List your five favorite J-pop or J-rock songs. Mine could have had a lot of things in it, but here's what I ended up with (kind of in order, but not really):

Noto Mamiko - Karinui (Jigoku Shoujo ED)
Noto Mamiko's amazingly beautiful singing voice in an amazingly beautiful song. The instrumentation to me is unique. It suggests tranquility and sorrow at once. Probably one of my favorite songs ever.

Matsuoka Yuki, Watanabe Akeno, and Shiratori Yuki - Maze of the Dark (Negima Character Song)
A hard rocker with a little keyboard driven by a great melody. The vocals are outstanding, of course. Very powerful.

Orikasa Fumiko - Osanpo Kyousoukyoku (Ichigo Mashimaro Character Song)
MIURAP. There is nothing more awesome than a 12-year-old anime girl rapping, especially when she is good at it. I blared this song out of my car at Sakuracon while driving by the convention center. Had to. Yo, yo, yo yo yo! Miu, Miu, Miu Miu Miu!

Ali Project - Otome no Inori
A really suave Ali Project song. Almost industrialesque, and the chorus will get stuck in your head for days. Love the beat throughout.

Shimamiya Eiko - Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni OP)
This is just an amazing song. I was blown away the first time I heard it, much like I was with Karinui, but for different reasons. It captures the darker side of the series so well, and Eiko weaves melodies that ensnare your mind and won't let go.

1. Shabondama (Morning Musume)

2. Resonant Blue (Morning Musume)

3. Onna ni Sachi Are (Morning Musume)

4. Kanashimi Twilight (Morning Musume)

5. SEXY BOY ~Soyokaze ni Yorisotte~ (Morning Musume)

Yes friends, I'm a Hello! Project fan. I'll edit this later when I'm not too lazy. xD

This.


Also:

Kiyoura Natsumi - Tabi no Tochuu

Best anime OP ever? I like to think so. This is exactly the kind of song I've always wanted to write myself.

Dir en grey - MACABRE

Their best song, in my opinion. They shed the pop aesthetic of the first album, delved into a more progressive and epic territory briefly, only to go on to be the numetalcore granddaddies of the scene today. :sad:

Gackt - Missing

Another song that, to me, transcends nation. Anyone could have released this song, and it would have been a favourite of mine. One of the best acoustic guitar-driven pieces I've heard in a long time.

Onmyouza - Nemuri

These guys are like a female-fronted Japanese Iron Maiden. Two amazing guitarists, a vocalist with a unique and stunning voice, and amazing songwriting abilities.

X Japan - Art Of Life

This is one of my favourite things to come out of Japan. 30 minutes of pure aural sex. An incredibly EPIC song. Another one of those tunes that would have been awesome no matter who released it.

And the thing is, I like j-rock and all, but I'm not the kind of person to discriminate because of nationality. I absolutely can't stand those people who think that only Japanese music is good, or simply that American music sucks. These people need to grow up :happy: . So yes, these are some of my favourite songs to come out of Japan. There are more I like too, but I'll leave those for later. :P

"Vanilla" - Gackt ( :wub: )
"Love2^Sugar" - DJ Taka
"Web of Night" - TMRevolution
"Anatanashidehaikiteyuknei" - Berryz Kobou
"Disabled Complexes" - Dir-En-Grey

Dir En Grey - Raison d´Etre
A song you can hear in almost any Situation. I hear it at least once a week.

Aqua Timez - ALONES
One of the best Bleach OP´s ever!

Attack All Around - Soul Edge Boy
You really kinda calm down with this song. Also good to hear it when you´re down.

Hitomi Takahashi - Mou hitotsu no Yoake
A wonderful song - especially when you´re driving along the Beach ^^

Maximum the Hormone - What´s up People?
I just say DEEEEES NOTAAA~~~

HINOI TEAM - IKE IKE (Ichigo 100% - OVA ED Single - Ike Ike)
Good beat, good tempo. Sounds like the Six flags theme song in a way.

Marko Polo - Speedy speed boy (Initial D selection Album)
Heard on a YTMND a while ago. Come back a few years later and find the actual song.

IOSYS - Perfect cherry blossom
A friend showed this to me a while ago. I took the artist of the song as being related to THE IDOLM@STER, but I was wrong. But I listened to this and I love it.

Caramell - Caramelldansen (Speedycake Remix) ()
Not really my favorite, but as a good meme.

Perfume - Electro World ~Album Version~ (Perfume ~Complete Best~)
I heard the Hatsune Miku version of this and I loved it. Soon later I ripped it from a radio stream and found it to be the same one with more of a remixed feel to it. I LOVE IT! :D

Miyazaki Ui - PHOSPHOR
Opening theme to Kanokon. An anime which I love.

Ayumi Hamasaki - SURREAL Floor Mix
Ayumi Hamasaki was the first J-Pop artist I was introduced to, out of all the songs I heard by her, SURREAL Floor Mix has to be one of them. It's long and I like it.

I'll add more as they pass through my mind.

1. Hikari no Rasenritsu by kukui
Haruka Shimotsuki basically has the most beautiful singing voice ever of all time. I'd sell all kinds of important personality traits, limbs, and family members to Satan if I could sing like her. And I love harpsichords. This is basically the most beautiful song ever. And it's a Rozen Maiden song, too!

2. Motteke! Sailor Fuku by Aya Hirano, Emiri Katou, Kaori Fukuhara, and Aya Endou
The OP to Lucky Star. Hyper. Infectious. Hyper. Hyper.
Fucking HYPER.

3. God knows... by Aya Hirano
A song from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya that rocks harder than any other Japanese song I've heard.

4. Concordia by kukui
Continuing with the beauty of kukui's music, Haruka Shimotsuki's voice, etc... this is another amazing, beautiful song.

5. Baragoku Otome by Ali Project
One of the best OP songs ever. I love the use of vibrato and just the weird, creepy, beautiful vocals.

Warped reflection (high and mighty color)

Whats up people? (dunno)

Ichirin no hana (high and mighty color)

Red fraction (mell)

WILD FANG (Joker)

Yuusha-oh Tanjou! - Masaaki Endou (GaoGaiGar)
The ultimate super-mecha OP, which I could never imagine being surpassed.

Hana Maru Sensation - Little Non (Kodomo no Jikan)
It feels so incredibly fast and somehow intense, like you're running with the wind at your back (particularly so when you haven't heard it in a while). Kodomo no Jikan doesn't do it service, the true epic value doesn't hit until its second verse.

Totsugeki Love Heart (Duet Version) - Fire Bomber (Macross 7)
Most of the Macross 7 songs rock fairly hard, but this one always seems to stand on a slightly higher level.

Junjou ACTION - B'z
If you've never heard of B'z, go buy/download/acquire an album asap. You owe it to the carbon which so graciously gave you this life.

Uninstall / Vermillion / Little Bird - Chiaki Ishikawa (Bokurano)
Practically the only songs which I can appreciate for beauty and not intensity... amazing enough to give me shivers from time to time.

lol, yes. Also..

Boku no Tegami - ZONE

Yakusoku - FictionJunction YUUKA (I'm a Kajiura fan :P)

agony - KOTOKO

Sociometry - KOTOKO

PRIDE - HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR

Hmm... I'm at 7. ^^;

Tsubasa Wa Pleasure Line by Minami Kuribayashi

It was so super beautiful when I first heard it! And it is still as beautiful! It sways my heart everytime I hear it.

Balalaika by Kirari Tsukishima

I felt so happy when I heard it! It was so catchy that I couldn't resist it!

God Knows by Aya Hirano

It really reflects to my heart and feelings.

Mother Moon by Rie Tanaka

It seems like a lullaby that lulls me to sleeps everytime.

Nemuru Omoi by Megumi Toyoguchi

It's such a special show-girl type of song. I makes me wanna get a top hat and a staff.

gackt- love song
gackt- redemption
xjapan- tears
endless rain

In no particular order...

Nana Kitade - Siren(for Ruby Gloom, the BEST non-anime chartoon EVER!!)
Ali Project - Hizamazuite Ashi Wo Oname(ending fo Princess Resurrection)
Hitomi Takahashi - Bakutachi no Yukue
Tane Tomoko - Broken Wings(Trinity Blood ending)
SNoW - Sakasama no Chou(Hell Girl opening)