Enough with the ballads, Johnny’s! Apart from an anniversary track and a few b-sides, every Kis-My-Ft2 single since March 2020 has been a varying level of… slow. And without a full album in over two years, there haven’t been that many upbeat tracks to compensate. These singles have been tied to dramas, which explains their sentimental sound. But, I’m upset that the group is being saddled with such lethargic music.

I happen to believe that Kis-My-Ft2 deliver ballads quite well, but that’s probably my bias talking. I’ve enjoyed songs like Luv Bias and Two As One. For what it is, Omoibana (想花) is nice and soft and evocative as well. If it had arrived between two big dance tracks or banging rock songs, I’d probably cut it more slack. But on the heels of the similarly emotive (and musically superior) Two As One, it feels like a placeholder on the way to something more exciting.

Tamamori opens that track (it’s tied to his new medical mystery drama) before the full brunt of the instrumental kicks in. True to Johnnys’ form, Omoibana is lushly orchestrated. Sentimental strings join gentle piano and the occasional burst of guitar. It’s all very OST-sounding, which makes obvious sense. And, the melody is enjoyable throughout. I especially like the chorus. It has a nice swell to it – very rich and enveloping. It does a good job pulling back and rushing forward, particularly as the refrain closes with a satisfying crescendo. Among Kisumai’s ballads, I’d place it somewhere in the middle of the pack. That’s faint praise coming from a massive fan, but I look forward to the upcoming hip-hop b-side Rebirth Stage (which will also have a music video).

Grade: B-