Here's the second installment of "Meika's Music for Thought"! As I commented in my first post, I'll try my best to be kinder to the newer groups, but that doesn't mean that I still won't be honest about my thoughts. So hopefully you can be honest about YOUR thoughts, too, and comment about them below!
Idol Class - Makeru na Dreamer In the beginning of the song, I like how nice the guitar and piano couple each other to make an awesome, slow entrance. The first part of vocals sound really sweet and the instrumental that backs them up really makes it sound great! In the first verse, the vocals and their unity went slightly downhill, but they still made it through and the harmonies were a nice surprise and effort. The instrumental starts to sound a little unchanged and boring as the song progresses, but when it gets to the chorus and instrumental break, the awesomeness just picks up again! And the vocals that go with it sound continue to sweet and adorable, although still a little un-united and "bad" at times. The mixing was mediocre, but the majority of the music and vocals made me look past it. ^.^b
When the PV started, I thought it was fun and cute how the girls were splashing each other with water. Maybe it's because some of the girls were screaming and trying to avoid getting wet, but whatever it was, I giggled and smiled throughout the whole scene! :P The corridor scenes were really simple, but it was okay when matched with the girls' charisma and spirit. The close ups were a bit awkward for the most part with their gestures, eye contact, facial expressions... Mostly everything, but it got better as the PV progressed. The "candid", I guess you could call them, shots of the girls were well done with the shakiness of the camera, the lighting and the faded tint. Or at least in my eyes.
I found the panning of the dance shot at the back of the auditorium really cool for some reason... And I have no idea why. O.O The shakiness of the camera, again, looked actually wonderful with the close-up shots of the girls and not weird at all. Maybe because it makes it look more... Edgy or something? ^.^; The start of the dance with the girls turning around at different cues was also simple but worked wonderfully well with the "Oomph" parts of the music. The dance during the instrumental break made me giggle a little since it wasn't as energetic and climatic as I'm used to, though that doesn't mean that it wasn't bad because it wasn't. The overall choreography was a lot better than that I have seen from other Indies group and they made it even better to watch with the enthusiasm they showcased.
Overall, I give it a 8.6/10; Lost a little points with some aspects of the song and PV, but it was still a great piece!
P.S. One of the girls looked like Kitarie (Kitahara Rie, AKB48 Team B and my Oshi!!!) for me, especially in her first close-up! YEAH!!! :DDD Can you spot her? :o
Angel from MG - AngelAs the song started, I was mesmerized by the switching of mono channels. I always like those kind of effects because it sounds... Well, I can't describe it, but I always say it's "3D", for some reason. Especially when you listen through earphones or headphones. The music after was really rockin'! I think I said this before, but usually "pure rock"-sounding songs bore me. This time around, though, that one other effect in the instrumental made the instruments sound better! The echoing voice was an okay touch; what made me not like it completely was the pronunciation of some words. YES, I know they're not fluent in English, but it still kind of annoyed me. XD The instrumental after that sounded too familiar to another general rock song, but I still liked it a lot. :P I felt their voices kind of went off beat with the music at times, were shaky and they could've put more feeling into their voices, but they sounded good together. Some of the voice-enhancing effects felt unnecessary; at those points, I would've preferred that they left it natural. Overall, it's an above average song... I think I'd put it on my iPod for me to like with time. ^.^
Fading into the start, I was surprised to see the girls in a dance studio about to... Well, dance. :P I find the setting dull and boring to look at, but their dancing saved that; I'll talk about that later, though. ;) The stage setting during the live looked very chic, modern and stylish and their outfits were very idolish, cute, and petite with a little punk lolita flair. The lights, though... OH GOSH, THE LIGHTS!!!! They burned my eyes and made me have a mental seizure! NO MORE LIGHTS! >.<
I was honestly anticipating when colour would come into the picture, and I was glad to see that happen in the second chorus. Seeing the individual colours of the girls during the live made the outfits even cuter than before.
NOW the dance... Oh my goodness, their dancing... THEIR DANCING!!! <33333 It was so brilliant! The choreography, the energy, the mood, the unity, EVERYTHING!!! That is honestly all I can say about the dance because it leaves me near speechless.
Overall, I give it a... Actually, this is hard to rank because the song is alright, the PV was kind of boring, and the dance was amazing... Eeeh, maybe 7.9/10? Because the PV deducted some points, but it was some of the song and DEFINITELY the dancing that saved me there! <3
Dempagumi.inc - Kuchizuke Kibonnu
The guitar entrance was really simple, but felt... Comfy, I guess you could call it. I also think that the faded vocals during that part complemented the music well. In the first verse, the comfiness continues but the music goes more "complex" in just a little way. Like it doesn't sound as simple as the entrance. It's really relaxing~! -0-The voices are totally dainty and cute. I prefer lower voices more often, though these voices work well with the music. The chorus is catchy and adorable, yet still maintains the comfy factor! ^.^b Even though I was caught off guard by the rap, that was totally awesome! It reminded me of 575 by Perfume. :D I find high voices rapping weird 'cause it's out of the ordinary, but so wonderful at the same time BECAUSE it's out of the ordinary! The slowed down part of the song was pleasant to listen to! It was like a lullaby, especially when sung by those angelic voices! <3 The whole song was very homey and lovely!When the PV first started, I was thinking, "Are you serious? Pictures throughout the whole thing? BORING~!!" But then I got it; it was like a story was being told through pictures! THEN my view became, "... OH MY GOSH, THAT'S SO COOL~!!!" and I still think that! They really used the pictures well and in a creative, fun way! The member intros in the beginning looked really plain but that's what I liked about it! Like it wasn't flashy and it didn't need to be because it looked real. The pictures after that were ordered in a nice manner, even including "pans" and going to the beats of the song! I admired the "effects" that the... "Picture Changer", if you will, did to the pictures, like changing the pictures fast to make the girl look like she was running (1:27) and showing pictures of the members that sang (I'm assuming, I don't know the members but I might soon! :D 3:17) The pictures were really well taken and whoever the photographer was, I need to pat them on the back.
Overall, I give it a 9.3/10; The song was great to listen to, but the PV is what really made this! <3 SIMPLICITY!
Houkago Princess - Uchuu Ichi no ChristmasA Christmas review to end! Well, the song is better than their first song,
in my opinion, though still not amazing and outstanding. But the instrumental is lovable and upbeat, even if it may seem too similar to another general idol song. Their voices are as cute as ever and they really sound like princesses! The guitar solo was pretty cool and added an edgy twist to the otherwise adorable music. I find the way the lines in the chorus flow incredibly catchy and will probably be stuck in my head for quite a while. ^.^''' Besides that, this song will definitely add happiness to whatever holiday you celebrate!
The crowding around each other and laughing at the start of the PV... I'd be lying if I said that wasn't cheesy at all and I loved it... 'Cause it was cheesy and I was bluntly like "WTF" upon its arrival. They look pretty in their Santa costumes, though! :D I didn't know what the purpose of the circle, hand holding was, but I didn't like it either. XD However, the close-ups were an improvement! I found some of the shots kind of awkward, just like in the first video for the same reasons, but they looked like they tried their best for the most part, and I applaud them for that. Plus, the background during the non-Santa close-ups looked gorgeous with the blurred lights! Haha, I thought the posing in front of the camera and a photo being taken was extremely awesome! They looked like they opened up at that time and I giggled as I watched.
BUT the dance was the best part of the PV! After their trainwreck in their debut PV, I was actually worried they weren't going to improve since the choreo in that was INCREDIBLY simple. (OR at least in my eyes) To my delight, though, the dance this time around was more complex (Yet still simple again ^.^;) but they managed to be united with each other for the majority of the time and show more charisma and effort. They certainly improved from last time and let's hope they continue to do that!
Overall, I give it a 7.4/10; still kind of average, but their improvement is admirable to me!
Wow, honestly didn't mean to be THAT kind, (That was worded in a bad way XD) but all the PV's were just great this time around! As said before, please share your thoughts and thanks for reading!
