Truthfully, I like Sheryl a lot more than Ranka; however, I am finding myself completely entranced by Nakajima Megumi’s voice.

I’ve watched a handful of series where rookie seiyuu had their anime debuts (or something very early on) and simply blew me away. Mentioning a few, there was Enomoto Astuko in Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou, Shimizi Kaori in Lain (was this her anime debut?), Yahagi Sayuri in Karin, Kuwashima Houka in Nadesico, and currently Itou Kanae in Shugo Chara. And like Nakajima Megumi now, there was Iijima Mari in the original Macross.

Interestingly, I’m less enamored by her voice work and more interested in her singing. I think my preference for Sheryl’s character has a bit to do with voice. Endo Aya isn’t exactly a chiseled veteran herself, but she has the tools to be perennial all-star. Nakajima Megumi on the other hand, while isn’t on the same level yet, but has flashed some promise. Luckily her rookie performance fits Ranka’s innocent and somewhat clumsy character. I give her a ton of credit for performing the one of the lead roles in one of the higher profile and more anticipated series of 2008. If she does continue taking on roles (unlike Iijima Mari), I’ll definitely paying attention.

However, that all being said, what has stood out the most with Nakajima Megumi without question has been her singing. Her breathy voice has really added some dimension to the songs she has performed for Macross Frontier. More importantly, I think, is that her voice works great for different kinds of songs as well. It’s not 1982, 1983, or 1984 when pretty much every Lynn Minmay song was a quick pop tune (0-G Love!) or a slower love song. Although the sample size is still quite small, Nakajima Megumi has already taken on some different songs, as well as covered 2 of the biggest Macross classics in Ai Oboete Imasuka and Watashi no Kare wa Pilot.

In terms of actual songs, What ’bout my star? and Aimo stand out on the first OST. What ’bout my star? is just a great song all around–not too poppy or too mellow. It’s energetic without having to be too heavy or fast, and at the same time it’s also a relaxing track. It was also a nice touch mixing in some of Sheryl Nome’s vocals to accompany Nakajima Megumi’s voice. Definitely added some layers of depth right there. I do enjoy the Sheryl Nome version of the song, but Ranka’s version it’s as in your face, which almost makes it a whole new song. Aimo took some time to grow on me because songs like it aren’t usually my cup of tea (for instance, I was never a huge fan of Voices in Macross Plus). Nevertheless, it is a good song that fits well with the show in a number of places. Ninjin love you yeah! is an entertaining piece and a song that I can listen to over and over again and not really sick of it. Between What ’bout my star, Aimo, and Ninjin love you yeah, you’ve got quite a bit variety just on the OST.

Ranka Lee’s debut single that was released a couple days ago picks up where the OST left off and delivered 4 more fun songs. I have been listening to the single quite a bit, and Seikan Hikou and Neko Niki have been solid. Seikan Hikou is a nice upbeat track, but Neko Niki is the one that I find myself listening to more. The simplicity of the song really lets Nakajima Megumi’s voice shine. There really isn’t anything fancy about her singing or even with the music, but both work really well with one another creating a very laid back track to listen to.

Yet, while the the 2 new songs are good, it’s the 2 covers that get my attention. I never counted, but it wouldn’t surprise me if someone told me that Watashi no Kare wa Pilot was the most played song in the original Macross. And although I was pretty sick of that song when I first watched Macross, I was pretty pumped to her it used in Macross Frontier. Without question the Miss Macross 2059 version of the song is the best version I’ve heard (second would be ALI PROJECT’s cover of it). Thankfully, it’s more similar to the Mylene Jenius (Macross 7) version of the song sung by Sakurai Tomo instead of the original that Iijima Mari did over 25 years ago. The vocals really nail the peppiness of the song. Even though Macross Frontier is the matter at hand, I still see some of the tacky outfits that Lynn Minmay wore while singing this. Watashi no Kare wa Pilot still reminds me of the Macross feel, but with all the goodness of the present state of anime production, just like Macross Frontier in general.

As for Ai Oboete Imasuka, I tip my hat to both Kanno Yoko and Nakajima Megumi for this one. Ai Oboete Imasuka is probably one of my favorite songs, so I was actually really bummed that it didn’t end up at the actual ED song for Frontier like I had hoped. To my ears, Nakajima Megumi’s voice sounds a lot better when she’s singing slower songs like this, Aimo, or Neko Niki. There is a lot going on musically in the original version of the songs, so toning it down works wonders because you get more vocals than the accompanying music. It worked great for Iijima Mari’s self cover of the song and works great for Nakajima Megumi.

Iijima Mari – Ai Oboete Imasuka

Nakajima Megumi – Ai Oboete Imasuka -deculture edition-

Where Nakajima Megumi’s career goes after Macross Frontier remains to be seen, but I’ll definitely be paying attention, especially when it comes to her singing. I’m less critical about the voice work because Macross Frontier is her seiyuu debut and because Ranka (so far) hasn’t been a character that has shown off a wide spectrum of emotions or personality traits. However, it’s hard to fault her singing so far. I’m looking forward not only to future works by her, but also the upcoming second OP (Lion) for Macross Frontier that she will be singing. Lynn Minmay never sang an OP for Macross.

Now if only Angel Voice would get covered… If Hatsune Miku gets (a pretty decent) version of that epic track, surely Nakajima Megumi/Ranka Lee is more than deserving.