Tracklist
1. Yoku Aru Hanashi ~Mofuku no Onna Hen~
2. Kaze Yura no Uta
3. Yoku Aru Hanashi ~Mofuku no Onna Hen~ -Instrumental-
4. Kaze Yura no Uta -Instrumental-

Shibasaki Kou’s 16th single was released on June 4, 2008. It peaked at #6 on the weekly Oricon charts and has current sold around 21,000 copies.

Yoku Aru Hanashi ~Mofuku no Onna Hen~ has a very jazzy feel to it, especially with the big band backing up Kou’s quick and rhythmic vocals. The arrangement is so good, energetic and upbeat, but it’s not overboard, though I admit it at times it makes me want to get up and dance to it. =) The chorus is fun and somewhat catchy. I like the quickness of the tempo but also that there’s no hurried feeling to it. The track gives off a nice, carefree summer feeling. It’s interesting to note that difference between the cover art and the feeling of the title track. Kou is dressed in traditional garb and the colorful background makes me think of courtesans a la Anna Tsuchiya’s Sakuran. But the track has a very modern feeling with the brass - also like the contrast in the Sakuran and its soundtrack (by Shiina Ringo and it’s great if you haven’t listened to it).

The b-side is a ballad. Kou uses pretty low vocals and seems to chest the entire song. The arrangement is nice, but the combination of strings and percussion here feels very heavy. That with the low and drawn out notes really weighs down the entire track. It’s not bad, in fact it can be quite nice at times, but generally, the heavy feeling is way too much for me.

Buy this single: CD only | CD+DVD

Starring:
Fukuyama Masaharu as Yukawa Manabu
Shibasaki Kou as Utsumi Kaoru
Watanabe Ikkei as Kuribayashi Hiromi
Maya Miki as Jonouchi Sakurako
Shinagawa Hiroshi as Yuge Shiro
Kitamura Kazuki as Kusanagi Shunpei
Hayashi Tsuyoshi as Murase Kensuke
Aoi as Taniguchi Saeko
Fukui Hiroaki as Kobuchizawa Takashi
Takayama Miyako as Watanabe Miyuki
Ito Takahiro as Mori Eita

Galileo is a Japanese drama that aired in the fall of 2007. It was broadcasted by Fuji TV on Monday nights and ran 10 episodes long. Galileo was the most anticipated drama for the fall season and secured averages ratings of 22%. The drama was based on the novels Tantei Galileo and Yochimu. The theme song was KISS Shite by KOH+, a collaboration consisting of the two leads, Fukuyama Masaharu and Shibasaki Kou.

Yukawa Manabu is a physic professor at a Teito University. He is very logical and relies on science to solve any problems he may have. Opposite of him is Utsumi Kaoru, a rookie detective who is quick to believe in the impossible. A seasoned detective, Kusanagi Shunpei, is being transferred to the central police station; he is known for being the ‘mystery hunter’ and solving all sorts of strange cases. He tells Utsumi a secret: he has always had help on these cases from an old college buddy of his, Yukawa. Because of this, she starts going to Yukawa for help. Though he may initially resist, the interesting, and often seeming impossible, circumstances interest him and he lends a helping hand. And maybe his assistant and students are sometimes annoyed by his lack of attention to school things, but once his becomes interesting in a subject, he must see it out until the end.

Unlike most mystery dramas, there is no overarching plot, so you can watch individual episodes and not miss anything (except for the last two episodes, a two-parter). If you’re a science geek, there’s no way you can miss this drama because it is pure physics fun (and out of all the sciences, physics is my personal favorite). Galileo can really appeal to almost anyone. People who enjoy mysterious will find all the cases interesting and different, even though every mystery involves a murder of some sort. People who like science and particularly physics will enjoy Yukawa-sensei’s experiments and his way of investigating. And for the rest who just want a good drama, the interaction between Yukawa-sensei and Utsumi is hilarious, as well as the possible…romance?? No one really knows…

Even though Galileo is pretty much stand-alone stories, you can see changes in the leads, and the way that Yukawa talks has such a dry sense of humor to it. Plus, Shibasaki Kou was really excellent in this role….don’t know who could have been better.

Oh, and another interesting thing about the show is all the guest stars. There were a bunch of big names including Horikita Maki, Fukada Kyoko, Honjou Manami, and Katori Shingo (from SMAP).

Basically Galileo is your usual cop show with some extra science twists. I personally really liked it, and it’s definitely an interesting watch. There’s a reason that the ratings were so high, you know.

Buy the boxset: Japan Version

Tracklist
1. KISS Shite
2. KISS Shite -Instrumental-

KOH+ is a collaboration between Shibasaki Kou and Fukuyama Masaharu. KISS Shite was the theme song for the popular drama Galileo, which starred both members of KOH+. Fukuyama Masaharu composed the music and wrote the lyrics, while Shibasaki Kou provided the main vocals. KISS Shite debuted at #4 on the Oricon charts, selling over 54,000 copies in the first week.

The first time I listened to KISS Shite, I wasn’t sure if I liked it. There was something about it I didn’t quite like. The arrangement was interesting, especially the unconventional fiddle and an older-style flute or something. The melodies are pretty simple and easy to remember and I liked the distortion of the vocals at the right moments. Then I realized what it was: the vocals. I really like Shibasaki Kou’s vocals, usually, but not as much in this song. It sounds like she can’t keep up with the tempo or that she can’t reach some of the notes. I have no doubt that she can keep up and reach the notes, but this recording just isn’t cutting it. I wonder if it would be better if there was a different recording, but Kou seldom does live performances, so I doubt a different vocal version will ever pop up, but I can keep waiting. The PV is rather cute, too; it’s worth a watch.

Buy this single: CD+DVD

Tracklist
1. Prism
2. polka dot
3. Sukoshizutsu
4. Prism -Instrumental-

Prism is Shibasaki Kou’s 14th single. It was released on May 30, 2007 and has sold approximately 9000 copies.

Prism starts out with a just piano melody and then Kou comes in with the vocals. Slowly, the rest of the instrumentation layers. The tempo builds up after it gets to the chorus. The feeling I get from Prism kind of reminds me of the one I get from invitation. I really like the chorus because it sounds happy, fun, and nostalgic all at the same time. The verse is also quite sad sounding and the arrangement adds to this feeling, especially with the strings.

polka dot has an R&B feel to it with its heavier beats and electronica. The arrangement is rather minimal and puts more emphasis on the short and more pronounced vocals. There are also some English lyrics in the chorus. Despite the song have a rather moderate tempo, the pace feels a bit slow and sluggish at some points. It’s an enjoyable song, but not very memorable.

The intro to Sukoshizutsu immediately has a tropical feeling to it, but after that it somewhat disappears. It’s another medium paced song with slower vocals. There are some points in the song that are quite lovely and Kou sounds great, but there are other points that are kind of bland. It’s somewhat enjoyable and somewhat plain.

Buy this single: CD only

Tracklist
1. Kiki
2. at home
3. regret
4. invitation
5. -toi toi-
6. Amai Sakikusa.
7. Bunshin
8. interference
9. Sakanakana
10. Hito Koi Meguri
11. Kage
12. Usagi
13. Calendar

Kiki is Shibasaki Kou’s third album. It was released on April 25, 2007. Kiki ? peaked at #3 on the weekly Oricon charts, but managed to hit the daily #1 spot on the first day of its release. It has currently sold over 100,000 copies.

The album starts off with its namesake, the upbeat Kiki ?. I love the piano in the arrangement and the Kou’s low pitched vocals. The chorus is cute and catchy, but I prefer the melody of the verses which has a melancholy undertone despite the faster tempo. There are some cute Engrishy lyrics here, a little different from typical Shibasaki Kou stuff.

at home is a slow ballad. Kou’s vocals are very calm and lSovely here and the arrangement is fairly nice with a bit of electronica and some strings. It’s a pretty song, but a bit boring for my tastes and I don’t tend to remember the melody.

regret, despite its title, is a faster song. I like the chorus, especially, with the pronounced beat - the second part of the chorus is my favorite part because of the long and short notes Kou hits. The arrangement is great because of the fun jazzy sound.

invitation is one my favorite singles from Kou. It’s fun and upbeat and I love both the verse and chorus melodies. The chorus is especially catchy and I often find myself humming it. The arrangement is gorgeous too - the strings and piano are amazing together - it’s one the instrumentals that I actually like listening to. I like the bridge when the vocals are somewhat muted and the piano can be clearly heard - love the use of piano in this song.

-toi toi- starts off sounding like part of the soundtrack in an old black-and-white movie. It’s actually an interlude, where over the epic music, Kou asks many questions.

Amai Sakikusa is another ballad. The verses aren’t really anything special, but the chorus is emotion-filled and the entire song sounds very sad. The arrangement is nice, but nothing special. Just like the song itself.

Bunshin is a slow song that features sad vocals and a pretty bare arrangement with just an acoustic in the intro. It builds up and the arrangement adds in more instruments as the vocals get louder as well. I love the percussion effects in the verses - sounds like something hollow is being hit and it reverberates or something.

interference is my favorite Kou b-side. I love the arrangement - especially the brass! The vocals are fast paced and the chorus, despite the slower tempo, is pretty catchy.

Sakanakana is probably the fastest song the album and Kou’s vocals are low and hold a tragic sound to them. I love the chorus, especially; it’s sounds very epic with the higher pitch. I also love the arrangement - the strings trill a lot and it sounds great; the piano melody is also very nice. This is my favorite non-single song on the album.

Hito Kou Meguri is a slow ballad. The part that builds up the chorus is very beautiful and the chorus itself is also great - it’s sad-sounding, maybe a bit nostalgic, and very lovely. The verses are also melancholy, but compared to the rest of the song, it just doesn’t stand out as much. I don’t like the arrangement that much, though. There are too many elements and it’s too full-sounding.

Kage is a gorgeous ballad that I really just fall in love with. The entire song sounds so sad and tragic, but the chorus (and the pre-chorus) is especially beautiful. Kou’s vocals are amazing. The string in the arrangement are done just right.

After all those two ballads, comes the fun and upbeat Usagi. This one is different from a lot of typical Kou songs in that the actually vocals are faster and jump around a bit. The arrangement is pretty interesting and uses a lot of elements, but mostly separately.

Calendar ends the album on an upbeat note. Easily one of the best new songs, it’s fast, fun, and catchy. I love the chorus especially in this song. The arrangement really makes this song great - it just works. A great way to end the album.

Buy this album: CD only | CD+DVD