Back when I started watching anime, it never occurred to me that Japan would embrace the holiday to the point that they’d roll out their own Christmas tunes; up to that point, my experience with “foreign” Christmas music was mostly confined to “Feliz Navidad” and Asian-language variations of popular Christmas carols. It wasn’t until I finally watched Nadesico that I realized, to a mixture of horror and delight, that Japanese Christmas music is just as cheesy and unbearable as those commonly heard over here in the States!

“Christmas in the Galaxy” has that festive air that lights up the anime through the Nadesico’s kitchen crew’s joyous, peppy melody. This song ranks pretty high on the cheese factor, even when I first encountered it, but now, listening to it is tolerable on account of the nostalgia this piece invokes. It hearkens back to my younger days where I was first introduced to anime and, despite not having a solid background with the anime tropes Nadesico poked fun of, I still found the show hilarious.

It wasn’t until I watched the Christmas episode of Love Hina that I was exposed to the kind of Christmas music that really resonated with me. The Love Hina Christmas Special, if memory serves, opened with the wonderful “Koi no Tenshi Mai Orite.” Like the Nadesico track, it maintains the joyous levels of energy through it’s pop-ish flavor, but mixes in enough of the heavenly high chorus in the introduction as to render it a perfect song for the season.

Koi no Tenshi Mai Orite

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Now, if high bursts of energy aren’t your thing, the Love Hina Christmas Special did add a very heartfelt, sentimental track in Yonekura Chihiro’s “Winter Wish.” Her vocals are already really soothing, but what clinched it for me was the guitar work (or is it a dulcimer?). Between the two Love Hina Christmas tracks, I have difficulties deciding between them. It’s really dependent on the mood I’m in. When I want that infusion of happiness, “Koi no Tenshi” works. When I’m looking for mellower holiday fare, “Winter Wish” fits the bill.

Winter Wish

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
You’d have to make a jump all the way to 2005 to listen to the next one, but by doing so, you’ll hit upon a series that’s well-loved on this site. Yes, I’m referring to none other than ARIA the Animation, which features a track titled “Santa Claus no Sora” performed by the late Eri Kawai. I love how evocative it is. Just imagine Santa Claus’s predicament for a moment. You’ve got the job of delivering toys for girls and boys around the world at night. What must the world look like from the skies above at this late hour? This song answers that through a soft, tranquil melody that’s wonderfully soothing, conjuring images of the world in a deep, peaceful slumber, hearkening to the lines of that iconic poem where “all through the house,/not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” As the song proceeds, the twinkling sound cultivates a magical energy that augments the quiet joy that gently issues forth.

Santa Claus no Sora

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
“Silent Night” by any other name would be just as serene, and that’s exactly what you get out of Bartender’s “CHRISTMAS CHAMPAGNE ~ Kiyoshiko.” The arrangement takes the original theme and sets down a strong, serene melody, while retaining the quiet sense of joy that’s similar to the ARIA track. It’s difficult to dissociate the show’s content from this track, so whenever I hear it, I imagine myself sitting in some quiet lounge, taking a sip here and there, and letting the alcohol warm me up as I enjoy the snow falling outside.

CHRISTMAS CHAMPAGNE ~ Kiyoshiko

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Ef – a tale of memories’s “Holy Day” takes more of a traditional approach to Christmas, what with the introduction filled with harpsichord, organ, and bells that jingle on through the night. The joy that flows through the piece once it hits its stride immerses you into the bright lights and festive air that characterizes many a town square at this time of year, filled with throngs of revelers. It’s a great mood-setter, one that captures the upbeat tones of the season as the piece fills your heart with gladness.

Holy Day

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Last, but not least, a discussion of Christmas anime music wouldn’t be complete without a mention of Toradora!’s Christmas insert song, “Holy Night.” Now, I’m not altogether fond of this theme since well… it feels like a generic Christmas song except sung by Rie Kugimiya and Eri Kitamura. That said, it’s not lacking in sentiment, especially when taken in the anime’s context. The singing might leave much to be desired, but it still made for a special moment when it showed up during the anime all the same.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Title: ef – a tale of memories
Episodes: 12
Company: SHAFT
Genre(s): Romance, Drama
Air Dates: 7 Oct 2007 – 23 Dec 2007

Synopsis: Hiro Hirono is a high school student who also works drawing manga. Unfortunately, in doing so, he’s had to skip out on school quite a bit to meet the deadlines. Enter Kei Shindo, Hiro’s childhood friend who tries to look out for Hiro’s well-being. However, her hold over Hiro is being challenged by Miyako Miyamura, a free-spirited girl who also has a habit of skipping school. Together, these three form what is essentially the first love triangle of the series.

The second story centers on Renji, a boy in middle school who befriends Chihiro Shindo, Kei’s twin sister and a girl whose eye is blind due to an accident and cannot remember anything that’s occurred more than 13 hours before. In spite of this Renji works hard to see her every day and together, the two start to undertake a project to begin writing a novel. Although Chihiro cannot remember long enough to ensure that the story will run coherently from one page to the next, it’s with the hope that by collaborating with Renji, she will be able to fulfill her dream of becoming a novelist.

Pros:

• Extremely good use of camera work
• Tenmon once again delivers a good soundtrack along with the OP and ED themes
• Excellent use of symbolism throughout the series

Cons:

• Use of cliches is somewhat annoying
• Some of the characters are difficult to like

Review: Melodrama makes for poor writing because the situations can feel so contrived and the characters feel unbelievable. Thankfully, ef – a Tale of Memories manages to avoid most of the pitfalls of the romance genre through their mix of interesting characters and the situations that they must deal with. Furthermore, ef would not have been so good if it weren’t for the camera work and screen effects which do an excellent job of complementing the characters, giving us an insight into their mindset or an in-depth look into their psyche.

Ef’s approach by using parallel storylines means that at least one of the plotlines should be appealing to the viewer. Hiro’s story follows the typical love triangle plot where Kei and Miyako vie for his attentions and he must choose between the two while Chihiro’s and Renji’s is more of a simple love story with a huge obstacle placed in their path that could destroy their relationship outright.

Hiro’s story is fairly standard in that conflict is sown once Kei and Miyako are aware of one another. Throughout this struggle, neither Kei nor Miyako are presented sympathetically because of the emotional baggage that they bring with them. In spite of this, they are given a lot of background information, allowing the viewer to get a feel for why they act the way they do. However, do not expect much in the way of character development; most of them don’t experience a major change in character or personality until one is forced to accept Hiro’s decision.

Much of the Hiro’s arc’s strength comes from the dialogue regarding theoretical ideas like a discussion over the commercialization of art versus staying true to one’s own vision. It’s those kinds of conversations that succeed in engaging the viewer by presenting a thought-provoking idea and giving the viewer an opportunity to spin those ideas around while listening to the characters’ arguments.

Chihiro and Renji’s story is the stronger of the two because of the way it presents amnesia as an obstacle. The reason why it’s so compelling is because the romance takes place not only through the two interacting with each other, but also through the book that the two decide to write together. Not only does an amnesiac writing a book make for an interesting situation, the symbolism and the parallels it draws between the main character in the novel and Chihiro’s life is excellently executed, especially when it forces Chihiro to make a fateful decision towards the end.

The poignancy of the stories is enhanced through the excellent use of the camera and quirky visuals. Director Shin Ounuma follows in Akiyuki Shinbo’s footsteps by using similar methods that accentuate the mood in a given scene and give us a picture of a certain character’s mindset by complementing their monologue with the visuals. In doing so, we have a more wholesome grasp for the character with all of their frailties and emotional issues.

In spite of all these positives, ef still doesn’t break away from the major clichés that are par for the genre. For a series that had excellent, original storytelling, the moments in which they resorted to clichés really stood out. Thankfully, those moments are few and far in between and did not impair my enjoyment of the series.

Through all of the symbolism that the writers employ and the excellent camera work, ef shows that it can competently present two stories while keeping it interesting and enjoyable. The few minor complaints here and there do not change the fact that ef – A Tale of Memories is a beautiful and compelling drama.

Score: Good