TO Film Collection (Elliptical Orbit/Symbiotic Planet) (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

May 27, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Visually stunning! Two stories from Yoshinobu Hoshino’s 1984-1985 sci-fi manga classic “2001 Nights” receives an animated CG adaptation courtesy of Fumihiko Sori (“Vexille”, “Appleseed”). Both films look and sound great on Blu-ray and by the end, I was wanting even more! I’m hoping we will see more of the stories from “2001″ receiving adaptations but for now, if you are a sci-fi fan and an anime fan, I highly recommend “TO Film Collection”!

TITLE: TO Film Colletion (Elliptical Orbit/Symbiotic Planet)

DURATION: Elliptical Orbit (43 minutes), Symbiotic Planet (46:03)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, Dolby TrueHD English 5.1, Dolby TrueHD Japanese 5.1, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Showgate/FUNimation Entertainment

Release Date: June 7, 2011

Directed by Fumihiko Sori

Music by Tetsuya Takahashi

Original Work by Yukinobu Hoshino

Anime Production by Oxybot

Featuring the following voice talent:

Elliptical Orbit

Akio Ohtsuka/Mark Stoddard as Dan

Romi Park/Stephanie Young as Maria

Bryan Massey as Willie

Chris Cason as Mark

Christopher R. Sabat as Space Terrorist Leader

Scott Freeman as Rick

Symbiotic Planet

Jun Fukuyama/Eric Vale as Ion

Aya Hirano/Brina Palencia as Alina

Chuck Huber as Major Beltin

J. Michael Tatum as Snaut

John Swasey as Meyer

Jonathan Brooks as Michael

Pam Doughterty as Tatiana

R. Bruce Elliott as Guerin

Steve Powell as Lange

Elliptical Orbit
Fifteen years after its last contact with our world, a space freighter known as the Flying Dutchman requests permission to dock at a remote moon base. This mysterious ship carries liquid protons: a power source essential to the survival of Earth’s population. But before the precious cargo can be delivered, the base is ambushed by galactic terrorists who seek to destroy the new form of energy and issue a death sentence to all of humanity.

Symbiotic Planet
Against a backdrop of peculiar alien life forms, Aon and Elena – star-crossed lovers from rival countries – struggle to build a life together despite the objections of their superiors. Their budding romance is thwarted by an outbreak of potent alien fungus and the interference of a cutthroat militaristic madman. To survive, the young couple must maintain their faith in each other… and learn to trust the unique creatures which inhabit this strange and wondrous planet.

In 1984, a science fiction manga titled “2001 Nights” (2001 Nisen’ichi Ya Monogatari) by mangaka Yukinobu Hoshino (“Blue City”, “Saber Tiger”, “Kotetsu no Queen”) was serialized in Futabasha’s “Monthly Super Action”. By 1986, three bound volumes were created and were published in the USA in 1996.

Inspired by hard science fiction and paying homage to sci-fi novel and films that Hoshino enjoyed, the first OVA was released on VHS in 1987. In 2009, two stories from “2001 Nights”, “Night 13″ (aka “Symbiotic Planet”) and “Night 15″ (aka “Ellitical Orbit”) known as “TO” (pronounced as “Tou”) received a CGI OVA adaptation including a 10-minute trailer released by Avex Entertainment in 2009. Both were directed by Fumihiko Sori, known for his CG animated films “Appleseed” and “Vexille”.

Now, “TO” will be released on Blu-ray and DVD box set courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment.

The first OVA “Elliptical Orbit” features a woman named Maria arrives with her crew of the space freighter “The Flying Dutchman” dock a space station to refuel. The person in charge of the space station in the remote moon base is a man named Dan, a person that Maria has some mysterious connection to.

As “The Flying Dutchman” which is carrying liquid protons is planning to be delivered and will be used as a power source essential to Earth’s population, out of nowhere, galactic terrorists have shown up to destroy the cargo and insure death to humanity.

With the terrorists taking over the space station, Maria and Dan must do all they can to ensure the terrorist do not get to the cargo.

The second OVA “Symbiotic Planet” is a sci-fi love story as both Aon and Elena are lovers who come from rival countries. As both are in love, people on both sides of resent the two falling in love and both have their own ideas of their own colonization of the planet.

But when an outbreak of an alien fungus takes place in the planet, both sides are now preparing for war against each other and the two lovers know that life and their love may be torn apart by their country’s rivalry.

VIDEO:

“TO Film Collection (Elliptical Orbit/Symbiotic Planet)” is presented in 1080p High Definition. For those familiar with Fumihiko Sori’s work on films such as “Vexille” and also “Appleseed”, they can expect the same visual style with both OVA’s in “TO.

Visually, both films look fantastic! From the design of the space station and vehicles, to see details of smoke coming from the release of cargo to the amount of detail that can be seen on Blu-ray was well-done. The character designs are like “Vexille” but the actual 3D for the physical objects have much more detail and shading than previous Sori films. Colors are vibrant, black levels are nice and deep and the shading for the film is well-done.

Between both films, “Symbiotic Planet” is much more visually stunning as it focuses on the backdrops of the planet and we get to see more detail from the planet surroundings, while “Elliptical Orbit” focuses more on the overall look of the space station. While not the same level of visual awesomeness of “Vexille”, granted that was a film, these two are OVA’s, still the picture quality for both “Elliptical Orbit” and “Symbiotic Planet” are well-done!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“TO Film Collection (Elliptical Orbit/Symbiotic Planet)” is presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Japanese and English. Both lossless soundtracks are very well done as the surround channels utilize the ambiance of space (for “Elliptical Orbit”) and its music, while “Symbiotic Planet” has an ethereal feel with the living creatures of the planet, the Pacard, its use of music.

But both lossless soundtracks are crystal clear in dialogue and utilization of ambient noise and music through the surround channels are nicely done. It’s not the most immersive soundtrack but the audio is well-utilized. Also, I was quite pleased with both the Japanese and English voicework.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“To Film Collection (Elliptical Orbit/Symbiotic Planet)” comes with the following special features:

Special Interview with Director Fumihiko Sori, Akio Ohtsuka and Romi Park – (30:16) Director Fumihiko Sori talks about working on “TO”, voice actress Romi Park (Maria) and voice actor Akio Ohtsuka (Dan) about their characters.
Special Interview with Director Fumihiko Sori, Jun Fukuyama and Aya Hirano - (30:22) Director Fumihiko Sori talks about the theme of “TO”, voice actress Aya Hirano (Alina) and voice actor Jun Fukuyama (Ion) talk about their characters.
Elliptical Orbit Trailer - (1:11) Trailers for “TO: Elliptical Orbit”.
Symbiotic Planet Trailer – (1:18) Trailer for “TO: Symbiotic Planet”
Teaser – (1:33) Teaser for “TO: Elliptical Orbit”
Promo Video (Rental) – (2:08) Promotional video for the rental release of “TO”.
Promo Video (Sale) – (2:29) Promotional video for the video release of”TO”.
TV Spots – (:49) TV Spots for “TO: Elliptical Orbit”.
Trailers - Funimation Entertainment Trailers

EXTRAS:

“To Film Collection (Elliptical Orbit/Symbiotic Planet)” comes with both a Blu-ray disc consisting of both films and special features as well as two DVD’s featuring each film and their own special features. Also, “TO Film Collection” comes with a cardboard slipcase.

For many sci-fi fans in Japan, Yukinobu Hoshino’s “2001 Nights” is a very special series, a sci-fi classic as it contains various stories and aspects of sci-fi filled with adventures, drama and action.

The stories in “2001 Nights” are loosely related episodes from man’s exploration of the galaxy and Hoshino’s tales are vast are quite intriguing considering the stories were made back in 1984 and seeing how those stories created over 25-years-ago are just as enjoyable and intriguing today.

While not all stories from “2001 Nights” have been animated, we get two stories “Elliptical Orbit” and “Symbiotic Planet”. The first is quite interesting as it focuses on relationships, especially how it affects traveling through space via hibernation or light speed and for me, the storyline was quite intriguing because the last anime series that really touched upon the space travel and aging was the 1988 OVA series “Gunbuster” and interesting enough, Hoshino touched upon this in his 1984-1985 manga series.

Without spoiling “Elliptical Orbit”, I just found it quite intriguing to see the predicament between Maria and Dan. These two obviously have some type of history and slowly, we start to learn what that relationship is. Also, intriguing is the concept of terrorism. In today’s modern climate, it’s such a big topic that is relevant today but in 1984, while there was terrorism, you can’t help but think how vast Hoshino’s tales were, it was like forward thinking of what he expected to see in the future. Granted, he was inspired by sci-films and novels but even for 1984, it was quite interesting to see how relevant these stories can be for people watching it today.

As for the second story, “Symbiotic Planet”, I liken this to Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet”. Two people who are in love but their own race are rivals towards each other. Both wish they can live in peace, to hold each other without wearing space suits to survive. But both feeling the wrath of their own people when they are forbidden to see the person they love because of the rivalry between the races, as both are in a hurry to stake their claim on the planet and the tyranny that takes place on both sides.

But Sori best describes the second OVA as if humans were to colonize another planet, will they continue to repeat the same patterns on Earth?

For the most part, these two OVA’s are essentially sci-films that further Hoshino’s tales of exploration but it also adds elements of romance, drama and action.

I’m glad to see Fumihiko Sori’s animated style once again. While I do enjoy his work with “Vexille” which was fantastic visually, both “Elliptical Orbit” and “Symbiotic Planet” look good as well. “Elliptical Orbit” for its mechanical design for the space station and the vehicles and thought that went into the overall look and feel especially its functions was well-done, while “Symbiotic Planet” utilized more imagination when it came to the overall look of the planet, its alien animal residents to this ethereal feeling, especially how the formation of the rocks were and its overall look. Obviously the second OVA had more color use for its backgrounds, while the first OVA took place pretty much inside the space station or in space. Nevertheless, both are well done.

And I just have to add that the ending theme “Aoi Tsuki to Ambivalence na Ai” from moumoon is fantastic! One of my favorite bands from Japan and I was suprised to hear this song used as the ending theme.

As for the Blu-ray release, aside from the wonderful PQ and AQ as I discussed earlier, FUNimation Entertainment has continued its theme of releasing dual Blu-ray and DVD box sets which is pretty cool especially those who want to share with friends or wanting to watch it during long commutes. Personally, it would be nice if FUNimation Entertainment also considered digital download for iTunes and Windows Media Player (especially as more anime fans are watching anime on their iPad, iPhone and mobile devices), although only if consumers are not charged too much for the additional disc.

Overall, “TO Film Collection” featured two storylines from Hoshino’s “2001 Nights” which I enjoyed a lot. But the fact that there are more stories from “2001 Nights”, I am hoping that this would be a series or a potential of more of the stories from Hoshino’s manga series that would be released via OVA in the near future. Because I enjoyed both “Elliptical Orbit” and “Symbiotic Planet” and it left me wanting more!

But seeing that it’s not the case and the fact that “TO Film Collection” was released back in 2009, I’m guessing this is all that we are going to get for now.

But still, I’m quite content with this Blu-ray release and the fact that we get two really cool sci-fi films and also a good number of special features, if you are a sci-fi fan, I definitely recommend checking out “TO Film Collection”.

Recommended!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

What the Japanese music celebrities tweeted right after the earthquake

March 14, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Note: This page will be continually updated as we add more to the list.

The devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan has affected millions of people. No one knows how much damage was caused, nor is Japan even close to tallying how many people are missing, injured or dead as rescue efforts are continuing.

When the earthquake hit, during the first few hours, J!-ENT was monitoring our J_ENTJAPAN Twitter site and reading posts from various followers and also following the posts of various music celebrity twitter accounts and noticing how stars such as Ayumi Hamasaki, TM Revolution, MICRO of Home Made Kazoku, Hikaru Utada, Issei Ishida, model Natsuki Katou, GACKT and MIYAVI were using their celebrity status on their Twitter accounts to direct people to emergency services and also some providing information in English for the international followers who may be living in Japan.

Here are the initial tweets that took place right after the earthquake occurred. Some tweets were done several hours later and while most were in Japanese, some stars addressed their international fans in English. Here are a few of those celebrity tweets:

Ayumi Hamasaki - Among the most active tweets came from Ayumi Hamasaki who began trying to help people by posting emergency re-tweet information on her Twitter account. Hamasaki posted, “Before nature, we are powerless human beings. I hope and will retreat desperately spreading information. Do not despair, have to courage to stand up and have hope in our hearts. It depends on us!” For her English fans, Ayumi tweeted, “Thank you guys to keep praying for Japan!!!! We all gonna be strong. We can feel your heart. It will really be helpful to us. Thanks again for all prayers.”
Takanori Nishikawa (TM Revolution) was also among the more active tweeters of the day as he did all he can to help people via Twitter, especially those who were non-Japanese fans living in Japan. TMR told his fans that he was OK but used a lot of his efforts to retweet information and important emergency information for those following him on Twitter.
Home Made Kazoku’s MICRO also followed TMR’s lead by using his Twitter account to help those who are following him on Twitter.
Rock star MIYAVI also used Twitter to pass around important messages to his fans and urging them to learn how to Retweet. Miyavi tweeted to his fans, “dear my ppl, thank u 4 ur prayers. me n my fam r all fine. but the ppl in the places the earthquake hit r not… so please keep prayin 4 us.
Producer and musician Shinichi Osawa also took to Twitter to help people out. Osawa tweeted, “Thank you I’m OK but still terrible pls pray for all victims.”
Pop artist BENI posted, “Thank you all, I’m safe, thanks. Anyway, we can now act on our own by conserving electricity.” Beni followed up with a message to her fans in English, “thank you all for your concern, I’m fine as well as my family. This is all very surreal..ready to support in any way possible.#prayforjapan“
Rocker/musician/producer YOSHIKI of X JAPAN tweeted, “Hope everybody is ok? Yes I’m in Tokyo… I AM OK Love!!! Trying to make sure all my fans, family and friends are ok….Trying to be calm….but I still can’t contact my mother…”. YOSHIKI posted the following day, “My Mother is FINE!! Thank you Thank you everybody!! I’m praying for the people in Japan still trying to find their family…I talked to ToshI, Pata, Sugizo, Heath… They are all OK! Still trying to reach some of my friends….”
m-flo’s Taku Takahashi tweeted, “hey guys. thanx 4 ur kindness. Tokyo is still shaking a little once in a while. hope it stops.”
Actor/musician Issei Ishida tweeted, “thanks now still bit of quakes but we will survive!! To English speakers,If you at safe place,please stay there,it’s night and cold already,not good idea to walk around.reply me any question.”
Producer/Musician Tetsuya Komuro now lives in Osaka and not in Tokyo. He tweeted to his fans “I now work in television in Osaka, not Tokyo. Please do not panic and remain calm. I am worried though.”
Music artist Hikaru Utada tweeted after the earthquake, “Wow I just experienced the biggest earthquake of my life. Gas/electricity has stopped in many areas of Japan and some people have died. For foreigners in Japan- there are tsunami warnings in many areas, stay away from the sea and rivers, and watch out for aftershocks!”
Hip hop artist Zeebra tweeted, “Thank you. Whole family is safe.” and continued with another reply to a friend, “I’m good, man. I hope it don’t get worst. Pray for us!”
DJ and producer Towa Tei tweeted, “Thank you everybody mailing me.. I am fine. NOW, I rather save Electricity and think what i can do and pray. PEACE!”
FANTASTIC PLASTIC MACHINE’s Tomoyuki Tanaka tweeted, “Studio is a mess. Cracked and broken things which fell off the shelves…I hope everyone is safe!”
Singer Crystal Kay tweeted, “Holy shit that was big. omg is everyone ok!!?!?!?!?!?!?!? tsunami is destroying miyagi…im watching it on tv ;(;(. sending out my prayers!!!!!!!!! yokohama had a ６mag. my shoe shelf has fallen over ;s. im at homeeeeeeee im ok. so scared. the sky looks so weird right now. omgggg sendai is getting destroyed now…houses and everything. fire is moving with the wave…omg….this is unreal. 仙台のみなさん、祈ってます！！omg i have never seen a tsunami before. they are showing it on tv. everyone PLS go somewhere high up!! stay safe!!! im sending out my prayers to everyone in the miyagi and sendai area…and all the affected areas!!! its coming again and again and again. its never ending…i hate it.
Singer Emi Hinouchi tweeted, “Glad to be alive. Crying”
Singer Nanase Aikawa tweeted in English, “Dear oversea fans Thanks for your messages worried about me. We, my family, are fine. No need to worry. It was definitely the biggest earthquake ever that hit east Japan. It reminds me of Hanshin earthquake, another huge earthquake happened in the past, and hurts my heart. I don’t know what I can do, but I just hope there won’t be any more damage than there already is.”
Music artist KEN THE 390 tweeted, “I’m worried and hope everyone in the Northeast is safe! By the way, the book shelf inside is all messed up…”
DJ Sugiurumn tweeted, “Please Stay Tough please!”
Singer/musician/producer Tomoyasu Hotei tweeted, “I’m safe. I ran to the school. The location group of drama is worried. Everyone alright?”. Hotei continued, answering questions of how his wife, actress/singer Miki Imai is doing. Hotei said, “Miki is safe, sorry to have you worrying about us. Miyagi and Ibaraki, however, have damage. Prepare for aftershocks.
Aya Matsuura tweeted on Saturday, “Late post, sorry. I hope everyone is safe.”
Morning Musume member Erina Mano tweeted, “Is everyone all right? I am unable to contact my family on the phone (/ _ ; )”
The management? of pop quartet SCANDAL posted the following on Twitter, “All four members are all right. Please be careful and listen to the breaking news of the earthquake.”
Former Morning Musume member Ai Kago tweeted, “I was in the first floor and the shaking was enormous that you couldn’t walk. One of the people was so scared! Is everyone alright? OK everyone, Be careful! I hope everyone is safe!”
Former KAT-TUN member Jin Akanishi tweeted, “Is everyone all right? I’m good. Thank you for your comments, I just worried a lot. It looks like the aftershocks are continuing and can not sleep at all. I hate that. Be careful everyone.”
AKB48 member Tomomi Itano tweeted, “Since I am not in Japan, I am safe. Everyone Ok? I’m quite worried.”
AKB48 member Sayaka Akimoto tweeted, “Everyone, I am safe”. Akimoto later tweeted, “I’m watching the news. We should all cooperate and support. I hope the damage does not increase.”
AKB48 member Mariko Shinoda tweeted, “I’m on Twitter now! Are you all right!! 。・゜・(ノД`)・゜・” Shinoda tweeted concern for her fellow AKB48 members, “I am concerned about all members! In Japan…everyone is okay.”
AKB48 member Hana Tojima tweeted, “I’m alive. Take care everyone.”
AKB48 member Ayaka Umeda tweeted to her fans, “I came back from a trip and was unable to update. I’m sorry. Is everyone ok from the earthquake?
Singer ARIA contacted us and said, “I’m alright, my family’s too, Thank you for your kindness.” After the earthquake, Aria posted, “Alone in a scary mess. My room is messy but I’m in a safe place. I’m alright. Everyone okay?
Hisashi of GLAY tweeted, “I have never seen such a tsumani…”, Hisashi later tweeted, “Felt some trembling but I’m fine.”
AAA leader Naoya Urata tweeted, “I can not use the phone at all but because I am connected to Twitter, I can try to exchange information using Twitter. My parents home inside is messy and I’m sure my family will blame me. The power of nature is really scary.”
AAA member Chiaki posted “No injuries? I’m safe and sound!”
AAA member Misaki Uno tweeted, “I wish everyone is safe. I think many people are lonely and alone. I fear they are not alone. Please be safe!”
AAA member Shinjiro Atae tweeted, “OK! I was at the theater and left. I arrived at my apartment and saw a crack on the wall. It messed up my room. But all right now. Aftershocks still continues.” Atae continued to tweet but this time in English. “I’m so scared!!! but I’m ok!! thx!!” “r u guys ok??we need to help each other!!!anyway calm down,calm down!!u r not alone definitely!!!!!!!”
Former AAA member Yukari Gotoh tweeted, “I’m sorry but my hands are trembling in fear”
Base Ball Bear tweeted, “Everyone is home safely but preparing emergency bags and helmets”.
Hiroki of D tweeted, “Got in touch with everyone earlier and everyone is safe! Please be careful because the aftershocks still continue.”
Teruki Nagata of AN CAFE tweeted, “Is everyone safe?” Teruki tweeted not long after, “An e-mail came from my father. I am relieved.”
Takuya of AN CAFE tweeted, “Is everyone in the northeast OK?”
Kiyoshi of ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION tweeted, “We are all safe in Ajikanmenba. Everyone OK?!”
Singer Mini tweeted, “That was an earthquake, is everyone fine?” Min later tweeted, “Everyone in Miyagi OK? Saw an article in Shibuya, saw a sewer pipe that bursted. There are many fires, everyone please be careful.”
moumoon vocalist YUKA tweeted, “Hiroshima was shaking slightly, I’m safe! Watch out for aftershocks” She and Masaki then tweeted that due to the severity of the earthquake/tsunami, the two would postpone their schedule concerts.
YUCALI of HALCALI tweeted, “was a great earthquake (‘・ _ ・ `) I caught a train! Everyone okay?”
Singer, alan tweeted, “I’m fine. Please be careful. Shake is terrible.We thank the staff of the venue during rehearsal…earthquake, fled immediately.”
Producer Daisuke Asakura tweeted, “Home! I was waiting for a while because I felt a tremor. I am safe but aftershocks are still following.”
Pop star ICONIQ tweeted, “I’m fine. Everyone OK? It seems that the aftershocks still continue today but please be careful!”
Singer Kohmi Hirose was at photoshoot with her staff when the earthquake happened. Kohmi posted “Everyone, are you all right? I’m fine. So, please be careful.”
Singer Jamosa tweeted, “Enoshima had an earthquake but there is no tsunami warning. Back in Tokyo. Fujisawa firefighters, thank you very much! I can not use the phone at all! Everyone, are you okay?
ASIA ENGINEER’s ZERO commented, “Not an odd quick earthquake. Phone won’t connect at all. Please tell us about the situation in Tokyo?”
mihimaru GT producer Hideyuki Daichi Suzuki tweeted, ” Thank you! I’m OK . The aftershocks are still continuing, everyone has to stay calm. Yes, in Tokyo. This is less damage. But the aftershocks are still continuing. I stayed at home. Many people go home last night and stayed the trains to stop.”
GooF of SOFFet was leaving a radio interview at FM Osaka and then felt the earthquake and tweeted, “Huh everyone okay? Osaka was shaking!”
Singer Tomoe Shinohara tweeted, “I pray for your safety, please pray for those who are wounded from the earthquake. My heart is shaking.” Shinohara continued, “I hope everyone is not hurt.”
Shanadoo’s Rose tweeted, “I am hearing – Earthquake”.
Shanadoo’s CK tweeted, “Everyone safe?”
Masa of the rock band BASARA tweeted, “This is dangerous! Great earthquake shaking the train! “
Music artist WYOLICA tweeted, “Shibuya. Alive. Shattered windows from the building near me.” Wyolica would go on to tweet later that day, “Aftershocks are enormous. It may shake all night. Everyone have shoes beside you. I will be wearing a jacket. Out of respect for the neighbors.”
Music artist Miray tweeted, “I’m all right.”
Ryuichi Kawamura of LUNA SEA tweeted, “the earthquake was awful! are everybody okay? please be careful since there are still some aftershock! I am fine!”
SUGIZO of LUNA SEA tweeted, “I’m fine. Please don’t worry about me guys!”. As for the LUNA SEA members, Sugizo followed up with, “All LUNA SEA’s member is fine!! Thank you so much guys!! Please don’t worry about us!! From Tokyo with Love…”
Tatsuro of MUCC tweeted the following, “Aftershocks are continuing, is everyone all right? Together we will persevere!”
Hiroto of Alice9 tweeted, “I wish everyone to be safe! I am fine. E-mail and telephone is not connected but I can be reached on Twitter.”
Naoko of Shonen Knife tweeted, “We had an earthquake. I’m in Osaka and there are not so strong one but in Northern part of Japan, it was strong. We decided to stay in Osaka because of the earthquake.I deeply appreciated kind messages from overseas. I just can pray for the people who suffer from the disaster.”
Japanese reggae artist RYO THE SKYWALKER was in Jamaica at the time of the earthquake but tweeted the following, “Im in Jamaica right now so 大丈夫です〜 but nuff ppl in north they get damaged …. thx anyway !!! i jus fine and work in anchor studio !! worry bout big earthquake in JPN …”
Entertainer Emyli was among the few entertainers like Crystal Kay who had a lot things on their mind during the earthquake especially family members. Emyli tweeted within the first 24 hours, “i cant reach my father, he might be trapped inside a train. freshness burger in gaienmae wont let me use their phone. was able to reach my father. thank you for your prayers. bought food & the last iphone charger, food was all out except instant food. will stay overnight at the studio & walk a few cities home tmrw. tokyo tower is bent. ground is shaking right now. sleepy, but scared, started shaking again. cant tell if it’s my heart shaking or the ground shaking. earthquakes are ongoing. these are times when u really appreciate the small things–drinking clean water, being able to shower, eat clean food–and most importantly, being alive. live ur day to the fullest everyone, turn ur dreams into reality. the end can come at anytime for anyone & anywhere. i truly thank every one of you who are praying for us. that is the only thing that’s holding this country together right now. all i can think about is surviving today. my daddy’s home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. thank u everyone for all ur prayers & thoughts & love during this difficult time. just elated & so thankful that my family is alive & unhurt. may we be able to survive this day. my heart goes out to all persons affected by this catastrophe.”
Aoi from the rock band the GazettE tweeted, “I remember the drill. Food and water has been stocked. Information is flowing through Twitter. There is also an emergency message board. I’m fine. Please respond calmly.”
Ruki of the GazettE tweeted, “Big earthquake. Watch out for aftershocks everyone”
Singer and voice actress Haruko Momoi tweeted, “I am safe. It was a bad earthquake and came back home to check out the apartment and to find shelter. I pray the damage will not get worse. Because my father was sick, I was concerned about his unstable blood pressure because of the earthquake. I was also concerned about the deterioration of his physical condition from the psychological stress. I think the anxiety is felt in the Kanto region. I have a pain in my chest.” Momoi issued the following tweet to her intl. fans, “Dear overseas Momoists.THX to your worrying about us.I’m OK.I appreciate your tender words. I hope sing a anisong with Japanese and every country’s fans,again…Thank you for your encouragement tweet.Arigatou gozaimasu!”
Anison singer HIMEKA tweeted, “I updated my blog. People who worried about me, thank you. I’m doing fine. Keeping the victims of the tsunami in my thoughts and prayers…”
staff for Ami and Yumi of PUFFY tweeted, “amiyumi is safe. We thank everyone who has worried and hope that everyone is safe.”
Shinji of SID tweeted, “I hope everyone in the northeast is all right. Earthquake in Tokyo was enormous. The bookshelf in the house fell. Paying attention to the aftershocks”.
Producer and musician Tetsuro Oda tweeted, “I’m getting more worried and home many are completely safe. Take care everyone.”
Olivia Lufkin tweeted, “My family, friends and I are safe everyone!!! Sending out my love to all the earthquake victims. <3 <3 <3. Thank you all for the concerned messages. My family is together at my parents place, where we will be staying till…”
Eriko Imai from SPEED had a tweet from her staff to please check her blog. On her blog, she posted, “ Everyone, are you safe?? Me and my song are safe. For the first time, I felt fear. I’m sure everyone feels the same. Please act calmly and everyone, please be safe. Thank you. Please be safe.” As for the other members of SPEED, Eriko posted, “Thanks for everyone’s concerns. SPEED members are all safe. We again experienced the horrors of nature. I will still continue. Many people have died in the earthquake and the impact from tsunami. We pray for you. Finally, do not forget hope.”
Nana from MAX tweeted, “Earthquake. Everyone safe? I’m fine. It’s really scary…”
Rina from MAX tweeted, “water supply at my parent’s home has been cut off. But water supplies are at the public citizen’s hall. Also, continuous power failure. I’m am scared.”
The staff for the female pop group BRIGHT tweeted, “Earthquake is everyone okay? Please be careful for the aftershocks! ! Members are safe! For now!
Singer/actress Meisa Kuroki tweeted, “Is everyone safe? I’ll be fine for now! Be careful of tsunami. Take care!”
Singer Nami Tamaki tweeted, “Is everyone OK because I am doing OK?! I felt the earthquake in the house and the aftershocks are still continuing. Trying to open the window without it falling down. I hope your safe from the bottom of my heart.”
Singer GACKT was a bit more personal, creating a Twitter account the day after and posting a long message about getting together and doing something. Asking celebrities to join him and posting a message on the following website. In an excerpt of that message, GACKT tweeted “We need the courage to reach out and help those who are affected, to show a little courage and SHOW YOUR HEART!”
Singer JASMINE tweeted, “(“° b °)”<<< just tell me whether or not it is safe ーーー”
Model Natsuki Katou has been active since the earthquake in providing emergency information on Twitter. Her first tweet after the earthquake was “Everyone!! Please do not go near the sea or river. When moving, protect your head, please.”
Singer MISIA tweeted, “I hope everyone is safe? Please support those who meet survived from the damage and those who are displaced, are in physical and mental fatigue. Aftershocks still continue. The situation is serious, we all need to try and act cool!”
Singer JUJU tweeted, “I’m safe at home. I’m scared too!”
Rina of SCANDAL tweeted, “Are you okay? If you are worried about me or the staff members, we are in a safe place and everyone is OK! Thank you! Let’s help each other! OK!”
Nohana of Stereopony tweeted, “Ok guys its (>_<)? earthquake Stereopony is safe! You guys take care (>_<)”
Shiho of Stereopony tweeted, “Everyone OK? It seems that the aftershocks that followed are still continuing. Be careful!”
Singer Tommy february6, who was not feeling well that day tweeted the following day, “Shun-chan is safe. Our cats are safe. I went to a meeting today and came back home awhile ago. I was scared because it was in a building which was being used as a shelter. Anyway, I’m OK, scared but calm. I like being calm. How is everyone’s place?”
Singer Hiromi tweeted, “Are you all right in the Northeast? ? (>_<) screaming sore throat”. Hiromi later tweeted, “I’m alright… we still have earthquakes tho. i don’t wanna fall asleep”
Singer Rie Fu tweeted, “As for me I am safe and sound, but there are much more out there needing your support. Please send donations!!”
Singer Kylee tweeted, “I heard that a very large earthquake hit Japan, are you guys all right? I am very worried.”
Kaneko Nobuaki of RIZE tweeted, “Nobuaki Kaneko, RIZE and staff are safe.”
Singer Saori@destiny tweeted, “Is everyone OK? I’m worried. I remember a horrible childhood experience with the Great Hanshin earthquake. Please be careful, please!”
Singer Keita Tachibana of w-inds. tweeted, “I hope everyone is in a safe place.”
DJ/Producer Satoshi Fumi tweeted, “to my friends,i’m ok.but stop the traffic!”
Singer Yu Shirota tweeted, “Are you okay? I am fine! It’s really dangerous, so please stay away from the sea.”
Singer Kat McDowell tweeted throughout the day, “Wow!! The train was shaking so bad!!! The was the scariest earthquake ever! I hope the people outside were ok!! I hope the people in Miyagi are ok!! trains stopped.. So walking home. It’s nice to walk and see other people! We are ok. Thank you for all the messages!! We are home now trying to find out what happened.. 4 million homes with no power, and it’s night now and cold so please pray for those who have lost homes! #prayforjapan. For those who are stuck in Tokyo tonight, you can stay at the near by schools, or the budokan or saitama super arena. wow.. it’s like the tremors never stop… この余震が止まらないね。　I’m praying that God will be with all of us in Japan tonight, and give us peace. Thank you for all the messages!! Most of Tokyo is safe, just shaken up!! We’re praying for the people up North! I am awake!! It’s hard to sleep, but I am sooo grateful I can go to church today to pray with people together! see what we can do to help!”
Singer Blaise Plant of Monkey Majik lives in Sendai and tweeted throughout the day with probably the most detail of his experience since he lives near the epicenter. Plant tweeted, “My house is trashed! I’m ok! It was spooky…the biggest one yet!! Hey Everyone! It seems to have calmed down a bit.from where I am.the buildings are all busted up..massive billboards on the verge of falling. I urge everyone to keep alert…things are falling all over the place… I heard tsunami looks pretty big on TV. I currently can’t go home the ground is still shaking and shaking. So far a lot of people from the neighborhood gathered together to keep warm. Just checked out Mayn’s Studio, everything is ok, not much damage…my place is…trashed. This is my only way to talk to you all, sorry, just trying to write as fast as I can. I think these tremors are going to last all week. I know it’s a little dangerous to be in a car throughout all this, but just needed a little charge for my iPhone. We are getting non-stop tremors…a big one every 15 mins or so. It sucks cause every shake makes u wonder if it’s the big one. Still pitch black, power is not back yet…walked outside…smell of propane. Currently 2am, power still out, cold. Keeping positive, but so many people have been injured, or killed. It’s hard to sleep. Unimaginable. Just heard from Maynard…there headed over here…looks like things are slowly coming together on this side. Pray for others.”
Maynard Plant, brother of Blaise and a member of Monkey Majik has also been tweeting about his experience in Sendai. Here is a chronicle of a few twitter posts from Maynard, “Omg.. That was scary. Is everyone ok? I finally found Blaise… He’s ok… But his mansion was in terrible condition. I am now going to check my studio. Haven’t had Internet, phone, power, water, heat since my last twit on Friday. I’m back downtown to see how Blaise is doing. Using ocean water to cool down the nuclear reactor. Many people exposed at this point.”

GOOGLE PERSON FINDER

Filed Under: GALLERY, Interviews and Articles, Japanese Entertainment News

moumoon – Let’s dance in the moonlight (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)

September 15, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

A children’s single release featuring a collaboration with the lifestyle good store MONO COMME CA and Japanese pop duo moumoon. This is not the usual moumoon style of music offering as this single is primarily for the children but overall an upbeat, fun track with a positive message.

GROUP: moumoon

CD SINGLE: Let’s dance in the moonlight

LABEL: avex infinity

CATALOG #: AQCD-50537/B

DURATION: 13:17

RELEASE DATE: May 26, 2010

BUY THIS CD SINGLE from cdjapan.com:

Let’s dance in the moonlight

moumoon

or YesAsia.com

Let’s dance in the moonlight
うさぎ (Usagi)
Let’s dance in the moonlight – English Version
Let’s dance in the moonlight – Instrumental

DVD: Region 2, 4:3, DURATION: 8 minutes

Let’s dance in the moonlight
Let’s dance in the mooonlight -English ver.-

YUKA and KOUSUKE MASAKI aka moumoon are back with a CD single titled “Let’s dance in the moonlight”.

But this single is not through their usual label avex trax but through the Avex sub-label Avex Infinity and the single is focused towards the children and is a joint compilation single between the store MONO COMME CA (a lifestyle goods shop which many international shoppers will find at Narita airport and other locations) and the Japanese pop duo, moumoon. So, for those who are looking at this song on YouTube or hearing it for the first time and are shocked by the content, it is important to note that this is not part of the usual moumoon offering via Avex Trax but a side project created for Avex Infinity.

“Let’s dance in the moonlight” and “Usagi” are tracks not written by YUKA of moumoon but by Toshio-chan and the English version by Toshi-chan and Richard Broadhead.

The song revolves around a little rabbit named “15″ (or “Ichigo”) who doesn’t want the moon to be sad, so he is joined with Mr. Monkey, Mr. Fox, Mr. Raccoon and Mr. Frog and despite their differences, they are living together in this world and are friends. And the hope is that children can be the same way as Ichigo and his friends and everyone can get along and dance in the moonlight.

“Let’s dance in the moonlight” is a song that starts off with KOUSUKE MASAKI on piano and transitions to an upbeat track. It’s obviously a fun, light children’s track and the first track is in Japanese but by the third track (the English version of the song), it is evident by the lyrics of how this single is for the children as it is about Ichigo wanting his friends to be happy together and to stop fighting. The fourth track is an instrumental version of the song.

As for the second track “Usagi”, it’s a :28 second track with only four lines and is a short folk song (lyrics and original music is unknown).

As for the DVD of “Let’s dance in the moonlight”, you get the music video which a viewer can select the Japanese or English version and optional English subtitles.

The music video shows Ichigo who is sad because the moon is sad that his friends are all fighting. But Ichigo manages to get everyone together, despite having their own differences and being friends and dancing under the moonlight. The characters and environments is provided in CG and is directed by play set products and production by simo:gumi.

As for the CD insert, you get the Japanese and English lyrics to “Let’s dance in the moonlight” and included is an insert promoting moumoon’s mini album “Sunshine Girl”.

For a children’s song, “Let’s dance in the moonlight” has a positive message and for it to be sung by moumoon in Japanese and English is pretty cool, but for those expecting one of moumoon’s more beautiful arranged songs, this is not one of them. This single is for the children and the content (music and the DVD) is pretty much geared for children and it is what it is. It’s an OK, average single.

But for those who are moumoon fans, if you have to own all there releases, then I can see the importance of this single to have in your collection.

Overall, moumoon’s “Let’s dance in the moonlight” is a safe, upbeat children’s single release.

BUY THIS CD SINGLE from cdjapan.com:

Let’s dance in the moonlight

moumoon

or YesAsia.com

Filed Under: WORLD GROOVE: MUSIC REVIEWS

moumoon – SPARK (a J!-ENT World Groove Album Review)

July 14, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

moumoon is an awesome group that reminds me of My Little Lover and their ability to create music, their way and their style but still making it fun and enjoyable. The unpredictability of their music is what drives me towards listening to each release and “SPARK” is no different.

GROUP: moumoon

ALBUM: SPARK

LABEL: avex trax

CATALOG #: AVCD-38106

DURATION: 25:13

RELEASE DATE: July 7, 2010

BUY THIS ALBUM from CDJapan.com:

Spark [Jacket B]

moumoon

or YesAsia.com

SPARK
Sunshine Girl
トモシビ
Plastic Joy
Dreaming Driving
Swallowtail Butterfly ～あいのうた～

“SPARK” is the fourth mini-album from pop/rock duo moumoon (which consists of vocalist/songwriter YUKA and musician/composer Kousuke Masaki).

The album features a total of six songs and includes the group’s seventh single “Sunshine Girl” and also a cover of YEN TOWN BAND’s “Swallowtail Butterfly ～あいのうた～”.

The duo has definitely become one of the popular pop/rock duo’s in Japan as YUKA’s beautiful vocals and her ability to sing in both Japanese and English has become accessible for a lot of listeners worldwide. Also, the duo’s willingness to not be defined by a certain style of music but doing whatever they want. So, those expecting consistency may be disappointed as the group can easily go from sugary pop to a powerful ballad and a rock song.

If anything, for those who love the creativity and the duo’s ability to take on various musical styles will find “SPARK” to be an entertaining mini-album.

You’ll have the magically pop “SPARK” kicking off the album, leading to the duo’s seventh single “Sunshine Girl”. But highlights on this album for me were rock tracks “Plastic Joy” and although not as great as CHARA’s YEN TOWN BAND version of “Swallowtail Butterfly”, moumoon’s take on the hit song is smooth and soothing.

Insert comes with lyrics booklet and information on moumoon’s live concert.

Overall, moumoon is an awesome group that reminds me of My Little Lover and their ability to create music, their way and their style but still making it fun and enjoyable. The unpredictability of their music is what drives me towards listening to each release and “SPARK” is no different.

Recommended!

BUY THIS ALBUM from CDJapan.com:

Spark [Jacket B]

moumoon

or YesAsia.com

Filed Under: WORLD GROOVE: MUSIC REVIEWS

moumoon – Sunshine Girl (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)

May 12, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

moumoon’s “Sunshine Girl” is their most successful single yet! As the digital version has sold millions, the CD single is a limited edition release and budget priced. Overall, an upbeat, catchy and enjoyable single from moumoon!

GROUP: moumoon

CD SINGLE: Sunshine Girl

LABEL: avex trax

CATALOG #: AVCD-31856

DURATION: 11:17

RELEASE DATE: May 12, 2010

BUY THIS CD SINGLE from cdjapan.com:

Sunshine Girl [Limited Release]

moumoon

or YesAsia.com

Sunshine Girl
メドレー (2010 Summer ver.)
Sunshine Girl -Instrumental-

Japanese duo moumoon released their limited edition single “Sunshine Girl” in conjunction with Shiseido’s ANESSA campaign and is the theme song for the campaign which stars actress Yu Aoi and was #1 on the Japanese iTunes store charts.

The song has proven to be a major success for the group and with Japan now becoming more of a digital nation for music, this single is limited because its more to introduce people who have discovered moumoon for the first time.
The single begins with “Sunshine Girl” written by moumoon vocalist YUKA and music by Kousuke Masaki. The song is a happy, upbeat and catchy track. It’s also a track that features half Japanese and English lyrics. YUKA has called “Sunshine Girl” her “Lucky Song”.

The chorus is quite catchy and rather simplistic:
Happy day, Summer day
Sunshine Girl
I Like it, Happy day, Summer Day
Sun shines for you, Sun Shines for you

But overall, a pretty fun track from the duo!

The second track is a medley of moumoon songs that are about 30 seconds each and features five tracks. Note that this is the second medley that the group has included in a single and features previously released songs such as “On the right” and “Philia”. The third track features the instrumental version of “Sunshine Girl”.

The CD insert is a standard bi-fold with the lyrics and production credits. Also, included is a photo of YUKA and Kousuke Masaki and a promotional for the group’s upcoming mini-album release.

Overall, this is a pretty solid single and also it’s fairly cheap at Y500. But because it’s a limited edition, finding the physical CD is not going to be easy. But if you are a moumoon fan, it’s a single definitely worth having in your collection!

BUY THIS CD SINGLE from cdjapan.com:

Sunshine Girl [Limited Release]

moumoon

or YesAsia.com

Filed Under: WORLD GROOVE: MUSIC REVIEWS

moumoon FULL MOON LIVE TOUR 2010

March 15, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

The following is information on moumoon’s concert tour which begins in June. The concert “moumoon FULL MOON LIVE TOUR 2010″ ticket information and dates are as follows:

moumoon FULL MOON LIVE TOUR 2010（仮）】

日付　　開場/開演
6月19日(土) 17:30/18:00 大阪府: 大阪MUSE

6月20日(日) 17:30/18:00 愛知県: ell.FITSALL

7月　6日(火) 18:00/19:00 東京都: ＣＬＵＢ　ＱＵＡＴＴＲＯ

チケット料金：スタンディング\3,800
入場時1drink \500別 ※整理番号順のご入場となります。

※年齢制限：小学生以上有料。未就学児童は入場無料
※開場開演時間は、変更になる場合がございます。

≪受付期間≫
2010年3月9日(火)ただいま～2010年3月15日(月)18:00

※締切後の追加・変更は、お受け出来かねますので何卒ご注意ください。

※恐れ入りますが、予定枚数以上のお申し込みがあった場合、
抽選販売とさせて頂きます。予めご了承ください。

ご希望の方は下記の方法でお申し込み下さい。

Filed Under: Japanese Entertainment News

moumoon – Aoi Tsuki to Ambivalence na Ai (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)

January 25, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Another fantastic release from moumoon. Featuring a beautiful ballad including a few upbeat tracks and a medley of their previous released tracks. Definitely worth checking out!

GROUP: moumoon

CD SINGLE: 青い月とアンビバレンスな愛 (Aoi Tsuki to Ambivalence na Ai)

LABEL: avex trax

CATALOG #: AVCD-31722

DURATION: 35:09

RELEASE DATE: November 25, 2009

BUY THIS CD SINGLE from CDJapan.com:

Aoi Tsuki to Ambivalence na Ai

moumoon

or YesAsia.com

青い月とアンビバレンスな愛
Hallelujah
Run, Rachel Run
Medley (2009 Autumn Ver.)
Run, Rachel Run -instrumental-
青い月とアンビバレンスな愛 -instrumental-

moumoon’s latest CD single “Aoi Tsuki to Ambivalence na Ai” (Blue moon and Ambivalence to love) features a new ballad from the duo which consists of vocalist/songwriter YUKA and musician/composer Kousuke Masaki.

The group has managed to capture my attention with their Japanese and English releases and the duo has quickly become my favorite music group from Japan. Partly because they are a group who has the flexibility to showcase their diverse music. May it a rock song, a pop song or a ballad, what you get with each release is quite fresh and different.

With their sixth single, the group returns with a slow ballad since their October 2008 single “more than love” (their third single). “Aoi Tsuki to Ambivalence Ai”, is a beautiful ballad that once again showcases YUKA’s vocals but a beautiful touch of piano, strings and electric guitar. The musical arrangement for this song is just beautiful and I just enjoy how the song starts off nice and slow and builds up to the chorus with strings playing prominently in the background.

The second coupling track “Hallelujah” is the group’s latest English track. In a way, the song seems a little Coldplay-ish but that’s not a bad thing. It’s a pretty cool, upbeat rock song and once again, YUKA sings the song with passion and beauty.

The third track is an English/Japanese track titled “Run, Rachel Run” and an example of a song that showcases their diversity and actually makes me draw comparisons of moumoon with another popular group from the ’90s – My Little Lover. The track is an upbeat rock track with cool beats.

The fourth track is a medley of moumoon songs titled “medley (2009 Autumn Ver.)”. The track features about two minutes from each of the five CD singles they released thus far.

The final two tracks are the instrumental versions of “Run, Rachel Run” and “Aoi Tsuki to Ambivalence na Ai”.

The CD+DVD version is the same in terms of audio tracks but comes with the music video for “Aoi Tsuki to Ambivalence na Ai”, a cool music video which avex trax currently has up on youtube (and shown above). As for the CD insert, the insert features the lyrics for the three tracks and pictures of YUKA and Kousuke. A small flier for Cafe Omachiwabete is included plus promo for upcoming live performances by moumoon.

Overall, “Aoi Tsuki to Ambivalence na Ai” is another fantastic CD single from the duo. You get a good mix of their ballads and upbeat music with this CD single and the fact that you get six tracks is pretty cool. If you are a moumoon fan or curious about their music, this is a single worth checking out, especially since it includes a medley version featuring a sample of their previous releases.

BUY THIS CD SINGLE from CDJapan.com:

Aoi Tsuki to Ambivalence na Ai

moumoon

or YesAsia.com

Filed Under: WORLD GROOVE: MUSIC REVIEWS

moumoon – moumoon (a J!-ENT World Groove Album Review)

November 12, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

moumoon’s first self-titled, full-length album is fantastic! Great vocals, lyrics and musical arrangement. Overall, a well-done album!

Purchase this album:

moumoon [CD+DVD]

moumoon

GROUP: moumoon

ALBUM: moumoon

LABEL: avex trax

CATALOG #: AVCD-23681/B

DURATION: 1:05:40

RELEASE DATE: November 12, 2008

Do you remember?
don’t wanna be
PINKY RING
more than love
フィリア
愛の音
3 days magic
Myself
Cinderella
Stars are bright
Sunrise
SWEET HEART ~acoustic ver.~
Tiny Star
フォーエヴァー

DVD: Region 2, 16:9LB, Duration: 32:49 minutes

SWEET HEART (Music Clip)
Do you remember? (Music Clip)
Tiny Star (Music Clip)
more than love (Music Clip)
A Documentary Film “[Tiny Star] beside FULLMOON” Part 2

In 2004, singer/songwriter YUKA and musician/composer Kousuke Masaki were introduced by a mutual friend. Eventually, the two appreciated each other’s music and in 2005, the two would form the rock unit, moumoon.

The group based their name from the French world “mou” and the English word “moon” which literally translates to “soft moon”. Two words that would describe the two individuals of the group.

YUKA who was born on Dec. 3, 1985 in Tokyo is a big fan of Michelle Branch and Des’ree. Although, known for her vocals, YUKA is actually an accomplished violinist and played for an orchestra. She learned English while living in America where she lived in Michigan and Illinois. Kousuke Masaki was born on June 22nd, 1977 in the Ishikawa Prefecture and is a big fan of The Neptunes and Alanis Morissette. Kousuke is an accomplished musician who grew up learning the piano and at the age of 13, learned to play guitar and at 15, started playing the synthesizer.

The group has managed to capture my attention with their Japanese and English releases and have felt that this band has a good presence to perform outside of Japan based on the releases and live work they have done thus far. In Nov. 2008, the duo released their first self-titled, full-length album with lyrics written by YUKA and music by K. Masaki.

The album kicks off with the duo’s first single “Do you remember?”. A song that I just absolutely loved when it was first released and whether in Japanese or in English, the song features a wonderful, whimsical melody and beautiful vocals.

The second track “don’t wanna be” is a mid-tempo rock track that has a pretty cool chorus. The song revolves around not wanting to be part of a group…not wanting to be ordinary, preppy or the smartest one.

The third track “PINKY RING” is a beautiful rock ballad and features a hybrid Japanese and English track and is a song about after a breakup and how a relationship could have gone strong but it’s too late.

The fourth track “more than love” is the third single from moumoon. A more pop-driven ballad but another wonderful track that I have listened to over and over because it’s so beautiful. Great vocals from YUKA!

The fifth track “Philia”. In this song, YUKA writes about a friend she met in 1985 named Philia who told her to stand up to the crazy world and how that voice and those words stayed with her since.

The sixth track “Ai no Oto” (sound of love) is a slow, piano-driven ballad that is gentle and beautiful. The lyrics are well-written and poetic. A song about not being with the person you once loved during the Winter.

The seventh track “3 days magic” is a more pop driven track and is another hybrid Japanese and English track. Featuring more English lyrics and an experimental track as it’s more synth-based and a touch of vocoder for YUKA’s vocals.

The eighth track “Myself” is a slow, acoustic guitar driven ballad. Nearly an all English track, a track that showcases the band’s ability to play English tracks (and it helps that YUKA is quite perfect with her pronunciations), so the song comes along quite well and a more positive track about wanting to be a better person.

The ninth track “Cinderella” is an upbeat track with a nice touch of strings to the background. The tenth track “Stars are bright” is a happy, acoustic guitar track driven, pop track. The eleventh track “Sunrise” features an elegant mid-tempo pop track with a good touch of piano and strings in the background.

The 12th track “SWEET HEART ~acoustic ver.~ is a hybrid English/Japanese track that is just awesome. The original song was from their 2007 Indies release but it was great to hear an acoustic version of the song included on this album.

The 13th track “Tiny Star” is the duo’s second single. Their second CD single “Tiny Star” features a mid-tempo rock ballad that really reminded me of music by SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER. YUKA has beautiful, sweet vocals and I was very impressed with her vocals. I was immediately won over by the unique balance with her vocals and the acoustic guitar and as it transitions to a rock ballad. Well done!

The 14th and final track is “Forever” and is a rock track. A pretty cool track and how YUKA is able to hum along to the song ala “Cranberries” style. But a pretty solid track on the album.

As for the DVD portion of the album, the DVD kicks off with an intro from both members of moumoon who provide insight on the making of each video featured on the DVD.

The first music video featured is “Sweet Heart”which was the duo’s first music video before they were signed with Avex and features two mannequins in front of a store which become real and showcase the duo performing in front of a shop window. The video is directed by Yusuke Tanaka.

The second music video “Do you remember?” and utilizes stop motion when showcasing YUKA and Kousuke Masaki but also showcasing an artistic sense with the animation portion of the video. The music video is directed by Ryosuke Yamaguchi of (Lyric-GL) and Naoya Miyazaki (of aterlier mo) and features motion graphics by Unno Yuuki.

The third music is for “Tiny Star”. But the music video features the a woman who is moving out of her apartment (or dorm) and remembers the good times she shared with her friends and discovers a photo of her and her friends together and starts tearing. Meanwhile, during the moumoon portions of the music video, we see the two going through the room and performing. The video is directed by Daisuke Shimada.

The fourth music video is for “more than love”. A pretty cool video as moumoon are performing inside a house and we see a girl at a hospital looking at a person she loves who seems to have gotten hurt and is injured and she waits by his side. Then you see clips of the girlfriend and her boyfriend in the past as he is recording video of her and the girl carries his video camera and realizing how much she loves him. The video is directed by Daisuke Shimada (of Qotori film) and is the deepest music video for the duo yet.

The final clip titled “A Documentary Film ‘[Tiny Star] beside FULLMOON’ Part 2″ features the duo and musicians recording in the studio and behind-the-scenes footage of them rehearsing for their live concert and clips of the duo performing live in concert.

As for the CD insert, the booklet contains the lyrics and production credits. Also, photos of the duo. Also include is a promotional flier promoting their first concert tour and their upcoming single “Evergreen”.

Overall, moumoon is the first Japanese female/male music group since My Little Lover that has captured my attention through their lyrics, musical arrangement and just their ability to experiment with various musical styles. YUKA is able to bring a special kind of style to the duo’s music and she has her own style but she can easily transition to this almost Avril Lavigne style as well. But for the most part, her vocals are angelic, elegant and just beautiful and it matches up with her songwriting ability. Meanwhile, K. Masaki shows his strengths as a musician and producer who is able to take on various musical styles and similar to My Little Lover’s T. Kobayashi, able to really produce beautiful music.

The first album from moumoon is fantastic and for those who have been curious about their music will definitely want to pick this album up. Just make sure you get the CD+DVD version because the DVD comes with the music videos and content that is worth watching. Highly recommended

Purchase this album:

moumoon [CD+DVD]

moumoon

Filed Under: WORLD GROOVE: MUSIC REVIEWS

moumoon – more than love (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)

October 17, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

“A wonderful slow jam by moumoon! A more pop-driven single but definitely a solid effort. The DVD features the music video plus the making of the music video and also a behind-the-scenes look of the duo and band preparing for their concert.”

GROUP: moumoon

CD SINGLE: more than love

LABEL: avex trax

CATALOG #: AVCD-31487/B

DURATION: 20:52

RELEASE DATE: October 15, 2008

BUY THIS CD SINGLE:

More Than Love [CD+DVD / Jacket A]

moumoon

more than love
follow me
Tiny Star ~English Ver.~
more than love ~instrumental~
follow me ~instrumental~

DVD: Region 2, Duration: 14:09 minutes, 4:3

more than love – MUSIC CLIP
A Documentary Film “[Tiny Star] beside FULLMOON” Part 1
more than love music clip off shot

The group released their third single “more than love” back in in October 2008 and the single would be a solid, romantic slow ballad for the duo.

The first track on the single “more than love” is a slow love ballad and also a track that is a pop track with its deep percussion along with Kousuke’s acoustic guitar and lovely vocals by YUKA. Again, another song well written by YUKA and details the feeling of being in love with someone and that the feeling they have is more than love. Just a beautiful ballad!

The second track “follow me” is another pop track with a deep beat with a beautiful piano arrangement by Kousuke that plays in the background. YUKA writes about a person wanting to be what they want to be and asking the person to follow them.

Continuing the trend that the band has done with previous singles, the group has an English version of their previous single. “Tiny Star” is actually a well-written song in which YUKA writes about searching for something in her life but not knowing what it is yet. Literally a feeling of looking at the tiny star in the sky and one thinking about the thoughts in their mind and missing things that precious once they are gone.

The remaining two tracks are the instrumental versions of the first two tracks on the single.

As for the DVD, the DVD features the music video for “more than love”. A pretty cool video as moumoon are performing inside a house and we see a girl at a hospital looking at a person she loves who seems to have gotten hurt and is injured and she waits by his side. Then you see clips of the girlfriend and her boyfriend in the past as he is recording video of her and the girl carries his video camera and realizing how much she loves him. The video is directed by Daisuke Shimada (of Qotori film) and is the deepest music video for the duo yet.

The second track on the DVD features “A Documentary Film “[Tiny Star] beside FULLMOON” Part 1″ and features the group rehearsing their concert at Astro Hall and preparing for their live concert.

The third track on the DVD features the making of the music video for “more than love” and a comment by both members of moumoon.

As for the CD insert, the insert features the lyrics to the songs and the production credits. Also, pictures of the duo and a flier with information on the duo’s first tour to promote their album.

Overall, the duo continues their streak of wonderfully made music. “more than love” is just an impressive ballad featuring beautiful vocals, songwriting and music. This single is more pop driven than their previous two singles but by no means is it bad. It’s actually a pretty solid single with a beautiful ballad that I just enjoy listening to over and over! For fans of moumoon, this single via CD+DVD is highly recommended!

BUY THIS CD SINGLE:

More Than Love [CD+DVD / Jacket A]

moumoon

Filed Under: WORLD GROOVE: MUSIC REVIEWS

moumoon – Do you remember? (A J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)

October 17, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

“The first major label single from the duo known as moumoon. ‘Do you remember?’ is a beautiful and powerful ballad showcasing YUKA’s vocals and songwriting and also Kousuke Masaki’s music. Overall, a solid debut!”

GROUP: moumoon

CD SINGLE: Do you remember?

LABEL: avex trax

CATALOG #: AVCD-31344/B

DURATION: 23:27

RELEASE DATE: December 5, 2006

BUY THIS CD SINGLE:

Do you remember? [CD+DVD]

moumoon

Do you remember?
looking for myself
Flowers [English ver.]
Do you remember? [instrumental]
looking for myself [instrumental]

DVD: Region 2, Duration: 5:11 minutes, 4:3

Do you remember? – MUSIC CLIP

The group released their first single “Do you remember?” back in in Dec. 2007 and what a wonderful single to start off with.

The single kicks off with the title track “Do you remember?”, a lovely rock ballad showcasing Kousuke Masaki’s arrangements but also showcasing YUKA’s lyrics and wonderful songwriting. The song was featured as a theme for the TBS drama “Koisuru Hanikami” and also the ending theme for TBS’s “Muchyaberi!”. The song details is a classic love song and remembering how much you love that person from the first day up to the present time. Overall, a wonderful track!

The second track “looking for myself” is a happy rock track which was used as a CM song for “Jog Atom”. The song is literally what the title track is about. About discovering oneself and what one believes in.

The third track “Flowers -English ver.-” is the English version of the duo’s first Indie single released back in July 2006. The song is about breaking up with someone and realizing too late that you really do love that person. The title track “Flowers” is about remembering the flowers one received and how it’s still in that person’s heart.

The remaining tracks are the instrumental tracks for the first two songs.

The DVD features the music clip for “Do you remember?” and utilizes stop motion when showcasing YUKA and Kousuke Masaki but also showcasing an artistic sense with the animation portion of the video. The music video is directed by Ryosuke Yamaguchi of (Lyric-GL) and Naoya Miyazaki (of aterlier mo) and features motion graphics by Unno Yuuki.

As for the CD insert, the insert features the lyrics to the songs and production credits.

Overall, this single is pretty awesome. It’s the song that drew me to the moumoon’s music and made me a fan. A solid CD single and for fans of moumoon, definitely a single worth having in their music collection. For fans of “Do you remember?”, also check out their second single “Tiny Star” as it features the band’s awesome English version of the song.

BUY THIS CD SINGLE:

Do you remember? [CD+DVD]

moumoon

Filed Under: WORLD GROOVE: MUSIC REVIEWS