More on Arata Iiyoshi and His PMD Contributions

By now, it should be clear what the ongoing discussion topic is for my blog, and that would be Pokémon music. For that, the next discussion concerns a minor yet important figure in this realm. As I had brought up in a post reaching out to an external music game series I'm also interested in, in addition to contributing music there, Arata Iiyoshi has contributed to Pokémon by way of the Mystery Dungeon game series, obviously for its music. It's these contributions that I'd like to go over now in a little bit more depth to see how they are manifested.

According to genre, Arata's music is identified as "world" or "ethnic" music, so there are overtones of music styles from different regions. One of his BEMANI works, titled "BRIDAL FESTIVAL !!!", carries the genre of "happy jig" and with it thusly an Irish style; further, it too is remarkably similar to the opening music for the Rescue Team games and may be considered as close as it gets to having that in the said series of music games. The two pieces are still somewhat different, but the style is still definitively maintained regardless.

Meanwhile, there's also a certain diversity in his contributions to both BEMANI and Mystery Dungeon. The former is typically "electronica" but the world/ethnic style is "infused" therein, and the latter nicely adapts to various circumstances, including slow paces for tranquil settings and fast paces for intense circumstances (like boss battles). He also provides lyrics for some BEMANI songs, though of course that doesn't get put to use in Mystery Dungeon since it's all instrumental - yet one could try hard and compose lyrics for these if one wanted to.

I previously mentioned the "fusion of human emotion and nature", and an oft-cited example of this in the Mystery Dungeon realm is the music for the final throes of the Explorers games, from "Through the Sea of Time" to "Dialga's Fight to the Finish!", which also captures some of the diversity that I mentioned above. The instrumentation is definitely naturalistic yet the pacing and melodies are quite emotional, especially given the setting in which the music is placed in: a lead-up to and execution of a boss battle for the ages (literally).

One of Arata's aliases is "S.S.D.", which is short for "Shin Sound Design" and as such can be regarded as "New Sound Design", a common meaning of the first word in Japanese. World or ethnic music is nothing new - and some circles might also consider them "retro" - but it may be considered that true to the alias mentioned above, Arata can put his own "new" spin to it, evident in BEMANI and definitely applicable to Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. The manifestation brings together feelings, nature, and diversity, all of which are also thematic for Pokémon.

One year ago: Pokémon Species in Squeezy, Pillowy Form

Two years ago: Cosplay: Foodtopia Competitions

Three years ago: Introducing Mega Legendary Raids

Four years ago: Pokémon Asia McDonald's Happy Meal Toys - "Expedition Series", Selections

Five years ago: Hanging by a Cliff

Six years ago: Folding Paper for Pokémon

Seven years ago: Pokémon in Poké Balls Stickers

Eight years ago: Cosplay: J-COSHOKAI 2 - Utsukushii Hana

Do You or Do You Not Understand?

They don't understand

How we communicate

Or so many things

That we do and say

They don't really get

What it's all about

No they never can 

Understand - Pokémon

-- "They Don't Understand", Dream Street

Here too is something I meant to discuss much earlier because the momentum was there and less so now - and it should make clear about what I intend to discuss in the next few days. Back to that momentum, it involved an incident where a person of a high stature thought lowly of Pokémon, amounting it to a "small business" - when it's clear to most that it isn't. It's a case of the person not understanding the situation, which happens with or without Pokémon. With that, the above song that has ties to Pokémon becomes pertinent, moreover for the purpose of this discussion. 

This song, brought by perhaps a somewhat lesser-known boy band, is associated with the second feature film or movie in western regions, and is thus part of its "alternative" soundtrack wherever that's a concern. It was even performed live at a special event for the movie, affirming its status as such. The quoted part above is the chorus, which can be considered to carry the ultimatum of the song: that one finds someone else's lack of comprehension disturbing. Hence, the title of this post was conceived as a question, for which this song and its regard becomes the answer.

In a way, the song could be interpreted as encapsulating the relationships between people and Pokémon (species, that is) as they coexist with one another. The relationships don't necessarily result in comprehension between the two parties, but when that happens, the result is bliss. At least, until certain people come along and they say they don't understand the relationship between them, at which point one can try to make them understand. And if they still cannot understand... then it goes back to the lyrics of the song, and the people who are involved will have to answer the question.

As for connecting this to real life matters, it may not only concern the incident with the person as above but also personal ones - as in, mine. It has been the case that I became involved in a number of situations involving Pokémon and the lack of understanding by other people, for which the song becomes relevant. But then there are similar situations involving other matters with similar elements of people failing to understand; worse yet, the consequences have not exactly been to my favor - perhaps even theirs - and thus the call to question someone else's understanding is relevant.

Since the incident, as I've indicated above, the momentum has died down, which may or may not indicate that the person has come to an understanding (about Pokémon). Even so, the incident may still be regarded as disconcerting for fans, and especially me, who may have gone through other and similar instances of people not understanding things. After many years, then, the song above - as loosely as it may be connected to Pokémon, apparently - still has relevant messages concerning those other people, with the only hope being that they'll eventually understand things.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Tools in Niantic Campfire

Two years ago: Pokémon Keeps Me...

Three years ago: Brave with the Firefly

Four years ago: On "Digital Talents" and Pokémon

Five years ago: Play Pokémon on a Plane

Six years ago: A Tropius Keychain

Seven years ago: Cosplay: J-COSHOKAI 3 - Saikou no Yorokobi

Eight years ago: Shuffling Stages

On 2B A Master's 25th Anniversary

I meant to make this post much, much earlier in the year (and even at or closer to the tail end of the previous year), but some things got away from me. In any case, it's just as well to make the post now and supplement it this week with a few posts on related topics. So, around that time, there was an important milestone in Pokémon music, as far as the English side of things is concerned: it was the 25th anniversary of the "2B A Master" album, an iconic (by now) collection of Pokémon songs in English. Despite that status, the anniversary seemingly went by without much regard or consideration, and because of that I want to (re)draw attention to it and provide a few considerations of my own.

The contents of the album comprises many of the songs that western (influenced) fans like me will recognize, including the instantly identifiable Pokémon Theme as well as the PokéRap. All of the songs were also present over the course of the Kanto saga, though one needed to have the album to listen to them in their entirety. Besides the explicitly mentioned songs, it could be admitted that the others are slightly "cheesy" yet have significance, so there may have been the thought that the album could be remade to coincide with the anniversary as mentioned above and be made relevant to current Pokémon developments.

Of course, it's not always easy to do that, especially given the flurry of rights management in music today; some concessions may even have had to be made for using Pokémon Theme in the dub of the "finale arc". Furthermore, it may not be in the best interest to remake the album one-to-one as some elements may not be relevant to today, like Team Rocket, being no longer significantly present. Overall, the "hoops" for remaking the album are plentiful and not easy to go through, regardless of its significance for many fans.

For a Pokémon fan, though, any kind of related music will still be significant regardless if it's recent or long in the tooth, the latter of which applies to the album that becomes the focus of this post. After its 25 years, a little later than the one for Pokémon, it's still on my mind and perhaps likewise for many fans. Whether or not that leads to other developments like a remake is another matter, but it's still a fine album today as it was back then.

One year ago: Cosplay: Foodtopia Season 3

Two years ago: Special Research Guides

Three years ago: Brave with the Firefly

Four years ago: On "Digital Talents" and Pokémon

Five years ago: Play Pokémon on a Plane

Six years ago: A Tropius Keychain

Seven years ago: Cosplay: J-COSHOKAI 3 - Saikou no Yorokobi

Eight years ago: Shuffling Stages

Latest, Unique Plushes from Pokémon Center

I'm somewhat uninterested to fall into a "contemplative" trap for my posts with other things going on my life at the moment, so I thought I'd pull a discussion for a hard Pokémon thing that I can conveniently muster, and that would be some of the latest things from Pokémon Center, always known for the greatest and latest in merchandise. And some of those things are in the plush (dolls) department, always unique things in and of themselves, but lately there have been other, very unique offerings as well.

One of those is the Pokémon Dreams plush series, which depict Pokémon in their sleep, being positioned in certain ways. The implication, of course, is that they look like they're dreaming something. So, that would mean eyes closed, mouth open (especially evident for Gengar with its tongue sticking out), and possibly hands in different positions (outward as for Eevee and inward as for Cubone). They're out of the ordinary depiction of Pokémon in their idle positions, but even for some people they look cute and worth collecting.

Plush dolls are sufficiently fuzzy in and of themselves, but the latest Comfy Friends and Fancy Spring plush lines seem to want to take that even further. They appear extra-fuzzy for the enjoyment of whoever owns them to handle, and in the case of the latter, perfectly suited for the festivities of the season along with the appropriate attire (flowery and frilly). The sensory delight of these plush lines might become their primary draw, if not the usual fancy with some of the Pokémon featured for them.

Then, there is the "chain plush", as the Adventure Partner and Parallel Pairs plush lines. I call them that because they have some sort of (key)chain like attachments to hook them to something, including but not limited to keys. As for the featured Pokémon, the latter features "regional equivalents" for the tandem featured Pokémon, while the former features starter or first partner Pokémon - always a highlight for any Pokémon fan. But then, the highlight may just be the ability to attach these plush dolls to things. 

Like Pokémon itself, both the franchise and the creatures it's known for, plush dolls will appeal to certain people. If they can be made to have unique aspects like the above - and especially in combination with Pokémon - that could be the much-needed appeal to get people and fans to obtain and collect them for all their intended purposes. In that regard, with Pokémon Center having these unique novelties, the plush dolls don't fall into the "commonplace" trap... though they might trap the fancy (not to mention the cash) of fans.

One year ago: Returning Player Bonuses in Pokémon Unite

Two years ago: Understanding the Arcana of Silph Arena

Three years ago: Quickies: Feeling Embittered

Four years ago: On Pokémon Submarines

Five years ago: Be Strong

Six years ago: Cosplay: Bunkasai 2019 -Tanabata Matsuri-, Day 1

Seven years ago: Evolutionary Items and Their Limits

Eight years ago: 3D, 2D, and Everything in Between

Going Around in Circles...?

One of the most irksome of feelings is going around in circles, where it seems that the things that one does seem to loop back on themselves without resolution. I've had to go through that feeling at some points in time - perhaps even today. For some Pokémon, though, going around in circles (literally) may just be the thing that brings out the best in them. I thought I'd round up how that may be so while such a feeling applies to me.

Falinks often has its individual units go in a straight line when they move or attack, but in the latter case - if Pokémon Unite has anything to say - the most powerful one occurs when the units move about a target in a circular fashion like (being about to be) ganging up on it. It's called the "Dust Devil Formation", and it could be a doozy for some Pokémon trying to counter it, lest they be sucked into its "vortex" for a ride.

Then, there is Skitty with its long tail. Such an appendage has the propensity to cause the Pokémon to chase after it in a circular fashion, tiring it out and making it fall asleep... much like the lore of a really big dog (not quite related to Pokémon) that does the same with its long tail, albeit not at a very high speed. Still, if it does happen at such a high speed, it may just be the prelude for it to learn a new move, perhaps of the contest type.

As well, there is Dragonite and a few other Dragon-type or dragon-like Pokémon. They might just be capable of the Dragon Dance move, one that is often depicted by its initiators circling about, creating a vortex with great attacking power. That's one for the species of concern to size up, while for those on the receiving end, it might become a warning to get one's act together before dragon(s) strike at full force.

So, at least for some Pokémon, going around in circles may be a beneficial thing, which as suggested by the words of a certain song may even let them fly high like birds. For people, though - particularly those on the receiving end, like me - it may still be considered a source of frustration. That may be a prompt to resolve the situation in an out-of-the-box manner, and maybe one or more of the Pokémon above could be insightful.

One year ago: In Search of (a) Hi-Hat Cafe

Two years ago: What to Evolve for Community Day

Three years ago: Mixing and Matching Pokémon Game Music

Four years ago: Subscribing to Pokémon Home

Five years ago: The Call of the Forest

Six years ago: Localizing the TCG

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 5/3/2018

Eight years ago: Gender Mismatch Detected

Quickies: There and Back Again...

One of the great things about Pokémon is the feeling of being able to go to different places in its world and feel like one is actually there, even given the focus on capturing monsters and battling with them. Then, that same feeling can be repeated through different experiences facilitated by different things, not limited to the games. It's that feeling of going and going again that might just explain why some people like me continue to be fans of the franchise, despite the ups and downs over the years.

With or without a full-on quest through different lands and environments, the goal of making oneself (as a Trainer) and one's Pokémon all that one can be is a quest in itself, one that can also be considered as repetitive in one form or another. Based on the efforts, they could stand to be written in a book... though the Pokémon and related achievements might speak for themselves without that having to be done. Considerations too seem to repeat themselves for what species to deal with and when.

It too seems that personally, my Pokémon dealings (including but not limited to raising them for battle) take me to different places and situations, and then again as I deal with yet others that evoke the already familiar places and situations. Some of them might involve this blog directly - perhaps even this post as it is being written - while others might just involve general Pokémon situations that then will lend themselves to be written up later on this blog. It might just be all cyclical in a manner of speaking.

Going to places is a normal part of real life as it is for Pokémon life. Yet there's also something special about how that occurs for the latter and involves making returns (or repeats) for different purposes and objectives. In all, that makes for fascinating and often wonderful journeys across lands and places, complemented by all the wondrous creatures all along the way. Much of that may afford to be gone through time and time again as well as in many different forms... and so, may it be.

One year ago: The (Local) Pikachu Special Edition Oreo

Two years ago: Country Compositions for Factions Teams

Three years ago: Impulsive Conscience

Four years ago: New Pokémon Snap Unleashed

Five years ago: Pervasive Pokémon

Six years ago: Hit in the KOR

Seven years ago: Keeping the Demo Versions

Eight years ago: Cosplay Laundry

Presents in Café Remix

Besides the obvious ones or ones that I've already explained, Café Remix has a few features that might be considered "obscure" or easily overlooked. One of the features that could be considered as such is one called Presents. As its name suggests, it has something to do with things being given out - in this case being items - but the workings go a bit deeper than that, and that makes it perfect to be discussed to some extent.

The items in this case are those that are obtained from events that occur frequently over the course of the game. Specifically, for events that rank players and give out rewards based on the ranking, their rewards are sent to Presents rather than claimed directly by the player. It represents a fair alternative, since some rewards might contain item amounts that push beyond the collection limit for a player - a matter for a separate discussion.

Meanwhile, items from other sources can also be held in and given out through the feature. They may come as compliments or from the "operations team" for certain updates, especially as apology gifts due to specific issues. And if one forgets to claim some items from the Monthly Goals - as I have discovered recently - they too may appear in Presents to be claimed through the feature. That makes it a versatile one.

Still, the feature has another limit besides the collection limit as above. Only 200 reward bundles can be kept, and beyond that, they would be deleted... although it's likely one will claim most or all available bundles before that happens, especially with the "claim all" button on the lower middle of the screen. All this certainly happens when the player accesses the feature through the menu option from the main café screen.

With all that goes on in Café Remix, especially now with consistent regular events taking up most of one's play efforts, it can be easy for a player to overlook a few things, like the Presents feature and the items that may be sent to it as a result of various circumstances. But once a player is able to make good use of it through understanding its particulars as above, more good efforts may just manifest and make themselves more obvious.

One year ago: Labors of Love

Two years ago: Tournament: SWEEP JR vs. Majestic Tiger Elite (SA Factions)

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Mega Evolution Rework

Four years ago: Like a Slowking Without the Shell

Five years ago: Seek and Ye Shall...

Six years ago: Transcending to a Beautiful Harmony

Seven years ago: Old Memories, New Memories

Eight years ago: Indie Pokémon Stickers