Darker than BLACK Ryuusei no Gemini OP – Tsukiakari no Michishirube – Review

Review: Animation-wise, Darker Than Black: Ryuusei no Gemini has one of my favorite openings of all time. Somehow, the beautiful moving scenery and the relaxing pace of the animation attracted me towards it because of its stark contrast with the dark ambiance of the anime itself. When paired with the very catchy chorus of “Tsukiakari no Michishirube,” the whole opening leaves a very good initial impression. However, upon closer inspection, many things suddenly seem missing.

The first is the lack of originality. When I hear the song, the artist I associate it with is The Brilliant Green. Stereopony seems to have chosen to jump on the pop/rock bandwagon without adding some sense of individuality.

The second problem is the sheer lack of vocal strength. This problem was overlooked when paired with the brilliant animation and when the song only lasted 1:31 minutes in the TV size, but becomes glaringly obvious once you listen to the full song without any distractions. Many times in the chorus of “Tsukiakari no Michishirube,” Aimi’s voice becomes wispy during the higher notes while she sounds very uncomfortable with her low notes in “Daidai Iro.”

There is also minimal expression of the lyrics. My understanding of the lyrics of “Tsukiakari no Michishirube” is that it depicts a girl powerless in the passage of time, but still desperately wanting to chase her own dreams. While there are hints of such yearnings in the first stanza of the song, it is lost almost completely as the song progresses. Even in the last stanza where a more optimistic view is expressed in the lyrics, the vocals do not deliver such conviction.

The fourth and final problem I noticed is that the B-sides are simply not memorable. While they are in no way unpleasant, they just don’t leave any impression. I find myself incapable of recalling a tune even after listening to it repeated times. The most disappointing track is probably “Fuzz,” since it is essentially, just fuzz.  That is, it’s mostly made up of loose bits stitched lightly together in a hasty and haphazard way without any intended message whatsoever.

That said, there are definitely good things about this album. It is definitely a single meant for the general masses, since all the songs flow well and are very pleasant to listen to leisurely, especially with “Tsukiakari no Michishirube.” The wonderful way the melody is written and its light delivery will appeal to all, and you will probably find yourself humming the tune to yourself without even noticing it. Credit must be given to Stereopony for creating a single which really can bring a smile to listeners’ face. This is one single which is definitely worth listening to at least once, but may not hold well under closer inspection.

I certainly hope that it is only a matter of time before Stereopony finds her own niche. I, for one, definitely am praying that the next single will display a little more variety and individuality.

Rating: So-so

Darker than BLACK Ryuusei no Gemini Opening – Tsukiakari no Michishirube