Sayuri Kokusho -- Hoshikuzu no Sniper （星屑の狙撃手）

Usually when the name Sayuri Kokusho（国生さゆり） is mentioned, the old music fans like me will instantly come up with "Valentine Kiss". But I also managed to dig up one other song that has been on one of my ancient audio tapes for over a quarter of a century. Titled "Hoshikuzu no Sniper" (Stardust Sniper), this was the Onyanko Club member's 5th single released in March 1987, and it has a pretty relentless beat...kinda like something from Eurobeat. It's been years since I heard this one, and one of the cute things about it is how Kokusho sings the word "sniper". Just try to imagine her carrying an M40!

http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm27640387

Written by Yasushi Akimoto（秋元康） and composed by Tsugutoshi Goto（後藤次利）, "Hoshikuzu no Sniper" made it all the way up to No. 2 on the Oricon chart. As for the Kokusho oeuvre, this song and "Valentine Kiss" are the only ones I've known up to now, but according to the lyrics for "Hoshikuzu", it seems like Kokusho was going for a more adult presence (as much as a career as an aidoru would allow, anyways) as she personifies herself as the sniper of love perching herself in position so that she can take that fateful shot. Lyricist Akimoto dramatizes things a bit by using quite a bit of metaphor for the big city such as "galaxy-class skyscrapers", "the desert of a deserted city" and "an asphalt Silk Road". Ahh....life in Tokyo.

It's always nice to hear how some of the veterans sounded way back when since Kokusho has been a fixture on the telly for years and years as an actress and tarento. It's gotten to the point where I've almost forgotten that she was an aidoru.