#og is a favorite this is a nice remix

[robotsafari]

why is gigas blast the only good kh3 remix

[caramelmochacrow]

other people can do this idc but what og song(s) made you fall in love w each dj unit in d4? like, what song made you go "oh this unit IS good."

will go in unit order of L!H!G!! w explanations on why/how:

hapiara - trance tours it took me a WHILE to properly take a liking to hapiara (sorry). jsyk i didn't start w the anime so i didn't have that connection w them when i started playing. trance tours was one of the songs i just went "ehh fuck it sure i'll play it for fun" and then got blown away by the guitar and their vocals in there. i love guitar.

peaky - stormy link LISTEN. LISTEN. it isn't because of yuk.aeso but when i heard that beginning part w the synths it hooked me in so bad. i was so used to the ~130 bpm and 180-185 peaky songs i didn't listen to the other ones at the time. big bang and electric countdown were nice but to me they didn't click w me until stormy link. it was different to the usual peaky songs and it sort of dragged me in.

photon - akatsuki (fruits mix) and wonder wonder trip it's a tie tbh bc i actually didn't start properly listening to photon until after i watched anime?? lmao? akatsuki fruit mix showed me a taste of the non-dance photon songs. it gave me a floaty feeling and i loved it a lot?? wonder wonder trip on the other hand made me feel excited and like i was going on a trip (wowwwww) w friends lol. kinda tho sad at the same time bc i lost connection w my friends and p much had no one (wow that got serious anyway--)

m4 - boom boom shake it sound like a edm filipino christmas song remix. this song made me realize "wow these girls are siiiick" and made me love merm4id a lot more. lol. m4 is actually the unit that had a genre i was used to the most so,,, yea thats it tbh idk what to tell you. also the hard level chart scared me when i first started playing and it stuck w me.

rondo - prayer[s] and calendula WELL DUH IT'S THESE ONES. calendula and its lyrics spoke to me a lot at the time when i was Going Through It and prayer[s] was just sick as fuck ok? i felt like ascending and leaving the hell hole i was in at the time w both songs.

lyrilily - pining for the moon this song is actually the reason i kept playing d4dj. genuinely. i love this song so much, it's one of my top favorite lyrilily songs. it's so playful, chill, upbeat and happy. similar to rondo, it made me forget i was kinda not having a good time mentally. pining for the moon makes me relax a lot and im thankful for this song existing bc i wouldve have never fallen in love w d4dj..

call of artemis - do the dive ofc i count them duh. reminds me of old dance music so of course i love coa, raychell's vocals never disappoint me.

unichord - synchronicity call me basic or whatever but i genuinely loved synchronicity when i first heard it, even if it wasn't that popular when it first released. i sang the beginning part A LOT for weeks. lol.

abyssmare - raindrops and then now or never it took me a while to like them yeah GO AHEAD AND KILL ME IDC-- raindrops was the song that made me go "ok.... maybe theyre alright" and made me tolerate abyssmare's music and now or never is genuinely my most favorite abyssmare song. i love its vibe. that song cemented to me that abyssmare is one of my favorites. (aka all of them)

[blackglasses66]

Top 10 Vocaloid Songs for 2023

Hi, im Jakob Cobb and I enjoy a good vocaloid song.

Inspired by a certain someone posting about it monthly, I've decided to compile a top 10 list of my favorite vocaloid songs of the year. There is no rhyme or reason about them and it’s 100% just decided on the fact that I love the song for one reason or another

Without much else to say, I will say that this has been an awesome year of vocaloid music and I hope next year continues to be great.

Thanks for reading! Full playlist here, rankings under the cut:

HONORABLE MENTIONS: 花隈の歌は可愛いし小春六花はマジでうるさい - Gyari Honestly just makes the list purely on the fact it makes me happy that Gyari released two vocaloid songs in the year, which is something I thought they never might do again after they dedicated themselves to vtuber creation and management (?) かまぼこかまほろかまことか -  yuro mashima A song im very sad to cut out of the top ten, all due to the fact this song was released on December 30 last year. This song introduced me to yuro mashima, who has released some incredibly good songs in the year (i'm a big fan of the song about brushing your teeth) フランスパンのうた (cover) - world elec. Decided against the inclusion of this song on the top ten over the fact its A) A cover and B) Of an old song at that, regardless, it's really good to hear both OG Teto and New Teto together in a song and making both of them sound good, it also includes a MIDI kazoo solo 少女レイ (remix) - Haru-Ichiban The reason for not including this one in the top ten is due to it being a remix of an already popular vocaloid song, however I feel like it bears to mention how outstanding Haru-Ichiban’s remix is. This song just tickles my brain in the right way and uses the basis of the original to create its own feel サカサカバンバンバスピスピス - Yakomochi The first of three、 absolutely different songs that Yakomochi has become known for. I love the simple silliness this song has an continues to shine on the future works that Yakomochi has made since then 10. TEN: モミアゲヲシャカアゲヲ - Nu^16 Like one of the top comments of the video mentions (by the aptly named @mnmnmmnmmmmmm), the price Nu^16 pays for being a prodigious composer, lyricist and artist/painter is that they can only make joke-y silly songs, despite this and honestly adding to it, the fact that these songs are very funny but still legit good songs really makes it click for me 9. NINE: おどロボ - Umicha The fact that Umicha has only really made three songs in their career (the other two being also amazing), goes to show that some amazing producers have shown up in recent years and that they’ll hopefully continue to make amazing music for the years to come (and as will be shown later, Umicha isn't the only producer with three amazing songs under their belt as their first three) 8. EIGHT:

怪電話 - r-906 This song made me learn about ROSE and POPY, the bandori voice synths, and I think that alone should make this song rank highly. r-906 is a really good producer and they’ve been around for a bit but this song just hits an absolute home run for me with the way its paced and the phone samples 7. SEVEN: 機械少女と三十路OL - Ro2noki Can a song cement a ship in your brain? It can for me! Ro2noki’s awesome song rewired my brain in such a way that Rei and Teto are almost inseparable and are dating, it does help that both their twitter accounts have leaned into it heavily, along with the heaps and heaps of wonderful art of them together 6. SIX: オーバーライド - Yoshida Yasei This became a pretty popular niconico MAD song for some reason, but honestly I get it, everyone enjoys a high energy and tempo song with a really good looking but simple video. Something about this song just works for me wonderfully and it really makes the New Teto sound incredibly nice 5. FIVE:

太陽ポカポカで草 - namigroove Namigroove was a surprise to me this year, they made a bunch of really good songs and my favorite is the one song that sounds like a Vulfpeck song. They're also one of the realest producers out there, their taste in music is insane and so is their choice of voice synths 4. FOUR: 焦燥 - kinoue64 Sometimes certain songs awaken you to understanding that there is so many different things voice synths can do and this is for sure one of them. The Miku shoegaze song is a crazy good song and so is the rest of the album it comes from, if you have the chance do listen to it 3. THREE:

ホントノ - Haraguchi Sasuke It's rare that a commercial producer goes into vocaloid (at least in my experience, it's usually the reverse that happens), but Sasuke has not only knocked it out of the park with the three or so songs he’s made using vocaloid, it only looks like he’s getting started and I look forward to all new songs he’ll make 2. TWO:

ちっちゃな私 - Masarada New Teto release was bound to create new producers for her but no one could’ve anticipated that one would show up and deliver amazing and very distinct songs out of nowhere. Masarada is a producer that I believe will become a household name with some of the greatest vocaloid producers to ever do it if they manage to continue releasing the high quality and chock full of personality songs they’ve managed to release so far, with the song i'm choosing as my top two song of the year being my favorite of them 1. ONE:

KEEP YOUR HEADACHES - Ryo Iogi Teto Hyperpop!!! Not only did this song basically put me on to enjoying hyperpop more but also became one of my most listened to songs of the year period. I hope the Ryo Iogi will eventually make more hyperpop style songs using voice synths (although I will say their grungy Chis-A song is also awesome), because they clearly have a talent for making the style of music and how to blend it with the intricacies of working voice synths

[jawz-idk]

Sonic hot take:

Sonic generation's Planet Wisp act 2 isn't just good, it's great.

Now I'm only defending act 2 (Modern Sonic's) because I am never touching act 1 ever it was absolutly horrible and by far the lowest point in the game for me, even worst than the less than climactic final boss but act 2? What a transformation man.

See this as a mini review of the level and why I personaly like it, if you hate it then less power to ya I suppose this is my opinion and not yours

First of all the opening to this level where you run through the open is one of the most fun to get right in the game, yes it did take me an hour or so to fully master it and remember everything but once you know how it flows... Man you feel like a demi god even if boosting isn't practical the platforming more than makes up for it, a bit too short if you ask me but hey even this opening section is longer than most Sonic forces levels (that game's awful my god)

After that there's the least fun part of the level where's it takes waaaaay too much from Sonic Colors and decides to be all about slow platforming, I can find enjoyment out of this part but I 100% understand people not liking it it's not for everyone.

Still this might be the shortest part of the level unless you really suck. (it took me 5 whole minutes to go through this part when first playing... Pain)

Then the part that still gives me issues even after all the training I'v been doing is the rocket/minecart parts, but even with it being the hardest to master... It might just be my favorite.

Now don't get me wrong one wrong move and it's ggs for you do half of this section AGAIN! The minecart aren't bad but you might wanna do a stomp attack to get on them faster after taking out the enemy on it down, BUT DON'T it will just send you back down cuz you'll attack too early, just let the flow carry you.

For the rocket Wisp... It's really nothing, especially compared to the slow drag that was Act 1's Spike Wisp. (it was better in Colors imo)

(this image is from a side mission but it's the only one where you can see the rocket Wisp I found on Google lmaoo)

It's actually really fun and a nice change if pace to just go up with that Wisp and even if the last part of the level where you gotta Speedrun not to die, find the Wisp in time, use it at the right place is a bit stressful when playing for the first time it really becomes fun to play as soon as the 2nd try

Now for some non gameplay/level design reasons I like the level:

It, looks, fantastic, the whole game does don't get me wrong but this level might be the best looking level along side Rooftop Run act 1/2 and Crisis City act 2

The opening with the Wisps cheering you on is a really great recreation of the og opening of the level

The facility looks outstandingly great as well, a step down from the visual marvel that is the actual planet but still, incredible

The music too is... As expected from Sonic Generations, is a great remix of Planet Wisp Act 1 from colors, I wouldn't say it beats the original because the piano is just... Beautiful in that original piece but it's still an outstanding remix

All and all, you don't have to agree with anything I said... You might not even know what I'm saying but I apreciate it if you gave all this useless rant a read, for now just have a great rest of your night, day, space and time distorsion.

And stay safe.

[innocent-diamond-2090110]

♪ "Abracadabra" ♪ (OG: Brown Eyed Girls) by (G)I-DLE

This surprisingly appeared on my YouTube feed! It was cool watching the official video of the girls covering this song at a fan meet, but I didn't expect an official studio version of this (considering this is a cover & other copyright issues). "Abracadabra" is my favorite song from B.E.G., & (G)i-DLE covered + remixed this very nicely!

Here's the most recent live cover:

Throwback to the original MV:

[laughterbynight]

Le Comfort Tags

this is going to be long

these tags are brought to you by @burntotears

Comfort Movie(s): 2005 Pride & Prejudice, Jurassic Park, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, and Under the Tuscan Sun. Can't remember how well some of those aged...

Comfort Food (s): (okay so for about 9 months I had long covid before we had vaccines, which means, weirdly, my body developed allergies to a lot of foods I could tolerate previously. Old faves have *)

Cheese, big glass of Milk*, Pizza*, Tortellini Alfredo*, Miso Soup, Diet Coke*, Oat Milk Ice Cream, Teriyaki Salmon, Petit Fours*, Pastry Cream*.

Comfort Clothing: A very oversized T Shirt and nothing else or baggy pants and a velvet crop top. Very specific but it's my favorite thing to wear when I'm being cozy. I do like big sweaters but if I get overheated the feeling is ruined immediately.

Comfort Song(s): I apologize in advance but there's no way to make this short. Daydreaming means I'm always switching between a line up of songs that transport my brain to other places or set off specific feelings. Some probably don't sound comfortable per se but the familiarity is what gets me. A few have been my go-to escapism songs for well over a decade. And of course the line up is always in flux. Also, like, fanfic mood music is a must yo.

BZY-The Earth Laughs In Flowers Jean Dawson - Pirate Radio The 1975 - Happiness Great Heart - Johnny Clegg & Savuka the verve - bittersweet symphony Deco - bittersweet symphony New Radicals - You Get What You Give Tracy Chapman - Crossroads Temple of the Dog(aka soundgarden and pearl jam) - Hunger Strike ODESZA - Line Of Sight Steve Conte - Call Me Call Me The Midnight - We Move Forward Savage Garden - I Want You Stewart Copeland (yes from the police) - Misty Bog (spyro the dragon) Angels & Airwaves - The Adventure Broke for Free - A Beautiful Life Cressida- 6am (Kyau & Albert Remix) Niklas Harding & Arcane- Ice Beach Michael Cassette - Wateresque Nitrous Oxide - North Pole Fire Flowerz - Sugar

Technically you could probably put any intro and outro from the og toonami line up on this list. I stg it's like getting smacked in the face with nostalgia to hear anything from that time.

*if a song is like 8 minutes jump ahead 2. That usually gets you past the warm up.

Comfort Book(s): The Birth of the Firebringer, Vol 1. of the Sailor Moon manga, Pride and Prejudice (specifically the audio version by the sleepy bookshelf) which is also on spotify, and probably ACOMAF (the rest can rot but I still love that ONE book.)

Comfort Game(s): Spyro the Dragon (I know this game too well), Tomba 1 & 2, Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon DS Cute, Dewprism/Threads of Fate.

Comfort Streamers:

Tbh although I check in with a handful of streamers from time to time Ray is probably who I watch the most. Quick wit, sarcasm, and snark are my favorite things, so Ray is my go-to. (yes, that Ray. He escaped RT a long time ago. It's a whole thing that's been talked about by him. He's a safe one, don't worry.)

RayNarvaezJr.

dude plays pretty much anything and everything but if I had to rec somewhere to start go with either pokemon or stardew if you want chill vibes, or watch his plays of any of the resident evil or yakuza games for fuckery.

Comfort Youtube Channels:

I'm adding this because I use a few when I'm overwhelmed and need something familiar or gentle to watch. Separate from gaming stuff.

Kennie JD - Bad movies and a beat playlist (kennie is just hysterical anyway but omg these reviews. The Twilight ones in particular get me every time.

Anti-Chef - Watch Jamie attempt to cook through Julia Child's cookbooks. It's very charming and you're always rooting for him. He's very real about the process which is nice.

Dominic Noble - Lost in Adaptation. Exactly what it sounds like. Books vs Film and TV but he's also not an ass about it so it's a pleasant experience.

nigiricco - Bento videos like every three days it's wild but imo soothing to watch.

Sophia Phan - Movie Commentaries. She's adorable.

Imamu room - MORE BENTO

Joconde's baking - Really soothing baking videos imo as long as you don't mind the sound of it. Like almost asmr if that helps.

Chocolate Cacao - The master of baking chocolate I stg

José - Video essays and damn good retrospectives including scrubs, that 70s show, boy meets world, the golden girls, cheers, the fresh prince etc.

The Movie Budz - More great film commentary

PBS Idea Channel - Okay so this channel has been dead for 6 years now but it's STILL full of amazing videos that I have yet to see matched in their depth and scope. Plus it's nearly all pop culture which keeps it fun an accessible. If you aren't familiar with PBSID I highly suggest sifting through the archive. There are videos on everything from The Pokemon War Theory to How Does Night Vale Confront Us With the Unknown?

Hbomberguy - The dude with the Pathologic video. His other stuff is really good too.

Folding Ideas - Video essays and commentary plus some really good deep dives into other subjects like NFTs, Flat Earthers, and the Ralph Bakshi Lord of the Rings uh adaptation?

Primitive Technology - Okay, you know those videos YT recs where it looks like two guys built a hotel out of bamboo or something but it's clearly fake? This is the guy they're mimicking.

Peaceful Cuisine - Mostly vegan and/or gluten free cooking. Most videos have an asmr version and a version with soft music playing.

Was all of that necessary? Probably not. I am now tired. To think I trimmed down what I was going to add.

Tagging folks but like everyone feel free to do it, and no you don't have to do all the categories I did. I added the youtube videos and went kinda wild with music.

Going by my activity page again otherwise this will be too long

@loveayeti @corpsefluid @deviess @metaphysicaltelephone @cobaltbluepub @kerrykhat @doommsatic @isixdream @aetheling @thesoilofblackpepper @blue-shale @thematurescholar @ghost-proof @pixiereadsb00ks @dreaminginspacecowboy @truculentbantam @tfisathoughtfulnickelbakeryfire Zuloo Idk why I can't tag you but I see your ass on my activity page so consider yourself tagged.

[the-halcyon-effect]

liveblogging thoughts on new bad omens (not gonna include live songs bc i don't like listening to those) (also not including intros & interludes unless something interesting happens)

van: honestly this is one of my favorite bo songs. i loved it already when it came out and i still love it now. good opener

the drain: good song! the only thing about this is that it just kinda sounds like a health song. like their production is so similar that putting the vocalist here makes it identical. however that's not really a problem bc it's a very good song still

terms & conditions: okay this is already VERY cool. i really like the trap vibe and i KNOW the chorus is gonna hit. it's bad omens

OOH ARTIFICIAL SUICIDE JUMPSCARE??? OKAY THEN

REALLY like the lyrics to this. gonna have to read through them later

okay that was VERY unexpected. EXTREMELY cool song tho and definitely a cool showcase of their skills

hedonist (recharged): the og song is already so good so we'll see how this does

LOVE the intro. VERY good start

OOH THE VERSE this is a VERY cool reimagining

tbh not a fan of the chorus. the voice is neat but not my thing. the production is amazing tho (as usual for this band)

it's really cool that they're not ignoring their first works and instead embracing them here. very few bands tend to do that and it needs to be more common

tbh i think i prefer the original overall but this is still good

even: okay this is gonna be a sad one i think

DETUNING MY BELOVED

idk what noah is doing with his voice here but it's VERY nice. also those ELECTRONICS ARE SO GOOD EJRBJFKFF

this is a neat drop? verse? thing? whatever. REALLY like this tbh

i'm gonna have to send this to my brother, he really likes electronic stuff so he'd love this

this is like bad decisions v2 (ignore the actual remix later in the album). i like it. good song for my chill playlist for sure

loading screen: this one's short! no idea what to expect

okay this literally just sounds like loading screen music. it's real good tho

those strings are amazing honestly

WAS THAT THE SUMMONING SALT CHORD. WHAT.

okay this is an Experience but it's neat

anything > human: i've been SO excited for this. let's hope it delivers

jesse you are a beautiful man as usual

is jt gonna be in this? OH THAT'S THE CHORUS

OH WHAT THAT'S SO FUCKING GOOD HOLY SHIT this is one of the best choruses of the year

anyways as I was saying. i wonder if this includes jt. i would guess not bc the band is more known for jesse but it's possible

actually wait is jt doing backing screams? i can't tell who that is

OH YUP THAT'S JT. THAT'S SO COOL

WHAT IS THIS BREAKDOWN THIS IS SO GOOD WTF HOLY SHIT

this is exactly what i wanted from this collab. it's SO GOOD

i do wish we got a jesse guitar solo but i am NOT complaining. this song is amazing and is my new fav off the album for SURE

digital footprint: another intermission? already? i guess this is a concept album but still

actually wait it's really long. what're they doing

OH. hmm. this is COOL

all the production on this album makes me feel like i'm in a cyberpunk spaceship going to other planets. it's so neat tbh

also just noticed that the next song features iris.exe. VERY excited for that

honestly i might use this song as background music for my d&d campaign lmao

babadupbupbup whatever

nervous system: that's some chunky electronic drone. where's this going

that is NOT the verse i was expecting but it's good OH THERE'S THE GUITARS

YUP THAT'S THE BAD OMENS I REMEMBER

oh this is a fucking VIBE

WHAT IS THIS IS THIS LIKE GROOVY DUBSTEP NOW

FJFJFHDKJFF THIS IS SO GOOD

god her voice is so good. gender envy

i REALLY like this heavy production chorus thing. idk what it is but it's neat

well that's the end of part 1. let's see how part 2 is

artificial suicide (unzipped): idk what to expect for this honestly

oh he goin FAST

i have no idea what this is or how to feel about it. like it's just the original sped up. fascinating

i've heard this is actually an ost for something (idk what) so that would explain things like this. bc i don't think it's supposed to stand alone

the grey (unzipped): alright, sounds like it's basically the same thing as the previous one. idk what thousand below is doing on the track tho so we'll see

why is this called unzipped? i'm VERY confused about that. like it's just sped up with extra production added. it's not bad i'm just confused

tdopom (we are fury): oh! this one's an actual remix! good! i thought it was just gonna be sped up versions and i wasn't exactly excited for that

with that said this is a REALLY cool remix. this drop is FANTASTIC

i don't know if i like this more than the original or the sullivan king remix but it's still quite good

i guess we'll see what happens during drop #2

okay sounds pretty similar to drop 1 but that's not bad! it's really good and well done

neat! good remix

tdopom (so wylie): i never actually listened to this! we'll see what i missed

and it's sped up again

but at least it's just the vocals this time. the production around it is cool but i don't really like the sound of sped up vocals in general

honestly this is kinda eh imo. it's neat but it's really not my thing. i don't really like sped up vocals as i said and the production doesn't do much for me. objectively it's cool and good but i wouldn't listen to it regularly

bad decisions (lofi): i mean yeah. it's a lofi version of bad decisions. idrk what to say here (i'm not a huge fan of lofi)

just pretend (credits): idk either of the featured artists here but this one has a neat voice!

DEFINITELY sounds like a credits song. didn't know this was a remix you could even make but here we are

again. i have no idea what to say here. it's a remix of just pretend to be a credits song. what do you want from me (pun intended)

alright! final thoughts! i did not enjoy the second part. the first part, however, was FANTASTIC!! anything > human is one of the best songs so far this year. VERY cool collab, SO glad it happened. all the other songs there are also great, and i'm gonna return to most if not all of them.

that's all! Bye

[chaosverse-mainblog]

Thanks, I especially love the middle part with the long notes, that being my favorite part of the OG Fight or Flight and the Halloween Remix. Those long notes from Tails sounds so heavenly.

That's nice. It's cool how you were able to replicate the original

[katara0524]

Impromptu Ramblings about the NEO:TWEWY Demo

In case y'all weren't aware, I've been a pretty big fan of TWEWY for a couple years now, and with the sequel coming out next month, the excitement I feel for this game is greater than ever :) I played the Demo for the first time yesterday, and following a couple views of some livestreams of others playing it, I felt like sharing my (very ramble-y) thoughts prior to the release of the full game. This post WILL contain spoilers for both TWEWY and NEO:TWEWY, so if you want to avoid those from now on, please block the tags: #twewy spoilers, #ntwewy spoilers, #neo twewy spoilers, #ntwewy, and #neo twewy ^_^ Oh, and if you wanna keep up with any other posts I make about my experience with this game, please refer to the tag "kat plays neo twewy" :)

-First things first: I have not watched the Final Trailer and I don't plan on doing so to avoid spoilers, especially after the pre-release era of KH3 where a lot of the later trailers spoiled a lot of the endgame content. That being said, I've seen some minor screenshots from the final trailer including what many believe to be characters from the original TWEWY, namely Shiki and Joshua. That is all I know about the Final Trailer and I would very much like to remain as blind as possible going into NEO :)

-The very first cutscene was quite ominous in the sense that this game is likely going to be about "changing fate" (a recently common theme in Squeenix games, which I do appreciate), perhaps leading off from the end of A New Day in the OG and trying to stop an Inversion of Shibuya. Also worth noting that A New Day had similar aspects in which the main character experienced "future visions" of tragic events, although in A New Day these events were not able to be changed, while in NEO it seems like one of the main "powers" our protagonist has is specifically to rewrite these events and avoid a "bad ending." Very interesting indeed!

-I really like the revamped comic book style dialogue scenes, it's much more fluid and modern, which is an excellent direction for the series to take!

-I would love to have an actual PokemonGO knockoff of Final Fantasy creatures, please Squeenix that would be incredibleeeeee

-Also the LINE stickers??? Are so cute???

-I would just like to point out that Fret is an absolute treasure throughout this entire demo, he's hilarious and I will protect him with my life

-UHHHH don't like that Fret picked up some Reaper Pins just out of nowhere.....or the fact that they're apparently popular all over Shibuya.............did y'all not learn anything from the OG game or what lmao

-Okay so when I first got the "curry or ramen" scene and heard NPCs talking about the new curry place replacing the old ramen place I became IMMENSELY distressed that Ramen Don was totally cut from the game because....well, Ramen Don is a King okay?? But I'm glad to learn that no, he didn't fall off the face of the earth, he's still in business and he's the one opening the curry restaurant lolol. PHEW, crisis averted!

-.....I don't like the sudden appearance of a Wall Reaper and being able to read NPC thoughts. Wtf happened when they left the ramen place??? Are they playing the Game alive somehow?

-Okay so I have my own theories about this "Swallow" character and what they're up to but considering this is only the Demo and I still Have No Idea What's Happening, I'm just gonna say that I think Swallow intentionally led Rindo and Fret to the Crossing so they could join the Game. I mean, add in the fact that Swallow still communicates with Rindo during the Game and you've got yourself a suspicious character right there lol

-"Hey they're shooting off fireworks!" Fret honey that's not fireworks oof (see also: "*laughs* I'm in danger")

-WOOOOOO way to traumatize Rindo right off the bat like that LMAOO

-The visuals for the intro are VERY GOOD, the song is pretty decent until it gets all "screamo" (which I absolutely cannot stand sorry lol)

-Shoka is every Customer Service employee ever and I respect that

-Susukichi went from being "meh" to "WOW THIS GUY IS FUN" in the span of 10 seconds and I also respect that (he is also built like an Absolute Unit which is hilarious)

-The Wall Reapers (and just Reapers in general) seem.....way nicer and more helpful this time around?? Like in the OG the Wall Reapers were SO RUDE gfhjgjdfkhn and yeah I'm sure we'll get some like that but the juxtaposition of the first Wall Reaper in the OG compared to the first one in NEO is insane.

-The puzzles are quite a bit more entertaining this time around even if it's generally the same "fetch quest" formula lol

-"Rindo's Group" way to go Fret HFKJDGHSDFKJ mans really left the default name in there lmao

-OKAYOKAYOKAY so to those who aren't aware I am a MASSIVE SIMP for Sho Minamimoto, he's my absolute favorite and I think about him daily. HIS INTRODUCTION IS. INCREDIBLE. I LOVE IT SM.

-GOD hearing him actually SPEAK FULL SENTENCES is just SO SURREAL I love this sm

-Also the remix of his theme???? NEO TRANSFORMATION????? IT'S SO GOOD????????? It's like gone from a Boss Theme to a more triumphant sounding theme and I am HERE for it (every version of Transformation is just INCREDIBLE and getting a new one is even better)

-I Love Him, Your Honor

-Also idk how exactly but it's kinda weird seeing Sho in the OG vs NEO, cuz while he's mostly the same Insane Math-Obsessed Catboy, he's.....calmed down quite a bit?? Like OG made a whole point of how poorly he cooperates with others (not to mention just being completely unhinged and trying to kill everyone), whereas here in NEO he's......actually kinda working with others??? HELLO???? Sir what happened to you and Neku during those 3 years I would love to know all about it

-I guarantee you Sho is still probably scheming shite and will likely pull some total insane BS later down the road, and I am very much looking forward to that. Also, is he looking for a certain Pin or something??? Cuz he keeps talking about different Pins and even mentions "this is just another Psych Pin" like he's actively looking for a Pin to do something with. Maybe it also has to do with the "latent powers of Players" thing he mentioned as well??? What is this dude UP TO oml (also is he in contact with Neku at all?? they're both technically fugitives at this point right?? WHAT HAPPENED AFTER A NEW DAY I AM BEGGING YOU)

-I seems like Sho ALSO has an idea of what's going on in this specific game (even if he won't admit it straightforward). Per his quote "The game's 142,857. Factor it out," he's essentially saying, "This game is a neverending cyle, figure out how to get out of it" (or at least that's what I got from his "cyclic number" nonsense lolol)

-I do like how Sho mostly stays out of sight until he's needed for a battle or assisting with a mission, that's kind of on par with his whole "uncooperative" quirk from the OG, plus he might literally have to stay out of sight of other Reapers and Players considering he's likely breaking the rules of the Game (not surprising considering him and Neku broke practically every rule in the book during OG)

-The nicknames for Sho- I can't- They're so FUNNYYYY GFHJSDFKJ

-He goes from being called "Pi-Face" and "Tabooty" in OG to "Mr. Minami" and "M-Teezy" in NEO LMAOO

-(Wowee I just realized I've been mostly talking about Sho oopsies sorry y'all, this is what I meant by thinking about him almost daily he is THAT much of a fav of mine ghfkjsd)

-Okay RIP Fret and Rindo for not getting literally ANY explanation as to how the Game works OOF, that is kinda cringe that whoever gets the Pin earns points, not whoever erases the Noise (which like I understand but also URRRGGHHH I WANNA SEE THE SQUAD SUCCEED)

-"I should be going home now it's getting late" Oh you sweet summer child-

-Also love the mention of parents in this game???? KH you could learn a thing or two from TWEWY (poor Rindo's mom fhgjkdh)

-KUBO IS HILARIOUS I SUPPORT HIM AND HIS GROSS FACE (also thank you Final Trailer thumbnail for spoiling my suspicions about him very cool smh)

-Kaie is a LAD I also support him, go King type those funky texts I believe in you

-FRET PLS STOP SCANNING FHGJKSDHKJFGHFKJ he's like me when I scan in OG during Weeks 2 and 3 and see Taboo Noise coming after me ghfjdshfj

-Also Rindo can you stay off your phone for TWO SECONDS ik you're trying to figure things out but Fret is a jelly boi and I don't want him to be upset with you my guy

-Sho being an actual sorta mentor to the kiddos?? Who are you sir this is so unlike you ghfgskj what happened to the guy who tried shooting children in the face 8 times over LMAO (granted he's probably just using them but it's still nice to see him actually cooperating and sharing knowledge with the kiddos aaaaa)

-EYO EIJI OJI THE TIKTOK INFLUENCER IS BACK LMAO

-hgjkfshgkjf "we aren't glorifying capitalism on my watch" THATS SO FUNNY TO ME GFHJFSDGHJKS (also an all-orange ensemble is disgusting you deserve jail for one thousand years fkn Cheddar Goldfish Cheezit ass woman)

-WICKED TWISTERS NAME DROP EYOOO we love to see it

-gfhsgjf Poor Rindo embarassing himself for the sake of the Game that's incredible

-R e t u r n t o M O N K E. That is all.

-Dialogue during boss battles is HELLA cool i love that

-HHHHH THE KANON SCENE MADE ME A N G E R Y FRET STOP SIMPING MY GUY says the girl with a Literal Simp Encyclopedia and simps for pixels on a screen daily

-Can't wait to see the other Reapers :eyes emoji:

-CAN'T WAIT TO SEE NAGI MY BELOVED YEAHHHH WOOOOOO AAAAND that's about it for the demo lolol, I absolutely CANNOT wait for next month, this game is gonna be INCREDIBLE holy hell Prepare for more simping, more screaming, and more vibing from Yours Truly :) I fully intend on sharing more general thoughts like this on both Tumblr and Twitter so it's not just reblog-retweet-reblog-retweet with the occasional comment fhgskjd

If you wanna witness my insanity up close and personal I have a Square Enix Discord server called Sea Side Dreamers! You can look it up on Disboard, or you can add me on Discord @Katara0524#9244 for a direct link :) We have topics about Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, NieR, and ofc TWEWY (as well as other topics!), so if you want some good ol' chaos and chitchat, you're more than welcome to join!

[kaitosimp]

Okay so, I know I kinda started this whole music thing, but I only gave you one (1) recommendation. That was cuz I was freaking out about the luminary thing and wanted someone to hear it. HOWEVER, I have a few other songs I’d like to share while we’re on this topic. So uh,

- Sick of Losing Soulmates - Dodie

^^ This one could either be saimota or kaimaki, but I personally feel it fits saimota better

- Someone To You - BANNERS

Saimota again!

- Tunnel Vision - Egg

Okay I’m now realizing how many saimota songs I have- anyways, this could fit lots of ships I just saw an artist reference it in a saimota piece, and was like “Hey Yeah!”

- Help Our Souls - NIHILS

You may have heard the remix, but I’m talking about the original. Oumota 100%

- Kill the Lights - Set it Off

Oumota again. I found this in a danganronpa v3 MEP

- No Children - The Mountain Goats

I feel like someone already sent this? But maybe it’s just cuz it’s in like Every Oumota playlist. For good reason

- Waltz in E-Major, Op. 15 “Moon Waltz” - Cojum Dip

Well, just read the title. Eh, but other then that, I can’t help but imagine two certain purple bastards waltzing to the last two choruses.

- Rainbow Connection - The Muppet Movie, but there are tones of covers if you don’t like that one.

Have you heard of Saimatsumota? Cuz this one probably requires brain worms but- Saihara’s perspective.

- Nobody - Mitski

H... hangar kiss......

K I’ll shut up now! I’d recommend headphones, I know most people use them, just making sure!

You literally did start this whole music thing with that Mother Mother song, its crazy (in a good way) 😂💕 Reading over the titles I don't recognize any of em so this should be fun 🌚 I do recognize the band Set It Off and have heard a few songs from them so im excited to hear that one!

Sick of losing soulmates made me feel s o f t, it's a beautiful song 😭😭😭 Yes saimota!! I tried seeing it from both saimota and kaimaki but it fits saimota more 😩

SOMEONE TO YOU IS SUCH A BANGER, I LOVED IT 😩😩😩 "I'll make the moon shine just for your view, I'll make the starlight circle the room" SAIMOTA SAIMOTA SAIMOTA SAIMOTA-

The tunnel vision song is so dang nice 🥺🥺 Ur right omg, it fits a lot of his ships 😭😭 When it said "i wanna hold your stupid hand and kiss you on your stupid face" it gave me major, you guesset it, o u m o t a vibes 🌚 God its just so great 😭

I hadn't heard help our souls before, not the og song nor the remix actually 👀 It's a bop though, damn!! It reminded me of oumota in the hangar when they formed the plan and stuff 😩

Kill the lights- i fucking loved it 👁👄👁 That's more up my alley in terms of what I listen to so it's no wonder it's one of my faves on this list 😂 GOD ITS LITERALLY OUMOTA, WE HAVE ANOTHER ANTHEM ON OUR HANDS

Nobody mentioned the no children song actually 👀 bRO FROM THE FUCKING START I GOT HIT WITH OUMOTA VIBES WHAT- It sounds like oumota just being so fucking done with the killing game and just being hateful af to everything & each other even tho they're stuck together, I love it so much 💀

I RLLY THOUGHT THE MOON WALTZ WOULD BE A SOFT WALTZY TYPE SONG AND THEN THAT GUITAR RIFF BLEW MY WIG AWAY- Holy shit tho, again, this is more up my alley, and its so damn catchy and good and his voice is just???? ANOTHER BOP, I THINK THIS AND KILL THE LIGHTS ARE MY FAVES RN ✋🏽 Oh god oh god oumota waltzing to the last two choruses on their way to the press bYE-

Saimatsumota is Kaito, Shuichi and Kaede right? I know they're an ot3 but I didn't know their ship name! I just listened to it and I think you unlocked a memory deep within my mind lol, I think I watched this muppet movie at some point when i was younger cause I remember seeing kermit singing on a log on the tv, but ofc the movie was in spanish so i didnt realize it was from the same thing till i saw it just now 😂 I def see it from Shuichi's perspective in some bits of it!! I am not smart enough for subtle symbolism so I rlly had to dig in to see it 😩

NOBODY IS LITERALLY KAITO TRAPPED IN THAT BATHROOM HAVING AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS AND THEN HE AND KOKICHI KISS BYE-

Me, reading the headphones thing just after I finish listening to all of these without headphones: 👁👄👁 oops 😂 These were so nice to listen to!! I think I have another favorite *cough cough moon waltz cough*

[omegaradiowusb]

APRIL 21, 2021 (#260)

Warren G feat. Nate Dogg: “Regulate” Snoop Dogg: "Who Am I (What's Your Name)” King Just: "No Flow On The Rodeo" Grand Puba feat. Mary J. Blige: "Check It Out" Rodney O & Joe Cooley: "You Don't Hear Me Go" Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth: "Take You There" Tim Dog: "Step To Me" Gang Starr: "Just To Get A Rep" Boss: "Deeper" Frankie Cutlass: "Puerto Rico" Lady Of Rage: "Afro Puffs" 3rd Bass: "Steppin' To The A.M." MC Lyte: "Ruff Neck" Mobb Deep: "Survival Of The Fittest" Domino: "Sweet Potato Pie" TLC: "Ain't 2 Proud To Beg" EPMD: "I'm Mad" LL Cool J: "Going Back To Cali" Chi-Ali: "Roadrunner" Grand Puba: "360 Degrees (What Goes Around)" (SD50 RMX) Jay-Z feat. Foxy Brown: "Ain't No N*gg*'" Naughty By Nature: "Everything's Gonna Be Alright (Ghetto Bastard)" Nine: "Any Emcee" Organized Konfusion feat. OC & Q-Tip: "Let's Organize" Poor Righteous Teachers: "Rock Dis' Funky Joint" Beatnuts, The feat. Greg Nice: "No Escapin' This" Tha Alkaholiks: "Make Room" Biz Markie: "Young Girl Bluez" Smif & Wessun: "Onetime" Tone Loc: "Wild Thing" Lost Boyz: "Get Up" (RMX) Big Daddy Kane: "The Lover In You" (Mr. Cee RMX) Digital Underground: "No Nose Job" Young MC: "Bust A Move" Geto Boys: "Six Feet Deep" Supernatural: "Buddah Blessed It" Half-A-Mil: "Any Day Can Be Ya' Last" Yo-Yo: "Black Pearl" Patra feat. Yo-Yo: "Romantic Call" Kris Kross: "I Missed The Bus" Salt N' Pepa: "Shoop" Bone Thugs N' Harmony: "1st Of Tha' Month" Ed OG & Da Bulldogs: "Life Of A Kid In The Ghetto" Arrested Development: "Revolution" (X ver.)

Omega Radio returns once again with another bonus golden-era hip-hop block. We visit another unoccupied Wednesday midnight slot to spend three hours playing our listeners’ favorite singles, artists, guest appearances, and remixes from way back when.

More diverse sounds from Omega Radio very soon. Stay tuned.

April 24, 2021 (10PM New York City): next deluxe Omega.

[bearpillowmonster]

FF6 Review (Overall)

I'm going to rate similar to the way I did FF7 Remake, but in only 2 parts, so there will be an overall review then a separate deep dive into the characters.

I played this game using an emulator and I'm not ashamed of it because I used the FF6 Relocalization project which I'll link

Basically nerd talk and explanation of what that means: It's basically a retranslation of the original SNES script using the GBA port as a base and mixing and matching some of the best parts so there you go. They have a way to mod the PC version to have the OG sprite work because sheesh is that thing ugly and they also have a way to resprite and resound the GBA version but this is the easiest and logical solution to get the best of all worlds. There's also "Anthology" which is the PS1 port that adds some CG custscenes which I just watched off of YouTube because it's only a few of the major scenes.

Anyways, yeah, I'm glad I emulated it especially because of the fast forward function. That first chunk would've been rough without it because you're left just waiting for one of your party's commands to be ready but it eases up as the game goes on because you get pretty busy with the combat.

I'm not a fan of turn-based RPGs which was the main reason I haven't touched a 2D FF game until now so this is my first and oh boy, what a first!

Could you just watch a playthrough or read the story then? I wouldn't recommend it. There are certain things that I feel are better experienced.

Gameplay actually wasn't all that gruesome, as I mentioned, it got better thoughout but I know for a fact that I didn't do everything it had to offer because I see other people doing it online and I just had no idea how. That's not to say it's not newcomer friendly though, I mean I beat the game, didn't I? I think it would've just gotten complicated and made me confused if I learned how to do everything in the game anyway.

I found myself liking some of the mechanics and recognizing some of the systems from games as late as today (I'm not sure if this is where they started but I wouldn't be surprised). The random encounters weren't all bad because of the emulator's speed up function but there were definitely times where it felt a little out of hand with the amount I was getting. (I'm looking at you Cave to the Sealed Gate!) So it's all pretty familiar, though there are "Relics" which are kind of like Materia but each member has 2 each where it gives you an ability, f.e. Reflect, every attack hits, extra power, auto cast protect, heal with every step, etc.

One of the drawbacks of using BSNES though was that there was no toggle for a L or R shoulder button, just turbo and while that's not a big problem, that is the button to Flee a battle, so I just never fled. There is an item that lets you escape any dungeon or battle but I didn't really use it, same with the permanent item that Mog has in the cave (pretty late in the game). I'd rather there be a repel than the warp stone, but I figured that if I just fought whenever the opp arrived then I wouldn't have to grind, which is another thing I hate about RPGs! Luckily, I didn't really feel the need to grind other than for the ending.

Difficulty wasn't really a grind but make sure once you get to the floating island, that you know what you're doing because that level was annoying and I felt a very stong spike in difficulty as soon as I landed on it. Another thing is that sometimes it'd glitch and an enemy would have infinite health so I'd just sit there on fast forward, watching and watching then finally use Libra and no damage was made, might be an emulator thing, might be a game thing and although rare, it still happened.

There are these sections called scenarios where the game branches off into multiple different paths and you can choose which order to follow the specific sets of characters. I really like that aspect and makes it seem less linear and interactive because it's letting you choose how to tell the story. I have a thing for games that let me interact with it (That opera scene is pretty interactive too).

For a 2D sprite game, it has quite a personality with its cutscenes. They can be very cinematic and defintely makes the characters just that more engaging with some of their mannerisms.

Ok, I get it now. The music is bomb. If anything, that would be worth doing a remake for, to get orchestral and updated versions of some of the themes. (I'd probably cry at that opera scene) But Celes' theme is probably my favorite. The PC port has pretty good remixes for the most part though.

Could this use a remake? It's a trivial matter because I think a good majority of fans want it to be remade and I understand why but at the same time I understand the other side of the argument as well. This was the last 2D FF game and that's special, in a way, the story kind of reflects that. And I think with all the personality comes a bit of caution because you might see something in these characters or scenes that may be misinterpreted or done differently in a remake, similar to how you read a book and just imagine how it's playing out. I think it lays enough ground so that you don't "have to interpret" like with most NES games (how the Super Mario Movie was born) from an outsider's point of view, it may first seem that way though. (myself included (yes, I know this was SNES era. Shut up!))

What would I want out of a remake? I would want the airship to return and be able to move around freely but keep the towns pretty faithful (which makes for more linear opportunities). I could see Edgar's tools being used similar to Barrett's but we have "First Soldier" now which is a 3PS Battle Royale, why not have his tools play similar to that? Then actually give him story opportunities to pick up his tools rather than "just because you bought them" It would be a nice natural progression. I would suggest the same with Sabin and Cyan, have them learn their Blitz and Bushido moves by being taught by Duncan, you do learn one move from Duncan in the vanilla game but I'd see it as more opportunity to build your characters and make it feel rewarded. So, in those aspects, I would like to see FF6 remade or improved but as for everything else, they should keep it a lot similar to the original than FF7R did. I think that's where a lot of the criticism with FF7R came from (as well as what I mentioned in the previous paragraph) While I'd prefer a gameplay overhaul similar to what they did with R, I'd rather keep the essence. There aren't sequels or spinoffs or anything of this game so this is all it has (unless you count the ports but that's minimal).

In the CHARACTERS section, I compliment the side-quest system but I would like there to be a better indication as to "what" you're doing, rather than just looking up the next steps or be left to travel around until the goal is clear. They have the quest completion menu as well as waypoints in FF7R, I could see that being put to good use in a game like this. It would also be cool to actually "visibly" wear the gear that you equip to your character but I understand why that isn't utilized in most of the games (probably makes for better character models) especially considering most of these characters' costumes could use an update. You didn't get to use the Magitek suits nearly as much as I thought you would from the marketing and even the dang cover and logo, so a remake could improve on that as well. Another small complaint is that it doesn't tell you what the items do WHILE you're in battle, only when you're in the menu, sorting them and while some are staples like Phoenix Down, I still don't remember what the heck a 'Gold Needle' does.

Overall I'd probably rate the FF games that I've played (but maybe not finished all of) as such: FF7 > FF13 > FF6 > CRISIS CORE > FF15 > FF12 but I think 6 and 13 are kind of interchangeable because if you said one over the other, I wouldn't really argue.

[af1899]

FEH - So, update notes for 5.9.0 are out

ICYMI, last night we got news on what's coming for the 5.9.0 software update for Fire Emblem Heroes, which you can check on this archived copy at Gamepedia.

But I want to comment on each point of interest right below and resume more or less all that's new as well as sharing my thoughts, feel free to continue reading.

First of all, the thing we all look forward to the most:

✨ R E F I N E S ✨

Who wouldn't be excited to see one of their favorite characters or that of someone else's getting a well deserved refine after a long wait? Us Micaiah fans are "eating well" lately, meaning that we're happy with the attention she's been getting, but the coming refine announcement is all we should probably read of her in a while:

Yes, you're seeing right, her Brave alt is getting a refine, I've been waiting to decide how I want to build her. 🥺 But hopefully it's good, I'm excited regardless.

As for the others, it was about normal, the other [CYL 2019] winners were also bound to get theirs around this time as well as some of the oldest Legendaries too, this time, Ephraim and Lyn got lucky with new refines, they both have received great remix upgrades overall but [Solar Brace II] for Ephraim is particularly looking quite better indeed, I have mine at +1 +hp collecting dust so I look forward to see what his refine will be otherwise if I don't like it enough and if someone needs [Atk/Def Solo 4] he'll have his days counted.

In a similar topic, Hector in his Legendary alt isn't getting a refine yet, but he's getting [Crafty Fighter 3] and an upgraded version of [Ostia's Pulse], which is slightly less restrictive but has a few extras to grant him an extra utility. He also gains extra inheritance value thanks to the former addition, both skills are easy to secure with the 4 available slots.

Male Kana is getting [Dusk Dragonstone] which is a direct counterpart to that of his sister's weapon, perhaps the effects at base and refine will be analogous, but we'll learn at the time of datamine, taking place soon after the update gradually rolls out this 9/2/2021 at 8:00 p.m. (GMT-3) so in about 3 days and 3 hours as of this post's creation date.

Next up, I want to cover our next batch of limited [Combat Manuals]:

This time, Soiree Nephenee and Flora are our 5★ choices, and they're actually good, but not so impressive.

For me... Flora means I can finally get [Atk/Res Solo 3] and [Quick Riposte 3] on OG Idoun (for context, she's my "skill unit", so I'm giving her every skill she can get) and Soiree Nephenee means I can finally merge her, which is so pog because mine is -spd and I quite like her:

It sure sucks, but it's not so bad, still, it's great I can finally patch it.

Again, I'll leave any appreciation talk for later, and I only have this version of her.

There's also Spring Saleh, the only noteworthy 4★ one who carries good skills and can also serve as merge for those working on him, but if you want my recommendation, try to secure Soiree Nephenee, her fodder is all right and she's a seasonal unit, if you also happen to be working on her, that means you can give her a free merge.

Asides all that, the following Legendary Heroes will now appear only in {Legendary Hero Remix} banners, the next should be coming some time in the middle of this month: Lucina, Azura, Tiki, Eirika, Marth and Hríd.

We're getting new [Memento Events] for [Heroes Journey] (the scenes with random outcomes you can watch when you get 100 [Memento Points]), we'll learn of them after the software update.

I didn't get all the possible outcomes in this event when it was around and didn't even know until last day that the three [Orbs] from the quests were daily so I missed 6 of them, what a drag, but at least I finished it I guess.

But speaking of it, I realized I've never given my insight on it, but so far I think it's an okay event with more fun interactions, rewards are quite nice and appreciated, but it has little play value making it less impressive and easy to forget (adding to the fact it'll run once in each month for 3 days), specially once you get all the rewards it's almost pointless to farm beyond then, but make sure you clear it once everyday when it's around!

Finally, just a random [Aether Raids] structure has its level cap raised by 1 as per usual and two weapons are getting one of their mechanisms fixed to work as intended (Nyx's [Ginnungagap] sure was more important though) but no news on coming music to the [Concert Hall] since months so 0/10 dislike unsubscribe.

It's overall a decently packed update but there's not much to be excited about, other than the refines for the [CYL 2019], as said before, I think it's most exciting to me, but that and the free merge on Soiree Nephenee are my only major highlights.

[hana-bean]

#ayumix2020

I spent half of yesterday trying to get all my favorite YouTube rips of #ayumix2020 songs on some of my Spotify playlists. Why it took so long is because I have a MacBook from 2010 and it runs on coal. These missing songs were a bunch of my top favs so I decided to put in the time yesterday to re-rip them from YouTube and re-add them to Spotify.

I had already added these songs a couple of months ago, but then I dared to move some into other playlists and then boom, they disappeared from my phone. They played and showed up on my laptop, but for whatever reason, would not on my phone. Of course, as a lot of Spotify FAQ answers go, I was screwed. Thanks for nothing, Spotify Desktop.

I know I’m like a year late on this but some of these remixes are so freaking creative and amazing. Like you can tell when people have such an ear for music and it feeds the soul.

It was also super refreshing to hear some of Ayu’s songs with a more modern sound. While ayu-mi-x 7 aged pretty well, if you listen to any of her old ayu-mi-xes, you can really pick up on that early 2000s sound. And then some of them (especially the ones released on singles) sound like absolute noise; it makes me wonder if we even had ears back then. For some old remixes, the sound is super nostalgic and still vibe-able, but when that’s all we had for 10+ years, it’s SO NICE to hear some new takes.

I realized I tend to be partial to the remixes that aren’t techno in nature but of course I always appreciate a good house/trance/EDM remix! Below are some of my favorites, and you just might understand why I worked for 12 hours trying so hard to make these songs accessible ;)

1. LOVE ~Destiny~ (Alonso Montero Remix) - Alonso Montero This remix turns this sleeper into a cute and simple techno track, and not in a bad way at all! 

2. SEASONS (Aura Qualic Remix) [Uplifting Trance] - Aura Qualic I’ll admit, I would groan anytime I saw any song from Duty or I am... show up in the hashtag, only because there are already 8294739 remixes of those songs, and I’m craving some remixes of her more obscure and overlooked albums/tracks. But this one of SEASONS is pretty damn good and well-produced.

3. kanariya - beamgame a.k.a. 8LY [éitli] This version gives this song a sultry touch. kanariya is already sexy in its OG form, but this is a different sexy.

4. evolution (PHUNKSTAR Remix) - Bentley Jones Modern, well-produced, and just plain good :)

5. HANABI ~episode II~ (REMIX) - DJ cha-p I might be biased because HANABI ~episode II~ is my most favorite Ayu song ever, but damn this remix slaps.

Real Me (80′s lover remix) - DJ cha-p I’m DJ cha-p’s number-one fan, I swear. I did notice the ‘80s sound was a trend among a lot of the remixes in general.

6. HANABI (Orchestra Version) - DJ 秀吉 That beginning piano is just so haunting and gives me chills. So beautiful T_T

7. SEASONS - DODOWAKA This version is so fresh and summery and such a bop!

8. Moments (Dominant Space Future House Remix) - Dominant Space I go so hard to this remix, I wish it was 7 minutes long. 

9. INSPIRE (Rockabilly remix) - Hidetaka Suga OMG like I love how much this works!!!! I kind of hate it too but I LOVE IT!!!! He has a bunch of other good bluesy rock remixes, but INSPIRE is my most favorite.

teddy bear (Rock Ballad Remix)

ANGEL’S SONG (Rockabilly remix)

10. INSPIRE "KAZUKI's 90's Inspired Remix" - Kazuki Shintaku This seriously takes me back to LA Gears and Zubaz pants.

11. LyxKP

Just.... just listen.

blossom (Nostalgic 80′s Italo Disco)

I am... (Flute, Piano, Strings)

Duty (Bass, String Section & Guitar)

Pride (piano sonata + choir)

vogue (Acoustic Mood)

HANABI ~episode II~ (Cello, Guitar & Piano Trio)

12. kanariya 〜おしゃれピアノリミックス 〜 - Michisuke-P Another slow and sexy version.

13. BLUE BIRD (Otak’s Flashback Remix) - otak11 Out of all the throwback remixes of this song, this one is the best. I love the beginning.

14. Terminal (Orchestra) Demo - S W This version is so fucking evocative and beautiful, it works too well and drives you crazy. Ayu needs to re-record this song just like this. 

15. Sean North Hearing stuff like this makes me so impressed with people. I love how someone can hear Ayu and be like, this needs Celtic flutes. It’s so creative and brings a sound to Ayu you never would hear officially.

BLUE BIRD [Celtic arrange]

fairyland [Celtic arrange]

16. M -takamatt remix- - takamatt Again: simple, modern... something nice to bob your head to.

17. is this LOVE? (Terusik Piano Remix) - Terusik I’m just happy to see this song get some love.

18. M (TTSYa REMIX) - TTSYa This was one of the first remixes I heard right after Ayu announced the campaign. It reminds me of the first part of quarantine when it was fun. So good!

19. vogue (Xelakad 20th Anniversary Remix) - Xelakad The strings part reminds me of the music on the sand levels on Super Mario Bros. for the Wii. I love it :) I also am partial to Xelakad remixes; I love his Reggaeton remix of ourselves and his Ambient mix to Two of us—oldies but such goodies!!!

20. evolution 〜祭〜 (和風 EPIC TAIKO REMIX) - 김대석SAMSARIDER This remix is just plain cool!

21. Voyage - 林勇太郎 I read on AHS someone saying this sounds like an anime opening and now I can only imagine it opening to some coming-of-age epic journey anime, like Demon Slayer or something.

22. Days (Lo-Fi Reggae.Ver) - 音楽学校バンブースタジオ It’s just so sweet!

Honestly there are more I love, and everyone who participated did such a great job, but I’m tired LOL. I hope Ayu blesses us with ayu-mi-x 8 soon and we see some of these awesome tracks.

[jcmorrigan]

So... Did you hear about the new TWEWY game coming out yet?

Oooohhhh boy. Neo. I have heard about Neo, and I’m not happy.

Let me start by saying that Sho Minamimoto is my favorite character. I love him SO much. And every single reason for this lies in his villainy (no matter what a younger, more morality-obsessed me would try to tell you). This is a young rebel who decides he wants to fight God and rule over all dead people in this city. He asserts his dominance by chucking Dadaist trash piles all over the place and going “This is MINE because I put my TRASH here!” He’s an utter slimeball and that’s why he’s ENJOYABLE to me.

 I do not see any of this magic being recaptured so long as he has to play nice with the hero team.

 Maybe he won’t be redeemed. He could be the Token Evil Teammate – though that still wouldn’t allow him as much freedom and fun as his days of roping angels and the FORBIDDEN type of evil encounter monster into a grand conspiracy. Or he could be a Twist Villain, but let’s be real – modern media is never that obvious about who the twist bad guy is.

 (Except No Straight Roads, which understood that a predictable Twist Villain is an effective one. ILSYM NSR. But that studio is considerably smaller than Squenix and can do what it wants, like allowing its voice actors to say a queer ship the fans made is good. Oh, I long for the day when a Squenix developer will actually validate even ONE of our gay ships in FF or KH.)

 The other thing is that I only very recently just checked out A New Day’s scenes. Like, a week ago. Remember when I put up that edit of Coco Atarashi x Symonne from Tales of Zestiria? That’s the timeframe to mark. Listen. I grew up on old-school TWEWY on the DS. I never played any of the Remixes. So after seeing enough content of Coco on my dash, I was like “I should actually watch the epilogue that has this cool Reaper who pretends to be cute but isn’t” (an archetype I like a lot these days).

 The thing about A New Day is that we live in a post-KHIII world, which kinda affects how I view all of Squenix. A New Day felt like KHIII levels of complication. Not like the “KH is complicated” jokes of old in which it was just long and had lots of continuity so people were like “This is too much to keep track of” (which it wouldn’t have been if they’d packaged the Remix games on the same console from the start, but I digress). As in how in III and the prequel/Daybreak era, Nomura and his crew have started throwing in alternate realities and time travel because they keep getting bored with the plot they’re doing now and want to make it something else. You know what else KHIII did a lot of? Villain redemptions. Vexen, who is even dearer to me than Sho, became not only a hero, but a hero who lost all of his personality. Most fanfics I’ve seen that deal with his redemption at least keep him in character to who Vexen used to be. But canon decided he doesn’t even have a personality anymore, and so you wonder why I’m worried about Sho?

 Also to consider: the fact that KHIII insists on tying itself to TWEWY lore. I just want to forget the worst parts of that game, but canon won’t let me, the fandom won’t let me, and I’m SURE Neo won’t let me. Neo is going to remind me that Sora yeeted himself into the sun because one (1) of his friends was important than the entire collective of the other people who love him and it’s probably going to have to do with him running around somewhere.

 Or it won’t. After all, there’s no hint of that. There’s also no hint it’s going to resolve the cliffhanger from A New Day. Neku is nowhere to be found, even though Sho was supposed to be his partner. Coco is nowhere to be seen. Sho’s existence and the naming of Hype-Chan are the only proof I have that AND is going to be followed up on at all (BTW, “Tsugumi”? Nothing objectively wrong with it; I’m just so deep in the DanganRonpa hole that I will constantly say “Tsumugi” by accident). And maybe the other stuff’s hidden because the crew is guarding spoilers, but those are all plot threads we very clearly expected as of AND, so there’s nothing to spoil if you cut your footage right. It seems so backward to me that we have to design a whole new crew of characters to take over the story to finish a plot that involves Neku somehow. (Though Nomura is designing them and again, he gets bored with what he’s doing so quickly and wants to move onto the next thing, which means he should really just start making different series or oneshots instead of trying to pack it all into one. TWEWY was best when it was a standalone thing with no worry of series rot.)

 It also just feels unfair to me that it has this whole 3D battle system and OG TWEWY just got its 2D system in high-def. Maybe this is because a couple months ago, I was having a chat with a friend about “If you were a game developer, what would you do” and I came up with this whole way to translate the TWEWY UI into the stuff of a fully voice-acted and animated 3D game, and now Neo is halfway there, and obviously the OG could have been translated to this, but it hasn’t been, and you need to understand OG TWEWY in order to get Neo’s plot, so why can’t we streamline them both? REALLY remake OG TWEWY into something that matches its successor? I just love the story and characters of classic TWEWY, and I’d sooner see that all polished up on a new platform and made accessible to a new audience of gamers than just blowing on to a new cast and a plot that I’m really not sure will be good.

 But in the end, if Sho Minamimoto is fun, I’ll be happy, and I’m afraid he won’t be. I’m afraid he’ll either go full antihero or be diluted into “evil, but only in his words” by the ball-and-chain of the party around him. Oh, and did I mention I’m gonna be real mad when we eventually have to deal with how Sora fits into this?

 I do really, really love Sho’s new coat, though. Like…an insane amount. I might actually reblog fanart of him in that coat if people are drawing it because as much as I am not excited for this game, the costume design is already gorgeous.