Review: Gackt - No ni Saku Hana no You ni

I have no idea how many singles Gackt has released without putting out an album proper but I believe the number approaches double digits. Since I believe that all of this material is too diverse and unfocused to compile on an album, all of these singles are worth reviewing. I was interested in this single after hearing Gackt just showed up at a high school graduation and performed this without any warning. "Public clamor for this was just so great" I read, "that they requested this be released as a single".

It ain't that great.

01. No ni Saku Hana no You Ni
02. No ni Saku Hana no You Ni (minna no uta)
03. No ni Saku Hana no You Ni (pf. style)
04. No Ni Saku Hana no You Ni (Instrumental)
05. No ni Saku Hana no You Ni (piano solo)

If Japanese isn't a language you understand and/or you weren't subjected to SPARTAN EDUCATION whilst you were a growing young lad or lass, then this song to you is going to be extremely boring. It takes him a year to put this together and it sounds like Gackt put together the instrumental portion to this on the car ride TO the high school and just winged it from there. He probably got off light with the title track because the message in the lyrics are so uplifting and he sings it so well. In fact, it's the exact opposite of what the sonic soundscape is: bright and inspired. I expected no less from a graduation song but still, the lyrics are touching. However, the lone acoustic doesn't work for a song of this length and the changes are subtle, making for one long, monotone track that seems to lack a chorus. He's done better than this.

The Minna no Uta version is merely a shortened version of the first track and it's better only for the purpose that it's suck in a more condensed version. I'd skip the first two and go to the third, which is a piano-backed version. The piano sounds like a more natural tone for this track and works more wonders than the acoustic ever could. If you desperately need to hear this track for whatever weird Gackt cravings you may have than this is the only track I'd recommend. However, Gackt doesn't remedy the problem of having a chorus section and the song just goes on and on and on and on with no sense of direction or purpose.

Oh well, at least the piano sounds nice.

The acoustic instrumental sucks anus and the piano version is rather boring if I don't have Gackt's voice to provide some additional variety to the track background so I can pretty much cut the review short. No ni Saku Hana No You Ni is extremely boring and doesn't come off very rewarding at any point in the single. With five tracks and all of them rather disappointing I'm going to have to give this single the recommendation of a pass, although the third track does get a mention for standing out the most in my mind.

Score: 45%

Lyrics

daremo inai GURAUNDO no namae kizanda sakura no shita
itsuka kimi to mou ichido
koko ni kuru koto wo yakusoku shiyou
CHAIMU no hibiku koutei no
katasumi ni saku hana no you ni
yasashiku waratte kureta kimi dake ni tsutaetai
tada "arigatou" to...
bokutachi wa itsu no hi ni ka
mata kono basho de deau sono hi made
no ni saita hana no you ni
kesshite makezu ni tsuyoku sakitai

kayoi nareta kono michi mo
kyoushitsu kara mieru keshiki mo
"itsumademo wasurenai yo"
to namida ukabeta, kimi no egao mo
itsumo minareta yuugure ga sakura namiki wo somete yuku
bokutachi wa sorezore no omoide wo
mune ni daite aruki hajimeru
itsuka mita yume no basho e tadori tsuku made
akiramenaide
mada na mo nai hana dakeredo
kesshite makezu ni tsuyoku sakitai

itsu no hi ka aruite kita michi wo
furikaeru toki ga kuru made
no ni saita hana no you ni
kesshite makezu ni tsuyoku sakitai
bokutachi wa itsu no hi ni ka
mata kono basho de deau sono hi made
no ni saita hana no you ni
kesshite makezu ni tsuyoku sakitai
kesshite makezu ni tsuyoku sakitai
sakitai...

No one has engraved their name on the ground beneath the cherry tree
So let's make a promise to
come here together again someday and do that
Like the flowers that bloom in the corner of the schoolyard,
where the echoing of the school bell can be heard
I want to express to you, who gently smiled for me,
a simple "Thank you"
One of these days, we'll meet here again,
so until that day...
I want you to grow stronger and never-give-up,
like the flowers that bloom in the field

The road we got used to walking down,
and the scenery we saw from our classroom
With a smile upon your face and tears in your eyes you said,
"I'll remember them forever"
We got used to always seeing, the setting sun coloring the rows of cherry blossom trees
And as we begin to walk towards the future,
we'll hold each and every one of these memories in our hearts
Until you reach the place of the dreams you've envisioned
Don't ever give up
You are flowers that have yet to be named,
but I want you to grow stronger and never give up no matter what

Someday, when the time comes
to look back down the path you've walked
I want you to have grown stronger and have not given up,
like the flowers that bloom in the field
One of these days,
we'll meet here again, so until that day...
I want you to grow strong and never give up,
like the flowers that bloom in the field
I want you to grow strong and never give up,
I want you to flourish... (1)