Jpop review- Akina Nakamori's Enka

Akina is a gem that shines wherever it is. This time, Akina is doing an enks cover album filled with songs that fans voted on her website. The album was critically successful and received awards. It is filled with enka standards arranged differently to bring out Akina's vocals. I am not reviewing the instrumental tracks.

 1) Amagigoe- This comes after an instrumental track. Amagigoe, popularised by Sayuri Ishikawa stands for 'Crossing mountain Amagi'. It is a sad enka song of fleeting love and mixed emotions. Akina did a good job with her laid back, airy vocals though I felt shoe couldn't bring power to the title word like Sayuri Ishikawa does. Nevertheless, a good track choice and performance.
 4/5

2) Mugon Zaka (Silent hill)- I heard this song first by Akina Nakamori and it completely mesmerised me. The arrangement includes everything from japanese shamisen to Indian tabla. Akina's vocals are low and filled with emotion- a contrast with Kaori Kozai. Akina brought her artistry to the song and did it justice. 4.5/5

3) Hisame (Sleety Rain) - Hisame is a typical enka song. Its lyrics mostly talk about the pain of a woman whose love has left her while she drinks to drown her sorrows. Hisame is a rather typical enka song but has a charm that many others lack. Akina did well on the song due to lack of high pitched notes.
 4/5

 4) Michizure (Life Partner)- Is the cover of a popular song of the same name by Chinese songstress Teresa Teng. It is reminiscent of the old times and has metaphorical lyrics. The song is arranged well. Michizure is less intense and more relaxing than many songs on this album. It also has more cheerful lyrics compared to melancholic songs like Kanashii sake and Hisame.
4/5

5)Ettou Tsubame (Like a wintering swallow)- Akina stuggles with the high notes in the chorus a little bit but Akina's low voice sounds better on this song than Mori Masako's high voice. The chorus sounds a little disconnected and alltogether too high to fit in the song but it was a good track choice.
4/5

6)Kanashii sake( Sad sake)- This was one song I felt Akina didn't do justice to. Or maybe, the expectations were too high because the legendary Hibari Misora completely nailed this song. I didn't even notice this song on this album wheras, when I heard Hibari Misora's live, I was completely shaken. Her emotions are so well done and vivid. A good song but Akina doesn't quite deliver.
3.5/5

7)Funauta (Boat Song)- This is a song like Amagigoe which stresses the title word in the end of the chorus. Akina managed this song well. It was originally sung by Yashiro Aki. 4/5 8)Ishikari banka (Elegy of Ishikari)- Akina does well vocally on this one. Another typical enka song with added power and a pleading chorus. This song stands out on the second half of the album.
 4/5

9)Ya setsu no watashi- I remember this song least because I heard it first time on this album and it pretty much went with the flow. I won't rate this.

10)Yozakura Oshichi (Night cherry blossoms, love of Oschichi)- A fuyumi Sakamoto song who recently scored a hit with Asia no kaizoku/ mata kimi ni koishiteru. I can't help but count the 'sakura's on the song. There are so many of them. This song stands out, perhaps because of the repitition. A nice and powerful end to the album.
 4.1/5

Overall, a pretty good album considering Akina's deteriorating vocal ability and sales. She found something unique to do and the novelty of the idea carried this album through. Though vocals were not at her best, Akina manages a good show on this album which she owes primarily to the wonderful song choices on this album. Even the cover is tastefully made to suit a genre like Enka. I have begin to love enka and anyone starting to know this genre should start with this album.

Overall- 4.2/5

Pros

Tracklisting
 Arrangement
 Concept
Cover

Cons

Weak vocals in some songs

Lena Park- Another Piece

Lena Park is a really famous korean R&B diva who made her debut in Japan with Another Piece, an album mostly filled with covers from her korean hit album 'Opus 4' which was considered a masterpiece. I've been into her music for a while now and decided to review this album for japanese audiences.

1) Plastic Flower- We start of with the enigmatic Plastic flower which seems to have been lifted from a horror movie soundtrack. It is mostly filled with chime and music box kind of sounds accompanied by Park's thin and airy vocals on the lower notes. There aren't many high notes in the one but it picks up a climax and comes off well.
4.2/5

2) Fall in Love- Fall in Love is the lead track of a japanese single realeased by Park. It is a pretty average ballad and there are high notes but it doesn't particularly stand out.
3/5

3) In Dreams- This song is pretty addictive. It is a power ballad that consolidated Lena's fame internationally. I heard her live of this and was hooked immediately. The track seems a little bland and christmassy compared to the live but it is a great track, nonetheless. The flutes in the beginning and the backvocals in the end give the song a nice atmosphere. It has become Park's signature song and she sand it on I am a singer which she ended up winning. I love the power, melody, passion and everything about this song. Easily, the best ballad on this album.
4.7/5

4) Someone- It is basically an R&B track. It is the best r&B on the album because I end up skipping all the others. It has a 'new york' feel to it and is breezy and upbeat.
4/5

5) ANN- Sounds like a misplaced masterpiece. I'm not sure if the english lyrics work well. It is a ballad which climaxes a bit but not too much. The emotion doesn't come through despite Park's good singing. A nice ballad which is eclipsed by the others in the album.
3.6/5

6) Love Come back- Another ballad. Pretty average. Lena has her moments and is vocally good. Not a skip track but not a very memorable one either.
3.5/5

7) It's Gonna be okay- I'm not a great fan of the R&B tracks on this album. This has a 'sunshine' instrumental and and is more tolerable than its overly sugary successor. The emotions at least come through in this one. Lena is good vocally but then again, she is a technically perfect singer.
3.2/5

8) Ugly Duckling- Has a nice instrumental before becoming an R&B song. The lyrics are nice but the melody failed to convey the emotion. The chorus and song were breezy. It was too happy go lucky for something like 'Ugly Duckling'. My least favourite track on this album which disappoints.
3/5

9) Cut- I recognize this as the japanese version of 'In the beauty saloon'. A dramatic ballad with a prominent climax. I like the melody though I can't see its relation to the lyrics. Lena emotes well on this one. One of the better ballads here.
4/5

10) Your new girlfriend- Oh no! another R&B track. I love R&B songs a lot but the ones on this album completely fail to impress by Park standards and general R&B standards because they are not catchy in the least and are badly arranged. This one is tolerable but very stereotypical.
3.2/5

11)Lazy (Lazy Bones)- One of my two favourite album tracks, the other being its successor. It brings something unique to this monotonous album and Lena's discography- jazz. The sax in the beginning is very soothing and the song has a very strong climax with Lena hitting an unbelievable high note that sounds almost whistle-ish. My eyes almost popped out when I heard that note. This song made me fully aware of Lena's potential as a vocalist which I had not expected.
4.5/5

12) On the Way the end- A bittersweet ballad which goes by the name 'The road to parting' in her korean album. Again, one of my favourites primarily because of the unbelievable climax and her super high note hitting in the end. Lena's emotions of a sad parting come out well on this song. The airy low notes are sung with emotion.
4.5/5

13) Shake it up- I want to bury my head in the ground when it comes to reviewing Lena's R&B tracks on this album. Their korean versions sound better and Lena is better at singing ballads. This is tolerable but suffers from the curse of being stereotyped and not catchy, much like other tracks in the album. It hasn't stuck to me in two months. There's a lot of chorus and bkgd vocals in this one.
3.2/5

14) Mother in my Mind- Another good ballad but nothing spectacular. There's some emotion but this songs drowns in the heavy competition from other ballads on this album.
3.8/5

Found at Beemp3.com

15) PUFF- I have very mixed emotions about this song. The tracks appeard confused and all over the place. But, it couldn't fit into any genre. There's something mysterious about this one. Not the greatest ending, but a good album track.
3.9/5

This album was more like a showcase for Lena's vocal abilities than anything else. The songs were ripped off her korean masterpiece which made them seem inferior compared to her best-selling Opus 4. If you want to hear Lena at her best, this is the album to buy. However, her korean albums easily surpass any japanese album that she has ever made and it would be better to start from there. Cosmorama was a better release even in the japanese market. Lena's voice has a lot of replay value and inspires the listeners a lot. If you're into gospel, R&B or any powerful genre, this is a good try.

Overall- 4/5

Pros

Unbelievable singing ability
Consistent vocals and tracks
Some of the best tracks in her discography

Cons

Cover album lacks originality
Some songs did not come across as well as their Korean counterparts
Ballads outshone R&B tracks

Jpop Review- Blood+ Complete Best

I decided to try out Blood+ Complete Best because I liked a lot of songs from the anime. It contains all the opening and ending themes from the anime, the theme and Diva. Here's a breakdown:

	Blood OP Single - Takahashi Hitomi - Aozora no Namida : 01 - Aozora no Namida .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

1) Aozora no Namida- My favourite opening from the anime. This song was a bit hit for Hitomi Takahashi. It is a j-rock song with a strong chorus and jamming electric guitars. Hitomi's sweet but powerful vocals complement the song well. The most memorable song from the anime.
4/5

2) Katarisugu Koto- I love Chitose Hajime's unique, folkish voice. Kataritsugu koto is a typical song from her and not one of her bests. I liked Haru no Katami better from her recent anime releases. Kataritsugu koto doesn't stand out much in the album filled with rock and powerful songs. But, it is a pleasant listen.
3.6/5

3) Season's Call- How can you ever hate anything by Hyde? Truly, I have been a fan of L'arc en ciel ever since I heard their Ray and ark albums. What stands out ost in laruku's songs is easily Hyde's versatile vocals that swoop from frys to falsettos and glide smoothly into passionate screaming with so much emotion and control. Hyde is my favourite j-rock vocalist. Again, Season's call is not the best that I've seen from him but Hyde's voice casts its magic spell on the listener. The falsettos in the chorus are the good part of this song. Overall, an above average rock track.
4/5

	Nakashima Mika - CRY NO MORE .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

4) Cry no More- Cry no more stands out in the album with its jazzy arrangement and repititive chorus. Mika's voice is smooth and relaxing and pretty controlled on this one. Mika's voice is really suited for jazz. Again, not one of her best tracks but her voice and arrangement do the trick.
3.9/5

5) Colors of the heart- I've never heard Uverworld before this. Colors of the heart was a good rock song though a little 'all over the place'. But it's not a skip track.
3.5/5

6) This Love- Angela Aki's lower notes get a bit repititive after a while but the chorus is powerful and liberating. I like this song the best from Aki. It was one of her biggest hits at that time. This love makes a good ending to the anime with its piano arrangement and Aki's passionate vocals. One of the better endings from this anime.
4.2/5

7) Raion- This is one song I found endlessly annoying in the anime. Jinn seems to be a rock band with a really annoying singer. It becomes catchy after a while but the singer's vocals really grate the brain.
3/5

8) Brand New Map- K begins with a powerful ad-lib and transitions into light R&B. If not for the high notes, this song would've collapsed. It is easy listening and very sugary with no 'catchy' factor.
3.6/5

9) Blood+ Grand Theme- This is an instrumental piece that isn't audible till very late in the track. Nice orchestra but it tests one's patience.
2/5

10) Diva- Diva is an opera sing supposedly sung by Saya's sister. The song is very distant and bad both by pop and opera standards. It's a bit haunting and creates a nice atmopshere.
3/5

Overall, if you saw the anime and liked all the openings and endings, buy this. It is like a Sony j-rock artists collection (but you've missed laruku and southern all stars).

Overall- 3.8/5


Pros

No 'skip' tracks
Consistent

Cons

Too few tracks
Two filler tracks (last two)

Galileo drama review

In "Galileo," Fukuyama Masaharu plays a genius physicist and university associate professor, Yukawa Manabu, who solves difficult mysteries. Affectionately known as Tantei Galileo ("Detective Galileo"), Yukawa is brilliant, an all-round sportsman, tall and handsome but eccentric. Yukawa's partner is a rookie cop, Utsumi Kaoru (Shibasaki Kou), a hot-blooded woman with a strong sense of justice.-- jade_frost (from Dramawiki)

Fukyama Masaharu was my main motivation behind seeing this drama. I first found out about this drama through the song Kiss shite by KOH+ (which is a temporary unit formed by Kou Shibasaki and Fukuyama Masaharu). That song is really a misfit for this drama, by the way. It is a cheerful, cutesy electropop song while this drama is hardcore mystery and thriller.

The mysteries are tied to seemingly supernatural and impossible things. The solutions to the problems are always ingenious. Fukuyama Masaharu's acting is perfect. You can almost believe that he is really a cold physics professor. I have coopied the following table from dramawiki. It shows what phenomenon the mystery is related to in the brackets and also the viewership rating.

Episode	Title	Subtitle	Ratings (Kanto)	Ratings (Kansai)	Ratings (Nationwide)
01	Burns	Weirdo Genius Scientist	24.7	22.8	??.?
02	Floats (Astral Projection)	The Mystery of the OL Murdere and the Flying Boy!	22.1	23.8	??.?
03	Rattles (Poltergeist)	A Missing Husband and the Dark House Cursed by a Ghost!	21.3	21.7	??.?
04	Rots (Necrosis)	Dangerous Seduction of the Handsome Prodigal Killer	23.6	24.8	??.?
05	Strangles (Asphyxia)	The Mystery of the Fireball and the Perfect Closed-room Murder	22.9	24.0	??.?
06	Dreams (Fantasy)	Future Love and a Long Night Together	21.4	21.5	??.?
07	Predicts (Premonition)	The Beautiful Wife's Favorite Murder Device of Horror	21.9	21.3	??.?
08	Sees (Spiritual Sight)	The Ghost who Notified Her Sister of the Murder	19.9	20.4	??.?
09	Bursts (Explosion), Part 1	Serial Murders Set Up by the Devil	21.7	22.3	??.?
10	Bursts (Explosion), Part 2	KISS Me on Christmas Eve!	19.6	21.9	??.?
Average	--	--	22.0	22.4	??

I have long been looking for anime, manga and drama with smart mysteries, like detective conan or Kindaichi case files. I even watched Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato De and Kimi wa Hanin Ja nai yo ne? but they fell short of my expectations. For fans of mystery, Galileo is a treat. It doesn't have too much humour though. There is a bit of romantic tension (or maybe I imagined it) between Manabu and Kaoru, but rest assured, it leads nowhere.

My only criticism was that this drama was a bit too one-tracked. Every minute in the episode was devoted to the mystery. No flashbacks on mysterious pasts of the main characters (though Kaoru lies about hers), no romance and no comedic relief. There weren't even any goofy supporting characters. The episodes follow a set pattern.

Overall, this is an enjoyable drama for those who enjoy scientific mysteries and interesting characters.

Pros
Good acting
Script is intelligent
No filler episodes

Cons
No romance, flashbacks or comedy to make the drama 'lighter'

Drama review Mukodono 2003

Yuichiro Sakuraba is an ultra-famous rock star in Japan. His latest commerical, featuring a kiss scene has become a regular fixation on the screens across the nation. He is an idol and has legions of female fans squaling over him. However, he decides to get married. In the japanese idol world, marriage is not a simple thing. If he gets married, that means his female fans will regard him as 'taken', thus reducing his popularity. So, his manager decides that the marrriage will remain a secret. (synopsis written by me as I couldn't find any good one on the internet)

The family he has married into consists of his wife and her four sisters and old father. Each sister is different from the other and interesting. Below is a pic of the 'family' including Yuichiro. I will explain who is who.

At the left is Yuichiro's father-in-law, who is a gynaecologist who practices in his house. He is also a super cook who can cook almost everything.

Next (second from left) is Toko. She is actually an adopted sister and not Mamoru-san (the father-in-law)'s real daughter. She is 40 and works as a police detective.

At the extreme right is Akira, a high school girl. She is the youngest of the sisters.

Next to her is Kitae, who is an air hostess.

Next to Kitae (third from right) is Nishie, who is Kitae's twin sister (though they look nothing like twins). She is a paediatric doctor at a hospital. Next to her is Minami, Yuichiro's wife played by Sakai Noriko. Minami is a librarian.

Each episode is dedicated to a sister but Toko has 2 and other female characters such as Yuichiro's manager Sujiyama san, co-actress Hikari and mother have one. Although I initially expected Mukodono to be a comedy-type drama, it is actually a very emotional drama. I ended up crying in every episode. But it is not sad, rather it is very touching and explains the importance of friendship and family.

Nishie (played by Ryoko Shinohara) was my favorite sister because of her no-nonsense personality and deep emotional past. I also liked Toko (the detective) and her episodes were the best. She has an energetic and upbeat personality and is really optimistic for someone her age.

This drama is easy to like. It is emotional without being intense. I am sure you will fall in love with each one of the sisters. They are all so lovable. There were no filler episodes. If you are someone who is tired of being emotionally involved in a drama, just to see the characters die in the end, this will be a welcome change as this drama has a happy ending.

Pros
Characters are enjoyable
Good acting
Unique genre (family) with a strong script
Noriko Sakai looks really good!

Cons
Nagase Tomoya's acting is a really overdone
He doesn't look very good in the drama, either, at least for most of the part.
First two episodes are boring

Kamisama Mou Sukoshi Dake drama review

A touching love story about a girl Kano Masaki (Fukada) who contracted HIV after selling her body in order to earn money for the concert of a famous composer Ishikawa Keigo (Kaneshiro). After the concert, Keigo saw Masaki chasing after his van. She was drenched, and thus Keigo took her to his apartment, where they spent the night.

Kyoko Fukada was only 17 when she did this role, so physically, she fits into the character's role. Her performance is quite good, especially in the end, but she seems a bit whiny and overacts in the the beginning. Kaneshiro's acting is much better. I also felt that he was a perfect fit for the role of a reclusive superstar.

Like all Japanese romance dramas, this one will make you cry from beginning to end. Also, (maybe this is a spolier), the end is tragic, as expected of a drama like this. But really, any j-drama fan would never good into a drama like this expecting a happy ending. The very first line of the synopsis states that she contracts AIDS, so expecting her to live would be unrealistic.

The drama potrays the struggles faced by those with AIDS. They are rejected and feared by everyone and end up being alone. The romance was also well done, though initially the drama focused more on Masaki's problems after contracting AIDS. It creates trouble for her family and she starts feeling like she is a burden on everyone.

The gradual acceptance and help offered by those around her is the highlight of this drama. This drama will make you think about AIDS differently and be sympathetic towards those with diseases.

The songs used in this drama are really beautiful, especially the opening (I for You by LUNA SEA). The opening captures the essence of the drama in the best possible way.  In The Sky by Shizuka Kudo is also very good.

Pros
Touching, a total tearjerker
Acting is realistic

Cons
Some situations are quite cliched
Too sad

NOTE- Pictures were taken from Google image search and do not belong to me.

Book review- 1 Piece of Advice by Patricia J. Moser and Barbara Kathleen Moser

1 piece of advice is a book about exceptional women The authors interview these women and find out the most important '1 piece of advice' they would like to give other women.

The authors began writing to exceptional women throughout the world. They didn't know any of these women personally - just by reputation. In their correspondence the authors asked them for the 1 Piece of Advice™ which these stellar role-models felt would inspire women to turn their dreams into realities. The response was amazing.

And there are so many outstanding women! The authors considered themselves to be relatively knowledgeable about women leaders and were astounded by the roles women are playing across the globe today. So the question is "what attitude has gotten them to achieve this level of success?"

The women whose 1 Piece of Advice™ the authors sought, come from different countries, diverse backgrounds and each has achieved atypical success in their chosen career path. The 1 Piece of Advice™ is placed in context by the contributors' profiles.

The simplicity and truth that speaks from the pages of experience of these women is profound. By understanding the challenges they faced and overcame, we too will learn. After reading this book, you will never be the same. You will consider the possibilities from a different vantage point and transform your dreams into reality. (From website)

This book is actually more of an autobiographical book than self-help. The book follows a set pattern. First an official biography of each woman is given followed by the 'one piece of advice' they would like to give the readers. Though some of these accounts were interesting, others looked like they had been copied and pasted from that person's website- it was formal and non-engaging, like reading ten pages of wikipedia at a stretch.

I feel that there should have been more detailed information on the struggles and challenges faced by these women rather than their accomplishments. The book is not motivational in nature, but rather intended as a way to get to know about many high-achieving women in various fields.

This is a good book if you want to know about successful women in various fields and are looking for a little information on them. Otherwise, the amount of information about each woman in very sparse. The books includes women from all fields and of all nationalities.

Pros

Layout of the book is good

Women in diverse occupations and from different countries are included

Cons

Lacks a 'personal' touch, sounds like an encyclopedia

Manga review- Zodiac P.I. by Natsumi Ando

The main character of the series is 13-year-old Lili Hoshizawa (星沢リリ Hoshizawa Lili), who uses horoscopes and astrology to solve crimes, accompanied and assisted by her male childhood friend Hiromi after he returns from ten years spent in America for college. Lili uses the Star Ring to tell fortunes and, at times, to transform into the disguise of "Detective Spica", in which no one recognizes her, except Hiro (such transformations are a common staple of Magical Girl manga). The ring was left to Lili by her mother, who used it previously to transform into Detective Spica; one of Lili's long-term goals is to discover what happened to her missing mother. Using this ring, Lili has to try to solve many cases including the first published one, about Chihiro, a murdered girl in her class.

Her other cases take her around to different places from a piano school, to a fortune telling TV studio, to a wedding. She solves cases with Hiromi's help.

To solve crimes, she will figure out the birth date of the victims and then their signs such as Leo, Virgo, etc. Next, using the power of the ring, she will call upon the spirit of that person's sign. Then she'll ask for the horoscope of the victim on a specific date that is connected to the crime. Along with the horoscope, the spirit will give her a clue so she can solve the crime.

Lili Hoshizawa is an aries, by the way and has the typical traits of the sign. She is impulsive, enthusiastic and always in search of action. Her friend Oikawa, who is her partner in crime solving, is a super genius with a degree in criminal psycology from USA (he's only 13). However, a degree is forensic science would have been more appropriate as he did not seem to have a very good hold on psycology. He helps Lili solve cases with his reasoning powers and logical ability.

Their pairing is quite interesting and it turns out that they were childhood friends ten years ago before Oikawa moved to the US. Lili and Oikawa's relationship progresses well throughout the story and is a source of amusement and tension.

The 'mysteries' or 'cases' are rather amateur, unlike a lot of detective manga like Detective conan or Detective school Q, the focus is not on solving the crime using logical deductions, clues and complex reasoning but rather using a star ring with twelve zodiac sign spirits. This story is more like a 'magical girl' manga with mystery elements. Don't go in expecting mind-bending cases.

It is quite short, but enjoyable. Though not a dark mystery like Arisa (also by the same author), it is very lighthearted and comic, though it gets a bit serious near the end.


Ratings
Art-5
Story-4
Characters-4
Plot-3

Pros
Illustrations are beautiful
Characters are funny and interesting

Cons
Cases are not very challenging (this cannot really be a con, because the story is supposed to be a light, magical girl type manga with mystery elements. However, when I started reading it, I was looking for a detective/thriller manga like detective conan, so it was a bit of a surprise)
It is quite short. I would have liked to see more of the spirits and Lili


Note- Images have been taken from various sources using google image search and do not belong to me.

NOTE- The english version is currently out of print as a result of the closure of Tokyopop in USA