Hi I'm Dranzerstorm
You may remember me as a regular contestant on the caption battle contest.
Welcome to Retro Retrospective, my world dedicated to the old guard of the Otaku world; expect some reviews of the old & obscure, and in-depth geeky knowledge with the occasional top ten and I now have a logo.
Little info about me
Well I'm British and I'm in to all things animated and nostalgia.
I've grown up with every cartoon going and have watched hundreds of anime.
Oh and to answer a question I was asked once, no I don't wear glasses in real life, I would wear Loke's sunglasses though.
Over in Europe we have a music competition known as the Eurovision song contest where competing countries send some of the most weird and unusual musical performances ever. Over in Japan, you get some of these unusual music anime, some of these entries cover more than one title.
1. Adding Ice Skating to your Idol show from Pretty Rhythm Aurora Dream
The pretty franchise has always been capable of adding several different elements to it's idol shows, the Prism Stars combine song and dance with fashion and figure skating to set the standard that saw it become a major franchise and be followed up with ever more crazy stunts and rainbow coloured performances.
2. The Magical Wardrobe to the Virtual Stage from Aikatsu
Aikatsu definitely has the best system for stage costumes as well as staging in general, by inserting cards into the Aikatsu system will allow each idol to emerge on stage fully ready to sing. Aikatsu Planet pushes this further by having live action actresses enter the Aikatsu World.
3. Reviving Classical Composers as Super Powered beings from ClassicaLoid
Imagine Beethoven as a hammy, gyoza obsessed bishy, imagine Mozart with flashy pink hair, imagine Liszt as a big booba anime girl, imagine them having everything from mecha and earth shattering powers then you get this anime.
4. A Mixed Genre Pop Group Performing on the Moon from Wandaba Style
The often forgotten comedy about an eccentric boy genius using the cleanest of technologies to get a pop band to perform on the moon is every bit as funny as you can imagine.
5. Blues Band chasing money for a Concert Hall on their Daikon Field from Nerima Daikon Brothers
Hideaki, Mako and Ichiro form the Nerima Daikon Brothers, a group of Daikon Farmers with loose family ties attempt to make money for their own concert hall with very wacky schemes plaguing them every time.
6. Zombie Idol Group from Zombieland Saga
So how to revitalise a declining idol business? Bring in zombie girls to make your band, because why not?
7. American Idol on Mars from Carole & Tuesday
While the plot to this anime is mostly played straight, you still get all the most bizarre performances in the talent show Mars Brightest, an obvious homage to talent shows. Highlights include the Mermaid Sisters, Fire Brothers and OG Bulldog
8. Ancient Marble Head Statues as Idols from Sekko Boys
Take the statues or Mars, Saint Giorgio, Hermes and Medici and make them a boyband because why not?
9. Music is a Super Power from Symphogear
In what I consider the dumbest anime franchise of all time, Symphogear combines idol singing with super armour powered fights with alien beings.
10. Isekai'd a Chinese Military Strategist into modern day Japan to become a night club legend from Ya Boy Kongming
Zhuge Liang or Kongming if you prefer gets a second chance in modern Japan and ends up becoming a legend in Shibuya with his sick rapping skills and using his tried and tested strategies to maximise the popularity of his nightclub and singing partner.
11. Turning Pilots into Idols from Idol Defence Force Hummingbird
This is what happens when you allow private companies to run your military, this unique experience actually offered a role to a very important voice actress, more in an upcoming review.
12. Singing is a Super Power from Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch
It actually isn't that weird for mermaids to use their voices as a power, what is weird is them becoming human idols to do it complete with idol dresses.
13. Becoming a Teen Idol by Magic from Creamy Mami
Quite big in the 80s when your average ten year old transforms into a teen Idol Singer.
14. Becoming a Teen Idol by Magic because Cancer from Full Moon Wo Sagashite
Arina Tanemura's take on the genre, features a girl given the chance to make her dreams come true because she's going to die soon. It gets worse from here.
15. Becoming Teen Idols by Magic to Save the Fairy Tale World
The much younger girls in Lilpri take on the forms of three classic teenage princesses to make the world happy again.
16. It's Supposed to be a Mecha Series from Macross
Nothing about Macross' mecha content is ever remembered it's always the idols and rock bands, I'm fairly convinced this was also a rhythm game at one point.
17. Liberating the Japanese People Using Smexy Male Rockstars from Bakumatsu Rock
I'm not making that up, a rock band is being used to liberate Japan from the Tokugawa Shogunate.
18. Singing Summons the Rain from The World is Still Beautiful
Whenever Nike sings about a tender rain, it absolutely pours it down.
Villain Songs are a core part of any good Animation production whether it be "Poor Unfortunate Souls" or the gripping "Hellfire" but some are just bizarre full stop so here are the Top 10 Most Bizarre Villain Songs.
Rules this time that it covers all forms of Animation including anime so lets begin.
10. "Money is Such a Beautiful Word" from Tom & Jerry: The Movie
This song tried to be too much like a Disney Villain song but fails to hit the mark, it doesn't help that you're singing with a lawyer with a creepy voice. Although a fat dog dancing with his Skateboard certainly comes under weird.
9. "Nothing Can Stop the Smooze" from My Little Pony: The Movie
Behold as we see the Pokemon Muk in his role before breaking into Pokemon. Made even more appealing by the ship powered by enormous bra sails.
8. "In the Dark of the Night" from Anastasia
Apparently the underworld is full of singing bugs which takes a lot off the effect of this awesome villain song.
7. "Team Rocket's Theme Song" from Pokemon
Sang every now and again as a change from the motto this awesome song features gratuitous rolling and strobe light effects. Although with Team Rocket being more dignified these days we no longer see any songs.
6. "Elmer Fudd: Wabbit Slayer" from Looney Tunes
This kind of cheats seeing as it was never seen in an actual cartoon but makes up for it by being awesome none the less. Have a see for yourself.
It's a fan made video but the song is still awesome.
5. "Yami no Baroque" from Mermaid Melody
Courtesy of the Black Beauty Sisters who are rather close for sisters, this song plays as the villain's main form of attack. What makes this funnier to watch is that their song is better than the Mermaid's songs.
4. "All Villain Songs" from Nerima Daikon Brothers
Every villain has a song in this anime, although my personal favorite comes from the fortune teller with the lyric "Cosmic Erection", this is the same series that contains an all singing, all dancing song for withdrawing money.
3. "I Can Change" from South Park: The Movie
Saddam Hussein can really bust moves in this film by break dancing, all the while trying to convince Satan he's not as bad as he really is.
2. "Evilmainya" from Freddie as FRO7
Singer Grace Jones singing as a cobra to dancing gestapo and KKK members. In fact TV Tropes described it better with "KKK Members on Roller Skates doing the Macarena", let that sink in for a second.
1. "The Music Meister" from Batman: Brave and the Bold
But nothing creates such a scene than the Music Meister, one of the most well received non-canon Batman villains since Harley Quinn back in the 90s cartoon. The whole episode is a musical with some brilliant singing from the Meister himself, in fact he almost succeeds on a global level by turning the world into a musical crime fest, before receiving the Batman trademark hook.
If there's any I missed do say so and I'll try and reply, see ya next time.
