Noriko Sakai -- HAPPY AGAIN

 

I don't know how former 80s aidoru and actress Noriko Sakai（酒井法子）has fared over the past several years. As of early 2021, according to her J-Wiki article, Nori-P, had left her management company to set up her own individual company. With all of the tumult that she's gone through in the past, I hope that she's found some level of stability and happiness.

Regrettably I forgot which of the Twitter accounts that I follow had shown this last night, but I am grateful to have caught this Halloween-themed performance video of Nori-P although obviously I'm a little late to the party now that we've officially crossed over into November. Incidentally, the Fukuoka native is singing "HAPPY AGAIN", her 7th single from September 1988,

A typically bouncy number written by Hiromi Mori（森浩美）, composed by Eiji Nishiki（西木栄二）and arranged by Motoki Funayama（船山基紀）, it's all about finally getting out of the tunnel of doom and gloom and into the light of relief and happiness. In this case, I think lyricist Mori had intended this to be on the romance angle, but after what I've written down in the first paragraph, I'm hoping that this has applied to Sakai's life in general. "HAPPY AGAIN" peaked at No. 4 on Oricon and it can also be found on "Singles 〜NORIKO BEST〜" which was released in March 1990 as her first BEST compilation. It hit No. 1.