Chiaki Kuriyama’s Shifts From Movies to Music With Gundam Unicorn

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The woman on the cover of Gundam Unicorn’s outro single, titled “Ryuusei no Namida” (“Tears of Falling Stars”), looks familiar doesn’t she? Well, if you’ve seen Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, vol 1 or the violent live-action movie, Battle Royale you’ll know her as Gogo Yubari in the former and Takako Chigusa in the latter.

Chiaki Kuriyama’s career has shifted over the years, from modeling to acting, and now, she makes her foray into J-pop. It’s a major undertaking, and there’s more pressure upon her to do well given that her debut is for the storied Gundam franchise. The love ballad that she sings emanates a soothing aura, filled with reassurances and hopes for that better tomorrow. Though it does feel somewhat generic, Kuriyama is off to a good start and I do hope that she continues to improve her singing voice since it is pleasant overall.

For those who were introduced to this track through Gundam Unicorn like I did, you’ll hopefully find it to be a fitting one given the setup between Banagher and the girl who calls herself Audrey Burne. If this song managed to catch your attention, you can get a physical copy off Play-Asia ^[2] or CD Japan ^[3]. It’s also available through the Apple iTunes Store ^[4].