J-pop

Film, Japanese

I Want It! Shion Tsuji’s “Hoshii Mono” Single

September 10, 2010 | Patrick Gann | 1 Comment Share this

“Hoshii Mono” is a common phrase in Japanese that, on its own with no context, is hard to translate into English. “Desired thing,” “desirable,” “wanted object,” “(I) want it!,” all relatively valid translations. But it’s a cool phrase in any case. What is the Hoshii Mono in your life? A spouse? A sweet car? A nice, large collection of game and anime music?

At age 20, Shion Tsuji is becoming “Hoshii Mono” among Japanese teens. She writes her own music and is more than a vocalist: she plays guitar as well. She’s also had a few big hits in her young career: a theme song for Bleach and another for Tokyo Magnitude 8.0. Ever on the hunt for decent singer/songwriters, I decided to check out her “Hoshii Mono” single, which serves as a theme song for the Japanese comedy film “Watashi Dasu Wa” (“It’s On Me”). I think you may like what you find after the jump. (more…)
Anime, Japanese

Follow the “Moonlight Signpost” – Stereopony’s Darker Than Black Theme

September 3, 2010 | Patrick Gann | 1 Comment Share this

The all-female rock trio from Okinawa, “Stereopony,” has been pumping out hit singles, including TV anime and film themes, for the past four years. Today, we take a deeper look at one such theme to get a taste for Stereopony’s particular sound.

The theme song single in question is “Tsukiakari no Michishirube” (trans. “Moonlight Signpost”), which is the opening theme for the second season of Darker Than Black (the season has its own title: Ryusei no Gemini). Included on the single’s disc are two B-sides, and we’ll be talking about them as well.

Can this all-female group bring the noise, or will they drown in a sea of producers and executives trying desperately to keep them sounding chipper and radio-friendly? Find out after the jump! (more…)
Anime, Film, Japanese

“Tarento” Shows a Glimmer of Talent: Shokotan’s Gurren Lagann Film Single

August 6, 2010 | Patrick Gann | Comments Off on “Tarento” Shows a Glimmer of Talent: Shokotan’s Gurren Lagann Film Single Share this

The last time I spoke of Shoko Nakagawa, it was in most unpleasant terms. Her single for one of many Pokémon films left me wanting to turn off my ears. I didn’t want to hear it.

So when I was asked to check out another Shokotan single, I was ready to put put either two earplugs in my ears or one bullet in my head. I just didn’t understand the appeal of this J-pop star.

Well I finally got a glimpse of why people may enjoy her work. Maybe it was just a bad first impression with that ultra-childish Pokémon music. This time, we have her theme song for the second Gurren Lagann film, entitled “Namida no Tane, Egao no Hana” (trans. “Seed of Tears, Flower of Smiles”).

Our review of the full single, including its two B-Sides, are to be found after the jump. Can this “tarento” prove to have something truly valuable to add to my growing collection of Japanese music? (more…)
Anime, Japanese, Reviews

Afromania’s Birdy the Mighty Decode Outro: “Let’s Go Together” (Review)

June 30, 2010 | Chris Nguyen | Comments Off on Afromania’s Birdy the Mighty Decode Outro: “Let’s Go Together” (Review) Share this

If you ever read the synopsis of Birdy the Mighty Decode, you would think Afromania’s upbeat outro single would be a bit out of place. After all, a story involving an interplanetary police officer, named Birdy, chasing criminals who have a doomsday device and have taken refuge on Earth would require something less suited for maybe a slice of life show. There is a twist though, and that’s when Birdy accidentally kills a human being, named Tsutomu Senkawa, and to save him, morphs his mind with hers. The two then are left to work it out in such a way as to convince Senkawa’s family and friends that nothing is amiss, which leads to the inevitable hi-jinks.

In short, the anime isn’t as dark as the summary suggests, so how does “Let’s Go Together” fare under this backdrop? Take a look after the jump! (more…)
Japanese, Reviews

Porn to my Ears: Porno Graffiti’s “Hitomi no Oku wo Nozokasete” (Review)

June 26, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on Porn to my Ears: Porno Graffiti’s “Hitomi no Oku wo Nozokasete” (Review) Share this

Porno Graffiti has been getting busy for over 11 years now. With eight full-length albums under their belt and numerous singles, the rock group released their milestone 30th single this February, titled “Hitomi no Oku wo Nozokasete,” (“Let me Look Deep Into Your Eyes”) which acts as the theme song for the Japanese drama Shukumei 1969-2010.

I don’t claim to be a Porno Graffiti expert, as, in fact, I’ve only heard a few of their songs from the Fullmetal Alchamist and GTO, but I did look into some of their music before reviewing this single, and I am quite impressed with what I hear. Porno Graffiti doesn’t really sound like your typical Japanese rock group, as many of their songs feature unique ethnic elements and a pop-like sound that sets them apart from other groups, and “Hitomi no Oku wo Nozokasete” is no different.

Hit the jump for our review of Porno Graffiti’s latest single. (more…)
Japanese, Reviews

Magnetic Fields and Oddball Beginnings – The Melancholy of Sokura (Review)

May 29, 2010 | Chris Nguyen | 2 Comments Share this

Let’s say you’re a big fan of those J-pop anime intro/outros and you have this desire to launch a singing career based off of that niche. And I don’t mean use anime as a career springboard either; all you want to do is sing songs appropriate for anime intros/outros.

Enter Tekumaku Junction, a duo which seeks to do just that. Their debut album, The Melancholy of Sokura is for an anime titled Senatorekku no Tate. But before you actually head to any of the various anime databases out there to look it up and see what it’s about, don’t. The anime doesn’t exist. It’s all made up. A fiction, in more ways than one. How’s that for a background story?

With such a story in tow, there’s no way I could let this pass. Tekumaku Junction, who auditioned as the Showa Kayo Duo managed to survive a rigorous process and so, debut with this single. It’s promising to say the least, and if you’re curious to see what they have to offer, read on after the jump! (more…)
Japanese, Reviews

Songs from the Grave: Ghostnote’s Amanogawa Single (Review)

May 23, 2010 | Don Kotowski | 1 Comment Share this

Apparently, ghost notes are musical notes occurring in a rhythmic figure which are purposely deemphasized, often to the point of near silence. At least, that’s what Wikipedia tells me. Unfortunately, I know nothing about the J-pop group known as ghostnote and even though these ghost notes may be present in their music, I wasn’t able to pick them up.

This single, released in July 2009 showcases two very contrasting songs by this group. Check out more after the break. (more…)