I have to be honest, this stage left a bad impression on me at first, it still kinda does. But after 5 different viewings of this stage, RS and what not, and frequent listens of the studio album, i'd say that this holds up better than initially though. While I cannot avoid to say that there is bias, this bias has made me 'listen/watch' closer and encouraged me to give it a chance. I'd like to take note on a few songs, without really focusing on the performances, but more on the songs themselves, as individual musical pieces. I know that's kinda pointless to do so, considering stages are all about the performances, but indulge me for a while.
I'd say
Ai no Stripper is the first notable song. It's nothing special, and i personally think would have worked better as a 3-4nin unit song. Either way, its nothing fancy, very straightforward, it lacks a kick.
Hatsukoi yo, Konnichiwa is really not interesting at all, that much i can say, the same goes for
Bokutachi no Kami Hikouki. Now, a song which conflicts me greatly is
Yokaze no Shiwaza, listening to it, my hand is automatically half-way towards ticking the "skip track" button, and yet when i finally manage to do so, the song is 4mins in. It took me a while to get over
Theater no Megami, upon first hearing, i felt bombarded with silly synth beats and a catchy Shonichi-like refrain. I've grown to enjoy the track nonetheless.
One thing I like about stage songs is that they are sometimes not 'built' like usual jpop/AKB48 singles,
Inseki no Kakuritsu is not one of those songs, but the main chorus is just good, even if its just a few lines. On the flipside,
Locker Room Boy, is the perfect "single" track. It's not the best song in the stage, far from it, but the way the song is arranged, the choice of line execution, instrumentation, timing, almost everything, feels like it was made to be a Single, though not necessarily an AKB48 single. One can use the song as an anime opening song, and it would work like butter on bread.
Suki Suki Suki is not suki at all. I'd hate to make comparisons, but it seems like
100meter Conbini is the
Pajama Drive (song) of this stage, its just a good "HYPE" song, and there are well placed verse transitions that throws you off initially, but in a good way. One thing to nitpick about the song though is the embarrassing "melody" they use in the intro/inserts. With embarrassing in mind, I have nothing but feelings of confusion for
Yuki no HammerCandy is appropriately titled. It's addictive, sweet, almost a sin. Even with the hilarious lyrical mishap, i'd still say this is one of the strongest songs, not just in B5, but from amongst all the current stages.
Sayonara no Kanashibari may very well be the hidden gem of this stage. I'm just gonna say it outright that this is one of my favorites from the stage. It has the same air as 'older' AKB48 stage songs, if that makes any sense. As i've mentioned before I tend to like those smaller unit songs,
Honest Man is one of the exceptions, its a powerful song, deserving of a full-on concert performance.
Strawberry shortcakes have on top of them, strawberries. For B5, that would be
Arashi no Yoru ni wa. Just like a fruit on top of something baked, it stands out, in a good way. The song is on its own "package" separate from other songs in the stage. Its performance is very strong, and dare I say, ambitious. The songwriting itself is good as well (as much as good as Stage song goes), its got cheesy yet aggressive riffs and forceful beat,
Arashi is very appropriate as well, because that's what it sounds like, a (small) storm. It stands out even more because it's a whopping 5 minutes, something we don't see often in pop songs (lol.jpg). And so, if
Arashi is the fruit, then
Team B Oshi, is the creamy icing that sweetens the whole cake. Everyone has seen and heard this song, so there's not much more to say about it.
Team B 5th Stage, is an oddity, much like Team B itself. That said, Theater no Megami ain't as terrible as I thought it was. (or liked it to be) In some degree, B5 is a
the more you watch, the more you 'get' it type of deal, for me that is. I'll even say that this, in some aspects, outdoes A6 and K6. But that could be the kool-aid talking. Now excuse me while I fawn over Seifuku Resistance for the 12th time tonight.
ｒｏ・∀・ｎｉｎ
Topic: Team B - 5th Stage "Theater no Megami" (Read 11422 times)