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Sailor Moon: Songs From the TV Series (first American CD)
Submitted by KikiKaka
What can I say? This CD is a spawn of the American dub, and well, I'll try to keep my opinions unbiased. ^-^;;
Sailor Moon Theme: Well, its one redeeming quality is that its underlying theme comes straight from "Moonlight Densetsu," the actual Japanese opening theme to Sailormoon, Sailormoon R, S, and Super S. Alright, alright, so if I don't compare it to the Japanese opening, the song isn't too bad on its own. It's got a nice steady rhythm to it, and compared with some of the other songs on the CD, is pretty much passable. However, if you like the the music more than the actual singing, go for "Moonlight Densetsu." It's a million times better.
I Wanna Be A Star: ACK! Where do they get this stuff?! The lyrics are terrible! Okay, before the actual singing starts, the music's okay. But once the lyrics come on...! And the voice over for 'Serena' as she claims that she and her friends will protect the world... Ah. Corny, anyone? In my honest opinIon, if you want Sailormoon songs with good voice acting, try for the Japanese image songs. End of story.
My Only Love: Ah, after "I Wanna Be A Star," this song is a relief. Once again, the music isn't too bad, but this time, the actual lyrics are pretty good too. They're not too corny, and at times, resembles something akin to what Sailormoon is about: A love story. The fact that the singing is pretty decent is a huge plus. Thumbs up to this one.
Call My Name: Uh. Weak, anyone? The instruments used in this piece are adequate at best, and, in my personal opinion, could've all come from a keyboard. And the lyrics! *Shudder* "Call my name, and I'll be there?"... "Alice in Wonderland?"... Gag!
Oh Starry Night: Hmm, is there a trend here? So far, all the good songs have been slow, romantic types... Anyway, like "My Only Love," this song has good music, good lyrics, good singing. Yeah, 'good.' Not spectacular, but good. As a matter of fact, when I listen to the lyrics, I'm reminded of "Tuxedo Mirage," the Japanese closing theme to the Sailormoon S season, which, is a beautiful song. Granted, I'm not saying "Oh Starry Night" even comes close to "Tuxedo Mirage," but the fact that it resembles it in some way says a lot in favor for it.
It's A New Day: An okay song. I don't think there's enough emotion put into it. I mean, 'Serena' just defeated Beryl. Couldn't the song have been sung a little more, um, elatedly? But, the lyrics do carry that sense of optimism, which I guess is enough to make this song adequate. Once again though, the instruments used leave a lot to be desired.
Carry On: What I personally think is the best song on this CD. When I first heard it in the fight between Princess 'Serena' and Beryl, I actually got goosebumps. The rhythm carries that sense of urgency, that final climax in the conflict between good and evil. And the lyrics. As much as I can't stand the American dub, I have to admit that the lyrics were great. There was a lot of "we's" and "our's" and "love's" used in this song, and ultimately, Sailormoon is a show about teamwork and love. And the singing... Yes! It gives me hope that the American dub might make it. Definite thumbs up.
Rainy Day Man: For some reason, when I hear the lyrics, "When I think about the first time," I think about um, sex. O_o Should I be? I don't know, but there you have it. I just can't take this song seriously. Don't get me wrong, sex should be taken very seriously, but the fact that this song, spawn of the American dub and censoring machine against any type of sexuality issues, and suggestive as it is, made it onto the American dub... Well. I don't know. Granted, the song isn't too bad. It's up to you, I guess. Maybe I just have a sick mind. ^-^;;
Only a Memory Away: Boring. Lame. Boring. This song is weak, unemotional, and lacks any type of punch to it. If you heard this song, you'd forget it the second something else comes on. A no-brainer. Thumbs down.
She's Got the Power: Who's got the power?? No! Not Sailor Moon! Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Sailor Moon, but um, I think we should recall that winning against the baddies in Sailormoon is a team thing. It's not a one man show. The first half of the song is okay, and reminds me of Jon Bon Jovi, which, is a good thing. However, the refrain is just lame, lame, lame. I guess for every time they sing "she's got the power," they're talking about every single senshi, character, and villian in Sailormoon. Thumbs up to the opening, mega thumbs down to the ending.
Sailor Moon Theme Reprise: It's the reprise of the opening theme. What can I say? ^-^;; The American dub was too cheap to make another song for the closing theme?
So, what's the final verdict? If you've got your heart set on buying this CD, go ahead. No one's stopping you. If you're bordering on the yes/no region, buy the CD at discount price. There are some redeeming songs on this soundtrack, most notably, "Carry On." And hey, buying the soundtrack supports Sailormoon, and I'm always go for that. Even if it's mostly supporting the American dub. =P If you can't stand this CD, don't buy it. I bought it using the in-store credit I earned with CDnow.com. Which, basically cost me nothing. ^-^;;
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