Love Live! Songs & Costumes

I'm back, with more lists that nobody cares about! This time, it's my favorite songs and costumes from Love Live. I've been considering doing a small introductory write-up on Love Live, with season 2 coming up in the 2014 Spring line-up.

 

Just a small foreword, firstly that as usual, this isn't so much a "best of" list so much as it is my personal favorites. Secondly, I know when it comes to shows (and music) like Love Live, it can be pretty hit or miss. Personally, it took me some time before I really got into it, and from there it kinda grew on me more.

 

I do think there's a huge component where if you like something, you're more open/willing to subjugate yourself to it and enjoy it. Likewise, things that you don't like so much you become more quick to reject and less forgiving. Hopefully I can explain what I enjoy about Love Live when I end up making the "brief introduction to" post. But for now, lists!

 

(The songs are linked in the names, so just click them if you want to hear the song)

 

Songs (μ's):

1) Wonderful Rush

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I've lost count of how many times I've listened to Wonderful Rush, but it's certainly more than any other song.

 

2) No Brand Girls

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This song gets me so pumped. So pumped! 壁は Hi Hi Hi 壊せるものさ Hi Hi Hi 倒せるものさ!

 

3) 夏色えがおで1,2,Jump! (Natsuiro Egao de 1, 2, Jump!)

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I actually nearly overlooked this song entirely because I was so in love with Wonderful Rush, but after giving it a chance I found it's actually a really nice/catchy song.

 

4) もぎゅっと“love”で接近中! (Mogyutto "LOVE" de Sekkin Chuu!)

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I'll be frank, I actually hated this song the first time I heard it. Everything about it just rubbed me the wrong way, but the more I listened to it, the more I found myself warming to it. I think the PV really helped it out in this regard, the animation is beautiful!

 

5) Start:Dash!!

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I like both versions of this song (the trio and μ's), though their first performance of it was far more emotional. It was really nice throwing it in the end as a nice callback to how they started.

 

Songs (solo/pair):

1) もうひとりじゃないよ (Mou Hitori Ja Nai yo)

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I think this is currently the only song from Love Live that I truly consider "beautiful". Really shows just how good Honoka's VA is at singing, despite her being constantly overshadowed my Maki and Umi.

 

2) 硝子の花園 (Garasu no Hanazono)

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Err, this totally isn't in here because it's my favorite pairing singing about yuri or anything. I swear. Also, if you can read Japanese, you should totally check this video out. It's what made me fall in love with the song.

 

3) 恋のシグナルRin rin rin! (Koi No Shigunaru Rin Rin Rin!)

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I don't care what anybody thinks, this is the catchiest song in all of Love Live. Bar none.

 

4)勇気のReason (Yuuki No Reason)

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Gah, I love Umi's voice when she goes all Umi-mode. Doesn't hurt that the song is really nice, too.

 

5) Mermaid Festa Vol. 2 ~Passionate~

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These two are far better at singing than most people give them credit for, and this song really shows it. I really love the intro to this song.

 

Costumes:

1) Wonderful Rush

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Favorite song, favorite costume. They got everything right with Wonderful Rush. EVERYTHING! I pray that they actually perform this song in Season 2 like they did with 僕らのLIVE 君とのLIFE, but I know it won't happen.

 

4) もぎゅっと“love”で接近中! (Mogyutto "LOVE" de Sekkin Chuu!)

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I really love these costumes, and I honestly feel like this PV was the best animated out of the 6 that have come out. The scene where Honoka has her solo is just incredible. Go watch it if you haven't already!

 

2) No Brand Girls

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The live performance really made me fall in love with these outfits. Dat black, white and gold.

 

4) 僕らのLIVE 君とのLIFE (Bokura no LIVE, Kimi to no LIFE)

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I think originally this was my favorite costume set, but as other songs began to grow on me it started slipping down the list. I still really like it, just not as much as some other ones.

 

5) Snow Halation

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For me the Snow Halation outfit is similar to the Wonderful Rush outfit (in that it's primarily white & clean) but less appealing. Still, there's something about white outfits that I really like.

 

Okay, that's all for now. The wait til season 2 seems so long!

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