Kyohei Shibata -- FUGITIVE

At last, I had watched an "Abunai Deka" (あぶない刑事) film! I managed to catch the latest installment of the buddy cop franchise that spanned three decades on the way to Japan about a month ago and it was aMAzing to finally see Hiroshi Tachi (舘ひろし) and Kyohei Shibata (柴田恭兵) in action.

Admittedly, the plot for "Saraba Abunai Deka" was rather weak, just as any nth sequel would have, and that it was pretty much an 80's action flick in modern clothes *ahem "The Expendables"*. But it did have its insanely cool and surprisingly funny moments. Plus, most of the guys were impeccably dressed and stunning to look at - Koji Kikkawa (吉川晃司), who played the villain, looked incredible with his silver hair, and there were even times where I didn't know who to root for! However, I think I might have appreciated it more if I had watched the previous films and/or the TV series as there seemed to be some running gags in there.

twitter.com/k0_8_1_8s/status/753277521811021824

There were a number of scenes that had my eyes popping right open and my excitement levels to the max. That includes Tachi going head to head with Kikkawa in a fist fight, and him riding a Harley with hands occupied by a shotgun - totally makes up for at least 5 minutes of seeing him mope and sulk after the tussle. And let's not forget about Shibata; dang, that guy really impressed me in this movie. He's got some slick dance skills, and seeing him sprint like his life depended on it (seems like a staple in the series) was incredible at his age!

I was quite taken by Shibata's chase scene, as you can tell from up there, and the background music that played as Sexy Oshita hunted down his target fascinated me. From what I vaguely remembered, there was this cool vibe to it, but at the same time it also had an element of urgency. Without a title and the only clue being that it was most likely sung by Shibata himself, I had to do some hunting myself.

http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm21674257

It wasn't particularly hard to find what I was looking for as Kyo-sama's discography isn't particularly extensive, and I mainly focused on songs that sounded like they could be used in an intense chase scene. After some digging around in YouTube, I narrowed it down to "RUNNING SHOT", "TRASH", or "FUGITIVE". From what I'd been reading, "RUNNING SHOT" seemed to be the song I was looking for. But somehow I was underwhelmed when it was playing - I expected more. "TRASH" was decent, though I was aware that this was the least likely choice. Lastly, "FUGITIVE". The name itself also potentially implies hunting down a criminal so there was a chance that it might fit the bill.

If there's one word to use to describe "FUGITIVE", it's "unpredictable". Why? As the first few seconds of the song unfolded, you'd think it's some calm and soothing piece as the piano and sax hits your ears. Just as you're about to get nice and comfy, the drums, loud and sudden, kick in with a nice beat to wake you up, followed by the shrill synths to make a quintessentially 80's, high octane melody that keeps one (me, at least) going back for more. Also, I like Shibata's voice - deep and mellow. "FUGITIVE" is definitely my favourite out of the three tunes I picked.

Composing this was Ichiro Hada (羽田一郎). As for Chiroru Yaho's (谷穂ちろる) lyrics, I'm not entirely sure if they are in the wanted criminal's or the cop's point of view. Either way, to make sense of the sudden jump in tempo, I'm guessing that one of them must've been relaxing, maybe getting a cup of coffee or something, but one spots the other, setting off alarm bells in both their heads, and the game of cat and mouse begins.

Dang, he was really cute back in the day... And that voice... ~.~

Although I'm still unsure about whether or not "FUGITIVE" or "RUNNING SHOT" was used in Sexy Oshita's chase scene in "Saraba Abunai Deka", I managed to find a clip of half of the duo running after the bad guy with the former tune playing in the background. You can kinda see Shibata's knack for sprinting too - probably stemmed from his love of baseball.

"FUGITIVE" wasn't one of Kyo-sama's 15 singles, but it was released in his 1st album "SHOUT" on 21st June 1987.

"Ikuze!"

Aimer -- Anata ni Deawanakereba ~ Kasetsu Touka (あなたに出会わなければ 〜夏雪冬花〜)/Yuuya Matsushita -- See You

Those folks who have read my articles on anison have figured out that when it comes to anime, I'm more for the comical slice-of-life programs on the order of "Gekkan Shojo Nozaki-kun"（月刊少女野崎くん）and "Koufuku Graffiti"（幸腹グラフィティ）. I usually take the same attitude with my anime choices that I do with watching movies at the local Cineplex; I don't particularly want to be laden through 2 hours of heavy drama. Instead, I prefer to go with the more escapist fare and be entertained.

However, my anime buddy gave me a copy of an anime from the summer of 2012 titled "Natsuyuki Rendezvous"（夏雪ランデブー...Summer Snow Rendezvous） which was quite a bit more on the straight romantic drama side of things with some fantasy added in (which I don't think worked for me all that well). The story reminded me somewhat of Hollywood flicks such as "Ghost" with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze, and "Always" which was Audrey Hepburn's final picture. It wasn't too bad...I liked the characters and I didn't end up falling asleep at all. Plus, I was surprised to find out that the main character of Hazuki-kun was played by seiyuu Yuuichi Nakamura（中村悠一）who I knew from his more comedic roles such as talented if slightly dense Nozaki-kun from the above-mentioned anime in 2014 and lovably grumpy Grizzly from "Shirokuma Cafe" (しろくまカフェ) which was being televised in the same year as "Natsuyuki Rendezvous".

All in all, I thought the show was OK for me as someone who wouldn't actively watch an anime drama. What also worked for me were the theme songs which fit perfectly with the tone of "Natsuyuki Rendezvous". It seems like the ending theme "Anata ni Deawanakereba ~ Kasetsu Touka" (I Have to Meet You ~ Summer Snow Winter Flowers) got the higher popularity so I will start with that. Aimer is a singer that I had never heard about until this show, but I liked her breathy delivery and the introspective feeling on this ballad, her 4th single from August 2012. It was written by Aimer under her lyricist name of aimerrhythm and composed by Rui Momota（百田留衣）, and for a song that was created in 2012, there is somewhat of a nostalgic and haunting quality to it...perhaps it's the strings. I also have to mention that the song playing against those ending credits made for a good match. "Anata ni Deawanakereba" got as high as No. 26 on Oricon.

As I said above, I also liked the opening theme, too. "See You" by Yuuya Matsushita（松下優也）set the tone for the anime even before the first scene arose. I was definitely not going to see battling robots or sword-wielding warriors with a mellow song like this one. That intro for "See You" in the opening credits was especially effective in priming me for the story and Matsushita reminded me of another balladeer, Masayoshi Yamazaki（山崎まさよし）. "See You" was written by Juli Shono（荘野ジュリ）and composed by Jin Nakamura. It was Matsushita's 11th single and also released in August 2012, it managed to peak at No. 28.

Finishing off with some whimsy since I know that a sequel to this series will probably never be made, but considering that I've seen the main cast separately in anime comedies, I would have enjoyed a slice-of-life comedic sequel to "Natsuyuki Rendezvous". After all, what isn't more comical than a young couple in love trying to stay happy while the woman's dead first husband is always trying to throw a metaphysical wrench into the works? Plus the fact that Rokka-chan always liked to wear that flowerpot hat must show that she's got some sense of humour. An anime version of "Bewitched", perhaps?

Hiroshi Itsuki/Keiko Fuji -- Nagasaki kara Fune ni Notte （長崎から船に乗って）

It's been quite the while since I put up an article having to do with either Hiroshi Itsuki（五木ひろし）or the late Keiko Fuji（藤圭子）, and I was feeling somewhat enka-ish on this Sunday. Mind you, although Itsuki's single "Nagasaki kara Fune ni Notte" (Getting on the Ship from Nagasaki) is listed as an enka tune on J-Wiki, I think that "modern" drumwork, that city beat in the rhythm, and the "daba daba" chorus make it closer to a Mood Kayo or even a pop kayo.

Released in August 1971, this was Itsuki's follow-up single after his breakthrough blockbuster of "Yokohama Tasogare" (よこはま・たそがれ) which had been released almost half a year earlier. The same duo for that hit, Masaaki Hirao and Yoko Yamaguchi（平尾昌晃・山口洋子）, was also responsible in the creation of "Nagasaki kara Fune ni Notte". It might be due to how legendary and how often "Yokohama Tasogare" has been sung by the suave singer, but "Nagasaki kara Fune ni Notte" has more of a workman-like and down-at-home musical feeling to it in comparison. Yamaguchi's lyrics talk about a love-'em-&-leave-'em cad who dumps the women as smoothly as he woos them as he makes his way from port to port. Even Yokohama gets another reference in the song. In any case, the ballad seems to have the jerk treating his romances like any old set of business trips over the year.

I've only heard the song a few times but the way that Itsuki delivers it makes it sound like he's a barfly storyteller or even the Don Juan himself several years later, now filled with regret. "Nagasaki" may not be as well remembered as "Yokohama" but after its release, it did peak at No. 4 on Oricon.

Keiko Fuji did a cover of "Nagasaki" in her own inimical style although I don't know when her version was first released. The arrangement of the song is very similar even down to the chorus but with her singing it, I sensed that she could be taking on the role of one of the cad's victims, angrily but resignedly telling her side of the story.

TUBE -- Natsu wo Dakishimete (夏を抱きしめて)

I figured I should do an article on a summer song since we are dead in the middle of the sizzling season. And I'm going with a song by none other than TUBE, the band whose name immediately brings summer to mind. 

I'd say that I'm only briefly acquainted with TUBE. I see some of their works that scream sun, sand and surf, often on 80's and 90's hit medleys but while I'm fine with the songs, none really caught my attention like "Natsu wo Dakishimete" did.

Rather than on one of the aforementioned medleys, I first came across "Natsu wo Dakishimete" while on a plane ride home not too long ago - from Taiwan, I think - as I browsed the 90's J-pop compilation album. Expecting something on the line of "Ah~ Natsu Yasumi" (あ～夏休み), which is what I know TUBE most for, I was surprised to hear something that was more to my taste and I ended up playing it on repeat throughout the rest of the journey. By the way, it's not to say that the former isn't a nice song; it is, but thus far I'm just not a big fan of it.

Anyway, I'd compare "Natsu wo Dakishimete" the cool sea breeze blowing across a sunny beach. It's gentle at the beginning - just enough to make one's hair billow slightly - as heard by just the acoustic guitar, the tinkling synths, and Nobuteru Maeda's (前田亘輝) subdued delivery. But then the moment the music kicks it up a notch after the first chorus, it's as if the wind has picked up, making even the coconut trees sway vigorously. That's from the electric guitar roaring, and Maeda's voice returns to its bullhorn-like volume. I very much enjoy having it blasting away at a high volume. Somehow I find that comfortable. Perhaps it reminds me of the good times I had when I went cycling by the beach on my day off... The wind was usually blowing against me which made me pedal harder, but at least I've got that to cool me down.

"Natsu wo Dakishimete" was written by Maeda himself and composed by Michiya Haruhata (春畑道哉), one of TUBE's guitarists. Released on 11th May 1994, the song did well, peaking at 1st place on the Oricon weeklies and settling at 21st by the end of the year. Eventually it also became a million-seller, having over 1.05 million copies sold. "Natsu wo Dakishimete" was also used as a commercial song for the Toyota COROLLA CERES. I bet the CM had the car cruising by the sea/beach as the song played.

www.smule.com

Top 10 Albums of 2006

1.  Ken Hirai            Ken Hirai 10th Anniversary Complete Single Collection '95-'05
2.  Kumi Koda                         BEST~Second Session~
3.  Kobukuro                           All Singles Best
4.  Def Tech                             Catch The Wave
5.  B'z                                      B'z The Best "Pleasure II"
6.  Mika Nakashima                BEST
7.  Hikaru Utada                     Ultra Blue
8.  Ayumi Hamasaki               (miss)understood
9.  Kobukuro                           Nameless World
10. Ai Otsuka                          Love Cook

Leon Jessel -- The Parade of the Tin Soldiers (おもちゃの兵隊のマーチ)

Ah, look at that okonomiyaki frying away there. I took that photo at Chibo, a restaurant way up the Ebisu Garden Place, back in late 2014. That was my second dinner during my trip back to Tokyo. The okonomiyaki had all the typical toppings: wavy bonito flakes with a collective mind of their own, tangy sauce, and nori powder. And before I forget, there were the streaks of whole-egg mayonnaise. In all likelihood, that mayonnaise was by the famed Kewpie Corporation, the one with the logo of the cute baby wanting a hug.

About 6 weeks ago, I did an article focusing on the theme song of a venerable cooking show on NHK called "Kyo no Ryori"（今日の料理）by the late Isao Tomita（冨田勲）. That was and still is quite the long-running theme tune, but there has also been another theme song for yet another decades-old cooking program on Japanese TV, "Kewpie San-pun Cooking" (the segue is now complete), on NTV. That staccato organ riff in the intro probably has reached partial earworm status as well.

However, unlike the Tomita theme for "Kyo no Ryori", the theme for "Kewpie San-pun Cooking"（キユーピー3分クッキング...Kewpie 3-Minute Cooking） had a distinctly foreign origin.

It was actually a marching tune that was created all the way back in 1897 (our third-oldest year listed on "Kayo Kyoku Plus") by German composer Leon Jessel titled "The Parade of the Tin Soldiers" or as it was translated in Japanese, "Omocha no Heitai no March". I kinda figured that the song had a Xmas toy sort of feeling to it, but instead in Japan, it has become the tune representing all things culinary instead of military.

One of the questions that I had about the show was that although the title refers to 3-minute cooking, the actual program is 10 minutes or more than 3 times the original length that the title boasts. It rather reminds me of the fact that the American sitcom "MASH" lasted 3 times longer than the actual Korean War where the show was set. Well, according to the J-Wiki article on the show, "San-pun Cooking" had originally been scheduled for a 5-minute slot in which the actual cooking took place within 3 of those minutes. I could only imagine that the incidence for nervous breakdowns was probably higher for all involved during those early days. The NTV show, by the way, premiered in January 1963.

And gosh darn it, the powers-that-be just had to do something cute one day by having aidoru group Momoiro Clover Z（ももいろクローバーZ）do a guest cameo in the opening and ending credits for one show.

Finally to add further risk of diabetes, here is Miku Hatsune's（初音ミク）version of the theme.

Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki at Ks

Anzen Chitai -- (VIII) Taiyo （太陽）

Good ol' stark black & white for dramatic effect! That was my initial reaction to the cover of Anzen Chitai's（安全地帯）8th album, "Taiyo" (Sun) when I first bought it back in 1991. Since it was released at the end of the year in December, it was through "Eye-Ai" here in Toronto instead of purchasing it from the local CD shop in Japan. Considering the money and trouble to pay for an overseas album to come over to my home, there was perhaps a risk in making the purchase since I hadn't been too impressed with the band's previous album "Yume no Miyako"（夢の都...The Capital of Dreams）. My thought after getting that album was that Anzen Chitai had passed its best-by date. Yeah, I know...Koji Tamaki（玉置浩二）has got those amazing vocals but at the time, album VII simply didn't have it for me.

(cover version)

Hopes were definitely raised, though, when I placed VIII into the CD player. That first track "1991-nen kara no Keikoku"（1991年からの警告...A Warning From 1991）had a lot of that old Anzen Chitai sound that I was missing since their huge album "IV" from 1985. Ah, the boys were back. And it was great that they put the sound to work on a pretty moody and dramatic song about being alone against all of the horrors of the news. Plus, Tamaki put another spectacular show with that voice of his. Still, the song has taken some deeper meaning to me when I think about this summer's terrible incidents in the United States and Europe.

Tamaki and longtime songwriting partner Goro Matsui（松井五郎）were responsible for all of the songs on "Taiyo" including the title track. Thinking back on the overall sound of the album, I guess I could say that album No. 8 had an updated version of that sound from the early releases by Anzen Chitai up to "IV". The song "Taiyo" had that sound with an extra layer of Spanish guitars to create something that had me imagining traveling over a savannah. In addition, Tamaki's yell at the beginning could have him instantly cast as one of the cast in "The Lion King".

The band's 21st single "Itsumo Kimi no Soba ni"（いつも君のそばに...Always By Your Side） which came out a month before the album is also here as the crown jewel. And speaking about Anzen Chitai getting back to basics, this love ballad is definitely reminiscent of another previous hit from the aforementioned "IV", "Kanashimi ni Sayonara"（悲しみにさよなら....Goodbye to Sorrow）.

The single was also used as the campaign song for a Toyota commercial back then. There's nothing like a soaring Tamaki delivery to lift everyone and everything up. I'n not sure how "Itsumo Kimi no Soba ni" did on Oricon, though.

My final track here is "John ga Kureta Guitar"（ジョンがくれたGUITAR...A Guitar From John）, a good ol' jam session-friendly song that dispels all of the urban atmospherics that Anzen Chitai was famous for. It just sounds like Koji and the guys getting together around the campfire to have a fun time talking about a beloved guitar which is now in the display window of some shop while the former owner reminisces happily about it. That video above has the band going full throttle on the song, especially Koji who must have had a double cappuccino before hitting the stage. But no complaints here...a happy Koji is a happy audience.

"Taiyo" managed to break into the Top 10 by peaking at No. 7. Nope, perhaps it wasn't like the old days back in the 1980s but I was happy to get the album as an old Anzen Chitai fan. However, No. 8 is the final album of the band that I've gotten to date. At my sister-in-law's request, I bought their 10th album and brought it over to Canada as a Xmas present several years ago, but her reaction to it was an unqualified meh. I guess for me, the band will always remind me of their heyday during my university years.

https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E5%AE%89%E5%85%A8%E5%9C%B0%E5%B8%AFVIII~%E5%A4%AA%E9%99%BD-%E5%AE%89%E5%85%A8%E5%9C%B0%E5%B8%AF/dp/B000MQ50C0

(excerpts only)