Until now…

Well, OK, not really. Much of the thanks for this goes to ottocycle who did the heavy lifting translating Hiroyuki Sawano’s thoughts when he composed Guilty Crown’s soundtrack. So without further ado, here’s Sawano on Guilty Crown after the jump!

Amongst all the music works I have been involved in so far, this production is the one which features the most vocal tracks. I have considered creating a work of this nature from time to time in the past as well. One reason I’d say that I got the offer was that the director happened to like the material from my original album “musica”, which happened to have quite a few vocal tracks featured…(haha) Back then I also remember the producer of the anime giving me free rein to do what I like with this, so voila! What a convenient explanation!

As you can probably tell, some parts of the above were more in jest than anything else.

Moving on, as this was a production whose concept and content translates into many different possible musical approaches which could be experimented with, I decided on converting thematic tunes into what I feel matches the sound of “song”, as one of my foci in this particular work.

As a result, I can say that, this soundtrack feels like one which I have expressed the most naturally, and the feeling might’ve been similar to that when I was making my original album.

I’ve also had the opportunity to make rearrangements of vocal tracks found on this album which can be found in the limited edition home video bundles. The production team had generously afforded the musicians and me to revisit the tunes again, and it felt so happy, yet extravagant to have been able to do so.

While the OST CD versions of the respective (rearranged) songs were recorded before their alternate versions, it is up to the listener to decide which one is the main version, since both turned out convincingly satisfying. With all said and done, these are my thoughts right after working on either version, so hopefully you would not place either one on a pedestal before comparing them both (haha).

By: Sawano Hiroyuki (originally in Japanese, in the Guilty Crown OST CD sleeve)

Brief thoughts: I haven’t listened to Guilty Crown’s OST all that closely, but I can say that the number of vocal tracks on this album was a surprise, but not unwelcome as most of the artists’ performances were solid and I look forward to hearing the arrangements of those tracks should copies of those ever come forth. The BGM is also enjoyable for those who’ve found themselves enthralled by Sawano’s previous scores; he doesn’t stray too far from the bombastic blend of orchestra and electronica that has become his signature for quite some time. All in all, the stellar work that comes forth from Guilty Crown’s soundtrack should be a treat (one that doesn’t deserve an anime as flawed as Guilty Crown) and if nothing else, effectively cements his status as the Japanese Hans Zimmer (AKA the guy who scored the music to the movies Inception and Gladiator, to name a few).

This winter, for better or for worse seemed to just fly by. It feels like yesterday that many of us dipped our toes into Madoka, Hourou Musuko, and Yumekui Merry, but many of those shows are coming to an end and many new ones take their place. Like before, we’ll be doing a preview with more of a focus on the musical side of things; people looking for plot summaries can look elsewhere since we choose our shows based on the composers than things like plot and seiyuu (OK, not really). So check out the composer rolls after the jump!

A Channel
Composer: Satoru Kousaki
Synopsis: Focuses on the lives of some high school girls, specifically, Tooru, her childhood friend Run, Yuuko, and Nagi. The anime is adapted from a 4-koma and will most likely fall into the four girls, one school mold.
Zzero’s Thoughts: It’s hard to shake the generic tag from this series and the only saving grace is whether the comedy works or not. Everything seems so predictable, right down to their choice of Satoru Kousaki as this show’s music composer. What that means is that A Channel’s soundtrack may try some interesting musical things, be it a novel adaptation of an old theme or fusing genres where one might not have thought it to be possible, or it’ll just be his usual brand of minimalistic fare. Whatever he puts forward, it’ll somehow only work within the context of the anime and so, will not be a great standalone listen. That’s been Kousaki’s track record since time immemorial, from Haruhi to the more recent Ore no Imouto’s soundtrack. Star Driver might bucked this trend, but the jury’s still out.

Ano Hana
Composer: REMEDIOS
Synopsis: Six childhood friends, one of whom is a hikkikomori, will reunite to grant one of their friends one last wish.
Yu’s Thoughts: REMEDIOS seems to be best known for composing the soundtracks for several films and j-dramas. Given the nature of Ano Hana and REMEDIOS’s background, we may actually end up with a good score that supports the guaranteed emotional angst which will surface in this show.

C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control
Composer: Taku Iwasaki
Synopsis: Things weren’t looking good for the Japanese government, until it was saved from the edge of financial meltdown by a mysterious group called the Sovereign Wealth Fund. The Japanese people weren’t as fortunate, and still have to cope with rampant unemployment and crime. The story centers on a boy named Kimimaro, whose no-nonsense life is interrupted when he’s offered a large sum of money, one that must be paid back.
Aftershok’s Thoughts: Given Taku Iwasaki’s track record and the show’s intriguing premise, this has potential to be very interesting. His work on shows like Gurren Lagann and Black Butler’s soundtrack was impressive and effective, even if it was not what stood out the most about the shows. His score on Persona has received praise even when the show hasn’t. This, combined with the show’s schedule set to be on the Noitamina timeslot, sets the expectations high. If all goes according to Iwasaki’s modus operandi, expect a mix of rock and orchestral with some soft ballads for the more sensitive bits.

Blue Exorcist
Composer: Hiroyuki Sawano
Synopsis: Though the two dimensions are meant to remain separate, there are demons that leave Gehenna, the world of demons, and enter the human realm Assiah to cause trouble. There exist humans known as exorcists who battle the demons and restore order to Assiah. The protagonist, Rin Okumura, who bears the burden of being the illegitimate son of Satan, decides to become an exorcist to avenge of the death of his foster father, who gave his life to protect Rin from demons.
Zzero’s Thoughts: Hell YES! I don’t know how well this series is going to do, but Hiroyuki Sawano’s position as soundtrack composer brings with it a lot of high hopes. We all know how much I loved his music ever since the first notes from Gigantic Formula reached my ears. He’s gone on to do highly acclaimed work for Sengoku Basara as well as the awe-inspiring Gundam Unicorn soundtrack. If nothing else, I’ll be checking this show just to listen to his music since I love the dazzling epic orchestrals he seems to conjure up (overwrought though it may be at times).

Deadman Wonderland
Composer: NARASAKI
Synopsis: A lone survivor of a massacre is falsely accused of the crime and gets thrown into prison where he must entertain audiences.
Zzero’s Thoughts: Usually a composer with all caps suggests that he’s a rock musician. And surprise surprise, he did do some theme songs for the likes of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, but not a complete score though. Still, I wanna rocks mune ni rocks.
Yu’s Thoughts: The manga centered around a combination of action and dark/twisted atmosphere. If the anime stays true to the manga, the music will probably be some kind of heavy rock mixed with a good deal of uninteresting atmospheric suspense. Hopefully the show will prove my pessimistic predictions wrong.

Dog Days
Composer: The crew at I’ve Sound
Synopsis: A boy is transported to Biscotti, a kingdom in a fantasy world, in order to help the princess save the country from invasion.
Zzero’s Thoughts: To be frank, I am not a heavy fan of I’ve Sound. In fact, aside from a few of their singers, their work is usually far from where my tastes usually land since I’m not too fond of heavy synth and electronica. The first time I’ve heard a soundtrack composed by one of their members (Malko Iuchi) for To Aru Majutsu no Index, I wasn’t really too enthralled by what I heard. One can make a safe assumption that Dog Days’ music will offer more of the same, so I’ll avoid this altogether. Oh well, at least the OP is done by Nana Mizuki, so maybe I’ll just watch the OP sequence just for that.
Yu’s Thoughts: I’ve only ever enjoyed the vocal trance stuff from I’ve Sound (more specifically Kotoko). It goes without saying then that asking a primarily electronica group to score a shounen show with a likely harem thrown in isn’t going to turn out well. The most memorable part of this show will probably be how the kingdom is named after twice-baked cake.

Nichijou
Composer: Yuuji Nomi
Synopsis: More high school life anime, except the things that go on feel a wee bit more surreal, ranging from a principal who wrestles deer, a character with a windup device on her back, and a loli who’s addressed as “Professor.”
Zzero’s Thoughts: Assuming that the OVA/Episode 0/whatever that was released earlier is representative of the series, I might actually be looking forward to this one. Though the music so far doesn’t feel cohesive since they’re little more than a collection of musical cues, I do hope to see something come out of this, especially when the composer has worked on Ghibli fare like Whisper of the Heart.
Yu Thoughts: I was especially impressed with Nomi’s work with The Cat Returns – and it seems he might deliver something similar again if the first episode is anything to go by. The music I heard was definitely not what I expected from a KyoAni slice of life show, but that’s a good thing.

Hanasaku Iroha
Composer: Shiro Hamaguchi
Synopsis: A hot spring inn and the lives of the people working in it.
Thoughts: Whoaaaaa, Shiro Hamaguchi is back to do a soundtrack for an anime? Talk about good tidings! VGM enthusiasts will know him as a master arranger for such fine works as the orchestrated album for Final Fantasy VIII (titled Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec). His arranger profile doesn’t stop there either as he has gone on to do the Haruhi orchestral arrangements that we’ve come to know and love. Anime fans who might not have ever touched a game soundtrack may be familiar with his work on notable anime titles such as Kiddy Grade, the baseball classic Oofuri, and of course, the almighty One Piece. In short, he knows his orchestral stuff and even though the show’s premise sounds pedestrian, the music alone might propel me to give the anime a three-episode test.

Hen Zemi
Composer: Kei Haneoka
Synopsis: Nanako Matsutaka somehow finds herself roped into a study group that focuses on strange sexual perversions and tries her best to retain some semblance of sanity.
Zzero’s Thoughts: Kei Haneoka’s strength in the past has always been in composing music for comedy anime. The first time I’ve been exposed to this composer’s works was through the slapstick near-insane Pani Poni Dash. He’s also shown his strength composing for shows such as Negima!? and Today in Class 5-2, all of which are comedies. Given that Hen Zemi’s bent is along the same lines, Haneoka’s compositions should mesh fairly well with whatever’s going on onscreen.

Pretty Rhythm Aurora Dream
Composer: Seikou Nagaoka
Synopsis: Rizumu Amamiya competes in a sport that blends skating and dancing, aiming for the top of what must be a dangerously sparkly event.
Thoughts: At first, I wasn’t planning to check this show out, but when I noticed Nagaoka’s name gracing the composer credits, I almost had a change of heart. Almost. The synopsis looks just a wee bit cheesy for my tastes, but the only Nagaoka work I’ve ever heard, Strike Witches, was actually really good and impressed me enough to heap praise upon it. While I’m not sold on Pretty Rhythm’s premise, I will keep an eye out for the soundtrack since I expect that to be one of the show’s few bright spots.

Tea for Universe, Tea for Life
Composer: Kou Otani
Synopsis: Sasuke Furuta is obsessed with the intricacies of the tea ceremony, having learned it from his lord, Oda Nobunaga and the tea master Sen no Soeki and has resolved to walk this tea path to ultimate fulfillment.
Zzero’s Thoughts: Bee Train is one of those studios that I’ve given up on since nothing they’ve produced has really interested me very much. However, if there’s one point of consistency that they bring to their anime (beyond plots that ooze along like molasses), it’s awesome music. Now, they weren’t fortunate enough to get Yuki Kajiura, but they were able to secure Kou Otani’s services. You guys should like his stuff since he’s done excellent work on the Haibane Renmei soundtrack and the music he did for Shakugan no Shana was good. Video gamers might know him for the immersiveness that the music to Shadows of the Colossus had upon gamers (an atmosphere that one can find in his score for Shana as well). So high hopes are on a good soundtrack. Just don’t expect the anime to follow suit.

Tiger & Bunny
Composer: Yoshihiro Ike
Synopsis: People known as “Next” act as superheroes. Veteran hero Wild Tiger is forced together with rookie Barnaby Brooks. Conflicts in their views about the role of a hero ensue.
Zzero’s Thoughts: Yoshihiro Ike’s got that interesting history. And by interesting, I mean that I’ve watched a few of the shows he’s composed for (Kamichu, Mokke, Ergo Proxy) but came out of all of those shows without a lasting impression of the BGM. Now, maybe it’s my fault for missing something really special, but that’s just how it is. Though I probably won’t be watching Tiger & Bunny, it’ll be good to hear from those who are watching this anime and are well-versed with Ike’s work so they can let me know how this one will fare.
Yu’s Thoughts: Yoshihiro is a bit of a wildcard. After hearing the dark but not very memorable music for Ergo Proxy, Kamichu was the last thing I ever expected him to score. Nevertheless, he did and did it well. Anyway, Tiger & Bunny’s premises isn’t very similar to Ergo Proxy’s or Kamichu’s, so how this soundtrack will turn out is very up in the air.

Final thoughts:
We’ve always been wary about putting up profiles for shows whose composers we know next to nothing about. Such is the case with Jun Sato, the composer for the MBA-tastic Moshidora (with a baseball bent), Shuhei Naruse’s music for Sket Dance (for crying out loud, the only work this guy’s done has been for various incarnations of Rockman), the duo that’s doing the work for Steins;Gate, et al. Also, we’ve had a longstanding policy of not covering anime second seasons unless their composers have changed at some point. So that means Kaiji 2, The World God Only Knows 2, and Maria+Holic 2 (among others) aren’t mentioned here (but a few of us are looking forwards to them regardless. Do feel free to comment about those that we’ve skipped over or anything else we’ve happened to miss.

Tracklist:

[[Visit blog to check out this spoiler]]

Review: It starts softly and calmly. All of the tracks do. But once the main theme hits, its impact cannot be denied. The crescendo into that brilliant, shining moment draws your breath away as the music conjures up images of the Gundam franchise’s illustrious history from its epic battles to its memorable cast of heroes and villains. And through Gundam Unicorn, this chapter unfolds beautifully, complete with a stirring soundtrack that touches not only upon the victories and the heroism, but also the tragedies. The magnitude of the conflict can certainly be felt through tracks such as “UNICORN,” that can only be described as glorious, but its magnificence is evenly matched by sorrowful fare like “PIANO TO ANNA” which illuminates the ultimate sacrifices that must be made during wartime.

UNICORN
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Gundam Unicorn represents a big step for Hiroyuki Sawano. Before he had been commissioned to work on this soundtrack, his works have not received much notice. The stirring Gigantic Formula soundtrack is woefully underrated and Sengoku Basara, while dazzling viewers with its anachronisms and displays of machismo, did not bring him much recognition either. But here, he makes a huge stamp by working on a well-known franchise and delivering a soundtrack that is marvelous. The extent to which his music depicts the war demonstrates Sawano’s ability to ply his trade competently alongside Gundam composers of years past such as Yoko Kanno, Akira Senju, Toshihiko Sahashi, and Kouhei Tanaka.

It goes without saying that much of this soundtrack’s highlights will be focused on the intense battles which are majestic in a way so as to leave the audience in awe. “UNICORN” is, of course, going to be on that list with the way it crescendos into the chorus part to reflect Banagher’s moment of awesomeness, but one shouldn’t forget other tracks like “MOBILE SUIT” which takes us from the call for a sortie all the way into the battle. The way it moves back and forth between the bombastic sections while employing the electronica melody on top of that immerses the listener into the rhythm and flow of combat.

MOBILE SUIT
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
But war isn’t all fun and games and in the face of such momentous conflicts, the tragedies, depicted through tracks like “PIANO TO ANNA,” are handled exquisitely. The somber mood of the piece brings Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” to mind through the repetitive piano melody which paints a grim picture of the pain the characters feel upon seeing the death of a loved one before their very eyes. This heavy mood is also felt keenly in the second half of “FEAR → SORROW.” Though the piece initially starts out with a large amount of tension crafted through the dissonant string section, it gives way to a very moving violin section that captures the depths of the tragedies suffered by combatants and civilians. In listening to it, the sense of desolation lies all about, as the conflict inflicts both physical and emotional scars upon all those within its grasp.

PIANO TO ANNA
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

FEAR → SORROW
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
The two songs on the soundtrack, “A LETTER” and “LICHT MEER,” are both beautifully executed, with the former starting off with a hefty dose of melancholy as the singer recollects upon days long past. But as the song moves on, the hope grows, and you can feel Cyua looking forward and discarding the vestiges of the past so that she can move on with life. The way the piece adds on more instruments towards the end gives us the feeling that her will has triumphed. As for “LICHT MEER,” the chorus comes across as a giving a benediction to those who gave their lives in defense of their country. The mournful atmosphere is really apparent around 1:09 when the lyrics emphatically carry with it the sense of grief and loss for the fallen. It’s expressed really well, and Sawano conveys the sense of suffering well.

A LETTER
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

LICHT MEER
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Given the praise I’ve heaped upon Sawano’s compositions for Gundam Unicorn’s soundtrack, it’s fairly evident that this is one phenomenal album, especially if you’re looking for epic orchestral music. The only issue that I can complain mildly about is that some of the pieces don’t strike the emotional chords hard enough, which is why Kanno’s score for Turn A Gundam will remain my favorite. And if the only composer Sawano really loses out to is Yoko Kanno and maybe Akira Senju, then what Sawano’s managed to deliver can only be labeled a smashing success.

Rating: Excellent

It seems like forever since I’ve written up anything related to the MALKeionbu (alternatively known as the MyAnimeList Music Piece of the Week Club), but I figured now that we’ve entered our 25th week of voting, there’s something special to be had in this moment. 25 represents a pretty significant psychological barrier, for me at least, because, let’s face it, keeping a weekly event running for 25 consecutive weeks with few hiccups along the way is a pretty huge feat. And for that, I’d like to thank all of those who’ve directly participated whether it’s in track nomination or voting, in making this such an awesome event.

This milestone also offers an excellent opportunity to look back on all the tracks that have come and gone. The weekly process of nominating 7-10 tracks for 25 consecutive weeks yields a whole hell of a lot of anime music of all styles and rhythms. We’ve gone from simple emotions like Love and Despair, scene depictions like Action and Cityscapes, works from a single composer, to examining music covering various styles (Funky/Groovy) and instruments used (Piano, Electric Guitar). The thing that blows my mind the most is the club members’ ability to come up with a pretty good set of tracks week after week and I’ve yet to go through a week where I didn’t learn something new or find some album or composer to check out. Then there are the discussions that result during the voting phase that have been enjoyable to take part in, because through that, you get a better understanding for people’s tastes and opinions which in turn, helps you appreciate the music more. So it’s been a great learning process through and through!

With that in mind, let’s turn to some of the pieces that really struck a chord with me in some way or other. For the purposes of this list, neither tracks that I’ve nominated nor tracks that I’ve heard extensively are eligible since a big part of what makes this club fun is the process of discovering new pieces. So here are my picks:

Week 2 – Love
Anime Title: Giniro no Kami no Agito
Track Title: Ai no Melody
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Comments: Man, even after all this time, this piece refuses to get out of my playlist and the funny thing is that I didn’t even give it points when I had the opportunity to vote for it! And yet, this piece continues to grow on me. The more I listen, the more I notice the little things, like the way she sings the line, “Ai no melodyyyyy” (thanks to Omisyth for getting me to pay close attention to that part) that enhance the track and make it as beautiful as it is. It also got me to take a look at the soundtrack (composed by Taku Iwasaki) and that too, was a very nice experience all around.

Week 3 – Lost
Anime Title: Pokemon Heroes
Track Title: Search for the Girl
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Comments: “Search for the Girl” grabbed me with a sense of energy and purpose that you can definitely hear through the music. Furthermore, the music makes for a good picker-upper because the the violin and accordion parts play really well together to create that sense of the grand adventure that works well on its own. What this piece manages to show is that Pokemon music need not suck and its quality virtually assures it a place in my playlist for a good long while.

Week 4 – Legendary
Anime Title: Gigantic Formula
Track Title: Main theme v.0
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Comments: MAJESTIC! That’s what this track is. The way the track just crescendos in still leaves me in a state of awe every time I hear it, as it instills within me a sense of the story’s epic scope filled with struggles, tragedies, and triumphs. This piece also served as my first introduction to Hiroyuki Sawano and this introduction has been rewarding. The music from Gigantic Formula is gorgeous and I really liked his versatility in moving into rock in his compositions for Sengoku Basara.

Week 5 – Pop Vocals
Anime Title: Top wo Nerae! 2 Diebuster
Track Title: Groovin’ Magic
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Comments: It’s really too catchy for its own good. I mean, ROUND TABLE’s music has always had this sweetness to it like the ARIA EDs, but this one just takes the cake. I’ll just blame the melody for having that catchiness that ingrains itself in so well in my head and never quite lets go. I’ve often found myself humming this song and not realizing that I am until about halfway through.

Oddly enough, half of the list comes from the first 5 weeks. I think a part of it has to do with the time span because these tracks have had more plays compared to some of the more recent stuff. Or maybe actually blogging it helps my memory a bit more than just posting my thoughts in the voting thread itself. Anyhow, let’s skip past a few weeks where we hit

Week 11 – Discovery
Anime Title: Someday’s Dreamers
Track Title: Where the Sky and the Earth Meet
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Comment: The piece starts off quietly enough before it comes forth with a very beautiful piano melody. In listening to this, I just can’t help but be drawn in by its sweetness and the feeling of childhood innocence that it depicts through a very whimsical atmosphere that’s just somehow perfect in its execution. The fact that the melody carries a Celtic/Irish flavor is an added bonus since that’s not a quality that I see often in anime soundtracks and variety, in my book, is always a good thing. Also, this track opened my eyes to composer Takefumi Haketa whose compositions have been impressive overall.

Week 16 – Yoko Kanno
Anime Title: Brain Powered
Track Title: Spark
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Comments: When I decided upon our first featured composer, Yoko Kanno was a natural pick since her works span many different types of shows and in general, they’ve been quite excellent. The tracks picked for that week were pretty good, but this gem proved to be a little different, starting with that discordant bit in the beginning which might very well have been a turn-off if one were to stop there. Listening further though, would yield quite a musical treat that mixes dissonance with the epic to really keep one off-guard in terms of what to expect, at least, until halfway through the track where it starts showing its true colors as a piece depicting some sort of an epic finale. It’s the unconventional Kanno that I really like here and this effort shows why she’s pretty much at the top of most people’s lists when they have to name anime composers.

Week 23 – Electric Guitar
Anime Title: Geneshaft
Track Title: IDENTIFICATION
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Comments: Omonomono had blogged about this particular week with the note that as far as anime soundtracks go, rock music doesn’t actually feature prominently in the BGM. Needless does manage to fill that gap (and I’m working on giving that soundtrack my full attention), but before Needless, there was Geneshaft. In “Identification,” no time is wasted as the piece dives into the melody while delivering on the action that this piece depicts. Through it, you can hear some pretty awesome riffs and distortions that really hold your attention and lend an air of intensity. If this is representative of what the rest of the soundtrack has to offer, I’ll certainly have to look into it!

So as we start the nomination process for Week 26 (dealing in badassery), I’ve also put up a survey to better gauge people’s backgrounds and how well the club is serving its purposes. We also have a slew of year-end activities to look forward to, mostly in putting together a compilation of the best tracks nominated this year, so definitely keep an eye out for that. Either way, here’s to another 6 months of awesome anime music!

Voting Thread

As of this blog post for this week’s anime music selections, there are less than 4 hours left before I close things up and prepare for week 5′s stuff.

Anyhow, this week’s theme focuses on legendary anime pieces and we’ve got a pretty decent set with plenty of variety ranging from the expected militaristic fanfares and majestic tracks to ROCKIN’ songs as well as songs infused with a Spanish/Latin flavor. The quality of the selections made it difficult to assign the points, but in the end, four tracks managed to get my favorable nod while the rest fell into the Honorable Mentions category. And with that, here are the tracks from this most legendary week:

Twelve Kingdoms – Junigenmukyou (full version)
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
From the beginning, this track has an aura of mystery about it, as though it were depicting a world nestled away from the ravages of time. That atmosphere describes what I know of Twelve Kingdom’s setting really well, and it’s beautiful in that regard. Once the drumming section begins in 1:06, you begin to get a feel for the scope of this war-torn story, with its heroics and tragedies, bringing forth a sense of danger before leveling off into a sort of eerie tranquility which projects an image of the battlefield after a battle. The track’s depiction of the dichotomy between court life and the soldier’s life gives a complete picture of the political dealings of the bygone era, but it’s not over yet since the piece has one final surprise with the segue from the calm, courtly scene into a heroic, rallying battle-cry as you can feel the kingdom mobilize in an inspiring energy-filled melody. (+1)

Code Geass – Black Knights
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
The Spanish/Latin rhythm makes for a wonderful effect, especially when combined with the male choral part to yield a piece that’s filled with a certain grimness and works to bring out the seriousness of the overarching plot as well as the intensity of the action-y moments. While this track doesn’t get points this week, it does serve as an enjoyable change of pace amongst the tracks nominated this week as a result of this unique mixture.

Gigantic Formula – Main theme v.0
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
The fanfare in the beginning feels like a sunrise as it bursts forth in a showy display of brilliance. It’s not often that the hairs on the back of my neck raise up, but the introduction manages to achieve that like none other. The melody and the harmony complement each other so well in this majestic piece and I love the way the piece moves between the loud/majestic sections and the softer interludes that it’s difficult for me to feel bored listening to this. Awesome from start to finish and the images it instilled in my mind moved me to tears. OK, so I’m a sucker for this kind of stuff, but it’s definitely worth a listen. (+2)

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann – “Libera me” From Hell
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
The opera part kinda fools you in the beginning into expecting some sort of brilliance like the Queen of the Night’s song in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, but that expectation is dashed once the rap part makes its entry. From what I’ve heard about TTGL (yes, I have not seen this series. BLASPHEMY!!!), I can see how it meshes really well with the themes it espouses. As for the music though, I have difficulty enjoying the opera singer’s performance since the part starting around 1:23 feels cacophonous and directionless even though (oddly enough) I found the rap part to mesh well with the instrumentals. At least it does its job in bringing out the epic side of things and had I seen the series, I think I’d be able to appreciate this track a lot more. As it stands though, the track is decent even if I wouldn’t elevate it to “amazing” status.

Heroic Age – Heroic Age
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Even though this stands out as yet another majestic track, I can’t seem to be able to get enough of them. This piece’s puts in my mind an aerial view of a nice, quiet, beautiful valley just before dawn as the glider you’re riding upon flies into the heart of this amazing view, instilling you with a sense of serenity, as though to show the vastness and beauty that the world offers. The mood then changes and the sheer regality comes fully into being with the crescendo around 1:30 followed by a fanfare around the 2:00. There, the totality of its majesty comes into being, and one cannot help but look at in awe as it brings out that sense of sanctity, duty, and destiny. Naoki Sato deserves props for conveying that epic journey/view/whatever it’s describing. (+2)

Berserk – BEHILIT
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Yes, this one is different and I wouldn’t call this legendary as much as lost… or maybe that’s because the track gives me the feeling I might get if I were in an untamed jungle where danger might lurk around any corner. You can sort of hear this from the harmony, which has an affect of creating tension through its tempo and repetitive nature. It’s a nice change of pace though, but not point-worthy in light of some of the better selections.

FLCL – I Think I Can
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
This particular piece actually sounds pretty good with all the awesome guitar work going in the background to provide an interesting backdrop to the vocals with all its grooviness while going through the verses. However, my rating on this piece plummets around 0:41 when the words “I think I can” are being sung in the chorus section. Those lyrics are just too cheesy for my tastes because it puts the image of The Little Engine That Could into my mind and I can’t divorce those intertwining thoughts from each other, turning a ROCKIN’ song into one that’s silly. If you wanted an example of a piece that could be ruined by just one section, “I think I can’s” chorus section would be a great example of that.

Read or Die OVA – Bring all the wisdom to Great Britain!
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
And yet… this piece also brings forth a bit of cheese, but it’s an enjoyable sort of cheese if you keep the backdrop of the series in mind since the concept of the British Library being in control of Britain’s super secret spy squad makes for an entertaining plot. The militaristic music is over-the-top, but I wouldn’t have it any other way and it makes for an enjoyable listen as you imagine the troops assembling to perform the task hinted at in the piece’s title through their objective of preventing powerful books from falling into the wrong hands.

Princess Mononoke – Legend of Ashitaka
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
I really love this piece and it’s probably one of the first soundtracks that caught my attention way back in the infancy of my anime experience. It captures the essence of the movie really well, starting off with the grim opening that paints Ashitaka as a man on a mission to cure his disease and in doing so, setting the epic journey into its proper perspective. It’s subtle, but emotionally stirring and it will always stand out as one of Hisaishi’s better pieces.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack – Segment III: Sally
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
“Sally” feels grim and brooding with a hint of impatience, conveying the atmosphere and emotions that people feel right before a battle is about to commence. The air is thick with anticipation and both sides seem to be eager to rush forth and engage the opposition and with that crescendo, the piece moves into a rallying cry of sorts. At this point, you can feel the intensity of the battle as both sides send their troops forth (or “sallying,” if you will ) with cries for heroism and valor. Another strong piece that edges out the preceding one based on the novelty factor. (+1)

So there you have it! My point distribution can be found below. Week 5′s theme will be based on pop vocals, so if you want to get a head start, feel free to start digging into that week’s selections. A voting thread will be created once I compile all the music together, but I look forwards to giving them a listen! And I also hope to see some new faces turn up!

(+2) Gigantic Formula – Main theme v.0
(+2) Heroic Age – Heroic Age
(+1) Twelve Kingdoms – Junigenmukyou (full version)
(+1) Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack – Segment III: Sally