j1m0ne's blog

Should I count it my misfortune that a lot of releases came in a month where I took my eye off the ball? Uhhh… speed reviewing mode, on.

Hitpile
futuristic imagination. school food punishment (Higashi no Eden ED)

At this point in time sfp could release a record of Gregorian chanting and I’d probably still like it, there is just something so enthralling about their music – or it could be that I’m totally in love with Uchimura Yumi’s voice? The electronic influences have been tuned down a bit on futuristic imagination but it’s still my favourite anime theme from the spring season.

nO limiT. Eclipse (Tomatsu Haruka, Nakajima Megumi, Hayami Saori) (Basquash OP1)

A dream teen seiyuu idol group perhaps? Fugly but can sing + cute but can’t sing + cute and can sing makes for a very balanced combination I suppose. nO limiT itself certainly takes some getting used to with its rapid-fire melody/lyrics but I do think the three girls handle the song pretty well and they sound qutie alright together too (it’d be interesting if they ever did it live!). C/w song moon passport (an insert song from ep1) has Hayami on lead and it’s the sweet insert song that played in episode 1. I’m really loving Eclipse now – thank god we get a couple more singles from them before the project bites the dust.

Atashi Dake ni Kakete. Omokage Lucky Hole (Natsu no Arashi! OP)

Amusing homoerotic band name aside, Omokage Lucky Hole’s opener for SHAFT’s Natsu no Arashi is really something special. The title song is so funky and catchy (like something Crazy Ken Band would do) – this is one of those rare occasions where listening to an anime theme makes me want to explore the band’s music further. Well, apart from the garish pink used on their website, I’d found a lot to like about them and I’m putting their back catalogue on my ‘to buy (eventually)’ list. Piracy sure can be useful sometimes…

Kirari Futari. Shiraishi Ryoko (Natsu no Arashi! ED)

So even if I’m not enjoying the anime at all, Natsu no Arashi! can at least claim to have the most fun OP & ED theme song combination from the spring season. Shiraishi’s Kirari Futari is a nice change from her generic galpop material of years past – a category in which c/w song Kanjiru Power falls into, but in this case it scores more points because it features another fun-filled set of lyrics penned by Shiraishi herself with all the usual Konchasu! shoutouts her fans will be familiar with. And of course, the fact that Uryocchi can hold a tune better than 80% of her seiyuu compatriots is a refreshing change (and she’s pleasant on the eye to boot).

PARTY PLAY. Nogawa Sakura (Slap-Up Party OP)

This one has anison written all over it, pretty obvious when you have Shikura Chiyomaru on board. He knows how to craft a decent tune and PARTY PLAY is no exception, making its intentions known from the first second with the torrent of strings, insistently catchy melodies and hooks. I am very fond of his songs myself, and this is the first in a long time I’ve enjoyed a Saku-nyan song – she is a half-decent singer, but her releases are mostly pap. The Korean version included here needs to die though, they may as well have made her sing in Zulu.

Uso. Sid (Fullmetal Alchemist ED)

This came a wee bit late for last month’s coverage [released April 29], but I just wanted to say I love Uso to bits. Probably helped that I heard it a lot during my trip in Japan – even playing over the PA system in a fish market in Hakodate. I guess it’s typical vk-lite Jrock that you’ll either love to bits or hate with a passion, with very little in between. Needless to say I am fast becoming a staunch Sid fan, filling the void in my heart left by the demise of both Pierrot and Janne da Arc (in theory).

Shinkyoku Sokai Polyphonica Crimson S Chara Song Vol.1 – Tatara Pholon & Psyche Renbart. Kamiya Hiroshi & Konishi Katsuyuki

Hah. I was expecting to hate this based on the fact that the charasong album from the first series was god-awful, but I was wrong. Neither Kamiya nor Konishi’s singing skills are worth writing home about (Konishi’s enunciation is particularly dreadful), but what helps is that both songs are very, very solid – not at all anison – a bit like cheesy Johnnys/Chemistry ballads and something I wouldn’t be embarrassed to play aloud in the office. Kamiya’s Hikari no Senritsu is a particular fave, I like it so much I’ve dumped it onto my monthly iPod playlist. Place your bets on aliens invading planet earth tomorrow…

End Prophecy. Phantasm fes feat. Sakakibara Yui

Yui-nyan is at her best when she’s not trying to sing (through her nose) like a 6-year old, and the songs here (from various Chaos;Head productions) are some of her strongest ever – stuff like Zaika ni Keiyaku no Chi o, Shokuzai no Erotica and グラジオール (Glajioul) are dark, menacing and totally rocking.

Starting Over. Okui Masami (Final Approach 2 – 1st priority OP)

Starting Over is definitely one of Makkun’s catchiest, most immediate singles in recent memory so it’s a bit sad it only sold something like <1000 copies (thanks to the D-grade tie-in). If you really wanted to fault the song I suppose you could say that it doesn't really offer anything new to long-time fans or anything exciting to pull in new admirers. Might've sounded fresh and inventive 10 years ago, now it just sounds like your run of the mill anime song. Shame, I really do like it myself...

espacio. Ceui (SoraKake ED2)

I have this thing for breathy, whisper-like voices (you know what turns me on now!), which is what’s making Ceui rapidly become a personal favourite. Her music is just so… Arai Akino (read: quiet, ethereal)! Something that I just can’t resist.

Seisen Spectale. Ceui (Valkyrie Complex OP)

Read above first. OK, so Seisen Spectale is quite similar to espacio – in fact I had trouble telling them apart (or maybe I’m just deaf) but it doesn’t stop it being enjoyable.

Suteki na Kajitsu. Lisa Komine (Ristorante Paradiso ED)

I’ve been quite a fan of Komine’s since she debuted back in 2004 with Will (The Melody of Oblivion’s opening theme), she’s just got such a lovely smooth, versatile voice that could sing the blues the whole day long. Suteki na Kajitsu is light-hearted, carefree, whimsical and makes for perfect listening on a lazy Sunday.

So-so
Ano Kaze ni Notte. pe’zmoku (Valkyria Chronicles ED)

There’s still very little of suzumoku’s folk sound apparent in his collaboration project with pe’z, but Ano Kaze ni Notte is a great improvement from the song they did for Naruto (Gallop). And then it all goes to shit on the c/w songs again.

Wonder Wind. ELISA (Hayate no Gotoku!! OP)

Most of Wonder Wind actually hits the right spots – nice arrangement, great verses… it’s just the awfully monotonous chorus that kind of dampens proceedings.

IF:Kono Sekai de. CooRie (D.C. IF OP)

I’ve long tired of CooRie, her songs aren’t bad enough to hate but still not good enough to say I truly like them. She’s not produced material on the level of Sonzai or Taisetsu na Negai for absolutely ages, and this falls somewhere in between listenable and boring.

Marigold/Cristalism. orange pekoe (Ristorante Paradiso OP)

I’ve never really gotten into orange pekoe’s music, they’re like dorlis but without the voice and tunes.. and Marigold is pretty much more of the same snooze-inducing jazz/soul/funk, reedeemed only by the wonderfully understated KUKUI. Just one good song can save a single from mediocrity!

Break & Peace. DUSTZ (Sengoku Basara ED)

Like a lower-pitched, less intense Jam Project… oh yeah, that’s what UVERworld essentially is. Right, so DUSTZ aren’t actually too bad – the songs are serviceable if not notable. OK I’m just trying hard to ignore how bizarre their afros look on the cover, it just somewhat kills whatever enthusiasm I have for the music.

Kimi Shinitamo Koto Nakare. May’n (Shangri-la OP)

I feel there’s a decent tune in there waiting to burst out but somehow it never quite got to the surface; almost catchy but not quite. I’m not personally a huge fan of the way May’n sings, it’s like she’s swallowing and spitting her words out with venom. Or like she has constipation. She almost sounds like she wants to murder the song sometimes…

Rescue Fire. JAM PROJECT (Tomica Hero OP)

Typical JamPro song, typical sentai song. Nothing wrong with a hot-blooded sing-a-long once in a while yeah? Probably won’t be listening to this a few weeks down the line though, the shouting gets to me.

Kannagi OST Nagioto 2. Kousaki Satoru

The first half of the CD is full of comedic tracks (which deserve to be skipped instantly) – the rest are all slower, more dramatic, pensive tracks reflecting the heavier mood of the tail-end of the Kannagi anime. That long-awaited instrumental version of motto Hade ni ne (Hitori) is fantastic, as is the corresponding version of Musuhi no Toki (Musuhino). Other highlights include Futari wa, the sentai battle theme Hissatsu and Nanohana. So it’s half a decent soundtrack, half a decent coaster.

Shitpile
Ga-Rei Character Song Vol.4 – Iwahata Koji & Naboo Bros. Inada Tetsu & Wakamoto Norio
………..this is what I imagine music made in hell sounds like. Random Wakamoto rapping… how much more wrong could it possibly get?

Netsuretsu Kangei Wonderland. Ueda Kana, Koshimizu Ami, Kugimiya Rie, Shiraishi Ryoko & Ito Shizuka
Eh. I have little tolerance for anime songs where they get 5-6 seiyuu and make them all sing at the same time. It’s like listening to shrill pixies shrieking.

Koi no Uta. Tomatsu Haruka (Polyphonica Crimson S ED)
What sucks more, the song or Tomatsu’s singing? Oh I know what sucks most… me. Cos I bought the single despite knowing how appalling it is (Tomatard right here). I…I can’t help it, she’s cute :3

Zankoku na Tenshi no Teze 2009. Takahashi Yoko (EVA something)
The world really doesn’t need another version of Curel Angel’s Theses. It really doesn’t.

Niji no Recipe. sukimaswitch (contains Kemono no Souja Erin OP)
I can’t remember when sukimaswitch’s music started getting so depressingly dull, the only recipe here is a cure for insomnia.

Gekkou no Chigiri. Yousei Teikoku (Kurokami ED2)
I normally like their quieter stuff, but despite the prettiness of the arrangement Gekkou no Chigiri goes nowhere fast. A bit too dull for me (oh please don’t sing this at Animelo).

Hatsukoi Limited. Character Song Vol.1 – Enomoto Kei & Dobashi Rika. Ito Shizuka & Kotobuki Minako
The main reason I looked out for this was the chance to hear Kotobuki handle a song by herself and her singing was fine, the problem was that the song (and Shizuka’s as well) sucked balls. When will her talents be put to better use..

Fuwa Fuwa Time. Sakurakou K-ON BU
Never took to Fuwa Fuwa Time when it first played in the anime – and it’s been surpassed by the stapler song anyhow.

Asu e no Kizuna. HIMEKA (Valkyria Chronicles OP)
Being mildly catchy isn’t enough these days. Gaijin angle blabla, the fact is that Asu e no Kizuna is just very average, flat and has nothing that sets it apart from the zillion other anime themes out there.

Spiral/link. angela (Asura Cryin’ OP/ED)
Lost in the great big sea of May anime themes.

Sakura kimi ni sakimasu youni. Tange Sakura
She gave up making Kinomoto Sakura hoe~~~ to make bland music like this. Oy vey.

GIVE ME UP. Tamaki Nami (Yatterman ED)
Disco. Repetitive. Not good. Seriously the chorus just goes ‘Give me up! Oooh~~~~’ over and over, which half made me think that my foobar had gotten stuck and was looping the same line.