I loved AKB0048

And I'm being serious.

I'm starting to become the Queen of Unpopular opinions or something but damn, that thing is good. In its very peculiar way I'll concede, but I enjoyed myself. A lot.
But the most important part of that, is why?

Well to start with I like idol stuff, I have a really huge weakness for animated concerts (go figure why) and AKB0048 does that pretty well.

Now that this is said and that's more the reason why I actually tried than the reason I love it, I shall disclose my deepest secret, the real thing that makes me look forward to this anime.
That reason is simple : I find that absolutely hilarious.

I admit I didn't know much about this anime before I started, I knew it was about idols but that stopped there. I do that pretty often actually.
And then I started, and then I realized what the fuck that was all about, a dystopia where entertainment is banned, where idols are fighting on equal ground with the military on board of giant robots and have kinda magical accessories.
That's the kind of anime that should never exist. Thinking objectively about it, it sucks, it's so many strange things put together that it shouldn't work, yet, it does.

I always want to compare it with Guilty Crown, where Guilty Crown tried too hard to be serious, from the very start it was impossible to take AKB0048 seriously, and that's what makes it awesome.
I guess it's like a guilty pleasure, mindless entertainment, as far as I'm concerned, I'll take AKB0048 as a comedy and enjoy myself in my lonely little corner of fandom.

Anime song cover!

There are a lot of covers on the internet, some good, some bad, and as I said in my new about page, I love to sing.
So, since I have discovered I had a mic on my computer (took me a month ^^) I had a little fun today.

That's Fuwa Fuwa Time, honestly one of my dream song to cover, too bad it sounds lame a cappella

My favorite Triple H song, Daddy's shoes.

 Star Driver's Monochrome

 And that one is Kalafina, which is one of my favorite band ever.

 Now, guys, I need ideas of things to cover. Please?

Happy New Year! (and 200th post o_O)

Have been waiting for everyone to be in 2012 before making my post because, obviously, timezones are a pain, but HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS! I wish you lots of happiness and good anime!

And, since the gods of timing are with me, it's also my 200th post so, let's look back?

What the hell did happen in 2011 in my anime world?

- My Durarara!! obsession died.
- It's been replaced by an anime I didn't even like at first.
- The rest of the year, my entire brain has been dominated by ... Tiger&Bunny! (Just in case you didn't notice XD)

- That being said, it makes me even more thankful for this blog because it really, REALLY helped balancing things out, since, when I start obsession over something I really go all out. Having an anime blog on the side forces me to focus on something else.
- I embraced my creepy otaku side. And I said "otaku", not "fujoshi", I've been apparently lost to the dark side for a long, looong time.
- I met lots of great people!
- Hell, one of them even asked me to write on his blog.
- There has been a lot of good shows, as busy as I was obsessing over Tiger&Bunny, even I noticed.
- Had a very good New Years Eve and New Years Day. No, really, nothing beats spending peaceful times with your family and flailing with your friends over how good your favorite show is (I'm sorry for everyone I harassed over Twitter ^^), listenning to your favorite radio show (obviously in Japanese, you have no idea how much my ears are ringing whenever I heard "chara song album") and watching the New Years special of that show you love.
- And, last but not least, even though I'm pretty sure I am forgetting something, SANDY BEACH, SANDY BEACH~

Then, what's going to change in 2012?

- I already have more things planned for 2012 when it has just started than in the entirety of 2011, so, probably less time to blog and watch anime.
- The bi-weekly "Kuuki's crazy anime watchlist corner" is out. Because it's boring to write and makes me lazy. Instead you'll get a weekly highlight kind of thing. Maybe.
- Nothing else is going to change, I'll keep up what I've been doing and hope to make many more friends in the process!

Lastly and once again, happy New Year! It's technically a Christmas picture but Yamaguchi Hoshiko said she wanted to see what kind of photograph I make so ...

12 Days of Christmas - Kalafina

I love music in general, however, it seems I have rather peculiar tastes and it really is incredible for me to like an OP or an ED or an insert song or well, J-music.

Which is why I was incredibly surprised when I came accross Kalafina. They quickly became one of my favorite band ever, I love the diversity of their songs, the music and their voices.
2011 was the year of the release of their new album After Eden.

[1st episode] HunterxHunter 2011

And finally the long awaited Fall season 2011 is there! (If you don't count Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai)
My first victim is HunterxHunter, the remake of the first serie. I haven't seen it so I might as well tell you right away that I won't be able to compare them, but I thought the cast was worth it, and since the guy who wrote it wrote Level E too I thought it was worth a shot. (I never seem to watch enough anime anyway ^^)

HunterxHunter is a basic shonen, the story of the growth of a young guy who wants to follow his father's footsteps and doing so meets friends and fight alongside them etc etc.
Same as usual, really.

Which is why I'm not too sure I'll be able to follow through.
I mean, there's nothing wrong with basic shonen, but the problem is ... it lacks originality.
I don't like the lack of originality, because it brings along my most powerful foe in anime, predictability. Which, as anyone know, piss me off. Especially if the storyline is one of the only strong point of the anime.

To be honest, this is a bit below what I was expecting. Mostly because I expected to, at least, smile a little. (Hell, the original author wrote Level E). I didn't smile.
And all I got was a generic shonen first episode with a character design that reminded me of my first childhood anime (even the OP got that old feeling to it)
I know that usually this genre, especially when the manga was published in Jump, picks up later. But will I last?

The cast is wonderful, as expected. Seeing Keiji Fujiwara as Lerio was an interesting experience and Sawashiro Miyuki was really scary as the blond guy.
On the other hand, and mark my words because it's the first time ever it happened, the music was shit.
Ok not shit, just, definitely not fit to be used a background music, especially not in a shonen with such storyline, I bore with the composer in Break Blade because his kind of epic music actually fitted epic mecha fights, but it doesn't fit in HunterxHunter. This music should be played in a concert room for classical music fanatics. (If it should be played at all because to be honest, while I love classical music, this is not the kind I particulary like)
First time ever I considered dropping an anime mainly because the music pissed me off.

To sum it up? It barely makes the cut, and only because I at least want to hear Namikawa Daisuke in it and some people consider the original serie a classic.
If I end up having troubles to keep up with my shows, it'll be the first to be dropped.

More Tiger&Bunny songs!

I knew it would made its way on Youtube in no time.

As I was talking about earlier today, the Tiger&Bunny OST set for release on Ocotober 19th and that, strangely enough, I didn't care much for before, will include, at least a song. A trio.

Whether you remember the episode of the strange new unit B.T.B. or not, whether you were watching Tiger&Bunny or not, you HAVE to listen to this.
It's Kotobuki Minako (who sings quite well in that one), with occasionnal help from Hiroaki Hirata and very thoughtful comments from Morita Masakazu. ("See you tomorrow")

I might as well tell you. I cried. Of laughter.
And I can tell you that even if they obviously heard it before the guys presenting the radio show and their guest Morita Masakazu had troubles keeping their cool too. (He still managed to be adorable and spent 5min thanking the fans, by the way.)

Summer 2011 - My favorite anime music

Being a very picky music enthusiast, especially when it comes to anime, this summer season disappointed me.
In term of OSTs it's not exactly what I'd call mindblowing. Not bad either just pretty average, even Iwasaki Taku for Kamisama no Memochou has been somewhat disappointing and not like himself. If anything the most noticeable music writer this season has been Yoshimori Makoto for Natsume Yuujinchou San. And not for the good reasons either, just because his work is sometimes too recognizable and it does disturb me a bit to watch something very peaceful and adorable, see a beautiful scenery and suddenly believe I'm right in the middle of Durarara!!.
Don't even get me started on the two idols anime, the music is everything but their strong point. Not that I am able to find any right now, but I digress.

Instead of complaining let me tell you what I did like. Mainly, only three songs.
Well, at least it'll be short right?

Dantalian no Shoka OP - Cras numam scire

Dantalian no Shoka ED - Yes prisoner (I am very diversified aren't I?)

And last but not least, my favorite even before hearing it Sacred Seven OP - Stone Cold

[1st episodeS]Is the idol business a trend in animes?

All of that to say that since I'm incredibly lazy (I already didn't see the point of reviewing the first episodes of the continuations, or, do you want me to?) and since it happens, fact oh so rare, that we have TWO animes dealing with the same topic this season I decided I should just do a common first impression post for the both of them.

So The Idolm@aster and Uta Prince-sama etc (come on, give me SHORT titles) both have to do with the process of creating idols. The only difference is in the target, the first is adapted from a galge, thus full of girls, the second is adapted from an otome game, thus full of pretty boys.

To be honest, both of them are so full of characters I can't even remember them.
The way of introducing them in both is good though, UtaPri goes slowly and little by little, Idolm@ster went through the interview route, which would be good, if characters weren't so numerous.
All in all nothing to say, being adapted from games there's a character for each stereotype.

Strangely enough I prefer the music of The Idolm@aster over the one for UtaPri, which is weird, considering my usual fangirlism for male seiyuu, but it would seem Mamo-chan has just forgotten how to sing. Never thought that voice acting would be the thing I'd complain about the most for that anime, never.
I expected that kind of music and voice acting for The Idolm@aster so no surprise but I'm really disappointed by the songs in UtaPri, it's to the point it almost hurt my ears.
Special mention for troll!principal Norio Wakamoto in Utapri and Hochuu Ohtsuka in the Idolm@aster, no one told me, I almost choked on my coffee.

And the plot, well, the plot is simple, let's take everyone to idoldom!
Can't do any simpler than that, well UtaPri is a a bit more complicated, being told from the point of view of a girl and all, plus being set in a school, there obviously will be drama.

I'm not convinced, by any of them.
The Idolm@ster will have to do something for me to remember the characters and UtaPri will have to prove itself to be a bit more interesting than just being pretty. (at least it is pretty ^^)

Top5 Anime music of Spring 2011

Character songs excluded obviously, because I have a few things sitting around I've been in love with and while waiting for the first show of the Summer Season to make their way to the internet (I should have watched Sacred Seven, it airs just after Tiger&Bunny, why, just why did mother decide to bother me at this moment? *sobs*)

As usual, I'm picky, very picky, so please bear with me?
I really wonder why I bother making a "top something" considering these are the only ones I liked.

Pandemic!! - Yondemasuyo Azazel-san (Aaaw so sad I couldn't find the full version on Youtube, instead, have some Miku!)

Kagerou - Sengoku Otome

Core Pride - Ao no Exorcist

Unity - Gosick

Fade - Deadman Wonderland 

And TWO bonus.
First, a cover of Tiger&Bunny's OP because the bassist is hilarious (and the vocalist pretty good)

And a violin cover of Magia (yeah I know it's from last season but it's too beautiful, even the vocals are good)

A bit of music

I have no idea if this is a trait common to all anime bloggers but I do find it hard to find things to write about, especially since I don't review episodes, I tried, but I happen to be just too lazy and there are times you just have no idea about what you could say.
If that's the case for you too you need to find other stuff to blog about, this blog has a topic, and it's harder to stay on topic than to babble about everything like I do on LJ. Anyway.

Today's topic is music, I love music, and music related this season has been a blessing with two of my favourite composers ever taking parts in two animes I love, mainly Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika with Yuki Kajiura and Gosick with Nakagawa Kotaro.
However today's topic is not about them, though it's an idea to keep for another time, today is about openings and endings.
I find myself to be extremely hard to please in that field, as a result out of an average 10 animes I watch every season, meaning at least 20 songs, I find myself liking only one quarter of them, at best.
This is my Wnter 2011 season selection. Or phrased differently, the only ones I like.

[Beelzebub] Group Tamashi - Dadadada

[Gosick] Too lazy to look and there's no full version yet anyway.

[Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika] Kalafina - Magia

[Dragon Crisis] Horie Yui - Immoralist

The Full Moon Slightly Chipped - Iwasaki Taku

It was a long struggle with myself but today's edition of Music Week End will NOT be a character song, nothing even sang by a seiyuu, be proud of me, that probably won't happen often.

Today's victim is an extract from Kuroshitsuji II's OST, which is, pardon me for my bluntness, MUCH better than the OST for the first season, though the composer is still Iwasaki Taku. Go figure.

Song is The Full Moon Slightly Chipped, I chose it for the voice, this girl has a FUCKING beautiful voice, and I can't seem to find her name, I NEED to find more songs from her.
And the music is beautifully sad, combination of the two makes me cry. (there's a conspiracy to make me cry these days) Anyway, enjoy my lovelies.

Shinkou - Fukuyama Jun

Ok so, now that I have a little time in my hands after hectic days of fics, articles, school work, LJ and various stuff like catching up on animes and on house/garden work, yeah living in the coutryside has its hardship, even if I love it.

That being said, welcome to Music Week End!
There a few things a little too unknown for my tastes and that I'd love to share with you.
For the first edition may I present you a character song, thus sang by a seiyuu, today's victim is Fukuyama Jun, the voice behind my beloved Lelouch and Shinra and something like a hundred other characters, mister Fukuyama is indeed hardworking.

FictionJunction

Well it's pretty old already, but what's FictionJunction?

Easy, a group of singers who sing lots and lots of animes songs, like for example in Pandora Hearts, all the songs are composed and written by Yuki Kajiura, the one behind Kalafina and also writer of the music of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, among lots of others.

That being said they're not ordinary singers, I mean, their live are goddamn amazing.

Seitokai Yakuindomo ED

Regardless on whether or not you already know it I'll tell you something about me, not only do I fangirl over crazy psycho character but I also have strange tastes when it comes to OP and EDs, to put it simply I hate most of them, not in term of animation, they're usually interesting to watch (*looks at the first OP of Kuroshitsuji II*) but in term of music.

I'm watching a good bunch of stuff this season and nothing striked my ears to the point of dying until the day I could finally hear the full version, nothing except for Seitokai Yakuindomo's ED.
Life is strange right? That anime is surfing on the moe fashion, goddam perverted without fanservice, I thought it'd be a hit among male audience but I was wrong, in any case that's irrelevant right?
I'll review it at the end of the season anyway.

What I wanted to share today was its ED, Aoi Haru by angela, Blue Spring in English, isn't it lovely?


Isn't it catchy and pretty? (and goddamn hard to sing o_O)

Also, I can now cook macarons and started to write fics, someone shoot me?

Black Rock Shooter

After more than one year of desperate waiting, or at least on my part. I never had much interest on Vocaloids and the likes but the day I saw the trailer I was already in love, and it's finally there.

Everything started someday, in an island far, far away.


There was a girl, her name was Black Rock Shooter.


There was another girl, she was a normal girl, running in order not to be late for her first day of school, her name was Mato Kuroi (who also happened to be voiced by one of my favorite seiyuu, Kana Hanazawa, who did a wonderful job)



Mato met another one on her way to school, she was a normal girl, her name was Takanashi Yomi (who, strangely, happened to be voiced by another one of my favorite girl seiyuu, Sawashiro Miyuki, who also did a wonderful job)


During that time, in the far far away island, BRS was doing some sight seeing


In the real world, Mato finally gathered enough courage to talk to Yomi, thus scaring her a little.


During that time in the far far away island, BRS was still doing some sight seeing


While in the real world Mato and Yomi became best friends


During that time in the far far away island, BRS stopped doing some sight seeing, she started to fight.


In that island there was another girl, her name was Dead Master and she liked to pick fights with anyone coming around to sight see.


While in the real world, Mato and Yomi were still best friends, they exchanged gifts, laughed together and so on.


During that time in the far far away island, someone else is sight seeing.


But Mato and Yomi were not doing the same club activities, thus they had different friends and Yomi started being jealous when Mato started to become closer with the manager of the basketball team, Yuu.


And this is Yuu.


Yomi gets farther and farther away from Mato, and Mato feels lonely.


One day she simply doesn't came to school and Mato can't help but worry about her best friend.
Her mother calls, saying the police is at her place wanting to talk with her, Yomi has disappeared.


During that time in the far far away island, Dead Master finally wins against Black Rock Shooter.


One day Mato receives an empty text message from Yomi, she runs and runs to the place they liked to go together, she found the strap she gave her and something strange happens.


In the far far away island, Black Rock Shooter managed to free herself, scarring Dead Master to death but saving her when she was just about to fall.


However Dead Master doesn't really like the gesture and fall anyway dissolving herself in the void


At her place lies the disappeared Yomi, BRS managed to save her from her "dark side" (or at least that's how I understood it ^^)


BRS appeared to Mato, in order to save Yomi, and they merge together in a single being, claiming she was Black Rock Shooter.

I had to listen to this part a dozen times, the way Kana Hanazawa says "Black Rock Shooter" is just too cute.

The anime closes on Yuu, starting to feel jealous at the returned closeness between Mato and Yomi, then we understand the mysterious other being sight seeing in the other world is somehow connected to her.
Somehow, it makes me hope for a sequel.

All in all this anime was great, pretty, nice music, interesting, just wonderful and totally worth the wait. The actual song wasn't used a single time in the anime though ^^
Don't forget to visit the English version of the website

Hatsune Miku Figure

Sometimes I happen to come accross interesting things, like figures prototypes for example, even if I buy only a very few.
I also happen to fall madly in love with one of those figures, even if I don't really care about the serie, it happened again today.

The culprit is a wonderful, gorgeous, pretty figure of the famous virtual idol Hatsune Miku.
It comes from the PV of Koi wa Sensou or Love is War
Whatever, if you want to see click over there

And since I'm in a good mood, here is said PV, or no not totally, it's not the original version but it covers the same theme (and the artist of that one is Dogs' mangaka Miwa Shirow and I love him, whateveeer)

Kuroshitsuji character songs preview

There are a few things Japanese people (and me) do like, one of them is known as character song but I guess you already guessed.

What I was trying to say is that on August the 25th they're going to release two character songs CDs for Kuroshitsuji.
What you'll be able to find on these CDs are two songs for Sebastian's seiyuu Ono Daisuke and two songs but Finnian's seiyuu Kaji Yuuki

The official website has been updated with a preview for these four songs, so if you want to listen you just have to click Here

#01

For my first post, let's talk about the one of my numerous obsession which is known as seiyuu or voice actors in English.

Said seiyuu often record songs personnifying the characters they're voicing, recently a collection of one has been released for one of my favorite manga, Katekyo Hitman Reborn, so here are the songs and my thoughts.


This is Dino's song, by Kenn.
The music is nice, at least it suits me, I won't say anything about the wonderful and marvellous Engrish we are gifted with, for some parts I didn't even get it was English.
It's still my favorite song of the whole CD.


This one is by Junko Takeguchi, Hitomi Yoshida, Li-Mei Chiang, Yuuna Inamura and Satomi Akesaka.
Lyrics are, well how should I put it, simple? TATALATATAAAA
Casting aside the fact that these girls are definitely not my favorite characters at all, the song is nearly enjoyable, nearly, if it wasn't for that annoying TATALATATAAAA which seems to pop up anywhere in the song, and I don't like the talking part either.


By Yuka Terasaki and Yukari Kokubun.
Usually I'm not a fan of duets but this one is pretty interesting, mostly because their voices actually match (it's not always the case, sadly ^^) .
I also like the joyful feeling it gives, I needed to listen to it 10 times to actually start to like it, however now it's done and the end is hilarious. I'll translate :
- Eeeh it's the first time I sang enka
Basil this is NOT enka *desperate


This is sang by Takashi Kondou
My love for this character is neverending, however let's face the truth, his songs are more and more horrible as time goes. I really do not like it, dunno his voice doesn't sound right, it sounds more like he's trying to catch his breath than anything else. It's really a shame, the music is the kind of thing I like, it would have been really, really good if he sang better.


This one is Kiuchi Hidenobu
I love him, I really, really do, I think he's a really talented seiyuu, but I really don't have a thing for his Ryohei's voice, and the music doesn't help, sadly it's a no for me.


And there we have Hidezaki Ichinose
No really, the music is great but this voice, I just can't. Well this song is better than his other ones so I guess I should be happy.


Now Suguru Inoue
Instant no, the biggest NO I can give.


Aaand last but not least, Reborn's voice actors Neeko.
These songs are never to be taken seriously, they're always there to make us laugh, and so they do, it's more rock than her usual songs, I LOVE. And let's admit it, this girl is great.