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Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Love Planet Five Tenjou wo Kakeru Monotachi (Those That Scale Through Heaven and Earth) Review


I know YouTube is not always the best place to find new music.  However, I believe that you can find all different kinds of music on YouTube if you just look a little bit.  YouTube is how I discovered my current favorite band (The Gazette) and how I have discovered many artists world wide including this group, Love Planet Five.  

Love Planet Five was created back in 2007 by the I've music production company in Japan.  It was a special project where the label brought together five of their most famous artists to make a theme song for the anime Shakugan No Shana (Burning Eyed Shana in English).The single would come to be pretty successful reaching number 12 on the Oricon charts.  Shown below are the members of the group.


Kotoko


Eiko Shimamiya


Mami Kawada


Mell


Kaori Utatsuki

I am typically not a big fan of electronic music because a significant amount of the music comes from a machine rather then an actual instrument.  I like the synth in the song and think it works well.  However, you can clearly tell that the drums are programmed in and I personally would rather hear a real drummer then a computer programming.  The vocals on the other hand are a different story.

I like the voices coming from everybody singing in this song.  They sound good, there is a good chemistry among them, and no one is overpowering everyone else.  Kotoko did a great job with the lyric writing in the song, talking about over coming obstacles in your way and finding self confidence.  (The translated lyrics are shown at the end of this post.)  Sometimes bringing a bunch of artists together can come out bad because egos and personal ideas can get in the way and kill the project. Fortunately that doesn't happen here and they deliver a good song.

As for the video I would have done it a little different. I get that the video is trying to fit in with the electronic music playing and for the most part they do a good job.  However, the one element in the video I have no love for is the dancers.  I personally feel that they are an unnecessary addition and are a distraction from what you should be paying attention to which are the singers.  I feel that with all the moving animations they were doing through out the video they could have kept it interesting without the dancers. 

While I have a few minor problems with the song and video I believe that as a whole both are pretty good.  The singers sound great and they deliver a great song making one of the few electronic style songs I love.  With that I give the song a 4 out of 5

Song Lyrics (English)

Thrusting into the silent darkness, my blade screams out
I'm burdened by this crimson flower, my eyes beginning to throb
I chose the path of a distant fate
But the flaming chasm engulfed everything in its path
And I averted my eyes to the dancing of the dying flames

The breath I let out was barely warm
And now I believe that
This is, without a doubt, what it means to "exist"

The time I've been given in this divine place crumbles away
But our encounter broke down the door of my resistant heart
Just like your tears cannot be changed into untold truths
I want to discover within myself a newfound courage
At the ends of this glowing sky

And surely tomorrow, those who come together to destroy the shadows, change nothing
And will merely walk about without hearing the call of life
I had quietly stood by your side since times past
Your smiling face seemed to know it all
But I feigned non-chalance, and turned my back to you

You let out a carefree sigh
And I feel in my heart
That this could possibly be "love"

I embrace you tightly as we're unleashed to the heavens above
My small shoulders tremble like drops of water
But the piercing reality thrusts into my heart
And I want to find my courage, unbroken,
Like a strong wind

Sheltered by the light in the sky, I recover my dreams
And a tiny flame is struck up in the bottom of my heart
Bursting through the barrier
I will become like your wings
I want to find our courage bound strongly together
At the ends of this glowing sky





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