This article is translated from an interview done with Girl Next Door by Yahoo!
Translation by Rinoa

[See post to listen to audio]

“I seem to embrace a certain joy when I see people are buying it.” (Chisa)

A fusion of pop, rock and dance music reminiscent of the 1990’s. In other words, “the signature avex sound” that Girl Next Door seek to pursue. Transformed elements were incorporated into catchy melodies, where the song sounds like the perfect balance of pop and rock tracks. The typical band sound and the lyrics, sung by Chisa lead to the exquisite balance of familiarity one could find in a diary. It is possible to listen by overlapping it with the events that the listener has gone through, it is possible to hum, and one can manage to feel the song more deeply. They competed with 2.3 million people or more while being involved in early auditions before their debut. Their debut single Guuzen no Kakuritsu was a leading hit where it obtained the 3rd place on Oricon. Then their following two singles Drive away/Shiawase no Joken and Jounetsu no Daishou/ESCAPE reached the top three positions and received a lot of support. They have already released their first album, GIRL NEXT DOOR on December 24th. I talked to the three band members and they related their current state of mind and the story behind the making of the album.

Yahoo!: Whenever I go out in the streets recently I hear GIRL NEXT DOOR’s songs practically everywhere.

Chisa: Is it true? There isn’t such a feeling in my case.

Suzuki: Yes. I realize I am not aware at all. But since we always have to write a song, in the distant future to make things easier the company and the actual studio (avex) thought we should stay at home since being in the public would make a scene and attract television reporters. So we cannot even go out of the city and we don’t have a chance to hear our songs in the street (laughs).

Inoue: Yes, it’s right. We have a lesser chance to live out in the public and life is perfectly still for us. Thus we cannot feel the outside reaction of the people who are cheering for us, I realise I don’t have a very clear perception of what is happening out there.

Yahoo!: Your group is one of the first who set off with a bang. The phrase GIRL NEXT DOOR completely seeps too. What is it, I think if I do say to the person (laughs)

Chisa: Hahahaha. That’s right. However, every person’s reaction is not seen because during our live broadcastings it it isn’t really experienced even if we obtained the 3rd place ranking on the charts or winning an audition of 2.3 million or even being told that it’s quite an achievement. It really makes you think. I wonder why and what kind of people are listening to our music? Instinctively I am glad and I seem to embrace a certain joy when I see people are buying the CD of GIRL NEXT DOOR in shops and I greet them with a barrage of questions (laughs)

[See post to listen to audio]

Yahoo!: So like Chisa (laughs). Is it an actual feeling, that you feel like “a large-sized new face too much?”

Suzuki:That’s not a matter of fact (laughs). However there are some unpleasant aspects, of course. Because if songs are created to be listened to, and therefore the tune cannot be created with betraying the lyrics penned and neither can be disregarded, but I feel that it’s a good kind of pressure. There’s such a thing and also I just brought canned food in the studio (laughs).

“Normally, the lyrics are written in a manner as if they are being spoken to a close friend” (Chisa)

Yahoo!: Had this album’s flow already been planned from all your singles since your debut even though it was released in three months?

Suzuki: I thought the album came out as a flow to some extent though we rushed the process when it was decided that the album would be released in December when prior to that, the album was planned to be released on the 12th January. We included new songs, even one which was made years ago as a demo for this unit. As of now there are roughly 30 songs.

Yahoo!: From Guuzen no Kakuritsu to Drive away/Shiawase no Joken and finally Jounetsu no Daishou/ESCAPE. It was a gradual development.

Chisa: It was. It was also aimed at being daring intentionally. Guuzen no Kakuritsu (Probability of chance) and was named for its’ impact of the words which is very strong. I wasn’t thinking of being glad, if it was possible to accept being in a group named GIRL NEXT DOOR but it sounded something which involved individuality. I thought this word created a certain feeling of opening a door with this word and one by one we could advance ahead too.

Promotional Photo

Yahoo!: This album also contained the songs Winter Game , Winter Garden and Winter Mirage. The theme of “Winter” is developed and featured regularly within this album.

Suzuki: Yes. The significance was due to the album being released in winter and we made the listeners aware of this by creating the “Winter Trilogy”.

Inoue: I thought the impression would be deep and transmitting. The use of the same word “Winter” was done in a manner that the impression would be different for the same winter.

[See post to listen to audio]

Yahoo!: It left a deep impression on me. What really struck me was the different facets given to the winter. Chisa-chan sang the lyrics to three songs each with a different scenery.

Chisa: Yes. When I wrote the lyrics for these three songs, I thought I could give these three songs three unique pieces of stories and characteristics. I was constantly conscious of the theme of winter and just wrote what was familiar to me and what I usually spoke to my friends about. It was also a bit of a new challenge for me. I wrote Winter Game in the theme of snowboarding. Within the lyrics there is the phrase “Propeller of winter”, which is actually a snowboarding technique. To get the chance to write these lyrics, my family and several important people supported me sincerely to cheer on me when I got into a triathlon competition. I was impressed with that. It was also an element which gave me the strength of feeling towards the goal where players are aiming for. I tried to picture the warmth of the people behind it. WINTER MIRAGE contains a story of a girl who meets a man with whom she has separated with him on the day named Christmas. Although she is overcome with emotion of the joy that she was able to meet him accidentally, he was the one who wanted to break up and she still likes him. He would rather talk with a soft smile on his face, while concealing a gift which he reveals and for a moment she looks surprised. It does bring a lump to one’s throat and the lyrics are really sad and painful. Winter Garden is about lovers in love at their peak. This time it’s through the eyes of a man. I really feel since I’m a girl I cannot fully depict a man’s perception but I think that I illustrated clearly what he is thinking and how he’s seeing her and is surely written with a sense of perfect happiness.

“It’s so troublesome sometimes because there is so much I want to do (laughs).” (Chisa)

Yahoo!: Chisa-chan’s Winter trilogy were a product which aimed at attracting the attention of the audience to the change of expression of the voice that Chisa-chan shows.

Chisa: Even if they might not have been experienced fully, there might surely be all near experiences once for anyone. If it is possible to connect these songs to different memories, I am very happy about it.

Yahoo!: Though a big meaning that was felt in the place where in the end it is connected from the grand opening of NEXT DOOR with Guuzen no Kakuritsu.

Chisa shooting for Winter Game

Suzuki:The flow of connecting from this NEXT DOOR with Guuzen no Kakuritsu was conceived during the production of the album was assumed and named as the track NEXT DOOR, which was collected only through a single music video for the debut. Prior to that I only thought about it being at the end credits position of the movie when actually arranging it. However I changed it when I saw that the flow could in reality fit in quite fell in the beginning.

Yahoo!: The flow was wonderful. It’s also very dramatic.

Suzuki: What I was really aiming for was for something dramatics. When one re-listens Guuzen no Kakuritsu once again, both become a single entity.

Yahoo!: What is the desire that makes the album title ‘GIRL NEXT DOOR’ this time?

Chisa: It’s comprehensible after all. Even though it might sound quite plain, I thought about what we do best and thought it would be ideal to go towards what started it all and the title became quite obvious.

Inoue: The music we create is “now” in that state of complete vacuum. It yearns for GIRL NEXT DOOR as a title in order to fit into a specific category.

[See post to listen to audio]

Yahoo!: Quite in the style of GIRL NEXT DOOR and I think all songs quite fit in this style. I can feel the basic sounds through really different facial expressions based on every single tune released.

Inoue: That’s right. GIRL NEXT DOOR is also the theme of sound beating from four to one in a rich variation, even within the photos. It became a work that was extensible of the variation with the axis neatly tied with a good meaning.

Suzuki: I do not think whether the number became one from which one per one stands as the same song. Because I worked on creating every song differently so that there is not comparing unfavorably about a single tune.

Chisa: Even if a whole song is completely, I wanted to relate every story really well. I wanted many people to listen to these songs and think this is a GIRL NEXT DOOR piece and they really express the feelings so they can reach many people’s hearts. Within the DVD there are all the music videos released with the singles. If you can enjoy them, I am more than happy.

Yahoo!: Any targets for 2009?

Chisa: I want to do more live performances! And to meet more people who are actually listening to me soon, I want them to sing along to our songs! The album is finished, so my ambition is to have a tour! It’s so troublesome sometimes, because there’s so much I want to do (laughs). But anyway, I will work hard to be at my best while performing!

Author’s Note: Please bear in mind that this is a rough translation and there might be some errors. I did my best to have an accurate translation but feel free to post some corrections for this article.

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Utada promoting This Is The One

Artist: Utada Hikaru Product code: UICL-1088 Release date: 2009.03.14 (JP), 2009.05.30 (US) Highest Ranking: #3 Oricon, #69 Billboard 200 Label: Island Records US Version: 3 Bonus Tracks

With the Japanese market completely wrapped around her finger, J-pop sensation, Utada Hikaru, has been seen to frequently flaunt her creative flair in her music. Having dominated the Oricon charts with virtually every venture during her initial five year tenure, Utada finally decided to break into the American music scene with her first English album, Exodus. Her uninhibited, audacious approach to its production led to an album which despite being fresh, was rather difficult for American audiences to accept and ultimately led to its downfall. Undeterred, five years later, Utada returned for another foray in the American market with her now mainstream-focused, aptly titled, This Is The One.

This Is The One raised high expectations, featuring famed producers Stargate and C. “Tricky” Stewart. With such big names involved in what was expected to be a straight forward, R&B album, one could almost be forgiven for expecting an English version of First Love or Distance. Sadly, Utada’s latest release proved to be exactly what was promised – a bland combination of stereotypical R&B and obnoxious club songs. Brilliant vocals and delivery saved a select few such as Come Back to Me or the title track, This One (Crying Like a Child), but the majority of tracks failed to excite those who highly anticipated this album.
 

Loyal, English-speaking fans of Utada were most certainly put off by how explicit and tasteless Utada’s lyrics could be, such as “Sexy stiletto boots; tight jeans no panties on; oops did I turn you on?” in Poppin’ or “When I’m alone at night, I sit and fantasize;…doing my nine to five, I’m thinking six and nines” in Dirty Desire. Few melodies impressed as well, especially with the highly repetitive On and On literally just droning away and the bulk of her R&B ballads feeling like recycled versions of radio hits. As Daniel Robson of The Japan Times stated, “Is this what it takes to find Stateside success? Whoring yourself both musically and lyrically?” And while that certainly seems true given the current crop of successful artists in America, Utada certainly didn’t sell herself out completely with older classics Simple and Clean and Sanctuary serving to be a reminder of the genius Utada is capable of manifesting.

Amongst the few standout tracks, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – FYI perhaps proved to be the most intelligent track Utada produced for her latest release. An adaptation of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s composition, the combination of oriental and western elements could well have provided the direction needed for Utada’s album. A melodic version of the philosophies displayed in Kiss and Cry should have inspired her to bridge the gap between the East and the West. Instead, the haunting failure of Exodus intimidated Utada into playing it safe, thus avoiding the avant garde stature for her commercially-focused album, This Is The One.

It could have been a valuable move to cement her name and win over legions of loyal fans. Had she captivated a large enough audience, certainly she would be granted the freedom to steadily weave her magic through the American market. Instead, This Is The One did the complete opposite, ironically selling a mere 16,000 units in America compared to the 55,000 units managed by Exodus. Fans of the album have frequently argued that the result was due to poor marketing and promotion; her American audience even insisting her music was fresh. But was it really? To the veteran Utada fan, it was easy to tell that This Is The One is a far cry from what she is truly capable of. Exodus may have been a little too inaugural, but it stayed true to Utada’s innovative aptitude. For such a visionary artist, the title of this lacklustre affair is correct in only one aspect; this is the one you should forget.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars

CD Cover

Japanese Tracklist:

1. On and On
2. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – FYI
3. Apple and Cinnamon
4. Taking My Money Back
5. This One (Crying Like a Child)
6. Automatic Part II
7. Dirty Desire
8. Poppin’
9. Come Back to Me
10. Me Muero
11. Come Back To Me (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Radio Edit)
12. Come Back To Me (Quentin Harris Radio Edit)

US Tracklist:

1. Come Back to Me
2. Me Muero
3. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – FYI
4. Apple and Cinnamon
5. Taking My Money Back
6. This One (Crying Like a Child)
7. Automatic Part II
8. Dirty Desire
9. Poppin’
10. On and On
11. Simple and Clean
12. Sanctuary (Opening)
13. Sanctuary (Ending)

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Hamasaki at Dandy Daddy Media Conference

On Thursday nights at 9pm, starting from July 9th, TV Asahi will air the drama series “Dandy Daddy“. The story will center around the romance novelist Ryunosuke Isaki and the theme song will be sung Ayumi Hamasaki from her new single, “Sunrise/Sunset ~ LOVE is ALL ~”.

The song was composed by a new composer in Ayu’s team, Hana Nishimura and arranged by CMJK. As always, Ayu would pen the lyrics.

This marks her first theme song tie-up with a drama since the 2003 release of “forgiveness”, approximately six years ago.

Ayumi created this song as a typical drama summer theme song. Ryuosuke Isaki is the hero of this love drama and he says that he wants to sing this theme song of love. Ayumi managed to achieve this surprise. The music has delighted the staff and actors. This summer song has managed to be a perfect fit for the drama.

Ayumi Hamasaki also commented about the theme song.

“We talked for a long time about the drama theme song and I am honored of being chosen. I have gotten to read the script, feeling utterly in character to create this song, and gave me inspiration to write the lyrics . Everyone should experience song is in bloom, and enjoy the happy memories of this summer. ”

Ayumi would also attend at the Dandy Daddy Media Conference as a surprise guest. She appeared presenting a huge bouquet of red roses and chocolate to the cast. She wore a vivid flowered sundress and a dazzling smile, which was fitting for the summer season. All actors were really surprised to meet Ayumi.

Ayumi would also join the cast for dinner, where Tachi Hiroshi prepared soup and beef and managed to “wow” Ayumi with his cooking skills.

Sources:

• excite!
• Nikkansports
• Daily

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Morning Musume Tanjou 10en Kinentai was a special Hello! Project unit that was created in 2007 to celebrate Morning Musume’s 10th anniversary. The name of the unit translates to “celebrating Morning Musume’s 10th birthday special unit”. The unit consisted of 5 graduated and present Morning Musume members. Tsunku explained that the original Morning Musume members debut age ranged from 13 – 24 years old, so for this special unit he selected members that was close to this age range to make it appear like the original group’s formation. Interesting enough, all the members selected came from an odd number generation.

Though the group was only active in 2007 they released 2 singles and had a concert tour before going on hiatus at the end of the year.

Kaori Iida 1st Generation Member Years active as member of Morning Musume: 1997 – 2005 Debut single: Ai no Tane Birth Date: August 8, 1981 Birth place: Hokkaido

Abe Natsumi 1st Generation Member Years active as member of Morning Musume: 1997 – 2004 Debut single: Ai no Tane Birth Date: August 10, 1981 Birth place: Hokkaido

Maki Goto 3rd Generation Member Years active as member of Morning Musume: 1999 – 2002 Debut single: Love Machine Birth Date: September 23, 1985 Birth place: Tokyo

Risa Niigaki 5th Generation Member Years active as member of Morning Musume: 2001 – present Debut single: Mr. Moonlight ~Ai no Big Band~ Birth Date: October 20, 1988 Birth place: Kanagawa

Koharu Kusumi 7th Generation Member Years active as member of Morning Musume: 2005 – present Debut single: Iroppoi Jirettai Birth Date: July 15, 1992 Birth place: Niigata

[See post to listen to audio]

The group released its first single on January 24, 2007 entitled Bokura ga Ikiru My Asia which translated to Where we live MY ASIA. The song is an upbeat ballad and contains Asian instruments that give it an Eastern sound. Though the single was used as an image song for Cirque du Soleil, it also delivers a “hidden” message: although the line-up is always changing and it has been 10 years since their debut, Morning Musume is still going strong and will continue to do so for a very long time. On the other hand the b-side Juunen Ai, meaning 10 years love, doesn’t contain any deep meaning lyrics. In fact some will even say it doesn’t make sense at all. But if you ask any Hello! Project fan, they’ll tell you that is not true because the song is made up of a number of different Morning Musume song references. An a-side that states Morning Musume is still going strong and a b-side that is meant to be a fun one for the fans, this was definitely a strong and interesting first single for the group.

The single debuted at number 4 on the daily Oricon chart, but falls to number 8 on the weekly charts. A limited edition version was released with a different cover, special packaging and 5 photo cards. While the first press for the regular edition came with 1 photo card. The single V was released on Feburary 21, 2007 with the original Bokura ga Ikiru My Asia PV, a close-up version, and a making of clip. The PV for Bokura ga Ikiru My Asia features the girls with 3 main scenes: solo shots with computer graphics, solo shots in a Japanese style room and a group/dance shot. The solo shots of the girls with the computer graphics is quite breath taking: the computer graphic consists of trees and flower petals floating around, and it is design to make it seem like the girls are walking through this scene of nature and embracing it with the wind in their hair.

On July 6, 2007 Kaori surprised everyone by announcing that she was 10 weeks pregnant and was to wed Kenji, a former member of the disbanded 7 House. At this point plans for a second single and a concert tour had already been announced, and it was reported that Kaori will complete these two activities before going on her maternity leave.

[See post to listen to audio]

The group’s second single is another upbeat ballad and was released on August 8, 2007 entitled Itoshiki Tomo e. This song contains a double meaning because while the title is read and translate to To a Beloved Friend, the kanji that is used to refer to this “friend” (akuyuu) actually means bad companion. The b-side is a more positive and upbeat track entitled Michi Naru Mirai e, which translate as To an Unknown Future. This song delivers the message that there is no point in looking to the past because it won’t change, and that we should embrace the future for whatever it may hold.

While most fans found a liking to this single more than the group’s debut release, it actually did worst on the oricon chart debuting at number 5 on the daily charts and number 15 on the weekly charts. A limited edition version was also released for this single with a different cover and a bonus DVD that contained a close-up version of the PV, while the first press regular edition only had 1 photo card as a bonus item. The single V was released on August 22, 2007 which contained the original Itoshiki Tomo he PV, a 5-shot version and the making of clip. The setting for the Itoshiki Tomo he PV takes place inside and around a mansion. Throughout the PV, the girls are seen in various parts of the mansion either putting on makeup or using other accessories like mirror and comb. This PV is more about capturing the glamor and elegant side of the girls, as even the group shot scene is set up as if the girls are in an artistic beauty photo shoot.

The group’s final activity was a concert tour that began on August 11, 2007 and ended on September 1, 2007 entitled Morning Musume Tanjou 10 Nen Kinentai Concert Tour 2007 Natsu ~Thank You My Dearest~. In all, the girls did 15 shows in 4 different cities. Due to Kaori’s pregnancy, she spend less time on stage compare to the other girls and did not par take in any of the songs that required a lot of big movements like Love Machine. Toward the end of the tour, Maki was absent for 6 of the concerts due to a case of gastritis. In her absence, Yoshizawa Hitomi, Ishikawa Rika and Yasuda Kei took turns appearing as a special guest that did a MC portion with Natsumi in place of Maki.

The concert was released as a DVD on November 14, 2007 that included a special backstage clip.

After the concert ended, Kaori went on her maternity leave. Shortly after Maki graduated from not only Hello! Project, but also from Up-Front Agency in October 2007. And with Kaori and Natsumi recent graduation from Hello! Project along with the members of the Elder Club in March 2009, it can be assume that the group has disbanded.

Bokura ga Ikiru My Asia

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Bokura ga Ikiru My Asia – Single V

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Itoshiki Tomo e

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Itoshiki Tomo e – Single V

Morning Musume Tanjō 10 Nen Kinentai Concert Tour 2007 Natsu ~Thank You My Dearest~

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This article was made in celebration of Morning Musume’s USA debut in this year’s LA Anime Expo 2009. Having the girls over in the US is certain a big step for the group, just like the 10th anniversary was for them back in 2007. Though this time I am not physically able to attend this great event, I am sending all my wishes to the girls, all the fans that will be attending this event and hope this is the start of many more oversea events to come!

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Kuroki Meisa, in Hellcat promotions

Artist: Kuroki Meisa Product Code: SRCL-6996/6998 Release Date: 2009.04.08 Highest Ranking: #9 Label: Sony Limited Edition: DVD

Kuroki Meisa is a young talent rising in popularity. A quarter-Brazilian from Okinawa, she was discovered at a young age and became a model for the fashion magazine JJ. Her beauty gained her attention and popularity; she is regarded by the public as one of the most beautiful young talents, and is among her contemporaries in the group of new young model-actresses gaining popularity. She has been blossoming in an acting career, taking roles in popular dramas like “One Pound Gospel” and in popular movies like “Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru,” “Chakushin Ari FINAL,” and “Subaru.” She was awarded a Golden Arrow newcomer award in 2007 and a Hashida newcomer award in 2009.

Kuroki Meisa promoting Hellcat at HMV (natalie.mu)

Although she had sang for the movie “Crows ZERO” in which she had a starring role, the song was not released. In 2008, she officially debuted into singing by releasing “Like This,” her first official song, available via download mobile phones only. The song was used in collaboration with her commercial campaign for AU Sportio mobile phones. In 2009, she reprised her role in the sequel “Crows ZERO II” and contributed the song “Bad Girl,” along with an announcement that she would now officially debut as a singer with a debut album, Hellcat.

The album had regular and limited versions; the limited version included a DVD that had three PVs. Despite no official preceeding singles and having only eight tracks, Hellcat did well commercially. It debuted at #5 daily on the Oricon and ended up with a #9 ranking for its debut week, selling more than 10,000 copies.

[See post to listen to audio]

1. Hear the Alarm?

The start-off track starts off strongly, attitude-wise. The song is heavy in synth and Meisa’s voice sounds vocoded at parts, as for a lot of the vocals she sings a monotone, almost reggae-rap portion. The song gets it purpose done in setting a tough atmosphere for the album, but as for the song itself, “Hear the Alarm?” is questionable in enjoyability when the same sounds are repeated over and over. The vocals are monotone and the composition itself is dull; the song would be more fitting as a short opener than an actual track.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

2. Like This

“Like This” is her debut track that was used for Sportio mobile phone commercials. It’s a mainstream club-hip hop song that employs a steady, heavy beat and strong atmospheric synth instrumentals. Like many of its genre, “Like This” focuses exclusively on one melody strain. Meisa’s vocals are fairly monotone in this song, kind of like a mix between singing and rapping in the entire chorus. At other verses, her voice is strong and direct. In certain parts, she channels Amuro Namie – not only in the genre of the music itself, but also in a sultry but high quality of her voice and intonation of her words that sounds quite similar to Namie’s.

The video is gorgeously directed and has a nice dance sequence. Overall, “Like This” is a great dance track, although its monotony makes the song lack a bit for casual listening.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

3. Bad Girl

“Bad Girl” continues the hip-hop style, but takes everything up a notch. More of Meisa’s vocals are displayed – in “Bad Girl,” she relies more on her lower registers, displaying a new husky feeling to her vocals. Comparing this to “Like This,” you can tell how much vocoding was done in the previous song – in this track, you can hear more unique vocals qualities in most parts. The song itself is much more dynamic in both its instrumentals and in the melody, as both display a greater range.

The video for “Bad Girl” also takes more chances with more dynamic costuming, an interesting and unconventional dance in a box, and overtly sexy scenes that pushes boundaries. This is probably one of the most openly sexual PVs debuted so far in 2009; “Bad Girl” holds nothing back.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

4. Criminal

If “Bad Girl” is the sexy femme fatale, then “Criminal” is the gorgeous but cheeky girl next door. The song starts off with a drumbeat that, compared with the heavy synth preceding it on the album, is a breath of fresh air. The melody itself is interesting to listen to, as Meisa switches between her deeper ranges and falsetto, along with cheeky repetitions of “crimi-crimi-criminal.” The song is danceable without sounding too serious, and retains a note of fun despite being backed by heavy synth; it’s an excellent example of a dance track done right.

The video reflects the fun aspects of the song. The set is colorful and decorated, Meisa herself has costume changes and even looks like she’s having a good time, and the dance sequence is quirky.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

5. No, no, no

On a completely different route, “No, no, no” sounds reggae-infused with minimal backings of a syncopated synth beat and drumming. Meisa’s vocals are less forceful and more sultry and switches between singing in a rich low tones and thin high tones. Although it’s not the catchiest or most well-produced song, the style is interesting and gives an unique sound to this album.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

6. SEX

If you were expecting something sexy sounding from a song titled “SEX”, you’d definitely get what you wanted. “SEX” is a slower midtempo track with sulty and sometimes breathy vocals. The lyrics don’t mince words at all – Meisa croons out lyrics like

Give me a taste of your honey
Take it away once again
秘密を知り尽くしたい (You know all sorts of my secrets)
Goin’ crazy ’cause I’m thinking ’bout SEX.

“SEX” also features an English rap portion by a male rapper in the middle of the song supported by spoken portions by Meisa herself. The song has melody and backing that are powerful, yet still understated enough to balance out the strong and aggressive words in the lyrics. What keeps this song from being a terrific song is that parts of it are still lacking, namely Meisa’s voice, which although pleasant and sensual when low, becomes strained and scratchy in the chorus’s numerous high notes.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

7. Lost

This is probably the intended ballad track on the album, although it’s just more of a dance track with slightly more ballad-like backings and slower tempo. “Lost” is conflicted from the start: should it be slow like a ballad, or should this be a dance track? Should Meisa spend most of the track rapping, or should she sing into registers just out of her reach? What results is a track that tries to incorporate everything, resulting in a tempo too slow for the aggressive synth beat to become a dance track, and Meisa erratically switching between rapping and singing falsettos for too-high notes. To its credit, the way the song incorporates ballad piano into the verses is nice when its not overpowered by the strong beat, and Meisa’s voice is pleasant when she doesn’t reach for the high notes she just can’t quite get to.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

8. THIS IS CRAZY

“THIS IS CRAZY” is possibly one of the most vocoded songs on this songs, but it does give a pleasing smoothness to Meisa’s vocals. Despite its name, “THIS IS CRAZY” is pretty much a warm-down from the album with its slow tempo and mellow beats. At many parts the song gets boring as Meisa does her half rapping, half singing to an uninspiring melody; at other parts, it’s interesting when her voice is duplicated during the chorus for her “it’s getting far too crazy” lines and danceable during the simple chorus. In the end, it results in a song that’s good at parts, but overall just mediocre.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Conclusion: Hellcat has its share of amazing hip-hop dance songs – but for every gem of a song on the album, there’s also a mediocre one filling out the tracklist. Kuroki Meisa is an artist whose quality of music depends on her producers – she can either come up with songs that are infective and danceable, or dull and irritating. To the album’s credit though, there isn’t any song on the album that’s terrible. Despite some mediocre tracks, Hellcat is still a very strong debut with several attention worthy songs.

As yet another model-actress breaking into singing, Meisa’s effort is strong with her surprisingly amazing songs and music videos. Although her range has distinct limits, her voice is unexpectedly good and she has the perfect smooth, sultry voice tone for her genre. She’s displayed her ability to dance and her increasing ease of slipping into the role of a classy sex siren. Her style is very similar to Amuro Namie’s; although few in the industry can rival up to the queen of hip-pop, Meisa gives a good effort in portraying herself in both image and music as a equally sexy but more aggressive Namie. It’ll be interesting to see how Meisa’s singing career progresses – and as long as she releases songs that are as high in quality as “Bad Girl” or “Criminal,” I’ll be a fan.

Overall Rating: 3.15 out of 5 stars

Regular Edition

Limited Edition

CD Tracklist

1. Hear the Alarm?
2. Like This
3. Bad Girl
4. Criminal
5. No, no, no
6. SEX
7. Lost
8. THIS IS CRAZY

DVD Tracklist

1. Like This
2. Bad Girl
3. Criminal

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This article is translated from an interview done with alan by CDJournal.
Translation by sljinu

[See post to listen to audio]

CD Journal: You’ve been playing the traditional Chinese instrument, erhu, from quite a young age. You now play at a national level at the People’s Liberation Army’s Art and Performance Academy and also study vocals, opera and classics at a highly advanced level. At the same time, you play the music of your homeland. You perform a diverse range of music and your recently released album, Voice of EARTH, clearly reflects that fact.

alan: Even though there are a lot of ballads, there’s also some world music and some very pop songs too. I also composed my first song, Together and I’m very satisfied with it. Of course, there are parts of the album where I feel I could improve upon but it has only been about a year and a half since my debut so it feels quite good.

CD Journal: I definitely feel you achieved that global sound and your vocals also sound very expressive. These songs are fundamentally about peace and love.

alan: Before I even debuted, I had a meeting with the directors and general staff. When they asked me “What kind of songs do you want to sing?” I replied “Songs about peace and love,”. I chose this because those two things are the most important things in the world and I want to continue spreading this message through my music.

[See post to listen to audio]

CD Journal: Your passion for these principles are also evident in your new single, Kuon no Kawa. I hear it is being used as the theme song to Red Cliff Part II, and just as the title suggests, it is quite a magnificent ballad.

alan: I felt really honoured that I was selected again to sing the theme song to the second movie. I believe that Kuon no Kawa is actually even stronger and deeper than RED CLIFF ～shin・sen～ is. The themes for this song are love, faith and the strength to endure. I sang this song in such a way that I could really get these themes across to the listener.

It is because of the wars that have occurred over and over again, we realise that the present as we know it has come about due to the people and events of the past. The song certainly depicts the image of eternity and the your vocals were very enticing. Due to your intimacy with the story, your understanding and interpretation of the lyrics are also very assured.

alan: There’s this section in the lyrics where it says “Talking about the ancient poem/leaves an impression on the wall,” and thought it felt a bit like it was us just casually talking about the past. Past wars were fought like this (mimes an archer) and instead of communicating through phones, they would use carrier pigeons and I feel that there are plenty of things to learn from that.

CD Journal: Furthermore, what are your thoughts on the lyrics “Please explain to me; why these destinies conflict”?

alan: I’ve also wondered, why do wars exist and I’ve discussed it with others, many times too. In the end, I feel it’s due to the love that opposes your family. Like, if you don’t go and fight then your enemies may come instead. So in order to protect your family, you must fight.

CD Journal: It seems that John Woo was supervising the recording process and once again, gave you advice regarding your vocal expressions, particularly about the last phrase “Should everything be a dream/then let us live that path/that’s far, far away”.

alan: At first, I sang this song in a really melancholy and lonely way. The reason was that the music was used in a scene where the main characters part ways. However, John Woo said that the scene wasn’t sad and that there was the feeling of hope that they would meet each other again. That’s why I sang it in a brighter manner. John Woo goes over everything himself, even the theme song, so I think he’s quite amazing.

[See post to listen to audio]

CD Journal: The Chinese version of Kuon no Kawa, Chi Bi ~Da Jiang Dong Qu~ was also recorded and used as a coupling track. The lyrics for this are a reconstruction of the poem Chibifu, composed by the legendary 11th century poet, Su Shi. Chibifu is a poem renown throughout all of China but I can’t think of anyone else capable of singing these lyrics besides you. You depict particularly unique expressions that nobody else can render, and it is also no exaggeration to describe your music as completely universal. To be able to combine those two traits together so naturally is a testament to the amazing talent that you have. It has also been a year and a half since your debut. You introduced this new form of individuality that has never been seen before in the J-pop industry. Due to the depth of your ability and musical nature, I feel that you have begun to advance into a new style of music.

alan: I received a lot of requests for an up-tempo song particularly from those who listened to my album. I definitely have a lot of ballads and when I’m in China, I study a lot of classical Chinese music too so I don’t have much experience with fast paced songs. However, I also want to sing a wider variety of songs too, in order to expand my repertoire. So because of that, I’m listening to a lot of J-pop to learn more about it.

CD Journal: You also said it yourself that you wished to compose your own music and if possible, demonstrate your dancing as well. Finally, while you are still studying music at the People’s Liberation Army’s Art and Performance Academy, you are still continuing your musical activities in Japan. What is that like?

alan: To be an artist while studying at the same time is quite a coincidence. Of course, part of it is because I studied really hard but to have been able to study at the Military Academy and also partake in the audition for Avex; I feel a lot of it was luck. I also feel that way to have been chosen to sing the theme song for Red Cliff. However, to have been given such grand opportunities also means I will be presented with even greater challenges in the future. I want to prepare myself for those upcoming moments and continue on beyond all those challenges.

CD Journal: Red Cliff Part II –The Final Battle for the Future-’s climatic scene is when the battle at Red Cliff actually occurs. The Yangtze made for a grand and dynamic stage for the fight scene and you even said it yourself that it made quite a strong impression on you.

alan: Part II certainly has a lot more fight scenes than Part I does. There are also scenes one might find a bit scary but it was very intense. There are also a lot of moving scenes. In Part I, Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang met and a lot of other characters were introduced. This time it is the opposite where the film is centred around the theme of ‘separation’. However, it is not really a sad or lonely thing. John Woo told me while I was recording Kuon no Kawa that there was also the concept of hope in this idea.

CD Journal: Sun Shangxiang’s episode also seems to have deeply moved you.

alan: She disguises herself as a male and infiltrates Cao Cao’s army but she also befriends one soldier there. That soldier thinks Shangxiang is a man but I think Shangxiang liked him. It’s that mix of friendship and love that makes it a really painful scene.

CD Journal: You know a lot about that story but you also said that you think the people during those times looked really cool. Out of the male cast that appear in the film, which one are you the most interested in?

alan: Mmm…Zhou Yu, I suppose. First of all, he’s really nice to his wife, Xiao Qiao. He can also perform music and he is able to recite poems. He seems really wise because of that. Zhuge Liang also seems really cool but because he’s so overly intelligent, if he were to be my boyfriend then I think that may be a little troublesome for me (laughs).

[See post to listen to audio]

CD Journal: Red Cliff ~shin・sen~ was used as the theme song for Part I and Kuon no Kawa for Part II. To have sung the theme songs for such a huge production must definitely have been a major milestone for your career.

alan: When I sang the theme song to Part I, it had only been around three months since my debut. I’m extremely grateful to have been selected out of a large range of artists. I was also really emotional when I listened to Kuon no Kawa during the credits. It feels really different to listening to it on a CD so I’d really love everyone to share that same experience with me.

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This article is translated from an interview done with BoA by Excite.
Translation by sljinu

Excite: Your latest release, BEST&USA is a two-in-one which features a Japanese ‘Best Of’ album and your American debut album. First, we’d like to discuss your long-desired breakthrough into the American market. When you heard that your debut was finally going to become a reality, how did you feel?

BoA: Those plans actually began three years ago.

Excite: Oh, so you already knew quite awhile ago then.

BoA: Yes, I did. The actual recording for this album started about one and a half years ago. It didn’t really hit me when I first heard the discussion about me, debuting in America. At that time, I was going back and forth from Korea to Japan and it was quite tiring. That’s why if you ask me what my true feelings were, I can’t really say so since I didn’t really have any. The album hasn’t been released yet and I’m still yet to receive my copy of it. Once I receive it, maybe I’ll finally realize that it’s going to happen but until then, I can’t really say how I feel about all this.

Excite: Did you actively participate in the selection of the songs on the US album?

BoA: I’m still studying the American market so I received lots of opinions, ideas and advice regarding it. In the end though, I’d say I feel like I’m just studying from that.

Excite: Did you record everything in America?

BoA: The foundations were in America. The recording location varied according to the producer though, for example Australia. I even recorded in Thailand.

Excite: This is your biggest expansion in the world yet. Did you find anything really difficult about going into an even bigger, foreign market?

BoA: Definitely the English. All the songs are in English so it was quite difficult synchronizing the words with the melody. There were parts were I also had to speak really fast so I found those situations in particular, quite difficult.

Excite: So the English was still difficult, even for someone as proficient at it as you?

BoA: Yeah. I’m not sure why, but for some reason people think I can speak English (laughs).

Excite: Yes, you seem as though you can speak it fluently.

BoA: That’s not true because I can’t really speak English at all. So that’s why when I found out that I was going to America, I started taking English lessons.

Excite: Have you ever recorded in America before?

BoA: No, this is my first time.

Excite: Did you discover anything new about the recording process in America that you never encountered anywhere else before?

BoA: I could pretty much just focus on the actual recording this time. In Japan or Korea, they record companies often pile on all these promotional events on top of the actual recording, so despite having a set time for recording, it really puts a lot of pressure on you to meet the deadline. Well, it’s not that much of a rush. But in America, they have a specific time for the promotion to take place so it’s like, you could focus just on the recording. I could just enjoy myself and take it easy.

Excite: During the one and a half years, did you also record in Japan or Korea?

BoA: In Korea, the schedule was quite tight so I could never spend that long recording. In America, the tasks are divided up so you can concentrate on each thing, one at a time. Even so, it got quite hectic near the end of last year, trying to complete my US debut album and the single Eien/UNIVERSE/Believe in LOVE. Both of them turned out quite well though so that was a relief.

Excite: At the time this interview took place, it’s about a month until your album is released. Are you excited?

BoA: Hmm I wonder…I still have a lot of promotional activities to attend to in America so I can’t really say I’m relaxed just yet. But my ‘Best Of’ album is basically just a collection of all my works so far and I also worked hard in preparing my US debut album. Both of these albums are of extreme importance to me so I guess I could say I’m quite excited to hear what people think about it.

[See post to listen to audio]

Excite: You mentioned your new single, Eien/UNIVERSE/Believe in LOVE earlier. It’s going to be released before BEST&USA and I believe it gives us an idea of what to expect from the album. I felt that the collaboration between you, Crystal Kay and VERBAL was particularly fresh.

BoA: This is actually the third time I’ve worked with VERBAL but it was the first time I worked with Kuri-chan. It seemed highly unlikely that the three of us would ever collaborate but we were all acquaintances or friends already. That’s why, when I heard that the three of us would be working together, I thought “Wow! This sounds really fun!”

Excite: What was the atmosphere of the actual recording like?

BoA: There are portions where we sang separately but when we layered over each other’s voices during the rap sections or the chorus, we all got together. It was during those sections that I truly felt at east and could really enjoy recording the song. It was fantastic for me but I don’t know what the others thought (laughs). I sure hope they feel the same way though.

Excite: Having worked with VERBAL for the first time in a few years, did you notice anything about you that has changed? For example, something that you can do now that you couldn’t do back then.

BoA: Hmm, I don’t really think so. I mean, of course I will have changed but I don’t think there’s any change up to a point I would notice…hmm, I wonder about that. Naturally, I’m the one who knows what I get up to everyday (laughs). But I don’t think I’ve ever seriously thought about or recognised any changes or growth in me.

Excite: I was really impressed by how much you’ve improved with your dance skills in your characteristic music video for Eien.

BoA: Thank you very much. It was choreographed by an American and so the style was quite different compared to what I’ve done before. It didn’t look particularly showy but it was still quite complicated with all these small movements to it. So even if it doesn’t look like I’m moving much, I actually am moving a lot!

Excite: Did you do anything else in America aside from recording? For example, voice training or dance lessons etcetera.

BoA: No, not really. Rather than lessons, it was more like, I just had to learn the dance routine. Maybe the rehearsal became my dance lesson? Anyway, I’ve always been good at the more masculine type of dancing. However, since I’ve also released a lot of feminine songs in Japan, the choreography had to be designed to suit the song. The person who choreographed Eien, Reset Bustamante, also provided the choreography for BAD DRIVE and Style during last year’s “BoA THE LIVE” and I believe I performed quite a mannish dance.

Excite: Looks like we’ve strayed off topic now. I’d like to discuss with you some more about BEST&USA but first, which song left the greatest impression on you?

BoA: Definitely UNIVERSE.

Excite: UNIVERSE is the opening track to your ‘Best Of’ album. It certainly looks like recording with people you get along with leaves a great impression.

BoA: I’m always recording songs by myself so the time spent collaborating with others makes things so much more enjoyable. It’s almost like just hanging out with friends instead of working, as time passes by in the blink of an eye. But with this song, it certainly feels like we’ve created a new sound again. It was really worthwhile.

Excite: A ‘Best Of’ album usually only has past tracks featured on it, however the addition of this song suggests that this isn’t just any ‘Best Of’ album; it’s a sign of the direction you are taking with regards to your music. Your playlist you are going to officially release is different to the sample we have now so what did you think about the new version?

BoA: I simply just enjoyed it. The style also gradually changes (throughout the album) and I gave myself a pat on the back for it (laughs).

Excite: Which song did you feel was a turning point for you?

BoA: It’s hard to select a particular song. I felt that rather than concentrate on a particular genre, I’d try out a range of styles and then go back to basics afterwards. As a result of that, I can sing different types of songs and there is also an increased variety.

Excite: If that’s the case then your USA album shows your focus on the dance type of music. I believe that the American music scene has got clearly defined genres so when deciding which one to enter, did you have any insecurities?

BoA: I had already decided to focus on dance music rather than have a variety of styles on my USA album. Because I had already made that decision, the songs I had in mind would all follow the same style as today’s hottest dance tracks. The fact that I don’t even have one ballad on the album proves that doesn’t it? Since the concept of singing and dancing was what I had from the very beginning, I thought it was important to show the audience straight up what I do best. In that respect, I felt it was very clear what I wanted to do.

[See post to listen to audio]

Excite: So you could say it is an album ‘in the offensive’. On the other hand, your ‘Best Of’ album features a BEST&USA version of Meri Kuri and Valenti. What sort of criteria did you follow for these two songs?

BoA: Meri Kuri was used as the CM song for Audio-Technica and it was recorded with natural string instruments. Valenti was supposed to be like a bonus track and it is for the listener to enjoy. Also, I thought that’s the song I want to put in from the period of when I was around fifteen to sixteen (laughs). But changing the arrangement for the album means the vocals should also change so we re-recorded everything.

Excite: Do you often listen to your past songs?

BoA: Hardly ever (laughs).

[See post to listen to audio]

Excite: A lot of artists seem to say the same thing (laughs). So with Valenti, you re-recorded it because you wanted to express how you feel now, as opposed to what you felt back when you originally sung the song.

BoA: Sang it differently before…I don’t think there are many singers who think that way (laughs). I still think that to sing is to express your feelings in the most natural way possible. I often get told that my singing style has changed over time but it’s not like it’s something that you can change intentionally; it’s just a natural course. My first ‘Best Of’ album, BEST OF SOUL is quite different to my latest ‘Best Of’ album but that’s because you see things differently in your teen years and your adult years. Having said that, the two songs that were re-recorded definitely sound quite different to their respective original versions so you might find it quite interesting if you compare the two.

Excite: Once again, there are two DVD’s that come with the limited first press editions. The first one has all the music videos since DO THE MOTION but is there any particular video that you really liked?

BoA: Personally, I really liked make a secret and Eien. I also quite like DO THE MOTION’s video. I really want show my ‘dance’ videos to everyone.

Excite: The second DVD interests me for it not only has the music video for Eat You Up but a documentary film as well.

BoA: Yes, it does. When we started recording, a lot of impressions were associated with the US album and I think you should be able to enjoy this DVD.

Excite: You’ve had to travel to many more places than ever before to create this album. Did everything become really hectic for you (laughs)?

BoA: Yes it did (laughs). It’s not like I went to America and stayed there for the entire period. I was coming and going quite frequently. The longest I stayed for was around one month. When I actually went, I amazingly knew where I was but I never remembered it for long. After awhile, I’d be like “Huh? Where did I go again?” or something like that (laughs). When too much happens in a short period of time then you tend to forget things pretty quickly (bitter smile).

Excite: It must be confusing to have all these tasks in Korea, Japan and now even America. What kind of plans do you have after this?

BoA: My number one wish is to have everything balanced and planned out really nicely. I also want to meet my fans in Japan so I can have a chance to thank all those who support me!

Excite: Which country do you feel is the easiest place to work in?

BoA: Well, each place has its pluses and minuses. With the US album, obviously it’d be easier if I worked in America and the people here would know what they are talking about. However, I want the listener to enjoy it as though it were new. To be able to work in Korea, Japan and America…that’s quite a rare thing isn’t it? I always think like “Just enjoy yourself over there”.

[See post to listen to audio]

Excite: I thought of this upon hearing Eien but the lyric’s impression seems to fit you perfectly so it’d be really great if you could show us more of your feminine side as well as that really cool image of yours.

BoA: Yeah, that would be really good wouldn’t it? I’ll press on with my US debut and I’ll also try even harder with all my Japanese productions too!

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Perfume promoting One Room Disco

Artist: Perfume Product Code: TKCA-73430/5 Release Date: 2009.03.25 Genre: Technopop Highest Ranking: #1 Label: Tokuma Japan Communications Format: CD, CD+DVD Limited Edition: CD+DVD version

Just 3 months into 2009, Perfume has released their 1st single of 2009 called One-Room Disco. Fans have high expectations for this single as the word “Disco” should be an improvement of it’s predecessor Chocolate Disco. It certainly didn’t take long for Perfume to announce their new single in January after their New Years message showed signs of slowing down after a surge of popularity hit them in 2008.

[See post to listen to audio]

1. One-Room Disco

One-Room Disco is described as a danceable spring-like song. Sadly, it didn’t sound spring-like to me, nor did the lyrics had anything to do with Spring. The opening starts off nice and heavy with the synthesizer, very Nakata-ish, it sounds like it came from those party mix CDs. The chorus starts off with several repeats of the words One-Room and Disco, again, it’s a nice start. The voices are vocoded quite similarly to the songs from capsule., but still retains the Perfume cuteness.

Let’s get to the bad part. I suddenly found that the synthesizer at the beginning didn’t quite mix with the vocals nor the general theme of One-Room Disco. Starting around 3:50 to 4:30, the song sounded so “draggy”, the beat was causing it to become more repetitive than it already is. That was the downside of the song, I felt that the song could’ve ended about 30 seconds earlier.

The PV is probably the most interesting part of One-Room Disco. According to Fuji TV, it took around 30 hours to get everything right. One-Room Disco looks similar to Secret Secret in some ways because of the studio layout concept. The song, as always, fits with the PV really well.

Compared to Chocolate Disco, this song has more of a disco feel to it, it doesn’t carry a corny opening, and best of all…A-chan cannot screw up this song by ruining the whole point of lip syncing in their dance performances (search for Chocolate Disco Live on Youtube and you’ll know what I mean).

Overall, it is an enjoyable song at certain points, but it is not their best song and will never be.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

2. 23:30

23:30 carries this jazz feel and brings along a mix of Negai in between. After the upbeat song from track 1, this track heads towards an completely opposite direction. It is slow, the entire beat repeats for the whole song and that goes for the tone. I literally fell asleep when this song came on, like a lullaby. So, consider this song to be boring…or soothing. Now you guys might question why Negai got a entirely better review, well it’s because I didn’t fall asleep from it.

In my opinion, 23:30 revolves around the time concept (11:30 P.M), it’s difficult to explain as it can mean various things if this concept is taken differently based on your own character. Listen to the song and reflect back what you’re thinking about while that song is playing. To me, it’s like a song where you can just play while you sit and relax after a hard day at work.

It’s not an entirely bad song, but it carries a deep meaning behind it. Now it’s to you to decide whether this song is good or bad. I’m taking this both worlds.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Conclusion:

This single lacked a punch compared to Dream Fighter. In fact, it was quite similar too. Dream Fighter had more upbeat and I figure that technopop sounds better when it’s upbeat. Nakata should stop playing around with this group too much. Stick back to previous concepts from the GAME and Complete Best albums, I like the old ones better. It’s lean, mean and sticks to your head. Now they’ve become too pop and cute (song wise).

Now this brought up one thing, how long will this group last? We’ve seen a similar situation for HINOI Team, where Para-para lasted for 3 years and just died not because of inactivity, but it was a fad and it was supposed to die. Technopop is now a fad, with Suzuki Ami, Aira Mitsuki, SAWA, etc. continuing this genre, will we eventually get sick of it?

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

CD+DVD (First Press)

CD only

CD Tracklist

1. One-Room Disco
2. 23:30
3. One-Room Disco -original instrumental-
4. 23:30 -original instrumental-

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This article is translated from an interview done with Koda Kumi by Excite.
Translation by sljinu

Excite: (a sweet aroma wafts into the room as Koda Kumi enters) Wow, that’s a really nice scent you’re wearing.

Koda: Thank you very much.

Excite: (laughs) Ok, so your 7th album, Trick has just been released and it has a very Koda-like catchy title.

Koda: The album title is usually the last thing that’s decided but this time, we styled the album playlist in a concert-like way. We purposely designed the track-list to be like a concert where you cannot predict what the next song is going to be. Concerts are just a series of acts, one after the other, each with a different emotion all the way up until the encore. Since there are so many types of songs, we thought “What word would describe this really neatly?” and that’s what troubled us.

Excite: So you actually had this idea to attract people from the very beginning then.

Koda: I quite like surprises so ever since last year, I’ve been thinking about the different ways we could produce this album. From that, the expression “Trick” came up. By doing this, you could have a wide selection of songs and people would be surprised and be like “Oh wow! She has this type of song on this album too!” That’s why I thought the word “Trick” was a perfect title to the album.

Excite: That’s quite a colourful and vivid outlook of the world you have but that’s also shown through the CD+DVD album jacket too, isn’t it?

Koda: That’s right (laughs). On first glimpse of it, you’d probably not know who it is so I was wondering whether it was alright. That’s because you can always tell it’s me on previous covers. However, this photo was also the one that displayed the concept of the album. That’s why we selected this strange photo.

[See post to listen to audio]

Excite: I see. So the song show girl was a bit of a key this time?

Koda: Yes. This was the first song where the concept and the story was really clearly represented. show girl has that alluring, Moulin Rouge atmosphere to it. This is not a love song is about praying to God for help, but at the same time, it’s also about how life isn’t all that easy. It’s the first time I’ve sung such a song that deals with reality. I’ve never encountered such lyrics before but it’s definitely the first time I’ve began to feel this way. However, it also expresses that feeling of wanting to walk ahead using your own strength. Then we have the complete opposite in Bling Bling Bling feat.AK-69 where like, the lyrics run something along the lines of “If you want to date me, you have to be able to buy me designer handbags,” (laughs). I don’t normally say those kinds of things but I did for this song. All these songs basically came straight from the heart.

Excite: It’s been awhile since you last sung a song with lyrics written by somebody else but you did so with the song, Your Love.

Koda: I wrote the lyrics with Hiro, who also co-wrote the lyrics for TABOO. I still sang the song naturally though. We both shared the same ideas for what we wanted from this song so the entire process of recording this song was like a walk in the park. So even if the lyrics were a little masculine, I thought I would be able still make this song my own if I sung it.

Excite: Up until now, you’ve often projected your life experiences through your lyrics so what you’re writing now is quite new.

Koda: Yep. That’s why it’s called TRICK! My number one priority was to make an album that wouldn’t be boring. With the bonus track, there are fifteen songs in total. I sang all fifteen songs myself and with each one, I consciously tried to express it uniquely. It would bring me great joy if you could listen to every song on this album endlessly.

Excite: By the way, what would be the difference between a live and your latest album?

Koda: Hmm…there are a lot of ‘aggressive’ songs. I sang a lot of catchy songs like Koi no Tsubomi and WIND but I also sang songs like FREAKY and BUT. Then releasing both extremes in the one single, it’s possible to use either as the final climax. So generally, half the tracks on the album are the type that you can enjoy a lot more in karaoke while the other half is the type you enjoy more by listening to it. That way, at live gigs, I can make a really gaudy performance. It’s just that this time I selected a lot of songs that are like the latter type so I’m a little worried there aren’t enough karaoke type songs.

Excite: So basically, you’re always thinking about the listener.

Koda: Having been doing this for almost nine years, it’s kind of become a part of me. It’s probably because I also really love going to karaoke. Also, I recall my earlier self having a part-time job and saving that money so I could go and buy the CD’s. Because of that, I also really want others to feel as though their purchase was worth it by adding the DVD with it (laughs).

Excite: After all these questions, what did you feel sounds very “Koda Kumi-like”?

Koda: Koda Kumi-like huh…hmmm. It’s probably something that “Kuu-chan” cannot do. For example, when I released Taboo, it felt like I destroyed the “Kuu-chan”image. I’ve also been told a lot that I always sing looking like ‘that’. But it’s only because I thought it looked cool that I was able to make it my conviction. That’s why I now have lots of fans who have come to accept and support me. To have the patience and determination to continue on…I believe that’s what is really important. After reading lots of fan letters, I noticed there were a lot of people who were really self-concious and were afraid to expose their true selves. But if I was like that, I feel it would restrain my potential. That’s why I want to be able to do things that only a singer can do. For example, even though I’m a singer, I can come out of the water* (laughs). Basically, I wish to do things that nobody has ever tried before.

*This is with reference to the opening act of the 2007 Black Cherry tour

Excite: So did you have any insecurities or confusion before you came to this conclusion?

Koda: I guess in the end, the principles of “Kuu-chan” still kept on coming out. Like, if I wrote a lot of cute lyrics then I’d think “Oh, I think I’m in love,” or something like that (laughs). So even though I can’t really hide that alter ego, they do tend to balance each other out. If it was just “Koda Kumi” alone then she’d probably wear a lot of clothes that people wouldn’t even contemplate considering as an article of clothing.

[See post to listen to audio]

Excite: The music video for show girl certainly did exemplify the world of Koda Kumi.

Koda: Like the spangles and bodysuits (laughs)? I actually wanted to make a music video for every song on the album. However, instead of thinking of the balance, I wanted to make the impression of the album really clear so we only made two music videos. JUST THE WAY YOU ARE resembles my former self while showgirl represents my performance side. As for the other songs, I will focus on those in the upcoming concert.

Excite: Expressing this album in a three-dimensional way makes it seem even more amazing than before.

Koda: But the album title is TRICK! Geez, with expectations so high, I tried to raise the hurdle even more (laughs). However, I never made an estimate as to how much was expected of me. I’m going to do my best to betray your expectations in a good way, in my upcoming concert.

Excite: Well now I’m excited! It seems that you encountered a lot of challenges regarding both the melody and lyrics in this album. What do you think would be the best way to enjoy your latest work?

Koda: Hmm…I thought there were quite a lot of ‘aggressive’ melodies so I thought it’d be good if you could listen to this while you focusing on something. I was actually listening to this album while I was rearranging my closet. Then suddenly, I noticed that the album had repeated three times already. It never really felt like three hours.

[See post to listen to audio]

Excite: Oh, I also know that feeling where you’re in a trance and then suddenly, you kind of ‘wake up’.

Koda: Yeah! That’s also why you should be careful when driving. Like, if you listen to my song, Driving which has a feeling of speed then it allows you to feel as though you finished your task so much faster (laughs). Anyway, I would suggest listening to it whenever you’re concentrating on something.

Excite: And finally, a message to all your fans.

Koda: Last year, the theme to all the concerts and events etcetera was to attend as many different venues as possible and meet you guys as a way of saying thank you. I also plan on continuing that this year but I also want to announce the release of new projects in as many different ways as possible and express myself in a variety of ways. There’ll be a lot of transformations throughout this year for example, I may seem girlish at one point and then suddenly seem more tomboyish instead so be prepared to expect the unexpected.

Purchase this item: YesAsia US | YesAsia Global

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1. Koda Kumi – WIND WIND is Koda Kumi's 29th single, and the 11th in her 12 single collection. In order to generate sales, avex made the decision to create Kuu's 12 single collection (which contained 13 singles)....
2. Koda Kumi – you Koda Kumi after her hugely popular best compilation album, BEST ~first things~, returns to release twelve singles in twelve weeks. Her first single in this series "you" provides us with a heartbreaking ballad along with a summer flavoured song which has topped the charts and attracted a lot of attention....
3. BoA Excite Interview – BEST&USA This article is translated from an interview done with BoA regarding her Japanese ‘Best Of’ album and her American debut album, "BEST&USA" by Excite. ...

Ayumi Hamasaki 'NEXT LEVEL' USB ver.

J-pop queen Ayumi Hamasaki steps into a new era of marketing, offering a limited USB mass storage version of her new album NEXT LEVEL. Hamasaki has always been up to date, setting the latest trends and offering cutting edge releases so it is no surprise she has decided to take this bold step.

CD sales are in a steep decline, so steep that the rising digital sales are not enough to make up for the loss. Many Japanese artists have suffered a decline in overall sales, Hamasaki included. NEXT LEVEL’s USB’s mix of physical presence and digital versatility however, may be a turning point into the market. Could you imagine, having a specially designed flash drive for each album you own?

In the past, small indie artists have used this method of marketing but this will be the first time a major artist will dare to. Limited Edition as it is, I believe Ayumi will start to focus more on her digital sales as her sales methods have started to rely more on the new platform. Together When… was Ayumi’s first fully digital single, and it proved to be quite successful. Both Rule/Sparkle and GREEN/Days were released as a whole in online ringtones and both have also proven to be prosperous in sales. This type of pseudo-digital marketing may be just what Hamasaki’s tapering sales need to grow.

USB in use

The flash drive itself will have a 2GB capacity and is shaped into the likeness of Ayu’s 10th anniversary logo. The album will use 800MB of space, containing thirteen tracks, 6 music videos and a digital lyric booklet, so the rest of the space is free to the buyer. The case will be yellow, part of NEXT LEVEL’s promotion and each version of the album will be a different color. Packaging will resemble a normal CD case, making it easier to display in retail stores.

I’m sure all of Ayu’s fans are very enthusiastic about the release as the USB version pre-orders were exhausted within ten minutes of being put online. The demand is so high that despite the whopping 6,800 yen price Avex will re-issue the version, manufacturing as many as ordered. Now this re-issue has a catch of course, the bonuses are removed and there is a price mark-up. From a pessimist’s angle, this seems to be forming into an tacky scheme to milk sales. Even so, this fresh new way of music retail seems very promising and I wish Hamasaki the best in her efforts.

“As the way we listen to music changes from day to day, I looked at things from the listener’s perspective and decided to sell it this way.”
-Hamasaki Ayumi

Purchase this item: YesAsia US | YesAsia Global

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3. Ayumi Hamasaki Despite the fact that Ayumi Hamasaki is a petite 5'1" singer, she's a huge legend all over Asia. Apart from being a singer, Hamasaki is a fashion leader, an actress, a model, a spokeswoman, a composer and songwriter. She is the ultimate icon of fashion and music in Japan, is known as the "Empress of J-Pop" and is considered the Asian equivalent of Madonna. Consequently she is one of the most popular and influential artists ever to appear in Asia. However, till the present day, Ayumi remains an enigma and is frequently misunderstood by many....

Anniversary post always comes a few months late *hides*

August 25^th, 2008 marks the 3^rd anniversary of Channel-Ai Community Blog. It is hard to believe we have made it this far, as all of this started out as an experimental move to spread the love of J-Pop music. We acquired many writers throughout the past 3 years, all of them passionate and knowledgeable when it comes to the artists they love. Some went on hiatus due to various reasons but luckily, we never run out of new writers to inject new energy into this blog. This year, 3 new writers: 1337rice, sljinu and DJAeon, joined our crew and they have proved themselves to be the most productive despite being the newest additions to our family!

Layout

Until just moments ago, our blog was using a modified version of Cutline theme that I completed overnight 2 years ago. Of course, much tweaking has been done here and there as more features and plugins were added throughout the past 2 years. In order to prepare for yet another wonderful year of J-Pop blogging, I decided it is time for a new theme. Every now and then, things need to be changed to stimulate creativity.

Sure enough, being a huge fan of the Cutline theme and all, I immediately fell in love with Thesis, another wonderful theme by Chris Pearson. Indeed, Thesis can be seen as an extension of Cutline in terms of typography, design and ease of customization. With that said, all these premium features come with a rather expensive price tag of 87 dollars for a personal license. While it might seem a little overpriced at first glance, the versatility, built-in SEO, ease of customization, clean front-end and back-end definitely make this theme worthwhile.

Cutline vs. Thesis

For the colour scheme, I decided to follow the good old blue, green, orange combo. Part of it is just me being lazy, but really, after playing around with different colours I just couldn’t help feeling the fresh blue, green and orange combination works out the best and complement the sidebar rotator really well.

Talking about the rotator, it currently features artists that have been covered on this blog. Much effort went into finding high quality photos that fits the current theme’s feel and design. In order to promote the different types of article we offer on this blog, the top navigation menu and sidebar has been redesigned to showcase some of the best articles we offered, namely those highly informative biographies, groundbreaking J-Pop news and heart wrenching dorama reviews. The current theme also supports threaded comments which is one of the main features of WordPress 2.7. Hopefully, this improvement will stimulate more discussion between our readers and writers through threaded conversations.

Media

As mentioned in our 2nd anniversary blog post, we have completely switched from QuickTime’s MOV to Flash’s FLV for our video embeds. While FLV is a great format, what it lacks is the high quality compression that H.264 provides. As such, I am looking into bringing H.264 encoded .mp4 to our blog in the near future, which should allow us to deliver higher quality videos at even smaller filesize than FLV!

To ease the implementation of adding image captions, I wrote an aptly named plugin called Image Caption. :) If you have been wondering how we consistently publish articles with wonderful image captions, now you know the magic. If you happens to be a fellow blogger with a self-hosted WordPress blog, I highly recommend you to give this plugin a try!

Popularity

RSS subscriber stats from Mar 11, 2006 to Feb 11, 2009 by FeedBurner

Our RSS subscribers have been growing steadily at an almost linear pace, which I can’t say is a bad sign, but an exponential growth would have been better and more closely reflects the natural law of growth. Is such slow growth rate limited by the amount of J-Pop lovers out there or we just aren’t doing enough to speed up the growth? It is tempting to think that our slow post rate might have contributed to this…

Blog stats from Nov 14, 2004 to Jan 14, 2009 by Google Analytics

On the daily visitor side, it seems that our popularity hasn’t been growing but quite oppositely, shrinking in size! *panic* From the stats produced by Google Analytics, it becomes clear that our peak happened back in May 2007, during which we attracted 107,936 page views.

When I look at the WordPress Stats graph below, I can’t help but feeling a little sad… *sob*

Blog stats from May, 2007 to Jan, 2009 by WordPress Stats

So, what really went wrong? Well, I reckon part of the reason is due to the falling popularity of my FLV Embed plugin, which has consistently outperformed our other blog posts in terms of page views. Since those plugin pages contributes to a large percentage of the total page views, any changes in terms of popularity of FLV Embed and other plugins I wrote definitely have an impact on the overall page view counts.

With that said, what I would like to see from now on is to have our J-Pop articles raking in more and more page views, after all the main focus of our blog is still J-Pop, right? This cannot be done without support from readers like you! If you have always been lurking our blog, it will be greatly appreciated if you can start commenting on our articles to help start a discussion on the materials reviewed. If you have good knowledge of specific artists and feel that they haven’t been covered enough on our blog, please apply to become a writer and join our team!

J-Pop is still a relatively small niche in the blogosphere but we are working hard on making it the next big thing! Please give us your support and help us realize this dream. Hopefully 2009 will be a great year of J-Pop blogging despite the economy downturn!

Writers

1337rice, DJAeon and sljinu are the 3 new writers that join our team this year.

1337rice

DJAeon

sljinu

1337rice is not only one of our newest writers but he is also a moderator at our very own Channel-Ai forum as well. 1337rice listens to a wide range of J-Pop music as apparent in the variety of reviews he has written so far. It seems that he is currently crazy about Perfume’s technopop so we can probably expect more Perfume reviews from him in the future.

DJAeon is one of our youngest writers but his age definitely doesn’t stop him from being one of the most productive writer here. Being as enthusiastic and motivated as he is, he often seek advices from our editors before publishing his articles. So far DJAeon has covered several reviews for Koda Kumi and Ai-chin’s music, but he is well on his way to show his interests in other artists as well.

sljinu started out as a junior member at the Channel-Ai forum but within short amount of time, he rose quickly to become one of the most experienced posters and a well regarded source for the latest Ai-chin news through his excellent translation skills. To date, sljinu has published a whopping 10 interviews, most of them are related to Ai Otsuka.

Conclusion

It wasn’t easy keeping a blog running for 3 years and without readers like you to support us, we would have stopped doing this long time ago. I want to thank all my fellow staff members for keeping this place alive and kicking after more than 3 years. I also want to thank intlwota for giving us the Best Group Blog award! Every recognition matters and every comment and feedback we received tell us all our effort is worth it!

Let’s look forward for another year of J-Pop goodness right here at Channel-Ai Community Blog!

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Hinouchi Emi promoting ME...

Artist: Hinouchi Emi Product code: KICS-1414 Release date: 2008.12.03 Highest Ranking: #64 Label: Venus-B Limited Edition: CD+DVD, Alternate Cover

Aside from hardcore M-Flo fans, few people probably would have heard of R&B sensation, Emi Hinouchi. Having been acknowledged by working with several highly notable acts such as M-Flo, The Teriyaki Boyz and Epik High, Emi has proven time and time again her outstanding attributes to Asian music fans around the globe. However, despite this exposure poor sales continue to plague her career with her solo works failing to make a considerable mark on the Oricon charts.

Born in Osaka on September 7, 1982, Emi lived in Taiwan between the ages of 4-14 before returning to Japan. Soon afterwards, she joined the indies band, Buranko, which focused on contemporary black music. It was during this period that she composed her first song, Painful, completed at the tender age of 16. Around that time, Taku Takahashi was holding an audition in which she entered presenting Painful, and won. Takahashi, enchanted by the young talent, took her in under his own recording label, Tachytelic Records, and released her first single, Magic/World, on November 11, 2002 although it is rumoured that Emi had wanted to debut with Painful.

Over 2003, Emi released a plethora of singles, all of which were self-composed, but none managed to have any significant impact on the charts. Her first year of her career as a recording artist was rounded up with her first album, Dramatiques, which again was a commercial disaster. This resulted in Emi taking a break from recording and focusing on live gigs in events such as Tachytelic Night. Five years later, after a number of collaborative works and a few recent singles, Emi finally released her sophomore album, ME….

[See post to listen to audio]

1. O’Kay

O’Kay was Emi’s first single after a four year hiatus. It was supposed to signal a fresh new start to her career and this was reflected by her changing of record companies to King Records, dropping the kanji in her first name in favour of katakana and updating her normally conservative image to something extremely pretentious. Emi’s change wasn’t limited only to aesthetics however; O’Kay features a much more updated sound that expands beyond her regular R&B works.

The track opens up with a tropical sounding guitar riff that is carried on throughout the song and is soon followed by the rest of the instruments. The song’s light-hearted nature should create an atmosphere of easy listening but the heavy beat thudding in the background does not seem to mesh in. Listeners already used to this style should find it instantly likeable but for most others, O’Kay may take awhile to grow.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

2. Music Of Love

Music of Love is the first new track we are introduced to and is a fusion of latin and jazz. Featuring SOFFet, Music of Love only serves to be another testament to Emi’s ability in collaborations, causing little wonder as to why she’s one of the gems of the Global Astro Alliance. Throughout the song, SOFFet’s slick rap lines skilfully run through the verse’s while Emi Hinouchi provides her fantastic vocals during the build up to and during the choral segments.

The mixing of rap and jazz often makes for an interesting combination due to its relative rarity and Music of Love is no exception. The delivery from SOFFet is flawless though at times, GooF can tend to sound like VERBAL. The main downside to the song would probably be the saxophone. Though the solos are fairly good, it feels like it is being drowned out by the rest of the instrumentation. Its whiny tone doesn’t really help either and the drawn out conclusion to the song leaves a bitter impression. Aside from that, Music of Love is certainly an entertaining track and a nice opening to the new works Emi has to offer.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

3. Kataomoi

Kataomoi was Emi’s latest single, released just a month before ME… was due to hit shelves. With its relatively standard J-pop sound, Kataomoi was certainly among the least inspired of this album at least, stylewise. Despite being a really fun song to listen to, its lackluster character ensured that few people would hear anything new from it. The strain also heard in Emi’s voice at the end of the second verse ruins the build up to one of her esteemed “adlibs” and does little to improve the listener’s opinion of her. What is surprising is that Emi performed this song live on Venus-B Night and managed to pull it off without the strain.

Interestingly, the song’s title means “Unrequited Love” which contrasts against the warm, upbeat mood displayed by the arrangement. It certainly is an enjoyable track to listen to but being the standard J-pop song it is, there are a huge range of other artists one can find similar works from.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

4. Koi wa Rirurari

Koi wa Rirurari is another clear cut example of Emi’s new sound. While the track doesn’t exactly border the experimental genre, it does defy convention in several aspects. Structurally, the song stands in line with most others but timing and melody is another story. An infectious piano riff is the only melodic accompaniment to Emi’s voice during each verse making it feel really thin. The song fills out during the build-up to the chorus but there is a complete absence of a transition between the build-up and the chorus. Transitions from the chorus back to the verse also don’t exist and the fluid movement back to same initial piano riff causes the song to sound as though it is filled with holes. Overall, this song had one mistake repeated too many times. One could argue its uniqueness (for the want of a better word) but ultimately, the effect simply fails. Had those small gaps been filled then Koi wa Rirurari could have been something very different.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

5. Chocolate

The B-side to O’Kay, the album suddenly takes a turn for a heavy urban sound. With a lot of layering and syncopated rhythms, Chocolate can be a difficult song for many to enjoy. The bulk of the arrangement is made up of synthesisers and percussive instruments which creates a rather cluttered backing and by some fluke, Emi somehow manages to hold it together. Despite this, Chocolate can grow on the listener even if it may not be a song you can listen to on any occasion.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

6. Natsukoi

Following the same mood of Music of Love, Natsukoi sees Emi Hinouchi pair up with fellow Global Astro Alliance member, Ryohei. The success of pairing the two was already seen in M-Flo’s hit, Summertime Love, and this song successfully continues that legacy. The laid back, tropical island feel of Natsukoi is quite attractive but the simple and rather generic arrangement causes it to feel a little like a fail-safe formula. Ryohei’s unmatchable, wispy voice perfectly complements Emi’s throughout the entire song although Emi’s power consistently puts Ryohei into a backing role. Aside from the generic nature of the song, perhaps the only other pitfall is how the richness of the sound tends to fluctuate, most notably during the climax. In the end, the virtue that renders Natsukoi really attractive is due to few other artists having actually tapped into this sound. Should Natsukoi stand amongst its peers then its inconsistencies would most likely see to its downfall.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

7. GOODIE MEMORIES

GOODIE MEMORIES was the second single she released after her return as a recording artist. Following a similar formula to O’Kay, GOODIE MEMORIES is also a light urban track but with a more mediocre arrangement. A synthesised riff is prominently featured in this song and its high pitched, nasal-like quality tends to create an extremely annoying disturbance. Emi also sings in the higher octaves of her vocal range causing her voice to often lose the power and expression she has in the lower ranges. Out of all the singles Emi has released so far, GOODIE MEMORIES was definitely the biggest let-down. It’s difficult to comprehend how so many people can actually enjoy this song yet not enjoy her obviously superior works.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

8. Get up!

Get up! is the second out of three tracks that seriously focus on heavy percussive beats. Contrary to the previous song however, Get up!’s catchy phrases and high paced rhythm make for an easily addictive and fun song to listen to. The layering and percussion is much sharper and snappier than Chocolate though, making Get up! not only a much easier song to love but also a superior song overall.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

9. First Date

First Date somehow follows the lead of Koi wa Rirurari. It was easy to write this track off as the weakest one on the album but several more listens allowed me to appreciate this song a little more, even if it was just to no longer view it with contempt. First Date’s arrangement is extremely simple and uninspired and the nasal quality of her vocals is clearly aggravated in the chorus. The piano lines are also expendable as its sound does not suit the mood of the song. When comparing First Date with Emi’s other works, one wonders how she managed to create such a strange song. The song’s enchanting sound does eventually grow onto the listener however. Its child-like quality successfully reflects the uncertain but magical feel about a first date between two shy teenagers. While First Date is definitely a filler track, its bubblegum pop sound is intriguingly enticing in a very subtle way.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

10. I Love You

Emi concentrates heavily on a natural, acoustic sound over the next few songs and I Love You kicks that theme off to a gentle start. The song is significantly tuned down in terms of synthesized sounds and the acoustic guitar and percussion star as the only backing to Emi’s serene voice. Through this, I Love You creates this incredibly honest and heartfelt aura. Emi’s inhibition certainly keeps the song’s acoustics well balanced throughout but the absence of a powerful climax once again causes the song to sound relatively dull for its entire duration.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

11. Heart feel vacances

Heart feel vacances has a beach-side theme to it and this is recognized through the ukulele reminiscent guitar riff played throughout the song. Simple percussion instruments used in the backing also further add to this atmosphere. Unfortunately, this track could probably be written off as the least interesting song of the album. Even Koi wa Rirurari had its strong points and a reasonably likeable melody; it only failed in its overall delivery. Heart feel vacances just falls flat and is dead boring the entire way through the whole track.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

12. Ai Dake Ga

Her first single of 2008, to veteran fans it’s clear that Ai Dake Ga draws its roots from Dramatiques’ You were my everything. The arrangement to Ai Dake Ga is now simplified with only an acoustic guitar and some strings accompanying Emi throughout the song. The layering of minute details and the glossing of sounds present in You were my everything was avoided in Ai Dake Ga making for a much more pure, natural sounding song.

In terms of vocal ability, Ai Dake Ga could well have been one of Emi’s best performances yet. Delivered raw and emotionally, her improvised sections spoke for themselves. Worthy of being a signature song of Emi’s, few singers produce a song as high a quality as this one.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

13. Interlude ~in my dream~

A simple interlude featuring Emi improvising along with the piano.

[See post to listen to audio]

14. Grow

Following the interlude comes the ballad, Grow. A serious contender for the title of best ballad, perhaps the only factor capable of distinguishing between whether Ai Dake Ga or Grow is better is personal preference. Grow features a sole piano played by Gakushi who accompanies Emi throughout the entire song. Her soft voice is balanced perfectly by the piano through each verse and she unleashes herself during the climatic moments of the chorus. The utilization of the reverb effect also helps convey the image of Emi singing alone. Upon first listening to it, Grow feels a lot like the stereotypical piano ballad but what takes this song a step above from the rest is purely one thing; Emi Hinouchi.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

15. E·S·C·A·P·E

The final urban sounding song, the conveniently titled song E·S·C·A·P·E being placed near the end of the album could very well signify the cutting off and the completion of Emi’s transition from urban to mainstream pop. E·S·C·A·P·E’s sound is very similar to Chocolate’s but it features a much funkier beat. It’s also a lot less cluttered in terms of the activity taking place within the backing, rendering E·S·C·A·P·E to sound a little like a blend of Chocolate and Get up!.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

16. TWINKLE STAR (SHINE ON ME ver.)

The black sheep of the album, Emi collaborates with DJ MAKAI for the dance-inducing track, TWINKLE STAR (SHINE ON ME ver.). Apart from the odd remix of a single, house music is not a style that Emi’s name is normally associated with. Despite this, TWINKLE STAR (SHINE ON ME ver.) is a gratifyingly addictive song and Emi pulls it off really well.

TWINKLE STAR (SHINE ON ME ver.) being a Japanese spin-off of the original DJ MAKAI composition merely features a re-recording of Emi singing in Japanese plus the added vitality of new vocal improvisations. Also, aside from the obvious difference of singing in Japanese, Emi sings a lot brighter in the SHINE ON ME version suitably matching the bright tone of the violins. Having said that, while TWINKLE STAR (SHINE ON ME ver.) is not the original version, it surpasses its predecessor and brings this rather exciting package to a strong and satisfying (if not typical) end.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Conclusion:

Emi’s new album ME… definitely shows a vast change in her sound compared to Dramatiques. Losing the focus on just urban music, Emi’s transition to more mainstream J-pop could lead to mixed results. With her expanding repertoire of genres, there is no doubt that there is a lot more material for a larger range of listeners to enjoy however, she will also be sacrificing any hardcore R&B fans accumulated from her early works. Loyal fans of Emi however, will no doubt enjoy a lot (if not all) of the new works Emi has to offer. Furthermore, the photography featured for both the CD and the CD+DVD edition is of A-grade quality and would certainly appeal to many. On a side note, it is interesting to note that Emi’s current behavior is somewhat mimicking a certain Hitomi Shimatani’s who also underwent major style changes in recent times.

While ME… may not necessarily be better than her first album, it certainly does have greater potential in increasing her recognition as a recording solo artist outside the J-urban community. I definitely enjoyed her new album and most listeners of Emi did too. ME… also did a lot better than her previous album and her future seems brighter than before. Even so, its highest ranking wasn’t very good and I sincerely hope that it won’t serve to be the catalyst to her career’s hiatus once more.

Overall Rating: 3.77 out of 5 stars

CD Cover

CD+DVD Cover

Tracklist:

1. O’Kay
2. Music of Love
3. Kataomoi
4. Koi wa Rirurari
5. Chocolate
6. Natsukoi
7. GOODIE MEMORIES
8. Get up!
9. First Date
10. I Love You
11. Heart feel vacances
12. Ai Dake Ga
13. Interlude ~in my dream~
14. Grow
15. E·S·C·A·P·E
16. TWINKLE STAR (SHINE ON ME ver.)

DVD Tracklist

1. O’Kay
2. GOODIE MEMORIES
3. Kataomoi
4. Ai Dake Ga

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Nishino Kana promoting MAKE UP

Artist: Nishino Kana Product Code: SECL-750 Release Date: 2009.01.28 Genre: Pop Highest Ranking: #43 Label: Sony Music Entertainment Format: CD First Press: Alternate CD jacket

MAKE UP is Nishino Kana’s 4th single. This single is a follow-up of her 3rd single Style., which was the 2nd ED of the popular anime series SOUL EATER. Kana isn’t really popular despite being her 4th single. It posted at rank #43 in JBOOK (not sure about ORICON) during the first day of release. 3 songs from this single are for the newly released animated movie and series Chocolate Underground (January 31st), which serves as a 20 minute extension to the 13 6-minute episodes on the internet.

Her presence is slowly rising as she performed a TV live on Music Japan last week. She also recently announced her first tour to celebrate her 20th birthday. Best of all, her MAKE UP -First Press- is sold out.

This single is produced by 12 different artists combined, including the well-known Ito Yuna and the recently retired artist, melody..

[See post to listen to audio]

1. MAKE UP

Nishino Kana promoting MAKE UP

MAKE UP is an upbeat song that is intended for girls with broken hearts. It really provides a sense of motivation. Her cute voice is really addicting to listen and it’s hard to get sick of it. The English that is being added to the song definitely does not sound broken because she previously learned English when she was little and went to America. The use of the vocoder in the middle of the song adds an interesting twist, but I would probably prefer if she sticks back to her normal voice.

The music and arrangement is by Shimizu Shota, Crystal Kay, RSP, ET-KING, and Maeda Kazuhiko.

You can watch her live performance here: link

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

2. Kirari

Kirari is an insert song for the movie Chocolate Underground. SiZK from ★STAR GUiTAR arranged the music while the song itself is by Ito Yuna, Sowelu, BENNIE K, TATE＆MARKIE, melody., and Heartsdales.

The background music arrangement is excellent as well as the lyrics and Kana’s voice flow perfectly. Her voice sounds so “angelic” during the ending, that I fell in love with it instantly. However, I can’t really imagine Heartsdales would be involved since they disbanded more than a year ago and they produce R&B and Hip Hop, not ballads like this. BENNIE K, not really, because they’re about the same as Heartsdales. I can see TATE＆MARKIE involved in the non-chorus section while Ito Yuna, melody. and Sowelu would be involved with the overall piece.

This is definitely a good ballad from Kana. Now if the songs were written by her, how would they turn out?

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

3. Sherie

Sherie is the only track that’s not for Chocolate Underground and produced by different artists. It is an upbeat and fast-paced song. Definitely a good song, but it kinda gets on your nerves when she keeps saying the name Sherie and over-uses it just to make it sound like it’s flowing along with the background music.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

4. MAKE

This song is probably a random addition. It is the ending song for Chocolate Underground internet anime series (yes, notice how I say series, not the movie). The lyrics are different, ranging from the opening, the chorus and basically everything else. The background music stays the same though. Once again, it is composed by the same people who composed MAKE UP. I personally like MAKE UP better because it sounds more energetic in the beginning and end. The change in lyrics also ruined the flow of one part of the song, unlike MAKE UP which was probably the original version, probably they just become lazy and decided not to adjust the background music.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Conclusion:

Overall, it’s the best single from Kana. Now only if Sony bothers to give her some publicity, she would definitely become a Top 20 in ORICON weekly. Kana is irresistibly cute and everyone would easily love her voice if they hear it at least once. She has made a significant improvement ever since her first single “I” was released last year, she has so much potential at the age of 19 (she turns 20 on March 18). I hope she will become more successful in the future…maybe her luck will kick in when she turns 20. Happy Birthday Kana!

P.S.

As I’m typing this, MAKE UP has been played 49 times non-stop in repeat. It’s almost as addicting as Perfume – Secret Secret.

Overall Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

CD

CD Tracklist

1. MAKE UP
2. Kirari
3. Sherie
4. MAKE

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Perfume promoting Dream Fighter

Artist: Perfume Product Code: TKCA-73390/5 Release Date: 2008.11.19 Genre: Technopop Highest Ranking: #2 Label: Tokuma Japan Communications Format: CD, CD+DVD Limited Edition: CD+DVD version

Dream Fighter concludes their successful 2008 run. It was a single that generated a lot of hype, from forums to blogs. When the 15 second preview came out, everyone became somewhat confused. “This doesn’t sound like Perfume” a fan says. Until the full radio preview came out, people expressed their opinions. Some say that it carried too much pop than techno, some say it sounds different from their previous works, but most people still like it anyways.

Despite the success that they had on Love the World and GAME, their ORICON single sales rank fell short to UVERworld’s new single: Hakanaku mo Towa no Kanashi, which is UVERworld’s first #1 single based on the highly popular mecha series Gundam 00 S2.

[See post to listen to audio]

1. Dream Fighter

It’s probably the most special song for Perfume if it’s carrying the title Dream Fighter. The song’s first broadcast was on TOKYO FM while the first live performance was performed on their biggest concert to-date, BUDOUKaaaaaaaaaan, as an encore.

Dream Fighter is an interesting song when compared to their previous works. The vocals sound more natural because the vocoder isn’t adjusted to the levels that are similar to the previous works (you know what I mean), the instrumental flows smoothly using mid-high tones that provide the “dreamy” feel and once it’s all combined with the dance, “BIN-BON!” (From A-chan), you get a song with a super addictive chorus.

So, yes, the song is definitely different from the others. Change is good…for a while though. What I didn’t enjoy about the song is when they went solo for a good portion of the song while Love the World and Secret Secret were mostly composed of all 3 of them singing together. It just didn’t feel like Perfume for a while.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

2. Negai

I like this B-side a lot. It has a very similar feel to Macaroni, but the beat is much slower and is much more enjoyable. The keyboard in the background gives it a gloomy feel. If you listen to the instrumentals carefully, there are strings being played for a 2-3 seconds, but it’s barely noticeable in the song itself. The piano is then used for the ending, which adds a good ballad feel (I think this is considered a ballad). Perfume doesn’t usually do this type of music often, but it was a great effort by both Nakata and Perfume.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Conclusion:

It was a successful year for Perfume. They have done what no normal artist could’ve done in a 1 year time span. Getting a #1 single and album, a live tour plus a 2 day performance at Budoukan, 2 TV shows hosted by Perfume themselves, a photobook and of course, a lot of dancing. Dream Fighter is what Perfume was doing in 2008, successfully “fighting” to make their dream come true. Although it was not the perfect single, it was the best single to sum up Perfume’s year 2008. In their New Years message, A-chan said “We’ll fight head on with any future obstacles that may come…like a Dream Fighter” (Thanks to HaroRangers for translation). We will look forward to the next single in 2009.

Overall Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

CD+DVD (First Press)

CD only

CD Tracklist

1. Dream Fighter
2. Negai
3. Dream Fighter -original instrumental-
4. Negai -original instrumental-

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This article is translated from an interview done with Otsuka Ai by Excite.
Translation by sljinu

[See post to listen to audio]

Excite: Around when did you get the idea that you wanted to make a new album?

Ai: After completing LOVE PiECE, I released the single Pocket. That song was extremely special to me so at the time, I had no plans on putting it in an album. However, after releasing Pocket, I thought “Oh, it’d be nice if I make the theme of the next album as a collection of love letters”. After the start of the new year, I gradually felt even more determined to do so.

Excite: It’s been five years since you debuted and you’ve released five albums over that time. Each one seems to mark the end of an era. Do you feel that your latest album is appropriate for this?

Ai: Yes, I do. With this fifth album, it’s like an official mark to the end of the period. With these four albums and my upcoming one, it’s like my introductory period has naturally come to its end. It’s not like I thought it requires five albums to reach this stage, it’s just that it just happened this way. I feel that with LOVE LETTER, this era has finally reached its end.

Excite: So that means that you have never experienced this satisfaction of reaching a certain milestone with any of your previous albums?

Ai: Basically, yes. Up until the third album, a lot of the songs used were those I wrote before my debut so it still had quite an inexperienced feel to it. With the fourth one, I still felt I could do better than that. The last song on this album, Ai, was completed quite soon after the release of Pocket but I still feel that the completion of Ai was a really big thing.

Excite: You said that there were originally no plans to release Pocket at all and that it was a personal song that you composed. Would that mean that Ai was actually composed for the album?

Ai: Ai is also something that I just naturally composed. The title also just came up, it wasn’t something that I particularly gave a lot of thought about. As for the aforementioned feeling of completing my introductory era, I only achieved that feeling after completing Ai. This song also targets the largest audience out of any other song I wrote. I wrote this song thinking “What is something that anyone, even children or grandparents, can do?” The result? I came up with the chorus “Love, something that must be treasured. Love, something that even I can do.” Anyone can treasure those who are close to them, whether they are a child or an adult. Also, if one can feel happiness from the other’s joy then that’s love isn’t it?

[See post to listen to audio]

Excite: Wow, that’s really deep and benign. I also felt that same warmth from the other songs of LOVE LETTER but please also discuss the song LOVE LETTER in particular.

Ai: In fact, it was the first time I wrote the title track for an album.

Excite: Coming to think of it, that’s true. Which one did you come up with first; the album title or the song title?

Ai: I had already decided on the album title quite awhile back. It’s the fact that this album is like a collection of love letters that gives this combination of songs its meaning. Also, when I wrote LOVE LETTER, I wasn’t just thinking about the love between a couple but also the love for children, for your friends, for your parents, for those that you grew up alongside with, I wrote LOVE LETTER for all those people. I wrote this song around the same time I wrote Ai.

[See post to listen to audio]

Excite: After Pocket, you composed LOVE LETTER and Ai. In a way, this gives an insight to your mindset at the time.

Ai: Pocket is definitely an important song to me. After completing Pocket, I think I ended up focusing my lyrics on the theme of solicitude.

Excite: Again, I felt that you singing with the piano in LOVE LETTER, the a cappella segment in Ai and the fact that they both finished really simply was really impressive.

Ai: From the beginning, I had planned for LOVE LETTER to just feature a solo piano. I believe it is because this is my principle that I am still able to be a recording artist to this day. Singing with the piano was where everything begun. That is why for my fifth album, I used this style for the opening track. And what I mean by “principle” is that if I could have made LOVE LETTER as though it was a work I did before LOVE PUNCH then that’d be nice so that’s why I did it like that. The a cappella segment however, was Ikoman’s idea. Before we went into the arrangements, it seems as though he watched the commercial earlier and the idea really got to him so he said “I think this song would be good as an a cappella.” I then replied “Ok! That sounds alright to me!” (laughs). Ikoman then said “No no, that wouldn’t be good for me,” and so I got him to provide an arrangement for me.

Excite: When you look at the songs on the album like LOVE LETTER, Ai, Rocket Sneaker and Kurage, Nagareboshi then you notice that there are a lot of songs which feature the piano.

Ai: Yes, that’s true. Ikoman said that it’s interesting to note how expressive the piano can be when you look at tracks like Rocket Sneaker. Also, he had the idea that we focus the album on the piano but it’s not like we composed and arranged the songs with the thought that we absolutely had to do that this time. We did everything we could to make each individual song interesting according to its circumstances and it just so happened that the piano appeared a lot. Also, the acoustic guitar and the customary electric guitar appeared a lot too.

Excite: Then it could be said that it is because the song is focused around the piano that the other songs stand out.

Ai: Yep. I feel that I have matured even more in this album.

[See post to listen to audio]

Excite: Your piano ballads seem to be even more mature now but what were your plans regarding your other songs?

Ai: Well, I suppose the latter tracks were composed intentionally. For example, Do☆Positive or Shachihata or 360°. Like, when I looked at the album as a whole, I thought “Oh, it seems kind of dark…” (laughs). When I look at past albums there was always that bright, fast-paced song and I thought this album needed those songs otherwise it’d be incomplete. If I left it like this then it’s no good (laughs).

[See post to listen to audio]

Excite: The appearance of Shachihata was quite a surprise.

Ai: Aaahh, geez, I feel really bad about this song (laughs).

Excite: Feel bad?

Ai: Well, the song was just another one of those muck-around types but it was still really expensive to produce. I asked Sasaji to arrange the song. Also, all the band members came from Sasaji’s big band, Daigosho.

Excite: Wow, that’s amazing!

Ai: But what’s really amazing about Shachihata is that real people are performing it. They were basically a lot more amazing than I was (laughs). Seeing all those people really work hard on the song…I couldn’t see it as anything more than a joke (laughs).

Excite: And what did you mean by leaving Shachihata to Sasaji?

Ai: The concept of Shachihata was to see all the ‘adults’ enjoy themselves but in a mature manner while I’m the only one who is enjoying herself like a child. Ikoman then suggested that if that was the case, why don’t I get some real jazz players?

Excite: This is the first time you’ve produced a pure jazz song isn’t it?

Ai: Well, Sasaji says he still regards this as pop music.

Excite: What was it like, working with Sasaji?

Ai: It was the first time ever that I worked with Sasaji and I had no idea how he worked…(bitter smile). However, I just did it like usual where I’d tell him what kind of image I wanted to convey and point out whatever didn’t suit my idea. It wasn’t exactly easy but it’s not like it was really hard either. The recording also went really smoothly and quickly and that was all because everyone was truly professional and experienced.

Excite: You also looked like you were enjoying yourself when you were singing (laughs).

Ai: Hahahah! Well, I guess I was quite satisfied with how I sang.

Excite: At first, I couldn’t recognize who’s voice it was so I was like “huh?”

Ai: I can see why if you listen from the beginning of the album that you’d come across one and be like “Who’s this?” (laughs). I usually sing with quite a high voice and I mesh my breathing with that however, with Shachihata, I went with singing with a low voice instead. I sang a lot like this back in junior high school when I was taking vocal lessons so rather than it being a new experience, it kind of takes me back and it’s a bit embarrassing. And then when we were recording, Kubota Koutarou said “Hah?? What’s this? It sounds like some old hag is singing it!” (laughs).

Excite: Hahaha! But it certainly feels as though we’ve seen a side of you that you normally kept hidden.

Ai: It’d make me really happy if you could enjoy this song.

Excite: It seems that Do☆Positive and 360° both have music videos.

Ai: Yes. And then we also filmed a music video for Ai.

Excite: Could you please explain to us how you felt about making each one?

Ai: Do☆Positive is quite self-explanatory and has quite a clear image. It has “Stupid one way road” as its catch phrase (laughs). I had the image of a down town section when I thought about the song but the Kansai streets also work. It’s not all that serious for example, if you buy a lottery ticket then there’s the chance you could win, right? I guess it’s just nice to have a small dream like that. In other words, being simple* (laughs). And we finished the music video just like that. If you listen to the song or watch the music video, I’d like you to get that same positive vibe too.

*The word she uses basically means ‘stupid’ but its connotation isn’t as negative

[See post to listen to audio]

Excite: How about 360° and Ai?

Ai: I only watched the finished version of 360° yesterday but it was quite scary (laughs).

Excite: Scary?

Ai: Yep. Well, the song’s image is a weird blend of horror and fairy tale. I guess a grim fairy tale? If you take a look at it, you might think it’s beautiful or cute but I wanted to make it sound scary through the sound. I tried really hard to express that image in that music video. I think I’m quite unrecognizable in that video and if I didn’t say it was me, you probably wouldn’t have realized. Also, I’d be creeped out if such a person existed in reality (laughs). Anyway, it’s supposed to be scary and I think that’s what I’m good at. Whenever we film a music video, I think “Ah, it’s taking so long…” but in this case, even though it was also long, it still went by in the blink of an eye. It was quite exciting (laughs). Conversely, Ai has this healing atmosphere to it. Out of all the music video’s I made, this music video was the one that made me realize all the important things I had.

Excite: Your album was completed not too long ago so upon listening to it now, has your impression on any of your songs changed?

Ai: Hmm…I like Rocket Sneaker a lot more now than when I released it. But personally, the one that I’m quite obsessed with at the moment is Kimi Fechi.

[See post to listen to audio]

Excite: And why is I that you like Rocket Sneaker more now?

Ai: I haven’t really written anything like Rocket Sneaker before. I usually write about past experiences of the present times but to write about the future was quite refreshing. I think all the aspects of Rocket Sneaker are fresh and I haven’t made anything like it before so that’s why when I released it, I felt a bit insecure. But after releasing it, the more I listen to it, the more I like it. In the past, I had a lot of songs where after I listen to it, I think “Oh! This is good!”and I think it was in my nature too but recently, I’ve made a lot more songs that need to grow on you first and I think that those kinds of songs are also good.

[See post to listen to audio]

Excite: It seems Kimi Fechi is a song about a man and a woman.

Ai: Yep (laughs). If you say “This song is about pure love,” then I think “It’s hard to put it in words!” (laughs). Getting the melody and lyrics was just about persistence but creating the arrangement was really difficult. It took a long time to get it right but in the end, it was worth it. Right now, I’m always listening to Kimi Fechi and I really like it. It’s like how if you wake up in the morning and you see him lying on his side next to you; it’s blissful isn’t it? I wrote about those sorts of times.

Excite: I actually also really like Kimi Fechi.

Ai: Really? I’m really glad! If I think about it now, the songs of LOVE PiECE were quite heavy, like I even thought it was a bit strong. However, the tracklist for LOVE LETTER is a lot lighter I think. Like, you can listen to LOVE LETTER more than you can listen to LOVE PiECE.

Excite: I felt that LOVE LETTER reveals a lot of unknown things about you. Do you also feel that way?

Ai: LOVE LETTER is perhaps the rawest album I’ve produced yet and there aren’t really any decorated tracks in this; everything is simple. All my other albums, particularly LOVE PUNCH, involved lots of experimentation; lots of trial and error. That album wasn’t exactly me, it was a bit like toys in a way. LOVE LETTER was really honest though. It was straight from the heart.

Excite: Ever since I listened to this album, I became really interested in the songs that you were especially honest in, particularly about what influenced you to write it. For example, is there any other factor that influenced you aside from your song, Pocket?

Ai: Hmm I wonder. But Pocket is certainly one of my most important songs. In a way, Pocket is the evidence that I’ve changed. Upon writing Pocket, I realized what love truly was, and what it’s like to really fall in a love with another person. That was my main motivation for making this album and what influenced me the most. If it wasn’t for this, I don’t think I would’ve ever written Ai or LOVE LETTER. That’s why I believe Pocket is the influencing factor of this album.

Excite: It sounds like there were a variety of influencing factors such as the particular events in your life or the people you were with.

Ai: Yes, it seems so. Also, age has affected it too. Or rather, the way my reputation was built up until now. Well, there were also a lot of bad times but I still pulled through them. I also became a little careless during these times. However, a lot of people helped me out through these times and it was because of them that I think I was able to rise above these painful periods. I feel like I matured a bit through that experience.

Excite: So instead of there being a sudden turning point, it was a slow step-by-step process and the result of that is LOVE LETTER.

Ai: Yep. That’s why I feel extremely lucky to have surpassed those difficult times.

Excite: Then if your new album reflects that process, wouldn’t that mean that LOVE LETTER will only preserve those painful memories?

Ai: That’s true but in a way, it has also helped me to let go.

Excite: In May next year, you have two performances coming up; one in Yokohama Arena and one in Osaka Castle Hall. Aside from that, what kind of year do you wish to make 2009?

Ai: I think the gigs in May should be quite fantastic. Like, I want to make it so influential that if those scummy sorts of people should attend, by the time they’ll leave they’ll all have become nice people (laughs). I kind of want these concerts to purge the evil of their hearts and have them return to being the good people they once were. During the tour, they’ll probably only focus on the actual performance and the purging will only occur after the tour is over. Then again, they might find themselves purged during the tour too. Afterwards, I wish to learn even more about the things I don’t know whether it be a place, an experience or people. That’s how I want to live from now on.

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Related posts:

1. Otsuka Ai Excite Interview – Pocket This article is translated from an interview done with Ai Otsuka by Excite Music regarding her 16th single, "Pocket"....
2. Otsuka Ai Excite Interview – Kurage, Nagareboshi This article is translated from an interview done with Otsuka Ai regarding her 18th single, "Kurage, Nagareboshi" by Excite....
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Proposal Daisakusen Promotional Photograph

“Proposal Daisakusen“, otherwise known as “Operation Love”, is a Japanese television drama series. This series started being aired in April 2007, with the season finale at the end of June on Fuji TV. A total of eleven episodes were recorded, which is the standard in Japan. In March 2008, a special was aired to conclude the whole series.

This drama was extremely popular in Japan, with an average rating of 17.3%. Consequently it has won a fair amount of awards. At the 53rd Japanese Television Academy Awards, it won the award for Best Drama, Best Theme Song and the Special Award. Furthermore at the 11th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix it won the award for Best Drama and Yamashita Tomohisa and Nagasawa Masami won the Best Actor and Best Actress respectively. Hamada Gaku and Eikura Nana also won the Best Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress awards.

Before reading this review, I wish to give a word of warning for those who haven’t watched the drama yet. This review has some light spoilers ahead.

[See post to listen to audio]

Synopsis

The plot focuses on Iwase Ken, a young man who is attending the wedding ceremony of his childhood friend, Yoshida Rei. The whole ceremony seems to be a typical joyful celebration, almost perfect in every way. The wedding ceremony seems to be the dream wedding of any girl, with a beautiful church, a stunning wedding gown and a sophisticated celebration after. However on this day, Ken is overcome with this overwhelming feeling that he has lost Rei forever and realises that he has always been in love with her. He spends most of the day feeling miserable and regretting the fact that he held back and never took a chance to confess his feelings to Rei in all those years that he had known her.

“The majority of humans don’t understand the reality of something till it’s over.”
- The Fairy

While Ken is feeling sorry for himself, Rei entrusts him to give a speech at the wedding, which makes matters even worse. Ken becomes even more miserable when a slideshow of Rei’s life is shown. He begins to remember all the chances he missed and is not proud of the way he treated her in the past. With that thought in mind, he wishes to himself that he could relive his past and somehow manage to be the person marrying Rei today.

Promotional Photo

Magazine Photoshoot

Coincidentally at the same wedding, someone notices how pitiful this young man looks. This happens to be a fairy who has never seen anyone have such strong feelings of regret towards the bride. This fairy decided to give Ken a helping hand to win over the girl he loves by returning to the past. Ken is given the chance to go back to the past with the help of photos from the slideshow.

However this is not as easy at it seems! Ken is has zero skills in love and despite his best intentions, he always seems have wrong timing or do the wrong things. Also most of his efforts at confessing his feelings to Rei end up being thwarted! Both him and the fairy know that the chances of winning the girl he loves are very slim. Nonetheless Ken is stubbornly set on winning Rei. Can Ken finally capture Rei’s heart and change his fate?

The Characters

Yamashita Tomohisa as Iwase Ken
Iwase Ken is the protagonist of this drama. His nickname, Ken-zou was given to him by Rei. It is fairly clear from the start that Ken is the opposite of every girl’s dream. He’s slow, indecisive, insensitive and lacks any kind of a romantic spirit. Ken wasted most of his youth stubbornly avoiding his feelings for Rei, which was a cowardly act in itself. Instead he foolishly chased after superficial girls, only to get rejected. Ken is also quite childish, believing that buying Rei coffee milk would make her marry him or getting excited over something silly as compatibility over the love calculator.

Despite his shortcomings, anyone would sympatise with him and cheer on his impossible quest. When he returned to the past, Ken tried his best to amend his mistakes and stubbornly keeps persisting until the very end, despite of the odds being against him. In many occasions, Ken would fail to summon his courage to confess his feelings to Rei or secretly sacrifice his happiness in order to make Rei happy. In the end it is clear that Ken would go through great lengths for his friends and Rei. All these aspects make Ken a very realistic character and someone who any guy can relate to.

Nagasawa Masami as Yoshida Rei
Rei is Ken’s childhood friend. She has a cheerful, calm and sweet personality, which makes her well-liked by everyone. Her observant nature makes her considerate of other people’s feelings and she always thinks of her friends before of herself. Unlike Ken, Rei takes school duties very seriously and always scolds Ken for skipping his duties. Rei is very serious in whatever she does and she has never given her parents any trouble.

Rei also has a vulnerable quality, where she holds back and keeps her emotions bottled up when she is heartbroken or upset. She usually doesn’t say anything but a person who knows her well would notice these slight changes in her expression. Ken seems the only person who manages to make Rei feel this way, especially when he doesn’t keep his word or he lets her down. Rei fell in love with Ken when she was very young but Ken never seemed to notice her feelings and never took her seriously. When Rei grew up, she slowly gave up her love for Ken and rather than taking a risk, she decided to date Tada instead.

Eikura Nana as Oku Eri
Eri is Rei’s best friend and confidante. Initially Eri is portrayed to be a vain and self-centered girl, whose sole interest is to date handsome men. In high school Eri was extremely popular and attracted the attention of all the males in her school. For this reason she was nicknamed the “class Madonna”. Tsurumi was also infatuated with Eri and he persistently kept on trying to win her affections. Eri ignored Tsurumi whenever it happened and pretended it never happened.

Despite of her high opinion of herself, Eri is yet another likeable character. She has a bubbly personality and is constantly energetic. Although she may appear carefree and unreliable, Eri always stands by her friends and keeps her commitments. As an adult Eri kept trying to find the perfect guy but unfortunately she kept falling for men who treated her badly. However due to an intervention by Ken, Tsurumi stops Eri from going back with her ex boyfriend. In the end Tsurumi and Eri finally get their own happy ending.

Hamada Gaku as Tsurumi Hisashi
Tsurumi is definitely the funniest character in the series. His boundless energy and his undying enthusiasm are infectious. Tsurumi always puts his heart in whatever he does, even though he fails many times. Because of his loud and energetic nature, he is frequently seen as annoying and a lot of people tease him for this quality. Also since Tsurumi is quite short, he is frequently teased for “not growing up”, which ignited his obsession with drinking lots of milk and his job as a milkman.

He is madly in love with Eri but unlike Ken he makes no secret of it. Throughout the whole series Tsuru goes through countless unsuccessful attempts to make Eri love him. These demonstrations are frequently over-the-top, like writing a gigantic confession on the baseball court. Despite of all the rejections, Tsuru persistently kept on trying and with a little help from Ken he was successful.

Hiraoka Yuta as Enokido Mikio
Mikio is the smartest and most mature person in the group of friends. He frequently teases Ken and Tsurumi when they act childish or when they foolishly chase after girls. Mikio is very sharp and he quickly caught on the fact that Ken came to the future and tries to help him. He is also very ambitious and aims to be a movie director.

For these reasons he is perceived as being rather cool and a lot of girls like him. Unlike Ken and Tsurumi he seems more skilled into dating and relationships although he seems to be quite reluctant on committing fully to his girlfriend, Yuko. For this reason, Mikio had a lot of arguments with his girlfriend. Tsurumi is impressed at his skills and frequently calls him “Master” when he needs advice on girls.

Fujiki Naohito as Tada Tetsuya
Tada is the antagonist of the series, since he’s Ken’s competitor. He happened to be the teacher for Ken’s class when they were high school seniors. He is rather shy and reserved. In the beginning he seemed to focus simply on inputting information into the students’ brains, making him quite boring to the majority of the students. He never bothered to talk or understand his students. Somehow Tada seemed to live in his own world making him quite unlikable.

Tada realises only too late that his mathematical explanations are too complicated and that he’s so distant from his own students. Despite of the fact that he knows that it’s in his interest to distance Tada from the students, Ken decides to do the right thing and shows a paper that Tada designed for his students. In it Tada had written down the qualities of his students and drew an image of each of them, showing that deep inside he cared a lot for his students. Despite of his awkward personality, Tada is a kind-hearted person and always tries to do the right thing.

The Music

[See post to listen to audio]

Mongol800's Message

The song is quite romantic and melancholic, accompanied with a choir of children, a piano and a guitar. It was perfectly suited for a wedding. With this theme song he won the award for “Best Television Theme Song” at the 53rd Japanese Television Awards, in 2007.

The insert song “Chiisana Koi no Uta”, was a rock song performed by the indie rock band Mongol800. In the drama, it was Ken’s favourite song and it also happens to be their most loved hit. The song can be loosely translated as “Small Love Song” and the lyrics fit the relationship between Rei and Ken perfectly.

The lyrics narrate a love story from the beginning till the end. It starts with the meeting of these two people and how his feelings simply kept growing since he met her. At one point, he realised that the most important person to him was the one standing next to him. In the end this person cannot forget his loved one and his feelings will never change towards her. However knows that expressing these feelings into words is not enough. Only his actions and emotions can truly explain how he feels. Ken has shown on countless times how he couldn’t express his feelings in words and only through his actions he showed Rei that he cared about her. In the end what matters is the memories he cherished with her and he knows they shall be imprinted in his heart forever.

“Time have passed since I first met you. The letters with my feelings grow in numbers, without us realizing, it is already echoing between us.”

Themes

This drama contains a lot of themes, giving it a whole new dimension. The predominant theme is naturally that of love. Love is frequently defined and portrayed in a restricted way by society and the media. Yet Rei and Ken manage to overcome all the clichés of love and show that love can be expressed in a different manner. Despite the fact that they always seemed to back down at confessing their feelings and that they were not an official couple, it is clear that Rei and Ken know each other extremely well and they always do special things for each other, without expecting anything in return.

“You said you wanted it. So I dealt with the responsibility of getting it.”
- Ken

Don't Knock New York

Rei's gift to Ken

Ken's holding Rei's gift.

The fairy believes that loving and being the right person will lead to a miracle since love can change a person’s destiny. However such a miracle is rare, since few people are happily married for the rest of their lives. He also strongly believes that marrying the person you love second best is not going to make you truly happy. Despite of that, many people accept their own fate passively and would be content with simply that.

The themes of fate and human will are quite strong. The fairy frequently makes reference to how people often explain the unfavourable turn of events to be “unexpected” or “accidental” but they do not take responsibility of their actions or try to change the course of events. They would prefer to find excuses and complain about how fate is unfair. However the fairy thinks that things happen for a reason and that humans should work hard at reaching their own dreams rather than blaming fate.

“Humans… One thing you have gotten very good at throughout history is making excuses.”
- The Fairy

Throughout the eleven episodes, Ken complained and found excuses for his cowardly nature and his inability to confess to Rei. However his efforts didn’t go to waste and some of his actions in the the past, managed to have a huge impact on the future. He somehow managed to give Rei a lot of happy memories and helped Tsuru and Eri to become a couple. Ken also became more mature and realised that important matters as relationships need a lot of work and simply wanting them isn’t enough.

The concept of going back and changing fate is quite unimaginable. However I’m sure that several people have a very strong regret in their life where despite of the fact that life keeps moving on, these people would keep wishing they could go back and change their life. Nonetheless, even if they were given that chance, some people would be unable to make a difference and overcome their fears. The series proved that this is extremely difficult. In the end Ken realised that the most important thing was to change his present self rather than living in regret for the past. At the end of the day, the present is the most important time of a person’s life.

“Those who say they’ll do it tomorrow are idiots.”
- Rei’s grandfather

Several events, things and people occur both in the past and the future, which make the audience think of fate. The brand “Don’t Knock New York” is featured twice, when Ken gets Rei a bag as a present and when Ken gives up on proposing to Rei and leaves the engagement ring on a cardboard “Don’t Knock New York” stand. Months later, Eri would discover this ring and give the ring to Rei. The marathon runner, Geru is often seen practicing in the past. On Rei’s wedding day, he finally achieves the world record. Also the taxi driver present in the final episode was a faculty member in Ken’s university.

Eri discovering a ring...

...Ken's ring to propose Rei

The theme of friendship is also quite strong. It’s amazing how a group of five childhood students managed to remain good friends after all those years. Together they went through the ups and downs of life. As they grow older, their lives become busy with work and they drift apart. However they always seem to stick together and help each other in the most difficult situations. It was only thanks to Ken, that Tsurumi and Eri got together. Also without Mikio and Eri, Ken would have probably failed to do anything. In the end all of them seem to strongly wish that their friends would have a happy future.

Conclusion

This drama manages to steer off from the typical drama series. Rather than focusing on one era only, the audience is taken through a time machine which goes through Ken and Rei’s life. The audience see how Ken and Rei share a lot of special and meaningful moments together as they grow up. Just for this single reason, one can clearly see how they were made for each other.

“For 14 years, during happy times, during difficult times, during times of suffering, the one who always spent time with Rei, the one who would be able to make her happy, I seriously thought that I am the only one who could do that.”
- Ken

Furthermore the characters are easy to relate to and manage to be quite funny at times. The strong bond of friendship between Rei, Ken, Tsuru and Eri is heartwarming and entertaining without going overboard with drama. Despite the fact that the drama wasn’t extremely romantic, Ken and Rei manage to create a lot of sentimental and touching scenes, where they manage to show how much they care for each other in their own awkward way. At the same time, there are many occasions where Ken and Rei act childish and silly together, showing how comfortable they were around each other.

The concept of the time jump, gave the four friends the opportunity to grow up, giving space for character development. Therefore they are seen at their best and their worst, with all their strengths and flaws, making them even more endearing for the audience. Ken also grows up from his time travel episodes and rather than despairing he takes control of his fate.

The other supporting characters have also done a great job, especially at providing a comic relief to what could be a serious and depressing drama. Socrates, the homeroom teacher and the hamburger chef have been constantly present in the drama, providing some hilarious scenes. The fairy was also a powerful presence in the drama. He provides a lot of philosophical observations about the nature of human beings and continually offers Ken advice on relationships and the hearts of human beings.

Despite the fact that this drama is predominantly about the lost love between Ken and Rei, the writers managed to include a lot of different themes and personalities which gave a lot of life to “Proposal Daisakusen”. The best aspect about this drama was that it achieved the perfect balance between being too serious and ridiculously funny. My only gripe was that the ending was quite short and open ended. Luckily for the audience, the Special managed to provide a sense of closure to Rei and Ken’s story.

Rei missing her chance again...

Ken's second chance

One very important lesson which derives from this drama is that everyone should live their life without a single regret and they should never give up. Ken and Tsurumi were a perfect example of this, in their own way. Despite of knowing how slim their chances were, they still persisted and put their hearts into their efforts. Both chose the hardest road, knowing it was easier to move on but couldn’t forget their loved ones. Knowing that, it is better to try and have failed, rather than not trying at all!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Torrent: Fansub by Love Song
Purchase: Proposal Daisakusen
Quotes obtained from Song Stories

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Arashi in Popolo, September 2008

Artist: Arashi Product Code: JACA-5109/5111/5113 Release Date: 2008.08.20 Highest Ranking: #1 Label: J-STORM Limited Edition: DVD, special cover and tracklist

In the summer of 2008, Arashi’s leader Ohno Satoshi was given the starring role in the summer TBS drama Maou. At the same time, member Sakurai Sho was given the honor of covering the 2008 Beijing Olympics for NTV. Arashi contributed “truth” as the theme song to Ohno’s drama and “Kaze no Mukou e” as the theme for NTV. The two songs were released as a special 3-version double-A side single. The B-side on the single was also used in CMs for Tongari Corn snacks, with Arashi as the spokesmen.

“truth/Kaze no Mukou e” became a huge commercial success. With 467,288 copies pushed in just the first week, it quickly sold 600,000 copies in just two months. The single eventually sold 622,829 copies by the end of the year and became the best selling Japanese single of 2008.

[See post to listen to audio]

1. truth

“truth” is, simply said, epic. It starts off with dramatic timpani roll, strings, and piano melody that set a high tension lasting for the entire song. With a powerful synth beat paired with a grand orchestra and a simple piano refrain, the song is both powerful and haunting. The members switch off vocal parts constantly and there are two strains during the chorus, but it sounds good no matter who is singing. The song pairs together disorder with structure: it takes a quick beat and matches it with delicate piano strains, and has some members sing grandly in the chorus while others sing a quick, almost frantic second line at the same time. Yet with all the differences, the different parts of the song blend together into five minutes of a exciting, suspenseful, and unforgettable song.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

2. Kaze no Mukou e

On a complete turnaround, “Kaze no Mukou e” is a simple and laid-back mid-tempo. The instrumentation depends strongly on acoustic guitar, brass band, and piano. The tune is simple and catchy. Sakurai Sho penned the rap part into the song, and it is nice to see rapping back in Arashi’s songs. The vocals are spot on in parts and simply fantastic in others – Ninomiya and Ohno’s vocalizations sound terrific. Arashi’s music usually has intricate instrumentation, but “Kaze no Mukou e” is more acoustic. The simple sound is very refreshing.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

3. Smile

Like it’s name suggests, “Smile” is a cheerful song. It starts off sounding slow and laid back with tropical sounding chords, turns loud and poppy in parts, and switches around to mellower sounds, with fun touches to the beat and synth sound effects. The vocals aren’t as refined in this song as the other songs but are generally done well. Overall, it’s a catchy song with a toe-tapping tune and quirky, fun touches.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Conclusion

This single has one dramatic, one uplifting, and one fun song, all of which are catchy and intricately produced. “truth” is out of Arashi’s normal range of cheerful songs but turned out excellent, while they also do a great job on “Kaze no Mukou e” and “Smile.” Arashi demonstrate their ability to sing songs of different genres on this single, and they do an amazing job on all of them. “truth/Kaze no Mukou e” is a single with music worthy of its immense success.

Overall Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars

Regular Edition

Limited Edition A

Limited Edition B

CD Tracklist

1. Truth
2. Kaze no Mukou e
3. Smile*
4. Truth (original karaoke)*
5. Kaze no Mukou e (original karaoke)*
6. Smile (original karaoke)*

* Only available on regular edition

DVD Tracklist

1. Truth PV*
2. Kaze no Mukou e PV**

* Limited edition A only
** Limited edition B only

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Kurage, Nagareboshi's booklet image

Artist: Ai Otsuka Product Code: AVCD-31497/98/99/500 Release Date: 9.10.2008 Genre: Pop/Ballad Label: avex trax Limited Edition: 5th aniversary edition covers, Comment Card, Jacket Sticker Format: CD+DVD

Rumors of Ai Otsuka’s 18th single began two months prior to its release just as its predecessor, Rocket Sneaker. Many were skeptical, preferring a new album to avoid another LOVE PiECE and its high single content. Fans despaired too soon though as more would be revealed at the end of the month.

In the last week of July, Ai’s radio show played the A-side, Kurage, Nagareboshi, as well as previews of its B-sides. Many fans were ecstatic when the low quality radio rips were released on Channel-Ai.

Playfully, avex or Ai decided to play into the 5th anniversary by mimicking Momo no Hanabira in Kurage, Nagareboshi’s limited edition covers. Ai is depicted sitting on a moonlit beach posing in the all too familiar poses. While Rocket Sneaker’s visuals seemed lacking, Kurage, Nagareboshi’s shine.

[See post to listen to audio]

01. Kurage,Nagareboshi (クラゲ、流れ星/Jellyfish,Shooting Star)

As the title track, Kurage, Nagareboshi is nice, but it isn’t as interesting as most of her releases. The arrangement is nothing less than stunning and Ai’s vocals are in control, almost without emotion, yet the song still doesn’t make a big impression on me.

The track in general has an overly polished touch, so much so I find it rather boring. Although the arrangement is quite beautiful with its twinkling strings and endearing piano arrangement, the music lacks a rough edge. Ai’s voice is pleasing and contains barely enough emotion to sustain the ballad but it’s still so polished it’s not interesting. Something rough or out of place would have saved this song from be so boring.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

02. H20 (H²O/water)

The first B-side caught my attention the first time it was played of Ai’s radio show. H2O is similar to Ai’s normal ‘happy’ releases although the tempo is slower and there is a calmer feel. I personally find this song much more interesting than the title track.

The arrangement of H20 feels much more put together than the A-side of this single. The retro 60’s vibe with Ai’s cute but grungy singing complement each other very well. The song really blossoms at the start of the bridge as Ai becomes more poignant and thoughtful in her lyrics.

Initially I was very skeptical about this song, fearing a drop-like B-side. After hearing this song though I can safely say this is one of my favorite songs from Ai.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

03. Ame no Tsubu, Waltz ~LOVE MUSiC~ (雨の粒、ワルツ/Raindrop, Waltz)

The second B-side, Ame no Tsubu, Waltz ~LOVE MUSIC~, is a slow romantic remix of LOVE COOK’s LOVE MUSiC. While I didn’t really enjoy the original, I definitely did enjoy its remix.

The song begins with a simple, almost child-like, piano melody. Ai’s relaxed voice then joins along with many strings to bring to life an extremely romantic song. The song manages to perfectly recreate a rather boring song into a beautiful ballad that will touch your heart.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Conclusion

Kurage, Nagareboshi was a bit of a disappointment with its overly-polished touch. The sheer brilliance of the two B-sides however, more than make up for the let-down caused by the title song. Pairing this fact with the single’s beautiful packaging definitely makes Ai Otsuka’s latest effort a worthy addition to your collection.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Tracklist:

1. Kurage, Nagareboshi
2. H2O
3. Ame no Tsubu, Waltz ~LOVE MUSiC~
4. Kurage, Nagareboshi ~instrumental~
5. H2O ~instrumental~

DVD Tracklist:

1. Kurage, Nagareboshi PV

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Ayumi on SCawaii, January 2009 Issue

Artist: Ayumi Hamasaki Product Code: AVCD-31580/81/82/83 Release Date: 2008.12.17 Highest Ranking: #1 Genre: Pop/Ballad Label: avex trax Format: CD or CD+DVD First Press: Vertically long cardboard slipcase and poster

Yet another year is almost over and the festive Christmas season is back. Despite of the current world economical situation, the whole J-Pop industry is once again booming with winter releases. The plethora of releases by the end of the year, create a rather exciting atmosphere at the end-of-year variety shows, especially since many artists perform and unveil their winter releases for the very first time. Pop-diva, Ayumi Hamasaki has also returned after eight months of absence to release her 44th single, just in time for the festive season.

The format of this single is unmistakably similar to her 43rd single. One would assume that this was done to continue celebrating her 10th anniversary in the same extravagant style. The packaging is identical, with a deluxe slipcase as a first press extra and a poster as a bonus extra. Furthermore, this single is once again released in four versions, with four different jackets. The photoshoot is also quite similar to the previous single, with Kazuyoshi Shimomura as the photographer once again. The artwork features a closeup headshot of Hamasaki, with pink roses decorating her hair. However, this single was promoted as a double-A side single. Once again it included two re-recorded classics, “TO BE” and “LOVE ～Destiny～”. These were separately included on two editions respectively.

Ayu on Cawaii

The first song from this single, “GREEN” was completed quite a long time ago. In August “GREEN” was already being used as a commercial song for Panasonic Lumix FC37. However since Hamasaki was quite busy with her tour, it wasn’t until November that Hamasaki started to work earnestly on her single. Later on, previews of “GREEN” and “Days” were released through the online music stores Dwango and Recochoku. “Days” proved to be more successful in online stores, especially since it was a winter ballad.

The promotional campaign for this single was almost up-to-par to the release of an album. Hamasaki was scheduled to perform in eight variety shows and events and to appear on the cover of six magazines. Furthermore both promotional videos were aired on several popular music programs. Thus it is safe to say that practically everyone in Japan knew that Hamasaki was releasing a new single. avex also made sure that the fans would get extra gifts if they pre-ordered the single or purchased it on the release date.

This single was yet another success for Hamasaki as it once again achieved the #1 spot on the Oricon Charts, by selling 61,453 copies on the first day. In the first week “GREEN/Days” sold 127,650 copies in total, proving to be a modest success. Additionally this single ranked at #32 on “Global Track Chart”. In retrospect, 2008 has been a successful year, as Hamasaki has managed to improve her sales from her 2007 releases.

[See post to listen to audio]

GREEN

“GREEN” is quite a powerful song, both in vocal quality and in composition. The arrangement is carefully constructed with instrumentals are predominantly oriental, most particularly Chinese. One could classify this song as a power ballad with an epic feel to it. Although Ayu has released a handful of oriental songs, “GREEN” still shines because it contains a completely fresh and unique style. This song is more likely to attract people’s attention since her vocals are so moving and the arrangement is so elaborate. Hamasaki does her utmost to showcase her spectacular vocals and instill emotions within them.

The lyrics are also quite poetic and contain a lot of imagery. Hamasaki would write about how she finds it difficult to act on her feelings and that she is afraid of the feeling of hope. At the same time she is amazed at a certain person who displays their feelings with such honesty. She compares her change of heart with the seasons and the transformation the trees go through during these seasons. In the end Hamasaki decides to be more true to her feelings when spring returns.

“I wonder why it’s difficult for us, to walk as our hearts wish.”

The music video for “GREEN” was shot during her Asian tour. When Hamasaki was scheduled to perform in Shanghai, Hamasaki and her team took the opportunity to shoot the promotional video a few days before her performance. The music video premiered on the 26th November on MTV Japan. The music video contains a similar “photoshoot” style to “Mirrorcle World”, which is not surprising since the photographer Kazuyoshi Shimomura directed this video. Consequently the scenes in this video are rather aesthetically pleasing. Apparently the budget for this video was approximately 1.6 million dollars. In that case that would make it her third promotional video which would be listed in the most expensive promotional videos list.

The video was set in China, in the 30’s era, where Hamasaki is a professional singer. Most of the scenes depict Hamasaki performing in a club or rushing around to go to work. To be frank, I wasn’t exactly thrilled to see yet another video directed by Shimomura since his videos seem to be more of an extended photoshoot rather than a music video. Despite the fact that the budget was large and all the scenes were really attractive the plot is not exactly clear and it’s slightly lacking. Furthermore the idea of having a female lover for Hamasaki wasn’t exactly developed well. Having said that, what was beyond excellent was that Ayu’s team worked extremely hard to produce a set which was rather cinematic and realistic. The costumes are also quite stunning and accurately created. Both aspects are quite reminiscent of the movie “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

Days

On the other hand, “Days” moves on to the much-loved winter ballad genre. Despite the fact that is song is not as groundbreaking or memorable as her epic ballads, this song manages to convey Hamasaki’s feelings in a sweet and simple manner. It also contains an endearing quality, where the composition carries a nostalgic quality, riddled with a melancholic tone. Naturally the instrumentals include the much loved winter bells. At the same time the instrumentals are quite mellow, allowing Hamasaki’s vocals to display their full range of emotions, especially in the chorus. Therefore this song accurately captures the essence of winter and Christmas. Furthermore it has a strong replay value.

“Days” was the song chosen to be performed on variety shows. This song was probably chosen since it was more likely to capture the hearts of people and was more fitting for the holiday season, due to it being a winter ballad. Luckily for her fans, Hamasaki’s performances have improved, despite of her hearing problems. Her vocals were usually spot on and naturally she made use of her vibrato once again. What was also appealing was that Hamasaki wore a lot of gorgeous gowns and beautiful accessories while performing this song.

The lyrics are really touching in an innocent and heartfelt manner. Hamasaki talks about how she cherishes every little aspect about this special person but is quite embarrassed of admitting it. Being around him makes her feel all warm inside her heart, despite of the difficult and lonely moments. She is aware that she’ll never be the most important person in his life but she still decides that her only wish is that she could remain in love with him forever. Some fans have speculated that this is linked with her ex-boyfriend’s rumored marriage announcement. In that case, it is quite possible that Hamasaki is regretting that she broke up with Nagase.

“Each word you casually exchange with me is a precious treasure to me. But I myself feel a bit embarrassed about it so you would surely laugh at me, if you knew it.”

The promotional video was directed by Takahide Ishii, who is well known for directing unusual promotional videos with a twist at the end. However “Days” followed the trend of a typical Christmas video, only to have a twist at the end. The plot is fairly clear but it can easily be interpreted in several ways. Therefore this is simply one of the interpretations of “Days”. Hamasaki portrays a young girl who is in love with one her dance partners. Every evening she would rest on a sofa at the dance studio, while waiting for her boyfriend to pick her up with his motorbike. Thus everyday at eight she is woken up by the sound of his motorbike. And each time Hamasaki would eagerly and clumsily rush to greet him and he would give her his helmet in return.

In one scene, the audience can see her boyfriend through Hamasaki’s eyes, something which I felt was really clever. Apparently this was the first time she saw him and the audience can clearly observe how and why Hamasaki falls in love with him. In another scene Hamasaki and her boyfriend are walking in the street and they encounter a street vendor, who is selling jewellery. Hamasaki tries on a ring but her boyfriend decides not to buy it for her in the end. On one evening Hamasaki runs outside to greet her boyfriend, only to realise that he has given his helmet to another girl who is wearing the ring he was going to buy for her. Hamasaki is heartbroken and tears up. Thus she decides to walk away with her heartbroken feelings. However her friends are watching out for her and they appear in an attempt to cheer up a tearful Ayu.

Despite the fact that this music video was on a much lower budget than “GREEN”, it was clearly well-designed and more coherent. The plot flowed seamlessly and mirrored the song’s lyrics perfectly. Furthermore the acting was quite spot on and felt really natural. Anyone could empathise and identify with Hamasaki’s hurt feelings when she was betrayed. Therefore it comes as no surprise that many fans have felt that this is her best promotional video for 2008.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

TO BE (10th Anniversary Version)

“TO BE” is Hamasaki’s eight single. This track has gotten a major makeover, giving it a fresh and smoother edge. It contains light synth elements with some electric and acoustic guitar riffs, taking her fans back in time. I really enjoyed this aspect since the song itself has a melancholic mood and left space for Hamasaki’s vocals to shine. Both anniversary remakes were sung on the 21st November. Hamasaki would mention in her official blog that it wasn’t easy hitting the high notes. As a result, she was rather relieved when she finished recording. Surprisingly enough she managed to sing the majority this classic in its original key.

“There was useless junk everybody passed by and never noticed. You carried it up in your arms as if it were a valuable thing.”

The lyrics explore the concept of change. Personally I feel that they are truly beautiful as she expresses her affections in an innocent and an honest manner. She mentions how things are constantly changing and how people come in and out of her life. She has accepted this as a fact of life and understand that it will always be that way. However, a certain person caught her attention because he still treasures a certain item that no one else would care about. Despite of the fact that everyone else considered him to be strange, he still held on to this item and would do countless sacrifices for it. Ayu was particularly impressed by this and ever since she noticed this, Hamasaki wonders if she loses something important whenever she gains something new. Therefore she feels that whatever happens in her life only has a true meaning if her loved one is with her. And for her that is the definition of “living”.

“Even though you’ll never be perfect, you shine in your imperfection.”

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

[See post to listen to audio]

LOVE ～Destiny～ (10th Anniversary version)

“LOVE ～Destiny～” was a special song for Hamasaki, since it was her first single to hit the #1 spot on Oricon. Although it is quite difficult to imagine how Ayu and her team could actually improve what was already an excellent song, they actually managed to produce something even better. The arrangement was slightly modified, with the addition of guitars and strings. As a result this track carries a classical and elegant aura. The vocals are also more controlled and more expressive, making the fans enjoy the evolution of Hamasaki’s vocals. As a result it’s quite a soothing track, perfect to relax to.

“But I can pride myself more than anyone else that we spent our days together with truth.”

The lyrics of this song are focused on living true to yourself and being honest. Once again Hamasaki ponders on the transience of life. Despite of this she is happy that she has a lot of good memories and that she was always honest. Therefore even all the cliches and simple moments without a deep meaning do have a special place in her heart. Just knowing that and remembering her cherished memories makes her feel happy and proud of herself.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Conclusion

What was quite enjoyable about this single was that it was packed with ballads, which in some way or another managed to capture the holiday season in just one single. For many fans, this quality simply makes Christmas more magical. The most difficult part was trying to find any flaws within this single. Apart from the slightly disappointing video for “GREEN”, this single seems to excel in being a winter single. avex successfully managed to package an exciting single, which was worth it’s value.

One can say that the most attractive aspect of this single and her anniversary as a whole, was that Hamasaki didn’t regress back into the same formulas produced in the previous years. Instead she successfully managed to break away from it all and produce material which was less generic, slightly more unique and original. Luckily for her fans, Hamasaki would still retain her signature style and charisma that they love so much.

Personally I feel it was the perfect was to conclude her 10th year anniversary. Despite the long wait for a new single, “Days/GREEN” seemed to be well planned and well promoted by Hamasaki and her team. Hamasaki would prove once again that she can maintain a successful career even after ten years and having hearing problems and still produce fresh material which is loved by fans and new listeners alike.

Overall Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

Tracklist

1. GREEN (Original mix)
2. Days (Original Mix)
3. TO BE (10th Anniversary version)
4. LOVE ～Destiny～ (10th Anniversary version)
5. GREEN (Original mix -Instrumental-)
6. Days (Original mix -Instrumental-)
7. TO BE (10th Anniversary version -Instrumental-)
8. LOVE ～Destiny～ (10th Anniversary version -Instrumental-)

DVD Tracklist

1. GREEN (video clip)
2. Days (video clip)
3. GREEN (making clip)
4. Days (making clip)

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Hamasaki in Popteen 2002

Despite the fact that this year is not yet over, Ayumi Hamasaki has already got huge plans for 2009. The popular diva has landed her biggest gig in her musical career. She been given the honor to create and sing the theme song for the upcoming Dragonball live-action movie, “Dragonball: Evolution“.

The Hollwood movie is based on the popular manga “Dragonball“, which was created by Akira Toriyama. The manga series has sold around 350 million copies worldwide. It was reported that the production costs for the movie were over US$100,000,000. The movie will be screened in Japan on March 13th and shall be released in America in April.

The theme song, which is already completed, is called “Rule“. This song is described to be a powerful rock number and it was sung in Japanese. Until now, no release date has been revealed. The movie shall be screened in over 60 countries and therefore the song shall be distributed worldwide. Therefore this shall be Hamasaki’s first international break.

According to “The Sports Nippon” the director, James Wong is a big fan of Hamasaki’s music and he is familiar to her discography. He personally requested Fox to offer Hamasaki the opportunity to land this gig and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Wong felt that since the manga was born in Japan, a Japanese person should sing the theme song. It is quite rare for a Japanese artist to be given the opportunity to sing for an international movie. For Hamasaki, it shall also be her first time to produce a song for a non-Japanese movie.

Hamasaki had completed the song on December 7th and she announced this on her official Team Ayu blog. On the same day, the song was sent to America. On the 10th of December the news was first announced on Sanspo“. The lyrics were penned by Hamasaki, Miki Watanabe composed the song and H/\L was in charge of the arrangement of the song. Hamasaki wrote the lyrics, after reading the screenplay and she based the lyrics on her impression of the protagonist.

Since 2006, Hamasaki has gradually started to extend her activities outside Japan. She surprised her fans by speaking a few sentences in English on CNN Talkasia and she mentioned how she is willing to go anywhere if people are willing to listen to her. In the following couple of years, Hamasaki extended her arena tour to Asia, which proved to be a huge success. After being offered this huge opportunity, Hamasaki mentioned in her blog how she might attempt to make a worldwide debut.

Needless to say, Hamasaki is also quite excited and enthusiastic. She has mentioned how honored she feels, especially since she used to love Dragonball. In an official comment, Hamasaki was quoted to say,

“I hope both old and new fans of ‘Dragonball’ throughout the world will enjoy the film.”

It is questionable to predict the magnitude of exposure she will receive from this collaboration. Nonetheless, this is an excellent opportunity for Hamasaki and this will definitely give her a certain level of global exposure. Furthermore “Rule” will definitely top the charts once again in Japan and there is a high possibility that “Rule” shall become another huge hit.

Sources:

• Anime News Network
• The Sports Nippon
• Sanspo
• Tokyograph
• Japan Zone
• Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai
• Team Ayu

Special thanks goes to Delirium-Zer0, who translated Ayumi’s entries from her Team Ayu blog.

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