A Free&Easy Summer PV

Blogging since putting AKB48 on the Idol Blacklist has been such bliss.

Summer also helps. Still, it is so nice not having to worry about writing about the Senbatsu election or typing up a review for whatever dreck Aki-P regurgitates for them next. I can take the time to write about all the groups I actually like! And one of those groups includes Nogizaka46, AKB48's rival group whom after a year of mediocrity proved to be formidable rivals!

I'd like to think that the cover for their latest single, Natsu no Free&Easy, is a representation of Nogizaka46 and AKB48. Nogizaka46 being Nanase, crowdsurfing and basking in glory, and AKB48 being the people beneath her. It reminds me of the way C-ute and Berryz Koubou were last year. Through some strange twist of fate, Nogizaka46 has been getting better as AKB48's been getting worse. Even their sales have been improving! And why not? Their last single, Kizuitara Kataomoi, was their best single yet. The music video was even better! Even before that, Barrette was another solid effort from Nogizaka46! And Girls' Rule was good enough to pique my interest in Nogizaka46 again, along with the music video! Last year, I held on to the (very likely) possibility that Nogizaka46's string of decent-sounding songs was a fluke. I had perfectly good reason to keep lowered expectations; disappointment is such an unpleasant thing to feel. But Kizuitara Kataomoi was a wonderful single, and it's made me realize that I'm ready to open up my heart to Nogizaka46. So what's their latest single bring to the table? Something better than Labrador Retriever, right? Well, whatever this new single sounds like, I'm certain this A-side is good!

...I may have spoken too soon.

Okay, so remember how I said that I liked Girl's Rule? Yeah, thing about that is I didn't love Girl's Rule. Certainly not enough to hear a summer song that sounds exactly like Girl's Rule. Okay, Natsu no Free&Easy isn't a total carbon copy of Girl's Rule. After all, Girl's Rule actually had a hook! I suppose Natsu no Free&Easy has a hook, but it's the equivalent of baiting a fish hook with cheese. It doesn't work at all! And I just don't get any sort of impression with this song. Well, I shouldn't be surprised. AKS summer songs all tend to sound... weak? Bland? Rehashed? I'm gonna go with all three of those adjectives. Yes, occasionally, they work like with Bingo! and Utsukushii Inazuma and Ponytail to Shushu, but as of late, all these summer songs sound like background music against a fanservice-filled bikini PV. Because let's face it, that's pretty much all they're for. Oh yeah, and to sell Senbatsu election tickets. But I'd have thought for sure Nogizaka46's summer song wouldn't fall into the pit of blandness! Hell, they don't even use bikinis in their sumer PVs! I'm not even sure if I can consider Natsu no Free&Easy an idol summer PV.

Back onto the song, Natsu no Free&Easy isn't terrible. I'd rather the song copy Girl's Rule over Sayonara Crawl or Labrador Retriever. Like the instrumental is okay. Very Girl's Rule sounding. But the chorus of Natsu no Free&Easy doesn't have any of the spirit the chorus of Girl's Rule did. It just kind of drags; the girls sound like they're being forced to sing it. Still, the chorus does manage to get in my head, in a whiny sort of way. The problem with Natsu no Free&Easy is a lack of anything memorable. The song is pleasant, and that's it. If you want my opinion on Natsu no Free&Easy, just read one of my other AKS summer PV reviews. Well, maybe not Labrador Retriever or Sayonara Crawl, but one of them! Because everything I can say about Natsu no Free&Easy can be found in my reviews of every other AKS summer song. I've come to expect that with AKB/NMB/SKE but not with Nogizaka46. It's a little disappointing actually. I really would have thought Nogizaka46 would have gotten a decent summer song. But no, it pretty much just sounds like your average AKS summer song. Well... if AKB48 released Natsu no Free&Easy, then that would be different. But I was rooting for Nogizaka46, placing trust that they would release another good song after so many good songs!

Perhaps that's what I get for raising my expectations. The same thing happened with AKB48, and look where we are now. What if now I've jinxed myself, and Nogizaka46 is doomed to nothing but remakes of Guruguru Curtain and Oide Shampoo!? Okay, that can't happen. Right!? Despite my pessimism, I'm not completely giving up on Nogizaka46 just because Natsu no Free&Easy is an average song. Like I said before, all the AKS groups are known for typically getting weak summer songs. Maybe that's just what happened with Nogizaka46, and their next single will have the level of quality all their previous singles possess! For now though, I'm left with an underwhelming summer song from Nogizaka46. Natsu no Free&Easy is a fun, perky little song, but there's nothing about it that grabs me. If you're looking for something to listen to while on the beach or at the pool, Natsu no Free&Easy is mindlessly happy background music. As for me, I think I'm just gonna go back to my lowered expectations for Nogizaka46. Maybe all those songs since Seifuku no Mannequin really were a fluke...

Well, Natsu no Free&Easy isn't enough to put a damper on my free and easy summer! Besides, there's still the PV! Idol summer PVs are always fun! Except... I'm not sure if Natsu no Free&Easy's PV counts as a summer PV. Why? You'll see what I mean.

Like every AKS summer single, Natsu no Free&Easy takes place on- wait! That's not the beach!

Oh look, cute dresses! I think these are my favorite Nogizaka46 single costumes.

So Rena spends all her time as a Nogizaka46 member managing the Apple Store...

Wow, that intricate choreography gives E-girls a run for its money!

I love the location of this shot! It gives off a very sleek, metropolitan vibe.

I like this location too! Even though it's not summery in the slightest!

Why exactly are they all wearing headphones?

Is it because they're jamming to Perfume's latest single?

Ah yes, the most optimal listening experience is lying on a floor in a barren room. I can't imagine why people don't do that more often.

Hey, where are your headphones? Get with the program!

A pool! See? I knew I was screencapping a summer PV.

Seriously, for a song called Natsu no Free&Easy, it's surprisingly lacking in summer stuff.

But listening to music is about as free&easy as you can get!

That and shopping! Actually, music and shopping pretty much sums up my summer...

Oh yeah, and reading. Lots and lots of reading. Not so much balancing books on my head.

I still don't know who half these people are. I'm just recently getting the front girls' faces down pat!

So nice to see Miona's no longer being kidnapped by evil prostitution lords!

And Nanase is very much alive and not a dandelion!

Maybe they're all having a silent disco. At a pool.

It's a little creepy how easily Rena blends in with Nogizaka46.

Now for the world's simplest dance break!

See? This dance break involves walking several feet. Very tricky.

What is up with all these upshots?

Here we have Nanase experiencing the power... of music.

Now all the Nogizaka46 girls are gathering the power of music into a circle!

Wait, why are they doing that again?

Can you imagine someone walking in on a bunch of girls in headphones standing in a circle for no apparent reason?

Maybe it's a ritual to suck out the quality of AKB48's singles!

I knew there was something behind those innocent little smiles...

Boom! Title drop! The end!

This is a summer song I'm reviewing, right? Now I can't speak Japanese, but last time I checked, "natsu" meant, "summer." Yet the PV for Natsu no Free&Easy doesn't really feel like a summer PV. If I were a new fan that knew nothing about J-pop and watched this PV, I wouldn't even connect it to summer. I guess I'm so used to seeing certain tropes in all the AKS summer PVs, like a beach/pool, bathing suits, fun summer activities, etc. Even Nogizaka46's previous summer PV, Girl's Rule, had a distinct, nostalgic summer vibe to it. They weren't even wearing bathing suits but still managed to work that in! What's summery about Natsu no Free&Easy's PV? Um... some shots feature a swimming pool? Other than that, Natsu no Free&Easy is pretty different from all the other AKS summer PVs I've reviewed. Actually, compared to Girl's Rule, Barrette, and Kizuitara Kataomoi, Natsu no Free&Easy is different. The most obvious difference being that there is not plot to Natsu no Free&Easy. There's a central theme that listening to music with a snazzy pair of headphones is awesome. But no story. Their last three PVs all had elaborate storylines, especially Barrette and Kizuitara Kataomoi. It's kind of a bummer because I liked all the stories in those three PVs...

Okay, so Natsu no Free&Easy has no story. But a good PV doesn't always need a story! And admittedly, the PV for Natsu no Free&Easy still has enough in it to be a pretty good PV. Like I said before, there are headphones in this PV. Lots and lots of headphones. That seems to be the connection between all these random locations. Because there are many different places in this PV from stores to cityscapes to bookstores to dance studios to other miscellaneous areas I'm not going to mention. But I love how different these places look, yet all still have this fresh, modern look to them. Even if this PV doesn't have all the tropical flair a beach PV would have, the city locations works great. Since I live in The Sticks, I love seeing city locations, especially the variety Natsu no Free&Easy shows. And did I mention the colors? I love the different color contrasts in this PV. Like the neon-green in the dance shot and the more toned down colors in the bookstore. All around, the PV for Natsu no Free&Easy is working a really good color palette. Everything looks bright and cheerful, which fits with the song. Times like these, I remember how nice it must be for idol companies to have money to make nice-looking music videos. I can tell that was put into good use for Natsu no Free&Easy!

I'm left with conflicting opinions. As a PV alone, Natsu no Free&Easy is pretty to look at (and that's about it). But as a summer PV, it's... not... summery. At the same time though, I'm not sure if Natsu no Free&Easy needs all the obvious summer stuff in it like beaches and swimming to be a summer PV. Because let's face it, not everyone spends their summers at the beach all year. But I do know that for many young people, summer is free and easy. There's no school, the burden of adulthood hasn't made its presence known yet, and those three months of freedom seem like forever. Watching all the girls of Nogizaka46 in this PV, I noticed that they all looked happy and carefree. Listening to music can ease just about anyone nerve's if you play the right song, and as someone who loves music, I identified with the whole headphones thing. Even putting the headphones aside, all the girls are still doing fun activities like shopping, reading books, hanging out with friends, etc. And isn't that something many young people do in the summer? I know those activities are much more fun when I don't have to worry about midterms. I'd like to think of Natsu no Free&Easy as an urban summer PV for those people who can't get near the beach.

So that's my take on Natsu no Free&Easy. Overall, I think it's a good PV, but I didn't like it as much as Kizuitara Kataomoi or Barrette. I even liked Girl's Rule a bit better. I do think that watching the PV for Natsu no Free&Easy makes the song more enjoyable. Alone, I still think the song is a lackluster effort for Nogizaka46. Even the PV is a little lackluster compared to their previous stuff, but still pretty good. If you're looking for something easy on the eyes, then you'll like Natsu no Free&Easy. The locations and cinematography really are the best part of this PV. Also, I have no explanation for the giant circle the girls made at the end. I'm sticking with my quality-sucking from AKB48 theory. At least the colors in that shot were pretty too! When I think of Nogizaka46's disastrous early PVs, it does broaden my opinion a little bit. Natsu no Free&Easy is such a step forward compared to Oide Shampoo. It's like I'm not even looking at the same group! Still, I'm remaining wary toward Nogizaka46. They have the potential to sour at any minute, and I do not have time to deal with that disappointment. But I'd prefer if they came out with something awesome over the former...

After much contemplation, I am gonna end up giving Natsu no Free&Easy three apples. The song is one of those songs that just exists. It doesn't really contribute anything to the world, but it's out there. The PV for Natsu no Free&Easy is much better, but a little less than what I was expecting from Nogizaka46. This entire release is a little less than what I was expecting from Nogizaka46. Oh well, I'll cross my fingers and hope for a better single next time.

The Surprisingly Sad Story of a Dandelion

Deeming Nogizaka46's string of good singles not a fluke is a concept that scares me.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I love that Nogizaka46 has finally gotten some decent music and some really good music videos. They're pretty much the only '48 group that I've found interesting lately. But I keep wondering, "Will it last?" Is Nogizaka46 going to reach the same point that AKB48 has and stagnate? Or did they already go through their phase of god-awful songs? Have the producers of Nogizaka46 just finally gotten their shit together and figured out what sound and image works best for Nogizaka46? Around the time of Seifuku no Mannequin, I wasn't sure. At the time, I was half-convinced that song was just a fluke, along with the music video. Kimi no Na wa Kibou was a very pretty, albeit simple song. Then Girl's Rule came along, and that was a fun summer song with a surprisingly pretty, nostalgic music video. And then Barrette broke into a men's club carrying machine guns and became the best '48 release of 2013. Barrette set a pretty high bar for Nogizaka46's next single, musically and visually. I wasn't sure if Nogizaka46 would be able to top that. Now here we are. Kizuitara Kataomoi is, crazily enough, Nogizaka46's eighth single and their first of the chunk of '48 singles we can expect this year. Now how does Kizuitara Kataomoi hold up against AKB, SKE, NMB, and HKT's spring singles?

My verdict? It's the best one so far.

My hope is that Nogizaka46 will release an eve better song this year than Kizuitara Kataomoi, but you know, baby steps. I've found that the easiest thing to do when expecting idol releases is... not to expect them. I'm not saying keep expectations low, just don't hold any. Be prepared for anything to happen, good or bad. That being said... Kizuitara Kataomoi is beautiful. Good god, I could listen to this song all day. Actually, I kind of have. It's one of the idol songs this year I've been playing the most. And it's one of the first singles this year to stick in my head easily. What to say about this song, what to say... well, other than the fact that it's wonderful. I wouldn't say Kizuitara is a ballad, it's too upbeat for that, but there is still a very wistful tone to the song. I actually like that the song isn't a ballad, and you'll see why when I talk about the PV. And there's something about the song structure that's very... different from what I thought it was going to sound like. I mean different in a good way! Like the way the verses are sung very quickly and then the chorus slows down is a strange vocal choice, but it surprisingly works well. In fact, I think that distinct vocal structure (that doesn't sound like every other '48 song) just made Kizuitara Kataomoi stand out even more.

You know what song Kizuitara Kataomoi reminds me most of? Connect by ClariS. Connect is definitely more orchestral but the general sound of both songs is very similar. They're both uplifting songs with pretty piano, light, delicate vocals, and a gorgeous key change at some point. God, I am such a sucker for key changes. Even in terrible songs, I still like the key changes. And the one in Kizuitara Kataomoi is gorgeous. Connect is one of my favorite idol songs, so its similarities to Kizuitara Kataomoi are completely okay with me. I'd rather it be similar to Connect than to other '48 songs. As I said before, this is a very pretty song. The strings in particular struck me as pretty, along with the subtle piano played throughout the song. I just love the entire arrangement of Kizuitara Kataomoi, and it keeps growing on me the more I listen to the song. I mean, I already liked Kizuitara Kataomoi on my first listen, but I feel like each time I replay it, the song sounds better. I guess the song is just like wine and gets better with time.

Something else that I like about Kizuitara Kataomoi are the lyrics. The only time I really pay attention to idol lyrics is when they're good lyrics. A majority of Aki-P's lyrics aren't really worth talking about, but I find Kizuitara Kataomoi's to be surprisingly touching. I guess because I find unrequited love to be a more interesting topic to sing about than the other kind? And there's just something about Kizuitara Kataomoi's lyrics that sounds very, very sad. Reading the translation, I can just hear the desperation and conflicted frustration and bitter acceptance in the lyrics of the song. The lyrics being well-written just make Kizuitara Kataomoi an even better song! I'm serious, this is probably so far my favorite '48 release this year, and considering most groups' outputs, it will probably end up being my favorite overall. Unless another group decides to blow me away again. Which I don't expect happening any time soon. After all, it's not like me using reverse psychology would work, right? Back to Kizuitara Kataomoi, I really do love this song. The song has such a beautiful and memorable tone to it. Kizuitara Kataomoi may even be my favorite Nogizaka46 song. It at least tops Barrette!

But that's just songs. Barrette was an all right song, and there are many '48 songs that are better. The real question is this: can Kizuitara Kataomoi's PV top Barrette? I mean the PV for Barrette was freaking awesome. It would be damn hard for Nogizaka46 to come up with an even better PV than Barrette. So did they? Only one way to find out!

How does Kizuitara Kataomoi begin? With a dandelion, a single little dandelion that will prove very important to this story.

And also there's Nanase, member of Nogizaka46 who will also prove very important to this story!

Mainly because she's dying of an unspecified illness.

It's probably the same one that Matsui Jurina died of in Sakura no Ki ni Narou.

Now since there are captions in this music video, I'm just going to repost the English translations from this subbed video. This one says, "Am I dead?"

"God... I beg you for some more time..."

Well, everything's blurred, there's a bright light, this can only mean one thing...

This is a pretty shot, very ethereal. Which makes sense given the context of the PV.

There is nothing worse than that gut-drop feeling when you're told a loved one has died.

I'm not completely sure what happens in this scene, but Mai's involvement is important.

"The time I can stay on this world, maybe as long as the dandelion still has seeds."

Here's Nanase, looking very much alive!

And even better, she's center of Nogizaka46's next single!

What could possibly go wrong now, am I right?

Let's just hope that little dandelion left in the middle of a field doesn't lose its seeds!

"In this case, time is running out."

Mai obviously understands the gravity of the situation.

"Nanase, you push yourself too much."

Ah, a rooftop, the best place to hold insightful conversations and confess things!

"For me, there is not enough time."

Another attempt by Nanase to lessen awkwardness between herself and Mai...

...unfortunately does not go as well as planned.

Rina properly calls out Mai for her prickly behavior towards Nanase.

"You behave so cold because of jealousy, don't you?"

I actually really like Mai's character in this PV. Usually, that rival/antagonist character is very trite, but Mai's emotions feel very justified.

I mean, she's only acting so cold to distance herself from the knowledge that Nanase can't stick around forever.

"It's not true! It's only because Mai is worried about my health..."

And then... the inevitable happens.

The dandelion starts to wear down and so does Nanase.

But that doesn't stop Mai from rushing out to protect the little dandelion.

How long can she protect before the elements blow it away though?

"I will protect Nanase's life."

I actually feel really sorry for Mai in this PV, you can tell how much Nanase's immutable death is affecting her.

And it makes her hug with Nanase afterward all the more heartwarming.

Actually, this entire part is very, very heartwarming.

"Everybody... Sorry I've kept it as a secret."

Another insightful rooftop conversation with Nanami.

This time Nanase's reflecting on how grateful she is to be able to perform.

And now the members give their all into preparing for the performance!

Despite the dandelions seeds slowly blowing away...

Even though Nanase coughs up seeds (What?), she still perseveres!

Of course they take a picture for memory!

The night of the performance arrives, with Nanase not doing so well.

Nonetheless, she gets on stage and they all dance the night away!

Meanwhile, the dandelion grows smaller and smaller...

...until finally there are no seeds left.

And so Nanase gives one last look to her team members and friends.

Then, with no ties left to this earth, she disappears into a puff of dandelion seeds.

And in my opinion, that makes for a perfect ending to this little story.

I do wonder how the girls explained that to the audience though...

The final shot lingers on the last picture of Nanase, with a dandelion seed (very subtly) fallen over her head, thus concluding our story.

Wow... just... wow. I'm not being facetious, that really was my first reaction when I watched the PV for Kizuitara Kataomoi. And that was before I even knew what the music video was really about! The story for Kizuitara Kataomoi is simple, but I was completely invested watching the entire music video for the first time. Because while Kizuitara Kataomoi story's is simple, it's a good story. To really know what the music video was about though, I did need some more context, which is my way of saying I needed subtitles. Unlike some music videos that have unnecessary subtitles, I highly recommend watching Kizuitara Kataomoi with subtitles if you do not speak Japanese. You can still follow the story without subtitles, but many of the little gaps are filled when you know understand the writing and the dialogue. In fact, here's a video with the subtitles. There, you don't even have to actively search for one now! So what are you waiting for!? Watch it! Love it! Build a shrine to- okay, not that last one. But do enjoy the music video for Kizuitara Kataomoi, because it is a good one. Maybe even better than Barrette...

As you can deduce, I am completely enthralled with Kizuitara Kataomoi. I love the story, the connection to the song, the ending, everything. It actually reminds me very much of a fairy tale told in a contemporary setting. A girl almost dies but is given one more chance to live so long as this one little dandelion keeps its seeds. But nature marches on and the dandelion can only keeps its seeds for so long, and the girl is able to give one final performance as center of Nogizaka46 before dissolving into a bunch of little dandelion seeds. I mean, couldn't you see that as a Hans Christian Anderson story!? Well, maybe without all the religious morals, but still! I like how the story of Kizuitara Kataomoi is simple and doesn't try to explain how a weed is keeping a girl alive or why said girl dissolves into dandelions at the end. It just presents a story and expects the viewer to go along with the strange circumstances the same way the characters in the story do. Just like a fairy tale! And I also love how the story is interwoven with elements of real life and Nogizaka46 itself. That realism combined with fantasy gives the story much more poignancy. It even adds sadness to the PV because you just know how much stress all these girls go through striving for a center position.

To me, Kizuitara Kataomoi is as sad as, maybe even sadder than, Sakura no Ki ni Narou. But it's hard to compare since both are so similar and so good. Both music videos involve the death of a friend along with flowers and- hold on. Is Kizuitara to Nogizaka46 what Sakura no Ki ni Narou was to AKB48? Two beautiful PVs with slight otherworldly themes that involve passing on? I guess if I wanted to explore the rivalry aspect of Nogizaka46 (lord knows I'd do it better than AKS does), I could easily make several comparisons between Kizuitara Kataomoi and Sakura no Ki ni Narou. And they're both spring singles! Wait a minute... does that also make Barrette for Nogizaka46 the same to what Beginner was for AKB48? Of course, not in terms of songs; Barrette as a song can't even compare to Beginner. But as for the music videos... both Beginner and Barrette's PVs were dark and surprisingly violent for their respective idol groups. Is Nogizaka46 turning into a better version of AKB48!? Is their summer single going to feature nods to their previous music videos a la Everyday Kachuusha!? But then they'd have to make a nod to Oide Shampoo... eugh.

Back on subject, Kizuitara Kataomoi's PV is definitely up there with the sad idol music videos I've watched. The PV doesn't have me crying buckets or anything, but when I was watching it, I still felt sad. It was a... bittersweet kind of sad. You know, the kind when you know something's going to happen and you know you can't prevent it, so you just try your best to come to terms with it until it happens. That kind of sad... it kind of sucks. The more I think about it, I don't really see a lot of truly sad idol PVs. Lots of happy ones, serious ones, bright ones, edgy ones, cheap ones, but never any that make me feel sad while watching them. I can maybe count on one hand the number of sad idol PVs that I've watched. Kizuitara Kataomoi invoked a lot of the same emotions from me that Sakura no Ki ni Narou did. There was just the right amount of story and emotion that the PV didn't come as melodramatic or phony. I like also that the PV is only around 10 minutes long as opposed to a full-blown drama PV; I think lengthening the story would just kill the emotional levels of the PV. That's why so many of AKB48's "drama PVs" fail for me. They don't properly raise the stakes, and spend too much time meandering and not doing anything interesting. With Kizuitara Kataomoi, they don't waste much time in telling the story and showing how it effects the girls in the PV.

I think the only thing I may have liked to see more of in Kizuitara Kataomoi is the more magical side of the story. The idea is great and The outdoors shots showing the dandelion are beautiful, and it would have been nice to explore more nature scenes like that. But other than that, I don't really have any other criticisms for this PV. I will admit, initially I didn't really get any connection between the meaning of the song and the PV. The song is about unrequited love between a girl and a boy, and the music video is obviously not. But the more I thought about it, I realized that maybe the unrequited love in the PV is between Nanase and her desire to perform in Nogizaka46. It kind of fits with the story, and I think gives even more poignance to the PV. Even if that's not what the music video is supposed to mean, I still felt like there was a lot of good emotion in this PV. Acting in idol PVs ranges from decent to Z-movie material, and the acting in Kizuitara Kataomoi thankfully falls closer to the former. Again, it's a simple storyline that only requires simple emotions, and I think the girls handled those emotions well.

Overall, I'm impressed with Kizuitara Kataomoi more than I ever thought I would be. After Barrette, I kind of figured that whatever Nogizaka46 released next probably wouldn't be as good, but Kizuitara Kataomoi is amazing. I think at this point I can say that Nogizaka46's string of good singles isn't a fluke anymore. I don't know how, but at some point management got their shit together and started developing a better image and better songs for Nogizaka46. Now I think I finally understand what Nogizaka46's management is going for with them. What I get from watching their music videos is a cleaner, simpler, and more classic image than any of their sister groups. Even the way they dress is very reminiscent of older idol groups such as Onyanko Club. I think Nogizaka46 works better as the "updated" version of an 80s idol group more than they do as "rivals" of AKB48. Although considering the sales of Kizuitara Kataomoi have been their highest yet, Nogizaka46 might be more formidable rivals to AKB48 now than they've ever been in the past. I think Kizuitara Kataomoi is my favorite music video from them. This one or Barrette. The PV for Kizuitara has a wonderful story and a wonderful way of exploring that story, making for a music video that is both enchanting and melancholic.

Yeah, this is a five apples kind of release. I think Kizuitara Kataomoi is Nogizaka46's strongest release yet, and I can only hope that their next single is even stronger. Kizuitara Kataomoi is a beautiful song with a really distinct melody that's refreshing to hear from a '48 group. The music video matches perfectly to video, delivering a wonderfully sweet and even sad story that had me invested the entire time. Whether Nogizaka46's follow-up to this will be good or bad, I can't say, but I'm (tentatively) anticipating it.