Honey & Clover vol. 1

Honey & Clover is about art college students and love triangles. There’s equal part heartache and laugh till your tummy aches in these pages. I would like to recomend this manga to anyone who’s looking for a manga with real heart and great humor. There’s Hagu-chan the 18yr old who looks 12 and also an art genius who steals the hearts of everyone who lays eyes on her. And Mortia the lazy bum who should’ve graduated a long time ago but manages to sleep through enough final exams to keeping him trying again and again. Mayama who’s a little cold, but he’s Takemoto’s friend and the object of Yamada’s unreturned affections. Takemoto is a freshman who seems to be the series clearest cut main character. he’s also in love with Hagu…not that we’re sure she knows.

Not a lot happens in the first volume…it spends more time profiling the characters and laying the ground work. But it will make you laugh and cry and ultimately enjoy it.

“Ultra Blue” Utada Hikaru

June 13 2006 was such an exciting day for me. I was anxiously anticipating this album, finally, she was releasing her 4th Japanese album. i was so happy to take it out of the box and hold it in my Hands. It was something new, not just as in a new album, but a new exciting sound from Hikaru, and i just had to have it.

Even though “Colors” had no right to be on there, considering it was already on her greatest hit compilation, it was still a great song. There was “Be my Last” and “Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro” Two ballads i absolutely love, not to mention their use of real instruments. Also “Passion” the new Kingdom Hearts theme song which was a sonic experience. “Keep tryin’” which i was addicted to. And the news songs like “This is Love” , “Making Love” “One nIght Magic” “Nichiyo no Asa “  All songs with great energy and lots of cool production and beats.

Then there was “Blue” a great ballad and “Kairo” also a ballad, but one composed of what sounds like electronicly produced strings, it’s so pretty and haunting, i love it.

This album was Hikaru introducing her electronic sound with more energy and creativity then she was going to display on her fifth album. And though the sound of the album is not unified, her ability to use mulitple genres and the strength’s of her songwriting are evident here.

“HeartStation” Utada Hikaru

As previously stated on places elsewhere on this blog, Hikaru is my japanese musical goddess. She has not too long ago released her fifth Japanese album. There are those who love it and those who could leave it. It seems there’s no inbetweeners. But alas, we’ll start with it’s weaknesses. First of all, all of the a-sides and their b-sides are clumped together, which means as soon as i got it i was already skipping to the second half of the album, i just think she should have scattered around. So the tracklisting sucks. Secondly, “Boku wa Kuma” which litterally means “I’m a bear” was included. This is a children’s song with a very simple arrangement and the message that she’s a bear, a bear a bear, she’s a bear. Also there are two version’s of the mega-hit single “Flavor Of life”. I think she should have just picked one, so that people who owned the single wouldn’t feel so cheated out of their cash, also the ballad version is so ovbiously better than the original, it didn’t need the other one. It just seems like a track added to make the album longer. My last gripe is that “Fight the Blues” is a sub-par opener when you compare it with “This is love” off of Ultra Blue.

Okay. Now one of the Good things is also one of the bad things. This album is “cohesive”. it feels like an album not a just a compilation of singles. But also, in that respect the album is a little bland in it’s sameness. They are all, created on her computer dance-music numbers. The song “Hearstation” took a really long time to get stuck in my head and even then it’s a little boring.

However “Beautiful World” is still as awesome as it was several months ago, and so is “Kiss and Cry.”

“Prisoner of Love” and “Take 5″ are my other favorites. i absolutely love them. These maybe the two songs that really save the album for me.

MAny people don’t like “Nijiiro Bus” ~Rainbow bus~ but i  like the simple drum beat and it’s nice cuz it’s not all computerized sounding. “Celebrate” sounds a little corny but it has a cool little section where the beat gets really sweet, so that part saves it.

All in all, it could have been a lot worse, but I do like several of the songs. But i just feel she’s written better songs in the past, and hopefully her next album with have more Flavor!!!

“Hardcore Romantic” Choi Ye Na

Okay, so this one is by a Korean Artist, released about 2 years ago. I know nothing about her, there seems to be no new material from her, but that’s okay. Because i really enjoy this release. They are all songs that have a very romantic feel. And of course this means lots of ballads. They are mostly of  the piano/drums/acoustic guitar variety. With of course strings thrown in for good measure. Slow ballads, passionately sung, pretty much sums up this album. She even does a cover of Sarah McLachlan ’s “Angel”.

It’s like an adult pop rock album..sure the songs sort of start to mesh together..but it’s so mellow and pleasnt you can get into the feel of the album, even if you can’t tell the songs apart.

Choi has a BEAUTIFUL VOICE. i mean gorgeous, deep, warm, not nasal and she doesn’t sing out of her range like some. She knows what she can do and she does it well.

“Los Angeles” The Brilliant Green

This is their second album released in 2001. From the very begining I’m already liking it better than their first two. “The Lucky star” definitely has a harder edge and it rocks!  “Yeah! I want you Baby” continues this new harder rock song and it’s just as good as the first one. “Angel Song - Eve no Kane ” It’s a ballad that..rocks? I didn’t know they’d be able to figure out how to do this but they do with this, another good song. Dear lord! Three hits in a row? are they going to strike out?  “Sayonara Summer Is Over “…eh. Oh well..they were doing so well..it’s an okay song but she sounds so bored singing it…it’s just another track I won’t be adding to my mp3 player. “Hidoi Ame” has a cool sound, i like this one too, more of a rock song with a thudding drumbeat. nice. “Falling Star in Your Eyes ” this song is boring, it goes nowhere. I guess i could go through the rest of the songs but there’s no real reason. This album has already proved itself as worth a listen and my money, it’s got the right edge to it and a better balance of ballads and rock numbers. Definitely their best album.

“Terra 2001″ The Brilliant Green

Originally released September 8 ,1999, this is their second album. The first album was a bit of a snooze fest, so fortunately Terra takes it’s up a notch with the opener “Bye! My Boy!” which finally qualifies as a rock song!!  “Aino Aino Hoshi” takes us back to pretty standard pop rock territory, it’s not very memorable.

Next is “Brownie the Cat -Miwaku no Neko Room” an unabashed love song to a kitty. Sung entirely in English, it’s pretty mid-tempo also, but the lyrics are so cute and it’s so sweet, that you keep listening.

“Call my name” The english version is next and it has one of those 60’s organs rocking out which gets it some points, it actually has a very 60’s feel, it even feature’s the bongos! definitely  a keeper.

“Maybe We Could Go Back to Then” kind of made me think of a sort of “Good Ridance” mostly because it’s an acoustic number with lyrics that are nostalgic, and about parting. But the song has a see saw rythm going on that it just repeats over and over,  it’s okay at best.

“September Rain” is a ballad with a redeeming chorus (read a memorable chorus). “Funny Girlfriend!!” is a kind of dirty rock song, as in gritty in production about a girl who is a friend who is funny!! Imagine that?  “Round and Round” is an accusatory ballad about a bad person who repeats the cycle of hurting it gets better as it goes on but never really grabs my attention. “Sono speed de” is another ballad that also isn’t that great. ” Can’t stop Cryin’” is awesome, the beat, the guitars, it’s pretty awesome. Then Finally we have “Nagai Tameiki no Youni”  which is another ballad. Enough said.

All in all, while i’ve always liked The lead singers solo career, i’ve always wondered why this band was at one time one of the biggest bands in Japan, and this album still doesn’t really explain it.

It’s just okay at best, but i has diffculty getting and keeping my attention, it’s a little to mellow and unincredible.

“Earth in the Darkness~Aozora ni Mukkate” TOSHI

IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT THIS IS NOT A SINGLE BY X JAPAN BUT A SOLO SINGLE BY THE LEAD SINGER TOSHI. HOWEVER I DON’T FEEL LIKE EDITING THIS SO I’M JUST GOING TO SAY THAT ANYTHING IN THIS REVIEW STATING THAT THIS A SINGLE BY X JAPAN IS INCORRECT. SORRY FOR THE MISTAKE.

So even though they broke up around 1997, X Japan, seem to be staging a comeback which will include a concert in Paris along with some other fellow Rockers. And this is there latest single. I’m not sure if it’s been released yet seeing as it’s still on pre-order for May 25, and some people have claimed to already gotten there copy, i don’t know. But it’s out there…somewhere.

Though i haven’t heard a lot of there songs, this one is already my favorite. It starts out sort of calm and mellow, of course with the strings (i love the combination of rock and classical.) It’s about 7 minutes long but it takes it’s time building. This song is song in japanese, and i haven’t been able to find any translations . It’s mostly a ballad, the drums kick in, but there’s very little guitar involvement, really it’s mostly just the orchestra and Toshi’s soaring voice that steal the show. It’s very emotional, there’s a sense of longing in his voice and in the melody. It’s a really perfect ballad with some rock elements.

The single also features an “Orchestra version” which should be fun.

Strongly reccomended.

“The Art of Life” X Japan

Hokay. So  I stand before you as one of the world’s greatest Hypocrites. Oh no yes, it’s true. I was reading the latest issue of Otaku USA and they had a two page spread about basically J-Rock. and i said to myself, “Why are anime/manga magazines always trying to push these crazy ,frequently Visual Kei, rock bands on us?” I skimmed through the article, noting the names and then got online and registered at their forum, with the specific intent of complaining about this. After creating a great deal of Drama over there (mostly over a misunderstanding) I ran and hid for a little while. However, i was browsing my forum when i ran across a thread dedicated to who your favorite bands were. One list was comprised entirely of the people mentioned in the Otaku USA article. So i went through and youtubed each and every single band. It wasn’t as bad as i thought i was going to be.

So there! I am currently in the process of Discovering X Japan an extremely popular Visual Kei band. Ofcourse they were popular a decade and some years ago, they are very influential, and also i like them a lot.

My first review is of their album “The Art of Life”. This album consists of one song. Yes one song that is 29 minutes long.  It made me think instantly of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Not because the styles of music are the same. But for the sheer epic grandure of the song. There’s the 80’s metal guitars (though the song isn’t that old), the change in pace and intensity and the melodrama of the lyrics. There’s an Orchestra and the use of a robot sounding like Woman who speaks several verses. Also about 8 minutes is a piano solo that goes from pretty to clanking and crazed after a while, then the main chorus kicks back in and the song rocks out till the finish.

I think it’s rather ambitous, and i admire them for making one song an entire album. The song seems to deal with mortality, how we fight against time and our own fragility to find meaning in this life. This very basic human issue seems to drive the leader crazy! Some the lyrics are really out there, example:

Through my eyes
Time goes by like tears
My emotion’s losing the color of life
Kill my heart
Release all my pain
I’m shouting out loud
Insanity takes hold over me

Turning away from the wall
Nothing I can see
The scream deep inside
reflecting another person in my heart
He calls me from within
“All existence you see before you
must be wiped out :
Dream, Reality, Memories,
and Yourself”

I begin to lose control of myself
My lust is so blind, destroys my mind
Nobody can stop my turning to madness
No matter how you try to hold me in your heart
Why do you wanna raise these walls
I don’t know the meaning of hatred
My brain gets blown away hearing words of lies
I only want to hold your love

Stab the dolls filled with hate
Wash yourself with their blood
Drive into the raging current of time
Swing your murderous weapon into the belly
“the earth”
Shout and start creating confusion
Shed your blood for pleasure
And what? For love?
What am I supposed to do?

And that’s not a translation. However, as out there and confusing as the message/lyrics can be at time, a strong power chorus and the arrangement/production is what really makes this song. I think it’s pretty good. But not my favorite. I’ve only listened to it once, but i can see myself giving it another try!

Vampire Knight vol.1

Bare with me as I give you one of the most convoluted manga plots in recent history.

Cross Academy is a school which is devided into two classes, who never see each other, A Day Class, and a Night Class.

The Day class is just like any other class. The Night class is made of Vampires. I bet you weren’t expecting that, huh? I mean, Vampires, in a manga called Vampire Knight? No way!

Yes way.

On top of that, it’s a secret. However, left to guarding the secret, and the classmates from each other, are Yuki and Zero. Both Orphans with shady relations to Vampires. Their families were both killed by them. However Yuki (female) was rescued by Kaname. This ofcourse was a long time ago and bygones are bygones, right? Wrong.

This first volume is not paced well. I didn’t really notice this reading only one chapter per month, but in it’s collected fromat it’s a little something like reading the summary of a direct to video movie : Zero becomes a vampire, Yuki seems to like him and Kaname and is torn between a pure blood and a transforming Vampire on the verge of mental collapse, who also hunts them and is visited by his old mentor who is phased out by the end of the volume!!

It’s full of melodrama and suggestive blood sucking positions. but it gets better. once it figure out what the fack it’s going to be about!

Tohoshinki~ T

If this album could be a little bit more awesome, it would be missing “Forever Love” and it would include the “Purple Line” music video! The only real misses on this album are”Clap!” which is annoying and horribly repetetive and ofcourse “Forever Love”.

Luckily for us all, Tohoshinki is more interested in getting us to dance than overkilling us with boring ballads. We all know they can sing beautifully, but we’d rather have them moan and groan their way into our pants..i mean hearts!

Their third album in Japan is also their strongest one. It’s r&b. There’s very little pop, and a whole lot of funk. Which suits our boys pretty well.

The new songs are some of the  best ones on here. Purple line, Darkness eyes, Rainbow…i could really name them all. but, what i can say is you should start here and work your way back if you’re new to Tohoshinki, and if you’re not, you should invest the time into buying this album brought you by the letter “T”.