The last time I spoke of Shoko Nakagawa, it was in most unpleasant terms. Her single for one of many Pokémon films left me wanting to turn off my ears. I didn’t want to hear it.
So when I was asked to check out another Shokotan single, I was ready to put put either two earplugs in my ears or one bullet in my head. I just didn’t understand the appeal of this J-pop star.
Well I finally got a glimpse of why people may enjoy her work. Maybe it was just a bad first impression with that ultra-childish Pokémon music. This time, we have her theme song for the second Gurren Lagann film, entitled “Namida no Tane, Egao no Hana” (trans. “Seed of Tears, Flower of Smiles”).
Our review of the full single, including its two B-Sides, are to be found after the jump. Can this “tarento” prove to have something truly valuable to add to my growing collection of Japanese music? (more…)
