☆Review of Mikan☆

Okay, today I was getting ready and all that when I found myself humming a song to myself that I couldn’t place. I kept wondering who it was by, because it sounded so familiar. Finally (yeah, I was really slow this morning) it hit me: MIKAN! I felt very stupid after that, to say the least.

Anyhoo, I have had mixed feelings about Momusu’s latest single (mostly good, so don’t worry!) so I have decided to write a review. (Plus it makes me feel all important, writing a review) Here we gooooo!

The title: Mikan. It has two meanings that I know of – I’m only a beginner Japanese-wise:

-Unfinished: I love this translation of Mikan. With the lyrics – A chance on a bright morning/oh yeah, you’ll get a chance/a chance the day you set off on a journey – gives the feeling that life isn’t finished, and there is so much you still have to do.

-Tangerine: I read somewhere that eating tangerines had something to do with memories or something like that, but I just really like the huge orange in the background in the dance shot. ^^;

The intro: Okay, the little piano melody at the beginning of Mikan is my absolute FAVORITE part of the song. It is quite simple, yet it is still very – powerful? that isn’t the right word but I can’t think of another. It is very inspiring. Lol, it sounds so melodramatic, but whatever.

The lyrics: I think that Mikan’s lyrics carries a strong message, but the lyrics are still light hearted. Example: Like an infant crying/so it may live/have a freshly born/pure heart. Wow. I mean, I’m okay with words, but I doubt that I could ever compose a sentence that is so inspiring, and that just plain makes you think.

The melody: Totally FANTASTIC. (emphasis on fantastic, haha) Although it took a while, Mikan definitely grew on me, which I think was because of the melody. It is very energetic – similar to Koko ni Iruzee – and even without knowing what the lyrics mean, the song’s theme/message really gets across. ♪

The PV: What better to celebrate Morning Musume’s 10th Anniversary than showing pictures of the current member’s when they were little? I would’ve liked to see some past members as kids as well, but this was cool nonetheless. Recently I think the PVs for Momusu have been a bit lacking in effort, but I think Mikan’s video is a step in the right direction. There was quite a bit of computer animation, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Plus I loved their outfits; they reminded me of the outfits on the cover of Love Machine. The dance was very cool as well, very energetic, just like Mikan’s melody.

And now, for the only thing bugging me about Mikan: The member’s parts in the song.

Takahashi Ai: Now don’t get me wrong, Ai-chan is a great singer. She has one of the strongest in Hello! Project. But is it really necessary to have her sing lead in every single? It seems like she sings half the songs herself, and it would be nice if other members in the group got a chance to sing lead.

Niigaki Risa: My favorite member in Momusu at the moment. When I first saw Mikan’s PV I was expecting to see Risa with some prominent solo lines at least. But what did I see? Her and Kamei with roughly two solo lines apiece, and dancing in the row farthest back. I really don’t see why she doesn’t get more lines, she has one of the best voices in Momusu. And even more importantly, Risa always shines in her performances, even with only one solo line here or there. Therefore, one of my wishes for 2008 is for Risa to get WAY more lines; she deserves it.

Kamei Eri: Another one of my favorites in Morning Musume. Kamei also got few lines, which has been the case for a long time. I think I would really like to hear a solo version of Mikan by her. Despite the lack of solo Kamei lines, everyone knows she has talent, and a Momusu single led by Gaki-Kame would make my day.

Tanaka Reina: It’s been a while, but Reina is back in the spotlight, leading Mikan right alongside Takahashi. I think that ever since her part in Shabondama, I knew she would be leading a lot of Momusu’s singles. And she does talent, a lot actually, and she has improved a lot since joining Morning Musume. I think Reina does deserve some time in the spotlight, but also hope she doesn’t become Fujimoto’s replacement and sing half the songs herself.

Michishige Sayumi: I have mixed feelings about Sayumi (personality, etc.) but that’s for another time. I think Shige-san has improved a bit since joining, just like the other sixth generation members, but as someone on Youtube said: When Sayumi gets more screen time than Risa, you know something’s wrong.

Kusumi Koharu: Kusumi leads once again in Mikan, ugh. I am not a Koharu fan to say the least, and I just don’t get why she has to lead EVERY SONG. She has her own solo career already, which I think would be enough. With her annoying voice and mediocre singing ability, I just get tired of seeing her in the center single after single, don’t you?

Mitsui Aika: Mitsui sang lead with Kusumi, and I have to say I prefer Mitsui. Despite many people bashing her via Internet, she does have talent, and I think being in Momusu will help her improve a lot. She got quite a bit of solo lines in both Egao Yes Nude and Mikan, and I think she handles it nicely.

Junjun and Linlin: I don’t really have any objections on the parts these two had in Mikan. They have gotten small parts in the past two singles, which I think is good. Not that I don’t want them to have bigger parts, I just think that it’ll make it easier for them to get used to Momusu in general.

Mikan Overall: Out of all the singles, I have enjoyed the older, classic ones more than than modern (just by a tiny bit) and I found Kanashimi Twilight and Onna ni Sachi Are a bit disappointing compared to them. However Mikan was definitely a single that had a feel to it that was similar to the classic singles of Morning Musume. When I listen to it, I feel like doing everything I put off doing, trying everything I am afraid to try, and just living life. After all, Life Is One Time!!

Lastly, I really think that ‘Unfinished’ is a good reading of Mikan, because this single assures us that Morning Musume is far from over.