Memories Drift In And Out Of My Mind~

And the little people get left behind~
So whateverrrrrrr~

That may or may not be one of my favourite Adventure Time quotes ever. I have my reasons ok. Anyway it's only marginally relevant to this post, in the way of I have forgotten pretty much everything that I have done between now and my last post. Which, was over a month ago huhuhu forever a useless blogger. That being said, I probably haven't even done that much, so I guess it's no huge loss. I feel like my posts are just getting really repetitive. Me not remembering if I did anything of interest, and just rambling about music things or anime things, because that's pretty much all my life consists of.

Other than going to work on Sundays and Mondays, I don't really get out that much. If I do go out it's usually just to go to the supermarket or the library or something. I don't mind it. I prefer staying home. This past month I only really made an effort and got dressed up to go out once. It was nice, I do like making an effort. I just don't see the point in going to all the trouble if I know I'm only going to be out for like, an hour. And I'm actually really lazy and it takes me ages to get ready and sometimes you know, it's just not worth it. This one time I was actually out for the whole day though, so I tried.

Yes hello this is my face and I actually kind of liked how it looked that day ok.

Top notch editing I know try to not be too overwhelmed. (She was pulling a huge derp face and would probably de-friend me if I posted the normal picture).

I didn't get a chance to take a full outfit picture this day, so this will have to do. I was wearing tattoo tights with scissors on them with thigh-high ripped socks over top, and my white Doc Martins. The shirt is Super Lovers and the cardigan is Listen Flavor. 

Other than that, and working, I didn't go out much. Just stayed home watching anime. No regrets. 

I received my copy of GOTCHAROCKA's Crisis~ No Toya card again this time, but I was pretty happy to receive the card with all of them! I would like to review the album, but I feel I've left it too late, and honestly I think I need to listen through it a few more times before I'd be able to review it properly. By properly, I mean more than just mindless fangirling about how fucking fantastic it is because it is fUCKING FANTASTIC OMFG. 

Actually, something that you may have noticed that's been happening with me is the move away from music being my dominant interest, back to anime and manga. I say 'back', because before I was obsessed with jrock and visual kei, I was already obsessed with anime and manga. So this is all nothing new to me. It's hard to explain really, but basically I have a very one-track mind, and I can't really be obsessed with more than one thing at a time. You know. Like, I'll still love my other interests, but I can only handle one dominant interest at a time. I know, it's kind of pathetic huh... But it's just the way my mind works, I can't help it. Because when I'm interested in something, I throw my whole being into liking it. It's hard to keep up with myself sometimes. In a way though, I've realized, that's why I've stopped being so interested in music. Well, that's not right. I still love music, and I still listen to music all the time. I guess I should be more specific, and say that's why I've stopped being so interested in visual kei. Why I've stopped trying to immerse myself in it. It's too hard to keep up with the whole scene, sometimes. There's always something being released, from countless artists, be it a single, and album, a DVD, magazines. Bands are breaking up and forming left right and center. It's actually exhausting trying to keep up with it all, and there came a point for me where it was no longer fun to try. It wasn't something I enjoyed doing. Trying to be up to date on all the artists I listen to, trying to hunt down entire discographies before I felt I had the right to call myself a fan, knowing who is releasing what and when, and deciding which releases I would be able to buy. I found myself no longer being able to justify spending $35 on a single, or $50 on a mini album. Keeping up with interviews and live streams and blogs and twitters... honestly, it just became too much. I feel like there's so much pressure, if you're a fan of visual kei, for you to be and act a certain way. I don't really feel like getting into all that right now though, so I'll just leave it at that. And actually, I feel happier now because of this. I just listen to whatever I feel like, whatever makes me happy. I do still listen to the visual artists that I like, of course, my favourite bands are visual. But I've stopped forcing myself to try to keep up, and I'm branching out my musical tastes a bit. It's refreshing, you know. 

Anywaaaay. Speaking of anime (we weren't really speaking about it but humor me ok), instead of spending all my earnings on CDs and the like, I've been buying more anime and manga related goods. I regret nothing.

Two issues of Pash! magazine (June issue with Karneval on the cover, and August issue with SNK on the cover yehyeh). The Karneval Illustration Book, which is really beautiful by the way. If you're a fan of the series this book is a must. Volumes 10+11 of the Karneval manga, a another Karneval book. I'm not sure what it is exactly, it's more manga and I guess stories that aren't related to the main storyline? Idk, but it was super cheap, so I got it. Nice order, huh. It cost me an arm and a leg in shipping, but it was so worth it. 

Then I received this order just yesterday. Pash! September issue with Free! on the cover (hnnn babies), Karneval Animation Guide, and Karneval volume 1 on Blu-ray. While the Blu-rays are substantially more expensive than the DVDs, they do have English subtitles and are compatible with my PS3, so I didn't really have choice. It's very pretty though huhuhu. I've also ordered some SNK phone straps, some useless Karneval merch, the first SNK Illustration book and the second Karneval Blu-ray. I'm also waiting until it's a little closer to the release date to order the Free! animation guide book. I'm pumped, yo.

Also, I'm not sure if you've noticed the difference in the quality of my photos between the last one and all the rest. It's because the last photo was taken on my new iPhone 5 whaaaaat uuuuuup~ I'm sorry, I'm just really stoked to have it. I've already had it a week but I'm still buzzing over it. Ah, I can feel my Apple snob status has been elevated 50%.  

And that's all I've got this time, really. This post was super all over the place, so I'm sorry about that. How do blog. Idk. Haven't figured it out yet sorrrrrrry. 

I'm planning on making my next post another anime post, but this time mostly centered around the on-going series that I'm watching right now (with the exception of SNK cause I've already written about it). I'm actually really excited to write it and I'll probably get started on it within the next few days, so please look forward to it! It'll probably be 100% more interesting than this lame post (and all my other lame posts about my life for that matter). 

No now playing today because I'm not listening to anything. I'm blogging and watching Must Love Cats at the same time. 

Stop the time~

What's uuuup~
This post is going to be back to my usual. Whether or not that's a good thing, I'm not entirely sure. My past three posts have been better received than any of my others (ie my anime and PIECE post). So, it would seem that my 'usual' isn't the best way to go. Honestly, I wouldn't mind just continuing to write about anime and such, as I actually really enjoyed it. But at the same time, there's a little more to my life than just anime, and while it isn't ever all that exciting, it's still my life, you know? And I want to write about those things too. After all, this is my personal blog. I've always believed it to be a place where I can word vomit and rant and just get anything and everything off of my chest. That being said, I will definitely be doing more anime posts in the near future.

Oh yeah! I want to talk about this before I forget. About two months ago, I finally caved and, wait for it... made a Tumblr. I KNOW I'M REALLY FUCKING LATE OK BUT FOR SO LONG I WAS JUST LIKE NO LEAVE ME ALONE. But I pretty much lurked in the background without actually having a Tumblr for like, over a year, so I figured I should just get over it and sign up. And I regret nothing. Absolutely nothing. So if you're interested, my Tumblr Stop the time. It's multi-fandom, and I do reblog BL/yaoi/NSFW. Fair warning. I pretty much just reblog a shit tonne of Shingeki no Kyojin (mostly Ereri/Riren), Karneval, and a bit of Free! and Adventure Time stuff. I know it's really plain, but I don't really care too much about the layout of the actual blog. The dashboard is where it all happens, anyway. I just prefer simple things when it comes to layouts and stuff. That should be apparent from the layout of this blog, and my Twitter. Anyway! Follow me if you would like, I'll follow back! Probably... so long as we have some things in common.

Anyway I've realized that I really don't have anything interesting to post about. Ehhh sorry about that! I guess I'll just do a really small pic spam with some things that I've been doing recently. It's small because I haven't actually been taking that many photos lately. Also, there aren't really any outfit photos as I've been lacking inspiration lately and haven't been as bothered with my outfits.

I went and got my nails done, again by Satomi at S's Nail. This is one of my absolute favourite nail designs. I will definitely be getting it again one day, maybe in the reverse. Ah, but my nails were longer this time so they grew out reeeally quickly and got kind of annoying. 

Idk. I found this picture in one of the magazines at my nail place (it's also a hair salon) and I just found it really funny. It was a Japanese guys hair style magazine, but I think this was a section on eyebrow styling or something. Honestly, I was just looking through it to scope the hot Japanese guys while waiting for my appointment.

This seems to be the only outfit photo I've taken lately... OTL
Well, I did really like this outfit, so I guess it's ok. 

I also really liked how my makeup turned out that day. Not that you can actually see it. I'm sorry, iPod cameras are crap quality. 

Went out for dinner to a little local Japanese restaurant. I love it there, the food is cheap and so good. Their green tea ice cream is the best~ 

Then the other day I went and had my nails done again. It was about a month after my last time. I went for a much more simple design this time, mostly because it was much cheaper, but also because with the base gel being clear, it won't be noticeable when they grow out. I actually really love them, they're so pretty. 

Other than a few other small outings here and there, and going to work, I haven't done all that much. I'm still pretty much just watching anime all of the time. I also bought the Sims 3 University recently, so that's taking up lots of my time too. Oh, I have had lots of new music though! 

Grimoire, album from Nocturnal Bloodlust. Before even getting to the music, I just want to say that this album is one of the most beautifully designed albums I've ever had the pleasure of owning. It's so stunning. That photo does it absolutely no justice. As for the music, well. It's Nokubara. These guys are so amazingly talented and so fucking kick ass. I can't even make the words to describe how GOOD this album is. It's just... ugh perfect from beginning to end. 

Satellite Cube, mini album from PIECE. This is it! We waited a year for this. And they did not disappoint. I'm going to be honest, when I heard about all the changes that were happening with PIECE, I was a little worried. I was worried that they wouldn't be PIECE anymore, that they'd lose that special something (whatever it is, I'm not sure) about them that made me fall in love with them. This mini though... it's easily one of my favourite releases of the year. It's absolutely perfect. They pull of the whole, space android thing so, so well. It actually suits them much more than their previous style. That being said, when I listened to this for the first time, I felt this rush of relief. Because, despite how much they'd changed, in every song, I could still hear 'PIECE'. I love every song on this mini. They have all improved so much, they've come so far. I feel like finally, their talent is shining. And I couldn't be happier, I couldn't be more proud. 

GIGA, album from Jackman. About this one, actually... I haven't listened to it all that much yet. I'M SORRY. I got this album around the time that I started watching anime again, and in all honestly I haven't been listening to much music since then. Anime is pretty much taking up all my time and head space... But I will sit down and listen to it properly very soon! It's Jackman, so I already know it's going to be fantastic.

Nanda Collection, album from Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. I missed out on Pamyu Pamyu Revolution, so there was no way I was going to miss out on this one. I don't really know what to say about this one. She's just so brilliant. This album is so much fun. It's just great, ok, she's great and asdfghjkl;

So yeah, that's pretty much all that's been going on with me. I'm sorry, this post was really fucking boring. I guess I really should just stick to passionately ranting about anime. 

Now Playing - milk tune. by SuG

Picking Up The PIECES~

Hey all~
So this post is a little out of the ordinary for me, I'm just so overwhelmed and excited right now, I have to share this excitement! I've been adding/updating things here, so it's kind of turned into a bio/intro post as well as a fangirling post.

As you may or may not know, one of my absolute favourite bands in the world is PIECE. They are so special to me and very dear to my heart. Unfortunately, despite being active as PIECE since 2009 (prior to that they were all together as LHAPLUS), they haven't had anywhere near the attention and recognition that they deserve. I've always worried about them because of this, and they've never exactly been the kind of band to spew out release after release. Then when their record label, Dear Dolce, closed down last year, I was terrified. A number of the bands signed with Dear Dolce went on hiatus or disbanded following the label closing down. However, PIECE pulled through and signed on with a new label, AKA-ON. Now, I may be wrong, as information on PIECE is quite hard for a non-Japanese fan to find, but from what I understand, they've only put out one release with AKA-ON, one single. So I actually still worried about them, despite having a new label. Reading poorly translated blog entries from the members didn't help either.

However, it looks like I didn't need to worry! This year has brought a lot of good things with PIECE. They've totally revamped their entire style. A new OHP, a new look, a new mini album and a PV preview! So go check out all their new goodies, kids! Finally my boys are going to get the love they deserve, I just know it!
[UPDATE] Ok so they're actually changing their band name too, their new name is 超時空アンドロイド-PIECE- (roughly translated using Google it means Super Dimension Android -PIECE-) I think it will still be ok to call them PIECE for short though, cause hell that's a long band name, and on their new band logo PIECE appears to be the dominant element of the name. It's up to you to decide what you want to call them, I'm gonna stick with PIECE ^^b

OHP - http://www.piece-official.net/

Here's their new individual pics/info (translated poorly by Google)

Vo. Nanami - Super Dimension Atomic Voice

Date of Manufacture: 3/18 rollout

Oil Type: O

Maximum Output: 5w

Power Source: Banana 2pcs

Blog: 『しょにっくのワンダーランド☆』

Twitter: @piece_nanami

Gt. Tsukihi - Super Dimension Space Guitar

Date of Manufacture: 2/25 rollout

Oil Type: B

Maximum Output: BPM5

Power Source: Parascience Smog

Blog: 『痛快活劇浪漫非行』

Twitter: @piece_tsukihi

Gt. Ayumu - Super Dimension Fairy Tale Guitar

Date of Manufacture: 9/13 rollout

Oil Type: AB

Maximum Output: Bari 5 

Power Source: Lunar base station delusional outbound propagation (?)

Blog: 『でんぱとつきとおーじさま』

Twitter: @piece_ayumu

Ba. Takiru - Super Dimension Hero Bass

Date of Manufacture: 10/31 rollout

Oil Type: O

Maximum Output: 5LOVE

Power Source: Wave of Love

Blog: 「輝け！！GOGOヒーロー大作戦！！」

Twitter: @piece_takiru

Dr. Ryo - Super Dimension Diru Drum (?)

Date of Manufacture: 01/24 rollout

Oil Type: B

Maximum Output: 5 Tissue (?)

Power Source: Adrenaline Secretion Drug (?)

Blog: 『性的な意味の「×××」』

Twitter: @piece_ryo69

PV Preview forアトミックビーム (Atomic Beam) 

New Mini Album

『SATELLITE CUBE』

2013.06.05 RELEASE / ¥2,625 (Tax in)

Tracklist

1."planetary gear"　

2.アトミックビーム　

3.HIGH×DRIVE　

4.PAPER MOON　

5.ヒーロードールTV　

6.ANGEL DUST

(DVD)

1.アトミックビーム(PV)

This is all info you can find on their OHP/JPOPASIA, just all in English and all in one place, basically. As for where to buy the mini, I've been checking CDJapan regularly (and the usual Japanese record stores sites) for it to be listed, but so far nothing. So I'll keep my eyes open for where/how overseas fans can buy the mini!

[UPDATE] Ok so I just checked some Japanese sites again, and now Like an Edison and ZEALLINK have it listed!
Unfortunately, from what I remember, neither store does overseas shipping, so you'll need a shopping service. However, if they have it listed, then I imagine that other stores (hopefully ones that ship internationally) will also have it up soon. I'll keep checking!
As for shopping services, I highly recommend using Tenso (which I have blogged about before here)
Personally I wouldn't go with CDJapan's Special Request Service. Their fees aren't as good as Tenso. I've also heard that Japonica Market is pretty good too!
[UPDATE] Ok so the other day I tweeted to CDJapan asking if they are planning on listing the mini, and they replied today (today's date is 05.29) saying "Hi. We still haven't received any details about it. So, we don't know at this point"
Sooo, for the moment it looks like they don't have plans to list it. Don't worry just yet, though! They do have PIECE's first full album listed, so there's still a chance that they'll get it later. I'll keep you updated!
[UPDATE 06.03] CDJapan have listed SATELLITE CUBE! It's listed under the new band name, Chojiku Android -PIECE-. I just ordered my copy, so GO GO GO GET YOURS! ^^

If anyone has any further info, then please do let me know and I'll be sure to include it/credit you!

That's all for now. Please, give PIECE  a fair go, ok! And watch out for them, they're stepping it up! They've worked so hard and are really something special! Also, sorry this post is a little messy and all over the place. I'm working on it OTL

Now Playing - SHINING WORLD by PIECE

Two Brave Samurai~

Whaddup~
I haven't written a personal post in a little while, huh. Guess it's about time I did, seeing as I have nothing else to do. Actually, I never have anything else to do. But you knew that already.

Actually, some things have happened since my last post. Good, bad, neutral. But I don't really want to talk about the bad. Because it's too depressing. Seriously, Called≠Plan disbanding? That's just not okay. And I'm not okay with it. So I'm afraid I can't talk about it right now. I just can't.
Lalala anyway, what happened that was good, then? Well, I guess my 18th birthday is pretty good, right! Yeah well sort of. Because my birthday fell on a Sunday this year, I had to go to work. Work on my 18th birthday. Such fun. I didn't actually mind too much, because I didn't really want to do anything in particular for my birthday, so at least I got to do something. I'm just not really fussed about making a big deal of birthdays, you know. And it turned out alright, anyway, because in the evening I went out with my family to this amazing little Japanese restaurant called Kura. When we made the reservation, my parents told them it was my birthday, so two of the waiters (one of which was realllly cute) came and sang me happy birthday. It was so adorable. And then they gave me green tea ice cream with a little birthday candle in it, to which my mum added more candles that she bought with her. It was fun! Actually, we'd been to this restaurant before, and I'd always planned to have my first taste of sake there on my 18th birthday. Me and my friend thought that it would be appropriate for us to try the one called 'Two Brave Samurai', but 'Young Beautiful Boy' was also a contender. Seriously they had the most hilarious names for their sake. But, when we got there we both realized that we had forgotten our IDs. So we stuck with cola. It wasn't too disappointing though, because I don't really care for alcohol anyway, and the cola was much cheaper. It was a nice night, with good food and good company! Then when we got home I watched Howl's Moving Castle, which in case you weren't aware, is my favourite movie. Of all time. Ever. In the history of forever. So yeah, it was a good end to the day. I'm no legally an adult LOL WHAT I'M GOING TO BE IMMATURE FOREVER.

We ordered some sashimi for starters. I didn't actually take any other photos of our food, because we were all really hungry and just wanted to eat. Sorry not sorry.

Birthday ice cream! It was really nice of them to do that~

Another good thing that happened was the day before my birthday, when me and my friend went to get our nails done! I've wanted to have my nails done Japanese style for a long time, but I'd never been able to find anywhere here that does that kind of nail art. But then one day I stumbled across a sign for a little nail place in Auckland city called S's Nail, which is owned by a lovely Japanese lady called Satomi. So, I went and picked up a business flyer, and a couple of weeks before my birthday, I made an appointment. I actually emailed her some pictures of styles that I liked first, asking if she could do something similar. She replied saying she could, and gave me estimates of how much each design would cost. And I was pleasantly surprised, as her prices are extremely reasonable! So we turned up for our appointments, mine being first at 1 pm, and my friend at 2.30 pm. Our appointments went a little over time, though, so we were there until about 4.30. It's understandable though, it was a lot of work for one person. But it was so fun, and she was so nice that it didn't feel like that long at all. I'm really happy with how they came out, and I can't wait to go back to her for a new style in about a months time~ 

These are my nails, the photo is from her Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ssnailgelnail?ref=ts&fref=ts). The little bows/hearts and things are actually 3D art, made out of acrylic on top of the base gel, and then covered by clear gel. I have so many layers of paint/gel on my nails, I lost count. It was about $135 NZD for mine, which I though was pretty good, considering it took her about 2 hours. 

And of course, there's the compulsory mirror photo. I haven't really felt like wearing wigs lately, so that's my real hair, curled. I quite like it.

I guess I'd better wrap up this post soon, so the last good thing I'll talk about is the music I've recieved recently~ 

Golden Bomber's The Past Masters Vol. 1 (Types A+B) These albums were so cheap, and I couldn't decided which type I wanted the most, so I just went for both types. And I regret nothing. 

Also with this order was ALSDEAD's Separator, which I've already posted about (sort of). And you all know how much I fucking LOVE this band and this album. 

Then it was MEJIBRAY's mini MESSIAH.bat and LOST ASH's THE REAL. As for MESSIAH.bat, it's really good, and I'm really digging it right now. But I can't help that feel that Silvers.exe was better. But that's just my opinion. I've also already posted about THE REAL, so you should know already that I also fucking LOVE this album, this band is growing on me more and more every day. 

And lastly, Kameleo's Now! I adore Kameleo, these guys are really amazing. So fun and so unique. They're really fun to watch. And they're all such cool guys. The music is generally very positive and upbeat, but this album also showcases their softer, more sentimental side, in a way. And they manage to touch on some very serious issues without making it too in-your-face serious, which is admirable. I urge you to give them a go, really.

Actually, there is one more good thing that's happened. After five years of waiting, I finally got my lip pierced! It's a labret piercing, i.e. the one in the middle of the bottom lip. Am I visual kei yet?

The day after my 18th birthday I went and got it done. Here, you have to be 16 with parental permission, or 18 to get piercings other than nose/ears/belly button. My parents have always been against me getting it done, so I waited until I was 18, out of respect for them. But I talked it through with them, and explained that when I got it done, it wasn't an act of rebellion or out of disrespect for them, it was just something I've wanted for a long time and I was finally able to get it. They still don't agree with it, but they at least understood my position. Which is nice, because I really do respect my parents, and I don't want to make them unhappy. I don't have any photos with it yet, but hopefully next time!

Until then, children~

Now Playing - FLASH BACK by ALSDEAD

Ohohoho~

Look who's trying really hard to not be a useless blogger~

Which, now that I'm thinking about it, is probably a bad idea, because I honestly have no plan of what I'm going to write about here. At least if I put of writing for like a month, I have at least one or two things to say. But right now I'm just like /blank. Pretty much my life. I know, the life I lead is so exciting. Please note the sarcasm. Really, other than spending my days obsessing and crying over bandmen, expensive merch, shojo/yaoi manga and all of my ships, I honestly don't do much else. Sometimes I'll play video games, mostly the Dynasty Warriors games because I'm useless at every other game. Or I'll play The Sims, but obviously never for very long because without fail SOMETHING will go wrong and my game will crash. Of course I listen to music. All the time. Although, I don't listen to as much music as I would like to. There are lots of bands that I want to listen to, but I just don't. Sometimes it's because I can't find valid download links wait what I don't download music what do you mean. I'd say it's mostly because I'm lazy. I just like to listen to my favourite songs over and over again, you know, so I don't listen to much else for a while. My play count for Samurai Dreeeeeam Breaker by GOTCHAROCKA is insane. I'm getting round to it slowly, though. I've got lists of bands to listen to, so I'll just keep working through it at my own pace I guess. No hurry. Oh wait this is the world of visual kei. Bands here drop like flies. Better hurry if you want to catch a band while they're still actually together... Sigh. I can't count the number of times where I've just found out about a band or just started to really get into a band and then the dreaded disbandment announcement rears it's ugly head. It's tough huh. I hate visual, but I love visual. I can't be bothered with it but I never want to let it go. So bittersweet. =_=;;

For a while the Japanese Yen was doing really, really shit (no offense), so I took the opportunity to exchange what money I had saved. It isn't nearly enough, but it's some. Oh yeah I guess I haven't mentioned this yet, but in December/January, I'M GOING TO JAPAN! Wow I can't believe I forgot to write about it, it was all organized like a month or two ago. It's going to be a family holiday, but with plenty of opportunities for me to go and explore on my own. Which is fine by me. Originally it wasn't going to be a family trip, i.e. my parents weren't going to come. That was how I'd always imagined it. But when I started the planning for it, I started to get really anxious. I've never been out of the country on my own before, so flying 12 hours away to a place where I can't speak the language and am unfamiliar with it's culture was kind of scary. Yeah, it was scary for me alright. Judge all you want. My parents weren't too thrilled at the idea either, and neither of them have been to Japan and wanted to go, so it was decided that we would all be going. On the condition that I would be able to go and do things on my own, like shopping in Harajuku. OHMYGOD I GET TO GO SHOPPING IN HARAJUKU. It still hasn't really sunk in yet, that it's finally happening. After all these years, my dream is coming true. I have lots of friends that I'm hoping to visit, so many stores that I want to spend my soul in, and of course immerse myself in the culture. We're only going for 16 days, which isn't enough time to see everything I want to see, but our budgets really can't stretch for any more. So we're spending half the time in Tokyo and the other half in Osaka, using these places as bases to visit other places from. We'll be getting the JR pass, so we'll be able to get the shinkansen to almost anywhere. Our flights and hotels are already booked, so now we just need to wait until a few months before our trip to book things like the JR pass and Ghibli Museum tickets. And hopefully get some tickets for lives! That's one of the things I'm most excited about, really. Going to CD stores and hopefully attending lives! There are so many bands that I would love to see, I can't possibly name them all. And I know I'm not going to get to see them all. But still, I'm going to try to see as many bands live as possible! Even if I have to go without food for a couple days lol what I'm not poor... I'm still really anxious about the language barrier, and sometimes I find myself thinking of all the things that could possibly go wrong, but I really am excited. I just have to push those things out of my mind. Because this is something I've wanted for so, so long. And I'm really going to make the most of it.

Actually, speaking of Japan, something I have been doing is starting to learn some Japanese. I'm starting out by self-teaching, but my goal is only to self-teach hiragana and katakana. Once I have a sort of handle on those, I'm going to ask someone to give me proper lessons. I can't explain why exactly I wanted to do it this way. I just feel like it will take some of the pressure off myself, if I learn the basics first. I'm a really slow learner, and I get super stressed when I have to keep up with others, you know? I like to learn at my own pace and my own way. I thought about taking a course for Japanese, but the fact that it was a set course as in - this week you will learn and master this, next week you will learn and master that, there will be a test at the end of this course and by the end of this course you will be proficient enough to go to Japan, open a restaurant, marry a native and become the prime minister. Ok so that's exaggerated, clearly, but you get what I mean. I hate it when they put "By the end of this course you will be able to..." Not everyone has the same way of learning, and not everyone can keep up with a structured course like that. Some may be too fast for it, and some, like me, may be too slow for it. And that's ok. It just means that I have to find someone who can give me private lessons in a casual environment. I'm actually pretty lucky, because I may know someone who would be perfect for it. But I'm gonna see how my self-teaching the kana goes first. I only started recently, so I don't know very much at all. But I'm really enjoying it! It's really fun! I'm sure my handwriting is awful, but seeing as my main goals for learning Japanese are reading and listening, the written part doesn't worry me so much. Once I get to complicated things like grammar and kanji (oh god kill me now) I'm sure I'll take back what I said about it being really fun, but I'm going to stick with it. I've never been good at languages, but I won't let that stop me. I'll just have to try harder, yeah!

Oh yeah, I was supposed to write about my new wig in this post... my bad. Well, I had intended to make it a review of sorts, but I actually can't be bothered. Ahhh sorry. I'll sum it up, I guess.
So the wig I got is from the very well-known Rhapsody collection from Gothic Lolita Wigs. The colour I chose is rose, so it's the darker pink coloured one. From what I'd seen, this colour wasn't as popular as some of the others (the the light pink or mint colours), but I really can't understand why. It's such a gorgeous colour, with this perfect gradient. It's not just one flat colour, either. It's hard to explain, but it's got lots of different colours mixed into it. It's a really stunning, well made wig, and I believe it can suit any style and any skin tone. The only problem I have is the fringe (or as everyone else in the world seems to say, the 'bangs'), which comes pre-styled. It's not the style I have a problem with, I really like side-swept styles. It's just that it's too thick! There's too much of it! I have to use three bobby pins to keep it out of my eye. I know I could just cut it, but I've never cut hair before, so I wouldn't know what to do. I don't want to do it myself because as you know, the rhapsody wigs aren't cheap, and I'd never forgive myself if I fucked it up. I'm planning on taking it to a hair-dresser, as I took my white wig to one and he did a really good job, but honestly, the fringe isn't thaaaat much of a problem. Once you have it under control, it actually looks pretty cool as a side fringe. So I'm gonna leave it for a while. That's about it. Like I said, it's a really, really stunning wig. The quality is mind blowing. It's so comfortable and surprisingly light, I almost forget that it's not actually permanently attached to my head like real hair. The texture was also surprising, it's so soft and fluffy, and feels so real. It really doesn't tangle that easily at all despite the waviness of it. I haven't had to brush it yet, I just run my fingers through it a couple of times and then fluff it up and it's good to go. Also, buying through GLW was a real pleasure. It was really easy and straightforward, their customer service is top notch, and the packaging/shipping was really good. Very highly recommended. I don't really want to buy wigs from anywhere else in the future.

I guess I'd better post some photos of it, huh! I apologize for the crappy quality and awful lighting. It really doesn't do the wig any justice... OTL

Sorry for the derp face too lol. This was the day after I got it, I just wanted to go out as an excuse to wear it. 

Then I tried it out with my Gachapin kigu. I like the way the colours (don't) go together ok.

Went out again the other day. Same place, as usual. I was feeling lazy that day, but this actually turned out to be one of my favourite outfits so far. It's so comfy and casual but I like it a lot. 

And that's about it! I haven't really done anything else or had anything else happen to me! This post was kind of word-dumping, huh. Sorry about that. I still haven't gotten the hang of writing coherently. I  feel like I sort of just rambled my way through this. Oh well, I'll keep trying. See you~

Now Playing - TASTE OF LIFE by DIV

The Romance Is Dead~

Hey whaddup~
So this post is a little overdue. By what, like a month? Sorry about that, but then again it shouldn't come as a surprise. We all know how horrible I am at this blogging thing. Anyway I think this post is going to be a little random. I don't want it to end up too long, but then I'm awful at being brief so it'll probably end up as one big ramble.

Actually, this first thing I want to talk about I do want to keep brief. Because I don't really know how to explain it, even to myself. As you may have guessed from the title, I just want to mention the breakup of one of the most influential bands in my life - My Chemical Romance. Wow, was that announcement sudden or what? Well, that's what I'd like to think. But when I really think about it, I feel like I kind of saw it coming a little while ago. It sounds like they did too. But they pushed on for the sake of the fans. Which is both admirable and annoying. Basically, I first heard MCR nine years ago, and I loved them instantly. They were my favourite band for a long time, and even when I was trying out new things and trying to find out who I was, they were always there, even if it was just in the background. Admittedly, I haven't really been keeping up with them as much in the last couple of years (i.e. the years that I've been into visual kei), but that doesn't mean I loved them any less. They have been there for me through countless occasions, and I'll always be grateful to them for that. I honestly think that without them I wouldn't be the me I am right now. I probably wouldn't have found visual kei. I know that the two aren't really linked, but just trust me on that one. So naturally when I saw the news pop up on Twitter late Saturday night, I was stunned. Shocked. I sort of just sat there for a couple of minutes with my mouth wide open. I felt sadness, yes. But strangely, I was able to accept it. In my heart and my head, I was okay with it. At first I didn't know why. I always thought I would be distraught by this kind of announcement, but I was okay. Well, regardless of how I felt and feel about it, they produced some really, really amazing music in their twelve years together. Those twelve years must have gone by so quickly. It was an abrupt ending that must have left so many fans feeling hurt and betrayed. But I think we, as the fans, have to understand their position in all this. I think reading Gerard's post on Twitter is a good start to achieving that understanding. I was speechless when I read it. It's not only a bloody brilliant piece of writing, it provides this amazingly comforting form of closure on the whole matter. I think rather than trying to explain it myself, and not do it any justice, it would be better if you read it for yourself. All I knew was that I agreed with him completely. And honestly, now is probably a good time for this to happen. Twelve years and four albums is a lot. It was a good, no, an AMAZING run for them, but nothing lasts forever. If they had kept going, there's a chance that they would lose their heart for it all, lose their soul. The music may have ended up being all the same. The band and the fans would get tired of it. It's better to go out with a bang on a positive note, don't you think? Well, this is just my feeling. And I really don't know what else to say about it. I could probably go on forever, but I don't want to. All that's really left to say is thank you. Thank you to My Chemical Romance and everyone who was ever a part of it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you have done for me and countless others. This may be the end, but it's not goodbye.

It actually took me a little while to understand why exactly I was so okay with all of this. I was sitting in bed, still sort of shocked by the news. I looked around my room, at the posters on my wall and the CDs on my shelves. I looked at my laptop screen, which was paused on the Kiseki no Tsubasa PV off-shot DVD that came with FEST VAINQUEUR's GENERATION. And it hit me. I was okay, because of visual kei. No rhyme intended. I know that sounds cheesy as hell, but it's just how it is. Visual kei is my security, my safety blanket. Rather than just cushioning the blow, it lifted me completely. Of course, that's not to say that MCR can be so easily replaced, because they can't. But for the past two years, visual kei has held it's own, stood next to MCR. And now in my heart it's shining brighter than before.

Okay okay, sorry about all that. I just really needed to get that off my chest. I feel good now. Actually, I feel really good, because I just got an email from CDJapan telling me that my copy of ACE's Shiroi Akuma has been shipped! Oh, that reminds me! I was gonna post about some music in my next blog! Well, technically this has been a music post but ok.

BURU2 (finally!) and Called≠Plan L and R! I got the singles a week or so after their release. I didn't care though, all I knew was that I had to get my hands on them. They'd been building up to these for a while, so I knew they would be something special. And they are. Also, I was really hoping that I would get one Yuuto card and one Minoru card. And guess what. That's exactly what I got! I actually flipped my shit. And maybe cried a little. Shhh~

Kameleo's Sandwich LOVE and Royz's Tears! I love Kameleo so much, they're such a great bunch of guys. Royz too, they've really come a long way huh! I got Takeshi for the Kameleo artist photo (HELL YES~) and Tomoya and Kazuki trading cards with Tears! So I was pretty stoked with that. Oh, also, how good is the Koi Hanabi remake?! I was so worried that they would totally butcher one of my favorite songs of theirs, but it's so damn awesome I shouldn't have worried! Sometimes bands can totally kill their good songs by remaking them -cough-SuG's Vi-Vi-Vi remake-cough-

And these are my most recent additions to the family. GOTCHAROCKA's Poisonous berry and SuG Best 2010~2012. Damn... GR are so amazing. They never, ever disappoint  Poisonous berry is just... ugh fantastic. And the PV is nothing to complain about either ;D As for SuG's best, well... I just felt like I had to have it. For sentimental reasons, you know? With the hiatus and all. 

As I said, I'm getting ACE's new single soon, hopefully within the next week. I really can't wait, it sounds like such a beautiful song. As all their songs are~

Ah, what else... I haven't really been out much lately. So just have some random pictures.

Idk. This outfit was kind of weird. But I liked it. So whatever.

I don't remember what we did this day. Derpderp.

This outfit was kind of boring, but it was waaaay too hot to bother with anything else. 

And that's all. Sorry this post is so fucking random and long. Maybe next time I'll have more structure LOL WHAT NO WAY. Oh, actually, I ordered a wig from Gothic Lolita Wigs, so I guess I'll post about that once it gets here! I'm so excited omfg. Ok. I'm really done now. See ya~

(I've never been good at selfies ok shut up)

Now Playing - Poisonous berry by GOTCHAROCKA

I Lied~

I'm sorry, I lied to you. This post is about a week late. Not that it really matters. It's more like I lied to myself. Because after all, that's all this blog really is. A place for me to vent and whinge and sort out my own thoughts. Whether or not anyone reads it or cares, isn't really a major concern of mine. Of course, by the slim chance that there actually are people that read my posts, then I'm truly grateful, thank you very much~

So I'll be honest, this is just a bordom post. I'm having Sims 3 issues, no surprises there, and long story short I have uninstalled and am now in the process of reinstalling my games. So now I get to play the waiting game. I've only just finished reinstalling the base game. Man, all I wanted to do today was listen to music at a volume that would piss off the neighbors and play Sims. Well, at least I can manage one of the two... I really love being home alone, because it means I can play my own music, as loud as I like, and sing along to it, as terribly as I like. I don't like to play my music too loudly when my family are around, because while I know that they don't have problem with it, they don't particularly like it either. I don't want to force people to listen to music they don't like, so usually I listen to music through my headphones or in my room with the door closed. I just wish they did the same thing for me. I don't like my parents' or my brothers' music, but that doesn't seem to stop them from blasting it while i'm trying to watch TV, or playing it in the car. I'm always pushing my volume limit because of them (I don't like to listen to music through headphones on my iPod louder than half-way with the volume, call me paranoid, but I like actually being able to hear things). Anyway, I think everyone is going to be home soon, so I'm making the most of this now. Ah, speak of the devil, guess who just walked through the door. Time to relocate...

Okay, anyway. It's unusual for me to say this, but the reason that I haven't been posting is because I've actually been pretty busy these last couple of weeks. Well, comparatively speaking. On the 22nd I went to my last day of casual work at my mums work, and then that evening we went up North for the weekend, with my homestay student. Then it was Christmas eve and I was running around frantically trying to sort out presents and all that. Then of course was Christmas day. I know right, Christmas just snuck up on us this year or something, like wtf. And then it was all over, just as quickly as it appeared. The day after Christmas is called Boxing Day here, and it's a day when pretty much every store has some kind of sale, and the entire nation goes shopping. It's fucking awful and I highly suggest that if you are ever in New Zealand on the 26th of December that you avoid malls at all costs. This day also happened to be my students birthday, and last full day in NZ, after being here for two years, and living with my family for almost a year. So went out in the morning and surprised her with cake and presents, and then in the afternoon we took a spontaneous trip to Rainbow's End, "New Zealand's Premier theme park"~ Meaning, our ONLY theme park. And it kind of really sucks. It was raining on and off that day, but it was still super fun. I can't think of a better way to have spent the day. It was really empty, because of Boxing Day most people were out shopping, so we never had to queue for anything. I stayed up that night with my student, as we were leaving for the airport at 5.30 am the next morning, and neither of us wanted to sleep. We just hung out and listened to music together for the last time, and watched Adventure Time. Then at around 3am it started to hit home that she was really leaving, and by the time we were all in the car at 5.30, we were a bawling mess. We met up with her sister and her homestay family at the airport, ate breakfast together, and then we had to say goodbye. I can honestly say that I have NEVER cried so much in my life as much as I did that day. Hugging them and saying goodbye was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.  Because she wasn't just an exchange student, she was one of my best friends, a part of my family. They both are still. Coming home without her felt so wrong. It still feels weird not having her around, even though it's been a week since she left. I just crawled into bed and cried until I fell asleep. I don't really know what else happened that day. I feel so lonely without her, and the only thought that is keeping me sane is that in a years time I'll be going to visit her in Japan. Well, that's the plan anyway. And I'm going to fight to make it happen. Anyway, the next day I really needed to get out of the house, so I just went some places with my mum. Random places, like a photo printing place and a furniture store. Anything to take my mind of it. Then it seems that the next couple of days were filled with furniture shopping. Seriously, I went furniture shopping for three days in a row. It was nuts. Then all of a sudden it was new years day, hello 2013 and all that. I never have understood the whole point of new years. Like, it's not really a big deal, so why turn it into one? It doesn't have any historical significance or anything, it's just an excuse for people to throw stupid parties and get hammered. I spent new years day at my Grandma's house, and I'm not usually one for talking about nice weather, but damn it was a beautiful day. And so that brings us to today, right now, writing this post. And I am so tired. Of everything. People in my family in particular, I just can't be fucked dealing with any of them to be honest. I've spent way too much time with them lately...

I actually shut myself in my room last night, not talking to anyone, and just sat listening to music and reading various yaoi (mostly of the smutty kind) for about five hours. Ehhh yaoi is so addicting and absorbing. It's hard to stop once you've started. I can't actually tell you the names of the series, because I read on Mangago, when I finish a series it comes up with a whole bunch of suggestions and I click on heaps and the cycle repeats and in the end I've forgotten what the first one I read was called. Plus, I read using Incognito mode on Chrome, so it's not saved to my history. Also, I'm not particularly bothered to remember the names. Most of the series I read are just one-shots or really short, so it's not worth remembering them, as I'll probably never reread them. If it's a series that I really like, that actually has some depth and isn't pure one-shot smut, then I'll take a note of it down somewhere. Not that I have anything against smut. I love smut. It's just unlikely that I'll read a one-shot again, you know? I could read Finder and Koisuru Boukun over and over again though. Well, the chapters that have been released so far, anyway. Speaking of released chapters, WTF WAS UP WITH THE LATEST CHAPTER OF FINDER?! We waited that long for a fucking 15-page story with no actual fucking? I was pissed. But then, I love the series and Yamane's work, so a slow, small chapter is better than no chapter.

And that's all I have to say. For now. I guess. Next post will probably just be a photo spam of what I did in the last month of 2012. Yaaaaay~

Now Playing - CIRCUS by ギルド (GUILD)

What's Up~?

Listening to Called≠Plan. Damn they're great. I can't wait to hear their new stuff, 'V-Rap Style', was it? The preview of the single sounds awesome. Although, I was under the impression that they would be changing the band name. Not that I mind, I like Called≠Plan. I would like to know what it means, though... where did they come up with it? Oh, and the new drummer is a sweetie, isn't he? Actually, C≠P is just a band full of ikemen OHGOD I USED A JAPANESE WORDS FUCK SORRY I MEANT GOOD LOOKING DUDES. I don't like to use random Japanese words, so I'm sorry about that. Anyway, what I mean is that they're all very aesthetically appealing men... Ehh, I'm trying to describe it without being all fangirlish, but it feels too unnatural  So I'm going to stop trying to sound sensible and mature here now. I mean they're sexy. Like, fuck are they sexy. I have strong feelings towards Yuuto in particular, holy damn, I would. Even just listening to his voice through my headphones is just hnnnnn. Plus, he's actually a really sweet guy! I'm not sure if it's true, but he said that he doesn't smoke or drink alcohol. I think the part about him smoking is legit, but I dunno if he actually doesn't drink. I've convinced myself that it is true, though, because it makes me feel more comfortable about my own choices to not drink or smoke. I can feel really lonely sometimes because of it, and I feel like I'll never meet anyone else like me, but when I think how Yuuto could be the same, it makes me feel stronger. And when I read that, I fell in love with him. Of course, not real love because I don't actually know him, but you know what I mean, right? Also, at first I never used to find Rei attractive, mainly because of his smoking, but in his latest blog post I've just been like well fuCK ME SIDEWAYS. And of course, Syu is always sexy. Ehehehe, sorry about this fangirling here! I didn't actually intend to talk about them this much, but I got carried away... and now I've forgotten what else I was going to talk about!

So, it's holiday time here, and you know what that means? It's time for me to request a fucktonne of manga to catch up on! Awww yisssssss. The way this works is, during the school term, I generally don't read much manga, unless I happen to be at the library and find one I am interested in. So when it comes to the break, I request and read as much manga as I can. I just finished requesting a whole bunch of manga from my library! Hopefully I'll get most of them by Friday. I currently have 24 requested. I feel a little awkward, because that is a lot of books, but I read them very quickly, and I honestly have nothing else to do for the next two weeks, so I'm going to read as much as I can. This is how my holiday reading is looking so far;

• Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time vol. 12
• The Devil Does Exist vol. 10
• Love Com vol. 9
• Gakuen Alice vol. 14
• Mixed Vegetables vol. 5
• Hana-Kimi vol. 9
• Loveless vol. 9 (Finally! Been waiting for this for months! This series was my first exposure to the wonders of BL, and I'm so excited to read it I actually can't wait~)
• B.O.D.Y. vol. 6
• Black Butler vol. 9
• Bakuman vol.2
• Library Wars vol. 2 (This one is looking to be a good one!)
• The Tyrant Falls In Love vol.3 (Hehehe... >///<)
• Fullmetal Alchemist vol.7
• Honey Hunt vol.3 
• The Story of Saiunkoku vol.2
• Hetalia vol.2
• Naruto vol. 8 (Shhh I love Naruto ok XD)
• Psyren vol.2 (This one is really interesting! I've only read one volume, but I really recommend it! It's almost like Gantz... But waaaay less violent and explicit.)
• Sand Chronicles vol. 4
• Wild Ones vol. 2
• Heaven!! Vol. 2
• Ouran High School Host Club vol. 6 (Already read Ouran twice, but I'm reading it again)
• Crimson Hero vol. 3
• Girl Got Game vol. 1 (Requested this because it's the same artist as Love Attack! and Heaven!! Love her stories, especially her take-no-shit-from-anyone main girl characters)

Yeah, most are shoujo. I've already been over this, I'm a shoujo junkie. There are a couple that aren't shoujo  though. Not that it matters to me. I regret nothing, and I have nothing to hide. Except for The Tyrant Falls In Love, the only yaoi and 18+ manga on there. But I'll only hide that from my parents and most people I know in real life.... I'm a little worried that when I go to check it out from the library, they'll see on my account that I'm not 18, and ask me to get it out from the front desk or something. Usually I use the self checkouts... I don't want them to see it, because even the cover of it is obviously guy love... Oh well, if they do I just won't get it out. I'll read it online instead. XD

I also plan to watch as much Naruto as possible these holidays, to finally fill in all the gaps in my knowledge once and for all. No, I haven't seen every single episode. I've seen large chunks, but there are also chunks that I haven't watched yet. So I'm hoping to watch all of the original series. As for Shippuden, well... I'll say that I'm quite a way behind on that one... maybe next holidays I'll try catch up on that...

Oh wait, my next holiday isn't really a holiday. Because after this break, I only have three more weeks left of high school. Then it's three weeks of studying and final exams, and then... I'm free? My school life will be over until I go to Uni... but it's not really the same kind of student. Wow. Shit. Ok. It hadn't quite hit home yet. I still don't think it has. I just can't imagine not being at school anymore. I know I say that I hate it and everyone there, but honestly I'm not looking forward to leaving. Because there are people I will miss. Mostly, the Japanese students who have been here for two years and who I have become friends with. Also because, I'm gonna have to grow up. And I definitely don't want to do that. Ahh, I guess I'll think about all that when the time comes. No point worrying about it now. 

I'll leave it at that today. I'm still not happy with how my writing is... I feel like it will be painful for people to read. I'm sorry, and as always, I'll try harder next time~!

NP - I sing for you by THE KIDDIE (I love this song and band so much omfg)

Review All The Things~!

Well, actually just two things...
Alrighty kids, so this time I'm going to do a review, of sorts, of AYABIE's new album ANSWER. Aaaand then next time, I will also do SID's album M&W! I'm aware that both aren't brand new, with M&W being a month old already, but hey, better late than never. Now, when I say review, I mean a Misa-style review, where I basically (let's be honest here) just fangirl about how awesome things are. I've already said it, I'm not very good at describing music and what it is I like/dislike about it, but I try, really! I'll try my best to keep things as brief as possible. Sometimes I can tend to ramble on a bit though... Hopefully it won't end up as long as my review of SuG's Lollipop Kingdom. And, just one more thing before I start, please remember that what I'm about to say is JUST MY OPINION. You know I will never say anything to intentionally hurt anyone's feelings or to just to be mean. Plus, I really don't have anything bad to say about this album at all. Both AYABIE and SID are special to me, so please bear in mind that just because I think one or two songs are 'okay', it doesn't mean I hate them or don't like them. Ok, without further ado, let's begin!

ANSWER
1. Prelude - This is the intro song, and honestly, it is lovely. I love that they made it to the tune of Ryuusei, which is the last song on the album. It makes a very nice mirror, and it was very beautifully done. It's understated and elegant, not too in your face. It was a perfect introductory song.
2. RISE - Great. Just, great. I don't know what else to say. The composition is great, it's position on the album with the way it flows from the prelude is great, it's energy is great. It really sets the album off with a bang, and I love it.
3. Reflector - The thing that I kept thinking when listening to this song was, this is a song with sass. It's got this awesome attitude, which I love, and it keeps up the pace with RISE. I actually wish they made a PV for this song, I imagine that it would be really sexy and sophisticated.
4. Kakusei Sprechchor - This song was released as a single, so we already know it. But that doesn't make it any less kick-ass. It's got this brilliant, catchy vibe and energy. And it's just a really good, cool song.
5. Niji - Ahh, this song was pretty cute. Although at the same time, it sounds kind of epic. It's quite magical and lovely to listen to. It's less intense than the previous songs, yet it maintains the energy of the album.
6. LOVE SONG - Damn, this song is smooth. It's almost jazzy, and it's really chill. It has a good relaxed pace, a nice break from the pumped up songs, but it's still fun - not dull at all.
7. Paradise Paradox - Oooh, this one is fun. It's quite techno-ish, I'd say it's probably the most electronic sounding song on the album, even though yes, I know, most of the songs are electro-ish in some aspect. It's a good, catchy song that makes you wanna dance. I love Yume's voice in the chorus! It also reminds me a liiiittle bit of LM.C's GAME of LIFE. It has an awesome transition into track eight, too...
8. MERRY GO ROUND - FUCKING LOVE IT. I already knew that. This song is easily one of my favourite AYABIE songs. Easily. I love it so much, I can't say anything more about it, other than KURU KURU KURU, FUWA FUWA FUWAAAA~!
9. Koma - the intro for this song is really good! It stuck with me. The song as a whole is very good, so AYBIE-ish. It's upbeat, with strong vocals from Yume. It uses an interesting mix-up of instrumentals/tempos/beats etc. I think the key thing about this song is the way it transitions into the next song. It's so smooth, I didn't even realise the track had changed...
10. SICs - Ohshit. Ohhhh shit. This song is probably my favourite new song on the album. The music is fanfuckingtastic, and Yume's voice is amazing. It's so fucking awesome and unbelievably kick-ass. The intro is just omfgasjgdfg. I really wasn't expecting it at all. It's almost like a little bit of DEATHBIE came through in this song, I love it.
11. HERO - Wow, talk about a turn around. There is a complete change in tone with this song. It's super happy and positive. It makes me feel like I can take on anything, and I'll be ok. It has a comforting cheerfulness, like, Hey! Don't worry, everything is gonna be fine! Don't worry! Just be young, have fun! It's a youthful song. It had me jumping around and dancing, smiling like an idiot the whole time. Takehito's solo was cute, too!
12. Season - This song is cute, Yume's voice is lovely. This song was on the MERRY GO ROUND single, so it's not new to us. But it's still a nice song. It's chill, cool. Yup. Personally, I wouldn't have included this song on the album. I'll be honest, it's not their best song. But it's still good.
13. Ryuusei - RYUUUUSEI~! This is also an easy AYABIE favourite of mine. It's just such a beautiful song. Yume's voice is gorgeous, the music is composed and arranged beautifully. It's a prefect song, from to beginning to end. I am so in love with it. It's magical and wonderful. Ahh, the riff! I lvoe Takehito's riff, and solo! The beat is perfect, the bass ties everything together and it just works. I feel so happy listening to this song, it makes me feel so secure. It's mirror with the prelude, and it's general loveliness, make it the perfect song to end the album with.

And so that's my thoughts on ANSWER. I don't really want to rate it, because it's really hard to detach myself from my fangirl love for them and look at it critically. So I won't. I would say the only problem I had, and it isn't even really a problem, was Season. There are other songs they could have chosen, but honestly, the album is perfect. It's intelligently arranged, so it has a continuity and flow to it that make the listen experience a real pleasure. Great work, AYABIE!

Please forgive my incoherent and frankly crappy writing and reviewing skill. I try my best. But I enjoy writing these reviews regardless. So, to anyone reading who is interested in SID, please look forward to my next post, which will be a review (in the same style as this) of M&W~!

Thank you for reading. ^^

NP - SICs by AYABIE