Review by Doug

Don't buy this - it is NOT a music book as advertised, despite the covers of 4 albums being shown !!!!!!!!

Whilst I think Mika-chan is one of the most beautiful Japanese female singers going around at the moment, this item does not do her justice. There are 6 pictures (+ the cover) and none of them really show her beauty. Some are dark and blurry, others have too much background light, and in one she is smoking. Nothing like the fabulous photos we have seen in her album package booklet. Also each sheet of two months is a separate page, so I cannot see how it can be hung up as a calendar, and how it can even be classified as a calendar !!!

This is Kohmi-chan's first (and only) video release, and at the re-released discount price, is a super bargain. Watching this was the first time I had seen her, and some of the videos brought tears to ny eyes. Even though some people think that because she is not a 'young idol' type, that she is old fashioned and unattractive, but I still think she is very beautiful, and her songs are a lot better than most of the modern pop stuff coming out now. I even discovered songs I had not noticed on the CD's !! I think the earlier songs are better then the later ones, but they are all still very good.

See my review for the 'Love Winter Video Collection' DVD. Again this is Kohmi-chan's only live concert DVD, and at the super-bargain re-release price, is a must-have !! This is a video of the first concert that she did since becoming popular in the early '90's, and tickets sold out within an hour !! She does all her hits, and some newer somgs that were not on albums at the time, and along with a couple of outfit changes, is very energetic for someone in their mid-30's :-) The backup band and singers is also very good and the altered arrangements of some of the songs are very nice. I do not tire of watching this DVD time and time again.

I was unable to find this album for a while, and now my collection of Kohmi-chan's releases is nearly complete - yes I am BIG fan. The album opens with a fantastic tune (Showtime), and the best part is the (black?) female chorus - it really has a southern American gospel sound, and I wish she would do more like this. 'Mafuyu no Kaerimichi' is another typical up-beat number with her trademark catchy chorus. There is another version of 'Dear' from the 'Success Story' album, and I prefer the older one (because of the female chorus again), however this new version is still a very beautiful song with a haunting story. The rest of the album is a mixture of slower and up-tempo numbers, except for a throw-away live track that really spoils my overll impression. This is a fine album, but I still prefer the albums released before this to what has been released more recently though.