Miscellaneous

30-Day Song Challenge Day 12: A Song That Reminds You Of Your Best Friend

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Best friend. Hmm, I currently don’t have one of those, but rather a small group of individuals whom I talk to more than others. Does that count? Also, I know I’m a day late again, but better late than never . . . right?

From Soul Eater, “Resonance” by T.M.Revolution

If someone mentioned this anime prior to this past spring, than I just hit them over the head and ignored them. I thought Soul Eater was the stupidest looking show ever – until I watched it. My friend, who shall remain nameless for now, was fairly new to anime. He was a childhood friend, so in elementary and middle school we were pretty close buds. But then we grew further apart as we had different interests, classes, etc. So now, finally “reunited” with him, I led our conversation on to anime, and he mentioned that he was saving up his money for, yep, you guessed it, Soul Eater. Ugh, I thought to myself. He’s new to anime and he’s already picking one of the dumbest shows to exist. Why not watch Steins;Gate? That’s the real good stuff!

But I simply nodded, happy that I had something else to spark up conversations with. A couple months pass, I let him do his thing, and I watch Evangelion among others. It wasn’t until I was scoping around the cruel world that is online shopping that I noticed the Halloween-esque show pop up.

It was only $30. So I bought it.

Each day after coming home I would watch an episode or two with my brother, who by the way had the same pre-thoughts as myself. 51 episodes later, it was over, and I was surprisingly sad. I still haven’t told my friend that I watched it, and I’m not sure if he even went out of his way to pick up a copy. But I think about it whenever I hear this song. Did he ever get to purchase the series? Is he even into anime anymore? 

Well, I suppose I could go ask.

Songs like this are powerful. The ability to not only bring back memories of you watching it, but also to remind you of your closest friends are unique and should be treasured forever. Does a song out there remind you of your best friend? I’m sure we all have one, so drop it down below in the comments. Because I was swamped with work yesterday, I have two entries to post tonight, so see you in a little bit ~

– Takuto, your host

30-Day Song Challenge Day 11: Songs That Remind You Of Summer

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Ahhh, summer, it’s a shame you have passed, as my S word has taken your throne (ongoing joke with MarvelouslyMismatched, hi btw). I think I’ll start sobbing if I continue, so I’ll just get to the songs. We’ve got a lot of them today, so I’ll keep my ramblings short!

“Sailor Star Song” by Kae Hanazawa

I’ve never actually seen all of this particular season, but I came across this song while searching for something Beyblade way back in the day. I think we were looking for songs to listen to while we played, and BAM, summer was complete! I reminisce about my childhood quite often, as I cherish all of the lovely memories, and this just happens to be a snippet from my life. 🙂

From Negima!?’s character soundtrack, “Kenkou Ichiban” sung by characters Fei Ku and Lingshen

More Beyblade background noise, but ooohh gawd, this song brings back all kinds of memories of playing with my sister. We made our own B-Pit, which was the shop in Beyblade Metal Fusion. We took turns playing shopkeeper and sold our own parts to each other :> Oh the silly things of youth! It’s been a while since I’ve heard this one.

From A Certain Scientific Railgun, “LEVEL 5 – judgelight” by fripSide

As part of my “first summer anime expansion,” Railgun was the best anime from the selection. I clearly recall obsessing the hell out of it, even to the point where I took notes about the AIM concepts (I still OBSESS). Since I already used the first opening, I opted for the second, as it’s just as fantastic! It fits the atmosphere Therestina created in the second half perfectly! I spent many a hot, sunny, summer days watching this one on my bed, like ya do ~

From Free! – Iwatobi Swim Club, “Splash Free” by Style Five

C’mon, you can’t have summer without this girl-pleasing water-dripping muscle-flexing show! This sassy song is the ending for the swimming anime, and its desert visuals are such an outstanding contrast! I think that’s all I say for now. Yup. Who’s excited for the English dub??

From Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea, “lull ~Soshite Bokura wa~” by Ray

Nothing screams summer than an anime that takes place 50% in THE WATER! I just got done watching this anime a couple weeks ago, and it left quite the void. Those days I spent relaxing in my room while the sun hammered the city will never be forgotten with this cool song ~

From The Future Diary, “Kuusou Mesorogiwi” by Yousei Teikoku

Weren’t expecting this, were you. You thought it’d be something so cheery and summer-y, right? I watched this anime when I reunited with my California cousins who I rarely get to see. After a bit of catching up, and awkwardness, we both revealed that we love anime, and BAMMM instant buddies again 😀 We watched it through my sister’s Thunderbolt (a phone) and I remember one of the local kids trying to squeeze himself into our frame. He had a dripping dill pickle in his right hand, and I think some of the juices got on our pants. *facepalm* But it’s the memories that count, right?

Whew! That’s a lot of songs for one day. Tune in tomorrow where I’ll try not to upload my entire playlist, hehe. ‘Till then, this has been

– Takuto, your host

30-Day Song Challenge Day 10: A Song That Annoys You

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Ufufufu, I was wondering when this one was going to pop up ~

Hello all! Seeing as how I constantly complain about this challenge draining my time and energy, it came to me that, “Perhaps if I don’t pick a hundred songs per day, then this would be a lot more convenient.” Well, I suppose I could do that, but then I wouldn’t be saying everything that I want to say. So I won’t, but today I made an exception, as there’s really only one lowly song I can think of that fits this day to a T . . .

From Sword Art Online, “Crossing Field” by LiSA

GAHHH, NOT THIS SONG AGAIN!! Yep, I’m gonna torture your souls hehe. But why does this song annoy me? Is it the anime it’s from? Is it a bad song? No and no. This song annoys me because while this show was airing, it was literally the only song I found browsing the YouTube anime community. It was in all of the top tens, top OPs of all time, in anime reviews, unboxings, EVERYTHING. If you didn’t know, I actually enjoyed SAO a good deal, and I’m not ashamed to saying that I like it. As for LiSA, this singer is one of the Japanese pop goddesses, so I absolutely love her work and the song! It’s just that this song is overplayed. I’m a dog (or a cat, cause cats are cool) flicking my ears for ticks when this song comes on a playlist. JUST MAKE IT STOP. At least AoT‘s opening sounds like titans crushing through walls and humanity fighting till its last dying breath. Do you want to know what I immediately think of when I hear this song? Really wanna know?

“AAAAASSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUNNNNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” – wise quote by the Black Swordsman himself

I hope you got a good chuckle out of this post because I won’t lie, I kind of did :> See you all tomorrow for day eleven!

– Takuto, your host

30-Day Song Challenge Day 9: Songs That Make You Want To Dance

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Whoop whoop! All the people in the café, get up and DANCE! Naw, just kidding’, I can’t dance even if my life depended on it. But what I can do is pick songs that I would dance to. Sound good? Great, let’s get our groove on ~

“Mr. Taxi” by Len Kagamine, original by Girl’s Generation (SNSD)

First up is the ultra sexy “Mr. Taxi.” Did I ever mention that my favorite Vocaloid was Len Kagamine? To me, his voice sounds the most natural, and is easiest on the ears. I don’t listen to a whole lot of Vocaloid music, but when I do, clear outta my way, cause I’ll be jiggin’ to Len’s sassy voice for days! This song’s hot beat and techno jam are incredibly addicting! Maybe I should start my Vocaloid season again . . .

“Electric Angel” by Rin and Len Kagamine, arranged by Giga-P

Enter my first and favorite Vocaloid song ever! This song is so uplifting that just one listen any day could make me happy out of my mind! Plus, it’s cute 😉 The contrast between the Kagamine twins (Rin’s sharp sweet high voice vs Len’s rich youthful tone) is the best by far. Rin and Len give all of the Vocaloids a run for their money in my opinion, and this song drives that point home. Like “Mr. Taxi,” this song is super addicting, so make sure you listen to this song only if you don’t mind it pounding your brain for a week after LOL

From Yona of the Dawn, “Akatsuki no Hana” by Cyntia

I gotta give my girl Yona the spotlight sometime, so what better time than with her second opening? This guitar-slapping J-pop song is one that never gets old for me. Beginning the song is some beaming techno, but after the verse, the chorus explodes with this rebellious shoujo red-headed princess! You ought to check out Yona of the Dawn if you want a shoujo anime with a strong female lead who develops from a frail, spoiled princess to a proud women, and finally, a fierce warrior. My only problem with this recording is that it is a Nightcore arrangement 😦 sorry, I couldn’t find one without some sort of audio change.

From Log Horizon, “The Elder Tale Waltz” by Yasuharu Takanashi

Haha, gotcha! Did you think we were just gonna jam out to Vocaloid and techno music? There’s got to be some variety, and nothing compares to a good old fantasy waltz. Waltzes, in fact, are probably my favorite type of classic music! So naturally, when this popular game anthem cued in the show, and the Shiroe and Henrietta recognized it as the game’s main theme, I flipped sh*t! It was such a cool gimmick and a wonderful surprise for us fans. This song is also responsible for my loving the character Henrietta. When she started teaching the bumbling strategist how to dance the waltz, using her bard skills to their fullest, I fell in love 🙂

And now I’m all caught up . . . until tomorrow. Darn, this challenge is really keeping me occupied. I’ve been nominated for a few awards in my absence from my normal blogging (THANK YOU SO MUCH), so when this is over, I’ll have to thank everyone properly. But until tomorrow, this has been

– Takuto, your host

30-Day Song Challenge Day 8: Songs That Make/Made You Cry

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I know, shame on me for being a day late. But I’m not skipping any days in this challenge, so I’ll just post two today. Now to pick today’s songs . . .

Dammit, I’ve already used “Ichiban no Takaramono” from Angel Beats! *bites thumb*

Like I mentioned about sad songs, no song by itself has really made me “cry,” but in the context of a given anime, things are a little different. With that said, I’ll once again choose songs that, when played with their respective scenes from the show, make/made me cry. Grab your tissues, and here we go 😥

From No.6, “Kaze no Requiem” snug by either Nezumi or Safu

Spoilers for No.6 below. CAUTION

I know for a fact that No.6 is not a very “good” show from a reviewer’s standpoint. But because I think of myself as more of an anime fan than a critical reviewer, I’ll give this little show all the lovin’ I want! One of two male leads, Nezumi, sings this tune throughout the entirety of the series. Notably, however, it can be heard in the last episode when his boy Shion is shot. Mourning over the loss of his love, Nezumi croaks this song as the city around him is being torn to pieces. The scene ripped my heart out; everything from his choking gasps to the dry tears in his soulless eyes just hits me right in the gut. His normally rich, low voice becomes flaky and parched as he strains himself to protect what was once an upbeat, energetic youth, now a lifeless body. This song is both melancholy and uplifting at the same time, which to me is a rare quality to find in songs.

And here is the second version, which is the continuation and remix of Safu singing after Nezumi stops. Her voice is utterly enchanting, but I think the reason I like it almost more than Nezumi’s is the opera chorus that rings in the background. It helps recreate that heavenly feeling when Nezumi came in contact with Elyurias.

Also from No.6, “Rokutosei no Yoru” by Aimer

I don’t think I really need to explain myself, cause just listen to it, I mean, it’s not necessarily a happy song >.< I’ll spare you my banter, enjoy the song. This slow, depressing rock is great to listen to on long rides 🙂

From Shinsekai Yori, “Going Home” by Dvorak, 2nd Movement from the New World Symphony

I don’t even know what happened to me, but when that last episode cued and this song played in the last few minutes, I completely lost it. I don’t think I cried, but man, I was a complete emotional mess after that! Very seldom does classical music mash so well with anime, and From the New World incorporated the piece brilliantly.

From Puella Magi Madoka Magica, “Decretum” by Yuki Kajiura

Okay, let me just clarify that all of the Madoka songs brought many feels. But I think “Decretum” brought the tears home when I first watched this catastrophe. Though she’s not my favorite, Sayaka Miki was definitely the most depressing to watch. That fake yet triumphant smile, the way she flittered around with Madoka, her near selflessness to save another’s soul – isn’t that what being a magical girl is all about? She lived a tragic life, and the Law of Cycles claimed her being in the end.

From Code Geass R2, “Continued Story” by Hitomi Kuroishi

The greatest moment of Code Grass: The moment when you finally understand how Lelouch will put an end to the Britannian Empire . . .

Just listen to it. I won’t have to explain my feelings this way. Why does this guy have to toy with my emotions? God dammit, ALL HAIL LELOUCH, YOU RIGHTOUS BASTARD IN BLACK

So before I start thinking too much about all of these depressing moments, I’m going to go write the next challenge post. AGH, I gotta stop picking so many songs per day >.< See you in a little bit!

– Takuto, your host

30-Day Song Challenge Day 7: Songs That Hold A Lot Of Meaning To You

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Konbanwa! I’ll try to keep today’s post as short as possible so you have time to listen rather than read my rambling >.<

Like I’ve mentioned before, most of the songs I decide to listen to hold some sort of meaning. There are those songs whose meaning shines above the others’, however, so today, I’ve managed to single out a few that I would like to share with you all. Enjoy ~

Tales of Symphonia Japanese Game Opening: “Starry Heavens” by day after tomorrow

Yeah, I know it’s from a game, but this came second in terms of my anime discovery, first being that Negima!? OVA. I did a little research and found out it was a fantasy game, but it had an animation – and someone posted it on YouTube, too, so that’s like hittin’ two Desians with one swing, right? I watched up until the first episode of the United World Arc, after which I waited like a middle school boy expecting a love letter for those last two OVA episodes to be released about a year later. This song is not only catchy, but also holds memory as my first technical “anime song.” Kinda cool if ya ask me!

A Certain Scientific Railgun Opening: “only my railgun” by fripSide

So, I’M OBSESSED WITH RAILGUN AND THE FRANCHISE I JUST CAN’T STOP LOVING ITTTTT!!! It was also one of the first anime I had ever seen, and by golly has it remained high in my ratings. I think I love this show so much because it does a fantastic job at balancing the scary epic scientific side with nice character development, but the show never forgets to have some fun 😀 *sets quarter on thumb and flicks* “Only my RAILGUN can shoot it. imasugu . . . !”

Yep, I’m just that awesome.

Steins;Gate Opening: “Hacking to the Gate” by Kanako Itou

Did I sound like I was belittling this song yesterday? Aww, Robotics;Notes, honey, go back and play with your wittle robot toys, because SHIT GETS TRULY SCIENTIFIC IN THIS SONG. Where would we be without this time-travelling masterpiece? I wouldn’t have my future with anime, that’s for sure. Looking back, Steins;Gate is probably the show that pushed me down the anime path. Without it, I would have run into Railgun at all! Being the first 10/10 I have ever given, it was the most incredible ride I’ve ever had with an anime, that’s for sure. Heck yes, I’ve been impressed with an assortment of fantastic shows, but very few hold a candle to Steins;Gate‘s wit, charm, and superior writing. How I wish I could experience the feels all over again . . .

So there we have it! Three songs that resonate from the beginnings of my anime journey, and of course they hold a ton of meaning to me. I’m actually curious: Do your first shows tend to have songs with the most meaning, or is that just me? Comment below; I’m interested, as another song that holds much meaning is my first anime’s opening, “1000% Sparking” from Negima!?, but I thought I’d avoid writing about the first, ya know? This get sad this next day, so until tomorrow, this has been

– Takuto, your host

30-Day Song Challenge Day 6: Songs You Can Always Relate To

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Evening, all! Today’s a special day for this challenge, as both of the songs selected are from the same anime – must tell a lot about me, right? The theme for today is “relation,” which is kinda difficult to write about considering that, one way or another, I’ll find a way for me to relate to a song. It’s just how I am 🙂 But I’ve managed to wheedle out some of the competition, so here we go!

Robotics;Notes – “Main Theme” by Yuuki Hayashi

Heroism and courage, MAX OUT! GUNVARREL ANKH STRIKER!! Known for its valiant and bold melody, this song marched right through my all-time favorite main themes and barreled its way to the top. This triumphant track always plays when Aki and Kai ready their giant robot of justice, Gunvarrel. I feel related to this song because of its overwhelming message of perseverance, and that no matter how imposing the odds might be, there’s always a ‘passionate hope’ blazing the trail to victory ahead! For Robotics;Notes, that was Akiho Senomiya. If I do say so myself, determination has always been a strong quality of mine. So naturally when I first heard this song, I felt reinforced, physically and mentally. Truly an epic, brilliant song (love the cellos and basses at the beginning – that’s right, lay out that groundwork, guys)!

Robotics;Notes – “Topology” sung by Kanako Itou

Ahh, this song is so sweet and relaxing~ This is R;N‘s greatest pleasure in terms of music, and it’s definitely a worthwhile listen if you haven’t watched the anime. “Topology” speaks to me every time; even though I don’t understand Japanese, it’s one of those songs you can just feel. Have you ever felt this way? It’s as if we’re two peas in a cliché pod that bounce emotions off of each other during each listen. I flash back to freshman year of highschool when I was in swim practice. Our local team was very small, so we only had two people per lane. As I swam through the dark waters (cause it was during winter and not much sun was coming through the glass windows), I was humming this song in my head. Oh the memories! Kanako’s “Hacking to the Gate” is spectacular, but her “Topology” is absolutely sensational.

Gosh, it’s getting harder and harder by the day trying to find just the right songs for each challenge! I just hope I don’t hit a wall before the end, hehe! Real quick, I wouldn’t be expecting any reviews, “Cafe Talks,” or other such posts to be released during this challenge, as it’s becoming quite a hassle to keep up with 😛 sorry. I do hope you take a moment to listen to the music, though, and until tomorrow, this has been

– Takuto, your host

30-Day Song Challenge Day 5: A Song That Has A New Meaning To You Every Time You Hear It

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I honestly could not think of a single song that meant something new upon every listen, so ended up selecting one that has undergone countless revisions in terms of my opinion. What do I mean by that? When this song first debuted in the film, I did not care for it one bit. The vocals were annoying, the scene was way too epic for what was being heard, and gosh, it was just a wannabee. After doing a side-by-side comparison with its classic counterpart, however, I began to notice how masterful of a song it was. This didn’t change after just one happy listening – heavens no! It took trial after trial of connecting the dots before I considered this revamp a fine supplement. But enough talk, what song could it have been?

“Tsubasa Wo Kudasai (Please Give Me Wings)” – music by Kunihiko Murai, lyrics by Michio Yamagami

“From the groundbreaking robot anime” Evangelion 2.22 comes the second film’s dazzling insert song, “Please Give Me Wings.” Designed to stimulate the aura of the Third Impact/Instrumentality from the classic 1997 movie-to-end-all-movies, The End of Evangelion, this song triggers when Eva Unit 01 go berserk and Shinji desperately tries to salvage Rei from a terrifying Angel. Everything about that scene from the on-par acting to the flashy visuals absolutely blew me away, but the song was the only thing ripping me out of the mood. In fact, at first I thought it was stupid! All this build up for some dumb kids’ choir singing – c’mon Anno, quit being lazy! That night, I couldn’t sleep knowing that one of my favorite franchises was let down by some dopy high-pitched track, so I threw the disc back in and rewatched the scene, paying extreme attention to only the song this time around.

. . . it was . . . brilliant. Not necessarily my first pick, but after listening even more and finding the song on YouTube, I began to realize how similar it was to “Come, Sweet Death” from the old movie. Spiraling violins, a rejuvenating and happy, yet all-is-lost melody, and a musical theatre-like drumbeat – BUT above all, it was so strange and unfitting for the scene that it was a perfect match at the same time! Now whenever I give it a listen, I draw closer and closer to the heart and messages of Eva. Yet in the end, “It all returns to nothing, it all keeps tumbling down, tumbling down, tumbling down . . . ” Wait, wrong song, but you get my drift.

Do you guys have songs that mean something new to you every time you hear them? This was the closest I got, so I hope that’ll do for today’s challenge. Have a pleasant rest of the day and until tomorrow, this has been

– Takuto, your host

30-Day Song Challenge Day 4: Songs That Remind You Of Something Sad

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Konbanwa, minna, it’s late, so let’s just jump right into it. (oh, and be glad I didn’t give you the full crying Dekamori :))

Angel Beats! – “Ichiban no Takaramono” Performed by LiSA, lyrics by Maeda Jun

Let’s get this one over with. Angel Beats!, yep, I cried like a lil’ b*tch when this played at the very end, no shame. The song, though it doesn’t have a whole lot of personal memories, it does remind me of the last episode, which, if you’ve been living under a rock, is sad. Very sad. Just envisioning him desperately grasping out, clutching to invisible air where that Angel once stood . . . nope, I can’t . . . *reaches for nearest sleeve and rubs nose*

Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! – “Surechigau Kokoro To Kokoro”

It was only like the saddest song from the light-hearted rom-com, right? This song plays very few times, and someone kindly looped it so that we could enjoy it again and again. It reminds me of how fast time flies by from youth to young adult. I guess that’s not a lot of time, and I am no poet, but it honestly reminds me of the days when my siblings and I dressed up in silly epic costumes and ran around the house throwing fireballs and magic crystals at each other, jamming out to “Final Countdown” and the Sailor Moon OST from that episode when she was riding a meteor or something. My older brother is now in college, and my sister is a sophomore in high school. I die a little inside each time I think to myself: “There’s no going back now, we’re only getting older. We’ll probably all have families of our own not too far from now, and our kids will be secretly running around the house throwing magic as I did. But I’ll be slaving away at my work, whatever and wherever that may be.” But all of me wishes to stay young with my family forever – when it is okay to be naïve; unknowing was the greatest joy. I guess I kinda wish for the impossible, right haha? 😥    *takes a deep sigh*

Pandora Hearts – “Everytime You Kissed Me” by Yuki Kajiura, vocals by Emily Bindiger

I honestly don’t know where to begin with this one. Of all of the music I have ever listened to, this one has hit me the hardest without a doubt. I ran into this song on the web, and it made me want to check out the manga, which I was already eying because it has such pretty cover artwork. Once I’m done with the manga, I plan to watch the anime.

I distinctly recall sitting on a long, cold school bus ride. It was night – pitch black out – and my window just happened to be that one that never rolls up all the way, so cold air would seep through and rush into my eyes. But rather than complaining about my seat – rather than rise up to join the welcoming, friendly conversations, I sat against that frigid window, plugged this song into my headphones, and sat quietly as the frosty wind froze the tears in my eyes so they never fell.

Another time, a friend in my art class was wondering what I was listening to. I didn’t know how to share my passion for anime at the time, so I had just said it was “some music.” She pestered me all class, and finally I wrote down the title for her and gave her this crumpled little note with pencil lead scratched all over it. I doubt she ever gave it a listen, and I’ll probably never know, but part of me doesn’t want to for some reason.

It’s a heart-wrenching tune with crude yet beautifully haunting lyrics. It’s one of my most precious gifts I can share with you guys, and maybe you’ll enjoy it, too 🙂

Well, I guess I’ll be up all night now thinking about depressing stuff. Such is life, I suppose. Did you find interest in this deeper side of Takuto? I choked up a bit at writing some of this thinking “Gosh, do I want the internet to know this?” But then I thought, “Naw, it’s not that bad, I’ll throw it out there for anyone that cares.” I gotta get some zzzz’s now, so until tomorrow, this has been

– Takuto, your host