[FILM REVIEW] Boxing, tragedy ((and plenty of shirtless Yamapi)) - it could only be 'Ashita no Joe'!

All opinions are my own, so-on, so-forth. Please remember that, in case of any Pi-ripping, I seriously love Pi and that he is also my 3rd favourite celebrity in the entire farking universe. Thank you~

 

Looking beauts there, Yamapi, looking beauts

Okay, so, this is my first proper film review, so, I apologise in advance if it turns out to be a ridiculous pile of shite.

Plot : 9/10

Characters : 8/10

Cinematography: 9/10

Humour : 8/10

Soundtrack : 9/10

Overall : 9/10

Manga!Drama! - wait, who are those other guys? They ain't in this film!

So, starting with the bare basics, Ashita no Joe (trans; Tomorrow’s Joe) is the 2011 live-action filmed adaption of Ikki Kajiwara and Chiba Tetsuya’s 70’s  boxing manga of the same name, known internationally as Rocky Joe or, quite simply, Joe. The famed manga series has also seen a televised anime adaption, an anime movie adaption, an older live action movie adaption, a Drama CD adaption and several video games based on it.

 

Plot

Plots? Drama? Dramatic Pi face? I think it all ties up

The plot follows titular character, Yabuki Joe, played in the movie by the fabulous (though…not necessarily in terms of acting, but I love the guy anyway) Yamashita Tomohisa, and the story of how he becomes a pro boxer. I know it’s a review and all, but I’d rather not give away the entire story. Besides, with the tangents I’m prone to going off on, that’d take way too long. Well, basically, after a street fight, Joe ends up in prison and, while he’s there, he receives a postcard from some old guy, who had tried to convince Joe to let him train him up as a boxer, he had met during that street fight which has the basic details on how to jab on it. After losing a fight against Rikishi, a pro boxer who was also in the jail, Joe makes it his goal to become a pro boxer himself and one day defeat Rikishi in the ring. And, yes, I left out a chunk of details, but, that’s all tedious and unnecessary.

Now, sports films/manga/dramas/what have you are not usually my think but the One Pound Gospel drama (and the manga, too, I suppose) and the DREAM BOYS musicals have made me more tolerant of boxing-related stories. Honestly, for reasons I’m not actually quite sure of, I find it easier to take boxing-related stories a little more seriously, too, maybe? Well, OPG and DB aren’t exactly serious but, y’know. Actually, no, I can’t take DB seriously, even if I do love it, but let’s just look past that for now. But, this film I can definitely take seriously. I think that most sports stories are, at least to me, verging on a little cheesy (which is totally fine if that’s the point), a bit too obsessed with those typical manga themes of friendship, teamwork and ambition (not a bad thing if it’s done right, mind you) or they just bore me. However, this film has a really nice plot and a touching dark undertone which I love. The story moves at a pretty steady pace – there are a bunch of time jumps, but they’re good time jumps; in fact, it would have been boring if they’d dwelled on the pre-jump times any longer. So, yeah, simply put, it’s a very well-structured plot. There are a couple of sub-plots too but not so many that the story becomes convoluted and plain bloody stupid.

There appears to be the beginnings of a romantic sub-plot, but it doesn’t really go anywhere. However, this shouldn’t be seen as an example of poor writing, as it’s a seemingly one-sided romance without all that much bearing on the plot. As to that, though, I’m not sure why it was included. It’s a more important issue later in the manga, I believe, but that’s the 2^nd arc which never appears in the movie. I guess it’s just character development, then, right?

The commendable structure of the film’s plot pretty much keeps you hooked until the end. The build-up to the climax is so skilfully executed that I almost literally ended up on the edge of my seat (or, uh, couch, if I’m honest) during the entire climax scene. However, there are parts of the film that are a little lacking in development. Though, very few films are perfect and I'm really not one to give a bad review based purely upon something's not being the best out there. It was an interesting story with enough in there, in my opinion, to keep you drawn to it. I do have to point out, though, it wasn't anywhere near the most emotive film I've seen.


Characters

Lots of characters! Only two of the properly visible ones are even important characters! Joe doesn't count as visibile cause I can't see his face! D<

So, personally, I thought the characters were great. I found that there were no characters I actually properly hated, at least out of the important ones, and, that's a rare occurance for me. I normally always hate someone! (Okay, exaggeration, but, most of the things where I don't hate anyone without good reason are really, really well-loved by me - this isn't as good, imo, but it says a lot about the film). But, what several of the characters lacked was depth. Joe was certainly the most developed character and Rikishi was probably second but there were a couple of characters in need of a little extra fleshing out.

Yabuki Joe

Ooft, though, Pi, ooft

For reasons other than being totally biased towards the actor playing him (now, I say 'actor' but, what I really mean, is guy - I'm not a fan of Pi for his acting, though, that isn't to say I hate his acting), Joe was my favourite for the entirety of the film. He's not a hugely likeable guy, but he has charm and a certain charisma. By a fair bit the most developed of the film's cast, Joe has a very clear and apparent personality. He's brash, acts without really thinking and sarcastic yet he's got a good heart in him and, as such, he's charming, so to speak. He's openly very anti-establishment, too, which was a typical characterisation seen in older manga and, in fact, is still a pretty apparent trait in many series. However, there were some weaker parts in his development, such as his sudden moral epiphany during a fight with Rikishi. Now, the development itself wasn't weak, as such, but I have a feeling that this was a scene taken straight from the manga. This scene would have worked beautifully in the manga format, but didn't quite translate into film so well, probably due to how suddenly it seemed to have come about. However, it's of note that this doesn't really take away from the film or Joe as a whole.

Rikishi Tooru

He's shirtless for no reason other than this being the only decent picture I could find - I don't like his bod~

For the most part, Rikishi was a great character. However, in some respects, he was bordering on the shallow. He didn't appear to have much of a history, though, in the case of this film, it clearly wasn't necessary anyway, so the fact that he wasn't some amazingly, beautifully deep character isn't really of much importance - sometimes, a limit to these things is okay, and, sometimes, it works better. He has obvious affections for Shiraki, though whether or not they're platonic is somewhat unclear. It's hard to tell if Rikishi loves her or if he just cares for as if she were her sister. Another area in which he lacks is his relationship with Joe. Though it's quite clear that Joe harbours feelings of hatred (earlier in the film) and admiration (later in the film), it's hard to tell how he feels about Joe in return. Well, not too hard, it's kind of obvious that there are feelings of respect and even a little bit of care in there, but he's still harder to read than Joe. However, his personality comes across really quite strongly. As a result, he becomes a rather likeable character, in fact.

Shiraki Yoko

Kimi wa Venus, Boku no Karina~ (lame-ass pun on Pi's song, Carina, btw)

Shiraki was an okay character, I suppose. Well, she was pretty good in that her personality was clear and she was pivotal in the movement of the plot, but she was a little flat, too. However, unlike Rikishi, she has a backstory which influences her actions in story considerably. What was pretty cool, though, was her response to Joe's telling her to stop getting involved in men's business (i.e; boxing, the sexist little shit). I can't remember exactly what she did, she blocked his punch or he blocked her's, I don't know but I remember the line that followed, at least - 'women have fists, too'. You go, Shiraki, even despite the fact that most of what you do seems to be stand in the background and worry, you go!

Tangei Danpe

What a silly 'tache, though

Danpe wasn't a hugely developed character either, but, again, he didn't need to be. In fact, he propelled most of the plot, so, in that sense, he's a brilliant character. He had a very clear personality and was vital to the story. And, despite his being a creepy-looking old man, I still found him likeable! He was actually quite an amusing character in some respects, acting as the Tsukkomi to Joe's occasional Boke.

Cinematography

So, I'm not expert in this field, so there's only so much I can say, but I think the cinematography in this film was pretty nice. It was far from the best but it certainly worked and was still really nice. There are variety of colour schemes in this film and they change according to scene so I won't be analysing them, but, I can say, that they certainly got the moods across well. The lighting in this film was also pretty bloody effective, especially during the boxing scenes. There was also continuous use of the slo-mo effect in this film, which may put some off, but, personally, I think it worked pretty well. Admittedly, the fact they were used mainly to emphasise face blows produced some pretty minging results, with peoples' skin and lips twisting and contorting, saliva and bloody visibly mingling and so on. But, granted you can stomach that, not that's it's really that hard to deal with at all, it's a really nice effect and adds a good sense of drama to those scenes!

Humour

Admittedly, the majority of the humour in this film came from Joe - like I said, he's sarcastic, he's brash, he says things without really considering what effect his words will have. As well as that, there some tiny, little things clearly added in by Yamapi himself that added to this (as much as many may deny that Pi has any ability to act, there's no way of denying that he's fabulous at the subtle, funny, character-building, adlibs, which is why I believe he was so good in Nobuta wo Produce - that was most of Akira's role, after all). There weren't any laugh-out-loud moments in the film, of course, it not being the kind of thing where such a thing would work, but, even in the more light-hearted scenes, there weren't many examples of memorable humour and wit. Regarding humour, it was good enough but a little fleshing out on the wit front would have been brilliant and would have really added to the film. Though, I won't deny it, there was a certain scene that amused me so much I had to watch it again, just to giggle - during one fight, Joe lowers his guards and begins to dodge blows, hopping about just a little before wiggling his hips, mockingly. The combination of that wiggling action and his facial expression was something that made me giggle, but it wasn't really an example of substantial humour but rather, an example of Pi's subtle, little details. And...it'd probably be far less giggle-inducing if you weren't a Yamapi fan...hm.

Soundtrack

The OST for this film was, majoritively, of a kind of...American-esque style. Very, well, American-rock. If you get what I mean. Like, not rock that is American. American-rock....if you've seen the film, you might get it...or if you've watched Yamapi's Route 66, or if you've listened to Yamapi's SHIVER (it's similar to that track's intro). Or, if you've played Sims 2 for the DS! Well, it's hard to explain, but there's that feeling of old American rock music to it. This kind of music isn't to my personal tastes but it works really well with the film, especially the streetfight scene at the start of the film. It really gives off the right mood - kind of rough, kind of harsh, but has the potential to be a little fun at the same time. Sort of like Joe himself, maybe?
However, I must say that the Credits Song is absolutely beautiful. The song is Utada Hikaru 'Show Me Love (Not A Dream)' and it's a really powerful song. I don't really follow Utada all that closely but I know all too well how respect an artist she is in Japan - it's not like I don't see why, anyway. I don't know why I don't follow her, I just don't but I appreciate that she has some absolutely fantastic songs. In fact, this song right here has the potential to be my favourite of her songs. Well, no, potential to be second favourite - Prisoner of Love (the theme song to drama, Last Friends) will always be my favourite track of her's.

The fabulous Utada - I would have preferred it if the ending were a Yamapi song, but, then, maybe that's too much Yamapi for one film that was meant to be more of an adaption of a manga classic than a film starring Yamapi

Overall Review

Definitely not up there as one of the best films I've ever seen nor is it up there as one of my favourites but, nonetheless,  it's a worthwhile watch. It's a good film, honestly, and watching it would be a good use of time. I'd recommended to anyone who was into this kind of film or was a Yamapi fan, though, I'm not sure who else it would appeal to. It has a certain charm to it that I think anyone can fully appreciate, though, so I'd probably still try and recommend it to anyone who seemed interested. If you're a Yamapi fan, like myself, I'd definitely say that this was worth the watch. There's many a nice Yamapi moment and he has plenty of screentime. In fact, in my opinion, this is one of his better acting roles. Now, I think exaggerated how over-rated he is as an actor, considering how many people bash his acting and, at the same time, I think it's exaggerated how bad he is as an actor. Think about, he can pull decent facial expressions, though he's probably more of a voice actor if anything. Or a comedy actor, granted he doesn't go too OTT like he seems to be doing in MONSTERS. As Nobuta wo Produce kindly proved, if he does the right thing, he's pretty good as a comedy actor. On top of that, you kind of have to be familiar with Yamapi to get what he's doing - sometimes the way he does things is just the way he does them as Yamapi. Of course, that doesn't say much about his acting as it kind of distracts from his attempts to create a character separate to himself. Granted you're the kind of person who can actually watching Yamapi act without cringing, for whatever reason, then, yeah, this film's definitely worth checking out, but you probably won't be missing out on all that much if you never watch it~.

And, to conclude, another poster, featuring the classic Pi!Glare

October Top 5

All opinions are my own, deal with it, ect

 

 

!OCTOBER TOP 5!

 

Since I'm on the school library's PC, I can't make an actual graphic, so, have some amusing GACKT instead

 

Okay, I admit it's a little late to be doing this now, but, it's something I've wanted to do for a while now. A ranking of my personal Top 5 single releases of the past month, that is. For simplicity's sake, I'm limiting it to Japanese releases this time. I'll probably add K-Pop in next time, when I actually work out what I'm doing...maybe something else will make its way in there too? Doubtful, but, who knows?

 

5 . Sexy Zone - Sexy Summer ni Yuki ga Furu

It looks like a Christmas card, cuuuuute!

Okay, so, I'm not huge on Sexy Zone - I like their debut single a lot but Lady Diamond didn't work for me at all - okay, no, I can listen to it quite happily but it didn't draw me to them as a group. They have some nice B-sides, though, and I realise I should pay them a little more attention.
Anyway, I've only listened to the A-Side once (need to check out those B-Sides) but it still deserves a place on this ranking. The reasons I only gave it one listen and the reason for it appearing on this list are the same...or, rather, there's only real reason (okay, no, it's a nice song anyway) - it's a Christmas song. I love Christmas songs and J-Pop artists handle Christmas songs so well! Trust me, this song will die of overplaying once December hits (I prefer not to get into the real Christmas mood until December - November's too early, you know, and, besides, my birthday's the 1st of Decmember, so I starting off the Christmas period with a celebration of my existence).
The A-side, despite its somewhat confusing title that had most people pretty stumpted when the single was announced (Was it a Summery song? A Christmas song? Neither? What?), is really fun and cute. And, yes, it's definitely a Christmas song, without a shadow of a doubt. The melody is Christmassy, the backtrack is Christmassy, it's all Christmassy. I especially love the use of church bells in the background - it's very reminiscent of old Christmas Carols. This is something often seen in British Christmas songs and, being British, that's what I grew up with. The fact that you hear these bells a lot in J-Pop, too, makes me feel quite nostalgic~! It's a cute song with a cute video!!

4. SHINee - Dazzling Girl

Now, Jjong, if you sit down, no-one will know you're tiny. Ignoring that you're still taller than a bunch of Japanese male idols.

When I said I'd keep to Japanese releases, I meant singles released in Japan on the Oricon charts, purely because it's easier to keep track of what was released this month in just one country and...well, South Korea don't seem to do singles very often. I wasn't just going to cut out K-Pop - It's a genre I love!
Regarding the A-Side, this is far from one of my favourite SHINee track - it's a cheesefest and there's nothing else to it. Well, cheese can be great. In this case, it's actually pretty good - I love the chorus and it's great to bounce around to. However, the verses are, at least for me, far less memorable. The chorus is ridiculously catchy and it took me about two listens of the short CM preview alone to have the tune memorised yet, until only recently, I couldn't remember the rest of the song past that. This song only loses out to me for that reason - even though it has a brilliant choruses, it simply lacks everywhere else. However, as I'm growing to know the song more, I'm simulataneously growing to love it. It is not anywhere near being a favourite SHINee track of mine, though.

The B-Side, Run With Me, is a beautiful track. Truthfully, I've listened to it less than Dazzling Girl, but it was a treat for the ears, I will tell you that. It's a sweet and emotional ballad song, with a fast-paced tempo and laid-back melody, a combination I love. At first, it sounds like nothing more than your painfully generic K-Pop boyband ballad, but, then, the verse kicks in and it all goes uphill from there. When I first heard this, I was going home late at night by car and it totally fit that environment, with the windows being all heavily condenced and the orange glow of the streetlights reflecting against the raindrops - okay, all that sounded well naff, but it fit perfectly with the mood created by the song. I love how the verse builds up to the chorus, and though the chorus shares melodies with that cheesey thing at the start, the choruses actually sounds really cool and powerful. This song also gets lots and lots of bonus points for all of Minho's singing lines - he does sing in Dazzling Girl, I know, but he gets more solos in this song than normal. I really love Minho's voice, it's actually my 3rd favourite voice in SHINee. His rap is awesome, too. Key's last solo is so powerful and strong - I needed to say it. And, of course, this song is rounded off fantastically by the fabulous Taemin, my SHINee bias (for the record, Jongyun is second on both the bias list and the favourite list, with Taemin topping both - Jjong can sing better but I prefer Taeminnie's voice - Also, these two lists are essentially the same but the bias list has Onew 4th and Key 5th while the voice list has them both tied for 4th).

 

3. Weather Girls - Koi no Tenki Yohou

Pretty in pink! Like, seriously, they're so pretty! And, hey, UFP, this is how you make your group look cute yet also cool. Also, hey, UFP, THIS IS HOW YOUR FARKING DO A DECENT GRAPHIC EDIT!

 Here we have the debut single of T-Pop girlgroup, Weather Girls - and I don't mean Japanese debut, like with all those K-Pop groups lately but, rather, actual musical debut. Regardless of that, I believe that they are actually, in fact, the first Taiwanese girlgroup to debut in Japan. Go them, paving the way for Taiwanese music in a way that UFP was never able to! Prior to the release of this single, these girls were just, quite literally, weather girls. Weather Girls started out reporting weather on Taiwanese weather and there were actually a huge number of girls involved, all revolving according to a wota, however, for the Japanese debut, in order to make things a lot less complicated, they limited the group to seven girls - one for each day of the week. They weren't even pop idols in Taiwan...just weather girls. Their weather reporting gig seriously wasn't for me - I'm not one for watching a bunch of girls in cosplay reporting the weather in overly-cutified voices and, often, broken English, but that's just me. The sexualisation of weather reporters has always eluded me, is all.
However, them as a pop group...that is something I can latch on to easily. The reason this song found its way on to this ranking...well, there isn't one straight reason, of course! In this case, as opposed to the weather reporting thing, the whole cute yet also 'sexy' image appeals to me a lot and, probably, because this 'sexy' is less blunt and more...well, it seems like a subtle kind of maturity, which is blended quite sweetly with a cutesy image. It's the balance I love. They're mature but not so much that they're just sexualised beyond all belief and they're cute but not so much that I end up with toothache. The girls make the PV extremely watchable - they have so much charisma and chemistry with the camera! And, with little doubt that'd it be thanks to their previous occupation, they handle close-ups so well. These girls are the queens of facial expressions.
On top of all that, the song is horrendously (and, I promise you, I mean that in the nicest of ways) catchy. It gets stuck in your head so easily - I listen to song once every so often and it finds itself stuck in my mind for ages after.
The dance is also eye-catching and looks like fun! The girls' actual execution of the moves is sharp and looks somewhat effortless.
This is an amazingly promising debut single, I feel. I also think that, soon enough, these girls could potentially gain a lot of interest in their slick tying together of Taiwanese culture and clear influences from both Japanese and Korean pop music (the latter being a hit in Japan, the former...well, same thing, obviously).

 

 

2. Morning Musume - Wakuteka Take a chance

GIANT RIHO OF DOOM, STEALIN' UP ERIPON AND HARUNAN'S SPACE - screw you, graphic editor, screw you. This is pretty shoddily edited, too.

I won't dwell on this one so much, as I already did a pretty in-depth review of this single. I seriously adore this single. This, like the #1 single on this list, is, in my opinion, the respective artists's best single since late 2009. I also adored the number of coupling tracks and the line-ups for said coupling tracks. There were some interesting combinations and all the songs were absolutely brilliant, being some of the best B-Sides in some time - all of them. This is one of the very best overall singles, tracklist-wise, in Morning Musume history, I feel. Also, yay for UFP using promotion and money to make things look, and sound, better! Most of all, that A-Side is farking love.

 

1. GACKT - 白露 -HAKURO-

Hello there, Baby Setsugekka

 Okay, the title needed to be in Japanese. Hakuro -HAKURO- is a stupid looking romanisation, and I like shoving in hyphens wherever possible, so, it had to be this way if you're wondering why...Hyphen = KAT-TUN fan, so, yeah).

Anyway, that aside, I doubt it's of any surprise to anyone that the GACKT single was the one to win me over - there are probably more than enough hints that I like GACKT scattered around this blog, after all (though, there does seem to be a common misconception among people I know that I prefer Kame to GACKT - sure, I'm more obsessed with Kame, but I have more love for GACKT).

Truth be told, this is my favourite GACKT single, as a whole package with B-Side included, since Setsugekka -the end of silence- from back at the end of 2009, with my favourite A-side track since Stay the Ride Alive which was, in all honestly, released on New Year's Day 2010. So, basically, this is my favourite GACKT release in 3 years. And, why? It's the most GACKT-y, so to speak. All of GACKT's singles are quintesentially GACKT, of course, but, this one is especially so. And why do I say that? I'd say that this song features more of the typically-GACKT details that we see in many of his older songs -  softer verses contrasted with heavier choruses, OTT drama with tear-jerking potential, flutes and other instrumentals that can be used to give a uniquely Japanese undertone (i.e; a bit of Japanese folk in there), gorgeous falcetto lines contrasted with deep and powerful lower vocals, ect. If you know GACKT, you'll know what I mean.

Regarding the A-Side, I have but one criticism - the theme of the video/single cover. It's like Setsugekka 2.0! I did come to the conclusion that this may just indicates  a continuation of a specific storyline, as GACKT has done before with the Moon Saga (Moon, Crescent & Diabolos) and Rebirth & RE:BORN. It wouldn't be anything new to fans if that were the case, after all. As such, this lone criticism is extremely minor.

The B-Side, Jounetsu no Inazuma also more than makes up for this. This is also my favourite B-Side since Setsugekka's B-Side, 斬～ZAN～ (stylised as such for the same reasons as Hakuro was). So, basically, yes, this single is the best thing in 3 years. That's the simple truth. Not that I haven't loved all the releases since then, of course. But, the B-Side is amazing. The B-Side really matches up to the brilliance of the A-Side, while setting an entirely different mood and tone. It's a perfect combination because of the differences. A truly fantastic single through and through, and, I assure you, deserved the #1 spot on this ranking for reasons other than biased DEAR love.

 

----

So, that's all for now. Until next time that is~

How will the November results turn out, then? Will GACKT claim that #1 spot yet again or will The Monsters and their single which is already well-loved by me try to challenge him? Will DIY♡ dance their way into my heart, or will I be forced to bow down and kiss the feet of a certain Johnny's septet? (lamelamelamelame).

Check back at the end of November (or, more likely, the start of October) to find out! ♡♡



Top 7 Favourite Amazing Lyrics!

Yes, there's lots of piss-ripping and sarcasm, but I'm just joking around so don't get pissed

 

 

 

1. 'If I died, would you come to my funeral? Would you cry?'
2. 'Jidou hanbaiki kankoohi, atatakai no kau machigae tsumetai, demo futari atataka' 
3. 'The wise men follow the star, the way I follow my heart' 
4. 'looking for my heart, couldn't find it on eBay'
5. 'You're my Kryptonite'
6. 'Ai wa shinpuru na karee raisu mitai da ne?'
7. 'FRUSTRATE ON ME'

1. JLS - Beat Again

The sheer emotion with which this line is sung is what really gets me. It's so powerful and meaningful. It's like JB (the JLS member, not Bieber, not Im Jae Bum) himself said - these are beautiful and deep lyrics...or something. I'm sorry, but this line just makes me laugh a little everytime. It just sounds so daft. The continued death metaphor in this song doesn't quite work for me. Now, I'm not bashing JLS as a whole here - I secretly like that 'That's Where I'm Coming From' song. And there was another song I secretly like, but I only heard it like once because my sister barely ever plays that one.

 

2. ℃-ute - Kimi wa Jitensha Watashi wa Densha de Kitaku

This line roughly translates as 'I got some canned coffee from the vending machine. I had planned for it to be warm, but, no, it was cold. However, together, we're both warm' (I took some liberties in the translation here so it made a little more sense). Wow. Touching stuff there, Tsunku. Nothing totally inane there, not at all. Okay, I like this song, despite being one of the only people who seemed to watch the PV without getting emotional (That PV was boring! These people clearly haven't been watching enough tear-jerking dramas about impossible and trouble romances! tattahitotsunokoi;A;), but this line is just stupid. The song isn't actually very emotional, to be honest, despite how it sounds. Okay, I thought the PV was about a break-up and I was like 'Oh, okay, that's kind of sad, but no-one's crying and there's no real drama, this isn't emotional', but then I was told it wasn't a break-up at all, they were just using different methods of transport in order to get home. Okay, no, that's not emotional in the least. I don't even feel the pain of any 'character' involved in this song or video. And that's what the song's about, too, by the way. It's a nice song, but it's not as sad as it sounds like it should be and this specific line has no emotional quality to it whatsoever.

 

3. Justin Bieber - Mistletoe

Okay, so I'm not a person who mindlessly hates Justin Bieber on the basis that he's Justin Bieber. I just hate most of songs and the ones I don't hate, I tolerate at best. Okay, I might be exaggerating a little, but this specific song is probably my least favourite of every single thing he's released. It's so naff and cheesey - I've never been fond of American Christmas songs (I know he's Canadian, but it's an American Christmas song anyway, if you get me - it was produced by Americans, most likely). British and J-Pop Christmas songs are more to my tastes, thank you. However, this specific line is just awful. I can't even tell what it's supposed to mean. Is that supposed to be powerful and touching? It just sounds like they were trying to fit in Christmassy phrases wherever they could. That's not how Christmas songs work, you know. It's about the mood, NOT SHOVING IN NATIVITY FIGURES IN PLACES WHERE IT MAKES NO SENSE TO.

 

4. JLS - TAKE YOU DOWN

Another JLS track, then (sorry, guys). But, really, Oritsé, didn't you know it's illegal to sell organs on eBay? (Ofufu, I'm hilarious...?)

But, really, okay, I get that it's meant to show that his hard is completely lost and so lost, in fact, that he can't find it on that one place online where you can find absolutely anything (which is a total myth, by the way, or else I'd have a KAT-TUN T-Shirt by now)...but...it sounds dumb. It doesn't fit the rest of the song and it's such a clumsily applied reference. There are so many other words or phrases that could have been used here and, even if they ended up sounding clichéd, at least they wouldn't sound daft.

 

5. One Direction - One Thing

Speaking of clumsily applied references...Yep, this is the third one, now. Again, I totally get the meaning of the line - the person being referred to is the only thing that can take the song's speaker down and truly weaken him - but it just sounds really quite silly. It's hard to try and accept the emotional value intended for these lines when you're busy trying to get past that there's a bloody Superman reference shoved in for absolutely no reason. I'm really sure something else could have been used, really?

 

6. NEWS - Ai wa Simple na Curry Rice

This lines translates as 'Love is like a simple curry rice, right?'

Now, NEWS, as much as I've never been in a relationship, I'm quite sure love probably isn't very much like that at all. In this case...I can't try and understand the intended emotional value because I'm just confused. But, at least, unlike the last three, this can get away with just being kind of cute and silly and I take it as such. It's a nice song, but the whole concept of the song baffles me slightly. But, the important thing is that I can listen to it without laughing at it. Granted, I don't know what the rest of the song's about, so, maybe it would make far more sense if I did know?

 

7. KAT-TUN - Never Again

More than anything, this is just some quality Engrish from Koki. It's not a bad line as such, since I can just ignore it since it's practically nonsense. But, really, I've always wondered what Koki by this? I can't tell if the line is referring to being frustrated as someone, or it's some kind of really weird way to describe having sex, or what. Oh well, I guess there are some things we'll never know.

 

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Eheheh, this was just me filling space while I finish off another Top 5 Ranking post and a film review, both of which should be up soon! This came into my head and, somehow, I had to write it. It's just dumb, though, but oh well.

[ALBUM REVIEW] From Smart to Colourful, what a character change!

aka, wow, what a cringe-worthy title there, Phob

As always, all opinions are my own. Not your's. Don't get upset if we don't agree on something.

 

It's a cruddy gradient-effect background, but I like the concept. I even don't mind that Riho's hogging centre-position again. But that's cause I like the shade of read she's wearing.

 

Okay, so, I'm a little late in reviewing this, but I have been planning to since it was released and have actually put off listening to most tracks on the album so I could listen to it while I reviewed. I had planned to ignore the whole album until the review, but I'm not the best at resisting temptation.

 

 

1. One・Two・Three

So, it opens with a single. This song is Jedward - overly-autotuned and either or loved by hated by all those who listen to it. I actually do like this song but I don't really want to review in too much detail. It's catchy, yes, and the lyrics are really easy to learn. I don't hate autotune, either, but there's a limit. Riho and autotune don't work as well as UFP thinks, basically. If you're someone who actually sounds good without autotune (which Riho does, in my opinion, as long as she's not singing live - she gets a bit shouty), you have to sound good with autotune, or else it seems pointless. Reina works it, in my opinion. Okay, okay, no, Riho doesn't sound bad with autotune at all, but her adlibs don't sound cool, basically. Maybe she just sounds strained and autotune can't fix it? I don't know. Whatever. Good song. Yep.

 

2. What's Up? ~Ai wa Dou na no you~

This is a really fun song, and parts of the backtrack remind me of Spyro BGM - something that is never lost on me. The shouty parts bother me, but only cause the weird whisper-talky voice is weird. I don't like soft, little voices like that, but that's just me. Also. Um. The rap. It's not the worst, but it's hardly commendable. Beats Miya in Loving You Too Much, though. Okay, it can pass, cause it's cute. If only Reina's rhythm was better, cause the Yankee voice works so well for rap. The line distribution is less horrendous, too. Not perfect, but that's asking far too much. I love the song's melodies, they're really catchy. And the instrumental break is great. It's so dramatic...seems like it could be used for some kind of montage.

Another plus point for this song is that I could totally imagine a PV for it. Okay, so, sometimes, I like to make my own PVs in my head and I really could for this song. For me, that's a good thing. It enhances the listening experience.

 

3. Be Alive

This is, quite possibly, one of the best Morning Musume ballads in a long time. It's definitely my favourite in some time, if not my hands-down favourite. This is another song where I could really imagine a PV for it, so, bonus points!

The melody and the mood of this song are perfect. I think that's why it's one of my favourite ballads. It has the right elements that make me like a ballad. The melancholic yet hopeful mood. I love that.

Another thing that really draws me to this song is the way that it's slow and mellow at first but it then picks up without effecting the overall mood any. It's really beautiful and part of me is angry that this wasn't a single. Ballads can be singles, after all! The instruments in the back remind me of Seishun Collection - this song basically has everything that Seishun Collection lacked, though, what it lacks in comparison is the powerful, lower vocals the group had at that point. Though, that being said, those vocals clearly aren't necessary because this sounds amazing just as it is. Thank you, Lord Tsunku-boy!

 

4. Lalala no Pipipi Michishige Sayumi

So, on the last album, we had that one track that annoyed me (Suki da na Kimi ga), but it grew on me eventually...so, to that extent, I will give this song a chance. Again, Sayu's voice is...not for me, but it works in this song, I guess. It's not a bad song, really, but I don't like it. It's annoying. But, I can listen to it. It's annoying but listenable, and distressingly catchy. But, random Sayu-falcetto note? No, thanks. All in all, it's a song I would only listen to every so often. I won't deny, though, that this is the perfect song for Sayu and it is a pretty cute song. But that cute is too bubble-gum, candy-floss, sugar and candy love hearts-y for me, if you get what I mean. It's too sweet sounding for my personal tastes. I love a cute song, but, it all depends. It's not bad but, for me, it's not great, either~

5. Dokka~n Cappricio
This song is really awesome - reminds me of OK YEAH! from the previous album, only better. The backtrack is more to my tastes - it's a little harder, if you get what I mean. The song has a darker feel. That isn't to say, though, that it's a dark song. It really isn't.
It's really catchy and the chorus is really easy to pick up on, especially the 'Sara ni Sexy~' lines and stuff~ Those reminds remind me slightly...of a dance-y version of Pink Lady's Nagisa no Sinbad.
What I love about this song is that it catches me straight from the beginning. I'm seriously drawn in by that opening instrumental. And the slightly lower vocals, as opposed to normal, draw me in, too. I seriously can't wait to see the live performances of this song. It would be amazing live, which was Tsunku's intention, right? It is the perfect song for a live performance, though.

6. The Matenrou Show
Right, another single track, then~ The poor second A-side that was never granted a real music video.
My first criticism of this song came to me the moment I heard it - it sounds a bit too much like it should be by Berryz. And not old-school Berryz, but Berryz as we know them now. The instrumental at the start sounds a lot like Shining Power, if you ask me. It's not a bad thing, I have to point out, but, it's also not a good thing. Don't get me wrong, I love Berryz and their songs, but I prefer the groups having their own sounds.
That aside, I do like this song a lot. I did say I love Berryz's songs, so, even if it bugged me slightly, I can't help but like this song. Also, the 'Ai no Arashi' lines are fun. But only cause...y'know...Arashi. Eheh.
The chorus is really fun, though~ I love the melody! And, I have to say, the dance looked really awesome, too.
Another criticism of this would be, though, the line distribution was especially atrocious. Only two members got lines. But, fortunately, I can actually listen to a song with bad line distributions and love them. It doesn't ruin the song for me (for example, I love KAT-TUN's Bokura no Machi de...hell, I even love C-ute's SHOCK).

7. Zero Kara Hajimaru Seishun
This is one of the songs I haven't heard before and I can say...this was unexpected. From the title, I was really expecting another cool song. But, this is nice, too.
The vocals sound really pretty, everyone sounds nice. Yes, Sayu too. Actually, yes, I'm verging on liking Sayu's voice here (NB : I like Sayu, just not her voice sometimes). Except, Daishi still sounds out of breath, bless her. Zukki sounds adorable and I'm still trying to work out why Kuduu and Eripon don't get more lines (I have recently developed strong love for Eripon's voice).
 What I love about the backtrack, though, at least in the verses, is that it sounds like Sims shopping music! I love that music.
And, oh, look, decent line distribution. I think a perfect line distribution is when there are obvious lead singers who get more lines yet everyone else still gets a decent amount of lines. Which seems to be the case in the song - if not, I was too busy typing this up to pay any attention.
The chorus is really pretty and sweet. It's a cute song and, if it had a PV, it would definitely be full of pastel colours...either an assortment of pinks and blues, or the member colours. Or both, depending on the scene! Oh! But, yeah, it's an adorable song.

8. Ren'ai Hunter
Another single, and the only track on the entire album to feature any members of my favourite gen, the fabulous 5th gen -sniffs-
Anyway, that aside. the actual song, yep.
I atcually loved this song from the moment I heard it but I love it less now. Maybe because everyone underestimated how hard it was to sing and made it the next single in nearly all of their pros? I hate singing this. The words are really fast which wouldn't be an issue if it only it weren't for how hard the rest of it is, at least at the chorus. Exactly the kind of song I end up screaming through, here. And, truth be told, I think I've heard line one or two actually good dub of this and a couple of mediocre ones. No offence intended there. It's just, I mean, it's a hard song. That, or I'm doing something wrong here. I sign harshly, not softly, so, yeah. Not that any of that's relevant. It just sort of ruined the song for me, in terms of excitement anyway.
Other than that, ignoring my dubbing mindset, this is a really awesome song. I like the whole dubstep thing going on. This is how J-Pop dance should sound. Definitely. Even if I prefer Wakuteka. Combine them and maybe you'll have a perfect Morning Musume song, I don't know? Though, perfection, as far as MoMusu's concerned, requires Ai...hm.
I apologise for that whole review there, but, since this song is kind of...old news compared to the rest of the album, I thought I'd take the opportunity to rant~

9. Chikyuu ga Naiteiru
This is one of my favourite tracks of the album.
The start of this song reminds me slightly of 2NE1's I AM THE BEST. Just the little weedly bits...if you get what I mean. You get it, right? And then the main guitars kick in and it sounds like Spyro music again!! Every song that reminds even remotely of the Spyro OST is a win for me, as I said earlier. The whole backtrack of this song sounds that way, too. I love it!
The verses are fun, I love the weird note-draggy stuff. And it's very catchy (I say that too much), but it is. And, thumbs up to the song, because I like Sayu's solo lines! They suit her. And Reina sounds properly cool in this. I generally think that Reina is cool, but, she's got a lower voice here. Low-pitch!Reina is actual love, guys, just saying.
The chorus is really awesome. It's got a really cool feeling and it's...sort of dramatic? Like, it would totally be an awesome theme song for something. Lost of raised fists and stamping and stuff, I don't know. But I really like it.
Furthermore, I generally adore this paticular style of song, Spyro-similarities aside. Well done, song!

10. Namida Hitoshizuku Tanaka Reina
This song is possibly tied with Be Alive for my favourite track of the album. I never expected that my favourites would be the two balalds as Morning Musume ballads don't normally impress all that much. They're normally a bit bog-standard and soppy. But these two do everything right.
I love that they keep giving Reina ballads and more mature songs. She really sounds her best in these. All the doubts I've had regarding her voice have been totally cleared up both by this track and Futsuu no Shoujo A. She sounds really pretty here and she's brilliant at conveying sadness. The melody of this song really sticks, too. I swear, about 3 or 4 listens of this song and I've got the tune pretty much entirely memorised yet, somehow, I still can't quite remember the tune of Ai no Honoo's verses...
This is easily my favourite Reina solo, too. I love seeing this side of her. It really adds to the image I have of her being really cool. I prefer the cool and mature Reina to the cutesy and sweet Reina. Also, this song is perfect for that vibrato-thingy she has going on. I am too glad Reina got this song and it more than makes up for my annoyance regarding Sayu's solo.

11. Waratte!YOU Qkies & 10kies
This is is another track I haven't listened to before, so let's see how it goes~
It kind of reminds me a little of older Ayaya tracks, in a way. I think it's the trumpets. But, in general, it's very reminsicent of certain older H!P songs, such as Ayaya ones, like I said, and some older MoMusu songs, from around the time 6th Gen joined up until 4th Gen left. It's got that same kind of mood to it.
I must say, it's also quite nice to hear all the younger girls (aside from Riho - not saying it's not nice, rather, it's nothing new)' voices. They're all getting multiple lines, it's great!
To be honest, I was a tad worried they might get stuck with an overly cutesy song or a mature song. I wanted to see a new side of them, but, luckily, that's what this song does! It's a really fun song without being stupidly cutesy. Really, I'm officially sad that this doesn't have a PV. I could totally imagine it having a PV...something like The Bigaku, but with better outfits.
Also, Zukki sounds awesome in this, as does Haruka I love those two~

12. PyocoPyoco Ultra
The last track, and another single. So, it opens and ends on a single. To be honest, that never really takes my fancy. I want to start with a song that sets up the mood for the whole album, so it has to be a new song, right? As for the end...I don't know, I just prefer if it ends on something new, for that lasting impression, you know? But, that's just me.
This song's really cute, though. But, a tolerable kind of cute. Fun cute. Not sweet cute. Fun cute is my kind of cute. Not that other pissh that's so innocent and sweet that it's just unnerving. I'm cynical, I do apologise.
And, personally, I don't care that they're dressed as chickens! It's stupid but it's cute and it fits with the song!! STUPID CUTE IS GOOD, TOO! But, really, at first, it pissed me off because I thought it was some kind of sign that Morning Musume were going to quit being the cool group and become all cutesy - they already had S/mileage for that!! But, it turned out to be a one-off, so I don't really care anymore. Right, no, I never disliked the song, it was a nice song from the start. But, the whole idea of mood and stuff...yeah. Also, the way the fandom errupted bugged me. Personally, I think it was a slight over-reaction on the part of many people.
Calm yo' titties, people

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 Overall, this is a really nice album. There's a similar feeling, though mood, tone, style, energy, ect. does vary greatly, throughout the entire thing. This album is a perfect representation of the current Morning Musume. Like, if you wanted to say, 'this is what they are now, this is what they have become', you'd show them this. 12, SMART didn't so well in this respect, as it seemed like it was trying to find where it fit in - was it mature and sexy, or was it both cool and cute? It was a good album, and I possibly prefer most of the songs, but, as an entire package, it was a little lost in terms of theme, I feel. The album cover also pretty much adds to this album's feel. And, I have to say, there are probably few better ways to describe this album than 'colourful'. There's a great variety of song, yet they all blend together without clashing. That is colourful! Clashing is...garish! I probably, as an entire album, prefer 13 Colourful Character to the last few, but, for me, it still doesn't have enough power to defeat 2010's 10 MY ME.



[SINGLE REVIEW] So, UFP took a chance and decided to actually spend money? Finally!

Morning Musume - Wakuteka Take a chance

All opinions are my own. I don't expect you to share my opinions not should you expect me to share your's. If there's anything you strongly disagree with here then, sure, feel free to say so, granted your willing to do so in a civilised manner. But, otherwise, no. Jussst no.

Wow, UFP, Reina's had enough of your bullshit, look. And, here, she thought Aibutt's departure would get her a constant centre position.

First thing's first, I'd like to make it clear that this is not a review of the PV but the single as a whole in which I will be looking at the A-Side and each B-Side individually. I will probably end up reviewing the PV, too, soon enough but that will be in an entirely different post than what you see here.

Wakuteka Take a chance

Of course, it would only be naturally to start off with the single's A-side. Now, I won't lie - I saw the dance practice and wasn't exactly wne over by the song to the extent that I turned it off after the first chorus and didn't listen to it again until the Temp PV came out. I didn't dislike it, I just wasn't bothered. I suppose...I couldn't be bothered listening to an LQ preview like that? But, when the Temp PV came out, I fell in love with the song. Suddenly, even though I never had any issues with it, I loved the direction in which Morning Musume were heading. It's a seriously catchy song in every respect. The tune, the beat, the lyrics. They all stick. It's one of my favourite Morning Musume A-sides (now, I say A-sides because there's a bunch of brilliant album tracks and B-Sides) in a while, actually...since Kimagure Princess, maybe? But, really, I love this. The effects used, though plentiful in their numbers which often doesn't work out (especially for H!P), actually sound really awesome. They fit the song so well and I don't actually think there are parts that would sound better if they just turned down the autotune a little. It's very techno and dance-esque, but it's also so very Morning Musume - if anyone claims that this song is ripping off K-Pop just because of techno aspect and the autotune effects then they need to shove their face in a blender or something. That's how quintessentially MoMusu-esque this song is. Also, the dance is brilliant. The only area in which this song is lacking is the line distribution, which is, as per usual, nothing brilliant. But, y'know, it's not just H!P - it's a basic fact of pop groups, isn't it?

Love Innovation

To tell true, this is the only track of the entire single I haven't listened to until all now, so this is a totally new thing to me right now. It's got a nice beat in the back which makes the song seem really easy to dance to. The melody is nice, too. I like how the vocal melody is quite soft and tame, while the back is a little more upbeat. It's very reminiscent of older Hello! Project songs, I feel - by this, I mean 2003-2006, by the way. It sounds like it could have been one of Berryz or C-ute's earlier B-Sides, so to speak. No complaints - I love the old Berryz tracks. I do really like how it's upbeat but it's not a hyper song, so to speak. It's really smooth and laid-back. This smoothness hasn't been present in H!P songs for some time now, I feel. It's a really cute song without being too in-your-face cute. Somehow, it also reminds me of the AKB48 song, 'Inseki no Kakuritsu'. Which is a good thing - I like that song (AKB's more obscure songs often appeal to me more than their singles)

The compostion of this design really leaves nothing to be desired and the two 10ki girls both look so awkward. Reina is beauts as always, though.

Futsuu no Shoujo A Tanaka Reina, Sato Masaki & Kudou Haruka

Out of the B-Sides, this one is definitely my favourite, hands-down. I'm a sucker for Latino-style J-Pop, by the well. The instruments also remind me of certain levels of Kingdom Hearts. This song also confirmed something big for me - I love Masaki. For ages, I really didn't like her, but she looked so sweet in the Wakutetka PV that I found it hard not to like her and, in this track, somehow I'm really drawn to her. However, I'm still drawn to her the least here. Honestly, though, listening to this, I realise that the two 10kis have such great potential. Daishi and Harunyan's voice aren't that strong, you see - don't get me wrong, I love them both, especially Harunyan (I love her voice, even if it isn't that strong, cause it's got a nice tone to it). But, first, Masaki's got some way to go before she's properly good, but she could easily be really awesome. And Kuduu? Well, she's almost there already. I love her voice and, at parts in this song, she does sound like a mini-Miki (not intended to sound like some weird butchering of 'mini-me'. I really love the tone of her voice. Though, it also makes me angry. Kuduu should get more lines, I'm not kidding. Unfortunately, though, she's not as popular as Masaki and Daishi and, so, isn't the 10ki who gets a push. Pfft. Though, she is getting pushed in other areas, I'm not ignoring that - I just wished her vocals were acknowledged a little more. And, on top of that, when Sakura joins, I demand that her and Kuduu get a duo. And, of course, Reina, my current MoMusu Oshi. Actually, I went off Reina for a little bit and I'm not sure why - nothing about her in One・Two・Three impressed me, particularly. I heard her solo song off the new album and it was kind of like...an epiphany? I realised Reina's voice had gotten really good lately but she's much more suited to ballads. She does ballads so well. So, in this...well, I love her voice here. This song is pretty much perfect for her voice. And, these three, they blend so well. I love this song. A lot.

This cover's quite cute, but the difference in energy between the hyperactive and almost-psychotic looking Daishi and the calm and demure Mizupon is a little odd. Oh well~ Still cute.

Daisuki 100man-ten Fukumura Mizuki & Ishida Ayumi

First off, this is a really cute song! But, not in an obvious, forced cutesy way, like Mizupon's last duo which was the source of some irritation for me. As such, I can't express how happy I am that Mizupon got a GOOD duo track, even if it was with the next person on my list of Least Favourite Singers in Current MoMusu (sorry, Sayu. And Daishi!)
That being said, this song really works for Daishi. I think she has some some potential. Or, at least, she would if it weren't for the fact that she sounds out-of-breath. I mean, who sounds out-of-breath in a Studio recording?
Mizupon, however, sounds perfect in this. Recently, I've been doubting the quality of her voice, probably because she does get stuck with the worst solos in the songs she does get them in. Mind, that's better than what most members get. In this song, her voice sounds really nice and clear. I love it. I'm definitely reminded of why I do love Mizupon.
On top of that, their voices blend really, really together. They have similar pitches and, I'd say tones, but Mizupon's soft while Daishi's a little rougher.
The song also reminds me of an older Berryz Koubou track, like, it has that feel to it. It possibly doesn't help that there's a certain part of the chorus that reminds me a lot of Fighting Pose wa Date Ja nai!. Though, I don't mind that multiple tracks on the single remind me of Berryz's older stuff - I really loved that style and now that Berryz have changed direction recently (or back in 2008 or something, whatever works for you), so it's nice to hear songs with this feeling to them again.

Oh, Riho, you don't look entirely there, do you? You're off somewhere else. I like how the ordering of the members creates a little Green-Not-Green-Not-Green pattern, but couldn't we have someone else in centre for once? But, the SayaSuzu handholding's adorbs

Shinen dake wa Tsuranu Kitouse! Michishige Sayumi, Ikuta Erina, Sayashi Riho, Suzuki Kanon & Iikubo Haruna

This is a really fun song to listen to, I have to say. It seems like it could be a single or something. I could see if having a really interesting video and dance. It's catchy and very upbeat. I totally have a thing for this genre of song, though, I think C-ute rock it best.
The odd thing, though, is that I have a habit of forgetting that Riho's in this song. No idea why, nothing against her. Also, I have an issue with Sayu's chosen pitch - she's singing in a higher pitch that normal and it doesn't fit the song. She has the ability to fit a song like this, just look at that Otomegumi song - Yuujou! Kokoro ni Busu ni Naranee. Sayu, there was a chance for me to appreciate your vocals and you wasted it! Wasted it!
And, unless my voice recognition skills have gone to shit, then, I must say...WHERE ARE ERIPON'S SOLO LINES? In the singles and full group songs, I mean. Cause she sounds awesome in this. Her voice is pretty.  She's actually quite good, or, well, listenable. She could be really awesome with time, though. She's better than Daishi and Masachi, anyway. Where's all the Eripon love? Thanks to this song, I must say that she's actually gone up in my expectations. Keeping in mind that, in this single's line-up, she's actually my 4th favourite, followed by Harunan at 5th - she has a weaker voice, but something just draws me to her voice. Zukki also sounded positively adorable in this, I have to say. I wanna squishy the Zukki~

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Overall, I think this is one of MoMusu's best full singles in a while. There are more B-Sides than normal, as was the case with One・Two・Three, and I love all the song. Yes, I did like the songs on One・Two・Three, but I'm not sure they stuck with me in nearly the same way, though, Seishun Domannaka was super cute. On top of that, the line-ups are more interesting. The generation thing was a bit done-there, been-that, I feel. I like to see how the girls blend in different styles, with different member combinations. I really love this single and, with this, my faith in the new Morning Musume is fully restored. Actually, no, 'fully' is an exaggeration. The line distriubution still sucks balls, though, I'm aware that's just how groups work sometimes.

 

[REVIEW] Buono! - SHERBET (aka Guess Who Can't Think Up A Creative Title?!)

All views are my own; your views are your own, so on and so forth. Disagreeing with me is okay, as is stating so, but don’t be an arse about.

Out of the two covers, this is definitely my favourite. It's so cute and fun and fits the title so well!

1.   FEVER

The mini-album kicks off with a song which is very typical of Buono!, in that it has the upbeat rock sound in the back with a very idol-song like melody. The idol feeling is especially strong in parts of this song, though. But, so is the rock. It all balances out in the end, it seems, so you don’t get overwhelmed by either of the two aspects. I really like the melody and beat of this song. It’s catchy and…well, how do I say it? It has an almost hopeful feeling? Like, you know how anime openings have those kind of happy-go-lucky songs that are kind of pop-rocky? That’s exactly what this song’s like. In fact, it would work so well as an anime opening – which is probably why, to me, it seems so reminiscent of older Buono! Songs from back when they were not much more than a group formed to provide anime openings. I really like this song, though. It’s cutesy yet powerful at the same time and is the kind of song that just makes you feel happy inside. Like, for me, there are certain songs that make me feel all giggly and happy and stuff if I listen to them while walking on a sunny day, like when I leave school to get to the bus for example. It’s probably something that only applies to me and a few other people, but, this song seems like it would have this effect on me in that situation. I don’t know but I do love this song and I love typical Buono!

2.  GO!GO!Goda!

This song is really short, but it’s also cute and really fun to listen to. And, even though it’s cute, it still has quite a strong pop-rock backtrack. It’s another very Buono!-ish song. It reminds me of Café Buono! As far as style goes, only a little heavier. The melody of the first part of the chorus reminds me very much of Momo’s solo, Kia-Ora-Gracias-Arigato, from their last mini-album, though. It’s a fun song, though, it’s about bloody cheese! And the ‘GO!GO!Goda! Ganbare Goda!’ parts are really fun and catchy. They remind me of Momoiro Clover in a way, in the use of harmonisation and repetition of words, as well as the fact that they are being used as fun little openers and closers to the song. The main issue I have with this song would be the length. At only 1:53 minutes in length, it’s a pretty short song.

3.  Hatsukoi Cider (Album Version)

This version is a lot more Buono!-ish than the original, with the instruments being a lot more powerful. It’s a rockier version, basically. Even so, it works amazingly, to the extent that I can’t choose which version I prefer. I adore the original but this version has won me over as well. I love the styles of both versions, but, generally, I prefer the style of the album version. I guess Buono! are a source of J-Poppy nostalgia for me in many respects, so I’m immediately drawn to any song that features their basic style for which they are most well-known. I suppose, though, that the best part about this is that is different from the original but it still sounds good. I tend to be a little iffy about alternate versions sometimes, such as the album version of Yamashita Tomohisa’s ‘Hadakanbo’ – it’s jazz-style didn’t work for me at all and made an original strong and upbeat song feel far too calm and relaxed. The fact that this style fits the song just as well as the original makes me really happy, I mean.

Now, let's take a break halfway through for another picture! I love Airi's hair so much xD

4.  Mirai Drive

I think I loved this song from the moment I pressed play. I love this style a lot. I blame KAT-TUN’s albums and B-Sides, just saying. But, this is a really good song. It’s perfect for listening to in the middle of the night – which was when I first heard it, making that first listen all the more perfect. I love the melody and beat and mood and tone and…ah. I don’t think this song lets me down in anyway. The build-up from verse to chorus is done really nicely and the whole song just flows really well. What made this even better, though, was the chorus. It was all in falsetto! I love falsetto, especially when combined with this style of song. It works so well together and sounds so pretty. This song really shows off the girls’ voices. All three of them can sing so well, even if Berryz don’t give seem to be giving Momoko the chance to show it anymore. They have such gorgeous vocal tones, too and they can maintain that falsetto beautifully, especially Airi – her bridge line sounds amazing. On top of that, these three really do blend perfectly. This is definitely my favourite track of the album.

5. BELIEVE★★★

This song is good, don’t get me wrong; I do really like it, but it’s my least favourite off the album. Unlike in FEVER, where the idol and rock themes worked really well together, this song sounds like a bit of a mish-mash. The vocals seem very befitting of a song with an oldies feel, like 2^nd Gen Tanpopo songs or something. Especially the chorus – it just sounds like it should have lighter back track. If you just had the synthesiser and keyboard stuff, it’d work better. The only bits that fully blend are the build-ups to the chorus and Momoko’s bridge. The mix does sound interesting and it grows on you after a while, but, the first few times I heard this, I couldn’t help but think that something didn’t quite slot into place the way it should. It’s a song of acquired taste, I find. But I do like it. It just didn’t impress me as much as the rest of the album.

6. Natsu no Hoshizora

The title, meaning Summer’s Starlit Sky, sets the mood for the whole song right of the beat. It’s a sort of ballad-esque track, the kind of song that’d be good for helping you drift off, with a kind of twinkly feeling to it. If I had to compare it to any other Buono! song in terms of style, I’d have to go with Kimi ga Ireba. It has a similar tone. The vocals are so clear in the song and you can really how perfect the blending is. These three were meant to be a trio, they sound so good together. The chorus is really pretty and sung in a quite high tone. It’s a really sweet and relaxing song that you can sway to really well. The melody is really nice, too. I’m really glad they include a ballad on this mini-album cause these girls sound brilliant when they sing ballads in their own groups, never mind together.

7. NEVER GONNA STOP

This is the main track for this album, the one with the PV. When I first heard this song, it took me until to the 2^nd verse to actually start liking it as I thought that, with the reverb and multiple voice effects, it sounded kind of messy. By the 2^nd verse, I had entirely changed mind and realised that the song worked pretty well. I really just had to accustom to the effects, since they kind of quieten the vocals a little. I came to the conclusion that it was just that kind of song. It was meant to sound powerful and it got the feeling across. The chorus was probably what got me most. The verses are nice but they don’t really draw me in. The chorus, however, is seriously catchy. I swear I heard the song once and, I swear, I had the song stuck in my head all day after that. I actually adore the chorus, and the vocal effects actually work really well there. What I do love about the vocal effects, though, is the aged kind of sound they give the song. By aged, I mean to say, that it makes the song sound a few decades older than it really is. However, no thanks to occasions in the past, from before when I had my own MP3 Player (quite a few years ago), that had me sitting in the car on a Summer holiday while my parents decided to listen to the music they like when they were young, this effect makes me feel nostalgic and a little Summery (ignoring that Buono! are a pop-rock idol group and these bands were punk bands from the 70s and 80s, I was mainly referring to the reverb sound). It’s a really good promo track and sets a great feel for the rest of the mini-album, but also closes it really well, too.

And, here, I present to you, the other cover, just to finish things off!

In conclusion, as I’m sure you gathered, I really like this mini-album. It’s bloody obvious. But, really, the main reason for my loving it so much is that it was the best reminder anyone could have given me as to why Buono! are my favourite girl group (3^rd favourite group overall but that sounds less meaningful, y’know), as to why I used to love them so much before a certain two boybands (KAT-TUN & NEWS, if you didn’t know) came along and caught my attention – I still love Buono! as much as I ever did, and I totally understand why. In fact, I possibly love them more than I used to. I feel that they are one of the very best groups that H!P has ever seen and I really hope they stay active for a long time!