IMPORTANT
I offer these downloads for SAMPLING PURPOSES ONLY, and files recieved should be deleted after 24 hours. I am not responsible for any violations of the law that may occur if you decide to keep the files for more than 24 hours. It is in your best interest to delete the files after 24 hours.
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Hello, and welcome to ~*Highway-Chance*~, a Japanese Pop Culture and Music blog. My original intention was to simply review, grade, and offer downloads to all of the Japanese music that I enjoy listening to. However, as I learned more and more about Japanese Pop Culture, I decided I’d expand my horizons. My original blog [also called ~*Highway-Chance*~], began as a small and simple Windows Live Space that I used so that I could share music with all my friends. I loved that site, but it was kind of primitive, and didn’t offer all the resources that I needed to run a successful blog. So, after a few months using Windows Live Spaces, I decided that I would build a wordpress blog, and make my website more efficient and professional. So, this was the result. ~*Highway-Chance*~ will be offering reviews [and downloads] of my favorite artist’s music. I really like almost all music with the exception of rap and screamo, so my spectrum is pretty broad when it comes to music. My favorite genre is probably mid-tempo pop, though I am also a big fan of upbeat dance numbers, and slower ballad songs. I like country, but there really isn’t much of it in Japan, so my reviews will mostly consist of mainstream top 40 music. I will also be reviewing movies, although my range with that is limited. I am not as knowledgeable in the Japanese acting scene as I am in music, so I’m not sure how often movie reviews will show up in the beginning. I also don’t have a lot of time to sit, watch, and take notes on a movie, which will also be detrimental to the frequency of movie reviews. I do, however, have plenty of time to take a few minutes from my day to listen to and take notes on a single, so those reviews should go up pretty frequently. I am open to suggestions when it comes to music, but I don’t really take requests. You can recommend someone, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m going to review their music, or even listen to it. Not because I’m not interested, but I have my plate full with the many artists I already know. Don’t let that deter you though, because I am always interested in new talent.
GRADING SYSTEM:
A+ — Flawless
A — Almost Perfect
A- — Great
B+ — Pretty Good
B — Average
B- — Substandard
C+ — Unimpressive
C — Dissappointing
C- — Bad
D/+/- — Horrible
F — Absolutely Horrendous
———
Now to introduce myself… My name is Nick, and I am a Sophomore in High School. I’m one of the strange people who actually enjoy learning, so I like to go to school. I’m currently taking Biology, Accelerated Geometry, Advanced Sophomore English, Advanced Placement United States History [APUSH], Drama 2, Sophomore Physical Education, Photo Design 2, and Japanese 3. I can understand Japanese pretty well, but the colloquial side is what gets me. I’m not quite fluent, but I can basically grasp the concept of what is being said. I’m much better at making my own points in Japanese than understanding other’s, but I can still figure it out if I need to. I’m about 5’11”, 135 lbs, and 15 years old. I like playing tennis, swimming, and biking, but I don’t really do anything competitively. I play the guitar, and dabble with the piano, though I’m not very good at it. I love to sing, but I can’t bring myself to join choir for some reason… I think that about sums me up. I hope you enjoy your visit to ~*Highway-Chance*~, Thanks for coming!
Favorite’s, at the moment…
- Favorite Artist: EXILE
- Favorite Song: Ashita e no Sanka [by alan]
- Favorite Single: Forever Love [by Tohoshinki]
- Favorite Album: EXILE LOVE [by EXILE]
- Favorite Promotional Video: JEWEL [by Ayumi Hamasaki]
- Favorite Live Show: Ayumi Hamasaki- talkin’ 2 myself [Music Station]
- Favorite Television Show: Iryu [featuring Teppei Koike]
- Favorite Movie: Taiyou no Uta [starring YUI]
My top 5…
Favorite Jpop Artists
- YUI
- Koda Kumi
- Angela Aki
- WaT
- JYONGRI
Favorite Actors
- Teppei Koike
- Eiji Wentz
- Sawajiri Erika
- YUI
- Takuya Kimura
Hey Nick! I’m glad to see that you have a WordPress now and I hope you enjoy the features it has to offer. I must say that your reviews are something, they’re insightful and not to mention very informative and well written. Keep up the good work!
Congrats for the new or should I say re-newed Blog! I’ve been visiting your blog for quite a while.. I couldn’t post any comments since a MySpace ID is required.. but now I’ll be posting some 😀
Good luck!
Hey, nice blog…must be quite a job to keep this running. Keep up good work.
I recommend this artist to you, if you like Angela Aki type song…her name is Chihiro Onitsuka.
Her new single is called Bokura Bara Iro no Hibi…all of her music is good, really.
Hi Nick! I have been following your blog for a while, but I couldn’t really comment on things, so I’m glad you made the move.
Add me:
http://dropsintheocean.wordpress.com/
Hey Nick!
I’ve been following your blog for a while, but I could never comment coz my comp always froze whenever I tried to (think it was all the youtube embeds hanging it up!)
Anyhow just wanted to say keep up the brilliant work, it’s been really helpful…it’s actually coz of highway chance I got inspired to start up my own music blog! I got so many great recommendations etc. of artists I’d never heard about, and I wanted to help return this favour to the world!
It’s just starting up so layout, tags, info etc. is still under construction, but the first review is up ( ayu’s talkin’ 2 myself, as well! =] ). So, if you’re interested, would you like to blogroll swap with me? No pressure ^.^
http://paintedbynumbers.wordpress.com
I’m very excited about the new HC! Keep it up =]
-Yoon
Yay! Thanks so much for the add! Jpop forever =)
Do you have a last.fm by chance?
Hey Nick, this is Revenge again, I decided to join on WorldPress.
I realized you could get others to leave blogs, so if you need someone to help add reviews, I wouldn’t mind at all. I’m familiar with WorldPress and I seem to be pretty free lately as AP Euro has gotten a tad easier 🙂 If not then that’s fine, I just wanted to bring this up as you seem busy lately. Plus I’m half Japanese so I’m always listening to Japanese music.
This is an amazing site with amazing reviews!!! Oh my god, I’m mega impressed. I would love to be your affiliate!!!
http://amaiyume.wordpress.com/
This yellow is blinding xo
^Yes, it suddenly turned from red to yellow!
You should make it orange to match your hair. ^^;
I like your site, so I added you to my blogroll. Exchange linkies?
Hey, I changed my blogroll to Amai Wana –
http://amaiwana.wordpress.com/
Do you wanna be new affiliates?!
Still watching your reviews and loving how in depth you go in them. Keep up the awesome work!
Yes, Amai Wana is one of my favorite previews alongside “Under.” I’m really excited for her new album and will review it for sure.
Hey, your blog is very insightful! I have already read a bunch of reviews and I am very impressed. I would like to exchange links with you.
powerofmusic.wordpress.com
I hope you will exchange links!!!
Hello Nick.
I’ve been following your blog for around an year (when this was on Windows Live Spaces, in fact) but never really got to commenting on much. ^^; So I wanted to apologize and tell you how cool Highway Chance is. Great job on updating and everything!
Oh yes, it would be great if we could have a link exchange. Here’s my blog: http://everythingjapanese.wordpress.com/
Thanks in advance!
hello, a nice blog you have here. Although I don’t agree with some of your reviews, you do keep a nice blog!
hey, thanks for the comments on my blog. I think I was counting BEST~second session~ as an original album since I don’t really see that album as a BEST album [came in as a fan after the release so I didn’t get all the singles before]
and I agree with Tohoshinki. Another singles in April?! I hope it’s high quality and will probably buy it but yeesh, they don’t even get a break?
But I think GUILTY was amazing. I don’t know if you referring to another poster but GUILTY is one of her best in my opinion. (don’t) Leave me alone and MY ALL = AWESOME.
Kumi is doing magnificently this year for me. For me personally, Kingdom is the album of the year so far and anytime is the single of the year so far [not many good singles]
Hey Nick 😀
I just read your last update and review and have some questions I’d like to ask…
I don’t live in America so that may be why I’m asking them, but anyhoo…
1. Uwajimaya’s? A shop, I presume?
I’m thinking of something like Kinokuniya (just a hunch), but I could be wrong…
2. Is it possible to even get J-singles/Albums at the same time in America?? They get released to the public the day before the release in Japan, so transit time would have to be longer.
Unless it’s some sort of secret source? XD
3. On your review of Shouta Shimizu’s HOME, I got the impression you’ve watched Music Station straight off the TV.
If it’s some direct thing over the Internet, PLEASE TELL ME.
Otherwise you downloaded the show, but that usually takes a while to upload…
よろしくね。
Ooh and I like the Cover of Leah Dizon’s new single…I’m hoping it’s not typical JPOP-POP like her last stuff because it’s just BLARGH.
Hey! I’ve been looking at your blog for a while now, and I really like it! Your reviews are very detailed and tells me a lot about certain singles. I wanted to know if you wanted to exchange links?
Keep up the good work!
-Ethan, from Psycho Butterfly
oops sorry. http://psychobutterfly.wordpress.com/
🙂
Hey Nick, this is Lex. If you haven’t found out, Beyond the Sea has been shut down by WordPress so I have moved to Blogger: http://brandnewmap.blogspot.com/.
I hope you will change the link, the button is fine though.
Scratch that.
Beyond the Sea is “officially” back!! :OOO
http://beyondthesea2.wordpress.com
Hey 🙂
Just dropping by to see if you’d be willing to trade links ^^
http://lostwing.wordpress.com
In any case, I really like how detailed your reviews are. They’re a pleasure to read ^^
I really like all the artists you review, and I’m enjoying reading your reciews.
Wanna exchange links?
http://stereolove.wordpress.com/
Even though my last comment probably sounded angry, I’m not. : ) I’d really like to get to know you better, and I think that we’d be able to have good discussions.
Let’s start again, shall we? I guess I’ll introduce myself like you did.
My name is Kristine Nishitani. I’m half-Japanese, half-Filipino, and I’m reasonably fluent in Japanese (save for the colloquial speech, that gets me too since I don’t live there). I’m a pretty small person: I’m 15 years old, 4’11”, 95 pounds. I’m an honors student and I’m currently at the top of the sophomore class. I play flute in school and sing in my free time. My interests include biking, translating songs, and baking sweets.
Nice to meet you, Nick~
Oh yeah~
Feel free to stop by my page sometime: http://www.freewebs.com/kururun/index.htm
hi, nick!
i’ve been viewing your blog for a while now and
i was wondering…
can we exchange links?
my blog is a download site for samples of different jpop albums/singles. i also rate them too! 🙂
it’s called “Shuffle And Repeat”
here it is:
http://www.josh012595.wordpress.com
thanks a lot!
hey,
great blog, i’ve been checking it out for a while and I was wondering if you wanted to exchange links.
Mine’s
http://www.ironicclown.wordpress.com
Heey!
I’ve added you to my blog roll.
I don’t necessarily want to exchange links, but if you feel like it, you can add my review page too.
cool, I have just founded your blog for 5 minutes and I love it already 🙂 You should come to Amherst college after high school graduation ’cause I have heard that they have amazing Japanese classes over there [ Actually my friend goes there and he told me so ^^ ]