coming and going
29 Dec 2008 05:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mayoraaseiSo in lieu of anything constructive to post for the New Year (yes capitals), I bring to you 10 of my favourite Japanese songs released in 2008~
I should probably say in advance that I'm extremely biased about these songs, in that if I didn't like the band/drama/anime/movie/person, I probably wouldn't haven't liked the song as much. I naturally gravitate towards ballads, normally XD
1. Arashi - Truth (Maou theme)
I think I'm at least in agreement with the Oricon charts for the first two songs, since these two are the highest selling singles for the year (and the first time since the 1970s or something ridiculous like that when the same group managed to snag the top two selling singles in one year). The song is different to Arashi's usual happy pop-rock style, and really grows on you...especially after watching 10 episodes of people successfully trying to kill each other.
2. Arashi - One Love (Hana Yori Dango Final movie theme)
This is the first Japanese song I've listened to and been moved to sniffles by the lyrics (without having actually read the translations first). It's so sweet and ridiculously romantic and yet so appropriately Doumyouji. The song itself is bleh, but at the chorus "Hyakunen saki mo ai wo chikau yo..." I bet every girl in the audience got teary. LOL.
3. KAT-TUN - Don't U Ever Stop
If they were an American pop group, this would be a fairly standard boppy song. But this was the style that KT did so well before they debuted and went with weird things like "Signal" and "Lips". I really miss their old songs like "Never Again" and "Gold" =( There's an extended version of this PV, which probably makes more sense out of the whole smashing crystal ball thing.
4. Utada Hikaru - Prisoner of Love (Last Friends theme)
I really like the erratic rhythm of this song...it's kind of hypnotic, which makes it rather fitting for the title? Utada Hikaru has gotten...fat...ter......
5. the Brilliant Green - Ash Like Snow (Gundam 00 2nd opening)
I don't like the PV ==; But at least it's better than the one she did for "Pray" where she looked like a soulless zombie. I like this song better than "Friends" (even though that one has a nicer tune) because it seems more fitting for the characters at that stage, who aren't friends or comrades, but are fighting for things they had lost when "the world changed". ♥ the orange Haro =D
6. KAT-TUN - White X'mas
OK 我承認我偏心 =P I like this song purely because of the kirakira PV. The hue is so pretty XD Kame is so pretty XD 老大 is so pretty XD And I'm still automatically blurring Akanishi out of the picture.
7. Exile - The Birthday ~ Ti Amo ~
This is the only song I liked without liking a) the band or b) this song being connected to a drama/anime that I like. I have a soft spot for Latino music XD It also sounds Korean, but I swear they're singing Japanese. There's an extended version of this PV that contained quite a bit of Mandarin and also...rolling around in bed naked. So uh, yes, if that's your persuasion.
8. Hey! Say! JUMP - Mayonaka no Shadow Boy (Scrap Teacher theme)
For some reason I think this sounds vaguely Latino as well O_o; And I like the PV...or specifically, Yama-chan's little smirk at the end XD
9. Nakashima Mika - Orion (Ryusei no Kizuna insert song)
Good thing I didn't like "Beautiful Days" or Arashi would have three songs here! I like Nakashima's singing...sometimes. And the PV stars my favourite Jap actress~ though not quite looking her prettiest, but hey XD
10. Becca - I'm Alive (Kuroshitsuji 1st ending)
I know this entire song is in English, but it IS released in Japan. She's like Avril Lavigne but with more spirit and less attitude. It's so infectious XD
Other songs that would have made the list if it had a PV: "Eternally" by Utada Hikaru and "Hikari" by Elisa. See...all the slow songs I liked didn't have a PV...
Other songs that nearly made it to the list..."Futatsu no Kodou to Akai Tsumi" by On/Off, "Promise" by Michi (it's really catchy, I just didn't like the middle "rap" part), "Friends" by Stephanie, and "Hakanaku mo Towa no Kanashi" by UVERworld. I need to give it time to grow on me.
Also, I have nothing to say about this week's G00 except that it's like an extended commercial for the Gundams' Trans-Am. But at least we see Lockon finally use Trans-Am in battle. Why didn't they just use Gundam 00's invincible Trans-Am to power Ptolemis, and it probably goes faster than Allelujah's Trans-Am and can also ATOMISE. Saves the whole trouble of using shields. Am not particularly happy about Gundam 00's ridiculous Trans-Am mode.
I should probably say in advance that I'm extremely biased about these songs, in that if I didn't like the band/drama/anime/movie/person, I probably wouldn't haven't liked the song as much. I naturally gravitate towards ballads, normally XD
1. Arashi - Truth (Maou theme)
I think I'm at least in agreement with the Oricon charts for the first two songs, since these two are the highest selling singles for the year (and the first time since the 1970s or something ridiculous like that when the same group managed to snag the top two selling singles in one year). The song is different to Arashi's usual happy pop-rock style, and really grows on you...especially after watching 10 episodes of people successfully trying to kill each other.
2. Arashi - One Love (Hana Yori Dango Final movie theme)
This is the first Japanese song I've listened to and been moved to sniffles by the lyrics (without having actually read the translations first). It's so sweet and ridiculously romantic and yet so appropriately Doumyouji. The song itself is bleh, but at the chorus "Hyakunen saki mo ai wo chikau yo..." I bet every girl in the audience got teary. LOL.
3. KAT-TUN - Don't U Ever Stop
If they were an American pop group, this would be a fairly standard boppy song. But this was the style that KT did so well before they debuted and went with weird things like "Signal" and "Lips". I really miss their old songs like "Never Again" and "Gold" =( There's an extended version of this PV, which probably makes more sense out of the whole smashing crystal ball thing.
4. Utada Hikaru - Prisoner of Love (Last Friends theme)
I really like the erratic rhythm of this song...it's kind of hypnotic, which makes it rather fitting for the title? Utada Hikaru has gotten...fat...ter......
5. the Brilliant Green - Ash Like Snow (Gundam 00 2nd opening)
I don't like the PV ==; But at least it's better than the one she did for "Pray" where she looked like a soulless zombie. I like this song better than "Friends" (even though that one has a nicer tune) because it seems more fitting for the characters at that stage, who aren't friends or comrades, but are fighting for things they had lost when "the world changed". ♥ the orange Haro =D
6. KAT-TUN - White X'mas
OK 我承認我偏心 =P I like this song purely because of the kirakira PV. The hue is so pretty XD Kame is so pretty XD 老大 is so pretty XD And I'm still automatically blurring Akanishi out of the picture.
7. Exile - The Birthday ~ Ti Amo ~
This is the only song I liked without liking a) the band or b) this song being connected to a drama/anime that I like. I have a soft spot for Latino music XD It also sounds Korean, but I swear they're singing Japanese. There's an extended version of this PV that contained quite a bit of Mandarin and also...rolling around in bed naked. So uh, yes, if that's your persuasion.
8. Hey! Say! JUMP - Mayonaka no Shadow Boy (Scrap Teacher theme)
For some reason I think this sounds vaguely Latino as well O_o; And I like the PV...or specifically, Yama-chan's little smirk at the end XD
9. Nakashima Mika - Orion (Ryusei no Kizuna insert song)
Good thing I didn't like "Beautiful Days" or Arashi would have three songs here! I like Nakashima's singing...sometimes. And the PV stars my favourite Jap actress~ though not quite looking her prettiest, but hey XD
10. Becca - I'm Alive (Kuroshitsuji 1st ending)
I know this entire song is in English, but it IS released in Japan. She's like Avril Lavigne but with more spirit and less attitude. It's so infectious XD
Other songs that would have made the list if it had a PV: "Eternally" by Utada Hikaru and "Hikari" by Elisa. See...all the slow songs I liked didn't have a PV...
Other songs that nearly made it to the list..."Futatsu no Kodou to Akai Tsumi" by On/Off, "Promise" by Michi (it's really catchy, I just didn't like the middle "rap" part), "Friends" by Stephanie, and "Hakanaku mo Towa no Kanashi" by UVERworld. I need to give it time to grow on me.
Also, I have nothing to say about this week's G00 except that it's like an extended commercial for the Gundams' Trans-Am. But at least we see Lockon finally use Trans-Am in battle. Why didn't they just use Gundam 00's invincible Trans-Am to power Ptolemis, and it probably goes faster than Allelujah's Trans-Am and can also ATOMISE. Saves the whole trouble of using shields. Am not particularly happy about Gundam 00's ridiculous Trans-Am mode.
