Kaori Oda is a Japanese singer best known for her work with Sound Horizon and FictionJunction. Akatsuki no Butterfly is her third single.
Release date: 24th of April, 2013
Track List:
1. Akatsuki no Butterfly
2. Kimi to Ai ni Naru
3. Kimi no Silhouette
4. Akatsuki no Butterfly (Instrumental)
5. Kimi to Ai ni Naru (Instrumental)
6. Kimi no Silhouette (Instrumental)
1. Akatsuki no Butterfly
This song is the opening theme for the AMNESIA CROWD game for PSP. Generally speaking, it’s kind of a light pop-rock (more of pop) sort of song. Kaori’s vocals definitely have more of an emphasis against that pretty weak arrangement. I mean, it’s weak to the extent that it’s hard for me to distinguish all the instruments used. I know there’s guitars, drums and piano. There could be more, but it’s not noticeable enough for me to hear. I really like how the chorus sounds; it’s very forward and energetic. Overall, it sounds really nice, but I’d love for it to have a slightly stronger arrangement in the verses. The pre-chorus and chorus are fine! (:
2. Kimi to Ai ni Naru
So this would be the ending theme for the same game… And of course it’s a ballad. Who would’ve guessed? Anyway, the first third of the song is nice & relaxing, with Kaori’s vocals backed up with piano. I guess she does ballads better, because I prefer this track to Akatsuki no Butterfly. After the first chorus, the drums kick in, and the arrangement is a lot clearer, which is a good sign! I really love her voice! Her vibrato is beautiful, especially the notes she held as the song closes. Yes, here is an ending theme that’s superior to the opening theme!
3. Kimi no Silhouette
Opening with piano, you’d think it’s another ballad, but guitars and drums come in, and it becomes a pop-rock song! That genre transition reminds me of the one heard in miwa’s 441… *gasps* Could it be that this song also beats out that A-side? Mmm, not quite… I mean, her voice here is still given the emphasis, and the volume of the arrangement is satisfactory, but it’s actually not that strong when you hear it; it won’t make a significant impact on you. I think Akatsuki no Butterfly as a whole song, is more appealing than this one, but Kimi no Silhouette was still a nice effort. (Gets a bit boring at times, but oh well, it’s still nice…)
I came across this single because I was familiar with the AMNESIA anime, and this contained the OP and ED for the game. I think the common issue with the single is that the vocals and arrangement are not perfectly balanced in terms of the strength and volume. It’s obvious that you can hear Kaori much more clearly than instrumentation. As for the tracks themselves, it’s good that the third track is pretty much the same genre as the A-side, so I could compare them nicely… That being said, Akatsuki no Butterfly was the pop-rock song done better, despite the arrangement being a bit weak at times. Kimi to Ai ni Naru still tops the list. Her vocals are eargasmic, haha. :p
Rating: 4/5
Just Another Heaven 