Giving AKB48 a Chance: The 3 Day Challenge - Day 2

Okay, so I was actually planning on skipping today and going back to this tomorrow, all because I am feeling quite lazy and... well, I've been watching a few musicals, and I've just been in the mood for movies from my childhood and not Jpop, surprisingly. So let's put the blame on Hairspray for making me prefer musicals over AKB48's music...

Oh, and blogger for being an absolute douche and not allowing me to upload freakin' PICTURES!!!!

Well, it looks like I'm here anyway, after forcing myself to open up blogger, stare at it for a few minutes, and then type. Ah, motivation, where are you when I need you the most? This 3 day challenge won't write itself!

Anyways, I've been told by Nia and a commenter to take a look into AKB's stages, as they aren't present on singles, but are apparently better than most of the stuff that are present on the groups singles, so today I went searching (despite telling myself musicals are what I need for this lazy day) and  found a random topic on a forum that has a list of people's favourite Stage songs by AKB. So, have I watched any of them? No! I'm leaving first impressions to the blog, thank you very much! That, and I've been utterly lazy today!

So let's not hang about, because we need to get into Day 2!

Day/Night 2:

So yeah... today's main focus will mostly be on AKB48s stage songs, though I will add in a regular single song here and there, like RIVER or another song I won't watch because I hated it the first time around.

Thinking about the Stage songs, actually, that's a pretty cool concept - they aren't like regular singles, I'm guessing, and are just performed on stage... I don't know, but that's what I think of when I hear the word Stage. Hopefully, these songs will all prove to be as good as everyone makes them out to be, because from what people say, this is some of their better work.

Then again, most works that aren't used for A-sides are better, aren't they?

Anyway, I need to get into this post... I'm holding it up, and quite frankly, I'm wasting your time! x3 Let's go!

Song 1: Confession

This is the first song I decided to look at, mostly because the title sounds like a slow love song which would appeal to me. Well, slow it definitely isn't. Powerful? Indeed. Cool? You bet! It's a song which is quite different to what I expected, though I probably wouldn't listen to it again anytime soon, admittedly, but I like the overall beat and feel to the song itself.

I'm actually surprised by the lyrics of the song and what they mean. This song is about the confession from someone else, as opposed to the girl, who is receiving the confession but doesn't even want it. The lyrics and the song are both quite strong in meaning and the emotions put into them translate well now that I know what the song is about and the feelings the girl has within the story of the song.

It's cool! But as I said, I probably wouldn't listen to it again... the girls sound wonderful, though, and I like how this song portrays the feelings of someone on the receiving end of a confession rather tan singing about how they feel towards a person and how they are scared about what they will say.

Song 2: Cinderella wa damasarenai

When I see the word 'Cinderella' in the title of a song, I immediately think of something cute, girly and in general, quite fairytale like. So believe my surprise at the sound of this song, and how much I am reminded of Iroppoi Jirettai, Odore Morning Curry, Happy Summer Wedding and any other song that sounds quite exotic, though I quite like the Spanish flare this song has to it, but it isn't really impressing me either.

It's a song which took me by surprise, with its exotic feel and fast-paced sound to it. It's a nice enough song, but it's yet to win me over to the dark side of AKB48's Stages.

Song 3: Boku no Taiyou

I actually remember Boku no Taiyou as one of the songs that my sister showed me in our early Jpop-loving days, back when we were unaware of the presence of any Idol group that wasn't Morning Musume. My sister actually had quite a liking for AKB48 at that time, and had shown me a few of their MV's, including Heavy Rotation, which I had taken a liking to and still like today, but this PV... Yes, I remember Boku no Taiyou from before I became a blogger, an AKB hater and a mega MoMusu fan.

So my history with this song, well what little there is of it, is quite a fond one. I actually really like this song, and looking at a list of stage songs for Himawari Gumi 1st Stage, I saw this listed there and wondered why the name was so recognizable, and found the PV for it.

This is also the 5th single of AKB48, so of course it has to have a PV, and honestly I like this song. It's cute and summery, something I like in my Idol songs. There's a nice feel to the whole song and video itself, showing the girls in an innocent and carefree light as they play about and spend time with each other. Their costumes in this are also really cute and eye-catching, with a retro feel to the entire look which really does appeal to someone like me, who loves colour, dresses and flowing skirts. The girls themselves also look extremely beautiful and really natural. Even Bore-chan, who never has emotion in videos or looks forced, is at ease here! It's refreshing in its own way, and it makes me like this AKB48 even more.

The gentle tone of the song wins me over every time, and it's nice to watch it again after about 2-3 years. It's actually nice to remember that when I didn't know of AKB48 properly, I quite liked something by them before I learned their name and how high up they were in the Idol industry.

Song 4: Heart ga Kaze wo Hiita Yoru

Here's another song I chose based purely on the name of the song... or at least one of the words in the song title, which is Heart, though after reading the english translation of the titled (The night my heart caught a cold) I became even more interested in this song, because with a title like that... well, it sounds good, right?

The song is quite sad in meaning, but the emotion and the sound of the instrumental make it sound a lot cooler and more powerful than the words they are singing, though through the instrumental and how the girls sing, I feel the jealousy and sadness that they are portraying in the song, and just how unhappy they are through not receiving the same feelings as the boy they are singing about.

It's a very good song, one which stands out by how the instrumental contrasts beautifully with the meaning of the song itself whilst being translated ell by the emotion the girls put into their performance. It's nice... but it's still not converted me into liking stage songs at all, which is a shame.

I have yet to find one I truly like... damnit!

Song 5: Mushi no Ballad

I picked this one by closing my eyes and clicking blindly, and lo and behold, Mushi no Ballad had been chosen! Actually, Okera had been chosen, but that was yet another song which I didn't like that much, so I thought that instead of continuing a negative streak, I would wait until something else took my fancy. Luckily, Mushi no Ballad was picked randomly next, and so far so good!

This is a solo song which is performed by Akimoto Sayaka of Team K, and wow her voice is amazing! She has so much power and passion in her, it's absolutely amazing! The song itself, though a ballad, requires some power throughout it and this girl really does deliver and has yet to disappoint me with this song! There is so much feeling and passion put into her performance, and I am really enjoying how she just owns that stage and makes only herself present. Seriously... wow!

The lyrics of this song are actually quite moving in a way, expressing how the person will continue no matter what happens to them and that they will continue to live on. It's a nice song translation wise, but it's beautiful in both the instrumental and the voice. Right now, out of the stage songs I have heard, this is the one I like the most.

Song 6: Ai no Stripper

I saw the word 'Stripper', and I gained interest... and that's really it, though honestly, this is a great song and probably the most interesting, or at least the one that interests me the most, out of the group stage songs right now! It's catchy, up-beat and energetic, and the dance is just wonderfully sexy and full of absolute win. And with a title as winning as Ai no Stripper, you really can't go wrong, can you?

Though despite its name, the song itself isn't all that sexy in sound. More so, it's the dance moves that make the song a bit more sexual. Even the lyrics don't sound sexual, it's more so about seeing the real person beneath a facade as well as the person in question being someone who isn't confident, but wants that certain someone to see them for who they are... well, that's what I took from the lyrics, but I like how the song isn't in anyway sexual as the title suggests, but instead tries to talk about how the person really feels, and how they are hiding behind a facade to create an ideal image.

It's a good song, or even a great song, and I'm glad I found this one! It's not as cool as others, but this is the sort of song I like I guess, and it sticks out to me with how catchy and sincere it sounds.

Now, Mayuyu, come here and be my Ai no Stripper x3

Song 7: Locker Room Boy

Okay, I will finish this post at some point, I swear! But I'm actually having a lot of fun looking into the stage songs by AKB, and also, my sister asked me to allow my niece to slam her hands against my keyboard and choose a song randomly for me... and this is what she found x3

My niece has major finding skills, because Locker Room Boy sounds really good, and my ears are feeling happy at the sounds of this song.

This is a cute and happy sounding song, but it has motivational lyrics, urging the boy in the song to be more confident and to just go on whilst also becoming stronger in a way. I like the meaning behind the lyrics, and I like how the song is one which is motivational, even though the instrumental doesn't fit the tone of the songs meaning.

It's a very nice song, though admittedly I would forget it quite quickly. It doesn't exactly stick in my head like other songs do, so sorry Locker Room Boy! You're a nice song, but I have not been won over!

Song 8: RIVER

I'll make this song my final one for today's challenge post, because I really need to finish it up! Also, this is the song that I told myself I would definitely look at today, because it's the one song I really have not given a chance out of all of AKB48's discography. I listened to it once before, and I claimed I hated it before even finishing it. A lot of people love this song, including my sister, and it's about time I got out from under my rock of AKB dislike and took a look at this video properly, and fully listen to it!

Okay, firstly: DAYUMN MAEDA! Why is Maeda Atsuko so pretty in this!? ARGH! I knew it... I knew I would pay more attention to Bore-chan the moment she ditched AKB. Damn! Anyway, other than absolute beauty from Bore-chan, I admit, I am digging this song. It's a lot more Idol like than I remember it being, though that is what makes it really nice to listen to I guess. The girls sound great, and the song, whilst quite Idol like in sound, isn't painfully generic or over the top cute. It's just the right amount of poppy with a touch of cool added to it.

And the PV rocks. Okay, why, oh WHY past me, did you hate this so much? It's a very good PV, with some army march chants thrown in there, which make it that tiny bit cooler, and some really nice encouraging lyrics as well. Okay, now I understand why people like this song so much, and why AKB48 became a lot more popular after this release. It has a high quality video which matches the tone and overall look of the video (the marching army chants fit the costumes they wear, teehee x3) and the dance is amazing... to my standards xD

The girls also sound great!

Arrrrrgh!!!! What is RIVER doing to me? I'm meltiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing...~

....

Aha, this turning out to be much funner than I thought it would. Honestly, I'm enjoying looking for these songs and seeing how I react to them. It was also nice to go back to RIVER, a song I initially hated for an unknown,  but most likely absured, reason and found out that I really liked it! This challenge is really coming in handy and helping me to let go of bad habits and actually take that chance... though honestly, I was going to ignore RIVER today but forced myself into watching it, thinking 'Yeah, still gonna hate your guts, song'.

I am a little disappointed in the choice of Stage songs today though, because none of these songs really 'wowed' me like I wanted them to. I guess I will just need to find something which really impresses me. Any suggestions...? Anyone?

Anyway, that's going to be all from me today guys. Hopefully I will have a post up tomorrow. If not, it's most likely because work has killed me with tiredness and I went back to bed right after coming home.

Anyway, I'm going back to my musicals! AKB48, I will return to you tomorrow, or maybe even later on this evening!

Ciao, darlings!

Chiima~

PING!!! Idolminded Recommended Reading: August 29th, 2012