Song of the Day: Dance of the Knights (composed by Prokofiev)

Posted on June 9, 2014 by Lisa Marie Bowman

AMV of the Day: Spiral Ascension (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann)

Posted on May 31, 2014 by Arleigh

I still have a couple more winning AMV’s from this past Anime Boston 2014, but for now I think the latest entry to the “AMV of the Day” comes courtesy of Sakura-Con 2014. It’s another AMV using the time tested 30 Second To Mars song, “This Is War”.

For some reason this song remains a steadfast favorite amongst people who make anime music videos and it’s not hard to see why. It’s got a nice tempo and beat that goes well with many shounen anime. This time around it’s used for the video that won “Best Action” in this year’s Sakura-Con AMV contest. The creator of the video is one TheMFJuggernaut. With the popularity of the anime series Kill la Kill it’s always great to see people continue to take interest in Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann which was animated by Gainax animators who would later form the animation studio Trigger. The animation studio which gives Kill la Kill it’s look that reminded many people of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.

One fun thing about this video is how it shows how over-the-top the series got when it came to it’s mecha design. They didn’t know the meaning off “too big”.

Anime: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Song: “This Is War” by 30 Second To Mars

Creator: TheMFJuggernaut

Past AMVs of the Day

Song of the Day: Under Skin or by Name (performed by White Hills)

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Lisa Marie Bowman

When it comes to finding the proper writing music, it’s all about capturing and creating a mood and that’s what this song certainly does.

Song of the Day: Blumenkranz (by Hiroyuki Sawano feat. Paperblossom)

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Arleigh

Kill la Kill is one of the more recent anime to come out of Japan to become a major sensation both in and out of the Land of the Rising Sun. It’s a series that some have called as too much of a slave to it’s fanservice scenes while some have called the series as much deeper than it’s visual surface has shown. Whatever the case, the series sports one of the best anime soundtracks of the past year due to the work by composer Hiroyuki Sawano.

It’s from this series’ soundtrack that the latest “Song of the Day” arrives from. “Blumenkranz” is the theme song for one of the series’ integral characters. It plays as a sort of walk-up theme music and it has become a favorite of pretty much every fan of the anime.

While the original song as sung by Japanese artist Rie was still in German it was heavily accented and has even confused some German speakers. An anime fan and native German speaker, singer Paperblossom has done the best cover of the song which has all the German lyrics spoken properly. It’s this version of the song that has become my favorite version of the song. I actually think it’s the superior version with all due respect to Rie’s original performance of the song.

One thing I’m sure of that this song would make for a killer entrance music for anyone looking to enter a room with much haughty and superior attitude.

Blumenkranz

Ich möchte stärker werden,
weil unsere Welt sehr grausam ist
Es ist ratsam, welke Blumen zu entfernen

Du fragst mich, ob ich mit dir komm
Du flüsterst mir in mein Ohr
Du fragst mich, ob ich deine Hand nehm
Ich hab keinen Grund, dich abzulehnen

Du fragst mich, ob ich mit dir komm
Du flüsterst mir in mein Ohr
Du fragst mich, ob ich deine Hand nehm

(Du flüsterst mir)

Ja, ich bin viel stärker, als ich je gedacht hab
Fliege höher!
Laufe viel schneller!
Vergiss die Wahrheit nicht!
Ja, ich bin viel stärker, als ich je gedacht hab
Ich entferne welke Blumen
Wieso siehst du so traurig aus?

Diese Welt ist grausam
Es ist traurig aber wahr
Diese Welt ist seltsam
Es ist fraglich aber wahr
Ist der Blumengarten echt oder falsch?

Ich möchte stärker werden,
weil unsere Welt sehr grausam ist
Es ist ratsam, welke Blumen zu entfernen

Was willst du von mir?
Ich mag wollen oder nicht, ich muss den Feind verfolgen
Ich bin nicht frei von dieser Welt

Egal wie hart du auch bist
Fliege höher!
Laufe viel schneller!
Du bist sehr stark
Du bindest einen Blumenkranz
Wieso siehst du so traurig aus?

Song of the Day: Godzilla’s Theme from Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah (by Akira Ifubuki)

Posted on May 16, 2014 by Arleigh

So, just got back from watching the latest incarnation of the King of Monsters and while I gather my thoughts on what I liked and didn’t like about Godzilla (2014) I thought to share one of the best themes to come out of the 30 different films to come out of this six decade-long franchise.

It comes courtesy of the original film composer for the very first Godzilla which came out in 1954. Akira Ifukubi has become synonymous with the franchise’s musical score. While the score he composed for the very first film was a classic in it’s own right, the one he composed for 1991’s Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah continues to be my favorite of the bunch.

The funny thing is that many people who follow hip-hop of the last 20 years probably like the Godzilla theme from this film not because they’ve heard it play during the film, but because one particular rapper decided to sample a particular bass-line sequence from the theme (it’s the blast of horns early on that signalled the arrival of the Big Guy).

Song of the Day: Bad (performed by The Virgin Wolves)

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Lisa Marie Bowman

A little more from The Virgin Wolves:

Song of the Day: Crawl (performed by the Virgin Wolves)

Posted on May 4, 2014 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Virgin Wolves is one of the best bands to come out of the Denton, Texas music scene and, as someone who spent some of the best years of her life in Denton, I’m happy to see them get some recognition. This is the video for one of their best songs, “Crawl.” The video was filmed in Denton, as should be obvious to any former student at the University of North Texas who has ever dealt with the pressure of finals by going out at midnight and getting high in a stranger’s living room.

What can I say?

The Virgin Wolves bring back a lot of memories.

Song of the Day: Seioh Gakuen Kouka (by Yui Horie)

Posted on May 3, 2014 by Arleigh

I was told today that one of my favorite anime series of all-time was going to get a new manga adaptation. I am talking about Manabi Straight. It’s from this series that today’s latest song of the day comes from: “Seioh Gakuen Kouka”.

The song was first introduced in the series by it’s main character Manami Amamiya who also goes by the name Manabi. The character’s voice actress is the very talented and popular seiyuu and singer Yui Horie. The song is pretty much the school anthem of the fictitious Seioh High School where Manabi and her high school friends attend. The series goes through the girls’ ups and downs of being high school kids who bond through their love of each other and of their school.

“Seioh Gakuen Kouka” is the school’s anthem and Manabi sings it in front of the entire school during her first day as a transfer student. It’s definitely one of my favorite songs of any genre and type. It brings back my own memories of being a high school student and all the friendships made during those four years.

Seioh Gakuen Kouka

Ima wo ikiru deai no kisetsu yo
Mabushii hikari yume wo atsumete
Onaji seishun ayumu kiseki
Sakura iro no mirai tachi sora wo mau

Aah Seioh yorokobi doko he yo
Aah Seioh manabi no sono ni hibike
Kagayaku toki nakama to tomo ni aru

Ima wo ikiru yorokobi no naka de
Mabushii hikari kaze wo atsumete
Koi to kanashi jounetsu ni
Kibou iro no musume tachi chuu wo mau

Aah Seioh ai no hibi yo
Aah Seioh manabi no sono ni sodate
Kagayaku toki nakama to tomo ni aru

Aah miageta ao wa haruka
Aah tsukau toki kitto kitto
Kagayaku toki nakama to tomo ni aru

Seioh Gakuen Kouka (ver. English)

Live the present moment, the season of encounters.
The bright sunlight, the gathering of dreams.
The miracle where people walk through the same youth.
Cherry-blossom colored futures fly into the sky.

Ah, the cheerful sounds of Seioh!
Ah, let it resonate through Seioh’s garden!
When we shine, we shine with our friends.

Live the present moment, inside this happiness.
The bright sunlight, the gathering of the wind.
The burning love passion with
the hope-colored girls fly into the sky.

Ah, the days of love at Seioh!
Ah, grow up inside Seioh’s garden!
When we shine, we shine with our friends.

Ah, the blue sky we look up to is far away.
Ah, when we get a hold of it, for sure, for sure,
when we shine, we shine with our friends.

AMV of the Day: Strangers Like Us (Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet)

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Arleigh

It’s been a month since Anime Boston 2014 and I’ve decided to put up the third AMV to win one of the categories from the con.

This particular AMV won the Romance category and for once it uses an anime that I’m not familiar with, but after watching the video I’m definitely looking forward to checking it out once the blu-ray comes out sometime this year.

The AMV in question is “Strangers Like Us” by davenfonet who uses the Phil Collins song of the same title and the mecha series Gargantia on the Verdorous Planet. The video itself doesn’t go for the usual ballad-like tone, but instead goes for a much more fun romance vibe that doesn’t seem to win many Romance category contests. This time this type of romance AMV wins and the fact that it makes me want to watch the series after never having heard of it til Anime Boston means the creator succeeded.

Anime: Gargantia on the Verdorous Planet

Song: “Strangers Like Us” by Phil Collins

Creator: davenfonet

Past AMVs of the Day

AMV of the Day: The Gore Never Bothered Me Anyway (Elfen Lied)

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Arleigh

The latest “AMV of the Day” doesn’t come courtesy of this past spring’s Anime Boston, but it caught my eye since it was the latest creation from one of my favorite AMV creators: IleiaAMVs.

“RadioAkshun” was her very popular and excellent AMV from last year’s anime con season and her latest offering for this weekend’s Sakura-Con 2014 may just be another hit.

This latest anime music video from IleiaAMVs combines one of the more mature-oriented anime one can get into without venturing into the truly extreme anime with one of the most popular songs of the past year with “Let It Go” from Frozen. One wouldn’t think that Elfen Lied and Frozen would go together like peanut butter and jelly but in this one instance they’re perfect together.

Anime: Elfen Lied

Song: “Let It Go” from Frozen (feat. Idina Menzel)

Creator: IleiaAMVs