Koda Kumi facing "ripoff" problem???

[Uemarasan]

Originally Posted by Kikaru

Well, there are a few I'm willing to give my benefit of doubt.

Will, because it's just two notes and being two notes it could just simply be a coincidence.
Kingyo Hanabi, because I think it's the overall feeling of the song with the my neighborhood totoro song is similar.
Strawberry Jam and the Laruku song. Because they just don't sound that similar.

However, SMILY just sounds wayyyyyy too similar to be a coincidence.

Also OT, does anyone have the Mr. Children song that's compared with PLANETARIUM? because I quite like that song?

I agree. Some of them, I've given the benefit of doubt. Kingyo Hanabi is really more of the feel of the song rather than the composition itself. With Sakuranbo, I'm somewhat skeptical about the first track (the videogame track), but I do think the folk song definitely influenced Ai Otsuka.

But Will, I'm still thinking about it. The structure of Ayu's vocals and the Kiki's Delivery Service track is nearly identical. I can ignore the similarities of the hira-hira-hira/yura-yura-yureru lines, but the parts that follow (hanabira.../kokoro...) closely match the structure of the Kiki's Delivery Service BGM (change of key from low to high).

Then again, if there was a case of copying, I am sure it would have all over the news and there would have been a court trial. Hayao Miyazaki and Joe Hisaishi are very, very big in Japan (even more than Ayu), and the Japanese public would have surely noticed by now. The only explanation I can come up with is Ayu and DAI grew up watching Miyazaki animation (like the rest of Japan) and maybe the music just entered their subconscious and then expressed itself in Will

But with Smily, I have this feeling that it was a case of Avex bullying a smaller label and artist...

By the way, I didn't know that Lyrico sang the first song! Hmm. Well, if it means more exposure for Lyrico, then I'm glad