Review by Laura Organa Solo

I'm not familiar with enka in the slightest, nor was I familiar with Akina Nakamori (although I knew the name Seiko Matsuda, ironic considering Nakamori's sad past involving Matsuda) until I randomly spotted this album linked from somewhere on CDJapan. It intrigued me, as did the prospect of trying out the genre of enka. I looked Akina Nakamori up on YouTube before trying this album but could only find one of the songs from it. It was "Ettou Tsubame" and it hooked me immediately. Nakamori's voice is a surprising and pleasant departure from typical female Japanese vocalists -- it's similar to Hikaru Utada's and Mika Nakashima's in that it is rich and low in tone, which immediately sets her apart from every other cutesy idols whose high-pitched voices all kind of blend together and sound the same eventually. The music on the album itself seems to be something of an update to typical enka songs. There is no excessive warbling vibratto or nasal tones which is what I've usually heard -- it's slow, gentle, melodic, sometimes mournful, sometimes bittersweet, with a lot of symphonic backing occasionally accompanied by traditional drumming, erhu, etc. Overall, very pretty to listen to.

"Love Letter" is definitely not a highlight in Gackt's career (although I wouldn't say it's his worst -- that ranking goes to "Seventh Night"). All of Gackt's previous albums (except "TSN") showcase an incredible variety of sounds and feelings. There's a little something for everyone from dramatic orchestrated rock to emotional ballads to hard rock to upbeat pop-rock and everything in between. They made Gackt impossible to pigeonhole as mere "J Pop." Not so with "LL." It consists entirely of lovey-dovey acoustic sap. Half the songs run together in a bland mix of acoustic guitars and slow tempos. Although some of them are still touching and it's hard for me to resist the bouncy fun of "Arittake." Gackt's singing, although not at its best, is still skillful ("Seiippai" showcases his exceptional vocal range) and pretty to listen to ("Aitakute"). The fact remains, that LL lacks the punch Gackt's other albums. Over all, it is a let-down. I can appreciate pretty songs with lots of acoustic instruments ("Tsuki no Uta," "Freesia,") and sappy ballads ("Leeca," "Saikai~Story") but "Love Letter" is an overdose. If you can only buy one Gackt album, get one of his other ones (except "TSN") first.

If you're a Gackt fan who must collect EVERYTHING Gackt releases, by all means, buy this single. If you're a Gackt fan who has limited funds and can only collect the real gems, save your money. This single is, for lack of a better word, rather boring. That might be because I got out of high school years ago and so it is not at all relevant to me but I think it's because this song feels a bit uninspired after 2005's "Love Letter" (yeah, it's been two years, but still, that was an entire album of acoustic ballads like this). I'm not a music expert but from my novice's ear, there isn't a whole lot of complex skill at work here, just another dull ballad that attempts (keyword) to tug at nostalgic heartstrings. The Pianoforte C/W at least has a little variety to it with Gackt skillfully working in Pachelbel's Canon but... it's just not that special. If you really like beautiful acoustic work, try Gackt's "Tsuki no Uta" of "Last Song" (especially for its B-side, "Solitary").

If you're a Gackt fan who must collect EVERYTHING Gackt releases, by all means, buy this single. If you're a Gackt fan who has limited funds and can only collect the real gems, save your money. This single is, for lack of a better word, rather boring. That might be because I got out of high school years ago and so it is not at all relevant to me but I think it's because this song feels a bit uninspired after 2005's "Love Letter" (yeah, it's been two years, but still, that was an entire album of acoustic ballads like this). I'm not a music expert but from my novice's ear, there isn't a whole lot of complex skill at work here, just another dull ballad that attempts (keyword) to tug at nostalgic heartstrings. The Pianoforte C/W at least has a little variety to it with Gackt skillfully working in Pachelbel's Canon but... it's just not that special. If you really like beautiful acoustic work, try Gackt's "Tsuki no Uta" of "Last Song" (especially for its B-side, "Solitary").

This is the first Gackt concert I was actually present for and the DVD was everything I had hoped it would be and more. The acoustics of the Tokyo Dome itself were not the best and the WOWOW recording didn't help much so I had no idea how much GacktJOB -- especially Chachamaru -- was backing Gackt up throughout this. I thought it was Gackt singing with a recording. Gackt's concerts continue to blow my mind. Every year is more complicated and extraordinary than the last and this one is his most amazing yet. Although some of the interesting dance choreography is sometimes lost by rapidly changing camera angles, they make up for it by interweaving the "extra footage" that was used on the screens at the concert itself with what was actually being performed. This allows for a better idea of what was being depicted than actually being there did. The set list is GREAT. It's the first time Gackt performed several of the "Crescent" tracks live before so those alone almost make it worth the money for me. The extras are the best on any concert DVD yet, though. Besides uninterrupted footage of the movies, DVD 2 has a making-of for the whole tour. It's like a Platinum Box on its own.

I'd like to preface my review with the fact that I don't usually buy singles, especially extra-expensive ones like this limited edition release. I had to make an exception for a collaboration between two of my favorite Japanese forms of entertainment -- Gackt and Final Fantasy. The package itself is exceptional as far as singles go. The case is in a traditional DVD package, rendering it much safer and less likely to be cracked or marred liked regular CD cases. The single itself is a fun, fast rock song with all the interesting proverbial bells and whistles that make Gackt distinctive from other rock musicians. The lyrics are well-tailored to "FFVII: Dirge of Cerberus" as much as they reflect the world-weary yet passionate determination of typical of the Moon Project. The C/W "Longing" is what keeps this form being a 5/5. I love most of the song, but the horror movie-esque interlude ruins it for me. The DVD makes the whole thing worth-while. Along with the Redemption PV (definitely one of Gackt's better PVs), it contains the extra long DoC trailer previously only seen at Jump Festa '05 and Gackt's Tokyo Dome Final. All in all, a must-have for fans of both Gackt and FFVII.

I love the Roentgen album, so it makes sense that I'd love a collection of its PVs but "Roentgen Stories" is something special. Not only does it contain four of the five "Roentgen" PVs but they are all tied together with new footage and become a (mostly) coherent story that I had no idea even existed when I saw the PVs on their own. Although some of these PVs may be considered boring or unremarkable (I used to think "Angel's Tale" was boring), they become captivating when viewed in context (the lyrics help a lot too). Seeing them all together allows for the symbolism and reoccurring themes to become much more evident -- for example, the book with the pictures of angels who have had their wings cut out makes a reappearance in Secret Letters, when the wings from the book are sprinkled over the coffin of the (un?)dead owner. Bottom line: if you liked the "Roentgen" album, buy this DVD. It is a hundred times more beautiful and moving when realized visually, especially in this cinematic, uninterrupted format.

I first heard "Season's Call" in conjunction witht the opening to Blood+. It was a month or more before the single release date. And I listened to it in its short, low-quality format over and over until the single came out. I really like Hyde's solo works but something about this song captivated me. It feels carefree but the lyrics emphasize an undercurrent of longing and bittersweetness. The packaging was, alas, a typical jewel case but the booklets and discs were very colorful and attractive, the latter of which appearing to be printed with Hyde's own art. As a fan of Blood+, the DVD was pretty exciting. The C/W, a remix of the opening track to Hyde's "Roentgen," wasn't too different from the way he performed it for his 2003 "666" tour and thus not new or innovative to those familiar with it. I wasn't, though, so I enjoy it. Although this rock version results in a loss of some of the mystique of the original, it feels like there's more emotion to it. The extra sticker is, alas, completely unremarkable in my opinion. The art is overwrought, a little gruesome, and doesn't resemble the art of Blood+ in the slightest. All in all, though, the price made it absolutely worth it.