As always, all opinions within this post are those of my own. Whatever I think about this unit, their songs and the anime related are things that I think and feel. If you have a different opinion, well, good for you!
Milky-Holmes is an anime exclusive sub-unit created for the Media franchise that is Tantei Opera Milky Holmes, whih has a radio show, an anime series (Obvs), a Light Novel, trading card game, PSP Visual Novel and a manga adaptation. I guess it's popular?
As you can guess by the title of the series, this is pretty much based on Detective work - The girls are named after famous detectives (Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Nero Wolfe and Cordelia Gray) and hope to stop the crime that is happening as well as to solve any cases that may come up. Now, I haven't actually watched the anime, because one characters description disturbs me somewhat, but I have no fear in listening to a mini album that came out, and that is what I am going to review now for you all! Or at least try my best to review...
As you all probably know already, I am starting to get into groups that are outside of Hello! Project, and I am more than welcoming of groups that sing for Anime - I love Anime, it is what got me into the world of JPop. I am a big Shoujo fan, and the girlier the songs, the better. There is just something about Anime songs that really catch your attention and draw you in. The better the Opening track, the more likely I am to watch the anime.
Now when I found this group, it was by pure chance - I was watching Affilia Saga East's PV, Knee High Egoist, and I guess a few clicks later I found a 2 minute preview of Koi no Chousa Houkoku Sho, the first track of this mini-album. Seeing the cute costumes and the high amount of energy in the song, I was hooked instantly, and decided to investigate and find out where the song had come from.
And so, here comes my review, or overall opinion, of this mini album. Be prepared for a long post! (I will also be creating an individual review for the PV to the first song on this album)
01. Koi no Chousa Houkoku Sho
The first song on this single, Koi no Chousa Houkoku Sho, is a fun and upbeat track which is sure to capture many Shoujo (and maybe Shounen?) Anime fans with its cute and catchy tune. The song is a lively number, with a cuteness added to it thanks to the voices of the four main characters of this anime series.
When I first listened to the song, I watched the PV as well, but listening to it on its own makes me realise how much of a playful song this is.; The PV suits it well, but on its own the song is strong. The girls complete this cute track with their sweet voices, however if I listen to it one too many times, I have to admit their sugar coated vocals can become a bit annoying. Regardless, I like this song for its upbeat and overly anime-ish nature. It is fun, energetic and gets me in the mood to watch some Anime shows! If this was the opening to the actual series, then I would definitely get into it, but sadly it isn't - Oh well! At least the song itself is good and can get me in the mood for Anime!
02. Dream Nounai T.K.O!!!
Okay, I honestly swear that I have heard this somewhere before... I have no idea where, but I have just heard it.
Maybe this is just a generic Anime song? Well, regardless of that, track 02, titled Drea, Nounai T.K.O is a rather catchy song with a cute beat and a recognisable tune that you may hear in most anime songs. During the instrumental, you can hear the girls going 'Oh wa Oh' a few times, which adds a bit of fun to it, and a few backing vocals like 'YEAH!' which are chipmunked to the point where I want to just laugh a little because of how cute and silly it is. When I listen to this song, I just imagine the girls doing a funny dance and pulling silly faces, because this is the sort of song that would work with it - a little silly, but still cute and catchy. I already really like this song and I have only listened to it twice! The girls really sound great here, and I just wish there was a music video to go with the song, because I think if they did it right, then it would be just as great as the PV to their first song!
03. Sore wa Toys☆
Sore wa Toys☆ is a Detective-like song sung by Suzuko Mimori (the Pink one) and Kitta Izumi (the Blue one) who play as Sherlock (Mimori) and Cordelia (Izumi). Now as I write this review, this is actually my first time listening to the song, and I can safely say that I do like it, though not as much as the first two tracks. This song seems more mysterious, and more like a 'Detective' story song. It has that sort of Detective chase theme going on, as if the girls are working on a case and trying to solve a difficult puzzle. At aroun 00:49 of the song, the beat changes to a slower and more suspenseful beat that I familiarise with most mystery dramas when a detective is investigating, and I think that is absolutely great, because this anime is based on Detectives, so it is absolutely wonderful that they incorporated that sort of tune into the song!
Now, I really like that these two girls dueted - we get to hear their voices more clearly and how they work together. Mimori is more of a cute singer, whilst Izumi has a lower voice. She is notably the lowest singer in the group, and already one of my favourites because of it. Because these two are paired together, there is a really good balance between their voices, and I think that the song is really good because of this balance. The two girls sing well together, and they sound amazing. Their over-lapping lines are just beautiful, and they create a great sense of mystery in this song, so I applaud them!
Okay, I like it SO much more now!
04. Gimme Milky!
Gimme Milky! is the duet by Tokui Sora (the Yellow one) and Sasaki Mikoi (or Miku) (the Green one). Unlike the previous song, this is far cuter and more relaxed than Sore Wa Toys☆, and both these girls are extremely sweet voiced. The beat is much slower, but still provides moments where I bob my head and tap my foot. The cuteness that both Sora and Mikoi provide is very satisfying, and they are a great duo when singing together, however I do somewhat wish that one of them had a lower voice, but it cannot be helped.
One thing that I took notice of during this song is that there is a slight Vocaloid, or techno, effect that is used on the girls during certain parts of the song which I think makes the song even more interesting, adding more depth to a relatively calm and simple anime song. Listening to it again, I can definitely feel that this is more of a Character song for the anime than a stand alone song, but regardless of that, it is a very cute Character song and it is a nice change of pace from the other up-beat songs that have been present on this album. I think it would have been nice to see a PV to this song, because I would have liked to experience a calming sort of video with many close ups and a cute dance to go with this lovely song.
05. Neppu Kairiku Bushi Road ~Atsuki Houkou~ [Euro Ver.]
This is Neppu Kairiku Bushi Road ~Atsuki Houkou~ [Euro Ver.], which means that there is a high possibility that this song has an original form, because right away I can hear the 'Euro Beat' that has been added in. I am also very pleased to hear that this song sounds a lot more mature than the other songs that have been present on this single! The voices are lower and much more mature, and they really work well with this song. From the Dance-type beat to the male vocals that are thrown in there, this song is a pleasure to hear. In all honesty, it doesn't fit the 'Anime Tune' that I have heard throughout this track, even though it is a song for an anime single, so this automatically gets a wide-eyed smile from me!
Though I am honestly not a fan of Euro Beat tracks, I have to say that this song is definitely something I did not expect from this cute, anime-pop single, and I am already a fan of it. It has that club-like feel to it that I haven't listened to in a while - in fact, not since I have listened to Hinoi Team, one of my all time favourite club-music styled girl groups. So yes, I like this track. Quite a bit, actually.
06. Tenohira no Kiseki
The final track on the mini album, Tenohira no Kiseki reminds me of those slow but happy goodbye songs that I have heard in animes a few times, more specifically at the ending of the episode or during a scene where someone leaves the show for good. I am very welcoming of this track, because Ending songs are honestly my favourite - they end the anime well for you, and can sometimes bring a tear to your eye. (I love crying to sad songs, I'm so weird!)
Even though I am listening to the song for the first time (Yeah, I do this a lot it seems XD) I can feel the friendship and love radiating from them. When you hear these girls together I guess you can hear the closeness they have for each other, and the love they have for the anime they sing in. They don't sound bored or like they are having no fun at all - you can hear it clearly in their voices, and this is what completes the song the for me, at least.
This is a very beautiful song - each of the girls provide beautiful voices for the song and complete this friendly tune. I think that this is a perfect ending song to a mini album. It is a nice way to say 'Goodbye, now is the end' and to show us that they have had a good time recording this tracks for us.
Yes, I like this one too ^___^
Overall Opinion
So, if you haven't really taken the time to notice, yes - I like this single a lot. Even if I have never watched the anime, I can already tell that these talented girls are quite close and that they had fun singing for this album. All of the songs are well made and well thought out, especially with the added surprise of the 5th song which was both mature and more dance-tune than Anime pop. Honestly, I didn't really know what to expect when I listened to these songs - I was expecting some cute anime tunes, but from the opening song to the ending tune, I have really enjoyed listening to these songs and reviewing them - they were a treat to hear, and as an Anime fan, it is really nice to actually go back to my roots of where I first heard J-pop and to experience the feeling of listening to an Anime song for the very first time. It gets me excited and makes me happy, and it makes me want to watch the Anime.
If these songs weren't that good, then I probably wouldn't want to watch the anime, but because they have made me feel excited just by listening to them... well, I want to watch it now.
But that one freaky character I read about weirds me out, so I might miss this Anime till I feel ready to take it on... Haha!
If you want to listen to this album yourself, please look for: Milky-Holmes: Colourful Garden and download the .rar for yourself, but remember to support this group and buy the single if you can find it anywhere!
Chiima~
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