Favorite J-Pop Singles: Nishida Hikaru / Oh My God!! Da Ne~

It's been a Nishida Hikaru kind of weekend here! In my last post I talked about how J-pop artist Nishida Hikaru had taken one of her slower, jazzy songs and turned it into a quick-tempo’ed rocker with Bibidebu, and now here’s one of her songs where she went the OPPOSITE way, turning her fast paced pop tune “Oh My God!! Da Ne” into a smoky, bluesy number!

Oh My God!! Da Ne is a song off of one of Hikaru's early albums , the 1990 "Tokimeki No Prologue", but I've always thought of it as one of her later songs because I first heard it on her 1994 compilation album,  "The Very Best Of Hikaru Nishida" (which came after her Sundance album). In any case, it was a song I dug very very much!

This song has always been a staple of Hikaru's Live Concerts, this particular performance of the song is from her 1991 tour MANATSU-JOUZU promoting her new album “Esprit” . This is the beginning of the “classic” Hikaru Era for me, with Hikaru as bright and peppy as a Pony Canyon Idol should be:

Fast forward to over half a decade later, late 1997 from her last tour and concert video “Hippy Happy Groove”, Hikaru has grown up and become a fetching young woman and her stage set refelcts this- this show is a LOT more like a regular club performance (though she does get genki and peppy as the show progresses) featuring a female vocalist and her band!

Such a strong, tuff take on Oh My God (love the parts where she’s struttin’ across the stage, so cool!) And though I wasn't able to get a CD release of Bibidebu Dance Version, I WAS able to get a copy of this slow blues version of Oh My God when they released a Live CD of the Hippy Happy Groove Tour!

So great listening to it again- And if you wondered just how much more mature this Hikaru Concert was compared to the earlier ones, THIS is what Hikaru was wearing under that overcoat :

HOLY COW that ain’t standard Idolwear!! Ya know, we always knew that Hikaru had the goods but this is the first time I think we get to see her rockin' it onstage! Thass a real LADY up there! 

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Favorite J-Pop Songs: Nishida Hikaru / Bibidebu

Though most of Queen’s radio-listening public only know of their “stadium stomp-and-chant” version of “We Will Rock You”, those who have heard and seen their live concerts know that there is in fact a FAST (and incredibly catchy) Rock N Roll Version of the song (at the time of the “News of the World” tour, it was their opening song, no less) with pounding drums, droning bass and sonic guitarwork! This version was so different from the studio recording that BOTH versions were featured in a single concert!
 Speaking about Queen and J-pop in the same breath might draw ire from some, but when I hear the two versions of We Will Rock You, I can't help think about Nishida Hikaru and her song "Bibidebu" off of her album Love Always, because when she performed it live in concert, she did just about the same thing, giving the audience TWO versions of the song- one paced slowly and one played fast!  

 The Love Always album is really more of a Mini Album, with a mere 8 songs to its register, but what GREAT songs they are! Performed in a variety of styles, the “Bibidebu” track is Hikaru’s ode to those classic old jazzy torch songs, with tinkling ivory piano, brassy horns and a cool, smoky shuffling beat:

Though Hikaru did a tour for the Love Always album, it was the following year’s “Sophisticated Yanchya Lady” tour (promoting her next album “A File Of Life”) which REALLY showcased Bibidebu and made me love it! Unlike the previous tour which played all the Love Always tracks equally,  in THIS concert , they OPENED the show with Bibidebu!! The Concert starts in darkness, and as Hikaru appears on top of the stairs, WHAM, the horns blare out, and then Hikaru enters the stage, shuffling out as cool as a cat! I was like WHOA, what a beginning!!

What a cool and SASSY song this was! I never realized how good this song was until seeing it performed here! And from there they went right into another Love Always song "Tsukiyo No Mermaid" which was great, too, and then they moved on to the new FILE OF LIFE songs as well as a few old favorites. I was thoroughly immersed in the show, Like most Pony Canyon artists, Hikaru was blessed with awesome stage musicians and the charismatic dancers and background singers, all of which helped to make a SOLID show!  Little did I know that the best was yet to come!
After the end of the "main" portion of the show, (giving her fake "goodbyes" which everyone in the audience knew was a sham) Hikaru left the stage, but she returned for her ENCORE set to perform two more songs, one the playful "Go Paradise" with singers SWEET BEAT SOUL whom I've mentioned before here) and then, to my surprise, they did Bibidebu AGAIN...but WHOA- this was a version I'd never heard before- fast, poppy and FUN! 
Queen used their rocking version of We Will Rock You as the opening song to their concert, conversely, Hikaru uses the dance version of Bibidebu as the CLOSER of her concert, since she'd opened the show with the slow version, having this peppy version seemed like a perfect "reprise" to it, perfectly "Book-Ending" the entire show!

I gotta tell you, the first time I watched this, I was so freaking blown away- I already loved the jazz version, but to have this dancey track with Hikaru, her band and the dancers all rocking out and wrapping up the big show with so much happiness and passion my GOSH, it made me love the song even MORE! So, so catchy!!!
Just about the only drawback being that since it was at the end of a very energetic show, Hikaru is really out of breath for most of the song, and it’s times like this that I really, really wish that there was a proper STUDIO recording of the fast version. But twas not to be! 
 I found out that they released a CD of the 1994 Sophisticated Lady Concert and leapt up with happiness thinking that AT LEAST I’d have the LIVE version! But I guess that since they already included the song ONCE  (and space was limited) they CUT the fast version from the CD! ARGHHH.

Sophisticated Lady Live CD 

Watching the live performance again, it occurs to me that maybe Hikaru's voice was a bit TOO MUCH out of breath to justify releasing it on CD, but my GOSH does it ROCK live, in context of the whole concert video, this is such a powerful ending, everyone’s spirits are high and they’re all happily exhausted knowing they’ve given the audience a GREAT show! Lucky for us, we can watch it over an dover again!

Sophisticated Lady Video. Couldn't they have used the Live CD cover?

PS, I have a confession to make- Much as I LOVE Hikaru’s Sophisticated Yanchya Lady Concert, my GOD, I HATED the Laserdisc Cover,  featuring Hikaru in this prickly shag wig-(she wore wigs in a couple of sets in the concert, I didn't like either but this was by far the worst, UGH!) MAN, why couldn’t they have used the CD COVER as the Laserdisc cover, too?

Ooh, wait, the paper insert has the CD artwork!

 But then I happily realized that the Laserdiscs’s inside photobooklet had the CD cover as its picture, and by sliding the booklet insert inside the laserdisc plastic  OVER the offensive cover, I could recreate the CD cover! 

What if I slide it OVER the crappy cover?

SUCCESS! Now my Laserdisc has the cover I Like!

I stuck it over the other cover, and until I removed it to take this picture, I’d never taken it off! Egh, WIGS, how I HATE them! OK, time to put the good over back on….
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Bending Belief with "Onna Michi"

Nana Katase  and Eri Watanabe as Rika Age 32 and 52

As a fan of the more quirky type of J-drama plot devices, I’ve been enjoying the new TV series “Onna Michi” (the light-hearted comedy of an enterprising young woman who is visited by her ghost from some 20 years in the future to warn her that her current lifestyle choices will lead to failures and her eventual death), but there’s no way in HELL I’ll EVER believe that Nana Katase could EVER turn into Eri Watanabe, no matter how many years go by or how hard the strife…just ain’t gonna happen!!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Autographed K-Pop Goodness in the Mail!

New K-Pop Shipment!

As you may have noticed, I haven’t been purchasing too many new K-Pop releases (still holding out for the upcoming f(x) album) but with dazzling autographed CD promotions from Mwave and Yesasia, I just HAD to get off my duff and pick up some, and I ended up getting FOUR New albums!

Hyosung "Fantasia"

First up is the awesome Hyosung and her album “Fantasia”. You may remember I had a problem with Kpopmart when I ordered her previous album “Top Secret” and I wasn’t planning on picking up her second album until I got her first. But I couldn’t pass up an autographed special from my SECRET bias, and I’m glad I did, Fantasia is great!

Rainbow INNOCENT

Seeing Black Swan Innocent here, some of you are probably saying “What, you only ordered the new Rainbow album NOW?” Yes, I apologize, I’ve been a terrible Rainnous this past year. But pick it up I finally did, and I even got the bonus POSTER along with it! I mentioned before when I got my copies of both Sunshine and Rainbow Blaxx that they had pretty illegible signatures, I’m happy to say that the signs look nice and crisp here!

AOA albums "Like A Cat" and "Heart Attack"

Of all of these CDs, I guess the one I was most excited about was getting the latest AOA Albums “Heart Attack” and “Like A Cat”…these girls have been really big faves of mine, and with the arrival of these two albums, exactly HALF of my AOA collection is autographed!
You may recall that my copies of Moya and Miniskirt were ALSO signed copies, and with a total of 8 albums in the group’s register, that makes a good 50% of ‘em personally endorsed by the girls!

My Complete AOA Collection

 AOA is one of those groups that I really enjoy ALL the songs on their albums. Usually when a group releases a new album, I’ll put the promoted single on a mix, but with AOA I always end up putting three or four of the songs, they are so STRONG, and their latest album is no exception! Like Dal Shabet, this is a group where every song sounds like it could be the single track!Really digging them right now!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

The J-Drama Waiting Game

Yes, I'm Aware that this Looks Like Keizoku SPEC

Very excited about the new Fumino Kimura Crime Drama "Ishi No Mayu"- I love Fumino and have enjoyed her dramas, but heretofore they have all been of the humorous/cute variety, and am looking forward to seeing her in a tough, kick-butt role for the first time!
Well, I downloaded the RAWs (By the way, why is RAWs always spelled in caps? Is it an acronym?) and now must wait patiently, praying that someone will subtitle the show. While I wait, I’m reminded of that old Polar Bear Meme  “And Now The Waiting Game Begins”. The Saga of the Polar Bear and his love for Apples is a perfect analogy of what the non-Japanese Speaking J-Drama fan must go through!

When I have the RAWs for a New Drama But Have to Wait for Subs:

When I am Impatient and Try to Watch the Drama without Subtitles:

When a Subbing Team Picks Up the drama and Uploads the Subs!

and FINALLY enjoying the Sweet, Sweet Taste of a Subbed Show!

Oh Man, what would we do without out Fansubbers?

ALL THANKS TO OUR WONDERFUL SUBTITLING TEAMS!!!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Found Treasure: Chisato Moritaka's "Do The Best"

On Sale at the Local Book Off:  Chisato's Do The Best

The first Chisato Moritaka CD I ever bought was a Greatest Hits package called “Do the Best” which I got because it had my favorite song “Futari Wa Koibito” on in. It cost me about $30.00 for it, and this copy came in a regular jewel case format. Well, I loved that CD as much as a J-popper can love anything, but was surprised to find that what I’d gotten was a second print version, and that the first print edition came as a deluxe box with photobooklet and slipcase! I was lucky enough later get ahold of this first pressing from a small shop, and even then it was an ex-rental which I had to c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y peel off the rental stickers all over the box. But I didn’t complain that the condition wasn’t top notch- it was such a thrill to have the real first pressing!!
So, here we are19 years later and imagine my surprise when I stroll into the Local Book-off, and there on display, is not one but two (two!) perfect condition copies of Do The Best…and going for a mere 10 bucks apiece! Considering how hard it was to initially get this, part of me wanted to scoop ‘em up and buy both of them myself right then and there! But in the end logic prevailed as money is tight and one copy of Do The Best is all anyone really needs. But it’s a heads up for anyone who DOES need it!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

The Sexy As Hell Nanao

The Luscious, Luscious, Luscious, Nanao

So, remember  in my last post when I mentioned how, after falling in lust with actress Nanao in episodes of "Ghost Writer", I wanted to get my hands on some of Nanao's Gravure video work? Well, thanks to the grace of the fine folks at Akiba Online, I was able to get a copy of one of said videos, and HO-LEE TO-LEE-DO is it EVERYTHING I'd HOPED it would be!!! FOLKS, Nanao’s “Four O’Clock” Gravure Video is an Epic PANTY-FLASHING Extravaganza!

Each scene begins with Nanao looking elegant posing in a smart and pretty outfit, but a few minutes in and inevitably her hands will wander to pull up the hem of her skirt and show off her lacy panties! From there the blouse comes off next, and soon we are treated to the sight of Nanao in all her Lingerie-clad Glory! Bras, Panties and Stockings, OH MY!!!! 

I don’t know what year this video came out or even how long ago it was, but Nanao seems to have a bit more baby fat than she does in Ghost Writer, very, very nice. At times Nanao reminds me of Nozomi Sasaki, although in this one set (below) she reminds me more of AV actress Yui Hatano, for some reason! Ahaha, that’s when you KNOW you’re getting into risqué terrirory!

As a big fan of “teasing” videos, I love the pacing of the scenarios depicted in 4 O’Clock, where each article of clothing she removes is timed for maximum appeal, and when she is down to her undies, you appreciate it to its dazzling fullest! 

Ah, Love and Peace, Indeed!!!

Oooh, these skimpy little things she’s calling underwear are the stuff of fanboy dreams, and you just gotta love the way she smirks at the camera at the end of her big ‘reveal”, as if to say, “Yep, you KNOW you want THIS!” Thankfully for us, Nanao DELIVERS!

And what about Bikinis, you may ask! For those of you who aren’t fans of lingerie (and what’s wrong with you…!), Nanao even makes sure to give us an even dose of true gravure bikini-clad goodness!

 Ahhh, so far, 4 O’Clock is the only Nanao gravure video I’ve come across, and in fact is the only title that comes up in online searches. While I think it’s fantastic that Nanao is becoming a star in the movie and drama field, I hope she makes time every now and then to release more of THESES kind of videos! Fan Servicing to be sure!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com