Favorite J-Pop Singles: Nishida Hikaru / Kokoro Dake Sobani Iru~Here In My Heart

 With Hikaru coming back with her brand new single after all this time, I’ve been getting back into Nishida Hikaru in a BIG way, digging out all of my concerts and CDs, and have even been going online to hunt for any live television performances that may have been uploaded since I checked last! 

Well, this time I REALLY lucked out because there was this extremely awesome person who had uploaded a whole TON of awesome classic (re: early 80’s) performances from some of my most favorite artists including CoCo, Moritaka Chisato and Ribbon and among them all were four live clips of Hikaru, and in clear audio and crisp definition to boot! 

  Not only were these of such high quality, they happened to be some of my favorite songs, and at the top of the list was a song I’d NEVER seen performed live, her wonderful song Kokoro Dake Sobani Iru~Here In My Heart…MAN,watching this performance just hit me right in the feels and reminded me of why this girl is one of my favorite artists of all time! 

Back in the days when I was first getting into Hikaru and everything was new, I had chosen some of her albums (recorded onto cassette for my walkman) as my traveling companions for my long bus ride home from work, and her album “Esprit” was on as I made my way through my neighborhood towards home.

  By the time I’d reached my house, I’d listened to most of the album and was about to remove my earphones, when the keyboard chimes for the song Kokoro Dake Sobani Iru began, and it sounded so gentle and sweet, instead of turning the walkman off and going in the house, I sat in our garage listening to the whole song. What a sweet, comforting song, with sweet vocals and a guitar refrain that reminded me ever so slightly of CoCo’s “Wedding”, I was entranced!

  By then, the sun had begun to set, and the entire garage had taken on that hazy, orangey effect and I just had this warm, comfortable feeling as I sat there with that beautiful song playing. When it ended, I finally turned off the tape player and went in, but I couldn’t shake that magical feeling, and from then on, I always tried to listen to that song and album during the evenings to retain that warm, fuzzy feeling!

  Eventually, Esprit became my favorite CD from Hikaru, and one day listening to it I realized that not only was Kokoro Dake Sobani Iru my favorite song on the ALBUM, it was in fact my favorite song from her EVER! That feeling I had listening to it watching the sun set that one evening is the same feeling I now get listening to almost ALL of her albums, and I consider that period of my life a very special one, indeed!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Hikaru Nishida "Just Lovin'" is HERE!!!!

My Nishida Hikaru CD "Just Lovin'" Comes in Today!!!

YATTTTTTAAAAA!!!! Just spent the day off listening to some of my beloved Hikaru Nishda CDs (this time A File Of Life, Love For All Seasons and 2-4) and came home to the most AWESOMEST of surprises waiting for me on my doorstep- her brand new CD Just Lovin' arrived today!!!! WHOOOHOOO

Aw man, can't stay long to write much since I am going to go out cruising and listen to this album RIGHT AFTER I post this entry up! Already heard some of it through her promotional video clip, can't WAIT to hear how the whole Maxi-Single sounds!!!! 
OK, SEEYA!!!!

Hikaru Nishida "Just Lovin' Back Booklet Pic

EDIT:

Okay, just back from giving the album a few whirls, and AW YEAH, Just Lovin' is so damn GOOD! Man, I was happy to hear that she sounds exactly like the Hikaru I know and love; Her voice as warm and carefree sounding as ever, and these happy, upbeat tunes could have EASILY been on her earlier Pony Canyon releases, that’s how much she’s retained her signature sound!!!

From the album’s opening with “Egao No Tane~ Seeds Of Smile”, I was beaming from ear to ear (so I guess that song really DID have the power of growing smiles!), parts of the song even reminded me of her super-catchy “Dear My Soul”, but it was all mixed into this fresh new tune!

Followed by the cool, relaxing “Nagisa No Gradation” with its gentle samba “Antonio Carlos Jobim” vibe, this was perfect for driving along the beachside (which was good since that was EXACTLY what I was doing!) Note the appropriate picture accompanying the lyrics inside the booklet!!

When I read the tracklisting for the EP and saw “Over The Rainbow” coupled with “What A Wonderful World”, my first thought was, “Hey, is Hikaru doing a cover of Israel Kamakawiwo’ole? Shrugged it off, but when she began singing, I began LAUGHING, for that’s EXACTLY what it was! Though her version is so bright, summery and GENKI that I didn’t recognize it at first, the vocal arrangement is pure IZ (even down to the tru-hoo-hoooo’s), and this made Hikaru’s cover have a bit of a “Hawaii” flavor to it which was like an added BONUS for me! 

Gotta say that when the fourth and fifth tracks were only karaoke tracks, I was SOOO disappointed that my time with Hikaru had ended! NO problem- I went back to the beginning and listened to the CD TWO MORE TIMES before getting home!!! BTW, when I got in the car and first took the CD out to put in the deck, I realized there was one more picture of pretty Hikaru hidden behind the disc! Had to dig out my camera again to capture that!

Awesome CD, Hikaru, looking forward to many more!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Nishida Hikaru PV on DVD!!!

With this flurry of recent Hikaru Nishida activity going on regarding her  mini-tour and Maxi Single "Just Lovin", I thought it would be a good idea to check up on her CD Japan status to see if any other new releases were scheduled- and WHADDAYA Know?!! Hikaru's FINALLY releasing her PV Collection on DVD!!! WHy, I had JUST been watching some of her videos from her VHS Twin Collection- SOOOOSTOKED to finally have these clips in "hard" format!!!

  Taking a look at the cover of the DVD, it doesn't look like much- just a collage of screencaps from her various videos over the years, but then I looked closer and had to LAUGH as I spotted something that made this cover pretty COOL for me!!!
   Awhile ago, I had mentioned that Hikaru had shot her video "Kitto Aiga Aru" here in my state of Hawaii, and not only did she film it in my hometown, at some point in the video, she rides her bicycle right past my house! I call this my "Greatest Hikaru Moment"and screencapped it here:

Hikaru-chan rides right past my apartment!

Well, imagine my surprise when I saw that the very same scene featured on the cover of the Nishida Hikaru DVD Collection- Hikaru riding her bicycle with my apartment right behind her!!! LOLOLOL! Yes, True Believers, however miniscule- MY HOME IS ON THE COVER OF A NISHIDA HIKARU DVD!!!!

LOLOL, Okay, Okay, looks like the image CD Japan had up was only one of them "temporary" image holders and the actual cover of the Hikaru DVD will look a lot more...professional! AHAHA

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

New Nishida Hikaru CD Single Almost Here!!!

Just Lovin' Ready for Pre-Order!!!

After spending the day listening to some of my favorite Hikaru Nishida CDs (19 Dreams, Love Always and Sundance), I was pleasantly surprised to come home to find that her brand new CD Maxi-Single Just Lovin’ (which I’d been waiting for release date news since March 1st!) is not only already available for pre-order, but is set for release in less than two weeks!!!
You best believe that when I saw the CD single up on the amazon site, I pre-ordered that thing RIGHT AWAY and now am eagerly waiting for May 31st to arrive so I can dive into my new Nishida Hikaru Goodness!!! OH My gosh, check out the promotional video here- Hikaru sounds jsut as fantastic as EVER!!!! I LOVE this girl!!!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Nishida Hikaru is Back!

Just been informed that one of my ALL-TIME Favorite J-Pop Artists, Ms. Hikaru Nishida is supposed to be coming out with a new CD Release as well as staging a Live Performance! Could this be REAL? Researching further, I was happy to hear straight from Hikaru's own voice that this is INDEED true!!!

The new CD is a Maxi Single titled "Just Lovin'", and seeing as how this is the first new project from Hikaru in over 11 years, I AM JUST OVERJOYED!!! I've been enjoying the return of other fave acts from the 90's like Chisato Moritaka and Princess Princess, and with a brand new release from my beloved Hikaru coming out,  I'm on a nostalgic high!!!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Favorite Hikaru Singles: "Pun Pun Pun"

Silly song name, but CATCHY tune! As the opening track for Hikaru's third album in 1990, it immediately grabbed you...til you thought about the title and went "...whaaa?" Song credits say it's written by CHAGE. Is this like, CHAGE of CHAGE and ASKA? Did he write this for Hikaru? We need info!

I remember talking to Golden about Tokimeki No Prologue and him sheepishly saying "Hey you know, that Punpunpun song...it's pretty good!" I had to laugh and wholeheartedly agree!!!

"Ue O Muite Aruko"

When I first got into J-pop, the J-pop Buyer  at work made me a cassette (the first of many, it would turn out) of the latest j-pop singles out at the time, and it was then that I first heard artists I would later come to love, like Nakayama Miho, Hiramatsu Eri, and Koizumi Kyoko!

Anyway, the mix began with an explosive little number called “Shiawase Wo Tsukamitai (which I’ve gushed about in an earlier post) by quirky singer/songwriter Hirose Kohmi, and that wasn’t all, as the second song on that cassette mix was yet another Kohmi song, but this one was a lot more fun and playful, a GREAT contrast to the previous ROCKIN’ tune!

 The song was called “Dramatic Ni Koishite” and for a while I ‘d thought my friend had simply put the Shiawase Wo Tsukamitai single and its B side together,(as they almost seemed connected) but it wasn’t, as I was to find out when I actually purchased the Shiawase Tsukamitai single and found a DIFFERENT song entirely as the B side! It wasn’t until I picked up Kohmi’s stellar HARVEST album that I finally GOT the happy Dramatic Ni Koishite tune in my possession!

Anyway, fast forward a few years, and I’m not only quite heavily into j-dramas, but have reached the point where I’m trading with other j-drama enthusiasts online. It was there that I hooked up with someone who had a copy of a wacky little comedy called UE O MUITE ARUKO, which I was DYING to see because of my burning love for its lead star, Nishida Hikaru!

Nishida Hikaru in Ue O Muite Aruko

 Ue O Muite Aruko is the story of a gofer named Chiaki (Nishida) at a zany TV station where she’s the perpetual slave to the station’s snobby and bossy Sports Commentator played by Tachi Hiroshi; from the get go, they are at each other’s throats, and the running gag is that he calls her “Kobuta” (Piggy) and she retaliates by calling him “Wani”!  With a supporting cast that included Katsunori Takahashi, Ishida Yuriko, the ever-zany Ibu Masato, as well as a very young Tomosaka Rie, this show was as fun as it could get!

Nishida Hikaru as Chiaki "Kobuta" Hosoi

And with every fun drama, comes an equally fun theme song and opening credits, right? In this show, I was kind of expecting the theme song to be the latest single from Hikaru herself, or (most likely) some rendition of the famous Kyu Sakamoto song that the show was named after! So I’m sitting there watching the show, and as it goes into its wacky opening credits, who do I hear, but Ms. KOHMI HIROSE, belting out DRAMATIC NI KOISHITE!

 I just fell over- THAT SONG WAS JUST PERFECT!!!! Sooo much fun as the song follows Nishida Hikaru battling against Tachi Hiroshi in the grand  “Wile E. Coyote/Roadrunner style- it REALLY matches the visuals as the two chase each other across the cartoon town, ultimately coming to a Three-Stooges-style ending with the title proclaiming (in “Looney Tunes font): The KOBUTA and WANI Show!!!!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Below: Hikaru, Hiroshi Tachi and Yuriko Ishida magazine promotion for Ue Wo Muite Aruko!

This must have been only the fourth or fifth drama Yuriko Ishida ever did...who could have guessed from these humble beginnings what a terrific career she had ahead of her!

Various GORO Magazine Covers

 

Various GORO issues which Hikaru has graced the covers of.
Definitely some of the better covers, some of my FAVORITE covers of Hikaru have been from GORO.

I remember there was one I desperately wanted Groinksan to get me from Japan, Hikaru looked SO goddamn fine on it!!!

Oh, The Irony...

Ah, CD Japan, you just keep me in stitches! It's funny enough when I'm getting deluged with alerts for releases that have barely any connection to the artists I've ordered (order an Arashi CD once, and you get weekly alerts for months when someone even remotely associated with Johnnys appears on a magazine cover, and you have no idea how many times Ohno Satoshi's been on a magazine cover this year!), but it's even more funny when I randomly check in on an artist that I DO love, and find that they've released something new months ago with nary a peep from them! AHAHA!

  This happened before with both Nishida Hikaru and Ribbon when Pony Canyon released special "Complete Single Double Disc collections: by the time I found out about it, only the regular single disc was available! I was able to get the Nishida Hikaru one via ebay, but the ribbon one remains out of my grasp to this day! Since both artists were on my list of alerts, I'm wondering if the day they sent to email my smap filter was on high and directed it to my trash bin, or if they simply didn't bother! 

  Case in point: So I'm browsing through old favorite Yumi Matsutoya's catalog, and I was pretty surprised when I saw that not only had Yuming released a new album called ROAD SHOW, it had come out last July!!! LAST JULY?!!! GADS! So I hurriedly sent out that order, and unless there was some kind of limited edition that I missed out on (seeing as how the CD I got was a regular cased release), it looks like I caught the tail end of that order in the nick of time! I'll be sure to give y'all a proper analysis of this new album but i'll need time to catch my breath! WHEW!

The "19 Dreams" Corner

Back when I was living in Mililani, there was this grove of trees at a street corner that I walked past every day that would remind me of the inside sleeve of one of Nishida Hikaru’s albums. It could be simply that at the time, Hikaru Nishida was my favorite artist and so perhaps I simply had “Hikaru on the Brain”, nonetheless, I thought of the album every time I saw the corner, and in fact, subsequently, several songs on the album REMIND ME OF THAT CORNER now!

The album in question was 19 Dreams, Hikaru’s wonderful fifth Pony Canyon release, featuring such fave songs as Happy Dream, Meguriai, Hohoemi Ni Yakusoku, and one of my very VERY fave songs from her, Ikiterutte Subarashii, so you can bet I listened to that album a LOT back then.

Recently, I was listening to the CD, and of course the music took me back, and I began reminiscing about that old corner. Just HOW MUCH did it actually look like the picture in the booklet? To satisfy my curiosity, I drove out there the past weekend, and visited that corner to see for myself!

First, the actual Booklet picture:

And “The Corner”…

AHAHAHA The Verdict? Well, I don’t know if the tress and shrubs/foliage grew or changed a lot since the 15 years when I lived there, but MAN that corner wouldn’t remind ANYONE of the Hikaru album, would it? AHAHAHA, at least, anyone except a Hikaru-obsessed fan! LOL!

Well, OK, squinting my eyes and focusing purely on the trees in the background, I can sort of see what probably made my brain think “Ah! 19 Dreams!”, but it’s not close enough to make it worthy to blog about, for chrissakes (whoops, too late…gomen)

Young JUMP 1995