And another year is gone. Weeeeewh!
To wrap up 2024, I wanted to do a quick review of every Buta thing that was released.
Stats
Touhou songs: 9 (10 if we include the New Years Lost Word song)
Originals: 6
Instrumentals: 0
Total: 15
Ranko songs with other arrangers: 0
Comp songs with other vocalists: 8
Notes: re-arranges (namely, Guerrilla 3) are included. The Pinball mix of Otona Gum and UNDEAD CORPORATION’s re-release of Otogizoushi are not included since they are plain remasters.
Touhou songs
Happy Chinoiserie: The art is cute, but… Meiling morning routine? It’s probably the least interesting concept they ever thought of (excluding albums based on a single game).
Yume wo Misasete is not a bad song, but I don’t think we needed yet another Meiji 17 arrangement (especially since Mamorubeki Mono and Hakidasu Aka exist).
Guerrilla 3: A release I didn’t particularly care about. I wasn’t a fan of the song choices and/or the rearrange themselves, except for one single track. Honestly, I wish it was an original album instead, since originals barely have any rearrange. But hey, at least it gave us Groovy Futatsu no Cinema! The original song has always been one of my favorite songs (and the best Last Occultism arrangement), and this GROOVY version turns it into a M E T A L piece. Sumireko is on a murderous spree! My favorite Touhou arrangement of 2024, hands down.
Danmaku Shinkou: Touhou song made for some BEMANIxTouhou event, in collaboration with KONAMI’s in-house musician PON. The title makes me think of Cool&Create, which is a huge red flag. Honestly I’m not a fan of this one, and the fact that the full version is locked behind a super-hard-to-get CD makes me even less interested in it.
I’m not including the Lost Word songs because I don’t feel like reviewing them (ask again in 2036 when the game is dead), but I’ll just say that Seiten Hakujitsu! mentions Aru Haru no Hi in the lyrics… NO RANKO, Lost Word doesn’t deserve a Kyou ga Saigo no Ichinichi reference!!! :ranko_sob:
Yeah, excluding Futatsu no Cinema, this hasn’t been a great year on the Touhou front… The originals, on the other hand…
Original songs
Pinball: It’s a new original album after 7 years!!! The games are back!!!
Pinball is far from being a perfect release – sure, it probably needed some more tracks. And while I love Otona Gum, it feels like it’s here just as an excuse to give a digital release to the other Fanbook song. I would have preferred an obscure compilation track instead (I would lose my shit if Akubi gets re-released in a proper album, but it’s probably too old and forgotten)
But the songs are really, really good, and I vibe as heck with them. I have listened to Narase and Jareta Te so many times since February. Although Jareta Te is better musically but the lyrics leave a lot to be desired, Narase has been seriously growing on me, and it’s such a strong opener.
Moving on the actual new songs, I was expecting the title track to be a lot more frenetic, fitting an intense pinball match… but I really like its mood for some reason. It’s one of those songs that really makes me happy. And I thought D.T.R.M was on the weaker side, then an hour later I found myself going DETARAMEEEEEEEEEEEEE KOETEEEEEEEEEEE IKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE LOL
Last but no least, Attara ii na is not among the best Buta ballads, but every Buta ballad is an automatic winner in my book. And since Comp decided that opening a song with “The justice I believed in doesn’t exist” was a good idea, I will eternally have ShuAke brainworms when listening to it. You know, since those two silly guys from that funny Persona 5 game have become very special characters to me (in a way very few fictional characters managed to do, with Akechi reaching Muse tier), Attara ii na is the best song to end this year with.
But even excluding my fujoshi ramblings, Pinball simply deserves to be the last album I will listen to in 2024. Although these last few years haven’t been the greatest for BUTAOTOME, I’m very, very glad that they are still making original songs (especially since 2023 had zero), because I hold their originals in very high regard. Listening to this album (and talking with my boyfriend who attended the original-only live from a while ago) reminded me of those good old times, and the positive feelings I get from that side of them. I hope there will be more in the future.
So… thank you Buta. For Pinball, and the next song!
DOKIDOKI*Shooting Star: new original song made for pop’n music. And holy shit, it’s amazing. The title made me expect something cutesy, but it’s actually a swing song! Honestly, I’m so glad KONAMI seems to be the only rhythm game company left that still believes in Buta’s originals, and even more glad that the Pig is getting more chances to contribute original songs to a game that is very dear to Ranko. I’m a bit less glad that a lot of amazing material is in KONAMI jail, but I guess it’s a price to pay.
SPARKLE: Nanase Aikawa’s newest minialbum, with all its tracks composed by Comp. Honestly? I liked it, it’s a solid release that I recommend listening to, even though it’s not something that will satisfy all types of Piggies. The tracks here have a different vibe from what you expect from Comp, they’re more… grandeous. Professional-sounding. Something that you would really expect to be played on larger venues… Yeah.
Itai Itai Ai: Title track of Risky Melody’s major debut single, composed by Comp. Its vibe is much closer to typical Buta compared to Nanase’s release, although the vocals are different from Ranko’s. Still a good song! Speaking of Risky Melody, my boyfriend saw them live 3 times this month! I really should check them out…
And that’s all for the things that were released in 2024! 2025 will be this website’s 10th anniversary, but… I have zero plans. I will keep updating the list of songs, translating lyrics (Pinball’s translations will arrive before the end of the week!) and whatever, and doing smaller-scale stuff.
See you next year!
Violet/tiramiseさん