Kannagi OP Single – motto☆Hade ni ne! – Review

Review: Sometimes, it’s difficult to separate the music from the animation because there are always instances in which the animation enhances the listening experience, making an otherwise generic track come off as being enjoyable. I’d argue that this is what happens in Kannagi’s OP’s case. “Motto☆Hade ni ne!” doesn’t have the musical qualities that is required to stand out and get me to take notice, but by playing it in conjunction with a vibrantly animated dancing sequence (the fad these days amongst Japanese studios it seems), the song becomes very enjoyable. Granted, the fantastic animation doesn’t mean that the music’s flaws will magically go away, but it does serve to make the song far more bearable than it had been before.

Labeling “motto☆Hade ni ne!” as “generic” is probably not wrong, but it doesn’t mean that it’s relegated to the crap pile because this song is fairly enjoyable. There’s just something about Haruka Tomatsu’s voice that manages to convey the song’s energy and sense of fun. From the start, you get have an energetic, upbeat melody that shifts over to a gentler melody around the 3-minute mark that feels somewhat airy before going back to the main theme. It’s certainly not a complex structure, but it’s enjoyable all the same. The little things, like Haruka Tomatsu’s emphasis and tone in certain sections, work rather well, especially because it brings Nagi to life. While there’s no doubt that this song is a bit better than your plain vanilla J-pop song, it’s hard to suppress a smile if you keep the animated sequence in mind as well as Nagi’s hilarious personality while listening to this song.

“Shiawase Sagashi” also falls under the “generic” category, albeit when compared to more laid-back J-pop melodies. This song is particularly hard to evaluate simply because there isn’t much to go on. The melody goes from being whimsical at times to taking a tone that feels free, as though Haruka Tomatsu was celebrating life, all while retaining an upbeat mood. The problem comes from its lack of ambition because it doesn’t do anything to stand apart from some of the better J-pop songs out there. However, it does succeed at not being boring and with that in mind, I suppose I can’t complain too much.

The sparse amount of criticisms that can be leveled at either track is rather telling simply because none of these songs do anything to spark a dialog. Both tracks stick to tried and true formulas that are neither inspiring or ambitious, but thankfully, they are also neither boring nor insipid. While the lack of creativity is usually enough for me to pan an album, I find it difficult to do so in this instance because both tracks manage to provide a pleasant experience. The animated sequence as well as Nagi’s personality come to mind while I’m listening to both songs and though they should not be a factor when it comes to judging the musicality of the songs, I just can’t help it because having that sort of knowledge makes the songs more enjoyable. So keep that in mind as you listen to the songs; they might not be great, but they sure are fun to listen to.

Rating: Decent

Opening – motto☆Hade ni ne!