As the title suggests…
The other day, something came into my possession by total surprise!

Yes, the elusive Heaven is a Place on Earth single! At last, it is mine!!

Unlike releases before this, I was a little more familiar with the contents of this single before purchase, if you know what I mean. But most of it was still pretty new to me. The single might be 5+ months old by now, but I shall write about it anyway.

Yeah, cover is cute, but totally not the highlight of the jacket (as it never is for me). Nanjolno’s photo on the inside is! I’ve been using the picture as an icon elsewhere all this time. I’m a little sad that the back cover has those scan lines all over it.
I noticed that the other side of the back cover, the photo with just a chair, appears to have some kind of writing on the left side. The font is incredibly tiny and not meant to be read, but I wonder what is written there?

As usual, I went straight to the DVD when I opened the goods. But music first!

Heaven is a Place on Earth
is a cute song. I like it more now than I did back in the summer. It has a typical piano introduction with those fripSide bells. I think the melody flows really well from verse to pre-chorus to chorus. When the chorus comes back after the guitar solo, I wish Nanjolno had sung the parts over the piano a little softer. I like the variation on the melody during the final line. I do wonder: is it necessary for this track to be 5 minutes long? I have no problems with long songs (that’s a prerequisite for being a fripSide fan) but some are long for… no reason. Looking forward to summer again so I can feel this whole song during the hot season!
As far as cute pop tracks go, this isn’t my favorite, but it’s good.

The end of summer
Love when Sat goes down the 3/4 route. A painful love ballad to pair with a happy, uplifting lead track. The ballad is very fripSide-standard but I’m happy to hear this kind of song again. The music is really pretty and I like listening to the instrumental alone as well. It’s much easier to hear and appreciate the bass and other lower tones that way. My favorite parts are the verses, definitely. However, although the name is “The end of summer,” I do not sense any season when I listen to this song. Maybe it will have more of an impact when summer comes around again.
I prefer this song to Heaven~.

All around, the single was very solid. Not my favorite (I’d say that’s still future gazer), but it’s not bad.

NOW the video which I wrote about first. I almost posted this without talking about the songs! I wrote it as I watched as I usually do.

Let's totally get off this helicopter and sing our song to the world

I love fripSide videos. This time, the place to rock out is a helicopter pad. Seriously, they really choose the most random places to sing (not that music videos are ever supposed to make sense like that).

That car ride looks depressing. Why are they so depressed? The song should be refreshing their spirits!

Through the first half, there are clips of an old house between the two traveling in a limo and the helicopter scenes. They must be heading there to clean it. It’s old, it’s dusty, it has cobwebs. Maybe that’s why they look so sad in the car.
Here comes the second verse. We find out a man in a wheelchair, played by Shiro Kishibe, owns the house. His home is still a dust trap with all those maids?

I don't think you'll find a tambourine in there...

He spends the rest of the second part ordering his maids to search his house for something and getting angry because they can’t find it. Or perhaps he’s telling them to clean up. Because I can’t imagine anyone leaving anything on a chandelier. Oh, he was looking for his tambourine? Just in time! fripSide has arrived and have decided to hold another jam session on his porch. Perhaps the message in this video is that music heals us. As soon as he finds his precious instrument, he gains the strength to rise from his wheelchair and stand on his own feet. (Another possible message: the simplest things in life can bring us peace)

The story itself hard to wrap my head around. How is this guy related to fripSide? A relative, or…? I mean, why are they visiting this man? Maybe the extras are a nod to the movie the song is for? I don’t know. I guess I’ll just take the PV as it is and not think too much into it.

Bringing music of happiness and courage no matter where we go

Anyway, besides the depressing scenes of the guy looking for his treasure, the video is very bright and vivid. This is the second fripSide video that’s been so colorful. It was definitely a perfect summer video.

Shots of Nanjolno in the room with the curtains are all sooooo gorgeous!! I like how she’s sitting on the same chair that is shown in the beginning. The first time we see said piece of furniture, the scene is dark and gloomy. Her presence brings the room color and peace.

Now, for some context on the tambourine, Shiro Kishibe was in a band called The Tigers a few decades ago and played a tambourine. His roles also included vocals and playing guitar and maracas.

Now for some random screen caps of the making-of. Riding the camera crane thingy looks like mad fun.

And that is all. Now hoping way to answer magically appears before me one day so I can watch the ending of the Railgun PV saga!

If you were someone who left their contact information, please make sure to read the bottom of this post!!

Here are the results of the first two questions. Many thanks to everybody who did the poll!

“Would you join a comm?”
Yes – 65%
Yes w/ existing log-in – 27%
No – 8%

“Would you prefer forum or blog?” (in hindsight I should have included a ‘no preference’ option)
Forum – 69%
Blog – 31%

I was really excited to see the enthusiasm from everyone who answered!! Even 62% of everyone who answered said they would help update. That is *awesome*!! And all the comments about forum sections? ♡♡. But, these percentages represent a pool of only 26 responses.

There is nothing more I desire than a community for fripSide… that is why I’ve been thinking hard about this, and reluctant to post anything because I wanted to think this through!! I want this to work out so much. For all of us who would like one.

To those who said they would help with running the comm or behind-the-scenes work:
thank you so much for your offers!!! Seeing the interest here made me happier than anything else, it truly did ^^ I may not contact anyone since I haven’t decided where to go. You guys are amazing, and again, thank you♡♡

Even now, I’m still thinking about this. I have a few options I’m considering, including the winning option on the poll.

If anybody has any thoughts, please leave them here, thanks♡

There are some differences in this version than the original. Just like the lyrics of bright days -version2005- are different than bright days. Also, when I ripped this album to my computer, this song was marked as a ‘nao’ song and not ‘fripSide’.

The lyric changes also apply to the ‘erica demo version’, except the pre-chorus is the “ano toki ni…” section.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

the pieces of winter we shared, the ones turning this vast world into a white canvas,
i want to let them be and shine on…

i met you while looking for a place to keep warm
we walked hand in hand through a painfully sweet city

memories and photos from then are still beautiful
no one knows how much they’ve meant to me

drifting far apart or our red thread snapping
won’t stop my love
i can’t say how much i miss you, and time is erasing the road to you…

the powder snow whispers about a place for my love
and painted the colors of my heart a bright white…
i’m holding onto hope that we have a future together
i know that will melt my frozen body…

i wanna be a stronger person when a new day comes
when i’m reborn into that person, i’ll go straight for your side again

there are the illuminations we looked at together back then
and the same chiming bells and nostalgic songs which are losing their luster
will their melodies fade to peaceful silent soon?

the heavy snow falling in your tracks
painted the color of my heartache with a thick layer of white…
i’m holding onto hope that we have a future together
i know that will melt my frozen body…

○the powder snow whispers about a place for my love
and painted the colors of my heart a bright white…
i’m holding onto hope that we have a future together
i know that will melt my frozen body…

○repeat

i’m yours, always and forever… frozen.. waiting for you…
shining so brilliantly… frozen… waiting for me…

.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.

hiroi kono sekai wo　shiroku some agete’ku
anata to mitsuketa fuyu no KAKERA wo kagayakasetai

atataka na ibasho wo sagashi, anata to deaeta
te wo tsunaide aruku　machi wa setsunaku yasashikatta

ano koro no shashin mo　omoide mo kirei na mama de
dare ni mo shirarezu ni　taisetsu ni daki tsudukete’ta

karande’ku　anata to no kono akai ito
tookute mo kirete te mo omoi kienai
aitakute　ienakute　toki ga anata e no michi wo keshite’ku…

konayuki ga sasayaku　kono koi no yukue wo
kono kokoro no naka wo　shiroku shiroku somete kureta nara…
zutto negatte iru　anata to no mirai ga
kitto kooritsuita mama no watashi wo tokashite yuku…

atarashii ashita wa　tsuyoi watashi ni naritai
umare kawareru nara　mou ichido anata no moto e

ano toki ni miageteta IRUMINE-SHON
tsutsumareta kane no oto to natsukashii uta
nano ni ima, iroawasete　oto mo naku shizuka ni kiete iku no?

anata no ashiato ni　furitsumoru kono yuki
kono kokoro no itami　fukaku shiroku somete kureta nara…
zutto negatte iru　anata to no mirai ga
kitto kooritsuita mama no watashi wo tokashite yuku…

*konayuki ga sasayaku　kono koi no yukue wo
kono kokoro no naka wo　shiroku shiroku somete kureta nara…
zutto negatte iru　anata to no mirai ga
kitto kooritsuita mama no watashi wo tokashite yuku…

*repeat

zutto zutto ima mo… freeze… am waiting for you…
toumei ni hikatta… freeze… am waiting for me…

What a beautiful song♡

I gazed at the night sky beyond the window glass
during an hour when the winter faeries descend from above
an hour I spent all on my own
please, let me forget all this loneliness, give me wings to fly

I thought day would come by dreaming
I still want to believe
images of us flash in my mind. we were so naive, questioned nothing
we cuddle close and fade away

a warm light is shining on this town covered in snow,
mending the tattered wings in my broken heart
getting on my feet, I knock on the door to a new day
and move on as the season whispers

my days have been nights since going our separate ways
times when the winter faeries sparkle with light
these nights I spent all on my own
please, give me wings to fly somewhere far away from the pain

in the past, I’d chase you and have fun times together
I believed in us, and still want to believe
our time was short. we were so naive, questioned nothing
we drift apart and fade away

a warm light is shining on this town covered in snow,
mending the tattered wings in my broken heart
getting on my feet, I knock on the door to a new day
and move on as the season whispers

feelings all of you run through my mind… your smile to this day still amazes me
but now I know how reality can be, that’s why I’m moving on

a warm light is shining on this town covered in snow,
mending the tattered wings in my broken heart
getting on my feet, I knock on the door to a new day
and move on as the season whispers

❄･:｡.｡:･❆･:｡.｡:･❄･:｡.｡:･❆･:｡.｡:･❄･:｡.｡:･❆･:｡.｡:･❄

garasu goshi ni　yozora wo　miagete ita
fuyu no yoseitachi ga　maiorite kuru jikan
hitorikiri de sugoshita　samishisa to ka
wasuresasete　onegai　tsubasa wo kudasai

yume wo mi tsudukete　ashita wa kanarazu kuru to shinjite’ta
ima de sae　believe in negau
me no mae ni ukabu　utagau koto wo shiranai
muku datta futari　yorisoi　kiete’ku

yuki no furu kono machi ni mo　atatakai hikari ga sashi
oreta hane wo iyashite’ru　kizutsuita kokoro no oku
ashioto ga kikoete kuru　asu e no tobira tataite
me no mae no michi wo susumu　kisetsu ga meguru　toki no naka de

wakarete kara　kyou made　yoru wo kasane
fuyu no yoseitachi ga　kagayaki dasu shunkan
hitorikiri de sugoshita　setsunasa to ka
doko ka tooku　kanata e　tsubasa wo kudasai

anata wo oikake　warai atta ano toki wa
shinjite’ta　ima de sae　believe in negau
hakanai genjitsu　utagau koto wo shiranai
muku datta futari　hanarete　kiete’ku

yuki no furu kono machi ni mo　atatakai hikari ga sashi
oreta hane wo iyashite’ru　kizutsuita kokoro no oku
ashioto ga kikoete kuru　asu e no tobira tataite
me no mae no michi wo susumu　kisetsu ga meguru　toki no naka de

meguru omoi　anata dake　egao ga ima mo mabushii
hontou wa wakatte iru　dakara mae ni susunde’ku

yuki no furu kono machi ni mo　atatakai hikari ga sashi
oreta hane wo iyashite’ru　kizutsuita kokoro no oku
ashioto ga kikoete kuru　asu e no tobira tataite
me no mae no michi wo susumu　kisetsu ga meguru　toki no naka de

Do you want a community where you can share fripSide everything??

I’ve been thinking about this a long, long time.

February will mark 10 years since fripSide was established and their first song, Love to sing. That’s a really long time!

In these 10 years, there has not been a community for fripSide in English. Nothing I’ve seen so far I would call a community. The deal with the LJ comm: long story short,  LiveJournal is not my ideal place anymore.

I’m looking for something where we can all post about fripSide. It’s not just me, it’s not just news updates. It’d be a place where we share our favorite songs, our favorite videos, gifs, icons, scans, amvs, remixes, you name it. A place we can actually have discussions. Whether it’s just 5, 100, or 1000 of us.

I’d love if everybody could answer the survey I created. Comments are appreciated, too. Name and email are not required to leave a comment on my blog! The more answers I get, the more I can gauge interest in this.

Remember, the community would include EVERYTHING fripSide!!

I’ll be closing the poll on Jan 22.
If you did not vote for whatever reason, please do.

→→ Poll for Interest in a Community ←←
Please answer, it’s very quick and only a couple of questions =)
Can’t embed because WordPress doesn’t like code that’s not HTML.

PS: If you have friends who love fripSide, please point them over here =)
I do not have Facebook, but if anyone would like to post this over there… I’d like this to reach as many people as possible ^^