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Ripples...
+ Learn Some Japanese
Reviews,,,
Here you will find a few opinions/overviews of an anime/jpop concerts (or CDs) that either myself or a friend viewed. Hopefully, you'll get a better idea of these shows after reading these.
forgiveness
Written by Meg-chan
Title: forgiveness
Artist: Hamasaki Ayumi
Distributer: avex trax
Composers: CREA, D-A-I, BOUNCEBACK
All lyrics by: Hamasaki Ayumi
Type: Single
Tracks: 4
Version Reviewed: Japan Version
Grade: 95% (A)
It seems as if Hamasaki Ayumi never fails to dish out a new release within a few months of the last. However, although her creations are quite frequent, each never fail to amaze her fans, including myself. "forgiveness" is no exception. The dramatic melody and heart-breaking lyrics are enough to cause even the most solid person to break down in tears. A further positive characteristic is that a part of the composing was done by Hamasaki herself.
The cover art is gorgeous, featuring a fairy-Hamasaki smiling mischievously at the viewer, reaching with her hands over a log; nature's perfection. The entire background is constructed with CG-Treatment, which was my only disappointment. I would have liked to view an actual forest, rather than what was used. However, Hamasaki's attire was, I must say, an effective piece.
The title track, "forgiveness", begins with a delicate piano piece, continuing with a few "woah's" and a mystic sense of beauty. The piano grows stronger, louder, and a few string instruments join in as Hamasaki sings. The verse embarks with Hamasaki lightly singing to the piano and strings, and her voice grows louder and more persistent until finally she lets it all come out, singing with such emotion and endurance until finally lowering her voice again. She proceeds with another verse and begs to the listeners with a second chorus. The background instruments grow more intense and fade away until the concluding bits, where Hamasaki sounds so lovely and fantastic that you feel yourself being moved by her dedicated lyrics and impacting melody. The audience can nearly see her smile as she cries and reaches for you, reaching, until the song at long last fades away into a simple piano piece. It is truly a magnificent track.
The second portion of this single is "ourselves 'Kentaro Takizawa Mix', a remix of "ourselves", which was found on the "&" single released not long before this. Hamasaki demandingly recites her statement again and again, "I hold you tightly, I am held, I get discouraged, I once again hold you tightly, I pull myself together, I become demure. You know many faces of mine." The entire remix sounds far away, as if beckoning the audience to join Hamasaki in her bizarre world.
My personal favorite piece of work on this release is the third track, "HANABI ~episodeII~ H/\L's mix". "HANABI~episodeII~ was as well on "&", and I believe that H/\L's remix has glory that surpasses the original. The verses begin with a sad but beautiful voice of Hamasaki and finally tumults into a piercing sound of broken love, which fades distantly away. She continues and grows more sorrowful; "I keenly understand that there is no answer, whomever I may ask it to." She belts out the second chorus with an intense feeling of remorse and depression, concluding the piece with a strong sense of determination: "This feeling, this feeling, go up into the sky, and be dispersed beautifully like a firework." Although she sounds broken and sorrowful, Hamasaki lets on that eventually her heart will be mended, and although there is sadness, it is not eternal. This portion is absolutely majestic.
The final track on "forgiveness" is the title's instrumental, for those individuals that enjoy singing Hamasaki's songs on their own. Regardless of the lack of vocal inclusion, this piece is just as wonderful, if not more, than the original, what with the piano and orchestral background.
Overall, "forgiveness" gave me personally a sense of hope. No matter what we do, we will receive happiness again; there is never a lack of hope. Life may sometimes bring us down, leave us shattered and without will, but we will always once again see the light.
There is always a light, breaking through that ever-present darkness.