All thoughts, opinions and views within this post are totally my own and no one else's, unless quoted or stated. We are free to think and write how we want. You may brand me as a hater Potatar, but whatever you think, I may think opposite. Just let me write what I want... It's my blog, after all ;)
Listening to Anime Opening songs has really put me in an Anime mood lately, so I've been watching a series which is currently incomplete, but also quite... interesting, I'll say.
And no, it isn't the anime that the song I have been listening to constantly is the theme for, thogh this is the song that made me want to go and watch some anime, despite the fact that my interest levels in Anime now depletes rapidly after just a few episodes. Anyway, listening to this certain song, I ventured back to Anime and enjoyed something I haven't done in quite a long while now...
Basically, watching Anime and squealing over it excitedly because I damn well like it so much!
Anyway, getting to the topic on hand, I'm referring to StylipS' newest release, Choose Me♡Darling, which also serves as the opening track for the summer anime Kono Naka ni Hitori, Imoto ga Iru!
As you have probably gathered by now, StylipS serve as a voice actress Idol unit who sing OP or ED songs for anime series rather than your run of the mill Idols songs. I actually love this concept for StylipS, because it opens a few doors to new Anime that I may potentially like after suffering without it for so long, and in general I find that if the music is good, I have a higher chance of trying out the anime itself and enjoying it because a group I like has performed/recorded a song for that certain show.
Though Highschool DxD didn't really work out... aye aye aye...
Anyways, I've been loving other than actually watching Anime and not just Idols, I've also been enjoying the sound of Choose Me♡Darling since its release. The other two songs, not so much, but really as long as the A-side pleases me, I'm happy!
So, before we get into it, lets take a look at the track list, shall we?
Track Listing:
1. Choose Me♡Darling
2. BABY KISS☆
3. Fragile Crazy
4. Choose Me♡Darling (Instrumental
5. BABY KISS☆ (Instrumental)
6. Fragile Crazy (Instrumental)
To begin with, I was surprised that there were three tracks available, but that's probably because I hardly payed attention to the other B-sides on StylipS' past two singles, so yeah, I was surprised by the generosity we were given here, but it's nice. Anyway, other than that, I was more than curious to see how Choose Me♡Darling fared in full as opposed to how it was as a short preview.
So, without further ado... let's get into this single, shall we?
Choose Me♡Darling
The opening track is probably the catchiest song I have heard from StylipS yet, and has quickly become my favourite Anime tune to head bang to for the past two days. It's up-beat and fun, and extremely summery with a catchy and infectious beat that really helped me to get in the mood for watching some Anime. I was originally intending to watch the anime that the song was created for, but the main protagonist got too boring all too quickly, so I went looking for another one, but even so, the song still made me want to watch something that wasn't Idol related.
And that's always a bonus for an Idol unit who are made up of Idol voice actresses, I guess.
Anyway, I really like this song. It's got the catchiest beat to it and I love the bongo drums in the background and how great the girls all sound together. Even the ear-grating voice of Ogura Yui was toned down a little in this song so that she sounded decent enough to not kill my ears, and actually, I quite enjoyed hearing her sing. Weird? I know, but I seem to like her more in StylipS than I do as a soloist. Then again, you hear less of her in StylipS, so of course I prefer her in a group.
Going back to the group, I like the blend of voices this group has. Arisa, Kaori and Maho all have slightly lower voices compared to Yui's forced squeak, but they balance out Yui really well and manage to make her sound good in the group parts, and Yui gives that added girliness to the song that it needs to give it that little kick. Oh, and she stands out a lot too voice-wise, but that's mostly due to the fact that she sounds like a kid on helium.
I'm never going to get enough of taking a dig at this chick, am I...?
Moving on, it's a great summer song, and it would have probably become my favourite summer song if it hadn't come out so late and so close to Autumn, but hey, so what? It's my August song, and it really gets me in the mood to spend my last days of summer watching a bunch of Anime series. It's great to listen to, and it's actually really great to write to! It motivates me, and I like that in a song!
Then again, I find that most Anime based songs are quite motivating, though STUDYxSTUDY didn't motivate me to study so much like it should have... x3
The more I listen to this song, the more I wish for the damn PV to come out soon, because I really want to watch it and stare at Kaori and Maho's beauty, and the bug-like quality of Arisa's face.
BABY KISS☆
The beginning of this song strangely reminds me of Buono! back in their Shugo Chara days, back when I was still new to Idols and quite knowledgeable on the Otaku front, so to hear this song is a nice rush of nostalgic bliss, though the song isn't necessarily one of my favourites.
It's a cute song, something that I was expecting from the title, and has a catchy sound to it, though the Suki's can get a bit to repetitive for my liking, but it's nice in its own way, I guess.
In all honesty, I haven't listened to this song enough to really know whether or not I like it or dislike it, though I think it's an alright song. It didn't really peak my interest the first time I listened to it, so I doubt that I will really care for it after a few more listens, but I definitely won't hate it because it isn't annoying in any way, and Yui is quite tame in this, so I won't be ripping my ear drums out any time soon either, however I do find myself wanting to switch this song off and return to Choose Me♡Darling!
Maybe it's too boring for my tastes, I don't know, but I do know for certain that I prefer the A-side to this B-side, though it does have some nice perks to it, such as the guitar rifts in the instrumental break.
It's okay, but nothing I would want to keep on a loop.
Fragile Crazy
Ugh... This is the song I actually kind of dreaded reviewing, partly because I didn't know what to think of it when I first heard it, and also because I had only listened to it once and knew that, right away, I didn't care for it at all.
Fragile Crazy is the Idol equivalent of a Club Song, and reminds me of something Hinoi Team would cook up, though Hinoi Team would do it a lot better and the song would be a lot faster, too, though props to StylipS for trying something that is different to their anime based songs.
The songs quite nice, I will admit, and I like how I am reminded of Hinoi Team, but I will never be crazy over this song. If I was 13 again and back in my rave/club music faze, I would have probably adored this song and played it constantly, but honestly, it's no Ike Ike or Carameldansen. It's your bog-standard slow dance-beat song with a club style mix to it that has that Idol element to it. There isn't anything special or amazing about Fragile Crazy, and I certainly won't find myself playing this on a loop unless I find my love for raver music once again.
Anyway, it's a nice enough song, but it hasn't really impressed me much...
And Yui sounds so out of place in this song, I actually wonder just why the producers decided to even give her solo's in this.
Well, than the Lord they didn't give her any rap parts, because all hell would have let loose then...
So, what's the verdict?
It's a good single, I will say that. I like the variety of sounds they used, playing up the single a bit to give its target market a variety and to let fans sample just what the girls can do. I admit, I enjoyed all of the songs, some more than others evidently, and they all had their charm, and they all gave me a bit of a nostalgia, throwing me back to my Otaku days or my 13 year old 'raver music' days when I would just listen to Happy Hardcore and Hinoi Team religiously.
I think that StylipS suited all three songs, but sometimes certain songs just don't appeal to a certain person, and in this case, I preferred the A-side over the two B-sides. All the songs are nice in their own way, but for me, I will stick with Choose Me♡Darling and head bang away to that until I get a migraine or lose the desire to watch Anime.
Whatever I think, though, I do feel that StylipS are a strong group. So far, their singles have had great A-sides that have really appealed to both myself and my sister, and they really haven't disappointed me so far. I like this unit a lot, and I really hope that they continue their activities as voice actresses and singers for anime opening and ending themes. I think that these girls have a promising future, and so far, they are doing really well with their image and their music.
To put it bluntly... I think that these girls are AWESOME AS A GROUP!!!
Now, Kaori, Maho... Choose me Daaring!!!!
Chiima~
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