Credits

I would like to give credit where credit is due. Videos are from YouTube and other sources such as NicoNico while Oricon rankings and other information are translated from the Japanese Wikipedia unless noted.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Saki Takaoka -- Nemurenu Mori no Bishoujo (眠れぬ森の美女)




Saki Takaoka (高岡早紀) was a strange type of sexy aidoru who debuted in the late 80s. Her sound, although not far from the dance style that was popular at the time, had a mystical and classical vibe mixed with pop melodies.

Even though Saki was a very weak singer, I like her early material a lot. In the case of “Nemurenu Mori no Bishoujo”, which was released in November 1988, it’s interesting to notice how it manages to fuse the eurobeat bass line with a cold/dark fairytale vibe. Like I said, Saki was a weak vocalist, but this weakness also provides a vulnerable feel that combines well with the song. As for the soaring strings, they’re very grandiose.

After a poor received career as an aidoru singer, Saki started to pose nude for photos and also did some movies, as well as commercials, during the mid 90s. Like many other “not so talented” aidoru singers, she still had her beauty, and that’s how she, somehow, managed to continue in the entertainment industry.

“Nemurenu Mori no Bishoujo”, reached #21 on the Oricon charts, selling around 28,000 copies (source: http://www.interq.or.jp/silver/you/1980/1988/saki.htm). The song was written by Anju Mana (真名 ) and composed by Kazuhiko Kato (加藤 ).

2 comments:

  1. Hi, Marcos. Yeah, although I think Takaoka doesn't have the strongest vocals, she (or more precisely, her producers) was able to make them work for her for this aidoru tune. "Nemurenu Mori no Bishoujo" sounds as if it would've made for a good song for the anime "Rozen Maiden".

    I knew Takaoka primarily for her regular appearances on "Yamada Katsutenai Terebi", that old variety show I have sometimes referred to. I don't remember her saying much, though.

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  2. I recommend: Risa Tachibana - Risa no Yōsei densetsu(fairytale)

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