00:00So, I fell down a city pop rabbit hole at 2 in the morning, and somehow I ended up buying
00:04five cassette tapes. Not albums, not vinyl actual cassettes, the kind you have to rewind
00:10with a pencil when your player eats them. And here's the thing, these are stupidly
00:15affordable right now. So I dug through the listings, checked the ratings, checked what
00:20people are actually buying, and pulled together the five best city pop tapes you can grab today.
00:25Let's get into it. First up, the Anri Timely, tape and honestly, this one's the crown jewel of the
00:31bunch. It's brand new, still sealed, and it comes with the lyrics booklet inside, which is the part
00:37collectors actually care about. Timely, is peak 1983 Anri, all sparkling scents and that impossibly
00:44smooth production. It's $32.18, which is the priciest pick here, but you're paying for the
00:51packaging, the booklet, and the fact that it's genuinely unopened. Nearly 5,000 people have
00:57bought it and it's holding a 4.7, so this isn't some gamble. If you're building a shelf you actually
01:02want people to see, start here. Next, this is the fun one, the retro city pop compilation with
01:09the anime art cover. Full transparency, this is a vaporwave style rearrangement, not the original
01:15masters, so it's more of a vibe tape than a purist collector's item. But the artwork is gorgeous,
01:20that classic pink and neon anime aesthetic, and it looks incredible sitting on a desk or a shelf.
01:26It's $11.54, which is basically nothing, and over 4,000 people have picked it up with a 4.5
01:33rating.
01:34If you want something to just throw in a Walkman and drift around the city with, this is the one.
01:40Third, the Maria Takeuchi variety tape, yes, that's the album with plastic love on it.
01:46$6.26.
01:486. That's the cheapest entry point into city pop that exists on the planet right now.
01:54The rating sits at a 4.0, so expect budget packaging and don't go in expecting museum-grade
02:00quality, it's a cosplay-slash-gift-style tape. But for 6 bucks, if you just want the songs on a
02:06physical format for your car or your bedroom deck, it's honestly hard to argue with.
02:11Great little stocking stuffer too. Now if you want Maria Takeuchi done properly,
02:16look at number 4, the album selection cassette. This one's brand new and factory-sealed,
02:22it's got that show-era nostalgic design, and it is the only product on this entire list
02:26sitting at a perfect 5.0 rating. Over 3,000 sold and nobody's complaining.
02:33That's rare. It's $13.22, so you're paying about $7 more than the budget version,
02:40and in my opinion that $7 is completely worth it for the sealed packaging and the build quality.
02:45This is the safe pick.
02:48And finally, Tatsuro Yamashita's Come Along 2, the one I've had in my player the most.
02:53If Maria is the queen of city pop, Tatsuro's the king, and Come Along 2 is that perfect radio
02:59show-style mix that just flows from track to track. Brand new, sealed, and fully compatible
03:04with any standard Walkman or deck, so no compatibility headaches. It's $15.60 with a
03:114.8 rating from over 3,000 buyers. For me, this is the best balance of price,
03:17sound, and actual listening value on the list. If you buy one tape today, buy this one.
03:23Alright, all 5 links are down in the description, prices are current as of right now so grab them
03:28while they're still cheap. If this helped you out, drop a like and hit subscribe,
03:33I've got more retro audio finds coming. Catch you in the next one.
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