5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
To the Love Hina girls with a smile, March 9, 2006
This review is from: Love Hina 2: Hinata Girls Song Best (Audio CD)
With the first Love Hina-Hinata Girls Song soundtrack being an anime soundtrack classic, there's no way volume two would top it, and it doesn't. But far from calling Hinata Girls Song Volume 2 sloppy seconds, there are some genuine gems embedded within, though not like the tiara that its predecessor became. Once again, the voice performers from the Love Hina series, led by Yui Horie, reprise their roles here.
The version of "Cherry Blossoms Blooming" or "Sakura Saku," the opening theme song to Love Hina here isn't the manic punk-pop of the original, but a lullaby-like version sung by Yui Horie, Yuji Ueda, and Satsuki Yukino, followed by mid-paced minimalist dance techno. The other voice performers took turn with the lines of the song in the LH episode where the gang go to a festival on an island resort.
Yui Horie's still the best singer here, and does the best songs on HGSV2. She does the heartfelt piano and cello-oriented ballad "Promise" about the childhood promise of going to Tokyo U together with that unknown someone, and how she's waiting for that someone. However, the most inspiring song was done in the episode where Naru (Yui Horie) decides to become a pop idol. The melody of this light Stock-Aitken-Waterman inspired tune is taken from the usual instrumental melody used in the series, and became "To The Future With A Smile," which is a song rooting for those trying their best to get where they want to be-in Keitaro (Yuji Ueda)'s case, it's trying to get into Tokyo U. I heard it, and the part about flapping one's tiny wings and aiming for the sky is something I'm trying to do right now.
However, Masayo Kurata, who plays the cute and gentle Shinobu, gives Horie a run for her money by another bouncy S-A-W type synth-pop tune, "Smile For You", thematic of the episode when Shinobu tries lipstick for the first time, hoping to get Keitaro to notice her, but also signaling a growing up time for the girl.
The rowdy energy and guitars of Kaolla Su and Sarah McDougal is translated into "Energetic Tomboys" sung by Reiko Takagi and Yumiko Kobayashi. An infectious tune with its "washoi washoi!" (heave-ho heave-ho) refrain. "I'll exploit all the fun stuff for my own advantage" is indeed an anthem of the young, as is "Let's make merry and have a spree together; our wish is world peace." Takagi also gets two more leading vocals, in the upbeat "Heat Up Up Girl" and the fun and bouncy "It's an Outrageous Carnival at Heart" with Kurata and Kobayashi. It always seems to be spring for Kaolla Su in the series, as seen with "Let's jump into an outrageous world! We'll frolic as if we're children."
I wasn't much on Junko Noda's song from the first Love Hina compilation, but "Feeling Like The Moon" is a decent, leisurely mid-paced number. In hearing the rhythms of a "A Real Sword," sung by Motoko (Yu Asakawa) I was instantly taken back to Ron Nevison-style 80's synth pop! This song borrows rhythms and even rhythm guitar from Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" and "Burning Heart." I kept expecting Yu Asakawa to cry out "Yo, Adrian!" but alas, that never happened. Basically, it's a song how despite how bruised the heart become, in the end, it'll become "a well-sharpened real sword."
The other song taken from the series is "Blessing", the ending song for the Love Hina Christmas movie that plays over the closing credits and animation. More of the same applies if it's sloppy seconds, but Hinata Girls Song Best 2 doesn't fall into that trap. Please, no volume 3, because nothing lasts forever!
"Tomorrow, not to be defeated by the time goes on. Let's start running faster, zooming through the wind. Even though you carry many scars, I love you. Flap your tiny wings and aim for the sky." --"To The Future With A Smile."
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