Tokyo Idol Festival 2013: The Acts Part 1

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Hey everyone! I know I’ve been MIA for a while, but that was just me working hard finishing my degree. Haven’t gotten my diploma yet, but I’m graduating with a degree in Studies in Cinema and Media Culture with a minor in Asian Languages and Literatures. My minor being almost entirely fueled by my idol interests (since that’s what made me decide to take Japanese in the first place). But don’t think that since I was busy that I’ve forgotten about idols, specifically Tokyo Idol Festival!

While seven of the bigger acts were announced earlier, recently 46 new acts were announced! While there are some notable groups that aren’t listed, last year there were groups announced within weeks of the show. So if you check the official list and don’t see your favorite act, don’t worry just yet.

http://idolfes.com/2013/lineup/

Idoling!!!

Idoling!!! is one of the headliner acts and has been with TIF from the beginning (2010). They were formed by Fuji TV in 2006 to be an idol group that would grow on their variety show, Idoling!!! So if anyone REALLY likes idol variety shows, Idoling!!! might be a good choice for you. In the past couple of years they’ve actually become better at accommodating fans by posting a lot on their YouTube, so if you are at all interested in this group check them out here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/idolingch

This isn’t that up to date for PVs, but it has some of them on there, as well. If you’re an AKB fan, you might know of Idoling!!! because of their collab single, Chu~ Shiyouze

In the past year  nothing huge has happened with Idoling. They’ve released two singles (the most recent being Sakura Thank You), and a member (Nomoto Manami) left. One member (Yokoyama Rurika) is making a solo debut. Otherwise, it  feels like they are a pretty steady group, without much drama, which is either good or bad depending on what interests you in an idol group.

Personally, Idoling!!! is a group that I fully recommend but that I don’t really follow too much. Especially after my favorite member (Yazawa Erika) left I don’t really have much drive to follow them. However, they are fairly equal in screentime for most of the girls, they have a lot of variety, and I really love a few of their songs (especially Me ni wa Aoba Yama Hototogisu Hatsukoi and Don’t Think Feel). They’re consistent and good, and definitely worth looking into if you haven’t.

Idol College

Another group I covered last year! As I mentioned then, they were originally B.L.T (the magazine not the sandwich) Idol College, formed in 2009. However, on March 31, 2010 B.L.T. Idol College was disbanded and Idol College was born the next day with all new members. It seems like they’ve done quite a bit since last year; last year they had released one album and one single. However, they’ve recently made their major debut with the double A-sides Shoujo Sotsugyou and YOZORA, and since they sold more than 10,000 copies in a month they get to go on tour. So it seems like they’ve made major strides from last year’s TIF.

Their (somewhat unoriginal) theme is growth and becoming better idols, hence the “college” in their name. Still, this kind of fits seeing just how much they’ve really grown since last year, when they were doing very basic PVs and had a much smaller audience. I don’t know if I’d say they’re a force to be reckoned with, but they’re definitely a group to keep an eye out for because of how much they’ve grown over the past year.

Up Up Girls (Kakko Kari)

At this point I feel like the “Temporary” after the name is only there so they can use it as their logo, because really this group has gone a long way so far.

Formed from seven former Hello!Project Egg members, this group is still under the Up Front label but isn’t within Hello!Project. They also go as UFZS to do KPop dance covers, but Up Up Girls (Kakko Kari) is their main pop group name.

Up Up Girls are BUSY. They perform on a very regular basis, and since last year’s TIF have released eight singles as well as an album, In fact, so far they’ve put out three singles in 2013 and are releasing another one in June. This will put them at twelve indies singles and an album.

They’re also very active online, streaming a lot of live things and putting things on their youtube. They do a lot of dance covers as well as six separate Harlem Shake videos. Yes, Up Up Girls are into internet memes.

While I don’t follow them quite as much as I should, I personally really like Up Up Girls. The members are fantastic and they generally do a lot of quality work. I kind of wish they’d move into a major debut so they could get PVs and things, but there’s something nice about them doing a lot of indies work and putting out a LOT of stuff.

One of the biggest issues with a lot of the TIF groups is that some of them barely put out anything and they don’t do a lot of new things. This isn’t the case with Up Up Girls at all.

If anything, my only issue is that Up Up Girls really feel like a group you have to see live to really get the full experience (though this is the case with most idols). But they’re definitely recommended.

AeLL

Yet another group I’ve covered (this is kind of a trend). AeLL is one of the big seven acts that were announced first, though I honestly didn’t know they were that big and they’ve only released one single since last year ( Magic⇔Music).

Formed in 2011, this group centers around Shinozaki Ai, a fairly prominent gravure idol. The group name stands for “Activity Eco Life with Love,” which I noted last year as being kind of a permanent Ecomoni; however, aside from their first single “Ecology Monkeys” I’m not sure how much this has been a theme for them.

They performed at the hot stage last year, so it’s interesting to see them do my favorite song by them (Chu Chu Hareru Yeah) at TIF, if you haven’t seen much of the actual stages from the show.

Like I said they’ve released one single and so far that’s probably my favorite song by them. Last year I noted that AeLL’s music tended to be kind of mid-tempo plain idol songs that didn’t interest me, but this adds an electronic element that fits them. All the members seem more glamorous than cute, which is a bit of a unique aesthetic.

Personally, I don’t find the group to stand out that much. If you like the aesthetic of the group you might want to check them out, as well as if you like their songs. However, this is one group I’m almost constantly at a loss to describe because I don’t find them all that compelling to follow.

Weather Girls

If this group doesn’t perform ‘It’s Raining Men’ I swear it’s a lost opportunity and a shame.

This is a pretty unique group in that it’s seven Taiwanese girls who acted as weather reporters on TV and on the internet. Seven were chosen to become idols and thus Weather Girls, focusing on being idols in Japan. Each girl represents both a day of the week, a color and a type of weather, and they have also been taking Japanese lessons to be better idols in Japan. They officially made their idol group debut in August of 2012, so they’re pretty new.

So far they’ve released two singles, but they’re releasing another in June (Koi no Love Sunshine). All of their single titles fit with this weather gimmick that I wonder how long they can keep up with.

After watching some of their weather reports, they’re certainly something; it’s less reporting as being entertaining while you watch the weather. Certainly more interesting than normal weather reporting!

They are really committed to this weather gimmick, and their PVs are really well made. If any of this interests you I’d definitely recommend you check out some of their PVs or their weather reports. They’re definitely not a boring group, and I’d imagine seeing them learn Japanese would be pretty interesting. As a group they definitely have a KPop/SNSD aesthetic, which is cool but not really my thing. Nothing has really made me that interested in following them for the long term, but they’re definitely really interesting to check out!

Rhymeberry – R.O.D / Sekaichuu ni I Love You review

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While I am a long-time idol fan, there are only a few artists whose work I will unconditionally purchase physically, mostly for financial reasons. I purchase most things digitally, if I can, and then I buy  releases if I really like them in particular. However, the one you might not know about is the amazing Rhymeberry.

I learned about them for last year’s Tokyo Idol Festival coverage, with the help of one of my idol fan friends who has been following them for longer. They’re a subgroup of Usa Usa Shoujo Club, however, Rhymeberry seems to be going the way of Babymetal, by releasing their own music separate from their main group. Rhymeberry also is like Babymetal, in that Rhymeberry does a genre of music generally not associated with idol acts. While Babymetal is a metal act, Rhymeberry does hip hop. Yes, Rhymeberry are rapping idols.

This is their second single, the first being the fantastic Hey! Brother, which contained three of their best songs, Hey! Brother, Rhymeberry iz No. 1 (a live version), and Ich Diebe Lich.  However, Rhymeberry has only recently started doing the two songs on this single, as opposed to including other songs they’ve been doing live for quite a while. So perhaps this indicates more music to come? I hope so!

1. R.O.D

Right off the bat this reminds me how much better Rhymeberry is live. That’s not to say they’re not good on a recorded track. They sound better here than they did in Hey! Brother, and have really upped their game in terms of rap ability. However, there’s a real energy to Rhymeberry lives that recorded tracks don’t have. When I crave listening Rhymeberry, I usually pull up one of my favorite performances, and I imagine I’ll do that with these tracks.

However, on the track you hear more, most likely due to the mixing. There’s a really interesting electronic countermelody (do you call it that when they’re rapping?) that I never heard live. I think the Rhymeberry vocals are mixed a little too quietly, but the electronic bits sound really nice, as does the beat of the song.  The other interesting bit is that when they chanted live “R. O. D. 3 MC 1DJ,” on the track it’s just an artificial/robotic voice doing it, with no Rhymeberry. It doesn’t sound bad (the robotic voice reminds me of something from the intro to Bill Nye the Science Guy, oddly enough), but I prefer the live version with Rhymeberry shouting.

Even though this is the first billed song on the single, Sekaichuu ni I Love You feels more like the traditional single song (even though it’s a really weird song in its own right). Here the only chorus is the robotic voice chanting “R.O.D.” This is probably the most heavily rap-focused Rhymeberry song yet, because it really is a great chance for the three girls to show off their skills. It’s not a very melodic song.

This is ultimately a really great song to separate Rhymeberry from all the other idol groups out there. While they’ve always been rap-based, this is VERY far from standard idol music. The Rhymeberry girls are really getting better, and I can’t wait to hear more!

8/10

2. Sekaichuu ni I Love You

I’ve never EVER heard a song like this. Which is why I love it.

While R.O.D. was heavily rap-focused and not very melodic at all, the backing music is, of all things, 30s-40s sounding jazz/swing music. I don’t follow rap other than Rhymeberry, but I can’t imagine many, if any, other hip hop songs have done this. This is a really interesting/unique combination that I really think sounds fantastic. This seems like the type of song that could be completely divisive and some could hate it while others love it. I’m firmly in the ‘love it’ camp.

The backing music sounds really fantastic, with lots of appropriate instrumentals. The song starts out with piano, but soon band instruments come in. I personally appreciate the great clarinet parts in the song, as a clarinet player myself. It’s unusual, but really fits the feel of the song (especially in the chorus parts).

The girls sound really great as well. There are some really fun lines they shout (Yuka mentions Han Solo at one point, and they shout “Dope the Shit” a few times (written in the lyrics booklet as “Dope the ****”). While this isn’t as intensive of a use of their skills as R.O.D was, they still sound really great, and I appreciate the brief spoken part by Hikaru (the DJ mentioned in R.O.D who DJs all the Rhymeberry concerts). The song also gets a bit more of a chance for expression rather than pure rapping skill; for example, Hime sounds really great in the way she raps the “kekkyoku dareka ni aisaretai” line.

Like I said, this is probably divisive. You’ll most likely want to listen to it a lot, or not at all. However, I think it’s fantastic, it’s creative, and something I’ve never heard before.

9/10

Overall: Another great effort by Rhymeberry, definitely upping their skills in the 9 months or so since Hey! Brother came out. While I preferred Sekaichuu ni I love You for its creativity, R.O.D is a very good track as well, both showing off how strong Rhymeberry is as a unit. This is very much recommended (dope the shit!)

8.5/10

 

Momoiro Clover Z ‘5th Dimension’ Review

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As some of the readers of Happy Disco may know, I loved Momoiro Clover Z’s first album to death. Battle & Romance still stands out to me as one of the greatest idol albums ever. However, I’ve found myself not quite as much into their music as I had been in the past, with Otome Sensou (which has since grown on me) and Saraba Itoshiki Kanashimitachi yo. So how will I like 5th Dimension, Momoiro Clover Z’s second album?

(as a note my scoring system is now out of 10. 5 is totally indifferent, anything above 5 is positive, anything below 5 is negative. So if I give a song a 6, it means I like the song, just not that much)

1. Neo Stargate
I already covered this for my First Impressions series, so I won’t get too much into it. However, I will say that I do stand by what I said in the review, in that I really like it before it goes up tempo and I feel like the chorus, while good, is out of place. The opening of this song is so epic and is a really great album opener, but the chorus really falls flat for me and doesn’t quite have the same epic feel that the rest of the song does. If they had removed the chorus (and considered the “Open the gate, open your soul” lines the chorus), it would have tightened up the song and ultimately I think this would have been a lot more successful. However, I think this is also mainly a problem with the first chorus; the later choruses, where there’s a bit more of a drum beat and the choral vocals are layered on, it fits in a lot better.

Regardless, I really do like the bits that are like the opening, as well as the “Open the gate…” lines. I know I sound critical, but I just think that while this has a lot of potential it doesn’t quite live up to all it could be. However, Neo Stargate is ambitious and has a lot of really great elements to it, so it’s definitely an interesting opening, at least.

Of note, that on the disc (not in the PV) this starts off with about two minutes of the ‘O Fortuna’ from the Carmina Burana. It’s definitely epic, but at this point for me it’s SO overplayed that all it serves to do is make me giggle. It feels a bit lazy, because it’s such a shorthand for epicness right now that it kind of falls flat for me. Ah well, the song itself is decent.

5/10

2. Kasou Dystopia
After Neo Stargate this is a bit of a surprise; while flawed, Neo Stargate was a pretty epic opening. This is an uptempo, happy sounding rock/pop song. In fact, the opening of this song most reminds me of Pinky Jones B-Side Kimi to Sekai. Which is definitely not a bad thing. However, the rest of the song really doesn’t follow Kimi to Sekai.

While this song would be a pretty ordinary rock-inspired pop song, Kasou Dystopia really stands out as the song goes on, with multiple vocal parts playing off each other. While most idol songs have the main melody covered by vocals and maybe a harmony part, there’s a really unique use of multiple vocal parts here. It sounds really nice and refreshing.

The one section of this song that really stands out is the bridge before the last chorus. The interplay of all the voices, with solo parts and ‘la la la’ in the back is gorgeous. Add the instrumentals building up to the last chorus, which itself is really great.

After a couple of listens I’ve found that this is a really nice song. I have no idea if anyone will really like it as much as I do, and certain parts aren’t quite as good, but man that bridge as a section alone is one of the best things I’ve heard recently.

8/10

3. Mouretsu Uchuu Koukoukyouku Dai Nana Gakusho “Mugen no Ai”
How much more do I have to say about Mugen no Ai? It was my 8th favorite song of 2012, which sounds low but it had some tough competition. Honestly, Mugen no Ai is a pretty perfect song, and I agree with the assessment that it’s Japan’s answer to Bohemian Rhapsody. It’s perfectly epic with the vocals, the choir in the background and the electric guitar all working perfectly together. I know this song convinced some people to follow Momoiro Clover Z, and I don’t blame them because this song is pretty amazing; as close to perfect as you could reasonably get, in my opinion. Definitely fitting of the epic feel of Neo Stargate (on that note, why didn’t this come after Neo Stargate and then before Kasou Dystopia? This album’s starting to have a good overall feel, but some of the songs sound a bit odd in relation to one another).

10/10

4. 5 the Power
The fact that this isn’t the fifth song will never make sense to me. So far, the placements of each song really don’t feel like they make much sense, anyways, which is a bit of a shame. The album has a lot of things that feel cohesive, and the songs really seem that they fit together, but I don’t quite grasp the order.

Anyways, MomoClo plus rap. It sounds like they’ve definitely improved upon their rap skills since their bit in Roudou Sanka, which is nice. They aren’t quite as good as, say, Rhymeberry, but they definitely do a good job here.

While I’m not a big hip hop fan, it definitely reminds me of 80s/old school hip hop, which is nice because that’s definitely the kind I prefer. The chorus has a similar feel, with a little disco-esque influence. The chorus reminds me eerily of the Morning Musume song Inspiration, which is one of my favorite Momusu B-Sides. Not a bad thing, but I have to fight myself from singing the Inspiration lyrics when I listen to this.

While the end is a bit slow, ultimately this is a really solid track. It feels a bit out of place, but I like it well enough.

7/10

5. Roudou Sanka
Speak of the devil, the original song with some rapping in it. While I don’t think I’ve written much about Roudou Sanka in the past, I can say it’s a favorite of mine. It’s just ultimately a really well crafted song dedicated to the hardworkers of Japan in the wake of the Earthquake in 2011. The entire song stands out, but the one thing that I really like is the instrumentation. Idol music needs more brass instruments! (and more woodwinds, for that matter). The rap section is also a favorite of mine, just because of how passionate MomoClo sounds while doing it.

All in all, really excellent stuff. If you haven’t heard it by now, seriously where are your priorities.

9/10

6. Get Down!
Roudou Sanka and Get Down! already have connections; they were written by foreign songwriters! Roudou Sanka was written by Ian Parton of The Go! Team, and Get Down! was written by the lead singer/guitarist of Ok Go. So really, this is MomoClo’s effort to work with every foreign artist with “Go” in their name.”

This is probably one of the songs that sounds least like idol music MomoClo has done. While they’ve had their eccentric songs in the past, most of them are rooted in idol music. This sounds like retro music, with a pseudo-Beach Boys feel (the ascending “ahs” leading up to the chorus, especially), that feels a lot like the music OK Go normally does. Which is excellent.

I’m a big fan of a lot of indie/alternative groups in the US, and I like upbeat music with some folk influence. While I don’t actively follow OK Go, they fall into the kind of aesthetic I enjoy (alt rock). However, I haven’t really seen this come up yet with idol music, partially because I don’t know how big this is in Japan.

This is a catchy, upbeat and fun song, and everything about the pacing, the arrangement and songwriting is pitch perfect to me. I really hope this influences idol groups to explore alternative rock and power pop, because I would enjoy hearing this more.

This is one of my favorite MomoClo songs since DNA Rhapsody blew me away (though not my favorite song on the album, that’s still to come!)

10/10

7. Otome Sensou
I have a confession to make.

…. I actually like Otome Sensou now.

Now a lot of the things I raised when I first reviewed it still stand. There are plenty of issues with the pacing, the instrumental feels empty in places, and the choruses are kind of a letdown after a great build up. This all still stands. However, it’s grown on me and I’ve started appreciating it more. Because really, there are great elements in there. The slowest section is really beautiful and the initial section is energetic and fun.

For me, the most frustrating thing about Otome Sensou is that I feel like, with a little work and tightening up, it could be one of my all-time favorite idol songs. It’s so ambitious and has so many good elements, but it falls flat.

Still, I know that for some people this is the pinnacle of MomoClo. And that’s fine. However, for me, it’s become almost synonymous with missed opportunities.

6/10

8. Tsuki no Gingami Hikousen
The opening for this is beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous. I’m not a ballad fan, as some of you might know, but this seems like a ballad that I could get behind. It has a lot more power than MomoClo’s major ballad from Battle & Romance, Kimi no Ato, and I think this really fits the epic feel that MomoClo is trying for.

I have to say, while I found Momoka’s voice to be generally overrated for the majority of MomoClo’s music, her voice is gorgeous here. Ballads really suit her voice, and it sounds fantastic. Kudos, Momoka.

Nothing really lives up to the gorgeous opening 30 seconds, though. The rest of the song’s really quite nice; I love the use of piano near the beginning, especially. However, the intro really shines apart. I find myself preferring the song much more near the beginning; the rest of the song’s really good, but even beyond the intro the first verse is the best. Still, it does drag on a bit, and the fact nothing really lives up to the first part is kin of disappointing.

Still, this is a really solid ballad with some fantastic sections. Like this a lot.

8/10

9. BIRTH Ø BIRTH
(on a side note, song/group names should stop using irregular characters because it inconveniences me <3)
NARASAKI, while not my personal favorite MomoClo composer (that’s, of course, the incomparable Hyadain), is a fan favorite composer. So really, this song has a lot to live up to.

And I have to say, it’s probably my least favorite song on this album. It’s another song that I feel like has a lot of potential, and has sections that sound fantastic, but as a whole it doesn’t live up to the potential. Is it fair that this song doesn’t live up to the hype? Perhaps not. However, as a song it is kind of muddled.

The chorus sounds really great, and the later bridge does as well. In fact, to me this is almost the exact opposite of how I listen to Neo Stargate. In Neo Stargate, I wish they would focus less on the pop elements and focus more on the epic, dark elements. However, here I think the darker/heavier elements are the weaker bits, while the pop-focused chorus/ending are really excellent.

I also don’t really like the dubstep-flavored elements. It feels excessive and unnecessary, and it’s not particularly good dubstep. I’m fine with these elements popping up in

Ultimately, again, this song has elements I want to love, but it’s just weighed down by unnecessary elements and things that don’t really fit together. Sorry NARASAKI, this doesn’t cut it.

4/10

10. Joukyu Monogatari -Carpe diem-

This is by the guy who wrote Chai Maxx, and man it sounds like it in the chorus. Chai Maxx is one of the best MomoClo songs, so this isn’t bad, but it really is clear that this is the guy who was behind Chai Maxx.

Otherwise, though this is a bit weird; the song sounds almost funk/soul inspired in a way, with some beach boys-y surf rock elements in there. Plus, this is the theme song for an act with dinosaurs and I can hear that. This is an interesting sounding song, that’s for sure.

It’s a bit slow in parts, but it definitely picks up near the end, where a heavier beat really adds to the song.

Ultimately it’s a bit weird, but that’s very Momoiro Clover. It’s not immediately the most catchy song and I can’t see myself listening to this too much on it’s own. However, it fits the album and definitely fits the album. The lyrics are also pretty interesting, because the phrases “memento mori” and “que sera sera” are featured prominently. Interesting stuff.

Also, I might be biased, but Sasaki Ayaka’s solo section after the chorus is really amazing. Again, I might be just saying this as I’m a huge fan of hers, but I think people really underestimate her vocal ability. She might not be able to belt and sing ballads quite like Momoka, but the scatting/fast singing after the chorus here really stands out and sounds fantastic. A~rin owns this song.

7/10

11. Soratobu! Ozashiki Ressha
This one starts off kind of weird; what sounds like a heart beating fast and a train whistle! When I first heard this I didn’t quite know what to make of it! The song pretty quickly gets back to normal, though.

The song itself sounds like pretty retro, 50s rock. It’s the type of music I don’t necessarily associate with idols, but sounds nice when they do. I always dig retro inspired idol songs, and this is no exception.

Much like Carpe Diem, I can’t really see myself listening to this that much. This isn’t really a classic MomoClo song at all. However, it’s fun, I like the train whistles near the beginning and end, and the announcer is pretty fun, too. It’s energetic and nice, but not spectacular.

7/10

12. Saraba, Itoshiki Kanashimitachi yo
By now if you’re a MomoClo fan you’ve probably heard this. When this first came out, I wasn’t really all that thrilled. Initial live performances were underwhelming, and I was still not quite feeling the direction MomoClo was going in.

However, while this might not be up to MomoClo’s standards, this is still a good song, and definitely well construction. None of it overstays its welcome or feels like it’s dragging on too long. I love the verses, especially, with a bit of the harpsichord (that will become more prominent later) doing a very quiet countermelody. Hell, more idol music needs more harpsichord, calling it. The xylophone (or related instrument) sound that sometimes comes in is great, too. MomoClo, with all the instruments in this, Pinky Jones and then Nippon Egao Hyakkei (mostly shamisen there) needs to pioneer the use of more unusual instruments in idol music.

I love the interplay between the dark and light within this song, though darkness dominates. The difference between the harpsichord-heavy sections and the guitar heavy sections is really good.

While I don’t think I appreciated this song as much as I should have when it came out, I appreciate it now. It might not be quite as strong as some of the other MomoClo songs, but that’s because MomoClo sets itself a really REALLY high bar so when something falls even a little flat it’s really noticeable. This is a good song. Not the best, but definitely good.

8/10

13. Hai to Diamond
OK, let me get my bias out of the way. Maeyamada Kenichi, AKA Hyadain, is my favorite composer, not just in Japanese music, but in popular music in general. He’s up there for me with the other musicians of today I find to be genius, and there are only a couple of music producers in general today who I think beat him in terms of well-constructed, creative and downright good songwriting.

That being said, this song is an utter work of genius and is a very good candidate for my favorite song of the year. Hyadain usually controls every aspect of the songs he writes; he usually writes the songs, arranges them, writes the lyrics, and often does vocal coaching. Here he only wrote the song. That being said, both Hyadain and the arranger need to be commended, because this song is one of my favorites in a while.

While a lot of songs felt really long on here, interestingly enough this 7 minute closer doesn’t feel long. There are a lot of different parts about this songs, but Hyadain does what he does best and really made the transitions between parts seemless.

The arranger deserves a lot of credit, too; the piano and strings, in particular sound really fantastic.

While the rest of the album was trying to be one long work, there were sections where I wondered if that was actually the case. However, this definitely feels like the ending. It just makes me wish that Hyadain wrote an entire symphonic work for MomoClo for their album, and this could be the last thing.

In my review of Neo Stargate, I criticized the use of O Fortuna for being a bit of a lazy shorthand for epicness. Which is true. However, Hai to Diamond succeeds because it’s genuinely incredibly epic, with both the song itself and the arrangement.

Simply put, this song is utterly epic, beautiful, and well-written. It builds from a slower, pretty section that felt like it would be another simple ballad on the album, but builds gradually into being an epic piece. This is why I love Momoiro Clover, this is why I love Maeyamada Kenichi. The lyrics, from my lyrics, are very nice as well. My two favorite lines in the song are Ayaka’s “Tsubasa ga aru mitai” (Like I have wings) and Kanako’s “Hai no naka no diamond” (Diamonds in the middle of ashes).

I realize I’m gushing, but this song is incredible, and one of my favorites. This makes the album for me.

10/10

Overall: I tentatively like this album. It’s not perfect, but it’s good. It’s not to the level of Battle & Romance good, but expecting that much was asking a lot. My biggest issue with this album is that both it and the songs tend to drag on longer than their welcome. I think if this album took advice from my assessment of Otome Sensou, and faced a bit more editing down the album would be a lot better.’

However, all the girls sound great, and this is definitely not a bad album. There are great tracks and it does fit together pretty well. Don’t take my criticism to mean I don’t like it; I’ve honestly never liked Otome Sensou and Saraba better than I do now. This is a good album, great even, but far from perfect.

This album’s also really divisive for me. On the one hand, certain tracks fell flat and disappointed me. On the other hand, other tracks are amazing and really fantastic. It’s a mixed bag, rather than the consistent greatness of Battle & Romance. Still, this is a lot more ambitious than B&R was, and only serves to reason that it would have (IMO) higher highs and lower lows.

If you like the current direction MomoClo is going, you should like this album. If you don’t like current MomoClo, this MIGHT make you give them a second listen, but it will probably not be to your tastes.

Ultimately, I like the album, and definitely recommend you listen to all of it, even the songs I was less fond of, so you can give your own opinion.

7.6/10

TIF 2013: The Stages

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There are a lot of places to perform in TIF; but what does it mean if your favorite artist performs there? (this post will be kept updated if any of the stage arrangements change; however, things stayed pretty similar between 2011 and 2012, so I doubt there will be any major differences with 2013)

Hot Stage- TIF takes place at Zepp DiverCity, the sibling venue to Zepp Tokyo, both hall venues. Zepp DiverCity has about 2500 seats, and normally is home to pretty medium-size acts. Hot Stage is the big event that takes place at this major stage. Since it’s the big venue, most of the acts performing there are single-artist concerts that take around 40-45 minutes. These are the big headliner acts, as well; Idoling!!!, The Possible, Tokyo Girls’ Style, Sakura Gakuin, Vanilla Beans, AeLL and Negicco all had shows there, as well as SKE48, Afilia Saga East (now just Afilia Saga), Fudanjuku, etc. This is where the more known idol acts perform their main shows.


Here’s Sakura Gakuin at last year’s Hot Stage

In addition, Hot Stage is where the big evening show that features the more adult idols take place. KNU, Ayaman Japan, Sexy All Sisters, BiS and others performed last year, and if you like these more adult-themed idols (or you just want a really fun, strange performance), this is a really fun show.

Here’s a (slightly NSFW) video from the Hot Stage evening club show.

Green Oasis– There are a lot of outdoor stages, but this is one of the biggest for TIF! This stage was new in 2012. It’s placed pretty directly outside the Zepp Diver City/ Hot Stage and has a lot of space for people to watch idol acts! In fact, with all the seating/standing room available, it’s very close to size to the Hot Stage itself. This stage features individual acts as well, but they’re shorter, 15 minute shows, usually. It’s an interesting venue, because while relatively larger groups have done performances here (Shiritsu Ebisu Chuugaku, Idoling!!! subgroups, some very small groups got performances at Green Oasis (Kurikamaki, feam, choice? Tokyo Cheer2 Party, etc.) This stage would be excellent exposure for a new up and coming idol act.

Doll Factory- Another indoor stage, but this one’s at the nearby Wangan Studio for Fuji TV. While indoor, it’s a smaller venue than the Hot Stage. As such, usually smaller artists perform there, though some Hot Stage artists have different shows there (Sakura Gakuin, The Possible, Fudanjuku, etc.) While there are a lot of smaller 20 minute shows (9Nine had a longer show), Doll Factory has a lot of group lineups all forming one larger show, such as the “Dream Unit Live” featuring Idoling, Sakura Gakuin, Tokyo Girls’ Style, Vanilla Beans, Fudanjuku, The Possible and YGA (though most of these line-ups don’t have quite that many major acts in them).

Fantastic Theater – Fantastic Theater is another small venue taking place at the Wangan Studio, but right near the front. While Doll Factory’s still a decently sized event, this is even smaller for smaller idols. While they have both small solo shows (around 15 minutes each) and collaboration shows, they also have interesting events like idol talk shows/events, which can be a nice reprieve from all music all the time. Since it’s so small, the groups that perform here tend to be on the smaller side (Himekyun Fruits kan, Gal Doll, etc.) though notable acts like Dempagumi.inc did perform there last year.

Wonder Future Planet – Last year this was only on Sunday, the second day, and was new in 2012. This is held in the plaza of a local hotel. A collaboration with Nico Nico, this was intended for fresh, next generation of idols. As such, smaller acts like Izukoneko, Caramel Ribbon, BiS and my favorites Team Syachihoko performed. They also had something called the Idol Summit 2012, and the Dream Shuffle 2 Shot. I don’t know what these are, so if you know I’d love to hear from you! So this is intended primarily for fresh, young, up and coming idol acts!

Smile Garden – While TIF is a paid event (5000 for one day, 9000 for both, as of last year), there are two free areas. One is the Smile Garden, an outdoor venue. Larger groups had lives there last year, and it was also the home to the Opening Live. It even (sometimes, at least) features a live band, which is pretty rare for TIF. While this did have some larger shows last year (a 45 minute Shiritsu Ebisu Chuugaku one, notably) there are a lot of collaboration events. Some of the most interesting events are the Idol Summer Jamborees, which are the events that feature the live band. One was a live band and a collaboration between Idoling!!!, Tokyo Girls’ Style and Sakura Gakuin. This really shows the strengths of having an event like TIF; it allows for strange, unusual collaborations, bringing idols together. This is also arguably the most diverse stage; last year groups as vastly different (in popularity) as SKE48 and Minicheer Bears took the stage.

Sky Stage – This takes place on the open air rooftop of the Wangan Studio, which is a really cool looking venue for TIF to perform. Two notable events, the East Japan Idol Live and the West Japan Idol Live brought together local acts from those parts of Japan for two long shows (West Japan Idol Live featured Team Syachihoko AND CQC’s, two of my faves). Another diverse stage, while Sakura Gakuin, The Possible and Passpo performed here, so did Osaka Show Gangs, Himekyun Fruits kan and Lovely Doll, so this is another diverse stage. This is probably one of the more unique venues you could see an idol live, so I really hope they continue it!

Secret Court – Yet another venue for up and coming future groups, but it’s hardly a secret location; it’s right below the Sky Stage at the Wangan Studio. All solo shows, this is where Rhymeberry, Oh*Campee, Idol College, Usa Usa Shoujo Club, etc. were able to do solo shows. When the most known groups are arguably BiS and AeLL, this is for lesser known groups.


(Yes, more Team Syachihoko. Because I can.)

Fresh Field – This is also on the roof of the Wangan studio, but it’s a really close field. And by field, they mean actual grass. The audience sits on the grass with the idols performing in front of them; I’d imagine this would have a really intimate, close feel; it’s one of the ways you can be closest to your idols. Sadly, while I think this would be a unique experience, there are relatively few artists/shows that happen at Fresh Field. However, even if none of my favorites performed there, I’d want to go to at least one show at this unique set up.

Welcome Marquee – To be honest, I’m not quite sure about everything that goes on here. I know it’s a free area at the entrance where groups welcome visitors, but I’m not sure what the performances are like. The timetable for last year was packed, though, with a wide variety of artists performing/inviting guests into TIF.

Greeting Square – essentially the handshake event location, this is where you meet idols. There are multiple tables so the list is always very full, giving you many opportunities to see your favorites.

Other than this there’s food and merchandise. Depending on if TIF wants to expand any more (from the 111 acts that came to TIF last year) or if they want to scale it back, I’m sure they’d either start a new stage or stop an old one. However, given the past few years, I doubt they’d change anything drastically.

Tokyo Idol Festival 2013 is upon us!

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For everyone who didn’t guess yesterday, my announcement about “Hallyu Disco” was only an April Fools’ Day joke. So far most of you caught on, but I fooled my mom and my sister, who were so confused as to why I was giving up on JPop.

Earlier, one of the big reasons I could never quit blogging about JPop showed up, and that’s the brief preview for this year’s Tokyo Idol Festival! It’s going to be July 27th and 28th, and while only 7 acts are listed (Idoling!!!, AeLL, Sakura Gakuin, The Possible, Tokyo Girls’ Style, Negicco and Vanilla Beans), I’m sure there are going to be many excellent groups showing up.

Since I’ve been doing write-ups of all the groups going for the past couple of years, and especially since the past couple of years I’ve found it tough to get every act, especially since they add more later, I’m going to do things a bit differently.

First off, I’m going to hold off on doing my artist write-ups until later; until more are added. They always add people in later, but I’m holding off while there are only  7 acts listed, especially since they’re 7 big ones that people know more than some of the others.

My first couple of posts will then detail a bit more of last year’s TIF, specifically the various areas/stages. Since the venue is the same as the others, I expect that many of the ideas will stay the same.

Finally, I would like to do more posts than artist introductions; if there’s anything in particular you’d like to see from TIF, let me know!

Announcement: Happy Disco is Now Becoming Hallyu Disco

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Hey guys,

So I bet you’ve noticed that in the past few months I haven’t fulfilled my promise to post as much. While part of this has been about being a busy student, I haven’t been completely truthful with you guys. I’ve slowly been in a bit of an idol funk, and I’m losing all interest in female idols.

I’m in a bit of a dilemma; I don’t want to stop blogging, but Japanese idol groups don’t do it for me anymore. So I’ve come up with a solution that I hope all of you can support me with, and if you read my blog I really hope you keep reading it. Instead of covering things that happen in the Jpop idol world, I’m going to focus more on the KPop world. Specifically Super Junior, because they’re SERIOUSLY the best thing out there right now.

Honestly, if you don’t think that’s the greatest group you’ve ever seen, you’re a LIAR.

I also don’t like writing in depth and I’ll mostly be posting vids/photos of my faves. Because they’re so sexy. Especially Siwon, jesus christ what did I ever see in Rika.

So Happy Disco is now becoming Hallyu Disco, as soon as I fix the banner and stuff.

Happy Birthday Idolminded!

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Today is the 1st birthday of the incredible Idolminded. Or, if you will, Idolminded’s Hajimete no Happy Birthday.

I’ve greatly enjoyed working on and with the lovely people at Idolminded. Thanks to the efforts of Ray, Thennary Nak and Chiima, the long-term contributors who have kept this going. Even before I joined the staff of Intl Wota I’ve enjoyed the Rec Reading posts, because they’re honestly a really helpful resource. Keeping up something daily like this is no small task, and it’s become a fantastic resource. Adding in fun things like the Haikucandy and daily idol thoughts, Idolminded has really become an excellent resource for idol bloggers and idol fans alike. This is something I’m really grateful and lucky to be a part of, because I’m so proud of the quality of Idolminded.

If you haven’t seen yet, Idolminded is doing hourly posts (as opposed to the standard daily posts) in honor of its first birthday, so check it out!

AKB48’s 5th Senbatsu Election

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I’ve been in a bit of an 48 group rut lately. I love my favorite members still, and I still pay attention, but they’ve had trouble holding my interest. I think this is, in part, due to events out of their control.  I found So Long as a single to be lackluster, the announced SKE graduations of my three subsequent oshimen make me want to avoid SKE48 (Yagami Kumi, Ogiso Shiori, Hata Sawako), and while I find a lot of promise in HKT48, Suki Suki Skip didn’t grab me like Hatsukoi Butterfly. But also, AKB is at the point where they are in a bit of a cycle. Every year there’s a Sakura/Graduation single, the summer election single, the election results single, the ‘cool’ single and the Janken single. The three main events are the senbatsu election, the janken tournament and the Request Hour Setlist Best 100 concerts. The most recently added event, the janken tournament, has already been going on for three years. While girls have come and gone, the framework is largely the same. AKB needed something to shake things up.

And shake things up it did. There are now new rules for the senbatsu election; while the markers for senbatsu, undergirls, next girls and future girls remains the same as last year, there are new restrictions on membership. Now, to even be a candidate for the senbatsu, every girl has to apply. They have to be a current member of AKB48, SKE48, NMB48 or HKT48, they can be one of the foreign transfer members (Miyazawa Sae, Takajo Aki, Nakagawa Haruka, or Suzuki Mariya), or they can be an OG member who was in a group for over four years.

Obviously these are some big changes, and here are some thoughts I’m wondering about.

OG Members, Who Will Come Back?

Possibly the most exciting of the new rules is the one that former members of AKB48 (and related groups) who were in the groups for four years or more could come back and apply to be a candidate. Obviously, this four year limit really limits the number of girls who could come back (no 8th generation kenkyuusei, for example!), but it raises a few options.

First off, I think the least likely to come back is actually Maeda Atsuko (and Masuda Yuka); Acchan, at least from my perspective, left on her own accord and is trying to make her own way beyond AKB48. Her graduation, after reaching the long term Tokyo Dome goal, felt like a really fitting close, and it really did feel like she wanted to make way for the next generation of AKB members. Same with Masuda Yuka; while she was a big part of the 48 groups, even before her scandal it really felt like she was ready to move on into her own career (missing key AKB events to rehearse for her stage play), and I can’t see her coming back.

My personal hopes are for Ohori Megumi and Urano Kazumi specifically, but also any of the members who were transferred to SDN48 and graduated in the mass graduation. Meetan and CinDy are my particular favorites, they were in the 48 groups for a long time (CinDy was an original member!), and it would be really great to see an SDN48 member participate, even if they don’t necessarily make it very far at all. I’d like to see Hirajima Natsumi, as well, but I’m not sure how many girls who left due to scandal would decide to come back.

Who of the Current Members Will Apply?

This is very interesting to me; while in the past every member was an automatic candidate, this year the girls have to be proactive and opt into the senbatsu election. One question I’ve seen pop up is “who wouldn’t go into the election?” which is a tough question. Senbatsu results have long been a marker of a member’s popularity, and it’s hard to see any member decide to not go for it. I can possibly see some members not really bothering, if their likelihood of not getting in is slim (such as most of HKT48’s kenkyuusei), but there aren’t any risks in giving it a shot. So it’ll be interesting when the candidate list comes out, to see if any prominent members decide to step down for this single (though it feels unlikely).

What About the Kenkyuusei (and Miichan?)

One theory I saw on a comment on Tokyohive (and a good one) is that part of the reason for allowing former members with a long tenure in is to allow Miichan the opportunity to participate, and that this year it actually restricts against kenkyuusei from taking part. This is all a theory, but is based on some slightly ambiguous wording. The first rule is actually written so that it’s an “AKB48, SKE48, NMB48, HKT48 enrolled member.” Does this exclude Kenkyuusei, who are technically not full members of the 48 groups (Miichan, who was in AKB48 for longer than that four years, could thus join)? This is something that I hope will be clarified, because if so it would be an interesting move , focusing on the full members. Kenkyuusei rarely make it very far (notably last year, at the time kenkyuusei Muto Tomu was the center for the future girls unit), so it’s probably not going to matter. The only girl I could reasonably see affected by this would be HKT48 kenkyuusei Tashima Meru, who’s quickly become HKT48’s center and most likely continued ace of the group.

Foreign Members?

Back during the big team/group shuffle, I mentioned that the 48 groups seemed to be giving a bigger focus on the international groups, JKT48 and SNH48, by sending over four members. Which is true. However, allowing these four back in brings up the question: why aren’t foreign group members allowed in the election.

My first thought is practicality, because they’d have to come and promote the singles, but JKT48 has come to Japan before, and that same thing would have to happen if Miyazawa Sae, Takajo Aki, Suzuki Mariya or Nakagawa Haruka choose to apply.

So despite their emphasis on promoting JKT48 and SNH48, these groups feel like they’re secondary to the Japanese groups. I have no idea how well JKT48 and SNH48 have been doing, financially (I’m not as aware of the systems in place for gauging that as I am with Japan) but this move seems to imply that JKT48 and SNH48 are not quite equal with their Japanese groups, which makes me wonder if they’re not doing quite so well.

In any case, I think when the candidate list comes out it will be interesting to see what happens with this unique senbatsu election.

 

Why 12th Generation Morning Musume is a Great Idea

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When it was announced that Morning Musume was adding a new generation, I saw a lot of bewilderment, and a lot of finger pointing, at one person in particular.

While Tsunku might not be the one to blame in this situation (most of the decisions are made by UFA higher ups), it still is a curious situation. The tenth generation really seemed to come quickly after the ninth generation, and the 11th generation soon after. So, why do they do it?

Announcements Feel Quicker Than the Real Deal

Maybe this is a bit obvious, but to state the obvious: auditions take time. Not necessarily for every idol group, but MM likes to have multiple stages of the audition process, publicize the last bit with the boot camp, and then pick girls. Even when that’s all said and done, there’s some time between when they’re picked and when they actually become active members of the group. So even though it feels like Oda Sakura JUST joined, she was accepted into Morning Musume about six months ago. It’ll take awhile for these new girls to join, Reina will be long gone, and it might work out nicely.

No More S/Mileage/Country Musume Situations

Not that I ever think this could happen to Morning Musume, but for me one of the weirdest times was right after Eri, JunJun and LinLin left the group, but right before 9th gen entered. Five members, the first time since the group formed. Morning Musume needs a steady stream of members, so that they can maintain having a steady group of people. The reason I think S/Mileage went for the multiple generation route was because Ogawa Saki was leaving (happened after the 2nd generation announcement, but management still could have, most likely knew) and they possibly already knew Maeda Yuuka was leaving. The group wasn’t stable, so to maintain this new group they wanted new members. They didn’t want another Country Musume situation on their hands, where after the first single Rinne just had to do some solo singles until they added Asami and then Ishikawa Rika for the Country Musume ni groups. Hello!Project’s going for longevity, so they want a good number of girls in Morning Musume at all time.

Really, the Group’s not THAT Full

Reina’s leaving. This is a fact. It’s also pretty safe to bet that in the next couple of years, Michishige Sayumi will also say goodbye to the group, mostly because she’s been with Morning Musume for so long, and the age gap is getting even bigger. So when Reina leaves, there will be 10 members, and when Sayumi leaves there will only be 9 members. For those who mostly got into Morning Musume in the Platinum era that was the norm, but having more than that is by no means unheard of, right around when 5th generation and 6th generation joined.

More members can also bring in more fans; one of the ingenious things about AKB48 is it’s sheer size, and the fact that the concept (a classroom) encourages various types of girls. With all the different members, it’s easy to find at the very least one girl you like, if not more. Even if there are front girls (which is the case for pretty much any idol group), Morning Musume putting in more girls means that there are more opportunities to get fans interested. I know that I was ready to stop paying attention, but then I became a fan of Ishida Ayumi.

Stagnate Morning Musume is One to be Avoided

This is possibly the most important thing to remember. Right now, Morning Musume are making an honestly fantastic comeback, and are at the best sales they’ve had in a while. They’re starting to get more and more recognition as being more than “that group that brought you Love Machine.” Of course, they’re not mainstream popular yet, nor are they anywhere close to being the top idol group in Japan, but it feels like they’re finally putting in a lot of effort as a group. Part of that includes a fresh line up. One of the things that Morning Musume is known for, other than Love Machine and Renai Revolution 21, is their line-up changing system. And for good reason! But in their heyday, almost every single was a change in line-up; before Koi no Dance Site Ishiguro left, before Happy Summer Wedding the fourth generation joined, before I Wish Ichii left, Renai Revolution stayed the same, and before The Peace Yuko left. It generates a lot of buzz and is honestly the thing that keeps the group going; the stagnate line-up of the Platinum era did no favors, and didn’t bring in many new fans. So adding new members, if it contributes to keeping these fresh line-ups and making the group interesting again, is fine by me.

First Impressions: Neo Stargate

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Momoiro Clover Z and I have a long, interesting relationship. I’ve been a fan of the group since their major debut (Ikuze Kaitou Shoujo in 2010), and I’ve enjoyed seeing a group I liked rise to popularity. However, lately I’ve hit a bit of a rough patch in my MomoClo fandom; while their popularity flourishes, I’ve found myself dissatisfied in their music (see my post about how disappointed I was in Otome Sensou). However, Battle and Romance, Momoiro Clover Z’s first album, is quite possibly my all-time favorite idol album, up there with longer term favorites like Matsuura Aya’s T.W.O. So while I’ve had my issues in the past, I’m honestly really excited for Momoiro Clover Z’s 5th Dimension, because their albums are very good.

PV

Seeing a PV for this made me excited; if MomoClo is known for anything, it’s their interesting visual style, and PVs go along with that. This is, in my opinion, a definite step up for their PVs. The production values are really all-around strong, and you can tell that a lot went into the production of the PV. The set is excellent, and I really like the sterile, sci-fi feel. The other actors do a good job (afro scientist is up there as one of my favorite PV extras, along with “Socrates” in Twinklestars’ Dear Mr. Socrates) in portraying the story.

While the set is sometimes a bit bare (though it doesn’t look too bare; it’s just minimalistic, which is fine), the real interesting bit is the costume selection. The fact that a good deal of the PV takes place with MomoClo wearing masks that are downright scary looking is a very bold and interesting choice. I don’t know if they were inspired by anything in particular, but they seem to be horror inspired. None of the costumes are particularly idol-like, which says a lot about the direction MomoClo is going. While their last costumes have their member colors as small accents on their costume, the color palate of this PV is VERY bland and beige, which is unlike the Momoiro Clover of the past. It works here, but I really hope it doesn’t become a trend; one of my earliest/favorite memories of Momoiro Clover was when they performed on the 2010 Music Japan female idol special. Almost every other group was wearing some variation on white, but MomoClo were in their bright, rainbow Ikuze! Kaitou Shoujo costumes.

Unfortunately, while I love the PV as a whole, it gets progressively less interesting and feels at points like more of a well-filmed dance shot. There’s a bit of intrigue at the end where they open the gate (ha!) and move into what looks like the very bare bridge of the starship. But then it just ends. There’s a good section where the girls are just dancing/moving around in their costumes, which works (the choreography for Neo Stargate, while not as interesting as some of their earlier works, is pretty good), but it just feels a bit disappointing. The start of this was SO strong and perfect, that to see the PV go downhill feels like a bit of a let down. Which really, feels like the trajectory of Momoiro Clover Z’s career for me. Because, let’s be honest, this is really good, and Momoiro Clover Z produces VERY high quality stuff; it’s just when they make mistakes, it feels a lot more disappointing.

So, in conclusion, while I like this PV, I think there is definitely room for growth and improvement.

Song

First off, am I the only Stargate fan in the JPop/idol fandom? If so, I kind of wonder how well known it is in Japan. The music at the beginning of the PV (which, at this point, I’m not really sure if it’s a part of the actual, album song?) is actually vaguely reminiscent of some of the music from Stargate. I kind of hoped Richard Dean Anderson would make a cameo or something (though my Stargate of choice was Stargate: Atlantis. Don’t judge me.)

Right away, I liked this song. It has a dark feeling, and reprises the use of choral vocals found in Mugen no Ai, which was a single I really loved. Its heavy drum beat was also really nice; this song already didn’t feel like any other idol group. It feels uniquely Momoiro Clover Z, which is very good. It also feels very fitting of an album opening, and I imagine will fit well as the first track of 5th Dimension.

Then there was the pseudo-dubstep influenced section. While I can tolerate dubstep influenced sound in many idol songs, and it certainly fits here, I was a bit stumped at first listen. It’s a curious addition, but Momoiro Clover has had stranger things mixed together before (i.e. Pinky Jones using both a sitar and bagpipes, or at least digital sounds that sound like a sitar and bagpipes). However, when the song moved even faster, that’s when I hit a bit of a hurdle.

The rest of the song is so unique and pushing the envelope, that the chorus hits really flat with me. It’s a strangely generic sound in the midst of such greatness, that it really feels out of place; the chorus sounds like a very typical idol song, in melody and arrangement, that only the quiet choral voices in the background are there to remind you what song this is.

It’s a bit like Otome Sensou to me, but I’m more positive towards Neo Stargate than I was towards Otome Sensou. There are a lot of great ideas in this song, and it has potential to be better than it is, but is weighed down by its length and everything it puts in. I really like the start (and all parts like it) and the section where they sing “Open the gate, open your soul.” They could have condensed the song to be shorter and made it ultimately a better song, but this song tries to do too much and be too much without excelling at it. I love a good generic idol song, but that’s not what this should be and not what it needs to be. MomoClo has had good songs that do a lot of different things (i.e. Mirai Bowl) but they feel in general like a cohesive song; this doesn’t, which is a bit disappointing.

Ultimately, while I do tentatively like this, there are definitely ways where both the song and PV could be improved. Battle and Romance was SUCH a fantastic, perfect album, that this makes me a little bit worried, but I’ll have to wait and hear the rest of the album to decide more.