All of Me

Following Sweets, which featured anime theme songs from Pretear, Ai Yori Aoshi, and Sugar, Yoko Ishida returns with All Of Me, which like its predecessor is a great mix of J-pop and anime theme songs, but there are a few surprises. Cases in point are the Celtic-like pipes and fiddle in "Open Your Mind-spread the small wings," the opening theme to "Ah Megamisama," a.k.a. Ah My Goddess. Indeed, it sounds like some early Corrs song, to use the Celtic analogy, with some strings. "Love Repair" sports some funky 70's R&B/disco stylings and horns. After singing about a pair of high heeled shoes that cost a lot and deciding to get them fixed when a heel breaks, she wonders if love can be repaired similarly. Lush jazz melodies combine with a samba-pop sound in "Sharing Sweet Time." So we have some more eclectic stylings on All Of Me. "Passionate Goddess" the theme to Anime TV, is usual J-pop disco. Another theme, to the Super Mobile Radio-Broadcasting Anige Master, the energetic hard-driving techno-pop of "Power of Love," with its rock guitar, contains the strongest declaration of love and power to confess one's love I've ever heard. In Sweets, Yoko did the Gunparade March theme, "Shinjitsu no Tobira" or "The Door of Truth," as a ballad. She does it again here, but set to a more jamming bubblegum Jpop theme kind of like Madonna's "Holiday" meeting a Whitney ballad meeting classic disco. This was meant to be the original version. The pop-techno of "At Your Own Speed," with its snarling guitars, could be an opening or closing anime theme, and is an inspiring highlight. Basically, it says how we don't need to be pressured to rush things: "Let's start walking even with hesitation because you are not alone/the important thing is to believe in yourself...at your own speed." The gorgeous centerpiece is again a sweet mid-paced string-laden ballad from Ai Yori Aoshi, only this time, it's "Treasure" or "Takaramono" from the second season, Enishi. This is the full version as opposed to the bite-sized TV-size from the original soundtrack. Ishida sings a brief prelude, the first verse used in the first half of the season, and then the second verse in the concluding half. One of my all-time favourite songs. "Platinum" is an introspective J-pop ballad of how becoming adults blunts us from being honest in our feelings as compared to when one is a child, full of wonder. Yoko says a mouthful when saying, "Grown-ups are not a big deal, they are just kids who forgot their pure hearts." As an adult, we lose that child-like wonderment. The title refers to that purity, that unrealistic childhood dream, that pure heart, that many of us have forgotten as adults. All I can say, is get that platinum, people! "Foolish Dream," the theme to Red Ninja, is a yearning ballad, Journey meets Lulu. Even more sobering is the English-sung guitar ballad, the theme to the final episode of Texhnolyze, "Walking Through The Empty Age," of someone going down the long and lone road of life ahead. A tearful favourite here. That is a contrast to the hard-driving Jpop techno of "Piece of Summer Color" the theme to This Ugly and Beautiful World anime. There are Romanized English lyrics, as well as Yoko's thoughts and comments on each song. Early birds should've gotten a bonus DVD, which has the video of "Open Your Mind" and a making of documentary. A worthy followup to Sweets, Ishida scores another winner with All Of Me. Another treasure, or takaramono from Ishida-san. "I am warming up my feelings that I want to tell you someday in my hands. `You are my treasure' A kind and fragrant wind." From "Takaramono."