Those of you who have visited the Eminence Website lately should be aware that the website for Eminence’s A Night in Fantasia concert is up and running. My fellow Eminence staff writers over at Original Sound Version have already declared in their post that this concert boasts one of the most impressive groups of video game music composers from both the East and the West. If you’ve checked out the program on the ANiF website, you’ll also notice that it’s heavily slanted towards video game music. So for all VGM aficiondos, it’s a given that music from games like Ace Combat V, Soul Calibur, and Chrono Cross are worth the price of admission alone and that Chiaking’s appearance to sing a song from IDOLM@STER is just the icing on a very delicious cake.

The question then is what this concert offers the anime fan. Well, the anime portion of the program, while not amazingly brilliant, is decent enough with quite a few good picks. I think the big surprise for me was seeing that the music from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was going to be on the program and I’m going to guess based on the fact that because Shiro Hamaguchi is credited as the arranger, that we’ll be getting a piece from The String Concert of Haruhi Suzumiya. That’s not a major surprise since Hiroaki Yura, Eminence’s founder, also performed at the Haruhi concert in Japan. I’m also not too surprised to see Hisaishi’s compositions for Studio Ghibli’s films either since they have been performed in the past and the melodies themselves are well-known given that Miyazaki’s films are relatively mainstream (as mainstream as anime can get currently anyhow). So while they’re not getting a bigger cross-section of anime music out there, the series/movies from which they’ve picked have enjoyable music (moreso than your average anime soundtrack), so in that regard, it should make for a good concert. My only regret is that I’ll miss out on it since I don’t see myself traveling to Australia in the very near future.

The concert is scheduled for September 26 and if you’re planning to go and want to secure your tickets, just check the ANiF website.

Also, if anyone is going and is interested in writing a concert report for me, do let me know :p

Review: From the onset, “Super Driver” and “Tomare!” were in for an uphill climb. “Bouken Desho Desho” and “Hare Hare Yukai” had set a high bar for Haruhi’s OP/EDs and not surprisingly, neither of their followups are able to measure up. Part of it, I think, stems from the way the older songs were able to instill excitement because at that time, Haruhi’s arrival was a breath of fresh air upon an anime environment that was showing signs of stagnation and the impact of those two songs rippled across the anime fanbase. The arrival of Haruhi’s second season rekindled the enthusiasm, but this time, its atmosphere is muted by familiarity. While the excitement is still there, it diminished and the current OP/ED sequences parallel the show’s fortunes. A distinction does need to be made when talking about this quality drop however because “Super Driver” was a major letdown, but the ED “Tomare!” manages to treat us to an enjoyable listening experience that hearkens back to “Hare Hare Yukai.”

It is the energy delivered by the rhythm and the instrumentation that accomplishes this feat. The bustling atmosphere from the introduction gives us a taste of what is to come but instead of assaulting our senses with excitement and enthusiasm, the piece backs off, allowing the vocalists to build it back up to its zesty chorus. It does help that each of the vocalists bring a unique quality to the song; Yuuko Gotou’s entrance can best be described as a soothing tone with a touch of timidity and Minori Chihara’s continuation is sharp as it juggles a vague feeling of doubt, but Aya Hirano tops both of them by delivering that Haruhistic push of confidence with her emphatic “Tomare!” before proceeding with her buildup. By the time the chorus rolls around, it has become quite clear that the song’s message aims to reach people rendered immobile by fear and uncertainty and push them to grab at life’s opportunities and use it to create meaningful memories. Carpe diem. The backup vocals and the instruments complement the main vocalist in the chorus by instilling an infectious feeling of exhileration which encourages the listener to pursue those endless possibilities. With such an optimistic message, it’s easy to be drawn into “Tomare!’s” delightful atmosphere, making it a competent successor to “Hare Hare Yukai.”

“Senzaiteki Taiyou no Shoumei” works in complementing “Tomare!” by toning down the excitement in the preceding track through an easygoing, generic pop melody. All the elements that go into a good, forgettable pop song are present here, from the catchy melody, to the succession of singing that is perfectly competent if unremarkable (though in Aya Hirano’s case, her tones fit perfectly and her vibrato is well-executed, which I suppose is remarkable), and of course, you leave it feeling rather upbeat even if you can’t recall what the song sounds like a week from now. But that’s not a bad thing since after “Tomare!,” you want the followup piece to be calming, and “Senzaiteki Taiyou no Shoumei” allows you to relax and unwind.

“Tomare!” won’t ingrain itself in the minds of anime fans the way “Hare Hare Yukai” was able to, but even with the weight of the latter bearing over it, it succeeds in being an enjoyable album all the same. The excitement is there, the enthusiasm is there, and the call to proactively grab life by the horns is definitely there. Those three aspects grab at what Haruhi is all about and if the show is looking to keep those aspects in the viewer’s mind after each episode, “Tomare!” is a perfectly fine way of achieving that end.

Rating: Good

Review: Given the whole Endless Eight fiasco (just as planned?), this album just has so much going against it, mostly in terms of its association with what’s currently airing and to Aya Hirano’s inability to sing well. While I’d like to be able to get into “Super Driver’s” upbeat atmosphere, I simply cannot because for all the energy that both the singer and the background instruments try to inject into the song, the whole process feels forced, resulting in a performance that is neither compelling nor enjoyable.

The main issue I have with “Super Driver” is that Aya Hirano’s expressiveness as she sings it feels manufactured. From the lyrics, it looks as though she is aiming to convey the excitement of exploring new opportunities on one’s own terms, but I’m not buying it at all. The song itself feels too formulaic and mechanical; while the drums and bass in the beginning do an adequate job of catching one’s attention with its beat and the electric guitars infuse some energy into the song decently, all of that is written off because Hirano’s approach to the song is suspect. Her expressiveness appears muted. For example, when she sings the lines:

jibun de mitsuketa myself
suki ni natte touzen
kudaranai yarikata kette
subete wa atashi ga kimeru!

I had expected a forceful delivery so as to demonstrate how resolute she is on seizing the day as she builds the song up to the chorus section. Unfortunately, her delivery falls flat, sounding as if Hirano was going through the singing motions rather than giving it her all by putting in some genuine emotion into the song. When the chorus does come, it just comes off as being unsatisfying as all that energy that’s supposed to be present fails to materialize. I didn’t feel a rush of adrenaline or a sense of excitement while listening to “Super Driver” and when you amplify the sense of lethargy that I derived from the first verse and chorus by stretching it to over four minutes, the song really becomes grating as it overstays its welcome.

“Aishite!” isn’t really all that much better, but at least it isn’t worse than “Super Driver.” The song is underwhelming because its melody is best described as bland, but inoffensive J-Pop. There really isn’t much in this song that stands out aside from the call and response section that sounds just a bit campy (especially when you hear the female voices respond) but once you finish listening to it, you’ll not likely remember much of anything about it, good or bad. As such, “Aishite!” cements its role as a throwaway song.

There really isn’t anything positive that can be said about this single and the most negative thing is that it’s just boring overall. I’m not sure whether the excessive amount of studio editing or Aya Hirano’s delivery is at fault in this instance, but it never quite recaptures the amount of energy and excitement that I had derived from “Bouken Desho Desho?.” This single, like the rest of the current Haruhi airing, only makes us want to go back to a time where the franchise was still fresh and enjoyable.

Rating: Not Good

Tracklist

[[Visit blog to check out this spoiler]]

Review: Suzumiya Haruhi no Gensou’s release was met with some skepticism from two fronts. The first had to do with TAMUSIC’s colossal failure in The Recital of Haruhi Suzumiya, which raised the question as to whether an orchestrated Haruhi album could actually be done competently. The second related to the fact that much of Haruhi’s BGM wasn’t exactly memorable because after looking through this album’s track list, I couldn’t say I was able to recall any of the melodies beyond Shostakovich’s “Leningrad” Symphony and the songs like “God Knows,” “Bouken Desho Desho?,” and “Hare Hare Yukai.” The latter issue isn’t as much a problem since context, while helpful, isn’t a necessary component in making this album enjoyable and thankfully, the former concern doesn’t raise its ugly head when you have Shiro Hamaguchi doing the orchestral arrangements. With his solid track record in arranging Final Fantasy music to piano and orchestra, there is reason to hope that he can work his magic with Haruhi.

Right off the bat, Hamaguchi’s arrangement of “Koi no Mikuru Densetsu” is impressive. At first glance, this off-tune variant of a cheesy magical girl OP doesn’t seem to be a particularly viable candidate for serious orchestration, but the arrangement manages to prove these initial thoughts wrong. I enjoyed how it provides a different spin on the original by upping the tempo, giving the track a sense of urgency that, when combined with the orchestra, yields a piece that is absolutely epic. While it focuses more on the serious side, a lighthearted moment pops up in the “Come on let’s dance, baby” segment, which helps keeps the listener engaged all the way up to its glorious conclusion.

Koi no Mikuru Densetsu
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

By starting out so commendably, Hamaguchi sets a high bar for his arrangements and the succession of pieces manages to meet these lofty expectations. As we go further into the album, we’ll find that most of the pieces are the result of combining various themes from Haruhi’s BGM into a cohesive medley. Even though my memory of Haruhi’s music is spotty at best, I still found most of the medleys to be enjoyable since the transitions from one theme to another are handled quite well.

Take, for example, “Kouchou Kouchou ~ Mikuru no Kokoro ~ Chiisaku demo Shiawase ~ Oioi ~ Comical Hustle,” which explores many aspects of day to day life. The bustling, energetic theme meanders about before settling into the next two sections which offer a mellow, heartfelt atmosphere, leaving the listener feeling calm and at ease. Around the 4:40 mark, the orchestra builds up bombastically towards a sillier air as it depicts Haruhi while she’s executing one of her hare-brained schemes. Although it starts off softly, the mischief grows in scope and excitement before going into the final section where it draws upon its storehouse of energy to bring about a rousing finish. By capturing both the exciting and relaxing moments of day to day life so well, this medley succeeds in being enjoyable and engaging.

Kouchou Kouchou ~ Mikuru no Kokoro ~ Chiisaku demo Shiawase ~ Oioi ~ Comical Hustle
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Other tracks to note include “Sunao na Kimochi ~ Aru Ame no Hi ~ Haruhi no Omoi” which relies on the piano to touch upon a wide range of emotions, from contentment, to introspection, to hope, as the piece reassures the listener that the future has never looked brighter. And of course, the arrangement of “Hare Hare Yukai” deserves a mention for taking a different approach from the original. The sense of joy and excitement doesn’t appear until you reach the middle section, and even then, the fun is muted compared to the original as the piece aims towards an epic experience rather than a fun one. Although I do enjoy this interpretation of “Hare Hare Yukai,” my preference favors the original which captured that sense of happiness and joy far better than the arrangement.

Sunao na Kimochi ~ Aru Ame no Hi ~ Haruhi no Omoi
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

So while these arrangements are good, the same can’t be said for Aya Hirano’s songs. It’s no secret that her live performances are pretty bad and I think that the nicest thing that can be said here is that she doesn’t ruin the overall enjoyment of this album. Nevertheless, it’s kind of painful whenever she sings off tune or employs a grating vibrato which makes her performances impossible to ignore. Of all her songs, “God knows…” is her worst song on this album since, in addition to the previously mentioned problems, her performance during the chorus part sounds awkward since she seems to be trying so hard that she forgets to breathe, resulting in a windy delivery that lacks impact. The other performances aren’t this awful, but they are a step down in terms of quality, even if the orchestration is decent all around.

God knows…
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

On the plus side, Minori Chihara manages to put forth an enjoyable performance in “Yuki, Muon, Madobe nite.” where she switches between her Yuki voice and a more emotionally-charged voice, but overall, it’s a passable job. There are a few points where I think she struggles a bit, especially when she has to sing those lower-pitched notes at a fast tempo, but even with that considered, I wasn’t displeased with how the song turned out.

Yuki, Muon, Madobe nite.
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Finally, the inclusion of the first movement of Shostakovich’s “Leningrad” Symphony, while fitting in the way it employs a steady, militaristic melody to complement the scenes in the computer game episode, fails to be engaging because of its repetitive nature. Yes, I am aware that this is the point of a movement that uses the same form that Ravel uses in his Bolero, but when the option exists to choose a more compelling piece like the 4th movement of Tchaikovsky’s “Pathetique” Symphony, the “Pathetique” should take precedence over the “Leningrad.” That said, the “Leningrad” isn’t bad and it offers a nice introduction for people not familiar with Shostakovich (though his 5th Symphony is still my favorite).

Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 60, “Leningrad” First Movement
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

From looking at the music here, Hamaguchi’s efforts yield a solid album through and through. There are a few issues that mostly crop up as a result of Aya Hirano’s inability to sing, but it’s not so bad as to ruin one’s listening experience. I wouldn’t go as far as to rate it higher than the ARIA piano albums, but it’s still really good and worth a listen as its excellent arrangements work well in capturing our favorite moments in Haruhi back when the show wasn’t looping endlessly.

Rating: Excellent

The second installment. As you can probably tell, the first part of the talk and by extension, the post, focused more on older series and this post will move into some of the newer stuff. The previous post also had the effect of getting the Cutey Honey OP stuck in my head, partly because I was listening to it while looking for their respective OPs on YouTube. Anyways, here’s the continuation of my thoughts with regard to Alex Leavitt’s panel:

Up until this point, the samples Alex showed us were from anime series aired before 2000 (I’m not going to count Re: Cutey Honey) and so, the next sample, Honey and Clover’s ED song “Waltz” is the first to break the millennial barrier in this panel. My memory is a bit fuzzy at this point about the significance of this particular ED aside from how it sparked a personal connection since it reminded him of his days as an avid biker, a connection that was strengthened further during that segment in Honey and Clover where Takemoto undertook that journey of self-discovery on bicycle. On my end, one of the things that “Waltz” does well is the way it channels that journey in search of one’s identity in the face of expectations that society places upon you. Not a surprise that it remains a regular feature on my playlist because of its mellow, wistful melody.

Next up is the OP to Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory which was shown as an example of an opening sequence in which sound effects from the animation are used in conjunction with the music. Alex’s take on it was that the use of sound effects help get the audience involved in the show. This is where my memory gets a little hazy since I don’t recall whether he mentioned that it forges a bond between viewer and the characters or if it was some other factor. If the former, I think this was a weak example since the sound effects came from various spacecraft, which aren’t objects one could find oneself empathizing with unless one is a total mechaphile. Of course, I could have misheard what he said and that the sound effects give the audience an adrenaline rush because of the expectation that the episode will be packed to the brim with action. As for the music, I’m not all too fond of its pronounced beat nor do I think the singer puts forth that emphatic a delivery for me to be totally hooked.

We then make a short detour into the land of parody OP/EDs that deal with subculture references and what better of a choice than Lucky Star’s karaoke ED which uses Dragonball Z’s OP “Cha-La Head-Cha-La.” Given Lucky Star’s aim of being a show targeted towards an audience made up of mostly anime fans, the inclusion of “Cha-La Head-Cha-La” makes for a wonderful tribute that will resonate with most viewers. The only issue with this detour is that there aren’t that many parody OP/EDs that come to mind immediately, so bringing up this topic at all doesn’t yield a whole lot of material that one can cover. Somehow, I get the feeling that someone will comment up a list of shows that use a parody OP/ED, and I’d like to hear of any other titles that meet this criteria for the sole purpose of expanding my body of knowledge in this subject.

Neon Genesis Evangelion’s OP “Cruel Angel’s Thesis” is almost too big to ignore, and so, I wasn’t too surprised to see that one come up. According to Alex, one of the positives that OP/EDs have is that unless the music is absolutely horrid, one will inevitably come around to liking it after hearing it play for 24-26 episodes, and even then, “Cruel Angel’s Thesis” still sticks out in a class of its own, given how 2ch denizens rated it as the best OP/ED song in the most recent vote. Even now, after so many OP/EDs have come and gone, that song still manages to bring upon a wave of nostalgia whenever most anime fans hear it.

That he picked that song was no surprise, but what was interesting about this choice was when he showed us the last episode of Evangelion and you get to that scene where Shinji begins summoning up his strength of character and discards his sense of self-loathing. During that segment, the background music uses a version of “Cruel Angel’s Thesis” that starts off sad, but gradually grows to become more inspirational and confident by speeding the tempo up a bit until it reaches a breakthrough where it lingers before coming to a definite close as the screen shows all of Evangelion’s characters praising him. I’d say the use of the OP’s arrangement helps deliver that strong impact that lelangir refers to in his post about the use of the sadder arrangement of Kannagi’s OP “motto☆Hade ni ne!”

And speaking of Evangelion and by extension, Gainax, we’re treated to a bit of a history lesson in the form of the opening animation to DAICON IV which featured excellent animation work by the soon-to-be studio Gainax. The music channels that futuristic vibe through the electronica and the synthesized voice which befits the image of how people expected the future to turn out. For those not in the know, DAICON is a Japanese sci-fi convention and while what happened during that convention is largely forgotten, the animation sequence still remains memorable as a tribute to nerd culture as the sequence incorporates superheroes, spacecraft like the Yamato, and all sorts of sci-fi/nerd icons.

And since we’re still talking somewhat about OP/EDs that one must include in a presentation on OP/EDs, Haruhi’s “Hare Hare Yukai” was a no-brainer given its ability to permeate throughout the anime community, bringing in many curious onlookers and turning the show into a phenomenon. Even now, I still find its spread to be a marvel and with the second season, the excitement doesn’t seem to be abating (though the Endless Eight arc is wearing thin on quite a few out there). Alex addressed its viral tendencies and illustrated that by showing us a video of the Hare Hare Yukai live performance at Akihabara. One of the more interesting remarks he made was a comparison of how the anime subculture in Japan and the West differ. In the West, the biggest display that one might see is of people doing the dance at anime conventions, but you’ll rarely see it a performance that is out in the public sphere like the one in Akihabara. So while the West hasn’t had an otaku-related display like what we saw in Japan, you could almost say that it’s lying dormant for now, mostly restricted to posts on blogs and anime forums. Once anime becomes more accepted, it’s not hard to imagine such a performance duplicated here once the next anime with Haruhi-like levels of viralness makes its appearance.

Anyhow, this is starting to become just somewhat lengthy, so I’ll cut it off here. I should have the final installment of his talk before the week’s over. The fact that this post required 3 entries should indicate how awesome the talk was and I hope that you’ve been able to get something out of these posts.

As part of a project that I’m currently working on and will reveal at a later date, I’ll occasionally be given the chance to talk to vocalists and composers who work in the anime industry. As such, this is a wonderful opportunity for all of you to submit any burning questions that you might have for people working in the industry. With that in mind, the first person I’ll be interviewing is Minori Chihara.

Minori Chihara is well-known for both her singing and voice acting, having done varied roles from the stoic Yuki Nagato in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya to the more cynical (and caustic) Chiaki Minami in Minami-ke. She’s also had an impressive lineup of vocal music, including her latest solo single, the attention-grabbing Paradise Lost from Ga-Rei Zero as well as her latest compilation album titled Parade which includes songs from her Melty tale storage, Ameagari no Hana yo Sake, and Paradise Lost singles. Her live concert schedule also looks to be pretty busy this year since she’ll be making an appearance at DaiCon around mid-July of this year in Malaysia as well as a performance at Animelo Summer Live 2009-RE:BRIDGE- event. (Thanks to j1m0ne’s post for alerting me to all this)

Though this blog and my project focuses on anime music, don’t feel as though you should stick to those areas. Questions regarding her voice work on the myriad of anime series that she has worked on are all fair game.

Once I get her responses to your questions, I’ll post them, so ask away!

Review: TAMUSIC has been well-recognized from the doujin community as being one of the few groups that have set music from games (notably Key visual novels and Touhou shooters) to violin and piano. Although I enjoy piano and violin pieces, I am continually disappointed by TAMUSIC’s arrangements because their works have a tendency to be above average at best and soulless at worst. The chief problem lies in their music which lacks creativity and tends to be loaded with superfluous flourishes, and usually ends up leaving me disappointed.

So when I heard that TAMUSIC had released an album with music from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, I was morbidly curious to see how this one would turn out. I had braced myself for the usual TAMUSIC material, and while they managed to exceed my low expectations, it wasn’t by a whole lot.

The first track is an arrangement of the ever-popular “Hare Hare Yukai,” which sounds energetic because the violin does a pretty decent job of capturing the feel of the original without deviating too much from the source material. Next up is their rendition of “Koi no Mikuru Densetsu” which starts off pleasantly with a very smooth violin introduction before they get into the heart of the actual song itself around 0:40. Like “Hare Hare Yukai,” this piece also sticks closely to the original and is generally a pleasant listen save for the segment around 1:39 – 1:45 where the harmony is over-emphasized, creating a rather jarring effect.

TAMUSIC’s arrangement of “God Knows…” doesn’t try to take too many liberties with the original (see a pattern yet?), leaving us with a straight transcription. While it’s mostly enjoyable, the piece begins to unravel around 1:09. Most of the blame can be placed on their attempt at putting two violins together, which makes the piece all the worse because the melody is discordant, making it grating to the ears. The music still keeps its core base, but TAMUSIC’s inability to have the two violins complement each other leads to this piece’s undoing, taking an above average effort down a few notches.

Unfortunately, “God Knows…” is only the first in the series of pieces that would bring this album’s rating down. “Bokuen Desho, Desho?’s” melody feels utterly uninspired because the music feels empty in a way that the energetic original piece never was. Instead it introduces flaws in its harmony and counterpoint, which range from being too chaotic at times to overpowering the melody completely at other times. The follow-up, “Lost My Music,” continues with the emotionally void feeling because the arrangers seem to have given up and resorted to copying the original note for note. Although this effort yielded a pleasant refrain from the two violins, the rest of the piece lacks substance and sounds far worse than the original.

This finally brings us to the last three pieces, which are a second take on the three pieces this album started with. And all of them have taken a turn for the worse. “God Knows…” becomes much more melancholy before going in with the second stanza that feels really heavy and soporific as it just drones on and on. “Koi no Mikuru Densetsu’s” 2nd version has shoddy harmony and ends rather poorly because the music just gets dragged out to the point where the last 30 seconds felt more like 30 minutes. With this sort of downfall, a good piece is practically required to close out the album and they almost succeeded through a light-hearted version of “Hare Hare Yukai” that nonetheless shocked me by being completely soulless. How a song filled with joy can be reduced to this sorry state is anyone’s guess.

In light of this, it’s evident that listening to TAMUSIC’s works is a frustrating exercise because violin and piano arrangements of anime music can be done, and done well. The Aria piano albums have proved that much, so to see such a mediocre effort is always going to be disheartening. The fact that they get positive recognition is a shame, and only leads me to ponder just how bad the other groups are if TAMUSIC is considered good. Granted, I haven’t listened to a lot of other doujin groups who’ve done anime works, but the Western doujin scene (conveniently located here) has produced consistently better quality music despite having a smaller body of work. As an example of a good remix, try checking out Dale North’s hauntingly beautiful arrangement of Witch Hunter Robin’s music.

When all is said and done, I probably hold the minority opinion here and that people do see something great from TAMUSIC’s works that I’m just not “getting.” But I cannot see past their soulless arrangements devoid of creativity. To be great, arrangements have to be more than just transcriptions from one instrument to another. So for those who share my opinions on music, give this album a pass unless you insist on getting your hands on any and all Haruhi-related doujin works or if you really need a quick fix for some anime violin arrangements, regardless of how good or bad they are.

Rating: Not Good

Music Sampler