Let's Talk about Pikapika Fantajin

I can't think of a more patriotic way for an American like myself to spend the 4th of July than reviewing a technopop album by a Japanese singer. God bless America!

As I sit in my room listening to the sounds of either fireworks or gunshots, I can't help but marvel at how far Kyarypamyupamyu's come since her Moshi Moshi Harajuku days. She's only been around since 2010 and already, she's on her third album. I know I complain about her constantly releasing stuff too quickly for me to catch up, but that's still an impressive feat. Pikapika Fantajin won't be released for a few more days, but thanks to a listening stream on Nico Nico Douga, the entire album has leaked. Which is good! I'd like to get this album review out of the way so I can focus on BiS and Perfume! While Kyarypamyupamyu isn't my favorite artist/idol to review, I do enjoy her music videos most of the time, and her music's always catchy (for better or worse). My biggest drawback with Kyarypamyupamyu always seems to be her voice. I either like it or it completely grates on me, especially on her previous album. Well, I'm hoping that with Pikapika Fantajin, her third album, her new songs work better than the ones on Nanda Collection. Apparently, the album's supposed to have a "fantasy" theme which could mean a range of different sounds, but I will be the judge of how fantasy-like this album sounds. Now let us commence into Pikapika Fantajin!

1. Pikapika Fantajin

So as per Nakata's usual modus operandi, he opens a Kyary album with an introduction number a la the first tracks on Nanda Collection and Pamyu Pamyu Revolution. I never really know what to say about these album intros. In fact, does anybody actually like these? I've yet to meet someone who's said, "Oh yeah, The Opening is my favorite album track on JPN!" Pikapika Fantajin is way too short for me to have any real opinion about it. Well, the one thing I can say about it is that the intro sets up what kind of sound to expect from the rest of the album. Pikapika Fantajin sounds very fantasy-like and sweet. There's a little bit that serves as an introductory title drop. Other than that... look, the song is a minute and twelve seconds. I doubt I'll be replaying it ever again, but as an album opener, it's okay. Like with every intro song I've ever reviewed ever, I would have much rather preferred a full song in lieu of Pikapika Fantajin.

My Rating:


2. Kira Kira Killer

Wow, and to think I just reviewed the Kira Kira Killer! Talk about deja vu... I feel compelled to redirect everyone to my full review of Kira Kira Killer, but that's lazy. Besides, I spent half that review ranting about how one-note Kyary's A-sides have been. And yeah, Kira Kira Killer isn't covering any new territory for Kyary. It's another cute, catchy song that was also a commercial jingle. That doesn't mean it isn't a good commercial jingle, but it's a little frustrating reviewing the same thing several times in a row. Kira Kira Killer does have some strong parts, like the chorus! The chorus carries itself very well; maybe that's why the song works so well as a commercial jingle. I'm not a huge fan of how the song starts out with the chanting, but the rest of the vocal arrangement makes up for that. Although I could also do with less high notes. They're not really Kyary's specialty. Overall, Kira Kira Killer is a cute song, but pretty much what I expect from Kyarypamyupamyu.

My Rating:


3. Yume no Hajima Ring Ring -album mix-

I was a little surprised that Yume no Hajima Ring Ring got an album mix and not Kira Kira Killer. The latter seemed more album mixable. Well, there's not too much added to Yume no Hajima Ring Ring beyond a few added instrumentals and vocals. Other than that, you're gonna get pretty much the same thing you got out of the original Yume no Hajima Ring Ring. Now I liked Yume no Hajima Ring Ring, and I liked the music video even more. As a song alone, Yume no Hajima Ring Ring isn't quite as memorable without the music video. But I think it's a very sweet song, and I like that it's more toned down. Kyary's always getting these really cute, hyper songs, but Yume no Hajima Ring Ring is blissfully chill for her. I like Yume no Hajima Ring Ring -album mix- pretty much the same as the original song. I do like the extra vocals at the end, but again, I can do with either one. Yume no Hajima Ring Ring's probably my favorite A-side of this era.

My Rating:


4. Mottai Night Land

...Then again, Yume no Hajima Ring Ring didn't have much competition. Ugh. Mottai Night Land, we meet again. The third A-side in a row, and this one's not my favorite. Not at all. I will say I love the music video for it! My problem with Mottai Night Land is that it's so annoying. The chorus is especially annoying. I don't what it is but the notes Kyary hits in that chorus rattle my bones. And Mottai Night Land is a super fast song; the song runs for four minutes but it feels more like two. There was this cool piano cover of Mottai Night Land that I like better than the original. Once again, what makes me dislike Mottai Night Land are Kyary's vocals. Funny how that happens with a lot of Kyary songs I listen to... But yeah, I think she's too high-pitched in this song. You know, the more I mention Kyary's vocals in her songs, the more I think that maybe she's not the best artist for me to review... Oh well, I'll muse about that later. I've still got eight tracks to go.

My Rating:


5. Serious Hitomi

After that train wreck is something of a more serious nature... I'm just kidding, Serious Hitomi is the least serious-sounding song with the word "serious" in it that I've ever heard. The song starts out with a really fun little instrumental that's a little bit harder than what I expect from Kyary. But of course, the cuteness pops in when Kyary starts singing. And good god, her vocals in Serious Hitomi are catchy. The backing vocals especially, when they repeat se-se-serious... It will get in your head, and you will have a hard time getting it out. You've been warned. Other than that, Serious Hitomi is a really upbeat song, like some odd blend of technopop and a song I'd hear out of Grease. There are parts where Serious Hitomi drags out, especially the verses. But that lengthiness is picked up by a strong instrumental; the instrumental break is the best part of Serious Hitomi. So if you want some hopping electric guitar, definitely listen to Serious Hitomi!

My Rating:


6. do do pi do

Another staple on a Kyary album is a cover of a Capsule song! Why Kyary's covered like ten Capsule songs by now and Perfume's covered zero, I will never understand. But I like Capsule, and I love Toshiko's voice. Her voice being switched out for Kyary's is often hit or miss, with Kyary's cover paling in comparison to the original. But I think Do do pi do is one of the more fitting Capsule songs for Kyary to cover. Do do pi do is a perky song, and Kyary works well with perky. God forbid she ever cover something like Spider or Jumper. I do like that Kyary's cover of Do do pi do isn't just Nakata swapping out Toshiko's voice for Kyary's and changing nothing else. The instrumental in the Do do pi do cover sounds much cuter and fits better with Kyary's sound. If I have to pick, I'm sticking with the original; Toshiko's voice is too many notches above Kyary's. Still, Kyary's cover of Do do pi do is very listenable and keeps all the fun of the original!

My Rating:


7. Family Party -album mix-

Well, these album mixes are changing jack shit about the originals. Maybe if I produced electronic music, I could unveil all the differences between Family Party -album mix- and the original. Sadly, I'm not. But I can pretty safely say Nakata probably just changed bits and pieces of the instrumental. Point is I still don't like Family Party. This song was used for Crayon-shin chan and hoo boy, it sounds like it. Family Party is a family-friendly, childish song, because that's why it was created. I will say, I do like the instrumental of Family Party better. As it is on Pikapika Fantajin though, this album mix of Family Party does not redeem the song. Kyary's voice just sounds way too cute in Family Party. It doesn't help that Family Party has an irritatingly frequent tendency of getting stuck in my head. I've listened to this song once, and I'm tired of it. Family Party -album mix- may appeal to fans who like really cute Kyary music, but it's my least favorite A-side on Pikapika Fantajin.

My Rating:


8. Ring a Bell

I was wondering when an overly-repetitive album track would come. Ring a Bell is a special little Kyary song. Why? It's completely in English! Yes, because that worked so well for Perfume. Actually, Spending all my time is so much better than Ring a Bell. I mean yes, SAMT was super repetitive but... ugh. First of all, Ring a Bell is also very repetitive and gets very monotonous after awhile. You know, a common brainwashing technique is playing repetitive music. Just a fun little fact to share with your friends. Second of all, the English lyrics to Ring a Bell have more variety than Spending all my time. Unfortunately, the lyrics to Ring a Bell are painfully juvenile. Some deep and thoughtful lyrics from Ring a Bell include "Let's go to the studio!" and "I'm happy today," and the profound gem, "Where is my microphone?" But at least the poor lyrics aren't as bad as Avril Lavigne's Hello Kitty! The grammar's correct in Ring a Bell!

My Rating:


9. Tokyo Highway

So after that iffy album track is Tokyo Highway! And I think this is my favorite of all the new tracks on Pikapika Fantajin. Hell, I think it's my favorite track overall. All of the tracks on Pikapika Fantajin reach some degree of fun, but I find Tokyo Highway to be the song most fun to listen to. I might even try listening to it in my car one day while I'm driving! Because Tokyo Highway sounds like it should be a driving song, and the car should be a sleek, cute little sports car zooming down a futuristic highway. The chorus of Tokyo Highway reminds me of a higher-pitched Computer Driving, and the high notes in Tokyo Highway are some of the better-sounding ones Kyary's hit. There are still a few kinks in Tokyo Highway, the main one being the length. The song is five minutes, and towards the end, it starts feel longer than that. Overall though, I think this is a really good track and definitely one of songs I'd recommend!

My Rating:


10. Koi Koi Koi

This was the one album track I'd heard beforehand! Koi Koi Koi was used in a commercial endorsement (but of course) that featured Kyary posing in front of a giant fruit. It was a very fruity commercial. In that commercial, I heard the first snippet of Koi Koi Koi! And I like Koi Koi Koi; I'm not completely sure why. I guess I'm just relieved Koi Koi Koi isn't annoying. The title made it sound like it would be the Pikapika Fantajin equivalent of Mi off of Nanda Collection. No, Koi Koi Koi actually reminds me most of Meg's Kumiwari (but Kumiwari is much better... and Christmas-y). Koi Koi Koi has this very whimsical, enchanting sound to it. The instrumental's using triangles, and other cutesy little sounds. Kyary's voice fits pretty well with Koi Koi Koi. All the notes are in her range. My only complaints about Koi Koi Koi are that it gets a little monotonous, and Kyary's delivery is a little flat. Other than that, this is a decent song. Catchy too!

My Rating:


11. Sungoi Aura -album mix-

Well shit, I completely forgot that Sungoi Aura was the B-side on Mottai Night Land. In fact... I don't even think I listened to this song... I'm a bad reviewer. Very bad. While I may not have taken the time to listen to the original, I like this album mix of Sungoi Aura. It's a cute little number with a cute little flute in it. I would have definitely preferred this song over Mottai Night Land! I think what I like about Sungoi Aura -album mix- is that it's fun without being overly cute. The energy levels in Sungoi Aura -album mix- are just right. The song is very cheerful and peppy! Other than that... I got nothing. If you liked Furisodation, then you'll like Sungoi Aura -album mix-. Of course, Furisodation seemed to rely on more synths than this song. Sungoi Aura -album mix- has a variety of percussions and woodwinds and even some strings! Just imagine how neat this song would have sounded if all those instruments weren't made with a computer!

My Rating:


12. Explorer

And closing out Pikapika Fantajin is a marching band! Obviously not a real marching band, but Explorer starts out like a marching band! Then it mellows out when Kyary starts singing. Still, there's a very steady beat throughout Explorer. Again, it conjures up images of a pink, sparkly marching band with Kyarypamyupamyu at the helm. Personally though, I'm not a huge fan of marching-band styles songs, and Explorer doesn't do much for me. The energetic percussion is a little fun at times, but vocally, I think Explorer is a little dull. And those high notes still aren't doing much for Kyary. I guess the song kind of works as an album closer? I can picture Kyary marching away with her Harajuku marching band of cuteness into the sunset. Overall, Explorer ends Pikapika Fantajin on a lower note than I would have liked. Explorer is a cute little song, like everything on this album, but for me, it's a weak track compared to the others on this album.

My Rating:


The Verdict

So you know how with Nanda Collection, Kyarypamyupamyu's A-sides were really strong and the album tracks were really weak? Well... with Pikapika Fantajin, that's kind of the opposite. Of the four A-sides of this era, none of them were great. Kira Kira Killer and Yume no Hajima Ring Ring were the better of the four, but neither one grabbed me like Fashion Monster or Ninjari Bang Bang. And I couldn't stand Family Party or Mottai Night Land. The A-sides on Pikapika Fantajin didn't set up a strong foundation for the rest of the album. However, the album tracks fared a little bit better. What worked with Pikapika Fantajin as a whole was the amount of new material. Not counting the instrumental opening, half the tracks on Pikapika Fantajin were new. The only two new tracks that I didn't care for were Ring a Bell and Explorer. Explorer just a meh kind of a song, and the Ring a Bell sounded too juvenile, even for Kyary. But the other new tracks were pretty good! My favorite song on the whole album was Tokyo Highway, and Koi Koi Koi and Serious Hitomi weren't half bad either. Even Kyary's cover of Capsule's Do do pi do was a fun listen!

But... I feel like there was something missing from Pikapika Fantajin.

I have no idea what that is yet. I think what was missing might be... something great. All the tracks on Pikapika Fantajin range from mediocre to good, but none of the tracks are absolute standouts. Every song sounds safe. It's kind of the same reaction that I had with Perfume's JPN. Don't get me wrong, I like Pikapika Fantajin better than Nanda Collection. The album has the same cute vibe Kyarypamyupamyu has with all her music, but there is an air of whimsical fantasy. I can see why Kyary said Pikapika Fantajin had a fantasy theme to it. And all the songs fit together very cohesively. The problem is none of these songs jump out. I mean, yes Tokyo Highway is still a great song, but even then, it doesn't compare to Ponponpon or Fashion Monster or anything off of Pamyu Pamyu Revolution. What I do like about Pikapika Fantajin is that none of the tracks are annoying, save for Mottai Night Land, Family Party, and kind of Ring a Bell. Yet the lack of irritating music also comes with the lack of anything going out of Nakata's comfort zone he's set for Kyary. So overall, Pikapika Fantajin is a decent album, but it lacks anything that really stands out. Or maybe that's just my taste in music. Either way, if you like Kyary's smoother, less hyper music, you'll like this album.

I've been going back and forth between three and half and four apples for Pikapika Fantajin, but I've decided to go with four apples. Because this is a better album than Nanda Collection, in my opinion. But there's still something missing in Pikapika Fantajin, despite the album having a nice variety of songs. All the songs on Pikapika Fantajin are nice enough, and I enjoyed listening to Pikapika Fantajin more than I thought I would! Now I think I'm gonna go dump some tea into the Boston Harbor.

Killing with Sparkles!

With Perfume dropping the 3rd World Tour bomb (which by the way, I got my tickets!), I'd pretty much forgotten that Kyarypamyupamyu is releasing an album very soon. And also that Kira Kira Killer exists. Well... better late than never!

Kira Kira Killer, a song that feels like it's been around for months now, is a curious little single. Because only 7,777 copies were printed. The single also includes one B-side in lieu of two: an extended mix of Kira Kira Killer.  People who bought this single also enrolled in this cute little raffle where they could win a hair tie, a t-shirt, a mask, or one of Kyary's personal items. I myself did not buy this single but did see the packaging for it. I'm sure it was a pretty cool get for Kyary fans!Honestly, the release of Kira Kira Killer seems a little rushed, but then again, Pikapika Fantajin is coming out soon. When else were they gonna be able to release it? Besides, I kind of like having Kira Kira Killer be the final single of this era instead of Family Party. Because as of now, I still am not a huge fan of Family Party. Or Mottai Night Land. In fact, the only singles I liked this era were Yume no Hajima Ring Ring and Kira Kira Killer. The other A-sides were either annoying commercial jingles or just annoying. Nanda Collection was kind of an annoyingly cute album, so I wonder how Pikapika Fantajin will fare. Oh well, that contemplation is for a future review. I'm here to talk about Kira Kira Killer!

So yes, Kira Kira Killer. What to say about Kira Kira Killer... I like it! I like it just about as much as I liked Yume no Hajima Ring Ring. But I do think Kira Kira Killer has a lot more flair then Yume no Hajima Ring Ring. The song was used in one of fifty thousands Kyary commercials so naturally, it's a very catchy song that will get stuck in your head whether you like it or not. And yeah, the song sounds like what you'd expect in a commercial jingle. Which isn't a bad thing! I mean, if it were Family Party or Mottai Night Land, (and weren't those also commercial songs?), then yes, that would be unfortunate. But it's less unfortunate with Kira Kira Killer. There are still parts of the song that I'm not a huge fan of though. Like I think it has a very weak opening. Kyary's chanting L-U-C-K but at times it sounds like that L is an F instead. Then again, that alternative spelling would make one very... interesting song! Kyary's voice is also hit-or-miss in Kira Kira Killer. Her attempts to hit high notes bring about varied success. If you're able to tolerate Kyary's voice by now, then you should get along with Kira Kira Killer just fine. The song does have its fun parts. And the chorus is pretty cute, catchy too! I guess as far as Kyary singles go, Kira Kira Killer is decent.

So yeah... um... what else can I say... Kira Kira Killer is very cute. And technopop. And... ah fuck, you guys have heard this whole spiel before.

I am so happy that Kyarypamyupamyu is holding two tours that will last until November. Because that means she won't have time to release anything. Or at least I hope not. It's not that I strongly dislike all her music (she has some cool stuff), but I am so burnt out on reviewing her music. After Pikapika Fantajin, it'll be nice having a break from reviewing Kyarypamyupamyu. While I like Kira Kira Killer, I don't love it, especially not enough to type out an enthusiastic review. That's how I've felt about all of Kyary's singles I've reviewed this year. Because I feel like I'm just reviewing the same thing over and over again with a slightly tweaked sound. I think NyNy said it best: Kyary's last good single was Ninjari Bang Bang. Everything since then has ranged from decent to grating. And reviewing all these singles, even the better ones, feels so redundant. Maybe there will be some cooler material on Pikapika Fantajin, but honestly, I'm not keeping any high expectations. Kira Kira Killer is what you'd expect from Kyarypamyupamyu by now just like Pikapika Fantajin is exactly what I'm gonna expect from her as well. If you like her saccharine, high-energy songs, then you'll enjoy Kira Kira Killer. I'm starting to feel like a kid that ate too much candy though.

Overall, Kira Kira Killer is a fine song, but give me Perfume and Curumi Chronicle's singles already. Hell, I wouldn't even mind listening to Cupitron's new single. I need a break from cutesy, high-pitched technopop. Nonetheless, I still have a PV to get through. At least Kyary's PVs are always pretty entertaining! So let's see what weird, green-screened PV with a quirky mascot Kira Kira Killer has in store for us!

The PV starts with the breaking news that Sailor Moon has taken up archery!

Wow, she was shot in the heart by a heart.

That's both a painful and ironic way to go!

I guess now the only option is to haunt Nakata for more singles.

So when I die, do I get an outfit made of couch pillows too?

Wow, the world of the dead looks pretty cool. And monochrome.

Actually, I really like the green screen in this PV. It's weird but different from the weird I see in Kyary PVs.

Of course, this PV isn't too different. We still have our token quirky mascot.

This quirky mascot must be God of the underworld or something.

On the subject of that, are we in Heaven or Hell? Or Limbo? Or Purgatory?

I was wondering if this PV would try and work in brighter colors...

Now for a sick guitar solo! Wait... does this song even have guitars in it?

Oh! That's... the thing from Gounn!

This thing! The Buddhist thing!

The fruit of temptation... also the fruit of the Apple Rating System...

Since this PV already has apples, I guess I won't have to give it any!

Death by giant undead snake! Now that's a way to go!

But I guess in the underworld getting eaten by a snake is more like riding a water slide...

Mustache!Kyary is my favorite part of this PV!

So Kyarypamyupamyu came up with the E=mc^2 theory! I knew that Einstein guy was a quack.

Who needs a magic carpet when you've got a hoverboard?

See? Instant fun!

I almost forget that 95% of everything in this is green-screen. Almost.

Gather round the Kyary and sing the Kyary song!

Formerly Kyary the Grey, she has now transformed into Kyary the White!

Holy shit. an army of Kyarypamyupamyus.

Also, can we talk about the clusterfuck of stuff in this world!?

I kind of miss the creepy black-and-white setting...

The flowers are cool! They're like big floral elevators out of the underworld!

Kyary rose from the grave! Does that make her a zombie now?

Her next PV will be a revenge quest on the person who shot her with an arrow!

Well, that was fun! More fun than reviewing the song at least. So I take it that the "Kira Kira Killer" in this PV is... whoever shot the arrow? Who did that? Toshiko? I love the concept for this music video. I mean, anything to do with heaven/hell or the afterlife or whatever you wanna call it is just interesting to me. I don't know what that says about me as a person, but it was cool seeing Kyary explore her version of the afterlife! And in true Kyary fashion, her afterlife has bright colors, trippy visuals and a quirky mascot to guide her along the way! There are many facets to this PV that you can find in other Kyary PVs, but I like the aesthetic of Kira Kira Killer. I especially like it at the beginning where mostly everything is in black and white. The contrast was really nice, especially since many of Kyary's PVs rely on bright colors. Kira Kira Killer felt more subdued... until about halfway through. Then the PV started getting more and more colorful. I guess that was supposed to symbolize how Kyary was close to getting out of the underworld. Whatever it was meant to be, switching to brighter more Kyary-ish colors did make the PV lose that distinctive weird/creepy look in the beginning. I can only see so many pastels before they all start to blend together.

Like any Kyary PV there were a multitude of quirky moments. As I mentioned before, there is the token mascot in this PV. I guess this one's all right, I like the polar bear in Yume no Hajima Ring Ring better. And my favorite Kyary mascot is still the googly-eyed onion from Candy Candy (I don't think any mascot will ever top that one). I felt like there wasn't really that much presence in this mascot. He/she/it was kind of just there. I mean, they did Kyary a hoverboard, which was very thoughtful. Other than that, they just kind of followed Kyary around and danced and changed sizes occasionally. Beyond the mascot, there's the multitude of strange settings and scenarios from the giant snake to Kyary with a mustache. I don't know why but seeing Kyary in that mustache was my favorite part of the whole PV. It was so absurd and mundane at the same time. And while I'm not as big of a fan of Kyary's excessively green-screened PVs, there was something really neat about the scope of the green-screening in Kira Kira Killer. Like Kyary looked teeny in some of these shots. Even though, yes, it's all computer-generated, there's something very incredible about far green-screens can go these days.

Although all that green screen did get a little tiring after awhile. Between Kyary riding the hoverboard and transforming to Kyary the White was when I started to lose interest. I think because Kyary was doing more in the first part of Kira Kira Killer? The PV opens with Kyary being murdered for one thing, and then the next part has her exploring. She's doing all these weird things in the first half like meeting the quirky mascot and sliding down the belly of a snake. And then in the second part of Kira Kira Killer, she's just... dancing while the camera spins around like a drunkard. Remember what I said earlier about how the setting started to blur together after the halfway point? There's so much stuff going on in this last part of Kira Kira Killer that it's hard to really focus on anything. And again, everything is green-screened, so there's only so much detail to focus on. And then the camera's moving everywhere so even if I could focus on the details, everything's passing by too quickly! I don't mean to sound old-fashioned, but so much of Kira Kira Killer feels intangible and unreal. Because... well, it's not. That awareness just doesn't start kicking in until the second half.

The PV for Kira Kira Killer isn't without flaws, but overall, there's enough about this PV to keep me interested. I think it's better than Family Party! Then again, everything about Kira Kira Killer is better than Family Party. Yume no Hajima Ring Ring is still probably my favorite Kyary PV of this era, but I think I'd tie Kira Kira Killer with Mottai Night Land. Both are pretty similar, except Kira Kira Killer has more of a morbid concept and no skeleton-heads wearing bikinis. As the final PV for the Pikapika Fantajin era, Kira Kira Killer is a pretty fitting PV. Kyary's said that the concept for Pikapika Fantajin is "fantasy" and the PV for Kira Kira Killer definitely does have a fantastical air to it. It takes on death and the afterlife in a fun, weird manner. And there are plenty of fun moments, a few twisted moments, and a few dull moments, but overall, the PV for Kira Kira Killer feels like something Kyary would do without feeling like too much of a retread on her other PVs. So if you're looking to get into Kyarypamyupamyu, maybe wait on Kira Kira Killer. But if you're already a fan, you know what you're getting into. The PV for Kira Kira Killer doesn't bring anything new for Kyary, but it's an entertaining tale of death, the afterlife, and resurrection. And pastel.

So I'll give Kira Kira three and half apples. The song isn't fantastic, but I think Kira Kira Killer is enjoyable enough. It's a fun little Kyary song. The PV also isn't without its flaws (mainly a lackluster second half), but like the song, it's also enjoyable. Besides, Kyary rises from the dead! That's a cool concept alone! Still, after Pikapika Fantajin, it'll be nice to have a break from the onslaught of Kyary songs this year. Now watch her release another single in August.

No Party Like a Family Party!

What the hell am I doing reviewing something else by Kyarypamyupamyu? I swear to god she released a single like two months ago. I'm gonna end up waiting half a year (again I might add) for Perfume's next single, and Kyary releases one two months after Yume no Hajima Ring Ring!? And now she's releasing an album in July!? Do Kyary and Nakata just not sleep!?

I shouldn't blame Nakata for the onslaught of Kyarypamyupamyu releases this year. It's probably her management that contracts him for Kyary songs at such a rapidfire pace. So Perfume management: get your shit together and give us some more information about Perfume's next single. And Kyary management: lay off the Kyary singles and albums and everything. Please. Just let Kyary tour after releasing Kira Kira Killer and Pikapika Fantajin so I can rest and review something else. I'm not sure why exactly I keep reviewing Kyarypamyupamyu. I have this love-it-or-hate-it relationship with her music. I think it's her endearing personality that keeps me from abandoning reviewing her music altogether. I think people read my reviews of her stuff too? I don't know, I just feel like Kyarypamyupamyu's music is the music I listen to when Perfume hasn't released anything. And luckily for Kyary, Perfume hasn't released a single since November, not that I'm irritated at Perfume's management for being unnecessarily vague about the single. No. Not at all. All right, let's talk about Family Party before Kyary announces another single. I admit, I'm astounded that I've been able to keep up with her releases this well so far...

Covers/Outfits

There are three covers for Family Party, one being a cartoony Crayon Shin-chan type of cover and the other two showing live-action!Kyary doing something weird. So basically the same covers for Kimi ni 100 Percent/Furisodation except with a different concept. And the concept of Family Party's covers must be robots! The regular edition shows Kyary as a giant robot with a strange wig, and the Limited B edition cover (featured above) has her wearing an even stranger wig with some kind of Muppet poking out of it. Even the Limited A cover with cartoon!Kyary shows her as a robot! The regular version is by-far the strangest, and it looks like Kyary is attacking some kind of city with her four giant arms. They're all pretty weird covers, but weird in the bright, friendly way that doesn't freak you out. It's just Kyary wearing and/or doing something quirky like usual. Which isn't always bad, I think these covers look fine! As for the songs on Family Party...

Family Party

...sigh.

Welp, so much for evolution. You know, Kyarypamyupamyu is really not in the position to talk about her musical aims when she doesn't even produce her own music. Especially when half her A-sides are written to be tie-ins for various products and other media. Family Party is her second song related to children's show Crayon Shin-chan, the first being Kimi ni 100 Percent. Now Kimi ni 100 Percent was very much a kid-friendly song, with a beyond-adorable melody and the same lightness that Mirai no Museum had. Unlike Mirai no Museum, Kimi ni 100 Percent's light, fluffy sound fitted Kyary's image, and I surprisingly enjoyed the song. Family Party was created for the movie Crayon Shin-chan: Serious Battle! Robot Dad Strikes back. I've not seen this movie, but I can pretty safely say that it probably involves a robotic father. Just a wild guess. Anyways, Family Party is a movie and that is all it tries to be. The song seems to be about holding a family together, or something that probably relates to the movie. Musically, the song sounds like the kind of song you'd hear on a children's TV show. Look, I don't really expect much from Kyarypamyupamyu's A-sides, but I still find Family Party to be underwhelming.

Yeah, as you may have figured out, I do not like Family Party. Admittedly though, my opinion of it has softened since I first heard it. I mean, the first time I listened to the preview of Family Party, I hated it. I thought Family Party was a terrible song that was equal parts annoying and grating. And... okay, it still kind of is, but not anywhere near as much when I first heard it. There are some cool parts to it, like the 8-bit opening, and I actually kind of like the instrumental. It sounds like something you'd hear in a Nintendo game. My biggest problem with Family Party is that I find it to be annoying, in the same way that a really shitty kids' show is annoying. Family Party is a very juvenile-sounding song, even for Kyarypamyupamyu. And the other thing that turns me off from the song is Kyary's vocals. Her vocals are very hit-or-miss, and something about the way Nakata edited them this time around makes them sound so much more obnoxious and squeaky than some of her other songs. While there are much worse songs out right now Hello Kitty, Family Party is still my least favorite A-side that Kyarypamyupamyu has released. This or Mottai Night Land. Actually, probably Family Party since Mottai Night Land is slightly less annoying in comparison.

While I'm usually split on Kyary's songs, I do enjoy her creative and kooky music videos. The PV for Family Party garners a slightly different opinion from me than the song. However, I still must admit that it isn't my favorite Kyary music video. I didn't know what was going on it any more than I did some of her previous music videos, but still. I admit, Family Party didn't look very much like a "family party" at least not the ones I've been too (mine have much more cornbread and barbecue chicken). It looked more like a Wii game. Everything was very white and retro-futuristic looking, and I don't think the letters in the PV were actually letters. Unless they just took German letters and flipped them around a bit. Basically, Family Party's concept is that Kyary is playing some kind of game with this robot that's also being operated from inside by Kyary and there's this referee that holds up random cards, and I don't know, it doesn't make a lot of sense. Coming after the very sensical Yume no Hajima Ring Ring, the PV for Family Party is kind of refreshing in how random it is. But you've still got your staple Kyary elements: the quirky mascot, the quirky backup dancers, the quirky person wearing a mask, buckets and buckets of quirkiness.

But it's the presentation of Family Party that makes it a good PV. Because while I've seen all these elements in every Kyary PV ever, the way they're handled is very nice and entertaining. This is a very fast PV, and there are a lot of different images that you can catch. For instance, Kyary and the robot's teams are presented by a dog and a parrot. Why? Who knows! I guess families have pet dogs and parrots. I think I heard someone say that this PV was supposed to represent how hard managing a family is, but personally, I don't see it. I guess you could kind of connect that concept to Kyary managing the robot with her multiple arms. At the end of the day though, I don't think Family Party's PV needs a hidden meaning to make it watchable. It isn't good for the brain to dwell long on analyzing a Kyarypamyupamyu PV anyways. It's just a fun, quirky PV that you'd expect by now from Kyarypamyupamyu. Overall, I was entertained, and really, that's a PV has to do sometimes. Watching the PV did make the song a little bit more tolerable as well. Not enough for me to like the song, but just enough that I can tolerate it.



I'm only giving Family Party two apples, and nothing will convince me otherwise. Not even the extended mix that this song will probably get, because Nakata loves making extended mixes out of Kyary's A-sides. Maybe if I was a fan of Kyary's "kawaii" technopop style of music, I'd be a bigger fan of Family Party. But as of now, Family Party is a party that I have no intentions of attending any time soon.

Scanty Skimpy

With a title like Scanty Skimpy, I was expecting something either really weird or really cute. It turned out to be the latter. Scanty Skimpy is a very cute little song that's just a tad bit whimsical. It also sounds kind of... French? I'm not an avid listener of French pop, but Scanty Skimpy sounds like something I'd hear out of Amélie. What I like about Scanty Skimpy is that it's one of Kyary's cute songs that isn't cute in an extremely annoying/sugary way like Mottai Night Land or Point of view or half the tracks off Nanda Collection. It's just this cute little song that's kinda simple-sounding but sweet. The song Scanty Skimpy reminds me most of is Furisodation, except not quite as energetic. It's still a pretty peppy song, and it fits with Kyary's music style. Although it might fit with her music style a little too smoothly. Scanty Skimpy comes off as a tad bit underwhelming. I mean, it's nowhere near as underwhelming as Family Party. In fact, I'd rather Scanty Skimpy have been the A-side over Family Party. This song isn't as annoying! But it's a very basic Kyary song, that doesn't bring too much to the table. The melody is very nice, and that French pop-vibe does add a lot of charm to the song.

I was actually curious about the lyrics for Scanty Skimpy, since the title sounds kind of tantalizing/flirtatious. Turns out Scanty Skimpy is about a girl who likes to eat but also wants to wear cute clothes and is torn between the two. So kind of like Berryz Koubou's diet song only not as weird. Wow, I can't believe I just said a Berryz Koubou song was weirder than a Kyarypamyupamyu song. Anyways, the only other thing noteworthy about Scanty Skimpy is Kyary's vocals (kind of). They sound just as squeaky as Nakata always edits them, but Kyary commented (I think on her Twitter) how it was hard to sing Scanty Skimpy because she had to use her "lower voice." When the song first started, I had no idea what she was talking about. But getting to the verses, I did notice her voice was surprisingly low. So many of her songs are so high-pitched, and it was kind of refreshing. Then of course it went back to the squeaky high voice. Admittedly, those "low" notes aren't that low; I'm a soprano, and I could have belted them out. Just in comparison to the rest of the song, those verses are a tad bit lower. Other than that, this was a decent B-side, although I liked Slow-mo better.



I think it's appropriate to give Scanty Skimpy four apples. It's a good song, and blissfully, it doesn't get on my nerves the way Family party does. Scanty Skimpy is a cute little song, and that's pretty much what you can expect. It doesn't try anything too crazy, other than a few melodies, but it was pleasant on my ears. So yeah. On to the final track...

Invader Invader -extended mix-

What is this, extended mix #20 now? It's pretty much expected that a Kyary single is going to have an extended mix of one of her A-sides, and this time that extended mix falls onto Invader Invader. Funny, that was the last Kyary single I reviewed... Previously on Nia's Wonderland, I found Invader Invader to be an enjoyable song but lacking in anything distinctive beyond a gratuitous Dubstep break. So does Invader Invader -extended mix- add more substance to the song? Well, certainly not in the lyrics. There are a few extra vocals added to this mix, but it's mostly just Kyary repeating the title and a few more "Wows" and "Yeahs." It starts pretty much the same as the original, only there's a brief instrumental before Kyary starts the chorus instead of immediately jumping into it. After Kyary starts singing, the rest of Invader Invader -extended mix- is relatively similar to the original. I'm sure there are a few slight changes in instrumentation that I didn't catch. Invader Invader -extended mix- really starts sounding like an extended mix until after the second chorus, when that instrumental is drawn out. Other than that, Invader Invader -extended mix- is one of Nakata's remixes that's stayed relatively similar to the original.

Compared to the original, I like Invader Invader -extended mix- about the same. The extended instrumental bits are my favorite parts, since they add even more kookiness to the song. But the mix doesn't blow the original out of the water (or into space is what I should say). I'd be content with listening to either one. I will say though that Invader Invader -extended mix- doesn't diminish anything from the original recording, which is what several of these other extended mixes have suffered from. Of course, Nakata still keeps that Dubstep break in, and somehow it still sounds just as random and unnecessary as it did in the original Invader Invader. The biggest weakness of Invader Invader -extended mix- is that it doesn't add anything terribly different to the original. It's too... safe of a mix? I guess I could also say that's the biggest strength of Invader Invader -extended mix- because it doesn't compromise the original in a bad way. But a best-case scenario extended mix would have been a mix that both changed and enhanced the original. Invader Invader -extended mix- does a little bit of that, but only to a small degree. Still, it's a decent listen!



I'm kinda torn on what to give Invader Invader -extended mix-, but I ended up giving it four apples, like I did with the original! It's pretty good as far as extended mixes go, but there isn't a lot of note that's added to with it. If someone into electronic production wants to pick into this mix, then feel free! They might find more to talk about with this extended mix than I did...

The Verdict

It's not even June yet, and already I feel kind of burnt out on Kyarypamyupamyu. Yume no Hajima Ring Ring, Family Party, Kira Kira Killer, and now a whole new album, and all this is just by July. Maybe it would help if Family Party was a stronger single, like Yume no Hajima Ring Ring. But the A-side for Family Party is just a kid-friendly song for Crayon Shin-chan that I find to be too cutesy and annoying to enjoy. Scanty Skimpy is better, but it's still a B-side and not even the best Kyary song I've ever heard. And I didn't really need an extended mix of Invader Invader. Luckily, Invader Invader -extended mix- is actually pretty fun, but even then, it didn't change that much in the original. So I've got one bad song and two decent songs. My final verdict? Family Party is worth listening to if you're into Kyarypamyupamyu's music. If you're looking to get into her music, I wouldn't start with this single though. I'd start with Fashion Monster or Ninjari Bang Bang or Candy Candy or even Pamyu Pamyu Revolution. But not Family Party. If you like Kyary's cuter and more saccharine music, then you might find Family Party to offer a better selection of songs than I did. There are definitely some interesting things in all these songs, but for me, it comes down to a matter of taste.

I think the problem with me and Kyarypamyupamyu is that most of her stuff is too cute for me, Family Party included. If I'm in the mood for cute, bubbly technopop songs, then yeah, sometimes her stuff works. But most of the time when I'm listen to her music, it's like being force-fed Pixie sticks and cotton candy. I do like Nakata's compositions though, and I think it's the instrumentals of Family Party that make me enjoy this single more. I listened to the instrumentals of Family Party and Scanty Skimpy, and I actually think I enjoy them more than the actual songs! Especially Family Party's, I really love the 8-bit usage in the instrumental and the melody sounds so much nicer without Kyary singing. That's when it occurred to me... maybe the reason I'm not a huge fan of a lot of Kyary songs is because I don't like her voice that much. I mean, I'll take her over Dempagumi.inc (I'll take anything over Dempagumi.inc though, even vultures getting castrated). Same goes for Scanty Skimpy; it's a really cute instrumental, and again, I could see it being a movie track to an artsy little French movie! So I guess overall... if you like Kyary's voice and her cute style, then you'll like Family Party more than I did. But if you like Nakata's compositions more, listen to the instrumentals. They're still cute, but not quite as overtly cute as when Kyary is singing.

So after those three tracks of varying cuteness, I think I'll give Family Party three and half apples! Eugh, reviewing this single makes me feel like I need to brush my teeth or something. Yeah, I need to feel edgy and hardcore again; I'm gonna go listen to some Capsule.