Comments on: Gundam 00 Original Soundtrack 1 – Review

By: Jen

Jen — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:27:25 +0000

@amuroray2000
Individual tracks are fine, it’s just the idea of going through the whole soundtrack in one shot that kills the listener. If it wants to draw people in, it needs way more variety.

@leaf
I can understand that many animes re-use one set theme for the soundtrack. The re-using of a certain theme certainly isn’t a valid complaint. But what I complain about is the hopeless monotone, lack of variety of instrumentals and the uniform mood these themes bring about. Basically, they’re all roughly the same.

I actually didn’t pay as much attention to how each song ended, given how difficult it is to even keep my attention there at all. Though I don’t think I’ll give it another listen just to find more flaws…

By: leaf

leaf — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:05:35 +0000

I don’t think similarities between songs on the OST is a valid complaint. The theme introduced in Alarm Bell is carried through several other songs for a reason: the use of that motif is what in part ties the anime together. If you think of them not as separate songs, but different takes on the same song, I think it’s much easier to appreciate the soundtrack. I will admit certain songs (including the aforementioned Alarm Bell) are somewhat lacking, and could have done with more variation within the songs, themselves, but other songs, like Intervention, imo do a very good job of keeping interest. My main complaint is actually just the way a lot of them end. In half the songs, it just feels too sudden.

By: amuroray2000

amuroray2000 — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:26:52 +0000

I’m going to have to say that I liked this OST compared to the other three in the series. Of course, this one doesn’t compare to others in the Gundam universe like SEED or Turn-A.

When I first listened to this OST, I was just struck by how much of a war-like tone these tracks had. It was certainly different from previous Gundam soundtracks that I’ve listened to. Keep in mind that this was before I had seen the series.

Once I had seen the series, the songs grew on me as I listened to them more and more. Tracks in particular that I started to enjoy more and more were “Union”, “Innovation”, and “Eyes.”

I guess this is the case where if I really liked an anime series, I automatically like the musical score that goes with it.

Also, watching those “Tactical Forecast” videos gave me a better appreciation for this OST.

By: zzeroparticle

zzeroparticle — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 06:20:37 +0000

@Kaioshin Sama
Can only speak for myself, but that’s what the MALKeionbu is for :p

By: Kaioshin Sama

Kaioshin Sama — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:55:55 +0000

And yet what does it say about the music in anime these days when I vastly prefer a mediocore effort in Gundam series music to just about anything else out there.

By: Gundam 00 Original Soundtrack 2 – Review | Anime Instrumentality Blog

Gundam 00 Original Soundtrack 2 – Review | Anime Instrumentality Blog — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 07:01:33 +0000

[...] Gundam 00 should know where it came from. With few exceptions, this OST falls in line with the first soundtrack, flaws and all. Each track ranges from decent to excellent, but the overall OST is hard to bear in [...]

By: Jen

Jen — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:05:08 +0000

@ zzeroparticle
Oh, finally I understand more about how directors have a say in the soundtrack. =D I’ve always wondered about how the system works. I agree that Kawai Kenji does produce stuff which suits the atmosphere. While I never remembered being particularly moved by any pieces while watching “00″, the music did go well with the visuals as a whole.

@ Shadowmage
Ooops, sorry for the misunderstanding. >.< The repetition was what killed me. I wouldn’t mind it as much if the instruments are varied, but the fact is: they’re not. I gave that track a listen. Well, I won’t say I love it if I compare it to all the other soundtracks I’ve heard, but in Gundam 00 alone, yea, that track is pretty good.

@ Reltair
One thing which I don’t get is how both composers had access to the same resources (I find it hard to believe that Gundam 00 had a very limited budget or something along those lines) and Sahashi came up with something so wonderful while Kawai completely fell short.

By: Reltair

Reltair — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:02:53 +0000

Damn, Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny had some epic music. I like the comparison you did there between Control and Kantai Shiki, vastly inferior is right.

By: Shadowmage

Shadowmage — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 06:41:12 +0000

Okay, I’ve sat through the entire OST and enjoyed it, but I realize where Jen is coming from. This is more of a compilation of good music clips than actual, developed musical pieces. Each track really is the same few lines repeated with a few additions after each iteration. Instead of building into anything, the music exhausts all possible additions and ultimately just fades out. Also, a third of the music seems to be a remix or fusion of a previous songs except with different instruments, tempo and/or style.

On an unrelated note, I loved this from the second OST
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KnK2mKU20o

By: zzeroparticle

zzeroparticle — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 06:13:14 +0000

@Shadowmage
That wouldn’t surprise me actually if some of the blame is to fall on the Director. The modus operandi for anime scores usually involves the Director asking certain thematic pieces from the Composer and the composer responds with a few ditties. So the Director will ask for stuff like a “war-like” theme or a “lazy day” theme, and it’ll be up to the composer to come up with samples that he’ll then turn over to the Director to see if it fits with the Director’s vision. So yes, it may very well be what has happened here.

That said, Kenji Kawai does have this annoying tendency to write music that fits the series, but makes for a lackluster listening experience without the context. Examples of this include Seirei no Moribito and Eden of the East. Yeah, I was unimpressed by those works. Had high hopes after watching the anime only to have those hopes dashed after listening to the soundtrack as a standalone entity.

I can’t speak for Gundam 00 since I haven’t listened to it myself, but the selections that Jen uses is about adequate if all you’re looking for is to create an ambiance with the context of the anime in mind. But as a standalone listen, it leaves me wanting. Especially when there’s Turn A and SEED/SEED Destiny to compare it to.