Oh, I wanted to post here for some time now but I always forgot haha. But now is the time!
A general sketch of my overall opinion on the songs this year, going by the colour-coding
love,
like,
neutral and
dislike:
Morning Musume '18
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Hana ga Saku Taiyou Abite: Basically, that song with the flower dance that was released digitally around the time of the 20th anniversary celebrations. It's not bad.
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Otenki no Hi no Matsuri: I honestly didn't know this song. Turns out it was released on the mini-album. Reminds me of the filler song of their older albums.
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Are you Happy?: Gotta be honest: When it was released I thought it was trash. Turned out to be the enjoyable kind of trash, though.
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A gonna: Dragging on forever, eh. Basically all that I dislike about MM nowadays. Boring, no point, forcefully cool.
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Furari Ginza: It's a fun song and different from the other a-sides they have released this year. I like that.
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Jiyuu na Kuni Dakara: Once again it's a ... kind of pointless EDM song. The message would be great if it didn't feel forced. It's not bad but I honestly can never remember the melody.
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Y Jiro no Tochuu: I should like it more than I actually do. It's cute. But I just do not like ballads.
[/list]Over all this colour-coding looks better than what I had in mind for MM this year. Lots of meh, but only one that is really bad.
ANGERME
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Nakenai ze...Kyoukan Sagi: That's the one they opened the Paris concert with. Always a good memory. It's a good song in general.
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Uraha=Lover: Had to look it up on YouTube because I couldn't remember the melody. The song is forgettable but the MV is really nice.
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Kimi Dake ja nai sa...friends (2018 Acoustic Ver.): Yeah... the first version of this was enough. Still like it because the song in general is nice, but there's been some choices in the line-distribution that were not optimal.
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Natsu Shogun: This is something I'd expect of UUG. Not bad but not very memorable either.
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Tade Kuu Mushi mo Like it!: Yeah, same. It's good. But I think I never went back to listen to it again.
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46-okunen LOVE: Pretty much the deal breaker here. I've been listening to this song every day since it came out. It's just what I want of H!P. I want whacky funk and disco sounds!
[/list]ANGERME rarely has years where I like all releases. 46oku is the best H!P release this year, though.
Juice=Juice
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SEXY SEXY: It grew in me more than I thought. It's kind of awkward seeing Yanami sing it but for Tomoko? Nice.
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Naite Ii yo: Ballad, you know what that means.
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Vivid Midnight: THE song of early 2018.
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Never Never Surrender: Much better in concert. Listening to it on the album is kind of boring.
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Jouro (Album Version): Filler. I don't understand why they had to put it on the album as well.
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TOKYO Glider: Just the kind of sound that I love for Juice.
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Synchro.: Ballad-ish. Next.
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Abaretekka?! Have a Good Time: It's okay for listening to it as part of a playlist while doing something else, but I wouldn't choose it by itself.
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Sunao ni Amaete: Smooth. But same as Abaretekka.
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Goal ~Ashita wa Acchi da yo~ (Album Version): Another song that I wouldn't like as much if I hadn't had the experience of Tomoko singing it basically into my face <3
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Gin'iro no Telepathy: Lots of fillers on this album.
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Kono Sekai wa Suteta Mon ja nai: Now that's the kind of filler that I like. It's nothing outstanding but it showcasts Juice's voices quite well.
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Kindan Shoujo: Uh... another filler.
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Wonderful World (2018 English Ver.): Unnecessary English version. Wonderful World has been my least favourite Juice single for a long time and I'd probably dislike it... if it wasn't for the overseas concerts. Sigh. It grew on me, okay?
[/list]Honestly? That album was a disappointment. Aside from TOKYO Glider no (previously not released) song was a real winner for me. At least their single was good. (Another year with only one single for Juice?)
Country Girls
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Matenai After Five: Cute and a bit swingy.
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Kasa wo Sasu Senpai: Kind of sounds like they wanted to re-do Koi wa Magnet. On low budget. Unfortunately it didn't work.
[/list]Just disband them already and stop hurting me with half-cooked releases.
Kobushi Factory
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Kore Kara da!: "I've got to find my way [part 1]". Meh.
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Ashita Tenki ni Naare: "I've got to find my way [part 2] [rock vers.]". Uhm.
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Kitto Watashi wa: "I've got to find my way [part 3] [I've gotten better vers.]". I'm seeing a pattern here.
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Naseba Naru: "I've got to find my way [part 4] [Nope, still miserable vers.]". Hey, Up-Front?
[/list]I wouldn't question that they actually put some thought into these releases, and even a bit of money looking at their MVs, but honestly? <i>Four</i> redemption songs? Where's the rockish Kobushi that felt like they were ready to threw their fists (heh) at you? Gone with the three rascals apparently.
Tsubaki Factory
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Shunrenka: It's cute and I really like the melody.
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I Need You ~Yozora no Kanransha~: Not my kind of music. The "I need you" parts are cute, though.
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Date no Hi wa Nido Kurai Shower Shite Dekaketai: One of those songs that profited a lot from the MV. Nothing special aside from that, though.
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Junjou cm: It's pretty much what I want from an idol song. Cute girls, a good chorus, an MV that looks like it wasn't completed last minute.
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Kon'ya Dake Ukaretakatta: One of my favourites this year.
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Hyoumen Chouryoku ~Surface Tension~: I like the melody but I feel like I'll have forgotten it in the next 10 minutes.
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Kanousei no Concerto: Could be an ani song.
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Kaerou Let's Go!: No wait, this sounds like an ani song.
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Yuki no Planetarium: I think this might be one of the most liked songs from this album but I do not quite get the hype. Granted, no other song has really caught me yet either.
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Happy Cracker: Tsubaki finally has a fire-up concert song!
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Furisake Mireba...: Ballad.
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LET'S LIVE: This sounds like an ani--- oh wait I see a pattern here. Oh wait, it's a v-u-den song? Huh?
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Jiriri Kiteru: Hm. Berryz' version is more powerful, but Tsubaki's version sounds more harmonic?
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Tokai no Hitorigurashi: °C-ute's version is much better but a good song stays a good song, especially since they didn't change the instrumental.
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Tsukiatteru no ni Kataomoi: Same was Tokai no Hitorigurashi.
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ENDLESS YOUTH: Gotta be that person now and say that I never got into Melon Kinenbi - because of songs like this. They just... drag on. Unfortunately Tsubaki aren't good enough vocalists to fix it either.
[*]To add to the list: The two songs for the Trolls show were good as well.
[/list]Well, what to say? Tsubaki are on a run. Their singles are good, and albums are fillers after all.
Kenshuusei / Kenshuusei Hokkaido
<ul class="bbc">[*]Hankouki!:
[*]Ice day Party:
[*]Rainbow:
[*]Yacchae! GO! GO!:
[*]43do:
[*]Tadashii Seishun tte Nan Darou:
[*]Medatte Do Dance:
[*]Mirai e Tsunagu Yakusoku:
[/list]Honestly I'm gonna skip this for now. KSS did not impress me this year, the best ones debuted or left anyway.
Others
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Morning Coffee (20th Anniversary Ver.) (Morning Musume 20th): Yeah, uh... they re-did Morning Coffee. That's... not groundbreaking. Not a fan of the rockish sound, though.
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WE ARE LEADERS! ~Leaders tte no mo Tsurai Mono~ (Morning Musume 20th): That's the kind of song that I want from a 20th anniversary. Nice. Charming.
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ENDLESS HOME (Morning Musume 20th): Did we really need another Abe focused / basically Abe solo song? On an MM album on top of that? (Also, it's a ballad.)
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Tane wo Tsubasa (Wings of the Seed) (Morning Musume 20th): Reminds me of their first album. It's nothing special but has a nice flow.
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Hyokkori Hyoutanjima (Kobushi & Tsubaki Factory): I like this remake.
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YEAH YEAH YEAH (Hello Pro All Stars, and the group focused ones): All white and all boring.
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Akogare no Stress-free (Hello Pro All Stars): It's pretty cool, but the forced kind of cool. Still a nice beat.
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Hana, Takenawa no Toki (Hello Pro All Stars): Ballad. Ballad. Ballad.
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Hello! History (Hello Pro All Stars): Boom. Why wasn't this an a-side again? Gdi, Up-Front.
[/list]Also adding:
That Megane song by Beyoooooooooooooooooooooonds: Eh. Could've been good but why did they have to speed it up so much?
I might add a real ranking later.
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It's nice to know that people read the comments