Club performance in September, when a new album had first been announced. No details were revealed whatsoever, except for that this song would be on it xD So, I guess, for me anyway, this song had a much smaller element of surprise than the other solos. But, at least, it meant that Maru's solo had been the first one I'd heard, because I have a habit of leaving his solos until last, and I don't even know why xD

However, it's a really nice song. We're back with the dancey electro stuff, but in a much softer form this time. This song sounds really flowy and fluttery to me, somehow. And makes me think of shiny things and bubbles. It's a very pretty song.

Maru's English pronunciation is really odd in parts, but he hits those hight notes amazingly. I mean, I don't care about the English, it's better than most of KAT-TUN's English xD And, like I said, oh my god, those high notes. I'm glad Maru has been singing higher songs recently, because a lot of his older songs were a lot lower, and, I hate to say it, but they didn't really suit his voice. Especially before their debut, because he always sounded like he was straining his voice a little. But he sings higher songs with such a totally natural-sounding ease.

7. RUN FOR YOU

This is another single.

Total autotuney electropop time, here~

This song...makes me feel Summery. I don't like that, cause it's not a Summery song xD It just came out in the Summer and I remember being in France, deathlooping the radio rip in the car, having a fangirl fit in a Virgin Megastore after watching the CM and HEY! HEY! HEY! performance on one of the display iPads...

But, I don't dislike the song in anyway. When I heard the first preview of it aaaages ago, when the first low quality SOLIO CM with it as a tie-in track came out, I thought it was going to be a peppy happy track. I couldn't hear the backing track well and 'LALALALA RUN FOR YOUUU~' sounds fairly...happy xD But, then I heard a better quality clip and realised this song was a lot more badass than that. Oops.

8. Ano Hi no You ni

This is one of the more balladish tracks on the album.

It's a really pretty and sweet song. And Kame's adlibs nearer the end are amazing.

It's the only group song on CHAIN I've seen a fancam of, and I can say, I'm excited for this track on the DVD. The performance wasn't exciting or anything, but it was stripped-back, pure and serene. I mean, if you can ignore the over-the-top sparkly, feathery suits they were wearing. (I think they looked good D8)

It's a really relaxing song, and the blending is amazing.

From what I gather, the lyrics are about some kind of change in a loving relationship where the song's speaker still wants to be with their love, and laugh with them again. I'm not sure what the change was, whether it was a break-up, death or even just their lover becoming a different or meaner person. Somehow, I like to imagine in like their lover themself changed. I dunno. Obviously, death is the most emotional one, but the mood of the song doesn't seem to fit like that, I guess. I don't know, I'm just using my extremely basic Japanese to speculate, but speculation makes me feel closer to the song.

However, it may be my least favourite track on the album, as much as I do like it. It's just...I dunno. Also, the verses are too soft for my taste. I like hard vocals, I guess xD

9. Zutto (Kazuya Kamenashi)

Obviously, as Kame is my favourite in the group, I'm going to sound a little biased here, but this song is absolutely beautiful.

I've also seen a fancam of it, and aside from the fact that I don't get his shirt, it was utterly stunning. However, I've heard that the Dome version of the performance is even better, so, really, this DVD cannot come quick enough. I can't even begin to imagine the beauty.

Anyway, this song, which has allegedly been inspired by 'healing music', was described by Kame as the kind of song you can listen to before you sleep, and, though I have yet to listen to it in such a situation, I can tell it will succeed.

It's such a peaceful song, it's got a really relaxing feel to it. It calms your tension on a loud school bus full of idiots when you're still tired because it's too early in the morning with commendable ease.

Also, Kame delivers the emotions of songs amazingly. As always, he really conveys the meaning of the lyrics in his voice. I mean, I've only read online translations, so it seems odd for me to say it, but...I still feel the emotions.

I can't remember but I swear the songs about deep and/or distance love, and it's really nice. It's just a pure and innocent song.

I did hear that Kame was either going to put this or Plastic Tears onto the album, but went with this, in order to stand out against the other solos, as they were mostly dancey or upbeat. As much as I LOVE Plastic Tears, I'm glad he made the choice he did. This song is really refreshing.

10. SMILE FOR YOU

This. Song.

This song is so...different from what you'd expect of KAT-TUN. It's so upbeat and poppy. It's more like...something you'd expect from NEWS, maybe Hey! Say! JUMP. But not KAT-TUN xD

It's so far from their normal badass or sentimental stuff, it's so...so happy. I know they've got other happy songs, but, still. It's so cheery and quite summery. Like, I could imagine this being used in a clip of KAT-TUN chilling in a really typical and unrealistic-looking beach resort, while they run around like the hyper guys they actually are, bullying Junno and pushing people into the water. That image alone makes me love this song xD

It's not one of my favourites on the album, but it just makes me feel happy inside. However, I prefer the badass and sentimental stuff, so...yeah.

11. Hakanai Yubisaki

Another ballad-esque track. It's a bit...like...harder than the others, though, I dunno? Like, there's more...beat. And bass.

This song's another good one for listening to before you sleep, it's really relaxing. It's got a kind of... synthesised drum beat, but it's also got this really nice piano melody in the back. And the high notes in the chorus are beautiful. It's a bit more...KAT-TUNy, in an odd way.

It seems to be a song...about separation or break-up, I'm guessing, from the 'Forget me not' lines. Also, there are references to being alone and wanting to see smiles again, so, that's what I'm guessing.

12. ~again (Tatsuya Ueda)

Typical Ueda rockiness.

No complaints.

Tatsuya suits this kind of song best, I've always found, so I really love that it's always the kind of song he goes for in his solos.

I hear lots of violins and things like that in the back. I love songs like that. The backing track would remind me of classic GACKT stuff, granted it were lower and a little heavier. But, I really love the backing track, there's a lot going on, but not too much and blends together perfectly.

This is a song I'd really like to see live. I mean, actually, in person. It would sound so good in a big dome, wouldn't it?

It's got that kind of feel to it. It's a song you can really...feel, in your chest. Okay, you may not agree or even know what I mean, but there are certain songs where I can really feel them in my chest, and they just kind of take over in a really nice way. And it's normally only rockier songs I feel this with. It's one reason why I'm so drawn to GACKT.

13. CHANGE UR WORLD

Ooh~ Another single ;D

This is actually my favourite 5-member single.

I really love the heaviness of it, and stuff. The guitars are just wow. As are the voices and stuff. Kame's high note? Oh, yeah. A.Ma.Zing.

I have but one complaint about this song. Okay, two complaints.

First, the lines distribution was unfair on Ueda. I mean, KAT-TUN aren't great for lines but they almost were, and then they weren't. Whatever.

And, second, the CD versions don't have the super amazing epic wow instrumental break after the rap in them. Only the PV and some live versions have it.

Sorry, that instrumental break was perfect. It just was.

14. DANGEROUS CAT ~MAKE ME WET~ (Koki Tanaka)

The third, and, apparently, final, chapter in Koki's famous Make U Wet collection.

However, this time, the tables have turned, and we found out about how the person Koki keeps insisting in soaking with all his cum feels about...well...being soaked in cum. Seems like they're having fun ;D

At least he's not essentially glorifying rape culture like some people *coughJincough*

And, I can deal with Koki's erotic songs. Like, somehow, they aren't objectifying, cause there's still some hint of romance in the lyrics, and he doesn't continuously point out that his partner is a 'sexy lady' or something. I mean, sex is harmless. It's objectification and misogyny that are the issue.

However, political correctness aside, this song is...

Well, it's on crack.

It opens with dogs, Koki's dogs, actually, barking and then Koki says, in this weird-ass voice, 'Quiiiet, doggy boys! Oh...Good boys'

It's a pretty creepy song, just cause of all the meowing and growling, and the odd voice he uses, but it's creepy in a strangely entertaining way. It's somehow...fun to listen to xD

Aside from the fact the line 'My name is Dangerous Cat' reminds me of something...like, the tune. I swear it's from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Ah, well, it's not important.

15. Hodoukyou

Another ballad. The most ballady of the album's ballads. And so, I think of it as THE ballad of the album. And THE ballad of the CHAIN tour. It's, like, a rite of passage for KAT-TUN have this one special ballad in their cons, and this one must be it.

I heard Kame insisted that this song MUST be used on the album, and I can see why.

This one is DEFINITELY perfect for falling asleep too. I mean, I've done it a couple of times, already.

Everything about this song is pretty. It doesn't reach a climax, and is consistently relaxing.

It is slightly...happier than most of KAT-TUN's ballads and a little more upbeat, but it's still really beautiful. Not my favourite ballad, though it would take something amazing to beat NEIRO.

16. WHITE

The last single on the album.

This song is absolutely brilliant for...like, going for a walk on a sunny day. Or going for a drive on a sunny day. Or just some kind of travel on a sunny day. Or a bright place. You get my drift, right?

But, like, if you're going for a relaxing walk or drive or whatever, I recommend this song. It sounds best through headphones, mind. You can really hear the vocals, instruments and beats blend together in their full glory that way. It's a really uplifting song and never fails to bring a smile to my face.

It's just...such a nice song, without having to be all soft and laid-back.

It's still fast and cool but also light and...uh...nice.

17. SOLDIER

Another favourite.

This song...is probably the coolest on the album.

The changes in beat make for high tension - the nice kind.

It switches between fast & hard and slow & elegant. It's really awesome.

And I adore Kame's 'itainda' line, it sounds so...nice. I don't even know why. It's just. Yeah.

There's so much power in the song, though, and the chorus has such perfect flow.

If there was a PV, there'd be black coats and big boots and cool shiny crap, and then random flashy spinny lights. And there'd be fancy looking dance scenes, and the close-ups would have really cool lighting, and some apparently shocking stuff would happen. And Kame would bend over a lot during his adlibs and there'd be some kind of confusing ending that doesn't make sense. Yeah, that should some up what kind of feeling this song gives off to me.

18. CHAIN OF LOVE

When I first heard this song, I was confused as fuck. I mean, it's a bonus track, so I didn't know it was there.

Like, a real bonus track which isn't on any of the track listings.

But, it's another favourite. The first time I heard it I was like 'Where'd this come from? Oh, but it's so good'

It's another upbeat song, but, it's kind of low and cool and electro-ish at the same time. But, it's more energetic than the likes of ONE DAY. It's the same kind of thing as MAKE or BREAK without the autotune, or Yoake Made. Like, it's the kind of song that should have a really awesome dance, but doesn't.

Also, the little background shouts are...like, cute. Not cute, but, they're...like...d'aw. Especially in the chorus. I mainly just love how Kame says 'of' but stiillll~

I mean, this song is super amazing.

It reminds me of Arashi's harder sounding songs, which is weird, cause it's a softer KAT-TUN song xD

But, it's still very KAT-TUN. It's hard to explain.

So I wont explain. I give up.

So, overall...I hate this album for being so fucking long and therefore hard to write about.

Okay, I lied.

I love it. I love that it's long. It means there's more songs to fangirl over.

But, it's not their best.

It's on the same level as NO MORE PAIN for me, which is 3rd, after the joint 1st of Break the Records and Queen of Pirates.

It would beat NO MORE PAIN if the slower tracks were better, I think. But, it's still amazing. I think, I expected more, but after reviewing it, I've realised how much I REALLY like this album. So, yeah.

It's good.

Go listen to it.