Hoshiakari November 8, 2008
Posted by Die in Jyukai.Tags: Aimmy, Busou Renkin, Jyukai
add a comment
Hoshiakari was Jyukai’s 3rd single. It was released on November 1, 2006 and reached number 84 on the charts with 1,369 copies sold. The title track was used as the ending theme song for the anime Busou Renkin. This was the final single in the Wild flower Era.
Tracks:
1. Hoshiakari
2. ・・・because I love you.
3. Hoshiakari -Instrumental-
4. ・・・because I love you. -Instrumental-
Review:
It appears as though Hoshiakari lit. Star Light is the brand’s first ballad released. From the acoustic guitar, piano, and strings it appears that way. Manami’s vocals further reinforce that as they’re calm and somewhat soft. The verses are mid-tempo too and with the acoustic guitar they sound very peaceful. However, once the chorus comes the song transforms into a rock based ballad. The chorus is still mid-tempo, but the vocals are stronger and the electric guitar is introduced. The instrumentals also sound a little more epic too. They’re also really great right after the chorus too. Anyway, the chorus itself sounds rather epic almost with the strong instrumentals and vocals. The bridge was an aggressive guitar solo that sounds riveting. And the string closing was great. Not all that bad really.
More up-beat and rock oriented from the start is ・・・because I love you. It gets off to a quick start and is very rock friendly. The vocals were somewhat uplifting, but they were mostly happy. The constant drum beats were great and they went well with the electric guitar. The melody was nice, and the chorus was somewhat catchy. I liked how there was some English used, unexpected really, but it was nice. The vocals were particularly good during the chorus too. I did love the ending though, it was really great. It was up-beat, fun, and energetic. Although overall, it still needs some work.
Overall Review: Hoshiakari was rock domination. This single wasn’t really all that great honestly, but I did like how it was rock oriented. A central theme is always good and it really holds the single together. But despite this single not being all that great, I loved the title track. It was a refreshing rock ballad, great vocals, and great instrumentals. The melody was really great, and that’s why I loved it so much. The following track could have been better, it’s mediocre at best, but I guess it’s to be expected. I just wish that it was a little more memorable. Still not a bad way to end the Wild flower Era.
Final Grade: 89B
Koibito Doushi November 1, 2008
Posted by Die in Jyukai.Tags: Ah! My Goddess, Aimmy, Jyukai
2 comments
Koibito Doushi was Jyukai’s 2nd single It was released on July 26, 2006 and reached number 87 on the charts with 1,762 copies sold. In all this single has sold over 2,488+ copies. The title track was used as the second ending theme song for the anime Ah! My Goddess: Sorezore no Tsubasa. This was the second single in the Wild flower Era.
Tracks:
1. Koibito Doushi
2. Wasurenagusa
3. Koibito Doushi -Instrumental-
4. Wasurenagusa -Instrumental-
Review:
Still featuring some rock elements is Koibito Doushi. It’s somewhat reminiscent of their previous single, but it’s a lot better. It’s also a pretty lighthearted song, not too overwhelming. The vocals are great especially during the chorus. The melody was somewhat catchy, but very unique in the chorus. That being said, the chorus was unique at a few points but overall it was great. It just stuck with you, rather memorable. The guitars, drums, and even the keyboard were all fantastic. The bridge was rock and some synth, pretty sweet for the most part, and short. The best part was the vocals hands down.
Completely from the title track is Wasurenagusa. This song is more mid-tempo and more acoustic based. Although the vocals in this song are considerably stronger. There’s still a hint of rock instruments in this song, but it’s not nearly as great as before. The strings during th bridge were as unexpected as they were good. And afterwards the song got a lot better, more power and liveliness overall. Not bad really at all.
Overall Review: Koibito Doushi was angelic vocal supremacy! This single is their best in terms of vocals, it’s so amazing. I did like the rock elements in the title track, and the vocals in the B-side. The only thing that this single lacked was some umph, or that wow factor. The songs were still good, but a little on the mediocre side. Just give the song a try, it’s worth it.
Final Grade: 86B-
Anata ga Ita Mori October 21, 2008
Posted by Die in Aimmy, Jyukai.Tags: Aimmy, Jyukai
1 comment so far
Anata ga Ita Mori was Jyukai’s debut single. it was released on March 15, 2006 and reached number 16 on the charts and has sold over 19,172+ copies. The title track was used as the first ending theme for the anime Fate/Stay Night. And some background information: Jyukai is a duo consisting of Manami aka Aimmy ( vocalist, songwriter) and Dewa (composer, arranger, programmer). The band is known for doing various anime theme songs as well as tie-ins with dramas.
Tracks:
1. Anata ga Ita Mori
2. SAKURA difference
3. Anata ga Ita Mori -Instrumental-
4. SAKURA difference -Instrumental-
Review:
Jyukai’s debut song Anata ga Ita Mori lit. The Forest Where You Were is definitely a great song. It’s a ballad, no questions, and for a debut song it’s pretty nice. The music is primarily the piano, the strings, the drums, and even the guitar. The vocals are great when it comes to power and variety. The song has just a solemn feel to it, and sounds sad a few times, but it’s still good. The chorus sounds pretty dramatic with the instrumentals and vocals, and it’s somewhat catchy. Not exactly mind blowing, but it’s worth a listen.
A little more rock oriented is SAKURA difference. This song is completely different from the previous song. It’s more up-beat and has a light rock vibe about it. Manami’s vocals are great and show some great variety in this song. The guitar really makes this song sound pretty fun, now granted the song might not be all that fast, it’s still nice. I think the verses need a little work, but nothing to get mad about. The chorus was excellent though. Despite being slow, with the instrumentals and vocals, it’s catchy, that and the melody is great.
Overall Review: Anata ga Ita Mori was a stellar debut. Despite the single’s mediocre songs, I still enjoyed it. Perhaps it was the vocals, or maybe just the amazing music. Not to mention that it was rather unique when compared to some of the other artists. What a great debut!
Final Grade 94A-
