Album Title: Kimi no Shinwa ~ Aquarion Dai Ni Shou Anime Title: Aquarion Evol Artist: AKINO with bless4, AIKI from bless4, Yoko Kanno Catalog Number: VTCL-35125 Release Type: OP/ED Single Release Date: February 15, 2012 Purchase at: CDJapan, iTunes

Track Title Artist Time 01. Kimi no Shinwa ~ Aquarion Dai Ni Shou AKINO with bless4 5:28 02. Gekkou Symphonia AKINO & AIKI from bless4 3:50 03. Kimi no Shinwa ~ Aquarion Dai Ni Shou (Karaoke) 5:28 04. Gekkou Symphonia (Karaoke) 3:50

Fans of Yoko Kanno and her music for Genesis of Aquarion won’t be disappointed at this addition to her body of work. AKINO, undoubtedly the best J-pop singer Utah’s ever produced, again lends her beautiful voice to Aquarion Evol. I’m not going to mince words — the only reason I started watching the anime was that I knew the songs would be surefire hits. As I expected, the opening theme is an energetic track with a criminally catchy hook and needless to say, I was really excited about the single.

“Kimi no Shinwa” is the single for the opening. I knew it was serious business when it starts off with a stylish organ solo — exactly the stuff we love Kanno Yoko for. This is very much a song of contrasts. The verse is gentle and terse while the chorus soars and delivers tremendous energy. The structure is similar to the original Genesis of Aquarion opening. The main attraction of “Kimi no Shinwa” is the chorus. Listen to the dramatic melody and intervals when AKINO sings “kawaita kokoro hotage chi wo nagasu kedo” in the middle the the first chorus. Kanno Yoko takes advantage of every last ounce of AKINO’s singing talents in this beautifully uplifting song that fits perfectly into the legendary discography of the Aquarion franchise.

“Gekkou Symphonia” is a graceful ballad featuring AKINO and her brother AIKI. The siblings’ voices complement each other beautifully, but AKINO’s more piercing register almost has the effect of erasing the sound of her brother’s voice during parts where they sing simultaneously. I expected a little more out of this song — there’s no single part of the song that really stands out — but it’s still very well constructed. The piano binds the song together and all of its component parts come together to create that magical ethereal feeling.

Both tracks on the album are undoubtedly crafted from the same mold as the original Genesis of Aquarion. They have that intense passion and emotion that makes Aquarion so memorable, despite its rather subpar storytelling. I believe Aquarion Evol is a vigorous continuation to its predecessor, both from the standpoint of story and music. And as far as music goes, listeners can take heart that Kanno Yoko has not lost a single beat, and still turns everything she touches into gold.

Rating: Excellent

Opening — Kimi no Shinwa



Ending — Gekkou Symphonia



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