If you haven’t guessed yet, I’m having LSS with the OP and first ED of Read or Die TV.

I really like the ED, Moments in the Sun.  The song feels so carefree, relaxed.

Here are the lyrics.   If I have time, I’ll try to translate these lyrics.

taisetsu ni shiteita mono ha
itsumo koboreochite yuku
demo kimi to no omoide dake ha
kono mune no oku ni tsuyokuaru
suzushiku natte kita umi
hashaideta futari no kage
kimi no sukoshi yake sugita hada to
shizunde iku yuuhi ni toketa
kono te wo zutto hanasanai mama
otona ni natte iketara ii no ni

hizashi no naka de oikaketa
kimi no sugata sagashite
koi ga owaru yokanshite
yorisotta yone

sukina kimochi ha itsudemo
setsuna sa tsurete shimau kedo
dakedo kimi ga ita bun dake
mae yori yasashiku naretan da
kimi ga nokoshita kabe no rakugaki
tokidoki yubi de nazotte miruyo

hizashi no naka de mitsuketa
futari no basho oboeteru?
ima ni mo kikoeteki souna ano waraigoe

saigo no yoru ha otagaini tada
damatta mama de senaka awaseta

hizashi no naka de oikaketa
kimi no sugata sagashite
koi ga owaru yokanshite
yorisotta yone

hizashi no naka de mitsuketa
futari no basho oboeteru?
ima ni mo kikoeteki souna ano waraigoe

futari dake no natsu no owari
oboete iru yo

I like the anime, though I do have  some complaints.  But I’ll probably discuss it in my main anime blog, not here.

In an update to my previous post, now I’m liking Tenshi ni Nachatta.  The OST for the new Macross F movie isn’t out yet, but I’m already anticipating it.  Thank God that Yoko Kanno is in charge of the music, I’ve really become a fan of hers now.  Before Macross F, the only music I really liked from her was her work in Ghost in the Shell SAC.  Now, the Macross F soundtrack is really up there in the list of anime music that I like.

I’m listening to pink monsoon as I write this.  I haven’t warmed up to it yet though.  Maybe because I haven’t anything to associate it to yet–the Macross F movie isn’t out yet.

It is possible though I’ll warm up after playing it more.  I actually didn’t like Diamond Crevasse when I first heard it, so there is hope.  I began to like it as I listened more to it, and my liking for it soared when I read the lyrics.

On the other hand, today I was researching electronic pianos.  I want to  buy one, but I’m not 100% confident it would be a good purchase.  Tomorrow I’ll look at the Casio showroom, maybe do the rounds at all music shops.  But I’m leaning towards the Casio brand because they’re cheaper/reasonably priced.  Right now a million reasons are floating in my head why I shouldn’t buy one.  Let’s see what happens in December. 

When I saw May’n’s DVD I wanted to write some sort of post about but never found the time and the motivation.  Until this post.

Let me first declare that indeed, I like Sheryl more than Ranka;  I like May’n’s voice more than Megumi Nakajima’s.  It could be because I find Sheryl’s/May’n’s songs to be more mature.  Not that I hate Ranka’s/Megumi’s songs;  I love Seikan Hikou and Anata no Oto.  Sheryl’s/May’n’s songs just appeal more to me.

I’m really hopeful that May’n has what it takes to make it as a moderately succesful musician, if not a as real star.  I looked at some of the comments on Youtube:

さすが銀河の妖精だ – As expected of the Galactic Fairy 

無茶苦茶上手い – Absurdly skilled (?)
ビックリ – I was surprised
ライブでこれだけ歌えるって凄い-  – If she sings just like this in a live it’d be amazing.

この方は、普通にかわいいですし、 – This person is of average cuteness,
とてもキレイな歌声をしてると思います。 – but her singing voice is very beautiful.

I know these comments are not really proof she’ll make it really big (and my translation may not be that accurate), but she does have promise.

I’m more worried with Megumi–her cutesy voice is fine, but she can’t stay like that forever.  Until she levels up, she’ll just always be associated with Macross Frontier.  I know she’s just starting out but I can’t help but be gloom.

Now let’s get to the meat of this post–the forced smile.  Megumi does it, May’n does it, J-Dorama actors do it.  This practice among the Japanese celebrities that I’ve seen that really bothers me.  The smile is there, but the eyes don’t sparkle.  Maybe I’m too used to seeing Western celebrities, and their smiles seem to appear effortlessly.  Even most local celebrities in my country don’t look like they’re making an effort to smile.

Maybe this is a natural thing in Japanese showbiz, especially for the ladies, I guess I’ll just have to endure it.  ^_^;

May’n Youtube link

Megumi Nakajima Youtube link

For a couple of days now I’ve been listening to the songs that I missed out on these past 2 years.  It was only this year that I really started listening and watching the OPs and EDs of the anime I’m watching.  I have this habit of fast-forwarding if I don’t like the first few seconds of the OP/ED.  And when I do get those OP/ED releases, I usually pay attention only to the particular song that was used in the OP or ED.  The only exceptions being Honey and Clover (I&II), Beck, and Simoun.  These 3 shows already have excellent soundtracks and it was just natural for me to listen and reminisce.  For the rest, I didn’t really care that much.

Now the only songs with English lyrics on my playlist are Kylee’s songs that I posted earlier.  My hard drive doesn’t have Western music anymore–that is if you exclude the classical music of Vivaldi, Mozart, etc, that I listen to once in a while.  They don’t qualify as modern, my usual fare.

For example I missed out on Kuroi Namida ~deep sadness version~ — that’s from the anime NANA.  There’s also JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH.  I’m enjoying them now.  I also like Ms. Jealousy, included with Love is…, the ED from Terra E.  There’s also the songs from Red Garden.  It’s funny, I’m now also listening to Sousei no Aquarion, from the anime of the same name.  Going further back, there’s also Aoi Field from Suzuka.  There’s also other stuff I just discovered (or re-discovered) but this is what I’m playing right now.

Next Christmas, I wonder what I’ll be listening to. 

The playlist:

From the anime:  Bounen no Xamdou
Kylee – VACANCY
Kylee – Justice
Kylee – Plan B
From the anime:  KimiKiss pure rouge
Suara – Wasurenaide
Suara – Tsuyogari no Yukue
From the anime:  Lovely Complex
Tegomass – Kimi + Boku = LOVE?
Tegomass – Kiss ~Kaerimichi no Love Song~
Hey! Say! 7 – BON BON
Hey! Say! 7 – Hey!Say!
From the anime:  Red Garden
JiLL-Decoy association – Irony
JiLL-Decoy association – bite
JiLL-Decoy association – Jolly Jolly
From the anime:  Sousei no Aquarion
AKINO – Go Tight!
OLE! AQUARION – Esperanza!
AKINO – Pride ~Nageki no Tabi
AKINO – Sousei no Aquarion
From the anime:  Suzuka
COACH* – Aoi Field
From the anime:  Red Garden
Katou Miliyah – Kono Mama Zutto Asa Made Remix feat. COMA-CHI
Katou Miliyah – Ms. Jealousy
Katou Miliyah – Love is…
From the anime:  NANA
ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi’NANA (BLACK STONES) – Kuroi Namida
ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi’NANA (BLACK STONES) – JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH
ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi’NANA (BLACK STONES) – I’m addicted to you
ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi’NANA (BLACK STONES) – Kuroi Namida ~deep sadness version~

This is the 1st song of the CD titled VACANCY by Kylee.  This is the song used for the ED of the anime, Bounen no Xamdou.  After Diamond Crevasse and Kataomoi Fighter, this is my 3rd most favorite ED.  I absolutely love it.  And now Kylee as an artist is now on my radar.  Hope she makes it big later on. 

Title:  VACANCY
Artist:  Kylee

No one wants to wake up, to an empty home
No one ever wants to be alone
It’s not so easy to let them go
The ones
That you love

Now that you’re gone
Who will make me smile?
Who will pick me up when I fall down?
Who will be there to tell me right from wrong?
I regret
Letting you go

I have this vacancy in my heart
There’s just something that’s always tearing me apart
I don’t know why I ever let you go
Now there’s no one to bear
With me

Everyday I wake thinking it’ll be okay
‘Cuz you promised me that you’d come back someday
My heart is throbbing but I will wait
And I’ll try
To stay strong

And I will always miss you
But I can’t take it anymore
What if you’re that one they said
That passed away oh no

I have this vacancy in my heart
There’s just something that’s always tearing me apart
I don’t know why I ever let you go
Now there’s no one to bear
With me

And I miss you
And love you
And I will hold on
And I know there’s a chance
That you’ll come back oh ooh oh
And I dream of the day that you’ll come back home
And I hope that you know

I have this vacancy in my heart
There’s just something that’s always tearing me apart
I don’t know why I ever let you go
Now there’s no one to bear

I have this vacancy in my heart
There’s just something that’s always tearing me apart
I don’t know why I ever let you go
Now there’s no one to bear
With me

Bear with me

This is the 2nd song of the CD titled VACANCY by Kylee.  She reminds me a little of Avril Lavigne.  As for this song, I also like it very much.  It seems that this song and Plan B overshadows Vacancy itself.  Thinking about it now, I like the two songs’ lyrics much more than that of Vacancy’s.  My favorite part is ‘I’ll counting down the days and hours/Until the day when victory is mine’.  I like the way it conveys the anticipation.

Title:  Justice
Artist:  Kylee

From the start I knew you’d end up with him
You always want everything I have
My heart is broken but I won’t be a victim
No oh oh
I’ll get my revenge and make you pay for all this
I’m not just gonna lay down and die
And I’ll be laughing when you take your last kiss
Oh oh oh

Time for the consequence you’ve made your last mistake

There’s no time left for forgiving
And the pain you gave me is coming back around
I’ll counting down the days and hours
Until the day when victory is mine
I won’t sleep ’till I get my justice

Funny how you think you’re so damn clever
You believed it was the perfect crime
You got this far but you should have known better
Oh oh oh
It isn’t love, it’s something else you’re after
It’s not real, it’s just for spite
Either way you’re headed for disaster
Oh oh oh

The end of your arrogance you’ve made your last mistake

This is the 3rd song of the CD titled VACANCY by Kylee.  I came across this because I also liked the song Vacancy very much.  The latter is the ED to the Bounen no Xamdou anime.  Going back to this song, not only is the tune great to listen to, the lyrics are also good. If I could dedicate a song to my old self of many years back, this would probably be it.  Why?  Sorry, but that’s a secret! 

Title:  Plan B
Artist:  Kylee

I love the way you talk to me
Like no one that I talk to ever does
You know me so completely
You never try to prove me wrong
It’s funny how you always play along
(Even when you don’t believe me)

I’ve tried but I can’t pretend
That this is nothing more than friends
Well maybe it’s right

We’ve been searching all this time
For something we may never find
It should’ve been so obvious to see
This may not be the perfect love
That we have both been dreaming of
But I’ve been thinking lately
We could be the best plan B

I’ve figured it out all by now
All there is to know about love
(It never came so easy)
And everything I felt ’till now
Is proven wrong cause somehow there you are
(standing right before me)

You don’t lie and you don’t try too hard
And never make it all about you
Well maybe it’s right

We both walk the finest line
Between letting it go and trying to hide
There’s no use waiting for a sign
Let’s give it a try

Ever heard of ‘Christmas Album ~La Vierge Marie Vous Regarde~’?  Yes, this is what I’m talking about.

I was surprised something like this came out.  And since I’m a big Marimite fan, I had to check it out.  The verdict?

Of the six songs listed below, I think my favorite is Silent Night.  Must be because it’s the White Rose family eh? 

It’s actually kind of weird hearing the Marimite seiyuu, or actually hearing Japanese singing Christmas carols.  I’m used to American accents and it takes some getting used to.  Of course it helps that I should take in mind that they’re singing as the characters from Marimite, not as mainstream artists.  I wonder what other fans think though.

• O Come All Ye Faithful – Fukuzawa Yumi (Ueda Kana), Shimazu Yoshino (Ikezawa Haruna), Toudou Shimakao (Noto Mamiko)
• Silent Night – Toudou Shimakao (Noto Mamiko), Nijou Noriko (Shimizu Kaori)
• Angels We Have Heard On High – Fukuzawa Yumi (Ueda Kana), Matsudaira Touko (Kugimiya Rie)
• We Wish You A Merry Christmas – Fukuzawa Yumi (Ueda Kana), Shimazu Yoshino (Ikezawa Haruna), Toudou Shimakao (Noto Mamiko)
• JOY TO THE WORLD – Fukuzawa Yumi (Ueda Kana), Shimazu Yoshino (Ikezawa Haruna), Toudou Shimakao (Noto Mamiko)
• Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – Matsudaira Touko (Kugimiya Rie), Nijou Noriko (Shimizu Kaori), Hosokawa Kanako (Koshimizu Ami)

Umm, I’m ashamed that I haven’t posted anything here for 10 months.  I have already listened to various anime drama CDs, countless anime OPs and EDs and yet not one post has come out.  I’m struggling because not only am I pressured into writing something for my main blog, I’ve also been very busy with real life activities.  Much, much busier than the past 3 years of my life.  I’m not doing a lot of overtime, so it’s not because of work.  It’s just that, I found other things to do than just sit in front of my PC at home, when I’m not working.

So I guess this is it for this blog’s update post.  Till next? 

I’ve really neglected this blog. I basically forgot about it, and although I have some post ideas, it might be a long time before I get to post them. I’m already back in my country. I have basically failed to make this blog the more serious extension of my older blog, Cute Proxy’s Anime Rants. I actually have 2 other blogs aside from this and CPAR, I must be aiming for the impossible. Oh well, since I have a lot free time in the coming months, perhaps something else will be posted in this blog. I hope.