Manga review Psychometrer Eiji by Masashi Asaki &Tadashi Agi

Okay I know the title is really long! Psychometrer Eiji (サイコメトラーEIJI, Saikometorā Eiji^?) is a mystery manga and live-action series created by Masashi Asaki and Tadashi Agi, that started in 1996. The manga series is composed of 25 tankōbon and was serialized by Kodansha. Okay first off, I must make it clear that I haven't read the whole manga. I have only read until chapter 118 (whichever volume that is). My review will be based on the story until that point.

Asuma Eiji is a normal high school student, with a reputation for being violent and involved in gangs. But he has the psychometry ability, which is discovered by Shima Ryoko, a police investigator when his little sister Emi gets involved in a serial murder case. And so, Shima uses her charm to get the boy to help her, and Eiji obliges, getting more and more involved in the murders, his powers proving to be quite powerful.(from wikipedia)

Psychometry is the ability to touch a person or object and see memories or visions of things seen by that person or object. This is not the dictonary definition but what I gathered from the manga. In the manga, it is used in this sense. I do not know whether such an ability really exists or is fictional but I gues sit can be found out easily, if you want, using google search.

First, I was really intrigued by the psychometry ability. I found it gave a unique twist to the manga. The manga is really dark and probably labelled as A for the excessive blood, gore and violence. Almost all the murders are serial murders. The format is like, a single mystery is taken and solved for 5-10 chapters, where more information and clues are revealed in each chapter.

Eiji is an interesting character. He is both reckless as well as careful and protective of his younger sister. Shima Ryoko is a good-looking, hard-working, sincere and honest police detective who believes is psychology to solve mysteries. Although it sounds like solving mysteries would be a cake walk with psychometry, it is not so. Eiji doesn't see everything when he touches an object, just some really vague and unrelated images and never the murderer's face. Shima and Eiji then use their brains and other clues along with techniques like profiling to solve the case. So, this is essentially a mystery whodunit type manga, not thriller, though there are plenty of thriller elements.

One thing is that except one, all the serial killers are psychopaths, which seemed really shallow. I mean even for a psychopath, they are really over the top. Most of the times, when the murder consciously chooses targets, it is always women or girls. This was really weird because all murders had really different methods, motives and personalities. Some cases (especially one particular one about red mushrooms) didn't have very reasonable or acceptable explanations, relying too much on pshychology mumbo-jumbo to convince the reader.

The technique of psychological profiling by Shima was very interesting and logical and I liked techniques like these in the manga.

Overall, the manga was good though it lacked consistent logic at points and was a bit predictable with respect to all the killers being psychopaths. It is also really dark and the corpses of the killed people are always shown. I didn't feel it was all that gory or bloody, though definitely ugly. One more warning- this manga is kind of disturbing, psychologically speaking especially if the chapters are read in constant succession.

Ratings
Plot-4.6
Characters-4.7
Story-3
Illustrations-4

Pros
Mysteries keep you on the edge
Interesting abilities and techniques make the manga unique
Characters are good and there is development

Cons
Too dark and some explanations/people make no sense at all

NOTE- images do not belong to me

Manga review- Mars by Fuyumi Soryo

Mars is a shojo manga by Fuyumi Soryo. It explores the romantic relationship between Kira Aso, a shy painter and Rei Kashino, a good-looking delinquent and racer.

Kira Aso and Rei Kashino meet when Rei asks Kira for directions to a local hospital one day in the park, but instead of telling him the directions she draws him a map and hands it to him without saying a word. On the back of the directions is a picture Kira drew of a mother and child. On the first day of school they are both surprised to find that they are in the same class. Later Rei walks in on their teacher sexually harassing Kira. Rei promises to protect Kira in exchange for a painted version of the sketch that was on the back of the map. He also offers to "lend Kira his body" and she asks him to model for her.

Okay, the above was taken from wikipedia and probably accurately summarizes the first volume. But Mars has 15 volumes and a lot more happens. It started out pretty interesting. The character types were new and different. Rei seems carefree and confident but has many terrible secrets and experiences. Kira also has gone through a lot. Their 'inner sadness' is what brings them together, though the causes for them are revealed much, much later in the story. Kira is shy, but not spineless or pushed around. Rei is not like one of those delinquents who have no real reason to be one. He also has his dreams and passion. At no point does their relationship seem forced or one-sided. The guy, though he is a delinquent doesn't push his feelings or himself on Kira. This is quite refreshing since I have read a lot of manga where feelings seem really forced or baseless.

The romance develops slowly but steadily and there are plenty of obstacles along the way for love to overcome. One thing is that the secondary characters are cardboard cutouts and don't really serve any particular purpose other than the girl's/guy's best friend stereotype.

Art is not quite as big a part of the story as one would expect. Racing is given a lot of prominence in the first few volumes, but then as things change, there is hardly any mention of it for a few volumes.

One thing I felt was that the writer tried to project the characters as wounded victims of their families, and uses every possible cliched plot device to suck synpathy out of the reader. It really seems unbelievable at times how so many bad things could have happened to both of them in the past.

Overall, Mars was a manga with refreshing characters and a well developed and steady love story. One thing that detracted was the unnecessary 'darkness' because there was no real need for it. Every encounter led to revealation of some bad memories or event from the past. Maybe this was for a kind of mystery, thriller effect but sadly, no such effect was achieved for me.

Ratings
Plot-4
Characters- 5 for main, 2 for side
Story-4
Illustrations-3.8

Pros
New characters types for shojo
Darker than other shojo manga
Well developed characters and relationship

Cons
Some really unnecessary plot elements are added to victimize the characters
Illustrations seemed a bit oldish to me, similar to older manga
Would have liked to see more art

Overall, 15 volumes isn't that long to invest your time and energy into this deep manga.

NOTE- All pictures are from google image search. They are copyright of their respective owners.

Jpop Album Review- Koda Kumi- Kingdom

Koda Kumi is one of the current divas of jpop and Kingdom was her comeback album after a controversy. After Kingdom, her sales has been continuosly declining but Kingdom was the high point in her post million seller era. Koda Kumi has a unique, sandpapery voice that gives life to her songs.

Introduction to kindgdom- A nice instrumental and random vocal intro. Kods Kumi is good at making intros. Many intros to her albums shine more than album tracks.
4.5/5

Last Angel feat Tohoshinki- Not the greatest album or single track but a good follow up to the introduction. The chorus is especially weak but Tohoshinki and Koda Kumi's vocals compensate for it.
3.8/5

Amai Wana- Amai wana is quite an interesting album track that has an arabian vibe to it. Something new from Koda Kumi in this album. It stands out especially after the mediocre Last Angel and Introduction.
4.6/5

Himitsu- This would've qualified for a filler track in one of her other albums but does quite well on this one. Himitsu is sugary and cute- something that Koda Kumi likes to do once in a while.
4/5

Ai no uta- A powerful ballad with touching lyrics. Ai no uta is a 'beautiful' song as Koda Kumi herself described on music station. It has power, emotion, good lyrics and good vocals- everything. Being one of the few ballads in this album, it is a great track.
4.7/5

Anytime- A cheerful pop song. Anytime is acoustic guitar led and offers something new to this album. Koda Kumi tries her best to be cute and cheerful, sometimes being too 'over the top'. She did a nice live of this on on the tour in a red dress, sitting on a swing.
4.5/5

Under- Under stands out, being the first heavy R&B track on the album. Under has persistent backvocals and a strong beat that add to its catchiness. A very strong track with Koda Kumi's autotuned vocals and high 'coolness' factor.
4.6/5

BUT- Compared to Under, BUT seems a little bland. It is quite similar to Under in melody and arrangement but has a more electronic vibe. Koda Kumi's vocals are again, fabulous and burst in the chorus.
4.3/5

Koi no mahou- Himitsu's estranged sister. It is easily comparable to himistu in tone, melody, vibe and placing. Its good placing saved it from becoming another filler track. The airy vocals in the beginning remind me of Namie Amuro.
3.8/5

Aisho- Aisho is one of the most powerful and unique tracks on this album. Koda Kumi's sultry vocals carry off the song well, complementing the chorus with power and emotion. It has a japanese vibe that make it a rather unique rock track that borders on ballad.
4.7/5

Anata no shite kureta koro- A filler track that follows the footsteps of himitsu and koi no mahou but does not get the lucky placement. Too sugary and cutesy for Koda Kumi.
3/5

Wonderland- Wonderland is kawaii and pinku diva done right. It has an artificial/computer arrangement that sounds like a video game song. Koda Kumi manages to be quite kawaii here and makes this a successful track instead of a wannabe kawaii track.
4.3/5

FREAKY- The strong vocals and beat carry of this song well. The chorus is dominated by backvocals and there quite a lot of autotuning. Koda Kumi's voice has an edge and attitude that makes this song worthwhile.
4.4/5

MORE- More is a jazzy tracks with Koda Kumi's powerful vocals trying quite a bit of sliding and style. MORE has a catchy chorus (I want you more, everything more) and laid back beat that stands out after the demanding Freaky. The jazz adds another dimension to this album. Sounds a lot like an english song.
4.5/5

Black Cherry- Black Cherry is a strong R&B track though not the greatest ending to the album. The signals in the background can become distracting after a while.
4.3/5

Kingdom is a very strong studio album from Koda Kumi and as good as it gets. It would've sold over a million easily if it hadn't been released amidst controversy. Koda Kumi's vocals shine and the album is filled with much needed variety. Japanese, jazz, rock, pop, kawaii, ballads, R&B and arabian- it has it all. I have bought so many of her albums hoping that this would be the best one with minimal 'filler' tracks but they always dissapoint. Kingdom however, is quite good considering the low number of filler tracks. If you're trying out Koda Kumi, start here. It shows all that she can do.

Overall- 4.5/5

Pros

Diversity
Vocals are powerful and consistent
Tracklisting
Few filler tracks
Consistency
Cover

Cons

Too many 'cutesy' songs where she seems to be trying a little too hard

Jpop Album Review- Yui- I Loved Yesterday

Here I am, reviewing one of Yui's albums again.

Laugh Away- Yui begins things on a cheerful note with the summery laugh away. Laugh away is the best album track Yui has produced in quite a while and the best on the album. The fast paced chorus and acoustic feel make this song unique along with Yui's vocals.
4.5/5

My Generation- My generation has a rebellious, teenage feel. Electic guitars and drums join in the pre chorus, giving this song a rock feel. Yui's vocals are strong here and the fast pre-chorus works well.
4.5/5

Find me- Find me is a complete filler track. It has the normal acoustic chorus and verse. Nothing that we've not heard from Yui.
2/5

No way- More intresting than Find me. It has a rock instrumental led by electric guitars. A nice bridge to namidairo.
3.5/5

Namidairo- One of the rare ballads on this album. It shines well. There is a feeling of sadness presented in the song by Yui's soft and airy vocals. The arrangement is plain acoustic guitar and some drums join in during the chorus. A very good track that shines among the other similar sounding tracks.
4.5/5

Daydreamer- There's nothing special about this track except the 'daydreamer' Yui sings at the end of the chorus. That's enough to make it catchy though. Again, a rockish guitar led track that begins with heavy jamming and moves into a high chorus.
3.8/5

Love is all- An interesting instrumental intro. This is one of the better album tracks especially because of the arrangement. The chorus stands out. Acoustic guitars are joined by electric ones in the chorus. Love is all has a better tone and vibe to it that is somewhat nostalgic.
4.1/5

I will love you- Not a great album track that presents something special. 'I will love you' at the end of the chorus is the high point. But that is not as catchy as daydreamer. Quite a normal acoustic track.
3.4/5

We will go- A rock track. Starts off quite well but doesn't shine very much. Sounds like every other track on Can't buy my love and on I loved yesterday.
3/5

Oh yeah- Pretty much like the previous one but more cheerful. Again, a disappointment.
2.5/5

My friend- I haven't listened to this much so no rating. But it is quite cheerful and interesting though not very different from the previous tracks. The piano in the beginning provides some relief from the monotony.

Love and truth- Another saver track in this album. Love and truth has an orchestral arrangement that is something new for Yui. Her vocals stand out in the track, giving it a nice atmosphere. One of the good tracks on this album.
4.5/5

Am I wrong? Things go back to acoustic town with this track. A light track that closes off the album well. Yui's vocals are relaxed and take the foreground in Am I wrong?
4/5

Overall, though I hate to say it, I found it better than Can't buy my love. The album tracks can be quite boring and monotonous but the album had more variety than Can't buy my love and better single tracks. Laugh away was a good song from her and Yui has experimented some unique things in this album like Love and truth. Yui has a very unique voice that I found shines better in her mellower songs like Tomorrow's way, love and truth and goodbye days.

Overall rating- 4/5

Pros

Some unique tracks and experimentation from Yui
Solid single tracks
Variety

Cons

Monotonous and similar sounding album tracks (except laugh away)
Boring arrangements in album tracks

Jpop Album Review- Yui- Can't Buy My Love

I have been listening to a lot of Yui songs and albums these days and will review them in due course. I'll begin with her best selling one- Can't buy my Love.

How Crazy- Yui begins the album with the breezy and rocking 'How Crazy' which features a lot of back vocals in the chorus. That's something unique for Yui. The chorus is probably the catchiest part of the song which makes a nice intro to the album.
4.2/5

Rolling Star- Rolling Star keeps the rock spirit of the album with jamming electric guitars and a fast paced chorus. It was used in the anime Bleach which features a lot of rock songs. Yui sings this one well considering its pace. A good follow up to How Crazy.
4/5

It's all right- This again follows the slower verse and rock influenced chorus formula that seems to be the key in this album. However, I must say all the tracks in the album have a similar tone which can get repititive after a while. It's all right shines in the chorus.
3.8/5

I remember you- Another chorus centric song. I remember you is an acoustic pop track that comes from one of Yui's singles. The chorus again shines here and has a more nostalgic tone than some other tracks.
4/5

RUIDO- This one is a really short track and doesn't shine much.
3/5

CHERRY- This remains one of Yui's popular songs that was once voted as the best Valentine's day song in Japan. Lyrically, it speaks of firstlove and crushes. Yui tries a little 'kawaii-ness' here. I didn't like this track much in the beginning and it took quite a while to grow on me. The lyrics are very refreshing and the best point of this song.
4.1/5

Thank you my teens- The tour for this album was named after this song so, I was eager to listen to it. It follows the same formula as the rest of the album but the chorus doesn't shine much. It has a mysterious old rock feel to the instrumental. 'Sank you my teens' in the chorus end was the saving grace of this song.
3.5/5

Umbrella- It has a mysterious, acoustic tone compared to other tracks. The chorus is again, the weakness of this track. The chorus is weak and the song comes off as yet another acoustic track in the album. It follows well after Thank you my teens with a mysterious, acoustic verse.
3.8/5

Highway Chance- This one is more interesting than some of its preceeding tracks. It has a rock arrangement with some mysterious instruments in the background. The arrangement works better than the chorus.
4/5

Happy birthday to you you- Another rock track with a strange arrangement. Not one of my favourites because it sounds similar to other tracks.
3.5/5

Winding Road- After the rocking Happy birthday to you and highway chance, Winding road takes things slower. It stands out quite a bit after the previous tracks. It has the sound of the opening of an old mystery drama. The verse and bridge are more interesting than the chorus. The instrumental into and outro create a nice mood.
4/5

Goodbye days- Clearly the best track on this album and the reason this album sold so much. Goodbye days is an acostic ballad- something which this album seems to lack. It has a nice vibe and was used in the Taiyou no Uta movie in which Yui starred as the main character.
4.5/5

Why- Yui decided to save the best for last. Another slow track which is very relaxing. Why shines in the album because of its uniqueness. A nice way to end the album. It sounds somewhat like a folk track you expect from Chitose Hajime, not Yui. The chorus is unspectacular but the verse stands out.
4.2/5

Overall, Can't Buy my love is not a great album though it is better than rest of her albums (And I can say that now that I've listened to the rest of her albums). The main reason for this is the better quality of album tracks. Can't buy my love has fewer filler album tracks than other Yui albums. Yui's singing is angelic but the album is dominated by rock tracks which drown her vocals sometimes. Like all Yui albums, this requires a few listens to get used to.

Overall- 4/5

Pros

Single tracks
Consistency
Better album tracks than other albums

Cons

All the songs are just too similar sounding
Lack of unique/ experimental songs

Jpop review- Akina Nakamori's Enka

Akina is a gem that shines wherever it is. This time, Akina is doing an enks cover album filled with songs that fans voted on her website. The album was critically successful and received awards. It is filled with enka standards arranged differently to bring out Akina's vocals. I am not reviewing the instrumental tracks.

 1) Amagigoe- This comes after an instrumental track. Amagigoe, popularised by Sayuri Ishikawa stands for 'Crossing mountain Amagi'. It is a sad enka song of fleeting love and mixed emotions. Akina did a good job with her laid back, airy vocals though I felt shoe couldn't bring power to the title word like Sayuri Ishikawa does. Nevertheless, a good track choice and performance.
 4/5

2) Mugon Zaka (Silent hill)- I heard this song first by Akina Nakamori and it completely mesmerised me. The arrangement includes everything from japanese shamisen to Indian tabla. Akina's vocals are low and filled with emotion- a contrast with Kaori Kozai. Akina brought her artistry to the song and did it justice. 4.5/5

3) Hisame (Sleety Rain) - Hisame is a typical enka song. Its lyrics mostly talk about the pain of a woman whose love has left her while she drinks to drown her sorrows. Hisame is a rather typical enka song but has a charm that many others lack. Akina did well on the song due to lack of high pitched notes.
 4/5

 4) Michizure (Life Partner)- Is the cover of a popular song of the same name by Chinese songstress Teresa Teng. It is reminiscent of the old times and has metaphorical lyrics. The song is arranged well. Michizure is less intense and more relaxing than many songs on this album. It also has more cheerful lyrics compared to melancholic songs like Kanashii sake and Hisame.
4/5

5)Ettou Tsubame (Like a wintering swallow)- Akina stuggles with the high notes in the chorus a little bit but Akina's low voice sounds better on this song than Mori Masako's high voice. The chorus sounds a little disconnected and alltogether too high to fit in the song but it was a good track choice.
4/5

6)Kanashii sake( Sad sake)- This was one song I felt Akina didn't do justice to. Or maybe, the expectations were too high because the legendary Hibari Misora completely nailed this song. I didn't even notice this song on this album wheras, when I heard Hibari Misora's live, I was completely shaken. Her emotions are so well done and vivid. A good song but Akina doesn't quite deliver.
3.5/5

7)Funauta (Boat Song)- This is a song like Amagigoe which stresses the title word in the end of the chorus. Akina managed this song well. It was originally sung by Yashiro Aki. 4/5 8)Ishikari banka (Elegy of Ishikari)- Akina does well vocally on this one. Another typical enka song with added power and a pleading chorus. This song stands out on the second half of the album.
 4/5

9)Ya setsu no watashi- I remember this song least because I heard it first time on this album and it pretty much went with the flow. I won't rate this.

10)Yozakura Oshichi (Night cherry blossoms, love of Oschichi)- A fuyumi Sakamoto song who recently scored a hit with Asia no kaizoku/ mata kimi ni koishiteru. I can't help but count the 'sakura's on the song. There are so many of them. This song stands out, perhaps because of the repitition. A nice and powerful end to the album.
 4.1/5

Overall, a pretty good album considering Akina's deteriorating vocal ability and sales. She found something unique to do and the novelty of the idea carried this album through. Though vocals were not at her best, Akina manages a good show on this album which she owes primarily to the wonderful song choices on this album. Even the cover is tastefully made to suit a genre like Enka. I have begin to love enka and anyone starting to know this genre should start with this album.

Overall- 4.2/5

Pros

Tracklisting
 Arrangement
 Concept
Cover

Cons

Weak vocals in some songs

Lena Park- Another Piece

Lena Park is a really famous korean R&B diva who made her debut in Japan with Another Piece, an album mostly filled with covers from her korean hit album 'Opus 4' which was considered a masterpiece. I've been into her music for a while now and decided to review this album for japanese audiences.

1) Plastic Flower- We start of with the enigmatic Plastic flower which seems to have been lifted from a horror movie soundtrack. It is mostly filled with chime and music box kind of sounds accompanied by Park's thin and airy vocals on the lower notes. There aren't many high notes in the one but it picks up a climax and comes off well.
4.2/5

2) Fall in Love- Fall in Love is the lead track of a japanese single realeased by Park. It is a pretty average ballad and there are high notes but it doesn't particularly stand out.
3/5

3) In Dreams- This song is pretty addictive. It is a power ballad that consolidated Lena's fame internationally. I heard her live of this and was hooked immediately. The track seems a little bland and christmassy compared to the live but it is a great track, nonetheless. The flutes in the beginning and the backvocals in the end give the song a nice atmosphere. It has become Park's signature song and she sand it on I am a singer which she ended up winning. I love the power, melody, passion and everything about this song. Easily, the best ballad on this album.
4.7/5

4) Someone- It is basically an R&B track. It is the best r&B on the album because I end up skipping all the others. It has a 'new york' feel to it and is breezy and upbeat.
4/5

5) ANN- Sounds like a misplaced masterpiece. I'm not sure if the english lyrics work well. It is a ballad which climaxes a bit but not too much. The emotion doesn't come through despite Park's good singing. A nice ballad which is eclipsed by the others in the album.
3.6/5

6) Love Come back- Another ballad. Pretty average. Lena has her moments and is vocally good. Not a skip track but not a very memorable one either.
3.5/5

7) It's Gonna be okay- I'm not a great fan of the R&B tracks on this album. This has a 'sunshine' instrumental and and is more tolerable than its overly sugary successor. The emotions at least come through in this one. Lena is good vocally but then again, she is a technically perfect singer.
3.2/5

8) Ugly Duckling- Has a nice instrumental before becoming an R&B song. The lyrics are nice but the melody failed to convey the emotion. The chorus and song were breezy. It was too happy go lucky for something like 'Ugly Duckling'. My least favourite track on this album which disappoints.
3/5

9) Cut- I recognize this as the japanese version of 'In the beauty saloon'. A dramatic ballad with a prominent climax. I like the melody though I can't see its relation to the lyrics. Lena emotes well on this one. One of the better ballads here.
4/5

10) Your new girlfriend- Oh no! another R&B track. I love R&B songs a lot but the ones on this album completely fail to impress by Park standards and general R&B standards because they are not catchy in the least and are badly arranged. This one is tolerable but very stereotypical.
3.2/5

11)Lazy (Lazy Bones)- One of my two favourite album tracks, the other being its successor. It brings something unique to this monotonous album and Lena's discography- jazz. The sax in the beginning is very soothing and the song has a very strong climax with Lena hitting an unbelievable high note that sounds almost whistle-ish. My eyes almost popped out when I heard that note. This song made me fully aware of Lena's potential as a vocalist which I had not expected.
4.5/5

12) On the Way the end- A bittersweet ballad which goes by the name 'The road to parting' in her korean album. Again, one of my favourites primarily because of the unbelievable climax and her super high note hitting in the end. Lena's emotions of a sad parting come out well on this song. The airy low notes are sung with emotion.
4.5/5

13) Shake it up- I want to bury my head in the ground when it comes to reviewing Lena's R&B tracks on this album. Their korean versions sound better and Lena is better at singing ballads. This is tolerable but suffers from the curse of being stereotyped and not catchy, much like other tracks in the album. It hasn't stuck to me in two months. There's a lot of chorus and bkgd vocals in this one.
3.2/5

14) Mother in my Mind- Another good ballad but nothing spectacular. There's some emotion but this songs drowns in the heavy competition from other ballads on this album.
3.8/5

Found at Beemp3.com

15) PUFF- I have very mixed emotions about this song. The tracks appeard confused and all over the place. But, it couldn't fit into any genre. There's something mysterious about this one. Not the greatest ending, but a good album track.
3.9/5

This album was more like a showcase for Lena's vocal abilities than anything else. The songs were ripped off her korean masterpiece which made them seem inferior compared to her best-selling Opus 4. If you want to hear Lena at her best, this is the album to buy. However, her korean albums easily surpass any japanese album that she has ever made and it would be better to start from there. Cosmorama was a better release even in the japanese market. Lena's voice has a lot of replay value and inspires the listeners a lot. If you're into gospel, R&B or any powerful genre, this is a good try.

Overall- 4/5

Pros

Unbelievable singing ability
Consistent vocals and tracks
Some of the best tracks in her discography

Cons

Cover album lacks originality
Some songs did not come across as well as their Korean counterparts
Ballads outshone R&B tracks

Jpop Review- Blood+ Complete Best

I decided to try out Blood+ Complete Best because I liked a lot of songs from the anime. It contains all the opening and ending themes from the anime, the theme and Diva. Here's a breakdown:

	Blood OP Single - Takahashi Hitomi - Aozora no Namida : 01 - Aozora no Namida .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

1) Aozora no Namida- My favourite opening from the anime. This song was a bit hit for Hitomi Takahashi. It is a j-rock song with a strong chorus and jamming electric guitars. Hitomi's sweet but powerful vocals complement the song well. The most memorable song from the anime.
4/5

2) Katarisugu Koto- I love Chitose Hajime's unique, folkish voice. Kataritsugu koto is a typical song from her and not one of her bests. I liked Haru no Katami better from her recent anime releases. Kataritsugu koto doesn't stand out much in the album filled with rock and powerful songs. But, it is a pleasant listen.
3.6/5

3) Season's Call- How can you ever hate anything by Hyde? Truly, I have been a fan of L'arc en ciel ever since I heard their Ray and ark albums. What stands out ost in laruku's songs is easily Hyde's versatile vocals that swoop from frys to falsettos and glide smoothly into passionate screaming with so much emotion and control. Hyde is my favourite j-rock vocalist. Again, Season's call is not the best that I've seen from him but Hyde's voice casts its magic spell on the listener. The falsettos in the chorus are the good part of this song. Overall, an above average rock track.
4/5

	Nakashima Mika - CRY NO MORE .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

4) Cry no More- Cry no more stands out in the album with its jazzy arrangement and repititive chorus. Mika's voice is smooth and relaxing and pretty controlled on this one. Mika's voice is really suited for jazz. Again, not one of her best tracks but her voice and arrangement do the trick.
3.9/5

5) Colors of the heart- I've never heard Uverworld before this. Colors of the heart was a good rock song though a little 'all over the place'. But it's not a skip track.
3.5/5

6) This Love- Angela Aki's lower notes get a bit repititive after a while but the chorus is powerful and liberating. I like this song the best from Aki. It was one of her biggest hits at that time. This love makes a good ending to the anime with its piano arrangement and Aki's passionate vocals. One of the better endings from this anime.
4.2/5

7) Raion- This is one song I found endlessly annoying in the anime. Jinn seems to be a rock band with a really annoying singer. It becomes catchy after a while but the singer's vocals really grate the brain.
3/5

8) Brand New Map- K begins with a powerful ad-lib and transitions into light R&B. If not for the high notes, this song would've collapsed. It is easy listening and very sugary with no 'catchy' factor.
3.6/5

9) Blood+ Grand Theme- This is an instrumental piece that isn't audible till very late in the track. Nice orchestra but it tests one's patience.
2/5

10) Diva- Diva is an opera sing supposedly sung by Saya's sister. The song is very distant and bad both by pop and opera standards. It's a bit haunting and creates a nice atmopshere.
3/5

Overall, if you saw the anime and liked all the openings and endings, buy this. It is like a Sony j-rock artists collection (but you've missed laruku and southern all stars).

Overall- 3.8/5


Pros

No 'skip' tracks
Consistent

Cons

Too few tracks
Two filler tracks (last two)