And it is time! Faster than ever before:
It's Judgement TimeFirst of all, thanks to all the artists who have contributed. We had five entries this time, though two were by the same person. Well, submitting several entries seperately is allowed after all
Even more amazing though is that three of the five entries were music. It's nice to see both the visual artists and the musicians are working hard and producing a lot of very good works. Keep it up, you make this board the nice place it is~
Well then, let us see what the entries this time were and how they fared. I like tension, so we will start from the back.
Fifth PlaceArtist: Flamezero
Entry:
Listen hereScore:30
Comments:
Huh, and IOSYS-like. Well, I suppose foreign children voices have a kind of back to school feel. Kinda. I suppose it all comes together pretty well, technically speaking, but it's not really all that interesting to listen to. 4/10
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... I... do not comprehend. I'm sorry, but is this a joke entry? I mean, I respect the Cirno's Perfect Math Class song, but just that overlaid with electric guitar in the background? Really?
... well, it DOES pick up around 1:40: That part does a good job of complementing the background "baaaka baaaka." Unfortunately, before that the electric guitar usually sounded more like noise than a complement to the tune.
Sorry if I'm being a jackass with this one, but I'm not sure I want to give this more than a 3 out of 10. I think it would have worked better with either a live video to show the skill behind it (if that was the case) or if you could find some way to better mix the volume levels to make the guitar stand out from the song. I think a lyric-less version of it, at the very least, would have worked better. Sorry, man. Not feelin' it.
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7/10
This fits the back to school theme well, but not so much the autumn.
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Cirno's Perfect Math Class! A classic, and one that tackles what all youth hates (or loves, but that's different), school. It didn't get the Autumn part much though, but it did give the "back to school, @*(#&*!"
Anyway, I'm not really a fan of distortion guitars over an existing composition, but I'd say this is well-made. The only thing I can point out is that there are times when they just don't mix well (this is mainly my opinion though) around 0:22-0:43 for example. Also, around 1:19~1:20 (when the vocals say "guruguru", the guitar just went a little strong, and it kinda turned off the portion for me. However, 1:39, is the whole point of this song, and onwards, it was great.
However, the greatest weakness, I think, was the fact that I can't feel any Autumn vibes on this song. It kinda felt like a summer extravaganza, to be honest. It's too lively, too powerful, way too powerful for the fragile autumn.
Score: 8
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5/10
Oh god, I did not see this coming.
Strangely (Not in a bad way, of course!) the entry does tie in with the "Back to School" theme, but "Autumn" theme in this entry seems to elude me. I can only assume that the guitar was done by the entrant, which is very well done~ Although, it sounds like the guitar was edited over the original song, which bothers me a little. When I listen to it, my mind would tune out the guitar and I would only be listening to CPMC. Maybe you could have it so that you could just have vocals + guitar.
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Cirno depicts cold, something I'd assign not only to winter, but also to Autumn. But the guitar and the song chosen dont give off an authentic autumny feel.
3/10. Not that it sucks, but it's not fitting imo.
Fourth PlaceArtist: Sercan
Entry:
Listen hereScore: 44
Comments:
I suppose it sounds nice, but I'm not feeling any autumn in this. And that giant gap from 6:00-6:09? What is that even doing there? Don't just put two songs on the same track, make some effort to put them together. Despite that, and despite the fact this doesn't feel like fall, I'll give it a good score just because this is only music entry I found pleasant enough to listen to more than once. 7/10
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Half-improvised, unpracticed live piano? This should be interesting.
Occasional awkward pauses and clear slip-ups, but it sounds pretty good. I like it, overall. Unfortunately, those slip-ups DO hurt it, and the limited tune selection starts to drag on after a few minutes. I'm not sure I'm getting too much of an autumn/school feeling from it, either.
It's great for what you had to work with, I can tell, but my gut's saying to peg this around a 7 out of 10 for the occasional bit of clumsiness, despite the quality (and definite piano skill).
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7/10 Quite impressive you pulled it off without alot of practice. You stumble a bit now and again, but all in all, a beautiful arrange.
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A slow buildup at the start really reminds me of autumn leaves falling. You know, like taking a stroll in the park in the morning or evening, it really hikes people up.
Minoriko's theme is a theme I will always love, because it conveys the changes of autumn. The quick pace of melodies, the changes in the melodic line, it is a reflection of autumn itself.
1:37-ish sounded awkward. Approaching that mark, it sounded like the piece was being rushed, instead of pacing with its full grandeur. It is not that bad, but it slightly blotches the melodies around that time.
2:25 build up is really good and complemented by 2:49 onwards, it's great. It sounded like Minoriko's theme, but it is quite different, a stroke of originality indeed.
Also a fan of Centennial Festival, it's a great Extra Stage theme, and it really sounds like a festival. Very encouraging, hitting the theme of this contest dead-on. What I didn't like was the long silence between the two compositions, but I guess it's just me being impatient.
Not a fan of the long slow parts though, but it really conveys the pacing of autumn, slow but it is actually moving subtly under your nose. If you don't actually pay attention, you'll miss a lot about autumn.
There are very good improvisations in the piece, and shows a lot in originality. Even if it sounds awkward at times, improvisations are a big plus for me.
Score: 9
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8/10
Piano ranges! My favorite~ How did you know? :3
(Plus I love Centennial Festival of Magical Girls.) Great job on both of the songs.
ZUN does have a way with making songs great for piano music, but you on the other hand, give the songs a bit of your personality. (Someone who isn't afraid to not read sheet music, EHH? *Shot*) It was wonderful that parts of the music were slow, but changed pace as it went along. It sort of adds energy to it. Upon reading your description, it's pretty amazing that some of the parts were improvised. Adds personality, like its own song. Or something like that.
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My my. Such delicious piano play and such a delicious piano player, d- *shot brutally*
I spent too little time on my entry, seeing what other people have made. this one-shot recording contains unneccesary slowdowns, mistakes, and other bad things. The reverby pianos used here, give me the feel of autumn. I would say, this piece depicts the morning of the first school day pretty properly, especially the centennial part.. But I'm not gonna be egoistic here.
6/10
Third PlaceArtist: Aoshi
Entry:
See it hereScore: 45
Comments:
Cute, clever, but kind of lazy. Got me to learn a but more about Cummings, though. 5/10
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I rarely 'get' poetry, so much of the meaning of this is probably lost on me.
Still, I can at least catch the falling leaves references, and Shizuha's pose and involvement are really fitting. I don't think I 'get' it in full, and it's a really simple peice, but it's good - odd as it may sound, I think Shizuha's hands look quite good, for the complexity of that hand gesture. Proportions and coloring are also beyond immediate complaint. And come to think of it, it's a very nice font choice, as well.
I don't understand it in full, and I'm not seeing too much to it, but I do like it. I think this is worth a 7 out of 10 as well.
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9/10 The drawing might not be the best, but it seems to be the only entry that incorporates both Autumn, and back to school. Great job.
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Ah, a famous E. Cummings poem. For those who don't know, it could be read as "(a leaf falls), loneliness."
The drawing style is great, though the eyes could do a little improvement. It lacked highlights, and it looked a little dead inside. The theme was motivating people for autumn, it kind of negates that.
Honestly though, the poem itself is a little depressing, and philosophical. It makes people think, instead of making them lively for autumn.
Score: 8
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7/10
Simple picture is simple~~ Although, simplicity does add a nice touch to it, it doesn't seem to need a background. (Possibly ruin the overall "feeling" or "mood" in the situation?) It was nice that the entrant included a poem from E. E. Cummings, although a few people might not have heard of them. Considering the poem, it seems to fit well with fall, as the poem expresses a leaf falling in loneliness, or "oneliness." Even the way the poem is formatted to depict a leaf falling downwards express fall. The words "And finally..." in the corner could mean "And finally....fall begins." showing a leaf falling towards the grounds.
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holy shit, a poem. i find it fitting more to shizuha, than to autumn itself. But she IS autumn. ff, deep. and if thats not enough, the way the text is depicted along with the picture would make my dutch teacher fap.
9/10
Second PlaceArtist: Anunsew
Entry:
Listen hereScore: 46
Comments:
Hmmm. MoF mashup. Not bad flow, took me a minute to recognize Nitori's theme in that.There's some fun piano work, too. But overall, it just has less charm than the originals, the sounds don't blend together as well as they ought to. It's a good effort, but needs work. Does give a definitely autumn feel, though, so that saves it some points. 6/10
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Hmm... sounds like a pretty straightforward MoF medley, really. It flows well for the most part, and there are some nicely unexpected changeups from the usual MoF tunes. The piano from ~0:21 to ~1:06 and around ~4:20 to the end is a very nice departure from the norm. Some of the music transitions are a little jarring, though: the one at ~2:18 to Nitori's theme stands out to me, and not all of the segues are elegent. Still, quite good.
Overall, I like it. And while I don't know how much of the 'autumn' theme of it comes from the feel of the music and how much of it comes from the Mountain of Faith references, it does fit the theme. I'd give it a 8 out of 10.
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6/10
Wonderful stuff. Really made me picture falling leaves, and tied in to the theme of Autumn quite well. Not exactly sure how it ties into back to school, however.
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It's...quite long.
The intro was good, and it sets the mood of fall in mind. 1:07 sounded awkward though, it sounded like the tracks were just glued together. The piano was also a little too loud around that part. The drums of 1:30 were kinda surprising, along with Minoriko's theme tagging along.
The violin around 1:40 to 2:05 reminded me of Harvest Festivals. And then 2:18, Nitori's theme. Maybe it's kind of unbalanced, but I like the surprises this song brings. It's hard to guess what will happen next.
It reflects the aspect of what Autumn brings, uncertainties and changes. Autumn is a time of change, but you have to face it anyway, whether it be school or growing up. Around the end of the theme (4:05), the song turns into full force, like an encouraging mother that urges you to go on, despite what these changes may bring. Around 4:44, the song slows down, as if to tell the listener that what's next is up to his decision.
Anyway, it's a beautiful theme, and the only things I can speak against it is the fact that every part of the song is already an existing composition. Not much originality, but creativity makes up for the lack of it.
Score: 9
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9/10
A very creative piece! The title fits the song very well. The way the music sounds give it a MoF feeling to it, which is very Autumn-y indeed (But doesn't express "Back to School. Hrm.). (Although the beginning strangely sounds like Septette for the Dead Princess. Maybe it's just me.) The way melody changes significantly from slow and "peaceful" to fast and upbeat is a nice touch and you executed it nicely.
It saddened me when it finally ended but playing it again was like a different song every time.
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first off it sounded a little sleepy, with that harpsichord, an instrument i'd see more as a springy thing. but it built up really greatly. the piano is so delicious~ its happy feel and tempo changes make me like this more than most other pieces i've heard from this certain artist. even though my own idea of going to school again isn't as cheerful, this piece gives off the feel gappy described. oh god, that part with crescendo vibrato piano is eargasming.
I say 8/10. it's probably the best touhou medley i've heard in AAA.
And finally, the first place, and a well-deserved one. So well deserved, in fact, that one judge threatened to take away two points from everyone else to ensure the victory.
Not that it would have been necessary, because the six-point difference to the second place speaks for itself.
Ladies and Gentleman, the winner is...
First placeArtist: AoshiEntry:
Image 1Image 2Image 3Score: 52
Comments:
Creative and immediately interesting. This is a good entry. People need to do this more. Excellent placement, too. 9/10
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Oh, this one's clever. Well-drawn images of the Akis, put on fake leaves among a bunch of real ones? That's about as autumn as it gets, and in an unexpectedly effective way.
I really like it. My only real complaint is an unreasonable one - that the leaves the Akis are on look so fake and untextured compared to the real ones behind them, especially the hints of white paper visible on the edges. Would it have worked better with more stylized leaves without the veins, and/or fake ones for the other leaves as well? I don't know. But there's a few tweaks that could have made it a bit better, I think.
That said? They're not entirely reasonable ones. Despite the simplicitly, definitely worth a 9 out of 10.
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8/10 Haha these are adorable. And you can tell by the detail, that it took alot of effort to make.
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That is so cute!
It's a simple concept of portraying autumn, and what is best for that? Leaves!
The drawing and coloring style is great, although I kind of think that Minoriko's face was too round. But hey, I really like Shizuha's smile, and it gives me this warm, fuzzy feeling inside.
I feel so motivated that I feel like I could run a marathon right now!
Score: 9
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8/10
Creative. Seeing how the Aki sisters are the goddesses of fall, it seems fitting that they are on fall leaves themselves. (Especially Shizuha considering her ability.) (And maple leaves, no less. :3) ("Back to School.....?" :/) Although a little more care could go into Shizuha's leaf, which is noticeably smaller than that of Minoriko's. Maybe you should have used the same leaf as Minoriko for Shizuha. Also, it's pretty funny that those are the ONLY two red leaves in the vicinity of the ground. Doh ho ho~
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*listens to Different shades of Autumn*
Lovely! Very original indeed! I love how the background also has fallen leaves!
9/10
And that's it, Ladies and Gentleman, Artists and Musicians. Thank you once more for participating, and a big thanks as well to the judges and their detailed judgements. That really became a nice wall of text up there.
Aoshi, enjoy your Special Member tag, even if it doesn't do much.
The others, you shall get a nice blue Idiot Princess title for your participation.
A new contest will begin once Gappy decides on a theme, until then, keep up your good work and have fun, everyone~
