Review by AngelFlare
Nickname changes can be made in your account information.
-
Vampire Knight Guilty 2AnimationGorgeous!
The Vampire Knight DVDs are always top quality items, and this volume is certainly following that trend. The episodes play beautifully, excellent video and sound quality, plus the menu is stunningly beautiful. I'm so glad I pre-ordered a First Press copy! The desktop calendar comes housed in a clear box, and is made up of postcard size cards, illustrated with all the Vampire Knight promotional art, featured in magazines and the like. It is made so you will be able to add the rest of the calendar cards that come in the next two First Press volumes. Another great release!
-
Rule / Sparkle [CD+DVD / Jacket A]Ayumi HamasakiCatchy!
Rule and Sparkle are both amazingly catchy songs!! Ayu's vocals sound lovely and powerful. The remixes for Rule are both very pretty, but I believe the original track surpasses them. The CD also features instrumentals so you can sing the songs too! The DVD includes the Rule PV and making of. It is a great PV, and the making of video is very interesting to watch. The First Press comes with a picture label: the CD has been printed with a drawing, the manga version of Ayu drawn by mangaka Akira Toriyama, of worldwide fame due to Dragonball. I also received a big poster with my order. It is a simple, yet amazing release by Ayu!
-
Rule / Sparkle [Type A / Jacket B]Ayumi HamasakiLovely Version!
Rule and Sparkle are both amazingly catchy songs!! Ayu's vocals sound lovely and powerful. The remixes for Rule are both very pretty, but I believe the original track surpasses them. The CD also features instrumentals so you can sing the songs too! The exclusive tracks for this version are a Days remix and a Days acoustic orchestra version. The remix, 8-BITS OF TEARS YMCK remix, features fun instrumentals that seem taken from an old videogame. The Acoustic Orchestra version is moving, making the song even more beautiful that it already was. If you love Ayu's work, this release is just for you!
-
Rule / Sparkle [Type B / Jacket C]Ayumi HamasakiGreat Release!
Rule and Sparkle are both amazingly catchy songs!! Ayu's vocals sound lovely and powerful. The remixes for Rule are both very pretty, but I believe the original track surpasses them. The CD also features instrumentals so you can sing the songs too! The exclusive tracks for this version are a GREEN remix and a GREEN Acoustic Orchestra Version. The remix, CMJK SPRING STORM mix, is very catchy, and gives the song a nice twist. The Acoustic Orchestra version is superb, and dramatic. Truly a wonderful version! If you love Ayu's work, this release is just for you!
-
Eien no Setsuna [Regular Edition]ON/OFFA Great Song!
ON/OFF's debut single is amazing! Eien no Setsuna is a beautiful song, with somewhat sad tunes, the melody is simply beautiful. The B-side, Wasurarenu Hitomi, is more mellow, but still a great song. The CD also features instrumental versions of both songs. Great songs and great vocals, very promising!
-
Hana KagariON/OFFSimply Beautiful
Hana Kagari is a gorgeous song! It is a lovely ballad. The B-side provides a wonderful contrast, being a catchy and happy song. Once again, the vocals are wonderful! The First Press came with one of three cards, chosen at random: Kazuya version, Naoya version, and ON/OFF version. The sticker in the front of the CD tells you which one you got. I got the Naoya version. It's very cute! I'm really looking forward to their album!
-
Shinshoku Dolce [w/ DVD, Limited Edition]Kanon WakeshimaBeautiful
Kanon's first album does not disappoint. It is filled with amazing and entrancing songs, both the instrumentals and her vocals are top quality. If you've liked her singles so far, you will LOVE Shinsoku Dolce! Since her singles come in CD only format, the Limited Edition is the only way to gain acces to her two lovely PVs in DVD format. It also comes with a beautiful Vampire Knight sticker.
-
Shinshoku Dolce [Regular Edition]Kanon WakeshimaBeautiful Album
Kanon's first album does not disappoint. It is filled with amazing and entrancing songs, both the instrumentals and her vocals are top quality. If you've liked her singles so far, you will LOVE Shinsoku Dolce! The First Press came with a lovely Vampire Knight sticker. If you weren't able to get it, you can find the same sticker in every Limited Edition copy, plus you get a DVD with her two PVs.
-
Strength.abingdon boys schoolGreat Song!
Another amazing release from abingdon boys school!! STRENGTH. is a powerful rock song, featuring amazing vocals. If you're a fan, you will love it. The B-side, Freedom, is sung in English, and is a really catch song too. The First Press came with a really nice Soul Eater sticker!
-
Black Cherry [Jacket A / w/ 2DVD, Limited Edition]Kumi KodaDelicious
Black Cherry is one of Kumi's most versatile works yet. There are beautiful ballads, rock songs, pop tunes, and one of her best introductions ever (which was made into the full track "Black Cherry" for her Kingdom album). The bonus tracks are catchy, and Won't Be Long ~Red Cherry Version~ is specially pretty, with Kumi singing all the song by herself. The first DVD features all the PVs released for this album, plus one of Twinkle featuring SHOW, which is an amazing song! The second DVD features the one-episode drama "Cherry Girl". It is a very entertaining short story, but unfortunately carries no subtitles. However it is very easy to understand the story, and it is very nice to watch. The BGM includes songs from the album as well. A definitely great album that should not be missed!
-
Vampire Knight Guilty 1AnimationA Treat for Fans!
If you are a true Vampire Knight fan: Hurry and get the First Press!! The DVD container is GORGEOUS, drawn by Hino Matsuri-sensei herself, is it too perfect to describe. The box is made to fit all the VK DVDs from season 1 and 2. Definitely a bonus that should not be missed!! The rest of the First Press bonuses are just like the first season's: a special booklet with character and setting designs, a jacket card, and a pinup card which features the (beautiful!) jacket picture in normal colors. Guilty starts off just where the first Vampire Knight season left off, and it is a great start! Both episodes are entertaining, and, as usual, both the drawings and the voice acting are wonderful. Just make sure you get the First Press!!
-
Rinne Road Show [Vampire Edition, Limited Pressing]ON/OFFGreat Single
"Rondo" is the perfect song for Vampire Knight Guilty! Not only the music but also the lyrics are beautiful. The second track, "Rainy Lady", is a more upbeat song. It's really catchy and fun to listen to! "GO 2", the third track, has a different atmosphere than the rest of ON/OFF's songs, the verses have an "urban sound" feel that set this track apart from their previous work. Definitely a great track! The last track, "Ikusen no Nemuri no Hate", is a soft ballad, similar to "Asayake" (the fourth track on their previous single, "Futatsu no Kodou to Akai Tsumi") This song, however, has a more nostalgic feel to it, and both the melody and the vocals are lovely. A truly beautiful song. The Vampire Version is meant for true Vampire Knight fans! It has an amazingly gorgeous package, consisting on a 2CD-sized sleeve box featuring Vampire Knight artwork by Hino Matsuri-sensei (the single is one CD only, but you can use the box, for example, to keep "Futatsu no Kodou to Akai Tsumi [Vampire Version]" in there as well!). The single also includes 3 alternate jackets, all featuring Vampire Knight artwork by Nishida Asako and Studio DEEN (one of Zero and Ichiru, one of Kaname, Aidou, Kain and Ichijou, and one featuring the promotional artwork for Vampire Knight Guilty). This version also features ConnecteD, which lets you watch the "Rondo" PV (until April 30th). A great single and a lovely package! Remember this is a limited pressing (printed only until April 2009) so don't miss it!
-
Trick [w/ 2 DVD, Limited Edition / Jacket A]Kumi KodaSublime Release
This album has it all!! Upbeat, catchy, urban tunes, lovely ballads, great music videos, and an amazing live performance! This version of TRICK includes the bonus track "Venus", sang entirely in a surprisingly good English. If all the extras in this version do not lure you in, this song should be enough to convince you. TRICK is definitely a Koda Kumi album, all the songs are in her personal style and they all fit her perfectly. Kumi will surely deliver a stunning performance during her upcoming TRICK Tour! The music video for "show girl" is hilarious, we can see a glimpse of "Kuu-chan" here among all the "Koda Kumi" feel of TRICK. The music video for "Just The Way You Are" is lovely as well, refreshing and fitting for the song. There is also an album version of the music video of "That Ain't Cool", which is, story wise, a great improvement from the single version. Also, if you pay close attention, you can watch a few extra clips, amongst them, finally, a making video of the "stay with me" PV. The second DVD is the highlight of this version. The Dirty Ballroom may not have the visual display of her latest Live Tour shows, but Kumi's vocals and the overall performance make up for that. The choreographies are amazing, and the setlist is smooth and fits perfectly with the theme of the show. Even the ballads, like "Always" and "Come Back", are sung and performed lovely on stage. Watch out for a guest appearance and one of the best versions of "Butterfly" Kumi has ever sang. You should also watch out for some extras in this DVD! Now more than ever, make SURE you get this Limited Edition album before it is too late! It is Kumi's best work to date and you should not miss it!
-
Trick [Limited Edition / Jacket B]Kumi KodaPerfect!
I don' know why this album is a Limited Edition, it is too good to miss!! A simply amazing release for Koda Kumi!! TRICK is a great album filled with upbeat, urban styled songs, all of them clearly showing Koda Kumi's particular style. The ballads are very beautiful and relaxing, and you can definitely imagine Kumi singing these songs during her next Live Tour. Do yourself a favor and order this album!! If you're a Kumi fan, or if you like a good dance beat, you will not regret it.
-
Days / Green [CD+DVD / Jacket A]Ayumi HamasakiLOVE ~Ayu~
Ayu's latest single is amazing! Both Days and GREEN are great songs, although I admit the reason I bought this version of the single was the 10th Anniversary Edition of LOVE ~Destiny~. Ayu's vocals are amazing and the song is simply wonderful. Thank goodness I decided to order the First Press Edition of this single! The packaging is beautiful, but I prefer the GREEN/Days cover. Too bad that the poster is the same for both versions.
-
GREEN / Days [CD+DVD / Jacket C]Ayumi HamasakiLovely
GREEN is definitely one of my favorite Ayu songs, and the 10th Anniversaty version of TO BE only makes this single even better. It's perfect! This single is not only vocally amazing, but it is also beautiful to just LOOK at. The cover is simply stunning, and Ayu looks gorgeous in it. I wish the poster for this version had been one of this cover instead of the Days/GREEN one.
-
BUT / Aisho [w/ DVD, Limited Edition]Kumi KodaOne of Kumi's best singles to date!
Definitely one of Kumi's best singles. BUT is an upbeat dance move and Aisho is a powerful ballad. The contrast between both songs gives this single perfect balance. The single also comes in a great package, with beautiful photos. Even though I already own "Kingdom", I don't regret buying this single. I'm so sad for missing the First Press though, because the remix of BUT was definitely great to listen to!
-
stay with me [CD+DVD / Jacket A]Kumi KodaTouching Winter Ballad
Kumi's Christmas single is great! The main track, "stay with me", is a very beautiful and touching ballad. The B-side, "Winter Bell", is a nice, upbeat song. The orgel version of "stay with me" is great to listen to, simple and relaxing. Both versions of the PV are very beautiful, the second one featuring more shots of Kumi. The First Press comes with a lovely poster, featuring the DVD cover photo. As usual, this single proves a great addition to any Kumi fan's collection.
-
stay with me [Jacket B]Kumi KodaTouching Winter Ballad
Kumi's Christmas single is great! The main track, "stay with me", is a very beautiful and touching ballad. The B-side, "Winter Bell", is a nice, upbeat song, which gives a lot of life to the single. The orgel version of "stay with me" is great to listen to, simple and relaxing. The First Press comes with a lovely poster, featuring the Jacket A cover photo. Although I believe the Jacket B cover is prettier, the poster is still lovely to have. It's too bad the posters for both versions are exactly the same.
-
Vampire Knight Original Soundtrack IIAnimation SoundtrackGorgeous Music
This soundtrack contains the tracks used for Vampire Knight Guilty. It is filled with touching songs and dramatic music, which fits perfectly with the mood of the second season of the Vampire Knight anime. It also includes the TV size version of the opening and ending themes. It is as good as, if not better than, its predecessor. The Vampire Knight Guilty merchandise follows the style of season one, with both the DVDs and the soundtrack having the same color scheme for the covers. Season one was silver; this time, it's golden. The First Press Edition thus comes with a sticker featuring the soundtrack cover illustration with normal colors. It is a very nice bonus, and if you are a true Vampire Knight fan you wouldn't want to miss it!