Ai Otsuka (Japan)

Ai Otsuka

voici une chanteuse japonaise très connue. Ai est auteur compositeur. elle a un répertoire assez large avec une grande variété de chansons et styles. le malheur c'est que de toute ses chansons je n'ai que deux ou trois qui me plaisent bien.

Par ordre :
- Cherish (qui est sans doute une des plus belles chansons de la Jpop)
- Planetarium
- Kingyo Hanabi

j'ai aussi le DVD de son concert, le Jam Punch tour 2005. c'est un bon concert, mais de la voir sur scène ne m'a pas apporté ce que j'attendais en plus pour aller dans le sens de mieux aimer son répertoire.

une image provisoire du concert (from here)

Un petit jeu de trois autres images de Ai du même concert :

une vue du public ravi (plutôt féminin)

Image du clip Cherish

Filmographie interne :
Tokyo friends : the movie (2006)

jocolor

I like Otsuka very much! cute voice and nice songs, many topics and many styles of music! I did not know she writes songs too! I think you wrote this, yes? If you write "Ai est auteur compositeur," this means she is writing songs, yes? author and composer? I am guessing this, so sorry I do not speak French language but there are many words that look like Spanish words, I do not speak Spanish language either but everyone in California is familiar with some Spanish words.

good moring fumi, nice to see you right here. nice pictures you added, thanks a lot. yes, we have found on the wiki stuff that Ai composes songs, giving her a higher status in the Jpop screen. I've seen her in the Jam Punch tour, it's obvious that she's a complete musician, especially in the grand piano songs. I have a special interest for female compositors, my idea is that they write more sensual songs because of that. more personnal, more close to her own deep feelings.

Ai is very cute, wonderful voice, but as far as I don't know all off her songs yet I can't say that I love all what she does. as you wrote, she touches a wide range of musical themes to increase her audiance. that's a good strategy indeed, but also a mere explanation why I don't like very much some songs.

other interesting point is that Ai as allready played in a jdrama and actually she'll be visible in a music context (pop band) movie soon. as we done for Ayumi, when this movie will be watched, we'll do an actress profil in the concerned section.

fumi, what are your prefered song from her ?

I think we have some spanish speaking members on board. but english is fine for everybody really.

Hi, best chemistry!

I have all three of Otsuka's albums, I will tell you my favorite songs from each:

From Love Cook I like "Bidama" "Smily" and "Planetarium" best.
From Love Punch I like "Ame no naka no melody" and "Always together" best.
From Love Jam I like "Strawberrry Jam" "Kinyo Hanabi" and "Friends" best.

Also I like her newest singles! "Frienger" and "Tears" and "Yumekui" which is the theme song of the movie you mentioned, she is playing the role of a band member, I have seen Promotional Video for this movie with the song. Many Japanese singers are also actress, yes? Aya Matsuura is very fine actress, she is in many movies, also Natsumi Abe and Rika Ishikawa. This is a tradition in Japan, entertainers must be capable to do many things.

I am so happy to know this forum! I will look here whenever possible. Today I must travel from California to Texas for work, so I will not be able to look until Tuesday, I will travel on a train! across half of USA. I will work in Houston, TX for two weeks, then return to California.
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Fumiko

Good morning +Fumi,

Don't worry about that. Your place here will be keep warm until you'll be able to connect again. I've made a few researches on Aya Matsuura this morning. She's very cute girl, singer and actress. As you wrote, many japanese artists have polyvalent capacities. Must be somewhere in their "Idol skill". I've allready notice that actresses have done a few songs too. Well, sometimes the singing result is not so smashing than the acting job, specially thinking to Fumina Hara and Aki Maeda. Better actresses than singers.

Well, returning to AI, I've not heard all these songs you present. Should do further researches. I'll search for some Aya's songs too and listen them soon.

Good luck for your job and take care of you Fumi.

jocolor

Hello to Kate and best chemistry and everyone in K-T! I am returned to California now! but I will go to Texas again next week. Anyway, here is a link to Otsuka video, is this okay to post?

http://www.sendspace.com/file/amm7aw

The name of this song is "Renai Shashin," it is a very sweet video! I hope you will like!

Kate: if you did recent research about Matsuura, did you discover that she is suffering from TMJ, jaw muscle seizure? This is very recent, only started one week ago but she was forced to cancel two concerts in Kanagawa! I am very concerned, because she is my favorite Japanese singer of all and she is amazing voice and best attitude! This illness is related to stress, I know this because I had a brief personal experience with this condition.
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Fumiko

Good evening +Fumi,

O-kaeri nasai. We are curently watching the video of Renai shashin. Well, that's a beautiful clip, the song is very nice. I've found again the same voice performance I've really loved in Cherish. Yes I love this one. Thank you very much for sharing your treasures with us.

Linking is OK, as far as the video is not removed from the host server within a few days, we consider they are no rules broken linking this way.

Sad to learn that Aya Matsuura is going ill with that pathology. Hum, she must be a very stressed person with her concert preparation, too bad really. Meanwhile, I've collected a nice video of her, 熱帶戀曲 is the song, in this clip she's playing tennis and is both players and judge. It's fine, she have indeed a very nice voice and she's so lovelly looking.

jocolor

thank you veri much fumi queen

i will listend this song today !

Wow! I have just watched DVD of Otsuka's third anniversary tour concert called "Love Is Born" and she is great! in the live performance! She is so much connected to audience, I want to be there! I want her to know that I like her! If I will visit to Japan in springtime as I plan, I will try to find Otsuka live performance to attend!
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Fumiko

Okay, special notice! I will visit to Japan in May, first time since I came to USA 13 years ago. I will visit to my relatives in Yamaguchi Prefecture for one week, then I will visit to my new friends Emi and Hiromi for two weeks in Tokyo!

I will attend Otsuka concert in Tokyo with Emi! she has purchased tickets already! Yay!

Please understand: during this time I will not have computer of my own, so I probably cannot visit KnT and post for three weeks, but I will think about everyone! and I will tell you my activities when I return.
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Fumiko

we hope you'll have a nice trip in your lionheart land Fumi.
don't forget taking alot of silly pictures if you ramble down town !

pinkheart

Daisuki dayo - ai otsuka

nandaka anatano koto omoidasunoga mottai naiyo
atashidakeno mononi shiteokitaikara
nandaka anatano koto omoidasuno yadayo
datte hitoride niyakete hazukashiiyo

tetsuyade kaettekite tsukareterunoni dakko shitekurete
yumeno nakani itemo wakattayo

anataga koishikute koishikute
koreijou doushiyoumo nakute
anataga koishikute koishikute
zutto zutto daisuki dayo

shitteta? anoyorunine futari de doraibu ni ittatoki
baiku no ushirozaseki de negatta koto
shitteta? anoyorunine futaride miageta hoshizorani
anata to atashi no shiawasega mietayo

tatta hitotsu no korogatteita atashiwo
kireini shitekurete itsudatte sasaetekureta

anataga koishikute koishikute
koreijou hanaretakunaiyo
anataga koishikute koishikute
zutto zutto daisukidayo

french translation >

c'est trop beau pour moi de me souvenir de toi
je veux le garder dans moi
je ne veux pas me souvenir de toi
parce que quand je pense de toi, je souris toute seule

tu rentres après la veille et tu a l'air très fatigué mais
tu m'enlaces quand même
je le sentais bien que je m'en dormais

je suis amoureuse, amoureuse de toi
je ne sais pas comment faire cet amour
je suis amoureuse, amoureuse de toi
on sera toujours toujours ensemble

tu savais? lorsque l'on a fait une randonnée en moto
ce que j'ai souhaté dérière toi
tu savais? dans le ciel que l'on a regardé ensemble à cette soirée-là
j'ai trouvé le bonheur de toi et moi dans lui

moi qui était lancée sur la terre
tu m'as prise et m'as rendue propre

je suis amoureuse, amoureuse de toi
je ne sais pas quoi faire de plus
je suis amoureuse, amoureuse de toi
on sera toujours toujours ensemble

Okay, I am return from my trip visit to Japan Saturday afternoon, now I must tell: Otsuka concert in Tokyo was very fun! especially attend with my friends and then stay up all night in Tokyo until breakfast early morning, we ate French Pancake Crepe from small street shop, good sweet taste! Very fun! Otsuka is amazing live entertainer as I imagined! she is so sweet and sincere, she is very fine singer and pianist. I am happy to attend this concert, especially fun with my friends!

Concert was inside Tokyo International Forum Hall A, this is medium size auditorium, maybe 5K people can sit, very nice lights and sound everywhere, easy to see stage and hear music. Otsuka sang many songs, list I copied below, I have all Otsuka albums but I think some are new songs because I do not know them:

Yumekui
Momo no hanabira
Amai kimochi maru kajiri
Hanakimi Jane
Biidama
Kuroge wagyuu joshio tanyaki 680 Yen
Neko no fuusen
Haneari tamago
Cherish
Renai shashin (Otsuka plays piano this song, so beautiful, my favorite)
Kingyo hanabi (She also plays piano this song, she is very fine pianist)
Daisuki da yo
Planetarium (also my favorite song)
Babashi (Otsuka is taking break during this weird song, dancers come instead)
Katamoi dial
Frienger
Pon pon (very cute song)
Happy days
Sakuranbo (also my favorite song)
Peach (new song, I do not know this one)
Smily
Chu-lip (new song but I know it)
Last song I don't know but I think cartoon music

I attach some pictures from another forum, I did not bring camera because this is prohibited in Japan although some people do anyway.

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Fumiko

Fumi, going to Japan and have tickets for your favourite singer is real fun, easy to imagine the excitment you had at the show. looking the tracklist, I see all of my favourite songs too, Cherish, Kingyo hanabi, Renai shashin and Planetarium. I've seen her playing piano in the concert I have, she'se really a musician, good feeling on the keyboard. reading your comment, I relate it to what I know from Ai, sort of exhuberant little lady taking all the light and attention on stage, versatile and talentuous entertainment profesional. truly amazing.

can you estimate the girl proportion in the public ? was it more female ?

Hi, kawaii-hime! I think audience was about 50% male and 50% female, balanced. Otsuka does not attract the same kind of audience as H!P entertainers, she is more mature, her music is mature, her audience is interested in her music and her conversation rather than her legs! LOL!
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Fumiko

Wow! after successful Ai am best tour during summer, Otsuka made special birhday concert as always last week, to celebrate 4 years her participation in music industry! She previewed many new songs from new album Love Piece which will release in two weeks from now!

Love Piece cover

She revised her official web site to open with colorful puzzle! assemble heart pieces and enter! very creative! and each color brings different opening page!

Also: she has released book of photographs made by her! This is collection of photos from her magazine column! "Taken and/or directed by Ai, these photos follow the theme of 'Woman' through the red-light districts and poorer areas of Bangkok, Thailand."

http://global.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-j/section-posters/pid-1005020371/

I think very clear: Otsuka is astonishing creative person, in many different fields!
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Fumiko