Seara Ko-jo – Kimi to Nara Zekkocho (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)

June 6, 2009 by Dennis Amith 

“Seara Ko-jo gets a new look, a more pop/rock push and overall, a solid effort since her RIVAL competition.”

ARTIST: Seara Ko-jo (光上せあら)

CD SINGLE: Kimi to Nara Zekkocho (君となら絶好調)

LABEL: avex trax

CATALOG #: AVCD-31544

DURATION: 19:24

RELEASE DATE: February 4, 2009

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1. 君となら絶好調
2. teens
3. 君となら絶好調 (Instrumental)
4. teens (Instrumental)

Seara Ko-jo is an artist in development with avex trax.  Having graduated from Avex Artists Academy, in 2007, both Seara Ko-jo and her classmate Shion Miyawaki were then put into a competition of who would generate the largest sale for the CD single “JOY” (Miyawaki’s CD single was “BOY”, essentially the same song but with a different arrangement).

Needless to say that both girls had went their own direction and Seara was signed to the avex trax label with her second CD single and all new look and musical style.  Seara Ko-jo with her tanned skin and her Ayumi Hamasaki style made her a pop star.

This time around, Seara has been repackaged as a music artist and is now musically sporting a pop rock style.   I have to personally say that the development of this artist since 2007 has greatly improved as it is quite noticeable in her vocal delivery and the overall music presentation.  I feel that this music fits her and distinguishes her than being another face in the crowd of an already flooded J-Pop female solo genre in the Japanese music industry.

For this CD single, Seara has written the lyrics for both tracks and the music is by HIKARI.

The first song “Kimi to Nara Zekkocho” (which translates to “If you’re in the best condition”) features a pretty rockin’ track with arrangement by Hiroto Suzuki and is the theme for the Nintendo DS video game “Destiny Links” from Bandai Namco (Rel. Feb. 2009).  The song is quite catchy and if anything, I was really impressed by her vocal delivery this time around and I have to admit that I really dig the vocals and the music for this track.

The second song is “teens” featuring an all out musical presentation by HIKARI and is a slow ballad.   This song is also impressive because it breaks away from “Kimi to Nara Zekkocho” and shows off Seara’s vocal range.  A very solid coupling song that probably could have been offered as a Double A-Side Single.

The last remaining two tracks are the instrumental version of her first two vocal tracks.

The CD insert features a four-fold with Seara on one side and artwork promoting her rock music and the other side featuring the lyrics and production credits for the song.  Also, a picture if her sneakers (Not exactly product placement in a CD single insert but she has the words written “I gotta rock with sneaker!”).

I will be truthful, when the RIVAL project began with Seara and Shion Miyawaki, I was a bit skeptical if I would see these two artists again.  There are way too many female solo pop artists in Japan and I felt that the opportunity for another artist who may not get the marketing she deserves could mean another artist lost in the shuffle.

I believe that with Seara Ko-jo moving from the Rhythm Zone label to avex trax was a smart move but importantly focusing her music on rock but also giving her the ability to expand to different types of musical genres in an Ai Otsuka type of way.  For her first major CD single (her second overall and a single not tied to a competition),”Kimi to Nara Zekkocho” receives the major plug with its video game tie-in with the Nintendo DS video game “Destiny Links”.

Overall, a solid single and it will be interesting to see how development and future releases go for Seara.

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