Happy New Year! Well, technically New Year's Eve, but close enough! Here's to a [hopefully] prosperous 2014.
And I will get that BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY unboxing out...
Be safe and enjoy what's left of 2013!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Prelude to Unboxing the GazettE's BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY [Limited Edition] - Ordering Process: CDJapan vs. YesAsia
So yay! My album arrived safely via YesAsia (and FedEx). That being said, I've been lagging the actual unboxing post and trying to figure out which pictures to post and whatnot. Hopefully the actual unboxing post will be up in a few days or a week. Or so...
This post will serve to explain my ordering mentality...at least in terms of CDJapan vs. YesAsia.
My usual pre-order site for Japanese releases is normally CDJapan. I choose them because they usually have nifty bonuses for first press orders. For many artists, bonuses commonly translate to posters. For the GazettE, posters are normally a really good size. B2-sized paper, to be exact. Measurements are about 27.8 inches x 19.7 inches. Right. Moving on to the second reason. Their packaging. I LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. I cannot stress enough how awesome their packaging is. Feel free to scroll through my other unboxing posts labeled CDJapan to visually see what I'm babbling on about. The sturdy boxes. The green packing paper. ♥ *sigh* Anywho, another reason why I am a loyal customer is the overall shopping experience. I have ordered from them many times and almost every time, have been 100% satisfied. The times I've had to contact their customer service for something, I've always received a polite, prompt response. Shipping speed is quite fast, even if you choose the cheapest option. They also ship a day or two before the actual release dates, so that's pretty awesome. Also, an aside: I don't speak a lick of Japanese, so it's great that their staff can communicate in English. \o/
Now, since I usually always choose the cheapest shipping option at CDJapan, I don't have tracking numbers for my packaged ordered there. I think I've only had one tracking number from CDJapan, and that was only because I had to upgrade my shipping because of the weight of the package. No surprise, it was another GazettE album. Anywho, I can tell you based on experience (for the cheapest shipping anyway) that they usually arrive in about a little less than a week to a week or so after shipping.
However, shipping fees (in general, not just CDJapan) are insane. GazettE is also insane for making the packaging of this album so crazy heavy. I was debating whether or not I should stick with CDJapan and the exorbitant shipping prices the weight of the album necessitated. When I learned that the total shipping costs would range from ~ $35 (3470 yen) to ~ $65 (6400 yen) depending on the shipping option I chose, I flipped a little. The total cost of the album + the first press bonus poster would be ~ $122 (12018 yen) to ~ $152 (14948 yen), again depending on the shipping method. Sans poster, the cheapest shipping option would cost me ~ $19 (1900 yen). In the end, I couldn't justify spending that much money either with OR without the poster, especially since I knew of a much cheaper option on another site, YesAsia.
I have ordered a handful of items from YesAsia previously, but unfortunately this was before I started this blog, so I don't really have any solid photos to show. Every time that I have ordered, I think I've been more or less satisfied. I usually use YesAsia for other Asian music releases. I also use this site to compare prices against CDJapan and all that. I knew that YesAsia had a "free shipping over $39" option, and since they were celebrating their 15th anniversary, they lowered the price to $25. Well. Not like either would have made a difference for the album, with it being so darn expensive and all. Anywho, I ordered from the limited edition from YesAsia (YAY FOR FREE SHIPPING) on October 21st. I received an invoice saying it shipped on October 22nd. I received it on Wednesday, October 30th.
Just a quick comment: even though I chose standard shipping, I was still given a tracking code, which was nice. But me being a doofus, I totally didn't read the invoice carefully and notice those lovely digits until I saw the tracking code printed on the package. .__. Perhaps because my order was expensive, there was a little bit of added security? I'm not too sure on this assumption, but I make it because my other orders from YesAsia certainly didn't have tracking numbers provided AND they were nowhere near as expensive. Reasonable assumption, right? Anywho, looking up the tracking information, I noticed that it was shipped out of Hong Kong on the 28th. This tells me two things: 1) the preparation and shipping process took 6 days and 2) delivery was pretty quick (3 days). In total, it took about 9 days (7 business days) for the entire process (ordering to receiving).
I think this covers the gist of my ordering thought process for BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY. Now to work on that unboxing post...soon...aha.
This post will serve to explain my ordering mentality...at least in terms of CDJapan vs. YesAsia.
My usual pre-order site for Japanese releases is normally CDJapan. I choose them because they usually have nifty bonuses for first press orders. For many artists, bonuses commonly translate to posters. For the GazettE, posters are normally a really good size. B2-sized paper, to be exact. Measurements are about 27.8 inches x 19.7 inches. Right. Moving on to the second reason. Their packaging. I LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. I cannot stress enough how awesome their packaging is. Feel free to scroll through my other unboxing posts labeled CDJapan to visually see what I'm babbling on about. The sturdy boxes. The green packing paper. ♥ *sigh* Anywho, another reason why I am a loyal customer is the overall shopping experience. I have ordered from them many times and almost every time, have been 100% satisfied. The times I've had to contact their customer service for something, I've always received a polite, prompt response. Shipping speed is quite fast, even if you choose the cheapest option. They also ship a day or two before the actual release dates, so that's pretty awesome. Also, an aside: I don't speak a lick of Japanese, so it's great that their staff can communicate in English. \o/
Now, since I usually always choose the cheapest shipping option at CDJapan, I don't have tracking numbers for my packaged ordered there. I think I've only had one tracking number from CDJapan, and that was only because I had to upgrade my shipping because of the weight of the package. No surprise, it was another GazettE album. Anywho, I can tell you based on experience (for the cheapest shipping anyway) that they usually arrive in about a little less than a week to a week or so after shipping.
However, shipping fees (in general, not just CDJapan) are insane. GazettE is also insane for making the packaging of this album so crazy heavy. I was debating whether or not I should stick with CDJapan and the exorbitant shipping prices the weight of the album necessitated. When I learned that the total shipping costs would range from ~ $35 (3470 yen) to ~ $65 (6400 yen) depending on the shipping option I chose, I flipped a little. The total cost of the album + the first press bonus poster would be ~ $122 (12018 yen) to ~ $152 (14948 yen), again depending on the shipping method. Sans poster, the cheapest shipping option would cost me ~ $19 (1900 yen). In the end, I couldn't justify spending that much money either with OR without the poster, especially since I knew of a much cheaper option on another site, YesAsia.
I have ordered a handful of items from YesAsia previously, but unfortunately this was before I started this blog, so I don't really have any solid photos to show. Every time that I have ordered, I think I've been more or less satisfied. I usually use YesAsia for other Asian music releases. I also use this site to compare prices against CDJapan and all that. I knew that YesAsia had a "free shipping over $39" option, and since they were celebrating their 15th anniversary, they lowered the price to $25. Well. Not like either would have made a difference for the album, with it being so darn expensive and all. Anywho, I ordered from the limited edition from YesAsia (YAY FOR FREE SHIPPING) on October 21st. I received an invoice saying it shipped on October 22nd. I received it on Wednesday, October 30th.
Just a quick comment: even though I chose standard shipping, I was still given a tracking code, which was nice. But me being a doofus, I totally didn't read the invoice carefully and notice those lovely digits until I saw the tracking code printed on the package. .__. Perhaps because my order was expensive, there was a little bit of added security? I'm not too sure on this assumption, but I make it because my other orders from YesAsia certainly didn't have tracking numbers provided AND they were nowhere near as expensive. Reasonable assumption, right? Anywho, looking up the tracking information, I noticed that it was shipped out of Hong Kong on the 28th. This tells me two things: 1) the preparation and shipping process took 6 days and 2) delivery was pretty quick (3 days). In total, it took about 9 days (7 business days) for the entire process (ordering to receiving).
I think this covers the gist of my ordering thought process for BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY. Now to work on that unboxing post...soon...aha.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Unboxing #11 - the GazettE's FADELESS -Auditory Impression-
Otay! Since it's nearly time for the GazettE to release their newest album, I mustered up the initiative to work on an unboxing post for FADELESS.
JUST A QUICK WARNING!
While not pornographic, the pictures of the cover art of the single and the poster may get you in trouble if you're looking at them where you're not supposed to (shame, shame!). You've been warned!
FADELESS was released on August 21, 2013. The tracks for the -Auditory Impression- edition of the single is as follows:
1. FADELESS
2. QUIET
3. FORBIDDEN BEAVER
The tracklist for the -Optical Impression- edition is very similar, with two main differences. FORBIDDEN BEAVER is not included and the promotional video for FADELESS is included in a DVD along with the CD for the songs FADELESS and QUIET. The PV was briefly released on their official YouTube channel for a few days, and purposefully removed soon after, hence, no link to the official PV. As I understand it, they don't plan to release any of the PVs for BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY, so for those of you who definitely want the complete visual aspect, y'all have to go out and get the limited edition. Certainly pricy, but for those of you who can and would like to, please do! :) I will be doing an unboxing post on the limited edition of the album soon. Hands, legs, fingers, and toes crossed for its safe arrival!
Time for the goodies!
So there you have it! Not too much to say about the packaging of the CD, since it's pretty standard. I suppose they save the unique packaging for all their limited edition albums. As per usual (based on their recent singles that is), the single booklet is one single sheet folded into thirds. Also typical of their past few single releases, the booklet is is made of a photo paper-like quality, so it's glossy and very smooth. Also, the booklet is pretty difficult to take a good picture of because of glare and whatnot.
As for the music, you can be the judge of that yourself. :)
Anywho, if you're curious at all as to what the little white strip of paper that's wrapped around the poster says, here it is:
I think that'll be it for this unboxing. SO EXCITED FOR MY NEXT UNBOXING POST. But of course, everyone and their mother will have had their pictures and posts up before I even get my copy. I think that's happening as I'm writing up this post. But that's okay! I'm always late with my posts anyway!^^" Hopefully while this frenzy for pictures and information is running rampant, everyone is respectful of all the pictures, opinions, etc. that others have posted. No fighting please!
EEK. As I was writing this up, I got a notice saying IT WAS SHIPPED. \o/
Anywho, I'm going sit here and not spoil myself anymore than I already have with everyone's lovely pictures!! :D Until BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY arrives...!
JUST A QUICK WARNING!
While not pornographic, the pictures of the cover art of the single and the poster may get you in trouble if you're looking at them where you're not supposed to (shame, shame!). You've been warned!
FADELESS was released on August 21, 2013. The tracks for the -Auditory Impression- edition of the single is as follows:
1. FADELESS
2. QUIET
3. FORBIDDEN BEAVER
The tracklist for the -Optical Impression- edition is very similar, with two main differences. FORBIDDEN BEAVER is not included and the promotional video for FADELESS is included in a DVD along with the CD for the songs FADELESS and QUIET. The PV was briefly released on their official YouTube channel for a few days, and purposefully removed soon after, hence, no link to the official PV. As I understand it, they don't plan to release any of the PVs for BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY, so for those of you who definitely want the complete visual aspect, y'all have to go out and get the limited edition. Certainly pricy, but for those of you who can and would like to, please do! :) I will be doing an unboxing post on the limited edition of the album soon. Hands, legs, fingers, and toes crossed for its safe arrival!
Time for the goodies!
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| Ignore the crappy job at touching up the photo. Admire the package. |
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| Notice the poster tube nestled right in front of the green packing paper. |
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| After loosening the tape on one side, I decided to snap a picture before removing the entire thing. Definitely appreciate CDJapan taping the bubble wrap to the box to prevent any movement in case of jostling during shipping. |
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| Here's a picture of the poster removed from the tube. The tube's ends are bent in to prevent the poster from sliding around and out of the tube during shipping. Check down below to see what's printed on the strip of paper! :D |
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| Posters were given at random. This poster art is the cover art for the Optical Impression edition of the single. A sneak peek at the single in the top left corner! |
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| Not thrilled about the next few pictures taken, but here they are. Not the greatest angle in the world of the CD, but the text on the sticker of the shrink wrap is the most legible in this picture compared to the others pictures I took. |
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| CD sans shrink wrap. Notice "DARLING" is scratched at the top. |
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| Side view of the CD. The other side panel is exactly the same. |
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| A look at the inside contents. No design underneath the CD. It's just black. |
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| Track list! |
So there you have it! Not too much to say about the packaging of the CD, since it's pretty standard. I suppose they save the unique packaging for all their limited edition albums. As per usual (based on their recent singles that is), the single booklet is one single sheet folded into thirds. Also typical of their past few single releases, the booklet is is made of a photo paper-like quality, so it's glossy and very smooth. Also, the booklet is pretty difficult to take a good picture of because of glare and whatnot.
As for the music, you can be the judge of that yourself. :)
Anywho, if you're curious at all as to what the little white strip of paper that's wrapped around the poster says, here it is:
NO.66
the GazettE
0
2013/8/21
SRCL-
8343,8345
I think that'll be it for this unboxing. SO EXCITED FOR MY NEXT UNBOXING POST. But of course, everyone and their mother will have had their pictures and posts up before I even get my copy. I think that's happening as I'm writing up this post. But that's okay! I'm always late with my posts anyway!^^" Hopefully while this frenzy for pictures and information is running rampant, everyone is respectful of all the pictures, opinions, etc. that others have posted. No fighting please!
EEK. As I was writing this up, I got a notice saying IT WAS SHIPPED. \o/
Anywho, I'm going sit here and not spoil myself anymore than I already have with everyone's lovely pictures!! :D Until BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY arrives...!
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Unboxing #10 - JeA's Just JeA
Whew, it's certainly getting quite hot isn't it...at least it was when I started this post...^^"
Finally, the resident leader and powerhouse of Brown Eyed Girls, JeA, makes her long-awaited foray as a solo artist. Well, to be precise, prior to this mini-album, she HAS released a track apart from her group (aside from her contribution to various soundtracks)...but this time around we get a physical release and proper promotion. Yay!
Just JeA was released on January 4th, 2013. Here's a quick tracklist. As always, if there is an official video for a song, I will link it! I believe there are two of them this time around.
1. Days & Nights ft. Eric Benét
2. 길고양이, (Street Cat)
3. 그대가 잠든 사이, (While You're Sleeping)
4. 안아보자, (Let's Hug) ft. 정엽 (Jung Yeob) of Brown Eyed Soul
5. Silent Stalker ft. Double K
Now onto the visuals!
I love the visual concept JeA was going for. I believe she stated that she wanted the packaging to be reminiscent of a personal diary/scrapbook/book. I think the execution of that idea was spot on. There's even a table of contents-like page included in the first few pages. She has a few pages dedicated to every song on the album and an intro and an outro. I think it's absolutely adorable that the font has a handwritten look and that there are a bunch of doodles and underlines and little side notes written in and around the main texts and pictures of each page.
After the intro and the pages about the songs, she dedicates two pages for each member of the Brown Eyed Girls. So very sweet. Now all I need is a translator to explain to me what it is that she wrote exactly... Anywho, after the pages about the members, comes the lyrics, outro, and the credits. That's a total of 48 numbered pages, not including the "dedication page" (which is the first page that lists the distributors and the copyrights) and the credit page (the last page).
I like the attention to detail on the packaging. The dedication page and the credit page have a typical book-like type paper. You know, the not exactly smooth texture, thin paper, etc. The rest of the album's pages are of a cardstock-type of material: very smooth, sort of thick, and so on. This is just something I found super interesting.
Okay, enough about the pages. The album itself is very sturdy (\o/). Heh. That looks like an angel or something with the parenthesis instead of a person raising their arms. Er, anyways, yes. Very sturdy. Definitely appreciate that as I like the keep the corners sharp and pointy! The booklet is fused into the binding, much like how a book and its pages are. So...take what you will from that. The texture of the album is also interesting. It has almost a woven quality, if you noticed from the pictures above. Be careful of getting any scratches on the album because they will show.
One bone to pick though...I'm not a huge fan of the CD just being slipped into the sleeve in the back cover. Although if you are gentle with your albums and don't shift them around and turn them upside down often, you should be fine. It's just a personal preference. *shrugs*
As for the music itself, well. It's JeA. A Brown Eyed Girl. I don't think I need to say much on this front eh? I think she delivered what everyone expected of her and did it well.
I hope this post helps y'all decide to support JeA and her endeavors and purchase her album!^^b
Also, as an aside, I've received the GazettE's newest single, FADELESS, so my next unboxing post will be on that. Hopefully that post will be out before their new 7th studio album BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY releases. WHICH IS ON OCTOBER 23!!!! I'm excited. I think I'm going to get the ridiculously expensive limited edition version. I can't wait to do an unboxing post on that baby. Also, I NEED A JOB. Hire me? :D?
Finally, the resident leader and powerhouse of Brown Eyed Girls, JeA, makes her long-awaited foray as a solo artist. Well, to be precise, prior to this mini-album, she HAS released a track apart from her group (aside from her contribution to various soundtracks)...but this time around we get a physical release and proper promotion. Yay!
Just JeA was released on January 4th, 2013. Here's a quick tracklist. As always, if there is an official video for a song, I will link it! I believe there are two of them this time around.
1. Days & Nights ft. Eric Benét
2. 길고양이, (Street Cat)
3. 그대가 잠든 사이, (While You're Sleeping)
4. 안아보자, (Let's Hug) ft. 정엽 (Jung Yeob) of Brown Eyed Soul
5. Silent Stalker ft. Double K
Now onto the visuals!
 |
| \o/ |
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| Bubble wrapppp. |
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| JeA, looking gorgeous. |
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| Side panel. |
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| Topmost view. |
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| In which the CD makes the back cover its home. |
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| Unobstructed view of the CD. |
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| Back cover and another track list. |
I love the visual concept JeA was going for. I believe she stated that she wanted the packaging to be reminiscent of a personal diary/scrapbook/book. I think the execution of that idea was spot on. There's even a table of contents-like page included in the first few pages. She has a few pages dedicated to every song on the album and an intro and an outro. I think it's absolutely adorable that the font has a handwritten look and that there are a bunch of doodles and underlines and little side notes written in and around the main texts and pictures of each page.
After the intro and the pages about the songs, she dedicates two pages for each member of the Brown Eyed Girls. So very sweet. Now all I need is a translator to explain to me what it is that she wrote exactly... Anywho, after the pages about the members, comes the lyrics, outro, and the credits. That's a total of 48 numbered pages, not including the "dedication page" (which is the first page that lists the distributors and the copyrights) and the credit page (the last page).
I like the attention to detail on the packaging. The dedication page and the credit page have a typical book-like type paper. You know, the not exactly smooth texture, thin paper, etc. The rest of the album's pages are of a cardstock-type of material: very smooth, sort of thick, and so on. This is just something I found super interesting.
Okay, enough about the pages. The album itself is very sturdy (\o/). Heh. That looks like an angel or something with the parenthesis instead of a person raising their arms. Er, anyways, yes. Very sturdy. Definitely appreciate that as I like the keep the corners sharp and pointy! The booklet is fused into the binding, much like how a book and its pages are. So...take what you will from that. The texture of the album is also interesting. It has almost a woven quality, if you noticed from the pictures above. Be careful of getting any scratches on the album because they will show.
One bone to pick though...I'm not a huge fan of the CD just being slipped into the sleeve in the back cover. Although if you are gentle with your albums and don't shift them around and turn them upside down often, you should be fine. It's just a personal preference. *shrugs*
As for the music itself, well. It's JeA. A Brown Eyed Girl. I don't think I need to say much on this front eh? I think she delivered what everyone expected of her and did it well.
I hope this post helps y'all decide to support JeA and her endeavors and purchase her album!^^b
Also, as an aside, I've received the GazettE's newest single, FADELESS, so my next unboxing post will be on that. Hopefully that post will be out before their new 7th studio album BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY releases. WHICH IS ON OCTOBER 23!!!! I'm excited. I think I'm going to get the ridiculously expensive limited edition version. I can't wait to do an unboxing post on that baby. Also, I NEED A JOB. Hire me? :D?
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Unboxing #9 - Miryo's MIRYO aka JOHONEY
Ahem. I've literally had this post as a draft since late May...meow.
Anywho, Miryo, of Brown Eyed Girls fame, released her first solo mini-album, titled MIRYO aka JOHONEY on February 1st, 2012.
A rundown of the tracklist:
1. Party Rock ft. 개리 (Gary) of 리쌍 (LeeSsang) and THE KOXX
2. DIRTY --> Official music video linked!
3. 사랑해 사랑해, (I Love You, I Love You) ft. 써니 (Sunny) of 소녀시대 (Girl's Generation) --> Official music video linked!
4. Revenger ft. 루드페이퍼 (Rude Paper)
5. Leggo ft. Narsha of Brown Eyed Girls
And now for the goodies:
I like how sturdy the album is. The case is hard material that will bend if you purposely apply enough force, but the corners should stay sharp and pointy no matter how you store your CDs. However, beware, because while sturdy, the casing has a matte finish, meaning that scratches (and the like) will show quite readily.
Also, more personal preference than anything else, I am not a fan of gluing photo booklets to CD casings. I'm just not. There are a myriad of reasons why. Sometimes (read: most of the time) the glue isn't strong enough so the booklet peels from the casing even though it may be brand, spanking new. You can't take the booklet out to fully enjoy it. You can't protect the spine of your casing from wear and tear; you have to open the casing all the way to even get at the booklet in the first place. Granted some CDs, (like this one) are made so you can open it all the way up without damaging the spine, but yeah. Still. Phooey.
As for the music itself, I can honestly say that I was definitely not expecting Miryo to come at her music in the pop rock / electronic sort of way. Perhaps I shouldn't have been so surprised at the latter. Everyone and their mother has been jumping on the electronic train because of...well, I don't really need to say it right? The majority of the type of music played on mainstream radio has this type of sound. Anywho, I was gearing myself for hard-hitting, spitfire raps, and hopefully we will get to see that one day as one of her future endeavors. What she gave us for her solo debut was certainly not what everyone expected of her, but it was well done.
One of my favorite tracks on this mini-album is "Leggo". It bears some similarity stylistically to "Love is...", Miryo's duet track with fellow Brown Eyed Girls member, JeA, but it is still magic every time I hear it. Hell, both songs are beautiful. ♥
Anywho, Miryo, of Brown Eyed Girls fame, released her first solo mini-album, titled MIRYO aka JOHONEY on February 1st, 2012.
A rundown of the tracklist:
1. Party Rock ft. 개리 (Gary) of 리쌍 (LeeSsang) and THE KOXX
2. DIRTY --> Official music video linked!
3. 사랑해 사랑해, (I Love You, I Love You) ft. 써니 (Sunny) of 소녀시대 (Girl's Generation) --> Official music video linked!
4. Revenger ft. 루드페이퍼 (Rude Paper)
5. Leggo ft. Narsha of Brown Eyed Girls
And now for the goodies:
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| Poofy packages are so cute aren't they. |
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| Now whose hint of a visage is that I see... |
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| Miryo! ♥ |
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| View of the spine. |
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| Top view of the album. Notice how thick the photo booklet is. |
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| A hint of the photo booklet and the design of the CD. Photo booklet is glued to the cover. |
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| Direct look at the front cover of the photo booklet. Buy your own copy to see all the pictures for yourself! |
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| Back cover with tracklisting. |
I like how sturdy the album is. The case is hard material that will bend if you purposely apply enough force, but the corners should stay sharp and pointy no matter how you store your CDs. However, beware, because while sturdy, the casing has a matte finish, meaning that scratches (and the like) will show quite readily.
Also, more personal preference than anything else, I am not a fan of gluing photo booklets to CD casings. I'm just not. There are a myriad of reasons why. Sometimes (read: most of the time) the glue isn't strong enough so the booklet peels from the casing even though it may be brand, spanking new. You can't take the booklet out to fully enjoy it. You can't protect the spine of your casing from wear and tear; you have to open the casing all the way to even get at the booklet in the first place. Granted some CDs, (like this one) are made so you can open it all the way up without damaging the spine, but yeah. Still. Phooey.
As for the music itself, I can honestly say that I was definitely not expecting Miryo to come at her music in the pop rock / electronic sort of way. Perhaps I shouldn't have been so surprised at the latter. Everyone and their mother has been jumping on the electronic train because of...well, I don't really need to say it right? The majority of the type of music played on mainstream radio has this type of sound. Anywho, I was gearing myself for hard-hitting, spitfire raps, and hopefully we will get to see that one day as one of her future endeavors. What she gave us for her solo debut was certainly not what everyone expected of her, but it was well done.
One of my favorite tracks on this mini-album is "Leggo". It bears some similarity stylistically to "Love is...", Miryo's duet track with fellow Brown Eyed Girls member, JeA, but it is still magic every time I hear it. Hell, both songs are beautiful. ♥
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Here's to the Fathers!
So boneheadedness abounds...
It took me this long to realize I forgot to put up a Father's Day post. So many things happened between my last post until now. Sort of. Well, on Father's Day, I graduated, so yay for that! (And of course I wished my father a happy day!!) I'm sure he's also thrilled at the fact that for the first time in eight years, he doesn't have to pay for college tuition for his children anymore.
Bottom line, I hope everyone gave their dads extra strong hugs! Heck doesn't have to be only one day out of the entire year! :)
Thanks a lot Dad. ♥
It took me this long to realize I forgot to put up a Father's Day post. So many things happened between my last post until now. Sort of. Well, on Father's Day, I graduated, so yay for that! (And of course I wished my father a happy day!!) I'm sure he's also thrilled at the fact that for the first time in eight years, he doesn't have to pay for college tuition for his children anymore.
Bottom line, I hope everyone gave their dads extra strong hugs! Heck doesn't have to be only one day out of the entire year! :)
Thanks a lot Dad. ♥
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Happy Mother's Day! ♥
I hope all the mothers out there feel extra special and loved and cherished on this day! Lord knows there are too many of them who work too much to support their loved ones. To you and yours: Love not only this day, but the next day and every day after that.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Unboxing #8 - Ga-In's Talk About S.
Well, hey, I survived finals...*flops*
Just barely.
I slept for 14 hours when I came home. Blissful oblivion!
Anyway, here is Ga-In's Talk About S., released October 5th, 2012. The tracklist for the mini-album is as follows:
1. 팅커벨, (Tinkerbell)
2. 그녀를 만나, (Tiredness)
3. 피어나, (Bloom) --> Official music video linked
4. 시선, (The Gaze)
5. Catch me if you can
Now for the visuals:
Alrighty, so where to begin...
First off, I prefer the packaging of step 2/4 to Talk About S. The case came in a sturdy, solid cardboard-y material. You pretty much had to drop it or purposefully bend it with your hands to dent it. Talk About S. is...not sturdy. Not by ANY means. It's basically made of cardstock. This is why the thing looks flattened in the above pictures. It's because it is. The case is impractical for selling in music stores let alone shipping it halfway across the world. Even with all that bubble wrap. The pictures are hot and tasteful, but I'd prefer hot and tasteful AND NOT SQUISHED, but hey, that's just me. I am also not a huge fan of adhering album booklets to the cases...
As for the music itself, I think I liked step 2/4 better. That doesn't mean Talk About S. is terrible or anything like that. I just liked her first mini-album better. I have a friend who prefers this one over her first. *shrugs* Chalk it up to personal preference.
...And LOEN Entertainment, I'm still waiting on that Tinkerbell music video. It deserves so much more than this one teaser.
Coming next: Miryo's MIRYO aka JOHONEY!
Just barely.
I slept for 14 hours when I came home. Blissful oblivion!
Anyway, here is Ga-In's Talk About S., released October 5th, 2012. The tracklist for the mini-album is as follows:
1. 팅커벨, (Tinkerbell)
2. 그녀를 만나, (Tiredness)
3. 피어나, (Bloom) --> Official music video linked
4. 시선, (The Gaze)
5. Catch me if you can
Now for the visuals:
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| Ordered from a different Kpop seller this time around, so different outer packaging. It's so cute! |
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| A hint of the album cover... |
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| Ga-In looking gorgeous, as per usual. The title of the album is glossy, just so you know. |
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| I have words to say about the CD packaging... |
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| Side view |
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| This packaging...;~; |
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| Folds open like so. |
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| A closer look at the left panel. |
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| That's hot. |
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| Right flap folds open once more to reveal the CD and album booklet cover! |
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| I really like the dark colors for the album's innards. Heh. I mean to say, the album's contents. |
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| The front cover to the album booklet. Held in place due to the fact that the last page is glued to the flap. |
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| Album tracklist |
First off, I prefer the packaging of step 2/4 to Talk About S. The case came in a sturdy, solid cardboard-y material. You pretty much had to drop it or purposefully bend it with your hands to dent it. Talk About S. is...not sturdy. Not by ANY means. It's basically made of cardstock. This is why the thing looks flattened in the above pictures. It's because it is. The case is impractical for selling in music stores let alone shipping it halfway across the world. Even with all that bubble wrap. The pictures are hot and tasteful, but I'd prefer hot and tasteful AND NOT SQUISHED, but hey, that's just me. I am also not a huge fan of adhering album booklets to the cases...
As for the music itself, I think I liked step 2/4 better. That doesn't mean Talk About S. is terrible or anything like that. I just liked her first mini-album better. I have a friend who prefers this one over her first. *shrugs* Chalk it up to personal preference.
...And LOEN Entertainment, I'm still waiting on that Tinkerbell music video. It deserves so much more than this one teaser.
Coming next: Miryo's MIRYO aka JOHONEY!
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Unboxing #7 - the Gazette's REGRET -Auditory Impression-
Wow, it's almost the end of February. Er. Or it was when I started this post. Now it's March...time's moving much too quickly. There's only a few months before graduation, and then...I honestly have no clue. It's extraordinarily terrifying to have no real direction, nothing solid to grasp for the first time since, well, ever. (If only I could make a living organizing music/doing unboxing posts...employ me please? Yes? No? It was worth a shot...)
Anywho...I've been meaning to get around to an unboxing post, and then suddenly, I found myself with three shiny lovelies all lined up for photo ops. Er. Well. At least I won't be hurting for new material? Heh... Anywho, the first up will be the GazettE's REGRET -Auditory Impression-, released in 10/25/2006.
Here's a quick tracklist for those interested:
1. REGRET
2. Psychedelic Heroine
3. Worthless War
Now onto the goods:
Now this single may not be a favorite of mine, but it's still a good addition to my collection. I am super sad that it's nigh impossible for me to own their entire, physical discography. But I guess my wallet is a little less sad about that, ahaha.
Now the packaging is quite standard for a Japanese single, but I absolutely love the texture of the booklet. It almost has a cardstock-y feel to it and I like the artwork that's inside. Now y'all might ask, "What does it look like?" Well, that's for me to know and for you to buy to find out! ~_^ After all, the point of these unboxing posts is to give you taste of what things are like so you can decide if you want it or not.
And the music? Well, chances are you've already heard the three songs in this single, considering its release was about six or seven years ago, so no one needs to read my opinions about them. (a.k.a. excuse to be as un-longwinded as possible...)
The brevity of this post was quite amazing eh? Haha, well, I have finals coming up, so the next few unboxing posts will go up after that. Maybe one at the end of March if finals haven't yet rendered me completely comatose.
Coming next: Ga-In's Talk About S. Be excited~!
Anywho...I've been meaning to get around to an unboxing post, and then suddenly, I found myself with three shiny lovelies all lined up for photo ops. Er. Well. At least I won't be hurting for new material? Heh... Anywho, the first up will be the GazettE's REGRET -Auditory Impression-, released in 10/25/2006.
Here's a quick tracklist for those interested:
1. REGRET
2. Psychedelic Heroine
3. Worthless War
Now onto the goods:
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| I love the sturdy boxes that CDJapan packs the orders in. |
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| The oh-so-familiar packing paper--always fun to unwrap. |
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| Bubble wrap. Pop pop pop. |
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| Single + the shrink wrap with nifty stickers. Yes. I kept them. The stickers I mean. Not the shrink wrap... |
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| The texture of the booklet is fun to touch. Heh. |
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| Side view. |
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| I like the contrast between the tan and white colors. |
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| Sans CD. Very artistic. Sorry about the abrupt change in scenery. |
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| Gorgeous rose motif is gorgeous. |
Now this single may not be a favorite of mine, but it's still a good addition to my collection. I am super sad that it's nigh impossible for me to own their entire, physical discography. But I guess my wallet is a little less sad about that, ahaha.
Now the packaging is quite standard for a Japanese single, but I absolutely love the texture of the booklet. It almost has a cardstock-y feel to it and I like the artwork that's inside. Now y'all might ask, "What does it look like?" Well, that's for me to know and for you to buy to find out! ~_^ After all, the point of these unboxing posts is to give you taste of what things are like so you can decide if you want it or not.
And the music? Well, chances are you've already heard the three songs in this single, considering its release was about six or seven years ago, so no one needs to read my opinions about them. (a.k.a. excuse to be as un-longwinded as possible...)
The brevity of this post was quite amazing eh? Haha, well, I have finals coming up, so the next few unboxing posts will go up after that. Maybe one at the end of March if finals haven't yet rendered me completely comatose.
Coming next: Ga-In's Talk About S. Be excited~!
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