By Joseph Walter
Thanks to YouTuber ANTIGUIDADES80, we now know the name of the song! It's called "Dance With Romance," and it's by Megumi Hayakawa.
The full version is even better than the snippet heard in Metalder, and once that full-power chorus hits you (around 1:25), you'll be forever submerged in its 80s purity and phantom nostalgia.
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Original Story:
Choujinki Metalder is a fantastic tokusatsu show that is a must-watch for fans of the genre (or for people curious about the footage that used in VR Troopers.)
Although I'd love to do a gigantic, in-depth article about the show's brilliance, it's going to have to wait, because there is one, particular element from Metalder that currently demands your attention, taking precedence above all else: searching for the name of the awesome, 80s, Japanese workout music featured in Episode 3.
Accompanying Mai Ogi as she works out in the most stereotypical 80s workout outfit imaginable, this sublime song has demanded to be heard in clean, crisp quality since the moment it graced my ears.
Unfortunately, I can't seem to find out what it's actually called. No one, can, actually.
I've searched far and wide for any kind of information about it, even going as far as asking a couple of my Japanese friends if they knew anything, but alas, no luck. Soundhound and Shazam have failed me, as well.
Therefore, my last hope is to turn this search for a song title loose upon the internet.
The song in question is featured in the video below, so give that a watch, and then I'll fill you in on what little info I've discovered, along with a few leads.
So, here are the few scraps of clues and leads I've managed to uncover:
- According to one of my Japanese friends, Mai's actress (Hiroko Aota) was once a "pop idol," so she wondered if this song was featured from one of her albums. It appears that she released two singles and one full album (although I'm not sure if that's all of them), but actually finding the full albums/songs to listen to might not be as easy as I'd like. (Here's her page on the JPop Wiki, which lists her works.)
- Metalder features other licensed songs that don't appear on the soundtrack. This information is detailed in this excellent review from "Kamen Rider Reviews." Note that I investigated the tracks and artists the author named, but I don't think the song we're looking for hails from any of them. (although, admittedly, I wasn't exceptionally thorough whilst combing through their discographies, so I may have missed something!)
And... that's basically it. Alas.
The answer is out there somewhere, and the only way we're going to find it is if we band together and pool our resources. Together, and only together, will we win this fight to find the name of a highly-specific piece of 80s workout music.
Seriously, if you know what this song is called, or know someone who might, or know someone who understands Japanese, or someone who can perhaps search the Japanese web/message boards for this song, etc., do let me know. Any help at all is vastly appreciated.
Until the day we can enjoy this exquisite musical masterpiece together, the search continues!