Iwasa Misaki: Denny cannot “Let it go … Let it go …”

Iwasa Misaki: “Let it go … ” She’s not talking about ME is she?

Listen on “SoundCloud” here:

I was playing this Japanese version of the Disney song “Let It Go” from the movie “Frozen”.  My son comes running over to the computer and goes “NOOOOOO!!!!” . I guess in his 5^th grade class all the girls love the original song, and they sing it all the time – much to his annoyance. (Recall how annoying 10-year old girls are to a 10-year old boy?)

“Oh Mr. Sinnoh … You CRACK ME UP !!!”

The boy might be sick of hearing it, but I could never get enough of the great Iwasa Misaki’s Japanese language version. The song is a “B” side of her new CD. Yes, I have already ordered this CD+DVD from Japan. There is not a music video of the “Let It Go” song, but please enjoy this YouTube posting.

Iwasa Misaki (岩佐 美咲)

Let it Go  ありのままで

(Enka version)

Special thanks to YouTube user: Shilluba Staniecki

Starlight: Amazon says my CD-DVD should arrive by May 16th.

Hanako Oku, Christmas “Buds” and Not a Coke Bottle in Sight …

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Not a Coke bottle in sight?

Well, maybe these two I would want for Christmas. Everyone is familiar with those Coca Cola “polar bear”ads.  However, for the Christmas polar bear in my video I will share today, there will be no evidence of the Coca Cola company.

All Hanako Oku fans are familiar with this little Christmas cartoon from a few years ago: Koi Tsubomi (“Love Bud”).  No, not that kind of bud … don’t you dare bring the Anheuser-Busch company in either.   The “bud” in this case is a “flower bud of love” which must winter over, but will assuridly bloom in spring.

I don’t have a clue as to how much input Hanako Oku had in making this cute little video about a piano-playing little girl and her polar bear. The version of Koi Tsubomi used here is shorter in length version than the one on her 2006 album Yasashii Hana no Saku Basho (やさしい花の咲く場所) “The Place Where The Gentle Flowers Grow”.  Her full song is linked here.

Whoever made the cartoon, I wish that they would make more like this!  I know the lyrics are translated from the original Japanese lyrics, but this line especially goes through me.

“Thinking of you, I’ll continue to hold my fleeting dreams in my heart” 

I am NOT crying! I have just had a little bit of a cold lately, and still have the sniffles.

This is one of the most interesting parts in the video: The Polar Bear — who is no longer walking upright like a person, but is now on all-fours like a real bear — is missing the little girl he loves, and then he lets out a howl.  The sound of his lonely cry creates a shock wave, which breaks off a piece of a  nearby iceberg.  The iceberg calves off, splashing into the ocean. I love that moment.

Calving: or “glacial calving” is the breaking off of chunks of ice at the edge of a glacier. This form of ice ablation is often accompanied by a loud cracking or booming sound.

See, I’m all better now.

 

 

“Kokoro no Placard”: I will not feel so all alone — only because of this Chibi version!

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I LOVE THIS!

Until now, I never liked the AKB48 single “Kokoro no Placard” all that much, for reasons which I hope are understandable. (A fan posted the original AKB48 version on YouTube  linked here.)

Thing 1: I am not a fan of all this “hash tagging” these days.  Hash Tagging: It sounds like something from the movie “Midnight Express”.  I don’t get it.

Thing 2:  I was TRYING to follow the tune.  The more I tried to follow it, the more it started to sound like that Bob Dylan song about “Everybody Must Get Stoned” linked here.

Thing 3: Most importantly, I CANNOT READ THE SIGNS.  I cannot read Japanese, so it is all lost on me.  Everyone else is singing, dancing and having fun with those placards … EXCEPT ME.  It is such a happy song, but I feel so left out.  I cannot understand the words either, but I did catch something that sounded like “Cinco de Mayo” … Huh?  I feel just like the English translation of “Kokoro no Placard” … WHAT’S SO AMUSING???

My heart’s placard
I’ll try holding it up
With my true feelings
On display…
If I can’t put it into words
I can write it down instead
The thing I want to convey
The thing I want to say
Please notice my placard

Full lyrics are linked from Studio 48 here

http://stage48.net/studio48/kokoronoplacard.html

Although I was not hot for the original AKB48 video, I LOVE this Chibi version!  It is a lot of fun.  I love the adorable Chibi-versions of the AKB girls.  The Chibi-AKB girls are wearing some of their famous outfits from other music videos. I would also say that the Chibi-versions are still recognizable as the real idols! Acchan makes an appearance at the Tokyo Dome! … and did you see Sayaka Yamamoto on the guitar (Time 1:14)? Maybe that squeaky, quirky singing works better for cartoons (sorry girls).

Just kidding. You ladies go ahead and make great Jpop song and dance. I’m not Japanese.  You make your videos the way you want to, even if I cannot understand it.

I’m just an aging, burned-out American kung-fu retro new-wave hippie punk hipster wannabe poser.

Gonna just hang out with the “Rainy Day Women” today.