Yuki Kashiwagi – Shortcake (Type-A) (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)

1. ショートケーキ
2. それでも泣かない
3. 桜の木になろう Acoustic Ver.
4. ショートケーキ (Instrumental)
5. それでも泣かない (Instrumental)
6. 桜の木になろう Acoustic Ver. (Instrumental)

DVD INFO: 16:9LB, Region 2, Duration: 32:01

1. ショートケーキ music video
2. 柏木由紀の鹿児島くる!?

In Japan, AKB48 member Yuki “Yukirin” Kashiwagi is one of the more popular and highly ranked members of the group.

A member of AKB48 and the side-group French Kiss, Kashiwagi has had solo songs featured on the French Kiss CD singles and also has performed solo acts, had her own concert DVD (1st Solo Live – Netemo Sametemo Yukirin World)  and even has her own drama series on television titled “Mierino”.  But what she hasn’t had is her own official solo single until now.

Avex gave Kashiwagi her own label titled “YukiRing” and on February 6th, Kashiwagi debuted with “Shortcake” which debuted at #2 on the Oricon charts and also sold over a 104,000 copies its first week, which is an amazing success for an AKB48 solo artist or any music artist in today’s Japanese music industry.

On release day, there were a total of four versions of “Shortcake” released.  The first three types were released as limited and regular editions (CD+DVD with each type having different content while regular and limited editions featured a different cover and came with handshake tickets and/or photos) and a theater edition with no DVD.

The version I will be reviewing is the Type-A version of “Shortcake” which features Yuki Kashiwagi looking directly at the camera with a pink bow.  The bi-fold features lyrics for the three tracks on one side, while the other side features the main CD cover and production credits.  A flyer for “Mielino Kashiwagi” DVD-Box and Blu-ray Box are included.

The first track is “Shortcake” which features a sweet ballad that is about two people who grew up together as children and one reminiscing about how they would argue about who would get the strawberries on the shortcake and would go to school angry and not speaking to each other.  But as the two grew older, what was a friendship as childhood friends grew to love.  And now as a couple, whenever she felt down, her boyfriend would come and bring her a shortcake to make her happy.  And also giving all the strawberries just for her.  And now she feels happy that she can say the words “I love you”.

The second track on the single is “Soredemo nakanai” (which translates to “Even So, I Won’t Cry”), a sad ballad which features Yukirin singing along with a piano and light percussion.    The song is about a girl who is sad when she turns on her computer and sees photos of her boyfriend.  Sad because she feels anxiety when she’s not around her boyfriend.  Bu no matter how sad she is, she won’t cry, because she is happy to be in love with him.  She realizes how much she loves the guy but knows that love is a strange thing, but not matter what, no matter how sad she is not to be with the guy at that moment, she won’t cry, because she’s happy to be in love.

The third exclusive single on Type-A is an acoustic version of the AKB48 20th CD single “Sakura no ki ni narou” and features the acoustic guitar playing of Kotaro Oshio.  I have always loved this song and a track that can be interpreted in several ways. But with the lyrics, I tend to see it as a song about a departed parent or friend in spirit, who has seen their friend or child graduate and grow older.  Remembering the past when the departed was with the person in their school uniform, graduation.  But that spirit now has a cherry blossom tree in their place (note: In Japan, sometimes to celebrate one’s life of departed love one, a tree is planted) and in the context of this song,  a cherry blossom tree is put into the place as a memory of that departed one.  And that spirit which is now the sakura tree hopes that person will come back to the area to visit them and that even if the petals will fall, the branches will be extending out like arms.  And no matter what happens, if one is trouble, that eternal cherry blossom tree will always be there.

The acoustic solo version gives a different feel compared to the original, but what a lovely version sung by Yukirin!

As for the next three songs on the CD, they are the instrumental tracks of the first three songs.

As for the accompanying DVD, the first music video is for “Shortcake” and features Yukirin performing on a stage with a beautiful and creative set and as she sings her song, pictures of couples are seen through window frames.  A beautiful first solo music video for Yuki.

The second video track features “Come to My Kagoshima” (around 27-minutes long) in which Yukirin returns back home to Kagoshima and visits Yamakataya Shopping Plaza.  Where she goes shopping, drinking ice cold lamune and visiting  teachers from her past, riding a ferris wheel and playing the trombone and drums at a music shop.  Also, joining her old classmates and her teacher for dinner.

It’s important to note that this is a region 2 DVD and will not play on a region 1 player (unless you have a non-region DVD player) but can be played on a MAC or PC using free video playing software such as VLC or Daum PotPlayer.

Overall, Yukirin’s first solo single is a pretty awesome.  Her first single and Type-A is ballad driven but I’m happy to see another video of Yuki going back home to visit her friends (the last time she did this, it was featured on “Documentary of AKB48 – to be continued”) but also getting a chance to see her visit various areas in her city.  Also, I was happy to see an acoustic version of “Sakura no ki ni narou” included with the Type-A release.

If you are a fan of Yuki Kashiwagi, I’m sure that you’ll probably buy all three CD+DVD types for the additional DVD content.  But if you need to choose one, I recommend Type-A for her solo version of “Sakura no Ki ni narou” and the video featuring her return back home to Kagoshima.

Recommended!

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