Put 'em up.
Written: May 04 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Two of Chihiro's best works to date. arashi ga oka is truly beautiful.
Cons: ... Um, no.
The Bottom Line: Although the single's likely out-of-print and thus, hard-to-find, two of Onitsuka's greatest works are contained herein. Listen!
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| shimatani87's Full Review: Beautiful Fighter - Chihiro Onitsuka Movies |
Chihiro Onitsuka's certainly had a tumultous career, but she's still managed to make some of Japanese pop's most beautiful and interesting music nonetheless. After the surprisingly-uplifting turn she took on Sign, we get a slightly louder, more country/rock-ified Chihiro on this second of her post Sugar High singles.
Beautiful Fighter contains hints of both the aforementioned country and rock vibes, switching back-and-forth between the two. The country's present moreso in the verses, which feature drums and "pluck-y" electric and acoustic guitar as more of a backdrop to Onitsuka's uniquely-toned, expressive vocal, which she uses to its utmost potential here, emoting the heck out of her strange and quirky lyrics; on the other hand, the rock mindset roars in during the chorus, as the guitars seemingly multiply their numbers and amplify their volume as the drums pound, creating a soundscape which Chihiro easily conquers, a hint of rawness creeping into her voice during some notes (a foreshadowing to the turn she'd take on Sodatsu Zassou, perhaps?). Interesting combination, great song.
Oh, and we can't forget that awesome electric guitar solo in the bridge. It, for lack of a better and less cliché term, rocks.
In contrast, the coupling-with track, arashi ga oka ("Stormy Hill", although I've also seen "Wuthering Heights"), takes the rock edge and runs with it, adding in a bit of Celtic flavor just for good measure. An extremely-atmospheric track led by electric and acoustic guitar, drums, ghostly backup (at times), and that Celtic-influenced flute/recorder (during the chorus), the song features an emotionally-charged performance from Playwright!Chihiro, envisioning her heroine "looking lonesomely down on a town from the summit of a hill" (the opening guitar riffs, Onitsuka's subdued performance during the verses), and "[the heroine who turned into a monster] being driven out of town" (the sadness/angst-filled, raw performance that drives the chorus). This, by far, is one of Onitsuka's best songs, if not her grandest work.
(Descriptions were borrowed from Folia at http://frozen-call.rdy.jp/index.html.)
The piano has always been a staple of Chihiro Onitsuka's music, but on this single, she proves that she can make beautiful, emotional, and affecting tracks even without her "signature" instrument. In a world where most "formulaic" musicians falter and fade after some time, Onitsuka has managed to make some of the best music to grace the Japanese pop scene. Here's to a healthy life and a long-lived career (once, and if, she returns from her sabbatical) for this talented young woman.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
shimatani87
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Member: Zach Jones
Location: Urbana, IL
Reviews written: 117
Trusted by: 17 members
About Me:
St. Louis-bound graduate student with a passion for pop.
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