UlasanAnime.com – A close friend, an ardent fan of Joe Hisaishi, once considered a trip to Japan for his mini-tour. While the idea of flying across the globe solely for a concert might seem extreme, it’s understandable given the passion involved.
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The vocal album in question, titled “Gedo Senki Kashu” (Tales from Earthsea Poetry Book), features songs from the Studio Ghibli film “Tales from Earthsea.” Interestingly, it does not involve Joe Hisaishi, as far as I know. Instead, it marks the debut of a new vocalist, Aoi Teshima, who also voices a character in the movie.
What truly sets this album apart and inspired this review are its striking resemblances to the early works of KOKIA and Akino Arai. Teshima’s vocal style is a captivating blend of roughness and soothing quality, characterized by a stripped-down, sad-folksy simplicity. It evokes imagery of a somber dream accompanying a film’s opening funeral procession, or similar poignant scenes.
While not entirely melancholic, the album maintains a consistently slow pace. It navigates through a spectrum of emotions, much like experiencing an episode of “Kino’s Journey.” If you grasp the essence of one track, you’ll likely find a similar thread running through the entire album. This CD, in its own right, offers a journey. The central element is a soulful vocal performance that seamlessly transitions from one classical arrangement to another, sometimes solo, sometimes accompanied by a small ensemble. The voice itself is not overtly “bishoujo” (beautiful young girl), which, to extend the analogy, suggests a persona one might find intriguing in person.
