Makoto Kawamoto -- Ni-bun no Ichi (1/2)

Once again, I will be coming at a song from perhaps a different way that a lot of other people...namely, anime fans...got to know it.

I didn't know that Makoto Kawamoto's（川本真琴）"Ni-bun no Ichi" was the 2nd opening theme song for a popular anime "Rurouni Kenshin"（るろうに剣心）. Although with Kawamoto's high-pitched voice, I could see it as an anison.

Actually, during my time in Japan, I got to know "Ni-bun no Ichi" through the heavy-rotation music video of the Fukui Prefecture-born singer-songwriter singing away on a roof. That lyric of hers "Aishiteiru, aishiteiru..." (I love you, I love you) and the rapid-fire delivery are the two things that I've remembered all these years.

"Ni-bun no Ichi" was Kawamoto's 3rd single from March 1997. She wrote and composed the song, and it peaked at No. 2 on Oricon. It actually went Triple Platinum, selling close to 800,000 copies, becoming the singer's most successful hit. It would end the year as the 29th-ranked tune on the charts. The single was also on her debut album "Makoto Kawamoto" which actually hit No. 1 and broke the million barrier. I was a bit surprised that Kawamoto has only released 3 original albums and 13 singles to date.

Seeing her perform, I've placed her in my mind alongside girl-next-door types such as aiko and Mariko Nagai（永井真理子）. I guess it was probably the guitar but I could see her as one active busker by the subway station.

To give credit where credit is due:
http://laughy.jp/1435703741578148299