I have finally gotten off my lazy butt to actually do some real blogging. Before you guys read this, here's a short disclaimer for the post. I wrote this post because I listed out my favorite songs so far before this season but I never got around to doing it. As such, this list doesn't include any of the songs that have come out this Fall. Also, this is a list of MY favorites, so I turned bias on full and put all my fanboyism on full exposure. Why did I write this post? Because I can. Here goes...
Number 10
Kono Namida ga Aru Kara Tsugi no Ippo to Naru - School Rumble Second Semester
This is an old song, but somewhere, somehow this song simply strikes me as NICE SONG. I listen to it once in a while, placing it on the less-often listened to, but it appears that I have listened to this song more times in iTunes than any other song, yet I haven't stopped listening to it. It is probably the ending video of the girls in deep thought and Tenma walking off with her friends into the sunset that really gave me that lasting impression of the song. Its also probably because of that that I feel a strong sense of nostalgia everytime I listen to it. Number 10 in my charts!
Number 9
Arigatou - Bleach
I started watching Bleach since the very first episode. It's not on my watchlist now however due to my frustration with the way the story is going. This song has got that smooth beat at the background of a very active, yet very relaxed rapping voice. Its acoustic guitar strums and riffs are what give this song its character, and makes it an excellent song to listen to whenever one needs to sit back and meditate on one's life. The fast rapping mixed with the smooth soft picking of the guitar reminds me of how hectic life can be, yet at the same time how natural everything is. The natural sounds of this song really appeal to me and thus, gives it the NUMBER 9 spot on my charts.
Number 8
Itsuka Tokeru Namida - Uta-Kata
The song from the ED of Uta-kata, an anime that I have never watched. I first heard it on youtube when I accidentally clicked on a link with MOE girls on it. The main highlights of this song are the ah's in the chorus, which is a surprisingly good backup for the lead singer. My favorite part is the is where they do the short ah's as the lead singer sings in virtual ignorance of the backup. Again, a lovely guitar background adds to the flavour of this song. However, my favorite instrument in this song is the bass guitar. Yes the bass guitar can be heard very clearly on my subwoofer and it harmonizes almost perfectly with the song, painting colour to the otherwise bland melody.
Number 7
What's Up, People?! - Death Note
Death Note's 2nd OP is a rare sight. Few anime have such hard-sounding music. Most are very fluffy and light. That's probably what I like about this song. It shows the producers of Death Note were brave enough to make an impression, reflecting Kira's personality in the show. This piece of punk rock is very motivating somehow, and I use it to maintain my momentum when writing difficult hacks and doing tedious work. I don't usually listen to punk rock, but variation is always good in my books. Also, it sounds really good when I put my speakers on full and dance around the room singing to it.
Number 6
Anata Ga Ita Mori - Fate/stay night
I listened to this song before I watched the anime, and I found it to be one of the few that made me feel very comfortable in my chair. The singer executes the song almost flawlessly and gives the impression of a very bummed, yet very willing person. I keep this in my playlist for use after long hours of work. Not extremely relaxing, but it is a good start in slowing down the pace a little. Not exactly a song you would hear in a cafe, but wonderful to listen to nonetheless. Number 6!
Number 5
Ne Tou ge de Reset! - Lucky Star
I first heard this song as it was sung by Hatsune Miku. However, after obtaining the Lucky Star Tsukasa Character album, I have to admit I like Kaori Fukuhara's rendition better. This song has made it to number 5 because of its brightness. Yes, its brightness. I really enjoy find that listening to this song as it always gives me a smile. The song is relatively fast paced, yet sung slowly, a very enjoyable song to listen to background as well as in the foreground. It has got that sense of freshness that I, until now have found hard to explain. Maybe its the modified high-passed version of Kaori's voice, or it is probably because I am a die-hard fan of Tsukasa Hiiragi.
Number 4
Innocent Starter - Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha
This song I first heard when I was playing StepMania. This song starts off slowly as a very calm melody with a clean electric organ playing in the background, and some rants in the lyrics, but eventually escalates into a very JPop chorus, with a very active bass guitar. The really enjoyable part of this song is the chorus that really sticks in your head after you listen to it. I enjoy singing this song in the shower and it is the best song from the Nanoha series in my opinion. Somehow the singer just has that charisma that blows me away everytime I listen to her. The strength of the voice and the active bass as well as the awesome guitar riffing at the end give it the number 4 place in my books.
Number 3
Hishoku no sora - Shakugan no Shana
"And this sky gets drenched in red" are the first words of the song. This song is simply awesome in its own right. It starts off in your face with a chorus melody and has a colourful mix of modified voices of Kawada Mami. The synch in the background that gives this song its characteristic feel entices the user to listen to Kawada and her exclamations as the song progresses. The music also has that very enthusiastic feel to it. It gives one the impression of extreme motivation and it continues at the end half a note higher and one more that lifts the song up to the edges of space. The haunting piano in the background gives excellent support to an already exciting song.
Number 2
Believe - One Piece
The fast beat and the electric guitar give this song its character, and I really like it. Kinitta. This song is also incredibly bright and has the race of a song to dance to. The song is paced very fast, but the singer sings with incredibly relaxation. The synch organ in the background that plays on very fast notes also add to the pace of the song. Somehow this song just makes you want to dance with it. The lyrics are simple and the song runs well, and yet it does not sound repetitive. That is how a song should be.
Number 1
Naraku no Hana - Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai
This song earns no.1 for several reasons: the pace and the bass. It starts off with a very slow tune, and suddenly escalates to a hard-hitting tune calling "Break out! Break out!" My favorite parts of this song are the bass guitar in the second verse. I can only imagine the guitarist slapping the strings every once in a while to achieve the sudden stop effects. The song's chorus is what really makes it awesome. The exclamations in the chorus make the song exciting and lively, yet slightly sad at the same time. The bridge before the end chorus is filled with an electric guitar that pulses from left to right, giving the modern mystical feeling of activity in the quiet, reflecting the conspiracies going on under the cover of the Yamainu. Higukai forever.