Kawano Marina - Sono Koe wo Oboeteru

Monogatari Series 2 ED

Tracklist:

1. Sono Koe wo Oboeteru

2. Kieru daydream - Acoustic Version

3. Sono Koe wo Oboeteru - Instrumental

1. Sono Koe wo Oboeteru

Without any previous intro, Marina's voice, deeper than usual and a playful piano open the first track, showing a more energetic tempo than your average ending theme has. Even though the arrangement is common anison, the catchy chorus crossed with occasional distorted guitars to add the kick and background vocals make the song much more balanced just so it doesn't seem cliched and boring, as the ideal measure of cheerfulness rarely comes by in a J-pop. I rarely like these types of tracks, but I would definitely return for another listen.
Rating: 8

2. Kieru daydream - Acoustic Version

A drum hit marks the start, as thin acoustic guitars open the melody an octave higher than it was in the original, providing much more of a laid-back character. Fortunately, Marina is going for more vocal originality here, with added jazz off-singing, but the static and lacking chord progression, missing some of the harmonies from the original make it much less fulfilling, even though the conversion was performed nicely. The acoustic version is pleasant, but too basic to transcompose the whole Kieru daydream.

Rating: 6

Marina is yet to show any specific image of her own, but her oncoming singles have all pushed through nicely. The only noticeable flaw in Sono Koe wo Oboeteru as a whole is that it's too short, as we get the A-side and a remix, without a new B-side track. My overall rating is: 7

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Kawano Marina - Kieru daydream

                                                                        Nekomonogatari (Kuro) ED

Tracklist:

1. Kieru daydream
2. Kieru daydream -instrumental-
3. あとがたり   (Note: Not an actual song, just an hour-long commentary from the artist)

1. Kieru daydream

Opening with a soft piano and underlying deep synths, the song is boring for someone who doesn't watch the ending credits, but for those who stick with it, it turns into a much more upbeat, rock-ish song. The guitars are constantly in pair and tied with the piano, which makes for an excellent arrangement, even if this song were an OP. Marina is a bit lackluster in the chorus though, but her voice does retain the gritty tone throughout the song, even though she's pretty young and very new in the industry. This song is the cream of what anisong offers, so definitely check it out!
Rating: 9

2. Kieru daydream -instrumental-

I never review instrumental songs. Ever. Often considering them a waste of time, but this one was something of a different experience than the vocal version (plus, I actually had to review more than one song). The piano here sounds more powerful and you can notice that there was careful composition going on in the process, not just some catchy chorus slapped on a simple melody.
Rating: 9

Animax's Grand Prix popularizes great anisong musicians each time it is held, and Kawano Marina is no exception. Like any other new artist, she needs time to develop her own style, and misses that last bit of uniqueness needed to get to the mark 10, but I am still very impressed. My overall rating is: 9.
To the Youtube!

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