Arimura Miki - Egao

Arimura Miki proves with Egao that she isn’t just a model or actress but also a talented singer. However, Egao doesn’t count as a musical debut because she had already released a single prior to it.

SONATA, the very first song on the album, is soft, lighthearted and emphasizes the gentle image you get from this artist when you look at the cover. A choir provides nice, additional atmosphere and a yearning feel to the song. Similar in style but without the choir is the playful love song Mauve~color of love~. Then, a bit of variation and a certain Christmas flair brings about Merry-go-round; the track also contains a slight blues influence. The following two songs are brave because of the alienated effects, and dreamy because of the interplay between piano and synthesizer melodies. With the last song, the mood becomes thoughtful. Unfortunately Between The Sheets isn't as convincing as the songs before it; the reason for this impression is the dissonant synthesizer tunes. The atmospheric acoustic accompaniment tries to save the title, but to little effect.

In addition to the CD, a DVD is also included. On the disc is the short film Color of smiles, the PV to Mauve~color of love~ and a digital photo gallery. Within the short film, you see Miki preparing for a dinner. A radio in the background plays Merry-go-round. From the moment she sees a book titled “Color of Smiles,” she falls into a reverie and the music clip to SONATA begins. After this, she finishes the dinner and leaves the house. With the closing of the door, a making-of clip follows, and after 18 minutes and the quoting of her own poem, you’re back at the main menu of the DVD.

The PV of Mauve is colourful, happy and shows the typical problems a girl would have while getting ready for a date. But the video is extremely short at only three minutes long, and its end is roughly cut. The photo gallery offers some beautiful photos of Miki on set and an instrumental version of SONATA was chosen as musical background for the gallery.

Arimura Miki is a fresh artist and a real ray of sunshine. Already just a few moments, you'll find yourself growing fond of her. Her songs are atmospheric and the DVD was pretty entertaining. Hopefully, she’ll enter a recording studio in the near future and record a new CD.