je12_vz09 / cartoon KAT-TUN II You

i gave in and downloaded the early rips of KAT-TUN's 2nd album, cartoon KAT-TUN II You. here's what i think.

the 2nd album's a compilation of songs of different genre. we all know that KAT-TUN's music is really not confided in one specific genre but instead, these boys wanna explore all genre as possible. although this is the case, i believe that you can still recognize that it's a KAT-TUN song when mixed with other JE groups' songs. well, of course, the voice of Kame is a give-away clue for all KAT-TUN songs, so that's easy. but really, if you listen to KAT-TUN songs like me, no matter what genre they sing, i believe you will recognize that it's them and not another group.

for the individual songs... (review based on the music; i'm Japanese illiterate so reviewing based on lyrics would be totally different)

01-SIGNAL
is there anything more to say with regards to this song? of course we have been pwned by this song a long time ago and yes, it's still pwning me. one song in the album that's sorta new with Jin in it.

02-PEAK
awesomeness when they performed it in SCP and more awesomeness hearing the full version. and i really like the intro a lot.

03-SPLASH
a very well divided song amongst the 5 of them. i know, a lot have commented how BnMd's full of Kame's voice. i suppose the composer, or whoever divided the singing load have heard those people. this is a group song. like really group song! everyone has their solo parts and the chorus is a chorus. and the beat, catchy. something new from them.

04-BOKURA NO MACHI DE
still hasn't fail to make me go emo and remember that Jin's on hiatus. well, this is their first song without him so yeah, even if it's HitoKoi's Ending Theme, for me, it's associated with Jin and his announcement of hiatus 6 months ago. nonetheless, i really love the melody of this song. and yeah, for this song, i know the lyrics. hehehe...

05-MAKE U WET
Koki got infected by Jin's HA-HA!!! hahaha!!! for one, my sis and bro are teasing me that i'm now listening to Britney Spears song! i don't think that way. i actually don't think that this song is similar to her 'I'm a slave...' song. i don't know why they think that way. nways, it's a lot quieter than Shorty or Real7 but i like those 2 a lot, most of all Shorty, so this one, not really my fave Koki song. the beat's just ok and the lyrics is R-RATED, but i don't care if it's R or not, i'm totally fine with it's lyrics. it's just that i think that Shorty's better than this. sorry Koki, i still like you though.

06-KEY OF LIFE
i cannot believe myself that i didn't pay much attention with this song when Maru performed it in YOUTACHI! it's a really nice song! and knowin that Maru wrote it himself makes me pwn this song even more. to Maru, my biggest hugs to you for writing a very beautiful song. i like this one more than his MY WEATHER. KOL's been my LSS for 2 days since i heard the rips of the album.

07-LOST
rocker Ueda strikes again! i really would love to see him perform this one. i don't care if people say he's a Gackt wannabe. he's a rocker at heart and he likes Gackt. i don't see anything wrong if he's sorta copying him. (i'm not sure if he really is since i'm no Gackt fan and i haven't seen him perform or any clip with him in it) if he wanna do the Gackt style, so be it! i believe there's still Tat-chan-ness in it. nways, the music's pretty much loud that it kinda ate all of Ueda's voice. hehe... but it's a rock song so that's how it's supposed to be. maybe a few more listening to it would make me like it as much as Sparking.

08-JUMPIN' UP
a cheer song! yep! definitely the kind of song that can be used during cheering competitions! i don't mind having KAT-TUN as the cheer dancers. catchy. very, very catchy. makes u wanna get your pompoms.

09-SAMURAI LOVE ATTACK
eh?! Junno doing a... rock song?! not very Junno-ish. he kinda sounds like this one J-Rock group that i get to listen because my Japanese friend from years back gave me a copy of their cd. i can picture out Junno having fun singing and performing this song but i still prefer him singing something like Sishin from last year. i think those kind of songs suit his voice very well. i hope Junno fans won't hate me for saying this but i don't think he can carry a rock-song. it's turning into a... fun song. hehehe... besides, he can't do his 'circuis' thing while singing this kind of songs. nonetheless, i still like Junno.

10-FREEDOM
i love this song. for some reason, it makes me feel like i'm listening to a SMAP song. i don't know. that's how i feel about it. i like the beat, the tempo and their 'itsuma demo FREEDOM' thing. it's the only line i can sing along with them.

11-SOMEDAY FOR SOMEBODY
the very first rip i heard from the album and i instantly fell in love with it. i love the music and i think Kame sung it with his heart. it's full of emotion and it's making me feel senti again. most of all, it makes me picture out JIN!!! i mean, how can i not, right? i'm an AKAME fan and it's sung by Kame and the title's Someday for Somebody. though i've read the lyrics/translation, and it's like a boy/girl kind of sung, i can't help but still think it's an AKAME song. thumbs up again for Kame. i like his Kizuna a lot from the Kaizo con as well as his 00'00'16 from last year and this one, has my thumbs up once again. and i wanna see how he performed this song.

12-MOVIN' ON
ok. this song made me think that Jin's in it! maybe because i listend to Care before listening to this one. ah! title! title! title! another Jin-related if you'r gonna ask me! i mean, of course they're movin' on without him not because they're fine without him but because they have to. as for the music, not really the kind of beat i listen to. i think if it's not KAT-TUN singing, i won't pay much attention to it. but listening to it again and again gives me the feeling of calmness.

13-UTA TSUZUKERU TOKI
again, for me, another Jin-related song. title... title... title... and yeah, i agree with Jodyn being this as the album's Precious One, when it comes to being slow in beat and tempo. but this one gives me a different feeling when compared to PO. this one makes me feel so sad, lonely and the sense of longingness. PO, on the other hand, is like a slow, sad song but makes gives me the feeling of being loved, like having the sense of belongingness. i don't know. maybe i'm just weird but that's how i feel.

14-YOU
finally, we get to here the full and official version of this song. it's been ages since Sapuri was aired and this song's full version was nowhere to be found until now. i must say i like it a lot. like A LOT. another upbeat song to lift my spirits high. and because Jin's in the PV (though he's like just standing there with them), it made me like it even more. (ok, don't take me wrong that i'm now liking Jin over Kame. my liking, rather, my love for them are still on the same level. it's just that Jin's on hiatus and therefore i miss seeing him and Kame's on a back-to-back drama and i'm thankful he gets to rest for 2 seasons, he can bulk up a bit, but i'm totally wishing for him to have a new drama, which he already hinted on one of their cons. whether it's with Ueda or Ueda having a different drama, i don't care. i'd like to see him in another drama and i'd like to see Ueda act at the same time.)

15-FREEZE
not really one of the old songs of them that i like. i don't know. even the album version failed in convincing me into liking it.

16-LOVE OR LIKE
thanks. since they already had I LIKE IT on their first album, i was wishing for this to be on the next one. i'm thankful they did! i like the album version. now i like this song even more. the piano/keyboard sounds pwn me a lot.

17-FIGHT ALL NIGHT
who doesn't like Fight All Night?! i mean, it's like not liking KAT-TUN if you don't like this song. ok! that maybe an exaggeration already but it's just my way of saying how much i like this song, regardless of what version it may be.

18-HEARTBREAK CLUB
ok, another song that failed to convert me into liking it. i was hoping that there's sth about the album version that would make me like it but nope, there's none. sorry!

19-MY ANGEL, YOU ARE ANGEL
call me bias, i don't care, but this is like my all-time favorite! i'm so glad they had this in the album. listening to the AV made me fall in love with this song all over again. i just can't tell if they still pronounced A with E sound. hahaha... gotta listen to it again. and again. and again.

20-NO MATTER, MATTER
i don't like the versions that they did before this album version. this is what i'm saying earlier. the AV's got sth that made me like it now.

21-PEACEFUL DAYS
K-A-T-T-U-N!!! thank goodness it's not K-E-T-T-U-N anymore! hehehe... but they still have difficulty with K's pronunciation. ohwell, i love my boys! to hell with pronunciation and grammar! it's KAT-TUN! it's JE!

ehhh... i indeed made a review! sth i never did before! will be posting about RF Con DVD next.

ETA: my albums have been shipped already by YesAsia. my TxT + Jerry's single have been shipped by CDJapan as well. i hope i won't wait so long before i can receive 'em.