Review by ico
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Miraculous HappeningSaori AtsumiAnother upbeat collection
Singer-songwriter Atsumi Saori does it again with another well-produced, cheerful album of tunes that range from moderately to very catchy. "Love, How do you do?", "Saiminjutsu," "Yume-iro no koi", and "Rucksack" stand out among the collection. Saori's music definitely isn't for everyone, but if you cute, sweet music that is at turns positive and introspective, this is an album for you.
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Hiroko Kasahara 1987-1998Hiroko KasaharaA classic collection
This is the album to get if you missed Kasahara Hiroko's previous compilation albums from her early years and wanted to get all the highlights. Almost all of her most famous singles and anime songs are here, perhaps with the exception of "Yakusoku no tochi e." If you have already collected her albums and singles, however, you won't find much that is new here, except for the stray anime song that was only included on a soundtrack album. Overall the perfect collection for the casual or late-to-discovery fan of this talented singer.
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Loop ("Tsubasa Chronicle" Outro Theme)Maaya Sakamotodecent single
Both of the vocal tracks on this single are decent, but not outstanding. "LOOP" is pleasant, and has a decent melody line, but besides Maaya's relaxing, great vocals, it is overall unremarkable. "High Touch" starts with what reminds me of a 60's rock style riff--definitely a change for Maaya. It seems to be aiming for cute, happy, and upbeat. While it may be unique, it isn't a great song on its own. If these songs were very good, then having the karaoke tracks would be an added bonus. They are okay, but not fantastic. Overall, a good single, recommended to most Maaya fans.
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TV Anime "Loveless" Intro Theme: Tsuki no Curse / Outro Theme: MichiyukiAnimationLoveless themes
The three reasons to get this single: 1. You love Loveless 2. You want the full OP and ED 3. You want the karaoke tracks The OP and ED theme songs to Loveless, both composed by Yuki Kajiura, are pretty good songs in their own right, but will definitely have more special meaning to Loveless fans. As for the extended versions...I was actually not that impressed with the extra two minutes of "Michiyuki." It is a very powerful song, especially the TV cut, but I was hoping the full size would add more to the song. In any case, definitely worth it for a Loveless fan. Cautiously recommended to non-fans.
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TogenkyoMaika Shiratori2nd effort is still good
Shiratori Maika's second album, while not matching up to her powerful debut, is still a standout piece of work. The tracks here fall into two main camps: mid-tempo uplifting songs like "Someday", "now or never", "hoshi ni michishirube", "owaranai chizu"; and quiet meandering tracks like "Oh darling", "Circle", "Practically dead", "yoru no hitomi -in the city-". Maika's soothing, smooth and mature voice is beautiful as always and lends a meditative feeling to all the songs. The tracks are well-written and arranged. However, because of the lullaby atmosphere, Toogenkyou lacks power compared to her first album Hanazono, which contained haunting masterpieces like "Red Clover-Reprise-" and "flashback." Even so, it's a surprisingly good album, and strongly recommended.
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Tommy heavenly6 [w/ DVD, Limited Edition]Tommy heavenly6bad girl persona, great concept music
Tommy heavenly6, the debut album of Tomoko Kawase's "bad girl" rock music persona, is a great concept album. If "rock music with attitude" is the goal, then mission accomplished. With several notable singles and songs Tommy has contributed to TV shows/movies such as Nana and Kamikaze Girls, this collection is a great pickup, unless you are opting for her best-of collection 'Gothic Melting Ice Cream's Darkness "Nightmare"'.
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From Me To YouYUIGood Debut
Yui's first album is strong, mostly for the quality of the four singles included. All of the songs are well-produced, although for some reason it feels a little lacking in diversity. Either the raw intimacy of an acoustic version or two, or a more uninhibited track would do wonders to add more variety to Yui's vocal style, which is overall the same throughout. Still, a good collection of songs. With the release of the B-side collection "My Short Stories" in Nov 2008, the acoustic tracks are the only reason to get Yui's singles.
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Ningen tte sonnamononeKOKIAGreat single!
This is KOKIA's 4th single with Victor, and what a strong piece of songwriting it is! "Ningen tte sonna mono ne" is an upbeat alt rock song with slightly echoey acoustics and energetic choruses. Definitely one of my favorite songs by KOKIA. "mou aisenai" balances the energy of the first track. It's a quiet ballad that showcases the expressiveness and strength of KOKIA's voice, strong even as it sounds fragile. It's on the long side at over 6 minutes, but may be too slow for some. "Moonlight Shadow" is in English. It's a cover of the song penned by Mike Oldfield. KOKIA's English enunciation is decent. What makes this a great song is the echoey, rocking arrangement, using the same acoustics as "ningen tte sonna mono ne." Overall, a great single. Recommended to KOKIA fans and non-fans alike.
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Brain Powerd Original SoundtrackAnimation Soundtrack(music:yoko kanno)Powerful classic
This soundtrack is an excellent piece of work composed by Yoko Kanno. Some tracks are happy and bright, some are dark and ominous, and others are mysterious. The full orchestra sound is immersive and powerful. There are three vocal tracks on this album. "Sonne ~ Hikari" is sung in an operatic style by Arthur Stefanow. "Flow" is a relaxing, lounge-like song with vocals by Seika Iwashita. And the full version of "Ai no Field," the ending theme, features vocals by KOKIA. Even if you have never watched the anime, the music here contains enough narrative power to tell a story on its own. Highly recommended.
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Dear...Sachi TainakaA good debut
Sachi Tainaka's first album is a good debut, but it might not be for everyone. Like the previous commenter said, the songs from Fate/Stay night have a slow orchestral/symphonic arrangement. I liked the single version of "disillusion" a lot, which was my main motivation to get this album, and I was a little disappointed. On the other hand, "saikou no kataomoi" is great. It's a relaxing song with plenty of acoustic guitar and piano, and some high notes which Sachi hits perfectly. This was the first single Sachi penned, and has established her sound and style since then. The other songs don't stand out as much melody-wise, even though Sachi's strong singing is great throughout. I recommend this album to fans of Sachi's voice, who don't mind melodies so much, or people who are looking specifically for her first 4 singles.
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MoonLightYukari Katsuki (S.E.N.S)Good single!
Yukai Katsuki's solo single is a good one. The actual song recording of "Moonlight" was different enough from the previews I'd heard that it threw me off a bit. However, it is a good song. The coupling tracks are good as well. "Lilipri Layli" is an upbeat, poppy song. The third song is a piano-only instrumental arrangement, which, being piano, sounds great and relaxing. I wasn't wowed by the music, but it is well-arranged. And for 1000 yen, 4 tracks is a good deal.
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30minutes night flight [w/ DVD, Limited Edition]Maaya Sakamotoshort and decently sweet
Maaya's latest mini album isn't bad, but at 30 minutes it is over pretty quick, and not so memorable. The songs are all decent. Her singing (like always) is great, the mixing is good, the instruments are okay, but the melodies...nothing sticks. There's the upbeat poppy opener "30minutes night flight," the relaxed, lounge song "dreaming," slow quiet "kioku," piano ballad "bokutachi ga koi wo suru riyuu," upbeat and sunny "setsuna," and dramatic orchestral "universe." Of these, perhaps "Universe" is the most original. But the others have more or less repetitive instrumental arrangements and decent, but uninspired, tunes. The result is a well-packaged and produced mini-album, with a strong unifying concept, but it's lacking "the spark" that you see in some of Maaya's other songs.
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Maaya Sakamoto Live Tour 2009 "We Are Kazeyomi!"Maaya SakamotoAlmost like being at a live concert
I have seen Maaya live once before, several years ago. This recording of her last concert in January 2009 is almost like being there again. The voice and music recording quality are excellent; even the concert hall acoustics feel familiar. And Maaya's awkwardness/shyness with regards to large audiences is captured as well. As for the set list, fans will always have preferences and wishes for what they would like to hear. Clocking in at 3 hours, this performance did a good job of trying to satisfy wish lists while balancing Maaya's desire to highlight her new album "Kazeyomi" and her more recent work. The performance, singing, and music playing are excellent. Getting to watch Maaya sing while playing the piano is an extra bonus. Although the DVD price is steep, the sheer amount and quality of the music will be worth it for all Maaya Sakamoto fans, old and new.
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Every Single Day - Complete BONNIE PINK (1995-2006) - [Regular Edition]BONNIE PINKA complete collection
I held off on buying BONNIE PINK albums for the longest time, because even though she has written a lot of great songs, they were spread out a few tracks at a time over many albums. Furthermore, some of my favorites ("inu to tsuki" and "daisy") never made it onto original albums. This compilation collects all of those excellent songs and the defining works of her career up until now. If you haven't been studiously collecting her music, this collection is the way to go. 28 tracks for the price is excellent, and almost all of her best work is included. Recommended for all BONNIE PINK fans.
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SalamanderELLEGARDENWOW.
Wow. This is an excellent single. While I'm not in the habit of spending over 1200 yen on 3 tracks, I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer quality of this single. All three tracks are strong, rocking numbers with excellent arrangement. The title track "Salamander" is a sonic rock song with attitude and insight. "Stereoman" is melodically fascinating. And my favorite, "Mr.feather" is just artistic. Anyone who likes rock music with a melody would do themselves a favor to purchase this single.
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Usotsuki [Regular Edition]Aya UetoUsotsuki
Catchy title song "Usotsuki" and great arrangement of "Kaze" make this a good single. I didn't care much for the second track. It's a decent dance/techno mix, but not very interesting since it's mostly talking. The strongest reason to get this single is if you really want "Kaze ~kitakaze version~" like I did.
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YOKO KANNO SEATBELTS RaiChikyu Kinen Collection Album Space Bio ChargeYOKO KANNO SEATBELTSUltimate Yoko Kanno collection
Sit back and be treated to 3 hours of Yoko Kanno music spanning two decades. Classic themes and new arrangements of well-known songs are included in the 48 tracks here, so there is material for both new Yoko Kanno fans and long-time listeners alike.
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Ai am BEST [CD+DVD]Ai Otsukafirst singles collection
This is a good first singles collection for those new to Otsuka Ai or Ai fans who want all the music videos. The 13 singles are varied and show different facets of Ai's music: cute (momo no hanabira), super-genki (sakuranbo, Happy Days), nostalgic and dramatic (kingyo hanabi, planetarium). Those who already have all her albums and/or singles won't find much new material here, unless they want music videos to her singles. Her music videos are varied and have good production value. Those new to Ai may want to try out the music first, and don't need the PVs. Consequently, every camp may not be satisfied. Personally, I wanted to pick up her singles and was curious about the PVs so I was happy with this purchase.
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INSOMNIAChihiro OnitsukaStrong debut!
Onitsuka's debut album still remains in my memory as one of the most solid in her career. It's full of raw emotion, conveyed powerfully by her voice. Her voice isn't one of my favorites, but the way she expresses herself with it is just mesmerizing. Most songs are on the slow side, somewhere between power ballad and ode. A great pickup, recommended for everyone.
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RRurutiaWow. Just wow.
Singer, songwriter, and composer RURUTIA's debut album is a masterpiece. It's got rock, new age, pop, provocative lyrics, and a fantastical arrangement of instruments. RURUTIA's voice may take some getting used to. It's kind of thin and whispery, and she may sing like she's on the verge of dying--but it always goes perfectly with the music and lyrics she wrote. An album mind-blowing in its scope and vision.