7 J-pop Songs from My Childhood! ♪

 

If you've been reading my blog for a long, long time and read some of my older entries, you'd know that I was officially sucked into the J-pop black hole after being introduced to Buono!, Berryz Koubou, and Hey! Say! JUMP around maybe.. 2010-2011. It has been seven years now and I'm still in that black hole. /whacked; However, actually, I've been exposed to J-pop before due to me watching animes when I was a kid (around when I was maybe from seven to ten years-old). And I remember loving this song so much and it gives so much nostalgia. So today, I'm gonna share with you 7 J-pop songs form my childhood! Whoo~ ♪

Just letting you all know first that this songs are not in order whatsoever. Also, you might notice a trend that a lot of songs in this list are from the Detective Conan series. It's an anime that very popular in Vietnam (still is). Back then, I absolutely Detective Conan and I still do. It's still my most favorite anime/manga and it never bores me at all. I'm just putting that out there first. /whacked;

TRACK ONE ► TIME AFTER TIME ～花舞う街で～

This song was featured as the ending theme for the seventh Detective Conan movie, Meikyuu no Crossroad. Honest to God, this is my most favorite song from Kuraki Mai. In all truth, this was the first real Japanese song that I have loved and the first real Japanese song I ever listened to. It's been years honestly since I first listen to it and I still love it more and more. It's such a pretty ballad and for me, it's a very relaxing song. And I don't want to forget that orchestra version of it- oh my god, that classical version was a blessing and made the song even more better than before. I'm actually listening to the song now as I'm writing the entry.

TRACK TWO  ►MYSTERIOUS

There are about forty-four openings in the entire Detective Conan series as of yet, and there's a lot more songs when it comes to the endings and the movies. Hands-down, my most favorite opening theme that series has ever put out there is Naifu's Mysterious. When the opening first started playing, I was completely in love. For every single episode that song was the opening, I never skipped it. I usually skip openings but for this one? Nope, never. It's catchy, cool. It's not the best rock song out there but this song really suited the series very well during that time. If I recall correctly, we had some really intense episodes around that period. I will forever be bitter that this opening only lasted for five episodes.

TRACK THREE ► 謎

I love the original by Komatsu Miho and the kinda new revamped version by La Pompon (who also covered Unmei no Roulette Mawashite by which was originally by ZARD and is the fourth opening of the series). From my general observation, this song is an absolute classic in the fandom. Almost everyone that I talked to knows the song. Nazo is also another very nostalgic song and it was great hearing it again by La Pompon who did a pretty damn good job. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. When I first started watching Detective Conan, the first episodes I watch had this opening and I thought really catchy. (Note: I didn't start watching it back in the nineties. I started watching the series years afterwards and started from the earlier episodes which had this opening).

TRACK FOUR ► EVERY HEART -ミンナノキモチ-

I can guarantee that almost every single fan that watched Inuyasha would know this song, or almost every general anime fan would know this song. This song is such a general classic. I also like to believe that this is the most well-known J-pop (okay, maybe not J-pop. Anime, there we go) song that BoA has ever released in her entire career aside from Meri Kuri. I cannot express how many times I've heard this song during my childhood. My cousins, who back then used to like anime, would play this song a lot. You can start playing the song and I guarantee that I can sing almost every single lyrics perfectly. I know this song by heart.

TRACK FIVE ► AS THE DEW

GARNET CROW released some hella nice songs for the series. Out of all the songs that were created for the series by them, As the Dew has to be my most favorite. In fact, it's my most favorite song from the band. Naifu's song may be my most favorite opening from the series by this song comes really close as second. This is another opening which I find to be really great, and one that I still continuously love. Compared to Naifu's song, I feel like As the Dew is another opening which really complements the series in a different way. The overall vibe of the song that I felt was very unique as it captures the more serious/solemn, mysterious feel of the series. The vocals and the keyboards really help emphasize that tone in the song.

TRACK SIX ► 涙のイエスタデー

Oh my god, the cover art for the single looks so old like it was released in the late nineties or early 2000's. However, really, this song was released in 2007. In addition, from my own observation, this one of their more popular videos when I went to check their channel. This was the first song I heard from GARNET CROW when I was younger and still remains one of my favorite tracks from them. For me, this feels like a very mellow song that's really great for summer. It's one of those kind of songs I listen to while just relaxing. As the Dew is still a better song yet that doesn't mean I love Namida no Yesterday any less.

TRACK SEVEN ► KISS! KISS! KISS!

Last but not least, let me share with you the song that was at the end of my childhood and was the spark that slowly made me listen to more J-pop, and eventually falling into the black hole of no return. It is Buono!'s very own Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!. This was the first song that really introduced me into J-pop idol culture and I was completely mesmerized. I loved how colorful and happy the entire video was. In addition, the members were just really cute and for a good few years- I aspired to even look cute like them. It's not my most favorite song from the group as of now; however, it's still pretty special for me since this kinda seriously started it all for me.

So those were 7 J-pop songs from my childhood~ You could tell that all the tracks were anime songs but this really help fuel that interest in Japanese music for me. So now it's your turn! I would like to know what were the first J-pop songs that you ever listened to! Let me know in the comments, I would like to read all of your responses!

Until my next post, jyaa ne~