WHile I Agree that furusato is not a recent ballad, I don't really like this new ballad. It's nice, but very cheese and predictable both the melody and the arrangements, kind of like that dangerous ass song. It's listenable, but lacking. Tsunku can do good ballads (LOVE, sakura mankai, samidare koi uta (was amazing)
+ some of the stuff from solo works. DId he write takaranmono? edit: apparently not. SHould've known, not his style..), but it rarely comes out in H!P... I think the most "recent" H!P ballad I
really liked was that zutto matsuura song and he didn't even write that...
Of course, H!P has many songs that are balladishy, but often the arrangements are too quick or perky to make them sound more of a pop songs than "ballads".
"MM A-side BAllad ****:
Furusato
Sakura mankai
hare ame nochi suki
Bokura ikiru my asia
Itoshiki tomo e
(Maybe I WISH and even aruiteru too??)