Review for Kikkawa Yuu’s 4th single titled Koko Kara Hajimarunda!:

Outfit

When I hear of a new Kikka single a common theme for her outfits seems to stand out from her past releases: they all have a distinct casual style that make her look more like an average singer. This is a bit uncommon since idols have the freedom to use more distinct and unique outfits that most people wouldn’t wear in their daily lives such as Momusu’s Pyoko Pyoko Ultra to get attention and show off a theme for a particular song. Thankfully it seems like they went for a more fitting look for this release and from what I have seen I love the outfit.

Consisting of a shiny bright dress, a pink fluffy skirt underneath, and some accessories, it’s not the most elaborate outfit we’ve seen from Kikka but it’s the most modern and idol-like she has worn in a while. It wasn’t as casual as her other past outfits, and it’s great to see that they strayed away from that look since it fits with the more upbeat and electronic style of the songs in this release.

A more modern look was definitely a nice surprise to see since it fits with the electronic style that Kikka explored with this release. That, along with the distinct idol style that the outfit has added a much needed unique and fresh approach to her look. Apart from that it was more a cute style that made more sense since the shiny dress worked well with the large amount of light effects they used.

Definitely it’s among my favorite outfits that she has worn since it seems like her idol side is finally coming out that seems to make her stand out a bit more, so while it was simple in a way due to the colors it was a perfect style for this release.

Covers

Top left: Regular, Top right: Limited A
Bottom: Limited B

The covers all share a similar theme so there isn’t much in terms of a unique style that can appeal to different people. Instead there’s just a few differences, with the biggest being that the regular cover features Kikka drawn in an anime style. This along with a flashy and colorful style that features triangles, squares, and circles made of light around Kikka definitely make for a more appealing and modern style compared to past releases.

The regular cover was definitely among the most interesting since it’s been a while since I’ve seen a cover with the member drawn instead of appearing in a picture, and for the most part it’s a nice change of pace although it might be a bit confusing to those who are new to Kikka since they don’t know exactly who she is or why she’s in anime form.

Apart from that there are the usual far away and close-up shot, and as many probably know I tend to prefer close-up covers since it has a closer look at the member. This time I actually like both since Kikka’s cool pose on the Limited A seems to interact with the style of the cover, while the Limited B is more of a closer look at her cute pose.

For the most part I can’t say much else since the covers are so similar (compared to other H!P releases), but it seems like the subtle changes will definitely appeal to some with just enough choices for anyone to choose from.

Single

> Koko Kara Hajimarunda!

When I look back at all of the singles that Kikka has released there is one common theme with all of them: they all have a traditional idol style. With a upbeat but slow instrumental and a strong focus on vocals it seems like most of Kikka’s career has been focused on her having a more mature look. It worked for the most part but sadly it seems like they have forgotten that Kikka is still young, so a more upbeat style would definitely fit her.

Thankfully it seems like they decided to use that style for this release and to sum it up I love this song. The strong Vocaloid style as well as the electro styled instrumental coupled with the vocals by Kikka and a few effects here and there result in an amazing song that explores a new style that not many H!P related idols use.

Apart from idol songs I love electro styled songs as well, so when the two worlds combine it usually results in a song that immediately catches my attention, but there is always one thing that makes me nervous: the vocals. Usually when the instrumental is heavy with electronic sounds it tends to overpower the vocals and make it sound a bit too weird, such as Mano’s latest single Song for the DATE. Thankfully it seems like they made the song well, with the vocals dominating only when necessary and the instrumental at the right level.

The song is mostly a ballad, and that might turn off some people since ballads are usually not that popular. Sure, this single is currently the lowest selling so far from Kikka and that somewhat proves the point, but I honestly loved the song since it mixes the Vocaloid sounds with Kikka without using too much from either one.

Overall the song is amazing and currently my favorite Kikka single so far. The strong electronic style mixes pretty well with Kikka’s voice, using only effects when necessary. This along with a catchy style made the song among the best that Kikka has released so far, even if it does seem a bit boring at times.

> 17-sai

This song is a cover of Chisato Moritaka’s song of the same name, and just like Koko Kara Hajimarunda! it has a strong techno style.

It seems like they went for a complete electronic style for this release and being a fan of everything electro I naturally naturally enjoyed the song quite a bit. The instrumental complemented the vocals well and followed the same style as the first song, going for a more blended style that doesn’t overpower the vocals.

Despite that, the instrumental is even better than Kikka’s song at times since it has a more rapid beat, but I admit that at times it sounds a bit bland and the vocals don’t do much since they seem out of place at times. It’s most likely because the song was first made as a ballad so at times the vocals stand out, but for the most part they mixed the two pretty well and made the song fit.

There isn’t much to mention from the song since many have probably heard the original, but the style of the a-side will definitely seem repetitive for some throughout the single since it seems like they just added a few beats here and there and added the vocals.

> Kaze no You na Melody!

Video uploaded by: 00xxpmsact7xx00

This song immediately sounds like it has a more laid back compared to the a-side, and I’m glad to see that it does since it brings a much needed break from all of the effects they used. Sure, I love this new style but it seems like so far the single is overpowering with all of the effects they used so with guitars, violins and other traditional instruments it makes for a more traditional Kikka song that will definitely appeal to those who prefer that style.

There isn’t that much to mention as well with this song since the style is similar to the other two, but if you prefer a more laid back song with a true ballad feel you’ll definitely like this song more since it has traditional instruments along with a slower tempo.

MV

20120630 yu_kikkawa by gavere1

The MV is fairly simple, and after hearing the song I’m not that surprised to see that it is since there isn’t much else to expect from a vocaloid ballad. The beat is slow and the effects are used only when necessary, so naturally a white background and a few light effects with Kikka singing and dancing in front are all that was needed.

For the most part I am glad that they didn’t add a lot of unnecessary shots, but realistically the MV is a bit boring at times. The same effect is used in the background when the instrumental picks up in volume (wall breaking to show a forest of some kind) making it a bit hard to pay attention. This along with just a few floating transparent shapes make the look feel a bit bland, but it’s a techno ballad so it’s expected that they would use futuristic looks to show off the cool sound of the song.

Despite the small amount of shots there are some entertaining moments, such as Kikka singing while wind blows in her hair and the colorful background of the forest moving slowly behind her, or the moments when she’s just dancing and a few effects matching the vocaloid effects distort the image.

It’s a great MV that matches perfectly what I expected to see from the song: a stylish setting that doesn’t overload the senses and shows off a nice modern techno look. The use of effects on Kikka was a nice touch since it mixes the song even more while making it more like a video for the song, so while a bit boring it seems like they did an amazing job with this release.

Overall

Kikka’s singles have had a sharp drop in sales since her debut, and unfortunately this single is no exception, adding yet another step down from her once impressing debut. It’s most likely the lack of promotion on the release week since there weren’t almost any signs of her releasing the single in sites, magazines, or shows. Sure, they might have an appearance in Atlanta planned, and her singing the OP theme for an anime could help, but it seems like a rather ineffective strategy to help boost sales since they’re strategies with results that will only appear in the long term.

Despite that this single was modern, had a more electronic and catchy style compared to her previous releases, and had a more elegant style that will definitely appeal to fans of idol singers and groups that have a techno style. The more laid back and upbeat sound combined with Kikka’s usual impressive singing and a few effects here and there mix incredibly well making for a fantastic new style that seems like a perfect match for Kikka since it’s a style that not many idols use nowadays.

The fashionable and cute look that she has helped quite a bit as well since it made for a more fitting look, and while the MV was somewhat simple and featured many repetitive shots it fit the song well without going for any other unnecessary shots. Adding in the cover of a well known song it seems like this single could have been among her best, but sadly it seems like promotion is the only thing this single lacks since it seems like they just released the single and hoped for the best without making much effort.

I would love to see the promotion go a unique and fun way, like Momusu’s promo for their 50th single, since it brings attention to her while giving her exposure to new fans. Things such as putting up posters around town, promoting the single in person to people passing by, performing in the middle of a crowded venue like a mall, appearing in multiple shows, etc.

Sadly it seems like the promotion push gets weaker with each release, so the clock is ticking and the team (or person) in charge of Kikka has to start actually putting effort into promoting her well since this single could have been a big success if planned right.

Despite that there is still time to fix this so I hope that they start acting a bit more efficiently, but as for the single itself I can say for sure that it’s my favorite Kikka single. The mix of modern and electronic styles with a laid back upbeat instrumental made for an interesting and well suitable release for her, pushing her into a style that seems to fit her best. I strongly encourage fans of electronic idol music to pick up a copy and see for themselves since it’s among my favorite releases so far from Kikka.

Buy

	Regular	UPCH-5756	¥1,000
	CD Koko Kara Hajimarunda! 17-sai Koko Kara Hajimarunda! 17-sai (Instrumental)		DVD None

	Limited Edition A	UPCH-9752	¥1,680
	CD Koko Kara Hajimarunda! 17-sai Koko Kara Hajimarunda! 17-sai (Instrumental)		DVDKoko Kara Hajimarunda! Music Video Making of “Koko Kara Hajimarunda!” Music Video

	Limited Edition B	UPCH-9753	¥1,680
	CD Koko Kara Hajimarunda! Kaze no You na Melody Koko Kara Hajimarunda! (Instrumental) Kaze no You na Melody (Instrumental)		DVDKoko Kara Hajimarunda! (Another Version) Music Video Making of “Koko Kara Hajimarunda!” Music Video