Riki Takeuchi returns to the mic with "Love Machine"

by Chris MaGee

A year ago we posted a fun little item about actors turned singers (or singers turned actors, or both) in which we featured a song, yes a song, by none other than yakuza eiga star Riki Takeuchi called "Ma-Tsu-Ri". After the initial shock of seeing the guy who growled his way through the "Dead or Alive" films getting his groove on we actually realized how catchy "Ma-Tsu-Ri" was. My girlfriend still goes nuts for this song, so for her and all of you out there who became converts to Takeuchi-mania last September we have a treat for you: another song by Rrrrrrr-iki (Make sure to roll your R's when you say his name!)

This one is actually a cover of the Japanese pop group Morning Musume's 1999 hit "Love Machine", and damned if that isn't an apt title for the likes of Riki, I mean Rrrrrr-iki, all decked out in pink leather and sporting his trademark pompadour. Thanks to Kevin Ouellette over at Nippon Cinema for pointing this out. Enjoy!