music

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

30-Day Song Challenge Day 3: Songs That Make You Laugh

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Unless it’s something in the lyrics specifically, I don’t find songs by themselves very humorous. Now, soundtracks and openings on the hand, have a different context that goes with them. Call me a cheater, sure, but the songs that I chose today are ones that rely on visuals to go with them. All three are kinda quirky, so I can understand cracking a smile, but the first thing that comes to mind when I hear these songs is not the words, but scenes from the show or opening sequence. If you’ve seen these anime before, then maybe you’ll spill a laugh or two as you remember the hilarious moments!

Negima!?: “Heiwa na Toki” by Kei Haneoka 

Negima!? “Motsu to Shichimi” by Kei Haneoka 

Negima!? “Chupa Kenbushitsu” by Kei Haneoka 

Hells yeah, we got more Negima!? up in here, but these three soundtrack tunes come from the franchise’s second season (the obvious better of the two)! I lumped all three of these songs together because they all carry the same hilarity: either it’s quest for the chupacabra, Motsu and Shichimi being Motsu and Shichimi appropriately, or someone just FAILED. This anime was the first one I ever watched, and to this day I occasionally plug a few episodes in just to hear this soundtrack and shoot out explosive chuckles 😀

“Zannenkei Rinjinbu” by Tomodachi Tsukuritai

Have you seen Haganai? It’s absurd, and totally awesome in all aspects! Comedy is great, themes are on point, and it’s relatable. This is the first season’s opening, and I’ll never forget watching this show for the first time! My favorite part of the song itself is the verse part, and of course, it’s not just because the main girls’ jugs are pressed up against the screen and it’s dripping wet and hot and sooo sexy EHERM, I slipped a bit there. But seriously, I do like that part in the vocals ;). Besides the fact that it belongs to hysterical show, why does the opening make me laugh? Easy, it’s Rika at 0:34 shakin’ her ass to “mousou nara baibaibai shinyuu nara inai nai nai.”

HA-HA-HA-HA-HA I hope you shared a laugh with me and bonus points if you recognized the scenes when those Negima!? tracks played! I should probably stop picking so many songs, but it’s so easy to just toss in another one, ya know? Have a great new week, and until tomorrow, this has been

– Takuto, your host

30-Day Song Challenge Day 2: Songs That Helps You Clear Your Head

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It was quite hard to come up with a match for this one, considering that each song that I listen to only ushers in waves of feels and memories. So after a bit of browsing, I finally remembered an inspiring tune or two that fit the bill. I can’t deny the fact that both of these songs carry so much sweet reminiscing for me, but it’s a different kind of recollection; they’re not necessarily heavy in the heart, but open in the mind, if that makes any sense at all. Whenever I boot up some soundtracks to listen to, they’re the first I pick because they don’t drag me into a state of senseless staring, but clear up my thoughts and bring a cloudless sky into view. I hone in on whatever I happen to be doing, open up my head, and focus 100% on my mission (which is usually just searching the web -__-). Anything prior to my moment with these songs becomes irrelevant, and that can be especially helpful after a busy week. Enjoy ~!

Maoyū Maō Yūsha Main Theme: “Beyond the Hill” by Takeshi Hama

Do you remember Maoyu? It’s a charming show, isn’t it? I came across this song in the depths of YouTube and thought, yeah, this is pretty neat, OOH it’s an anime, too?! Slowly but surely, I realized that this was not the main theme, waiting all 11 or 12 episodes just for this song to be heard in the background. It finally did play, I honestly can’t remember when, but it was only once. 😦 And though we never truly got beyond that hill, I still found closure in this song’s low violin and flute swing.

Log Horizon Main Theme: “Log Horizon” by Yasuharu Takanashi

First off, let me just announce that Log Horizon‘s OST is one of THE BEST SOUNDTRACKS TO EXIST FOR ANIME EVER. But this song, man, I can’t even express how epic it is. When this song plays, my game face is on, and be prepared to lose all ya damn hit points!! I could go on and on about this one track, but you should just go watch the anime to capture all of Shiroe’s legendary-ness. Awesome show, brilliant anthem!

And those are two songs that I listen to for an open mind. Both fantasy songs, too, so maybe it’s something about that type of music that gets me? As a person involved in music, they’re definitely the most fun to play, that’s for sure! Until tomorrow, this has been

– Takuto, your LV 90 host

30-Day Song Challenge Day 1: Songs That Makes You Happy

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“Happy Material” by The Class of 2-A’s Voice Actresses

What would be a better way to start a happy day than “Happy Material?” This is Negima!‘s first opening theme, and it’s several variations are sung by the different cast members from Negi Springfield’s giant ass bouncy harem EHERM, ‘class.’ Exploding with energy and positive vibes, there are few songs that rival “Happy Material’s” joy! I frequently listen to this tune, the 31 Girl’s version, in fact, while I sweep away dust bunnies and I clean my room.

“Susume→Tomorrow” (ススメ→トゥモロウ)” by µ’s

Ahh, my favorite Love Live! song evahhh! It’s the first thing we hear when the show starts, and sadly it’s not heard after that. 😦 But it left such an impact that, yes, it was the kick that made me want to finish the rest of the series. I use it as an alarm in the morning on occasion, but I have to turn it off as soon as possible before the girls bust out after Honoka’s sweeeet solo!

And these were just two of the many, many songs that make me happy! They’re both quite energetic, which is part of the reason I smile and lighten up after an extensive, exhausting day. Have an amazing Friday :D, and until tomorrow, this has been

– Takuto, your host

Takuto Officially Accepts the 30-Day Song Challenge!

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[Challenge Starting Date: August 14, 2015]

[Challenge Completion Date: September 13, 2015]

Ever since I started blogging last year, I’ve noticed the “30-day . . . whatever” whispered in hushed tones, and it’s about time I jump aboard the fun! The great aniblogger and life style guru Fujinsei recently accepted this challenge, but she did so leaving a back door cracked open for anyone else who wanted to join her. Whether these things are self-assigned or not I’m not sure, but I do have to thank her for welcoming any soul to join, and for reminding me of the other things I can post on my blog besides some shoddy reviews 🙂

Like she, because I post anime-related musings (and only listen to anime music, no judging), I will be sticking to Japanese songs and anime soundtracks (DON’T BE SURPRISED IF I PICK MORE THAN ONE hehe).

Here is the complete challenge (click to view each day):

Day 1: A song that makes you happy
Day 2: A song that helps you clear your head
Day 3: A song that makes you laugh
Day 4: A song that reminds you of something sad
Day 5: A song that has a new meaning to you every time you hear it
Day 6: A song you can always relate to
Day 7: A song that holds a lot of meaning to you
Day 8: A song that makes you cry
Day 9: A song that makes you want to dance
Day 10: A song that annoys you
Day 11: A song that reminds you of summer
Day 12: A song that reminds you of your best friend
Day 13: A song you sing to in the shower
Day 14: A song you liked when you were younger
Day 15: A song people wouldn’t expect you to like
Day 16: A song that is your guilty pleasure
Day 17: A song you like hearing live
Day 18: A song you have as your ringtone/want to be your ringtone
Day 19: A song you’re currently obsessed with
Day 20: A song from a new album you are waiting for to come out
Day 21: A song you want to dance to at your wedding
Day 22: A song that you haven’t listened to in a while
Day 23: A cover song that you like
Day 24: A song that makes you angry
Day 25: An acoustic song you love
Day 26: A song by your favorite band
Day 27: A song you make fun of
Day 28: A song that reminds you of your boyfriend/girlfriend (if you don’t have one, make one up)
Day 29: A song currently stuck in your head
Day 30: A song that would be the theme song to a TV show about your life

So I am supposed to chuck out 30 posts in 30 days? I think I got this, in fact, it’s gonna be a blast! To spread the word, or if you are also looking for a daring way to pass the time, I’d be more than happy if you joined me on this challenge! I will be putting out the first day tomorrow, or Friday, August 14. This will be the beginning of a splendid journey, hehe! For those also interested, I am currently drafting my Nagi-Asu review and a new “Café Talk,” so stay tuned for those. Until next time, or tomorrow, actually :D, this has been

– Takuto, your host

Triumph! Sound the Euphonium!

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A review of the 2015 spring anime “Sound! Euphonium”

I’ve been joined at the hip with music since a young age, and, having been a first-chair orchestra member for seven years and counting, I have not only the right but the responsibility to announce that this series exemplifies the hearts and minds of every concert band and orchestra member to T. Putting KyoAni’s ideal cuteness aside, Sound! Euphonium accurately depicts how rigorous classroom music can be when kids become critical of themselves.

Talented euphonium player  Kumiko Oumae enters Kitauji High School’s brass band club during her first year (‘Euph’: a “good sounding” small tenor-pitched tuba, sometimes referred to as a baritone). There, she encounters her old classmate Reina, and memories of a previous junior high incident flood back, causing Kumiko to be hesitant. As Kumiko remains strong buddies with other girls, though, Reina slowly opens up and the two become very close friends. Looming in the darkness is the national contest, which their meticulous new teacher, Taki-sensei, proposes to have the students decide for themselves whether or not they should pursue the gold.

Much like in real life, hours of practicing, enduring hardships, insanely challenging musical passages, kids who have talent that start to waver, competition among new and old recruits, wanting to drop out to focus on education and countless other issues bring a shining realism to the table – a characteristic that I haven’t sampled for a while now. From start to finish, the show knows exactly where it wants to go, and as much as I want to say it was the practical setting to thank, it’s because of the characters that this drive was so truthful.

Euphonium‘s cast does not rely on one or two characters, but rather the entire ensemble. Kumiko herself is strong-willed, though sometimes acts a little empty-headed, and her budding romance with the silent yet brilliant Reina is certainly our sweetest relationship. But there are several other duos that bring the issues listed earlier to light. The vigilant Asuka and occasionally sheepish Haruka tackle youth leadership with unsurety. The lackadaisical yet easy-going Nakagawa manages to keep Kumiko on her toes in terms of skill. Sub characters like the hot-headed Yuuko and gentle Kaori pose a nagging trouble to the professional Reina when they all duke it out for the trumpet solo. Seeing as how I play a string instrument, I was dying to hear more dilemmas from the only string player in the band: On the oversized contrabass everyone, Midori “Sapphire-chan” Kawashima! Too bad she only existed to cheer on the other girls 😦

I was overly pleased with what the anime had in terms of cast, as nearly each member of the band, major and minor, received standout character designs and individual thoughts and scenes. Having Taki-sensei  as a rather disoriented teacher also made situations more ambiguous. For instance, he’d ask “Are you having trouble with that?” Then instead of following up, Taki would declare, “Please have that ready by next week.” There were just certain aspects to his character that made me want to cuss, but then he would return on scene with a heartwarming smile and encouraging speech, kinda how a real director would.

If I had to pick something about the plot that seemed off, it would be the sudden love interest and misplaced drama. In the first few episodes, we clearly see that things between Reina and Kumiko are really awkward. After climbing a mountain trail path in a certain middle episode, however, POOF! The two become super intense friends – for some, too close for comfort. It’s not really yuri, but you could ship the two by just looking at the poster art now.

The non-music drama stems from a miniscule love triangle between Kumiko, an energetic girl pal Hazuki and Tsukamoto, Kumiko’s childhood friend. Seeing how Tsukamoto only cares for Kumiko, who feels indifferent, Hazuki becomes a forced trope just to milk some sort of depressing drama out of the whole shebang, not that the show already played perfectly fine without it. But like the sudden love, it’s all only one episode, so it can easily be overlooked.

I KID YOU NOT when I claim that Kyoto Animation performs their finest job I’ve ever seen from them in terms of animation!! All of the shining brass instrumets, the natural movement of people breathing during practice, the beautiful people themselves, and that side-of-the-river bridge where Kumiko always goes to chat and play the euphonium – it’s all so soooo gorgeous; a true crime not to watch the opening at least once to get a glimpse of BREATHTAKING EVERYTHING!!

The OST is also remarkable! Orchestra tagged along with a piano for melody hits up feels from slice of life to cliff sunsets to tension in the classroom . “Flow of Destiny,” the simplest variation of the main theme can be elegantly heard throughout the series. Real classical music is also pulled into the soundtrack for during performances and practices. Especially noted is Reina’s ditty of the “From the New World Symphony’s 2nd Movement,” which everyone stopped to listen to. 🙂

Hitting off each note is the exciting opening “DREAM SOLISTER” by TRUE! I love the inclusion of the brass instruments – it makes the song coherent to a show about a brass club, ya know? The ending “Tutti” by the Kitauji Quartet is also tons of foot-tappin’ fun!

In terms of character interaction, the featuring of the entire class as a whole and as individuals, stunning animation, topnotch voice acting, realistic musical presentation and content, Sound! Euphonium did several things right and executes everything with near perfection! The ending is also standing ovation-worthy for including the uncut concert performance rather than just cutting that out to view the results. Concert band and orchestra kids were given the best representation in anime – for most, more than what we could ever ask for. 5/5 stars, a triumphant “Caffé Mocha!” Congrats, Kitauji High School Band – You most definitely deserve the Gold in my eyes!!

+ Relatable and realistic anime for high school band and orchestra classes (or at least some); best representation anime has given us students

+ Themes of hard work VS raw talent are executed quite well

+ Absolutely breathtaking visuals, instruments look excellent, actual music is awesome, too

+ Story knows exactly where it’s headed, and delivers with a triumphant, satisfying end

– Sudden romantic relationship drama unnecessarily threw plot off course, though only for an episode

Thank you for reading my review over the wonderful Sound! Euphonium! It was definitely one of the most fun and fulfilling shows to follow this past spring. Did you have similar thoughts on this show? Were you as impacted as I was? Leave your comments below so that we can chat! Now while the inspiration is hot, I’m gonna go work hard myself and practice my cello! Haha, until next time, this has been

– Takuto, your host

Time to Unravel

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Mina-san, konnichiwa! Takuto here with a spontaneous update because, you know, why wait?

So if you’ve been around the cafe recently, you’d notice that I’ve been doing a bit of exploring. Starting with the school idols, Love Live! School Idol Project, and I had a grand time with them. Though a great start for my summer, it wasn’t what I was looking for. I wanted something a little more, hmm, profound.

kotori meme

If this doesn’t prove my point, IDK what will.

Then I hit up the Monogatari series with Bakemonogatari. Again not quite what I was searching for, but it was definitely a lot closer. It was still a great watch, still contemplating moving on to Nisemonogatari or not . . .

monogatari meme

Good question, I don’t see it, do you? (ARARAGI BUSTED!)

Finally, I got the full-on human analysis with From the New World, and boy was that a ride. I freakin’ loved that show (if you read my entire dang long review, pat on the back for you)! 😀 A bit slow at first, but it only spiraled from the middle and on. After watching, my slate was pretty much scraped clean. Blank.

yori meme

Oh god! This one was just too good, haha!

So with all of this time, what anime do I tackle next, if any? I mean, I still got seven simulcasts to keep up with. That’s enough, right?

Apparently not.

I play the cello. If you didn’t know, well, now you do! My private lesson teacher has like three other students, and each season there’s a humble ‘lil house recital where we “strut our stuff.” It’s become an amazing tradition.

But there is another student besides me that watches anime, and when we proposed a summer song that we would play at the recital (like we always do, summer is for recommendation group pieces), she brought up “Unravel,” the opening of the recently famous horror thriller Tokyo Ghoul. Surprisingly enough, I didn’t plan on watching the series. Sure, it looks good, but meh, there are other shows that I’d like to pick up on.

tokyo meme

Me too, Kaneki. Me too.

So I passed when the show started airing. Skip forward and we’re back to music. My teacher wants to commission me to transcribe a cello quartet version of the crazy rock song. WHAT!? She said she gave it a listen and thought it was possible, then tossed the burden upon my already crushed anime-binge-watching tired shoulders. In the picture above, the music that my sweet coffee is under, yep, that’s the beast.

kazoo

BUZZ BUZZZZZ BUZZZ JUST TRYIN’ TO PLAY

Now, I love anime openings like no other, and in order to grasp the song completely, I needed context. *sighs* I suppose I’ll just watch the show now. *droopingly uploads the first episode*

I marathoned the whole damn thing from the 18th to the 19th.

My mind is absolutely blown by this point, and you can expect a review soon! So many questions left unanswered, though, so you can all guess what I’ll be hitting up next:

root a

Don’t know if I’m happy for more or scared it’ll ruin everything

That’s right, Tokyo Ghoul √A! Now I’ve heard it’s complete and utter CRAP, but let’s have Takuto decide that for himself, right?

As far as transcribing “Unravel” goes, it’s definitely going to be a challenge, but at least I know the song’s background much more than before. I’m kinda excited to get started, actually!

So I guess that’s it for my random update. With simulcasts ending and me rushing through the sequel to Tokyo Ghoul, I wonder what show comes next in my anime adventures. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading! Until next time, this has been

– Takuto, your host