Review by Kaseii
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Game [Regular Edition]PerfumePerfume!!!
I absolutely adore this CD!!! It totally deserved to hit #1 on the Oricon over in Japan. I only wish we had music like this in the US.... I love practically every single track on this album! It's a highly reccomended buy.
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CryingEmi HinouchiWOW.
This CD is Emi Hinouchi's second single, back when she was on Taku's Tachytelic label. It was released way back in 2003, so it took CDJapan several months to find it for me... but it was totally worth the wait!! "Crying" is an amazing R&B/pop tune which Emi wrote the music and lyrics to herself. It was the first song that really got me into her music--most girls will be able to relate to her lyrics. The second track is a live acoustic version of the Michael Jackson song, "Rock With You." Emi does a spectacular job with the English lyrics, especially when one considers that she is fully Japanese. The third track is a band arrangement of her debut single, "Magic." It's still a lot of fun and very cute, but the band sound adds a sort of mature element to the song. The fourth track is a remix of "Crying." The only complaint that I have with this song is that the title of the remix--"The Girl's Got Soul"--doesn't fit it at all. Instead of a soulful song, it sounds more like a beachy song--but don't get me wrong on this, it's still an amazing remix. The fifth and final track is the instrumental of "Crying." It doesn't have any backup vocals, but it really makes you appreciate the song.
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Bara ga Saku Bara ga ChiruRina AiuchiAWESOME!
Rina's done a wonderful job with this single, which will be on her new album, "TRIP." The title track is an awesome rock song with touches of electronica. Rina wrote the lyrics herself and also produced the single. She has a strong, emotional voice that pulls you in from the first word. The PV for this song is what really made me fall in love with it--the images are just beautiful, and Rina looks gorgeous. The B-side, "Powder Snow," gives me the image of a couple in wintertime. It's not as fast as "Bara ga Saku Bara ga Chiru," but it's a really pretty/cute song. This single also includes two remixes of the title track, and the instrumental. The remixes are spectacular, and the instrumental shows off the finer aspects of the song, such as the backup vocals.
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Ai dake gaEmi HinouchiGreat single...
This is Emi's seventh solo single. It was first seen as a demo on Emi's official MySpace page. For the single, the song was cleaned up a bit and strings were added in the background. It sounds absolutely amazing--Emi's voice is clear and pure, and the lyrics are painfully beautiful. The title track lacks backup vocals completely, and this might lead you to believe that the song would sound empty--but it really doesn't. It only succeeds in showcasing Emi's spectacular talent--she wrote all aspects of the song by herself. The second track, "I Love You," also features acoustic guitar, but is slightly more upbeat. Emi worked with SiZK from STAR GUITAR for the arrangement of this song, but she wrote the lyrics herself. There are several English phrases in the lyrics, which Emi pulls off wonderfully. This song makes me think of the very beginning of summer when there's still a bit of spring rain. The final track is the demo version of "Ai dake ga" that first appeared on Emi's MySpace. This version only has guitar and vocals, but it still sounds nice. This is a good song for anyone just being introduced to Emi's music.
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First LoveHikaru UtadaAmazing!
This is the beginning of Utada Hikaru's amazing legacy as a J-pop singer. She wrote the lyrics to all the songs herself, and they are wonderful. All the songs have an amazing R&B/pop sound to them, making the album a lot of fun to listen to. My favorites from this album are "Automatic," "First Love," "Amai Wana ~paint it, black~," and "Give Me A Reason." The remix of "Automatic" is also a lot of fun to dance to.
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DistanceHikaru UtadaYay!
Hikki's really outdone herself with this album, her second effort. Not only did she avoid the infamous "sophomore slump," she pole-vaulted over it. This album has so many fun dance tracks, but the ballads are amazing as well. Utada's voice can handle much of anything! My favorite tracks from this album are "Wait and See ~RISUKU~," "DISTANCE," "Addicted to You," "TAIMU RIMITTO," and the remix of "Hayatochiri."
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Heart StationHikaru UtadaHer best yet!!
I'm a HUGE fan of Hikki, so I'm probably really biased, but I think that this is her best album yet. All the tracks have been written and arranged by Utada herself, as are all of her OTHER songs. The flow of this album is spectacular. It's really fun to listen to because everything comes together so well. The single tracks are kind of all together at the beginning, but that doesn't detract from anything. I was also one of the lucky ones that got a poster with my copy of the CD. It's great quality--Hikki-chan looks just gorgeous! You can definitely see she's matured since her earlier days. I love every single song on this album. No joke. "TEIKU 5," despite the sudden ending, just blows me away every time I hear it, and "Nijiiro BASU" is a lot of fun to bounce around to.
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Beautiful World / Kiss & CryHikaru UtadaThis is one of my favorites...
This single is a lot of fun to listen to. "Beautiful World" is just a gorgeous song--I get chills every time I listen to it. "Kiss & Cry" is a much more upbeat, cheerful number, and Hikaru does a wonderful job with this as well. I haven't heard much positive input for her redo of "Fly Me To The Moon"--apparently it sounds exactly like her previous cover of the song. But I really enjoy it--she pulls it off quite nicely, with a jazzy pop sort of feel to it. This single also includes the instrumental for all three songs, so enjoy! Hikki just keeps getting better--the only complaint I have with this single is that none of the PVs actually showed her. They were just these random clips from the movie that this single was a tie-in for. Oh well, I guess we, as the fans, will just have to make our own!
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Nanatsu no Umi wo Wataru Kaze no Youni [Regular Edition]Rina Aiuchi & Yuuka SaegusaPretty cool!
I love this single. Rina and U-ka both have wonderful voices that blend nicely. The fact that they collaborated on the lyrics is also very cool. I love listening to the instrumental for this song. The piano is awesome. The two B-sides for this single are covers of previous opening/ending themes to the Detective Conan anime--"destiny," with Rina on lead vocals, and "Negaigoto Hitotsu Dake," with U-Ka on lead vocals. I prefer "destiny," personally, but both are good.
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Re-sublimity [Regular Edition]KOTOKOSWEET
This CD is AMAZING. I bought it for the title track, "Re-sublimity," but ended up falling in love with "agony" and "Suppuration -core-" as well. The only bad thing about the CD is that there's no instrumental for "Suppuration -core-," but that's a minor thing. I would highly reccomend buying this CD.
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VSmisonoCute...
This is a very good debut single from misono. My favorite track would have to be VS, a cool, techno-sounding dance number to which misono wrote the lyrics herself. The second song, "Garasu no Kutsu"--"Glass Slippers"--isn't my favorite song ever, but it's cute and misono definitely gets points for writing AND composing the song herself. She's so much better than her big sis Kumi, let me tell you that.
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beginningAkane Sugazaki....Wow.
This is a stunning debut album from Akane Sugazaki. When you listen to it, you won't believe she was a mere fourteen years old when she released it. Her voice is emotional and cute, all at the same time. Her lyrics are pretty and insightful, especially for someone so young. My favorite track on the album is the second song, and her first single, called "beginning dream." Akane's songs use acoustic guitar and pianos, creating a sweet, wholesome sound you won't want to miss.
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Mou Kimidake wo Hanashitari ShinaiAya KamikiSweet!!
This is the single that introduced me to Aya Kamiki, and it was a wonderful introduction. Aya has a wonderful, powerful voice backed by strong electric guitar. Aya wrote the lyrics to both songs--the title track "Mou Kimi dake wo Hanashitari wa Shinai" and the B-side "Kidzudarake demo Dakishimete." Any of Aya's CDs are a wonderful addition to your library, so don't hold back. ^-^
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YumeriaruHayami KishimotoYume RIARU
This is the first single for which Hayami has written all of the songs herself. The title track is a very cute pop song with an EXTREMELY cute PV. The first b-side, "for...You from...Me" is also a sweet song with English phrases and several high notes, both of which Hayami handled with ease. The second b-side is my very favorite song of Hayami's, ever--a song called "cloudy." It's a sweet song with light, airy music and easy vocals from Hayami. All in all, this is a great single and definitely worth your money.
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MeiQ!? - Meikyu - Make YouHayami KishimotoMeiQ!?-Meikyu-MAKE YOU-
For a debut single, this is very good. Hayami's voice is cute and expressive. The title track is a fun pop-dance song that's easy to get up and move around to. The b-side, "OPEN YOUR HEART," is also very cute and poppy but also has the bridge sung in English, which Hayami pulls off remarkably well. I can't believe she was only 16 at the time of her debut. This is very nicely done.
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Aisuru Kimi ga soba ni irebaHayami KishimotoAisuru Kimi ga Soba ni Ireba
I happen to really like this song. It's a slower, love song, but also very cute. Hayami does a great job with the expressive lyrics, singing them with a lot of emotion. Her dancing in the PV is wonderful as well. The b-side, "Aitakute," is also a very expressive track that Hayami sings with passion.
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Kaze ni mukai aruku youniHayami KishimotoKaze ni Mukai Aruku You ni
This song is a happy pop song like no other. It's got cute lyrics, a fast beat, and great music. What's not to love? Hayami wrote the lyrics to the two b-sides, "DOMINO" and "AIR MAIL..." herself. "DOMINO" is a cool song that I really like. "AIR MAIL..." is a slower song, but also very cool. This single is one of Hayami's best--highly reccomended.
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Taiyo no Uta [Regular Edition]Kaoru AmaneTaiyou no Uta
This single is very cute, with acoustic songs and cute lyrics. Erika's voice is a little scratchy in some parts though. Aside from that, I'd reccomend this single.
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Sutekina Yume MiyouneHayami KishimotoA wonderful dream
I should probably begin this review by saying that I absolutely adore Hayami Kishimoto. She's cute, talented AND a really nice person. This CD is one of my favorite singles of hers. The first track, "Suteki na Yume Miyou ne," is a cute pop-ish dance track with an amazing promotional video. This song shows off the flexibility of Hayami's voice. The second track, "Kimi dake no Love Song," is a rock ballad with lyrics written by Hayami. She puts a lot of power into her voice in this song. The third track, "Feint," also has lyrics written by Hayami. It's another pop song, but has a few surprising touches. All in all, Hayami is definitely an artist worth getting to know. Buy any one of her singles or albums and you'll fall in love.
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Dessert DaysHayami KishimotoDessert Days
I LOVE this single. It's sooo cool! The title track, while not written by Hayami, has a great beat with music that shows off Hayami's high range of notes. The PV also showcases her sweet dancing skills. The second track, "Kon'ya wa Kaeranai," has lyrics written by Hayami. The background music has almost a techno-y feel to it. It's a really cool song, though. The third track is called "So Many Nights," again written by Hayami. She goes all the way up to an F sharp in this song--and for those of you that don't know a thing about music, that's pretty high. This is a really catchy single in general, and I highly reccomend it.