#aikatsu song reviews

[yjyt85r98r]

Aikatsu song reviews: Onaji chikyuu no shiawase ni

Song

This review might not go as in-depth as I want, or I might edit it later, because despite the fact that I like this song, I have not listened to it very many times.

This song feels fairy-like, but not in the traditional "small and delicate and ethereal" way. It's more like a "grand awakening" kind of way. Like taking heavy steps as flowers sprout out of the ground.

I think this is a good song, but I always feel kind of scared to listen to it because the beat is so loud. Aikatsu has done this with a few of their ballads, but this is the first and one of the worst. I get what they're trying to do. They want to give the song a 'heartbeat', to make sure it isn't boring. But in the end, it just hurts my ears and makes me unable to focus on the rest of the instrumentals.

I like how the key change doesn't happen all at once – instead, the song slowly lures the listener in and out of the new key. I find that type of key change far more pleasant and interesting than the kind that happens all of a sudden with no transition.

Anyway, I think that this song is a ballad done right. Ballads sort of have a bad reputation among those who prefer fast-paced songs, and when I hear a mediocre or overly-simple ballad, I can honestly understand why. But I think this one is pretty good. Of course it's not perfect, and I'm sure it's not for everyone, but it's still really nice.

Vocals

The first time I listened to Sakura's vocals, it was in a duet song, and I thought that I would never actively want to listen to a solo song by her. But then I listened to this and changed my mind.

This song makes really good use of her voice's breathy quality. The vocals are mostly soft and gentle, but with surprising bursts of strength that make them much more interesting to listen to. That one low part in the chorus is especially fun... she almost sounds like a completely different person.

Lyrics

I... feel bad insulting the lyrics... but the English translation kind of reminds me of an 11-year-old's first attempt at a serious song. I don't think it's fair to say that about the Japanese lyrics since they contain some pretty high-level vocabulary that maybe an 11-year-old wouldn't know. I think it probably sounds better if you're fluent in the language, which I am not.

But I feel like these lyrics are exceedingly rare for an idol anime. These days, it feels like there aren't that many songs with lyrics about nature, so these lyrics are refreshing. They have a tone reminiscent of a poem or a folk tale, or even a sort of benevolent commandment, which is also quite rare. They feel strangely nostalgic.

Choreography

One of the most ballet-like dances in Aikatsu, outdone only by Aria's performance. It has the same problem as a lot of choreography for slower songs: a bit too much energy. Most of the dance is slow, but then suddenly there will be this fast series of leaps and spins. The dance would be too boring without them, so I don't think it's a bad thing. It's just a thing that happens when choreographing a slower song. If there was any way to improve it, I think that would just be to create a better flow between the energetic and calm parts.

I feel like the choreography of this one might have influenced the choreography of Alicia's song. Some of the poses and movements are similar.

The dance seems like it would be fun to do.

Visuals

This was one of the most visually experimental performances in Aikatsu, or at least in season 1. They had the performer jumping off a platform, moving patterns on the stage, partially blurred shots, plants briefly obscuring the screen, and a sky that changed mid-song. The CGI was starting to get better, and they made full use of that.

And the stage design! It sort of looks like a level of a nostalgic video game, but I couldn't tell you what game because it isn't any one in particular. It just looks really magical. I love the fireflies and the lily of the valley flowers, and how they're so big that it makes the performer look like a little fairy. Sakura's aura matches the visuals so well that could be mistaken as part of the stage. And the way it grows when it first appears is so whimsical. It's all so pretty, it's a shame it was only used in the anime, like, once.

Good points: Good vocals Bad points: Beat is too loud

Rating: 7.3/10 Personal rating: 7.3/10

#aikatsu song reviews

[curejiraiya]

I'm finally finishing Aikatsu season 1 and I can't get over how bad the performance segments are??? like literally episode 49, the big battle before the finish, and it's just the 7 girls dancing. It's not even a choreographed group dance, it's their models all doing the same moves. They're not singing and it's not a group song done by them it's just an unrelated song. There's no fucking appeals???? only ONE of the characters has a new outfit for this HUGE event and it's the one who's obviously going to win. This is supposed to be a big moment like it's the qualifier for who gets to battle Mizuki, and it's soooooo lazy.

Afterwards Mizuki is like "it's so obvious who won I don't even need the votes" BUT IS IT????? THEY ALL DANCED EXACTLY THE SAME???? Usually in moments like this it comes down to the appeals cuz like they're not going to edit the choreo for the episode moments and like that's fine, (I'd love an idol anime where we actually see them get better at dancing and singing during the runtime but that's for a different rant) ai planet did this too like ultimately their competitions were 100% based on the winner of the appeals and this did not bother me because it was executed fine. They had two seperate choreos and it looked like the dance mattered even if it got reused. But in ep 49, with no appeal and no singing, that means all 7 girls just performed EXACTLY the same. With only one girl wearing a new outfit it wasn't a contest about putting together the right outfit either, the show didn't make it that. They had this big stakes moment and they didn't make it feel like big stakes whatsoever.

I'm frustrated. When I read reviews for this show they say that season 1, the first 50 episodes are the best, and I'm like idk chief??? this is episode 49 and they're still pulling this low budget garbage? How is this the peak of the entire 150 episode show?

I dropped this show for months and even now am having a hard time finishing it. It's not bad, it has great ideas, but god is it lazy. Maybe I'll like friends or stars more, because they'll have more budget then. I want to like Aikatsu, I really do, but I look at Pretty Rhythm; who also had a rough start but really got their shit together before the end of Aurora Dream, and I don't feel the same magic from Aikatsu S1. But I liked planet! So it has to click for me during one of the other seasons, I'm just not sure which one.

#ramblings #aikatsu

[precure-stuff]

Hey guys!

I recently watched the Aikatsu Planet Movie and here's my review. It feels a bit short for a video

The movie was very fun but rather short. I think they tried to replicate the first movie in a lot of ways. That was sweet.

Despite this, the movie lacked any real spectacle except the fashion show and the play. The outfits really impressed me cause they looked better than most coords in Planet.

I loved the songs and they were incorporated well enough. The biggest problem is that nothing is built up so it's more like a variety show where you get to see these characters for the last time

What did you guys think of the movie?

#Aikatsu planet movie #spoilers

[just-a-gl1tch]

Special OG AIKATSU! Review + SPOLIER WARNING!!

Salutations! Before you continue this post, please be aware that this post has huge amounts of spoilers from the first episode to the final episode in the anime. Proceed with caution!

Aikatsu is a wholesome idol anime, it started airing from October of 2012 and ending during 2016! This anime features the main characters Ichigo, Aoi and Ran learning about what it means to be an idol and making new friends along the way.

When I first started watching this, I immediately was caught off guard! The way the series was paced was so different from the way western cartoons were handled. Not going to lie the first episode really didn’t hook me and I was honestly considering abandoning the series but once I watched Episode two, that completely changed! I was kinda surprised by that.

Now I’m going to go over the pros and cons of the anime.

PROS:

Great worldbuilding!

unique and dynamic character designs

high quality music

memorable main characters

high quality Cg (Not so much during episodes 1 to 20)

gradual character development

interesting subplots that don’t take too much screen time from the main plot

beautiful imagery

seeing not just the main characters get a cool change of outfit

great character development centered episodes

mature and not overbearing but still capable of being funny when needed

————

CONS:

bad Cg for the first dozen & a half episodes

drama episodes (first few were interesting but got boring very quickly)

Nono and Risa’s arc was rushed

Nono and Risa barely got any new songs or choreographs other than ‘Lucky train’ or Risa singing ‘Move on Now’

(maybe) rushed Akari arc

————

honestly I enjoyed watching this series over the course of three months, it really brightened my life!!

Starting now I will be watching Aikatsu Stars! Whenever I finish that series I will make a separate review for it here ^^

Thank you for reading!

#aikatsu #samuel (he/they) #anime review #Rating 10/10

[conflagrate]

Spring 2018 Anime Season

Review of this just-finished season! Ranked by avg episode score:

1. Yuru Camp (9.08) 2. Sora Yori mo Tooi Basho (8.62) 3. Card Captor Sakura (8.55) = 3gatsu no Lion (8.55) 5. Citrus (8.17) 6. Violet Evergarden (7.92) 7. Gakuen Babysitters (7.75) 8. Kokkoku (7.67) 9. Miira no Kaikata (7.42) = Koi wa Ameagari no Youni (7.42)

Total shows completed: 18 Still to finish: Violet Evergarden Continuing: 3 + 1 Trying to start but don’t have the time: AICO, Sword Gai + I ditched all this shit: Grancrest, Ryuoh, Takagi-san, Sanrio Danshi, Toji no Miko, Houshin Engi, Dame x Prince, Fate/Extra

Next up, spring pickings!!

Must-watch: Tachibanakan, Tada-kun, Amai Chobatsu, Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi, LoGH, Hinamatsuri, Lostorage conflated WIXOSS, Nobunaga no Shinobi S3, Amanchu S2, Shokugeki S4, Golden Kamuy, Rokuhodo Yotsuiro Biyori, Wotakoi, FMP! S3 [14]

Very likely: Gunma, Uchu Senkan Tiramisu, Captain Tsubasa, Megalo Box, SAO GGO, Piano no Mori, Fumikiri Jikan, Isekai Izakaya [8]

Try before buy: Jushinki Pandora, Lost Song, Nil Admirari, Comic Girls, SareRyu, Akkun to Kanojo, Maho Shojo Site, Devils Line, Layton, Wakaokami, Cutie Honey Universe, Caligula, Ladyspo, Butlers, Hisone to Masotan [15]

Not keen but: Inazuma 11, Gurazeni, Persona 5, Last Period, Steins;Gate 0 (I er, never finished the original), Doreiku [6]

Sequel/Genre Hell: Tokyo Ghoul: re (will tune in for the sex scene), Duel Masters!, Gegege no Kitaro, Beyblade, Pazudora, Soten no Ken Re:Genesis (ff me it’s ugly), Gundam Build Divers, Ashibe (I’m so sorry I got lazy on this), 3D kanojo, Aikatsu Friends!, BokuAca S3, Major 2nd, Hozuki S2-2, Koneko no Chi, Kiratto PriChan, Boeibu S3, Jikkenhin Kazoku, High School DxD S4, Yokai Watch, To be Heroing, Aggressive Retsuko, Cardfight!! Vanguard, Lupin III

You’d have to castrate me first: Uma Musume, Alice or Alice, Oshiri Tantei, Maho Shojo Ore (tried it, hated it)

Continuing: CCS:CCh, Mitchiri Neko(?), Franxx, Emiya-san’chi

#misc

[historyhermann]

Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story Season 2 Spoiler-Filled Review [Part 2]

Continued from part 1

Although there, sadly, wasn't a kiss between Eve and Aoi, the series was filled with gay subtext. While some may call it yuri-bait, it is more charitable to describe it as yuri subtext. In any case, the show was a fun ride. It wrapped up far too quickly, with many time jumps. Despite this, the ending of the series makes clear that the game between Aoi and Eve continues forever. There is the implication that they won't be apart and may even play again.

The ending could have been stronger, but I don't detest it. There is enough space and possible storyline, especially during the two aforementioned time skips, that a third season or even an OVA could expand upon. Such a season, or OVA, could focus on Eve and Aoi, or the growing closeness between the two caddies, Amane and Ichina, shown in the final episode. There is fan support for another season, or OVA. It remains to be seen if executives think the same.

There are other praiseworthy elements of Birdie Wing. The music complements the action. It accompanies the strong, flowing animation. The two highly skilled series composers, Kōtarō Nakagawa and Hironori Anazawa, make the series that much better. The former composed music for Gosick and Chivalry of a Failed Knight, while the latter did music for Scarlet Nexus.

Birdie Wing is nothing like any currently airing series produced by Bandai Namco Pictures, or those by Sunrise. Such series are supernatural action, mecha, or military science fiction. Bandai Namco Pictures is known for Gintama, Brave Beats, and Aikatsu!. Another division of the same company, Sunrise (also called Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc.), is recognized for other series. This includes Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, Love Live! Superstar!!, Love Live! Sunshine!!, Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, Tiger & Bunny, Dirty Pair, and Cowboy Bebop.

The series director, Takayuki Inagaki, worked on Fuuka, KanColle, Kokoro Library, Princess Tutu, and R.O.D. the TV. Yōsuke Kuroda, main writer for Birdie Wing, worked on Kokoro Library as well. He served as a head writer for Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid and Madlax.

The voice cast are just as seasoned and have often voiced queer characters. Akari Kito, who voices Eve, voiced magical girl Momo Chiyoda in The Demon Girl Next Door, Kanata Konoe in Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, Touko Usagihara in Akebi's Sailor Uniform, and Sakura Adachi in Adachi and Shimamura. Asami Seto, voice of Aoi, previously voiced Yoshino Takatsuki in Wandering Son, Charlotte Scherzen in Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid, Fena Houtman in Fena: Pirate Princess, and Nene Saionji in Yuri Is My Job!

Seto is scheduled to voice Yori Asanagi in Whisper Me a Love Song in January 2024. M.A.O. (voice of Kaoruko Iijima) will voice Kohaku in Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror. The latter is a Love Live! Sunshine!! spinoff which recently premiered on Crunchyroll. The voice actor of Amane (Ami Koshimizu) voiced Yang Xiao Long in RWBY: Ice Queendom, Elda in Otaku Elf, Maria in Management of a Novice Alchemist, and Sailor Jupiter in Sailor Moon Crystal. All these characters are directly or indirectly queer.

Akira Sekine, voice of Lily, previously voiced Sora/Cure Sky in Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure and Princess Charlotte in Princess Principal. Saki Fujita, who voices Ichina, previously lent her voice to school president Mitsuki Sonoda in Sakura Trick. Sonoda had a huge crush on Haruka Takayama. Other voice actors are known for their roles in Maria Watches Over Us, Yurikuma Arashi, D4DJ, Akebi's Sailor Uniform, YuruYuri, Strawberry Panic!, and Sweet Blue Flowers.

Birdie Wing will likely not be continued. Similar themes were likely added to the video game associated with the series. The connection to Madlax, since it is in the same universe, will remain a topic of ongoing fan speculation. I will always remember this anime fondly. It may be some time before another anime can shoot me right through, as Eve says to her opponents, like this one.

All 25 episodes of Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story can be streamed on Crunchyroll. The second season can also be purchased on Prime Video or on the Microsoft Store.

© 2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

#birdie wing #bandai namco #Kōtarō Nakagawa #Hironori Anazawa #sunrise pictures #Takayuki Inagaki #akari kito #Asami Seto #Ami Koshimizu #Akira Sekine #madlax #pop culture #reviews #yuri #yuri subtext #lgbtq #Youtube

[meruli]

Soulmate: Review/Analysis

ココロノトモ (Soulmate) is a song introduced in episode 14 of the TV drama adaption of the arcade rhythm game Aikatsu Planet!. In the show, it was introduced as an “original song”, and was written by the original characters who sang it, Mao Otoha and Shiori Motoya.

On a side note, the song being introduced as an original song is interesting, as it implies that all the other songs existed beforehand, and might be public songs that people rent for performances. Those other songs might even be mass produced and then delivered to Aikatsu Planet, which would explain why none of them seem to be specifically made for certain characters.

The song itself is the first country song in the Aikatsu! franchise, it is a relaxing song about the relationship of two best friends. It starts with nice acoustic parts, but the tune for the rest of the song sounds weird, for lack of a better word. While the chorus does make me feel like I’m sitting in a slowly moving retro bus, it also feels like it’s all building up for something big that never came, so as a result, the amount of trapped energy just keeps rising with no way to be released. This keeps on until the vocals are over.

The stage used for the song was recycled from Magical Door, another song. It is the ruins of an abandoned cathedral that’s now overflowing with greenery. The background has a light orange color, the cathedral is on a hexagonal pedestal, inside what looks like another, bigger cathedral, or an abandoned metropolis that no longer has any human inhabitants. The seats for the audience are made of the same material as the decaying cathedral, and there’s a staircase going down, leading to nothing but empty air. It feels very nostalgic overall, which fits the acoustic parts of the song. Combined with the visuals, the song makes me feel like I’m smelling dried mint alone in an abandoned garden of a gothic manor that has become lost to time and civilization.

In the end, Soulmate isn’t the greatest song. While the visuals do leave little to be desired, the song itself is lackluster in the way that you’re expecting for something to explode, but it just ends up bubbling for a long while and then goes down. While I do applaud the franchise for trying a new song type, it could’ve been better executed.

#aikatsu planet #song review #my post #I wrote more words for this than for school writing assignments lmao

[curestardust]

Dust Watched: Aikatsu Planet!

Genres: Idols // 24 episodes //  S01 (x) | S02 (x) | S03 (x) | S04 (x)

Real People in My Anime !

✧  story  ✧

Even in my older reviews I’ve mentioned how in recent seasons, Aikatsu has kind of become directionless. They seemed to have been experimenting a bit before as well but this season is the biggest change they’ve made so far: making half of the show live action. I’m pretty sure this might be a big turn-off for most anime viewers already and it was certainly weird for me as well. 

"Aikatsu Planet!” starts out with Mao and her friend Shiori watching a performance of Hana, an idol inside the aptly named “Aikatsu Planet”. The person behind Hana is someone known as Meisa, an incredible performer who has been topping the charts as Hana. However, the manager of Starlet Promotions, the agency behind Meisa/Hana, approaches Mao after seeing her dance and asks her to become the new Hana as Meisa has dipped. After some delibiration, Mao agrees and enters “Aikatsu Planet” using Hana as her avatar and does her first performance.

“Aikatsu Planet!” is a pretty mediocre affair for “Aikatsu” standards. It has the newbie idol and her talented friends, an older idol the main character looks up to, competitions, etc. I’d even call it a bit weak. Aikatsu seems to want to change but doesn’t stray from its roots; be it the good or the bad. The short runtime doesn’t help matters either.

✧  characters  ✧

The girls are cute. They all have their own small storylines and problems but after those are resolved, there’s not much impact. I guess the cast isn’t very intriguing. The previous “Aikatsu” seasons didn’t have much drama either but this season has almost no stakes at all. Yeah, the girls get sad when they lose but they very quickly shrug it off. Listen, I haven’t watched J-dramas before so I’ve no reference point but from general standards the acting wasn’t very good either, sometimes even cringe worthy. The actresses are made to act as if they *were* anime characters and it’s jarring. There’s one character who appears in the 2nd half who had some potential to make things much more interesting but it didn’t really happen. 

✧  art  ✧

The performances are in 3D and it’s the slickest any models in “Aikatsu” have looked. This is the quality I’ve been waiting for the show to reach so no complaints there. The normal 2D animation however is definitely the worst this show has looked. It’s not horrible or anything but despite the bright colours it still manages to feel flat. Thankfully(?), we don’t see these parts much with half the episodes being live-action and then the performances.

✧  sound ✧

I’d be willing to overlook most gripes I had with this show if it gave us the few bops as previous seasons had but “Aikatsu Planet!” has the weakest song selection out of every single season. The idols don’t perform solo; they perform with each other as they compete which is why I’m guessing most songs are so safe so it could fit whoever performed it. Of course, one big outlier here is Beat who is obviously supposed to be performing rock songs but 99% of the songs are pop and r&b pop. It doesn’t help that the girls performing (aka the actors) aren’t always the best singers so they can’t bring out the true potential of the songs. There’s also a divide as some of the actors are better at acting than voice acting and vice-versa.

✧  overview ✧

I only have one song recommendation from this season and it’s “Magical Door”. Really a shame cause there are multiple songs from previous seasons I still listen to almost daily. I honestly don’t know what the producers are trying to do with the “Aikatsu” brand at this point.

My Rating: 5.5/10

#dusty reviews #aikatsu #aikatsu planet

[millepara]

aikatsu planet ep 8 thoughts (basically just a song review)

Izumi: “Becoming an idol isn’t easy.“ Mao is standing right there

(the rest of the live action part)

ANN!! she’s the mc for the audition bc she won it and debuted last year. so she’s already debuted! I was wondering if she hadn’t and that was why she hadn’t performed yet, but no.

they just have to race to see who can get a dressia in a swing first. that’s all it takes to be an idol

I hope the girl with orange hair in the funky half-up style wins. she’s cute

“Shiori’s so clever!! so smart!!” there was a mic stand literally just sitting in front of the door what else were they supposed to do with it, put the fucking clown wig on it?? I’m so exhausted

nvm changed my mind I want this girl who wants a unicorn-themed juunihitoe to win

the very first thing I would do if I got a dressia would be to flip the swing over and see what the dress looked like. the self-control of these girls who gaze lovingly at the front is amazing

all but one of these hair choices are available in the game rn, haha. (of course Shiori’s hair is not one of the starting options...) so all Shiori did was choose her hair and then everything else automatically comes with it. I probably should have expected something like this? obviously she’s happy w it so whatever

how did Izumi, who is not an idol and thus not allowed to go in the dressia forest, get a swing complete w dressia...?

AHHHH OH MY GOD THE STAGE!!!! ITS SO BEAUTIFUL in the anime... . omg .... idk if I’ve said this on here or only in my head but I love this stage so much, it’s so nice to have a sort of setting made to match the song instead of just a generic stage with hearts or flowers or whatever. Magical Door is nice too. it’s my least fav of the s2 songs but that’s only bc I like See You Tomorrow and Ladyx3 so much. I had serious reservations about Shiori’s voice but she sounds fine in all of the s2 songs, and there’s even a couple parts where I’m seriously impressed by how good Ruli sounds!! to think, me saying something like that!! it’s nice to have a gothic song and all too but it is Kidz Bop Malice Mizer... the lyrics, and how it sounds like “generic gothic song” in a way the ones in aikatsus past didn’t... again I do genuinely like the song, this is just also true about it

wait, why is Shiori having to battle someone in her very first performance? and why Ruli, of all people?

Shiori, who debuted with the name “Shiori”: hmm, I think I wanna keep it secret that I’m an idol

Ruli:

next week is a Mao ep. she’s worried about something? is she finally getting her press conference, or just her new PR?? please let it be the former, I’m ready to move on from keeping secrets for no reason other than to make Mao's life more difficult.

[venus-says]

Aikatsu On Parade! Dream Story Episodes 03-04

Gathering strength from the others.

Not losing any time we already get started to the Grand School Grand Prix. Again, I really liked these episodes, and I do believe this is a format they should continue using for more side characters because is really fun to see a story in this faster pace, this obviously wouldn't work for a year-long season with episodes every week, but for a web special this really works and I'm having a great time with it.

These episodes are more for the event on itself as we “see” the performances of the representatives and the choice of each top representative. I have a problem with how the results come out just as each team finishes their performance, I think this should've happened at the end of what I believe is Day 1 of the event, but again is not that much big of a deal.

I know this is a review for both episodes but allow me to talk about each episode in specific here for a moment.

Episode 3 is probably my favorite of this duo because we get to see more of Noeru and explore some more of her insecurities, I like this aspect about her, is a good change of pace of the pas protagonists, they had insecurities but they were only momentaneous while Noeru's insecurities are always constant and she's always facing and overcoming them, it's very endearing to see. Funny enough that's very Akari-like, another parallel that makes their rivalry even more interesting to watch.

Another aspect of Ep3 that I liked was seeing Sora and Maria supporting Noeru, it was clear how they were encouraging her and backing her up but without giving too much input letting herself find her own path. And that discovery happened naturally as she saw everyone around her working hard for Dream Academy's sake in this competition and it was beautifully done, I especially like that her answer at the end was "I'm not sure I can win, but I'm sure that I can lift up everyone's spirits" and that's very sweet because it shows her vulnerability while still showing her strength.

On the other hand, Episode 4 is a little weaker in this aspect because it serves to show everyone else and leaves the main thing for this episode for a very brief moment. That moment was very nice and it worked but I feel like that wasn't the main focus of the episode so this looses in comparison, in this regard. But even with that in mind I still loved how they're building the Noeru x Akari rivalry each time more and more and it was great to be able to see Akari's side in this whole thing, I kinda would rather if Akari had reached the conclusion that it was because of that rivalry that she as feeling so pumped by her own, but it makes a lot of symbolic sense that Ichigo was there to deliver the message too so I'm fine with it.

Talking about the Grand Prix, I love the idea of the Premium School Dress and I really dig those designs (I think Neo Venus Ark and Starlight's are my favorites), it's also very good to know what was that dress Noeru, Sora, and Maria were wearing in the promo pictures for the anime. XD

Seeing the interactions of each representative team before their "performances" was also pretty cute, somehow the one of the Star Harmony girls felt a bit cold and not very personal, I think I'm just getting weird vibes for seeing a 3 member team coming from the Friends cast, but I really enjoyed Venus Ark and Four Star interacting, and Starlight was very goofy with Aoi fangirling over Noeru and Otome being Otome and leaving to go find lucky charms for her, Sakura, and Akari. It was small things but that sprinkled a lot of joy in these episodes.

Still in the "Star Harmony being odd" theme, I was really curious by what song were they singing, because like it was pretty obvious that Four Strs was doing episode Solo, neo venus Ark didi Bon Bon Voyage, and Starlight did Diamond Happy, they even had a version of the song play in the background. But the Star Harmony team is a mystery, because they were singing in the gold version of the "Friends Cathedral" stage, but ll songs of that stage are duo songs, and even then it didn't seem like they were singing any of the possible choices. I know it's a very small thing, but I really can't stop thinking about this.

Going on the choices for the finalists, I pretty much agree with the final group, but I think what I said last time about wishing it was Mirai and not Karen plays even more here because there's no type diversity here. Again, it's a small thing because types don't really matter that much, but c'mon, 4 cute idols and only one cool is pretty unbalanced. And okay, technically Noeru will be performing with a cool dress and Rei with a sexy one, but having Mirai here would've been very much appreciated t least to say that the pop type still exists.

But oh well, I still enjoyed the hell out of these episodes and I'm very sad I'm finally caught up because now I'll have to wait until July for the next episode like everyone else did. XD At least we already got some promo image for the next update in the arcade so I'm expecting we'll be fed with some new content while the next episode isn't out yet (I hope).

What did you think of these episodes, and how you're feeling about Dream Story as a whole? Let me know in the comments. Stay safe, stay healthy, never stop resisting, thank you so much for reading, and until the next time, bye-bye~

#Aikatsu On Parade! #Dream Story #aikatsu

[yjyt85r98r]

Aikatsu song reviews: Glass Doll

Song

I like to think of this as the Aikatsu song that gets everyone excited, but I'm sure that can't be true of everyone... it's still an Aikatsu classic and one of the franchise's best works, though. It's heavy enough to appease those who are fans of gothic metal, but light enough to appease those who aren't... I think. Even if it doesn't have metal-style screams and growls, the influence is still there – the song's composer stated that the song was inspired by Dream Theater and Nightwish. And honestly it doesn't need to get any more metal than it is – I'm sure it already scared the kids anyway.

The intro does a great job building up the tension, using a keyboard or synth organ to achieve a very glassy sound, and repeating the same pattern to somehow make the listener feel unease and a false sense of security at the same time. As the glassy pattern repeats, you know it's going to change somehow and get even scarier. Sure enough, the beat drops and the song straight up turns into metal, but it's surprisingly clean metal that's atmospheric but not overwhelming. As the song goes on, the melody takes on a tone more reminiscent of pop-rock, but it still retains the atmospheric heaviness that makes it special.

In a lot of Aikatsu songs, the synth instruments blend in well with the live instruments, but in this song, the divide is quite obvious. The synths (especially the keyboard) have a sort of blocky, computer-y quality that stands out against the more expressive sounds of the guitar and bass. Sometimes it straight-up sounds like video game sound effects. Also, the percussion during the first verse is kind of annoying. I don't know if they were trying to go for the sound of a shutter flapping in the wind or some kind of creepy atmospheric thing or what, but it's just annoying to me.

Personally, I think the guitar 'solo' (technically not a solo since it also has drums and keyboard) is too long, and I found myself getting bored/annoyed before it was even halfway done. But I do understand that a minute-and-a-half guitar solo is exactly what this song needs in order to get the metalheads sold on it. I get it.

Vocals

They're the biggest thing holding this song back from being "true" metal, but honestly, I don't see it as a problem. It's a mistake to assume that all rock songs need powerful vocals. Yurika's voice gives the song a slightly delicate quality that makes the song feel more mature, and Sunao's backing vocals help create a haunting vibe.

In the Juri & Rin version, Rin's vocals are basically what you'd expect, and Juri... wow. She really gives the song a whole new life with her ethereal, emotional singing style. I can almost imagine her singing this under a spotlight while dangling from a chandelier and holding a single wilting rose. Miho sings this song in a way that shows how Juri is both a singer and an actress.

Lyrics

Depression. These are lyrics about depression! I mean, they're also just "gothic sounding" lyrics that convey the image of a vampire rock idol, but they're definitely about a person in distress. There are multiple times when I felt depressed and started crying and then just decided "you know what, it's Glass Doll time". And this song helped me, honestly.

Choreography

They were definitely going for a live rock show feeling... in vibes, not practicality. It looks like something that might work for a real concert, until the performers hilariously start running away from the microphones and just running all over the stage. There are also some unfitting bouncing/shaking movements during parts with a slower, heavier rhythm. Honestly, the choreography is probably the weakest thing about this song, especially with the awkward early CGI and a lot of angles that don't do it any favours. However, I do like the choreography near the end, especially the knocking part.

Visuals

I love the stage design!!! I especially like the bat-shaped chandeliers, wrought iron fence, and blue roses with curling vines. They even had gold bats escape from the Special Appeal and fly around the stage at the end of Yurika's performance in episode 20. The dark stage works really well against Yurika's clear white aura that glows like a ghost.

It's a real shame they never reworked the performance with updated CGI. It would've looked so good.

Good points: Intense atmosphere, good lyrics, reaches a level of hardcore rarely found in children's anime music Bad points: Guitar solo is too long, some instrumentals have a slightly stilted or computer-y quality

Rating: 9.6/10 Personal rating: Also 9.6/10, even though I think I like this song more than most people do.

#aikatsu song reviews #glass doll

[techouspeaks]

A Review Of Something: Aikatsu

Idols in virtual reality? I take a look at Aikatsu and the next review will be of Aikatsu Stars! Warning, this review may contain spoilers.

Anime genre is full of idol anime. It’s been a big hit for a while and truth be told, it’s hard to tell when it started, but the one that kick started the idol anime craze of recent would have to be Pretty Rhythm. I would say Macross Frontier except the whole idol thing didn’t seem to really kick in after that.

What made PR stand out was the fact that idols would have special jumps during their dance performances. (Plus they were figure skating.) Not long after, Bandai would create a series that gave PR a run for it’s money, to where the successor of PR, Pripara would seem to copy it and that series is Aikatsu.

Aikatsu stands for “Idol Activity”. The series takes place in a school where young girls would learn to sing, dance, and create virtual costumes to perform on a virtual world stage. That’s right. Virtual reality. When people put on on these ear phone sets, they’re allowed to see a virtual stage that can take place anywhere and see a special aura on the idols. Each aura is different to each individual idol.

Instead of sewing dresses, the dresses are made in these cards and set in a wardrobe like computer, in which the character goes through to the virtual stage. The dresses pop on as the girl goes through each of the card pieces, creating the complete outfit. Each card comes from a brand, either of other brand makers or by her own brand. Each brand has a different theme of their own, such as Angel Sugar is cute with frilly outfits and Love Moonrise with a celestial theme that is mature and romantic.

The first series centered around Ichigo, her friend Aoi and Ran as they attend one of these special schools for idols, Starlight Academy. Ichigo is unsure of being an idol at first but later starts to be more into it, as she performs with the greatest idol of Aikatsu,  Mizuki Kanzaki. Together they go through hardships, happy days and days of hard work as they become better idols and better people in general.

As time goes on, new young idols show up to take the place of Ichigo and her friends as they graduate and move on in Season 2 and 3.

 So, it’s basically your run of the mill slice of life with idols in a virtual setting. How does it hold up? Well, I’ll go on with some of the things I don’t find bad but it does make the series a little weak and that’s the characters and over all story.

The characters aren’t bad but the main cast most often feel one dimensional. Ichigo and her successor, Akari are positive, happy go lucky leaders. Major differences is that Ichigo is more down to earth and at first, didn’t want to be an idol but changed her mind after seeing Mizuki perform. Akari is more clumsy and naturally wishes to be an idol from the start. Then you have the mature ones Ran and Sumire, the bubbly and hyperactive ones Nina and Otome, ect. Most of the time the characters just feel like a type than a character, with a exception of few such as Yurika, Rin, Hinaki and Mizuki.

I’m not saying they’re bad. In fact, I do like Mizuki and Hinaki, (blonde hair girl pictured above) which are of the few characters that don’t feel too one note or a character you’ve seen. It’s just you’ve seen many these characters before and kinda know what’s going to happen to them. They’re charming at least, just not really that deep.

And as interesting as Aikatsu is in the first three seasons, story tends to get stale at times, repeating lessons you already know, due to season 2 and 3 starting off with new characters. That’s another issue too. There’s so many characters and they try to make them different but often feel a little flat at times. The only thing I will says that at least in terms of style, they do try to make character seem a bit different. Like Nina and Otome are twins practically in personality, but Otome’s theme is candy and fruit, while Nina is monsters and cute mechanical toys. They have different likes at least to change it up, though not by much.

However, even as I say this, I will say I prefer following these characters than most characters in other idol anime such as Love Live and Idol Master. I couldn’t get myself attached to many of the characters in Love Live with the exception of two and most of the time, the characters in both Love Live and Idol Master sound so whiny, I don’t even care what their personalities are. I just either want them to sing, because they sound less annoying surprisingly when they sing or just shut up. With the Aikatsu characters, I at least don’t feel annoyed or feel hatred towards any of them and again, I like more characters in this than any of those series.

Oh and there are some interesting plot lines. In some episodes they do a random mission, in which something will happen like a character becomes a vampire and it’s up to the main heroes to stop them and turn everyone back to normal. Or the school upholds a special stage where a character is sneaking in somewhere trying to steal something. Usually these episodes are in there because acting is part of the idol activity, as idols have a character of themselves. Basically a persona of themselves. That and they help the character physically or emotionally sometimes.

Those episodes are usually the ones that stand out because it happens unexpectedly and they’re the most fun to watch episodes.

The things that do make the series stand out for me especially is the animation and how it improves over the seasons, the designs of the outfits and the songs. 

The animation does improve in time, which is a good sign for any series in general. The 3D animation used in performances starts out pretty crappy, but as seasons progressed, the rendering becomes so much better.

The designs of the idol costumes of Aikatsu is gotta be the best designs I’ve seen in an idol anime. They try to make each one different and fitting to the person that wears that brand the most and it really shows.  Mizuki’s (purple hair girl in the pink) brand Love Moonlight and Love Queen are one of my favorite designs. 

(Anime above is Love Live)

Lot of idol anime tends to have either designs that are way too flashy and frilly, they all look the same, plain or too much sex appeal...Seriously, there is nothing sexy about middle school and high school age girls. Even Aikatsu, who has a “sexy type” brands, least are more settle! The characters least don’t have large boobs and some of the skirts are actually long. 

 Aikatsu sometimes goes over the top and sometimes the idols may have to wear similar outfits, but for the most part, they put in enough detail and unique flare that makes the designs flashy but still appealing to look at and respecting the character’s own style. That and again, they don’t try to make the characters over sexual, even with midriffs and the skirts. You can tell they’re just trying to sing, dance and do a good performance. I dunno if it’s just because the age of audience is different between those anime and this, but it’s rather refreshing to see an idol anime that doesn’t focus in on boob shots, don’t have moments that seem a bit perverted and having characters that don’t look like they have water balloons stuffed in their bra.

The songs in Aikatsu are awesome. While you’re not going to expect Celine Dion range of vocalization, you can expect some catchy tunes that...Big shocker! Aren’t all love songs! They sing about other things besides first crushes, wanting someone to fall in love with them and partying.

That’s one thing that often turns me off about a lot of these idol anime. Most of the time, the songs in other idol anime are nothing but love songs with occasionally one or two songs that may be about something else. While they’re not all bad. In fact, as stated, I do like it when Love Live u’s and Aquors sing, but how many songs about love can you possibly write? 

Aikatsu songs are different. Some sing about love but most subjects range in achieving one’s dreams, working hard, relaxing and enjoying life, something about the character’s trait, telling a story, positive feelings, dealing with negative feelings, parting from friends or loved ones, being grateful for what you have, growing up and moving on. They sing about different things and often the song matches the character’s that sing them. That’s what I love about Aikatsu songs. They don’t feel like a broken record and all sound different and unique. 

That’s what makes Aikatsu songs more memorable than most other songs. I like the music from other idol songs but you’ll more likely find me humming a song like Precious, over a song from Love Live or even Pretty Rhythm any day.

So with further a due, I award Aikatsu a good 7 stars out of 10. The characters can be slightly one dimensional at times and the story can be flat sometimes but the characters are charming, they don’t sound whiny and the songs, animation, concepts and designs are all the more worth going through the weaker sides. Put on your best dress and see for yourself!

7 Stars

Level: Great!

Next, will the successor of the first series be better than it’s predecessor? Find out, as I review Aikatsu Stars! 

#aikatsu #aikatsu stars #idolmaster #love live #pretty rhythm #anime review

[lunawings]

Aikatsu Stars 43

Okay. Pathetic confession time.

When I found out what this episode was about, I really didn’t want to watch it. Not because I was sure I would hate it, but… because I was afraid I might like it.

….

I liked it.

So Yume gets another big gig she shouldn’t have as a first year student, but there is a legit and funny reason for it. She gets voted as the idol most people want to receive chocolate from since her family runs a sweets shop. You know what, I totally buy it.

The Subaru x Yume subplot was so forced at the beginning, but over time it’s gotten to be surprisingly natural. Somebody on the writers staff actually realized that’s not how love works and reeled it in? Like really I am surprised that I don’t… totally hate it anymore.

My main gripe about Subaru, and M4 as a whole, still remains though. And that is they are written as love interests and nothing more. Subaru’s entire existance is built around Yume. You can create male characters that are more than that, while still having them be love interests. Is Rainbow Live really that unique???! (Don’t answer that uuugh.) Sorry sorry tangent.

Every time I see Asahi I literally see him as the idol version of Nagisa from Free!. It has gotten worse instead of better.

I kinda like glasses guy. He has a bit of a personality. I still remember him giving Ako a talk in that one episode.

But the fourth one I’m still like????? Ahaha. Okay I’ll stop ripping on M4. I was trying to say they did get better. They’re trying. They have a song now! Cool stuff. Next episode can they get character traits too? (Okay I’m sorry I’m SORRY this is meant to be a positive review really…)

The Star Jet cake stage worked so nicely in this episode. Yume’s Star Jet isn’t so bad. (Unlike So Beautiful Story which didn’t even sound like it was in her range–)

And she got Grade-Up glitter!! Yume was wearing an R coord. THAT MEANS SHE GETS A PR. But wait a minute. Anna’s comments really confused me. She says it’s unique glitter for Yume except technically by arcade rules her coord would turn into the cake dress we already saw Hime wear. Also Anna seemed to suggest Yume couldn’t use it until she’s S4?? Or did I misunderstand that line?? Yeah I guess we already know the anime doesn’t follow the arcade game’s exact rules but… buut… I still can’t help thinking about it.

Okay. If you have survived through this post your reward is hearing me say that the ending was… THE BEST. One of my favorite Aikatsu Stars moments so far.

Subaru thinks he’s getting love confession chocolate from Yume because he asks her if it’s friend chocolate, but she says no because Subaru is special.

Subaru opens the box and.

It’s rival chocolate.

I had to put my fist in my mouth so that my roomates wouldn’t hear me laughing.

Subaru is in love with Yume and Yume just wants to take him down. Ahahaha.

(You can also take this and make direct comparisons between this relationship and her relationship with Rola, who is also her love interest I mean “rival”.)

(Although. There is only one rose in the headmaster’s office now. Does that mean the Yume and Rola rivalry is officially over?? Did it change after that episode where Rola gave up decided to be herself???)

But anyway. You know what, lately I have kinda come around to Aikatsu Stars. The past couple episodes were really good. Although there’s also the truth that I am not watching much of anything else right now since I gave up on Tales of Zestiria the X and the new Precure isn’t for me. This means Aikatsu Stars is my second favorite current anime by default (after PriPara).

#two positive reviews in a row??! #sort of lol #sorry i always find things to complain about #i honestly did like this one

[yjyt85r98r]

Aikatsu song reviews: Hadashi no Renaissance

Sword idols for the win.

Song

Some fun facts:

If some website is to be believed, this is tied with MUSIC of DREAM!!! for Aikatsu song that used the largest number of live instruments. (8 instruments, although the tin whistle is credited with two different names, so maybe 9 instruments?)

This is my most replayed song in all of Aikatsu.

I saw someone list it as their least-favourite Aikatsu Stars song. All I can say to that is, "you're entitled to your opinion".

But no, I do get why someone might not like this song. It's very jaunty, and if you're not into medieval stuff or high fantasy then I can see that it might not be for you. Personally, though, I am all about atmospheric songs that transport you to another time and place, so of course I love this. Even the melody is perfectly suited to the theme... if you were to hum it with no lyrics and no backing track, it would still evoke that medieval knight vibe.

I initially found the tin whistle in the intro to be VERY annoying, but I think it does a really good job setting up that jaunty medieval atmosphere, so I got used to it. On a conceptual level, I don't really like when the electric guitar plays along with the tin whistle near the end of the outro, because it sort of destroys the medieval vibe, and electric guitars are so overused. But it sounds cool, so I don't actually have a problem with it. It's well-incorporated; it's not jarring like the guitar in "Have a Dream".

I like every part of this song, but if I had to choose just one, I really like the part just before the chorus where the beat turns slow and heavy for a moment and the instrumentals sound deep. On its own, it doesn't sound like much, but when contrasted against the rest of the song, which is faster and higher, it's just special. To me, at least.

While this is clearly an anime song, it's one of the least pop-like out of all of Aikatsu's discography. It fully embraces the medieval fantasy sound and doesn't try to sound modern or danceable, but it still keeps up a lot of energy that makes it feel Aikatsu-like.

Vocals

I was surprised when Rei started singing, because her singing voice does not sound at all how I expected it to. Every time I watch the music video, I feel a sense of dissonance between her looks and her voice, but I sort of love when someone's voice is very different than what you'd expect.

A lot of people seem to not be a fan of Rie's vocals. I agree that they're not as polished as many of the other singers' vocals, largely because Rie was newer to the group at the time. Her vocals don't have a ton of individual expression, and her breathing is quite audible at some parts. But her voice is just so pretty! How can you hate such a pretty voice?!

Rei and Lily have similar voices, but contrast each other through their personal styles. Rei has a more simple and straightforward style, while Lily's style is more emotional and expressive. It suits their personalities well.

Regarding technicalities... would you believe me if I told you that, out of all the Aikatsu songs I've recorded the vocal ranges of, this one is actually one of the overall highest? It's sung entirely above middle C (most Aikatsu songs go down to at least middle C if not lower). It doesn't have the highest notes ever, but it's sung in a higher range than the other songs. I just found that surprising since it's sung by characters with deeper-sounding voices, one of whom has a more androgynous appearance.

I like Rie's vocals even if other people don't, but for some reason, after the 15th or 20th listen, they start sounding weird and choppy and shallow? Maybe it's just me, though. Or maybe other people heard them like that the first time, and it just took me longer.

Lyrics

They're exactly what you'd expect from a character cosplaying as a knight to express her devotion to one person. Pretty self-explanatory.

Choreography

There's something about the choreography that reminds me a bit of martial arts. Obviously there's the kendo aspect since part of the dance features a sword. But there are some parts that reminds me of other martial arts, like how a part near the end has the dancer go into cat stance, and the second verse has them sort of punching into their own hand. The dance looks a little odd at times, but it's unique and has a certain something to it.

The duet version of the dance seems a little weak. I think the intention is for Rei to be the main dancer and Lily to be the secondary dancer, but it just gives off the impression that Lily forgot some of the dance moves.

Visuals

I love the stage, and how it starts inside the castle and ends outside. There are some reused elements, like the fountain from "Start Line!" and the chandeliers from "Kouya no Kiseki", but they blend in well and feel more like a motif than a stolen element. The blue lighting from the stained glass at the beginning is beyond cool. So is the gate opening at the climax. I don't think an Aikatsu Stars stage design can get much better than this.

The outfit is perfectly on-theme, and the rare appearance of an Aikatsu coord with pants is always appreciated. The stained glass look of the boots' tongue, pants' lining, undershirt and wings helps the outfit match the stage without blending in to the point of camouflage.

Lots of people have pointed out how good Lily's emoting is when she performs this song. Her expressions match her vocals really well and add something that Rei's expressions lack.

I once counted the number of swords that appear in Rei's performance... it was 15. I assume that, with the addition of Lily, the number of swords goes up to 16.

Good points: Strong theme/aesthetic Bad points: Tin whistle might be annoying, song is just not for everyone

Rating: 8.7/10 because I can't rate this one fairly; I'm too biased. Personal rating: 9.8/10

(Ever since I gave Glass Doll a 9.6/10, I've been scared to give any other songs a higher score, because what could possibly be better than Glass Doll? But you know what, I can't let that stop me. I don't think this song is better than Glass Doll but I do appreciate not having to sit through a 2.5-minute guitar solo.)

#aikatsu song reviews #barefoot renaissance #this one is rlly long sorry

[yjyt85r98r]

Aikatsu song reviews: Trap of Love

Song

I was initially scared that I wasn't going to like this song, but I actually like it a lot! I think it mostly comes down to the unique charm of early Aikatsu music – if this song had been composed during the Friends or Planet era, it would sound different in some way and I think I wouldn't like it. But there's just something really endearing about early Aikatsu music...

This song has a glamorous R&B kind of sound, with sweet and sincere undertones that give it a subtly emotional aspect. There are a lot of interesting little sounds in the song, like glitter noises and whatever that noise before the chorus was. Typically, I don't like that kind of thing, but it sounded so cool that I just can't hate it.

The chorus is pretty repetitive, though.

Vocals

The quality of the vocals here are SO dependent on who's singing it. The Ichigo version is... not as bad as it could be. The Soleil version is... fine. The Ran, Hikari, and Madoka & Juri versions are pretty good.

A lot of it comes down to the ability to hit the low notes. Trap of Love has the lowest note sung in an Aikatsu song (F3), and a lot of the singers, especially in their earlier days, just did not have the range for that. This song was clearly composed for an alto, which Soleil are not. Juri and Madoka sang it well, though.

Lyrics

They give me a bad feeling! Maybe I'm wrong, but they seem to be about someone being negged, trying to stand out more in order to get approval from the person they like. But maybe that's just my interpretation.

At the same time, there is an aspect of the lyrics that I kind of get, and kind of like. The feeling of wanting to get away from the ordinary, of wanting to become a bolder person... the lyrics have a very teenage kind of feeling.

Choreography

I can't decide whether it fits or not. It looks a bit silly, but it also looks like the performer is having a great time. Especially when it's done in a group of 4, it just seems to say "Here we come! Here we come!" But I think some of the movements are too big for the music.

Visuals

A stage that fits well with the song and provides the right atmosphere, though little more than that. That's not so say it's bad or anything – I quite like it – but it's not in the top 10 stage designs.

Good points: Interesting sound effects Bad points: Song is too repetitive, low notes are a bit outside most of the singers' ranges

Rating: 7.4/10 Personal rating: 7.7/10

#trap of love #aikatsu song reviews

[yjyt85r98r]

Aikatsu song reviews: Aru ga mama

Song

Aikatsu Friends has pretty good music, but they always constrained themselves a bit by trying to make every song a pop song regardless of whether that was the best choice. They freed themselves from those constraints with Alicia's song, which strays further from pop than almost any song in the franchise.

"Aru ga mama" is a neoclassical song, but not in the usual sense. Instead of a typical orchestra, it uses a strange selection of instruments such as... it's hard for me to tell, but I'm guessing flute, drums, harp, marimba(?) and piano. Combined with AiFriends' signature high-reverb style, the result is something really amazing and unique.

The cymbals in the intro and first verse are played quickly, softly and incessantly, resulting in a sound that's a bit like whispering or crunching leaves. The cello that comes in after a few seconds helps give the song a dark feeling suited to gothic idols. There's a nice glissando in the transition to the B-melody, and the slightly playful sound of the cymbals is replaced with a loud heavy drum, giving a more serious kind of sound. The chorus and interlude give the impression of solemnly journeying through a snowstorm. The instrumentals from the beginning repeat at the end, and the final cymbal hit sounds like the song is holding its breath.

Vocals

There's nothing wrong with Alicia's voice, but I don't really like the way she pronounces some vowels. She sometimes pronounces Os like As, and As like the "short A" sound that doesn't exist in Japanese. It just... it takes some getting used to.

This song has what I believe to be the highest note ever sung in an Aikatsu song –E5– which may not be a big deal compared to what famous professional singers can do, but is still pretty impressive considering that it's not just sung once, but 14 times (9 times in the short version).

The vocals are somewhat ruined due to AiFriends' tendency to use too many effects. There's some pointless autotuning in the first half of the B-melody, which is a bit annoying but not a big deal. What I really take issue with is what they did to the vocals during the breakdown. One of the main purposes of breakdown sections is to being more attention to the vocals, so editing them to sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks kind of defeats the point. Although, yes, by comparison it does make her voice sound way fuller and better in the next part of the song. Still a cheap trick.

Lyrics

Compared to Aikatsu's other gothic songs, the lyrics of this one might be a bit weaker, but that's only because the other songs have extremely good lyrics so it's a high bar to clear.

"Hitotsu" and "futatsu" are recurring words that carry the chorus, so I don't really think it was a great move to condense them into two syllables – combined with the way Alicia pronounces them, it's not even apparent what words they're supposed to be unless you're actually looking at the written lyrics. But that's just what I think as an outsider – I don't know if native Japanese speakers would feel the same way.

Choreography

The backwards dip during the cello part in the intro fits really well. However, the choreography in the chorus feels a bit delayed or off-beat.

Visuals

I like the stage design. It's regal and vaguely nostalgic. It was also a nice choice to not merely make it just any room in a castle, but a library/study.

The snow and ice effects are great. It was really unique and beautiful to have ice crystals form beneath every footstep Alicia takes. The climax in episode 61 had lots of people surprised and briefly wondering what happened, but it was just part of the performance.

Good points: Unique song, amazing instrumentals, mysterious atmosphere Bad points: Weird vocal editing

Rating: 8.7/10 Personal rating: 9/10. Could be a 10/10 if not for the aforementioned weird vocal editing.

#aikatsu song reviews #as it is