Beyond the Sea ~ The Style. Edition

The cover of the CD only edition

Urusei Yatsura no Theme ~Lum no Love Song~ / “Me” (うる星やつらのテーマ ～ラムのラブソング～/「ミィ」) is misono’s 15th single and it was released on September 23, 2009. The single reached #18 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 4,162 copies.

misono is giving me the evil eye on the cover! LOL @ the eyelashes too. WHYYYYYY?

♦ ♦ ♦

I looooove misono’s version of Lum no Love Song, a popular anime theme song from the 80s. It’s very upbeat, has an awesome rock sound, and misono’s vocals are actually good and consistent. I always have to comment on her vocals because they can either make or break her songs and this time, we have a winner. Depsite being only 3 minutes long, it’s a very fun-filled 3 minutes.

The other track is…uh oh…a slow acoustic based song! Fortunately, “Me” isn’t that bad. It’s a lot better than those previous songs as well. She does sound a little choppy at times, like when she sings the high notes, but I thought she did a good job. I am surprised because she is actually IMPROVING! *head implodes*

Pros: This is her best single in a looooong time.
Cons: “Me” could have been better but oh well.

BASICALLY…when was the last time I gave a misono release the following rating?

Overall Rating

4 stars

Tracklisting

1. Urusei Yatsura no Theme ~Lum no Love Song~ (うる星やつらのテーマ ～ラムのラブソング～)
2. “Me” (「ミィ」)
3. Urusei Yatsura no Theme ~Lum no Love Song~ (instrumental)
4. “Me” (instrumental)

Tracklisting
1. end=START
2. Shuuten ~Kimi no Ude no Naka~
    (終点～君の腕の中～)
3. end=START [instrumental]
4. Shuuten ~Kimi no Ude no Naka~
    [instrumental]

This is misono’s 14th single and it was released on June 10, 2009. The single reached #19 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 6,072 copies. The 2nd track was used as the theme song for the movie The Harimaya Bridge.

After a series of duds, misono finally rebounds with a good song! I can honestly say that end=START is a big improvement over her last couple of singles. It’s a hard-hitting and aggressive track that represents a darker side of misono, something we don’t see that often. The electric guitars are furious and don’t let up, giving the music a lot of energy. The vocals are somewhat better as well but I would still like more control in her voice.

We all know that misono’s ballads haven’t been all that great, but she’s working on that too! Shuuten ~Kimi no Ude no Naka~ isn’t that bad. Throwing out that bland acoustic guitar, this song utilizes flowing piano and strings with light percussion to keep up the pace. To me, it was a nice change from those awful acoustic based songs.

Overall Rating

3½ stars

Tracklisting
1. Kyuukon ~Yaruki Genki Sono Ki no Nekko~
    (球魂～やる気・元気・その木の根っこ～)
2. ?cm
3. Kyuukon ~Yaruki Genki Sono Ki no Nekko~
    (instrumental)
4. ?cm (instrumental)

This is misono’s 12th single and it was released on February 25, 2009. The single reached #40 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 3,303 copies.

The first track of this double A-side single is Kyuukon ~Yaruki Genki Sono Ki no Nekko~, a light-hearted pop rock song. Compared to the material misono released during her ”rock project”, this song is definitely more on the campy side. The music still maintains that upbeat rock sound but the electric guitars seem less aggressive next to those thumping drums. However, that’s not a problem since it is a pretty catchy song  but I wish that misono would soften up her vocals a little bit. She would sound a lot better if she did.

I thought the other A-side, ?cm, wasn’t as good. It starts off nice enough but the chorus is pretty irritating, mainly due to misono’s strained vocals when she sings the English parts (fighting girl, fighting boy, etc). It just gets progressively worse towards the end as well. The verses are pretty good though since she actually displays some control in her voice.

Overall Rating

3 stars

Tracklisting
1. Kazoku no Hi (家族の日)
2. Aburazemi♀ (Osaka Version) -Piano Version-
    アブラゼミ♀ (大阪バージョン) -ピアノ・バージョン-
3. music letter
4. Aburazemi♀ (Osaka Version) -TV Size-
     アブラゼミ♀ (大阪バージョン) -TVサイズ-
5. Kazoku no Hi -instrumental-

This is misono’s 11th single and it was released on October 29, 2008. The single reached #23 on the Oricon Charts and sold 5,588 copies.

Kazoku no Hi is one of those “thank you mom and dad” kind of songs but set to a pretty good pop rock sound. It starts off with just acoustics but it transitions into catchy electric guitars for the 1st chorus. The instrumental sections are nice since they feature stronger riffs too. While I do like the overall melody, it tends to drag on and start getting repetitive, which is the only real flaw of the song. For being over 5 minutes in length, it’s too long.

For those who don’t know, misono is a regular on the popular game show Quiz! Hexagon II. It’s so popular in that it has its own special music units who perform songs for the show (even a compilation album was released and it hit #1 on Oricon). Aburazemi♀ (Osaka Version) is one of them and the original version is a duet between misono and comedian Hiroshi Shinagawa.
The piano version, which is exclusive to this single, is performed by just misono. The piano chords have a nice, playful vibe to them and are the best thing about the song. misono’s vocals are controlled most of time, but there are times when she strains her voice. I also have to note that this song is 8 freaking minutes long and gets boring about halfway through.

The next track is a song that only features simple music box chimes. music letter COULD have been good, but misono’s overly emotional vocals kind of ruin it. I guess she was crying throughout the entire thing but it seriously hinders her singing. She’s done this before with Last Song and I didn’t like that song either.

The original version of Aburazemi♀ (Osaka Version) appears as track 4 but in a shortened, TV Size format. I like it more than the piano version because it sounds better as a duet and more suited with its acoustic arrangement. Surprisingly, misono and Hiroshi Shinagawa sound good together.

Overall Rating

3 stars

Tracklisting
1. Ninin Sankyaku (二人三脚)
2. Rock Project Medley
3. Ninin Sankyaku (Instrumental)

This is misono’s 10th single and it was released on June 25, 2008. The single reached #10 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 27,595 copies. The title track was used as the theme song for the video game Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World.

I thought misono’s “Rock Project” was over with her previous single Mugen Kigen, but then a 4th single was slated for release as the theme song for the new Tales of Symphonia sequel. Much to my relief, Ninin Sankyaku is actually the best song she has made for this entire project. It’s a consistent and steady song but it still maintains a nice, edgy rock sound thanks to the aggressive riffs. misono’s vocals are neat as well and I liked how she stayed controlled during the energetic chorus.

The B-side is a 9 minute medley of all the A-sides featured in the Rock Project (in the order they were released in). It’s not bad and makes for a good recap, but it’s very unoriginal compared to the amazing Finger 5 Medley she did on her debut album. The songs are basically cut in half and smoothly transition into one another. Here’s how it goes:

• It starts off with Zasetsu Chiten, a pretty solid song. It has grown on me since then and it’s pretty energetic.
• Juunin Toiro is just plain weird. The way the song flows is weird and the same goes for the vocals, melody, and consistency of the music too. It’s still my least favorite of the Rock Project singles.
• Up next is Mugen Kigen, the slowest of the 4 songs. I really liked the elongated notes performed by the electric guitars and they give the song a somewhat epic feeling.
• The medley concludes with the ending sequence of Ninin Sankyaku, simple as that.

Overall Rating

4 stars

Tracklisting
1. Mugen Kigen (夢幻期限)
2. Last Song (ラストソング)
3. Mugen Kigen -instrumental-

This is misono’s 9th single and it was released on January 30, 2008. The single reached #32 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 3,002 copies.

misono’s music has been less than stellar lately, but Mugen Kigen is definitely a step up and a big improvement over Junnin Toiro. Being the last of the 3 rock-themed singles, did she save the best for last? This song does feel more epic and the riffs sound more refined and less grating. The only problem is they are very repetitive and don’t change all that much until the very end. That’s only a minor detail though, considering that the arrangement is of high quality. misono’s vocals are better too and she performs the chorus well.

The B-side is an adequate acoustic guitar song, but with some slight mess-ups. Last Song has a pretty depressing atmosphere and misono tries to match this with her voice. It sounds okay for the most part but there are some parts where her voice sounds like it’s going to break. Adding emotion is good and all, but it interferes with her vocal performance and it’s actually kind of a nuisance to the listener.

Overall Rating

3 stars

Tracklisting
1. Juunin Toiro (十人十色)
2. Gizagiza LIFE (ギザギザLIFE)
3. Juunin Toiro -instrumental-
4. Gizagiza LIFE -instrumental-

This is misono’s 8th single and it was released on November 14, 2007. The single reached #47 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 2,524 copies.

Juunin Toiro has all the potential to be a great rockish type of song, but something doesn’t seem quite right. I liked the mid paced tempo of the music thanks to the awesome electric guitar riffs and percussion that are quick in succession, but never out of control.  However, misono’s vocals are what make this song sound so weird. Something is ‘off’ about her voice because it’s all over the place and it lacks any substance or direction. She also sounds out of synch, especially during the train wreck that is the chorus. I don’t know if this was intentional or not, but it definitely kept me from enjoying the song.

The B-side was a lot better because it doesn’t have the vocal problems of the previous track. Gizagiza LIFE is musically similar to Juunin Toiro, but it is less louder and features laid back riffs. misono’s performance in this song is exceptionally better so it’s worth a listen. Plus, it’s one of the better songs that she has released since her debut album never+land.

Overall Rating

2 stars

Tracklisting
1. Zasetsu Chiten (挫折地点)
2. black & white
    ~Kuroi Sunglasses Kaketa Hi Kara~
(black & white ～黒いサングラスかけた日から～)
3. Zasetsu Chiten -instrumental-
4. black & white
    ~Kuroi Sunglasses Kaketa Hi Kara~
    -instrumental-

This is misono’s 7th single and it was released on September 12, 2007. The single reached #39 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 3,656 copies.

Zasetsu Chiten is the first of 3 rock-themed singles from misono and she wasn’t kidding. The song contains furious electric guitar riffs that never let up. misono’s vocals are lower pitched as well and her voice sounds less strained, which is an absoulte plus. This is definitely her most aggressive song to date.

The B-side is the slower alternative rock track black & white ~Kuroi Sunglasses Kaketa Hi Kara~. The verses feature calm vocals and laid back guitar chords that both explode into the brazen chorus. This is a nice, but average B-side.

Overall Rating

3 stars