Customer Reviews

Rie Fu

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ahem. Sorry about the title-field rant. Anyway, disclaimer: Imports from Japan are so expensive that I wouldn't buy one without listening to some samples first, and definitely not based on a review alone!

With that said...

I've lived in Japan for ten months, and "Rie Fu" one of only three albums I've paid full price for. Keep in mind, I have the option of -renting- CDs here. But I wanted to own this one myself, and it was too new to be in the used CD shops in my area. So I went ahead and splurged on the full price.

End testimonial, onto the review - Rie Fu studied in London, so her English is almost perfect (they're a couple clunkers in pronunciation and writing, but they're more than forgivable.) The album itself is heavy on the English. Three songs are entirely in English, and eight are bilingual, with enough English that it's translated on the side for native Japanese speakers. Only two are predominantly Japanese.

Since it's not listed at the time I'm posting this review, here's the track listing:

1) Waratte, Megumi No Moto E

2) Beautiful Words

3) Somebody's World

4) 2 cm

5) I So Wanted

6) Decay

7) Prayers & Melodies

8) Ame No Hi Ga Sukitte Omotte Mitai

9) Voice (Album Version)

10) Tsuki No Ue (Jamming version) [<--in the title, and no, I don't know what that's supposed to mean, since it doesn't exactly "jam"]

11) Shine

12) Life is Like a Boat

13) ~interlude~ (instrumental)

14) Decay (English Version)

I'm not sure who to compare her to, but Rie Fu definitely fits the singer/song writer mold, which I'd also say means she's not like a typical Jpop artist (Ayumi Hamasaki, Mai Kuraki, BoA, even Hikaru Utada - I'm not judging their styles, but they all have a much more mainstream sound than Rie Fu.)

Much of the instrumentation is piano or guitar. Her voice is not particularly strong, but it is pleasant - a touch girlish but not as much as other artists - and she doesn't try to strain or push beyond her ability. Her lyrics are often simple but sweet poetry. From Beautiful Words: "The wind could carry all the labor away/in spite of my exertions it's not real to me." Tsuki no Ue: "Silent stars shine in the sky/I wonder the reason why/Every time I try to sing, they/sparkle in my eyes." Life is Like a Boat: "And every time I see your face/the oceans heave up to my heart/you make me wanna strain at the oars/and soon I can see the shore."

Apologies that my rudimentary Japanese is not good enough to judge the Japanese lyrics myself yet. For whatever it's worth, one of my friends, who is strongly on the intermediate level, likes them.

Once again, I'd try to find some samples before ordering. Also, I wouldn't order based on "Life Is Like a Boat" simply because it's the standout. But if you find her latest single "I Wanna Go to a Place" - different album, but the sound is comparable to the first - and like both it and "Life is Like a Boat," that's probably a good indicator that you'll like the album.

And by the way, good luck budgeting to supplement your Jpop collection. ^_~

Rie Fu is perhaps most widely known for "Life is Like a Boat" used in the first season of Bleach. I was enchanted by that one and felt the same way about almost every track on the album.

Her sound is generally soft and adagio, contemporary, largely acoustic, heavy on the piano. Her lyrics are about 50% English, usually whole verses or songs, not random snippets of Engrish, so those who don't speak Japanese can appreciate her philosophical depth as well as her gentle music and calming voice. I compare her to Dido, Norah Jones, and the softer side of Alanis Morisette.

Rie Fu writes great songs that just flow naturally, with evocative lyrics and interesting music. Her style touches several genres, but I can't put it in a single category -- it's like nothing I've heard, yet quite distinctive in itself. The songs on this album range from mellow to driven, and her seamless mixing of Japanese and (good) English is something that is quite marvelous.

I agree with the other reviewers' opinions, so I won't bother repeating them. My favorite song on this album, though, is "Tsuki no ue" ("Over the Moon", or "Above the Moon"). To describe it briefly, it's a song with mellow guitar but a solid beat. The chords are simple, but the melody wanders to interesting places. The first half is in Japanese, and the second half in English; it's not a translation between halves. The Japanese lyrics are somewhat metaphorical, but the English is even more so, which really gets me.

This is an import, so it's pricey, but Amazon's price is particularly egregious.

I liked the song "Life is like a Boat" from the ending of the early episodes of the "Bleach" anime. I looked up the artist, and read about her some. She's quite a talent, and writes unusual songs with a combination of English and Japanese. Not just the odd word like some songs have for anime and such, but an almost seamless switching of phrases and verses.

The long version of the "Boat" song is there, and I found that I like many of the other songs on the album as well. Something I don't often find when listening to singers who do anime. This one is different, more of a selection that made it into an anime, than someone linked to the genre. I've got a lot of anime albums that are just a waste of money, but this one is solid.

I think I read Rie Fu is currently studying in England at some advanced music or performing arts school. I look forward to more albums from this talented artist.