Nanatsuboshi -- Juu-ni-gatsu no Tokubetsu na Yoru（12月の特別な夜）

 

Merry Christmas to everyone out there. Hopefully, folks are waking up to happy family, friends, good food and a joyous occasion...the occasional turkey leg and hot chocolate are welcome too. Perhaps many Japanese families have enjoyed their Kentucky Fried Chicken and Fujiya shortcake in the last several hours. 

Being December 25th and all, this is the final day for the J-Xmas season on "Kayo Kyoku Plus" so I would like to bring out the remaining seasonal songs beginning with Nanatsuboshi's（ななつ星）"Juu-ni-gatsu no Tokubetsu na Yoru" (A Special Night in December). Now, back on December 1st, I mentioned about this mystery merging of aidoru trio Lip's, another aidoru trio called Rakutenshi（楽天使...Happy Angels） and aidoru Rumi Shishido（宍戸留美）to form this unit Nanatsuboshi（ななつ星...Seven Stars） which not only eschewed any media exposure but even a few members of this septet admitted that they hadn't even come together for recording. In fact, the article where I mentioned Nanatsuboshi doesn't even have Nanatsuboshi on the byline; it's actually just Lip's who provided an Xmas tune, "Splendid Love (in December)" for the December 1990 Nanatsuboshi album "Seiya Nanatsuboshi"（聖夜七つ星...Holy Night Seven Stars）.

OK, deep breath here. 😤 A month before the album's release, there was a one-and-only single by Nanatsuboshi titled "Ribbon Musubi no Waku Waku"（リボン結びのWAKU WAKU...Ribbon-Tying Excitement） that actually had all seven aidoru participating if not at the same time and place. The coupling song is what I wanted to start off the Christmas Day edition of KKP, "Juu-ni-gatsu no Tokubetsu na Yoru". Written by Chiroru Yaho（谷穂ちろる）, composed by Tsukasa and arranged by Nobuyuki Shimizu（清水信之）, the song is a lightly soulful and mellow number tenderly delivered by all involved. As the title would suggest, it emphasizes the second Valentine's Day aspect of a Christmas in Japan with much love a-plenty. I figure this couple is probably aiming for something higher than the usual KFC and Fujiya.

MAHO-dou - Ojamajo wa Koko ni Iru (おジャ魔女はココにいる)

First of all, I would like to once again congratulate "Kayo Kyoku Plus" for its 10th anniversary. I have been part of a fraction of those years, starting by commenting some posts as I was beginning to venture into Showa era music, a couple years before the City Pop boom in the West. I ended up being invited to collaborate and I am very thankful to J-Canuck and my fellow collaborators for making this blog what it is today. This blog helped me cultivate the passion of talking about Japanese music. Here's to another 10!

Lately, it has been interesting to look back at how I was before entering school and how I am right now, fresh out of university. There is one peculiar thing in common and that is the anime Ojamajo Doremi. This series was part of the Portuguese TV programming while I was a kid. It is a very particular magical girl anime which has more in common with the origins of the genre in the 60's or 70's and the "majokko" trope. It is also a journey of growth with the characters as they are kids, painted by tales of friendship, empathy, and the responsibility that comes with being a magic user but also a human. The story has even continued in the light novel form with the characters reaching their 20's. Constant reruns of the first two seasons were the highlights of my days. A few months ago, I went back to the series after high praise by some of my anime buddies and it has once again become the highlight of my days as an adult.

The second season is called Ojamajo Doremi Sharp and is the one that impacted me the most as a kid. No spoilers here, but the final episodes were both traumatic and deeply touching, both then and now. Although I am critical of the implications of 9-year-olds taking care of a newborn, it makes for a charming story that never gets boring after almost 50 episodes.

I really enjoy the opening for the season, "Ojamajo wa Koko ni Iru." It features the voice actress of the four main characters, collectively called MAHO-dou (MAHO堂), the name of the magical shop the girls help at. It is a very catchy song with tropical vibes and I particularly like the way the visuals coordinate with the song for the TV-size version.

The lyrics are work of Shota Namikawa with Keiichi Oku composing and arranging the song. The latter is also the author of the series' soundtrack which is particularly charming and fits the mood of the series very well. He has also authored other soundtracks for works by Toei Animation and has been awarded for his work for "Ashita no Nadja," another anime I watched as a kid.

This cover of the song by utaite Hanatan is also a favorite of mine as the arrangement is even more reminiscing of genres such as bossa nova.

I am now watching the third season of Ojamajo Doremi which I had been unable to catch on TV as a kid, as it aired a few years later. It feels symbolic to revisit a series which had been so dear to me but going beyond what I had experienced in the past. The little girl that watched anime back then keeps on living and growing.

Marcos V.'s short selection of 80s female aidoru singers

Eri Nitta -- WHO?

Apple excerpt only

Starting off this list with Eri Nitta’s (新田恵利) awkward, but surprisingly captivating baby voice, “WHO?” is a bouncy and serviceable Eurobeat song released in 1988. Even though I still feel Nitta’s voice was a joke, I actually find it full of personality here, and the chorus is quite catchy as well. Nothing groundbreaking, but it deserves a listen, even if just for the fun.

Minako Honda -- Tokyo Girl

(The lower video is for those who
couldn't see the upper video due to availability
limitations.)

It’s been just a few days since I talked about Minako Honda’s (本田美奈子) English language “OVERSEA” album here on the blog, but now I want to highlight one of her Japanese songs, and a rather rare one, called “Tokyo Girl”. Released as the coupling song to her single “Help”, in 1986, “Tokyo Girl” is a very nice pop song, and I just love the way Honda almost dramatically sings “You are Tokyo girl…” and “I am London boy…”, or the opposite, during the choruses. I can’t help but sing along with her.

Mami Yamase -- Aishuu no Barcelona

(cover version)

When I see the name Mami Yamase (山瀬まみ), it’s her wacky and punky persona that comes to mind. However, before committing to this particular style, her career started in a more traditional aidoru route. And even during her “normal” days, she was still able to surprise us with things like “Aishuu no Barcelona” (哀愁のバルセロナ), a dramatically sung track with a cold and ominous Euro/synthpop arrangement included in the album “PRIVATE EDITION”, from late 1987.

Rumi Shishido -- Cosmic Rendezvous

Just like Mami Yamase, Rumi Shishido (宍戸留美) also recorded traditional aidoru pop before doing her more experimental stuff, and her debut single, “Cosmic Rendezvous” (コズミック・ランデブー), is probably the best example of it. Released in 1990, I just love the mess that is the cute-faced Shishido singing this aidoru/Techno Kayo tune while showing her long legs in a Moritaka Chisato-esque (森高千里) outfit and doing a choreography with a stick.

Eriko Tamura -- NEXT

The talented and voluptuous Eriko Tamura (田村英里子) is the aidoru behind today’s final song. Called “NEXT”, this over-the-top song is probably my favorite in all her discography, and the reason lies on the devastatingly dazzling Carnival-esque synth arrangement that permeates most of it. Other than that, well, Tamura can’t dance properly, but her awkward choreography is what makes the video so endearing in my opinion. “NEXT” was the coupling song to her single “Honki” (真剣), released in 1989.

Rumi Shishido -- Konbini Tengoku （コンビニ天国）

Really, I bought it for the songs!

Slowly going through the various CDs that I purchased for the Holidays. I managed to buy a compilation titled "Techno Kayo -- The Ultimate Collection 1". Being a fan of Yellow Magic Orchestra and reading nikala's article on the genre, I became interested in finding out some more examples so I was finally able to get this album this month. As for the cover of a bikini model by the name of Rie Amano standing in the middle of a sento (public bath), I will leave that to your fertile imaginations.

There were a number of songs that stood out on the album and a few of them I have already covered such as Akina Nakamori's（中森明菜）"Kinku"（禁区）and Chika Takami's（高見知佳）"Kuchibiru Nude"（くちびるヌード）, but the final track also caught my eye...I mean ear (Ms. Amano caught my eye). This would be "Konbini Tengoku" (Convenience Store Heaven) by cute aidoru Rumi Shishido（宍戸留美）.

Marcos V. first talked about her in his article for her song "Otoko no Ko Ga Naichau Nante/Dance no Kamisama"（男のコが泣いちゃうなんて・ダンスの神様）as this aidoru who explored the more technopop side of things. I found out about her through the above commercial (sorry but that particular commercial has been taken down) in which her twinkling eyes and her hip-shifting moves were the two things that stood out for me. But I had no idea about her singing career.

"Konbini Tengoku" was not an official single but a track on her debut album from 1990, "Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do-Shi-Shi-Do-Ru-Mi"（ド・レ・ミ・ファ・ソ・ラ・シ・ド・シ・シ・ド・ル・ミ）. And as limited as her vocal abilities were, there is something adorable about how she delivers her paean to all things konbini via Yumiko Ishijima's（石嶋由美子）lyrics such as the cakes and ice cream and shampoo available there, and screaming with her buddies when they try to sneak a peek into the porn mags. Plus the melody by Hirohiko or Yasuhiko Fukuda（福田裕彦）is catchy as all heck.

As someone who used to live within walking distance to 5 or 6 convenience stores, the Japanese konbini (7-11. Lawson's, am/pm, etc.) is truly convenient. Not only can you get bento and other household goods, but you can pay just about all of your bills, purchase airplane and concert tickets, send parcels out, copy documents and even recharge cellphone batteries. As Rumi bleats out, it is really konbini tengoku.

Rumi Shishido -- Otoko no Ko Ga Naichau Nante (男のコが泣いちゃうなんて)/Dance no Kamisama (ダンスの神様)

I came across this odd aidoru singer called Rumi Shishido (宍戸留美) about two weeks ago after listening to an eurobeat song by her called “Rainbow Days” (1990). As I’m a sucker for late 80s/early 90s eurobeat songs, I decided to give Rumi’s other songs a try. What I found, though, was a collection of strange, bizarre, but also lovely techno kayo aidoru songs that had absolutely nothing to do with eurobeat aside the above-mentioned “Rainbow Days”. Her “Otoko no Ko Ga Naichau Nante” single was the one which quickly grabbed my attention.

http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm14929323#_=_

Released in October 1991, “Otoko no Ko Ga Naichau Nante” is a song full of turn-arounds. In my mind, I’d describe it as a mix of “Kyary Pamyu Pamyu” (きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ) and “Momoiro Clover Z” (ももいろクローバーZ) with some anime-esque vocals. At first listen it’s a mess of a song and very unattractive for anyone who isn’t accustomed to cute/silly aidoru vocals. To be honest, I had to listen to it like five times to guarantee to myself that I really liked the song. It’s like a food which you know it’s good, but it’s not tasty right after the first bite. And interesting might also be a good word to describe this combination of Latin rhythms, synth-pop, little shouts and anime-esque vocals that, together, resulted in “Otoko no Ko Ga Naichau Nante”. Also, the song is sort of a cover version of the house song below. It's nice to see that a song full of attitude can become a silly and fun aidoru song.

(Unfortunately, the video for "Dance no Kamisama" has been taken down.)

“Dance no Kamisama”, the coupling song for “Otoko no Ko Ga Naichau Nante”, is as much interesting as the title song. Right at the beginning the classic melody for the “Swan Lake” is sampled by a synth before the actual song starts with a dance beat and some synth work typical of the early 90s. Then Rumi starts a very cute and childish rap that seems very refreshing and not boring at all thanks to the way she pronounces and expresses the words. The last treat is when, near the end, right at the 3:55 mark, the “Swan Lake” melody starts playing in the background at the same time Rumi is singing the final choruses.

Rumi’s aidoru contract ended in 1992. After that she became a voice actress (the girl surely had talent for that) and continued singing as an independent artist. But, although brief, her aidoru time (1990-1992) was full of interesting and odd stuffs like “Otoko no Ko Ga Naichan Nante” and “Dance no Kamisama”.

Lyrics for "Otoko no Ko Ga Naichau Nante" were written by Crystal Waters, while the Japanese lyrics were written by Yumiko Ishijima (石嶋由美子). As for the music, it was composed by Neal Conway. The arrangement, on the other hand, was done by Hirohiko Fukuda (福田裕彦).

Lyrics for "Dance no Kamisama" were also written by Ishijima Yumiko, while Hirohiko Fukuda was the responsible for both the music and arrangement.