The cover of the regular edition

Hatenaki Michi (果てなき道) is HIMEKA’s 2nd single and it was released on November 25, 2009. The single reached #33 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 2,982 copies. The title track was used as the ending theme song for the anime Tegami Bachi.

Hmm…not a fan of the cover. :|

♦ ♦ ♦

WOW @ Hatenaki Michi! I thought HIMEKA’s debut single Asu e no Kizuna was great but I thought this song was better and EPIC. Her vocals are much stronger here and further show off her versatile voice. The music doesn’t have that typical “anime” sound either (oh you know what I mean lol). There’s a big improvement in the production value. On the anime edition of the single, an edited version appears as track 5.

As for the B-side…it’s very anime (not that there’s anything wrong with that ;D) Sora wa Oshietekureru is upbeat and filled with constant percussion and electric guitars, kind of like Asu e no Kizuna. At least her vocals are fantastic in this track too.

Pros: The A-side is amazing! More epic tracks, plz.
Cons: “Been there, done that” with the B-side.

BASICALLY…stop impressing me, HIMEKA! ♥

Overall Rating

4 stars

Tracklisting

1. Hatenaki Michi (果てなき道)
2. Sora wa Oshietekureru (空は教えてくれる)
3. Hatenaki Michi ~Instrumental~
4. Sora wa Oshietekureru ~Instrumental~
5. Hatenaki Michi ~Anime Edit~ [Anime edition bonus track]

Tracklisting
1. Asu e no Kizuna (明日へのキズナ)
2. Sayonara Solitaire (さよならソリティア)
3. Asu e no Kizuna ~Instrumental~

This is HIMEKA’s debut single and it was released on May 27, 2009. The single reached #28 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 9,241 copies. The title track was used as the opening theme song for the anime Valkyria Chronicles.

I gotta say that Asu e no Kizuna is a very strong debut single. While the song itself is your standard J-pop track with upbeat electric guitars and strings, it’s HIMEKA’s voice that attracted me to it. Her vocals are crisp, neat, and quite pleasant to the ears. Overall, she sounds GREAT and honestly, who cares about the language she’s singing in? I think her Japanese pronunciation is pretty good anyway. It’s better than some other people I’ve heard…

The B-side is a cover of Saeko Chiba’s Sayonara Solitaire, which is an ambient piano ballad. So we’ve heard HIMEKA perform an upbeat song with the A-side, but how does she fare with something slower? Well, I was equally impressed with this song too. Once again showcasing those clear vocals, we hear more of what her voice is capable of and I was liking that she was showing more range.

This single just left me wanting more from HIMEKA and I honestly can’t wait for her next release. She has left a good impression on me and I think she shows a great deal of promise.

Overall Rating

 4½ stars