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sacchanxdLast Saturday I went on a two hour trip to the post office that's smack in the middle of jam-packed streets to go and pick up my package. It was worth it though, cause it was in my hands just three days after the release date which was super cool.
I bought Masuda Riho's Haruniwa cause it was recommended to me and I've read the first story, and of course the album. Specifically the HiGH&LOW Original Best Album [2CD+DVD] with a first press and external bonus.
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Haruniwa by Masuda Riho published by Margaret Comics // HiGH&LOW Original Best Album [2CD+DVD] with first press and external bonus
---I filmed an unboxing video cause I do that sometimes, it's therapeutic, lol. But this time I figured I'd edit and upload it, so I did. It'd be great if you watched it first, then read this post.
See... I'm the type of person that buys things without looking into it that much, which is why you'll kinda see my surprise as I go along describing things in the video hahaha. Just keep in mind that after making the video I looked everything up so the questions I had I no longer have right now, heheh.
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Haruniwa was something I've read before, it's scanlated and you can read it online. Well, the first story anyway, which is probably the best story. But as I've said countless times before, I love having the things I love to read on hand... Same deal with Tomodachi no Hanashi and Shinbunbu no Komatsu-san. It's just as pretty as I thought it would be and the cover was even prettier than I imagined with the slightly water-color-like tinted colors and the bright bluish feel to it.
The story itself (the first story, anyway) is a light, coming-of-age type of story about this girl that's finished her exams and is graduating high school soon and all her anxieties on becoming an adult and turning eighteen, and all the people around her during this time. It's shoujo and it's kind of a love story, too, I guess, but it's mainly just a story about growing up. Which is super sweet and super cute. Maybe I'm just emotionally attached cause I read this when I myself was graduating and was having severe anxiety and doubts about everything, but when I read the story again two days ago I teared up a bit. Haha.
10/10 would recommend.
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The album and poster---
The back of the slipcase packaging---
The backing thing that has the tracklist on it actually is just a piece of paper and it comes off... But I stuck it on with tack-it for photo reasons haha.
Slipcase // Poster // Album // Photobook
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CLOSE UPPPPPP
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ANOTHER CLOSE UPPP
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Lyrics book type thing // Disc 1 CD // Disc 2 CD // Disc 3 DVD
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In case you needed to see the back LOL
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The long-ass poster full of good looking dudes with amazing jawline AKA the best part of the entire thingnot really.---
It also comes with serial numbers and such which based on my crappy understanding of kanji I think can be used as a raffle ticket or lottery type of thing for their live or something. I dunno. I tried it but you had to have an address in Japan and that is something I do not have, lol. Oh but it also comes with this code for an app called "Sumapura Movie" which I downloaded from the Playstore... It's in Japanese, but once you install it, create an account, and type the code in, it allows you to download the MVs or the stuff that's in the DVD into your phone. Though you can only play it back through the app. I thought it was a reasonably cool gimmick, I guess. Would have love to have a more HD version, though.
On the other hand, I'm not feeling ACE OF SPADES's stuff that much it's kinda pop rock mainstream-y to me but then again it's cause I don't like their genre I guess.
BUT I'M A HAPPY HAPPY FANGIRL~
That's about it. Have you listened to it? What's your favorite and least favorite song?
OH and I almost forgot, but I'll be uploading subs to EXILE THE SECOND's appearance in Buzz Rhythm soon, just finishing up and then I'll be encoding it and uploading it in no time.
x
Sacchan
I bought Masuda Riho's Haruniwa cause it was recommended to me and I've read the first story, and of course the album. Specifically the HiGH&LOW Original Best Album [2CD+DVD] with a first press and external bonus.
---
Haruniwa by Masuda Riho published by Margaret Comics // HiGH&LOW Original Best Album [2CD+DVD] with first press and external bonus
---
See... I'm the type of person that buys things without looking into it that much, which is why you'll kinda see my surprise as I go along describing things in the video hahaha. Just keep in mind that after making the video I looked everything up so the questions I had I no longer have right now, heheh.
---
Haruniwa was something I've read before, it's scanlated and you can read it online. Well, the first story anyway, which is probably the best story. But as I've said countless times before, I love having the things I love to read on hand... Same deal with Tomodachi no Hanashi and Shinbunbu no Komatsu-san. It's just as pretty as I thought it would be and the cover was even prettier than I imagined with the slightly water-color-like tinted colors and the bright bluish feel to it.
The story itself (the first story, anyway) is a light, coming-of-age type of story about this girl that's finished her exams and is graduating high school soon and all her anxieties on becoming an adult and turning eighteen, and all the people around her during this time. It's shoujo and it's kind of a love story, too, I guess, but it's mainly just a story about growing up. Which is super sweet and super cute. Maybe I'm just emotionally attached cause I read this when I myself was graduating and was having severe anxiety and doubts about everything, but when I read the story again two days ago I teared up a bit. Haha.
10/10 would recommend.
---
~~~~~~
---As for the HiGH&LOW album, mine came in a slipcase and with a rolled up poster.
---
---
The album and poster
The back of the slipcase packaging
The backing thing that has the tracklist on it actually is just a piece of paper and it comes off... But I stuck it on with tack-it for photo reasons haha.
---
The album // Poster // Slipcase
---
The album // Poster // Slipcase
---
Slipcase // Poster // Album // Photobook
---
CLOSE UPPPPPP
---
ANOTHER CLOSE UPPP
---
Lyrics book type thing // Disc 1 CD // Disc 2 CD // Disc 3 DVD
---
In case you needed to see the back LOL
---
The long-ass poster full of good looking dudes with amazing jawline AKA the best part of the entire thing
It also comes with serial numbers and such which based on my crappy understanding of kanji I think can be used as a raffle ticket or lottery type of thing for their live or something. I dunno. I tried it but you had to have an address in Japan and that is something I do not have, lol. Oh but it also comes with this code for an app called "Sumapura Movie" which I downloaded from the Playstore... It's in Japanese, but once you install it, create an account, and type the code in, it allows you to download the MVs or the stuff that's in the DVD into your phone. Though you can only play it back through the app. I thought it was a reasonably cool gimmick, I guess. Would have love to have a more HD version, though.
---
~~~~~~
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Tracklist
Disc 1 CD
MUGEN ROAD // 三代目 J Soul Brothers from EXILE TRIBE
Do or Die // DOBERMAN INFINITY
JUMP AROUND ∞ // DOBERMAN INFINITY
WHITEOUT // PKCZ® feat. EXILE SHOKICHI
RUN THIS TOWN // GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE
STRAWBERRY サディスティック // E-girls
VOICE OF RED feat. GS // DJ DARUMA from PKCZ®
One Time One Life // EXILE THE SECOND
MIGHTY WARRIORS // PKCZ® feat. AFROJACK, CRAZYBOY, ANARCHY, SWAY, MIGHTY CROWN (MASTA SIMON & SAMI-T)
FOREVER YOUNG AT HEART // 今市隆二
Disc 2 CD
Disc 3 DVD
Disc 2 CD
HIGHER GROUND feat. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike // EXILE TRIBE
SIN // ACE OF SPADES feat. 登坂広臣
Louder // ACE OF SPADES
CHAIN BREAKER // PKCZ® feat. 登坂広臣
ASOBO! feat. Far East Movement // EXILE THE SECOND
Unbreakable // GENERATIONS VS THE RAMPAGE (from EXILE TRIBE)
FIND A WAY // THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE
WE RUN DIS // PKCZ® feat. V.I (from BIGBANG)
FUNK JUNGLE // ANARCHY, SWAY & CRAZYBOY
1BBFL // SWAY & ANARCHY
Hell On Earth // KUBO-C, P-CHO & JAYED
Maria // 青柳翔
Disc 3 DVD
HIGHER GROUND feat. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike // EXILE TRIBE
MUGEN ROAD // 三代目 J Soul Brothers from EXILE TRIBE
Do or Die // DOBERMAN INFINITY
One Time One Life // EXILE THE SECOND
RUN THIS TOWN // GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE
STRAWBERRY サディスティック // E-girls
MIGHTY WARRIORS // PKCZ® feat. AFROJACK, CRAZYBOY, ANARCHY, SWAY, MIGHTY CROWN (MASTA SIMON & SAMI-T)
SIN // ACE OF SPADES feat. 登坂広臣
MUGEN ROAD (MVLong Version) // 三代目 J Soul Brothers from EXILE TRIBE
Do or Die (MV Long Version) // DOBERMAN INFINITY
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~~~~~~
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I bought this album back when the people over at HiGH&LOW were just releasing the gangs' special trailers on YouTube and was hopelessly addicted to Voice of Red and desperately needed a full version that's high-quality. And the other tracks were dope, too, so I didn't mind buying it, since I don't have any EXILE or LDH related albums anyway I figured why not go all out and spend the extra money on the good stuff. So I did.
And did I regret it?
Well... No. Cause I got what I wanted, which was the tracks from the soundtrack.
But.
BUT.
I feel like the extras were kinda lackluster. They went all out and even chopped off most of the MV on YouTube making it not just a short version, but a super short version of the MVs, which I'm guessing is so the viewers would want to buy the DVD/BluRay, but... I'm just not feeling the MVs for some reason, man. I went in thinking the MVs were going to be shots of the group entirely, but they also included snippets and scenes from the series which I guess is cool but I already see that in the series and in the MV what I want to see is my favorite groups dancing or posing or looking badass af. Not seeing repetitive fight/talking scenes I've already seen before and have had enough of.
Oh but as for the external bonus AKA the poster, I completely don't mind huehuehue.
As for the album in its entirity, as a fan of HiGH&LOW and a self-proclaimed fan of LDH that doesn't follow them that much, I think it was great and the tracks were mostly dope. But I remember reading this E-girls fan comment on the Strawberry Sadistic MV on youtube that he liked the song and the MV but he doesn't want to buy and album full of dudes just to get E-girls's full MV... Which, again, links back to what I said about the whole short MV thing. It's really a bummer. I mean, fans will buy them anyway I think, regardless of whether there's a full MV or not... They're giving out other bonuses anyway that might be the reason the fans will decide to buy the album. Super-shortening the MV is not cool. They can just monetize the stuff of off YouTube or something for all I care.
But hey, that's just what I think.
Oh and and and
This post doesn't feel complete unless I point out my favorite song from the album so I tried hard thinking what it was... But I couldn't come up with just one title, so here's a list instead; (I haven't listened to the 2nd disc as much so that's the reason why there's just one song.)
And did I regret it?
Well... No. Cause I got what I wanted, which was the tracks from the soundtrack.
But.
BUT.
I feel like the extras were kinda lackluster. They went all out and even chopped off most of the MV on YouTube making it not just a short version, but a super short version of the MVs, which I'm guessing is so the viewers would want to buy the DVD/BluRay, but... I'm just not feeling the MVs for some reason, man. I went in thinking the MVs were going to be shots of the group entirely, but they also included snippets and scenes from the series which I guess is cool but I already see that in the series and in the MV what I want to see is my favorite groups dancing or posing or looking badass af. Not seeing repetitive fight/talking scenes I've already seen before and have had enough of.
Oh but as for the external bonus AKA the poster, I completely don't mind huehuehue.
As for the album in its entirity, as a fan of HiGH&LOW and a self-proclaimed fan of LDH that doesn't follow them that much, I think it was great and the tracks were mostly dope. But I remember reading this E-girls fan comment on the Strawberry Sadistic MV on youtube that he liked the song and the MV but he doesn't want to buy and album full of dudes just to get E-girls's full MV... Which, again, links back to what I said about the whole short MV thing. It's really a bummer. I mean, fans will buy them anyway I think, regardless of whether there's a full MV or not... They're giving out other bonuses anyway that might be the reason the fans will decide to buy the album. Super-shortening the MV is not cool. They can just monetize the stuff of off YouTube or something for all I care.
But hey, that's just what I think.
Oh and and and
This post doesn't feel complete unless I point out my favorite song from the album so I tried hard thinking what it was... But I couldn't come up with just one title, so here's a list instead; (I haven't listened to the 2nd disc as much so that's the reason why there's just one song.)
- VOICE OF RED feat. GS : My eternal favorite cause this song is lit af.
- One Time One Life : I think I've a soft spot for the older EXILE peeps but I really am loving EXILE THE SECOND now, I daresay they're my new favorite group?
- MIGHTY WARRIORS : DOPE AF. As someone who likes It G Ma, I really love this song and ELLY's rapping was bomb not to mention all the songs with ANARCHY sound awesome.
- JUMP AROUND ∞ : Okay so between EXILE THE SECOND and DOBERMAN INFINITY I don't know which to choose lol. But this song is also super lit and on fire.
- 1BBFL : BAD BOYS FOR LIFEEEE DUDEEEE LIKE WHATTTT huehuehue
On the other hand, I'm not feeling ACE OF SPADES's stuff that much it's kinda pop rock mainstream-y to me but then again it's cause I don't like their genre I guess.
BUT I'M A HAPPY HAPPY FANGIRL~
That's about it. Have you listened to it? What's your favorite and least favorite song?
OH and I almost forgot, but I'll be uploading subs to EXILE THE SECOND's appearance in Buzz Rhythm soon, just finishing up and then I'll be encoding it and uploading it in no time.
x
Sacchan
