→unfinished→ is KOTOKO's 18th single released this May 16, 2012 under Warner Home Video. The titular track was used as an ending theme for the anime Accel World. After working with the famous ryo (supercell) for her previous Light my fire single, KOTOKO was then again tied up to a producer who's just as popular. However, was this involvement good enough?
Tracklist:
01. →unfinished→
02. Sakura no Ame mo Egi no yo
03. →unfinished→ (instrumental)
04. Sakura no Ame mo Egi no yo (instrumental)
→unfinished→
Lyrics: KOTOKO
Composition and Arrangement: Satoshi Yaginuma (fripSide)
Yes, Sat from fripSide produced this song. And unsurprisingly, the song turned out generic as per fripSide standards. The usual keyboard synths on an endless loop. It's not really that dull, but the way the synths were repeated just destroys all the hype. Sat tends to focus on consistency and so most of his songs almost always end up sounding the same.
It may sound as if →unfinished→ seems like a horrendous song. Fortunately, it is KOTOKO providing the vocals.
The vocals managed to pull it off, somehow. KOTOKO's vocals blended well with the song arrangement, just as Kurosaki Maon and motsu did with ALTIMA. →unfinished→ is a show-off of what KOTOKO can do, how versatile her vocal prowess can be. Impressive vocal quality though it resembles that of Yoshino Nanjo (fripSide's vocalist) at times with her cutesy, high-pitched vocals.
While the vocals indeed did not make the song any worse, it sure still did not manage to bring about anything groundbreaking, in comparison with Light my fire. →unfinished→ is just another song. In the long run, the repeated, lackluster tunes make the song less desirable. But no, it has got nothing to do with KOTOKO. She has done her part with the vocals, and she did it well.
It seems this is the type of song that is horrendously made that even great vocals can't make it stand out. Enjoyable while you're at it, yes, but don't you dare hit the replay button that much if you don't like to curse this song forever. At the end of the day, →unfinished→ will only be masked by tons of other songs KOTOKO came up with in the past with her very extensive discography.
Bland song with a lazily made arrangement yet great vocals.
Rating: 6.8/10
While the vocals indeed did not make the song any worse, it sure still did not manage to bring about anything groundbreaking, in comparison with Light my fire. →unfinished→ is just another song. In the long run, the repeated, lackluster tunes make the song less desirable. But no, it has got nothing to do with KOTOKO. She has done her part with the vocals, and she did it well.
It seems this is the type of song that is horrendously made that even great vocals can't make it stand out. Enjoyable while you're at it, yes, but don't you dare hit the replay button that much if you don't like to curse this song forever. At the end of the day, →unfinished→ will only be masked by tons of other songs KOTOKO came up with in the past with her very extensive discography.
Bland song with a lazily made arrangement yet great vocals.
Rating: 6.8/10
Sakura no Ame mo Egi no yo
Lyrics: KOTOKO
Composition and Arrangement: Saito Shinya
And so, all hope for the single to turn out good depends on the B-side. The good thing is that Sakura no Ame mo Egi no yo did not disappoint.
Saito Shinya, the song producer, is a familiar name. Remember Hirake! Sora no Oto from KOTOKO's 5th album Hiraku Uchuu Pocket? Yes yes, that lame, not original-sounding, forgettable track. Apparently, Shinya produced that song too. So this is not the first time that KOTOKO ever worked with him.
However, the ability of a producer is obviously not seen on just one song. Sakura no Ame mo Egi no yo was a great improvement, a way better song than Hirake! Sora no Oto or even →unfinished→, for that matter. The song arrangement is memorable, and catchy as hell. Definitely has more flavor to it than its A-side. Plus points too for making the chorus climactic enough.
Shinya did an excellent job with the innovative mix of rock and trance elements. The harmony may sound a bit simple, formulaic, and unidirectional, but the song sure was made well on that aspect. The song exudes this dark, oriental aura that sets it apart from most KOTOKO songs we've heard before.
And the vocals. Oh, the vocals. KOTOKO showcases her ever powerful voice in Sakura no Ame mo Egi no yo. Those high notes were impressive and flawless. This is solid proof of her vocal versatility, and that it seems she can sing any song. KOTOKO shows us that she can work with a variety of producers, and be able to flex her abilities according to the demands of the song.
She has been growing as an artist, taking risks ever since she left I've Sound. We may miss I've backing her up but songs like these compete well with the songs she made with this great trance music production group. Sakura no Ame mo Egi no yo rises up and overshadows its A-side. Probably one of the best KOTOKO song in a long while.
Rating: 9.1/10
Overall, →unfinished→ is a good release, thanks to its B-side. The single debuted at #14 in the Oricon charts. Not bad. The sales were also good enough, selling 9,735 copies on its first week. While this may be attributed to the popularity of the anime tie-up Accel World, this achievement is still very well deserving for KOTOKO.
The choice to stick with Warner for this single (or for good) was a good one. The PV was great, the promotion and marketing tactics paid off. With two singles and an album under such label, KOTOKO's independent career is looking brighter than ever. She should just avoid producers like Sat.
Let's see how this era would turn out for this great artist.
And so, all hope for the single to turn out good depends on the B-side. The good thing is that Sakura no Ame mo Egi no yo did not disappoint.
Saito Shinya, the song producer, is a familiar name. Remember Hirake! Sora no Oto from KOTOKO's 5th album Hiraku Uchuu Pocket? Yes yes, that lame, not original-sounding, forgettable track. Apparently, Shinya produced that song too. So this is not the first time that KOTOKO ever worked with him.
However, the ability of a producer is obviously not seen on just one song. Sakura no Ame mo Egi no yo was a great improvement, a way better song than Hirake! Sora no Oto or even →unfinished→, for that matter. The song arrangement is memorable, and catchy as hell. Definitely has more flavor to it than its A-side. Plus points too for making the chorus climactic enough.
Shinya did an excellent job with the innovative mix of rock and trance elements. The harmony may sound a bit simple, formulaic, and unidirectional, but the song sure was made well on that aspect. The song exudes this dark, oriental aura that sets it apart from most KOTOKO songs we've heard before.
And the vocals. Oh, the vocals. KOTOKO showcases her ever powerful voice in Sakura no Ame mo Egi no yo. Those high notes were impressive and flawless. This is solid proof of her vocal versatility, and that it seems she can sing any song. KOTOKO shows us that she can work with a variety of producers, and be able to flex her abilities according to the demands of the song.
She has been growing as an artist, taking risks ever since she left I've Sound. We may miss I've backing her up but songs like these compete well with the songs she made with this great trance music production group. Sakura no Ame mo Egi no yo rises up and overshadows its A-side. Probably one of the best KOTOKO song in a long while.
Rating: 9.1/10
Overall, →unfinished→ is a good release, thanks to its B-side. The single debuted at #14 in the Oricon charts. Not bad. The sales were also good enough, selling 9,735 copies on its first week. While this may be attributed to the popularity of the anime tie-up Accel World, this achievement is still very well deserving for KOTOKO.
The choice to stick with Warner for this single (or for good) was a good one. The PV was great, the promotion and marketing tactics paid off. With two singles and an album under such label, KOTOKO's independent career is looking brighter than ever. She should just avoid producers like Sat.
Let's see how this era would turn out for this great artist.
I sort of agree AND disagree with your review. You're right that KOTOKO does sound rather bland in the song, and the arrangement isn't exactly the best. But I appear to be in the minority (again) since I sort of like fripSide (especially only my railgun). Yes their songs almost always have the same beats and arrangement, so it can get old fast (it doesn't stop me from liking Heaven Is a Place on Earth!, but then again I'm a Hayate fan). However, for me at least, their songs themselves are quite catchy. While unfinished isn't a great as her previous work, it's still a little catchy (although the guitar solo didn't work out for me), and KOTOKO's vocals saved it. I would rank higher than you did (around 7.5/10). Note that other reviews I've seen for unfinished are more positive, but they all agree that fripSide should try to experiment more and not always stick to the same arrangement.
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