The opening theme song for the PSP title Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology is, in a word, excellent.

I've come to expect a lot from Kana Uemura. I had heard her ending theme song for this same game, "Paper Plane," awhile back, and I loved it. I am not surprised to find that her elegant voice enthralled me once again. "Hikari to Kage" (Light and Shadow) is a well-produced song, but what really sells it is Uemura's voice. None of this high-pitched girly-girl crap. But it's not mannish-low either. Her range is actually quite large, but the tone, the lack of nasal voicing, makes for a beautiful sound.

This single's B-side, "A Night Wihout a Moon," is right where it belongs. I'm not particularly impressed with the song in terms of composition, but it's still a worthwhile listen. Hence, B-side. Again, Uemura's performance is beautiful. Her voice complements the accompanying instruments (particularly the acoustic guitar) extremely well.

Considering Radiant Mythology's OST gave the full opening and ending vocals, the only reason to get this single is if you don't own the OST and really like the vocals, or if you're interested in the B-side.

Reviewed by: Patrick Gann