Tougenkyo PV
Why am I still awake at 1:30am? I switch on the internets and discover to my delight that the PV for one half of the new double A single has been played on Space Shower, copied, upped, downloaded and passed about (torrent here on jpopsuki).
Like I said, it's late, which means my first impressions after listening to the full version might not be the most cohesive (but possibly the most truthful). As we all know, the best way to go about these things when you're falling asleep is to either go to bed or make a list. Bear in mind that I wrote this after only a few listens:
GOOD:
* For a generally cheerful pop/rap band, It's a surprise to think that this is the peppiest song they've put out since last years Twinkle Star. It certainly doesn't plod along unobtrusively like Tip Taps and LOOK did.
* I love the break down/rap part of the song, which comes on suddenly and jarringly and sounds like it's been cut out of another song. It's one of those great 'sit up straight and pay attention!' moments that's been missing from the last couple of singles.
* You could probably dance to it without too much effort.
* I like the PV too, even if it is more than slightly reminiscent of that short video they made to promote Ongaku.
* Yukari's hair looks great.
NOT SO GOOD:
* That guitar riff is generic, like a Kaela Kimura b-side. It either sounds incredibly similar to another song whose title escapes me, or it's so stock that it's just giving me the impression that I've already heard it a dozen times before.
* I don't know why, but as soon as the video started I thought "please don't do any air guitar".
* Here's the points that probably won't let me sleep for another hour at least-
regardless of whether you like it or not- is it even a Halcali song? What does a 'Halcali' song constitute these days anyway? After the schizophrenic jumps they've made with recent releases (listen to Twinkle Star, then LOOK, then the download singles, then listen to this), do they still have the strong identity they used to?
As long as the songs are good though, does that even matter anymore?
posted by jariten at 2:56 PM
11 Comments:
i like this! the song is good, and i think i'll really like it when i have a good quality mp3 so i can play it real loud. the pv is simple but very cute. i even liked most of the dorky air guitar.
7:29 PM
A style like that is very adaptable ... it's almost like TV skit style: Here's a bit of something, here's another bit of something, and another. It's the Halcali show (PV version) X)
12:33 AM
I don't know if i've formed a total opinion on the song yet. It's a song that I would really like if it was by any other group. But since it's Halcali my standards are just so much higher.
But I LOVE the PV. Sooo much. I love thier dance and they seem totally into it. And I for one like the air guitar too. It's the kinda dorky Halcali that I remember and love. I liked the break in the middle at the resturant too. So far I feel much better about the PV than the song itself.
Does anyone know if there will be a DVD coming out sometime soon of thier PVs? There hasn't been one in a while, and it doesn't look like there will be a DVD version of this single with the video on it...
1:33 AM
Joy!!!
First opinion, wow thats different.
But thats why i love Halcali and Im sure with enough listings I will love this song (Which I enjoy the first time I heard it).
The fact that this song is one half of the released single along with "Lights, camera, action" makes me wonder a lot. The fact that the 2 songs are so far apart in terms of style and it does beg the question about Halcali's identity at the moment.
Hopefully these 2 different songs can capture more than one type of music consumers could only be a good thing in the end.
Now time to pre-order the CD.
2:05 AM
I think it's fantastic! The song has more of the Halcali spirit than a lot of their recent stuff, even if the rapping isn't as main a focus as I think we would all like. The clip is great too-- cool, silly, and not as inappropriately polished like some of their more recent stuff (that badly designed LOOK clip, for example.)
As long as the songs are good though, does that even matter anymore?
Maybe it doesn’t, I think it's kind of obvious we're not going to get another album like Bacon anytime soon. Halcali changing into a pop group doing songs exclusively like Tip Taps would be awful, but I think the fact that their B-sides and releases like the web exclusive songs are consistently rad show that just need to just get through this period where they are obviously making "marketable" songs under heavy guidance of their label. We can just hope that the folks at Sony aren't stupid and will realise that this obviously isn't working out for them commercially, and will give them some leeway to do what they're actually good at in the future? Maybe it's already happening-- I can't imagine this song would sit that well as an anime ending theme.
3:01 AM
Love their outfits and hairstyles- the skinny black pants are so great on them.
I usually abhor air guitar, but they manage to make me really, really like it.. For however long the PV is.
And for the song? I love the 'break down/rap' parts the most, but the rest of the song is pretty good too. I agree with novaforever though, I would love the song if it were by someone else but with HalCali I expect more. Not that this song was really a letdown for me.
4:43 AM
I wasn't sure about this from the little preview on the site, but the full length song has swayed me.
It does sort of sound like a Kaela Kimura bit, but I like her so that's alright. :P
I love how its a rock song, and even though its rather standard, they've managed to tweak it just a bit to put that strange HALCALI quirkiness into it.
The rap parts are good, although some of it sounded redundant...or maybe I'm just being too critical about that. :P
The PV is great though. The simple, hilarious cheesiness of the old HALCALI PVs. I love the crappy choreography, and the people watching in the background and walking through the shots! HAHA
Awesome!
I usually hate pants like that, but they look so cute on the girls! Yucal's hair is still adorable, but Halca needs to find herself a cut that's just as flattering.
Actually, I think this just might be my favourite major single track from them thus far.
It goes down good. Real good.
:)
5:31 AM
tougenkyo is a weird song to me, but i think it was aimed at older halcali fans who don't like their new style. it really seems like it could have come off one of their old albums (which had other kooky sounding tracks).
they offset it by putting it together with lights,camera,action! which reflects their newer singing style. somehow i still think they will continue on with the singing style more than go retro and back to their old sound.
12:26 PM
Maybe Lights, Camera. Action! isn't as bad as we thought.
Apparently there are two versions, the 'Miina' (ミーナ) version, and the 'rap' version that are up on chaku uta.
*go to information on the main site, its the second bullet*
I wonder which version the single has...
oh, and, the site has a Togenkyo layout now. :P
4:41 PM
H is playing the air *bass* guitar. I always knew she was the cooler one.
3:16 AM
I'm still unsure to be honest.
It's certainly a good thing that this single isn't being sold entirly off the back of an anime as the last couple were.
If these are the only two songs on the single though, there won't be any surprises come the 14th (unless the version of LCA! turns out to be different from the anime version).
It's growing on me, I need to give it a couple more days though I think. I started to like the air guitar at least ;-)
Thanks for the comments everyone!
12:00 PM
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