I've never liked Itano; if anything, I always found her to be really annoying, but this Song is extremely good.

Even though Itano is a huge part of AKB and has done a lot to get AKB recognized, I never found her personality to be enticing. Also, after she said that once she get's married she'll leave everything to be a house-wife, I felt she was using AKB for a very selfish reason. Which, to be fair, almost all do anyways, but her reason was something I found to be very rude. It's like making an idol not a hard job and saying that the work she's done is all because she wants to find a man. But I've let that slide because even I think she's matured since she's said that. I see her totally different now than I did when she was in AKB. Her post-AKB single, "Little", is really different than her other work. A strong sense of maturity is emitting from this single and I think Itano has grown a lot since her day's in AKB. She reminds me of Maeda Atsuko so much. I didn't really like Atsuko at first either, but I grew to like her more after she graduated. There's a different air to these women, especially in their music. They aren't AKB-idols anymore, they are soloists and they have their own image now. Atsuko's song's - post AKB - are incredibly fitting for her. I loved both "Seventh Chord" and "Time Machine nante iranai". As for Itano, I really never liked any of her song's except "Fui ni", and that song was not that memorable. But, "Little", blew my expectations out of the park. With the way the song was arranged, I would never have believe that Itano was going to sing it. The song start's off in this very low-tone, almost too low for Itano's voice, and you really don't like it at first, but it grow's on you so fast once you hear the full song. The instrumental's are melancholy in the way they are arranged and played - which matches the lyrics perfectly.


Speaking of lyrics, Itano wrote them. There's a very good reason why this song is so different from anything else she has released: she wrote how she felt. Before I even knew she wrote the lyrics, I was telling myself how impressive this song is - lyrics wise. I cried even listening to this song because of how sad and incredibly written the lyrics are. I was blown away when I found out she wrote them. The sadness that's within these lyrics seem all too real to think she made them up. They are written in such a depressing manner that when you listen to the song while really paying attention to the lyrics, you really get hurt; feeling damaged almost. The song seem's to have this "someone broke up with me vibe", but I'd argue that the song is about losing oneself in the midst of life. The appearance others expect of me isn't my real self. Trying to explain easily that I can't become as useful as I look. Please, who'll find me? I'm right here. Living in between dreams and reality. Shining, who'll find me? Toward the light of the era in front of us. Everything ends here unless you keep on going. Suicide was the first thing that came to my mind. The song's lyrics are about finding oneself, but how can one find them-self when the world doesn't want them and can't bare to see them exist. Why? Keep on Going. Really powerful lyrics, if you ask me. I can understand why some would think this is a brake-up song, as it is alluded to, but not really mentioned explicitly. Itano mentions someone, but not someone specific, and I think this "someone" can be someone just important in said person's life; doesn't have to be a lover. I'm just so impressed with Itano and this single. The music video is really reminiscent of Pan's Labyrinth - the movie - but I actually never saw that movie (which I should), but I found the MV to be quite fitting of the song. The darkness and loneliness in the MV match the lyrics perfectly. My favorite scene is her at the table with all those people in robes. She stands out. She looks different. And I think that scene matches the song the best because it show's that, yes being different has its down's, but hiding yourself will never bring you happiness. It's better to suffer as the person whom you want to be than suffer as the person whom everyone thinks you are. 5/5.

Enjoy! Side-note: I actually bought this and have become an official fan of Itano. Also, here's the MV. And, I know this single came out in February, but this has been my favorite song since Febraury. I just felt like reviewing it only now. Seriously, so impressed.