Silent Bible didn’t reach #1 at Oricon Charts this time, but I think this single is quite better than PHANTOM MINDS. Juujika no Spread was the only one track which blown me away, with such epicness and greatness. PHANTOM MINDS was great too.

On the other side, I liked the four tracks from Silent Bible (not as much as Juujika no Spread though).

1. Silent Bible

Main track is great, and when I say great, it’s great ! It starts slowly and softly, and then gets a nice pace (not too fast, but smooth). I really love how quiet and strong parts are mixed up : some cool and sweet parts that announce some intense ones; a pattern that repeats itself quite a lot but isn’t neither boring nor annoying. I don’t have the need to describe how awesome Nana’s singing is -I believe this fact is already known by you all-, but an example of amazing parts is 3’35-3’42 ! I really love the pitch she reached there, reminded me of an eternal diva !

But seriously, what is with that title ? Has Nana-ism become official as a religion ?  XDDD

2. Polaris

For one different song from usual, this is one hell of a good one ! R’nB influence, woohoo ! I could never had imagined she would do that kind of song, but she did it ! A soft song that have R’nB-like beats. It somehow reminded me of some songs from Niconico (the “Utatte Mita” category). For a first try (I suppose it’s her first time singing along a R’nB-typed pace and sounding) it’s pretty good !

3.UNCHAIN∞WORLD

Here you go with the fast, strong, electrical song ! Actually, the first part in which Nana sang is quiet, but the song eventually gets more and more power. I really love how her voice can get sweet and “diva-ish”, and then totally strong and mighty. How she can mix high and low-pitched tone is just astonishing. No wonder I totally fell in love with her. <3

4. undercover

My favorite track (though it was quite hard to determine which one actually is ! XD). Instrumental may not sound that original, it’s just some violin, beats, electric guitar, mixed up in an usual way. But this song has something really special I can’t describe, especially in how Nana sings it. Maybe it’s how natural she sounds… I don’t know. But definitely my favorite track, then followed by Silent Bible.

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Now I’m going back killing myself for not attending Live Academy. ;___;

See ya people !

Today is 21st, January, 2010.
This girl is now 30.
Yeah, she IS 30.

Ahah no she’s actually eternal-17. ;DD

水樹奈々さん、お誕生日おめでとうございます！
To celebrate, I made my Top Favorites Nana’s songs list !

I’ve never done this so far because it is kind of really hard to distinguish which songs I like the most compared to others. And the more songs I want to add in a Top List, the harder it goes. So I’ll limit this Top List with only 30 songs, since she’s turning 30. <3
And before we start, this will be a Studio songs list. I will try not to consider the quality of how the songs sound like when performed live, which means some songs won’t appear in the list. There will be exceptions though, because some songs are definitely too awesome in Live to not be noticed, starting with this one :

30. POWER GATE

When I first heard this song, it was in its studio version, and I didn’t really pay attention to it. ‘Course it was a good song, yet not that awesome. But then I started watching some concerts, and how Nana sang it was… … astonishing. Each time this song goes live, the crowd goes crazy. Otagei ftw. Since then, every time I listen to this song (studio ver), I have the pictures of the concerts coming in my mind, and this is just so power fulling, as the title suggests !

29. Crystal Letter

A nice and peaceful song that I discovered watching concerts, and totally loved it.

28. chronicle of sky

I discovered Nana with THE MUSEUM compilation and Great Activity, and this song was one of my first favorites. It is cool, catching and quite addictive.

27. Gimmick Game

I usually don’t like high-paced electro-pop song but Gimmick Game is the best. Except for…

26. Astrogation

Because it is her best one so far : the violin, the violin !

27. Blue Moon

The kind of song I quite like: slow and acoustic. Way better than Meikyuu Butterfly in my opinion.

26. Dancing in the velvet moon

The only reason why I fully watched Rosario to Vampire Season 1.

25. Orchestral Fantasia

Like chronicle of sky, Orchestral Fantasia was one my early favorites songs from Nana. I really liked the PV, which started to make of me a fanboy, haha !

24. Innocent Starter

I’m part of the people that didn’t discover Nana through anime, and I seriously don’t remember precisely how I did (it was thanks to Minorin, I think). And I’ve never watched Nanoha but it seems that Innocent Starter is probably the song that launched Nana, through Nanoha. I personally don’t know if this is true or not, but Innocent Starter is definitely a mandatory top song, often considered as her best work so far.

21. Trinity Cross

I like it with no particular reason.

20. Brilliant Star

This song has been recently favorited by doing a full re-listening of MAGIC ATTRACTION. Like its title says, it’s just brilliant.

19. Taiyou ga Niau yo

My second favorite track from Shugo Chara anime. Acoustic guitar is the best.

18. Ano Hi Yume Mita Negai

Liked it because of its Studio Live version, but actually I listen to the normal version the most.

17. Sing Forever

Nana was so damn cute when she sang it in Live Formula, with tears in eyes… And the song itself is damn good ! Please Nana-san, as the title suggests it, SING FOREVER !

16. refrain -classico-

I don’t know how many times I looped that song at my early fan times. One of the song that made me realize the pureness and beauty of her voice.

15. Sora Kaze

Just read this. [LINK]

14. Etsuraku Camelia

Because sexy Nana showing her back is sexy. Probably the PV at which I lost the most of blood.

13. Aoki Hikari no Hate

I still don’t know whether I prefer the normal version or the Ultimade Mode one, but this song is really addictive !

12. Pray

I love how she sounds so cool on this track, like a knight (knightess ?) protecting her beloved ! Pray makes a seriously good ring-tone ! Never changed it since then !

11. Heart-shaped chant

Because Agematsu Mika’s harp + Nana’s voice = pure ownage.

10. Shin Ai

Because Agematsu Mika’s harp + Nana’s voice = pure ownage. [2]

9. BLACK DIAMOND

Both Major and Indies version are in the list actually, but special point to the Major because of the violin parts !

8. Chinmoku no Kajitsu

The best ULTIMATE DIAMOND original songs, period.

7. Trickster

Because a cappella Nana is the best. And the PV is so goooood ! She looks so cool in her black outfit ! <3 There are times I really like a song and loop it, but then get a bit bored and I switch to another one. Trickster is the only song I can’t get bored of, that’s why I give it the special 7th position (it probably deserves to be 4th or 3rd though).

6. DISCOTHEQUE

CHULU CHULU CHULU PAYA-PA ! Does I really need to say why this song is in this top list ? Well, actually the song itself is not that awesome, but take a look when it goes live… XDDDD

5. Tenkuu no Canaria

Just read this to understand. [LINK]

4. Kimi ga Kureta Kiseki

Among the slowest of her songs, Kimi ga Kureta Kiseki is the best from them. My favorite Nanoha song so far.

3. Eien no Utahime

First opera song from Nana, and I totally fell in love. Just read this. [LINK]

2. Thermidor -Vingt-Sept-

When I discovered that special single, I was like… … OHMYGOD. It is a very different song from her usual one. In fact, Thermidor was a character song back from 2000 (her debut ! that was 10 years ago omg .__.), from the NOeL La neige character mini-album “depart Chisato X Nana.” The -Vingt-Sept- version (which means 27 in French) is a remastered version she did after the release of THE MUSEUM (she was 27 at that time). Thermidor -Vingt-Sept- is now really hard to find because it wasn’t sold but offered to those who bought the Livedom DVD and The Museum. That means I will never get my hands on it if I don’t buy from Yahoo! Auctions… ;___; By the way, if someone has it, can s/he rip it for me in a totally lossless quality ? >.<’

1. Tears’ Night (STUDIO LIVE VERSION)

Ok, this is not a really full studio song, because it was recorded in live conditions. Tears’ Night normal version is also in the my favorites songs, and is already awesome, and yet Studio Live is way way way way better. Acoustic instruments and Nana’s pure live voice are just AMAZING, combined altogether. I don’t listen to that song that much lately, but I believe this song will remains 1st, and will never be dethroned.

Some other special songs I often listen to :

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Yozakura o Shichi : because Nana as an enka singer is total win.
Kawachi Otoku Bushi : same.
Sky High and Yo ni wa Hana Yume ni Hoshi : two very short songs from Happy Dance Collection. There are somewhat addictive.
Juujika no Spread may also be in this top (among the 30 firsts) but it’s a bit too early to decide on which place (and it doesn’t really matter actually).

_

Ok, 7 posts about Nana in a row, my blog is officially a Nana fanblog. OTZ

Yes, this blog is turning into a Nana fanblog, and I don’t care anymore ! XD

First, sorry for the lack of blog updates for the past 2 weeks, I was very busy with school and all… But I’ve prepared some entries (starting with this one… which I didn’t prepared actually XD) and I should post them sooner or later. Just you wait. Oh and yeah, they are mostly about Nana, sorry. OTZ

You should know by now that PHANTOM MINDS reached #1 at the Oricon Weekly Single Charts with 53000+ copies sold, which makes another record for Mizuki Nana : being the first seiyuu to do that. And I’m really proud to be part of those who contributed ! It’s such a wonderful feeling, I think.

Okay so now let’s start with the review. Sorry for the lack of presentation of each track though, I’m quite lazy and don’t have that much time to spare doing that ! =P

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1.PHANTOM MINDS

The beginning of the track is really great : violin, drums and piano are quite the big deal of this track, which undeniably makes me happy. The pace is quite fast of course and Nana sings as usual, with no particular voice (the usual one).  Overall, it’s a pretty good track, but I didn’t get caught that much by it. It is alright, and probably will go into my playlist, but hmmm… it lacks something.

2. Don’t be long

This track somewhat reminded me of her past songs (2006-2007 era). It has the fast pace, the strong feeling and the charm that I loved. But here again it is just an OK song, not that awesome nor epic (I think it will be hard to surpass The Eternal Diva’s level of epicness XDD).

3. Song Communication

A cute track in which Nana’s sings with a lovely voice. The track makes you happy and high for the day, it’s a nice song if you are sad ! Other than that, it’s not the song of the year…

4. Juujika no Spread

Ok, here’s the real deal. My favorite track of the single, and what a track ! His awesomness is as high as Tenkuu no Canaria in Mugen single. The pace is fast but not too much. Instruments are a mix of violin, piano, beats, and electric guitare (not that original with Nana’s songs though). The songs gives a similar feeling as Tenkuu no Canaria, I don’t know how to explain it properly but you should understand by listening to it. It’s a really addictive song ! Nana’s voice is as usual, maybe more stylish : I really love how she sounds when she sings “翼も持たずに”, or the “一つになれる” parts for example, she sounds so coool !

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To conclude, I am actually a bit disappointed by this single. Well, maybe it’s because of the epicness of The Eternal Diva, but PHANTOM MINDS single isn’t enough catchy to my taste. Juujika no Spread is a really big deal, and PHANTOM MINDS is alright. There aren’t bad tracks though, but not what I will really remember for the rest of my life.

Short review finished and I can’t believe I posted 6 Nana related entries in a row… OTZ

No, my blog won’t turn into a Mizuki Nana fanblog, I promise… … I hope. orz

I received this single along with The Eternal Diva but I didn’t have the time to properly listening to it until now (Xmas, New Year, Live DiamondxFever, The Eternal Diva, Kouhaku, etc… … nana fanboy spotted orz).

I’ve never watched Full Metal Alchemist, and I didn’t watched Brotherhood. I don’t even know what type of character Lan Fan is, and I actually don’t care. =P

The single features only two songs, with their instrumental version, putting the count to 4 tracks.

1. 空風 (Sora Kaze)

The song starts with a short (3 seconds) bass solo : I don’t know why but I really enjoyed that. Then appear electric guitar and drums : the pace is fast but very catchy. Then the song goes really slow : a first lonely acoustic guitar plays on the left, Nana begins singing, and then a second guitar starts playing on the right. Gosh, I loved that slow part, Nana’s voice was quite deep and somewhat “cool” (badass girl y’know ?). Pace gets faster as the song goes, electric guitar, drums, and bass coming back. As a contrast, Nana never gets fast and sings very slowly through all the track. Her way of singing is quite different from usual, and I personally felt the voice of a lonely warrior.

Sora Kaze went into my favorite Nana’s songs, so it’s a 5/5.

->Youtube

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2.そっと、そっと (Sotto, sotto)

Sotto, sotto starts with an acoustic guitar on the left, then another one on the right, and some drums. The song is quite slow, more like of a ballad song. Here again when Nana sings, I feel the voice of a lonely warrior : that voice is so cool and sexy, I hope she’ll sing more song this way ! There are a lots of “claps claps” too, which add a “Festive Town” feeling to the song. I really loved the guitars’ playing in this track since I’m addicted to all kind of acoustic songs; and simple guitar is the best.

That song also went into my favorites, so it’s a 5/5, though I prefer Sora Kaze a little more.

->Youtube

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To conclude, if you like acoustic guitar, this single is made for you. If you are a Nana fan, you should try listening to it since Nana sings quite differently from all her others songs : slow and deep (but not so deep actually) and cool voice.

Sora Kaze manages to mix up slow and fast parts, while Sotto, sotto is clearly a ballad-typed song. Overall, this single is worth the price !

I’ll say it clearly now : I personally think this single made my year. Of course Mugen was a really really good single, but this Opera song is so damn crazy and epic (I think the word epic is so well adapted for this matter !), overwhelming, astonishing, etc…

I think most of you people should know by now that a Professor Layton movie has been released in Japanese theater a few days ago. I don’t know its plot, nor I was really a fan of Layton games, but the fact that Mizuki Nana is playing one major role interested me.

Jenis Quatlane, the character Nana’s playing, is an opera singer, The Eternal Diva, and at some parts of the movie she has to sing. We didn’t get to know first if Nana would sing the Opera or not, cuz she’s never done that. It was decided she indeed would, and here you go !

The single is consisting of 8 short tracks (lenght from 30sec to 2min) and a 7 (nana!) minutes long track. I was really surprised at the number of the tracks ! Many are shorts though, but it gives to the single another total feeling than if it was a single track.

The 9 tracks are similar between them : the melody stays at some extent the same for all the tracks, but the dynamic, the way instruments are played, the pace are different. I find this very great, since you are given some other feelings to experience, and not a unique track.

First track (思い出のレコード) is 1’19 long, starts quite slowly, and Nana’s starts singing very soon. You are given here some piano, and a long part of accordion ! That first taste of Nana’s opera voice is incredible. I was like “hey wait, it’s only the first track !?”.

The second track (この幸せよ永遠に) is somehow the continuation of the first one, but here you are given a much better taste of Nana’s voice. And there one can say : “does Nana’s awesomness know no bonds ?”. Even though her singing part is very short in this track, which lenght 1’46, you can already tell that this single is going to be amazing : violon and piano always make my day.

Go on to the third track (はかなき命の旅立ち) : harp makes its appearance while Nana starts singing directly, with a deep and low voice, along with a slow pace behind. She’s singing during a long part, and manage to reach high-pitched notes so easily and beautifully that it makes me going nuts. And of course, Nana’s listeners know that Nana+Harp is a deadly 100% health bar combo.

And it’s exactly the purpose of the fourth track (ジェニスの涙) (1’38 lenght) which is a duet harp and brass (don’t really know which one, sorry orz). Nana is not singing in this track though, but…

…but here now the fifth track (永遠の歌姫 – Eien no Uta Hime) already : the real deal. Lenght is about 7 (nana!) minutes, and it starts very low and deep, making the appearance of an organ with Nana singing Aaah~Aaah~Aaaahhh~ for almost 2 minutes ! At 1’55 start the harp, violon, and Nana’s singing lyrics. There are also some deep beats behind. Nana is singing very slowly. Of course the usual opera singers can go very crazy with high-piched or very deep and low notes, but Nana did a good job for this Opera theme : I personally think her enka skills give to this opera a unique feeling.  The epicness of this song is something I’ve never heard yet -I assure you, this statement was not totally biased-. Words are seriously lacking to describe this song.

The sixth (星の歌) is an organ solo of 35 seconds while the seventh (海の歌) is a 47 seconds solo Nana’s singing Aaah~Aaah~Aaaaahh~. Yeah, just after an awesome 7 minutes track, you get a finishing end with a cappella Nana.

Wait, no, it’s not the end yet : the eighth song (太陽の歌) is the mixing of the sixth and the seventh, with violon and beats added. This song reminds me a lot of RPG music, you know, when the story goes epic and crysis. Yeah, epic. So damn epic.

And to end this beautiful experience, the ninth track (藍の思い出) is a duet harp+Nana’s Aaah~Aaah~Aaaaahh~+Chorus. If you are not already dead from awesomness at this point, I think this one should end you properly.

Now after having read that I hope you will buy this single (only a few remaining !!), because it is definitely worth it. If you can’t, then… download it, but… @_@’

Aoi Bungaku is a serie of adapted novels into anime. Some stories are in several parts, but they are not linked to each other.

However I won’t talk too much about the anime, but about Mizuki Nana’s acting voice.
And I’ll say it clearly : even though In the Woods beneath the Cherry Blossoms in full bloom lasts only 2 episodes, I think this is the best performance she did in acting voice for this year ! It’s just awesome ! YOU HAVE TO WATCH IT, NANATARDS !

Yeah I only watched this anime for fanboying purpose, but I think I’ll watch the other stories too, if time allows me.

Also there are two songs in the episode 5, of course performed by Goddess.

The first one is a Blues song, with a big american feeling. Her voice is so damn awesome as always, but this time we are given a very diva/blues voice, with of course instruments like sax, piano, etc… A very good song ! I think the title is 桜の誘惑 : if I’m correct, it’s read as Sakura no Yuuwaku (Cherry Temptation).

The song starts at 2’04.

The second is more of a ballad song, though listening to it while watching what is going on in the video is very WEIRD. It’s a slow song, not enka but I think it can be compared to that genre of song. It’s not in the depressing mood, which feels very wrong when you see the actual video (but really funny too XD, I actually prefer it that way hahaha) ! I think it’s a part of the anime, of being both depressing and comic.

The song itself is rather good, but too short ! I quite like it, but with the video in mind… XDDD

I may be wrong but the title is うしろの正面だあれ, which is read as Ushiro no Shoumen daare, which the fansubbers translated to “Who’s right behind me ?”, but I actually think it’s “Who’s right in front of me ?”. Dunno. If someone can enlight me.

There’s also a short song in the part 2 of this story, but it’s very short and very like the last song.

You really should watch this anime, at least the episode 5 and 6 ! I’m still watching the whole thing, but the Cherry Blossoms part is totally awesome ! Nana-san is incredible ! Not only she’s the best artist ever (YEAH ! SHE IS ! [/fanboy]) but her seiyuu skills are still in the place ! YEAH ! I’M DEFINITELY IN RAABU WITH THIS GIRL ! X____X

So if I kill my wives, Nana-san will be my waifu ? Right ? Right ? … … wait, I dont’ have any wife. OTZ

MOE !!!!

Second part of the entry about the music releases of October and November that interested me. First part can be found here.

HIMEKA – Hatenaki Michi

I think most of the nanatards know by now that HIMEKA is a huge fan of Mizuki Nana. Himeka is a Quebécois anison artist. I don’t know about her though, and discovering that she was a fan of Goddess made me want to see if she was a good singer or not. She promoted her new single, 果てなき道 (Hatenaki Michi), on Mizuki Nana’s radio show Mの世界 (M no sekai), and released it four days ago.

First track, 果てなき道, is a slow song, somewhat like a ballad. It’s a good song to get an idea about Himeka’s voice, because there aren’t much instruments, but they are those I like the more : violin, harp, piano. She has a really particular voice, or should I say, a particular Japanese accent. Well, being Quebécoise isn’t surprising (Quebécois speaking French is SO funny XD). But I can’t say her voice is bad, because it’s so damn good ! >.< Second track, 空を教えてくれる (Sora wo Oshiete kureru), is faster, but still has the same feeling than the first one. Of course the singing is a bit different, and somewhat gives the feeling of an “epic” song, as we usually see in anime.

To conclude, it’s an excellent single to start discovering HIMEKA. She’s really a good singer, and this single is really something you have to listen if you are curious about her ! I think I’ll follow up her works starting from now ! And hey, she’s a Mizuki Nana fan !

Rating : 4.5/5

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MONKEY MAJIK – Nijiiro no Sanaka / Open Happiness / MONSTER

I’m a huge fan of MONKEY MAJIK : their music versatility totally fits my tastes : sometimes lounge, sometimes pop-rock, sometimes blues/hip-hop. This single features three totally different tracks : first one, 虹色の魚 (Nijiiro no Sakana), has a good vibe with electric guitars and drums : simple song with simple singing and good lyrics (though I didn’t understand everything ;D). I really love how MONKEY MAJIK are able to mix Japanese and English, thanks to their Canadian singers. Open Happiness is not really original, being alike a lot of their past songs. Here again it’s a simple song, very peaceful, acoustic… Classic, but it’s what I like. It only lacks a bit of originality. As opposed to that, MONSTER is really particular. Not a song I really like, but maybe I should spend more time listening to it. It’s darker, more synthetic, and voices are reworked a lot.

To conclude, the single is a bit disappointing. I thought that with 3 tracks, it would be worth the deal : only Open Happiness really catches me. But it is so alike their past songs… Nijiiro no Sanaka is just alright, not that catching.

Rating : 3/5

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Okay, that’s it all for October/November. I’m way too tired to continue writing about others songs, and I don’t have much time anymore ! Hope you enjoyed the reading !

]]> http://pigeonnotaku.com/2009/11/29/october-november-jmusic-part-2/feed/lang/en/ 4 http://pigeonnotaku.com/2009/11/28/october-november-jmusic/ http://pigeonnotaku.com/2009/11/28/october-november-jmusic/#comments Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:17:00 +0000 pigeonnotaku http://pigeonnotaku.com/?p=224 Two whole weeks without writing anything, I had to do a big entry !

Here are new songs (except Nana ;D) I’ve listened released in October and November. Hopefully I’ll do a second part of this entry tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

Part 2 is available here.

YUI – It’s all too much / Never Say Die

Her precedent single, again, was just awesome. This time again, YUI doesn’t disappoint me, but I have the feeling that she’s currently lacking creativity : her songs are starting to be very alike. So, there’s no need to describe It’s all too much and Never Say Die : if you like YUI, you will like this single ;D (no I’m not doing my lazy guy) However, the YUI acoustic (played and sang by YUI) of again (third track) is awesome.

Rating : 4/5

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May’n – Styles

The “first album” (it was actually a mini-album) of May’n was so-so : only her solo version of Lion was interesting, but the one featuring Nakajima Megumi is way better. What’s about of Styles ?

Well, it’s a really good album, but clearly pop oriented, with some hip-hop at some points. First track, Get Ready, gives the tone : “get ready cuz the feeling’s right, get ready we can take all right”. Fortunately, May’n is pretty good in English. The track is heavily pop oriented, but that doesn’t make a bad track, and we are already given a good sensation at the start ! キミシニタモウコトナカレ (Kimi Shini Tamou Koto Nakare) and standing bird are quite similar, less pop oriented, darker, more calm but they remain quite dynamic. XYZ is even more peaceful, and according to May’n, after A B C comes X Y Z ! ;D *joke* Let me be myself is an excellent track, even more peaceful, less synthetic, more pop-rock than pop. Deep Breathing is the ballad of this album, with only acoustic instruments (piano, drums…) and chorus. Very restful. Welcome to My FanClub’s Night! -Styles ver.- is probably my favorite track with Get Ready, because it starts with a good violin solo, then follows up with a guitar solo, and the combination of them both during the whole track is excellent. Lyrics are all in English, and we realize that May’n is really good in English, as opposed to some other anison artists ! XD Strangely, the further you go into the album, the lesser the songs are interesting : h@e me? h@e you! is allright, but パラノイア (Paranoia), and YOUR ROCK don’t have anything special. M-Revolution is somewhat the happy-song of the album, andHeart & Soul is an acoustic guitar ballad, in an American feeling.

To conclude, it’s a good album, you shall listen to it if you’re either a anison fan, a pop liker, or a May’n fan !

Rating : 3.5/5
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Hirano Aya – Speed Star

Aya is really really far from being an excellent singer (yes, you fanboy, clean your ears !) : her voice is really high-pitched, not very original (in her songs, I mean), and she wastes way too much energy when she sings. And yet she’s an amazing seiyuu, with a huge potential and an amazing versatility in her voice (we could only experience with Konata though, I admit). I was curious about that new album of her, so let’s taste a bit of it.

stereotype~inst~ is… err… a sort of techno track, with mainly “instruments”. Not what I really like. Super Driver is the opening of Suzumiya Haruhi second season. I hated the anime (to some extent), and… I hate this song too. Her voice… well, it’s Haruhi singing. =/ Sing a Song!, Kiss me and アイシテ！ (Aishite!) are as weird : when Aya hits high notes or long syllable, it just goes wrong. Oh my darlin’ is completely surprising, a “kawaii” (it sounds fake actually) that we aren’t given to hear often. At some times, you really wonder if it’s Aya. 8D The track is peaceful, really likeable since she doesn’t scream. XD I really liked 水たまり (Mizu Tamari) and あの花のように (Ano Hana no youni), which are two calm and acoustic tracks.VOXX is really pop-rock oriented, with notable electric guitar and a voice nearly “diva”. A darker track, but a really good one ! Set me free is alright as long as we don’t hit those particular notes. This time again, it’s pop-rock oriented, featuring drums, guitars… pretty common, but the song globally is good. Lock-On sounds like VOXX, but in a more synthetic way. スピード☆スター (Speed☆Star) is very similar to Super Driver, maybe a bit less exaggerated in the screams. Finally the album ends with an old single, Unnamed World (ending theme of Nijuu mensou no musume, a really good anime btw), which is an alright track, still very pop-rock.

To conclude, it’s Hirano Aya. Globally, the songs remain in the high-pitched domain, with some exceptions here and there. I wonder if Aya will sing back songs like Doushite… or Rule DE MY Chisujo… ;_;

Rating : 2/5

This new single comes after an excellent first one, Mind as Judgment, opening for Canaan anime. I’ve became a Faylan fan thanks to Canaan Promo Single Arousing Soul, and I liked what she has done so far.

And fortunately, I sing by my soul does not disappoint me either… except maybe for the cover, on which she looks weird. ;D

It’s a 2 tracks single, with off-vocal version of them, putting the count to 4 tracks.

1. I sing by my soul

2. All I can do is singing for you

1. Mugen

Original title : 夢幻

TV Anime [White Album] OP Theme / Animero Mix TV-CM Song

Lyrics : Mizuki Nana

Composition : Agematsu Noriyasu (Elements Garden)

Arrangement : Fujita Junpei (Elements Garden)

This is  White Album Season 2 Opening Theme. I’m not watching this anime for some reasons (it suxx), but knowing Mizuki Nana voices the main heroine I have to look forward to it, for songs, of course.

How is Mugen ? Surprising.

It’s not the genre of songs Nana-san used to sing, and it precisely surprised me. Some may say it’s a darker version of 深愛 (Shin Ai – 19th single), and it may be true actually. But the comparison is really too vague.

Now if you look around the web, you’ll see a lot of people HATING this song, and some LIKING it. Those who like it seems to also like ALI-Project, and it did not surprise me : Mugen gives me somewhat an ALI-Project feeling, though I’m not really into ALI-Project, so I’m not a specialist. I say that not because of the video clip, which I’ll talk about in few lines, but because I have the feeling that some Nana’s songs are likely to share some common points with Arika’s, lately. Not a bad thing though for her, she’s making new fans !

What about the song itself ? It’s not a bad one. At first listenings on Niconico, I did like it. Nana-san worked with Elements Garden for this song, which it’s very good cuz this combo often wins. But I can’t tell that it is this time. Instrumental are not bad if you look at each instrument : piano part is really good, electric guitar and battery give a nice dynamic to the song. But I was used to better than this from Elements Garden : it’s not bad, but it could have been way better. The song is not as catchy as it should be, a bit “messy”. Nana’s has taken a darker voice, and it’s not what I really like. Sounds like a forced voice for a *crappy* anime, hum.

So this genre of song is definitely not what I like the most. And the MV (video clip) don’t get things better : it scared the crap out of me O___O It’s… it’s… WAIT. WHAT IS THAT THING ?!? God, I’ve never seen such a video clip from Nana. Okay, it looks like they have spent some money into it, but… but… heeey. DDD;

I’ll be honest : this clip is a pure fail. How it connects to the song itself is a mystery. I don’t see the point ? Well, have a look yourself :

Danie sumed up it very well : http://jouttex.otadesho.com/mugen-pv-is-f-ing-scary/

Considering the track itself (minus MV) I give an overall score of 4/5.

2. Tenkuu no Canaria

Original title : 天空のカナリア

[Tales of Symphonia THE ANIMATION Thethe'alla Arc] Opening Theme

Lyrics : Hibiki

Composition/Arrangement : Katou Yuusuke

First thing I said when knowing the second track title is : WHAT THE FUCK THIS TITLE MEANS ?! XDDDDD Canary’s Sky ? Wait, what is a canary ? Nanette ? XDDDD

This song is the Opening Theme for Tales of Symphonia next OAV. I don’t really watch Tales of series anime, but maybe I’ll have a look (actually, I don’t even have the time to watch my favorite anime… orz).

Lyrics are by Hibiki, which we’ve already experienced with songs such as Astrogation (18th Single), or Gimmick Game (ULTIMATE DIAMOND album). I am usually scared at the lot of engrish Hibiki’s used to putting in Nana’s songs (and maybe other artists’ ones), but Tenkuu no Canaria doesn’t have that lot of it. Actually, I don’t mind engrish, Nana-san singing in english is so fun ! XD

Now what about the song ? IT-IS-MADE-OF-PURE-WIN. It completely makes me forget the average Mugen !! I repeat : IT-IS-MADE-OF-PURE-WIN.

Why ? VIOLIN. VIOLIN. VIOLIN. The instrument the most beautiful ever created by human being : VIOLIN. VIOLIN. Hum.

Add to VIOLIN (ok I should put my caps lock off) the PIANO (should, should). Now, do you understand ? XD

So yes, the instrumental of this song is nearly perfect, violin and piano combo is awesome. It’s the first time Nana works with Katou Yuusuke, and I’m definitely going to look forward him now ! How he arranged violin and piano is incredible, and he added some beats to give a fast pace to the song. It’s… it’s… woah ! And there’s also some little chorus in the background !! x___x I can’t describe how amazing this song is. Nana is of course perfect too (I’m a fanboy, remember ?). She did not take any particular voice this time, just singing with her “natural” voice -I call it like that because it’s the one I like the most-, so for my tastes, it’s perfect.

And so the score is 7/5… wait, 5/5. XD

3. Dear Dream

TBS [Card Gakuen] Ending Theme

Lyrics / Composition : Shihori

Arrangement : Saitou Shinya, IPEMOTO

If I remember correctly, Gimmick Game was also an Opening/Ending Theme for TBS Card Gakuen (some japanese random show). Shihori is known for lots of Nana’s songs but I don’t remember having heard any arranged by IPEMOTO. Saitou Shinya did for Level Hi! (SECRET AMBITION single), but it’s not a song I often listen to.

Here you go with a happy song. This track is somewhat really cheerful, pleasant to hear. The composition and arrangement are quite good, with beats, electric guitars and bass, making of this song a very high fast-paced one. The solo guitar is pretty amazing ! There’s not a lot to say after hearing Tenkuu no Canaria, though, but I really like this song -more than Mugen-. There aren’t any things to criticize about Nana’s voice here, she sings like usual, meaning godly.

SHE’S MY GODDESS AFTER ALL.

The score is something around 4.5 and 5/5.

4. STORIES

NipponTV [27th Mori no Miyako Zen-Nihon Joshi Daigaku Ekiden] Image Song

Lyrics : Kanda Leo, Saita Kazunori

Composition : Saitou Yoshihiro

Arrangement : Furukawa Takahiro

I’m a bit lazy to look which songs are written/composed/arranged by those guys, and my memory isn’t that good currently, so if you know some Nana’s songs related to STORIES, tell me !

This track is the theme song for a sports show (I think ?), like a Marathon or something in Japan. I don’t know exactly what it is, but it shows people running -painfully- ! XD

The song is beautifully composed so it gives you some energy to fight against pain, exhaustion, life, school, teachers, assignments …wait.

But yeah, I really, really, really, like this song. If Tenkuu no Canaria wasn’t that amazing, STORIES would have been the perfect song to listen before going to jail school. Like I said, it gives energy. Lots of. The instrumental part may be somewhat messy, but not actually, because the song is more of a fast ballad than a high paced song. And I love when Nana goes singing nearly acapella for few seconds : it makes the song so peaceful. Really, it’s a wonderful song, not too fast, not too slow (though I don’t know what is a “too slow” song)… A fresh song, well balanced.

Score is of course 5/5.

So here you go, this single is totally a win. Although the first track is not really good, it is still average. The 3 other songs are totally amazing, one of them near the perfection, while the two others will definitely be in my fav playlist.

Four A-Side tracks is probably a lot of work for Nana-san, and she’s probably a bit exhausted -she did two concert, one album, and two single  (and many other things like concert show, etc…) in a year-period ! o___o-. Here’s the reason how I admire her so much. How many artist can do that much, in top-notch quality ?

Ai raabu yu, nana-san ! <3 Come to France whenever you want ! Come visit the most -it’s not me who says that- beautiful city of the world : Paris ! XDDD

Now to wait for my copy to arrive. .___.

While I’m at it, giving you some fresh news :
Mizuki Nana will be in the Support Team of Kohaku, a big annual show featuring best artists from Japan (and other countries). She’ll blog during 60 days and then be in the cheering team : link.
21st single is already available at preorder O____O : link.

Wait wait wait, there’s too much news ! STOP ! MY BRAIN IS EXPLODING ! XDDD