Let's Talk about Magi9 Playland

What exactly is a Magi9 Playland anyways? Is it the secret magical playland where the members of 9nine frolic about and record their singles? Who knows! But I do know an album title that would have made an even better one than Magi9 Playland: Magi9 Wonderland. Pretty sick, am I right? Okay, maybe not so much...

I will say that I love the artwork for Magi9 Playland. There's nothing I like better than combining artsiness with space! And the colors on every edition are so pretty. But I've seen gorgeous album covers with terrible music, so I'm not deceived by Magi9 Playland. In my further crusade to review 9nine's stuff, I decided to review their fifth album! What a better way to really get a feel for an idol group's music by reviewing one of their albums? Of course, I should probably also get around to listening to the group's first four albums... I'll do that eventually! For now though, I have Magi9 Playland to listen to! I've been casually paying attention to this album, just checking the tracklist and things like that. I noticed that Magi9 Playland has a lot of new material, which can be either be a blessing or a curse. Well, as much as I'd liked to have seen a few B-sides make it into this album, I was interested in hearing how all these new songs sounded. So did Magi9 Playland not disappoint? Or was it the blunder of the year? Obviously, it can't be the latter because Tokyo Girls' Style already stole that title. Now let's dive into Magi9 Playland!

1. Re:

So starting our descent into Magi9 Playland is the second A-side of this era, Re:. Damn, that song is a punctuation nightmare. Anyways, Re: isn't a bad choice to kick off the album. In fact, I wish I'd reviewed the song when it came out as a single, because I think it's a pretty good song. Re: is an anime song, and it takes no shame in sounding like one. But there's still a lot of power in this song. It starts off with that soft music box, and from there, it's this buildup of vocals and instrumentals. The chorus is the catchiest part of the song, and arguably the best. It definitely sticks in my head, like many an anime song. There's something about anime songs that makes me want to get in my car and go save the world, and Re: stirs that emotion in me. Also, it sounds like something I'd hear in AKB0048. But I digress. I'm not a huge fan of the Dubstep break in the middle of the song, but other than that, I think Re: is a pretty strong opening song.

My Rating:


2. Forget-U-not

After the catchy anime song that is Re: is... another anime song! Oh wait, Forget-U-Not isn't exactly tied to an anime. At least I don't think it is. Still, Forget-U-Not sounds like it should be an anime song. Forgot-U-Not has those anime-style strings a la ClariS's Connect, along with that uplifting sound that you hear all the time in anime songs. Seriously, is there a word for that yet? Forget-U-Not sounds like something Mizuki Nana would do, except it would be more orchestral and the live version would have pyrotechnic special effects. Coming right after Re:, Forget-U-Not sounds more like a retread of Re:. Ha, a retread. Get it? I mean, the song is still enjoyable, but it doesn't leave as much of an impression as Re: did. Maybe if it were placed somewhere else on the tracklist, Forget-U-Not might grab me more. On its own, the song is all right, and if you're a fan of generic anime songs, then Forget-U-Not isn't bad.

My Rating:


3. With You / With Me

Wow, the next single! That was fast! What happened to Evolution No.9? Following in the trend of anime-style songs is With You / With Me! In my review of this song, I wasn't jazzed by it, and my general opinions still hold firm. With You / With Me sounds like what you'd expect in a song. It's got that hopeful, soaring sound that I mentioned earlier, similar to what Re: has. At least With You / With Me has a better instrumental break than Re:! No gratuitous Dubstep for this song! And the key change in With You / With Me is also very nice. Neither of those elements is enough to give the song a huge boost though. With You / With Me is a pleasant song to listen to, and it fits right in with an anime ending. But that's pretty much all there is to With You / With Me. I've heard this style of music from 9nine before, and I've heard them do it better than With You / With Me. Is it a terrible song? No. But it's kind of underwhelming, especially as the third anime-style song in a row.

My Rating:


4. THE MAGI9AL FES.

Okay I'm not sure if it was my speakers or the song, but The Magi9al Fes. sounded a lot softer than I thought it was going to. The intro made it sound like The Magi9al Fes. was going be this really futuristic song a la Synchrogazer or Vitalization. But even with the synths, The Magi9al Fes. is very idol-y. So far, this is the most conventional-sounding song on Magi9 Playland. I do like parts of The Magi9al Fes. like the instrumental sounds very festive, almost like a marching band at parts. And the instrumental break in this song is super cool! And doesn't match with the rest of the song come to think of it... I think that The Magi9al Fes. could be catchier. The chorus doesn't have much of a distinctive hook, and for happy songs like this to work, you need a hook. There's not a very good flow between the verses and chorus of The Magi9al Fes. Thankfully, it doesn't sound like a rehash of Re: which I can't say the same about With You / With Me.

My Rating:


5. out of the blue

So out of the blue comes the fifth track on Magi9 Playland, Out of the blue! And this song starts off pretty cool. There are some pretty cool electronic effects in the beginning before the vocals start. Then the girls of 9nine start singing. Ironically, the weakest part of Out of the blue are the vocals. The chorus sounds slightly whiny at parts, and compared to the instrumental, the vocal arrangement just isn't as tight. Actually, I'd like to hear the instrumental version of Out of the blue. I think it'd be one of those songs where the instrumental is better than the original. Like Perfume's Voice! Out of the blue sounds like it should be this epic technopop song, and I don't think the vocals match up to that level of epicness. They aren't as terrible as I'm making them out to be though. Maybe in a different arrangement, the vocals would sound better! Out of the blue is a pretty cool song, but that doesn't stop me from thinking that there's a good deal of wasted potential in it.

My Rating:


6. 9uestions

I just have one question for 9questions: what the hell kind of tone is this song going for? At the beginning, 9questions sounds like it's going to be this edgy technopop song. But that only lasts for around 15 seconds and then 9questions turns into an R&B song. A techno-ish R&B song. Am I making sense? 9questions is such a chill song, but I don't really know what to make of it. The chorus has a happy sound to it, but then the verses sound like they're trying to be a ballad. Whatever 9questions is trying to do, I'm not feeling it. I guess it is nice hearing something that doesn't sound like an anime song on Magi9 Playland. And the calmer sound of 9questions does kind of work. It doesn't work well enough for me to get into the song though. I think 9questions either needs to scrap the techno sound effects or embrace them entirely, because this in-between sound it's going for isn't working out. So yeah, not my favorite track on the album.

My Rating:


7. ATASHI≒WATASHI

So after 9nine questions is a song that I have to use Copy/Paste to write properly! Atashi≒Watashi is another song on Magi9 Playland I can add to the list of technopop-inspired songs. Admittedly, Atashi≒Watashi doesn't rely as heavily on technopop as some of the other songs on this album. I'm a little torn on this song. When I listen to it, I think it's a good song. But I don't have much I want to say about it. The song has this very laid back sound and yet... doesn't. The vocals sound very distant, like the girls were singing them through a funnel. It makes for kind of a cool song. And I do like that Atashi≒Watashi isn't just a repeat of Re: or With You / With Me. The best part of this song is the bridge where the girls' more distorted vocals play. I would have liked to hear more of that in Atashi≒Watashi. I guess the song I can compare it most to is Konwaku Confuse, but even then, I like that song much better.  Still, Atashi≒Watashi is an enjoyable listen!

My Rating:


8. NeXT to FUTURE

Halfway through the album, Next to Future is the first track on Magi9 Playland that I really liked. Like some of the earlier tracks, Next to Future has an anime theme song-vibe to it, but I think it works. I think what helps with Next to Future is that it's a shorter song than all the previous tracks. But the pacing doesn't feel rushed. I know I've been repeating this phrase a lot, but Next to Future is another technopop song. However, it's the first technopop song I've really gotten into. I don't even mind the Dubstep break in the instrumental! In fact, I think that instrumental break is the best part; it reminds me a lot of the instrumental break in Perfume's Spring of Life! I just like the atmosphere of Next to Future a lot; it sounds like something you'd hear in a sci-fi movie during an action-heavy scene. I think putting Next to Future after Atashi≒Watashi was a good decision. Both tracks fit together nicely. Now let's see if the next track can keep this level of quality up...

My Rating:


9. LOVE VAMPIRE

Well, that's one interesting title. I was picturing kind of a spooky song with a title like Love Vampire, but nope, Love Vampire is just more techno. And like many other songs on Magi9 Playland, it starts off more serious sounding than it really is. Actually, Love Vampire is a really perky song. Almost a little too perky. At times, Love Vampire sounds like a Dempagumi.inc song. If Dempagumi.inc could actually sing. Okay, I'm being mean, I'll stop now. But I really do think that the high notes in Love Vampire border on irritating. This song could have been a key lower and sounded just fine. Maybe even better. The weird thing is, only the vocals of Love Vampire sound cheerful. The instrumental keeps trying to make the song sound darker than it really is. I kind of wish Love Vampire would stick with one tone, because the happy, cheerful parts are not mixing with the dark, serious parts. So yeah, not a song I'm a huge fan of on Magi9 Playland.

My Rating:


10. To be continued...

Okay, To be continued... makes Love Vampire sound normal. To be continued... reminds me a bit of 5 the Power if 5 the Power wasn't a rap song. Yeah, I'm not feeling it. To be continued... is a very quirky song, and I do like that it lays off the techno. I mean, not completely, but more than some of the songs on this album. This song sounds like something you'd hear in a Nintendo game. And I like Nintendo games, but I just can't get into this song. I think because To be continued... sounds very... what's the word I'm looking for... juvenile? This sounds like something Fairies would do. You know, if one member of 9nine sang the entire song. I kind of see what this song was trying to do. I also think parts of the instrumental sound pretty cool, but the vocal arrangement is kind of forgettable. Thankfully, To be continued... is a short song, the shortest on the album actually. I'll be skipping over To be continued... when I listen to Magi9 Playland again.

My Rating:


11. 【fu:】

Well, after To be continued... the album continues quite quickly into 【fu:】, another song that makes me thankful for the Copy/Paste buttons! 【fu:】 is another quirky little song, with more of a fantasy element to it than the last track. I'm not sure how well that works. It works better than To be continued..., but I think 【fu:】 sounds just a little too cute. This is the kind of song I'd expect to hear at the beginning of one of those cutesy moe animes. I guess there is something refreshing about how light and bubbly 【fu:】 sounds. And there's just enough technopop in the song to not make it sound completely out of place on Magi9 Playland. 【fu:】 has enough quirks to prevent it from being totally forgotten. There's even a little bit of theremin in this song! Maybe if there were more songs on Magi9 Playland about alien abduction, I might like 【fu:】 more. But overall, it's not my favorite track on the album, nor my least favorite.

My Rating:


12. D.N.A.

So D.N.A. starts off with kind of a funky sound. It has a little bit of an Indian vibe going. Which hey, I'm cool with that; Perfume's Handy Man did the same thing, and I love that song! But I'm not sure if that sound works as well in D.N.A. This song sounds like an unfinished product. There are sounds in it that work well (again, that Indian vibe), but vocally and structurally, D.N.A. is kind of a mess. Not a mess I can't enjoy, but still a mess. There's not a very good transition between the verses and chorus with this song; everything sounds so jumbled. If the producers wanted D.N.A. to sound more hectic, then they could have thrown in crazier sounds and changed up the vocal arrangement. In fact, I'd just scrap the current vocal arrangement. I don't think it works very well with the instrumental. It's like they took an instrumental from a completely different song and threw different vocals on top of it. Hrm, I'm noticing a pattern with a lot of songs on this album...

My Rating:


13. Evolution No.9

Ah, here's Evolution No.9 way at the end of the album! The first A-side of this era, Evolution No.9 is also the first 9nine song I ever reviewed! And it also happens to be my favorite A-side of the three on Magi9 Playland. I wouldn't give Evolution No.9 five apples, but I still think it's a very strong A-side. And it's especially refreshing on this album because it doesn't sound like a generic anime song! Evolution No.9 has this cool edginess to it, like something you'd hear in an espionage thriller. I suspect that the music video picked up on those espionage vibes. I love the way the verses lead into the chorus; it's a fast transition done very well. The only iffy part of Evolution No.9 to me is the bridge; the bridge sounds very choral. It's interesting no doubt, but it sounds a little out of place against the rest of Evolution No.9. Does that bridge take away any enjoyment of the song? Absolutely not! I like Evolution No.9, and it's nice to hear it after four weak songs.

My Rating:


14. ALGORITHM＋LOVE

Now this is one tight track. In fact, Algorithm+Love is my favorite track on Magi9 Playland. Even more than Next to Future! I wish the rest of Magi9 Playland kept up the momentum that Algorithm+Love brings to the album. Because holy shit, this song is great. Algorithm+Love uses a lot of the same technopop sounds that have been popping up in the other 13 tracks on this album, but it uses them better. The vocal arrangement works well with the instrumental, making for a very brisk, tightly paced song. I love how the energy builds as Algorithm+Love plays on, culminating in a pretty awesome key change at the end of the song. And then it goes one step farther, and goes up one key higher! And then one more key higher! The pacing in Algorithm+Love is perfect; it gives the song this sense of urgency, like it's rushing to finish before something terrible happens. If you're going to listen to just one song on Magi9 Playland, I strongly recommend Algorithm+Love.

My Rating:


15. Prism Drops & Falls

I was just waiting for Prism Drops & Falls to drop all the momentum that Algorithm+Love built up. Luckily, ended up not happening! Prism Drops & Falls has more of anime sound to it but still maintains a distinctive sound. The song doesn't start off too badly; in fact, it sounds pretty cool. The rest of the song sounds kind of ambient, but not as much as it could have been. Prism Drops & Falls actually took a few listens to grow on me. At first, I thought the song was okay, but in comparison to some of the other tracks on this album, it stands out as one of the stronger ones. I think what makes Prism Drops & Falls work better is that the vocal arrangement actually fits with the tone of the instrumental. It's a little hard to get into at first, but I think Prism Drops & Falls is a pretty strong song on Magi9 Playland. As strong as Algorithm+Love? Far from it, but on its own, Prism Drops & Falls is a pretty cool song and one of my favorites on Magi9 Playland.

My Rating:


16. With You / With Me (Album Ver.)

The album version of With You / With Me starts with flashbacks to Spending all my time NOOOO- Oh wait, that's not Spending all my time. In spite of the SAMT-esque opening, With You / With Me is a pretty decent album mix. I didn't really need to hear an album version of With You / With Me, but surprisingly, I liked this version better than I thought I would. I even like it better than the original. Does this album version turn With You / With Me into an amazing song? No. But it does add a more distinctive sound to With You / With Me and makes the song sound less like a more watered down version of Re:. I even like a few of the instrumental effects added to this version of With You / With Me! Since technically With You / With Me (Album Ver.) is a bonus track, Prism Drops & Falls is the song that closes out the album, which is fine by me. As a song to close out Magi9 Playland, With You / With Me (Album Ver.) isn't a bad choice either.

My Rating:


The Verdict

How the heck did Magi9 Playland turn out better than Killing Me Softly!? Clearly my expectations were raised toward the wrong album release this month. Yes, Magi9 Playland is a good album. However, it is not a great album. At its best parts, Magi9 Playland sounds positively magical, a blend of electronic and pop that you'd picture playing in the distant future. Unfortunately, at its lowest points, Magi9 Playland sounds like a scattered collection of underutilized sounds and ideas. I think the producers were definitely going for a more technopop sound in comparison to 9nine's last album, Cue. I love technopop, and I love when idol groups explore that genre of music! But the technopop in this album is very hit-or-miss. In some songs like Love Vampire, Out of the blue, and 9questions, there's this disconnect between the way the instrumentation sounds and the vocal arrangement sounds. It's like I'm listening to two different songs mashed into one. Vocally, Magi9 Playland doesn't lean on vocoders and Autotune as heavily as Perfume or Kyarypamyupamyu does. I think Magi9 Playland could have benefitted from some better vocal production. The girls have good voices, but in some songs on Magi9 Playland, their voices don't match up very well.

Luckily, there isn't a terrible song on Magi9 Playland. There are several weak songs on this album (To be continued..., Love Vampire, 9questions, D.N.A., 【fu:】), but none of those songs are outright horrid. For every weak song on Magi9 Playland, there is a good song to combat. Like I said before, Re: and Evolution No.9 are both strong A-sides. And there are several really good tracks on this album such as Algorithm+Love, Next to Future, and Prism Drops & Falls. Then there are good songs on the album like Out of the blue, Atashi≒Watashi, and Forget-U-Not. While not every song on Magi9 Playland works as well as the ones I just listed, the album still has a cohesive sound. And there are twelve new tracks on this album. For a die-hard fan of 9nine, Magi9 Playland has more than enough new material to enjoy. As for me, Magi9 Playland isn't my favorite album, but there were enough good tracks on it that I'm glad I listened to it. Conceptually, this album has a musical style that I personally joy, even if the execution is sometimes shaky. If you like anime-style songs with a dash of technopop, I'd recommend listening to Magi9 Playland at least once.

So I've settled on four apples for 9nine's fifth album. I haven't listened to any of their previous albums, so I don't have much previous work for comparison. On its own, I think Magi9 Playland is a solid effort that doesn't always hit the mark it intends. So I do want to ask any 9nine fans reading this: what is your favorite 9nine album? How does Magi9 Playland hold up in comparison to said album?

If I Could Build My Own Senbatsu...

So the preliminary results are out for AKB48's 5th Senbatsu Election. As you have probably seen by now, there are a variety of ups and downs with these first-day results. As there are still a few weeks to go until voting time ends, I'll just briefly go over my own opinions- You know what? I really don't care.

Yeah, do you guys wanna talk about something else? Like Perfume? BiS disbanding? The state of the economy and how it will effect graduating students? Do any of you guys actually care about the Senbatsu election this year? Because I really don't. I don't know what it is about this year. Maybe it's the fact that most of the members I liked have jumped ship graduated by now. Maybe it's because AKB48's music has gotten so unoriginal that there's no point in getting excited now. Or maybe it's because I know that the same people who got it last year are going to get it this year with little to no surprises. And those surprises will probably be dull ones. Sasshi's gonna get center, Mayu and Jurina won't be far behind, and the members that AKS pushed for Senbatsu will get in the Senbatsu. I'm sorry, it's just boring now. I don't feel that same nervous anticipation from elections past. I think it's just because I don't really care about any of the members now. Most of them are from different groups anyways, so the Senbatsu's probably gonna end up with like five of sixteen girls actually being in AKB48. Gosh, I don't see why AKS just doesn't go ahead and shuffle all the members together since they like cherry-picking their favorites from other groups so... much... wait a a minute...

What if... what if AKS could take other members from other idol groups?

I'm not talking about just the sisters groups, I'm talking about any idol group. From Morning Musume to Team Syachihoko to Brand-new Idol Society, it doesn't matter. Any group. Obviously, this can't ever happen due to conflicts between agencies, but abstractly speaking, it's a cool idea. I always love seeing idols interact with each other on music and variety shows, even if it's just for a little bit. And one of my favorite concepts is the shuffle groups from Hello! Project. It's a shame they don't do that anymore. Seeing other H!P idols out of their usual groups is such a cool, kind of surreal thing to watch. Thinking about this got me thinking about what members I would choose if I could make my own Senbatsu. I'd definitely get different idols from vastly different groups into one group. I think to do this I'll stick to the 16-member format that the current AKB48 Senbatsu election has. Everything else though is fair game. I am sticking to idols that are still around, so no idols from the 80s or 90s or early 2000s. Besides, I don't follow enough of those older idols to even make a full Senbatsu of them. So not only would I build my own Senbatsu, but I'd also be in control of who produced the songs on my Senbatsu single.

I think I'd have the leading song be produced by Togawa Jun, former idol herself. Togawa Jun is known for her weird, usually morbid and grotesque music and lyrics, but she has a very theatric style. I always remember what her songs sound like after the first or second listen. I think it would be cool seeing the former ero-guro idol produce a song for an idol group, especially a Senbatsu along the lines of AKB48. It would probably be weird and may even turn people off from it, but it would be so interesting. But I'd also want a song produced by Shiina Ringo, and definitely Hyadain, and maybe even Nakata Yasutaka or Usagi Disco. I think what I'd do is split my Senbatsu into little subunits, and each producer would create a song for each subunit. So Nakata would do an electronic song, Ringo would do alternative, and Hyadain would do... whatever you call his stuff. Those would all be the B-sides of the single, and the Togawa Jun-produced song would serve as the A-side. The overall single would be a collage of different styles of music from pop to techno alternative. Most importantly though, there would be any bland, generic AKB48-style songs on them.

There's also the matter of a music video... I love reviewing music videos, so mine definitely wouldn't be the generic dance shot/close-ups idol music video. I think I'd want a story in mine. Nothing deep or mind screw-y, just a clear storyline. Maybe it would involve saving the world from a government agency set to destroy idol groups. And all these idols in my Senbatsu are survivors from their own groups, so they all band together to release a song so epic that it destroys the powers trying to suppress idols. It wouldn't be a long PV, but I think I'd have it at around 10-15 minutes. It would be mostly action, taking performance with fight scenes and mashing them together. I would either have that as the music video or this: an homage to idols. It would include re-enactments of famous idol music videos and performances, from Matsuda Seiko to Morning Musume. I've always liked it when idols reference other idols, but it never happens that much. This music video would be kind of like Togawa Jun's music video for Suki Suki Daisuki but not satirical.

Then there's the most important aspect of my Senbatsu: the members. Since I have free reign in my own little imaginary world, I'd want as many members from different groups as possible. There would also be this melting pot of different personalities! Like some would have dancing as their strong point or vocals or personality! And a lot of these idols are just personal favorites of mine. So let's take a look at Nia's Senbatsu and see how impossible it would be!

16. Masui Mio (Passpo) - At the bottom of my Senbatsu, I'd go with Mio from Passpo. Her and Negishi Ai are my favorite members of Passpo, but between the two, I'd go with Mio in my own Build-a-Senbatsu. Not that Ai would be a bad choice either, but I think Mio has a stronger personality that would shine better amongst fifteen other girls. In such a big group, it's easy for certain idols to get drown out by more prominent personalities and voices. While Mio may not have the greatest voice, she's got just enough charisma and charm to hold her own in my Senbatsu! And besides, she's such a cutie; how can you not love that mischievous little grin?

15. Kanazawa Tomoko (Juice=Juice) - I like all the members of Juice=Juice, but I think the member that would fit the best with different idols is Tomoko. She has this poise and confidence in her singing and dancing that some of the younger members of Juice=Juice lack. And since most of the members of my Senbatsu would be older, Tomoko would fit nicely among them. But she isn't only a fitting member visually; Tomoko also has the pipes to back that up! Sure, her voice isn't the strongest, but it's still a nice balance between low and high. Which is good considering the two members behind and ahead of her in this Senbatsu...

14. Momota Kanako (Momoiro Clover Z) - Of course, a good Senbatsu isn't a good Senbatsu without some different flavors in it! And Kanako of the zany and crazy (or at least they used to be) Momoiro Clover Z could bring some real zest to the Senbatsu! I wouldn't want her to be leading vocals of this Senbatsu though, so she'd be at a lower position. That way she still has presence, and I don't have to hear her shriek! Maybe at their live performances, Kanako could performance her signature "shrimp jump" at the end of one of the songs! She may come off as a bit creepy in some of the group singles, but Kanako would still provide a lot of entertainment!

13. Nishiwaki Sayaka (9nine) - As A-chan's little sister has already proved with 9nine's joint concert with Perfume, she's capable of fitting in with another group nearly seamlessly. I thought about putting A-chan herself in this Senbatsu, but I think she fits better with Perfume. Sayaka on the other hand has got just as good of a voice as A-chan and just as great of a smile! And she's more seasoned to being an idol rather than a performer! Sayaka could do the MCs at my Senbatu's concerts and provide the waterworks! I wonder if emotional, passionate crying is a genetic trait in the Nishiwaki family...

12. Tentenko (BiS) - There's nothing like an idol who isn't afraid to do weird things for the sake of entertainment, and every member of BiS could basically qualify for that. But to me, the member of BiS that seems the most okay with doing anything weird is Tentenko. Seeing some of her antics on music shows, I firmly believe that Tentenko is up for anything, even a Senbatsu with fifteen other girls. Tentenko could be the more risque, unconventional representative of this Senbatsu, doing strange, sometimes grotesque things on and off stage. But still being freaking adorable. And with BiS disbanding, that would give Tentenko an outlet to something else idol-related!

11. Yamamoto Sayaka (NMB48) - The only thing that tops a cute idol is a cool idol, and Yamamoto Sayaka is just about as radical as mainstream idols get. She plays the guitar, she's the badass and understanding leader of NMB48, and she has a nice voice to boot! Should my Senbatsu ever do a single in which they decided to play as a band, my management would be sane and allow Sayanee to play the guitar. Should my #1 Senbatsu member not be around for a performance, Sayanee could easily take up her heels and lead the rest of the Senbatsu to a great performance. Other than that, Sayanee's just cool. Can she be in all the idol groups?

10. Ishida Ayumi (Morning Musume) - Why did I pick Ayumi out of all the Morning Musume members? Well, because she's one of the groups best dancers and doesn't shriek the same way Riho does. Speaking of which, in my Senbatsu, all the girls will hit notes that are comfortable to their ranges, Ayumi included. Speaking of which, there's a position in K-pop groups called the "lead dancer" that I wish J-pop groups would utilize more. Because Ayumi, along with one other girl on this Senbatsu would definitely take up that position, with kickass dance solos in my Senbatsu's songs and special dance numbers in concert performances!

9/8. Rena & Risa (Vanilla Beans) - I don't follow Vanilla Beans very closely, but from the songs I've listened to and PVs I've watched, the two members of the duo come off as very classy. Like refined, stylish robots from a retro-style future. I don't know much about the members' personalities, so I've no idea how either one of them would mesh personality-wise with the rest of my Senbatsu. But visually, I think they would contribute both finesse and style to my Senbatsu, giving a veneer of effortless class. Kind of like GAM did except with more style and slightly less sexual tension. Like GAM though, the legs of the Vanilla Beans girls go on for miles.

7. Nakajima Saki (C-ute) - Here we are now in the Kami 7 of my Senbatsu, those holy seven idols who make up the top tier. Filling that first Kami 7 spot along with the other position of leader dance in my Senbatsu would be the lovely Nakky. Not only is Nakky one of my favorite H!P members, but she's also one of the best dancers. Nakky can pull off both adorable and sensual dance, sometimes at the same time. Not only that she can look cute and sweet or sexy and badass. She's kind of like a chameleon! In my Senbatsu, she and Ayumi would have dance solos, and maybe even a dance battle like the ones Ayumi partakes with Riho in Momusu!

6. Nakamoto Suzuka (Babymetal) - While I'm not a fan of Babymetal, I do love the voice of the main singer, Suzuka or Su-Metal as she goes by in Babymetal. Her voice has such great power and resonance, along with a very distinct sound. I love strong voices, so I would definitely have her in my Senbatsu. That's why I have her in one of the higher positions, so she could sing more prominently than in any of those lower positions. And her experience in a metal idol group should give her a different perspective than the other Senbatsu members. But she still also has experience in traditional idol group Sakura Gakuin. It's the best of both worlds!

5. Minegishi Minami (AKB48) - I guess I'm kind of cheating by including a member of AKB48 on a Senbatsu that's kind of not supposed to be solely AKB48 members... But Miichan is just awesome! She's adorable and kooky and sweet, and she went through so much crap last year. And from the looks of it, she's probably not gonna make it onto this year's election Senbatsu either. And if she does, it won't be a high position. So on my Senbatsu, Miichan would have a high position in the Kami 7! The only reason she's not higher is because I have a few more idols that I like just a teensy bit better. But still, I'd definitely want Miichan up high for her bubbling personality!

4. Terashima Yufu - I've always missed Yufu ever since she left BiS, but it does make me happy that she's started solo activities again. I think Yufu's got one of the most distinct idol voices on the market right now, and it really makes her stand out. So I'd want her to be at the top of the Senbatsu, where the more solos/duets/trios would be. Also like Tentenko, she has a past with BiS, along with being an idol on her own. So she's been both a member and a soloist, with two very different images for each! And Yufu's such a photogenic member. Even in BiS she always looked very pretty, whether she was swinging a baseball bat or covered in fake blood!

3. Konishi Ayano (Tokyo Girls' Style) - Even though her voice has been struggling these past two years, I'd still like Ayano in my Senbatsu. She has such a distinctive voice, and her performance skills are pretty high too! I'd want Ayano in my top 3 because again, she has a strong voice and I think she'd carry herself well in the top 3 of my Senbatsu. She also comes from the mature Tokyo Girls' Style, so I think she'd be up for doing a more mature concept despite her young age. I mean, have you guys seen the PV for Juujika? She totally rocks it! And so does Hitomi, but when it comes down to those two, I'd still have to go with Ayano. She's got the pipes for my Senbatsu!

2. Curumi Chronicle - Much like Suzuka, Curumi Chronicle offers a different angle of idol music than many of the other idols on this list. As the only purely technopop idol, Curumi might enjoy performing more traditional music. And I think it would help her to participate in a group! She seems a little nervous and hesitant when it comes to performing. So singing with a big group of girls might help Curumi come out of her shell and allow her to grow more comfortable with performing alone. I thought about making her #1, but I figured she wouldn't be up to centering a single. Besides, I had one person as #1 from the very beginning I thought of this idea...

1. Akimoto Sayaka - I don't care if Sayaka's graduated from being an idol, I'd still want her to be the center of my Senbatsu! Sure, she's 25, but so what? If Shinoda Mariko stayed an idol until she was 27, I'm sure Sayaka could too! Something that always pained me was that Sayaka never got a really high spot during the Senbatsu elections, only making it so far as #12. Personally, I think she deserved better, even after that scandal that wasn't really a scandal. Sayaka has a great voice, vibrant personality, commanding stage presence, she was probably so cool that AKS got blinded by her coolness and were afraid to promote her!

There you have it! Now this would just be my Senbatsu. As for what B-sides would go on each single and who would produce them, I think I've figured that out:

• Shiina Ringo: Akimoto Sayaka, Konishi Ayano, Terashima Yufu, Nakamoto Suzuka, Yamamoto Sayaka, Tentenko

Ringo could definitely do something weird and experimental, and these six idols have the vocals to pull off some weird stuff. I don't know if Ringo would go the more jazz or rock route, but either one would work! I'm thinking maybe a little bit more jazz though, something mature and sensual like Meisai. And she could add some percussion in too! This would be kind of bombastic and scattered song, with smooth, sexy vocals to carry it through.

• Nakata: Curumi Chronicle, Rena & Risa, and Nishiwaki Sayaka

For the electronic number, I think I'd want something more on the pop side for Nakata's work. Not like straight-up idol pop, but maybe something that combines a futuristic sound with the peppy sound of J-pop. I'm thinking along the lines of Aira Mitsuki's works or even Perfume's Computer City or Electro World. And if there was a music video, it could be similar to Spring of Life! That would be so cool... I just love technopop that sounds like it comes from The Jetsons-style future...

• Hyadain: Minegishi Minami, Momota Kanako, Kanazawa Tomoko, Masui Mio

The crazy ones, all in one group together. Okay, Tomoko's not that crazy, but it would do her good to be around Kanako and Miichan! The Hyadain single would be totally all over the place, with a variety of random sounds kind like what he did in Wani to Shampoo. This would definitely be a pop song, maybe with elements of ska or punk in it. I'm thinking something very fast-paced, that doesn't require strong vocals but is still really catchy!

• Nakata (again): Nakajima Saki and Ishida Ayumi

What? I really like Nakata's work... In contrast to the other group, this duo of Nakky and Ayumi would have a dance song. Something like Party Maker or The music or maybe even Jumper, with minimal vocals and an emphasis on the dance aspect. In fact, wouldn't be cool if Mikiko could choreograph it? I would love to see Mikiko choreograph a duo, I think she could really work off that dynamic! It would be a long song too, five minutes at least, mostly instrumental.

Admittedly, my ideal Senbatsu and single would be a mess. But it would be a wonderful mess. I noticed from doing this that I either like cool idols with strong voices or idols with outgoing personalities. And that I like music that isn't boring, but I already knew that. My ideal Senbatsu will never happen. It isn't feasible in any way possible, but it's still really fun to imagine this kind of Senbatsu in lieu of the usual one that we're gonna get at AKB48's Senbatsu election this year. So I want to extend this question to you guys: who would you have in your Senbatsu. You can pick anyone, retired or not retired, old or young, as long as they have been an idol at some point. You also get total creative control over what they release. They can be a concert-based idol group, more commercial, street-performers, etc. They can release any genre of music bland or unconventional, same for music videos. You are in control, which is something that none of us will probably ever get to be when it comes to idol groups. I'm sure some of you guys have fantasized what it would be like creating your own idol group. And if you haven't, you should try it! It's really fun! And it may even reflect your own personal taste in idols and even music!

With 9nine / With Perfume

Out there in this big, giant world are people who have been to Perfume Fes!! I am not one of those people. There are also people who have performed onstage with Perfume at Perfume Fes!! I am also not one of those people. But the five members of 9nine are!

Of the multitude of artists Perfume's been jamming with at Perfume Fes!! this year, 9nine performed with Perfume on March 20. I'm certain it was truly a site to see: Perfume, the lovely technopop trio, performing together with 9nine, the idol group that does all the anime songs. Now why would Perfume perform with an idol group like 9nine? Probably because Nishiwaki Sayaka, a member of 9nine, just so happens to be A-chan's younger sister! Small world, huh? And I think they really utilized that fact at the concert. Sayaka performed Spice with Nocchi and Kashiyuka, and in turn, A-chan performed Shining Star with the members of 9nine. The two sisters even switched outfits! I'm sure it was quite the amazing experience and I am completely envious of anyone who was able to see it I'm so happy for anyone who was able to see it! For those of you who didn't a bunch of lovely pictures can be found here of 9nine's performance with Perfume. Watching the brief clips of Perfume Fes!! made me once again think to myself, "Gee, I should really put more effort into reviewing 9nine's music." I mean, I liked Evolution No. 9, and even though I didn't get to reviewing Re: I thought that was a good song, even if it fell very much into the category of generic anime opening. The PV was so cheap though...

But enough mucking around! I feel it is my duty as a Perfume fan to review 9nine's latest release, cheap music video or not! And not just because A-chan's sister is in the group, but also because they have some pretty decent music and even some good music videos! Sure, 9nine also has some forgettable songs and some music videos that aren't worth mention, but I think the good outweighs the bad! Besides, vocally, I think they always sound like such a great group. Their voices all resonate nicely in every song I've heard by them, especially in some of their later releases. Speaking of which, 9nine's most recent single is With You / With Me, which I actually thought was a double A-side when I first read the title. I blame all the Hello! Project double A-sides. Anyways, like many of 9nine's other songs, With You / With Me is tied in to an anime! Yes, With You / With Me is the second ending song to the an anime called Magi: The Kingdom of Magic. I have not watched this anime, but I think I can safely assume that the anime is about magic. And kingdoms. According to the Wikipedia summary, it's about Aladdin and there's some kind of magical life force mumbo jumbo, it's magic!

But let's talk about anime songs. Now I am not an avid watcher of anime, but I have listened to a handful of songs written for anime. Some of them are wonderful; Connect by ClariS, opening for Puella Magi Madoka Magica, is one of my favorite idol songs. And 9nine's own song Shining Star was the opening for Star Driver, and that's also a song I really like! And did I mention Shunkan Sentimental and Shoujo S by Scandal, both used for anime openings/endings? Also wonderful songs that you should check out. But then on the opposite end of the spectrum there are also anime songs that sound... well, pretty much just like anime songs. They serve as nice filler music to go over an opening or ending, but beyond that, they don't leave much of an impact when you listen to them again without watching the anime it goes with. They aren't necessarily bad songs; a lot of them even make for very pleasant listens. But they don't have much substance beyond "generic anime opening/ending." They just sound like they were written solely for an anime and nothing else.

Unfortunately, that is what With You / With Me sounds like to my ears. Isn't this like the seventh A-side 9nine's released for an anime? Let's see, Cross Over, Shining Star, Shoujo Traveler, White Wishes, Colorful, Re:, yep, With You / With Me! This song just sounds like a rearranged version of Re: without the high notes. And Re: was a better song! I guess it isn't a terrible song. It sounds like I've heard this sound before. Multiple times in different songs, as though the cosmic forces of the idol industry reincarnated and redistributed it to the world. Which makes sense taking into consideration how anime songs tend to do that thing where they all start sounding similar if you binge-listen to them. I mean, With You / With Me is upbeat, hopeful, and makes you want to run out of your house and save the world. Which is... actually pretty good, the more I think about it, but energy wise, 9nine has songs that invoke those same emotions to a much higher degree. With With You / With Me (eugh, the grammar of that preposition makes me question the English language yet again), the song just kind of... happens. And then it's over, and I think, "I guess that was a nice song?" then get distracted by Perfume.

It's like... watching a generic action movie. Some of the locations are cool, and the fight scenes are fast paced, and the plot is decent, but at the end of the day, did I need to watch that movie? No. Did I need to listen to With You / With Me to get fulfillment out of life? No. I guess on the upside... With You / With Me could have sounded a lot worse? I really don't dislike this song, but I can't find a lot about the song that I like either. The strongest part is once again how all the girls of 9nine sound. I noticed that Sayaka has a lot of solos in this song, along with Kanae. I guess those two are the main singers? It's nice hearing Sayaka sing; clearly she and A-chan both inherited some pipes! And I really like Kanae's voice. And everyone else's voices. They all sound so smooth and harmonious. Maybe the only other thing I can note about With You / With Me is there's a brief technopop break before the last chorus and key change. It's a little bit random, but not completely out of place. It's the only slight deviation from the generic anime song formula. As an anime song, With You / With Me works fine and does its job as an ending. As an idol song in general, it's my favorite from 9nine. Kind of a bummer that this is the second thing I've reviewed from 9nine but oh well.

Maybe the PV's better! Just because Re: was a cheap PV doesn't mean With You / With Me will be! Maybe it'll be like Evolution No. 9 and have a style-over-substance storyline!

Or maybe it'll have pink. Lots... and lots... of pink.

Here the five members of 9nine are all gathered around to summon the forces of darkness- I dance!

Ooh, cute shoes! A little too pastel for my tastes but still cute!

More cute shoes!

And the outfits are pretty cute too. Again, very girly and pink.

Oh look, it's like they're balancing imaginary trays!

If all of 9nine's choreography is like this, I'm sure A-chan had no problem dancing with them.

Hrm... idols staring listlessly at nothing in a fancy pink room...

...haven't I seen this concept before?

In SPICE?

Wow, I found more than just Sayaka to relate back to Perfume in this video!

Seriously, just have them dancing on tables and going to an alternate dimension, and the videos will be parallel!

Damn, I think I'm starting to get a Kanae bias. Has she done anything interesting?

Here they all are pushing Sayaka into Perfume!

New theory! The doors behind them lead into the room from Spice!

That's the famous actress in the group, right? Kawashima Umika?

And that's the Arai Hitomi lookalike, correct? (she looks less like Hitomi than the last time I saw her)

I wish they'd show more of this room beyond close-ups. It looks pretty cool!

More saluting to something off in the distance. Probably Perfume.

Whoa there, are we... entering the sphere??

WHY HELLO BRIGHT LIGHTS OF PINKNESS MY WHAT A SURPRISE YOU ARE.

Am I watching a different music video!? What happened to the light, delicate pink set!?

Not that it's bad, it's just so... bright.

Like Weather Girls' Koi no Tenki Yohou. Only brighter. And pinker.

Come to think of it, Re: also had a similar dance break in its dance shot...

Name drop! Blink and you'll miss it!

Back to the pale pink dimension, thank goodness.

Can you imagine how similar Sayaka and A-chan would look if Sayaka wore her hair like A-chan's?

I'm not sure if I find this dance move cute or weird.

The Hitomi lookalike is kind of adorable. Her name's Hirona, right?

Okay, everyone's smiling now, did I miss something?

Did the bubblegum-tinted dance break make everyone feel better?

Away they ascend to a higher plane of existence! Or I assume that's where they're going.

I think I'm gonna have to take an oath to stop relating 9nine back to Perfume on the sole basis that Sayaka and A-chan are sisters. So I will. I solemnly swear to stop talking about Perfume in any further 9nine reviews I write. But for this review, I'm talking about Perfume. Because honestly, the set used in With You / With Me reminds me a lot of Spice. It's like With You / With Me is the refurbished, clean version of the Spice set and the set from Spice is the dingy set of With You / With Me abandoned and left to the elements. That must be why the food all looked expired! And the door at the very end of With You / With Me probably led to that alternate dimension with the fish in it from Spice! And then... somehow over time they shrunk the door and left pieces of delicious candy behind for the girls of Perfume to find. Makes, perfect sense, right? I just love being able to make little connections between various PVs I've watched even if they make absolutely zero sense sometimes. But I seriously do get huge Spice vibes from the main sets used in With You / With Me. The pale pink aesthetic, the girlish details, it all reminds me of Spice. But Spice is one of the best Perfume music videos (or in my opinion it is), so I am completely okay if 9nine wants to use that same style for one of their music videos!

The aesthetic of With You / With Me is the biggest thing the PV has going for itself. Because like the song, there isn't much else to talk about with this PV. I do wish that more shots were spent lingering on the set the girls sit around in, because it is a very nicely dressed set. I think more footage of that set could have made the music video more interesting. It looked like there was a lot of cool stuff in that set to look at, but I didn't have the time too because the PV kept cutting back to the dance shot. And I suppose the dance was okay. Unless it's Perfume (and even then, that's not always the case), I never really have much to say about idol dances. Except for the weird ones. I have lots to say about the weird ones. The dance for With You / With Me is simple but graceful, and just about any teenage girl with a video camera and a Youtube account can duplicate it. I felt like for such a simple dance though, the PV spent too much time focusing on it. I'll admit the set for the dance was very pretty and elegant but so was the set used in those close-ups! Seriously, they could have had the girls doing something else on that close-up set besides staring off into space.

Also, while I'm meandering off-topic, what was up with the teeth in the covers for this single? Were they meant to represent the Big Bad Wolf's teeth? The girls were wearing hooded capes in some of the covers. And if that's true, then why was that incorporated into this single. At what point did the producers think, "You know what this single needs? Fairy tale motifs!!!" I mean, I love fairy tale motifs, but you've gotta do something with them! Speaking of weird things about this single, let's talk about the dance break in the music video. What in the hell was going on in that? It's like 9nine went from dancing in this very sweet, demure little set to something that looks like it came from a Spice Girls music video. It's just so... pink. A different shade of pink, bright pink! That entire green-screened dance break was so bright and didn't match with any of the rest of the PV! And after it's done, they never go back to it! Did the producers just have some extra money that they didn't know what to do with!? Were they sitting in Idol Producers Inc. and saying to themselves:

"You think this music video's too boring?"
"What? The music video's fine, wotas will eat it up-"
"I KNOW! Let's add a hot pink green-screened dance break!"
"I'm not sure that's the best-"
"THIS IS GONNA BE AWESOME!"

I don't believe these questions will ever be answered, nor do I really need them to be answered. I'm only nitpicking into With You / With Me's PV so much because there's not much else I can say about it. It's not the ugliest or cheapest music video I've ever reviewed, but neither is it the most detailed and elaborate. It rests firmly in middle ground, much like the song. I suppose my final verdict is... mixed to positive? If you're a die-hard 9nine fan, then you've already watched this video. And bought the single. And watched the video several more times. Personally, it does not match up to Perfume, but I wasn't expecting it to. I think there are some nice visual elements to the video for With You / With Me, like the pale pink color palette until the PV takes a plunge into Candyland Hell. The dance is also nice, and all the girls in the group look very pretty and mature. But compared to the last single I reviewed by 9nine, With You / With Me doesn't grab me the same way. The song is all right, and the music video is all right, but neither one is great. Better luck next time I suppose.

And so I bestow upon 9nine three apples, one for each member of Perfume. I definitely want to continue looking at 9nine's future material, but With You / With Me did not impress me that much. The song was a generic anime song, which is the best kind of generic you can find but still generic. And the music video was pretty basic and had several unexplored ideas. And a weird dance break. That is all.