Misato Watanabe -- Sentimental Kangaroo

Not too sure if Misato Watanabe（渡辺美里） had thought of using the words "sentimental kangaroo" in the same way as we would admonish someone here with "silly goose",or if UCC Coffee wanted the words to be used since its commercial featured stop-motion versions of the Aussie marsupial, but the song is sure fun to listen to. Her whimsical lyrics with references to kangaroos, ribbons, Jekyll & Hyde and Pinocchio are matched with Yoshiyuki Sahashi's （佐橋佳幸）brass and brassy melody, and Misato's just-as-brassy vocals. Any chance for the singer to show off her booming voice always means a happy day in the park.

Released as her 11th single in July 1988, "Sentimental Kangaroo" was also the third track from Watanabe's 4th album, "Ribbon" to be released as a single. Unfortunately, I couldn't find out where the song itself went in the rankings but the album peaked at No. 1 after its release in May, and was the 3rd-ranked album of the year. According to J-Wiki, the slogan for "Ribbon" was "The biggest pop album since the end of the war". Brassy....just like Misato.