Review by Aura

The Countdown Lives are always my favourite Ayu concerts and this one is no exception. Ayu's energy is great and her vocals and performances are so much fun to watch, she really gives her all with each song. There isn't a single boring performance in this recording, it's just hit after hit. Probably one of my favourite concert tracklists of all time out of Ayu's older concerts.

This is such a fun, high quality concert and really enjoyable to watch. Ayu's vocals are top-notch as always, the choreographies are excellent and all the circus performances add a whole other level of polish on it - it really feels like a show, not just a concert. I also really loved how long this concert was and the tracklist is excellent, so many good songs from different points of Ayu's career. Highly recommended!

This was a highly enjoyable concert from Ayu with a tracklist consisting of new hits and older classics, which I really liked as a long-time fan. It's always good to see her older hits getting some love. She has so much energy while performing and her vocals were amazing as always, and I really loved all the choreographies. The video quality was great and looked good even on a big TV screen. Highly recommended for both old and new fans alike!

This is my favourite Hitomi Shimatani album of all time. Her vocals are amazing, powerful and tender at the same time, and she can deliver both ballads and high energy dance songs beautifully. There isn't a dull track - I often just leave this album on repeat, because it just never gets boring. I loved the original versions of the remixed songs already, but I have to admit, the 'crossover' versions are definitely my favourites. I can't recommend this album enough, whether you're getting to her music for the first time or you're a long-time fan.

It feels amazing that this CD only has 5 tracks, because it's so good that it felt much longer. "Trouble" showcases Ayu's versatile voice and style very well, because each song was memorable and catchy in its own way, and I found myself listening to this album on repeat for a few days straight. I don't think I can pick any favourites - they're all very enjoyable in their own way.

I hesitated with buying this album for a long time, because I usually like the classic Sailor Moon songs better, but in the end I was surprised by how much I found myself enjoying all the songs. This is a very nice collection of character songs for all the Inner Senshi, but also Tuxedo Mask and the villains. I liked that each song has its own unique sound and that there are different genres of music represented, which suits the characters' personalities in my opinion. My favourites were definitely the 'pair' songs Mayonaka Secret Talk and Stars On Stars - hearing the girls singing in duet was just so cute! I have to say that the jacket design is also extremely cute and well-designed, and the artwork is lovely. This is a really nice release overall and I can definitely recommend it even if you are mainly a fan of the 90's anime like me.

"Tsuki-iro Chainon" is definitely my favourite Crystal anime theme song and I knew I just had to get it on CD! It's a very catchy, very energetic song, and the new cover songs surprised me pleasantly, especially "Watashitachi no Naritakute" - it was always one of my favourite songs from the 90's Sailor Moon, so I was very happy about how good the cover was. All in all a very good CD with lovely songs both new and old fans can enjoy.

I knew had to buy this immediately when I saw that it contained new versions of "Nagareboshi He" and "Sailor Star Song", and I don't regret it at all. The cover songs are very lovingly made and the voice cast all have very good voices that suit the songs well, and the new theme song "Tsuki no Hana" is very catchy. I only wish there were more songs on this album, but I really loved this CD even with the short tracklist - it's such a nostalgic feeling to hear new versions of these old favourites again.

First of all, this book is absolutely massive at 400 pages of art. The illustrations have been printed at very high quality, the colours look vibrant and there are some interesting tidbits about individual comic pages and panels with commentary from Rumiko Takahashi. I especially loved seeing some of the colour pages from her older mangas. All in all, a wonderful look back on the many series and artworks Takahashi has done over the decades - a real walk down the memory lane for long-time fans. The book itself also has a lovely cover design and it feels very sturdy and high quality. This immediately became one of my favourite manga artbooks ever!

I admit I initially bought this just for Tommy heavenly6's cover of "La Soldier", which is still my favourite track from this collection and probably my favourite version of the song of all time, but I quickly fell in love with the rest of the songs, too. There are so many familiar Sailor Moon classics and it's fun to hear different artists' take on them with their own, personal touch. I really enjoyed the whole track list, with 1, 5, 6 and 9 being my biggest favourites here. Clementine's cover of "Moonlight Densetsu" in French was a pleasant surprise - it's very soothing and mellow.

Music is my favourite part of Sailor Moon Crystal and there are so many wonderful tracks in this soundtrack that it's hard to stop listening to them. There are intense, suspenseful action tracks, mellow, soothing melodies and more sombre tunes that fit the Death Busters arc perfectly. I personally liked "Umi no Serenade" and all the transformation songs the best, but this is overall a very solid soundtrack release from start to finish.

There are lots of good covers in this collection that add a fun, new twist to many familiar songs that I already loved, and I really enjoyed them. Tracks 1, 2, 3 and 9 were my absolute favourites, but I don't think there's a single boring track here. I wasn't the biggest fan of Yakushimaru Etsuko's cover of "Kakumei wa Night & Day", there's something about her voice that just doesn't work for me, but I really loved that the artists weren't afraid to add their own flavour to these songs. Overall a really fun collection if you're already a fan of Sailor Moon music. Also, the box art is absolutely gorgeous. Naoko Takeuchi's manga art was a great choice for this.

This was such an experience from a long-time fan with the tracklist covering both old hits all the way from the start of her career as well as more recent tracks (I loved getting to see "Nonfiction" performed live!). Lots of nostalgic songs and performances, great costumes and choreographies. The performance of "GREEN" in this concert has to be my favourite one of all time for that song, and I really loved the new arrangement of "ourselves". I also loved hearing Ayu perform many older songs, and getting to really admire the way her voice and style has matured over the years - what a treat for any fan, both new and old.

This is one of my favourite Sailor Moon soundtracks of all time, I'm so glad it was released as a new edition for those of us who didn't catch the original release in the 90s. Familiar, nostalgic tunes from the 90's Sailor Moon anime as symphonic, classical versions, which makes the melodies even more magical and epic. The whole CD is great, but my favourite tracks are definitely 1 and 8.

I loved every track on this mini album, but "progress", "beloved" and "BRILLANTE" are my favourites, hands down. Ayu has always been a master of delivering touching, heart-wrenching ballads, and I feel like her powerful vocals and lyrics really shine here. I only wish it were longer!

Having only heard "Haru yo, koi" and "Ohia no ki" from this album before its release, I didn't know what to expect from it, but I fell in love with pretty much every track on it and have been listening nonstop for weeks. She showcases her amazing variety as an artist once again, going from fastpaced pop to rock to soft, whimsical ballads. The lyrics are spot on and have me constantly humming along. This has quickly become my favourite Ayu album since Next Level. It's hard to pick favourites from this gem, but I love "Nonfiction", "23rd Monster" and "Dreamed a Dream" a lot right now. Heavily recommended to both new and old fans alike.

This is another great Ayu experience! While the set list and some of the songs in this concert aren't among my favourites, I love how experimental it is. Ayu shows once again that she's a creative superstar and not afraid to try something new. This show has a very different vibe to it than other concerts I've seen from her, which made it very fun to watch. I really loved how everything in this show focused on the "hotel" theme - costuming, opening and interlude videos, song choices, etc. You can really see how much the whole team is into the performance and it just puts a smile on my face every time.

This is by far my favourite concert recording from Ayu yet. Everything is on-point - the set list, performances, choreographies, show length. Ayu's singing voice is amazing in both the rockier songs as well as ballads. Just an amazing experience overall, highly recommended!

This has become one of my favourite concert recordings from Ayu. The track list, the choreographies and costumes all work together wonderfully, and her voice truly shines throughout all the songs.

There isn't a single boring song on the album, I love them all. My very first album from Ayu was A Ballads more than 15 years ago, and it was love at first listening, so in some strange way it feels like the circle has now closed with A Ballads 2. Her lyrics are still as touching and relatable as they were all those years ago. This album truly showcases some of the best highlights from different eras in her career, and how her voice and lyrics have matured. Highly recommended.