ARCHIVED HTML - C'est La Vie
Princess Serenity - Elly
Tone/Mood
Another great song! This song comes on and I feel really, really happy! This song is definately one to cheer someone up. The song brings up feelings of brightness about today and the future. This is a good song to hum at an airport when you're stuck waiting for a flight to get in for four hours (my boyfriend and I were waiting for our friend's flight to come in while in NJ for Anime Next 2004. His flight was delayed and I was singing this song on loop for FOUR HOURS xD It drove the boyfriend absolutely insane). The first time I heard this song, I thought that they were going to make Minako a more friendly character, like they had in the anime. This song reminded me of Minako's true bubbly character and happy spirit. It's a shame they made her so somber in PGSM...
Placement
GREAT placement!! As the original image song of Aino Minako in PGSM, this is wonderful! Personally, I believed that Aino Minako would be a lot more cheerful because of the tone of this song. When this song is played in the first few minutes in the show when Usagi is waking up late for school, and again when this song is playing when Usagi is sharing her Aino Minako album with Mizuno Ami, I get a warm feeling. Such sweet memories! Each and every time this song is featured in PGSM, it has great placement. A job well done with a song well sung.
Memorable
This song is super memorable!! Any time you ask an Aino Minako fan of their favorite Aino Minako image songs, this is definately on the list. Whenever I think of Sailor Venus, or Aino Minako, this song comes to mind. It's very easy to remember after you've heard it once or twice. Hearing it on a loop can get a bit annoying though, since it's played so much within the breadth of the series. Definately a must to memorize for PGSM fans.
Lyrics
I *adore* these lyrics! Whenever Japanese lyrics are transposed into English, I feel that they loose some of their meaning (and yet I continue to translate the lyrics...hmmm...), but in this song I think that the overriding message of stay cheerful and be yourself shine through, even with the language barrier. The lyrics flow together well, and even the English translation has a nice flow to it. Komatsu Ayaka's singing of this song does the lyrics justice. I don't think another actress could pull off this song as well as she did. My favorite lines are: "Why is it that people have but one chance to live life / Why does time not stand still even for one second?". I think they truly show the character of Aino Minako, both in her real life and her alter personality.
Overall Rating
C'est La Vie is one of the few songs that I will give 5 heart status to. Every aspect of this song is A+, and as such I feel it deserves the five stars. Even if you aren't a fan of PGSM, this song is still good. It's very catchy and has a nice tune. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!
Sailor Neptune - Ruth
Tone/Mood
Yet another upbeat song! This song was first used in the first act and I liked it. However, unlike the OP song, this song drove me nuts after the 20th time listening to it. ;) The singer, Aino Minako (Komatsu Ayaka), has a high pitched voice and that becomes irritating. The song is catchy and I like the fact that is sounds just like "Sailor V"...LOL! Back to the review. This song can lift your spirit up when feeling down and I give Ayaka credit for that part.
Placement
This has a good place in PGSM. I think it was really fitting in two scenes. 1) When Usagi sang it when watching the plane fly away. It was perfect! She sang it to herself and I just thought it was a good way to let him go. 2) When Usagi sang it infront of Minako while loosing her memories of Mamoru. How touching! The song just put guilt into Minako's heart and she realized she couldn't stop true love! The song also has made Minako herself realize that life is worth fighting for and to not give up! Very good song and I can't see the song used in any other show!
Memorable
Although I don't know the song by heart, I do believe this is a memorable song. I think any true Aino Minako/Sailor Venus fan should listen and keep this song with them for all time as it is a true Aino Minako song! It's also one of her best songs in the series.
Lyrics
These lyrics actually make sense in English! Not many Japanese songs make since when translated but these lyrics do. Kudos to the writer! Catchy lyrics to learn and sing along.
Overall Rating
4 Hearts! Not my favorite PGSM song but it definately earned it's spot of the better songs used in PGSM. Again any true Aino Minako/Sailor Venus fan should get this song!
Sailor Mercury - Topaz
Tone/Mood
C'est la vie has a wonderful tone. Its happy and full of life!
Placement
This song is every where in PGSM. The #1 song of Minako! And the best place it was when Minako made a deal it Zoi. Wanting to have her princess not repeat the past she tried to erase her memories of Mamoru and Usagi started to sing the song with tears in her eyes. It was heart breaking.
Memorable
You will forever remember this song for as long as you live! I love to move my head and clap like Usagi did in act 1. This is probably the second most remembered song in PGSM. I was glad to hear such a happy song and thinking that Minako would be just as she was in the anime/manga. But i only found out she was kind of a depressing person until get to the end. Oh, don't forget the pointing to the head like you have a gun in the Super live show! ^^
Lyrics
"feelings searching for you "
To me this is a great line. As if Minako was sending a message to her princess: "I will find you and protect you". Also, these word say about the same:
"I know I will find you, C'est la vie"
Overall I don't think most of the words fit the story abut as I say with many of Minako's songs. They are in the story to be her "songs" so they do not need to fit the story to a "T"
Overall Rating
5 big hearts. How can you not agree what it lack in lyrics it makes up a hundred times over with the music and tone!
Saturn Saturn - Sat
Tone/Mood
This has got to be one of the most upbeat and catchy songs I have ever heard in my life! As the song name declares "This is the Life", I have to say it is fitting. If life were as upbeat as this song, I think the phrase "C'est la Vie" would be a working motto.
Placement
I don't think there could be a better placement for this song. It always plays when something momentious or happy is going on. Or how bout the many karaoke sessions where they sing this same song over and over and over again. Probably the best placement for this song I would have to say was the episode where they timed their attacks to the beat of it. It literally gave me a "warm feeling" to watch that scene. As the song is sung by "Aino Minako" I was an immediate fan, however I feel that the song is misleading of her outlook on life.
Memorable
Does the fact that I learned all the lyrics without a lyrics sheet tell you that it is memorable? This song literally stuck in my head for two weeks when I first saw PGSM. It had me just itching to see what they would do with my favorite "inner senshi" when she would finally appear. I can state that when I am in some of the worst of moods this song comes to mind and I can perk up. How is THAT for memorable?
Lyrics
As far as lyrics go, this song isn't as quirky as others I have read translations for. The title of the song fits the song. It is an upbeat song with upbeat lyrics that could pretty much inspire anybody. The best thing about the lyrics of this song is the message of "believe in yourself and be the best you that you can be". Hooray for inspring lyrics!
Overall Rating
Only four hearts because I feel it is more of a character song for Venus and I feel it was a bit more then misleading. Yes, she wants to be her, but she isn't this upbeat and cheerful. It is a wonderful song overall that I will continue to listen to and recommend for others, but will make sure that if they haven't seen the series that they keep in mind to not judge Venus by the song.
Saturn Venus - Tobias
Tone/Mood
In terms of the overall mood for the song, it is happy and cheerful! I first heard this song in Act 1 as Usagi was waking up... and later a... interesting... version of it by Usagi in Crown Karaoke. In general this song has a good feeling to it, You can really feel the euphoria in this song... So, overall it is a positive song and I enjoyed the feelings I received in turn for listening to it.
Placement
This song seemed to fit... well, in a lot of the show... The creators must have saw something in it, since they used it in many acts... as a bit of a fight song in one... the Masquerade act. It has been used as a song to cheer someone up in extreme adversity... like when Mamoru left... Usagi sang it... also when her memory was being altered by the music box she sang it again. I do think it was placed well because it was a a friendly song... it just may have been overplayed a bit... but placed well none the less.
Memorable
I'd have to say yes on this... I can get the words stuck in my head very easily... It seemed pretty trademark as well in terms to the show... its usage in many of the situations showed the power of the song. Now... do I sing this, yes, I do. I enjoy this song as I do many other songs, though this song isn't my favorite of the Pretty Guardian songs, it does remain a pleasant song to listen to. In terms to my usage of the song... I play it on my mp3 player or at the cd player at work and on my computer at home.
Lyrics
The lyrics were pretty good, they worked with the song and gave it the impact it needed to cement itself to our minds. Its lyrics fit well with the Minako Aino character... it is a confident in love type of song... (or at least how I perceived it.) I liked the part where it says"Yotei chouwa no shousetsu ya eiga ga tsumaranai you ni JINSEE mo sukoshi ZUREtara omoshiroi no kamoshirenai". It sounds nice and is a nice part leading into the chorus.
Overall Rating
I give this song a 4 out of 5... I enjoy this song... its mood and tone are definitely jubilant. It is very enjoyable to listen to and (for me, anyway) it doesn't grate on my nerves if I listen to it more than once in a row. Yes, definitely a defining song in the Sailormoon music collective.
Kuroki Mio - Justin
Tone/ Mood
I automatically turn into a happy mood and think ''That's life'' and that is what C'est la vie means in French! Ayaka does do a good job in singing the song and it always can put you in a happy and bouncy mood!
Placement
This is a nice and very happy song, but I feel it was used to much in the series. If they didn't use it as much and used the other songs more, I may have liked it a bit more, but any Minako fan will love this song!
Memorable
C'est la vie is basically Minako's ''known for'' song on PGSM. Whenever they listen to her it's usually C'est la vie or Romance. I think lots of PGSM fans will remember this song for Minako and love it. What is not to love about the song?
Lyrics
Hmm.. Some of these lyrics (too me) made no sense at all. Like the part about reading romance novels. Well, anyway. I like how they were wrote. I think it was a good take for the most part on Minako and for her first single on the show. Good job!
Overall Rating
4/5! This is the ultimate Minako song that no PGSM or Minako Aino fan should miss out on listening too~!
Sailor Mars - Teresa
Tone/Mood:
I think that this song has a very nice mood to it that can get stuck in anyone's head. It has a very nice mood to it This song goes on my list along with " Kirari*Sailor Dream (Twinkling*Sailor Dream.)
Placement:
This song has good placement ONLY because it's Aino Minako's first song on her CD " Venus, " and because it's the Ending to " Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. " It's VERY annoying when they play it a lot in the first couple of acts of " Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. " It makes you sick of listening to it when they play it too much.
Memorable:
I think this song is pretty memorable because it's Aino Minako's first song we hear in the series. It's also the only Ending we hear in the whole series.
Lyrics:
Now I can't view these lyrics because they're blocked from my computer, but, I've looked at them once. I memorized the first half of it. Hah.
Overall Rating:
5/5! This is one of my favorite songs in " Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. "
Sailor Luna - Emo-chan
Tone/Mood
I really like this song. It was the first song i fell in liking to, the first song I really heard in the show, since it's in the first 5 minutes, and is played almost as many times as the opening theme! It has such a hppy mood to it, and I just LOVE Ayaka's voice. This song makes you wanna join in on whatever fun is happening during the song.
Placement
Do I need to name them all? You hear it in the very first episode, the second episode, when the senshi try to time their attacks, in the backgrounds various times...and so on...but each time it's played, it fits in the situation. It's a very hipnotic song.
Memorable
I would have to say this song is very memorible to me. Whenever I think of PGSM, this is one of the songs that will pop into my head. It left such a mark in the show, that how could you NOT like it?
Lyrics
Just like predictable movies and books are boring When life is a little bit off, it might be more fun
I love those lyrics. It give sthis song more of an edge because it talks about how individuality is special.
C'est la vie, as long as I am me C'est la vie, I want to keep on being in love with you C'est la vie, that's the reason I am me C'est la vie, that's the reason you are you
The words really work with the beat in the song and was a great choice to use as Minako Aino's first single in the show. It goes with all the senshi and really helps them discover their flare in the series.
Overall Rating
I will have to give this a definate 4, if not a 4 1/2. This is one of the best songs in PGSM in my opinion because it has a lot of backing in it. It gives a lot of meaning to the series, what it conveys, and a main point of the series: To accept individuality. Of course that isn't throughly explained in the show, but you can easily tell it when you watch it. This is why C'est La Vie will be a favorite of mine from the series! ^_^
Frosted_Rain - Nephrite
Tone/Mood
"Running away?" this is the thought of my friend when he heard it for the first time. If compared, C'est La Vie is the JPOP for Runaway by The Corrs. Free for all, no limits, anything goes. That's the concept of the song. Makes you feel free, together with your love one on a romantic adventure where you and him/her are the heroes. This song is also good for a romantic visualization. Oh love.
Placement
I suggest, it should be placed as an ending theme for the PGSM series. The song title also has a hidden meaning. C'est La Vie sounds like Sailor V. It reminds me of the movie Batman: Forever of placing hidden meanings or in one word a RIDDLE. Too bad Usagi-chan and the other Senshis didn't figured the riddle.
Memorable
Only one person: Komatsu Ayaka. She is SOOOOOO BEAUTIFUL!!!! Man, too bad she lives there while I am dreaming on going to Japan blah blah blah oh well. She sang the song pretty good (and also Chisaki Hama during Act 5). The song is good when a woman sings this to her beloved boyfriend.
Lyrics
As I read it, it's a bit repetitive and short. The song is easily memorized. Simple but good.
Overall Rating
Girl invites boy to forget the entire things and let's be together. As the maxim for couples says: "You and I against the world"
Jessica - Sailor V
Tone/Mood
C'est La Vie has a happy and cheerful tone. And then some! Its so upbeat its almost impossible to be sad when listening to this song, and believe me, I've tried. The mood and the lyrics just make you want to go and get on with whatever you're striving to do; if you fail, as the song says, 'that's life'.
Placement
I think it's a good song for Minako to sing, as an idol, but perhaps not as her character. It was always good to see her singing and performing the song. However, as it kept getting repeatedly used in all sorts of situations as the show went on, it got a little frustrating and repetitive. In some places you'd think that they were just promoting the single, not using it with a meaningful purpose.
Memorable
I adore this song and will remember it long after nobody speaks of PGSM, if only because it has the ability to make me smile whatever's going on around me. If you remember the song, you'll always remember the 'new' way in which Minako was portrayed, and I think you'll remember how often the other girls sang C'est La Vie on their own! I have this song on my MP3 player and on my computer and I'm not yet bored of listening to it.
Lyrics
I love the lyrics to this song, even in English. The lyrics actually made me want to go and look up what each line meant, and not look them up on the net, to learn them myself. In my opinion they tell you to try, no matter what; that's life, you can't alter it, you have to have a go. Initially I didn't like the fact that 'C'est La Vie' sounds identical to 'Sailor V', but I came to love that as much as the song, so I guess it's a matter of whether it actively bothers you when listening or not.
Overall Rating
5/5; I wont be forgetting this song in a while, mainly because I love the lyrics and mood so much! I'd be tempted to take points off because it counts as a character song for Minako and doesn't seem to fit her personality or her beliefs about life.
Watters Keith - Sailor Jupiter
Tone/Mood
Ah, another happy and makes-me-want-to-dance-and-sing song! This has got to be my favorite out of the ones I have heard so far. I want to sing along so much!
Placement
I think it was placed well. Minako's song! When Usagi sang it in front of Minako when she was loosing her memories of Mamoru. It couldn't have been places better!
Memorable
This is a very memorable song! Any one who loves Aino Minako will really love this song! It tells you about life and this song just feels right.
Lyrics
Oh, I love the lyrics! They are great! Although, I love listening to it in Japanese. If they had tried to make an English version, it wouldn't have as much of an impact.
Overall Rating
5/5!! This is a happy, warm song that reminds me of Minako! It has a wonderful beat and lyrics as well!
Ciao - Sailor Pluto
Tone/Mood
This is one song I never really cared for at all. Sure it's peppy and stuff, but it just doesn't suit Komatsu-san's voice at all, and was repeated so many times throughout the series that it kind of turned me off. Plus the totally off- key renditions by the characters (intentional or not) kinda killed it for me. I am very sensitive to that sort of thing.
Placement
The song was well placed in the first few acts, as it came up in the first Act, but for it to be in so many after that, just kind of ruined it. It should have been left alone after the first few times, then brought back in when Minako began to make her appearances more and more.
Memorable
This song has become almost synonymous with Aino Minako, the character, and almost too much so. There are other songs, like Romance, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang that have come close to becoming her songs, but this one is just so......you hear it and instantly think Minako....it's almost scary LOL
Lyrics
Whatever my disinterest in the song, it is particularly suited to the theme of
the show as a whole, in that it's about being true to yourself in whatever you
do, and finding the positive in everything, just as Usagi tries to do, in each
situation she's faced with. The chorus particularly emphasizes this:
Atsui kimochi wa
C'est la vie watashi ga watashi de iru kagiri
C'est la vie anata wo aishitsuzuketai
C'est la vie watashi ga watashi de aru riyuu
C'est la vie anata ga anata de aru riyuu
(transl.)
This warm feeling is
C'est la vie, as long as I am me
C'est la vie, I want to keep on being in love with you
C'est la vie, that's the reason I am me
C'est la vie, that's the reason you are you
Overall Rating
Overall I'd give this song an average 3 stars, mainly because it was so overdone in the show. Nobody likes to hear the same thing over and over and over again ad nauseam. That was what killed it for me, and I suspect quite a few other people, other than the most die-hard Aino Minako/Komatsu Ayaka fans. It is a good song, just done to death. Her voice doesn't really help, as she was an amateur at the time, who has improved steadily thru the whole series, and it shows, certainy in this song.
Sebi - Jedite
Tone/Mood
Uhm...wow... this is...whoaaaa. The cuteness the perkiness, the all out genkiness. This is HH JJ taken to unheard of levels. like Kirari, this too will obliterate the worst of moods within moments. It's almost unberably happy.
Placement
Definitly fits well where it's placed. As it's tone suggests, it goes well in all the "lets go get happy!" moments of the Sailor Moon show.
Memorable:
Do not even bother trying to get this out of you'r head after you listen to it. Really, resistance is futile, this song will become a part of your psyche. Humming won't do it justice. Don't be suprised when you hear yourself singing this out loud at any given moment even if it's not a particularly appropriate moment.
Lyrics:
Well, they're more coherent then Korari, even if I still have absolutly no idea if what's being said is actually comprehensible. But of course once again, making sense aint what lyrics sung in Japanese are about. The lyrics as they are sung are what put this thing overboard in theperky/cute dapartment.
Overall Rating
Kara - Kuroki Mio
TONE/MOOD:
A lot of people find this song perky and annoying. I honestly can't tell you why I don't. Maybe it's the perkiness balanced with the ennui that Ayaka seems to maintain constantly (whether this is on purpose or not, I won't know until she starts putting out some non-Minako singles). It's a good song to blast out your car window on a summer day, and it just puts you into a good mood somehow.PLACEMENT:
Fairly inescapable.MEMORABLE:
As much as people seem to consider this memorable in the BAD way, I find it memorable in a good, wanna-listen-to-it-more way. I have no idea why I'm not tired of it.LYRICS:
Heh. Sorry, but these lyrics always make me laugh. Not because they're bad - they have a good message about letting life be fun and unpredictable. But there's also the element of 'HEY! GUYS! OVER HERE! I'M SAILOR V! VERY OBVIOUSLY SAILOR V OVER HERE!' that cracks me up whenever I listen to it. Despite how humourous I find it, that's still a plus.OVERALL:
4 out of 5. If Ayaka would wake up, I'd give it full marks.
