Chihiro Onitsuka's classic and popular songs
Chihiro Onitsuka debuted in 2000 and broke through that same year with her song “Gekkou” (Moonlight).
Her slightly husky yet clear high notes are incredibly captivating.
Another appeal of her music is the emphasis placed on lyrics.
This is one of her artistic commitments: when creating songs, she reportedly writes the poem first and then composes the music.
I’ve picked out everything from her signature tracks to hidden gems, so please take your time and give them a careful listen.
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Chihiro Onitsuka’s Best and Popular Songs (11–20)
ShineOnitsuka Chihiro
A debut single announced with the striking tagline, “Don’t worry, I’ll shoot them all dead.” The lyrics, which sing of the stifling atmosphere of school, and the string-featured arrangement create an image steeped in danger and pathos.
On the first album Insomnia, there’s also an album version performed with only piano and vocals, which many listeners may be more familiar with.
This dark number conveys Chihiro Onitsuka’s world through a heavy, prison-like air, showcasing her high expressive power and musical sensibility.
This Silence is MineOnitsuka Chihiro
This is the 20th single, released in 2013, a song written specifically as the theme for the game Drakengard 3.
Its sound is grand yet dark and eerie, and the strained, anguished vocals seem to resonate with the game’s bleak worldview, which often includes scenarios that end in bad endings.
As the artist has said, it’s a song that feels cold to the heart, expressing a kind of nameless anxiety and fear.
good bye my loveOnitsuka Chihiro
Just from the title, those who love Showa-era pop might have been reminded of Ann Lewis’s classic hit.
Released in November 2016, good bye my love was Onitsuka’s first single from a major label in about five years, and she borrowed the title because she liked Ann Lewis’s Good-bye My Love.
It’s a 6/8-time ballad presented in a quintessential Onitsuka arrangement—band sound centered on beautiful piano and strings.
Unlike the lyrics of her early songs that harbored deep darkness, this breakup song is characterized by a gentle gaze, small glimmers of light, and a sense of hope.
It’s a timeless masterpiece of a love song, untouched by the trends of the era.
Slow DanceOnitsuka Chihiro
When it comes to the live-action adaptation of the popular boys’ love manga Pornographer, many fans probably feel that Onitsuka’s theme song is indispensable.
Released in February 2021, Onitsuka’s 23rd single, Slow Dance, was also chosen as the theme song for the film Pornographer: Playback, released the same year.
With lyrics that portray a pure, awkward kind of love—distinct from her more abstract and sometimes enigmatic turns of phrase—the song brings out a different side of Onitsuka’s appeal.
Even now, in the 2020s, more than 20 years after her debut, her undiminished talent as a singer-songwriter continues to astonish.
It’s a masterpiece we especially want those who only know her early work to hear.
daisyOnitsuka Chihiro
Hinagiku, with its beautiful music video directed by filmmaker Kei Ikeda—known for working on MVs for bands and artists like SUPER BEAVER and MY FIRST STORY—is singer Onitsuka’s 22nd single, released in August 2018.
Chosen as the theme song for the FOD original drama Pornographer, it may have been the first time some viewers in their teens or early twenties discovered Onitsuka through the show when it aired.
The song is a medium-tempo ballad centered on piano and strings, which Onitsuka excels at; her vocals convey the gravitas of an artist seasoned by age and experience—truly impressive.
Interestingly, the song was originally composed by Onitsuka with the iconic Fuyumi Sakamoto in mind.
Due to various circumstances, Sakamoto did not end up performing it at the time.
In October 2021, to commemorate the 35th anniversary of her debut, Sakamoto finally recorded the song for her cover album Love Emotion.
Star Light LetterOnitsuka Chihiro
This is a single that was sold exclusively to members of Chihiro Onitsuka’s fan club, “Welcome To Butcher Club,” in 2015.
The sound is very simple, with an acoustic guitar tone that feels warm.
The lyrics depict a romance between a man and a woman, conveying an attempt to express one’s feelings.
By incorporating many fantastical words associated with stars, the song’s world becomes expansive, which seems to reflect the depth and strength of those emotions.
Chihiro Onitsuka’s renowned and popular songs (21–30)
Castle・imitationOnitsuka Chihiro
It’s a pretty cool track.
It was used as a game’s theme song, and with its seemingly meaningful yet hard-to-grasp lyrics, its cool vibe, and the vocals, it’s become very popular among game fans.
It’s even said to have brought in more fans for Chihiro Onitsuka.