Animesou.com

Mikuni Shimokawa - Kimi no Uta Album Review——————————

By: Alpha

Tracklistings:  
01 - Kimi ni fuku kaze (Ending theme of Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu)
02 - Monozuki
03 - Kanashimi ni makenaide (Ending theme of Grenadier)
04 - all the way     
05 - Toihoshi
06 - Kimi no yume -Kanzenban-
07 - Itsu demo yume wo
08 - Remember
09 - Missing
10 - KOHAKU -Album Mix- (Opening theme of Grenadier)
11 - Sorega ai deshou (Opening theme of Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu)
12 - Arekara ~Soshite, Ima~
13 - Love song on the radio -Live in Shindoru-

      Alpha and Mikuni Shimokawa strikes back!!! Whew, one of my favorite J-Pop artists comes swinging at me at full force with her newest album, Kimi no Uta. At a price of 3000 yen, plus shipping equals $35 or so, minus my 300 bonus points that I attained from earlier purchases from CDJapan totaling to about $32 and change… some will say, ‘That is some expensive shiznit!’ While I will say, ‘This is one of my best investments in music lately.’ Some songs that might attract some attention are Grenadier’s and Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu theme songs. I was so excited when I got this order in the mail and quickly proceeded to strip the box of its contents and spun the CD in the player.

      Before I made this purchase, I was super hooked on Mikuni Shimokawa’s Arekara, which was the closing theme of the final episode of Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu. When I saw that Arekara was on this album I quickly jumped on it… only to find out later after listening that it was a remix version (~Soshite, Ima~). I very much dislike remixes, since I am an ‘original’ man. I guess I will have to buy her other album; Sorega Aideshou / Kimi ni Fuku Kaze now. ^_^.

        What I adore with Mikuni Shimokawa is her melodic voice; it just charms the soul.   She is definitely one of the few voices in this world that I can stand listening to forever.   Okay, maybe I am starting to sound like a stalker ^_^;;.   But I cannot deny the fact that I do think of her that highly.   You J-Pop loving people should put this album or any of her albums for that matter on your prioritized music to get list!      
          

Recommend Value - B+, while I love a lot of these songs, I do not think those who do not know her or do not know her music will like her works. A shame, but that is how music is. Mikuni Shimokawa has made her mark on me as one of the best out there. I will continue to look forward to her stuff. It is always a joy when I listen to her lovely voice :P. Too bad I lost her 392 Sellections CD, it was the first press edition too!!! Oh wells, I think I will have to buy another one along with the Sorega Aideshou / Kimi ni Fuku Kaze album. Sigh… $40+.

Closing Statement(s) - Fact of the day:   Alpha was crazy enough to buy the Olympus Trip 35 camera after seeing that Mikuni has one in the 392 Sellections album.   Now that is what I call obsessed :P.    

BoA - Valenti ——————————————–

By: Alpha

Tracklistings:
01 - Valentiļ½˛
02 - Jewel Song
03 - B.I.O.
04 - Sekai no katasumi de
05 - Kiseki
06 - Winding Road featuring DABO
07 - Searching for Truth
08 - Moon & Sunrise
09 - Discovery
10 - Flowerļ½˛
11 - Beside You
12 - Feel the Same
13 - No.1

Special DVD listing:
01 - LISTEN TO MY HEART PV
02 - Valenti PV
03 - Information Clip

BoA is an artist in which I have a low knowledge on. Her single “LISTEN TO MY HEART” was the first song that caught my attention and it was the only song. Since the release of “LISTEN TO MY HEART” I have never looked into BoA much again. How did I recently tune back to BoA? It was all, because of the recommendations from a forum that I frequent.

So, lets’ start. Valenti is BoA’s second album and a great album. Mainly, because of the background music, the lyrics, along with the beautiful voice of BoA. This album completely changed the way I look at or listen to BoA. The album is made up of different styles. From R&B to Dance to Ballads, she does an astonishing job. From the moment I press play on my DVD Player and heard the beat of track 1 (Valenti) I immediately said, “Ok, this is going to be a hell of an album.” Turns out to me that I was correct. I know this one dude who cannot stop listening the CD! (No! It’s not me! Although I did put the whole Valenti album into an MD for my own listening pleasures.)

An interesting feat that I found was that the album goes from one fast paced song to a slow paced song and then fast again. It is laid out in that pattern. This lay out pattern just makes Valenti that more attractive. You will not be finding yourself going fast all the time, but having a dose of each world, which I find to be a good thing. When I put up with the same style of music, I tend to listen to it for a week and then it is back to my draw to collect dust. That is only me though heh.

Normally this last paragraph would be my personal song recommendations of the reviewed album, but Valenti to me does not contain any bad songs. So, I recommend all the songs in this album! I must say BoA did a very very good job on Valenti. Well I also have to give props to the crew who putted the whole album together too.

Recommend Value - After listening to Valenti for approximately a week, I have yet to grow bored of it. I actually think that the songs are still pretty fresh and new to me. BoA’s Valenti deserves an A+, because it is that damn good!

Closing Statement(s) - Maybe I should slap myself for not attending the NYT Music Festival when she attended. I think it was back in the year 2001.

Chemistry - Second to None ——————————————–

By: Alpha

Tracklistings:  
01 - Intro-ludeļ½˛You’re My Second to Noneļ½˛
02 - It Takes Two
03 - STILL ECHO
04 - My Gift to You     
05 - Running Away
06 - BACK TOGETHER AGAIN
07 - No Color Line
08 - FLOATIN’
09 - SOLID DREAM
10 - Let’s Get Together Nowļ¼?Tokyo Callingļ½˛
11 - RIPTIDE
12 - Tsukiyo
13 - My Way
14 - Kimi Wo Sagashiteta

      During a boring day of listening to the same music that I own over and over again.   I begin to remember that my friend said he has this music video and the things they do in it was cool.   So, I asked him what’s the song title.   He told me “PIECES OF A DREAM.”   I thought, “That’s a nice name for a song.”   I then asked him what’s the artist’s name.   He told me, “Chemistry.”   I laughed and said in a joking manner, “Then there must be a Physics and a Biology? Right?”   Well, after I heard “PIECES OF A DREAM,” I was astounded, by the dope beats and lyrics.   I continued to follow this group’s music consisting of Kawabata Kaname and Dochin Yoshikuni.   Suddenly I became a fan.   What they sing is soothing, and at times emotional.   In a few days I realized myself, bopping to the beats and then singing their songs.   I would just scream out their lyrics.   That’s something I haven’t done for a while, due to songs that are no longer interesting.   Only a few artists’ songs can make me scream lyrics and Chemistry’s is one of them.

      On to the album, “Second to None.”   Right when you press play on your CD/DVD/PC/Whatever player you will hear the interlude and then taken to track two, one of the best songs in my opinion in the album, “It Takes Two.”   This song just has this nice beat to it, and catchy lyrics to captivate the listener’s ears.   I was bopping to this song right from the beginning.   It was like I knew the lyrics before.   I can some how hum out what was coming next.   Man… all the songs are great in this album.   It is time to list the songs that stand out among the rest in my ear’s point of hearing:   “It Takes Two,” “My Gift to You,” and “Floatin’.”                  

Recommend Value - Chemistry’s music gives me this nice feeling.   I would just sit down on my chair and read manga as I’m listening to this album.   Heh, I even play video games with their songs on.   I will give this album an A, as it doesn’t disappoint me and finally I’m no longer bored out of my mind when there’s nothing to do.       

Closing Statement(s) - If possible try “PIECES OF A DREAM,” by Chemistry.   That song is the song that got me interested in Chemistry, so try it out see if you’re into their style and make your own decision, to whether you’d want to invest in Chemistry’s second album, “Second to None.”   Just a note, “PIECES OF A DREAM” is not in this album, but in the older album.   As always, you can make any Japanese music purchases through CDJapan.     

Mikuni Shimokawa - 392 BEST SELLECTIONS Album Review———-

By: Alpha

Tracklistings:  
01 - Party -is not over- (overtune)
02 - POPCORN
03 - KANARIA
04 - Pavement     
05 - TRUE -album version-  (Opening theme of Dragon Drive)
06 - TATTA HITOTSUNO -album mix- (Ending theme of Dragon Drive)
07 - KARENAI HANA (Ending theme of FULL METAL PANIC)
08 - tomorrow (Opening theme of FULL METAL PANIC)
09 - Alone
10 - BELIEVER (Studio live version)
11 - HAJIMARI
12 - If (CMJK remix)

      Hehe my first music CD review, I’m going all out ^_^;; nowadays. Ok, now how many people reading this has heard of Mikuni Shimokawa?   Before her songs were put in anime…   I’d say probably 3 out of 10 people.   Mikuni Shimokawa, a talented singer debuted back in 1999 with her debut single BELIEVER.   This album here has all her latest songs and some past songs, which means the latest anime themes are in this short, but none the less, enjoyable disc.   Mikuni’s got a very good voice, also she writes some of   her songs and in Track 11 - HAJIMARI, she played the Piano/Drums.   I’ve been listening to her album everyday over and over again, not being a bit bored.   Weird, because I never watch the same anime twice in the same week.   Anyways, Party is an introduction, getting you all softened up.   Then comes POPCORN, a song with a nice up beat.   And blah blah blah, all the songs are good :P.   The songs on my favorites list are POPCORN, TRUE, TATTA HITOTSUNO, KARENAI HANA, tomorrow, Alone, BELIEVER, HAJIMARI and If.   Basically almost the whole album, I wonder if that’s why they named it BEST SELLECTIONS and uh… I think they spelled SELLECTIONS wrong, I thought it was suppose to be SELECTIONS.   They seem to have spelled it that way for some reason; on the album it’s spelled SELLECTIONS on her official site www.love392.net it’s spelled SELLECTIONS.   Hope I’m not going crazy, because I’m listening to 392 right now, as I type this.   That about wraps it up for this review, go check out Mikuni Shimokawa - 392 BEST SELLECTIONS at CDJapan!!! Ja.