Retro ReCAP, Round 3 - Love Live! School Idol Project

Warning: The following presentation contains major spoilers, reader discretion is advised.

Today, Tiger and Rabbit sit down to discuss phenom Rabu Raibu!, also known as Love Live! School Idol Project in the West. Launched in Dengeki G's Magazine, this multimedia project by ASCII Media Works, Lantis, and Sunrise has taken the world by storm. The many forms of Rabu Raibu! include music, anime, manga, music videos, video games, and much more. In this entry of Retro ReCAP, Tiger and Rabbit focus on the anime and its characters, music, and style.

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Rabbit: It's time for another entry of Retro ReCAP!

Tiger: What's the topic this time?

Rabbit: I was thinking of recapping Rabu Raibu!

Tiger: What? Why? What made you pick that anime?

Rabbit: Uh... because I thought it would be a fun one to talk about.

Tiger: Why? I don't like it; I mean I'm not a fan or anything.

Rabbit: We've watched it a couple of times though and you've even bought me a few of their CDs and live concerts too.

Tiger: Well, I knew it was something you'd enjoy but I'm not into it at all.

Rabbit: Why are you being so defensive?

Tiger: Me? Defensive?

Rabbit: Why are you answering my questions with questions?

Tiger: I'm not doing that; I just don't want to talk about this because I don't like the series.

Rabbit: We've watched the anime a half-dozen times so far, you've even gone as far as suggesting we watch it when I wanted to watch something upbeat. We now even own all of their singles and albums. I know you play their mobile game too. You also play the music when we're in the car together...OMG!

Tiger: What?!

Rabbit: You're a closet Rabu Raibaa, aren't you?

Tiger: No, I'm not!

Rabbit: Well, I know you like Ayase Eri a lot.

Tiger: It's Eli not Eri.

Rabbit: And you hate that Koizumi Hanayo always says “Nico Nico Nii!”

Tiger: Hanayo doesn't say that, her catchphrase is “dareka tasukete!”

Rabbit: I also know your favorite singer is Uchida Aya who is the Seiyū for Sonoda Umi.

Tiger: Ucchi voices Minami Kotori, Mimori Suzuko is Umi's Seiyū.

Rabbit: ^shocked face^ You are so a Raibaa!

Tiger: I'm not, I swear it!

Rabbit: Why are you denying it? It's not a big deal that you're a fan, a little surprising since Rabu Raibu! isn't something I'd peg you to like. Still, it's nothing to be ashamed of.

Tiger: Of course it is! Rabu Raibu! is the sugary happy-go-lucky upbeat anime garbage you enjoy! It's not something I should like... but I do.

Rabbit: Hey! I'd be offended by that statement if it wasn't true. I think it's great that you can get in touch with your inner happy kitty instead of always being the overly violent and heartless cat that you are.

Tiger: Hey! I'd be offended by that statement... if it wasn't true.

Rabbit: ^claps hands^ I think this is so awesome! This is going to be fun. Do you want to explain what Rabu Raibu! is since you're our resident expert?

Tiger: *sighs* You can do it; I'll just correct you when you get something wrong.

Rabbit: ^giggles^ Also known as Love Live! School Idol Project, Rabu Raibu! is a cross-media project that debuted in the August 2010 issue of Dengeki G's Magazine. It tells the story of a group of high school girls that become school idols to save their school from closing.

Tiger: Kōsaka Honoka, a second-year student at Otonokizaka Academy, was the one who came up with the idea to become school idols. She roped in her friends Minami Kotori and Sonoda Umi to become the group μ's, which is pronounced “Muse.”

Rabbit: Eventually other students joined in the fun such as first-year students Nishikino Maki, Hoshizora Rin, and Koizumi Hanayo.

Tiger: Rounding out μ's are the seniors Yazawa Nico, Ayase Eli, and Tōjō Nozomi.

Rabbit: What makes Rabu Raibu! special is that it's more than just a manga or an anime. LL is a phenomenon that includes music videos, video games, and a yearly live concert with the Seiyū! Nitta Emi is the voice of Honoka, Uchida Aya is Kotori, Mimori Suzuko is Umi, Pile voices Maki, Iida Riho is Rin, Kubo Yurika voices Hanayo, Tokui Sora is Nico, Nanjō Yoshino is Eli, and Kusuda Aina voices Nozomi.

Tiger: For the sake of clarity, let's just focus on the anime and the music from the show to start.

Rabbit: Start dash! The anime is produced by Sunrise, directed by Kyōgoku Takahiko, and was licensed for North America by NISA. There are two seasons which consists of thirteen episodes each. The first season follows Honoka as she comes up with the idea to form a school idol group to save Otonokizaka Academy from closing due to low admittance.  μ's gets off to a bad start and faces heat from the Student Council, but soon the group grows in size and support.

Tiger: The second season follows Honoka and the gang as they continue their pursuit to win Rabu Raibu, the school idol contest, as well as how they cope with the pending graduation of the senior members.

Rabbit: Finally, Love Live! School Idol Movie sees μ's traveling to New York to promote the Love Live competition.

Tiger: I don’t want to get too into the movie since it’s hard to talk about without spoiling the anime.

Rabbit: I definitely hate spoilers and the vulgar rogues who release them.

Tiger: Vulgar rogues?

Rabbit: Onii-sama!

Tiger: ^rolls eyes^

Rabbit: μ's is made up from some of the best anime girls ever in existence.

Tiger: Aren’t you being a little biased there?

Rabbit: You don’t agree with me?

Tiger: I love them but they aren’t the best, they kind of all into the stereotypical role that most of these shows take. I think it’s the Seiyū that really make μ's.

Rabbit: Very true but we shouldn’t talk about them until we discuss the lives.

Tiger: Fair enough, let’s talk about the actual characters first then.

Rabbit: We already mentioned them briefly but the members of μ's really deserve a closer look. First, there’s the leader of μ's, Kōsaka Honoka. She’s a vibrant and upbeat character that sweeps everyone up in her love of singing and dancing. She can be forgetful and spacy at times but her true love for her school, friends, and μ's are always present.

Tiger: Her best friends and fellow second-year students are Minami Kotori and Sonoda Umi. Kotori is a “go with the flow” type of person who oversees μ's costume design and early choreography. She’s also the daughter of Otonokizaka Academy’s director.

Rabbit: She really loves her pillow too.

Tiger: Umi is your stereotypical tsundere character. She has to balance her activities with μ's, archery club, and helping at her family’s traditional dance and martial arts school. She is the most down to earth and tends to come off as a little naïve. Don’t wake her up either, she is scary if you do.

Rabbit: Shameless!

Tiger: Then there’s the first-years. Nishikino Maki is the daughter of a wealthy family of doctors and she is expected to pursue the same career. She is a gifted pianist and composer who comes off as haughty but eventually fits in with μ's.

Rabbit: Hoshizora Rin and Koizumi Hanayo were best friends before μ's formed. Rin is very athletic and comes across as tomboyish. She even has a complex about wearing cute girly clothing because she was made fun of as a child. She’s cheerful and energetic much like Honoka. Hanayo is shy and has poor self-esteem but always dreamt of being an idol. She loves eating rice and becomes a totally different person when talking about idols.

Tiger: Next are the third-years of Otonokizaka. Ayase Eli is the mature president of the student council. She is determined to save the school but unlike Honoka, has a different plan on how to do that. Eli is good at academics and was also a ballet dancer, which leads to her eventually becoming μ's choreographer. Eli’s best friend is Tōjō Nozomi, who she met at Otonokizaka. Nozomi was forced to move often as a child and was never able to make any lasting friendships until Eli and the rest of the girls of μ's. She’s the oldest and acts as the voice of reason for many of the members but she also has a mischievous side to her. Nozomi’s main hobby is fortune-telling which she uses to predict the future with accuracy.

Rabbit: Last but certainly not least is the universe’s number one idol, Yazawa Nico. She is the president of the idol research club which merges with μ's. She is the most dedicated member in her pursuit of becoming an idol and has been trying to gain that status since she first entered high school. Even though she is a senior, Nico still comes off as childlike because of her young appearance and immature nature. Though she is an attention seeker and acts like a big shot, Nico truly cares about the other members of μ's.

Tiger: Oh my gosh!

Rabbit: What? What happened?

Tiger: It’s so sad!

Rabbit: What is?

Tiger: *cries* They’re seniors!

Rabbit: ^pats Tiger on head^ It’s okay. I thought we weren’t going to talk about the sad stuff so you don’t cry.

Tiger: *sobs* Like the final live?

Rabbit: Yeah, we’ll just skip over that.

Tiger: No! It’s over!

Rabbit: ^shakes head^ It is over but μ's will live forever on the CDs and BDs we own.

Tiger: *moans* It’s not the same!

Rabbit: Just to explain why Tiger is freaking out, μ's officially ceased activities on April 1st, 2016 when the seiyū performed the μ’s Final LoveLive! ~µ'sic Forever♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪~.

Tiger: SO SAD!

Rabbit: We’re not going to talk about it yet so see’mon, get yourself together!

Tiger: Just change the subject already.

Rabbit: Going back to the characters, who is your favorite?

Tiger: Are you really asking me to pick just one of the wonderful girls of μ’s?

Rabbit: Wow, you sound like me. Okay, then who’s your favorite out of the first-years?

Tiger: I’ll say Rin is my favorite, I love her energy and tomboyish-ness. She’s cute too, which goes to show you can be both cute and athletic at the same time.

Rabbit: Good choice, I’d have to agree with you though breaking through Maki’s cold attitude was always a highlight for me too. For the second-years, I’d say Kotori is my favorite. She is so adorable and is always putting the others first. It was so great to see her special ability shrine through when the rest of μ’s found out about her side gig too.

Tiger: I have to stick with Umi, she’s the first character I really latched onto way back in 2010. Her tsundere personality is just too cute and she tends to be the most grounded out of the group. She also knows when to work but still has fun too. She’s also super weak to Kotori’s pleading face, which is adorable.

Rabbit: You remind me a lot of Umi too.

Tiger: You’re more of a Rin type.

Rabbit: Nya~!

Tiger: As for the third-years, this is probably the hardest one to pick, they’re all so awesome!

Rabbit: I definitely have Nico as my favorite third-year. She was annoying at first but I really fell in love with her personality in the end.

Tiger: I’ll pick Eli, the student council president. She is mature and so cool yet has these cute weak points that only her friends see. I like that they didn’t make her perfect too, and her faults are her charming points. I think it’s time for us to talk a little about the music and what μ’s looked like before the anime.

Rabbit: When μ's sings in the anime, it is usually done with stylized CGI which mimics the original animation in the PVs aka promotional videos. These PVs were actually how μ's first got their start.

Tiger: Yup, first were the fan votes in Dengeki G to pick character names, themes, etc. Then they debuted the character designs and some of the first artwork.

Rabbit: But μ's didn’t come to life until the first PV of Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE came out.

Tiger: Looking back at that PV, the character art looks so different than in the anime. Especially since Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE shows up again in the anime.

Rabbit: Yup, the first PV released way back in August of 2010 before the anime was even in production. As you watch μ's PVs in chronological order, you can see them slowly morph into the characters that became the standard in the anime.

Tiger: That PV still has a special place in my heart, it’s where it all started. It’s crazy too because the single only sold 434 copies in its initial sales phase, making it a total failure. Eventually, LL gained traction and flourished. Since we’re already talking about the music, let’s mention how it works in the anime and in real life.

Rabbit: In the show, most of the lyrics are credited to Umi while Maki writes the songs but in reality, various composers write the music for μ's and their subgroups; Printemps, BiBi, and Lily White.

Tiger: While the composers change from song to song, Hata Aki has written the lyrics for almost every song. She even did some work on one of my favorite anime, Lucky Star.

Rabbit: There are a lot of great songs in a variety of genres, so it doesn’t all just sound like idol/pop music.

Tiger: The centers always change too, which is a feature I love. Even though Honoka is the leader, the center spot and the lead vocals are shared amongst the members. Many of the song centers were even chosen by fan vote.

Rabbit: There are fan favorites like No brand girls and Snow halation which have specific parts in the songs for fans to participate in, known generally as Wotagei.

Tiger: There are classics like Wonderful Rush and Natsuiro Egao de 1,2,Jump! Which both released before the anime.

Rabbit: Then there’s songs like Wonder zone and START:DASH!! Which were featured in the anime.

Tiger: There are also songs sung by the three subunits, solo songs, and some fan service songs such as Zurui yo Magnetic today.

Rabbit: All in all, μ's and its subunits released over 100 singles spanning their six-year career.

Tiger: And we own it all. It’s crazy just how prolific they were compared to other similar anime idol groups.

Rabbit: If you haven’t been able to tell, music is integral to Rabu Raibu. With a bunch of singles released before the anime was even shown, it was only inevitable that μ's would hold a live concert.

Tiger: How exactly do you hold a live when your idol group is made up of a bunch of anime characters? Simple, just dress the Seiyū up as the characters they voice.

Rabbit: The lives are one of my favorite things about Love Live! Getting to see the Seiyū sing on stage and interact with their fans is really fun. Plus, they’re very good performers and I found them a lot more entertaining to watch than The iDOLM@STER.

Tiger: Ooh, you did not go there.

Rabbit: I’m not trying to start a fan war and while I do enjoy The iDOLM@STER, especially Cinderella Girls, they don’t have the detailed choreography that μ's has.

Tiger: And μ's only has nine members. The literal hundreds of iDOLM@STER members are hard to keep track of.

Rabbit: The μ's Seiyū also have great personalities and they were just a blast to watch. I really enjoyed their streaming shows as well, which they hosted a bunch of along with radio shows. Too bad it’s all in Japanese making it hard to follow along with. Though there is a group of dedicated YouTubers who have been working for the past couple of years to sub the best clips from these internet shows.

Tiger: Going back to the lives, one of my favorite parts is seeing the animated PVs come to life. Not only did the Seiyū dress up in the same costumes as their animated counterparts, but they also replicated the dances. Heck, some of the Seiyū even copied their anime characters hairstyles and hair colors. I can even remember some of the dance steps since we’ve watched those lives so many times.

Rabbit: That’s what I call dedication because some of those hairdos are gravity defying.

Tiger: We’ve talked about our favorite characters but what about our favorite Seiyū?

Rabbit: Ooh, that one is tough because while the anime characters have their own personalities, I feel that the Seiyū are incomparable when it comes to their charm features.

Tiger: I definitely agree, it’s hard to pick but why don’t we pick our favorite from the different grades, just like we did for the characters.

Rabbit: For the first-years, my favorite Seiyū has to be Pai-chan who voices Maki. Her drama time skits are the best. She gets embarrassed easily and they always seemed to give her the most out there lines.

Tiger: I’m sticking with my girl Rin and going with Rippi as my favorite first-year Seiyū. Rippi is actually pretty similar to Rin in a few ways which I find endearing. She does a spot-on Kansai mother impersonation too.

Rabbit: I think Mimo who voices Umi is my favorite second-year. She’s more reserved than the others but I love her funny faces and cute voices she would do during the internet shows.

Tiger: Wow, we actually switched our second-year choices. Ucchi, who is Kotori’s Seiyū, is my favorite out of this group though Emitsun is a close second. Ucchi’s antics were some of my favorite bits from the lives and the other appearances the μ's Seiyū had.

Rabbit: The third-years are so tough to pick from. I really feel they are the best characters and the best Seiyū but in the end, I have to pick Kussun who voices Nozomi. She was one of the younger Seiyū but really held her own amongst the veterans of the group. She was also super funny which surprised me since she first struck me as kind of shy. Also, Kussun in pigtails and a gangsta cap will melt anyone’s heart.

Tiger: I’m going against the grain here and saying Soramaru is the best third-year Seiyū and maybe the best out of all the μ's girls. She is so quick-witted and charming, everything I’ve seen her in is entertaining. She’s also my favorite Milky Holmes Seiyū and I’ve kind of stalked her by buying all the games and anime she’s in.

Rabbit: That explains the Senran Kagura games.

Tiger: I feel like we can talk about μ's forever but I think we should move on to some of the other projects that they were involved with, like the video games and SchoolFes.

Rabbit: Not only are there a few Vita rhythm games for Love Live! but μ's starred in another game called Kamisama to Unmei Kakumei no Paradox for the PS3.

Tiger: Also known as The Guided Fate Paradox in the West, the nine girls of μ's voice characters as well as provided character songs for the game. The confusing thing about this is that the μ's characters are the ones credited as the CVs in the game.

Rabbit: Wait, so the real life voice actresses behind μ's don’t get credit?

Tiger: They’re listed in the credits too but on the character album, the vocalists are listed under their μ's names, not their real ones. Talk about bringing fictional anime characters to life.

Rabbit: μ's biggest hit game has to be SchoolFes, the mobile rhythm game that has over 30 million players globally. One of those, I know is you, Tiger.

Tiger: Yup, I’ve been playing SchoolFes every day for over a year!

Rabbit: Wow, that’s dedication.

Tiger: It’s a really fun rhythm game that features card collecting and building your digital idol group to compete in Love Live!

Rabbit: Cards, I should’ve known. How many digital cards do you have?

Tiger: I currently have over 200 though I’ve collected over 350 unique cards total.

Rabbit: LL also has two physical card games, one dedicated just to LL and the other is a part of a bigger collectable card game.

Tiger: SchoolColle and Weiβ Schwarz! Both of which I collect.

Rabbit: Excuse me?

Tiger: What?

Rabbit: I thought you only played Weiβ Schwarz.

Tiger: *shrugs* I do only play Weiβ Schwarz but I also collect SchoolColle cards.

Rabbit: Why?! Why on earth did you start another collection?!

Tiger: SchoolColle has cards for the songs too unlike Weiβ Schwarz which just has character cards. Plus, SchoolColle has the same artwork from SchoolFes, so it’s like I get to keep my SchoolFes collection in real life.

Rabbit: ^shakes head^ There is no hope for you.

Tiger: Well as much as I love μ's, I think we need to wrap up this Retro ReCAP.

Rabbit: Got somewhere to be?

Tiger: Actually there’s a SchoolFes event going on right now and I need to check in so I can keep pace and make sure I get my SR card.

Rabbit: ^shakes head^

Tiger: So, what where your first impressions of Love Live! School Idol Project and how have they changed since then.

Rabbit: I really thought LL was a cute and fun anime but I never paid too much attention to the other parts of the project until they were already in full swing. When I started to really listen to the music and saw their first live, that’s when I truly fell in love with μ's and their Seiyū. We’ve fallen in love with a lot of different groups like this, the first one I can remember is Ho-kago Tea Time from K-On! but they didn’t have the same pull that μ's has had on me.

Tiger: We’ve already mentioned The iDOLM@STER which was probably one of the earliest projects to combine anime, music, and live performances together but like you mentioned, we weren’t really into them from the beginning. Of course, after μ's, there seems to be so many of these groups popping up. There’s Wake Up, Girls!, BanG Dream!, Walkure, i☆Ris, and a bunch of others I can’t think of right now.

Rabbit: Notice how they all really like to use exclamation points?

Tiger: And while μ's is *sniffs* over, Aqours is already in full swing. They’re the next iteration of Love Live!

Rabbit: I still love Milky Holmes too but part of that is because two of their members were also members of μ's. What about you Tiger, you haven’t mentioned your first impressions or how you now view LL after all this time.

Tiger: I truly thought it was another one of your fluffy feel good anime that I hate and I didn’t want to like it as much as I ended up liking it. The first live really did help make a connection but I also think watching the streaming shows on Nico Nico opened my eyes to μ's. Then, I heard Wonderful Rush and I was sold.

Rabbit: Yeah, I never thought you’d actually enjoy the music since you are so picky.

Tiger: Hey! I’m entitled to like pop music every once in a while.

Rabbit: Yeah, like when hell freezes over.

Tiger: Anyway, I have learned to love the charms of LL including its fun and cute anime, the catchy music, the entertaining lives, and the addicting gameplay in the games.

Rabbit: At this point in time with μ's officially over, we’ve basically consumed all we can. We’ve seen all of their lives, own all the PVs, we’ve listened to all the music, and have watched the majority of their internet shows. There’s only one thing we haven’t seen yet and that’s-

Tiger: Nope, we aren’t watching it.

Rabbit: Why not? It’s the only thing we have left to see.

Tiger: Exactly! Once we watch the last day of their final live, there’s nothing left! I don’t want μ's to ever end!

Rabbit: But they did end! They aren’t going to make anything else. It’s not like you can’t ever watch it again either, we own the BD, we can watch it again whenever you want.

Tiger: But it won’t ever be new again after we watch it. That means there’ll be nothing new left for us to see.

Rabbit: Are we ever going to watch it?

Tiger: Never!


Love Live! School Idol Project ReCAP
μ's *sniffles*
Is *cries*
Over *sobs*

The CG animation in early PVs is stiff
The movie doesn’t have enough μ's in it
Seeing the Seiyū cry at the final live


The variety of music
The Seiyū and their wonderful performances
μ's is just awesome

Season 2 Episode 11 gets me right in the heart
Seeing μ's grow as a group throughout the anime
the 18 members of μ's

Random Happy Time, 43 O'Clock - The A-RISE of Aqours!

Love Live! Sunshine!! Has already debuting their first single, the anime, and are now preparing for their first live. Tiger and Rabbit talk about the newest group from LL, Aqours, and if they plan to support them as much as they supported μ's.

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Rabbit: With μ's now retired, the Love Live! torch has been passed to a new set of idols called Aqours.

Tiger: It’s a brand new series in a brand new location with brand new girls.

Rabbit: Set in the seaside neighborhood of Uchiura, Love Live! Sunshine!! follows Chika Takami as she tries to shine just as brightly as μ's by forming her own idol group. ヘ(^_^ヘ)

Tiger: Along with fellow second-year Watanabe You and Otonokizaka transfer Sakurauchi Riko, they begin their quest to make Aqours the best idol group they possibly can.

Rabbit: Eventually first-year students Tsushima Yoshiko, Kurosawa Ruby, and Kunikida Hanamaru join the group.

Tiger: It’s Yohane! (ﾉ`Д´)ﾉ.:･┻┻☆(/o＼)

Rabbit: There are also three third-year members which include Matsuura Kana, Kurosawa Dia, and Ohara Mari.

Tiger: Aqours have already released numerous singles, the first season of the anime, and have a live scheduled for February of this year. Your thoughts on Aqours?

Rabbit: ^makes funny face^ The jury is still out for me. We haven’t seen much of the anime, which will probably swing me one way or the other, but for now I’m on the fence.

Tiger: Is there a particular reason?

Rabbit: Σ(-᷅_-᷄๑) They aren’t μ's. I’m trying to be open-minded with Aqours and the Seiyū but I just don’t enjoy them as much. We’ve watched a lot of their streams too and I don’t find them as entertaining.

Tiger: I haven’t been too keen on their music either so far. I love Aikyan who voices Yohane though. She and the other first-year Seiyū are pretty entertaining.

Rabbit: I really dislike the third-years right now. But I still plan on giving them a chance. For me, the benchmark will be their first live and us finally finishing the anime. I really want to like them too because there is just so much content with Love Live! unlike some of the other groups we’re interested in.

Tiger: Like Bandori.

Rabbit: （●´∀｀）ノ♡ I find them adorable!

Tiger: They play their own instruments, that’s so awesome!

Rabbit: There are only five of them too, much easier to keep track of them!

Tiger: And I like their music!

Rabbit: Do you know who I really liked?

Tiger: Style Five?

Rabbit: ^giggles^ So dreamy. ( ˘ ³˘)♥ No, I’m talking about A-RISE. They’re the trio of idols from UTX and are μ's rivals.

Tiger: They did have a couple catchy songs.

Rabbit: I really wished they would’ve shown up in a live and had a mini Love Live! battle with μ's.

Tiger: Well μ's did do that mash-up with THE iDOLM@STER at Anisama 2015.

Rabbit: That was glorious to see two massive anime idol groups on the same stage together.

Tiger: Anisama 2016 had Poppin’ Party though we haven’t seen that one yet.

Rabbit: ^sighs^ If only Style Five went to Anisama. σ(≧ε≦ｏ)

Q Attack, Round 32 - Is it Really Wrong to Murder Your Relatives to Inherit the Family Fortune if They are all Especially Loathsome People?

Tiger plans to end 2016 with a figurative and literal bang with Entry 32 of Q Attack. The last discussion of the year finds her and Rabbit chatting about the hit Broadway comedy, a Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. Both decide what they would do if they were heiresses to a family fortune which had eight other heirs before them.

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Rabbit: Nani sore… imi wakannai.

Tiger: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you too.

Rabbit: No, really. I don’t get it. What is with this Q Attack’s topic?

Tiger: I thought it would be a fun conversation to have.

Rabbit: It’s the last post of the year and you want to end it with this? There’s no hidden message here, right? You’re not trying to give me a hint about what my Christmas gift is… do I need to start locking my bedroom door at night?

Tiger: Well, you know in the wild I would technically eat you.

Rabbit: ^turns pale^

Tiger: What? It’s true.

Rabbit: Dareka tasukete!!

Tiger: Bunny arrow shoot-o!

Rabbit: ^shocked face^ You really are planning to off me so you can inherit my collection of ramune marbles!

Tiger: Why would I want those?

Rabbit: Then it’s the keychain collection you’re after!

Tiger: Useless.

Rabbit: My mint NakNaks then!

Tiger: You still have those?

Rabbit: I know what it is, you want to kill me for my Pogs.

Tiger: Okay, first off, I don’t want to kill you. Chill out, will ya. Second, you don’t even own anything I want. Technically, we share most of our stuff anyway.

Rabbit: Hey! I have a lot of valuable stuff. I’m kashikoi kawaii Rabichika after all.

Tiger: *shakes head*

Rabbit: So, if you aren’t trying to kill me for my stuff, what are we doing here?

Tiger: Don’t you remember we went to see a Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder this past summer? I thought we could chat about the show, its music, and its awesome premise. Especially with the holidays about us, I’m sure many of us wish we could just off all of our relatives. *laughs*

Rabbit: ^laughs^ Wait, no, I’m sure many of us have not wished that. I worry about you sometimes, Tiger.

Tiger: *shakes head* A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder is the Tony Award’s Best Musical of 2014.

Rabbit: It’s based off of the 1907 novel, Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal which also the source for the 1949 movie, Kind Hearts and Coronets starring Alec Guinness.

Tiger: Gentleman’s story revolves around Monty Navarro, who after his mother’s death, finds out he’s descended from the noble D’Ysquith family. Monty decides to eliminate the eight heirs above him in the line of succession all while juggling an affair with a married woman and wooing his cousin.

Rabbit: Monty definitely has his work cut out for him as he meets the D’Ysquith family, all played by John Rapson of the national touring cast. Kevin Massey plays Monty, who throughout the show always seems to have poison in his pocket and concocts many ill-fated incidents for the D’Ysquiths.

Tiger: But before Monty can target his first D’Ysquith; he proposes to his love, Sibella played by Kristen Beth Williams, but she shuns him. After all, he only has a promise of a noble name and no money to back it up. She, on the other hand, has a rich suitor waiting to marry her. Even though she still loves Monty, Sibella loves money and status even more.

Rabbit: Being spurned by Sibella, Monty finds the resolve to confront Reverend Lord Ezekial D’Ysquith to try and be recognized by the family as a true member and heir.

Tiger: The Reverend refuses to advocate on Monty’s behalf and while the two are standing on top of the belfry, a gust of wind causes the D’Ysquith to lose his balance. Instead of helping him, Monty lets him fall to his death. Thus, begins Monty’s bloody quest to reach the top of the D’Ysquith family.

Rabbit: Eventually, Monty actually becomes quite successful after working for another member of the D’Ysquith family. He even begins dating Phoebe D’Ysquith, whose brother was killed by Monty.

Tiger: It’s probably a good time to point out that Gentleman is a comedy which makes these deaths all the more fun. An ice skating accident, sending someone to Africa only to have them return alive, bees, and poisonous flowers are utilized to their fullest to try and knock off every D’Ysquith Monty comes across.

Rabbit: And the lyrics are very witty and filled with memorable turns of phrase. Paired with a catchy melodic score, the music helps convey the morbid comedy throughout the show.

Tiger: I can’t stress how good this score is. Not only does the music poke fun at other theatrical musical styles but the lyrics really are quite clever. The original cast recording is amazing and the national tour lived up to the expectations I had when we went to see the show live.

Rabbit: The stage effects were also spot on. Simple yet added to the humor of all the deaths that occurred. It’s hard to compare it to some of the other musicals we’ve seen but I definitely say production wise, it had the best theatre vibe. No wonder it looked so great since it won the Tony Award for Best Costume Design, it was really stunning.

Tiger: So, are you ready to answer the question; is it really wrong to murder your relatives to inherit the family fortune if they are all especially loathsome people?

Rabbit: I feel like I’m getting set up here. Yes, I think it is wrong to murder people no matter the circumstance. Yeah, Monty was mad that his mother was forced to live in poverty and denied by her family just because she eloped. Does that give him the right to murder eight people, however terrible they all were, just so he could become the Ninth Earl of Highhurst? No, it doesn’t. Granted, it would have been a terrible show if he didn’t kill anyone but still, it definitely doesn’t make it right. It seems to me that no one was really sad that the D’Ysquiths were getting knocked off one by one though so maybe he was doing the world a service.

Tiger: That’s a good point. Of course I’m going to say no to this question. C’mon, everyone has to have fantasized about killing an annoying relative that you just can’t get rid of. Especially around the holidays, man they can get on your nerves. If one of those relatives had a huge fortune that you were going to inherit, well that it would make it all the sweeter. Now, I’m not encouraging people to really start offing their relatives, but we can dream, can’t we? As for Monty, I quite respect the lengths he went to on his journey to become Earl. He really had to get creative with some of the family members and his problem solving skills were very impressive.

Rabbit: Sometimes, I don’t know when you’re joking.

Tiger: It was impressive. Just take a look at the lyrics from the Reprise of Poison in my Pocket.

I am sitting here with poison in my pocket
Look whose head is finally on the block
It seems that now at last the moment I've been waiting for is here

All that's really left to be decided is the dish to put the poison in provided
I can do what must be done discreetly when the coast is clear
I confess it pains me some to ruin someone's cooking - Oh, for god's sake, now another servant's looking
I have had a run of luck but this one does require skill

Fish or fowl, it must be well-selected so that no one else at all will be affected
What an awful waste to do in someone I don't want to kill

Rabbit: I’m not letting you make Christmas dinner.

Tiger: Oh, c’mon, you can’t be serious.

Rabbit: You aren’t getting close to the gravy ever.

Is it Really Wrong to Murder Your Relatives to Inherit the Family Fortune if They are all Especially Loathsome People?
Tiger     vs     Rabbit

Random Happy Time, 42 O'Clock - Poison in my Pocket!

Rabbit and Tiger discuss a specific song from a Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder in this edition of Random Happy Time. The fuzzy pair also share their memories from the past year, give their holiday wishes to their readers, and say goodbye to 2016.

**^^**
Tiger: 《《o(≧◇≦)o》》 We have to discuss the amazing score of Steven Lutvak and the witty of lyrics of Robert L. Freedman a little more.

Rabbit: You’re talking about Poison in my Pocket, aren’t you?

Tiger: Yes, it’s one of Monty’s first planned murders. He follows a D’Ysquith to a winter retreat and spies him skating on a frozen lake.

Rabbit: Are you going to go over the entire song?

Tiger: No, but at least Monty’s first sequence. ♪ヾ(＾Д＾*)ノ

I am standing here with poison in my pocket
Standing on this frozen little dock-
It seems that I’ve just let them skate my opportunity away
If I had the poise to put the poison
In a pot of tea or else a shot of gin
I would be back amid the noise of London by the end of day. But,
I am standing here with poison in my pocket
One eye on the target, one eye on the clock-
It better happen soon before I lose my nerve and run.
If I had a knife, I could have grabbed him
And discreetly knocked him on the head and stabbed him
Not to mention what I would have done
If I had had a gun

Rabbit: You really love that song, don’t you?

Tiger: It’s so clever! Lyrically, it really is amazing. I’m jealous, I wish I had that kind of talent with words. It really was such an amazing musical, I’m really happy we got to go. Probably my highlight of 2016.

Rabbit: I thought the Sharks playing for the Stanley Cup would have been your highlight of the year.

Tiger: That one too.

Rabbit: I think µ's Final LoveLive! ~µ'sic Forever♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪~ was a big event for me. .·´¯`(>▂<)´¯`·.

Tiger: Don’t even go there, please don’t go there. Oh, the Olympics were eventful too.

Rabbit: I thought it was kind of dull this year but I still enjoyed watching swimming and gymnastics. Also, we got to see a lot of sports we don’t normally watch a ton of like volleyball and table tennis. (｡･ω･)ρ┳┷┳ﾟσ(･ω･*)

Tiger: We finally got to see Captain America: Civil War. （´ω｀◎）ゞ Really enjoyed that movie.

Rabbit: I beat Dishonored! (•̀o•́)ง

Tiger: I beat a ton of Assassin’s Creed games! !(•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑

Rabbit: We also got a lot of great games that we haven’t played yet like Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma and the Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II.

Tiger: We also seemed to change up our musical tastes this year. Me with the Helen Forrest obsession and you with the J-Pop Idols.

Rabbit: Not all of them are Idols like Perfume and Kalafina, but yes, it’s true I’ve been on the Idol bandwagon as of late. You though, you seem to keep going earlier and earlier into music history.

Tiger: What can I say, I like the classics.

Rabbit: As for TvR, we didn’t post as much this year but I felt we covered a wider range of topics including the introduction of a new mode, Retro ReCAP. I hope everyone enjoyed it and is looking forward to more.

Tiger: We already have some topics lined up for next year too. We’ll be getting back to the video game conversation and talking about some anime as well.

Rabbit: We really need to work on playing more games too. I feel like I only bought games this year.

Tiger: It’s so hard to play games sometimes with all our other interests.

Rabbit: Do you have any New Year's resolutions?

Tiger: I'm really not into making them but I guess I can say I want to play more games from my Backloggery. I buy enough of them, I might as well start playing them. I also want to expand my musical tastes and find some new classical composers along with some new music from the 20s.

 Rabbit: Why don't you try something that's from this century? 

Tiger: That's really not my cat's meow. What about you, Rabbit?

Rabbit: I want to circumvent the planet, battling the bears of the world.

Tiger: Sure...

Rabbit: I hope all you Qgers & Qbbits have a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!

Tiger: Please look forward to seeing us again in 2017! We’re in your care!

Tiger & Rabbit: ＼(＾▽＾*) Take care and see you next year! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

Random Happy Time, 40 O'Clock - Hello, Worker!

In the last segment, Eagle mentioned the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita game, Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA f 2nd. Rabbit quizzes Eagle about the Vocaloid rhythm game and finds out which song is his all-time favorite.

^^<>**
Rabbit: Since Tiger was such a downer in that last segment, I want to talk with Eagle about something we all love! Vocaloids!

Tiger: I wouldn't go so far to say I love them, but sure, I'm game.

Rabbit: Who is your favorite Vocaloid, Eagle?

Eagle: My favorite is a little uncharacteristic of me, but I would have to say Megurine Luka.

Rabbit: ^squeals^ Mine too! I love most of Crypton Future's Vocaloids. She, along with Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Rin, and Kagamine Len are the most recognizable.

Tiger: I'm more a fan of 1st Place Co's IA. To me, she has the most realistic voice out of all of them.

Rabbit: Since Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA f 2nd has a bunch of new songs, do you have a favorite yet?

Eagle: | •́ ◇ •̀ | I have played a lot of... <coughs> "Hello, Worker"...

Rabbit: Ooh, interesting choice. I myself love Rolling Girl by wowaka.

Tiger: Wow, I didn't expect that. Rolling Girl is a pretty depressing song.

Rabbit: But it's so catchy too.

Tiger: I play a lot of Romeo and Cinderella. (=^･ｪ･^=)

Rabbit: ^giggles^

Tiger: What?

Rabbit: Have you seen the music video for that from NicoNico?

Tiger: No... I have not.

Rabbit: ^snickers^ ／(^ x ^=)＼

Tiger: Which song do you have the most trouble with or hate the most, Eagle?

Eagle: Blackjack gave me a bit of trouble on the harder difficulties.

Tiger: That one is tough. I didn't have a specific song I sucked at but those flying stars were freaking hard to keep track of. I really hated Clover♣Club and Miracle Paint though.

Rabbit: ￣ (⁎˃ᆺ˂)￣ I had a really hard time with Akatsuki Arrival for some strange reason. It's the first song you can play but the new layout really messed with my head. Some songs I just dealt with since I played them so much.

Tiger: Kokoro was like that for me. So was Break It, Break It. I ended up falling in love with that song after playing it so much.

Rabbit: Oh, and Roshin Yukai! Love that one.

Tiger: I wish they had Kokoro Kiseki. Maybe the next game.

Rabbit: Shota much?

Tiger: Oh shut it. You're the one with the depressing song obsession.

Rabbit: Did you ever beat the game, Eagle?

Eagle: I played through all of the songs a couple of times. I never did get all of the trophies for the game. One day I shall rise to the challenge and earn that platinum trophy.

Tiger: There were so many challenges for all the songs to unlock everything too. I'm not sure anyone can really beat that game.

Rabbit: Yeah, I'm never going to beat it. I still play it all the time, it's so fun and the music is catchy!

Tiger: Excited for Project DIVA X, I take it?

Rabbit: It came out in August! ／(=⌒x⌒=)＼ So excited. ryo has a song called Name of the Sin, Whiteflame is back with A Single Red Leaf, and who doesn't love 40mP?

Tiger: I'm actually excited for Neru's The Lost One's Weeping. I really prefer Len's version but the original is awesome too.

Eagle: After getting addicted with this game and the last, I will probably buy it for my Vita and the PS4. That way I can run the music through my sound system when playing in my dark cave I call a home.

Rabbit: That's a great idea! I'm definitely getting it on Vita.

Tiger: PS4 version for me.

Rabbit: Does that mean you'll be blasting Holy Lance Explosion Boy from your dark cave?

Tiger: Seriously, I'll bop you again if you keep bringing this up!(^._.^)ﾉ

Rabbit: Shota-oshi Tiger is scary! Hurry Eagle, let's run away before she gets really mad!

Eagle: o(｀◇´)○ Please, do not drag me into this!

Rabbit: Too late! ^grabs Eagle and runs^ ε､., ⌒ ､., ⌒ ､., ⌒ ､., ⌒ ／( =ﾟｪﾟ=)ヽ

Tiger: Get back here you two!

Eagle: <yells from the distance> I am sorry! ε=ε=ε=ε=ε=ε=┌(;￣◇￣)┘

Random Happy Time, 35 O’Clock - Overseas Stuff!

After chatting about importing games, Tiger and Rabbit take time to talk about other items they import. From CDs and movies to Vocaloid memorabilia and figures, Tiger and Rabbit chat about some of their favorite purchases and why they just had to have it.

**^^**
Rabbit: We talked about importing clothes before but what else have we imported?

Tiger: I know I import a ton of Japanese music and some anime as well. ♪ヾ(＾Д＾*)ノ

Rabbit: You also import a lot of Gundam figures too.

Tiger: I have seven, that’s not a ton. You import a bunch of artbooks and plushies. ＿〆(。。)

Rabbit: Artbooks are one thing I don’t think the west does well. That’s why I always love getting them from Japan. I have a few from different video games and anime but I need to get more. And yes, Japanese plushies are too cute.

Tiger: I really love the Okami artbook we have. I also have Kawamoto Toshihiro’s collection too. Do you have a favorite imported item?

Rabbit: ٩(^ᴗ^)۶ My plushie Charmander, the ICO artbook, and the Lucky Star OVA collection. You?

Tiger: I love the Đặng Thái Sơn CD I imported from Poland and the MS-07B-3 figure I got from Japan. The Destiny hoodie I picked up from a retailer in the UK is also really cool looking.

Rabbit: Oh, that one is nice but I like the Assassin’s Creed III jacket I got better. I still need to get the inFAMOUS vest.

Tiger: I want to import the Fuunsaiki Robot Spirits that was shown off this year.

Rabbit: ＼（^０＾）／ Ooh, I also need to get a Free! artbook.

Tiger: You know, I’m surprised you don’t have a Hakuoki artbook since you love Saitō so much.

Rabbit: The books don’t do him justice. Plus, most that I’ve found are from the anime series and not the game but I think I’ll have to remedy the lack of Hakuoki books in my collection soon. You know what else I like to import?

Tiger: What?

Rabbit: (*´ڡ`●) Food.

Tiger: No.

Rabbit: Yes, I haven’t talked about food in a long time. Japanese treats are the best. I’m a big fan of their drinks as well. While I don’t technically import them directly from Japan, I do shop at an import grocery store that carries all kinds of crazy things.

Tiger: We all know that you love to talk about food; you don’t need to keep doing it.

Rabbit: I’ll stop if you buy me that vest.

Tiger: No.

Rabbit: How about a Tachibana Makoto figure?

Tiger: Not happening. o(-`д´- ｡)

Rabbit: Import the Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei second season.

Tiger: (⋋▂⋌) Never.

Rabbit: Oh, see’mon!

Q Attack, Round 26 - Are Kickstarter Projects Good Investments?

After two years of kickstarting projects, Tiger and Rabbit sit down to discuss the process and how well it’s worked out so far. Have they received the items promised? Was the quality as advertised? They answer these questions and more in this entry of Q Attack.

**^^**
Rabbit: I’m so happy we finally got Amplitude!

Tiger: About time, I know it was delayed. When was it supposed to originally come out?

Rabbit: The Kickstarter page says July of 2015.

Tiger: *shakes head* Games on Kickstarter always get delayed. Look at Liege, we backed that in July of 2013 and it was supposed to come out in 2014. Now, it’s delayed well into 2016.

Rabbit: I know but it’s still a bummer. They definitely did not calculate how much time they needed very accurately. Shenmue 3 at least gave themselves some room with a December 2017 window.

Tiger: That’s the thing about Kickstarter projects, they aren’t like normal video game releases, you’re basically donating money to a developer in hopes that they can actually finish the project.

Rabbit: I see your point. At first I thought of it like preordering games but when you preorder, you can cancel and get your money back. Kickstarter, once a project is funded, you’re out the money no matter what. Have we ever gotten a project’s items back on time?

Tiger: Video Games Live Levels 3 and 4 did really well to keep on track. I think both were released within a few months of the estimated launch dates.

Rabbit: They produced what they advertised too. I get worried with some of these projects and the stretch goals they add.

Tiger: Like with Shenmue 3, I have a bad feeling that the game’s development will suffer because they offered so many physical rewards. Sometimes less is more.

Rabbit: What have we kickstarted so far?

Tiger: Sportsfriends was the first back in December of 2012 and I think we got it about a year later.

Rabbit: That project saw very few delays unlike the other games we’ve backed.

Tiger: Then there was Liege back in the summer of 2013. I have my doubts we will ever see a finished project.

Rabbit: VGL Live was next in August of the same year and that took half a year for us to get it. After that it was Project Phoenix and Hyper Light Drifter in September.

Tiger: After the delays of both of those projects, we decided to cut back on funding video game projects. I did however break down and fund Amplitude in 2014. Again, that game got delayed until 2016 but the wait was worth it.

Rabbit: VGL Level 4 was also backed in that year and like its predecessor, we got it within six months.

Tiger: We also backed the Doubleclicks’ new album, President Snakes, this year as well as Shenmue 3.

Rabbit: So we are three out of three with music projects and one out of six with video games.

Tiger: That’s not a great record with the video games. I think we should point out too the difference among the projects. Like how Sportsfriends was developed by an already established team and had help from Sony Santa Monica whereas Liege, Project Phoenix, and Hyper Light Drifter are from new developers.

Rabbit: It’s good to note too that in the beginning a lot of those projects only had a few people working on them. Some of the teams have expanded since then, others shrunk in size.

Tiger: I won’t say which project it was but some even took a hiatus because they got overwhelmed with the work. I almost thought they were going to just walk away with the money and never return to the project but they eventually did start working on it again.

Rabbit: That’s the big danger with Kickstarter, especially when it’s an unknown developer or creator, that they could do that. I remember hearing about some board game project that got backed and the creator used the money to move and buy a house instead of completing the project as promised.

Tiger: There are also a lot of stories about how the quality or the items received were nothing like what was advertised.

Rabbit: And then there are cool stories about how a project was funded way beyond its goal and the creator was able to do some really amazing things. Have you been happy with what we’ve received so far?

Tiger: With the music projects we’ve backed, definitely. I had no worries about Tommy Tallarico delivering on his promises. He is known in the industry and has a reputation to maintain, plus he’s a business professional who has done this before, so I knew those projects would be great. The same with the Doubleclicks, no issues backing them because they’ve had a successful Kickstarer campaign already. Actually, they ended up printing their album and getting all the rewards out a couple of months early.

Rabbit: ^claps^ That’s how you do a Kickstarter!

Tiger: The video game projects are a different story. I knew Sportsfriends would get done, which it did, and I still think we’ll see Shenmue 3 although it may be in 2020, but the other projects I have serious doubts with. Even little things, like maintaining consistent updates, are difficult for them to do.

Rabbit: Luckily, we didn’t pledge a lot of money to any of those projects.

Tiger: The money is not the issue, well it is, but I’m more upset about the integrity behind the project. If you set out to do something, you better well deliver on it. Being open and up front is something else that needs to be done. All projects will have issues and delays and creators need to be forthcoming with their backers in regards to these problems. The University of Pennsylvania did an independent study about project fulfillment and while I won't go into the numbers, it had some interesting points.

Rabbit: I hear you but with all of these projects, you are aware of the risks involved. The reason why people go to Kickstarter versus other outlets is because they need funding to have their ideas realized. You have to be careful and really know who you’re backing, but if you find the right people, you can help out some amazing ideas. And while the rewards are an awesome bonus, a lot of the time, I don’t mind putting in spare change just to see what these people can do.

Tiger: Do you think Kickstarter projects are a good investment?

Rabbit: Yes, in the right environment and with the right thinking going in. First, definitely find out who you are backing, not just the what. Second, realistically look at what you are getting and how plausible it is for the creator to succeed, if you’re looking at physical rewards. The other thing to note are the stretch goals, we brought up Shenmue 3 and its almost absurd stretch goals and rewards. With the Doubleclicks, one of their stretch goals was enough funds to buy an electric cello to make touring easier. They did a great pitch for that stretch goal, so I was more than happy to put in a little extra to help them achieve that goal.

Tiger: You just wanted the shirt reward.

Rabbit: That too. I do believe Kickstarter projects can be great investments as long as you do your due diligence as a backer. Plus, it’s fun to be a part of a project from its inception to completion.

Tiger: Well, I totally disagree with you on this one.

Rabbit: ^sticks out tongue^ Who’d have thought?

Tiger: Kickstarter projects are a terrible investment because they aren’t an investment at all. When you invest in something, you become an owner of sorts. You get returns and a piece of the project. Similar to investing in a business or stocks, you have recourse and protection when investing. Funding projects is a donation; you don’t have any protection or ability to affect the project in anyway. You are basically giving your money to help a creator with his or her project, that’s it. The rewards are bonus gifts, not something you are guaranteed. Just read Kickstarter’s FAQ, they don’t guarantee anything. The best they and the backers can do is to shame and assassinate a creator’s reputation if a project fails. It’s a great platform for creative people to find funding for their ideas but it’s also a great place for people to scam other people. Now, I don’t believe that there are a lot of scammers; I really think most failed projects tend to be just that, a project that ran into extreme difficulty, forcing the creator to fold the project. But still, if you are going to back a project, you need to remember that this isn’t an investment or preordering goods, it is a donation and once you pay the money, you aren’t getting it back.

Rabbit: It’s a good faith system and I think a lot of people really want to fulfill their obligations to backers.

Tiger: Oh, I don’t doubt people want to fulfill their obligations, I just doubt their actual ability to do so.

Rabbit: ^shocked face^ You have no faith in the human race.

Tiger: Of course not, that’s why robots will rule the world soon.

Are Kickstarter Projects Good Investments?
Tiger     vs     Rabbit

Random Happy Time, 34 O’Clock - Missed Opportunities!

After discussing past and current funded Kickstarters, Tiger and Rabbit talk about the projects they wished they had backed. From albums later purchased to neat tech projects, these fuzzy friends review missed opportunities.

**^^**
Tiger: I know I came down hard on Kickstarter but there are a lot of projects that wouldn’t have happened without it.

Rabbit: Like Penka Kouneva’s album the Astronaut Woman. ヾ(・ω・ｏ)

Tiger: ੨( ･᷄ ︵･᷅ )ｼ I was so sad that I missed that Kickstarter project! We bought the album but it was already over when I heard about it.

Rabbit: Same with Jeremy Soule’s album, we totally missed that one on Kickstarter too. ｡：ﾟ(｡ﾉω＼｡)ﾟ･｡

Tiger: Or the Doubleclicks’ first project. Again, bought that album after it was done but totally missed the Kickstarter project.

Rabbit: There have been some pretty cool tech and gadget projects too.

Tiger: I funded the pocket PC before pulling my pledge a few days later. It was an awesome concept but I didn’t have the funds to spare at the time and no need to really own one.

Rabbit: A lot of the video game projects sound cool too but they take forever.

Tiger: Most are for PC as well.

Rabbit: We almost backed Mighty No. 9 and Red Ash. o(-_-;*)

Tiger: Red Ash was a terrible, terrible Kickstarter. I wasn’t shocked at all to see that it failed.

Rabbit: （゜◇゜） The anime was backed though, that surprised me.

Tiger: I really wanted the game to succeed too since I’m a huge Mega Man Legends fan.

Rabbit: If you could Kickstart something, what would it be?

Tiger: I’m not that creative, I don’t have any cool invention ideas or things like that.

Rabbit: How about recording a musical?

Tiger: We’d have to write one first. φ（．．）

Rabbit: Creating a brand new kind of pie!

Tiger: You can’t even make an apple pie, how are you going to come up with a new one?

Rabbit: (˳˘ ɜ˘)˳ ♬♪♫ How about a CD with me singing?

Tiger: (⌐■_■)–︻╦╤─ How about a rabbit hunting trip? ／(=∵=)＼

Rabbit: ^shocked face^ That’s just wrong. It does amaze me how uncreative some Kickstarter projects are.

Tiger: Didn’t someone make thousands of dollars to record a spaghetti cooking video?

Rabbit: Yeah and then there was the one creator who wanted five thousand dollars to take pictures of herself in a bathtub full of bubble gum balls.

Tiger: *shakes head* People are scary, man, very scary indeed. Robots, I vote for robots. ┗[© ♒ ©]┛

Q Attack, Round 24 - Would You Pay to See a Vocaloid Live in Concert?

Tiger and Rabbit are back in action as they discuss Vocaloids singing at live concerts with live bands. While Hatsune Miku and friends have never appeared in the State Tiger and Rabbit live in, if she did, would they be willing to attend? Is a live concert really any different from a recorded track when the vocalist is a synthetic computer program? Find out in this episode of Q Attack.

^^**^^
Rabbit: I finally remembered the question I wanted to ask when we talked about Vocaloids a few posts ago.

Tiger: About time, so what was it?

Rabbit: Would you pay to see a Vocaloid live in concert? Would it really be worth it?

Tiger: Interesting, what brought this on?

Rabbit: Well, we’ve purchased a few of the BD concerts, Hatsune Miku Live Party 2013 in Kansai and Mikunopolis in Los Angeles. They’re fun to watch and I’ve always wondered what it would be like to go see her in person. Well, you know what I mean.

Tiger: We’ve seen a few live performances of both classical and popular music. I gotta say, I prefer seeing classical live. I’m not one for mosh pits.

Rabbit: Stereopony was awesome when we saw them! They had so much energy.

Tiger: Yeah, they were fun to go see. But I guess it would depend on which Vocaloids were going to sing at the concert. As much as we love our favorites like Kagamine Rin and Len, they are kind of old now. Especially when you look at popularity polls, Hatsune Miku has even dropped out of top three standings.

Rabbit: Yeah, but she’s also a classic. She may just be the Cher of Vocaloids.

Tiger: Didn’t a critic once say that after a nuclear apocalypse, the only things left on earth would be cockroaches and Cher?

Rabbit: Something like that.

Tiger: Just a point of order, we don’t listen to Cher. I don’t even know why you brought her up.

Rabbit: Anyway, Mikunopolis in Los Angeles was the first concert recording we ever saw and some of the first live Vocaloid music we heard. It was recorded at Anime Expo 2011 when Hatsune Miku made her first appearance in the United States. She and the others were accompanied by The 39’s, a live band.

Tiger: It must be hard playing with a recording; it leaves you very little room for mistakes. Probably why they are professionals but I wonder what they think of it all. It’s a little strange, don’t you think?

Rabbit: At least she’ll never go full on diva on them at rehearsals.

Tiger: *laughs*

Rabbit: At Anime Expo, classic songs like World is Mine by Ryo from Supercell and Romeo and Cinderella by doriko were performed.

Tiger: One of my favorite Len songs, Butterfly on Your Right Shoulder by Nori-P, was also showcased.

Rabbit: Rin also sang Meltdown (Nuclear Fushion) by iroha.

Tiger: I have to admit that the live version sounds so much better to me than the one you find in Project DIVA f 2nd. The live instruments bring a kind of weight to the music, I really love the sound.

Rabbit: Megurine Luka also sings her classic, Just Be Friends by Dixie Flatline.

Tiger: *groans*

Rabbit: What’s your problem?

Tiger: They always make her sing that. I realize it’s a popular song but out of the big Crypton stars, I think Luka has the best voice yet they never utilize it. Same thing with Len, he didn’t even get a solo song.

Rabbit: Well, it is named after Hatsune Miku so it’s understandable that she gets the bulk of the spotlight. Same with Hatsune Miku Live Party 2013 in Kansai. This time MKP39 backed up Miku and the others. Plus, appearances from KAITO and MEIKO were featured.

Tiger: Thousand Year Solo by yanagi-P and Piano x Forte x Scandal by OSTER project were notable inclusions. KAITO is okay but I love MEIKO, even though she’s from an older generation, I still like her sound.

Rabbit: Senbonzakura by Kurousa-P was a big crowd pleaser. I read that it was the #1 karaoke song amongst teens last year.

Tiger: As for what you actually see at these concerts, they use mirrors, smoke, and some pretty cool projectors to make Hatsune Miku and company appear on stage. Some of the staging looks better than others. I know in the LA show, you could see the reflection of the audience which was distracting. Kansai looked a lot better and they also seemed to have a larger stage to work with. I don’t recall seeing a strings section with the Kansai band though, I would want to go to a concert that has a least a few strings.

Rabbit: So would you pay to see Hatsune Miku live in concert?

Tiger: Probably not. While I do enjoy the music, I’d rather spend my money on a real musical experience like A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. Now, if it was a Kagamine Len concert, I might change my mind, but it doesn’t really appeal to me. It’s a novelty that would be fun to see but I’m not going out of my way for it. Plus, you’d have to be there with a bunch of other people jumping and dancing and waving blow sticks that look like bunching onions in your face. I like dressing up in formal wear, going to a fancy restaurant, and then sitting to enjoy my music.

Rabbit: You’re just lazy and you sound like one of those classical music snobs.

Tiger: I can’t help it; I was trained by those snobs. Actually, they were really nice people, but they did instill in me a deeper appreciation of classical music and music in general. This is a good time to plug one of my favorite podcasts – Learning to Listen by Emily Reese. If you want to learn more about classical music from a non-snob classical music lover, she’s the one to listen to. She also does a great podcast about video game music called Top Score.

Rabbit: You know, you always get mad at me for hijacking our conversations but you just did it too! Now get back on your segway and segue back to the topic at hand!

Tiger: Point of order, you were the one that pulled me off topic. Its okay, I’m pretty much done. My answer is a big fat no, though I’d go with you if you asked.

Rabbit: Maybe I don’t want to go with you. Maybe I’ll go with Martin.

Tiger: It would be cheaper to go with him. So I take it you would pay to see Hatsune Miku?

Rabbit: In a heartbeat! I think it would be pretty special to see her perform live. To hear the band and share the experience with other fans, I couldn’t imagine a better time. Plus, it’d be neat to see the Vocaloids in all their different costumes. I wonder how they change so fast? I would definitely appreciate the opportunity to attend though I’m not sure if I’ll ever get the chance. She doesn’t seem to come up this way but if she did, I’d buy tickets in a heartbeat. I want to get that onion glow stick just so I can mess with you.

Tiger: *shakes head* You’re hopeless.

Would You Pay to See a Vocaloid Live in Concert?
Tiger     vs     Rabbit

Random Happy Time, 31 O'Clock - Best Concert Ever!

Tiger and Rabbit discuss which musical artists they would love to see in concert. From deceased composers to contemporary pop stars, these furry compatriots chat about their favorite musicians.

**^^**
Rabbit: If you could see anyone in concert, living or dead, who would it be?

Tiger: Clara Wieck Schumann for sure.

Rabbit: I’d go for the Grateful Dead.

Tiger: Really? I thought you would’ve picked Boston or Cream.

Rabbit: Ooh, how about Megadeath? (ﾉ> ◇ <)ﾉ♪

Tiger: Uh, no thank you. I’d rather see Keane or The Decemberists if I chose a contemporary group. Oh I know! The Ink Spots or Lady Day, yeah, now I would kill for tickets to see them play live.

Rabbit: ♪(┌・。・)┌ I want to see Rabu Raibu! in concert!

Tiger: As long as Nico doesn't get a solo.

Rabbit: ^makes bunny ears with fingers^ Nico! Nico! Nii! ૮⍝◜•˕̮•◝⍝ა

Tiger: ヽ(#`Д´)ﾉ

Rabbit: So violent. I’d love to see Kujikawa Rise live.

Tiger: *shakes head*

Rabbit: Or at least see the Persona 3 musical. They've also done stage shows for Danganronpa as well.

Tiger: (((*°▽°*)八(*°▽°*)))♪ I’d definitely join you for that, seeing a maniacal teddy bear serial killer on stage would make my day. What about recent Broadway shows?

Rabbit: Spider-Man!

Tiger: How about no, I heard that was a terrible show. （；¬＿¬)

Rabbit: From all the injuries to special effects malfunctioning; I did hear it was an absolute mess.

Tiger: It also looks amazingly stupid.

Rabbit: How about Wicked then?

Tiger: We've already seen that one. (－‸ლ)

Rabbit: We poor unfortunate souls!

Tiger: Wrong one.

Rabbit: What?

Tiger: You want something like “my precious!”

Rabbit: That doesn’t sound right either…

Tiger: "Pretties?" I’m pretty sure it was "pretties." I know there are monkeys in it.

Rabbit: ^singing^ Hey, hey we’re the monkeys! And people say we monkey around!

Tiger: Okay, that’s enough, you’re reaching now.

Rabbit: ( ･᷄ㅂ･᷅ ) But I was just getting started.