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Once upon a time, there was an island surrounded by the sea of far far far away.
There are 4 big clans, living there were very individualistic and unique in various ways that they could not come in terms to build the island to one whole uni some country. The big four clans are known as Ani Clan, Cos Clan, Maga Clan and Comi Clan. However that was only until King Elbert and his loyal subjects appeared in ED 209.
King Elbert was not from the big four clans but from a small clan called Gam clan and so did his loyal comrades. They united all the clans and founded the Kingdom in the island which will be known as AMCC. After they founded the the kingdom, King Elbert married to Queen HC, previously she was the King's Hand. He announced his best friend Lord Brandon as Crown Prince, followed by the Minister of Treasure Milady Kim and Minister of Costumes Milady Daph. Though there were some problems ruling the newly founded Kingdom, they were doing fine until they got the letter of invitation from The World Government AKA SIM.
In the letter, for the World Government to acknowledge the Kingdom, they must participate in the CCA world event every ED for the sake of the world. It is a compulsory for all the countries, failure to do so will result in Abolishing the Kingdom. Therefore, the King has to choose the group of warriors to send them to participate in the world event. And that was when the story of a true heroine who will later be known as Legend, ....begins.
To be continued....
Anthony's Jpop Recommendations: "Songs for Night Time Driving"
Anthony is back to bequeath his Jpop knowledge to you all.
I know that some of you guys enjoy listening to your music in a certain fashion.
For example, blasting a hot blooded Super Robot song before going to a sports meet for the adrenaline rush, playing soft and sweet ballads for a good night lullaby, or cheerful punk ronk tracks to start your day.
So you can call me DJ Smartass, I'm going to present to you 20 Japanese songs that fit in with a chilling night ambience.
This was made with night time driving as the focus. When the sky has turned dark, playing these tracks in your car sets the mood perfectly, especially when you're out with the boys after midnight.
"HOME SWEET HOME - reform" - Home Made Kazoku
This is the remix version of HMKu's hit single "HOME SWEET HOME - reborn", 2006's "Most requested song" of Japan's collective radio stations, and HMKu's catalyst to superstardom.
This remix is an all around song that screams out the word "chill night".
The keys, the horns, the drums, and the unique fusion of MICRO's high and KURO's low key vocals, they provide a solid and delicious mix of hip-hop and blues unlike any other chill song.
Well, this song ranked 3rd in my previous top 10 Jpop list. A perfect opener for your night time collection.
"Bump! Bump!" - BoA
This is my utmost favorite BoA song.
I love the consistent soprano sax and blues scratch prominent all over the track.
If you are a Jpop fan, you would have known how BoA failed her US debut around 3 years ago.
She, or more precisely her music producer, changed her style to match the US RNB scene.
It worked well for "Eat you Up", but for the rest of her album, not so much.....
Utada Hikaru released her 2nd US album around the same time as BoA's debut, stayed true to her Jpop style and gained moderate to high success.
This would serve as a big lesson to BoA, who went back to Asia and released "Bump! Bump!" with veteran rapper Verbal.
The song depicts how BoA is going to shine despite the harsh failures of her past haunting her, how she's going to rise again to the top by just being herself.
"Mr. Taxi" - SNSD
YES, THEY ARE KOREANS.
YES. THIS VERSION IS IN JAPANESE.
YES, I AM A BIG FAN OF THEM.
YES, YOU MUST HAVE THIS IN YOUR COLLECTION.
NO, NO BUTS.
"STARSTRUCK" - m-flo loves AI, Hinouchi Emi, Rum
m-flo is considered a legend in Japan for their ability to collaborate with many artists from different genres and still produce feelgood electronic based music.
DJ taku is a genius composer and Verbal is a globally accomplished emcee who has been working with giant stars from all over the world.
Their "m-flo loves" project is generally accepted by the Japanese as a "dream collaboration" of sorts, where m-flo invited various artists to create some songs together.
"STARSTRUCK" features the up and rising cute Hinouchi Emi who is well known as an urban singer with her sweet voice, Rum who is one part of the Heartsdales female rap duo, and AI who is a quarter Italian RNB singer with a distinct soulful voice.
"Driving Through the Night" - m.o.v.e
So the theme is "Songs for night time driving".
Now look at the song title, look at it closely, it said "Driving through the Night".
YYYYYYYEEEEAAA BBBBBBBOOOIIII IT'S IKKITOUSEN BBBBBIITTCCCCHEESSSS!!!
FANSERVICE FOR LIFE MADAFAKKKAAAAAAAAA!!!
*cough*
Pardon me, too much oppai can screw with your common sense.
Well to be honest there are better m.o.v.e tracks out there that could replace "Driving through the Night" in this list, like the cool Friday night song MUGEN, the funky and catchy Blazin' Beat, or their most awesome song and my personal favorite Gravity to name a few examples.
But yes, you can't possibly skip out a song which blatantly have the same title as this post's topic and is overall a great chill track.
"Around the World" - MONKEY MAJIK
To hell with Far East Movement, we have MONKEY MAJIK right here.
Both are bands famous for their signature "gaijin members", but Far East Movement is totally overrated just because they are big in the US and musically speaking, MONKEY MAJIK is far more superior with their versatility.
MONKEY MAJIK has been producing Spitz-like feelgood music that are easy in your ears since their early days. "Around the World" was their first breakthrough to mainstream success, and boy they really nailed it with this one.
"FIREWORKS" - EXILE
refer to my previous Weekly Jpop Goodness entry.
yeah I know, this song is catchy as fuck, a must have for your night time collection.
"We'll See Heaven" - Digital Planet
Your night is never complete without EUROBEAT! Especially if you drive!
Please remember that if you have friends on your car when this track is on, don't take everything they say into your heart.
Their usual response would be, "Whoa Initial-D! Hey drift on that corner!" and you won't believe how tempting it is to follow their words when this song is blasting, when you're out past midnight and the streets are empty.
Your life is very important, please keep that in mind, you wouldn't want to LITERALLY see heaven just because a song tells you so.
"SWITCH" - LISA feat. Koda Kumi and Heartsdales
Another perfect representation of a "chill night" mood. What do we have here?
We have LISA, the half Columbian former m-flo vocalist, Koda Kumi, the Christina Aguilera of Japan, and Heartsdales, the famous female rap duo.
All of them are veterans when it comes to urban pop. "SWITCH" is the result of that extraordinary collaboration, and it is certainly cool as fuck.
This song was tied up with a very old school PS2 game, Crimson Tears. I played that game for a bit in junior high and completely forgot the storyline lol.
"1,000,000 Monsters Attack" - SOUL'd OUT
SOUL'd OUT is one of the more popular rap groups in Japan with their unique urban style.
DIGGY's somewhat nasal rap style might be annoying to English speakers, but there's no denying his music composing ability.
Even his solo career is going very smooth thanks to his creativity.
Combine that with the finishing touch of DJ Shinnosuke and the high speed rap of Brother Hi, you'll get a massive package called SOUL'd OUT.
"1,000,000 Monsters Attack" was featured as one of FIFA 2005's soundtracks.
The lyrics may not make sense after the first verse, but the overall music ambient is perfect for night time activities, especially a futsal match.
Next time you play futsal, bring a boombox and blast this off, it's going to be epic I tell you.
"Nemurenai no wa Dare no Sei" - Inaba Koshi
YYYYEEEAAAAA, one from my favorite singer! Time for a blues song bitches! Inaba Koshi is, without a doubt, Japan's number one rock vocalist, the equivalent of Steven Tyler and Bon Jovi. He is the only singer in Japan who possess an explosive energy and high pitched, yet husky and flexible vocals. His flexible voice profile and unique singing style are able to cover a wide range of genres from cheerful pop songs, soft ballads, power ballads, blues, to hard rock, and perfectly convey the feelings of the songs. Translated as "Whose fault is it that I can't sleep", this song depicts a proud man's struggle of not being able to sleep, yes. The man has this extreme pain and confusion, like a hole has been drilled in his chest and him being the victim of stoning. He feels that something is off with him today. He is confused of how he can smile ear to ear for a certain person's happiness, and how he can feel sad when that person is unhappy. With those nauseating feelings all mixed up, the stars seem to circle around the ceiling, and the night sky has turned bright all of a sudden. For those of you who are rather slow, this is an unconventional love song.
"GENERATION" - J Soul Brothers
J-soul Brothers was a former EXILE's brother group that has joined EXILE's ranks as of now.
Well actually, J-soul Brothers was used as EXILE's first group name after its major debut, but they changed to EXILE after co-founder Yagi Shokichi went to manage another group and used the J-soul Brothers to name his new group.
J-soul Brothers operate in the same manner as EXILE's. Two vocalists and the rest are dancers.
You can say that they are a species of pure pop group entertainers, which is rare in Japan's present idol culture.
"GENERATION" was featured in EXILE's album "MONSTER - someday", which is the first album released after their merge. It has a pretty cool beat and vocals, what else would you like to ask for?
"Traveling" - Utada Hikaru
You can't say that you have a good composition of night time music without this track in your list.
Utada's soothing vocal really brings out the best of her chill songs like "Automatic" and "Movin' on Without You", but "Traveling" takes the crown amongst her vast discography.
Well, you can say that it is the best Japanese song out there in terms of night time ambient.
Its very lyrics tells the story of a young woman who has just finished from her work and hopped in a taxi, asking the driver to just joyride anywhere, enjoying the night breeze and scenery.
"Kagayaku Yoru" - CHEMISTRY
http://www.jpopsuki.tv/video/CHEMISTRY---Kagayaku-Yoru-/15b9f8b041d4c23e025398e25804a513
It is quite sad and disappointing to see one of the greatest pop groups in Japan to break up. CHEMISTRY has been one of the leading pop artist in Japan who excelled in soothing ballads and feelgood music.
Now Kawabata Kaname and Yoshikuni Douchin has split up to pursue their own solo career, with seemingly no intentions to have reunions whatsoever.
With the sheer amount of ballads in their discography, "Kagayaku Yoru" (Shining Night) is one of their rarer uplifting songs.
It was used as the theme song of 2008 U-18 football Olympics, and it certainly reflects the soulful mood of the field: How your friends and teammates are always there to support you no matter what.
"Heart of Sword ~ Yoake Mae" - T.M Revolution
I'm going to put it bluntly here.
If you don't know this song, you should feel bad. I mean it.
"Heart of Sword" is a staple knowledge for every single person who are into anime culture.
No explanations necessary.
"Only You can Rock Me" - Seikou Nagaoka feat. Mi-yo
Seikou Nagaoka is a Japanese veteran composer and trackmaster who excels in Jazztronic and freetempo music.
He has been dabbling in the world of music around the same time as the legendary Komuro Tetsuya and Max Matsuura.
He composed anime soundtracks as well.
To Heart, Strike Witches, and the Tenchi Muyou series are some of his more popular examples.
His music production and arrangement career is even more popular.
Bigshots like EXILE, KINKI KIDS, and SMAP have been under his care at one time.
"Aishitene Motto" - Kayo Aiko
Time for a jazzy sweet, sweeeeet, diabetic love song by Kayo Aiko the idol singer.
Yes, it's the ending theme for that violent martial arts anime "Tenjou Tenge".
"Aishitene Motto" literally translates to "Love Me More", and yes, who would not want to love her more with that kind of hypnotizing voice aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!
It tells a story of how a girl is crazily in love with 'you', how she is not able to fall asleep and how she desperately needs to hug 'you' right now. She wants you to just look at her.
It is more than enough for her to just be beside 'you', and she will love 'you' more than ever before, always.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA MOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
"Kirei na Sora" - AAA
[PV] Kirei na Sora (AAA) by HyoukaC
AAA was originally a group of background dancers before Avex decided to put them together into a new mishmash pop group, marketing them as "Attack All Around" with their superior dance moves.
Their discography consists of mostly energetic and uplifting songs.
Examples including their ever famous Kamen Rider Den-O's Climax Jump, the dark and edgy Samurai Heart, and the very iconic Blood on Fire.
They only have a few soft ballads in their discography so suffice to say that a funky song like "Kirei na Sora" is a rare find.
"Cruel Angel's Thesis (10th anniversary edition)" - Takahashi Youko
For the 2nd to last number, we have the amazing jazz version of the legendary anisong "Zankoku na Tenshi no Thesis", from the 10th anniversary special album.
Yes, I have a soft spot for jazz music, especially uptempo jazz.
Heck, you can say that I love everything that has jazz as its roots: Jazz-rock, acid jazz, hip-hop jazz, jungle jazz, jazztronic, pretty much anything really.
"Real Folk Blues" - The SEATBELTS feat. Yamane Mai
And for the closing number, we have a Jazz-Blues fusion, the legendary "Real Folk Blues", ending theme of Cowboy Bebop, and hands down one of the greatest songs to be composed under God's hot sun.
If you have been living in a cave for this past decade, "Real Folk Blues" is composed by Kanno Yoko, who collaborated exclusively with the jazz band SEATBELTS and blues singer Yamane Mai for the legendary anime Cowboy Bebop.
Even if you don't understand Japanese, you can clearly feel the overflowing emotion put into this song. The strong acoustic guitar, the wailing and screeching guitar, the lonely drums, the harmony of violins and horns, Yamane Mai's soulful vocals and her delicious raspy screams towards the end of the song, everything has been set perfectly by the maestro Kanno Yoko for your pleasure only.
With this, your night is now complete.
I know that some of you guys enjoy listening to your music in a certain fashion.
For example, blasting a hot blooded Super Robot song before going to a sports meet for the adrenaline rush, playing soft and sweet ballads for a good night lullaby, or cheerful punk ronk tracks to start your day.
So you can call me DJ Smartass, I'm going to present to you 20 Japanese songs that fit in with a chilling night ambience.
This was made with night time driving as the focus. When the sky has turned dark, playing these tracks in your car sets the mood perfectly, especially when you're out with the boys after midnight.
"HOME SWEET HOME - reform" - Home Made Kazoku
This is the remix version of HMKu's hit single "HOME SWEET HOME - reborn", 2006's "Most requested song" of Japan's collective radio stations, and HMKu's catalyst to superstardom.
This remix is an all around song that screams out the word "chill night".
The keys, the horns, the drums, and the unique fusion of MICRO's high and KURO's low key vocals, they provide a solid and delicious mix of hip-hop and blues unlike any other chill song.
Well, this song ranked 3rd in my previous top 10 Jpop list. A perfect opener for your night time collection.
"Bump! Bump!" - BoA
This is my utmost favorite BoA song.
I love the consistent soprano sax and blues scratch prominent all over the track.
If you are a Jpop fan, you would have known how BoA failed her US debut around 3 years ago.
She, or more precisely her music producer, changed her style to match the US RNB scene.
It worked well for "Eat you Up", but for the rest of her album, not so much.....
Utada Hikaru released her 2nd US album around the same time as BoA's debut, stayed true to her Jpop style and gained moderate to high success.
This would serve as a big lesson to BoA, who went back to Asia and released "Bump! Bump!" with veteran rapper Verbal.
The song depicts how BoA is going to shine despite the harsh failures of her past haunting her, how she's going to rise again to the top by just being herself.
"Mr. Taxi" - SNSD
YES. THIS VERSION IS IN JAPANESE.
YES, I AM A BIG FAN OF THEM.
YES, YOU MUST HAVE THIS IN YOUR COLLECTION.
NO, NO BUTS.
"STARSTRUCK" - m-flo loves AI, Hinouchi Emi, Rum
DJ taku is a genius composer and Verbal is a globally accomplished emcee who has been working with giant stars from all over the world.
Their "m-flo loves" project is generally accepted by the Japanese as a "dream collaboration" of sorts, where m-flo invited various artists to create some songs together.
"STARSTRUCK" features the up and rising cute Hinouchi Emi who is well known as an urban singer with her sweet voice, Rum who is one part of the Heartsdales female rap duo, and AI who is a quarter Italian RNB singer with a distinct soulful voice.
"Driving Through the Night" - m.o.v.e
Now look at the song title, look at it closely, it said "Driving through the Night".
YYYYYYYEEEEAAA BBBBBBBOOOIIII IT'S IKKITOUSEN BBBBBIITTCCCCHEESSSS!!!
FANSERVICE FOR LIFE MADAFAKKKAAAAAAAAA!!!
*cough*
Pardon me, too much oppai can screw with your common sense.
Well to be honest there are better m.o.v.e tracks out there that could replace "Driving through the Night" in this list, like the cool Friday night song MUGEN, the funky and catchy Blazin' Beat, or their most awesome song and my personal favorite Gravity to name a few examples.
But yes, you can't possibly skip out a song which blatantly have the same title as this post's topic and is overall a great chill track.
"Around the World" - MONKEY MAJIK
Both are bands famous for their signature "gaijin members", but Far East Movement is totally overrated just because they are big in the US and musically speaking, MONKEY MAJIK is far more superior with their versatility.
MONKEY MAJIK has been producing Spitz-like feelgood music that are easy in your ears since their early days. "Around the World" was their first breakthrough to mainstream success, and boy they really nailed it with this one.
"FIREWORKS" - EXILE
"We'll See Heaven" - Digital Planet
Your night is never complete without EUROBEAT! Especially if you drive!
Please remember that if you have friends on your car when this track is on, don't take everything they say into your heart.
Their usual response would be, "Whoa Initial-D! Hey drift on that corner!" and you won't believe how tempting it is to follow their words when this song is blasting, when you're out past midnight and the streets are empty.
Your life is very important, please keep that in mind, you wouldn't want to LITERALLY see heaven just because a song tells you so.
"SWITCH" - LISA feat. Koda Kumi and Heartsdales
Another perfect representation of a "chill night" mood. What do we have here?
We have LISA, the half Columbian former m-flo vocalist, Koda Kumi, the Christina Aguilera of Japan, and Heartsdales, the famous female rap duo.
All of them are veterans when it comes to urban pop. "SWITCH" is the result of that extraordinary collaboration, and it is certainly cool as fuck.
This song was tied up with a very old school PS2 game, Crimson Tears. I played that game for a bit in junior high and completely forgot the storyline lol.
"1,000,000 Monsters Attack" - SOUL'd OUT
SOUL'd OUT is one of the more popular rap groups in Japan with their unique urban style.
DIGGY's somewhat nasal rap style might be annoying to English speakers, but there's no denying his music composing ability.
Even his solo career is going very smooth thanks to his creativity.
Combine that with the finishing touch of DJ Shinnosuke and the high speed rap of Brother Hi, you'll get a massive package called SOUL'd OUT.
"1,000,000 Monsters Attack" was featured as one of FIFA 2005's soundtracks.
The lyrics may not make sense after the first verse, but the overall music ambient is perfect for night time activities, especially a futsal match.
Next time you play futsal, bring a boombox and blast this off, it's going to be epic I tell you.
"Nemurenai no wa Dare no Sei" - Inaba Koshi
"GENERATION" - J Soul Brothers
J-soul Brothers was a former EXILE's brother group that has joined EXILE's ranks as of now.
Well actually, J-soul Brothers was used as EXILE's first group name after its major debut, but they changed to EXILE after co-founder Yagi Shokichi went to manage another group and used the J-soul Brothers to name his new group.
J-soul Brothers operate in the same manner as EXILE's. Two vocalists and the rest are dancers.
You can say that they are a species of pure pop group entertainers, which is rare in Japan's present idol culture.
"GENERATION" was featured in EXILE's album "MONSTER - someday", which is the first album released after their merge. It has a pretty cool beat and vocals, what else would you like to ask for?
"Traveling" - Utada Hikaru
Utada's soothing vocal really brings out the best of her chill songs like "Automatic" and "Movin' on Without You", but "Traveling" takes the crown amongst her vast discography.
Well, you can say that it is the best Japanese song out there in terms of night time ambient.
Its very lyrics tells the story of a young woman who has just finished from her work and hopped in a taxi, asking the driver to just joyride anywhere, enjoying the night breeze and scenery.
"Kagayaku Yoru" - CHEMISTRY
http://www.jpopsuki.tv/video/CHEMISTRY---Kagayaku-Yoru-/15b9f8b041d4c23e025398e25804a513
It is quite sad and disappointing to see one of the greatest pop groups in Japan to break up. CHEMISTRY has been one of the leading pop artist in Japan who excelled in soothing ballads and feelgood music.
Now Kawabata Kaname and Yoshikuni Douchin has split up to pursue their own solo career, with seemingly no intentions to have reunions whatsoever.
With the sheer amount of ballads in their discography, "Kagayaku Yoru" (Shining Night) is one of their rarer uplifting songs.
It was used as the theme song of 2008 U-18 football Olympics, and it certainly reflects the soulful mood of the field: How your friends and teammates are always there to support you no matter what.
"Heart of Sword ~ Yoake Mae" - T.M Revolution
I'm going to put it bluntly here.
If you don't know this song, you should feel bad. I mean it.
"Heart of Sword" is a staple knowledge for every single person who are into anime culture.
No explanations necessary.
"Only You can Rock Me" - Seikou Nagaoka feat. Mi-yo
He has been dabbling in the world of music around the same time as the legendary Komuro Tetsuya and Max Matsuura.
He composed anime soundtracks as well.
To Heart, Strike Witches, and the Tenchi Muyou series are some of his more popular examples.
His music production and arrangement career is even more popular.
Bigshots like EXILE, KINKI KIDS, and SMAP have been under his care at one time.
"Aishitene Motto" - Kayo Aiko
Time for a jazzy sweet, sweeeeet, diabetic love song by Kayo Aiko the idol singer.
Yes, it's the ending theme for that violent martial arts anime "Tenjou Tenge".
"Aishitene Motto" literally translates to "Love Me More", and yes, who would not want to love her more with that kind of hypnotizing voice aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!
It tells a story of how a girl is crazily in love with 'you', how she is not able to fall asleep and how she desperately needs to hug 'you' right now. She wants you to just look at her.
It is more than enough for her to just be beside 'you', and she will love 'you' more than ever before, always.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA MOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
"Kirei na Sora" - AAA
[PV] Kirei na Sora (AAA) by HyoukaC
AAA was originally a group of background dancers before Avex decided to put them together into a new mishmash pop group, marketing them as "Attack All Around" with their superior dance moves.
Their discography consists of mostly energetic and uplifting songs.
Examples including their ever famous Kamen Rider Den-O's Climax Jump, the dark and edgy Samurai Heart, and the very iconic Blood on Fire.
They only have a few soft ballads in their discography so suffice to say that a funky song like "Kirei na Sora" is a rare find.
"Cruel Angel's Thesis (10th anniversary edition)" - Takahashi Youko
Yes, I have a soft spot for jazz music, especially uptempo jazz.
Heck, you can say that I love everything that has jazz as its roots: Jazz-rock, acid jazz, hip-hop jazz, jungle jazz, jazztronic, pretty much anything really.
"Real Folk Blues" - The SEATBELTS feat. Yamane Mai
And for the closing number, we have a Jazz-Blues fusion, the legendary "Real Folk Blues", ending theme of Cowboy Bebop, and hands down one of the greatest songs to be composed under God's hot sun.
If you have been living in a cave for this past decade, "Real Folk Blues" is composed by Kanno Yoko, who collaborated exclusively with the jazz band SEATBELTS and blues singer Yamane Mai for the legendary anime Cowboy Bebop.
Even if you don't understand Japanese, you can clearly feel the overflowing emotion put into this song. The strong acoustic guitar, the wailing and screeching guitar, the lonely drums, the harmony of violins and horns, Yamane Mai's soulful vocals and her delicious raspy screams towards the end of the song, everything has been set perfectly by the maestro Kanno Yoko for your pleasure only.
With this, your night is now complete.
Anthony's Top 5 Game Songs
After two months of laziness and fooling around, Anthony is back with another blogpost.
Following Clare's Top 5 Game Songs, here is some of my top pick from the Gaming industry.
Do note that it's practically impossible for me to create a list of cream of the crop, top 5 game songs since it is loosely affected by my mood.
Sometimes it would be dominated by JAM Project, sometimes a P3/P4-esque typical Japanese music, and sometimes fighting game tracks (notably the metal Guilty Gear and hip hop Street Fighter III) or even DDR music.
This is just a couple of songs that happened to be in my top 5 lists more often than the others.
5. "La Mer" (Suikoden IV opening theme)
Suikoden IV is a -love it or hate it- type of game.
It has a very simplified gameplay unlike its complex predecessors, and comes with the RPG standard of a 4-man battle system, which abandoned the Suikoden trademark 6-man team battle mechanics (with its own cool features).
Playtime wise, you can finish the game swiftly under 24 hours with all 108 stars recruited.
The encounter rate is insanely high for a PS2 game (and a Suikoden installment on top of it) and there are tons of plotholes and character background stories left unexplained (that's why Tactics were made).
Also, the world map is so fucking small it's possible to explore every nook and cranny.
With those simplicity so unrepresenting the typical Suikoden, most Suikoden fans dubbed it as one of the worst (the worst is arguably Tierkries by now) Suikoden game up to date.
However, those very fans couldn't deny the fact that Suikoden IV has one of the best -if not the best- theme in the whole franchise.
"La Mer", or "The Sea" in French, is a theme unlike any other. The soothing harmony of harp and acoustic guitar is flawlessly executed, plattered exquisitely for the players to enjoy along the amazing scenery of the blue sea. It is a fucking masterpiece on its own right.
4. "Brutal Heart" (Way of the Samurai series)
Asakura Noriyuki is famous for composing epic sounding tracks that has a classic Japanese feel to it. Rurouni Kenshin, for one, is the most prolific example of his works. When it comes to games, he is the main composer of "Tenchu" and "Way of the Samurai" game franchises.
"Brutal Heart" is played in the very first installment of "Way of the Samurai" game, as a final battle theme. Long story short, our character the samurai needs to fight against the government army led by a corrupt colonel that is threatening to divide and conquer the village.
There is one problem though, you are breaking through the army camp alone, in the middle of the fucking night.
When this song plays, you would find yourself facing hundreds of army goons, alone. FUCKING EPIC.
The song is then remixed numerous times throughout the future installments, and is best identified as the "Way of the Samurai" theme.
3. "Let's Get it On" (Street Fighter III 3rd Strike character selection)
Probably the best hip-hop soundtrack in the current gaming industry and is undoubtedly the best character selection theme in history. "Let's Get It On" is produced by Okugawa Hideki, featuring Canadian rapper INFINITE
Street Fighter III 3rd Strike is famous in the gaming community for its revolutionary music, and is listed numerous times in various gaming magazines as one of the best games in terms of soundtrack and overall musical ambience. Spearheaded by Okugawa, 3rd Strike features an array of chill music variety, which has a deep root in jazz. It mainly comprises of jazz influenced hip-hop, breakbeats, drum and bass, trance, and oldschool jungle music.
For a game circa 1998-1999, those genre of music seemed so out of place in Japan that no composers would even think about touching them. Almost all of them follows the conventional electronic synth pop-rock "Megaman X / Dead or Alive" style.
There were noticeable innovations though. Uematsu Nobuo presented epic orchestral sounds with Final Fantasy series and Ishiwatari Daisuke brought heavy metal to Japan with Guilty Gear. Okugawa however, dared to be different. He chose club jazz as the basis of his arrangements and worked with different types of chill music to make one hell of a chilling ambient.
Just look at the lyrics. This shit is so real it stays strong 13 years after the game's release.
This is it, the magnum opus of Game music. The best of the best, cream of the crop, piece de resistance, chef de oeuvre, whatever the fuck you call it.
"SKILL" is exclusively produced by JAM Project for Super Robot Wars 2nd Alpha, continuing their awesome legacy for the spinoff game Alpha Gaiden.
Super Robot Wars itself is a very successful turn-based strategy game franchise in Japan, featuring hundreds of robots and characters from more than 50 different mecha animes that are united by a single cause in one epic storyline.
It has spawned 32 different titles with 5 different trilogies that can put Star Wars to shame. The latest and most anticipated installment is Super Robot Wars Z2 for PSP, which features Tengen Toppa Gurenn Lagann, Macross 7, Code Geass R2, Turn A Gundam, and Shin Getter Robo Armageddon, all under one title. SRWZ trilogy is also famous for fixing the storyline of Gundam Seed Destiny, which is a major stain in the history of Gundam.
The Alpha trilogy is probably the best in terms of storytelling up to date, ending in SRW 3rd Alpha, in which our heroes are struggling against the unseen force of destiny, and need to travel to a distant galaxy to fight against the embodiment of destiny itself.
In 2nd Alpha, which features the song "SKILL", our heroes are up against numerous evil forces that is threatening mother Earth. However, they must face the guardian goddess of Earth itself in the end, who deemed that it is better for her to destroy Earth by herself before the force of destiny annihilates humankind. The song then blares out loudly, giving goosebumps to the player in all its hotbloodedness. The heroes then proceed to swear that they will protect humanity no matter what it takes.
Honestly, I think the term "EPIC" in dictionaries must be replaced with "SKILL" instead.
"A skill movie"
"Skill fail"
"Skill answer"
"Skill meal time"
"Holy shit, this song is so fucking skill yo!"
"This guy is so skill yo!"
etc. etc.
Following Clare's Top 5 Game Songs, here is some of my top pick from the Gaming industry.
Do note that it's practically impossible for me to create a list of cream of the crop, top 5 game songs since it is loosely affected by my mood.
Sometimes it would be dominated by JAM Project, sometimes a P3/P4-esque typical Japanese music, and sometimes fighting game tracks (notably the metal Guilty Gear and hip hop Street Fighter III) or even DDR music.
This is just a couple of songs that happened to be in my top 5 lists more often than the others.
5. "La Mer" (Suikoden IV opening theme)
Suikoden IV is a -love it or hate it- type of game.
It has a very simplified gameplay unlike its complex predecessors, and comes with the RPG standard of a 4-man battle system, which abandoned the Suikoden trademark 6-man team battle mechanics (with its own cool features).
Playtime wise, you can finish the game swiftly under 24 hours with all 108 stars recruited.
The encounter rate is insanely high for a PS2 game (and a Suikoden installment on top of it) and there are tons of plotholes and character background stories left unexplained (that's why Tactics were made).
Also, the world map is so fucking small it's possible to explore every nook and cranny.
With those simplicity so unrepresenting the typical Suikoden, most Suikoden fans dubbed it as one of the worst (the worst is arguably Tierkries by now) Suikoden game up to date.
However, those very fans couldn't deny the fact that Suikoden IV has one of the best -if not the best- theme in the whole franchise.
"La Mer", or "The Sea" in French, is a theme unlike any other. The soothing harmony of harp and acoustic guitar is flawlessly executed, plattered exquisitely for the players to enjoy along the amazing scenery of the blue sea. It is a fucking masterpiece on its own right.
4. "Brutal Heart" (Way of the Samurai series)
Asakura Noriyuki is famous for composing epic sounding tracks that has a classic Japanese feel to it. Rurouni Kenshin, for one, is the most prolific example of his works. When it comes to games, he is the main composer of "Tenchu" and "Way of the Samurai" game franchises.
"Brutal Heart" is played in the very first installment of "Way of the Samurai" game, as a final battle theme. Long story short, our character the samurai needs to fight against the government army led by a corrupt colonel that is threatening to divide and conquer the village.
There is one problem though, you are breaking through the army camp alone, in the middle of the fucking night.
When this song plays, you would find yourself facing hundreds of army goons, alone. FUCKING EPIC.
The song is then remixed numerous times throughout the future installments, and is best identified as the "Way of the Samurai" theme.
3. "Let's Get it On" (Street Fighter III 3rd Strike character selection)
Probably the best hip-hop soundtrack in the current gaming industry and is undoubtedly the best character selection theme in history. "Let's Get It On" is produced by Okugawa Hideki, featuring Canadian rapper INFINITE
Street Fighter III 3rd Strike is famous in the gaming community for its revolutionary music, and is listed numerous times in various gaming magazines as one of the best games in terms of soundtrack and overall musical ambience. Spearheaded by Okugawa, 3rd Strike features an array of chill music variety, which has a deep root in jazz. It mainly comprises of jazz influenced hip-hop, breakbeats, drum and bass, trance, and oldschool jungle music.
For a game circa 1998-1999, those genre of music seemed so out of place in Japan that no composers would even think about touching them. Almost all of them follows the conventional electronic synth pop-rock "Megaman X / Dead or Alive" style.
There were noticeable innovations though. Uematsu Nobuo presented epic orchestral sounds with Final Fantasy series and Ishiwatari Daisuke brought heavy metal to Japan with Guilty Gear. Okugawa however, dared to be different. He chose club jazz as the basis of his arrangements and worked with different types of chill music to make one hell of a chilling ambient.
Just look at the lyrics. This shit is so real it stays strong 13 years after the game's release.
Yo, I know ya got your options So pick the right bid
Some choices to make And mad ruckus to bring
Just hooked on it Da bodies, who want it
I don't know where you got your skills from Jump off it
Bring it on, any opponent or contender
No one can stop this With guns or objects
As far as I'm concerned, yo it's only one topic
Join the Street Fighters from bare hands to toxic
If your an average warrior, I be the master
I could teach you how to fight and move faster
One false move kid, that'd be disaster
I'll beat you endless and continue the day after
Street Fighter 3, that's right, the third chapter
This game's for real, no blond's and no actors
Pick your character, know one to represent your life
We're stompin anybody so make the choice right
Some choices to make And mad ruckus to bring
Just hooked on it Da bodies, who want it
I don't know where you got your skills from Jump off it
Bring it on, any opponent or contender
No one can stop this With guns or objects
As far as I'm concerned, yo it's only one topic
Join the Street Fighters from bare hands to toxic
If your an average warrior, I be the master
I could teach you how to fight and move faster
One false move kid, that'd be disaster
I'll beat you endless and continue the day after
Street Fighter 3, that's right, the third chapter
This game's for real, no blond's and no actors
Pick your character, know one to represent your life
We're stompin anybody so make the choice right
2. Metal Gear Solid 2 theme (MGS2: Sons of Liberty)
You cannot consider yourself a gamer if you have never listened to this theme before. Okay, maybe not exactly this one, perhaps you have heard of other remixes of the original Metal Gear Solid theme. Out of the numerous remixes, I like the MGS2 remix the best.
You can't seriously expect me to run a brief summary of the Metal Gear Solid series here. There are no sane gamers who have never touched the game. If you call yourself a gamer, you are expected to have played one of the installments or at least have heard of the series before and have a general understanding on how the game works.
It's the Final Fantasy equivalent of action games. Well, storywise, it even tops FF Tactics (which have the best storyline in the FF franchise) so yeah. Ah fuck it, the story by itself puts Hollywood films to shame ffs.
1. "SKILL" - JAM Project (Super Robot Wars Alpha 2)
You cannot consider yourself a gamer if you have never listened to this theme before. Okay, maybe not exactly this one, perhaps you have heard of other remixes of the original Metal Gear Solid theme. Out of the numerous remixes, I like the MGS2 remix the best.
You can't seriously expect me to run a brief summary of the Metal Gear Solid series here. There are no sane gamers who have never touched the game. If you call yourself a gamer, you are expected to have played one of the installments or at least have heard of the series before and have a general understanding on how the game works.
It's the Final Fantasy equivalent of action games. Well, storywise, it even tops FF Tactics (which have the best storyline in the FF franchise) so yeah. Ah fuck it, the story by itself puts Hollywood films to shame ffs.
1. "SKILL" - JAM Project (Super Robot Wars Alpha 2)
This is it, the magnum opus of Game music. The best of the best, cream of the crop, piece de resistance, chef de oeuvre, whatever the fuck you call it.
"SKILL" is exclusively produced by JAM Project for Super Robot Wars 2nd Alpha, continuing their awesome legacy for the spinoff game Alpha Gaiden.
Super Robot Wars itself is a very successful turn-based strategy game franchise in Japan, featuring hundreds of robots and characters from more than 50 different mecha animes that are united by a single cause in one epic storyline.
It has spawned 32 different titles with 5 different trilogies that can put Star Wars to shame. The latest and most anticipated installment is Super Robot Wars Z2 for PSP, which features Tengen Toppa Gurenn Lagann, Macross 7, Code Geass R2, Turn A Gundam, and Shin Getter Robo Armageddon, all under one title. SRWZ trilogy is also famous for fixing the storyline of Gundam Seed Destiny, which is a major stain in the history of Gundam.
The Alpha trilogy is probably the best in terms of storytelling up to date, ending in SRW 3rd Alpha, in which our heroes are struggling against the unseen force of destiny, and need to travel to a distant galaxy to fight against the embodiment of destiny itself.
In 2nd Alpha, which features the song "SKILL", our heroes are up against numerous evil forces that is threatening mother Earth. However, they must face the guardian goddess of Earth itself in the end, who deemed that it is better for her to destroy Earth by herself before the force of destiny annihilates humankind. The song then blares out loudly, giving goosebumps to the player in all its hotbloodedness. The heroes then proceed to swear that they will protect humanity no matter what it takes.
Honestly, I think the term "EPIC" in dictionaries must be replaced with "SKILL" instead.
"A skill movie"
"Skill fail"
"Skill answer"
"Skill meal time"
"Holy shit, this song is so fucking skill yo!"
"This guy is so skill yo!"
etc. etc.
Clare's Top 5 Game songs
Hi, I am Back to the blog again. Before i share about my favorite anime songs , I would like to share my favorite game songs as I have lots of anime songs I like and very hard for me to decide.
5. Sora no Kiseki FC / Hoshi no Arika
The game is a normal rpg with anime style. It's not awesome or anything but I love the game and really longing for part 2 n part 3 in english version. The song is really matched with the story because of the lyrics. It really touched my heart after I played the game.
4. Tales of Vesperia / Ring a bell
I'd never played the game until now but I love the song. So no comment about the game. However, I love the lyrics and music.
3. hack//G.U / Gentle hands
I love this game so veryyyyyyyyyy much. I played all of hack//G.U series which is total of three.
Maybe the MC very similar to Sasuke from Naruto XDD. Its also rpg game and they have anime ova sequel of the game but only one so far :(. Enjoy the song.
2. Sora no Kiseki / Harmonia
I'm not sure why I like this song. I guess the lyrics also since i listen songs only if I like the lyrics and music. I love the singer voice and the way she sang also.
1. Final Fantasy Type 0 / Zero
Do I even need to explain why I love this song? Its really one of the best game songs I've ever heard. I am so into the song and its awesome. I am not expert at music but one thing for sure is its really really nice song. And the characters and game play thumbs up. The story wise also quite different from usual rpg game. Go play the game and listen this song even nicer.
This will be all for now. For my fav anime songs very hard for me. For me songs lyrics must be nice and the background music also must be good and the vocal also. If not then I normally don't listen. the song must touch my heart either rock or pop or punk. Hope you enjoy my post. See you again.
5. Sora no Kiseki FC / Hoshi no Arika
The game is a normal rpg with anime style. It's not awesome or anything but I love the game and really longing for part 2 n part 3 in english version. The song is really matched with the story because of the lyrics. It really touched my heart after I played the game.
4. Tales of Vesperia / Ring a bell
I'd never played the game until now but I love the song. So no comment about the game. However, I love the lyrics and music.
3. hack//G.U / Gentle hands
I love this game so veryyyyyyyyyy much. I played all of hack//G.U series which is total of three.
Maybe the MC very similar to Sasuke from Naruto XDD. Its also rpg game and they have anime ova sequel of the game but only one so far :(. Enjoy the song.
2. Sora no Kiseki / Harmonia
I'm not sure why I like this song. I guess the lyrics also since i listen songs only if I like the lyrics and music. I love the singer voice and the way she sang also.
1. Final Fantasy Type 0 / Zero
Do I even need to explain why I love this song? Its really one of the best game songs I've ever heard. I am so into the song and its awesome. I am not expert at music but one thing for sure is its really really nice song. And the characters and game play thumbs up. The story wise also quite different from usual rpg game. Go play the game and listen this song even nicer.
This will be all for now. For my fav anime songs very hard for me. For me songs lyrics must be nice and the background music also must be good and the vocal also. If not then I normally don't listen. the song must touch my heart either rock or pop or punk. Hope you enjoy my post. See you again.
Anthony's Weekly Jpop Goodness: "Love Phantom"
Song of the week: "Love Phantom" by B'z
Again, I have not done anything for two weeks worth of Jpop reviews thanks to last week's AFA and the addicting Final Fantasy Reishiki. So I'll just slap in another one of my favorite songs here.
In my Gaming Shit blogpost months ago, I mentioned that my IGN in various MMORPGs and other online games is LovePhantom.
(Last used in Lucent Heart pre-OB, I'm currently not playing MMORPGs since I need to focus on this fucking final year)
As you can clearly see, I got the name from one of B'z songs that is the catchiest, and undoubtedly one of the most memorable songs in Japanese music history.
Released in 1995, "Love Phantom" became an instant hit in Japan and was popular among teenagers and adults alike.
It was Japan's song of the year 1995, and was the number one song in Japanese karaokes for 2 years straight, 1995-1996.
Like many other B'z mega hits, Love Phantom is now considered a real classic track, and there are still tons of vocalists challenging themselves by trying to sing it perfectly.
Just look at the sheer number of Love Phantom-based AMVs. It is that fucking popular.
In case if you are wondering, "Anthony, why did you choose a picture of Mio drenched in rain here?"
This is the answer: B'z LIVE-GYM 2000, the legendary "Love Phantom" performance in the middle of a thunderstorm.
Again, I have not done anything for two weeks worth of Jpop reviews thanks to last week's AFA and the addicting Final Fantasy Reishiki. So I'll just slap in another one of my favorite songs here.
In my Gaming Shit blogpost months ago, I mentioned that my IGN in various MMORPGs and other online games is LovePhantom.
(Last used in Lucent Heart pre-OB, I'm currently not playing MMORPGs since I need to focus on this fucking final year)
As you can clearly see, I got the name from one of B'z songs that is the catchiest, and undoubtedly one of the most memorable songs in Japanese music history.
Released in 1995, "Love Phantom" became an instant hit in Japan and was popular among teenagers and adults alike.
It was Japan's song of the year 1995, and was the number one song in Japanese karaokes for 2 years straight, 1995-1996.
Like many other B'z mega hits, Love Phantom is now considered a real classic track, and there are still tons of vocalists challenging themselves by trying to sing it perfectly.
Just look at the sheer number of Love Phantom-based AMVs. It is that fucking popular.
In case if you are wondering, "Anthony, why did you choose a picture of Mio drenched in rain here?"
This is the answer: B'z LIVE-GYM 2000, the legendary "Love Phantom" performance in the middle of a thunderstorm.
Anthony's Weekly Jpop Goodness: "FIREWORKS"
Song of the week: "FIREWORKS" by EXILE
Woops, I was carried away with the newly released Final Fantasy Reishiki and delayed writing this for three days. Oh well...
Let's skip on my top 10 Jpop list because I want to introduce you to one of the catchiest Japanese songs I have ever heard in my whole life.
It's EXILE's "FIREWORKS", no, Katy Perry is not Japanese.
To be fair, every song that has a combination of fucking awesome shamisen and flute -or generally any traditional instruments- with modern genre of music such as RnB, has to be ungodly catchy.
Also, Avex banned all full PVs of their artist in youtube, that's why you can only find short PVs there. I gave another link above so check that one out for the full version.
"The Hurricane -FIREWORKS-" was released in summer 2009, and it was the second EXILE single after they merged with their brother group "J-soul Brothers", becoming a 14 member group. At that point of time, they managed to expand their repertoire by trying to include J Soul Brothers tendency to do more aggressive hip-hop songs and rap. FIREWORKS is one shining example.
Woops, I was carried away with the newly released Final Fantasy Reishiki and delayed writing this for three days. Oh well...
Let's skip on my top 10 Jpop list because I want to introduce you to one of the catchiest Japanese songs I have ever heard in my whole life.
It's EXILE's "FIREWORKS", no, Katy Perry is not Japanese.
To be fair, every song that has a combination of fucking awesome shamisen and flute -or generally any traditional instruments- with modern genre of music such as RnB, has to be ungodly catchy.
Also, Avex banned all full PVs of their artist in youtube, that's why you can only find short PVs there. I gave another link above so check that one out for the full version.
"The Hurricane -FIREWORKS-" was released in summer 2009, and it was the second EXILE single after they merged with their brother group "J-soul Brothers", becoming a 14 member group. At that point of time, they managed to expand their repertoire by trying to include J Soul Brothers tendency to do more aggressive hip-hop songs and rap. FIREWORKS is one shining example.
Anthony's Weekly Jpop Goodness: "Believer"
Song of the week: "Believer" by BACK-ON
On to the 2nd in my top 10 Jpop list, we have "Believer", one of the most underrated songs from one of the most underrated bands in today's mainstream Jpop. I can't find any stereo version of this song in youtube, and I'm so lazy to upload mine (lol it's in my HDD and my HDD is really far from me now and I'm currently enjoying my time on the couch) so please bear with it.
"Believer" is the B-side of "Chain", BACK-ON's major debut single in 2006 that was used as the first opening theme of Air Gear's anime.
Until now, I still think it should be a double A-side single, or even better, Believer should be used as Air Gear's OP and the single's A-side and instead of Chain!
Never mind the video tagline, Believer was never used as Air-Gear themesong.
On to the 2nd in my top 10 Jpop list, we have "Believer", one of the most underrated songs from one of the most underrated bands in today's mainstream Jpop. I can't find any stereo version of this song in youtube, and I'm so lazy to upload mine (lol it's in my HDD and my HDD is really far from me now and I'm currently enjoying my time on the couch) so please bear with it.
"Believer" is the B-side of "Chain", BACK-ON's major debut single in 2006 that was used as the first opening theme of Air Gear's anime.
Until now, I still think it should be a double A-side single, or even better, Believer should be used as Air Gear's OP and the single's A-side and instead of Chain!
Never mind the video tagline, Believer was never used as Air-Gear themesong.
Anthony's Weekly Jpop Goodness: "DANGAN"
Song of the week: "DANGAN" by B'z
Anthony returns with a weekly Jpop review. There will be a certain Japanese song covered every week with a short review, lyrics and translation.
If you have read my previous Q&A corner "Jpop Shit", you would know by now that B'z is my favorite artist.
In the top 10 list that I have made back then, the number one song was titled "DANGAN", or "Bullet" in English.
Released in 2007 in a special Extended Play album, "DANGAN" (first video) is a remake of the 1998 "Samayoeru Aoi Dangan" / Wandering Blue Bullet (second video) with more emphasis on rock instead of synth works.
Anthony returns with a weekly Jpop review. There will be a certain Japanese song covered every week with a short review, lyrics and translation.
If you have read my previous Q&A corner "Jpop Shit", you would know by now that B'z is my favorite artist.
In the top 10 list that I have made back then, the number one song was titled "DANGAN", or "Bullet" in English.
Released in 2007 in a special Extended Play album, "DANGAN" (first video) is a remake of the 1998 "Samayoeru Aoi Dangan" / Wandering Blue Bullet (second video) with more emphasis on rock instead of synth works.
Student Week 2011 Epilogue
AMCC's booth for Student Week 2011 was a huge success. Our booth had effectively the most club members coming down to support and help out. For many, i am also sure we had the most outstanding booth and this would not have been possible without everyones support.
Here is a big thank you to everyone, both members and random passer-bys, whom dropped by our booth and visited during Student Week!!
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