I’ve been enjoying the silly earnestness of HappinessCharge PreCure! in general. It’s not a show that will be winning much praise compared to its fellow compatriots anytime soon, from what I’ve seen others say (it’s only my second Precure I’m following, at that), but many concepts (Precure across the world, powers as your imagination takes you from what I’ve seen Cure Lovely do, etc.) are interesting to poke at, and I hope the show does that in its own time. The animation has been pretty consistent (not great, but no major problems for me) for the show as well, so it threw me for a loop at what happened with episode 10, with images like this:

Yuyu’s hands on that basket. And the girl in the background. Not to mention the stares.

I guess she’s angry at the way her hands were drawn.

Wonder if Hime’s shocked by being called, or by how she was drawn here.

A little off, especially Ribbon being held by Megumi.

The girl on the left’s arms.

Best microphone ever.

… among other things. It was impressive in its “Quality”.

Apparently this sort of thing happens once in a while under Toei Animation’s guidance(?), but it was still a bit of a shock. Bodies out of proportion and scale. Character designs warped. The hands. The hands. The hands. And so on. It took away from a cheesy singing battle between Cure Honey and Hosshiiwa that did little more than help establish the fourth main PreCure in this series, but still. The bad animation was entertaining in its own right (how could it not be?), but I hope it doesn’t happen again in this series.

This post, with an interesting look at Acchi Kochi, GJ-Bu (which was a guilty pleasure for me as I watched it – felt so dirty with the constant ‘good-natured’ teasing of Kyouya) and Servant x Service also happened to link to a post I wrote some years back about how I’ve been bothered at how “slice of life” has been appropriated in describing shows. And I’m still bothered at what I think is a misuse of the concept, but it helps that I’ve heard the term used in those troublesome ways less than before. Besides that, it’s a good look at back at where I’ve been. You know, when I still had more free time than I have now and better  Internet to watch anime compared to now. I’m still trying though, as I’ve caught up to the silly clothing times of Kill La Kill, catching up to Adventurers living in the Database at Log Horizon, and trying to meet up with the continuation of Saki: The Nationals to see Hisa work out her own little bouts of nervousness to go back to being her awesome self. And dm00 picks up the slack by watching all of the shows that I want to see, but don’t have the time to (For serious).

And I’ve still gotten out to enjoy anime-related things outside of my home, from continuing to go to cons to experience things (Otakon 2013 was awesome for a variety of reasons, with Piano Me awesomely taking the cake) to watching the third Madoka Magica movie (my thoughts are that the ending makes sense given what we know about the characters. But still, DAMN YOU UROBUCHI!!!!  I should have known better!). I’m hoping the trend continues in a couple of days, weather permitting, by visiting Katsucon for fun.

Seven years spontaneously writing on this blog is a long time in plenty of ways, but I don’t feel like I’ve matured in a lot of ways since I’ve let the blog slip while concentrating on other important things (ones that others would say matter more). Maybe I guess that’s why I don’t feel the age quite as much this year. Like always, I’ll attempt to drop some posts here and there throughout this coming year, and I’m hoping dm00 and others would be willing to drop some thoughts of their own here as well about anime. It’s a good time of flux.

So yay, seven year anniversary!

And she’s as dazzling as ever. Picture by NAKBE: http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=34378927

“It takes a while to get used to.” – Clarisse, on many things the characters face in this show.

The first thing I thought about the show after the first episode was that Yune was a pretty brave person. The main character of Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth, her story begins in Paris, France in the 19th century after what seems to be tagging along with a French traveller, Oscar Claudel, in his journey from Japan in order to help out at his grandson’s ironwork shop. Why this happens, how it happens, and what Yune aimed to do weren’t being listed, and barely glossed over during the course of the show (other than Yune’s helping out seemed to be more like being a maid than anything else), because that apparently is not the point. Rather, our goal is to see Yune, and Oscar’s grandson Claude, try to start to make sense of different cultures (Yune’s Nagasaki heritage vs Claude’s middle-class upbringing in a turn of the century France) as she does what apparently amounts to a homestay at that point in time.  One of the things that was endearing to me about her was her willingness to go full throttle with trying to understand a new culture and a new country. Things noticed include initially finding out how much she prepared for this trip in the first episode language-wise, or her struggles later on in trying to become tolerant of some idiosyncratic food (lol cheese) to help prepare meals for her housemates better.  As someone who’s fairly hesitant to abruptly change things, as well as someone only having been outside of his country once years before with family in tow, Yune’s courage was impressive.

And adorable. Her courage was adorable.

Besides that, the main concept in Croisée seemed to be how change is always near, and how one responds to it. The central example of this comes in interactions with Yune and Claude, as the duo initially have little in common and see things in different ways. Claude is someone who seems set in his ways on initial glance. A product of inheriting the ironworking business from his father and Oscar, as well as someone who’s lived in the city for all of his life, he comes off as very street smart and wizened to the ways of his world, only given as much information as necessary to get by while keeping himself at arm’s length away from others. Yune, as per her intent to learn more about her new surroundings, is much more welcoming, quicker to trust and is more forgiving of things. Both are pretty stubborn individuals (though Yune is seen as much more so than Claude in her insistence in doing things frequently during the show), and their respective recalcitrant natures tend to create a lot of the conflict in the show when neither sees eye-t0-eye on something.

Another example of change comes from the setting, as the show is located around the end of the 19th century time-wise. Claude’s workshop, “Enseignes du Roy”, is part of a larger glass-roofed “Galerie” that is clearly near the end of its time, as boarded-up specialty shops are littered throughout the background. A department store that recently opened up, “the Grand Magasin”, is nearby, and is the new place to be as it contains everything. While we don’t necessarily see direct closings of shops, the concept weighs heavily on Claude, and for its job stealing presence (among other things), he’s not a fan of the store, nor of the owners of the store, the Blanche family. Our main duo come frequently in contact with two sisters of this family; the elder, Camille, who used to know Claude in the past and still holds him in some regard, and the younger, Alice, who holds the deed to the Galerie du Roy and is obsessed with Japanese culture as a Shinobu from Kin-Iro Mosaic is obsessed with blonde hair/England, instantly taking a liking to Yune (and then some. It helps that she’s voiced by Aoi Yuuki in her Hana Oshiroi-type of mentality for those in the know). As we get to know the sisters as well, socioeconomic issues of that time (who one is able to fraternize with/get married to, e.g.) are put into focus. However, these aren’t the main focus of the show, as it opts to focus on the characters and their interactions with each other, and less on how they interact with society.

This does not mean what you think it means. Still.

Because of that, and a more general look at things rather than a specific focus, Croisée doesn’t take that leap into a really impactful show for me. There are a lot of questions that are brought up with different levels of urgency, but a fair amount don’t get answered, as Yune living in the “here and now” of her setting takes precedence over all. It would be interesting to focus more on socioeconomic relations (besides what’s already listed, a cursory focus on a poor young boy throughout the series ends up not really adding much to the work), more on the struggles of the end times for the Galerie, or  more on how Yune affects those around her/vice-versa (they tell rather than show that the other residents of the Galerie get to know the random person from Japan well). At the same time, while we get some interesting vignettes about Yune’s role in Paris as well as how things were for her at home (my favorite episode was actually the extra episode set between episodes 4-5 about songs from Japan), they end up being very superficial. Yune, Claude, and others slowly become more comfortable with each other, but whatever we learn about the characters ends up being too late in the series to have a meaningful impact, nor is it fulfilling enough (Yune still remains very much a mystery regarding why she initially decides to come to France, among other things). Overall it feels like there could have been more “substance” to the show, and it ends up feeling like something akin to a snack which doesn’t even tide me over for more than a half-hour or so.

That being said, it is still an entertaining show. The character’s interactions are fun (frequent trolling happens when Oscar tends to be around, Yune’s assertiveness/stubbornness at some things, Alice in one of her exuberant moods, e.g.), and I can never dislike an episode where a character finds out some interesting aspect of their new world (again, episode 4.5), which doesn’t happen enough here. I wish there was more world building, as I believe most viewers of this show would not be familiar with 19th centrury Paris, and the glimpses of that place I did get were pretty informative and interesting. The music done by ko-ko-ya (with an assist from others like Megumi Nakajima) does a great job at helping to set the mood (of course, it helps that the choro music influence on guitar from Shigeharu Sasago of “Choro Club” fit well here), and can help make a moment in the show much more poignant that would otherwise be.

You can always trust a character with this name.

While ultimately I feel like Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth could have been a more powerful work than it ultimately was, it was still a fun watch, and I don’t feel like my time was wasted at all in watching it.

It’s been a while since this blog has participated in the Reverse Thieves’ Secret Santa Project, which was usually do to my inattentiveness leading to missing deadlines for noting interest in participating. It’s always fun trying to see who in the end recommends the choices of shows to try, and my choices were Aoi Bungaku, Natsume Yuujinchou (the first season), and my eventual pick. In this case, convenience won out, as I had the series DVDs for Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth at hand, while internet was spotty enough to possibly make my watching of the other two shows a little more frustrating. This show was another one of “stuff that I should probably watch”, because I assumed it somehow fit my preferences, and it sort of did. If I ever get time again, I’m definitely going to try watching the other two works, as they’ve also been on my radar for sometime now, and I hope to participate in this even again next year, maybe with some other writers in tow. :3

Given my recent posting track record, disbelief is an appropriate response here.

by dm00

In episode nine of Galilei Donna, Hozuki travels back in time (it turns out goldfish are baited with wormholes) and meets Galileo, who has not only pioneered flight a couple of centuries early, but who has even invented statistical graphics a couple of centuries before Playfair. 

I think the creators of this series have confused him with the inconveniently childless Leonardo Davinci.

Sometimes I think I’m really only watching this series for Kazuki’s pageboy.

The Fantagraphics Kickstarter to jump-start their spring catalog has added a new stretch goal: if they reach $250,000 (by Thursday 5 December 2013), they’ll “increase our line of literary and experimental manga translation.”

(The Kickstarter page is maybe a little NSFW.)

They’ve been printing Wandering Son, works by Moto Hagio, and will be bringing out Inio Asano’s Nijigahara Holograph.

Wandering Son and Nijigahara Holograph may be pre-ordered as premiums on this Kick-starter.

To be honest, this is the first time in a while that I’ve been a part of something like this survey-mutual linkage sort of thingy, and it helps that this topic is something I’ve talked about before. To wit:

1. What is one CHEAP TRICK that you can’t stand or have problems with? CHEAP TRICK implies some method or element that is used towards some effect or end, whether explicitly or just in your head. It also implies that it worked on you at least once before you got wise of it. 

Poorly executed emotional manipulation. Already explained here, but to say it again, it’s not a problem for me if I know my emotions are being milked, as long as I can generally care for these characters/moments that I’m told to by the show; I’m fairly lax with that. But if I start getting annoyed by various aspects, like how heavy-handed some shows can be with this (I’m looking at you, AIR) or if there’s bad writing/setup, it turns me off from thoroughly enjoying a show.

2. What is one CHEAP TRICK that still gets you every time? For example, maybe some sad girls in the snow make you tear up no matter how lame you think the actual story is. Or maybe there’s that one voice actor or artist on board that makes a product a must-watch/read/play for you, regardless of the overall quality.

Luckily, any work in which I hear her voice has not sucked for me, but anything Miyukichi is something that will get me to watch above other things. Nothing else about the show has to matter in that sense. Similar things tend to happen if you tell me that, say, Yuki Kajiura does the music for a show. Though I wouldn’t call them cheap tricks, but rather “selling points” for me. :3

3.  What was one scene in an anime/manga/game/novel/etc. that conveyed it’s emotion so strongly that your own feelings were caught up in it? Grief, relief, joy, depression, fear, or of course rage. Note that this is different from your reaction to something outside of the in-story emotional content, like raging at a terribly written plot development or BEST GIRL not getting her deserved ending, unless the characters themselves express the same emotion.

*SPOILER ALERT?*

One that comes to mind for me is (surprisingly?) when Subaru loses it in episode 17 of Nanoha StrikerS after finding her sister unexpectedly looking pretty much near beaten to death by the Combat Cyborgs. The series up until that point didn’t really hit home for me, but it built up some things well, such as the relationship between the Nakajima sisters. That I also felt the same rage that Subaru did at that moment helped make that “wham” episode a big one, especially when coupled with the devastation of Riot Force Six and a critical kidnapping, among other things. It definitely make me look forward to the rest of the series, at that time.

4. BONUS QUESTION: Thanksgiving Times (optional) – What’s one thing you’re thankful for this year/season/week/day/moment?

Always thankful that I’m still alive, that all my immediate family is alive, that all my friends are alive at this point in time, and so on. For something more materialistic, I’m grateful that I’m able to still find some time to watch some anime this year, no matter how little.

As for people to tag, my comrade dm_7 and (of course?) laundry detergent omo would me tagging targets here, but it doesn’t bother me too much here if they don’t do so.

Well… we made it. By “making it”, meaning me jumping off the ship to avoid sounding like a old man telling young people to get off my musical lawn. I’ve been… displeased to say the least with how the bracket has gone (not taken into consideration my torched bracket in the omochallenge, but that has been spilled milk for a while now). Partly because it makes me feel like I don’t know what music is nowadays. When you have people saying things like “instrumentals/English songs shouldn’t be involved in this competition”, it makes me shake my head. I guess my definition of “anime music” is a lot looser than most people; if someone said this was an “Anison” contest, than maybe I’d understand.

So I’ve been refraining to comment on the past couple of rounds because of this feeling, but since we’re running into the final four, I feel like I need to at least provide a sense of closure to myself (or at least not feeling like I just quit on this project). In going from 256 songs to 4, there’s been a lot of ruminating on what songs mean for people. I still don’t feel like I’ve got that yet, but I’ll try somewhat.
Semifinal 1

Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari (Bakemonogatari ED)

How We Got Here: As the number one seed, the song barely had much competition as it steamrolled through the likes of “ROCK OVER JAPAN” (a solid 80s-rock song cover from Mawaru Penguindrum),  “stable staple” (a more generic pop song that’s Hitagi Senjougahara’s theme song in the original Bakemonogatari), and “Nippon Egao Hyakkei” (the ending of Joshiraku, which has a surprisingly entertaining run through the tournament before getting snuffed out). As choices narrowed down, the battles became more interesting, but this competitor had no problems with “Platinum Disco” (Tsukihi Araragi’s theme in Nisemonogatari, which surprisingly had more in the tank than it’s better Bakemonogatari opening compatriot, “Renai Circulation”. Not that I’m bitter.), “Rise” (the sturdy, pulsing Russian opening of GitS:SAC II) and “My Soul, Your Beats” (a totally “Jun Maeda”-type song as the opening to Angel Beats).

Why Will It Win The Whole Thing: It’s a little more out of the ordinary than a typical anime song by virtue of it falling into the pop jazz piano style of ryo in supercell, and it flows well. It had name recognition for its ties to Bakemonogatari as well as it’s entertainingly original ending sequence(s).  The song also fits Nagi Yanagi’s voice well.

Why It Won’t?: For me, I get distracted by the heavy flourishes and syncopation that is also a trademark of supercell work. The chorus is emotional, but not powerfully so, and the song is mellow in tone enough that its easy to lose interest in the song with frequent listening.

Magia (Puella Magi Madoka Magica ED)

How We Got Here: This song burned through a couple of Zetsubou-sensei openings, taking down both “Hito Toshite Jiku ga Burete” and “Kuusou Rumba”, while knocking out “Waltz” (a solid rock ending for Honey and Clover) in between. After the first three rounds, it beat the hard rock of the Pillows in the FLCL ED “Ride on Shooting Star”, then the atmospheric techno styling of the AIR opening “Tori no Uta”, and the pulsing opening of Stein;s Gate, “Hacking to the Gate”.

Why It Will Win: It’s fierce. The vocal power trio of Kalafina moves through the song backed by some grinding rock supplied by Yuki Kajiura. Being connected to Madoka and it’s popularity surely helps with things as well, especially given the dark, foreboding apprehension in the ending animation associated to it. When the chorus hits, it’s a little like controlled chaos. It likely the most original style of all of the songs in this final foursome.

Why It Won’t?: Kalafina and Kajiura can have fun with melodies that aren’t pleasing to the ears, and while it helps highlight “Magia”, they can be off-putting to some (especially the opening vocals). People might not be fans of the hard rock of the song as well. And it can get repetitive at times. And it can get repetitive at times. It’s also a track where I feel like you have to be an active listener to fully experience the song.

Which Do I Want to Win: Magia
Which Do I Think Will Win: Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari
Why?  It’s pleasing to the ears, simple and easier to get into compared to its competition. In this case, both the Monogatari series and the Madoka franchise are still in the public eye, so the recency/popularity bias is likely more minimized than in most battles. For me, the Bakemonogatari ED is innocuous, and it winning this matchup and this tournament seems too “easy”. I am not really a fan of this song in general, but it’s not bad to listen to. I just wish other songs made it this far, really.

Semifinal 2

Lion (Macross Frontier OP 3)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6uz45_lion-may-n-nakajima-megumi-full_music

How We Got Here: This matchup seems more surprising considering who had to be beaten for “Lion” to get here. Initially, the going was as expected, as “Rain” (Kotonoha no Niwa ending), and “Juuni Genmukyouku” (the entertaining instrumental opening for 12 Kingdoms, no matter how others  sliced it) were easy pickings. What got interesting was the ranked upsets for the rest of the tournament, as it took out a “sentimental” favorite in the Aoi Hana ending “Secret Base ~Kimi ga Kureta Mono~ (10 years after ver.), a “creepy sentimental” favorite in the namesake opening of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, a solid favorite in “Tabi no Tochuu” (Spice and Wolf opening), and the time-honored jazz favorite that is the behemoth of the Cowboy Bebop opening, “Tank!” I was very surprised at the last two battles, since while I think “Lion” is a solid song, I did not think people would it like it quite this much.

Why It Will Win: It’s Yoko Kanno with a solid pop duet between Megumi Nakajima and May’n. The chorus is catchy and strong without sounding pitchy, and the background music complements both vocals well. Because this is Kanno, the music remains interesting throughout the song, and there’s a nice “controlled desperation” (which I noted earlier in this tournament) which I think grabs your interest and makes it hard to let go of. Of the songs that are left, this would probably be the only song I would have no real qualms of being the champion.

Why It Won’t?: Its competition. Besides that, the song still might sound too generic or “typical” for some. And the vocals might be overwrought for some.

Wareta Ringo (Shin Sekai Yori ED)

How We Got Here: It’s the overall sixth seed of the tournament for a reason, though I’m personally still trying to figure out why that is. Either way, to get here it knocked out a poor song in “Daydream Syndrome” (the underwhelming Yumekui Merry OP), an interesting acoustic rendition of the Rebuild of Evangelion 1.0 ending “Beautiful World”, and then went on a Yoko Kanno killing spree as it beat the a 90s-Kanno style song in “Voices” from Macross Plus, then the 00s rendition in the powerful GitS:SAC opener “Inner Universe”. Topping it off, it takes out a solid song in the Bokurano opening, “Uninstall”, and Key-style song that’s nice to listen to in “Toki wo Kizamu Uta”.

Why It Will Win: Because people will it so. At least, this has been the reason why it’s been able to take out songs that I feel overall are better in quality for me. What this song has is an interesting musical “start-and-stop” hook that leads to a pretty solid work throughout with some nice Latin-influence mixed in and dramatic tension lies within. And with the recency of From the New World, the tie-in to that show doesn’t work.

Why It Won’t?: It teases me as something that could have been “greater”. Because after that initial hook, for me, the interest sort of dies away while listening to the song. It becomes repetitive, and it becomes more like a regular old pop song with nothing special to it. And at this point in the game, I want songs to be strong entries. It reminds me of the opening from Noein, “Idea”

where it starts off very interestingly for me (in this case being an atmospheric feel at the start), then quickly becomes pedestrian even as it rehashes that initial hook. While the song still ends up being okay and a solid pop song, there’s an anticipation and potential in the initial portion of the song that never actually follows through, and you’re left with a feeling of what might have been.That’s the same sort of situation that I have with “Wareta Ringo”, and I don’t enjoy the full song here as much as “Idea”. It probably is rude, but it’s hard for me not to assume that the song’s recency has a lot to do with why it is doing so well.

Which Do I Want to Win: Lion
Which Do I Think Will Win: Wareta Ringo
Why?  Based on how thoroughly “Wareta Ringo” has been dominating its competition, it would not surprise me to continue that trend against “Lion”, as was as win the tournament. The songs it’s beaten have varied in quality, but far more often than not, they’ve tended to be songs that I like listening to more than “Wareta Ringo”. It’s not a bad song for me, but it’s not a great song for me, but that means it’s the case for others. I’d like to know why the song work well for others than it does for me. Seriously. What does the song mean to people who like it to make them want to vote for the song time and time again? At this point in time, I can’t get it, so I hope someone gives me a little bit of information on that.

The matches might be over for now, but if they’re not, remember to keep voting for who you like.

We move into the second round, where some of the competitors have been weeded out, the rounds and time between them are shorter, and we start to get a little tired of some of the songs already presented. The five polls have already been set up, and I’ll try to get to them as fast as I can, starting with the first two brackets here.

BAR2P1

Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari (Bakemonogatari ED)

vs.

staple stable (Bakemonogatari OP 1):

A first round win wasn’t a surprise for either of these songs, and neither should this second round win be as well. Even as we get deeper into the Monogatari franchise, this ending song with its interesting animation, supercell supercell (yes.), and emotional power sticks in people’s minds. As such, the more “shallow” first opening of Bakemonogatari gets trodden under the main ending’s hooves.

Which Do I Want to Win: staple stable
Which Do I Think Will Win: Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari
Why? Memories and song quality. While supercell’s work can feel like a lot of stuff is unnecessarily thrown in there for me, most songs still come out stronger in tone than more ‘generic sounding songs’, where “staple stable” suffers from that.

BAR2P2

Nippon Egao Hyakkei (Joshiraku ED)

vs.

futuristic imagination (Eden of The East ED)

I was pleasantly surprised that most voters enjoyed the shamisen-filled stylings of Momoiro Clover Z having fun for the song to beat what I thought was a strong competitor in “Lonely in Gorgeous”, and wasn’t surprised that the Eden of the East ending would take care of their matchup at the expense of one of my favorite songs in the tourney. I still think that the polish of “futuristic imagination” would win this matchup, as I’m not sure how patient voters are with a song that goes all over the place.

Which Do I Want to Win: Nippon Egao Hyakkei
Which Do I Think Will Win: futuristic imagination
Why? Familiarity and song quality, but I’ve been pleasantly wrong about this song before.

BAR2P3

Platinum Disco (Nisemonogatari ED 3)

vs.

Yume no Shima Shinen Kouen (Paranoia Agent OP)

Both songs here were ones that I expected to be here, and they again provide a nice contrast against each other as their did their competition in the first round. In this case, the Paranoia Agent opening with Hirasawa being Hirasawa (electronica-ish, odd melodies, his voice) is at a disadvantage against “Platinum Disco”, as the latter keeps things simple, relatively easy to listen to, and especially sticks in your head.

Which Do I Want to Win: Platinum Disco
Which Do I Think Will Win: Platinum Disco
Why? Because disco never dies Familiarity and song style.

BAR2P4

Re-sublimity (Kannazuki no Miko OP)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5nexn_kotoko-re-sublimity-pv_music

vs.

Resuscitated Hope (Gosick ED)

This is one where I was very surprised to see the I’ve sound-stylings of “Re-sublimity” make it into this round as I assumed that Fate/Zero‘s popularity would be enough to push “oath sign” into the forefront. I was disappointed that the “want to be hardcore” stylings of the Gosick ending took out a Kanno-Sakamoto combination, as the former song does not sound like it’s trying too hard. And yet…

Which Do I Want to Win: Re-Sublimity
Which Do I Think Will Win: Resuscitated Hope
Why? Familiarity/popularity and song style. If “Red Fraction” did not get through, I doubt that “Re-Sublimity”‘s trance stylings would be enough to take down a more accessible rock song from “Resuscitated Hope”.

BBR2P1

Tank! (Cowboy Bebop OP)

vs.

LEVEL5-judgelight- (To Aru Kagaku no Railgun OP 2)

It’s Tank! Come on. While “LEVEL5-judgelight-” did well in beating a rocking song in “Storywriter” to get here, it will be beaten by one of the iconic tracks out there in anime.

Which Do I Want to Win: Tank!
Which Do I Think Will Win: Tank!
Why? I think it’s time to blow this scene. Get everybody and their stuff together.

BBR2P2

Days of Dash (Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo ED 1)

vs.

Fly Away (Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt insert song)

For me “Days of Dash” annoyingly (I say that because generic pop is hard to give a YAY vote for me in most aspects) beat out one of The Pillows’ staples (and one of my favorite songs of the FLCL soundtrack), and “Fly Away”s dance took out opera rock (which I don’t think anyone would be ready for out of the blue). That being said, “Fly Away” is repetitive and hard to continue listening to, while “Days of Dash” is forgettable.

Which Do I Want to Win: Push. I don’t particularly care for either song here.
Which Do I Think Will Win: Days of Dash
Why? Recency bias and song style. I don’t think as a song it has what it takes to take care of many other of the remaining songs here, but “Days of Dash” is easy to get into, and wins in that regard, I guess.

BBR2P3

Shounen yo Ware ni Kaere (Mawaru Penguindrum OP 2)

vs.

Tsurezure Monochrome (Tsuritama OP)

The initially desperate tone of “Shounen yo Ware ni Kaere”, as well as Etsuko’s vocals and the song length (despite the change in tone 2/3rds of the way through the song) to me is no match for the happy, ‘Fun in the Sun’ vibe for Tsuritama‘s opening. For me.  But I think Mawaru Penguindrum was more well-known of the two shows, and I think that’s what puts it over the top here.

Which Do I Want to Win: Tsurezure Monochrome
Which Do I Think Will Win: Shounen yo Ware ni Kaere
Why? Well, the above, and that people don’t like being happy.

BBR2P4

Hybrid Rainbow (FLCL Insert Song)

vs.

Euforia (ARIA The Natural OP 1)

BBR1P8 was the first poll where I realized that people liked ARIA  more than I thought (at least in regards to many of the voters in this tournament), as I don’t think that “Euforia” was a particularly strong song for Yui Makino, or in general (or maybe people have more tolerance for an R&B-ish song than I would expect). But it goes up against probably the strongest song in FLCL’s soundtrack (at least, my favorite song) in “Hybrid Rainbow”, and the emotion in this latter song overwhelms the more subdued warmth of the former song.

Which Do I Want to Win: Hybrid Rainbow
Which Do I Think Will Win: Hybrid Rainbow
Why? Familiarity. I can still feel it.

Until Next Time.

We get a nice “YEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!” here compared to the bracket namesake’s trademark “NOOOOOOOOOO!” as we come to the last bracket of the first round, with the second set of polls close to finishing, the first set already completed. Sixteen more songs to randomly and shoddily pontificate about, in what’s been an intriguing, and sometimes confusing, tournament so far. Many takeaways to come later.BPR1P1

Rise (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig OP)

After the majesty that was “Inner Universe”, with the main participants involved in Origa and Yoko Kanno, they wisely try not to top the grandeur that was that opening, and provide another, more atmospheric, electronic song that sounds more like a rallying cry than a song noting one’s struggle to understand themselves. It’s a little subtle and a little repetitive, but it’s interesting, and that’s what counted.

Moonlight Densetsu (Sailor Moon OP 1)

This is pretty nostalgic as well for me, though I remember the version sung in English rather than this original version. And it’s a 90s tune that tries to throw a Latin-theme into a pop track that sort of plays up a sense of foreboding. For nostalgia’s purposes, this is memorable, but ultimately not a great song here.

Which Did I Want to Win: Rise
Which Did I Think Would Win: Rise
Why? Song quality. I think Sailor Moon has GitS:SAC 2nd Gig beat for familiarity, but “Moonlight Dentetsu” is not strong to take out “Rise”, which I expect will continue to do so throughout the next couple of rounds.

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Paradise Lost (Ga-Rei Zero OP)

This is a pulsing powerhouse of a song that utilizes Chihara Minori’s voice to full effect, as her strong voice fits the driving beat well. I enjoy the main melody here with the urgent strings leading things along, to the tinge of “traditional” melody helped by piano in the initial stanza, building to a climax in the chorus. Or it could be that I also remember the show associated with the OP as something powerful.

My Soul, Your Beats – Gdemo version (Angel Beats! OP)

A version of the opening song from the in-show band, Girls Dead Monster, which is a rock band with some good songs. This rock rendition however loses the emotion that was present in the mostly piano driven original. It comes off sounding a little too “edgy”, even though it’s not actually they’re not a hard rocking band. It’s not the best use of the bands’ talents when they’ve done nice stuff like this:

Which Did I Want to Win: Paradise Lost
Which Did I Think Would Win: Paradise Lost
Why? Song quality. We already had the better original version of “My Soul, Your Beats” present in the tournament, and if the rendition didn’t come off to strong, familiarity of the show might have been enough. But “Paradise Lost” is a strong song in its own right.

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Undine (ARIA the Animation OP)

Sometimes, you don’t have to try too hard. I think that was the issue with the other Yui Makino openings for the other ARIA seasons, as this first one is the best one that compliments her soft voice. The song builds up to a satisfying, string-driven climax in the chorus that’s brought there by an italian-laced steady beat. And the melody tapers off into something entirely different but entertaining when Yui finishes singing, in a good way.

King Gainer Over! (Overman King Gainer OP)

Everybody do the monkey!

Yoshiki Fukuyama is probably my favorite member of JAM Project, as he brings a more rock tinged hot blood to the group, and it shows well with his solo pieces, including this one, which combines a musical style choir, and a backing orchestra to merge with his rock. And it’s pretty entertaining as it all comes together. I only wish it had more support. Or at least more people watching the fun opening animation associated with it as well.

Which Did I Want to Win: King Gainer Over!
Which Did I Think Would Win: Undine
Why? Simplicity. I think “King Gainer Over!” does a lot, but does it well, but some aspects of the song (like that choir) might be a little bit overwrought for some. Plus, the general population voting in this tourney seems to be plenty more familiar with a franchise like ARIA compared to one of one of Tomino’s lesser known works.

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Kami-sama no Iu Toori (The Tatami Galaxy ED)

This is a very electronic pop song that almost comes off as atonal, but has a strong almost 80s-style theme to it. Etsuko Yakushimaru’s voice pops up again here, and sounds robotic here to meet the main background music, and that’s where a large part of the song’s… odd theme comes from. While it’s a good song, it also strikes me as a type of song that only hipsters (hipster anime fans?) could really dig.

Raspberry Heaven (Azumanga Daioh ED)

A calliope sets off a fanciful and silly tone from the duo of Oranges & Lemons that ends up having a nice Latin-tinged influence on song. It’s a memorable song from a memorable show, but the composition of the song might be a little too off for people.

Which Did I Want to Win: Raspberry Heaven
Which Did I Think Would Win: Raspberry Heaven
Why? Familiarity. But I was wrong here as I thought enough people wouldn’t think they were cool… there weren’t that many hipsters voting here… more people would know and be comfortable with Azumanga Daioh than The Tatami Galaxy, but obviously I was dead wrong here.

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Roundabout (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure ED)

It’s Yes! That is, the band here with a pretty nice progressive rock song with a pretty solid acoustic guitar solo and later pretty awesome interplay with the guitar and synthesizer throughout the song, and the band’s penchant for interesting (and long) meandering melodies come here as well.  And that harpsichord (?) at the end? Man.

Toki Tsukasadoru Juuni no Meiyaku (Steins; Gate ED 1)

Compared to “Roundabout”, while this does have an unusual approach and melody compared to other anime songs, it still sounds a little generic as it tries to do a lot with its rock theme. But it’s from Steins; Gate, which might give it that push.

Which Do I Want to Win: Roundabout
Which Do I Think Will Win: Toki Tsukasadoru Juuni no Meiyaku
Why? Familiarity. But “Roundabout”, despite being 40 years old still has more in it that this or most other songs in this tournament.

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〜花〜 A Last Flower (Aku no Hana ED)

…Yeah. The spread up and slowed down modified duet vocals definitely make this song what it is. But the randomness of the vocals can be very offputting, as there not any sort of ground you can set your feet on until about halfway through the song, but then the pulsing beat comes in, and the vocals are flying off again until the song become a sort of march of malevolence. If you haven’t watched the show (as I haven’t), this is hard to get into. But I’m pretty sure this was a pretty notable show when it recently came out, and that will make this song have plenty go for it… sad to say. It’s definitely a pretty unique track, but I can’t. I just can’t.

A World Without Logos (Hellsing OP)

A very jazzy rock tune (with scatting, even) that has a nice melody that tries to add in a horror-like atmosphere midway through. Another one of those nostalgia-tinged songs that’s pleasing to the ears.

Which Do I Want to Win: A World Without Logos
Which Do I Think Will Win: 〜花〜 A Last Flower
Why? Recency bias. I do think that “〜花〜 A Last Flower” is an interesting song, but it comes off as doing way too much to sound complex/different to me, and it’s a song that takes a while getting used to. But it is also a song that by virtue of it’s associated show, has a lot of memories for people.

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Little Busters! (Little Busters! OP)

This is much more upbeat compared to the typical Key/Jun Maeda related work at least in tone of music. I like the syncopation and driving beat of the chorus, though the main melody sounds a little too much by “My Soul, Your Beats!” for my liking. I think this song is older though.

Light of Memory (Space Battleship Yamato 2199 ED 4)

KOKIA again here, with a tune that starts off like other songs she’s sung before (almost ethereal pop), then the chorus hits, the tempo gets more upbeat, and KOKIA lets her vocal range come off in stellar fashion as the song becomes a march and the march becomes hopeful. Pleasantly surprised here.

Which Do I Want to Win: Light of Memory
Which Do I Think Will Win: Little Busters!
Why? Familiarity. Personally think that “Light of Memory” is a better song, but know that Little Busters! is a more well-known property.

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Lilium (Elfen Lied OP)

This last battle is a tough one for me, as I like both songs here. In this case, this is very much a very classical-themed piece driven by strings and Kumiko Noma’s operatic Latin. It also helps that the imagery in the opening animation is driven by classical works of art. The only downside to this track (others might say it’s a strength) is it’s brevity. The opening version is pretty much the “only” version. But people have tried to add their own pinache to it, such as this fan-made extended version:

Not a bad deal.

Ash Like Snow (Gundam 00 OP 2)

http://vimeo.com/28352223

Again, Tomoko Kawase and her PVs.

A “desperate” rock song from the brilliant green here in terms of tone. Really like the sense of urgency coming throughout the song, and when the chorus hits with all the instrumentation behind it, the song works well for me.

Which Do I Want to Win: Lilium
Which Do I Think Will Win: Lilium
Why? Song style. Both a pretty good songs, but I think “Lilium” wins out by virtue of its genre, and how it can convey emotion far more powerfully when subtle compared to the blast in the face that can be noticed in “Ash Like Snow”. Again, that isn’t a bad thing, but it’s an important thing for me.

And that is it for the first round!

I’ll post my initial thoughts on this first round soon after this post, as there’s been some things that I have found interesting so far here. It will be good to see things become more streamlined as the next rounds occur.  Till next time, vote for what you like.

Like the post from the Naota bracket, I post here with one half of brackets completed, and the other half close to finishing. As were nearing the end of the first round, hopefully things will become a little easier to work on. As for now, here’s some more interesting pieces to listen to.

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Libera me from hell (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann insert song)

For a song that merges (J-?)rap and opera, this combination comes off pretty strongly, despite losing that emphasis if you pay attention to the lyrics as their being spoken. What makes this song work for me is how the simple melody at the start of the song, which riffs on the triumphant Gurren-dan theme, builds into something pretty epic at the end. It was a pretty awesome job for Taku Iwasaki, and “ROW ROW FIGHT THE POWAH” is still something that’s hard to beat out.

Shoujo S (BLEACH OP 10)

A pretty solid rock song, if a bit repetitive. The chorus has a way of sticking in your mind in a good way. But it’s not a strong song in general.

Which Did I Want to Win: Libera me from hell
Which Did I Think Would Win: Libera me from hell
Why? Familiarity. ROW ROW FIGHT THE POWAH

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Normalize (Psycho Pass OP 1)

http://vimeo.com/65310668

A hard rock song that seems to hop all over the place while maintaining a coherent main theme. That whisper falsetto does get annoying to listen to pretty quickly even though the song tries to interesting things with the theme.

Stone Cold (Sacred Seven OP 1)

*insert dated Steve Austin joke here* A FictionJunction song that sorta kinda goes through the motions And when a song does that, I’m not really partial to it, but when the upbeat chorus hits, I’m almost a fan of the song again.

Which Did I Want to Win: Stone Cold
Which Did I Think Would Win: abnormalize
Why? Popularity. Psycho Pass is riding high here, and I think that it has to take a beast of a song to take anything from it out. “Stone Cold” is not one of those items, though it’s a solid song.

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Sayonara no Tsubasa ~ the end of triangle~ (Macross Frontier: The Wings of Goodbye insert song)

Another duet with May’n and Megumi Nakajima behind Yoko Kanno fast-paced instrumentation that seems to incorporate various themes from the soundtrack into the song. But after hearing something like “Gekkou Symphonia” last bracket, and hearing the duo’s songs from the original series, this song is a little bit of a let down.

Sousei no aquarion – acapella version (Aquarion OP, acapella version)

I’m more of a fan of the original, more upbeat version of this song, as the composition of the vocals comes off a little awkward. Hearing the actual lyrics in English (of which AKINO and bless4 is fluent) makes the song sound a little too cheesy. Too Glee, and I’m not necessarily a fan.

Which Did I Want to Win: Push. Underwhelming Kanno vs Kanno.
Which Did I Think Would Win: Sayonara no Tsubasa – the end of triangle-
Why? Song quality? A capella has to be good to work, and I don’t think this was quite as good as it could have been.

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Hemisphere (Rahxephon OP)

Another classic Yoko Kanno – Maaya Sakamoto combination for me, as the urgency set up when the main beat kicks in to the chorus is something that I never get tired of. And while to me this is a good song, the B-side, “Music”, is an even better one for me:

The way the song builds up is something magical. But I digress.

Paranoid Android (Ergo Proxy ED)

It’s Radiohead! When I first heard this as the ending song years ago, it was a pleasant surprise, and it really fit the tone of the show to me at the time. This might be why it’s one of my favorite songs from the band, especially when the song hits it’s climax after Thom Yorke screams “WHY DON’T YOU REMEMBER MY NAME?”

Which Did I Want to Win: Hemisphere
Which Did I Think Would Win: Hemisphere
Why? It’s hard for me to find a reason here why Hemisphere wins, as both songs are good in their own ways. I guess I’d say “song quality”, maybe?

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to the beginning (Fate/Zero OP 2)

Kalafina’s harmonizing melodies really hit the spot here for me, especially when the chorus of the song hits with the dueling vocals backed by a pulsing guitar. That being said, the music itself feels like it could have been executed better, however.

Musouka (Utawarerumono OP)

This to me is a way to spice up a generic pop song, as the “traditional” flavor added in bits and pieces to the song makes it a very interesting song to listen.  Suara’s voice also fits the song well, as the general tone to me comes off as a little teasing, but in a good way.

Which Do I Want to Win: Push, actually. I really like both songs, and wouldn’t mind either passing here.
Which Do I Think Will Win: to the beginning
Why? Familiarity and popularity. Throw in a little recency bias there.

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Sky’s the Limit (Persona 4: The Animation OP 1)

http://vimeo.com/33758391

This comes off as a little New Jack Swing-y jazzy pop piece with a lot of pep, which is something different in a nice way for me. But that Engrish-y style of speaking is hard for me to forget. It’s better than the ending though, so I appreciate that.

Tenshi no Yubikiri (Kare Kano OP)

This is a little dated pop song as well as a little repetitive, but the melody set in place by synths, that bass and Fukuda Mai’s voice makes it always listenable to me, even years after first listening to it. I still wonder why the hell it ends like it does though, as if someone prematurely stops the song.

Which Do I Want to Win: Tenshi no Yubikiri
Which Do I Think Will Win: Tenshi no Yubikiri
Why? Song quality. Melody wins out over recency, I hope. Granted, not sure it will win over popularity, however.

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Sousei no Aquarion (Aquarion OP 1)

Wondering why we have the a capella version of the song in this tournament while this one is better in my opinion. I always enjoy the punctuated chorus with the percussion providing great backing to AKINO’s vocals. Kanno does great setting things up here.

Nowhere (MADLAX insert song)

This was the “battle theme” of MADLAX from what I remember, as it was usually used when action was going down. It also was one of my favorite pieces from the FictionJunction section, as while Yuuka Nanri has choppy vocals and may a little bit too much electronica going down, the main chorus and main backing melody, as well as the middle section (which seems like something that would set up Kalafina in the future) are what work for me.

Which Do I Want to Win: Nowhere
Which Do I Think Will Win: Sousei no Aquarion
Why? Kanno > Kajiura Recency bias? I think overall song quality is better here.

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Fantasy (Un-Go ED)

From a piano driven melody, to distorted vocals, to a flamenco-like element suffusing to the song, to a more electronic, pulsing choral theme, “Fantasy” builds in to something pretty solid. But that female voice kinda throws a wrench into the works for me.

kiri (Ergo Proxy OP)

Unlike “Paranoid Android”, this was not a song that really entranced me, though this is the type of song that (with better-sounding English) probably could on alternative radio here in the US somewhere.  A solid song, but that’s it.

Which Do I Want to Win: Fantasy
Which Do I Think Will Win: Fantasy
Why? Song quality.  I like that “Fantasy” attempts to do something different here.