Here’s the review for C-ute’s 18th single titled Kimi wa Jitensha Watashi wa Densha de Kitaku (Eng: You ride a bike and I ride a train to get home):
Outfits
Individual Pictures
With a somewhat more laid back single with a ballad sound it was somewhat expected that we wouldn’t see a standard outfit for the single, since after all they seem to have gone for a more casual sound and the outfits reflect that perfectly since each member has an outfit that looks more like something a normal girl around their ages would wear.
Maimi is wearing a somewhat odd sweater that looks like part white shirt and part brown sweater with red stripes, jean shorts, knee high boots, as well as some glasses as an accessory. For the most part I liked her look since it has a somewhat average look that many girls would probably relate to. Nakky has a slightly more formal look with a polka dotted dress with a giant black bow, a turtle neck sweater, knee high socks and heels. Her look fit in well and managed to stand out since all of the other members have more casual looks, and while the black bow seemed a bit excessive I liked how it added a bit of uniqueness to her look.
Airi has a similar look to most of the members with a sweater, shorts, and heels, and although nothing really stands out at first glance I really liked how well it fit her style since it made her look even prettier than usual. Chisa also has a sweater but instead of shorts she’s wearing a white skirt and boots similar to Maimi’s. Out of all of the members I’d say that her look was the best since it really suits her, and while the red logo might be a bit distracting it did add a bit more to her style that made her stand out.
Mai’s look is probably my second favorite since it’s basically a fluffy sweater and a skirt with pigtails, a look that fits her since she’s the youngest member of the group although it’s also elegant and shows off her more mature side that not many fans have gotten used to seeing.
Overall the looks have a general theme, an average casual look with a bit of added unique style that not many girls get to wear, and for the most part I love this kind of style since we get to see the girls wear what we would see them wear in a normal day out. It’s easier for fans who wish to dress in the same way and a bit more reserved in comparison to Berryz Koubou’s super hero outfits.
Covers
Top (from L to R): Regular, Limited A, Limited B
Middle (from L to R): Limited C, Limited D, Limited E
Bottom: Limited F
As we all know the single has a lot of versions, mostly the usual Regular and Limited A version but also a special release for each member featuring a cover of the song with only their vocals. It’s somewhat costly for H!P since not all of the versions will sell the same but it’s a nice touch for fans since they can get the copy with their favorite member with the added bonus of a unique track none of the other versions have.
The single had a hand drawn theme with colorful flowers being the only color in the otherwise blank world, along with some seats, train tracks, houses, and basically all elements of a normal setting. The blank color gives the place a more calm theme that many fans can relate to when hearing the song, and while it won’t be the most visually impressive cover that catches the attention of everyone it is still a very artistic cover that fits the mood of the song while not overloading the senses.
The Regular version features the members playing next to the train tracks in various poses, and while that might not happen in real life it is a great cover since it calmly lays out the theme for the single in a great way. The Limited A version features the usual group shot with all of the members around a hand drawn seat next to a house just smiling at the camera. It was a very simple look but I liked how they added the flowers and the house next to it since it made it a bit more fun to see while fitting with the theme of the single.
Limited B ~ F are just the shots for each member and they have a common layout: colorful flowers along with a different colored title for each member along with a cute pose with their hands together. There isn’t that much to comment on since it’s basically just each member, but I really liked Maimi, Airi, and Mai’s covers since they have a more natural look that fit the song.
Single
> Kimi wa Jitensha Watashi wa Densha de Kitaku
As mentioned before the song is a ballad, something which is common for idol groups since they regularly release them alongside the upbeat and more mature songs (most groups from all genres release at least one ballad), and since we’ve gotten more upbeat singles than usual we were in for one eventually.
Personally I don’t really like them since they don’t have that much difference over other ballads, but there are some exceptions so I had my mind open to the song when I first heard it. From the concert rip we got the day of the performance I have to say that I really loved it since it had a calm but catchy style at first, and while I did get bored near the end of the song I really liked how well it sounded so far. Then the radio rip came out and I was a bit disappointed since instead of having a harmony of vocals with their own unique style from each member we got something different.
The instrumental isn’t that full of instruments so I liked that, but the vocals seemed to be too layered for my taste. It hurts the song in a way since ballads are mainly used to show off someone’s voice and how well they sing, but when there are too many vocals it’s hard to truly appreciate the effort each member made. Despite that the vocals and instrumental did relate, and with no real catchy moments it made the song impressing for a calm moment but not that catchy to use at concerts since it doesn’t fill the fans with energy.
> Ai wa Itsumo Itsumo
Video uploaded by: afa4004
Most singles have contrasting themes, and this single is no exception since the b-side has a mature sound to it that many will love. The techno filled instrumental along with the many effects make it a great song that’s catchy and very interesting. I usually disagree with many who say “the b-side is better”, but in this case I can say at least that it’s a bit more catchier than the main single, although it still has a somewhat hard to follow sound at times.
Each member gets to sing and along with the vocals after some lines it made it a very fun song to listen to since you don’t know what to expect. The sound is powerful and it’s a great song for concerts since it shows of the mature side of the group while keeping a somewhat youthful sound that many will love.
Apart from that there isn’t much else to say since it’s a b-side so the sound is somewhat less refined in a way, not in a bad way but if it was given a few more weeks to work on it would have been a somewhat better song since some techno effects seem random at times. Despite that the vocals are fun to listen to and the song is catchy along with a very unique instrumental that shows off the mature side of the group while keeping an energetic style.
MV
The video for this release features a very interesting combination of images, starting with the emotion filled dance shot, followed by the individual close-up shots of each member singing, and culminating with the drama styled shot of Airi meeting up with her “boyfriend” and saying goodbye. From start to finish the MV is full of emotion, something that is conveyed perfectly in each dance move made by the members and the words of the song, making this a powerful release for the group.
The dance shot wasn’t that much of a dance shot since it only featured the members moving calmly to the song, but each move they made had a very emotional meaning, such as the goodbye at the end. The close-up shot didn’t have that much of an impact since it’s just the girls singing too the camera, and for the most part it didn’t appear that much since the drama styled shot took most of the video with the dance shot taking a close second.
The drama shot is summarized perfectly in the title: Airi walks with her “boyfriend” to the train station where he rides a bike and she rides a train while they say goodbye. This was probably the most striking shot for many since it’s among the first times that a boy was featured in a video along with them, and I hope it’s not the last since having the members in traditional idol setting isn’t as convincing as having them act alongside boys, and by never showing the face of the actor they made it a bit more convincing for fans to follow. There isn’t that much to say about this shot but Airi acted really well since everything she did matched up with what a girl in high school would do with her boyfriend, such as holding hands, waving to each other and the boy following Airi as much as he can before the train leaves completely.
It’s among the first MVs featuring a boy so it will be interesting to see if they decide to continue the trend since it would be fun to see them interact with others when the song is appropriate. Here it fit in perfectly since it showed off the story, and along with the emotional and powerful dance moves it made the song even better since it seemed like they did a fantastic job of relating the song to the video and not overloading it with scenes, just sticking to what is needed and letting the song speak for itself.
Apart from that there was also an announcement on April 1st that they would release a version of the MV each day, something which I didn’t take that seriously since after all they chose a day where all news has to be taken with a grain of salt. Despite that it seems like it was true since every day after that we got a brand new version of the song, which is surprising since after all the normal MV only has 3 shots. The shots are basically from all different combinations imaginable, such as close-ups, in Hawaii, and many more, which is a nice touch since they’re basically just Youtube exclusive. You can check out all of the alternate versions on their channel HERE, and just click on the title for the single which should start the playlist.
Overall
Ballad singles aren’t usually my favorites since to me most ballads sound alike, and for the most part this single did too since it has a somewhat generic ballad sound that doesn’t really have that many stand out points. Despite that ballads are great opportunities for each member since we get to hear their voice clearly with almost no instrumental, which is true for this song since each member is heard clearly.
Sure, there are too many over-layed voices during the vocals which make the vocals a bit hard to enjoy although each member does get a chance to shine. The drama look of the MV does make the sound a bit more fitting, and like Mano’s Tasogare Kousaten video it adds a bit more to the song making it have some kind of story as to why they’re singing that way.
The outfits are average casual looks with a hint or two of a unique look, and while I really enjoyed them I can’t say for sure if I’ll remember them as the outfits for this single since it doesn’t have a unique theme that stands out, at least for me. Despite that the covers did manage to give a unique theme that will be remembered by many for a long time since it has a hand drawn style that matches the ballad theme.
For the most part this single was a great chance for many to see C-ute’s mature side that will most likely become the standard in the years to come. I don’t generally prefer ballad singles but I can say for sure that this song gave the group a chance to show off their vocal skills to everyone, something which I appreciated but with no real hooks it made it a bit hard to grasp the sound.
Overall I enjoyed the single but I wish they could have had a more catchy instrumental that didn’t fit in with a generic ballad sound, since it made the song a bit more forgettable. Although the rest, such as the MV, covers, and the outfits in a way, made the single a bit more fitting to the group and something many fans will probably love to see at concerts since it’s a vocally charged single with a great drama styled MV.
Pros
- Casual outfits relate to the song well
- Impressive and vocally charged single
- Drama styled MV
Cons
- Generic ballad instrumental
- No real song standout moments
- Outfits are a bit too casual in a way
Buy
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Regular | EPCE-5870 | ¥1,050 |
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Limited Edition A | EPCE-5863 | ¥1,680 |
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Limited Edition B | EPCE-5865 | ¥1,050 |
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Limited Edition C | EPCE-5866 | ¥1,050 |
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Limited Edition D | EPCE-5867 | ¥1,050 |
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Limited Edition E | EPCE-5868 | ¥1,050 |
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Limited Edition F | EPCE-5869 | ¥1,050 |
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![[Upate] C-ute’s 22nd Single Profile Updated, HQ Covers Released & “Kanashiki Amefuri” Radio Rip/Live Performance Released](http://hellosayunii.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/img20120625083410883-134x90.jpg)
