[waterballoon]

Okay... I shall review GUILTY a 2nd time cos my first review was so biased... Anyway, I shall assume the guilts reflected in this album as three kinds. Towards Tomoya, life and friends. So here it is.

Part 1: I hate you, Tomoya! + Inspiration for fans

Mirror
GUILTY starts with this strange intro, leaving us to think if this IS the intro after Catcher In The Light. Naturally, all of us weren't disappointed at the amazing composition of the album. From techno/trance to pure rock and then to a soothing ballad-y sound... Mirror reflects the whole album from head to toe.

(don't) Leave me alone
This pop song leaves us hanging for more as Ayu belts this song out. Bringing out the trance part from Mirror, dlma will leave you wanting for more as the unique sounding chorus gets repeated in your ears.

talkin' 2 myself
This angsty rock song reflected with the very strong line 'Creation comes after destruction'. t2m is sure to impress with the lovely chorus and its fantastic last lines. This song will inspire all of us as she sings about life.

decision
The song to Tomoya as she seeks his understanding on how she chose not to slit her wrists, or beg him to stay. You can hear the pain in Ayu's voice as she explains to Tomoya why she must remain as herself.

GUILTY
Although the song I hate the most on this album, GUILTY still has its own story to tell. A song that tells of how she's trying to get over her break-up with Tomoya... yet seemingly unable to... It's subtle and quiet as if Ayu is exhausted by everything that is going around her...

Conclusion for Part 1: The darkest part of the album has ended. With wrath and pain over, it's tears and hope next...

Part 2: Don't leave me, Tomoya... + Let's rip off the masks with our own hands!

fated
First of the two emo ballads in GUILTY, fated starts off with the amazing stanza, and Ayu's question to you: Do you believe in Fate? She's guilty that she wasn't being true to Tomoya, wishing that she meant it when she said "I love you" to him. It's deep but... the song doesn't reflect the sorrow in the lyrics as of yet. I would say fated has more room for improvement.

Together When...
Morose, despondence, sorrow, depression. These are the words I would describe Together When... the star of the album. The song starts with a quiet piano melody as Ayu sings out breaking up with Tomoya to "avoid getting hurt". As the song reaches its first climax in the chorus, the morose in her voice will send your goosebumps rising.

Marionette -Prelude- + Marionette
The second start of the album, Marionette starts with a prelude that although regarded by many fans as being 'creepy', I beg to differ. The flute in the prelude apparently makes this prelude sound very cheeky, although the sound effects at certain parts of the prelude was very scary indeed.
The prelude ends and Marionette immediately comes in. The atmosphere of the song is given off with the subtle melody at the beginning. The song appears as dark, but it's far from dark. As she tells her fans and Tomoya to stop depending on the beauty of memories and move on with life. The highlight of the song as given by the lyrics 'We were not born to live, just putting on a front and hiding a face like the dead.'
Yes! Ayu wants us to show our emotions and not hide everything, unlike a marionette that must be controlled by fate. She wants us to take control of our own lives, as she reassures herself as well, that Tomoya and her must move on, although the break up may be sorrowful...
The song sounds dark but yet the lyrics speak of so much hope and power that I get inspired upon reading the lyrics and singing along to Marionette. Ayu is telling us "perhaps... I should move on..."

Conclusion of Part 2: Ayu is morose about her break up with Tomoya... but she knows she must continue on with her life, and at the same time telling us fans and Tomoya to move on together with her. We can do it!

Part 3: I love you, Tomoya! + I'm finally happy again... or maybe not.

The Judgment Day
"Miss Ayumi Hamasaki, it is your judgment now. Whether you shall live in the shadows of Tomoya and be emo forever or move on with your life... It shall be decided here" That's what TJD is all about. The whole interlude reflects Ayu's dilemma. As the creepy interlude makes me jump... her lalalas turned into something more hopeful and happy. Ayu has been judged! She shall not be emo!

glitter
The song that was hated by thousands of fans, except for me and a few others... Oh well. This could be the song that can't be decided if it's happy or sad... As Ayu appears to be delusional in this song with overtly blissful lyrics... Was she guilty because she didn't do what the lyrics told her to? We will never know...

MY ALL
The album reaches its happiest point in MY ALL as Ayu recalls her good ol' days with Tomoya. This song, if performed live, could bring tears overflowing to Ayu as she regrets her decision to break up with Tomoya...

Conclusion of Part 3: Ayu decides to be happy but gives an ambiguous note to us in glitter and MY ALL. Is she really happy? Or as many say, "happiness is temporal"? Ayu will give us an answer soon, I believe.

Part 4: Away with the emo-ness on love! Friends ftw!!!

reBiRTH
Weird choice of caps aside, this interlude sucks with GUILTY for me although I must admit is a necessity. With reBiRTH, Ayu seems to be telling us "I shall be reborn, perhaps as a person who is not troubled by love anymore..." The subtle and quiet interlude appears to be like a phoenix rising from the flames and getting reborn. It is elegant and beautiful.

untitled ~for her~
The song dedicated to Ayu's friend who died while she was recording Together When..., untitled is a very mellow and sad ballad as Ayu remembers her times with her friend and she seems to be telling her to wait for her at that place where all the souls gather... At certain points of the song, you can hear Ayu's voice getting a little shaky and soft... I believe that is when Ayu is crying. Perhaps by ending GUILTY with untitled... she knows that friends are sometimes more important than emoing about a break up. We wish all the best for Ayu...

The Living Cherished The Dead: Eternal Embrace of The Radiant Souls...

Conclusion for Part 4: Ayu is reborn as a person who's not trapped in love... and she regrets not spending enough time with her friend who has already passed away.

Note: My analysis for GUILTY this time round doesn't really focus on her vocals or how the songs sound like... but more on what she's trying to tell us with each song on this album. I hope you guys understand that GUILTY could be worse than Secret or MY STORY or whatever album... but it still is a story Ayu wishes to tell us. A story that goes from wrath to regret and morose to hope to bliss and finally... to something else that wasn't her at the beginning.