Matsuko Mawatari -- Fortune Teller（フォーチュンテラー）

 

As with any other nation, Japan has its own ways of divining the future including astrology and tarot card readings. I even remember when there was a fad sometime during my life there when it was all about animals providing insights. Of course, there are the fortune tellers sitting stoically in front of train stations waiting for customers to drop by for advice.

Not a huge believer myself but I do believe in this song "Fortune Teller" which was a track on Matsuko Mawatari's（馬渡松子）June 1992 debut album "Aitashi Gakunari Gatashi"（逢いたし学なりがたし）. By the way, I did get a definition for the album title by a helpful commenter (my apologies for not responding any sooner) since I couldn't find one myself when I posted the article on the track mate for "Fortune Teller", "Homework ga Owaranai"（ホームワークが終わらない）. It apparently means "How I Met You". In any case, thank you very much, commenter.

Getting back to "Fortune Teller", this was another collaboration between composer Mawatari and lyricist Lee Shauron（リーシャウロン）. Realizing that I'm still early for the Friday City Pop songs on KKP, I was still drawn enough to this smart and snappy tune of urbaneness that I wanted to finish up Thursday with this one. Love the piano which starts it off and I couldn't help but feel some Airplay vibes when I listen to it.

Matsuko Mawatari -- Hohoemi no Bakudan（微笑みの爆弾）/Homework ga Owaranai（ホームワークが終わらない）

 

I'll be honest here and say that though I've heard the title "YuYu Hakusho"（幽☆遊☆白書）for years, I have never seen a single episode of the anime adaptation of the original manga which began in 1990. The only connection that I've ever had is my university friend wearing a T-shirt with the characters. As I would later find out, it's all about a teen rebel getting killed off and then turned into an underworld detective.

Mind you, the very first opening and closing themes for the Fuji-TV anime have been fun to listen to. Both were recorded by singer-songwriter Matsuko Mawatari（馬渡松子）who hails from Miyazaki Prefecture. Her 2nd single from November 1992 just happens to carry those first opening and closing themes, "Hohoemi no Bakudan" (Smile Bomb) and "Homework ga Owaranai" (Homework Never Ends) respectively. 

"Hohoemi no Bakudan" is quite the snappy opener that has enough of an urban beat that I could describe it as a City Pop tune of the 1990s. Written by Lee Shauron（リーシャウロン）and composed/arranged by Mawatari, I could also see the song belonging to the "City Hunter" series of cool songs. It made its album debut on her second release "nice unbalance" from April 1993; the album ranked in at No. 66.

Shauron and Mawatari keep the "bright lights, big city" approach with the coupling song and first ending theme for "YuYu Hakusho" with "Homework ga Owaranai". There's a little bit of House influence here but it's still about grooving down the avenue in a sports car with this one, too. Interestingly enough, "Homework ga Owaranai" had originally been included in Mawatari's debut album "Aitashi Gakunari Gatashi"（逢いたし学なりがたし）from June 1992, several months before being included with "Hohoemi no Bakudan". Her first album peaked at No. 74. Not sure how that title is translated, though, so if any you can help me out on that one, I'll be a grateful person.