Wewh, finally I can bring you this review!
Ghostly Field Club & Perfect Cherry Blossom 20th anniversary album featuring the songs “Dontohare” and “Kaze ga Fuitara” from our picture book series.
You may want to read the pre-release commentary for some more context.
Concept
There is really nothing else to say, it’s a Perfect Cherry Blossom + Ghostly Field Club album made to celebrate their 20th anniversary. I digest it more than Abyss, but still… I guess there is some originality because (as far as I know) this is the only Touhou fanwork that celebrates PCB and GFC together.
On the topic of lyrics, this time only Ranko wrote something (Comp is only credited for the two rearranges), so yeah, it’s a really good album on that front!
Design
Itoyuyushi features a pretty impactful cover art, that evokes that feeling of “beauty in death”. Gotta say, when I first saw the cover in low image size, without knowing what it was, I still thought “Yeah, this is the cover of the new Buta album.” I also particularly like how the title resembles smoke and how the art from Oshira Asobi and Obake no Sakurazome has been reused in the booklet!
I had never tried to draw a corpse before, so there were a lot of things I had to think about for the first time (like the mouth being open, or not being able to get the hands together properly, etc.).
I thought about it a lot, and it made me feel sad, so I decided to make a picture in which there was no blood or anything else visible. I thought that the mourners would keep such a picture clean…Since I got asked, I wrote “All the mountains, rivers, plants and trees attain Buddhahood” on her arm.
Ane, from this Fanbox post.
I was trying to quote the phrase “All the plants and countries attain Buddhahood” from Saigyouzakura….
I made a mistake…didn’t I?
I’m glad it wasn’t the kind of mistake that would cause a major shift in meaning.
I didn’t do too well in classical literature.
Music
Fun fact: even though it only has 7 tracks, Itoyuyushi is only 10 seconds longer than Juushin, the shortest Buta 8 track album!
1. Mieru Mono
“My memories are lost to me
All I got left is what’s in my heart”
I have mixed feelings towards this one. On one side, I love the energy of the chorus, the dark lyrics and how the song is somewhat faithful to the atmosphere of the original theme by alternating calmer and stronger parts. But on the other, I feel like they put multiple ideas together in a mere 2:16. But overall, I don’t dislike it.
2. Dontohare
“Was ignorance my sin? Is this my punishment?
Everything goes according to the heart of gods
It’s a childlike play”
Holy CompSheep, this is so dark and unique. I love it. I understand why they didn’t want to play it live (frankly, this is a very non-live song). The lyrics are entirely written in hiragana, so translating was particularly fun and challenging!
(copypasted from the Oshira Asobi review. By the way, I would have placed this song much later in the tracklist…)
3. Tamashii Asobi
“If they take advantage of my faith
How far will they go in this unprecedented tragedy?”
butaotomemagicalgirlscrusadearrangementbutaotomemagicalgirlscrusadearrangementbutaotomemagicalgirlscrusadearrangement
Sure, it’s not Enigmatic Doll #MuseDeservesHerButaSong, but Magical Girls Crusade is still a great theme, and I’m very happy to get a proper Seihou song from Buta! While the song is pretty much a typical Buta track (and part of me wishes it had a less generic vibe), I really like how the theme has been readapted!
I also have A LOT to say about the lyrics (including why I interpret it as a Seihou song rather than a Hifuu one), and I think they are some of Ranko’s best… But I’m saving the talks for a post that will be published veeeeery soon.
4. 2fun 19byou
“Your eyes and mine are special in the same way
I’m 2 minutes 19 seconds late, sorry, forgive me, you’re my partner”
I swear if I read another comment about the title… Please, read Ghostly Field Club’s story. Oh, at least the title is said around 2:19 in the song! Anyway, this is a pretty fun and poppier tune that contrasts the slightly melancholic tone of the lyrics. Could this be an alternate, bad ending, to Ghostly Field Club? With the song abruptly ending with a sayonara, we have what I think is a final goodbye before we depart into the dendera fields…
5. Ikiru
“But I’m living, I’m still living, until it’s over
And then the sun rises and sets again
As if I’m sleeping, I’ll pass on”
It’s Ikiru! Are we still alive? I already love the original, and this rearrangement is so great! It’s pretty much in the style of the Groovy versions from the Guerrilla album! I guess this is what they mosh pit on in the dendera fields… And being a super old song, I can also hear the difference in Ranko’s singing!!
6. Kaze ga Fuitara
“Every day is like a continuation of a dream
If I can have a bit of fun, that’s all that matters”
A proper Sakura Sakura vocal arrangement, wooohooo! When the wind blew, love took flight… and all my expectations were blow away. It’s the entire opposite of a “happy-sounding song with Ranko’s cute tones.” It’s an extremely unique track, both in terms of BUTAOTOME song (it really doesn’t sound like anything they have made) and as a Sakura Sakura arrangement (you know how 99% of Sakura Sakura ~ Japanize Dream arrangements have a reference to the original folk song? Well, this song is in the 1%). Seriously, I’m so amazed… I love it so much…
(copypasted from the Obake no Sakurazome review)
7. Haru no Yuki
“The spring snow is too cold, I run away from the spring snow”
…holy sheep I can’t believe how much I like this one. I never liked the original Haru no Yuki (it always felt like a rehash of Soldi but with high notes to me), and I was expecting to dislike this rearrange as well. But… nope. Just like with Momoiro Fivestar last year, this song gets redeemed by a slower rearrangement. It made me feel a bit emotional, and imagine a desolate snowscape… it’s so beautiful. I’m still not a fan of the lyrics, tho.
End Notes
I feel a bit conflicted about this album. It’s a really good release with some very strong moments, but I wish it had more. I wish it had more (actually new) tracks and a better concept. But still, if you like the original themes or my review, check it out!
All the purchase link are on the album page, as usual. For the digital release… I suppose Buta is yet another victim of TDMD’s garbage management, considering that Houkiboshi is still unavailable… :ranko_shrug: (this also ruins the setlist playlists due to the lack of Kaze ga Fuitara!!!) Both albums have been added to streaming services today, but I leave the previous comment because we are TDMD detractors in this house.