Melocure
OriginTokyo, Japan
Years active2002–2004
LabelColumbia Music Entertainment
Current members

Melocure (メロキュア, Merokyua) was a Japanese pop duo consisting of Megumi Hinata and Ritsuko Okazaki. The duo's name is a pun on the term melodic hardcore. Signed to Columbia Music Entertainment, the duo was formed in 2002 and lasted until 2004 due to Okazaki's untimely death.

History

2002-2003: Debut

Melocure formed in April 2002 and debuted with the song "Itoshii Kakera (My Better Half)", which was used as the anime series UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie's opening theme song. More of Melocure's work was used as insert songs and themes for subsequent seasons of the show, as well as in the soundtracks of Stratos 4 and Okusama ha Mahō Shōjo. Melocure also had a weekly internet radio talk show.

2004: Okazaki's death and disbandment

They released their album Melodic Hard Cure in March 2004. Less than two months later, Okazaki died suddenly at the age of 44 from septic shock as a result of sepsis. Melocure's final song, Home & Away, was finished by Hinata after Okazaki's death and released more than a year later.

Although Okazaki has died, Hinata has said on her radio show that she will continue Melocure for the rest of her life, singing Melocure songs at her live shows in Okazaki's memory.[1]

Discography

Singles

YearTitleAlbumNotesRef
2002"Itoshii Kakera (愛しいかけら)"First season opening theme to UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie
2003"1st Priority"Opening theme to Stratos 4
"Meguriai (めぐり逢い)"Second opening theme to UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie
2005"Home & Away (ホーム&アウェイ)"Home & Away/JewelryOpening theme to Okusama ha Mahō Shōjo; A-side to Kikuko Inoue's "Jewelry"[2]

Albums

TitleAlbumAlbum detailsRef
2004Melodic Hard Cure (メロディック・ハード・キュア)
  • Released: March 17, 2004
  • Label: Nippon Columbia
  • Formats: CD, DVD, digital download, streaming

Sources

  1. ^ Hinata Megumi no "1.2.3.4.GO! ROCK!", Episode 30[dead link]
  2. ^ Nonchan. "Home & Away/Jewelry" (in Japanese, en). Neko-Han-Ten. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2013-06-05. Retrieved 2007-09-20.