I wouldn't argue that either of these are among the greatest Berryz songs but I've come to think of it as a really interesting release. There seems to be a lot of complaint about Berryz and S/mileage getting the shaft compared to other H!P groups (comments I've made included), but I feel like this is the first time I've seen them as a really distinct unit within the agency.
- Lyrically, they seem to be the group that's most able to "act their age," if you will. It doesn't feel like acting to fit into the image they've been given with the past few releases (where some might argue that the J=J girls are too young for their songs or some S/mileage members too old for the cute stuff they get sometimes). Like I said previously, as a 20something year old, I'm really enjoying both of these songs because I feel like I can relate to them
- Having Risako in the front with a style that's distinctively her own, Miyabi's fashion choices too, it feels a lot more representative of who the girls are outside of the idol image they have to play up to. Even Maasa's short hair after all this time just gives them a really authentic feel.
- All that feeling of authenticity aside, I
love love love the 1 Oku costumes and the stark setting works well. No complaints about budget from me this time.
tl;dr I think Berryz finally has its own real niche, this is a great start to 2014 and I'm looking forward to everything to come!