Posted 23 May 2010 - 05:14 PM
Reading reactions on another forum, something that always make you think that you must be dumb or listening to another thing, I’m asking myself what are the things that people rate more on stages? It can be the whole show, or if some songs stick onto your memory, or if all girls get a fair treatment, or if somehow the thing has magic, or whatever. I ask because really I’m not much into the whole thing of watching stages. A5 debut was my first one and it was more terrifying than pleasurable. I know that I have to watch them and I try to replicate the experience, no skipping MCs or songs, no replays, etc. So whatever that musically is happening, could be less or more what I could feel if I was there. Later I would pick and listen this or that. DVD stages for me are more like records, you start listening all of them, then you listen the songs you think you like, and if the rest of the songs still stand you end listening less or more again the whole thing.
With this stage, my brother was doing something at four AM and woke me up. Some people were chopping bits of the show (I would have preferred to do the whole ‘blank’ thing but instead started a thread), so I checked some of them. The first one was Mayuyu’s unit but you know there is a flash so didn’t listen really well. Next one was Myao’s one that I thought was OK. But while I was waiting for the next one to end downloading, I replayed it some times. And really, really I was amazed how soon you can change your opinion. The bit that Myao sings standing over the sofa just hooked me. Then I watched “Candy” and every time I was watching it, I was crying. I think is a very generic song, so all the difference that it could make comes from the performance. Kasai and Amina’s parts are so tender and then comes Yuka with another type of tenderness, with such warmth. Is like when you have a problem or you are worried about something, and somebody, from your family or a friend, comes and asks you or do something that ends your problem without asking to them. Is a gesture that really doesn’t matter, maybe is the most banal or common of all things, but that connection, that moment of unexpected love is the thing that leaves you on the floor. If Kasai and Amina are the kindness of this gesture, Yuka is the part when you understand that that person cares for you. I’ve read that she doesn’t fit in this unit, but I think she nails the whole thing (that would be much less affecting if it was just cute-cute-cute). Liked Rie’s one, because in that mood from up and downs, I don’t know how to explain, it mattered. And I thought that Yukirin’s ballad was depthless and maybe a bit long, but because it must be soothing rather than exciting to end that part of the show. Is a moment to take breath, to think about what have happened to you on those moments and to wonder about what you are living. And I think it was great doing that. Obviously, there are more songs, but this is already quite long, but to go back to the beginning, I liked the sequence of songs (at least this one), I still replay that whole part without breaks, I think it works and is wonderful.
Also, in another matter of things, I think that this stage is quite dangerous for their safety (pickaxes, etc.).