U-ji Aka ReichoruiP featuring Miku Hatsune -- Black Coffee (ブラック・コーヒー)

A latte at the Tower Records Cafe

First off, I'm not a coffee connoisseur. I started getting into the joe past high school but never got into the pure unadulterated black stuff; putting in the cream or milk is absolutely necessary for me. Yup, I do like my lattes and occasionally when I also get a craving for something sweet, I also go for one of those Caramel Macchiatos which will certainly get me kicked out of any club catering to coffee connoisseurs.

Still, it's not just about the java here. When I was living in Japan and now that I have been living back in Toronto for almost 5 years now, I appreciate the environment surrounding me when I have my coffee outside of home. Working from home, I don't get too much of an opportunity to drink the stuff outdoors but when I do, I enjoy talking it up with friends (usually my anime buddy) in a comfy coffeehouse, especially around Xmas when it's freezing outside and I can cherish the warmth even more inside.

I guess maybe that's why I took an unusual liking to this song by Miku Hatsune（初音ミク）with some fellow by the name of U-ji Aka ReichoruiP（U-ji aka 霊長類P）. Called "Black Coffee", the ditty is cute and pleasant and technopoppy enough on its own but like that cafe environment, I think this tune about wistfully wondering about that girl, present and future, while sipping on that cuppa, is helped out quite a bit by the video. It looks like something from an especially cute greeting card or piece of stationery from Tokyu Hands.

U-ji himself took care of the music while U-SUKE wrote the lyrics for "Black Coffee" which was released back in 2011. I'm not sure whether this single has ever come out on an album but hey, I'm glad that I was able to come across it. It's kinda like finding a small but fascinating cafe in Tokyo; fine coffee in a nice atmosphere while doing some people-watching through the window. The coffee might cost an arm and a leg (and yup, I've been in such places as well) but it's all about the experience.

Cafe in Ueno Park