Mari Iijima – Watashi no Kare wa Pilot（私の彼はパイロト）

J-Canuck here. Just to give credit where credit is due, the following article was contributed by one of our commenters, Fireminer, and it is about one of Lynn Minmay's beloved tunes. However, I'll let Fireminer take it from here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8mbdoXml38

Super Dimension Fortress Macross is a show that needed little introduction. Much like Space Battleship Yamato and Mobile Suit Gundam before it, Macross captured the zeitgeist of that generation of young adults—the so-called shinjinrui (new breed)—and codified their modes of entertainment, consumption and organization into the otaku subculture we know. Macross’s effects on the anime and idol culture can still be felt even today?

But what about Macross’s legacies on its own descendants?  Like all long-running franchise (41 years to be exact), Macross sequels contain plenty of shout-outs to the original, and arguably the most enduring one is Watashi no Kare wa Pilot (私の彼はパイロット My Boyfriend is a Pilot). First appearing as an instrumental piece in episode 5, the song was eventually sung by Lynn Minmay (voiced by Mari Iijima) on her idol debut. It is nothing if not a lovely little tune and an interplay of young, dreamy love and the anxiety and thrills it brings about, on a backdrop of mankind’s existential war.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1nP2vYO24k

(One interesting little tidbit is that Lynn Minmay was directly based on Seiko Matsuda. According to an interview with director Noburo Ishiguro -- https://www.zimmerit.moe/noboru-ishiguro-macross-animeigo-interview/ -- Macross’s character designer Haruhiko Mikimoto was a member of Matsuda’s fanclub at the time. There are also several shout-outs to Seiko Matsuda and Akina Nakamori in Macross -- https://yackdeculture.tumblr.com/post/86954906554)

After various appearances in the show and the movie compilation/in-universe propaganda The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love?, Watashi no Kare wa Pilot was sung once again years later by a character in Macross Plus, albeit as a karaoke song. Macross Plus also marked the return of original creator Shoji Kawamori, who was absent for the OVA sequel Macross II: Lovers Again.

In Macross Plus’s sister show Macross 7 (both were conceived at the same time, with Macross Plus the OVA taking place in-universe before Macross 7), Watashi no Kare wa Pilot was covered by Mylene Flare Jenius (voiced by Chie Kajiura), herself an idol and daughter of two of the chracters from the original series.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7PFzhTanxA&t=27m31s

In a lot of ways the 2008 series Macross Frontier can be seen as a modernized version of the original Macross, complete with its own take on Watashi no Kare wa Pilot. Named Watashi no Kare wa Pilot - MISS MACROSS 2059, it was sung by Ranka Lee as she participated in the Miss Macross Frontier beauty pageant before becoming an idol—a plotline that greatly resembled the rise of Lynn Minmay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk_qTaW821I

There is something very different about the original Macross to its sequel, which I would argue mainly comes from two things: director Noboru Ishiguro (who was in a band and thus knew a lot about how to maximize the impact of film scores in his works), and the era it was born in. Watashi no Kare wa Pilot  is like that too, wrapping itself in the conventions of idol music at the time, yet also having a timeless quality.

Walküre -- Ikenai Borderline（いけないボーダーライン）

 

This is a slightly irregular approach for this particular tune but if you can bear with me. I was doing a bit of adjusting last night on an old 2015 article featuring "Futari no Kimochi no Honto no Himitsu" （ふたりのきもちのほんとのひみつ）, the ending theme for the nutty anime "Kill Me Baby", and as I was doing so, I noticed at the right side of YouTube that there was another song from another anime, and something told me that I should give it a shot. Instinct has led me to many a great tune in the past on the blog, so I did as I was inspired.

Instinct...I owe you a Big Mac set! I heard "Ikenai Borderline" (The Borderline You Don't Cross) and was automatically smitten by the really bouncy ska beat and the feeling that this could have been the theme song for a really action-packed anime.

Well, I wasn't too far off the mark. This was actually Track 3 on the debut single for the fictional aidoru group, Walküre（ワルキューレ）, on the 2016 anime "Macross Delta"（マクロスΔ）. And sure enough, that single was "Ichido dake no Koi nara/Rune ga Pikatto Hikattara"（一度だけの恋なら/ルンがピカッと光ったら...If It's a One-Time Love/When the Rune Sparkles） whose second song was one that I covered back in 2019. "Rune ga Pikatto Hikattara" was also one banger of a tune whose spiritual ancestor happens to be one of my favourite songs of all time, "September" by Earth Wind & Fire.

As was the case with that song, "Ikenai Borderline" was also created by lyricist Naoki Nishi（西直紀）and composer Minoru Komorita（コモリタミノル）. This time, it's actress JUNNA as Mikumo on lead vocals with the rest of Walküre on backing vocals.

This video only came up in the last 48 hours or so and that is because the album only came out in the last 24. Yup, on April 6th, "Macross Yonjuu Shuunen Kinen Korabo Album Deculture!! Mixture!!!!!"（マクロス40周年記念コラボアルバム デカルチャー!! ミクスチャー!!!!!...Macross 40th Anniversary Collaborative Album） was released, and a cover of "Ikenai Borderline" is included as sung by seiyuu May'n and Megumi Nakajima（中島愛）as their characters Sheryl Nome and Ranka Lee respectively.

Walküre -- Rune ga Pikatto Hikattara（ルンがピカッと光ったら）

I have a tradition whenever the 9th month of the year arrives, and that is to listen to both versions of "September", the early single by Mariya Takeuchi（竹内まりや）and the epic joyful R&B anthem by Earth Wind & Fire. "September" by EW&F was released in 1978 but it seems like a song that I've been hearing ever since my early childhood. Moreover, it's been the one song that could get me dancing each time in my chair at home, and as far as I'm concerned, it will be the only song that will get me onto the dance floor even at my current age (as horrifying as that image might be to many).

Then one day, not too long ago, I came across this video:

To say that I was smitten and delighted would be an understatement. This was a minute of concentrated anime joy!

What I would later discover that the original song was "Rune ga Pikatto Hikattara" (When the Rune Sparkles), one of the ending themes for the 2016 anime "Macross Delta"（マクロスΔ）which just has to have been inspired by "September".

A dang catchy song in itself, "Rune" was performed by the aidoru group in the show, Walküre（ワルキューレ）, with Freyja Wion as played by seiyuu Minori Suzuki（鈴木みのり）as the lead vocal, and then the rest of the band helping out through fellow voice actors JUNNA, Nao Toyama（東山奈央）, Kiyono Yasuno（安野希世乃）and Nozomi Nishida（西田望見）. The above is the full version covered by Nyadus on YouTube, but man, she really does sound like Suzuki! You know, this could be the type of feel-good song that could even be covered by Little Glee Monster. Naoki Nishi（西直紀）wrote the lyrics while Minoru Komorita（コモリタミノル）took care of the music.

"Rune" was one song on the Walküre single "Ichido dake no Koi nara/Rune ga Pikatto Hikattara"（一度だけの恋なら/ルンがピカッと光ったら...If It's a One-Time Love） released in May 2016. It made it to No. 3 on the Oricon weeklies and ended up as the 94th-ranked single of the year. That first song was also the first of the two opening themes for "Macross Delta". Both songs were also included on "Walküre Attack!", the group's debut album released in July that year which made it to No. 2 on the album charts and later became the 34th-ranked album.

Of course, with YouTube, the ever-popular "September" and the similarly groovy beat throughout "Rune", it was inevitable that an epic mashup just had to be done, so thanks to folks like Emdyion, there is "When the Rune Sparkles in September". Dance away!

But Emdyion wasn't finished. The YouTuber even came up with an amazing inverted version of the song, this time with the late, great Maurice White taking over on vocals.

I learned a lot here. I will no longer admire Minori Suzuki for just "FEELING AROUND" and I have a new song to love from the "Macross" franchise.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

When I first arrived in Tokyo in 1989 to start off my JET Programme career, we were all wheeled over to the Keio Plaza Hotel, and this behemoth building was being constructed right across from our hotel room.

It would turn out to become the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building or as I would simply put it, Tokyo City Hall. And frankly, first looking at this tower of glass and concrete, I had images of the SDF-1 from "Macross"（マクロス）. Wouldn't it have been something if architect Kenzo Tange（丹下健三）had admitted that he had been inspired by the show? Life imitating art, indeed. And my geekiness is showing. I'm sorry.

Even close to 30 years later, some pretty fine photos can be had in this area.

Even decided to go up to the observation deck.

Makoto Fujiwara -- Macross（マクロス）

Oh, goofy me. In the years since I put up the article for the ending theme for the original "Macross"（超時空要塞マクロス）TV series, I had completely forgotten to give tribute to the opening theme for the series. Well, time to rectify this omission.

Mind you, as I did mention in "Runner"（ランナー）, I still prefer the ending theme over the opening theme...not particularly because I think "Macross" is bad or anything but I have always been the sap for a sappy sunset ballad.

In any case, as was the case with "Runner", "Macross" was heroically sung by the late Makoto Fujiwara（藤原誠）and was created by Akane Asa and Kentaro Haneda（阿佐茜・羽田健太郎）. I had described it as such in "Runner" but I will quote myself here as well: "The opening theme, "Macross" was this spirited steed of an anison which combined some of the old stomp-and-march vocals with a bit of a new pop orchestral sweep."

Listening to the original "Macross", I also discovered that Haneda had included that staccato trumpet phrase which signified the Valkyries getting ready for battle.

Strangely enough, though, I had never seen the anime series in its entirety. The 1984 movie treatment "Ai wo Oboeteimasuka?"（愛・おぼえていますか...Do You Remember Love?）was my first exposure to "Macross" after watching the US treatment of it via "Robotech". And yikes, was it an upgrade from the series! The animation struck me as being rougher and more glorious at the same time.

Additionally, it was my first time hearing the opening theme from the 1982 series although I hadn't known it was at the time. Haneda, as he did for the series, also took care of the soundtrack for the movie. His opening suite at the beginning of "Ai wo Oboeteimasuka?" combining the opening notes from "Macross" and what would become the overarching love theme for the movie is still awesome and manages to raise the hair at the back of my neck. It starts off ominously then hopeful before becoming cheerfully humdrum and urbane at the same time. I hadn't realized that an anime soundtrack could start off so sweeping and romantic. The overture almost seemed to say "OK, you liked the series but this is no longer....your elder brother's....Macross now. Buckle up!"

Kentaro Haneda -- Teenage Dream (ティーンエイジ・ドリーム)

Yup, the Xmas tree in the lobby has been up for several days now so the big day is not too far off. I've already paid my debts for the Yuletide since I absolutely hate having a financial Sword of Damocles hanging over my head for the Holidays. Another thing I'm doing for Christmas 2016 is trying to reach 100 Xmas songs for the blog.

I think one of the greatest anime soundtracks that I have ever heard is the one for the 1984 Macross movie "Ai wo Oboeteimasuka?"（愛・おぼえていますか...Do You Remember Love?）. Sure, the title theme song by Mari Iijima（飯島真理）is one for the ages. However, the entire soundtrack by composer Kentaro Haneda（羽田健太郎）, who also took care of the score for the original TV series and Lynn Minmay's songs, is simply incredible. In fact, I got my hands on an audiotape of the soundtrack and played that constantly for a few years before I finally got to see the actual movie.

The soundtrack is epic, emotional and even urban in feeling. There was just something about the sound of that orchestra that enhanced the atmosphere in the movie another 100%. Just imagine a particularly fine vintage of Worcestershire sauce on that Porterhouse of yours. And one of the tracks from the CD (I finally bought it years later) also had me thinking of Christmas, "Teenage Dream". I mean, the bells are in there and that horn arrangement just seemed to speak of that particular holiday season.

But as Haneda himself related it in the booklet for the album, although he did put in that Xmas-y arrangement, his idea was just some teens realizing their dream, as the title blatantly puts it out there. And yep, I remember the scene which "Teenage Dream" adorned...the one where Hikaru and Minmay paint the town red including a failed attempt to "show" the latter how a love hotel operated (she was never that naive, dude!). Still, I couldn't help but feel that the song could have made for a fine jingle in a department store commercial in December. Having said that, though, "Teenage Dream" is the musical embodiment of that wonderful if brief respite during a violent time when two kids could act happily like kids instead of a teen super idol and an ace pilot.

Nope, Mari Iijima has nothing to do with any singing on this track but she does have an Xmas tune that I wrote about almost a year ago to the day right here.

Mari Iijima -- 0-G Love

Zero-gravity love...um...er...yes, well...perhaps it is something that the folks at NASA Mission Control muse about when things are somewhat slow. For me, there are two things that come to mind when the phrase is uttered. One is the final scene from the 007 movie, "Moonraker" when James Bond provides a definitive demonstration of it to the world authorities including his boss M.

The other thing is the much more innocent "0-G Love" as sung by everyone's favorite space aidoru, Lynn Minmay (whose voice is provided by singer-songwriter Mari Iijima) from the very first entry of the "Macross"（マクロス）franchise. Of course, when Minmay is mentioned, I'm always going to think of "Ai Oboeteimasuka?"（愛・おぼえていますか）, the weaponized song of choice that is used by the good guys in the 1984 movie version of the same title.

However, I also think of that quintessentially cute little insert song that Minmay sings at the beginning of the movie, "0-G Love", which is about as light and fluffy as anti-gravity or a well-made souffle, and given even more airiness thanks to Iijima's（飯島真理）adorable delivery. I heard that it was actually first used back in the original TV series but I never heard it or any of the other original songs proper since what I caught in my university days was the Americanized version titled "Robotech" by Harmony Gold.

The song was written and composed by Akane Asa and Kentaro Haneda（阿佐茜・羽田健太郎）, the same duo who created the majority of tunes for Iijima/Minmay including the lonesome cowboy-like "Runner" for the late Makoto Fujiwara（藤原誠）. The translation for the lyrics is available up at Anime Lyrics, and basically it's about that the girl secretly soaring up to Cloud Nine after getting the kiss from her beau. Without getting too geeky, I have to admit that I love the way Iijima pronounces "furafura" and "fuwafuwa". Teen love indeed.

Makoto Fujiwara -- Runner （ランナー）

I wonder if I should just create a category labeled "Macross". But it would still be pretty limited, since I've only seen the original series and movie, and not the various sequels (December 20 2016...and yet, I've gone ahead and done it). In any case, Mari Iijima（飯島真理）never had a total monopoly on the music of this landmark anime which was one of the, if not the earliest, examples to tie up the genre with pop music.

Makoto Fujiwara（藤原誠） was responsible for the opening and ending themes of the original series when it debuted in October 1982. The opening theme, "Macross" was this spirited steed of an anison which combined some of the old stomp-and-march vocals with a bit of a new pop orchestral sweep. It's probably the more famous of the two songs, but personally if I had to choose, I would prefer the ending theme, "Runner". Like a lot of ending themes for anime, "Runner"is the ballad counterpoint to the more frenetic "Macross". But I've always enjoyed the languid guitar and the strings which frame "Runner". Another anison vet by the name of Isao Taira（たいらいさお） had actually recorded it, but I guess at the last minute, the producers decided to go with Fujiwara again and his version is the one up there for posterity.

"Runner" was composed by Kentaro Haneda（羽田健太郎）and written by Akane Asa（阿佐茜）, the same duo behind the opening. I have no idea how Taira's version sounded but I know I like Fujiwara's take on it. It sounds like a tune that should be heard no earlier than dusk, and ideally, somewhere in the western, less populated states of America. It has that kind of Lone Wolf vibe to it....after the hero takes care of the bad guys, he just heads off into the sunset alone while the rescued damsel or kid screams something like "SHANE!" However, the lyrics hint at not so much of the John Wayne cowboy but at the proverbial runner always striving for that goal, never quitting, although the words are vague enough so that they can refer to anyone....say, a transformable Valkyrie ace pilot.

The above video is of the ending credits of the show showing Hikaru's flyer against an appropriately setting sky while the song is being played....this time with Mari Iijima dueting with Fujiwara. Not perfectly harmonized but hey, the song survives it pretty well.

(Apologies but the powers-that-be have taken down the video for Fujiwara.)

The Tokyo-born Fujiwara actually started out playing the flute during his teen years and was in the school band which was done up in a Big Band style. However, he became a singer at the age of 24 and released his first single, "Nagai Tabi no Owari"（長い旅の終わり...Long Journey's End) in May 1972, which got as high as No. 57 on the Oricon charts. I'm not sure if it had been his idea or that of his handlers, but he was styled as "the Japanese Englebert Humperdinck", and looking at the above video and hearing his big voice, I could see why.

The video, by the way, is of "Sayonara no Riyu"（さよならの理由...The Reason for Goodbye), one of the tracks on his debut album, "Ai to Jiyu no Yoake"（愛と自由の夜明け...Sunset of Love and Freedom), also released in 1972. That and one other album, also released in 1972, would be the only ones of his career, although he would continue to release singles into 1980. Fujiwara would enter the world of anime songs and commercial jingles later on. Sadly, he would pass away from cancer in 2002 at the age of 55 (according to the Yahoo Japan search page for the man).

Mari Iijima -- Tenshi no E no Gu （天使の絵の具）

Several months ago, I gave Mari Iijima（飯島真理）, aka Lynn Minmay（リン・ミンメイ）, her due as the singer behind one of my favourite anime songs, "Ai wo Oboeteimasuka"（愛をおぼえていますか...Do You Remember Love?） for the movie version of the very first entry in the "Macross"saga. I always saw that song as the anime equivalent of "La Marseillaise", the French national anthem, as used in the classic movie, "Casablanca"(my very favourite old movie...I'm not only into kayo kyoku and anime, y'know). The good guys literally used Minmay's epic ballad as the rallying cry to defeat the invasive Zentraedi.

So after that epic musical climax, and the denouement of all of the surviving characters, grateful but exhausted, what to do? Lynn takes the audience off to the closing credits with an uptempo and hopeful aidoru tune that not only makes me remember the movie but 80s aidoru-dom in general. "Tenshi no E no Gu"(An Angel's Paints) is the title of my 2nd-most remembered song by Iijima, who wrote and composed it.

Iijima provided Minmay's career of songs throughout "Ai wo Oboeteimasuka", but it has always been the title song and "Tenshi no E no Gu" that have stuck in my mind in the 29 years since the movie was released. Iijima/Minmay's breezy but soaring voice along with with the tinkly synths and electric guitar and the backup chorus will eternally bring back the Japanese 80s to me. The song was the B-side to the song "Ai wo Oboeteimasuka" and made for a nice light contrast with its heavy-hitting sister.

The video above, by the way, is the final part of the video "Macross Flashback 2012" that was released in 1987 to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the original TV series. Bringing together  excerpts from both the original series and the movie, the video also included new footage which was even more richly animated than the movie. I was lucky enough to have received the video as a present, and still marvel at how the characters looked and moved back then. As "Tenshi no E no Gu"plays, we finally get a visual synopsis of how Lynn Minmay grew up to become the super space aidoru before taking off in the SDF-02 as an older, wiser and more wistful lady.

The above video has the actual singer Mari Iijima performing "Tenshi no E no Gu". Perhaps it's a bit cheeky (if complimentary) of me but I think the line is very fuzzy when it comes to distinguishing Iijima from her iconic anime character. And I think after all these years, if she ever showed up at a ComiCon or an AniCon, there would be major mayhem.

Only hearing this now as I write this up, but "Tenshi no E no Gu"was also a track on Iijima's 2nd album, "blanche", released in April 1984, three months before the Macross movie was even released, so her early fans got to hear this more atmospheric take before the way more famous aidoru version. The album was produced and arranged by the legendary Minako Yoshida（吉田美奈子）. This version is a strangely haunting ballad.

Glad to have discovered it. It's for these discoveries that I started the blog after all.

Mari Iijima -- Ai Oboeteimasuka? （愛・おぼえていますか）

The face you see above is that of probably one of the most recognizable figures in anime. Of course, it's Lynn Minmay（リン・ミンメイ ）from the 80s anime "Choujikuuyousai Macross"(超時空要塞マクロス...The Super Dimension Fortress Macross). In terms of my ancient history with anime, Macross will be to the 80s as Yamato was to the 70s. Of course, my first exposure to the series was through the American adaptation of it, known as the first part of "Robotech".

Macross has come out in many different incarnations over the decades, but the one that will always resonate with me is not the actual 1982 series but the 1984 movie version titled "Ai Oboeteimasuka" (Do You Remember Love?). The TV series was condensed into a 2-hour cinematic epic with much more textured animation and more explicit scenes.

But the highlight was Minmay's singing of the title song. There was a similar sequence at the conclusion of the original series but with a different tune. It was an interesting contrast: this hopeful ballad sung by a space-age aidoru while the Mother of All Battles is being waged all around her. The entire sequence still manages to put a chill down my spine, as much as hearing the theme song from Yamato still does.

Of course, as all fans know, Lynn Minmay's acting and singing were performed by the same person, Mari Iijima（飯島真理）. And "Ai Oboeteimasuka" will be the one song that she will always be identified with. Originally from Tsuchiura, Ibaraki Prefecture, Iijima actually started out as the voice actress behind Minmay before becoming a professional singer in 1983. The Macross love theme was her 3rd single, and throughout her career has released 30 albums dating up to 2009. A number of her singles are on YouTube, and I'd like to give them a shot as well. She has been living in Los Angeles for almost 25 years.

The song itself was released in June 1984, about a month before the movie's release. It peaked at No. 7 on the Oricon charts and was the 38th-ranked song of the year.

The song was composed by late 60s former singer Kazuhiko Kato（加藤和彦）who became a songwriter and record producer. Sadly, he committed suicide in 2009. The lyrics were provided by Kazumi Yasui （安井かずみ）.