My Fangirling Outlet

Beautiful World Review

So this album was released... well technically it was only released on Wednesday (July 6, 2011) but somehow fangirls always manage to get the disk early (unless you happened to be a Canadian - stupid Canada post *shakes indignant fist*). Anyway. So. I didn't buy the album because my parents have some thing against ordering albums from halfway across the world but I downloaded it, been listening to it ... on repeat ... for about a week now (^^;;) and yeah. So here's my review.

First off - I barely listened to any radio rips (Negai, Morning light, a bit of Hung up on and Jyanakute... and I think that was it?) but I was looking forward to this album a lot. If you don't remember when 僕の見ている風景 came out my initial reaction was "did not like" and whaddayaknow - turned into my most favourite album of theirs to date. Beautiful World on the other hand I liked pretty much right of the bat - but first I'll do a song-by-song run down (excluding singles because.... well they were released already - and for another reason I'll talk about later).

1. Rock This: I had vaguely heard about this song and everyone said they loved it. When I heard the opening I did not understand how this song could be counted as "rock" at all and then the actual song started. It's okay. It reminds me of Cry For You from their TIME album. I like rock, admittingly it does sound kind of cool but I never like any boyband doing rock songs. I don't know why. Boybands and "rock" never really meshed well for me. As for performance? I imagien flames. Lots and lots of flames :) And I like fire.  So pretty much I don't "like" it but if I'm in the right mood I could find myself going out of my way to listen to this song.

2. まだ見ぬ世界へ: Oh. I forgot I already talked about this song when the PV came out. As I said, love the song - Sho's rap I've gotten used to but sometimes it still bugs me.

4. Always: I really like how they sing this song. As in - my reaction to this song is opposite to Rock you in where I liked the tune but didn't really like how they sang it. Here the tune is kind of... standard but I love how they sing the song. The chorus is also pretty catchy and cool, but my most favourite part is the opening of the song where they all have their solo lines. I imagine them singing one at a time, standing still and then when the chorus hits - *bam* they just start dancing (this is all on the moving stage). And then rinse and repeat as the song goes on. It wouldn't be a very dance heavy song but I can imagine a bit of dancing, especially during the slight interlude when it's just music and then maybe another blast as the chorus repeats one last time and they sing... (this seems to be coming more of a *imagine what the con perf will be like more than a review...)

5. Shake It (Jun's Solo): Take this however you will. The second I hear this song I start laughing. Hard. My next reaction is to just bop my head and kind of go crazy. xD I don't know why. This song just seems to make my brain and body go crazy. This might sound weird... (and maybe I'm biased?) but I feel like these types of songs (and Come Back to Me) really suit Jun. Be it singing and just... they allow him to get creative during concert performances and I am really waiting to see how Jun performes this during concert. I am really excited for this. Notice I'm not actually talking about the song? ^^;; Because to be honest - the logical part of my brain is like "ew you don't like this type of music" but the irrational part of my brain is like "OMFGILUVTHIS" (again - same thing with Come Back to Me). I don't really get why - this isn't bias because honestly, I don't like Yabaix3, Naked or any of Jun's solo that much but ... his last two solos have just... I dunno. There is something weird about them that makes me like them xD

⒍　虹のカケラ~No Rain, No Rainbow~: I will say this right away - the song I like the least in this whole album. It's boring. Boring, standard, does not stand out. That is not to say that I dislike this song. Again, I really like how this sing this song. As in, I really like their voices in this one. And Jun does a fricken falsetto and it's like bells to my ears. In fact their voices in this song just sound so nice. I really like hearing them go high (I don't know why - they're guys I should be expecting deep and manly... o_O) but I really like how their pitch is a lot higher in this song. It's nice. But yeah - other then that this song is pretty boring honestly. I guess it's a good calm down after Jun's solo

8. Hung Up On (Ohno Solo): I heard the 1min30sec preview of this song and became really excited. Not my most favourite solo of Ohno's and music wise not what I would listen to on a daily basis but just the idea that it could get Ohno dancing makes me so excited. The song itself... I like how there is a touch of Sho in there to make it sound deeper because I think without the Sho in the back the song would actually sound off. Ohno's soft is generally pretty soft and not really good at the "shouting" types of songs (which is also why it's not a favourite) but I think the added Sho gives it a good "manlier" touch if you will. Now - the reason I listen to this song on repeat? Because I can see Ohno dancing to this song when I listen to it. I can see it so clearly. I can see his face when he has to pull this long notes, and I can see him moving like he did in TOP SECRET with that sharpness and precision that is just amazing. I don't see hip rolls to be honest but I can see something very cool (I can't explain it) but I can see a perfect performance in my head and I love what I'm seeing in my head. (Final thought - cannot understand a word of Ohno's English though ^^;;)

9. Joy: This song is interesting because I realize that a lot of it is carried heavily by their voices. By that I mean the actual instrumental of the song.. is pretty repetitive. It's the same few chords repeated over and over (for the most part - except the chorus but even the chorus is kind of simple really) and what really brings this song the melody is their voices. Which I like. I heard it in the training camp video and I liked it. I like it now. It's cool to jam to and kind of bop your head to. ^^

10. どこにでもある唄 (Nino Solo): I think I will surprise a lot of people when I will say right away - this is my least favourite solo of the album. In fact I found myself skipping it a lot. A lot of people say they like it cause it's so 'sweet' and omg! Nino wrote and composed it himself! But forgetting about that... the song is just way to quiet and slow for my tastes. I know it's sweet, but this song puts me to sleep. It's just too soft. Not enough noise to keep my interested. I agree Nino's voice is amazing .... but yeah. Putting me to sleep. ^^;; I really have to be "in the mood" for this song. Although I am interested in how he will perform this. Will he play an instrument? Or will he just stand there and sing? Because this isn't a song that would match any sort of dancing or movement. Either way I can see myself enjoying this solo in a concert.

11. negai: and now we move from my least favourite solo to my most favourite song of this album. Negai. Ever since the radio rip of this song, it's been my favourite and even after hearing the whole album it is still my most favourite. I love this song. I love the tune, I love the lyrics, I love their voices. I love everything about this song. Ugh. I have no words to express just how awesome this song is for me. <3 Sounds so beautiful. And my most favourite part is actually not when they're singing (although the chorus is just so beautiful) but the part when it's just the violin (that is a violin right?) playing. Uggggh.. so beautiful. <3<3 Yeah, can you tell this is my most favourite song? I'm not being too obvious am I? =P

13.「じゃなくて」 (Aiba's Solo): I was surprised when I heard the radio rip of this song but somehow this song really suits Aiba. This kind of jazzy tune. I can imagine him doing what Jun did for Wish in the 5x10 concert. That kind of broadway style thing, except I picture Aiba wearing a top hat and less twirling and spinning and more standing in one place, jumping, hopping... Aiba motions. (I dunno how to explain...). The lyrics of this song are kind of cute and make me laugh in a way. It's sweet. Suits Aiba. ^^ (I don't really know what to say honestly... Aiba's solos are all cute to me but they never stand out too much and this one is no exception to be honest...)

14. Morning Light: Uh. Hello. 2nd favourite song for the album. Will not lie. When the radio rips of this song and negai came out all I did was listen to these two songs on repeat. AT FIRST - I wasn't impressed by this song but then I heard the chorus and I was pretty much hooked. I love the chorus for this song. It's so catchy. I don't flail about it as much as negai (because face it - negai is just an amazingly pretty song). But this song is awesome in it's own, really catchy way. It pretty much is my type of up-beat song. Fast, up-beat, catchy... I dunno - my ideal song to be honest. I could work out to this song.

15. このままもっと (Sho's Solo): And we've hit it. My most favourite solo of the album. This was actually a big surprise for me. Why? Because normally Sho's solos are my least favourite. I'm not to big of a fan of rap so it's no surprise for me but this song... is just.. omgosh. It's so cute and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and it makes me smile and I kind of just wanna hug something and go "d'awwwww". it's so adorable. Ugh. I could quote so many lines of this song to express how adorable this song is. SO CUTTTEEE.  SHO!! I LOVE YOU. Ugh. This song is so adorbs. And he still manages to incorporate some rap into it and it actually sounds good. Actually when the song transitions into the rap it reminds me of another Arashi song but I can't think of what song. ANYWAY - I can imagine the performance of this song to be so cute. Ugh. SO CUTE. (how many times have I written that so far?). Again - because I"m not too big on Sho's solos his performances never really catch my notice either (although I really liked his Can't Let You Go performance in the Time con..) But.. omg. I can imagine the performance of this being so cute and adorable and ... *sigh dreamily*... this song is just too cute. Ugh. I've repeated it so many god damn times it's ridiculous. ^^;;

18.　遠くまで: Heard a bit of this song watching the JAL CM's. I like the chorus of this song. But like Niji no Kakera this song is... kind of. It's not boring but it's very generic. I mean it's the typical "up-beat" Arashi song you know? Nothing really stands out about it... actually I think this song might be my least most favourite song of the album. At least Niji no Kakera has their really pretty voices as a plus point but in this song it's just kind of.. generic up-beat, happy happy Arashi. And yeah I like up-beat "Happiness" or "Kitto Daijoubu" type of happy but... eeeh. You know what - this song is like Summer Splash. I'll think it's boring the entire year until I see them sing it in concert and then suddenly I'll grow to love this song. =P Yeah. I can see that happening. It'd be a great encore song.

Final Conclusion:

Okay. So. I'm going to do a bit of comparing with BNMF. With BNMF  my initial reaction was "ew no" and I grew to love it. with that album... I don't like each individual song as much as I love the album as a package. A whole. All the songs really seem to fit well together and slide into one another really well and that's why I like BNMF more than this album. With this album, Beautiful World - I LOVE all the songs individually. All of them. (was not the case - and still is not hte case with BNMF - lol). The problem? I hate the singles that are in this album. Hatenai Sora, Dear Snow, To Be Free... Lotus is okay. But yeah. These songs just interrupt the flow of the single for me. Like whenever it hits one of those songs I find it jarring. I actually experimented and took these songs out and the album flowed so much better for me without the stupid singles. They're just so out of place. Maybe it's cause the songs of this album are so high quality but the singles.. were... .... not high quality. So yeah. My main gripe with this album is actually the singles that were inserted into the album - take these out and this album is amazing and I LOVE it. ugh. So good. <3

LOOKING FORWARD TO HOW THEY WILL PERFORM (hopefully) ALL THESE SONGS IN THEIR UPCOMING CONCERTS =D=D=D

(and yeah this was long - sorry >.<)

まだ見ぬ世界へ PV

I pretty much hyperventilated within the first 30 seconds of the PV. I think that says enough about how much I just absolutely LOVE this PV. Oh. My. God.

I didn't really listen to the song when the radio rip came out so this is my first real chance at listening to the song. And for the most part, it sounds great. I love it, this new "style" their trying sounds pretty awesome - one thing I didn't like was the fact that they messed around with Sho's voice. I actually really don't like that. I've always liked Sho's rap (in the older songs like Kitto Daijoubu, etc) because his rap has always been very soft. Lately I haven't been a fan because - well just in general I'm not actually a very big fan of rapping. But It's okay. But.... then they started auto-tuning it (or whatever it's called, I don't want to get into technical arguments okay? *cough*ppl@arama*cough*) and ... well I'm not liking it. I sincerely hope for the rest of the album they leave Sho's rap untouched because I believe it sounds best like that.

But anyway - onto this AWESOME PV. For the past two years, even since Troublemaker all their PV's have been pretty lack-luster and the same. One borrowing off another. Monster was like Truth, Lotus was like Believe, don't get started on Dear Snow, Hatenai Sora, etc. etc. But this PV - oh man - this PV is like gold. It's just...

The beginning kind of gives me a headache at first but the moment *boom* You can see Arashi and the music totally starts up with all the lights it's just like "whoa". I had to lower my laptop brightness to the lowest because this PV is bright. Like seizure-inducing bright but I love it. I love the colours. And the members. It's like I got transported back to 1999-2000, A.Ra.Shi, Sunrise Nippon era. Aiba and Sho and Nino seemed to revert back to their chibi-selves. like seriously. I was like "what is going on here, is this the right time?" but then....

then the PV shifts to that white room and I felt like I got transported to a K-Pop PV. I know, I've mentioned I don't like K-Pop and I did have a severe WTF moment but it's Arashi, I'm biased and I was like "oh damn they look so HOT" but yeah, they looked really Korean in the black, and with Aiba and Sho's hair all flat and normal. Although - I have to say Aiba has looked gorgous this entire PV. Like just... UMPH. That guy. Especially in the cube-room he was just so sexy. Like oh my gosh. Actually all of them were pretty sexy in the white room with the black... whatevers. Maybe I can finally see the appeal of K-Pop if it's Arashi doing it. Hahaha.

The dance choreo to this PV is just uggh.. so good. Seriously, who's their new choreographer because they need to be given severe hugs. And I love the speed they move at during the line where it's like "Every day, every night, every ~", I know they're just taking steps back but it's just so fast and so on that I'm just like "wow", but I love the choreography so much.

The hair. Well Jun's hair, do I need to comment? His hair has been on permanent "awesome" mode ever since he cut it. I will never have anything bad to say about his hair until the day he decides to grow it out again (*KNOCK ON WOOD*). Nino's hair is the same. Nice, safe, good-looking, I don't understand how he can look so adorable and yet so hot. Aiba's hair in the beginning - like I said - he went back to Chibi and then turned insanely hot after they flattened it. Same with Sho except Sho's hair was so ugly in the beginning. Such an ugly hairstyle. I feel bad but honestly, I've never disliked Sho's hair before (he always generally keeps a safe style) but uggggh... his hair lately, and in this PV (which was shot BEFORE).. not to my taste :( But in the white room he turns hot again, so it's all good. Ohno's hair seemed to go all over the place. In some angles (especially in the close-ups) I was like "GET A COMB" but from far away it actually looked okay.

So yeah. This PV kind of seemed to have a really strong "Korean" vibe to it. In the beginning, and it was so strong in the white cube room. Like, what they were wearing, the way it was shot, their overall appearances, if you blurred their faces, inserted in a Korean song and told me it was a K-boyband I would've believed it in a heartbeat. I still do kind of laugh when they transition to the cube room but then Aiba comes out and I"m just drooling at his utter sexy. *fans self* Haha.

The effects, I like them, I like the vibrance and the colours. Although I can see why it would give people seizures - the best thing though? They don't look cheap. It looks legitly done, like they put money into it. So I'm satisfied. And for the most part I like the shift in the PV. This might just be me (I haven't listened to the song enough to catch the lyrics) but if I just look at the PV - this is just my taking - but it seems like they're trying to show "past Arashi" and the "present Arashi".

I mean think about it. In the beginning, all the colour, vibrance, with everyone looking like they went back to 1999 and then BAM they suddenly just turn into these sexy, sexy men in a white room. Basically I'm trying to say it's like they're trying to show some sort of "maturity" growth? I guess? Like from chaotic, vibrant, little kids to a more organized, classy group of really, really, really hot guys? Or is it just me?

Anyway, I just passed the 1000 word mark on this "review", "flail" whatever this is but if you can't tell how much I love this PV from reading this I think you need to re-learn English because HOLY SHIT THIS PV IS AWESOME *crying tears of joy* (and I've re-watched it like.. hundreds of times already and I still can't stop hyperventilating over the sheer awesomeness of this uggggh. *fans self*). ARASHI I LOVE YOU GUYS!

Lotus PV/Song Review

Edit - I also happened to translate the song here at my tumblr

here were my thoughts as I was watching which pretty much will sum up my review and then a short bit about what I actually think of the song (not the single - just the song).

- Set reminds me of Believe

- Dance is kind of weird... dunno what to think just yet.

- oooh, but white suits make them look hot. *drools*

- ooh, dance is looking slightly better. Especially at the "Glass no You ni" part

- WTF NINO OMG HIS VOIC, I thought it was a girl o_o daaaaammnn...

- ah... still reminds me of Believe. Did they just take the set of Believe and recycle it cause that's really what I feel...

- omg.. what is with this annoying video overlaying part? It's done so terribly wtf... can't watch. Would it could to add a bit of a "fade effect" rather than just choppy over-lay and then quick switches? >.< Looks so sloppy...

- again, they look so nice though (not in white suits, in their other costumes) - soooo nice...

- OHNO!OHNO!OHNO!OHNO!

-...okay all this flowers and standing inside a white room with faded colours and all this is now making me think of Ashita no Kioku...

- and back to Believe.... and then Ashita... and then Believe....

-okay, so is this PV just a mix of Believe and Ashita no Kioku then?

- Dance is looking weird again... >.<

- okay more switching of Ashita no Kioku and Believe parts... *cough*

- and of course, you can't forget the classic "stand and sing moments", they really followed the formula perfectly.

- and OMG OHNO!VOICE!OHNO!VOICE... I really want to hear him to that live with just as much emotion as he put into this PV >_>

- okay.. dance looks even more awkward now that they are showing full body.. orz

- .....and I think the part I like least is the ending cause that just... huh. no comment. crazy wrist moments, must admit.. but uh.. okay.

Okay so overall... not my most favourite PV ever. It's better than their Dear Snow, Love Rainbow, CGI'd non-moving PV's so I guess I'll be happy with it for now. ^^ You can interpret my thoughts anyway you want, good or bad *shrug*.

And as for the song...

...it's pretty much like the PV for me. It just feels like a mix of two different things. In this case it's not a mix of Believe and Ashita no Kioku, but it sounds like a mix between Truth and Monster and doesn't stand out very much. *shrug* To be fair I wasn't looking very forward to this single in the first place (i'm sorry for bringing the rain down in the midst of the sunshine/sparkles/hot-white-suits) BUT - I am very eager to see this being performed on Music Station next Friday. ^^

and the other songs I ... yeah. no comment.

 

Shiyagare?

Is it just me or are their guests just getting better and better?

that monomane guy last week, Hatori-san this week and Yuzu next week? I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Ogura-san to pop up any day now, or maybe Kinki Kids o_o

 

*KEEPING FINGERS CROSS SO TIGHTLY IT HURTS!!*

Himitsu no Arashi [2011.01.20]

I'm crying. I have tears coming out of my eyes. I haven't laughed so hard in so long. Oh. My. God.

A quick rundown of today's Himitsu no Arashi-chan. The guest was Nakama Yukie, the teacher in Gokusen. The members spent their time "presenting" to her something that she would... eh.. become interested in. Because as she says, she never feels like she's really "interested" in anything because there are probably others who are more obsessed than she is. :P

so yeah. It was pretty interesting actually. Points to look our for
- Nino magic (and it's a pretty easy trick to figure out ;D)
- Ohno fishing xD
- Nakama Yukie changing a girls 10,000yen (roughly $100+ CAD) to a 1,000yen bill (roughly $10+ CAD). :P And then Jun promises to pay the girl 9000yen.
- Jun threatening the camera person? (if you're Jun biased like me).

and then the 2nd section is a special segment where they try to teach Sho some fashion sense... but really it's more just a crack segement to further embarass Sho more. It's kind of painful to watch because omgod some of the things they made Sho wear.. *shudders* - BUT - BUT.. highlights?

THE VERY END.

If you do not have time to watch the full episode - watch the last 2-3 minutes. It's ALL worth it. That last 2-3 minutes made the ENTIRE show. Just remember...

Arashi loves Sho a lot. Arashi loves torturing Sho a lot more though apparently.
And Jun gives the best 'dude wtf" faces ever. (again, bias showing, haha).

anyway - WATCH THE LAST 2-3 MINUTES IS A MUST. This is honestly going down on my list of "EPIC ARASHI MOMENTS". And I can't wait for next weeks Himitsu. ;) You'll know why.

New Years etc.

Hello. It's been a while hasn't it? I'm still amazed that I actually get page views despite the fact that I never update, and when I do it's nothing really important either. But whoever does decide to come look at my blog, thank you? Or maybe I'm misunderstanding how the whole "page view" thing works? ^^;; Oh well. I'm just happy seeing such a large number.

ANYWAY - way off topic.

So. New Years was a while back yeah? Two weeks ago? Yes I did watch Kouhaku and it was entertaining but truthfully I didn't watch all of it. In short, considering it was the first time and Kouhaku is a MAJOR show and they must have been HELLA nervous, I think they did a marvelous job and I'm very proud of them. If there were any flaws, I felt that there should have been more Matsushita Nao x Arashi discussion because sometimes it felt like she was left out - but I understand why that happened. Writing a script and giving each person an equal number of lines would obviously mean that she would get less lines, but still. Sometimes it was just awkward. But of course this isn't Arashi's fault, so oh well.

In the end my most favourite year end music show was MSSL2010. I nearly cried watching that. Have I mentioned that already? Well anyway, it's the show that reminded me of my time in Japan the most. And I really love that, the nostalgic feeling, the fact that I recognize all the songs and what not. Makes me sad too, but I love it anyway.

Next - Arashi promoting the 3Ds is terrible for me because I want it so bad. I mean the actual commercials wih Arashi are kind of lame (if I didn't know Arashi and i saw that on TV in Canada I'd be like 'wtf?') but the actual DS is SO COOL. And seeing Arashi with one just makes me think "WANT". Such fail. I"m not gonna get it though, not until it a) comes out in Canada and b) has been out for long enough that there are more games and it's more reliable.

Onto Movies - excited for Nino going to Hollywood again. That's my boy ;) Too bad i don't live in America, why does Japan always forget Canada? Sigh. We're such a forgotten country. I'd kill to go see the movie, dubbed or not, but maybe it'll come out in DVD here instead? Or something? Come on... please...? And then of course the latest news about Kaibutsu-kun! That is seriously awesome. I don't really care about 3D movies but Ohno just being in a movie. Kaibutsu-kun or not is awesome. I'm happy for him, hope he doesn't tire himself to much.

Onto Dramas. I kind of admit.. I don't think I'm going to watch Bartender. It just doesn't look like my kind of drama to watch. Love Arashi and all but ^^;; I'm still picky about my dramas okay? So instead I will watch Mother (which a lot of people have been talking about) and Keizoku 2: SPEC. Both apparently very underrated dramas? They seem interesting though, so I'm looking forward to watching them. I just finished watching Nihonjin no Shiranai Nihongo which was interesting to watch while doing homework (cause I didn't really need to pay attention). It was amusing and I admittingly did learn some interesting facts, all in all it's just amusing. Brainless humor. Not the best drama, not the worst. *shrug* You know.

eh.. what else? I guess that is it?

oh... I may or may not start translating random Arashi songs. I'm not sure if I'm gonna post them here. I started posting them up at my tumblr. The thing is my tumblr has morphed into some random blog that I just throw all my.... random "garbage thoughts" in. I like putting my song translations there though, but... hmm.. I dunno. Should I move them here too *contemplating*

all I've done is Arashi's Futari no Kinenbi and V6's Only Dreaming and a snippet of Snowflake though. ^^;; Maybe when I've done more?

NTV Best Artist - aka - More Jun-Hair flailing

omgosh. Jun. His hair. Normally when i watch performances i tend to look at all the members. I like to see if they dance in-sync or not, and what each member is doing, but this time? I just couldn't stop staring at Jun. My eyes were just glued to the guy. I don't know. He just looks so... *sigh*... 

His hair makes him look so boyish and young but really handsome and manly and just downright COOL and friggen HOT. Like, I dont' know why, but for some reason I just started wondering what he would look like shirtless. I NEVER picture Jun shirtless because truthfully? I don't really like the guy shirtless -_-;; But for some reason, short hair seems to make it seem like if he takes off his shirt he'll be really buff. Dont' ask. (I don't mean like Sho, but he won't be a stick anyway). haha. Don't ask how my mind works.

Not but seriously. Jun's hair. oh my god. *hugs him*. 

and yeah. Onto best artist... seeing Monster being performed is always awesome. <3 But Happiness? Kind of random. Believe, not so random but yeah, Happiness was random. And odd. and I kind of didn't like it. I guess they needed a fast song though - wait.. why didn't they just do STORY or some other equally awesome song? *pouts*. I wanna see them perform STORY damn it! And their costumes were alright. Although Sho's pants look like they were painted on his legs -_-;; and everyone else.. .um.. ooh, Ohno was really cool in monster. Kind of didn't pay attention to Nino and Aiba (I"M SORRY). Ironically Nino is my second favourite, so this has nothing to do with biases but for the life of me I just kept staring at Jun. 

I think I finally understand this whole "omg he's so hot *stare*giggle* thing that girls do. Before I never understood. Like how can a guy be THAT good looking, but DAMN. Okay - i get it. I finally get it. *re-watches performance*. Jun is just damn fine. Omygod. I can't wait to see him when he's just wearing like suits and stuff on Himitsu and on VS Arashi. *squeals* BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!!

haven't seen the entire show yet so can't say anything about the other guests. Will do so later when I have time~ 

果てない空 Review

THIS IS IT PEOPLE. THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. OMG. O.M.G.

They did it. Quality. I love this single. I don't care what anyone says. I love this. Every. Single. Song. Absolute love. Maybe it's cause they actually have more than 2 songs. Maybe it's cause they have a making of. Maybe it's cause they have a fricken Christmas song. I DON'T KNOW BUT I LOVE THIS.

果てない空：
It's a theme song. I like it. It's not AWESOME but I like it. It's got more speed than Dear Snow so I don't find it boring and it's not too crazy like Troublemaker (which I sadly have a love-hate relationship with). I haven't seen the PV yet and I don't plan too because I don't want to ruin the image of this song in my mind. It's really calming and reminds of Freeter, which I love. <3

STORY:
Eeeks! I love this song. Hands down best song on the single. I wouldn't expect it from the title, but it is. It's so catchy and .. .I don't know, it reminds me of something but I can't remember what. But it's speedy, and smooth. Slick. I kind of want them to perform this because I can imagine the craziest dance being accompanied with this song. And I mean like... fast, hard, dancing. Like even crazier than Believe or Crazy Moon it would be the most awesome dance ever. Ah. This song. Absolute love. This totally beats out Hatenai Sora and the Christmas song. 

Maboroshi:
Ah. The ballad. It's alright. Not one of their best ballads. Although I like it better than Dear Snow, so I guess that says something right? (I'm sorry, I"m sorry but.. I just.. didn't get along with that single very well). It's sweet. It sounds sweet, the music in the background is really subtle but it sounds very nice. Again, like Hatenai Sora it's really calming. And kind of... heart-wrenching in a way for some reason. I'm not really listening to the lyrics so I don't know what they're actually singing about. ^^;;  Truthfully it's not a bad song, and far above "mediocre" but it's over-shadowed by three other GREAT songs that this one kind of looks bland, caught in the middle. But I am sure I will grow to love it as I listen to the single more. (and I'm currently repeating it now and falling more in love with it. LOL). 

あの日のメリークリスマス:
OMG A CHRISTMAS SONG KYAA~~~ I LOVE CHRISTMAS. And it sounds so fricken jazzy and it sounds like a fricken rip off from Wish which I don't know if I like or not. xD OMG. The chorus. Oh the chorus. <3 Is it bad that when I hear this song I imagine Arashi dressed up as elves prancing up and down and singing this in the snow with Christmas lights and gigantic presents in the snow. Um.. PV NOW PLEASE? CHRISTMAS. But I dunno, for some reason it's not as loud as I thought it would be, but it totally fits the Christmas mood. Oh my god. <3<3. Aggh.. I can tell this is another song I'm gonna have a love-hate relationship with. I mean honestly there are so many better x-mas songs but come on.... it's like full-blown Christmas, how can I not love it? 

Overall: (4/5)

It's a great single. I think overall, as an ENTIRE single (and not just the main song) this is the best single they've released all year. Sure, I liked Troublemaker, Monster, Love Rainbow - but that's it. I didn't like any other song in any of those singles, all I liked were the title tracks. (and don't even bring up Dear Snow - sorry). But this is the one single where I actually like ALL the songs on it. And I mean ALL the songs. Maboroshi is a bit iffy but it has two other songs, STORY and the Christmas song (too lazy to type the title ^^;;) that are just so GREAT that one "okay" song really doesn't matter. Yes Arashi. The end of the year, I knew you guys could do it, and you guys did. I am so happy right now *sobs*

It's not joke, I really did tear up when I heard STORY because it's been so long since I've heard such a great song from them in a single I just felt like I had to cry.. :( (god I'm such a sad fangirl -_-;;)

Closing note: ALL THE SONGS ON THIS SINGLE NEED A PV FOR ITSELF

New Single

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO.
OMG NO.
W-T-F

ARASHI.
STOP RELEASING SINGLES OMG NO.
>.<
feel free to shoot me for being "unsupportive blah blah blah" I don't care. oh my god. just ... 
.....
god.
are you serious? 
and I saw the PV for Dear Snow?
!@#$
They might as well just stand there with a white background and singe, it wouldn't make a difference. 
I love Arashi. I really do. They give me endless amounts of joy... but I am not blind as to like EVERYTHING they throw at me. I don't mean this as an insult to fans, nor as an insult to them. This is just so I can defend myself before anyone tells me "if you're a fan you should like it anyways blah blah blah stop complaining blah blah blah blah" cause that' just a load of bull. 
aagh..
honestly.
*sigh*

I WANT to be happy for this but... 
on the other hand though - ZOMG OOKU LOOKS SO AWESOME OMG OMG OMG OMG
and I can't wait for Freeter, ie wo kau. ^^ 

Love Rainbow + Other Thoughts

Okay, this is going to be my first post on typepad, after vox and this is also going to be a very long post. Not necessarily a happy one either. I'm still getting used to typepad actually, it's kind of laggy. :( *sigh* And re-categorizing all my old posts is kind of a pain. >.< But we'll see how things go.

First on my list. Love Rainbow PV. Do not like. At all. The only good thing I can say is that it is more visually appealing than To Be Free, in terms of colours and general aesthetics. Aside from that, this PV is just plain boring. I think I've had enough of "Arashi stand and look pretty PV's". But what can we do? They seem too busy to actually stand together and film something properly. Thankfully the Making of to this PV was BRILLIANT. I mean, sure, the entire PV was shot with a green-screen (obviously - I mean the blatant CGI was just killing me inside) but the 'making of' was adorable. My favourite scenes off the top of my head? Ohno giggling, Juntoshi moment, Ohmiya moment, Aiba, when all of them are doing the jacket-cover photoshoot. This 'making of' was hilarious. Oh damn.. so cute. >.< Honestly. But yeah, the PV is just... ew. I have a hate for obvious CGI effects intermixed with real people. This is also why I dislike 'One Love' (although One Love was just.. ew where as Love Rainbow at least looks nice..). I don't like obvious CGI effects, even if that is what the producer was going for. I just don't like it, I hate it when CGI is obviously seen next to real people. And as I said - this PV is just damn boring. I also think it doesn't fit the song very well but I think it's just cause I'm NatsuNiji biased and I really like the opening for NatsuNiji. =P

Next on my list. The recent Arashi textbook that was released in Japan. On one hand, a part of me is like "WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT" because hello, a textbook that is centered around Arashi? That is awesomeness. It's like getting a free photobook supplied by the school. And it is a smart move by the government, since kids like Arashi and putting Arashi in your textbook basically means your kids are going to read that textbook. (Or at least become vaguely interesting in whatever the textbook is talking about). But then another part of me is like *sigh*.. Japan. I mean, don't get me wrong. I think this is totally cool. Although I do not wish this happened in the America's because if any celeb in North America entered my textbook I would burn it. >_> But for Arashi I think it's awesome, especially since they did it voluntarily and the topics they address are actually.. well.. insightful and good to know about (Japanese or not). Now if only they could release a textbook that taught foreigners Japanese. Kind of like "Minna no Nihongo" complete with the listening CD and all =D (basically I love this idea but at the same time I'm kind of like "oh dear god, what is Japan coming to?")

and lastly - the recent 'Arashi Jet' that JAL released. Personally? I don't like JAL very much as an airline, but maybe that's because the last time I rode JAL it was going bankrupt. Who knows? Either way, it's still better than the Chinese airlines :D. But this jet is kind of... uh... I don't know what to think but my first reaction is I'm not too thrilled. Unlike the textbook which is actually helpful and all this JET.. is just kind of.. I don't like it. I know as a fan, I should be supportive and happy becuase "oh  my god they are so popular and everyone wants a piece of them :D:D" but that's why I am not happy. They are too popular and everyone is trying to use Arashi to get some extra crash. Heck, you just stick Arashi on a piece of paper, slap it on a table at a furniture store and I'm sure it'd be sold out in seconds. *sigh* Going back to the Love Rainbow PV - I wouldn't have been surprised if it really did just show them walking in front of a green screen (like Ohno said they might be doing xD). I just feel... I don't know. I don't mind if the boys get more exposure but this is beyond exposure. What Japan is doing now is going past exposure and just out-right USING (and yes - I do mean to sound negative). I understand, Arashi = Popular = lotsa fans = MONEY. But they are just.. being.. OVER-exposed and it's not to boost their popularity anymore. It's just for the sake of using them to get MONEY, they are so popularity and they don't even need to look for it anymore. And somehow it just feel so wrong. They're being over-used, over-exposed, over-worked, milked, stretched and ...

I don't know what I'm trying to say. I'm just ranting now to be honest. I'm just tired... I want my old, stupid, dorky Arashi back. The Arashi that was popular but wasn't being used by everyone in Japan as a means to make some extra money just because they sell. >.< I just want my regular dorky boyband back... :(

Himitsu-chan [2010.08.26]

**spoilers alert :P**

This was my ranking (just looking at  the mannequins)

1) #5 - 2) #2 - 3) #4 - 4) #1 - 5) #3

The actual results?

1) #4 - 2) #2 - 3) #5 - 4) #1 - 5) #3

so I got... 2/3 wrong, in fact I mixed them up.

Who do the clothes actually belong to?

1: Aiba - 2: Ohno - 3: Jun - 4: Sho - 5: Nino

I feel so bad for Jun. But it's true, when you just see the mannequin what he picked looks really plain but when I actually saw him wear it I wanted Aiba to lose. Actually though, I thought Sho's was Jun's. I was happy cause I was like "yes, there is no way Jun is going to be last" but he still was. Poor guy. I feel so bad, he looked so bumbed out when they were cutting the ribbon to reveal the bus. But honestly, when Jun actually WEARS that outfit it doesn't look so bad anymore. And in the photoshoot he looks really cute xD It was just too plain, not ugly, just plain =(

My opinion on each mannequin?

1 (Aiba's): I can totally tell it's Aiba's. I never agreed with Aiba's fashion sense too much. It's too.. out there. It's not really ugly persay I just don't agree with it. I mean, overall, the balance is all very nice it's just... if I saw my boyfriend wearing that I'd probably tell him to go and change. On Aiba though, it doesn't actually look that bad. The rainbow leggings do bug me a bit though... but honestly aside from that it's eh. Not really for "summer" but as just co-ordinated clothing it's alright.

2 (Ohno's): It's simple. I love simple. I love Ohno, Ohno wears simple. It looks good on him. A bit too colourful but overall, very nice and something that I would like to see someone wear. I also like it when people wear layers. And the shoes are nice. :) I really like the shoes he picked. I can't say much, I don't have anything wrong with Ohno's clothing. I basically love the entire thing, I just would never wear it myself xD

3 (Sho's): As I said, I thought this was Jun's at first. Glasses, hat, vest, a total Jun combination. But I was wrong and I am so sad I was wrong because this SHOULD HAVE BEEN JUN's. >.> (the Jun fan in me is severly butt-hurt). But as I said before, I don't like those styles of hats and I don't like thick-rimmed glasses. When people WEAR them I don't mind but just seeing it on a mannequin is kind of.. ."eck" to me. But it still, overall, looked really nice and well put together. Very balanced (like Aiba's :D). But when Sho wears it.. eh... eh... I kind of wanted him to be last..... -_-;; Sho doesn't actually look good in what he picked :P

4 (Jun's): There is  nothing wrong with this outfit, it's just too damn boring. Honestly it looks like a professional bowler uniform or some teenage kid who works at a gas station. It's not UGLY, but compared to the other 4, this doesn't really stand out or garner much attention. It's just too plain. D: Maybe a bit more colour.. a different design for the over-shirt... nicer looking pants? I don't know, it was just too plain. But seriously, when Jun actually wears this it doesn't look so bad.

5 (Nino's): Seriously, I like Nino's the most. I dont' know why girls freaked out when he took off the first layer and was wearing that... thing (yeah, I dont' know fashion/clothing names). It didn't look that bad did it? o_o and the shorts ARE cute. The shoes do bug me a bit though. But overall I thought it was the nicest, even when Nino wore it. The colour balance is nice (all light and airy) and layers (I have a thing for layers) were so nice. I mean it was casual, and well-balanced. Seriously I don't get why everyone thought he would be last o_o;; Sho and Nino's positioning shoulda been switched >.<!!

phooey. I feel so bad for Jun, losing twice. What he picked this time wasn't even bad... wanted to give him a hug at the very end when they were sending the bus off. His voice-cracked when he was announcing it. :P I wonder why he doesn't wear shorts though. Seriously if Jun paired off his top with a pair of khaki's his mannequin probably would've gotten a lot more votes. O_o Does the guy not like shorts or something? *sigh* If they ever do this again, I really, really hope he gets first place. >.<

Music Lovers [2010.08.22]

This was awesome. An hour long mini-Arashi concert with one of the best/funniest interviews ever. 

Songs they performed are (I think this was the order)

- Moving On 

- Troublemaker

- Medley (Happiness, Believe)

- Yurase Ima, wo (guys only)

- A Day in Our Life (guys only)

- Fight Song (guys only)

- Refrain (SO BEAUTIFUL OMG)

- Summer Splash (end credits only D=)

and during the interviews they asked questions regarding 'Who is the most OO', really funny. They were rated by 100 girls, Kuroski Meisa and themselves <3 Haha. Poor Aiba got bullied a bit. and Nino got bullied at the very end to. They did this special portion where they performed just to a bunch of guys and it was so cool. They looked like they were having lots of fun singing to the guys and the guys looked like they were having a huge amount of fun too. It's nice to know guys like Arashi so much. Haha. 

and the performance of Refrain at the end was so beautiful and cool and nice and.. kyaa~ *fangirl squeal*. It was a really cool episode. People should see it =) I laughed really hard watching it. ^^;; 

Shiyagare 2010.08.21

And going with my last post about posting more.. THIS

If you people have not seen this episode yet you HAVE to see this. This will be one of those episodes that will go down in history as a MUST WATCH (much like MMA: Boat Club, DnA: Mole/Fish searching etc. etc.). You cannot miss this episode. I'll give you a brief summary after watching it earlier this morning (thank you uploaders). ^^ Funniest Shiyagare episode I have seen yet. TOKIOsempai with Arashi is so much love it can't even be contained in this world.

*ahem* - summary

Starting off you have the members guessing who the guest will be. Straight of the bat Sho mentions  TOKIO and the other members start guessing which member. They name-drop Yamaguchi and say definitely not him. Then someone (forgot who) insists that it must be Matsu-nii (Matsuoka the drummer) but... they're wrong. The two guests from TOKIO are... Kokubun Taichi and Joushima Shigeru (riida).

This episode may be confusing to some but Joushima is also referred to as "Riida" because he is the "riida" of TOKIO. Anyways. The earlier talk portion is about how no one knows anything about Joushima so the whole "rumor" segment is basically just information on him. What he does on his spare time, how he disguises himself, the weird stuff inside his wallet. Basically - what you learn from this... Joushima Shigeru is more of a mystery than Tsuyoshi from Kinki Kids.

Then the three points - what is TOKIO going to teach Arashi? The True Heart of a Johnny's.

1 - Johnny's Rules
Basically they start of talking about different rules such as until when do they stop calling a sempai KUN (it mostly seems to start from Higashiyama/Shounentai) and then it continue on to... putting names on your underwear? YES - they start talking about whether the members put their names on their underwear, in which they all say no. Then the TOKIO members talk about their dorm lives (because back then, JE used to be like Korea and the boys used to live in dorms until just before Arashi joined), and then Taiichi finally shows Arashi his "souveigner" that he brought them. What is it? New pairs of white, fresh briefs with each of their names written on the band. Even better - they put them on right there on stage for everyone to see xD

2 - Cooking
Jun and Taichi have a cooking contest to see who can cook the best chahan. You reall get to see Taichi showing his real cooking skills while Jun is just kind of bumbling along :P But both of their dishes look really good. :) The Arashi members can't stop talking about Pork-Kimchee Chahan. Haha. I don't like kimchee but they really made it sound/look good. Who won the competition? Gotta watch to find out.

3 - Johnny's Games
This is by far the best part of the show. The Arashi-members play INTRO-DON, a fun game where you hear the intro of the song and have to guess what song it is. You get to see a test of how good the Arashi-members memories are, and guess what? They prove to be pretty fricken good (as they all seem to remember the choreo to every single song pretty damn well). Of course some TOKIO-sempai teasing ensues (where the all do NOT know the hit song Sorafune xD) and some Aiba-bullying as well. So much love <3

seriously - WATCH this episode. You really don't need to understand whats going on, just watching is enough.

SUCH a hilarious episode. I'm terrible at summarizing and what not but seriously - great episode, NEED TO WATCH.

*re-watches for the nth time xD*

Boku to Miteiru Fuukei - review

 my little album review. Taken from LJ and EDITED

[edited as of 2010/08/20]

..

1 - Moving On (3.5)
[I've grown to like it. I think as an opening song it's really good. The chorus, as I said is catchy as hell and that's what grips me to this song. I doesnt' make a spot on my playlist but when I listen to the album as a whole I always feel very energized and eager to hear this song again.]

2 - Muda Ue Wo (2)
[Eh.. my opinion hasn't changed. I don't like this song. That doesnt' mean I dislike it but.. it's just not my style. If I hear it I don't mind and i certainly never skip this song but it's not something I would listen to alone. I applaud them for trying something so dark though]

3 - refrain (3.8)
[I've grown to like this. I wont' give it the rave reviews everyone else seems to be giving this song but it's good. Surprisingly, it has managed to worm its way onto my playlist so congratz. I don't really care about lyrics - so skip that - but the melody, the tune, at first it seems boring but after listening to it over and over I find it is a very catchy song. It's not as fast as other songs I prefer but somehow it still pulls me along. Also I find the sound of the song very relaxing.. someone said it reminded her of rain. I agree, when I hear this song i think of a dark, rainy night and empty streets with a single street light shining.... I can imagine a PV for this song xD]

4 - Troublemaker (3.5) - IN THE ALBUM
[I have a love-hate relationship with Troublemaker... especially in this album. This song is catchy as hell but one-to-many listens and i get tired of it. In the album.. somehow it doesn't seem to fit to well either in my opinion. It's just a bit too upbeat sounding to match with songs like Refrain etc. etc. Nevertheless as a single it's a good song but not a preferred one. ^^;; Catchy as all  hell but like I said - one-to-many listens (and karaoke runs) makes me tired of hearing this]

T.A.B.O.O (4.5)
At first I thought this song was alright. Then I grew to like it and now I positively love this song. I think, after Yume de mo Ii Kara it's my most favourite Sho solo. It's hot, sexy, sizzling (the lyrics are just downright dirty)... and it's catchy as all hell. The chorus.. the lines, the way it's sung. Everything about it just makes me want to sing along with it. The rap is a bit lack-luster, sounds... very bland. ^^;; I like rap with a bit more of a tune, like in Kitto Daijoubu or Sakura Sake. But overall - hot and sexy and cannot wait for a con performance (in which I imagine a half-naked Sho looking like how he did in his CUT shoot from 2008)

6 - Circus (4.8)
[I said this was my most favourite song and then I heard Gift and for some reason this song was forgotten in my review. And then I heard it again. Gift might be my most favourite ballad but for up-beat - Circus is brilliant. My two most favourite songs tied back-to-back. It's dark, but not as dark as Mada Ue Wo and it's catchy and gives you this mysterious, magical feel. Like you're on a drug high going through some twisted, colourful, carnival-esque hallway, spinning around and.. being high xD. It's mysterious. I imagine darkness along with the colours.. like a sub-dued image. Damn, I'm going way out with the imagery, but this is a GREAT song. Catchy, mysterious, dark, just the right amount of everything to make a perfect song <3 ]

7 - Gift (5)
[My last review was a bit uncomprehensible due to the massive fangirl attack I had after hearing MatsuJun's voice singing the first time and sounding beautiful while doing it. A lot of people don't seem to like Gift or they just fly by it but THIS is my most favourite song of the single. It's beautiful. Not too slow to be boring and just... wonderful to listen to. It's calming, soothing. I picture them standing somewhere high (maybe in the sky?), singing their hearts out like how they sang 5x10, surrounded in whites and the faintest hint of soft blue... *sighs wistfully* - a beautiful song]

8 - Everything (4)
[I've always liked Everything and I think it actually suits the album well. Better than Troublemaker does - or maybe it's the placement that this song is in? Who knows, but even as a single I like this song. It's refreshing. The PV of this song is pretty much how I picture the song except.. maybe a bit more grass and meadows and sunshine. But it's a beautiful song, catchy, up-beating, up-lifting yet with a slight hint of maturity.. (ie - doesn't sound like Kitto Daijoubu crack xD), I want to say it's my most favourite single in this album but I feel like I'm betraying Monster]

Come back to me (4 - and you read that right)
Let me set this straight - synthesized songs? Not my style. Not my style at all. That's why I hate K-POP but.. FU#$ this song is so catchy, oh my god. From the minute you hear the beginning line "1, 2, 3 I will set you free" i'm completely hooked and I don't know why. I just can't help singing along and bobbing my head to it. The only thing that I don't like is the part when he does the "crowd-shout" thing and when he raps. ^^;; At first I would skip those parts, now I just kind of... tune out of them, sometimes I laugh. yeah - one thing.. this song makes me laugh, HARD. Sometimes I just burst out giggling when I sing along. But not my favourite solo - despite my rave reviews and the fact that I gave it 4/5 - the parts that I dislike are a really big negative in terms of "favourites". The 4 really doesnt' mean much because I have a bias for solo songs xD Especially for MatsuJun solo songs *cough* yeah - i have no ears - shoot me now. 

10 - My Girl (3)
[When i first heard the song in My Girl and saw the PV, I liked it. It was a sweet song, catchy enough and what not but aside from being a theme song it's pretty lack-luster. Generally I like theme songs so it's always no my playlist but I dont' really react when I hear it. It's just a song... I don't love it, I mean.. I like it... enough and I don't dislike it surely. I really don't have much to say.. ]

Magical Song (5)
So, as I said before, favourite solo. Which is ironic because I dont' listen to it half as much as I listen to Ohno's or Nino's solo. In fact I listen to this song the least. But when I hear it I love it and it will be my favourite. It's so different from Hello Goodbye or Friendship and yet it still sounds.. the same. It's up-beat, cute.. magical. Like honestly, i imagine disney when I heard this. Aiba singing in front of Disney castle with Mickey Mouse and Tinkerbell flying around him, I'm not joking. I just find this song adorable.. and I don't know. It captures me.. it's just so.. Aiba. <3

12 - Let Me Down
[uh... I don't.. really like the song. It's not memorable - cannot remember what it sounds like after listening to it, nothing stands out and I just don't like how it sounds. ]

13 - Monster (5)
[<3 <3 <3 - i dont' think any words are necessary]

14 - Don't Stop (0.5)
[Like Let Me Down yea.. not memorable, don't like it. But this one actually gets a score because it sounds marginably better. It's actually catchy when I hear it but one the next song comes along - completely forget about it. ]

Shizuka na Yoru Ni (4.5)
Yes - Ohno did not get a 5. You read that correctly. It's a beautiful song.. but.. it's one of those songs that are just a tad to slow. When I listen to it I love it and I often repeat it over and over but oddly I can't seem to give it a perfect score. Possibly because out of all of Ohno's solos.. I find Take me Faraway and TOP SECRET so much better. Shizuka na Yoru ni is undoubtedly a beautiful ballad and a wonderful display of Ohno's vocals, no doubt. As a song it's a 5 but as to how much I like it compared to his other solos.... now that's not a perfect score. It's not a bad song but like I said, a little too slow. It reminds me of rain as well.. but it's not as dark as refrain. Reminds me of soft, drizzly rain... i can imagine Ohno singing this on the street surrounded in light grayish hues, singing.... *another wistful sigh* 

16 - Mukae ni Iku yo (5)
[Just as in my last review, I loved this song and I still do. It's a awesome song. It's slow, yet fast and soothing but with just enough pep to it to be called POP and it's up-lifting but not like Happiness... this song is just so good. It's not as dark as circus either. it's just.. so.. mature sounding and calming. I don't imagine rain with this, but I imagine many dark-blue-ish hues in my mind. I just love the way they are singing. The constant, soft, ups and downs and when they go into that... what is it called... a falsetto? I don't know musical terms but when they all go and hit that high-note in the chorus.. *shivers*. Sounds so good... yeah, dark-blue-ish hues.. solemn setting.. walking into a starry sky with a sun beginning to rise... breathtaking. and the "ooh" part at the end........ *yet another sigh*]

1999*4##111 (5)
This.. song was a surprise. The sound I mean. When I first read the title I imagined something along the lines of Gimmick Game, but when I learned what the title meant I thought it would be a ballad. But no, I was surprised, this sounds glaringly close to Himitsu and I love it. I LOVE Nino's voice in this, how he goes up and down and hits those notes and sounds so good... and the lyrics are so cute. The chorus is catchy as all hell - i can imagine flaily Himitsu-ish Nino dancing happening here. It's such a cute song, cute and touching. And the fact that Nino wrote and produced this himself adds bonus points. Not as good as Niji and Konseki but those are slow songs, as a fast, more up-beat solo this is one of my favourites of Nino's.

18 - Sora Takaku (3)
[Now let me be honest. I liked Sora Takaku when I heard it at the end of Saigo no Yakusoku but eventually... yeah, the like faded. I never got the hype with this song. I mean it's a good song, definitely, but I don't follow a majority of othe fan's love for this song - it's not THAT good is it? But as to the actual song.. it's nice, it's like Mada Ue Wo. Except it's more my style - just sounds.. kind of... boring. ^^;; I dunno. I don't find the song nearly as catchy nor as memorable as their actual singles (although I'd rather this than To Be Free >.>). When you hear the lines after the chorus.. I always think disco's 70's music. It's not like I imagine NEWS Koi no ABO style but.. somehow I just think "DISCO". The rap is.. nice... i guess, I never actually make it that far into the song before I skip onto... ]

19 - Kagero (5)
[I know the majority of the songs on this album aren't SLOW but none of them are necessarily FAST songs either - except for Kagero which is my style of FAST and I LOVE THIS SONG. It doesn't beat ouf Gift and sits on the same pedastal as Carnival maybe a bit higher because like I said - my style of speed to a song. It's the right speed, memorable, the background tune is amazing. What can I say - it sounds like an anime theme song and I love anime theme songs. <3. This is what I would want as an anime theme song from Arashi. Fast, Action, Adventure, that's what the song sounds like. I can imagine barren sand dunes and the hint of Arashi travelling through their own anime adventure to find some all-powerful-armageddon saving stone.. *sigh* Now if only my wish for an Arashi-Anime would come true *laugh*]

20 - Summer Splash! (2)
[Uh... I don't know what to say. THIS song really reminds me of DISCO 70's when I hear the opening instrumental.. and then they start singing and that imagine is replaced by a pool and Arashi shirtless and I'm gone. xD It's true, this song is the stereotype of Arashi/Summer and it sounds nice but so generic and thus... not that memorable either. I mean, the chorus is catchy when I hear it but after ... I never really feel a need to listen to this song again? It's better than Let Me Down and Don't Stop but.. it's just... not that great? Lots of people seem to like it, I guess cause it's so generically Arashi but it's a subdued generic. If I want fast-pace summer I would go for something along with Happiness. ^^ Also the style they're singing really doesn't... yeah, I don't really like it that much in this song.]

so... the bottom line to sum this thing up?
....
I'm.... what can I say? At first I was kind of disappointed with this album. I mean, as you can see the scores for the songs aren't over the top and some of them did get depressingly low scores (below the 50% mark) but... after listening to it for so long I have to say that overall as an ALBUM I really enjoy it. Listening to it from beginning to end, all 20 songs, all together in one package, it's a great album. Not as good as TIME but.. it's getting there.

Honestly, this is probably my 2nd most favourite album.. although I liked ONE quite a bit as well. Maybe they're tied? I mean, it's true, the amount of songs I actually liked are.. quite few (and highlighted in pink minus singles - but you can tell which single I liked xD) but.. overall, like I said, the whole package? It's good. I love how they mixed up the solos as well, feels like a concert then. ^^ And I have to say, love all the solos, all of them 100% love them, there is no solo that I dislike and all of them made it at least in the top 3 of my solo list.

so as a whole packaged album - despite some of the songs getting terrible low scores - as a WHOLE PACKAGE.. I'd have to honestly say? 5/5. ^^ I like the single that much. The colour scheme as well, the blues and greens? Reminds me of the Vancouver Olympics and being a vancouverite I'm biased. Haha.

it's a good album, I would recommend this actually, to people. This album and TIME would be good albums to recommend to non-arashi fans. <3

Arashi on M-Sta

This isn't so much as a "news" post so much as a flail post xD

Arashi's going on M-Sta for the 1000th episode special, but that's not the good part. The good part is they're performing Troublemaker AND Yursae, ima wo =D=D Yay!

but I don't know if I'll be able to watch it. M-Sta is on Fridays at 8pm and I have to study until 9:40pm... ugh. so trouble some

Happy Birthday + Update

Happy Birthday Sho!! (I know this is a day late - I'm so sorry. I'm in Japan right now too ^^;;) Oops.

and a quick update.

drawings and a few photos.

also - watching Bloody Monday - pretty damn cool. ^^

and a little something that I actually did yesterday on Sho's birthday... with some friends. Actually that's on my LJ so please check it out.

LJ Here

Saigo + Vancouver

Drama was very LOL.

I think without Arashi it wouldnt' have been so enjoyable. ^^;;

kind of ridiculous storyline... and... just.. LOL

but Arashi was cute and I love them all <3 Jun and Kazu are so awesome xD And Fujiki.

and the amount of JunxMeisa WALL SLAMMING .. .my god xD So ridiculous.\

but away from that.

SHO IS GOING TO VANCOUVER
...
WHY AM I IN JAPAN??!!

WHY WHY WHY?!
T.T
I want to go home.. (by the way I live in Vancouver =D)

3 new songs?!

o_O

I know I should be happy but the only thing I can think right now is honestly..

give me a break...
actually..
give yourselves a break

unless these songs are all just going straight onto an album... cause if they're released as singles then oh dear.

FNS 2009

I did manage to catch the later half of it. That means I managed to catch Arashi's performance of Ashita no Kioku and DBSK's performance of some songs I don't know cause I don't listen to DBSK xD

I missed their first perf. but ah well.

I'd just like to say they all looked gorgeous in their silver suits. ^^

stupid of me - I have exams today but I didn't study at all. *laughs*

*explodes*

My wish has come true.

Arashi - all 5 of them - doing a drama, together.... TOGETHER.

*dies*

and the drama sounds so awesome too. ^^ SSaigo no Yakusoku.

Lots of stuff coming out next year for 2010 for Arashi. Sho's drama SP + drama, Jun's drama SP, and Nino's movie. o_o oh wowie. I am so happy I'm living in Japan right now xD

now. I hope my two other Arashi wishes come true.

-Nino + Jun + Shun + Mao do a drama together :)
-Arashi becomes like.. world famous. (and I mean, enough popularity to go touring in other continents)

yes? yes? yes?