Tracks:

1. Shin Ai

2. PRIDE OF GLORY

3. Gozen Reiji no Baby Doll

Nana Mizuki’s Shin Ai was released on January 21st, 2009. It’s her 19th single.

I like the Nana Mizuki switches up her style a bit. First it was a synth/rock mix, then just plain rock, now with Shin Ai, she takes an orchestral route. I like that it’s a bit faster than normal ballads, and that makes it kind of epic almost. I like the piano because it really stands out from everything else, as well as the flowing strings during parts of the verses and the chorus and Nana sounds better than ever. I didn’t really think the way it transitioned into the chorus, because it goes from verse to this pre-chorus thing, which ends up sounding like the chorus but it really isn’t. I thought a lot of the song could’ve better executed, but overall this song was a nice change of pace.

For PRIDE OF GLORY, it sounds like the typical anime song, but it isn’t all that bad. I like the kind of darkness it has about it and the upbeat and fast dance beat and the electric guitar mixed in. I also liked that Mizuki didn’t revert to her seiyuu voice and totally mess up the song, like she does for most of her upbeat B-sides.

When I heard Gozen Reiji no Baby Doll I wanted to cry, because I thought of DISCOTHEQUE, from her last single. But much to my surprise, she doesn’t sound like a seiyuu! YES! This song is a cute, synthy song that I’m started to really like. I like the happy feeling it has, and it makes me think she can really do cutesy-er songs if she doesn’t go to her screechy voice. In all this was better altogether than Trickster (even I love the title track to death.)

Overall Grade: