The CD Collection--Carranger 8cm CD Singles

Welcome to the third post of 2016! January of 2016 happens to be the fifth anniversary of my blog. To celebrate, I will be posting four blogs this month instead of the usual two. Be sure to check back on the 19th for the final celebratory post. Thank you for reading my blog over the years...

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We made it to 2016! Sure it might be the 50th anniversary of Ultraman...and, OK, that IS a bigger deal than these goofballs...but the 20th anniversary of Carranger is something to celebrate! I've been holding off on doing this post for quite some time. Don't worry, I will circle back to cover all of the 8cm Sentai CDs before and after this series. Carranger by itself is worthy of it's own post.

Carranger is absolutely absurd with the amount of CDs it has. Three Song Collections, three Music Collections, a Christmas Album AND fourteen 8cm CD Singles. I can understand the numerous music collection CDs...but what in the world was going on with the songs? The three song collections were divided up into a whopping fourteen CD singles.

Things started off normal with your standard singles, but as the year went on the artwork became more elaborate and some CDs even included instructions on how to dance to certain songs. The evolution is something to behold. So here there are, all in one post. All fourteen Carranger singles!

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Gekisou Sentai Carranger c/w Gekisou Gattai!! RV Robo
CODC-879
1996.02.21

Ahhh yes, the Carranger opening theme song. Well, at least the version that was used in the first thirteen episodes anyway. This version of the song was perfect...I don't know why they had to monkey with it. The second track is RV Robo's theme song. I can't say I'm entirely in love with this one. When it comes to primary mecha themes in the 90s it feels like the better the show is, the lamer the song. This one is just a little too cheesy...and short.

Both songs are by Naritaka Takayama. Tracks 3 and 4 are Karaoke versions of the previous two.

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Tengoku Samba c/w Oretachi wa Carranger
CODC-880
1996.02.21

Carranger is the first series to break up it's theme songs for the singles release (this was done for Carranger-Gogo Five). Again, this is a fantastic theme song that has a great video to go along with it. The other track on this single is Oretachi wa Carranger, which is a halfway decent action song. Definitely not the best of the series, but it works well enough.

Both songs are by Naritaka Takayama. Tracks 3 and 4 are Karaoke versions of the previous two.

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Gekisou Sentai Carranger~Full Accelerate Version c/w CATCH THE WIND
CODC-936
1996.05.21

The second Carranger opening theme song is a remix of the first. Beginning in episode fourteen they used the Full Accelerate Version of the theme song...which I'm not entirely keen on. It's definitely a bigger song than the previous version, but it's just...off. I prefer the original version. If I could describe this version in one word, it would be "blaring". Blaring horns, blaring guitars, blaring drums (if such a thing could exist). Actually... I posed this question to twitter as a poll. Here are the results...

Son, I am disappoint.

The other song on this single is called CATCH THE WIND. I really like this one. It's a really nice song that I could see being the ending song in an alternate universe. It has some nice guitar work coupled with some of those blaring horns. Very chill.

The first track is sung by Naritaka Takayama with Tatsuya Maeda making a rare Sentai appearance on the second. Tracks 3 and 4 are Karaoke versions of the previous two.

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Shirobai yarou Signalman c/w Seishun Circuit
CODC-937
1996.05.21

Signalman's theme song is a bit of a wait for it cop out sorry. Not only did they make this a dual purpose Singalman/Sirender theme ala Ryuseioh/Dairenoh, but the drum machine setting they chose is terrible. I won't say this is a bad song, but Singnalman certainly deserves better. The second track is a far different story. I loooove Seishun Circuit. I spoke about it previously on my list of Top 7 Sentai Heroine Songs, and it charted pretty high. It is one of my favorites of the Carranger song collection.

The first track is sung by Naoki Takao with the excellent Hiroko Asakawa on the second track. Tracks 3 and 4 are Karaoke versions of the previous two.

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Yumemiru Zonette c/w Kokoro no mama ni
CODC-961
1996.06.21

You know that band song that plays as Zonette's theme music in the series? Well, this is the song version of that. It is...uh...not good. The singing really fails this one. I prefer just listening the the BGM versions of this one. Or the Karaoke version--which is handy since it's on this disc. To offset the badness of the first track, the second track Kokoro no mama ni is one of the best Carranger songs. Maybe not so much the vocal version, which is quite good on it's own, but again...the Karaoke version included is amazing. It's a bit on the jazzier side, so if that isn't your thing you might disagree.

The first track is sung by Rika Nanase as Zonette with Yoshito Fuchigami on the second track. Tracks 3 and 4 are Karaoke versions of the previous two.

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Dappu no uta Dappu! c/w Kuru! Kuru Magic Power!
CODC-962
1996.06.21

This is another case of the BGM version being better than the vocal version. As much as I love Dappu...I didn't need a full song. Hahaa. The lyrics are pretty funny, but this one doesn't get a whole lot of play from me. I do like how the music goes overboard when he mentions Carranger. The second track, fittingly, is the Kurumagic song. It's a pretty good action song that some would consider the unofficial theme song to Giga Formula since all of the parts get a shout out in two different verses.

The first track is sung by Mari Maruta as Dappu with Kentaro Hiyami on the second track. Tracks 3 and 4 are Karaoke versions of the previous two.

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Carranger Ondo c/w Pegasus Thunder GO!GO!GO!
CODC-983
1996.07.20

This is the first single to cover songs from the second song collection. It's kind of the turning point as not only did the songs get a little more substantial, but the artwork on the singles really got more elaborate.

Carranger Ondo is probably the song I listen to with the most frequency. It is infectiously catchy and really one of the most well-made Tokusatsu songs of the 90s. Like any working song, it has it's own special dance. More on that later... The second track is the theme song for Pegasus Thunder (and kinda Dragon Cruiser). It's definitely my favorite action song of the series. I think one of the keys to a good action song is to use organs. This one nails it. It's worlds better than any of the action songs from the previous batch of songs.

This single comes with a folded slip of paper with instructions on how to dance along to Carranger Ondo. This is the first Sentai CD Single to do so, and certainly not the last. It certainly is helpful of Red Racer to show me how to dance to this song...

I should also note that there are actually two versions of Pegasus Thunder GO!GO!GO!. The version here is Type A, which includes the thunder sound effect at the beginning as well as the backing vocals. Type B was a toned-down version that was included on the third song collection.

The first track is sung by Hiroko Asakawa with Norio Sakai on the second track. Tracks 3 and 4 are Karaoke versions of the previous two.

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My favorite cover...

Utaou! Kotsu anzen~Carranger ni nare c/w Dakara tatakau Carranger
CODC-1000
1996.08.21

This one... OK, I'm not a fan of this first song. It is just a little too cheery for me. Somehow it was coupled with Dakara tatakau Carranger, which is a little bit on the bleak-sounding side. It's not exactly a fight song, but it definitely is at the same time. I happen to like this one, but I wouldn't put it among my favorites.

The first track is sung by Satoko Yamano (Dochinko! Nemurin, Ultraman Kids 1991) with Yoshito Fuchigami on the second track. Tracks 3 and 4 are Karaoke versions of the previous two.

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Gekisou Taisou Carranger c/w Shoot! Carranger
CODC-1001
1996.08.21

Another dance song with another helpful instruction sheet. This one definitely isn't as fun as Carranger Ondo. I would actually say it's a bit more on the militaristic side...which automatically makes it retro. Someone was watching a little too much Ultraman when they dreamed this one up. Naturally it's coupled with a song that is completely opposite. Shoot! Carranger is an awesome battle song that is on par with the Pegasus Thunder song in intensity. It covers the Carranger side arms (Auto Blaster, Navic Shot) as well as the Giga Booster.

The first track is sung by Kentaro Hiyami with Norio Sakai on the second track. Tracks 3 and 4 are Karaoke versions of the previous two.

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Kumori sora no yoru dakara c/w Carranger Kagayaku
CODC-1002
1996.08.21

Oh wow. This is the first character song on that I actually genuinely like from this series. The previous two were pretty much novelty songs. This one is just plain genuine. I'm glad they limited Yuji Kishi to one solo song...because it's a really good one. The second track is another darkish action song. I like this one quite a bit as well--especially how it pumps up before the ending.

The first track is sung by Yuji Kishi as Kyosuke/Red Racer with Naoki Takao on the second track. Tracks 3 and 4 are Karaoke versions of the previous two.

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Zettai shori da! VRV c/w Dokomademo, Itsumademo
CODC-1021
1996.09.21

Just because the RV Robo theme was lame doesn't mean that all Carranger mecha themes are. The VRV theme is up there as one of my favorites. It might not have made my Top 7, but if it were a Top 10 you could expect this one along with Gao Muscle and Live Boxer. Maybe it wouldn't have fit well as the RV Robo song, but I'm glad it exists to redeem this series' mecha theme cred. The second track is a slow jam that I can't really get behind. There are so many better songs that are like this one in the Carranger song collection. It's alright, but it isn't one that I go out of the way to listen to.

The first track is sung by Norio Sakai with Yoshito Fuchigami on the second track. Tracks 3 and 4 are Karaoke versions of the previous two.

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Victrailer Kyodai naru Machine c/w Kazoete Battle da! Carranger!!
CODC-1022
1996.09.21

Another great mecha theme? Sweet! I will admit, though, I prefer the Karaoke/Instrumental/BGM versions of the Victrailer theme over the vocal one. It's still a grand song for a grand machine. It's definitely the most well-made mecha song of the show--and possibly the decade. The second track is kind of a jazz/fight song hybrid. I have to say, they did a nice job combining two types of song into one. It turned out pretty good. Again, it's a very well-made song.

The first track is sung by VRV Meistersingers with Naritaka Takayama on the second track. Tracks 3 and 4 are Karaoke versions of the previous two.

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Yumemiru Love Love Rajietta c/w Red Zone Battle BIN BIN BIN!
CODC-1046
1996.10.19

Another one that I'm not in love with at all. Like the other song with "Yumemiru" in the title, this is a pretty bad character song that is let down by it's singing. Honestly, the music isn't great either. I guess they felt that this was a good song to be the theme for White Racer. Oh well. The second track is another jazz/fight song hybrid. This one isn't as good as Kazoete Battle da!, but it's still fun. It doesn't really take off at any point, but it does have these brief bursts of energy.

The first track is sung by Misaki Sudo as Rajetta/White Racer with Naoki Takao on the second track. Tracks 3 and 4 are Karaoke versions of the previous two.

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Merry Xmas! from Carranger c/w Gekisou Machine Daishugo!!
CODC-1047
1996.11.01

The final single! Even though Carranger had their own Christmas album, the title song managed to spill out into it's own single. It's not a bad song, either. It's a nice little song by the cast. The second track is definitely the weaker song of the single. It's basically a roll call of all of the mecha, weapons, and vehicles from the series. It's alright, but definitely not one I go out of my way to listen to often. In fact, listening to it for this review is probably the first time I've heard it in years. It's probably not a good sign when the Christmas song gets more play over the song that talks about all of the mecha.

The first track is sung by Carranger and Dappu with Osamu Sakata on the second track. Tracks 3 and 4 are Karaoke versions of the previous two.

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Recommended Pick: Easily the Carranger Ondo/Pegasus Thunder GO!GO!GO! single. Two excellent songs and their Karaoke versions on one disc. If you decide to pick yourself up a copy just make sure that the one you are buying comes with the choreography sheet. If would be a minor disaster if it wasn't included...

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Thank you for swinging by to check out my latest blog for my fifth anniversary celebration. Be sure to check out my CD Collection page. Hopefully I'll have time to get some more work done to it soon. I need to completely overhaul the CD Single section...

See you soon!

-CC

5 Year Anniversary Month

Previous:
The Complete Guide To Collecting Japanese CDs
Top 7 BEST Mecha Designs

Next: Star Virgin... Movie and Soundtrack review

BONUS... The Choreography Sheets. I would scan these, but some butthead would probably steal my scans and put them on their website.

Top Seven BEST Sentai Mecha Designs!

Welcome to the second post of 2016! January of 2016 happens to be the fifth anniversary of my blog. To celebrate, I will be posting four blogs this month instead of the usual two. Be sure to check back on the 13th and 19th for the remaining celebratory posts. Thank you for reading my blog over the years...

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Top Seven BEST Sentai Mecha Designs

This is me finally caving to popular demand. No, I'm not going 60 frames per second on some junker toy I picked up for ¥400. This is me finally...FINALLY giving you, the reader, the Top 7 list that you've been demanding from me since I posted my opposing list two years ago. My Top 7 list of worst Super Sentai mecha list is easily my most popular list and one that has left a lot of people wondering what my best list would look like. Well wonder no more! This is the list Top 7 BEST Super Sentai mecha!

07. Engine Oh [Engine Sentai Go-Onger]

I've made no secret over the years that Engine Oh really grew on me. The initial reaction to early scans of Engine Oh really had people wondering what the hell Toei was smoking. Obviously their Pixar's Cars nightmare had become a horrible, horrible reality. The eyes.....there are so many of them.

Here is something you need to know about me...and probably something that you'll probably pick up as you continue reading this list. I love three-piece mecha. It's a perfect balance. Five piece mecha always fall into that thing where you can look at the pieces and say "Oh, that's an arm/leg". There is always some creative thinking in three-piece designs. I mean would you ever guess what the hell BeaRV was just by looking at it? Engine-oh is the best designed set of not only Go-Onger mecha, but of the entire miserable decade. Ouch.

Not only is it clever, but it somehow also manages to have a menacing yet cute look to it. There is a great deal of excitement in this design. It would've been nice if the rest of the Go-onger mecha carried on being this cool.

06. Flashking [Choshinsei Flashman]

Once again, this is a three-piece design that really grabbed me. Two jets and a tank somehow form this awesome looking mecha. Props for the incredibly inventive engineering that went into this one. There were probably a lot of long nights trying to figure out how to make each of the jets an arm AND a leg and then the task of making the otherwise unassuming tank bring it all together. I'm sure designing the toy version was an even bigger nightmare. Just thinking about how in the world they did it makes me dizzy.

On top of being one of the most over-engineered mecha of all time, this is the first one that I'm truly a fan of. I like Changerobo, Dynarobo, Daidenjin, and Battle Fever Robo...but this one has the tightest overall look.

05. Go-Buster Oh [Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters]

Another three-piecer? Shocking! Actually...what probably is shocking to a lot of people is how this one ended up on my list. I've always been a fan and it hasn't been a secret. I've liked this one from the start. This one feels like they tinkered with Engine Oh for about four years, giving each of the pieces a bunch of individual modes and features and adding a ton of details. Some people say that it is an over-designed clusterfuck...but I really disagree. This is what a mecha should look like in this decade. It should have some type of design. It should be over-engineered. They dropped the cuteness and went for full blown aggressive. I really like this one.

The toy also turned out to be really cool as well. If it were to be my favorite of the decade...I really wouldn't be shocked at this point.

04. Liverobo [Chojuu Sentai Liveman]

No surprises here. Liverobo has something that seems to be lacking from previous mecha. I wouldn't go as far to say it has personality...because it is just a robot, after all. Maybe because it's the first true animal-based mecha (nice try, Sun Vulcan...but no). I would factor the awesome design in with nostalgia on this one. It's also the first to get a "Super" version by combining with the secondary mecha--and the only one that doesn't look like a complete nightmare doing so.

03. Galaxymega [Denji Sentai Megaranger]

Mmm yes. This another one of those designs that must have been rattling around in someone's brain for some time. It's obviously a modernization of Denjiman's Daidenjin...but man, it really brings it to a whole new level. They could've used this design in 2016 and it would fit in just fine.

It's also worth noting that this is the probably the next best "Super" mode after Liveman. Galaxymega looks great next to Delta Mega and still manages to look great as Super Galaxymega. I love versatility.

02. RV Robo [Gekisou Sentai Carranger]

It's not the first or last time that cars made up a mecha, but it's certainly the best. RV Robo is the perfect combination of a perfectly diverse group of vehicles. You have the sports car, the pick-up truck, the minivan, the SUV, and the sporty coupé. They all come together to form what is easily the most solid tech-based mecha design ever. There is the perfect amount of detail with no dead spots to speak of. The sword is awesome, the finisher is awesome, and the lights everywhere are super-intimidating yet simple.

The toy version didn't exactly capture the magic of the actual designs, but it's still a wonderful toy. I sometimes wonder what an RV Robo toy would look like if it were done today.

01. Muteki Shogun [Ninja Sentai Kakuranger]

Well...this one is no surprise at all. If you read my list of worst mecha, then you probably noticed my joke list of best mecha at the end. This one was no joke. I absolutely love everything about Muteki Shogun. It didn't quite live up to it's name, but the name certainly fits the design like no other. Five awesome looking humanoid mecha combine to form just the most unstoppable looking

Again, the detailing on not only Muteki Shogun, but the individual Jusho is excellent and evenly spread out. The Kaen Shogun Ken is the last hurrah in impressive, yet extremely dangerous stunts.

Everything. Just all of it. I love everything about Muteki Shogun.

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I may have angered some people with my opposing Top 7 list, but I can't see how talking about what I like would be a problem. If you disagree with it...fine. Just don't go off the chain and tell me I'm wrong. I'm not wrong, and your list isn't wrong either. *winky face*

Check out my other Top 7 lists here. Hit me up here, on Youtube or on Twitter if you have an idea for a list. I have ideas written down, but am always open to suggestion.

Thanks for reading! Swing by soon for my next post!

-CC

5 Year Anniversary Month

Previous: The Complete Guide To Collecting Japanese CDs

Next:
The CD Collection--Carranger 8cm CD Singles
Star Virgin Movie and Soundtrack review

The Complete Guide To Japanese CD Collecting

Welcome to the first post of 2016! January of 2016 happens to be the fifth anniversary of my blog. To celebrate, I will be posting four blogs this month instead of the usual two. Be sure to check back on the 7th, 13th and 19th for the remaining celebratory posts. Thank you for reading my blog over the years...

A quick note before I get started. This post is basically complete. I tend to forget to add sometimes important details on longer articles like this one, so this is kind of an ongoing project. I will be sure to note any future updates at the top of the post.

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I've dedicated quite a few posts to my enormous CD collection. I seriously could write exclusively about CDs and have it sustain this blog for several years. The only real hang-up I have is that I tend to prattle off unusual terms and ignore little quirks that would seem strange to non-CD collectors. My mission today is to explain to everything there is to explain...including where you can find them!

Catalog/Sorting Codes

Possibly the most important aspect of researching and locating CDs is to have the code. Think of these as barcodes that humans can understand. Rather than starting a search the Ohranger Theme Songs Single by typing in "Ohranger CD", you can search "CODC-615" and be taken directly to it. There are a few hitches, however. These codes didn't particularly become useful to consumers until the rise of the internet (Movie/TV show credits usually listed these, so you would go to your shop and demand buy/order the CD after handing over the code).

Things didn't really start off great for these codes. On CDs prior to 1989, the codes usually looked like a mess of numbers. I'll use a famous example for this one. The super-rare 8cm CD Single for Michael Jackson's Thriller was released by Sony's Epic label 21.November.1988 with the code 108P-3047. On 28.October.1989, Epic released the single for Tetsuya Komuro's amazing song Running To Horizon using the code ESDB-3008. As a little exercise, you should go over to Amazon Japan and search both 108P-3047 and ESDB-3008. I haven't even tried both, but I can guarantee only one of them will turn up a result.

Columbia 8cm Single prefixes went from 10CC (1989) to CC (1990) and eventually to CODC (1991-2002)

These codes are truly a collector's best friend. They can help you easily seek out virtually any CD you want and can help distinguish between original and digital remasters.

Printing Dates

Japanese CDs are very forthcoming with availability information. Every CD will tell you exactly when they were released and sometimes when they will go out of print. Most of the time the CD will be considered obsolete two years after the release date, but I have seen one year in some cases.

8cm CD Singles

If there is one thing I absolutely love about collecting CDs from Japan it's the 8cm CD Single. They're easily my favorite thing to collect. The sudden rise of the CD lead to a somewhat unique issue for the replacement of the 45 vinyl single. In 1988 the 8cm was marketed as an even more compact music experience. These discs held 24 minutes of music versus a standard 12cm disc's 74 and later 80 minutes.

While several countries had a market for 8cm CD Singles (3" CDs, if you're Imperial), Japan had a very unique way of packaging said discs. In Europe and the US, these CDs were commonly packaged in cardboard sleeves or slimline CD cases (with a cover on the front and the CD exposed within the case on the backside). Most Japanese 8cm singles are packaged in a long plastic tray protected by a folded over strip of thin cardboard called a tanzaku.

If you search for information on the word tanzaku in relation to CD Singles, you'll get an misleading/incorrect translation of "snap pack" from various websites that seem to have all been spreading the same bad information. I will get to where "snap pack" fits into this in a minute, let me clear something up first. The packaging received the tanzaku nickname based on the long strip you would write a wish on during Tanabata. I have seen some sites call this packaging style "Tanzaku Sleeve / Snap Pack" which is correct, but possibly misleading. I guess the best way to break it down is the cardboard itself is the tanzaku while the plastic tray is the snap pack.

Single for TM Network's GET WILD. Note the fold lines in the tanzaku along with the excess "grid" area that snaps off. This is meant to be folded over to make a compact sleeve.

I suppose I should explain what in the world a "snap pack" is at this point. A snap pack is the nickname for the inner plastic tray of the tanzaku. The lower half can be snapped off to allow the tanzaku to be folded using creases pressed into the cardboard from the printing factory. Doing so halves the size of the packaging into a square about the size of the CD itself. This was a practice that fell out of practice by about 1992. Labels eventually stopped printing the tanzaku with creases, so they couldn't be folded over. The trays, however, remained largely unchanged over the lifespan of the tanzaku packaging. It's worth noting that about 95% of 8cm CD Singles you'll see for sale do not have the tray snapped/tanzaku folded. I suppose that's why labels stopped using creases and started creating elaborate artwork to fill the extra space. As of this writing, I only have one CD in my collection of hundreds of singles with the tanzaku folded/tray snapped. That's less than 1%!!

Early 8cm packaging was very sparse thanks to the fold lines (left). Once the folding concept was abandoned, artwork started to become more elaborate and sometimes horizontal

Unique packaing for this Two-Mix single. One tiny crack and it's useless

Content wise, 8cm singles began life as almost direct copies of their 45 vinyl counterparts. Track A c/w (coupled with) Track B. Due to the light tracklisting, these early singles were usually priced down--especially if they were only one track. Around the same time as the creases in the tanzaku disappeared, more content on most discs appeared. Depending entirely on what label was releasing the CD, Karaoke/Instrumental/Off-Vocal versions of songs began appearing on discs. Nippon Columbia, which released the bulk of Tokusatsu CD Singles, usually had two songs and Karaoke versions of both vocal songs. Most Jpop releases featured a three-track tracklist. An example would be Track A c/w Track B, Track A Karaoke or for a label like avex, who printed megahits Track A, Track A Extended Mix, Track A Karaoke. It varied over time and the two-track format never entirely went away. The more generous labels definitely offered more incentive to collect 8cm CD Singles.

Solbrain (1991) vs. Exceedraft (1992) singles. Note the addition of Karaoke to Exceedraft

As the Karaoke boom of the 90s began to wane, 8cm singles started to fall out of fashion. Beginning in 1999 some labels began to package 8cm CDs in 12cm slimline cases (Euro style!). As the tanzaku sleeves slowly morphed into the slimline jewel cases, the 8cm CD was finally put to bed from widespread production in 2003.

Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger Shudaika. 8cm disc in a 12cm slimline single case

There are a few things of note before I move on.

-Yes, several companies did market adapters for 8cm discs to work in a slide-loading CD player/disc changer. Believe it or not, I don't own one. These are basically useless as even ancient CD-Rom drives had 8cm slots within the 12cm slot for discs.

-Want to know what killed off the use of 8cm CDs in Japan? Playstation 2. The same way I basically use my PS3 solely as a Blu Ray/DVD/Netflix/Amazon machine and game system last, the PS2 was extremely popular as an all-in-one media device in Japan. The vertical layout of PS2 basically rendered 8cm discs unplayable without an adapter. It's funny how something as trivial as that...an oversight even, can kill off an entire species of media.

-Speaking of video games, the Nintendo Game Cube Game Disc is identical to an 8cm CD at a glance. Technically speaking they are different, however. A Game Disc is actually a 8cm DVD with a 1.5GB capacity versus the CD capacity of 210MB.

-Today you can still buy 8cm CD-r and DVD-rs. The format lives on!

Obi

The obi (or "Belt" as you'll see sometimes on used CD sites) is the paper trifold that covers the spine of the CD case when it is still sealed. These are important to hang on to if you're a collector as the pickiest of collectors will not even bother unless an obi is not present and in good condition. The obi usually has all kinds of information about the CD itself as well as any kind related CDs/products.

Losing this obi would certainly be GAME OVER YEAHHH!

These actually date back to vinyl records and aren't necessarily exclusive to CDs these days (books, toys, DVDs, etc).

Personally I don't care about the obi. Whenever I open a new CD I usually lift the CD tray out of the case and hide the obi behind it so that it doesn't get lost.

It'll never get lost here...

12cm CD Singles

As the 8cm CD Single slowly faded into obscurity, the 12cm (or 5") CD took over. The switch over was pretty gradual, but as I mentioned above there was some weirdness. 8cm CDs shot out to stores in 12cm cases seems a little strange in retrospect, but I assume labels were clearing their stock of 8cm discs from their printing factories before fully commiting to going full size.

Despite the extra space afforded to 12cm discs, the singles very rarely contain any more content than their 8cm counterpart would have. Labels have been better about including Karaoke versions of all tracks rather than just some as they did in the 90s. Really, there isn't too much to be impressed with. It's strange that using the larger disc somehow makes it more utilitarian. I miss the usually great artwork printed on the tanzaku. There was personality behind an 8cm Single.

Rather than start a new category, I suppose I could also talk about EPs, or Extended Plays. They're basically Mini Albums printed on 12cm discs. These exist everywhere in the world but Japan sometimes does them a little differently. An EP in Japan is basically a Single+ as they tend to include at least some Karaoke or Instrumental tracks.

Music Collection

Japan is very good about giving consumers the option to purchase the music heard in movies and TV shows that they're fans of. Whether it be Tokusatsu, Anime, Drama, even TV commercials, you can usually find CDs containing music that was worthy enough for wide release.

Music Collections usually contain short or "TV Size" versions of any theme songs used in the TV show. You'll have to seek out either the CD Single for the themes, or check out the show's corresponding Song Collection (which I'll be getting to next). The "Music" in Music Collection refers to the background music used to establish tone in the show. Anything with vocals is considered to be a song and would appear on the song collection rather than the music collection.

On top of score music from the show or movie, these CDs typically contain a version of a song where the vocals are removed and replaced with a horn, guitar, piano, etc. These are called Instrumental Versions.

Music Collections are usually pretty easily to tell apart from their Song Collection counterparts even if Japanese isn't your strong point. For one, they're usually titled as such. Alternate titles can include Original Soundtrack (or OST) as well as Ongakushuu. If the disc has an unreasonable amount of tracks ( like 42), it is definitely a music collection (song collections are typically limited to about 10 tracks).

If you are unsure of what is on the CD you are looking at, I recommend either doing further research or walking away and finding someone else who is more forthcoming with what they are selling. Few things suck worse than getting burned on a CD purchase.

Song Collection

To complement the music collection, a TV series will usually have it's own song collection. As the name would suggest, the CD is made up of all of the vocal songs that were available at the time of printing from a show. The type of songs included on these discs are usually full size versions of the opening and ending theme songs from the show as well as Image and Insertion songs.

An insertion song is one that was designed to be used in the series and ends up being featured during a fight or other appropriate moment. An image song is one that is basically exclusive to the CD. It is usually inspired by the story or it can be used to speak about the virtues of a character in a way that would sound awkward if it were used in the show. I would say that the biggest minefield in the anisong world would have to be Dragonball Z. Of the 20 "Hit Songs" CDs, I would say that 85% of the songs are image songs with only a small fraction of insertion songs. When it comes to Tokusatsu, a much higher percentage of songs end up being used in the shows.

There are also character songs, which are usually sung by the cast in character.

If the show is current, there will usually be multiple song collections released throughout with a complete song collection, or zenkyokushuu, released once the series has completed.

CD Sets/Boxes

I would say that the most pedestrian thing about collecting Japanese CDs is probably CD Box Sets. Big artists around the world usually release at least one CD Box set at some point in their career. The bigger the artist/franchise, the more outlandish the set gets.

Japan is no different. There are some standard CD bricks and then there are some over-the-top sets. Some time ago I looked at a neat Ultraman Box Set with a replica timer, which I would actually consider one of the more standard sets out there since it isn't too much more than a bunch of CDs in a large cardboard sleeve.

This Sonic The Hedgehog set comes in a very easy to damage digipack set. Similar to how bargain DVD sets are packaged

When it comes to box sets covering just one specific show, they are usually very thorough in terms of CD content and information in the booklet. Even if the music on the CD might not be to your liking, the amount of effort put into some releases make them worthwhile to own.

TM Network Singles Collection and Single Collection Karaoke version boxed sets. Note the big sticker on the front of the Karaoke edition. 

Japan Exclusive Track

This is one that probably drives citizens of the world outside of Japan the craziest. Releases of Western CDs in Japan typically carry at least one bonus track. It is usually a session outtake of some kind, but occasionally it will be something as simple as a live version of a song from a previous album (usually a hit song of some kind). This typically applies to artists big and small.

Despite the very similar artwork, the Japanese version of Thriller 25 has a Japan-Only song

In 2015 this isn't really a major problem as what would've been a Japan Exclusive track usually ends up on iTunes. Until mp3s took off, this was pretty maddening to a completist such as myself. Instead of buying a $13 CD locally I would feel the need to spend ¥3000 plus shipping juuust so I could get that extra track or two.

On Demand CDs

Believe it or not...some record labels had the gall to sell you a CD-r for slightly less than what the real version would have cost. Personally I have only dealt with this from Nippon Columbia, but I believe other labels offered a similar service.

Columbia's R-Ban service was a late 90s/early 00s experiment in ensuring customers had infinite access to CDs that would typically go out of print after two (or sometimes one) years. The idea is that you would be able to order the CD from your store (web shops such as CDJapan and Amazon Japan also carried R-Ban--why wouldn't they? They took up zero space in their warehouses), Columbia would print you up a copy on demand. The disc itself usually has the tracklist and information printed on it. The booklets were printed across a large sheet of paper and folded down rather than being an actual booklet.

So...these are official CD-rs. The sound quality is 100% the same as the printed disc, which is the only other plus outside of being able to order an out of print CD. Eventually R-Ban faded away as I suppose they realized consumers would rather seek out a used disc over a CD-r. Columbia's response was basically to create the priced-down and legitimately printed ANIMEX1200 line of reissued CDs. While they were at it, they got around to releasing material that was only available on vinyl. Not everything has ended up getting an ANIMEX1200 release, but the used market is great for filling in gaps.

Rental CDs

Whose House? Rental House!

Something else that is largely unique to Japan--Rental CDs. To this day you can rent a CD from Japan. What does this have to do with CD Collecting? Decommissioned rentals filter out into the used CD market, There are typically easy to spot unless a seller is being disingenuous. Usually the CD will have a round seal on the booklet (or tanzaku if it's a single) with the word "RENTAL" written in English. It will usually also have various other labels that the shop slaps on to help catalog them. The obi is usually taped to the outside of the case.

I try to avoid Rental CDs when I can for obvious reasons. Something has to be VERY rare for the Rental CD to become collectible. If I don't really care about something, I usually just pay the pennies for a former rental...but for more collectible stuff I try to avoid them.

In the late 90s some shops began defacing discs, such as this Moero!! Robocon CD

Oh yeah, and Rental CDs most of the time are 100% playable with very light or no marks on the disc.

Where To Buy...

Buying CDs from Japan is shockingly easy compared to back when my collection was in it's infancy. The number one thing you'll need to shop these sites is the CD catalog code that I was speaking of earlier. For easy shopping, I will recommend shops that offer fast turn around on orders.

Amazon Japan - I order more from Amazon Japan than I do with my damn Prime account on my country's Amazon. Ordering new CDs is a breeze if you have a decent understanding of Japanese (The English Version setting of Amazon Japan only translates so much). They offer DHL Shipping on orders which usually gets CDs in my hands within 48 hours. For those with a better grasp of Japanese, you can browse their wonderfully enormous Used CD market, Punch in the code, and browsed the used CDs on the page. Vendors will usually leave a description of CD condition (Rental/Missing obi/etc). Some ship internationally but only ship SAL, so there is usually a wait if you aren't coastal in the US.

CDJapan - English friendliest site to buy CDs. They romanize basically all of the text from their Japanese Neowing sister site (probably at great effort and expense). You will pay a little bit more, but you will find pretty much any CD you need from the last five years or so. You can also order toys and other collectibles.

Playasia - This site is more popular with gamers I believe, but you can still find music pretty easily here. Maybe not quite as descriptive as CDJapan, they are pretty English friendly site with a simple ordering process.

Amiami - Yes, they sell CDs also! They carry limited stock of new CDs, so your best bet is to order a CD as you order a heavily discounted collectible from their site. You'll be saving on shipping, which is always a big plus. I'm not a fan of their payment process, as it usually adds an extra day or so to the fulfillment time, but it is convenient if you're ordering multiple items.

Those are the basics. There are others out there, but I would recommend getting started on those sites.

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There you have it! That is my complete guide to CD collecting from Japan. If you have any further questions, please leave me a comment or hit me up on twitter. You can view a tiny portion of my collection here...

See ya next time!

-CC