LookBack: Stereopony Music, Vol. 1

The Show is Ending

Alright everyone, it is my turn to do my thing to re-review Hitohira no Hanabira! Ms. Salad already covered the basics as this was their first release, used as an ending for Bleach, all that good stuff. So I will try and focus on my thoughts.

First off, “Hitohira no Hanabira” is one of my favorite songs. I still kick myself for winning it for site participation and not bringing it to Sakura-Con to get it signed as well, but if you told me then that months from then there would be no Stereopony, I would have looked at you as if you were a hydra or Yamata no Orochi. That being said, “HnH” is still an incredible song, and I agree with wannasalad that it is a great way to get yourselves on the map. Sadly, it also would signify the show was ending and no amount of “Encores!” (chanted On-con-re!) would bring them back on again.

The chorus and the guitar riffs are extremely memorable to me. As wannasalad said, AIMI wrote both the music and lyrics, and the emotions show. SHIHO keeps the rhythm for AIMI, and leads us into the chorus. As wannasalad pointed out, it is about a relationship coming to an end from the perspective of someone who does not want to regret it. I really wish that ButterflySparkle had written a “Song of the Week” post about this song, but she did one for the answer song on More! More!! More!!!, and I will admit, I sometimes would substitute the tune from “HnH” on to “Hana Hiraku Oka.” I came across Stereopony just by looking for songs from Bleach and on a whim decided to look into them. A couple years later, here I am on a Stereopony forum, after going to one convention and being so touched by the girls that I joined said forum, then being welcomed with open arms by the forum even though I forgot I registered, went cross country to see Stereopony AGAIN, and meet the staff from that forum, and get my picture taken with the girls which graces my tablet. When my tablet vanished, and then when I had to factory reset its replacement, I was so worried that I’d loose that picture because it was bring your own photo taking device, but luckily it’s my profile picture on Facebook so I was safe!

The music from this song is extremely memorable to me. Aside from “Tsukiakari no Michishirube”, this is one that I seem to hum very frequently. Ask me what the lyrics are; I would need them in front of me, but I know the tune! Even with translations of the lyrics, I read through them again and again, and still did not gain any new insight from them, mostly because I focus primarily on how the song sounds instead of its meaning because I am Japanese-impaired (not so familiar with the Japanese language?). ButterflySparkle’s “Song of the Week” would have been most beneficial for me to have that “OHHH! That’s what AIMI’s singing about!” (::winkwink:, ::HintHint::) But overall, “HnH” is a good song that comes in and doesn’t stop until the song is over.

Moving on, there’s “Nyami,” or “Near Me.” Fortunately, Bfly DID write a post about this one, so I have something more to go on than my own interpretation of the lyrics! I am sure all of us have been there at one point; the friend of the opposite sex that you might have feelings for, but you are on the fence about acting on those emotions because you think it might destroy the friendship. But AIMI’s choice is clear: “Let’s stay friends, I love you, but not in that way!” Shiho keeps the pace with this one, and AIMI’s guitar and the pronounced sound of NOHANA’s bass which you almost never hear except in concert, brings an extra layer to this song. I’ll agree with my colleague on on this; it does have a very “lazy day hanging out” vibe. However, I am not sure if I should count this as a negative because it is about the aforementioned “girl on the fence, not sure if she wants her boy friend to be her boyfriend” and both of us picture a pair of girls or a girl and a guy just hanging out, with no romantic implications in the case of the latter. But I still like the song, regardless.

Finally, we have “Yuukan na Funny Friends.” This song comes out of the gate with incredible energy and enthusiasm that knocks all the other songs on the single aside. SHIHO gets to shine on this one with energetic drums that echo “Smilife,” although that would not be shown for some time. As wannasalad points out, it is another “friends having fun” song that comes to mind, echoing elements from the music video from another Stereopony song, “Seishun ni, Sono Namida ga Hitsuyou Da!” But unlike the previous track, it is clear in what I gleaned from the lyrics. Out of all the songs on this single, this song clearly projects, at least to me, what AIMI intended for it to be about.

Overall, a very enjoyable single.

About the author

Destonus is a Very Good Days member from Massachusetts. He moderates the Stereopony, Draft King, and AIMI discussions, the Music Discussion forum with dereko92, and manages the Very Good Days Encyclopedia Project.