Kozo Murashita -- Hidamari（陽だまり）

 

I think it may have been commenter Brian who recently reminded me of anime's favourite boarding house "Maison Ikkoku"（めぞん一刻）by stating that it had celebrated a recent anniversary. And sure enough, we're all here again admiring Kyoko the boarding house manager. But I come here through a rather coincidental route. Yesterday, I was delighted to find out that one of the new anime for Spring 2026, "Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!!"（ガンバレ!中村くん!!...Go for It, Nakamura!）, has adopted the policy of using some of the Showa and Heisei Era hits to end each episode, and the ending theme for Episode 1 was Kozo Murashita's（村下孝蔵）wonderful "Hatsukoi"（初恋）. Let it make a resurgence, I say!

Well, I've only just discovered that another Murashita single had become the final opening theme for "Maison Ikkoku". I've heard of his September 1987 12th single "Hidamari" (Sunny Spot) but only as something that I probably listened to for the first time on "Sounds of Japan" decades ago. I didn't know of the anime's connection with the song but now I recognize it as being part of the "Maison Ikkoku" family along with Yuki Saito's（斉藤由貴）upbeat "Kanashimi yo Konnichiwa"（悲しみよこんにちは）and Anzen Chitai's（安全地帯）mysterious "Suki sa"（好きさ）.

I figure that if anime fans can enjoy the fruits of "Hatsukoi", then why not lead them to "Hidamari", the opening theme for this classic show of the 1980s? Murashita had been known as a singer-songwriter who flitted between folk and pop with ease, but the really skippy "Hidamari" is definitely in the latter genre as his lyrics talk about one fellow mightily pining for that young lady. Kimio Mizutani（水谷公生）was behind its arrangement as it hit No. 61 on Oricon.

Gilbert O'Sullivan -- Alone Again (Naturally)

 

For a Reminiscings of Youth article, this one is a bit more loaded than usual although I had been aware of some of the stuff going on in Japan regarding this ballad.

As with so many of the old songs, I used to hear Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again (Naturally)" all the time on the radio but never realized the significance of the lyrics until many, many years later. It wasn't until recently that I discovered that the song hadn't been about a guy moping about not having that love in his life, but someone who really needed help since he was about on the verge of suicide, such was the depths of his loneliness. O'Sullivan's music was just so comforting and whimsical that I couldn't really tell.

Released as a single in the UK in February and then in the United States in May 1972, "Alone Again (Naturally)" was an international hit. On America's Billboard chart, it was at No. 1 for six non-consecutive weeks and ended up as the No. 2 single of the year there while in Canada, it also hit the top of the charts but was "only" No. 6 for 1972.

"Alone Again" was a hit that kept on giving in Japan. For one thing, when it was also released in 1972 there, it was No. 1 for 5 straight weeks on Oricon's Western music chart. But as time passed, the song was used for many projects. For one thing, O'Sullivan's arguably most famous song was used as the theme tune for Episode 24 in the famous "Maison Ikkoku"（めぞん一刻）anime series back in 1986. My first impression was that "Alone Again" was being utilized to signify some major incident within the show but instead, I found out via the Maison Ikkoku Wiki that O'Sullivan had been signed to Kitty Records which was associated with Kitty Films which was behind the anime so that it would be a good way to promote him. However, fans didn't go for the out-of-left-field inclusion and it was back to Yuki Saito's（斉藤由貴）much happier "Kanashimi yo Konnichiwa"（悲しみよこんにちは）from Episode 25 (although "Alone Again" would return as an insert song in Episode 27 and then as the theme for the live-action version of the series in 1986). Watching this one-off opening credit sequence above did leave quite an impression, though, and apparently on a lot of YouTube commenters.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, "Alone Again" attracted attention from at least a couple of products which used it for their commercials, one being JT's brand of cigarettes. A couple of network dramas also used it as their theme song into the 21st century, and I think it was for one of them that I ended up picking up a re-release of the O'Sullivan song at one of the major Tokyo CD shops.

Though I always saw kayo wunderkind Shinji Harada（原田真二）as the Japanese version of Gilbert O'Sullivan, I don't think that he ever did a cover of "Alone Again...Naturally". However, vocally speaking, singer-songwriter Takao Kisugi（来生たかお）is quite similar to O'Sullivan, so I did go naruhodo when I heard his rendition of the ballad. The J-Wiki article for it mentions that he's sung "Alone Again...Naturally" in concert but I'm not sure whether the crooner ever released an official version.

Let's go with the American release date of the song when showing what was being released at that time in Japan. I found two famous hits which got released in May 1972.

Mari Amachi -- Hitori Janaino (ひとりじゃないの）

Shiro Miya & The Pinkara Trio -- Onna no Michi (女のみち）

Rika Himenogi -- Glass no Kiss（硝子のキッス）

 

Indeed, yes, it's the final day for 2020. Unlike the above 2019 photo, though, it's not quite as bright and clear out there today although the temperatures are above normal. Another December 31st also means that I caught the last third of this year's Kohaku Utagassen live earlier this morning, and I figure that one of us here on the blog will give our thoughts on this most different edition of the annual NHK special. 

Perhaps we can start off then with some articles from all over the spectrum starting with another musical contribution to the "Maison Ikkoku"（めぞん一刻）ethos. This time, I found this theme song for "Maison Ikkoku ~ Kanketsuhen"（めぞん一刻完結篇...The Final Chapter）, the cinematic representation of the famous anime released in 1988. Titled "Glass no Kiss" (Glass Kiss), it was sung by Rika Himenogi（姫乃樹リカ）, and she joins the pantheon of "Maison Ikkoku" themes by Picasso（ピカソ）, Anzen Chitai（安全地帯）and Yuki Saito（斉藤由貴）.

I was looking at Himenogi's J-Wiki and Wikipedia profile, and I didn't really see any indications that she had been groomed as a late 1980s aidoru but there's certainly something quite aidoru-ish with the bouncy "Glass no Kiss". Written by Takashi Matsumoto（松本隆）and composed by Tsunehiro Izumi（和泉常弘）with overall arrangement by Mitsuo Hagita（萩田光雄）, along with the grand happy-go-lucky melody, I've also found something rather Naoko Kawai（河合奈保子）-ish about Himenogi's delivery. "Glass no Kiss" reached No. 21 on Oricon and it serves as the singer's debut single from February 1988. It can also be found on her December 1988 album "Reminiscence 〜Singles vol.1〜".

Himenogi was born Rika Nishimura（西村理香）from Oita Prefecture and pretty early on in life, she found herself and her family moving from place to place due to the demands of her father's occupation. Sometime in 1982, she entered a music contest broadcast on TV Tokyo which resulted in her getting scouted by an entertainment company, and later on in 1986, she made her appearance in the June issue of the magazine "Momoco" and then on the TBS show "Momoco Club"（モモコクラブ）as a regular personality. At the time, though, aidoru Tomomi Nishimura（西村知美）was also on the program so to prevent any sort of conflict due to identical family names, Rika took on the stage name of Himenogi. Shortly after "Glass no Kiss" came out, she started her own radio program "Himenogi Rika no Oshaberi Salad"（姫乃樹リカのおしゃべりサラダ...Rika Himenogi's Talk Salad） and became a regular in the journal "Radio Paradise"（ラジオパラダイス）which boosted her popularity.

As a singer, she put out a total of 7 singles and 3 original studio albums under her stage name of Rika Himenogi up to 1990, but later that decade, she changed her name into a variant of her real name, Rika Nishimura（西邑理香）and released a few more singles and albums. In 1995, she married musician Dave Crigger and then moved to America where they have a family including three children.

Picasso -- Begin The Night

Hearing about the adulation behind the 1980s anime "Maison Ikkoku"（めぞん一刻）all these years, I think that the various opening and ending themes have probably added to the show's fame as well as getting fame themselves due to the popularity of "Maison Ikkoku". Of course, the show's got the moody opening theme "Suki sa"（好きさ）by Anzen Chitai（安全地帯）, and then the ending theme "Cinema"（シ・ネ・マ）by Picasso（ピカソ）.

According to the J-Wiki article on the song, Picasso's 6th single was "Begin The Night" released in September 1987. It also served as the final ending theme for "Maison Ikkoku", and unlike the atmospheric tango of "Cinema", "Begin The Night" was more of a conventional pop ballad, perhaps similar to the output of pop band H2O at the time.

Written by Etsuko Kisugi（来生えつこ）and composed/arranged by Picasso, "Begin The Night" does sound contemporary 80s but I can also hear a bit of a 1950s sound at points as if Richie and Mari Beth are holding hands on that porch swing. The slight echo in the song also gives it a haunting quality as if it was indeed the end of the story of the famous boarding house.

Yuki Saito -- Kanashimi yo Konnichiwa （悲しみよこんにちは）

Not knowing at the time about its connection with the anime "Maison Ikkoku"（めぞん一刻）, I used to listen to Yuki Saito's （斉藤由貴）5th single, "Kanashimi yo Konnichiwa" (Hello, Sadness) pretty often on one of those compilation tapes of aidoru songs that I got from Chinatown. To me, it was the quintessential aidoru song with the intro synths and Saito's slightly off-tune and quivery vocals.

The lyrics by Yukinojo Mori （森雪之丞）related how even the saddest memories would still be welcomed and embraced as old friends by the singer, while Koji Tamaki's （玉置浩二）music represented a certain hope and defiance and perhaps even a defense of those melancholy feelings. I guess there is something about the Japanese psyche that just loves to protect even those emotions instead of driving the blues away as they would be treated here.

I think with those huge puppy-dog eyes and soft vocals, Saito was probably the best aidoru to relate the lyrics. "Kanashimi yo Konnichiwa" peaked at No. 3 when it was released in March 1986 and later became the 19th-ranked song for the year. She also got invited onto the Kohaku Utagassen in December for the very first time and was instantly made the Captain of the Red (Women's) Team! I remember my parents were far from impressed with Saito's leadership since she seemed to be giggling throughout the broadcast. I was rather surprised myself at the promotion but I figured that Saito was probably bleeding off some nervousness through the laughter.

The song was also a track on her 3rd album, "Chime"（チャイム）, from October 1986 which got as high as No. 2. And along with its usage as the very first theme song for "Maison Ikkoku", "Kanashimi yo Konnichiwa" was also the commercial tie-up song for some Shiseido cosmetic product.

Anzen Chitai -- Suki sa （好きさ）

I usually try to refrain from putting up a song by the same artist twice in the same month, but once I read a comment by simi from an earlier entry for an Anzen Chitai（安全地帯） ballad this month, I felt that I had to give "Suki sa" (I Love You) its due before the end of the year.

And for good reason. It's definitely imbued with that appealingly moody tone that characterized a lot of the band's songs in the early years. Having become an Anzen Chitai fan through the "The Best 10" videotapes and my years going to Kuri in Yorkville, the culmination of my admiration for Koji Tamaki （玉置浩二）and the guys occurred when I was feted to a birthday party at the aforementioned karaoke bar, and one of my friends, also a huge fan of the band, was kind enough to make a tape with all of their hits up to that point. He often drove me home so I often heard the songs as we took the Don Valley Parkway up to my home. And I'll tell ya....Anzen Chitai made for perfect night driving music. "Suki sa" was one entry on that birthday tape. I always remember that first line: "Suki sa....shibireru hodo....suki sa...kuyashii hodo..." （好きさ。。。しびれるほど。。。好きさ。。。くやしいほど。。。I love you so much I'm going numb....I love you so much I'm going out of my mind）. Those words and Tamaki's anguished delivery makes it sound as if he were going to get the target of his affections through any means necessary....stalker territory here.

So you can imagine my surprise when I found out that it had been used as the third opening theme for the mid-80s anime, "Maison Ikkoku"（めぞん一刻）....especially after the cute-as-a-button first opening theme, "Kanashimi yo Konnichiwa"（悲しみよこんにちは） by aidoru Yuki Saito（斉藤由貴） and then the one-off opener with Gilbert O'Sullivan's old 70s ballad, "Alone Again, Naturally" (!). The fact that "Suki sa" was used as an opening theme was quite the shocker as well, since I thought the brooding melody by Tamaki and lyrics by Goro Matsui（松井五郎） would make it an ending theme. Since it's been embedded into my brain that "Suki sa" is an urban contemporary tune of darkness, it's a bit weird seeing it used with the sunny opening credits of "Maison Ikkoku". Still, my kudos to all those anime producers back then who were placing these pretty mature-sounding songs with their programs.

Picasso -- Cinema （シ・ネ・マ）

When I think about the old 80s anime, "Maison Ikkoku"（めぞん一刻）, I usually remember the atypically moody theme by Anzen Chitai（安全地帯）, "Sukisa"（好きさ）. For years, I'd had no idea that the song had any connection with an anime. I just naturally assumed that it was another adult contemporary urban song by the band.

Then, came another revelation recently. On another visit to my anime buddy's home, he played this other ending theme song, "Cinema", for the show by a band called Picasso. Once again, I was struck at how dramatically this song played out, considering my image of anison in that decade seemed to fall into two categories: loud and proud rock or cutesy pop. This song, though, felt like a heart-on-a-sleeve light tango.

Picasso debuted in late 1984 with "Honki! Tricky Lady"（本気！トリッキ・レディー...Really! Tricky Lady） with "Cinema" being their 3rd single coming out in August 1985. The band has three members: Tetsuya Tsujihata（辻畑鉄也）, Junji Azuma（東純二） and Hideharu Mori（森英治）, and had been praised for its "experimental sound" among the anime fans. "Cinema" itself was written by Junko Ohyama（大山潤子） and composed by Picasso. Along with the tango rhythm, Tsujihata's voice also caught my attention since it seemed to resemble a mix between Koji Tamaki (Anzen Chitai) and the vocals of the band H2O, which had come up with a couple of well-regarded anime themes of their own just a few years before. I guess for a number of male non-aidoru pop singers, lilting and haunting was the way to go back in that decade.

The band stopped recording in 1995 but was signed up by another record label in 2000 to help shepherd some of the new generation.