Thursday, 23 April 2015

The Bland, The Ballad and The Basic; In A Nutshell, That is Morning Musume '15's 58th Single

All thoughts and opinions are my own. That's the norm. Don't like, you don't have to read, unless you're like me and take pleasure in reading someone else's disdain for what you love. But, seriously, we're all entitled to an opinion; some are just more outspoken and brash than others. Me? I like voicing my god-damned opinion on here, for the world to read. SO, LET'S READ!!!

... I think that I have finally found a song that is worse than One Two Three...

Oh my!!!

It is a rare thing for me to really dislike a single I think, because typically, there is at least a saving grace that allows me to love a release regardless of the gigantic-ass flaw that sits on the surface like a giant pimple. With One Two Three, the saving graces in sound were The Matenrou Show and two of the three generation song b-sides. These songs justified the single enough for me, and made me like it more, even when I hated its main song with such a strong passion.

Sadly, this train-wreck doesn't really have a saviour, at least, it doesn't have a song that is good enough to justify this single to be good.
 It makes me wonder just how the fuck this single was able to get #2 weekly... oh, yeah, binge-buying. Almost forgot that existed.

Honestly, for the first single of the year, as well as the introduction to the newest generation that many have been waiting for, one would have expected this to be amazing. I know, I know, Maji desu ka Ska wasn't the most unique of songs, and to many Pyoko Pyoko Ultra was a massive flop, and I would never expect a grand entrance like Help Me!!, but... at least all three of those introduction songs had effort thrown into it, you know? They were all catchy and memorable, and they were great to loop.

With these songs, I forget the tune to them once I've stopped playing it. None of them are memorable whatsoever. This is a problem, and I pray to Lord Gaki that UFP kick their arses into gear and produce something of better quality, because when you compare Morning Musume '15's release to every other groups first release so far this year, this is the one that sounds the worst, and the one that lacks personality and creativity.

And, it's because of how shitty this single is that I have decided to review it. Because reviewing shitty singles makes me happy, clearly, and because I enjoy griping about these things. So, without further ado, let's get into my review for Morning Musume '15's shit new single, Seishun Kozo ga Naiteiru / Yuugure wa Ameagari / Ima Koko Kara, the debut of the poor new 12ki. Oy, vey.


Seishun Kozo ga Naiteiru / Yuugure wa Ameagari / Ima Koko Kara by Morning Musume '15

Release Date: April 15th, 2015

Track List:

1. Seishun Kozo ga Naiteiru
2. Yuugure wa Ameagari
3. Ima Koko Kara

1. Seishun Kozo ga Naiteiru

... Urgh.

Where does one begin with the terror that is Seishun Kozo ga Naiteiru? I mean, I can't say it's good, because I think it's a pretty damn terrible song, and I can't say that it's exciting, because this is honestly one of the most boring tunes to come out of Hello! Project in forever. So then... what can I say about it?

... Ah, fuck it, let's begin with saying that it's shit.

From just that, it's pretty obvious that I don't like this song. In fact, I find it a lot worse than One Two Three, so for me, that's saying something. So, yeah. This song is crap, and a poor excuse for a debut song for 12ki. It's not good.
 Of course, that's subject to opinion, but when it comes to a main track off a single, I would expect something a little better, and a lot more inventive and exciting.

What I don't want is the watered-down, crap version of Berryz Kobo's 1-Oku 3-Senman Sou Diet Oukoku, which is actually a good song.

At least the (Another ver.) PV is good. Sadly, it can't save this drab song.

What I don't like about this song is how slow and boring it is, and how simple the beat is; it doesn't feel like it's trying, it just feels like it's... there, but doesn't want to be. There is no personality behind the instrumental, nothing that grips me as a listener. I don't like that it sounds like a dumbed-down version of some of MoMusu's better new-era songs, and I dislike that it tries to be energetic and then suddenly tries to be cool and collected.

I don't like a lot.

Okay, so I do admit, this song is a grower; a few people that I have spoken to have said that the song, whilst they don't like it or hated it at first, have found that its grown on them, and I admit that it's grown on me a bit too, the more I listen to it. Does that mean I like it more now? Heck no, I still dislike it. It just got catchier with each listen, I'm afraid.

I just get bored listening to it, and I want to pause it after a minute because I feel like it's a chore to watch it and concentrate on the song itself. So, I'm going to turn it off again now, and hopefully never listen to it again unless I'm drunk, or forget that I don't like this song and mistakenly put it on.
 I'll probably undergo the former before hearing this again, not gonna lie.


2. Yuugure wa Ameagari

Hands in the air, Praise Lord Gaki, because this is THE SAVIOUR SONG!!! Hallelujah, Praise the Gaki!

Seriously, of all three songs, this one was the saving grace for me, though I admit it isn't enough to save this entire single; it's not strong enough, and it's definitely not memorable enough to warrant me wanting to buy this single.
 Because, let's be honest, there much better songs from other groups out there that would overtake this song.

Still, it's very pretty, and it's definitely right up my alley as a song. I do love ballads, and pretty settings in PV's too, so of course this one would happen to appeal to me, and I'm glad it did stand out above the rest; it would have been a shame to hate this single for everything it had to offer.

It's not a painfully slow song, not like what Seishun Kozo ga Naiteiru was at points, and it has good pacing in its beat. It's pretty to listen to, and to its credit, is one of the groups better ballads as of late; I didn't really like Toki wo Koe Sora as much as everyone else did, not unless it was sung live, but this one feels good to listen to - it's soft, it doesn't have too much EDM going on, and it feels refreshing.
 In short, it's a very nice spring ditty.

One of the strong points of this song, though, is that Mizuki and Masaki are lead vocals in this; this song is perfect for those two, and of all the girls who get solo lines, both Mizuki and Masaki are the two who I remember the most. The only girl I feel should have been switched for her solo lines, purely because her vocals don't suit this song at all, was Riho - she sounded really out of place here, and I feel like a cuter set of pipes would have worked better in her place. That said, she sounds good; better than the first two years since her debut, at least. Other than that, I liked who got solo lines; they did well.

Sadly, I don't remember this song once I've finishes listening to it, and it's easily drowned out by better songs that I prefer to hear more. I mean, it'll be great background noise, don't get me wrong, but as a song I want to devote my whole attention to? Yeah, that won't happen.

... Yep, that's all I have to say on this song. I like it, but it's not good enough to be memorable or to be listened to seriously. Basically, it's like a '48 A-side song. Pretty, but... wait, what does it sound like again?

Ah, well~

3. Ima Koko Kara

Oh, good grief. This song.
 Can I end the review at that? No? Ah, dang nabbit!

Okay. Ima Koko Kara. A bland, boring-ass, piece of shit for a song that is an anime tie-in, and probably the reason this song sold as many CD's as it did. I mean, it appeals to kids, right, and it's for an anime that honestly looks scary as fuck to me, so of course it would appeal to a wider range?
 Well, none of that means anything to me, because this songs bad. Not Seishun bad, but it's still bad.

The fact that I find it better than Seishun Kozo ga Naiteiru, though, is pretty terrifying, because this is such a basic song, and I honestly believed that there could be nothing worse than this for MoMusu this year. I was wrong.

I mean, it's an incredibly catchy song, don't get me wrong - it's cute too, in a bland way, but it doesn't really offer anything amazing to the listener; it's simplistic and sweet, but forgettable at the same time. I suppose it's the simplicity and sweet sound that makes it so good for kids, but as an adult, I don't really hear its appeal. It's not energetic or powerful, it doesn't grab you right away, and it doesn't make me me want to dance or sing along to it. There's no personality or charm in it, and it's just... it's not a great anime song. I mean, I've heard a lot better.
 We've all heard a lot better, Chii.

Honestly though, for the third track on MoMusu's single, I actually didn't expect much from this song. Granted, it is definitely a grower, and it's actually the one song on this single that I do remember at random intervals (so it isn't all that forgettable... so long as you loop it a few times to ingrain it into your memory) but, it's nothing special, either. I know, it's the song that MoMusu were given to promote an anime, and that's a good thing, but... it's just not good, and not a song I would expect from this MoMusu right now.
 It is a nice change of pace, but it's also too simple for them, I think.

Well, at least they got some cute costumes out of it. That's a bonus, for sure.

It's not the best song of the bunch, but, it's still catchy and cute, and incredibly not the weakest link of this single. It's nice to listen to as well, but if you're looking for something complex and cool, something you would expect from 2013-2014, then this isn't it. It's just a simple, cute song, one that would appeal to children and work great as background noise.

... Okay, can I turn it off now? Thanks.


The Conclusion

Okay, now that all those songs have been switched off and I am once again listening to E-Girls, I can write with ease. I swear, this new single of MoMusu's fries my brain and turns it to mush so that I can't write. Urgh.

So, the single, what do I think? Well, if you read the beginning of the post, then you may have gathered that I think it's mostly made of trash, and even after looping those songs a few times when trying to write this post, I still think it's really bad, especially for a debut single. Really, it's not that good.

The songs are poor in quality. They aren't memorable, but instead bland and easily forgettable and unimaginative. Honestly, of all the Hello! Project singles to be released this year, Morning Musume '15's is the worst of the lost, and Hello! Pro have been doing really damn good this year with their songs I think, so this is truly a shame. I mean, what happened? What happened to make Morning Musume '15's songs so atrocious in comparison to the rest of the H!P family, huh? Their songs were pretty good last year, not the best or most impactful, but they were memorable and loop-worthy, so why is this single so awful?
 I don't know, but I'll wonder, because I like MoMusu, and wouldn't wish this awful sound even on Berryz or S/mileage back when they were around.

It's a poor single, especially for the first of the year, and it has no upstanding songs on it if you ask me. This doesn't mean its bad, because a sound is subject to the listener, and I'm sure many love this single, which is great, however I have yet to find any strong point to the 58th release for Morning Musume '15. Yes, I like Yuugure wa Ameagari, but not enough to think it could make this single good. It's a nice spring song, but honestly, it doesn't have enough power to save the other two songs.

*Sigh* This is why we need B-sides back, to give us saviours to shit A-side tracks like these; honestly, hearing this single, it really makes me wish even more that we had B-sides once again. They brought personality and balance to the single, and whilst yes, we have three songs here to "entertain" us for a couple of minutes, they aren't enough if you ask me. There needs to be more to it, something to flesh it out, keep it grounded, and make it interesting. Yes, three songs is a lot, but when all three songs are poor in quality and only good for background noise, then you have a problem, and H!P need to fix it, and make MoMusu exciting again.
 If this was their second release of the year, I might feel more forgiving, but it isn't. What can you do, though?

If I had a rating system, this would probably get one Apple on the chart, maybe half an apple. Actually, it wouldn't get any apples, because I seriously don't care about this single. It's crap.

Seriously, though. Finally, I found a song worse than One Two Three! I never thought I would see the day ._.


As a final say, what are YOUR thoughts on the single? Do you enjoy it, or are you like me, someone who dislikes it and finds it pretty weak for a first release of the year? Let me know if you want! Until next time however, I will say adieu to you all, and meet you once again in my next post!

Take care, and have a wonderful week ahead of you!

Much Love,


  1. Kerriririiiiii~~ it's me, Ryan! Haha.

    I really liked this review! You expressed your opinions really nicely and well-thought-out...-ly.... yeah.

    Hmm... my thoughts. Well, I didn't really like Seishun at first. I found the big gap between the slow parts (the "da kara watashi waratte ageru" parts were really tough to get used to for me because it was EVERY TIME not just once or twice) and the chorus really disjointed.

    Nowadays, I can tell you that I really dig Seishun, but mostly just for the "saigo wa kimi no udeshidai" parts and the chorus, which I think is the only good part about the song.

    MV-wise, I actually prefer the H!P version over the one directed by the guy just because while it is, yeah, a hell of a lot more boring, it feels more streamlined and put together.

    Just.... the.... Karin, man. X.x No.

    But the other PV was definitely enjoyable, I think, and it seems to have done it's job of being wacko and bringing spotlight to the members.

    As for Yuugure, I really loved it when I first heard it, and it's definitely my favorite of the single, but it's kind of grown a bit duller for me. It's very pretty and has a nice beat to it, but it feels so.... lackluster and unfinished.

    It's just a song that's.... TOO simple for my tastes. Like, you have the opening verse, then a little "wakatte iru no ni / mou modoranai ne" part and then BLAM chorus. It feels very rushed for this sort of song.

    I agree that Riho stood out in a bad way, usually I like her voice sounds it's powerful and full of stamina (which is why, objectively, she's one of the better singers in MM, despite her tone being really bad because of the huge lack of training they give her; she's a really deep voice to start with, and they just don't bother to correct the bad, nasally placement she has, or try to train her to sing higher without straining) but this time, it didn't mesh very well with me...

    Fukuhime was definitely a great choice for this, Masaki I'm iff on since while I think she's a great singer, technically, I dislike her voice since it's too squeaky and childish for my tastes. Her real voice, like she used on her parts in Seishun, is much more to my personal liking... but hah, just different tastes.

    The PV.... *^* I really liked it, simple in a good way and quite pretty.

    Ima Koko kara.... yeah... I. No.

    Just plain no.

    Song bores me to /death/ so badly. I really have nothing to say other than the MV was pretty in a overly sparkly way.

    I feel like this single could've been so good but it fell so flat. All of the songs had HUGE potential, but were just really rushed and not nearly as good or as interesting as they could've been. And then came the Karin fiasco, which really alienated the foreign fanbase's attitudes towards it, and it was just a recipe for disaster on all fronts, which makes me really sad since 12ki is a REALLY good generation in MM.

    Probably my favorite since, well, 6th. They've all got wonderful personalities (even if Maria is personally is a bit too fake and overly shamelessly self-promoting to me) and while they're hella unpolishing, I feel like they have great potential. All of them save Oharu are decent singers already, which is more than 9 and 10ki could say at the time they joined. (Well, maybe with the exception of Riho, Mizuki and possibly Duu)

    I was really looking forward to this, and after the really long wait, I'm... unsure how worth it the wait was, for this.

    It just felt very rushed, and I really wanted a lot more for 12ki than this. :/

    ....That was a novel. O.o Man, this is why I rarely comment, I go off on giant tangets, haha!

    Not bad, but not good. It feels like Only You 2.0, and even though I like Only You this is not good for a single.

    I don't know what to feel. I mean, it has lots of flaws, but I liked it. A lot. I have to agree with you, this IS the best song in the single.

    Listen to the movie version, the one sang by the VAs. It's better and it doesn't have the unnecessary EDM parts.

    It's funny how Karin appears a lot while replacing Kanon but Kanon herself rarely appears. I have to admit that she fits nicely with Morning Musume, though.
    The Another Ver. of Seishun-I'll-Never-Remeber-The-Full-Title is boring as hell. I mean, it tries to give us a story, and BAM random dance shot. The Another Ver. looked great, and the girls were awesome, but that was talent wasted.

    Now, let's remember that the 48's are going the opposite way.

    Funny, isn't it? Resuming...

    Yuugure wa Ameagari, for the first time, shows how Tsunku sucks the energy of the newer girls to himself. IT LOOKS AWESOME. Even I would like to stand in the middle of that circle.
    Other than that, the simplicity was great, fits the mood of the song.

    The most notable thing about Ima Koko Kara's PV is the lack of Karin. And those kids whose gender we can't define. I will not say a thing.

    On my rating system, that goes like AKB48,Worst,Worse,Bad,Meh,Good,Better,and Best, this single would be on Meh. While the single have the weakest songs since wktk back in 2011, and it's the worst between H!P recent singles, these songs are great concert filler, and this is enough for me.
    By the way, I would like to ask you if you could review some early idol stuff, like Seiko Matsuda, Hiromi Iwasaki, ANRI or Mari Iijima. Could you?

  3. Hi there just wanna point out that it's 'Ima Koko Kara' not 'Iro Koko Kara'. Other than that I agree completely that this is a weak single for all 3 songs, though I like Seishun Kozou the most. Also, I find it curious that while you don't like the EDM heavy music you listen to E-girls instead?

    1. Oh gosh, thank you!!! I've edited it XD And regarding the single, I know a few people who love it, but I'm just not into it... and I don't mind EDM, as long as its done okay. I feel like UFP don't try with EDM; they make it feel messy, but yeah, it's not my favourite sounds in terms of music. I prefer pop more.

  4. This whole release was pretty disappointing to me, and I agree with most of your thoughts (though I really enjoy One Two Three </3)
    I hated the disjointedness bits of silence in seishun whatsit, and the chanting was like a really awkward version of the aisaretai bits in wagamama ki no mama ai no joke. As for yuugure ameagari, I REALLY wanted to like it. But it did nothing for me, and I found the bits just before the chorus where they sing something like tabidachideshou somehow way too aggressive or loud to fit with the mood - they jolt me every time. Super meh. It's a tie with Green Flash for me in 'songs that have nice lyrics but which I just don't care about'. And the other one... Most easy listening of the bunch, but totally forgettable.
    Out of interest, since I've been curious about e-girls for a while... Do you have any recommendations? :)

  5. It took me a while to even have One Two Three on my MM playlist because I hated it with a passion around the time of its release, so I feel you there. And for the rest of your thoughts on the single in general. It's fairly weak in comparison to Angerme, C-ute, and even J=J's single this year, plus the strong debut of Country Girls.

    Hopefully it's due to the 12th Gen joining and MM getting "very" close to the largest number they had (13 now, 16 back when Iida was leader) so they're experimenting with the sound.

    Yuugure wa Ameagari was definitely the saving grace, but when the two other songs I'm also meh about then... Yeah :/

    Even the anime tie-in wasn't as memorable so I don't know... Hope they do a lot better for their next single.

  6. Yeah this wasn't the best single.. i agree with everything you said Chiima. hope they ditch the EDM and go with pop for their next song.

    1. Awwww <3 Nice to have agreement haha~ But, I do hope they take a different route, too. I like their ballads, but, they need very STRONG A-sides. Maybe bubblegum pop would be good?

  7. I actually really like Seishun Kozo ga Naiteiru!

    .... I'll go now.

    1. NOOO, YOU CAN STAAAAY XD You can like what you want!!!!!!! <3