This post marks my return to blogging after a very long absence. Being tied up with work and study commitments, I thought that I should write something about this DVD release since I have some time now while recuperating at home. Maybe I should do more of this on a regular basis as a form of stress relief. ^__^ Be warned, this post is going to be lengthy as I have lots of things to write about.
Frankly speaking, I have mixed feelings about this DVD. On one hand, I'm happy to see the seiyuus back in action but there are significant areas which I'm unhappy about. Let's start off with the good points first:
1) Seeing my favourite seiyuusFor those who have been following my blog, you may know by now who my top 3 favourite characters are so it's easy to guess whom I'm particularly excited to be seeing in this DVD i.e. Okiayu Ryutaro, Kusunoki Taiten and Suwabe Junichi. Especially for fans of Suwabe Junichi or should I say Atobe Keigo, you will be thrilled to see a 5-song solo medley by him and this does not include other appearances with fellow Hyotei members. I was hoping for more of Tezuka-buccho and Sanada-fukubuccho though.
2) Hearing familiar and favourite character songsFor fans who have been following character songs, most of the prolific or should I say representative songs from various characters are featured.
3) Backstage footageThis is included in the special disc and offers footage of the rehearsals and practice sessions. It sure is a big project to produce this concert given the number of seiyuus involved especially when it comes to coordinating their schedules. And it is fun to see how the seiyuus interact among themselves and you can make some interesting observations about who are buddies and who tend to keep to themselves.
Now...here comes the "grievances" I have about this DVD or should I say about the concert itself:
1) Not "fan-friendly" enoughGiven the huge number of characters in the series and the fact that some of the seiyuus especially those who play characters from Higa and Shitenhouji have not appeared in past DVD releases, it is somewhat difficult to link a face to the name of the character he or she is playing. I would say I can identify most seiyuus from Seigaku and Hyotei (some from Rikkaidai) BUT it was a chore trying to refer to the track list sheet and guess who is who. It would be nice to show the name of the character and the seiyuu in the DVD especially for those who are not familiar with the seiyuu lineup. Showing the song name is simply not enough.
2) Significant absences from the lineupOther than Seigaku which is featuring its full cast, the rest of the schools have incomplete lineups. What stuck out most significantly was the total absence of Fudoumine. Hello, they have been around since the start of the series and can be said to be the longtime rival of Seigaku. Just where have they gone? St. Rudolph isn't around too. I am particularly disappointed with the absence of Ueda Yuji who plays Akutagawa Jirou. Just too bad. I guess it must be a logistics challenge to get an extensive lineup but the incompleteness of the cast is a big disappointment. And Ueda's absence meant a lot to me.
3) Incomplete songs100 songs is a lot. More than 2 hours plus the encores. It is ridiculous to expect full versions of each song but surely, some songs should have been given more emphasis. For example, Atobe Keigo's hit single, "Riyuu" which had the highest position on the Oricon singles chart among all Tenipuri releases or even Megane's final single since they announced the decision to disband during the concert. And the connection between some of the songs didn't mesh well at all so the mood built up over a few songs suddenly dipped drastically at a few points.
4) Unsatisfactory sound effectsWell, seiyuus are not professional singers so some of them don't sound too good live on stage. However, even for those who sing reasonably well, I couldn't hear them very clearly at times. Was it because they held their mikes too far away or the sound effects left much to be desired? I'm not a sound engineer so I can't conclude on the cause but then, I thought the sound factor should be of utmost importance when it comes to a concert. If the lyrics were shown, it might have been better so that I can make out what they are singing.
5) No OPs and EDs featuredI feel that OPs and EDs are very important to an anime series and it's very disappointing to see only the first OP being performed. Was it impossible to get the original singers to perform the OPs and EDs over the years? This would have brought back many nice memories though. As such, the title of the DVD should be changed to 100 Character Song Marathon.
Last but not least, here's my list of favourite songs or segments during this concert (not in order of preference):
1) Track 24: Charm Point wa Nakibokuro by Atobe Keigo and Hyotei members
Flashy Atobe at his best...hahaha...It was hillarious to see how the Hyotei members and Atobe perform in this segment but it was too short. I still can't forget that feathery scarf...^__^
2) Track 35: Ometto Samba by Cap to Bin
With Onosaka-san (Momoshiro) and Takahashi Hiroki (Kikumaru) at their usual hyperactive best, this was entertaining and a big boost to the atmosphere at the concert.
3) Track 51: Brand New Days by Shishido Ryo and Ootori Choutarou
I've always liked this song since their voices blended quite well. However, at the beginning stage, Ootori's (Namikawa Daisuke) voice couldn't be heard clearly at all. A little disappointment here.
4) Track 56 - 58: Valentine Kiss (Atobe, Sanada and Oshitari versions performed together)
Just like Charm Point wa Nakibokuro, this is the type of song which usually sets the crowd wild with the flashy performance. Kabaji singing! And Sanada dancing like Atobe...this is really fun to watch.
5) Track 84 - 86: Oshitari Yuushi's solo medley
6) Track 87 - 91: Atobe Keigo's solo medley
Atobe-sama at his best. Simple as that.
7) The Megane's medley (in two parts)
Memorable because of their costumes, dancing as well as the fact that they are now officially disbanded.
According to Oshitari (Kiuchi Hidenobu), the leader of the group, since he was the one who came up with the idea of this group, his original intention was to disband the group after 5 song releases. He had actually toyed with the idea of making a fake disband annoucement during the morning session of the concert and re-form the group in the evening but decided to stick to his original decision at the end.
8) Track 99: Gather by the Senbatsu team members (Echizen, Fuji, Kikumaru, Atobe, Oshitari, Sanada and Kirihara)
9) Track 101 (Encore No.1): Flower by GIGS
My top 3 favourites are in this group, what more can I say?
In conclusion, although there are some areas which I'm not entirely satisfied with, I wouldn't say that I am extremely disappointed too. Given the price of this DVD, I can only say that it somehow doesn't provide enough content to match the monetary value. For entry-level fans and those who want the full versions of the songs rather than wanting to watch the concert itself, I think the CD version of the concert might suit you better. Be warned though that the CD box set of 8 CDs is almost double of the DVD's price.
This marks the 5th and final single from Megane's who announced their disband during the 100 Kyoku marathon. The trio debuted in 2006 with the single, "Go!Go!Megane's".
This single marks the 200th release under the Tenipuri series since the first CD release on 5 December 2001 which was "future" by HIRO-X, the first OP of Tenipuri.
This single marks the first Tenipuri CD release for the year 2008. This year, we have Kai Yujirou from Higa performing his version of Valentine Kiss.
Here's a series of features on character CD releases since last year to date! To begin with, we have Megane's with their single, Odorimasen ka? (Shall We Dance).
This item is part of the range from the Jump Festa 2008 and features the line "Nikujiru wo nandato omotteruda!" by Oishi. The chopsticks come with a case which allows you to use them outside too.
Wall pocket featuring Seigaku, Hyotei and Rikkaidai members. 3 pockets allowing you to put in small items and to be hung on the wall. This item is part of the product range from Jump Festa 2008.
Padded kimono jacket bearing the Seigaku jersey pattern. Perfect for keeping warm during winter!
B2-size poster featuring the Rikkaidai team including Yukimura, Sanada, Yanagi, Niou, Yagyuu, Marui, Kuwahara and Kirihara!
This post marks my return to blogging after a very long absence. Being tied up with work and study commitments, I thought that I should write something about this DVD release since I have some time now while recuperating at home. Maybe I should do more of this on a regular basis as a form of stress relief. ^__^ Be warned, this post is going to be lengthy as I have lots of things to write about.
