I JUST opened my package that came today and I did NOT expect to see what I did: not only was the album in a foil-covered box that is absolutely GORGEOUS, but it came with a REMIX CD! That’s right, it came with an extra bonus that wasn’t advertised! It was the first thing I saw when I opened the box, so I thought, “wow I didn’t know the special edition came with a different cover-OMG WAIT THIS IS A BONUS CD!” The cover is awesome. For all of you who opted to download this instead of buy, you are truly missing out. Nothing beats getting that kind of surprise.
Just a note before I begin: Though this is a new debut album, as a long-time fan, I can’t help but reference older works. It’s very clear that fripSide has moved on and wants to leave the old era in the past, so please excuse my earlier comparison of future gazer to Binarydigit, but I said not to take that seriously anyway.
lol @ my pink walls reflecting on the box
Let’s talk about the photobooklet. First of all, it’s a fold-out with two sides. The photography is well done and the color palette are exquisite. The first side I looked at was Nanjo in her white dress. It was the Nanjo we’ve all grown to love, the Nanjo with her cute face, the sparkles around her eyes, the sweet image. So when I flipped over to the back side, I was not expecting what I saw: Nanjolno was dressed in black, complete with a with a classic black-haired bob-cut. She looks gorgeous and, dare I say, sexy in a very classy and avante-garde kind of way. Did I mention Sat looks handsome in his black suit? He appears only on the ‘cover’ and on the backside with who I’m going to call dark Nanjo. He has his arms out and a look on his face that says, ‘See, I told you, everyone looks better in black!’
Next, the lyrics booklet. fripSide hasn’t had an album packaged so well since Binarydigit! The theme is clear, the art direction is amazing. I thought the direction for split tears was a little disjointed and I didn’t get what the artist was trying to go for when he put the booklet together. We’ve all known the cover for a month now: Yoshino Nanjo laying down with colorful wire coiled around parts of her body. The wires are seen on every page. The pictures in the jacket almost tell their own story. She starts off as light Nanjo, the one covered in wires, who’s playing with the incomplete black circle on the cover. Then after the page with crossing over lyrics, she ‘crosses over’ to dark Nanjo who is free from the colored wires and stands on her own. There are a few ways anyone could interpret this. Maybe it’s a way of showing how she will continue to evolve her own image, her infinite synthesis. Hey, maybe I’m just making something out of nothing, but that’s part of the fun of art, right? To find your own interpretation. The back of CD look awesome in foil, Sat looks awesome in foil. fripSide needs more of the shiny.
After looking at both the photo sleeve and booklet, I’m really happy not to come across any traces to anime. This is the first time since debut that the pair has been showcased and have been completely separated from their tie-ins. I love it whether they are an ani-song band or not.
And then came the music! I listened to the new songs in order, skipping the ones I’ve already heard and then going back to them.
I’m serious, go out and buy this album right now. If you downloaded it, enjoyed it, and don’t plan on buying it, really, shame on you. Not for the tl;dr crowd
