Channel-Ai Community Blog - JPop reviews, articles

GLAMOROUS SKY

September 5th, 2005 by Leanne · 7 Comments · ★★★★½

Yazawa Ai’s masterpiece manga “NANA” has been gaining a lot of attention this year: first with its very own tribute album, a dedicated café, and now a movie starring Nakashima Mika herself as the rocker-chick Oosaki Nana. To play with the “realism” of the movie a single has been released entitled “GLAMOROUS SKY” under the psuedonym “NANA starring MIKA NAKASHIMA”. Staying true to the style of Yazawa’s character, the single contains four rock tracks, the title track being composed by the famous rocker HYDE himself…

YUI’s “Tomorrow’s way”

September 5th, 2005 by spellcheck · 16 Comments · ★★★★½

Newcomer YUI debuted in February with the song “feel my soul” and made her comeback on June 22 with “Tomorrow’s way”. At the age of 18, she writes the words and music to all her songs. With her sweet and innocent voice, YUI sings about maturing in “Tomorrow’s way”. This single’s cover features a picture of YUI looking out a window with her chin resting on a guitar. With rays of sunlight shining in through the windows behind her, it surely reflects the longing to grow up that is conveyed in lyrics of the title track. Let’s look at “Tomorrow’s way”!

ORANGE RANGE’s “Kizuna”

September 4th, 2005 by spellcheck · 2 Comments · ★★★½☆

… On the cover a swing set is shown and the symbol of the band is drawn in the dirt. The picture is in black and white and gives it more of a nostalgic feel. The CD design and the back of the sleeve feature little doodles of stick men with parachutes being eaten by alligators and struck by lightning and a game of tic-tac-toe won by the O’s. No doubt about it, “Kizuna” is about friends and remembering the good times, so grab your warm and fuzzy childhood memories and let’s go! …

ZONE’s “O”

September 3rd, 2005 by spellcheck · 6 Comments · ★★★★½

ZONE’s sophomore release “O” came out on November 27 of 2002. The jacket photos have a fall theme which is fitting for that time of year. The pictures are beautiful and this is actually one of the best jackets I’ve ever seen in an album…

Mahiru no Tsuki

September 3rd, 2005 by Rinoa · 4 Comments · ★★★½☆

The title “Mahiru no Tsuki” means Midday Moon. I believe this ballad reflects Hitomi’s career. It gives you the feeling of reminiscence and transition. This ballad is simple and delicate in itself. Even if the tone of this ballad is not emotional it is beautiful in its’ simplicity.