I was going to review this CD a while back, but finally got the time to do it now.
The CD I'm going to review is called ディズニー・デート～声の王子様～ (Disney Date ~Princes of Voice~). There are actually three volumes released to date. I'll review the other two volumes at a later date.
Yes, it's in Japanese (since when (post-high school time) do I listen to anything other than Japanese? lol).
Summary:
What: Japanese male seiyuus singing classic Disney songs, and narrating Disney stories.
Who: Kamiya Hiroshi, Suzumura Kenichi, Fukuyama Jun, Sakurai Takahiro, Sugita Tomozaku, Midorikawa Hikaru, Morikawa Toshiyuki, Seki Tomozaku, Irino Miyu and Yamadera Koichi.
When: Released 22nd Feb 2012.
Where: Official site.
Review:
Track 1: You can fly! (Peter Pan) by HiroC
Opening instrumental arrangement is very refreshing. HiroC just couldn't hit the low notes properly and went out of tune. I personally really love HiroC's singing voice, in particular the one he used in his latest mini-album Hareiro. I don't think this song suits him at all. He puts on his buff voice, where he's using his full diaphragm to push the air out, I think that was bad choice. There was lack of vibrato during the long notes making it sound flat.
Track 2: A Whole new world (Aladdin) by SuzuKen
This song is one of my favourite Disney songs and I think it is a difficult song to sing because of the wide vocal range required.
Suzuken's performance here was absolutely appalling! Firstly, why is a duet song sung only by one person? SuzuKen also has problems with hitting the low notes. He used his more nasally voice which I thought is bad choice because that voice lacks the usual SuzuKen charm and this style tends to flatten the notes, which contributes to why this whole song sounds out of tune.
At least he puts vibrato on his long notes, making the song sound more pleasant. The lead up run to the chorus was terribly out of tune. He sings his own harmony but it is not carried out well. His syllable emphasis and pacing could do with some touching up. I'm very disappointed with this performance.
Track 3: Bibidi babidi buu (Cinderella) by FukuJun
Overall this was a very good performance. JunJun hits his notes spot on and his singing style gives the song full of energy which is very fitting considering the background story of this song. JunJun's using his light hearted voice, rather than his dark (Lelouch) voice. No problems with low notes. He adds some decoration such as staccato articulation, and his pronunciation is clear.
Track 4: When you wish upon a star (Pinnochio) by Sakurai
Sakurai has one of the most beautiful singing voices. He has a very unique timbre, it feels like he sings from deep within his throat giving a full and complete feeling. I think he executed this song perfectly, showing off his talents. He used a lot of vibrato, and used his soft calming voice, which is fitting for this calm and peaceful song. All notes seemed to be in tune. I loved the way he ended the song, jumping up an octave, showing how large his vocal range is and how powerful his voice is.
Track 5: One jump ahead (Aladdin) by Sugita
I like Sugita's voice because it's low and it reverberates inside your ear canals, sometimes sending shivers down your spine, in a good sense.
He felt so in character in this song. He displayed a magnificent variety of voices that he can act out and sing with, it didn't feel like there was only one person singing. It was very energetic. I enjoyed this song very much.
Track 6: Can you feel the love tonight (Lion King) by Midorin
This is another favourite Disney song of mine and it's not too hard to sing.
Midorin has the low notes problem, he just didn't quite reach the notes, so it sounds out of tune. I didn't like the voice that Midorin used in this song, it felt like he was turning the song into a joke, which in my opinion is an insult, because this is a beautiful song about true love and harmony that can be found in this world. His rendition did not make me feel complete and fulfilled in my heart. In fact I was frowning throughout the whole song, thinking "why? why use this voice?", whereas the original version of the song always moves me to tears. He has a small issue with the accents placed on certain (inappropriate) beats.
Track 7: Once upon a dream (Sleeping beauty) by Morikawa
I liked the instrumental arrangement of this song, starting off with acoustic guitar. Once Morikawa started singing I just shook in my head in confusion, "no, just no, what are you doing?!". The first verse just was not sung correctly. Then came the chorus, with the full band with electric guitars and drums, and his singing got a little better, and more in time with the instrumental track. I did not enjoy this song at all.
Track 8: Go the distance (Hercules) by Seki Tomo
The opening instrumental almost moved me to tears with the piano and oboe(?). This was a very beautiful song, oh so very beautiful. It definitely put a smile to my face. Seki's voice is another deep hearty bass. He uses very smooth vibrato and he has a large vocal range which he uses to his full potential in this song. All notes were in tune and articulation was very specific. His phrasing felt complete, he knows how to control his voice well, he knows when to climax and when to bring it back. I could feel his emotions through his singing. Full of dynamics.
Track 9: Under the sea (Little Mermaid) by Irino
A cute, cheerful song and fast tempo song. Irino was the perfect guy to sing this. He was very much in character. I have no complaints, only admiration at how well Irino sings. His voice gave me energy to dance to this song. He syncopated his notes and articulation. I was very happy and smiling throughout this song.
Track 10: Circle of Life (Lion King) by Yamadera
Another favourite Disney song and not too difficult to sing. I don't really know Yamadera's voice well (from animes) but I really enjoyed his rendition of the Circle of Life. His voice is very powerful, he knows where to place accents on his notes, and takes breaths/breaks at the correct places. I could feel 'life' flowing into me, and as I listened to this song I could imagine myself spinning around under the sun enjoying all that life could bring. You could say it took my breath away.
