ARCHIVED HTML - Hidamari - A Place in the Sun

Hidamari - A Place in the Sun


Kuroki Mio - Kara


TONE/MOOD:

Chieko is hitting a stride of sounding very American Top 40, but this one has a slightly edgier sound to it on the verses. The mic seems to have a bit of a crisper, 'older' sound to it, and it's got some interesting chords that really dig at you. And while the chorus gets a bit more mainstream, you're prepped for it by the time you get there.

PLACEMENT:

From Kawabe Chieko's Kizunairo.

MEMORABLE:

Yes, simply because of of the use of transition from D major to G minor, which really 'gets' me for some reason.

LYRICS:

At a first read through the translation, it seemed a bit confused. But really, given the theme of the song, I think that's a good thing. Ironically, the inability to convey the singer's feelings clearly is actually a perfect way to convey them: the confusion of loving someone and still having to be strong can do that to you.

I'm taking my place in the sun. Isn't it nice?
It's okay to see and believe
Why is it the same thing over and over again?
Who else doesn't understand?
Then again, who wants to understand?



The sun imagery is, as she so kindly asked us, nice. And the fact that the lyrics feel a bit confused is, as I said before, a good thing in this case.

OVERALL RATING:



4 hearts out of 5. After a few listens, this managed to slough off most of its 'too-trendy' sound for me, and became a lot more listenable.

Dark Sailor Mercury - Ilse


Tone/mood

I don't know why but it makes me think a bit of "Ame agari" sang by Moeco. The start I guess. Very odd. But I like this better. Chieco is just the best! The song is very calm. I like that very much. I often play it when I'm reading (and believe me, I read a lot!). The melody is very soft.

Placement

Not in series, but they could have used it for an ending of an Anime show.

Memorable

Yes, now you're asking me something difficult. I don't know if it's memorable. For me and for the others, I just don't know. Let's say, to some people it is, for others not.

Lyrics

I can't ask you Can you go back to where you came from
Finally
I'm not waiting to show my feelings

I'm taking my place in the sun. Isn't it nice?
It's okay to see and believe
Why is it the same thing over and over again?
Who else doesn't understand?

Everything I think becomes nothing
in this world where everything is unexpectedly linked
That's why
Even when things seem like a lot, it's okay

I don't get why they used "that place in the sun". I don't really get the lyrics @.@ They don't really say something to me. Worthless, I think a bit.

Overall rating



Actually, I want to give it 4 ½ but that isn't allowed. So I guess I give it 4. Because of the @#%%&%$!!! lyrics. They stink! Who wrote them? This song deserves better lyrics!

Sailor Neptune - Ruth


Tone/Mood

First impression: Prom night. The song comes on and couples start to slow dance. A slow love ballad and quite pretty to listen to. Not my favorite song from Chieko, but it's pretty good nonetheless. If any other person singing this song, I doubt I'll listen to it.

Placement

Not used in the show.

Memorable

For me, no. It just doesn't have the same flare as Kizuna Iro to me. I'll maybe listen to it once a week but nothing more then that. *Hides from throwing objects*

Lyrics

"When can we meet next?
Even though we've just met, I know.
Because I don't want to count the time
We aren't together"

 My favorite lines from the entire song, it's sweet and innocent. Wanting more from a crush but it sounds as if she's too shy to even ask the guy is he likes her in the same way. WAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Overall Rating



4/5! A nice love ballad that would be great for school dances. I don't see myself listening to this song over and over and have a drool fest. Sorry....

Princess Serenity - Elly


Tone/Mood

Very slow and soft. Very typical of your average ballad.

Placement

Not used in the show.

Memorable

Not a damned bit.

Lyrics

I can't ask you
Can you go back to where you came from
Finally
I'm not waiting to show my feelings

 This is very Japanese and yet at the same time...not. The first two lines are 'Japanese' in the sense that Kawabe doesn't want to tell him off or make him "lose face". The last two lines are not Japanese since most Japanese women do not ever share romantic feelings with anyone unless the man starts to reveal his own. It is not typical for a Japanese girl to go up to a guy and say "wow I like you, let's go date". That's actually not very common in Asia in general, as a matter of fact. It is becoming acceptible in Western culture for a girl to express her romantic feelings before the guy does, but as a backwards societarian rule, girls never do that kind of thing. Then again, this is from the same generation of nonsense that says a girl shouldn't have a job, which certainly still holds true in Japan. Most women there still become housewives o.O;;

Overall Rating



The song is very pretty, but not incredibly memorable. It's a nice filler song for your Kawabe collection, I suppose.

Tuxedo Mask - Kero-chan


Tone/Mood:

A nice and clam ballad. The melody somehow makes me remember some of Mel C (the ex-spice girl). This is the type of song to listen when you want to relax, or when you're inside your house on a cloudy/rainy day; in the chorus part, Chieco's voice is really nice and mellow. She is an excellent singer!

Placement:

We can find this song on her third single and inside her debut album, Brilliance.

Memorable:

Not that much, it is a nice song and everything, but the melody is kind of tedious after a time you hear the song. I prefer to skip this song and hear instead Shining or Kizuna Iro. Though this may sound like I don't like the song, I really do, this song shows us another aspect of this great Japanese teen idol. We can now be certain that she can sing many types of rhythms and songs.

Lyrics:

I'm taking my place in the sun. Isn't it nice?
It's okay to see and believe
Why is it the same thing over and over again?
Who else doesn't understand?
Then again, who wants to understand?

 Excellent lyrics again, they show us that even though she is eighteen, she can demonstrate feelings of an older person. This is a charming love song, where she tells us the story of someone she just met and left at the same time. It's somehow a "love at first sight" song, but the lyrics go beyond of a first encounter. She makes us understand that she thought as her soul mate, that person.

Overall Rating:



Everything's good, except that the song may be kind of boring sometimes. I give Hidamari 3 stars.

Princess Sailor Moon - Kaitlin


TONE/MOOD:

Ahhh a ballad. Sounds like she's singing through a really old microphone... Kinda a nostalgic feeling to this song. Ahh! She's come to life! The tune is pretty and a little haunting. Makes me feel sad and warm at the same time.

PLACEMENT:

Kawabe Chieko's Kizunairo

MEMORABLE:

Somewhat if you're a Chieko fan.

LYRICS:

This appears to be the follow-up to the last song. More logical too.

"When can we meet next?
Even though we've just met, I know.
Because I don't want to count the time
We aren't together"

 That's a nice sentiment. I know I've felt that way before.

"I can't ask you
Can you go back to where you came from
Finally
I'm not waiting to show my feelings"

 Sounds like she's matured as well. This is a very grown-up thought. You can't ask someone to do something just for you alone sometimes. Waiting to show your feelings doesn't help anything either. Good stuff. Yet she screws up with the last chorus...

"Two people are taking their places in the sun. Isn't it nice?
Is it okay to see and believe?
Will it always be the same things over and over again?
I want to believe in more than this"

 Well, starts off good. It's about taking her place in the sun, right? But wanting to believe in more... not a lot of point if someone doesn't return your love ^^; Sorry Cheiko!

OVERALL RATING:



I give it a 3. Doesn't make me want to hear it over and over, but it is pretty.

Zoicite - Ephie


Tone/Mood:

Again, it's another very relaxing song, something I could listen to a lot. I have to say I really enjoy Cheiko's songs, as they have a similar feeling to ELT's new stylings.

Placement:

Cheiko's CD.

Memorable:

While I really enjoy this song, I can't see me really remembering it. There's nothing really to set it apart from other songs in my mind, unfortunately. It's not something I would suddenly burst out into song with while walking down the street.

Lyrics:

When can we next meet?
Even though we've just met, I know

 Again, I can relate this to myself, and it's frightening how it's 2-2 so far. It's almost a little daydreamy, as well, the feeling the lyrics give off, which I'm afraid I've been guilty of doing.

Overall Rating:



I do enjoy this song, but I think I can only give it a 3. It doesn't stick in my mind and while I do like it, it's not up there with my favorites.

Sailor Luna - Emo-chan


Tone/Mood

Another nice slow-dancing song. The beat is really sweet and has more of a rockish/popish feel to it. It has that girlish sound to it.

Placement

N/A

Memorible

I think if this was used more, it would be more of a song to remember. I like the song.

Lyrics

I can't ask you Can you go back to where you came from

I think the song deals with a longing and a sutble pain she is feeling. Then in other verses she talks about fighting it and enjoying herself. Finally I'm not waiting to show my feelings

I like the struggle and victory she has.

Overall



Another 4. I liked the song and the lyrics were very pretty. ^_^

Sailorasteroid - Sailor Pluto


Mood:

Finally another ballad! While not nearly in the class of Hoshi ni Negai Wo, and hampered by the initial distortion of Chieco's voice, it's a sad song, and that's gold.

Placement:

Last. I don't remember on which CD it was last, but it was last.

Memorable:

As I said, the beginning doesn't help, but I tend to play it a lot because I want to hear something slow and by Chieco.

Lyrics:

Best parts of the lyrics are the title word, accented as it is, and the last syllable of each chorus, which is always an "i," and gives Chieco a chance to play around with crooning.

Overall:



I wish she'd do more of this slow stuff, and if she did, this would probably be less worth treasuring. But we take what we can get. Four.

Sailor Mars - Akarui


Tone/Mood

There's actually no particular feeling for this song, meaning I'm neither sad nor happy nor anything like that. I don't know

Placement

None on the show, not even on the Brilliance album.

Memorable

Well, it's not that memorable and I never really cared for it that much. I didn't try to sing it, even though I listen to it quite often. I'll like it if I listen to it, but I won't miss it if I don't.

Lyrics

(didn't remember the lyrics enough)

Overall Rating



I would put a... 4 hearts. I don't know why. It may just be that there are things that are way better in my opinion, it may be... that Chieco just sings really well but that there are the good and the better moments :P .

Sailor Pluto - Ciao


Tone/Mood

This song is another staple of my driving repertoire. My son and I like to listen to some of her songs (which are mentioned here) with the windows down and just drive. This is one of those songs that if you were watching a concert, you'd have the lighters out and sway to the song.

Placement

Not in the the series.

Memorable

It reminds me of driving. It's one of what I like to call my 'driving songs' that I always play when in the car. I always have to have this song (as well as others) in the stereo otherwise my son complains *chuckles* but I don't mind, because even tho it's a slow song, it's still a good one.

Lyrics

The lyrics fit quite well with the music and melody on this song. There's no stretching vocally or musically on this song. Nice and slow wins the race.

Overall Rating



4/5 mainly because it's a slower song, which doesn't exactly inspire me to dance. It inspires me to drive, which is not the same thing, and a bit hard to do at 4.30 in the morning when you're broke and gas is horridly expensive. This is THE song for my son tho, he gives it a 5/5. *grins*

Sailor V - Jessica


Tone/Mood

The mood is quite relaxing, with the beat not being too fast or too slow. The tone doesn't appear to swing too heavily to either depressing or happy, but has a note of acceptance of the situation about it. Energy isn't being poured into either extreme, which makes it a not too involving song to listen to.

Placement

None

Memorable

I've listened to quite a few of Kawabe Chieco's songs, including her album, and I don't find this particularly memorable. Then again, I'm not a fan of this type of song in particular. Its just too bland for me.

Lyrics

Everything I think becomes nothing,
In this world where everything is unexpectedly linked,
That's why
Even when things seem like a lot, it's okay.

 I like this lyrics the best from the track and was surprised to find sentiment of this sort in the gentle mood of the song. I would have expected them from a brighter song, but it's a nice surprise to find something more perky hidden.

Overall Rating



1/5 - I just don't get along well with slower songs

Nephrite - Frosted_Rain


Tone/Mood

Sad, sad tone. The song is so relaxing that can make you fall asleep (when i heard it for the first time, i fell sleepy) or tired. It is not advisable to listen if you're an all-nighter (like me) who must be fully awake all night. (Having a job during the night and listening to this song makes me tired. Zzzz...) A nice song for foot-tapping loving people.

Placement

Not in the series whatsoever.

Memorable

Zzzz... this song makes me sleepy. Love songs that has slow, mellow beat tends me to get bored and be tired especially on work.

Lyrics

When can we meet next?
Even though we've just met, I know.
Because I don't want to count the time
We aren't together

 Ouch! That's gonna stuck to me big time. (My japanese girlfriend really misses me a lot T_T)

Overall Rating



A song that tends me to be bored and sleepy but has a nice lyrics. I give this a 4/5 hearts for making me sleepy and making me worry more... (oh the pain... T_T)