Welcome to another Urban Contemporary Friday here on "Kayo Kyoku Plus". The Bing AI art generator was kind enough to come up with this sunset (or sunrise) drive on a city highway, and I can imagine that the radio might be on for some accompanying music.
I can also imagine Ryo Saeba of "City Hunter" fame driving a red convertible on an intracity highway in Tokyo while listening to this soulful ballad. "Only In My Dreams" is sung by Yurie Kokubu（国分友里恵）and it hails from one of the many soundtracks for the long-running anime franchise. Specifically, it's on the soundtrack for 1989's cinematic entry "Ai to Shukumei no Magnum"（愛と宿命のマグナム...A Magnum of Love and Destiny [although the English title has it as ".357 Magnum"]）. Lyrics were by Momoko Kitadai*（北代桃子）while the melody was concocted by Tatsumi Yano（矢野立美）.
Strangely enough, "Only In My Dreams" doesn't strike me as having a really strong City Pop beat. This isn't to denigrate it in any way...I think the ballad hovers nicely over the dividing line between the Japanese urban contemporary and straight-up pop in terms of the arrangements. However, whichever way one slices it, it's got plenty of romance and perhaps it can involve the lone wolf Ryo and any number of his femme fatales...maybe even Kaori Makimura without the mallet.
You made me listen to the Debbie Gibson song of the same name.
ReplyDeleteUhhh...OK. Should I be congratulating or apologizing to you? :)
DeleteThis is nostalgic! The song and the visuals!
ReplyDeleteHello, Brian. I think the one thing that would make "Only In My Dreams" perfect is a mid-song soliloquy by Ryo himself.
DeleteThat would be cool!
DeleteMorning, Brian. I've also heard that there is a live-action version of "City Hunter" on the way. Really not sure how that's going to go but I hope that some of the old songs from the anime will be brought back.
DeleteJack Chan stared in Hong Kong live action adaptation of "city hunter" back in 1993, then in 2011 there was also a Korean live action version, and in 2018 there was another Chinese adaptation. I am curious about this new live-action version
ReplyDeleteYeah, I heard about that one with Jackie Chan but apparently, it really didn't look anything like the manga or the anime. I'm wondering whether this new live-action version will go the way of the recent live-action takes on "Cowboy Be-Bop" at one end or "One Piece" on the other.
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