Credits

I would like to give credit where credit is due. Videos are from YouTube and other sources such as NicoNico while Oricon rankings and other information are translated from the Japanese Wikipedia unless noted.

Monday, April 17, 2017

Houko Kuwashima -- Watashirashiku (私らしく)


As I mentioned in my last anime article, I didn't particularly hear any instant anison earworms for the spring 2017 season among the various themes when I visited my anime buddy's house earlier today. However, there was the usual anison hour there and I did get to hear something that was really quite pleasant.


I never saw the 90s anime "Kido Senkan Nadesico"(機動戦艦ナデシコ...Martian Successor Nadesico)although I have heard the title many times before. Plus I have to admit that each time I heard it, I was strangely reminded of snacks like Ritz Crackers.

The ending theme for the anime was something that I did hear for the first time this afternoon. "Watashirashiku" (Being Myself) was sung by Houko Kuwashima(桑島法子)who also had a starring seiyuu role in the series as Yurika Misumaru, and it was released as part of the single which also featured the opening theme "YOU GET TO BURNING" by Yumi Matsuzawa(松澤由美)from October 1996.



With all of the hard rock and cutesy aidoru-like anison that I've heard, "Watashirashiku" can be placed in that nice place of solid pop. I made the past observation that a number of anison sounded as if they had been created 5~10 years before the actual anime, and I think "Watashirashiku" can also be thought of in the same vein, although perhaps the arrangement can be considered to be 90s.

The single broke the Top 10 by peaking at No. 9 and for Kuwashima, this was her debut single. Speaking of Kuwashima, the name did sound familiar to me so I looked her up on J-Wiki and discovered that several years later, she portrayed the latest incarnation of Yuki Mori on "Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2199"(宇宙戦艦ヤマト2199...Space Battleship Yamato 2199)in 2013.

November 30 2018: Allow me to show you the cover version of "Watashirashiku" by the songwriter herself, Yuki Matsuura(松浦有希).

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