Yoko Minamino -- Kanashimi Monument（悲しみモニュメント）

 

On first listening of Yoko Minamino's（南野陽子）3rd single, "Kanashimi Monument" (Melancholy Monument) from March 1986, my first impression was that this was one pretty spirited and dramatic aidoru tune.

And there is good reason for this because "Kanashimi Monument" served as the theme song for "Sukeban Deka II: Shōjo Tekkamen Densetsu"（スケバン刑事II 少女鉄仮面伝説...The Legend of the Girl in the Iron Mask）, the television sequel for the 1980s franchise of female juvenile delinquents-turned-crimefighters. Nanno herself was the star for this series so it would be natural that she would also provide the theme song. "Kanashimi Monument" was written by Etsuko Kisugi（来生えつこ）, composed by Kisaburo Suzuki（ 鈴木キサブロー）and arranged by Hiroshi Shinkawa（新川博）, and accompanying the moodiness of the melody, Kisugi's lyrics tell of a young lady groping and stumbling her way for that desperately desired thing called love. I think that there was an undercurrent of that search throughout the franchise entries and the main characters.

I have to also add that the song also has that edge of the rock side of AOR in Shinkawa's arrangement, and wouldn't the West Coast be the ideal venue for a motorcycle-riding rebel to be riding the highways? "Kanashimi Monument" peaked at No. 6 on Oricon and ended the year as the 92nd-ranked single. The song also ended up on Minamino's debut album "Gelato"（ジェラート）which was released in April 1986, hitting No. 2 on the album charts. KKP contributor JTM also mentioned the song in his epic article about the "Sukeban Deka" franchise as a whole.