Kodomo no Omocha

KODOMO NO OMOCHA
Copyright © Sony Records
SRCL 3628
¥2800
8-20-1996

— by Mark L. Johnson

Running Time: 49:38

1. 19ji no nyusu (7:00pm News) TV Edit Version 1:49

2. Sana Samba 3:50

3. On Monday Afternoon 2:23

4. Mama Mambo 3:06

5. The Man From Utopia 2:27

6. Rasta Hayama 2:40

7. Hip Hop 1:21

8. Letter From Babbit 1:58

9. Noisy 2:13

10. Don't Cry For Me 2:07

11. New 19 Version 1 2:31

12. Zenzy 3:07

13. Mama Loves Sana 2:11

14. Kodocha Mambo 1:19

15. In The Mondo 1:50

16. Hayama & Sana 3:01

17. News 19 Version 2 2:19

18. Good-bye Love (Sana Kurata) 3:39

19. Panikku! [Panic!] TV Edit Version (Still Small Voice) 1:49

20. Good-bye love (Karaoke) 3:40

For its growing fan base, KODOMO NO OMOCHA (or CHILD'S TOY) is now in its extended TV run telling the story of Sana, the hyperactive television celebrity and small heroine of the show. After seeing the first episode air while in Japan, I quickly made a mental note to check out this soundtrack.
And over a half year delay, I finally tracked down this elusive CD (ironically on the same day I discovered 2nd soundtrack is now out).
To start, take note that the opening and ending themes are on the soundtrack, but unfortunately only of the TV version size. A disappointment, but both songs are great nonetheless. For those interested, the opening song can be found on the Tokio CD Collection "Blowing," and Sony Records sells the ending theme single "Panic!" (SRDL4208).
"19 o'clock News" is performed by the male idol group Tokio and is a fast song with quick guitar solos and a poppy feel. The opening matches well with the ending theme "Panic!", which is well reflective of Sana's personality: over the top. Very catchy refrain.
"Good-bye love" is a slow full length image song, but Sana Kurata (whom the song is credited to) comes out with a weak performance. The song has a sad theme, and seems out of place on this CD.
One can quickly discover the style of background music on this CD just by reading the track names ("Sana Samba" or "Kodocha Mambo," for instance). All the music is synthesized and ranges from the intense to slow, all moving to the beat. Many have a Latin American feel mixed to the occasion. A few songs are just different versions of other basic themes, but each is memorable in its own way.
"Sana Samba," for instance, sounds like a Mardi Gras tune, very happy and upbeat, while "On Monday Afternoon" is a slower, lazy version of "Sana Samba". And "Mama Mambo" is a mambo styled version of the same song. "Rasta Hayama" remixes it again to a slow, casual beat. Then "Don't Cry For Me" and "Hayama & Sana" are dramatic versions. The six songs stand alone perfectly, and listeners who are not paying attention may not notice the motif.
There are many other fast moving songs. "Hip Hop" is a version of the music Sana raps to often in the show, and "Noisy" gives the impression life is moving too fast. As a contrast, "Mama Loves Sana" is a good, slow, sad song.
However, my favorite piece that alone pushed me into buying this CD was "Kodocha Mambo". This is the kind of fast dance tune that I wish my alarm clock would play.
Overall, I found this CD is an easy listen with no real surprises. A few BGM pieces truly stand out, but most just blend into each other. For the first part of the TV series, this is the best (and only) summary of the music in the show. If the CD included the full length versions of the opening and ending themes, I would be tempted to recommend it to a wider audience. However, I can only truly suggest it to fans of KODOMO NO OMOCHA who have seen the show and have one or two catchy pieces that they would love to have on CD.