Beyond the Sea

SINGLE REVIEW
Ai Otsuka - Rocket Sneaker / One×Time

1. Rocket Sneaker
2. One×Time
3. Sora to Kujira
4. Rocket Sneaker (Instrumental)
5. One×Time (Instrumental)

This is Ai Otsuka’s 17th single and it was released on May 21, 2008. This single reached #4 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 42,152 copies. The first track was used as the ending theme song for the drama Sanma no Manma.

I liked how Rocket Sneaker was a new approach to Ai Otsuka’s upbeat songs. The song is not too crazy or laid back, it’s just right and it works brilliantly. The music has a whimsical, yet assertive sound through its mixture of fast paced piano chords and electric guitar riffs. The same goes for the Otsuka’s fun vocals. For me, this was the best song on the single and a nice improvement over the songs from her previous single Pocket.

The second A-side is like a more mellow version of Rocket Sneaker. One×Time shares similar qualities, including a fluffy arrangement, but it is stronger when it comes to the strings and acoustics. In the end, this song compliments the previous track quite well.

The coupling track, Sora to Kujira, starts off boring and I didn’t find it all that interesting until the end. It’s a simple acoustic guitar song that eventually picks up with drums and electric riffs, but Otsuka has done better. The second half of the song makes up for the boring first half, but that’s not enough to save it.

Overall Rating

4 stars

SINGLE REVIEW
Ai Otsuka - Pocket

1. Pocket
2. Ticket
3. LIFE - LOVE CiRCLE
4. Pocket (Instrumental)
5. Ticket (Instrumental)

This is Ai Otsuka 16th single and it was released on November 7, 2007. This single reached #5 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 61,003 copies.

Pocket is a pleasant piano and string based ballad, but it’s a little on the ordinary side when it comes to the verses and its introduction. However, the song really begins to shine when the chorus arrives and electric guitar chords kick in along with Ai Otsuka’s elevating vocals. She really does give an exceptional performance in the song and it is evident since there are no backing vocals at all.

The next track is an upbeat and cheery track that still maintains a calm atmosphere. Ticket also uses strings and the electric guitar, but in a more uplifting fashion. It’s at the same level as the A-side in terms of quality, if not better.

Track 3 is…trange. LIFE - LOVE CiRCLE is Ai Otsuka’s first song to feature lyrics that are almost entirely in English. With the exception of the maru ai (”love circle”) line, you’ve pretty much got an English song right here. The music is your typical rockish type of song and it sounds similar to her summer hit PEACH. The lyrics are pretty repetitive as she repeats phrases over and over in cute, but heavily accented English. At least she tried, and it’s not all that bad to be perfectly honest.

Overall Rating 

3½ stars

ALBUM REVIEW
Ai Otsuka - LOVE PiECE

1. Mirai Taxi
2. Yumekui *
3. Mackerel’s canned food
4. PEACH *
5. Kumuri Uta
6. Hoshi no Tango
7. Katori Senkou
8. Frienger *
9. CHU-LIP *
10. HEART *
11. Renai Shashin *

♦

Note: Songs with a (*) at the end of their titles have already been reviewed. Click on the links to see their reviews.
Songs in bold are new tracks and will be reviewed.

♦ ♦ ♦

This is Ai Otsuka’s 4th album and it was released on September 26, 2007. This album reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 373,382 copies.

The very energetic Mirai Taxi opens the album with a nice synth line. The song also has a nice rockish sound to it that blends in very well. The chorus features distorted vocals followed by Ai Otsuka’s unaffected vocals.

Yumekui follows right after and features an even stronger rock sound with more progressive chords. Otsuka’s vocals actually compliment this song really well, especially during the chorus.

The next track, Mackerel’s canned food, is a more cheerful song. It’s very upbeat with a steady percussion beat and Otsuka’s vocals are very playful throughout the entire song. The chorus is a little on the silly side with its lyrics, but it’s very catchy.

Track 4 is PEACH, a song that has grown on me a considerable amount since it was released as a single. I think the chorus is very infectious and the best part of the song. Otsuka’s vocals don’t sound as good like in the previous tracks though. 

The album slows down and takes on a somber tone with the next track, Kumuri Uta. It opens with gentle vocals and acoustic guitar followed by some piano. The chorus is just plain gorgeous and it really shows that ballads are Otsuka’s strongest asset.

I absolutely loved Hoshi no Tango. It’s an extremely pretty mid tempo song with relaxing piano and acoustic guitar chords. Otsuka’s vocals are at their best as well. The only gripe that I have about this song is its length. Being under 3 minutes, it’s way too short for this exceptional track.

All I have to say about the next track is HOLY CRAP. Katori Senkou takes the “crazy Ai Otsuka song” to a new extreme with its mindless KA KA KA KA chorus and grungy vocal sytle from Otsuka. The screeching electric guitars are awesome and add to the already present insanity of the song. In the end I LOVED IT since I have always been a fan of Otsuka’s “drug induced” songs, or whatever you want to call them.

I loved how the ending of Katori Senkou flowed right into the opening riffs of Frienger. Despite being the oldest track on the album, I have always enjoyed it and it still sounds fresh to my ears.

Continuing the album’s trend of overly upbeat songs is CHU-LIP. This song has a stronger brass arrangement and along with a catchy chorus and quirky vocals, it’s another high quality track.

HEART is a wonderful, relaxing song that just flows with style and precision. The gentle electric guitar chords and beats are great and Otsuka’s vocals are just radiant.

I thought Renai Shashin was the perfect way to end the album because it’s such a heartfelt song. The lyrics are sincere even though they’re constantly repeated (in the chorus at least), and the music is very nice. The light beats together with the sweeping strings and piano make for one extremely pretty pop ballad.

LOVE PiECE is definitely Ai Otsuka’s most mature album to date. Unlike her past works, this album flows extremely well from beginning to end and each track compliments the one that followed it. I also thought there wasn’t a single bad song on the album as well, something that her last album LOVE COOK didn’t accomplish. In conclusion, LOVE PiECE is definitely an enjoyable listen that mixes her fun, upbeat tracks and her signature love ballads all in one very neat and solid package.

Overall Rating

5 stars

SINGLE REVIEW
Ai Otsuka - PEACH / HEART

1. PEACH
2. HEART
3. Renai Shashin -Haru-
4. PEACH (Instrumental)
5. HEART (Instrumental)

This is Ai Otsuka’s 15th single and it was released on July 25, 2007. This single reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 168,904 copies. The first track was used as the theme song for the drama Hanazakari no Kimitachi e ~Ikemen♂Paradise~.

There has definitely been a more mature sound in Ai Otsuka’s songs lately and it is really evident with the two A-sides on this single. PEACH is a very fun song that never verges into overly cutesy pop territory. The electric guitars are great and they really compliment the upbeat summer sound of the song. The only part of the song that bugged me was the bridge because Otsuka’s vocals got a little out of control.

I was really surprised with the other A-side, HEART. It’s a wonderful mid-tempo track that has a catchy chorus. The song also features the best vocals I have heard from Otsuka in a long time. I liked this song more than PEACH by a steep margin.

I absolutely loved the new version of Renai Shashin on the single. The haru or ’spring’ version of the song focuses more on the piano arrangement of the original and it adds stronger orchestral strings as well. The biggest change of this version is the completely revamped bridge. Instead of an instrumental solo, a new stanza of lyrics was added. It flows into the chorus very well and I was pleased with the ending result.

Overall Rating

4 stars

SINGLE REVIEW
Ai Otsuka - CHU-LIP

1. CHU-LIP
2. Kimi ni Kaeru.
3. CHU-LIP (Instrumental)
4. Kimi no Kaeru. (Instrumental)

This is Ai Otsuka’s 14th single and it was released on February 21, 2007. This single reached #3 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 120,779 copies. The title track was used as the theme song for the drama Kirakira Kenshuu I.

Here it is folks, the triumphant return of the classic, upbeat Ai Otsuka song. CHU-LIP is a fun song that uses a lot of brass and very catchy vocals during the chorus. Even though it’s not as crazy as songs like SMILY or Sakuranbo, it does show a mature side of her and doesn’t go on the verge of being TOO cute, if you know what I mean.

I have always been a fan of Otsuka’s more mellow B-sides and Kimi ni Kaeru. is a another great example of this. Otsuka’s vocals are calm and controlled and she reaches the high notes of the chorus extremely well. I really liked the mix of acoustic guitar with the fingersnap sounds in the music too.

Overall Rating

4 stars

SINGLE REVIEW
Ai Otsuka - Renai Shashin

1. Renai Shashin
2. Hanikami Jane
3. Haneari Tamago (Live version)
4. Renai Shashin (Instrumental)
5. Hanikami Jane (Instrumental)

This is Ai Otsuka’s 13th single and it was released on October 25, 2006. This single reached #2 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 147,975 copies. The title track was used as the theme song for the movie Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru.

I think Renai Shashin is a really pretty song that combines piano and strings with excellent vocals from Otsuka. The most recognizable thing about the song is the chorus because of she repeats the phrase tada, kimi wo aishiteru 3 times. That phrase IS the entire chorus plus an extra line at the end. It’s very simple but done rather well.

The B-side is just as good as the previous track in my opinion. Hanikami Jane opens with a marching band drum solo and then explodes into the familiar pop sound that Otsuka is well known for.

The 3rd track is a Live version of Haneari Tamago, a song from her LOVE COOK album. This song was performed at her LOVE IS BORN ~3rd Anniversary 2006~ concert. The live version features only an accompanying piano and Otsuka sings very well live. Her voice is actually a little deeper too.

Overall Rating

4½ stars

SINGLE REVIEW
Ai Otsuka - Yumekui

1. Yumekui
2. tears
3. Yumekui (Instrumental)
4. tears (Instrumental)

This is Ai Otsuka’s 12th single and it was released on August 2, 2006. This single reached #5 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 145,281 copies. Both the A-side and the B-side were used in Tokyo Friends: The Movie, where Otsuka played the lead role (just like the original drama on which the film is based on).

 Yumekui is a pretty straightforward Ai Otsuka song. The song is an upbeat mix of mostly electric guitar and percussion. Otsuka’s vocals are at their best, especially during the chorus. However, I can’t help but find this song to be only just above average.

I was far more impressed with the B-side on this single. tears is just plain beautiful. This is the song I hoped Yumekui would be. The piano and string arrangement is simple, letting Otsuka’s vocals simply shine throughout the whole song. The high note she reaches during the chorus is amazing.

Overall Rating

4 stars

SINGLE REVIEW
Ai Otsuka - Frienger

1. Frienger
2. Amai Kimochi Maru Kajiri
3. Frienger (Instrumental)
4. Amai Kimochi Maru Kajiri (Instrumental)

This is Ai Otsuka’s 11th single and it was released on April 12, 2006. This single reached #2 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 173,115 copies. ‘Frienger’ is a combination of the 2 words ‘friend’ and ‘ranger’. The title track was used as the theme song for the TV show SPORTS Uruguzu.

I really like Frienger because it’s a really free spirited and cheerful pop song. It’s just a really fun song because of the energy that Otsuka presents. The electric guitars are a nice touch as well. The lyrics are well…CUTE (XD). Otsuka sings that she will be by your side, like a friend, and protect you, like a ranger, as long as you love her (isn’t that cuuuuute?).

I was equally impressed with the B-side, Amai Kimochi Maru Kajiri. It doesn’t have the flair or energy of Frienger but it’s still good nonetheless. The chorus is my favorite part of the song because it’s extremely catchy.

Overall Rating

4 stars