SHAKA SHAKA #2 LOVE Colorful Life Hen (SP Edition only)
Ai Mashou (Instrumental)
Hade ni Yacchai na! (Instrumental)
Aisubekibeki Human Life (Instrumental)
SHAKA SHAKA #2 LOVE Colorful Life Hen (Instrumental)
1. Ai Mashou
Wowies, I wasn’t expecting Layla & Rin K. to actually open the leading song here. Though, it’s no surprise that the song would be kind of the more electronic pop track with a slight mix of latin vibes here. I’m enjoying the power here and I’m definitely loving the fact that at least all the members get a solo here. It’s a pretty catchy song for sure and as for the group’s newest member, Yuki Hirayama, she actually did pretty well in her debut song, even having the final line! I already knew she had strong vocals and she showed up for this one ^^. Yeah great start to the single!
2. Hade ni Yacchai na!
This one feels a bit more like something ANGERME would do as it kind of reminds me of “Gashinshoutan” but has a little more sass within it. I definitely think this one showed off more vocal prowess within the members and I kind of dug it a lot. Definitely noticed a lot of Rikako in this one for some reason, but I do enjoyed hearing the other girls and the vocal runs from Takechan and Kamiko were really good too. Funky song and I enjoyed this too!
3. Aisubekibeki Human Life
As the 3rd A-side, this one felt a bit more on the lighthearted side going for an upbeat ska sound! The happy energy from this one is pretty apparant and the group seem to be having fun! While most of the song is sung in unison, there are at least one for each member. It’s been a while in general from H!P would do something so energetic and bright like this and I appreciate it. Though they do say ~and you~ a lot (which is a play on their name, of course!). Not bad here!
4. SHAKA SHAKA #2 LOVE Colorful Life Hen
Rounding out the single was the digital single from last year (which meant this had former member, Momona Kasahara involved but not Yuki here). This was a sequel to “SHAKA SHAKA TO LOVE” from 2020 and also from the same ad campaign. I mean it is a bit different with lyrics and arrangement taking for more of an electropop version of the song. At first I had thought Wakana, Rin K., and Shion wasn’t going to be in it because they were hidden up until the chorus. I mean it’s still ridiculously catchy for sure. Though I wasn’t expecting that ondo-styled bridge that Rikako leads up and it was just such a funny addition and made the song more memorable for me. Odd to include it on this single, but I understand it.
ANGERME kicks off they 2022 with a pretty solid single overall! Ai Mashou, Hade ni Yacchai na!, and Aisubekibeki Human Life are great songs in their own respects and did a great job showing off the group as a whole as well as showing off new member, Yuki who seemed to fit pretty well within the ranks. I don’t know if adding SHAKA SHAKA #2 LOVE did anything, but it’s understandable why it’s here (since H!P has started making a pattern of if it’s released digitally, it’ll be on the next single. Great single! Though, I hope they don’t take forever for a new album…
Kumo no Ue ni Kumo wa Nakute -Self cover ver.- (Limited Edition only)
Kimi no Manma ga Ii’n da yo -Instrumental-
Kumo no Ue ni Kumo wa Nakute -Instrumental-
1. Kimi no Manma ga Ii’n da yo
Shokotan’s leading A-side this time around, Kimi no Manma ga Ii’n da yo is surprisingly a lighter affair this time after “Fure Fure” was for sure. It’s got this fluffy pop vibe and it doesn’t really help that the PV was so kiddy and kind of just not my thing. It’s kind of got this light anime pop vibe to it, but the atmosphere isn’t something I really come to Shokotan for to be honest. It’s like what if “Kokoro no Antenna” was more bland and just not all that interesting. It’s fine…but she’s done much better with A-sides.
2. Kumo no Ue ni Kumo wa Nakute
The B-side of the single luckily saves it from a total bomb with a much stronger vibe that is more aligned with her dance/pop side. Though it’s pretty obvious that Shokotan isn’t the only singer here as there’s multiple other ladies singing lines besides her here. From what I can gather, it’s two winners of an audition here singing alongside Shoko in this one and it’s kind of decent and all 3 sound pretty good and lively. Definitely the better song over the leading track.
3. Kumo no Ue ni Kumo wa Nakute -Self cover ver.-
Though on limited editions of the single, we get the Shokotan-only version of the B-side and it’s about as good as you might think it is after hearing the trio version. I mean Shoko still does put out well and her voice manages to carry the song! Luckily the arrangement wasn’t messed around with so it really depends if you like the audition winners version or just Shoko here…I kind of enjoyed the trio version as it’s got harmonies and the different voices catch my attention better.
Wow, this single kind of just came out quietly didn’t it? You’d think it’d be better since the single was written by Hyadain. Kimi no Manma ga Ii’n da yo felt almost too bland for me to be interested in and the kind of forced acoustic/pop kiddyness just pushed me away from this one. At least Kumo no Ue ni Kumo wa Nakute was there to keep my interest in the single alive, even if I find the trio cut to be the better of the two. I’m sure the Shoko-only version will be on an album…but otherwise…the single was mediocre to me.
Yup, I’m finally covering the region that started this whole series, Kanto. Lots of pure nostalgia here as I began with Pokemon Blue so long ago! So as it seems, this Generation will have LOTS to talk about since it’s the oldest Generation here. Hopefully I can finish this before Gen 9 releases right? Let’s just dive right into Kanto!
000: Missingno
Yeah, surprise, surprise that we would actually begin the Kanto Dex with this absurd anomaly, Missingno. It is known by many many names and was seen in MANY, MANY, forms from Kanto to Kalos. It’s actually a glitch Pokemon and it was easily obtainable in the Gen 1 games as it was connected to many glitches that players could abuse in the game. Of course I’m not going to go through each one as this would go way too long. But I did snag one in Blue and it was a doozy, knowing Water Gun and 2 Sky Attacks (wht?) and was a Bird/Normal type (Bird probably being the beta name for Flying-types). Gen 2 also had Missingno of course, but it’s weird since it makes you battle as if you’re doing it in a link battle and freezes the game. Very strange Pokemon for sure but I actually had 2 of the ones in Gen 3 (the question mark in a circle and the 2 pixelated question marks next to one another) but that was from tinkering with GameShark/Action Replay. Better is that unlike Gen 2, both of the Gen 3 Missingno are usable in battle (and it has Tackle).
To be honest though, I haven’t really been following this glitch Pokemon since Gen 3, so I had wondered if it had continued on. From Gen 4, it’s invisible, but also comes out Shiny, but the battle ends basically immediately, so you have to catch it first turn. It’s name is —– However, it’s the first time Bulbasaur is used in its place sometimes. Gen 5. —– returns but is like the first Missingno from Gen 3, but inverted. Though it has no moves (meaning only knows Struggle).
Gen 6 & 7 kind of changes things up by making the Missingno a Shiny Bulbasaur and with more tinkering around, Gen 6 could be transferred over but it’s a different Pokemon, but still only can do Struggle. However that’s where it ends as Gen 7 turns them into bad eggs which are unusable and even moreso can’t be moved on Pokemon HOME.
Missingno does exist in Gen 8 but it’s rather a difficult process nowadays and it seems with the final DLC and the Pokemon HOME update they’re still bad eggs or Shiny Regielekis that can Gigantamax (which as you may know is not a thing they can do). Curious to see what Gen 9’s are gonna twist around especially with GameFreak really shutting down on hacked Pokemon.
001: Bulbasaur, 002: Ivysaur, 003: Venusaur
You would think that because this was the first of the series and they were trying to keep things simple and such, the starters would’ve began as pure, Grass, Fire, and Water? Yeah, well nope. If I recall right, Bulbasaur was the only first-stage starter Pokemon to be a dual-type up until Gen 7 when Rowlet was announced to be a dual-type. This Grass/Poison type was also my first Pokemon I owned when I began playing Pokemon Blue and it was a tough one for sure. Still, this one was my first champion and one of the most reliable partners I had on my original team! Even Ivysaur was brought up more when it was introduced into Smash Brawl & Ultimate! So this line gets some love!
Gen 6 brought in Mega Venusaur and the Isle of Armor DLC for Gen 8 brought in Gigantamax Venusaur, but neither wowed me very much as it just kind of kept similar to Venusaur as we know and love it and made it stronger. Yeah, the designs I felt were just slapped on and didn’t push the design like what they did with the other starters!
004: Charmander, 005: Charmeleon, 006: Charizard
Yup, we’re onto the runaway favorite of the Generation (and it seems the company also seems to have an absurd affinity for it as of recent), the Charizard line! Yeah, they’ve been one of the most popular Pokemon for the longest time from having the priciest cards in the TCG to just shoved down our throats in the Anime and just all over the games. It’s hard not to see why though because Charmander is an adorable boy who must be protected at all times, Charizard is just a beast! Though funny in Gen 1, it was a Fire/Flying type that couldn’t learn the move Fly despite it having wings and the ability to. That said, I was kind of pushing against the popularity of it so I didn’t own one until later down the line (Leaf Green). Though it has become something nice to see in games and you get one at various points in different games.
That said, Gen 6 brought Charizard up way far as it was one of two Pokemon (the other being Mewtwo) that had a Mega Evolution. One was a dark one that changed Charizard’s type to Fire/Dragon (X) and other kept the Fire/Flying and yet made it more draconic? (Y). Then it was the only Kanto Pokemon to receive a Gigantamax form in the vanilla Sword/Shield. Though you can only get it through beating the Champion Cup (basically beat the Elite 4 feels here).
007: Squirtle, 008: Wartortle, 009: Blastoise
Yup, the last of the starter trio, I felt like not a lot of people were into the Blastoise line, but I could be remembering wrong since everyone loved badass Squirtle in the Anime (with the shades). Though I remember the episode where Jigglypuff got stuck in Blastoise’s cannon so I suppose it has memories that way. In game, I never really connected to it despite getting it in Pokemon Red (which I played after Gold/Silver came out). Not the best of the 3, but it’s worth it!
Likewise with Venusaur, Gen 6 brought in Mega Blastoise and Isle of Armor DLC in Sword/Shield brought us Gigantamax Blastoise and both really upped the ante with adding cannons to it for sure. Mega Blastoise has three cannons while Gigantamax is just artillery+. Definitely a cool thing to see!
010: Caterpie, 011: Metapod, 012: Butterfree
We’re onto the regional bug and bird Pokemon (though since this was the first Generation, those rules didn’t exist). To be honest, I really didn’t focus too much on this one back then because it was an early Pokemon. Caterpie and Metapod having a limited movepool of just Tackle, String Shot (and for Metapod), Harden was just a bit too stressful to deal with, though it did evolve pretty quickly at Lvl. 10. Butterfree was useful for catching Pokemon as it had all the powder moves at that time at its disposal. Nowadays it’s just kind of funny because people think Butterfree and Venomoth should’ve switched places (designs seem to fit for some reason.
Gen 8 brought the line into the front again when it was announced that we’d get a Gigantamax Butterfree. Not bad though!
013: Weedle, 014: Kakuna, 015: Beedrill
Though we also had another bug line to kind of parallel with the Butterfree line and that’s the Beedrill line which was cool because it was a Bug/Poison type and Weedle slightly does better than Caterpie did since it had Poison Sting in its arsenal. Beedrill for a long time was also known for having an exclusive move it, Twineedle but unfortunately there were so few Bug-types and the moves were all pretty weak in Gen 1 so they really couldn’t handle the Psychic-types (which were shockingly overpowered in Gen 1). Still, Beedrill is pretty cool though I have to say!
Gen 6 for OR/AS did bring Mega Beedrill into the picture which was pretty cool and much more striking as a design.
016: Pidgey, 017: Pidgeotto, 018: Pidgeot
First the bugs and now the birds! I definitely remember Pidgey being the first Pokemon I caught (I think that was the case for many who started in Gen 1 here). Though one of the early fodder, the Pidgeot line was pretty good despite being the kind of blah Normal/Flying type it was. I think I remember it more for the fact that Pidgeotto was Ash’s Pokemon in the Indigo League series of the anime. Still kind of bitter Ash hasn’t returned to see his Pidgeot since though… At least we do get to see it again in the final couple of episodes of Ash’s story in the anime.
OR/AS gave us Mega Pidgeot too…kind of cool…odd choice of Pokemon, but I’ll take it!
019: Rattata, 020: Raticate
We also get the rodent Pokemon of the Generation with what started it all in the Raticate line. Nothing too special because they’re Normal-types, but they stuck out in my mind in a few ways like how Ash traded his Butterfree for the Raticate in the Titanic episode xD. Also known as what used to be the only line to know Super/Hyper Fang, but that didn’t last too long. I’ve always thought how odd Rattata was looking purple though (made me think it was going to be a Poison-type maybe? Interesting Pokemon, never really cared for it, but early rodents tend to not last in my party too long.
Gen 7 brought in Alolan Rattata/Raticate and made them Dark/Normal which was pretty cool and made the line a bit more interesting.
021: Spearow, 022: Fearow
The other bird Pokemon to parallel (sorta?) the Pidgeot line was the Fearow line which always to me felt like Spearow was stronger than Pidgey at the beginning of the game but quickly got overshadowed once Pidgeot and Fearow were compared. Plus, they are the few lines in Kanto that hasn’t gotten any love in any precedent game afterwards so it just felt like Fearow was the inferior one of the two. I remember liking Fearow for having Drill Peck as a move since it was a strong Flying-type move. Still, it’s not a Pokemon I gravitate towards to be honest.
023: Ekans, 024: Arbok
Now we’re getting into some interesting Pokemon starting with the Arbok line which is our first pure Poison-type line! Now both Ekans & Arbok are mostly notably known for the Anime as it was owned by Team Rocket’s Jessie. Very interesting cobra Pokemon and while it hasn’t gotten love since the first games, I still remember it fondly (especially since according to the anime it evolves into 3rd Gen’s Seviper which is hilarious on so many levels). Would love to see more of it!
025: Pikachu, 026: Raichu
Last on this post…well what’s there to say…Pikachu is the franchise’s mascot (also the first Electric-type to show up), this is the Pokemon that really sold the franchise and still is front and center of everything, but it did mean that Raichu (the evolution it has after using a Thunder Stone on it) got left behind. I definitely remember Raichu was on my Elite 4 battle in the original Blue because I remembered I taught it Mega Kick for some odd reason xD. Even then it was all about Pikachu and in Gen 1 it had some interesting variants like Surfing Pikachu and Flying Pikachu (knows the HM moves, Surf & Fly, respectively). Add the Pikachu from PKMN Yellow that didn’t allow evolution as well.
Gen 2 introduced us to its pre-evolution, Pichu which is obviously cutesy and a baby, but not quite as strong!
Gen 3 gave us Plusle & Minun (they are their own species, but they DEFINITELY have the Pikachu mold tight here) and also really started the Pika-clones that would be introduced in every game past it.
Gen 6 for OR/AS brought us Cosplay Pikachu which was connected to the Pokemon contests of the game and they had different outfits throughout. Each Pikachu outfit does come with a unique move that regular Pikachu cannot learn otherwise like Meteor Mash from the Rock Star outfit or Flying Press from Pikachu Libre!
Gen 7 had event Pikachu that dons one of Ash’s many hats from the Anime series and the ability to utilize it’s own Z-Crystal for it’s own Z-Move! Also they’re only male and also cannot evolve otherwise. On top of that, we were introduced to Alolan Raichu and new Electric/Psychic variant that looks hella cool and surfs on its own tail!
Lastly, Gen 8 brought us the Pikachu from Let’s Go Pikachu and it’s a bit stronger than any regular one and has unique moves to use in its movepool and when you have save data from the game, in Sword & Shield you’re given another Pikachu that can Gigantamax too! Yeah Pikachu has a LOT of history!~
Yup, I was a little surprised, but not really since it fit with the length time of 3 years between generations, but I don’t know this time it felt shorter than normal. Since we got Sw/Sh and then the 2 DLCS (which probably feel like why the generation was short?), BD/SP and then Legends: Arceus which surrounded the return of 4th Gen. That said, yup, Generation 9 has been officially announced (it’s been a while, but no big news have come out since then). From what it looks like, the region is based off of Spain, so I am curious to see what’ll come out of it Pokemon-wise here. It looks pretty cool and it also feels like it’s taking some ideas that were brought up from the Wild Area in Sw/Sh, the Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra DLCs, and the open-world aspects of Legends: Arceus which is great, those ideas were really big for last gen so it makes sense to make it better here. Otherwise, nothing really much came from the initial trailer…well besides the new starters!!!
Sprigatito
Of course they didn’t shake the line-up so of course it’s the classic, Grass, Fire, Water starters. Sprigatito though seems to be more known as the Weed Cat currently (probably due to the leaf pattern on its face and that it’s all green! I think it’s perfectly cute and curious to see where it goes.
Fuecoco
An apple/dino that’s a Fire-type? Interesting decision, and I already see the Spanish influence in the names mostly between this and Sprigatito. Also curious to see where this line goes since we have Feraligatr, so I wonder where Fuecoco goes in its evolutions.
Quaxly
Last, but not least, we have the Water starter in Quaxly and it just reminds me of Donald Duck with a cool hat on! Or like the lost brother between Huey, Dewey, and Louie. Not quite sure where I stand with Quaxly currently, I have more interest in the other two starters, but I suppose it’s kind of cute!
That’s pretty much all the information right now, was hoping for something round E3 (but that got cancelled), so I hope there’s still some new info soon, maybe Corocoro?
“Hitori de Ikirare Sou” tte Sore tte Nee, Homete Iru no? (New Vocal Ver.)
Pop Music
Suki tte Itte yo
Borderline
Va-Va-Voom
Tsuzuiteiku STORY (Symphonic Version with Karin)
DOWN TOWN
Ganbare nai yo
Plastic Love
Familia
Future Smile
CD 2
GIRLS BE AMBITIOUS! 2022
POPPIN’ LOVE
STAGE ~Agattemina~
Mon Amour
Noctiluca
G.O.A.T.
Ame no Naka no Kuchibue
Platonic Planet (Ultimate Juice Ver.)
1. Bitansan
As the opening song for disc one, Bitansan was of course the first single to include Manaka Inaba as part of the group (as well as the last single to include Nanami Yanagawa). Of course it’s more of that upbeat synth heavy dance track that Juice=Juice was kind of carrying over. I really appreciated all the members getting a solo line here, but the focus definitely felt like it was around Karin and Manaka here. Definitely will say that the song has grown on me quite a bit as all the vocals were just great and the song is upbeat and quite powerful! Great way to open the album.
2. Potsurito
As it shows, the first disc does go chronically with the A-sides/B-sides which is great considering the group’s shift of members since 2019. As the slowest song from the single, Potsurito had a much more intriguing arrangement with the piano-centric melody and the synthetic sounds sprinkled throughout the song. That chorus still kind of comes out of nowhere with the burst of sound and gets into this epic, grand feel. It’s such a different song for them that really kind of explodes in its choruses and leaves softly sung verses and the juxtaposition is such a nice groove. Still one of the more unique songs from their discography!
3. Good bye & Good luck!
As I’ve mentioned already, this was also Nanami Yanagawa’s last single with the group and this was kind of a sendoff song for her. It’s definitely the more idol-like song off the single and it has the poppiest arrangement of the 3 tracks from the single. I still kind of cringe at Yanamin’s opening line, but the song is quite cutesy and positive and just has happy vibes despite the graduation ties here. The peppy atmosphere is cute and overall was a good track to say goodbye to Nanami to.
Next single up and it was the final single for Yuka Miyazaki (the leader of the group). I had always wondered where the popularity came from with this song because it was their biggest hit arguably here and it just to me felt like a more controlled sounding “Ashita Yarou wa Bakayarou” here. The tune is a bit more like a pop/rock style here, but I think I appreciated the vocals a lot here. Shame that Yuka only got a single solo line though. Still, the song was energetic and had a lot of punch behind it. Cool song overall.
5. 25sai Eien Setsu
Though talking about Yuka, she did get her own sendoff song to kind of make up for her lack of appearance in the first A-side with this one. Just like Nanami’s, this song is more along the side of cutesy, upbeat goodbyes here. It does feel like a fusion of “Good bye & Good luck!” and “Familia” in style to be honest and just knowing that makes me kind of feel bummed this song is here. I do like the chorus though and Yuka’s big lines in the bridge and ending as it is about her. It’s fine, just not something I’d keep coming back to.
6. “Hitori de Ikirare Sou” tte Sore tte Nee, Homete Iru no? (New Vocal Ver.)
If it wasn’t for the fact that this version was one less Yuka and added two new members (Yume Kudo & Riai Matsunaga), I would question why this truly needed to be included especially with only one song between each other. Of course, the solo lines were also reshuffled a bit too so that Ruru opens the song instead of Karin, for example. Really not much else to say on that, but I do remember that Yume & Riai have some really good solo lines and sounded like they were always a part of the group. Otherwise, nothing else changed…the arrangement is the same still so…it’s just a bit odd to see it twice on the album (especially so close to one another).
7. Pop Music
We get into Yume & Riai’s actual debut with Pop Music which itself was a cover of a KAN track that also came out in the same year. The song itself has a LOT of 80’s nods to it which is awesome and even though I initially disliked it, it kind of came around…not a whole lot, but it’s not so much a stinker to me anymore. Granted, I still do wish it was a little faster. I remember hearing a LOT of Karin (this was also her final single with the group, mind you), Manaka, Ruru, Akari, Tomoko, and Sayuki here. The disco-pop vibes are nice and it’s a little bit silly of a song (as seen from the PV). I don’t remember a lot of the new members if it wasn’t for the PV anyways, so it’s kind of strange. It’s OK for the most part.
8. Suki tte Itte yo
As the other A-side for the single, this one was pretty funky and groovy of a song for them (more than “Pop Music” could handle. I’m actually starting to notice Aarii a WHOLE lot more than I was expecting here and finally Yume & Riai are standing out for the group. I enjoyed the song as a whole despite not having a lot to say about it. It was just a solid track for the group and I really enjoyed the group really gelling together and solidifying that the two new members were such a lucky win for them!
9. Borderline
I wasn’t expecting the B-sides to make the cut, so color me surprised to see all 3 B-sides from the single made the album cut. Borderline was a song that was first performed earlier in 2019 when the group still had Nanami and Yuka in their line-up, but for whatever reason was held back to this single. I was definitely excited to hear this one when the single came out and coming after “Suki tte Itte yo”, it’s pretty close in styles, but this is more H!P dance-pop here. Sadly the newbies didn’t get any solo lines here relegating to the other 6 members who were there originally for the song. It’s upbeat and cool and Sayubee always seems to stand out with such power and style in her vocals…it’s hard not to miss her here as she owns this song. Great song overall!
10. Va-Va-Voom
The 2nd of the B-sides, Va-Va-Voom was a little more recent for the single (like 4-5 months old at the time). This one actually feels like a B-side to me as it just doesn’t quite grasp me as “Borderline” did, but it does sound quite fun and the chorus is probably the best areas of the song. Once again, the newbies don’t get solos sadly, but they do sing with the group (as they did in the previous track). I don’t know, this one just kind of sticks, but doesn’t at the same time.
11. Tsuzuiteiku STORY (Symphonic Version with Karin)
Yeah, of course the face of the group, Karin Miyamoto gets a special track dedicated to her because of her graduation from the group. However, it wasn’t with an original song, but instead is a new version of Tsuzuiteiku STORY (an album track from their first album, “First Squeeze!”). Like it says, it has a symphony playing the arrangement and it sounds more grand (and Disney-like). Karin does sing quite a bit by herself from the beginning, but after a while the other 7 members join in with solo lines and it gets quite pretty to listen to. I think the percussion could’ve been left off to be honest, but this was a pleasant sendoff for Karin to have.
12. DOWN TOWN
Moving onto the next single (which was the debut for ex-Kobushi Factory member, Rei Inoue), we have ANOTHER cover of this classic Sugar Babe track. Another A-side as a leading cover track, huh? I suppose so, but I kind of enjoy the upbeat poppy, kind of 80’s pop feel to it (City Pop, perhaps?). I’m loving the amount of Riai I’m getting here and she sounds REALLY good and just happy to see the new girls being shown off as well as Rei (who also got a beatbox solo in the bridge). Though it does feel like there’s something missing. OH YEAH!, Sayuki Takagi ended up having to leave the group before the single’s release which left a pretty evident hole as this song was catered for her vocal stylings for sure. Especially that final chorus run…it felt like it was missing that Sayubee run… Just an unfortunate thing to happen.
13. Ganbare nai yo
Then we have the only ballad off the first disc with Ganbare nai yo (unless you want to call “Potsurito” a ballad). Though this one is your quiet piano ballad with some pop elements. It’s something akin to what “Feel! Kanjiru yo” and “Naite Ii yo” were on the last album. As mentioned, I’m just not into these kind of tracks and it just ended up zoning me out and making me bored. There had to be one though, so no shame to be had. Just not a song for me.
14. Plastic Love
Final single on this disc to be represented and here we are again with another single that had new members (Kisaki Ebata, Risa Irie, and Ichika Arisawa) and a graduation in Tomoko. Also for the 3rd time in a row, the leading A-side is a cover, this time the hugely popular Plastic Love done originally by Mariya Takeuchi! While not the “full” version of the original, this take on the song is still fulfilling and really interesting. I’m surprised that Kisaki had the first line of the song, impressives! Risa and Ichika do pretty well also, but I think a lot of the feeling went to the elder members who really owned the softness (especially Riai!). Once it gets to the final area of the song, it does sound great with all of them together and hearing Akari doing some vocal runs was a shock, but awesome to see! Overall, great cover and decent for the new members!
15. Familia
As said above, this was also Kanatomo’s last single so she got a song that’s sort of around her? (she graduated with a solo song, so this was kind of eh?). Likewise as I said earlier, this is another breezy poppy song and because of its sentimental lyrics and softness, it’s a lot like “Good bye & Good luck!” and “25sai Eien Setsu”, but this is less cute in a way and more like a mid-tempo ballad here. It’s also a bit sad that the solos were all shoved at the front of the song and the rest is mostly unison. I don’t know, these kind of songs also don’t do much for me and it really didn’t showcase Tomoko was leaving so it was kind of made more forgettable.
16. Future Smile
Ending the first disc off, we have Future Smile and it brings us back to latin styles to which Juice=Juice was pretty good at like with “Hadaka no Hadaka no Hadaka no KISS” and “Black Butterfly”. Though this also has a pretty showtunesy/cabaret vibe to it that’s kind of fun and playful too. A LOT of the song seems to focus on Riai & Rei which is awesome to see two of the stronger singers come out more for the song. Even Ichika gets a violin solo during the bridge, impressive feat! Song was nice overall and had a lot of sass and pep!
CD 2
1. GIRLS BE AMBITIOUS! 2022
Opening the 2nd disc up is a bunch of new tracks, though this is an exception because it’s an updated take of the same song they released off their first album, “First Squeeze!”. I remembered this one as “the one that sounds like the Jet song, “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”” but a little more peppier and uptempo. Why it was brought back to be updated is a little bit random I suppose. Beyond the fact that it’s new members in the major difference category (I mean 4/5 of the original singers have graduated/left) so this was kind of a big switch. I hear a LOT of Ruru, Manaka, Riai, and Yume here though but it makes sense. It’s still pretty rockin’ otherwise and the update feels a lot more filling (but it could be with almost double the members).
2. POPPIN’ LOVE
After “DOWN TOWN” and “Suki tte Itte yo”, I think Juice=Juice has been really loving the pop/funk vibes and it shows with POPPIN’ LOVE (one of the three songs that we haven’t heard prior to the album). I really do like the bass slaps and the upbeat nature of the song kind of made it really sound unique and fun for the album. Hard to tell right now with who’s who singing, but I definitely heard some Ruru, Manaka & Riai here. Actually I think I even heard Kisaki, Ichika, and Risa in the 2nd chorus too so that’s always awesome to hear. Even Risa has a quick spoken line in the final chorus. Not bad overall and one of the standouts!
3. STAGE ~Agattemina~
One of the songs that premiered earlier in the year, STAGE is a bit more aggressive for the group which was kind of lacking in the first disc (“HitoSora” x2 and “Borderline” were the only few). This actually gives me kind of a “CHOICE&CHANCE” vibe which is kind of surprising. I did hear Akari, Ruru, Riai, Manaka, and Rei and honestly, I think they’re the only 5 that do get solos so that’s interesting. Yeah, this was an interesting and edgier song for the group to take on, but I enjoyed it.
4. Mon Amour
So two of the tracks are smaller groupings as such the case. This was the first one and it features Akari, Ruru, Manaka, and Rei (as they’re the elders of the group, I suppose). I’m loving the latin guitar and flair about the arrangement for sure and the lighter vocal performance is actually surprisingly sweet, especially for Manaka here. Though I think Ruru is the powerhouse in this quartet as she’s got such a powerful presence in the track. Rei and Akari are a little in the back but they bring in nice vocals too. It’s a really nice sounding track and that bridge with the guitar & sitar solo? Like wow, this was pretty great for them!
5. Noctiluca
I feel like we’ve had this style before from the group, but it’s so loud and in your face and pretty funky to hear. I’m hearing a lot of vocals here and it’s just…you know what, it sounds like a TOKYO GIRLS’ STYLE song funny enough, but I think there’s something pleasant about that. This one just has a pretty interesting and feisty arrangement in its chorus and pulls back for the sexiness in the verses. I would arguably say this might be my favorite album track of the 8!
6. G.O.A.T.
I really didn’t expect the group to name a track this, but I guess we live in a time that there’s a thing like this. This kind of classy vibe I get is pretty interesting as of late and this one seems pretty poppy and just has a cutesy twist to it. I do like it though despite the only voices I can tell immediately is Rei here. It’s a surprisingly synth-heavy track but has these interesting hooks and harmonies throughout that pulled me in. Does give me perhaps encore track vibes but it could just be me.
7. Ame no Naka no Kuchibue
So here’s the other song that was sung by a smaller grouping, this time the new and younger members (Riai, Yume, Kisaki, Ichika, and Risa). As such the song is surprisingly light, maybe the lightest on the disc with it’s laidback pop vibes and cute whistling melody. Then later on it’s like a jazzy vibe that really kind of just soothes me quite a bit. As for the vocals, it’s pretty nice and I think I hear a lot of Riai, Risa, and Ichika here. It’s just such a light and cute song and something I haven’t heard Juice=Juice pull off.
8. Platonic Planet (Ultimate Juice Ver.)
So the disc ends with Platonic Planet which has been performed as far back as 2019. That said, why it has that Ultimate Juice version? Well, it’s because of that that this song features 3 previous members connected to the song; Karin, Sayuki, and Tomoko all who left/graduated between the song’s first performance to the release of this album. It’s great we still get to hear them alongside the remainder of the group to kind of give this big moment for the album’s finale (shame there’s no Nanami or Yuka, but they never were a part of the song). While I do appreciate seeing the 3 members here, I don’t think I hear Yume, Kisaki, Risa, or Ichika here…but maybe it’s me? Still, it’s frickin’ great this song FINALLY shows up on a release!
Tracks Recommended
Potsurito
Borderline
Plastic Love
Bitansan
“Hitori de Ikirare Sou” tte Sore tte Nee, Homete Iru no? & (New Vocal Ver.)
Noctiluca
Mon Amour
Ame no Naka no Kuchibue
POPPIN’ LOVE
G.O.A.T.
Song of Avoidance
Ganbare nai yo
So here we are with Juice=Juice’s 3rd album and it’s a bit of a mixed bag for me? terzo has kind of been a strange ordeal especially with the loss of like 5 members in this era alone (Nanami, Yuka, Karin, Sayuki, and Tomoko) with another leaving shortly after this release (Manaka). Those last 4 are amazing performers and vocalists and it’s been pretty evident that this shake up really moved around the group in new places (Rei, Riai, and Yume) taking up the mantles as well as Akari being pushed as the last original member left in the group. Disc 1 really shows how chaotic it got and a lot of the songs were good-bye tracks which most felt kind of plain and boring to me and 3 of the A-sides being covers was also not such a good move either. Some songs were really good though so that’s to be expected.
Disc 2 though was surprisingly great. Not one song really disappointed me here and I was loving it from beginning to end. Though 8 songs? You couldn’t have thought of 4 more tracks to include? I don’t know but each Juice=Juice album has decreased the roster of songs each time and I’m kind of bummed that this disc didn’t have more to offer becauce it really did sound good (even if the new members felt a bit pushed to the back). Overall, an OK album, but Disc 2 is a must listen!
Kurayami Monogatari 