Girl power kicks butt with Blade Kitten

Click here for Blade Kitten Website

Blade Kitten centers around a female half-human/half-feline bounty hunter named Kit Ballard, starring in her own web-comic/comic book, and was created by Krome Studios Creative Director, Steve Stamatiadis.  Kit Ballard later appeared in the video game Blade Kitten, which is set three years prior to the events of the comics.  The game was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on September 22, 2010, and features a type of anime-style, cel-shaded graphics.

 

 The Video Game: Blade Kitten - Episode 1

Click here for Blade Kitten Launch Trailer

Blade Kitten is a 2.5D platforming action adventure game set three years before the comic book series, and was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on September 22, 2010. It features a type of anime-style, cel shaded graphics, and is set on an artificial alien planetoid known as Hollow Wish. The game begins with Kit tracking down a local troublemaker called Terra-Li but on her way to doing so, Kit uncovers a dark and evil secret about Hollow Wish and its inhabitants. Soon after arriving at the planetoid, Kit runs into fellow bounty hunter Justice Kreel who destroys her ship and steals her breaker key which contains all the information she needs to track down and capture Terra-Li.

While the only playable character is Kit, the game does boast a large array of alternate costumes that change either Kit's clothing or to a completely different person.

The game also includes Kit's alien sidekick Skiffy and her floating sword called a Darque Blade . She is able to swing her sword at close range or send it flying over a larger distance to attack enemies and hit inaccessible switches. While progressing through the game, the sword can be upgraded and changed to four different types of blade that can deal either higher amounts of damage, faster attack speed or auto lock-on. She can also ride dinosaur style animals called Noots over the plains of Hollow Wish.

The game features different types of collectible items that are picked up while progressing through the game or a hidden inside treasure chests which themselves are hidden somewhere in each level. These items act as both a score booster and the games currency, which can be used to buy upgrades like more health and stamina for Kit Ballard, costume changes and blade upgrades. The Krome Studios mascot, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger, also makes an appearance as one of the unlockable costumes. The game consists of nineteen levels and three boss battles.

Click here to buy Blade Kitten - Episode 1 (pcWindows).

Blade Kitten - Episode 2 should possibly see a release sometime in 2014.


The Comics: Blade Kitten - First Chronicle

Blade Kitten - First Chronicle re-visits the original comic series with new exclusive artwork. With a new page released three times a week you can join Kit as she encounters a series of turbulent events with her sidekick Skiffy and Darque Blade by her side.


Click here to view the Blade Kitten - First Chronicle comic online.


Click here to order the Blade Kitten comics and other merchandise.

Successful rock band, L'Arc-en-Ciel

L'Arc-en-Ciel
Origin:      Osaka, Japan
Genres:     Pop rock, alternative rock, post-punk (early)
Years active:     1991–present
Labels:     Night Gallery, Danger Crue, Ki/oon, Tofu (US), Gan-Shin (EU)
Website:     www.larc-en-ciel.com
Members:   Hyde, Tetsuya, Ken, Yukihiro
Past members:     Hiro, Pero, Sakura

L'Arc-en-Ciel ("The Rainbow" in French, stylized as L'Arc~en~Ciel) is a Japanese rock band that was founded in 1991 in Osaka. The group has sold over 15 million albums, 16 million singles, and millions of merchandise, including videos.  In 2003, they were ranked 58 on a list of the top 100 Japanese pop musicians by HMV Japan. While they first got their start as a visual kei band, they have not had any association with the movement since their major label debut in 1994.

In February 1991, bassist tetsuya (then known as TETSU) recruited vocalist hyde (then known as HIDE), guitarist HIRO and drummer PERO. Together, they formed a band and named themselves L'Arc-en-Ciel. A year later, after gaining popularity in their hometown of Osaka, HIRO left the band on June 12, 1992. tetsuya then convinced his friend ken to quit his university studies and join the band as guitarist. However, PERO then left the group on December 30, 1992. The following year, sakura joined as L'Arc-en-Ciel's new drummer.

On April 1, 1993, the band released their debut album Dune on the independent, but well-known, record label Danger Crue. The album was a success and ranked number one on the Oricon indies charts. This caught the attention of some major labels. In 1994, L'Arc-en-Ciel signed a contract with Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Ki/oon division. They released their major debut album Tierra that same year. Their third album Heavenly followed in 1995. In 1996, their fourth album, True, became their first to sell over a million copies.

L'Arc-en-Ciel's single "Winter Fall", which was released in 1998, became the group's first number one single on the Oricon charts. They subsequently released their album Heart on February 25, 1998. On July 1, 1999, the group released two albums, Ark and Ray, simultaneously. These two albums became the first Japanese albums to be released simultaneously in other Asian countries outside of Japan. Both albums topped the Oricon music charts, with Ark occupying number one and Ray at number two, with each selling over two million copies.

The compilation album Clicked Singles Best 13 was released on March 14, 2001. It includes twelve songs chosen online by the group's fans.  It also includes an additional thirteenth song, "Anemone".  Their album Real was re-released as a Super Audio CD on July 4, 2001. "Spirit Dreams Inside (Another Dream)", L'Arc-en-Ciel's last new single before their hiatus, was released on September 5, 2001. The English-language version of the title track was adopted as the Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within's ending theme song.

In June 2003, L'Arc-en-Ciel performed a series of seven concerts in Tokyo entitled Shibuya Seven Days. During this event, the group announced that a new album will be released the following year. "Ready Steady Go", the group's first single in more than three years, was released in February 2004. This song was used as an opening theme song for the popular anime adaption of Fullmetal Alchemist. The single topped the Oricon weekly singles charts. Additionally, a sample of this song was also used in a Nintendo DS game called Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan.

On January 1, 2011, L'Arc-en-Ciel celebrated both their 20th anniversary and the New Year with the midnight concert L'A Happy New Year! at Makuhari Messe. On February 16, 2011, they released the compilation album Twenity. This album consists of three parts: Twenity 1991-1996, Twenity 1997-1999, and Twenity 2000-2010. A box set entitled Twenity Box was later released on March 9, 2011. The albums are an all-around "best of" collection of the band, and it covers everything from the formation of the group, including their hit singles till to their newest works. Twenity 1991-1996 covers their work from their album Dune until their album True. Twenity 1997-1999 covers the releases from their single "Niji" to the single "Love Flies". Twenity 2000-2010 covers their releases from the double A-side "Neo Universe/Finale" up to their commercial-only song from 2010, a cover of "I Love Rock 'n Roll". The Twenity Box released on March 9 contains all three of the albums in one release. It also comes with a special digest DVD that covers the 20-year history of the band, a deluxe booklet, and a special music box that contains either "Flower", "Anata", "New World" or "My Heart Draws a Dream" at random.

Later, it was announced that L'Arc-en-Ciel would provide the theme song for Fullmetal Alchemist: The Movie - The Sacred Star of Milos, entitled "Good Luck My Way". This is their fourth contribution to the Fullmetal Alchemist franchise. The song was released as their first 20th L'Anniversary single on June 29, 2011. To further celebrate their 20 years together, L'Arc-en-Ciel put on a "20th L'Anniversary Concert" at Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo on May 28–29, 2011, with each day dedicated to one half of their career. All of the proceeds from the concerts were donated to the Great East Japan Earthquake relief efforts. Additionally, at the end of the concert, it was announced that there will be a L'Anniversary Japan Tour in 2011, as well as a world tour in 2012.

On October 12, the second 20th L'Anniversary single was released, entitled "X X X" (Kiss Kiss Kiss). L'Arc-en-Ciel was subsequently approached by the producers of the Wild 7 live-action film to perform the movie's theme song. Entitled "Chase", the song was released as the group's third L'Anniversary single on December 21, 2011.

A sample selection of L'Arc-en-Ciel's songs:
1998: "Winter Fall" [LIVE]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4qVzSzY_5A

2001: "Spirit Dreams Inside (Another Dream)" [LIVE]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMBe-JsBSXM

2004: "Ready Steady Go"
http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/53spr8/l-arc-en-ciel--ready--steady--go

2007: "My Heart Draws a Dream"
http://www.jpopsuki.tv/video/L%2526%2523039%253BArc~en~Ciel---MY-HEART-DRAWS-A-DREAM/753e26ee49fab970eb84ffa901b967c1

2011: "Good Luck My Way"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1fRy346838

2011: "Chase"
http://www.mtviggy.com/videos/l%E2%80%99arcenciel-chase/

Girl power rocks out with Scandal

Scandal
Origin:     Osaka, Japan
Genres:    Pop rock
Years active:     2006–present
Labels:     Kitty 2008-2009
Epic 2009-present
Wasabi (EU)
Website:   http://www.scandal-4.com/
Members
Haruna Ono (lead vocals, secondary guitarist), Mami Sasazaki (lead guitarist, secondary vocals), Tomomi Ogawa (bassist, secondary vocals), and, Rina Suzuki (drummer, secondary vocals)

Scandal (スキャンダル Sukyandaru?, stylized as SCANDAL) is a Japanese pop rock girl band from Osaka, Japan. Scandal is considered as The representative of Japan’s Girl Bands and self-proclaimed as The Most Powerful Japanese Girlie Pop-Rock. Scandal was formed in August 2006 by four high school girls. The girls, Haruna, Mami, Tomomi, and Rina, met in an Osaka vocal and dance school called Caless.  Shortly thereafter, they started performing street lives every weekend at Shiroten in Osaka Castle Park. Soon, they started getting offers from clubs in Osaka and Kyoto. The band's name originates from a sign near Studio Brotherz, a studio where they practiced in their early days. The studio is on the sixth floor of a building shared with other businesses, namely adult shops. The girls decided to choose the biggest sign among the shops, "Scandal" (スキャンダル Sukyandaru?), as the name for their band.

Scandal signed with indie label Kitty Records and released three singles exclusive to Tower Records in 2008. The first, "Space Ranger", ranked #2 on the Tower indie charts and the other two, "Koi Moyō" and "Kagerō", ranked #1.  In March, they embarked on the Japan Nite US tour 2008, touring six major cities in the United States. They also performed at Sakura-Con, one of the largest anime conventions in the United States. In July, they performed in front of 10,000 people at France's Japan Expo and also at Hong Kong's Animation-Comic-Game Hong Kong in August. Scandal concluded their indie career with the release of their first mini-album, Yah! Yah! Yah! Hello Scandal: Maido! Scandal Desu! Yah Yah Yah!.

2008 continued to be an eventful year for Scandal. In October, they made their major debut on Epic Records Japan with the single "Doll". It gave them more exposure, including appearances on mainstream music television shows like Music Station. The band released their second major single "Sakura Goodbye" in March 2009 to commemorate Mami and Tomomi's high school graduation. The song is a new version of their indie song, "Sakura", only heard live. The following month, their then upcoming third major single "Shōjo S" was used as the tenth opening theme for the anime Bleach. This brought their popularity up even higher as the single ranked #6 on the Oricon charts when it was released two months later in June.

On October 14, Scandal released their fourth major single, "Yumemiru Tsubasa" which was followed with their major debut album, Best Scandal, the next week. The album ranked #5 on the Oricon weekly chart, making them the first girl band since Zone to have a debut album chart in the top five.

2010 began with Scandal's fifth major single in February, "Shunkan Sentimental". It was used as the fourth ending theme for the anime Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Scandal continued into 2011 with their ninth major single on February 9. Titled "Pride", the song was used as the second ending theme for the anime Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto. The single also includes the tracks "Cute!", a collaboration with Sanrio's Cinnamoroll, and "Emotion", their first song that was written solely by a band member. Their tenth major single, "Haruka", was released on April 20. The title track was used as the theme song for the animated film Tofu Kozou, while the song "Satisfaction" was later used as the promotional song for the release of Windows 8. This was followed by their eleventh major single, "Love Survive", as well as their third studio album Baby Action. They also embarked on their first Asian Tour, performing to sell out crowds in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.

2012 proved to be a year of firsts for Scandal. The title track of their twelfth single, "Harukaze", was used as the opening theme for the anime Bleach. The following month, they released their first compilation album, Scandal Show, as well as holding their first concert at the Nippon Budokan, thus becoming the fastest girl band to perform there since their debut. In July, they released their thirteenth major single, "Taiyō Scandalous". This single marked the first official release of their subunits, Dobondobondo (Mami x Tomomi) and Almond Crush (Haruna x Rina). This was followed by their fourteenth major single, "Pin Heel Surfer", and their fourth major album, Queens Are Trumps: Kirifuda wa Queen. With this release, they became the first girl band to achieve four consecutive top 5 positions in the Oricon Weekly charts. They also held a concert in Malaysia in December, becoming the first Japanese band to hold a solo concert there.

Scandal started 2013 by fulfilling one of their biggest dreams they had since their formation by performing in their hometown at the Osaka-jō Hall in March. Later that month they also performed to sellout crowds on their 2nd Asian Tour in Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. During this period they also announced their fourteenth major single "Awanai Tsumori no, Genki de ne" released in May, with the title track being used as the theme song for the movie "Ore wa Mada Honki Dashitenai Dake". They also took part in some music festivals like KAWAii!! MATSURi 2013 at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, and Rock in Japan Festival 2013 at Hitachi Seaside Park.

A sample list of some of Scandal's songs:
2008: "Doll"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF7WryzsPH0

2009: "Shoujo S" [LIVE]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HiCenws3Ic

2010: "Shunkan Sentimental"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEkerSi5Fig

2010: "Scandal Nanka Buttobase"
http://vimeo.com/72499232

2011: "Love Survive"
https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=193148170739763

2012: "Harukaze"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ufh2CL-K4k

2013: "Over Drive"
http://www.jpopasia.com/group/scandal/videos/over-drive::37701.html

Sensational singer/songwriter, Chihiro Onitsuka

Chihiro Onitsuka

Born:        October 30, 1980 (age 33)
Origin:      Nango, Miyazaki, Japan
Genres:     Folk, folk-rock
Occupations:     Singer, songwriter
Instruments:      Piano
Years active:     2000–present
Labels:         Toshiba EMI/Virgin Tokyo
Universal Sigma/A&M Records
For Life Music
Website:     onitsuka-chihiro.jp



Chihiro Onitsuka (鬼束 ちひろ Onitsuka Chihiro) (born October 30, 1980) is a Japanese singer-songwriter.

Her parents encouraged Onitsuka to listen to Western music and by the time she was ten, she wrote her first poems, receiving praise from her parents, friends and teachers, who called them 'earnest efforts'. Secretly, however, she knew that just writing 'earnestly' wasn’t enough. From that time onward, she tried to write every day, and by the time she was in junior high school, she began to gain more confidence.

Having been influenced by Alanis Morissette in junior high school days, it was the encounter with Jewel’s music and presence during the high school years that strongly compelled Onitsuka to become a singer-songwriter. With some 70 original compositions and several other auditions under her belt, Onitsuka entered the 1998 Virgin Tokyo Artists Audition, going on to winning Grand Prize. Then only 17, Onitsuka started her career as a professional and moved to Tokyo in spring 1999 after graduating from high school.

In 2000, Onitsuka released her debut single "Shine" and gained a recognition with its follow-up "Gekkou" which became a hit. Insomnia, her first studio album released in following year topped the Japanese Oricon chart and sold more than a million copies.  "Memai", one of the singles from her debut album provided her with honor of winning the prize for lyrics of the 43rd Japan Record Awards in 2001.

Onitsuka has enjoyed a successful career as one of the most popular Japanese female solo artists during the early 2000s. As of 2009, Onitsuka has released 5 studio albums, 17 singles, 2 compilations and several DVDs, which has sold at least 4.1 million.

Some of Chihiro Onitsuka's released songs:
2000: "Gekkou" (Moonlight)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1c7mISrh2Q

2001: "Rasen"(Spiral)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnKjjRbv5CA

2001: "Infection"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54Hcrgi3k_4

2002: "Ryūseigun" (Meteor Shower)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lgQ6mo2ZhI

2007: "Everyhome"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnRLr93LcpI

2008: "Hotaru" (Firefly)
http://www.jpopsuki.tv/video/Chihiro-Onitsuka---Hotaru/216bc49a72e3deee26fa4bbbf7a0719f

2011: "Aoi Tori" (Blue Bird)
http://www.jpopasia.com/celebrity/chihiroonitsuka/videos/aoi-tori::10728.html

2013: "This Silence is Mine"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91RfRWecsdA

One of the most influential Asian artists, Utada Hikaru

Utada Hikaru

Birth name:    Hikaru Utada (宇多田ヒカル?)
Also known as:     Utada, Hikki, Cubic U (retired)
Born:     January 19, 1983 (age 30)
New York City, New York, United States
Origin:     Tokyo, Japan
Genres:     Pop, R&B, rock, alternative, dance, electronica, synthpop, ethereal wave, experimental
Occupations:     Singer, Songwriter, Producer, Composer, Arranger
Instruments:     Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active:     1996–2011 (on hiatus)
Labels:     EMI Music Japan (Virgin, Foozay, Eastworld) (1997-2013)
Universal Music (Island, Mercury, EMI (2004–2010; 2013-present)
Website:     EMI Music
U3 Music (Personal Blog)
Official Twitter account
Official YouTube account

Hikaru Utada (宇多田 ヒカル Utada Hikaru?, born January 19, 1983) is a Japanese-American singer, songwriter, arranger, and producer. She is known by her stage name Utada English /uːˈtɑːdə/ in America and Europe. Since the release of her Japanese debut album First Love, which went on to become the best-selling album in Oricon history, Utada has had three of her Japanese studio albums in the list of Top 10 best-selling albums ever in Japan (number 1, 4, 8) and six of her albums (including one English-language and one compilation) charting within the 275 Best-Selling Japanese albums list. 

Hikaru has had twelve number-one singles on the Oricon Singles chart, with two notable record achievements for a female solo or group artist: five million-sellers and four in the Top 100 All-Time Best-selling Singles.  Utada has sold an estimated more than 52 million records worldwide.  In 2009, she was considered "the most influential artist of the decade" in the Japanese landscape by The Japan Times.

Additionally, Utada is best known in the West for making two theme song contributions to Square Enix and Disney's collaborative video game series Kingdom Hearts: "Simple and Clean" (which is the re-written English-language version of her 10th Japanese single "Hikari") for Kingdom Hearts and "Sanctuary" for Kingdom Hearts II ("Passion" in the Japanese version of the game).  In 2007, her single "Flavor of Life" reached number 2 in worldwide digital download yearly single chart with over 7.2 million downloads, and contributed to 12 million digital sales for her over the same year.

Here is a sample of some of Utada Hikaru's songs:
1998: "Automatic"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_QVB4Qdh6o

2002: "Hikari"
http://www.jpopasia.com/celebrity/hikaruutada/videos/hikari::1909.html

2005: "Passion"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWoJLdXJt0E

2007: "Flavor of Life"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-tSPRcCiM0

2010: "Goodbye Happiness"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfpX8lkaSdk

2012: "Sakura Nagashi"
https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=378991225515394

Utada Hikaru will also be performing the theme song for the upcoming video game, "Kingdom Hearts III".

The impressive pop sensation, Kumi Koda

Kumi Koda
Native name:     倖田 來未
Birth name:     Kōda Kumiko (神田 來未子)
Born:     November 13, 1982 (age 30)
Kyoto , Japan
Genres:     J-pop, pop, R&B
Occupations:     Singer, songwriter, actress, spokesperson, voice actress
Instruments:     Vocals
Years active:     2000–present
Labels:     Rhythm Zone
Orpheus (USA)
Website:     www.rhythmzone.net/koda

Kumiko Kōda (神田 來未子 Kōda Kumiko), born November 13, 1982), better known by her stage name Kumi Koda (倖田 來未 Kōda Kumi), is a Japanese singer from Kyoto, known for her urban and R&B songs. Having debuted in 2000 with the single "Take Back", Koda gained fame for her seventh single, "Real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba", the songs of which were used as themes for the video game Final Fantasy X-2.  Her popularity grew with the release of her fourth studio album Secret (2005), her sixteenth single "Butterfly" (2005), and her first greatest hits album Best: First Things (2005), reaching the number-three, number-two and number-one spot respectively.

Though her early releases presented a conservative, quiet image, since as early as 2003 Koda has adopted a sexier and more provocative style. Because of this image, she has become a fashion leader among young women, setting trends such as the ero-kakkoii style. She has also won many fashion awards such as, the "Best Jeanist Award" and the title of "Nail Queen" yearly since 2006. Since the rise in her popularity, Koda has lent her face and songs to many advertisements. In 2006 and 2007, Oricon named Koda as the top selling artist of the year. Jonathan Ross has called her the Christina Aguilera of Japan, while many also compare her career to that of Britney Spears. Koda has sold more than 15,000,000 physical records in Japan alone, making her the 18th best selling solo Japanese female artist of all-time.

Here is a selection of Kumi Koda's songs:
2002: "Go Together"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KED3CuB7ayM

2002: "M.a.z.e."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6pIZrWgfUs

2003: "Real Emotion"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTYsJz-uqXg

2003: "1000 no Kotoba" (1000 Words) [LIVE]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wrQINk3sjk

2004: "Butterfly"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnJNGkpc-wc

2006: "Go Way!" [LIVE]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9p4FjUaIJE

2011: "Ai wo Tomenaide" (Don't Stop The Love)
http://en.musicplayon.com/play?v=410786

2013: "Dreaming Now!
http://www.jpopsuki.tv/video/Koda-Kumi---Dreaming-Now%2521/ab2ea4f600e966585696c0a0409afae3

Hugely successful Japanese pop-rock band, Mr.Children

Mr.Children

Origin:     Tokyo, Japan
Genres:     Pop rock, power pop, progressive rock
Years active:     1988–present
Labels:     Toy's Factory
Website:     mrchildren.jp

Members:   
Kazutoshi Sakurai
Kenichi Tahara
Keisuke Nakagawa
Hideya Suzuki

Mr. Children (ミスターチルドレン?), commonly referred to by their contracted nickname "Misu-Chiru" (ミスチル?), is a Japanese pop rock band formed in 1988 by Kazutoshi Sakurai, Kenichi Tahara, Keisuke Nakagawa, and Hideya Suzuki. As a group, they are one of the most successful Japanese rock artists. They are the second best selling artists in Japan, having sold over 58 million records and creating the "Mis-chil Phenomenon" (ミスチル現象?) in the mid-1990s in Japan.  They held the record for the highest first week sales of a single in Japan for 15 years, with 1.2 million copies of their 10th single "Namonaki Uta" (名もなき詩?), have 30 consecutive number 1 singles, replaced Glay as the all-male band (with 3 or more members) to have the most number 1 albums on the Oricon charts, and won the Japan Record Award in 1994 for "Innocent World" and in 2004 for "Sign".

As of 2012, Mr. Children has published fifteen original studio albums and 34 physical singles, along with five compilations, a live album, and fifteen home video releases. The band's music is mainly composed and written by lead singer Sakurai, with the exception of the Suzuki-penned songs "Asia" and "#2601" from the albums Atomic Heart and Discovery, and occasional collaborative song writing with producer Takeshi Kobayashi.

A sample list of Mr.Children's released songs:
1994: "Innocent World:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7KoXCeu-hA

1994: "Tomorrow Never Knows"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxwt_s1lM04

1996: "Na mo Naki Uta" (Nameless Poem)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJc-Ytrn9zM (LIVE)

1997: "Everything (It's You)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCiEdKIu2KQ

2004: "Sign"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wuWJ7GAc2s

2009: "Fanfare"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4164qqnPGL4 (LIVE)

2012: "End of the Day"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krygEgDRwhE (LIVE)

2013: "REM"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4SJ-76spgE

Multi-talented, Nana Mizuki

Nana Mizuki
Native name:     水樹 奈々
Birth name:     近藤 奈々 (Kondō Nana)
Born:                January 21, 1980 (age 33)
Niihama, Ehime, Japan
Genres:  Anison, J-pop, Electronic Dance, Rock
Occupations:    Voice actress, Singer, songwriter
Instruments:     Vocals, piano
Years active:     1998–present
Labels:               King
Website:            www.mizukinana.jp

Nana Mizuki (水樹 奈々 Mizuki Nana?, born Nana Kondō (近藤 奈々 Kondō Nana?), January 21, 1980) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and voice actress represented by the agency Sigma Seven. She was born and raised in Niihama, Ehime, Japan. Mizuki was trained as an enka singer, and made her debut as a voice actress in 1998; however, she released her debut single "Omoi", under the King Records label on December 6, 2000. A year later, she released her debut album, Supersonic Girl on December 5, 2001.

In the years that followed, Mizuki enjoyed modest success that concluded with the release of her single "Innocent Starter", which reached the top 10 Oricon singles chart, charting at No. 9. Since then, Mizuki's releases have charted steadily higher in Japan, establishing her as a successful singer in the country. Despite this, she remains a prolific voice actress, with over 130 voice roles in separate media. On June 3, 2009, her album Ultimate Diamond reached #1, her first release to do so; while her single "Phantom Minds", released on January 13, 2010, also charted at #1. Mizuki is the first voice actress to top the weekly Oricon albums chart and the weekly Oricon singles chart since its inception in 1968.

Early life

Born in Niihama, Ehime, Japan, she began to train in enka when she was five years old. In 1993, she released a Compact Cassette single "Tsugazakura" (つがざくら?, lit. "Phyllodoce Nipponica") as "Nana Kondou". However, she passed the audition of game Noël: La Neige and became a voice actress.

Career

Mizuki released an image song single titled "Girl's Age" under the name Chisato Kadokura in 1998. When she performed her first concert at the age of 20, she was scouted by the Japanese record label King Records. Her debut single as Nana Mizuki, "Omoi", was released on December 6, 2000. Her 2004 song "Innocent Starter" became her first Top 10 single and her 2005 single "Eternal Blaze" reached No. 2 position on Japanese Oricon weekly single charts.

Mizuki won the "Best Musical Performance" award by her song "Justice to Believe" in the first Seiyu Awards in 2007. Since her seventh album Ultimate Diamond debuted at the No. 1 position on Oricon weekly album charts during the week of June 15, 2009, she became the first voice actress to reach the No. 1 position on the Oricon weekly album or single charts since its creation in 1968. Ultimate Diamond sold over 74,000 copies in the first week. In addition, her 21st single, "Phantom Minds", became the first voice actress single to top the charts, debuting at the No. 1 position on the issue of Oricon weekly single charts dated January 25, 2010.

On November 23, 2009, NHK announced that Mizuki would take part in the 60th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen of New Year's Eve. It was Mizuki's first time appearing on the show. Nana chose her song "Shin'ai" for her performance.

She is well known for voicing female characters who are very shy yet kind-hearted and gentle, and many of the characters she has voiced were initially very shy/soft-spoken (however, after interactions with other people, they gradually opened up (e.g. Fate, Lili, Nyamo, Hinata, Wrath, and Tsubomi). She's also well known for voicing females with romantic affection for main male protagonists, as six of her characters have romantic feelings for the main characters (Oboro from Basilisk, Hinata Hyūga from Naruto, Colette Brunel from Tales of Symphonia, Tamao Tamamura from Shaman King and Moka Akashiya from Rosario + Vampire, while Fate Testarossa from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha is left ambiguous in this regard), some of her characters craved maternal attention (e.g. Fate Testarossa from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha and its sequels A's and StrikerS, Wrath and Maria), and she was also part of the voice actress quartet "Prits", alongside Yumiko Kobayashi, Natsuko Kuwatani and Hisayo Mochizuki (all four voiced characters in the anime Sister Princess). Nana Mizuki voices Microsoft's Japanese Windows 7 unofficial "OS-tan" mascot, Nanami Madobe. The mascot's name uses some wordplay on Mizuki's own name as well as the operating system ("Nana" = "seven").

In the middle of February 2010, Mizuki became her hometown (Niihama, Ehime)'s First Tourism Ambassador. The news was broadcast during her Live Academy 2010, held in Kanagawa, Osaka, Aichi, Miyagi, Fukuoka, Ehime Prefecture Niihama Cultural Center's Hall. There were 7 lessons in total. In 2010, Mizuki won the Tomiyama Kei Award in the 4th Seiyu Awards for her news hook in the year 2009. In 2010, she also participated in 61st NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen singing "Phantom Minds", the single which had topped Oricon Charts.

On January 21, 2011, which was also her 31st birthday, she released her first autobiography, titled Shin Ai, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of her singing career. Mizuki won Top Pop Artists award in Billboard Japan Music Awards 2010 on February 6, 2011, together with 4 other artists: AKB48, Nishino Kana, SID and EXILE.

On November 30, 2011, it was announced that Mizuki would be participating in the 62nd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen. It was her third time taking part in the program. Mizuki had a two-day concert at Tokyo Dome between December 3–4, 2011. She became the first voice actress and 8th Japanese female solo artists to hold a concert at Japan's largest concert hall.

On March 3, 2012, Mizuki won Animation Artist of the Year 2011 award in Billboard Japan Music Awards 2011.

On November 26, 2012, it was announced that Mizuki would be participating in the 63rd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen. It was her fourth time (in a row) taking part in the program.

Some of Nana Mizuki's songs:
2006:   "Justice to Believe"
http://nanamizukimusicvideo.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/mv-nana-mizuki-justice-to-believe.html

2010:   "Phantom Minds"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiSLlg6rFtM

2011:   "Scarlet Knight"
http://nanamizukimusicvideo.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/mv-nana-mizuki-scarlet-knight.html

2011:   "Junketsu Paradox"
http://www.jokeroo.com/videos/music/seven-mizuki-nana-junketsu-paradox-sub.-espaol.html

2012:   "Bright Stream"
http://www.jpopsuki.tv/video/Nana-Mizuki---BRIGHT-STREAM/f5be56ce5fdb6830a956d55fe144a483

2013:   "Vitalization"
http://en.musicplayon.com/play?v=102421

Some of Nana Mizuki's voice acting roles:
[Anime] Naruto, FullMetal Alchemist, Rosario + Vampire, FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Toriko, and, Blood-C.

[Video Games] Tales of Symphonia, Wild Arms 5, Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, Star Ocean: The Second Evolution (PSP), Final Fantasy: Type-0, and, Resident Evil: Revelations.

[Dubbing Roles] Ultraviolet, Minority Report, Glee, I Am Number Four, The Hunger Games, and, Evil Dead (2013).

Highly-talented Japanese singer/songwriter, Angela Aki

Birth name: Kiyomi Angela Aki

安藝 聖世美 アンジェラ Born:     September 15, 1977 (age 36)

Itano, Tokushima Prefecture, Shikoku, Japan Genres: Pop Occupations: Singer, Songwriter Instruments: Vocals, piano, guitar

Years active: 2000–present Labels: Sony Music Japan, Tofu Records Website: www.angela-aki.com (Japanese) Angela Aki was born in the small town of Itano, population 14,600, in the mostly rural island of Shikoku.  She began to take piano lessons when she was three years old and lived in Tokushima through sixth grade, and spent her junior high school days in Okayama. She has admitted that growing up in rural Japan proved very difficult, as she was bullied and she turned to the piano as an escape from the isolation she felt. She grew up listening to a mix of enka, The Carpenters and The Bee Gees. Aki moved to Hawaii when she was fifteen years old and graduated from Iolani School-she speaks English and Japanese. She was immersed in music there for four years. She graduated from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and majored in political science. After producing commercial music for several Japanese companies, including one for milk product Yakult which was sung by US Jazz vocalist Jimmy Scott, she decided to move back to Japan. On September 27, 2003, Aki saw Shiina Ringo's concert in Nippon Budokan Hall, and promised herself she would perform at the same place within three years, even though she was unheard of, had not yet been offered a contract with any record label, nor had she made an album or major debut. She performed live in many small venues and bars in Tokyo while working as a waitress in a Chinese restaurant, wrote 100 or more songs, and also made several demo CDs. In 2005, she released an independent mini-album under Virgo Music entitled "One," which was the #1 selling Indies album of 2005. This alerted Nobuo Uematsu to her music, and he asked her to write lyrics and perform the theme song for Final Fantasy XII, "Kiss Me Good-Bye". She contracted with Epic Records and made her major debut with the single "HOME" in September, 2005. The album sold over half a million copies and reached #2 on the Oricon charts. On December 26, 2006, she held a concert in Nippon Budokan Hall, making history there as the first artist to ever perform in the famous venue solo (with just her piano) -- no backup singers, band or opening act.  Major Singles:     2006: "Kiss Me Good-Bye"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ0-QwdOnpA [Japanese version/LIVE]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27dpF2wtiJ0 [English version]

2006: "This Love"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WydZLIkYrg [LIVE]        2007: "Sakurairo" http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1878654/sakura_iro_angela_aki/

2008: "Tegami (Haikei Jūgo no Kimi e)"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQZzXQP5Y0M     2011: "Hajimari no Ballad"

http://www.jpopsuki.tv/video/Angela-Aki---Hajimari-no-Ballad/76bb6a582a1f209447800b3e2504d860     2012: "Kokuhaku"
http://mp3.zing.vn/video-clip/Kokuhaku-Angela-Aki/ZW60FOIF.html
2013: "Yume no Owari Ai no Hajimari" http://en.musicplayon.com/play?v=166199

Exciting Japanese pop band, Angela!

ANGELA
Years active: 1993-present
Label:            Starchild

MAIN MEMBERS
 > atsuko
Full name: Atsuko Yamashita (山下 敦子 Yamashita Atsuko?)
Born: January 23, 1975
Origin: Okayama Prefecture
In charge of: Vocal, song composition and lyrics
> KATSU
Full name: Katsunori Hirasato (平里 勝敬 Hirasato Katsunori?)
Born: June 12, 1974
Origin: Okayama Prefecture
In charge of: Song composition and arrangement, plays keyboard and guitar

SUPPORT MEMBERS
> Jinbo-chan (じんぼちゃん?)
Full name: Yasuhiro Kojima (小島 億洋 Kojima Yasuhiro?)
Born: April 8
In charge of: drum
> Yuuki (ユウキ Yūki?)
Full name: Yūki Somekawa (染川 裕紀 Somekawa Yūki?)
Born: December 2
In charge of: bass
> kanaco
Full name: Kanako Yamaguchi (山口 佳名子 Yamaguchi Kanako?)
Born: June 18
In charge of: violin
> Hazuki (葉月?)
In charge of: trombone
> Manami (愛美?)
In charge of: trumpet
Nao (ナオ?)
In charge of: saxophone

BACKGROUND
Angela (stylized as angela) is a Japanese pop band, notable for having their music portrayed as theme songs for several anime television shows. The main members are Atsuko and Katsu. Their signature upbeat tunes and rich arrangements is a dazzling mix of electronica, dance, rock, swing jazz and ska. Angela’s energetic stage presence and stunning performance brings together Atsuko’s versatile vocals and KATSU’s multi-instrumental skills, instantly winning the hearts of audiences in big scale international events like Otakon, Sakura-Con and Anime Festival Asia. No stranger to the Oricon Chart, they've enjoyed great success with a string of hits for countless anime titles.

Although both Atsuko and Katsu were born in Okayama Prefecture, they met for the first time in Tokyo at a music school. In 1993 Angela was formed and they began as street performers. In 1999 they made their debut with the single memories, however this release went largely unnoticed. However, in 2002 Angela signed on with Starchild. Their breakthrough came when they wrote the opening song, "Asu e no brilliant road" (明日へのbrilliant road), along with three different ending themes for the anime Stellvia of the Universe. Their first album, Sora no Koe (ソラノコエ) was released by Starchild in 2003. Since then they have provided songs for the show Fafner in the Azure and have released five more studio albums; I/O in 2004, PRHYTHM in 2006, a "best of compilation" Takarabako -Treasure Box- (宝箱 - Treasure Box) in 2007, Land Ho! in 2009, and mirror☆ge in 2011.

In 2013 they celebrate their 10th anniversary by releasing the 6th studio album ZERO. The album peaks at #10 on the Oricon weekly album charts, making it their 2nd album to break into the Top 10.
In 2004, Angela played at the Otakon Convention in Baltimore, Maryland. The following year, 2005, saw live performances at Sakura-Con in Seattle, Washington, and also at Fan Expo Canada (known at the time as CN Anime) in Toronto, Canada.
Sora no Koe was released in the United States by the Geneon label as Voice of the Sky in January 2005. Their second album I/O was released under the Geneon label in the U.S. in August 2005. Their next album, PRHYTHM, was released by Geneon in the U.S. in November 2006.

In 2010, for the first time, angela performed at Southeast Asia's largest anime convention, Anime Festival Asia (AFA), held annually in Singapore. It is also their first time performing in the country. In 2011, they followed up with another performance organised by jplex in Singapore at Republic Polytechnic. In the same year, they appeared again in Singapore at Anime Festival Asia 2011. In 2012, they were invited for the third time to perform at Anime Festival Asia 2012 in Indonesia.

Here are some of Angela’s singles:

2003 – “Asu e no Brilliant Road” 

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8skKqRaDSuo (LIVE)

2004 – “Shangri-La” 

     http://www.jpopasia.com/group/angela/videos/shangri-la::11965.html

2005 – “Peace of Mind” 

     http://www.jpopasia.com/group/angela/videos/peace-of-mind::11969.html

2007 – “Gravitation” 

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKnALMBXmEo

2008 – “Beautiful Fighter” 

     http://www.jpopasia.com/group/angela/videos/beautiful-fighter::11966.html

2009 – “Spiral” 

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYr7NOuDP-I

2010 – “Soukyuu” 

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLqs5wvyV-s (LIVE)

2012 – “Kings” 

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i--2RC-XBc (LIVE)

2013 – “Angel” 

     http://www.jpopsuki.tv/video/angela---Angel/5e6cc7991e044d89444bb73db5791a55

 

The Real PopAsia is right HERE

SBS PopAsia claims to play and represent pop music from all over Asia, and yet the majority of music they play is from South Korea.  Not to say that Kpop doesn't have good artists and songs, but for a radio station/TV program claiming to play music from all over Asia, it's a claim that borders precariously close to false advertising. 

Japan - the largest music industry in Asia (and 2nd largest in the world) - is continuously under-represented, and other Asian countries such as China, Taiwan, The Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Mongolia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore and Bangladesh have had minimal to no representation.

Ayumi Hamasaki

So for all those you wish to watch MVs that are unlikely to ever be screened on the PopAsia TV program (or played on the PopAsia radio station), here is a sample of what you've been missing:

Ayumi Hamasaki (Japan, 1994-present, 53+million albums sold)
          Progress (from the album Five, 2011) 
          Love Song (from the album Love Songs, 2010)
Angela Aki (Japan, 2000-present)
          Kiss Me Goodbye (from the album Home, 2006) 
          This Love (from the album Home, 2006)

Nana Mizuki

Kumi Koda (Japan, 2000-present, 12+ million albums sold)
          Real Emotion (from the album Grow Into One, 2003) 
          Someday (from the album Kingdom, 2008*) *unconfirmed 
Nana Mizuki (Japan, 1998-present)
          Justice to Believe (from the album The Museum, 2007) 
          Scarlet Knight (from the album, The Museum II, 2001)
The Alfee (Japan, 1974-present)
          Brave Love (from the album Nouvelle Vague, 1998) 
          Boy (from the album Glint Beat, 2001)

Angela

Angela (Japan, 1993-present)
          Shangri-La (from the album I/O, 2004) 
          Soukyuu (from the album Mirror*ge, 2011)
Exile (Japan, 2001-present, 20+ million albums sold)
          Anata e (from the album Exile Japan/Solo, 2012) 
          Bows & Arrows (from the album ?, 2012)
Mr.Children (Japan, 1998-present, 50+ million albums sold)
          Fanfare (from the album Sense, 2010) 

          Tomorrow Never Knows (from the album Mr. Children 1992-1995, 2001)
One Ok Rock (Japan, 2005-present)
          Re:make (from the album Zankyo Reference, 2011) 
          The Beginning (from the album ?, 2012)
Arashi (Japan, 1999-present)
          Meikyuu Love Song (from the album Popcorn, 2012)
          Monster (from the album Boku no Miteiru Fūkei, 2010)
AKB48 (Japan, 2005-present)
          Sayonara Crawl (from a TBA album, 2013)
          Kaze wa Fuiteiru (from the album 1830m, 2011)

Charice

Charice (The Philippines, 2005-present)
          New World (from the album Infinity, 2011) 

Regine Velasquez (The Philippines, 1986-present, 7+ million albums sold)
          On The Wings Of Love (from the album R2K, 1999)

 1:43 (The Philippines, 2010-present)
          PiNK (Pag-Ibig Na Kaya?) (from the album Time For Love, 2011) 

Serchmaa

Eurasia (The Philippines, 2010-present)
          Working Girls (from the album Eurasia, 2011) 

Cueshé (The Philippines (2005-present)
          Stay (from the album Half Empty Half Full, 2005) 

Kiwi (Mongolia, 2003-present)
          Candy Girl (from the album ?, 2008)

Camerton (Mongolia, 1995-present)
          Let Me Ask You (from the album ?, ????)

Siti Nurhaliza

Serchmaa (Mongolia, 2001-present)
          Setgeliin Dram (from the album ?, 2???)

Sarantuya (Mongolia, late-1980s-present)
          Төрсөн өдрийн аялгуу (from the album ?, 2009)

Haranga (Mongolia, 1989-present)
          Shuuder tsetseg (from the album ?, 199?)


Siti Nurhaliza (Malaysia, 1995-present)
          Jerat Percintaan (from the album Siti Nurhaliza I, 1996)

Hafiz (Malaysia, 2009-present)
          Masih Jelas (from the album Masih Jelas, 2009)

Yuna (Malaysia, 2008-present)
          Live Your Life (from the album Yuna, 2012)

Golf & Mike

Wings (Malaysia, 1985-present)
          Misteri Mimpi Syakila (from the album ?, ????)


Stacy (Malaysia, 2008-present)
          Pakai Buang (from the album Aku Stacy, 2009)


Golf & Mike (Thailand, 2005-present)
          Let's Stay Together (from the album ?, 2009)

Thongchai McIntyre (Thailand, 1986-present, 20+ million albums sold)
          Why The Tears? (from the album ?, ????)

Tishma

China Dolls (Thailand, 1999-2005, 2008-present)
          Muay nee kah (from the album Muay nee kah, 1999)


August Band (Thailand, 2007-present)
          Love Is Not Everything (from the album Light in the Dark Vol. 1 - The Traveler, 20??)

Tata Young (Thailand, 1991-present)
          Dhoom Dhoom (from the album Dhoom Dhoom, 2005)

Tishma (Bangladesh, 2002-present)
          Rock Rajkonna (from the album X Factor, 2008)

Miles (Bangladesh, 1979-present)
          Firiye Dao (from the album ?, 19??)

Faye Wong

Faye Wong (China, 1989-2005, 2010-present)
          Eyes on Me (from the Final Fantasy VIII OST,1999)

Nicky Wu (Taiwan, 1988-present)
          Qi Long (from the album ?, 19??)

Noah (Indonesia, 1997-present)
          Tak Lami Sama (from the album Seperti Seharusnya, 2012)


Akira Phan (Vietnam, 19??-????)
          Loi Nguyen (from the album ?, ????)

Eli T. (Singapore, 2006-present)
          Fallen (from the album Revolt, 2012)

If you want to hear these songs/artists on SBS PopAsia, tell them - either by Facebook, Twitter, Phone or email.  The more people request, and continue requesting the songs/artists listed here, the greater the possibility that they will get played on SBS PopAsia's radio station and TV shows.  Sharing and promoting this article with others will further raise awareness if this issue.  

Additionally, if there are artists/songs that aren't listed here and haven't been played on SBS PopAsia, please list their details in the COMMENTS section.