Gray's Ongaku Go For March 2022

Picking up after Luna, we’re down another month in 2022, and we at Ongaku to You would like our readers to know what has been filling our ears for the past month. Each track is available across all digital music streaming platforms with Apple Music being featured on this site.

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“Home” by White Jam

This is a fun and catchy track by White Jam. I haven’t gotten to listen to much lately, and this song helps put me in a better place, so I’ve been listening to it on repeat.

Check out “Home” here and the music video below.

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“Lonely” by GENERATIONS from Exile TRIBE

With my job I have to put in 10 plus hours days and they can take a bit of a toll on me. So I’m still listening to Up & Down by GENERATIONS from Exile TRIBE. When I hear this song at work I just think of my wife and how much I wish I was by her side. The last line of the song is “I’m lonely without you” and it gets me every time.

Check out “Lonely” here and the music video below.

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“my bestie” by lol

lol had dropped two great songs so far this year, but I think this is my favorite of the two. This track has a charm to it and it's pretty catchy as well.

Check out “my bestie” here and the music video below.

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“PARADE GOES ON” by GANG PARADE

It’s been a few years since I’ve heard a new track by these girls and I actually kind of forgot about them, so seeing this pop up on the Oricon was a nice surprise. Both songs on this release are fantastic, but “PARADE GOES ON” reminds me of why I liked this group in the first place, so I’m giving it the shout-out.

Check out “PARADE GOES ON” here and the music video below.

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“Blue and others” by Genin Wa Jibun Ni Aru

Well, I think I’ve found a new group to obsess over. I really loved this release and I even went back to listen to more of their music. These guys are right up my alley. I love the vocal work done in this track and it’s got me excited to see what they do next.

Check out “Blue and others” here and the music video below.

Maaya Sakamoto to Release Double A-side Single!

"Sumire/ Kotoba ni Dekinai" Standard Edition Jacket Cover

"Sumire/ Kotoba ni Dekinai" Limited Edition Jacket Cover

During vocalist Maaya Sakamoto’s birthday, she announced that she will be releasing a double A-side single containing the theme songs of two anime starting in April in Japan.

The first is the opening theme for Deaimon, a story set in an old confectionery store in Kyoto. The title is “Sumire.” The lyrics were written by Sakamoto herself, with composition and arrangement by Shigeru Kishida of Kururi, a Japanese rock band from Kyoto, matching the setting of the anime.

The second song is “Kotoba ni Dekinai,” the ED theme for the third season of the popular anime Ascendance of a Bookworm, which has sold over 6 million copies (including e-books). Maaya Sakamoto wrote and composed this song herself. The coupling track will be a studio live version of “Senri no Michi,” a song created to commemorate the 1,000th broadcast of Vitamin M, a radio program hosted by Maaya Sakamoto.

The limited first edition will come with a bonus Blu-ray containing the final day of Maaya Sakamoto’s Acoustic Live & Talk 2020 tour, which was held on November 29, 2020, at Zepp Tokyo.

In addition, two cover photos (limited first edition and regular edition) and a music video (short ver.) for “Sumire” have been released. The music video features Kento Ohgiya, who co-arranged and played the piano for Sumire which you can view below along with the pre-order links for the upcoming single!

Standard edition

Limited edition

Luna's Ongaku Go For March 2022!

With Spring blooming into action that means its that time of the month for March’s Ongaku Go! We at OTY would like our readers to know what was filling our ears for the past month. Each track is available across all digital music streaming platforms, with Apple Music featured on this site.

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“Labyrinth” by Mime

Mime’s newest track “Labyrinth” has a chill vibe that pulls you in immediately; HIKARI’s vocals are smooth and enchanting. This track is a bit slower than other favorites such as “Caught in Shower” and “Headlight”, but the slow and heaviness of “Labyrinth” shows off Mime’s capabilities of doing a variety of tracks. Even though “Labyrinth” is still in their wheelhouse, the composition is a little heavier, the guitar solo is superb, and it gives off such a nice relaxing yet deep thought type of feel.

Check out “Labyrinth” here and the video below!

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“Ikenai Baby” by eill

As eill released her major label debut album PALETTE in February, I finally got my copy to listen to. “Ikenai Baby” was a promotional track used for this and also the first track on the album. “Ikenai Baby” shows off eill’s vocals right from the start. The composition starts off a bit slower and transitions into a mid-tempo R&B-pop track. What makes “Ikenai Baby” such a great track for me is the lyrics, eill’s vocals, the guitar, and the last verses. This song flows so perfectly with eill’s vocals and style.

Check out “Ikenai Baby” here and the music video below!

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“Chameleon” by King Gnu

I had the lovely introduction to “Chameleon” when we broke down the Oricon on our Podcast and fell in love with it immediately. King Gnu has always been hit or miss, but “Chameleon” does exactly what I wanted from it. The piano is absolutely gorgeous and King Gnu’s vocals are what does it. This track has the perfect harmony with composition and vocals. I also enjoy that the composition still remains unique to them without being too loud and is befitting of the vocals and lyrics. “Chameleon” is an the perfect experimental ballad as King Gnu knows how make their ballads stand out.

Check out “Chameleon” here and the music video below!

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“Ice Cream” By Anna Takeuchi

With the release of Anna Takeuchi’s album TICKETS, I moved up Ice Cream to repeat on the my playlist. It’s such a cute song; I enjoy the lovey-dovey lyrics and Anna’s vocals fit with the composition perfectly. “Ice Cream” gives me the summer love vibe every time I listen to it; its a cute feel good track that should be on every summer or love song playlist. The composition is a poppy track with catchy lyrics and Anna’s vocals are what make this track special.

Check out “Ice Cream” here and the music video below!

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“Sora no Aosa ni Miserarete” by I Don’t Like Mondays

First time I heard “Sora no Aosa ni Miserarete” I was hooked with its upbeat composition, catchy chorus, and how YU’s vocals stood out. The guitar solo near the end is fantastic; I love how in the middle of the track that everyone starts singing the chorus. This is such a fun track that you either want to jump around to or tap your foot consistently to. “Sora no Aosa ni Miserarete” also pulls in all the band members together vocal wise and gives you the sense in some parts of the song that it’s being performed live. I love everything about this track.

Check out “Sora no Aosa ni Miserarete” here and the lyrics video below!

Nippon Broadcasting System and PONYCANYON USA have Announced the Launch of "Anime Roomy", A Podcast for Overseas Anime Fans!

Nippon Broadcasting System and PONYCANYON USA are pleased to announce the launch of "Anime Roomy", a podcast for international anime fans!

Anime Roomy" is an all-English audio content for anime fans around the world hosted by Mikan, Yuzu, Yuri, and Sakura, who are anime fans living in North America and also members of PONYCANYON USA's "World Otafy Project". It features a lot of anime, from well-known classics to the latest titles, as well as "Funny Nihongo" and "Oshi-kai" that goes beyond anime, based on the concept of a fun otaku chat between roomies. Cast profiles and character voices are available on World Otafy Project official website.

The podcast is available on various distribution sites and PONYCANYON USA YouTube, and new episodes go up every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. (Japan Time). Moreover, special guests are now being arranged. It will be a super exciting podcast for those who love Japanese anime and pop culture. Follow the official Twitter and subscribe to the channel, and look forward to the updates.

Be sure to check out here!

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Mikan

Yuzu

Yuri

Sakura

<Cast Profiles >

Mikan (Character Color: Orange):

A wholesome girl whose cute smile is her trademark. An accomplished fan artist who loves to share her work with friends. Loves shonen manga and anime based on them. Working toward her dream of becoming a designer.

Yuzu (Character Color: Yellow)

A cool beauty who’s also the group’s youngest member. Quick-witted and often serves as the MC of the program. Loves cats and anime. A self-proclaimed fujoshi.

Yuri (Character Color: Blue)

Her kindhearted, nurturing personality makes her the oneesan of the Roomies. Possesses a calming aura. Loves SF and hot-blooded anime. When she gets fired up about one of her many interests, she’s unstoppable.

Sakura (Character Color: Pink)

A multifaceted comedienne, by turns sexy and hilarious. Loves magical girl anime more than anything. The chameleon of the group, known for her sudden funny interjections.

<What is "World Otafy Project"?>

A project by PONYCANYON USA that aims to "otaku-fy" the world with the main focus on "translation by otaku for otaku". The members are native English-speaking anime fans who are fluent in Japanese, and are involved in anime-related translation and research from their otaku perspectives. If you’re interested in being a part of “Otafy”, please check the website for the details and achievements.

Keiko Watanabe Brings New Life with Latest Release!

“ALIVE” Jacket Cover

Voice actress Keiko Watanabe released her original song called “ALIVE” on Tuesday the 29th of March across all digital music streaming platforms. She acted as Momoko Suou in “THE iDOLM@STER Million Live!”, which has been a very popular and leading anime in the anime scene. She also acted as Narita Taishin in “Uma Musume Pretty Derby”. This is her first original song to be released even though she has been releasing her cover songs on her official YouTube channel previously. This project started from her wish to leave milestones of, “My own voice right now”, and the release date is actually on her birthday.

She put her strong belief into the song that “I will never be satisfied with how things are now and I will keep on moving forward to the unknown future even going through a difficult path.” The song has a heavy rock feeling which is catchy and has a fast tempo. With her strong and passionate vocals this song is perfect to show the real her in this moment.

One of her major works is acting as the character, Momoko Suou in “THE iDOLM@STER Million Live!”. Momoko Sumo is a girl who has a strong character but also has childish naivety as she is an 11 years old girl. Keiko Watanabe acted Momoko amazingly and viewers almost believed that the voice actress must be a young girl. Her acting skills made fans say “This is the best acting from Keiko Watanabe!”.

On the other hand, she played a woman named Rea Katagiri in “World’s End Harem” perfectly. Rea Katagiri is a character who is a mature woman with a strict nature and also a sexy and attractive atmosphere. Keiko Watanabe has played many different types of characters and many fans are surprised to find out who she has played so far. Her amazing talent for acting different roles and her perfect acting is highly recognised by many anime fans.

She has released many character songs related to the anime’s “THE iDOLM@STER Million Live!” and “Uma Musume Pretty Derby”. She has sung beautifully on many stages and her great performances made many people loyal fans.

It’s easy to imagine that her original songs have been longed for by many fans, especially when people see her great history. This song will definitely be a great chance to get to know her better. 

On Tuesday the 29th of March, the lyric video of this new song will be released on her official YouTube Channel. In April, she will appear on a radio show to talk more about her song. Please check out her interview on the radio program as well as her song, where she will be talking about the song in her own words, along with the streaming link for the track here!