It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? I think the last one was about a month ago. Now taking bets as to whether I finish this before the year’s up!

Anyways, 2006 has been hailed by quite a few as a banner year for anime, where many of the shows I watched still managed to stick within my memories surprisingly well. It does help that this year saw the appearance of heavyweights like Haruhi, whose impact on the anime scene can’t be emphasized enough as we’re still living with its repercussions. No fad has managed to supplant it to near-universal appeal like Haruhi did, and like it or not, it’s going to be a major part of what makes up the fabric of 2000s anime fandom.

That said, most of the musical offerings that I really love from 2006 do not come from this franchise. The celebrated Haruhi songs like “Bouken Deshou Deshou,” “Hare Hare Yuukai,” “God Knows,” and “Lost My Music,” have become overplayed to the point that it’s lost that sense of uniqueness even if they are pretty awesome when they first came out on the scene. It’s like how pieces like Final Fantasy X’s “To Zanarkand,” Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” and “Fur Elise,” and, of course, Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” were enjoyable at one point, but I can’t stand to listen to them nowadays. Not trying to knock all of those mentioned above as bad because they aren’t; it’s just been overplayed and since my tendency is to seek out fresh and new stuff that’s underappreciated, I’m not going to bother with Haruhi for this column! There’s more stuff that’s worth one’s time at any rate!

So with that in mind, there’s a lot of good stuff from 2006. I’d be hard-pressed to put my finger on my favorite soundtrack from that year since there are no less than three soundtracks competing for that slot and each of them have something to the that I really like. As usual, clips are in their entirety and youtube videos are spoilered. With that, read on!

Ouran High School Host Club
Squaring off for the number 1 spot will be none other than Ouran High School Host Club. When I remember watching the first few episodes of this series, I was completely dazzled by the music. Yoshihisa Hirano’s compositions are really enjoyable in the way they mix various genres of classical music into a really nice package. Sure, if you were super serious about your classical music, you can gripe about how some of the pieces are just too short and Y. Hirano glosses over opportunities to develop the track further, but I was never bothered by these issues. On the whole, Hirano taps into the whole elegant/pretentiousness vibe associated with the Ouran school and its Host Club through tracks like the “Ouran Concerto” and the “Sinfonietta,” which are among many of my favorites. While Haruhi’s stuff is “been there, done that,” Ouran’s soundtrack still remains fresh and enjoyable to this day.

Ouran Concerto for oboe 2 horns violin and string

[See post to listen to audio]

Sinfonietta C-dur

[See post to listen to audio]
Bartender
Bartender is also going to compete for that top spot. You could classify many of the tunes from this soundtrack as being nothing more than elevator music, but it sure is damn good elevator music! Its jazzy soundtrack takes us into the soothing atmosphere of Eden Hall, run by Ryo Sasakura, where one can relax and rejuvenate oneself through his concoctions. The mood that “NO NAME ~Kami no Glass~” sets through its piano and percussion really work alongside the narration in the anime and I’m also drawn in to the calming aura that “CHRISTMAS CHAMPAGNE ~Kiyoshiko” brings to the table with its arrangement of “Silent Night.” The soundtrack as a whole is wonderful and if this is the kind of music you dig, you’ll be in good company with the rest of the music here. I only wish that its composer, Kaoruko Ohtake, would compose more music for anime.

NO NAME ~Kami no Glass~

[See post to listen to audio]

CHRISTMAS CHAMPAGNE ~Kiyoshiko

[See post to listen to audio]
Red Garden
And of course, the last contender would be Red Garden’s soundtrack. I’ve already labeled this a masterpiece, and it’s not hard to see why through its emotional fare coupled with KOKIA’s vocals towards the end. I really do listen to this too much, but that’s fine since it’s still not gotten old and the melodies that I love from it continue to raise the hairs on my neck because of how beautiful they are. Also, I’m too lazy to switch it out with something else and so, it’s an album that seems to have a permanent spot in my car’s CD player.

Sumire ~ You to Tomoni

[See post to listen to audio]
Paprika
So yes, those would be the big three, but there’s something to be said about the huge diversity of stuff that’s made their appearance beyond just the pretty music that I love so much. Satoshi Kon’s Paprika movie also came out in 2006 and the soundtrack, composed by the old standby of Susumu “I ain’t Yui” Hirasawa, took me awhile to get into. It was bizarre listening to the bevy of sounds assault me for the first time, but once I watched the movie, all that cacophony somehow made sense. No, I’m not even going to try to explain it since it’s an experience you’ll have to encounter for yourself. Now, I’ve come to love its depiction of chaos through standbys like “Parade” and “The Girl in Byakkoya – White Tiger Field.” Its style may be jarring to those used to quieter fare, but give this one a few chances and it’ll grow on you pretty quickly.

Parade

[See post to listen to audio]

The Girl in Byakkoya – White Tiger Field

[See post to listen to audio]
Asatte no Houkou
Asatte no Houkou is one underrated gem, both from the music and the anime front. At its core, it’s a story about how two people’s wishes go awry, but along the way, the characters learn to be a bit more empathetic and understanding, resulting in a sweet story all around. The soundtrack by Shinkichi Mitsumune of Rozen Maiden fame also adds to the languishing feel of summer while sticking in a good dose of soft piano drama music to make things roll. The medley that starts the soundtrack covers most of the show’s musical themes and should prime your expectations as to what the rest of the soundtrack delivers upon. It’s delightful. Maybe not to the degree that some of the others are since it’s mood is rather subtle and I’d hardly classify this as being energetic, but I do listen to it quite a bit, most likely because it starts with the letter A and shows up when I scroll through the list of albums to tune into.

Kumikyoku [Asatte no Houkou]

[See post to listen to audio]
Le Chevalier D’Eon
I don’t know how many people have seen Le Chevalier D’Eon, but it certainly was an engaging anime series with its mystery and intrigues that viewers can unravel. Also, conspiracy theorists may find the cultists angle and their goal of controlling Europe’s major powers to be a fascinating bit, especially when names like Robespierre pop up. Michiru Ooshima’s compositions are often overlooked and even if they’re not quite as good as Fullmetal Alchemist or Sora no Woto’s soundtrack, they still demonstrate Ooshima’s ability to depict a European setting. One of my favorite pieces is “Cafe – Paris no Kensou,” which paints a relaxing scene as you sit in a cafe and looking at people walk by the Seine. The other tracks, like “PSALMS” hits the mood rather nicely with those tension-filled melodies that hint at the impending conflict.

Cafe -Paris no Kensou-

[See post to listen to audio]

PSALMS

[See post to listen to audio]
Renkin 3-kyuu Magical? Pokaan
Renkin 3-kyuu Magical? Pokaan is completely silly. I’ve already remarked about its misleading OP theme elsewhere since this series is all about a bunch of girls from a different environment trying to get used to modern-day Japan. The comedy isn’t exactly top-notch, but it does have its moments. The music, composed by Elements Garden’s Noriyasu Agematsu, matches the silliness for the most part, though his “seasonal” tracks using the Magipoka themes are the highlights along with the easygoing character themes. Well, assuming you like laid-back my-pace type music, which fits in with my tastes. So Magipoka wasn’t a particularly great, but its music was enjoyable and the whimsical tracks make for a great listen.

Magipoka Theme – Spring

[See post to listen to audio]

Magipoka Theme – Summer

[See post to listen to audio]

My-Pace Yuuma

[See post to listen to audio]
Yeah, this is a lot of stuff, but it’s no surprise given all the good shows that came out along with the scores which are downright excellent. The OP/ED section is similarly long, so on to Page 2!

Voting Thread

Unjustly or no, J-pop does have a tendency to be viewed as a genre that’s rather homogeneous because there’s very little diversity within the set of works out there. Sturgeon’s Law seems to hold a pretty strong grip, but the folks over at the MAL music club did manage to get a hold of some rather enjoyable tracks out of this supposedly inane genre and I was quite pleased with the selections. So let us take a look at what people thought merited a listen after the jump:

Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z Hen – Kanjite Knight
[See post to listen to audio]
I have no complaints with starting things off with a rock track as a means of preventing the stale air of J-pop from getting too strong of a hold right off the bat. JAM Project and Lazy work together to unleash a torrent of energy that fits right into the whole old-school giant robot genre as they sing with a great deal of PASSION. Very awesome, though with all the picks that we’ve had this week, there are other tracks that catch my fancy just a bit more, but this one is not bad by any stretch.

White Album – Glass no Hana
[See post to listen to audio]
I’m going to say lazy on this one to excuse myself from having to write up something of substance in praise of this track because from the time I wrote this entry until now, my opinions of the song have not changed. (+2)

Macross: Do You Remember Love? – Ai Oboete Imasuka
[See post to listen to audio]
Now to get to the real stuff, starting with a piece that has quite a bit of history behind it though I can’t really claim to like it as much since Mari Ijima’s delivery here doesn’t age quite as well as I had hoped. Mind you, I have no issues with the melody or the way the song is executed; rather, my issues stem from Ijima’s voice in that it doesn’t seem powerful enough to project the sort of emotions that this track is capable of delivering through its poignant melody. Compare this performance to Megumi Nakajima’s version on Macross Frontier to note the differences and to see why I prefer the later version much more than this one.

Top wo Nerae! 2 Diebuster – Groovin’ Magic
[See post to listen to audio]
Oh god, this track is so campy but oh so sweet. Seriously, the “Ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh Oooooh ooh oooh ooooh” part just gets me every time because of how ridiculously catchy it is that I can’t seem to let that out of my mind. ROUND TABLE feat. Nino has always been outstanding with their music, producing excellent tracks like the Chobits OP as well as several EDs for ARIA. And in this performance, they’ve created an incredibly catchy pop piece that manages to win me over with its pacing as well as it’s ability to put a smile on my face through its cheesiness. Needless to say, I love it! (+1)

Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~ – Michishirube
[See post to listen to audio]
I really do like this track because it fits my reserved tendencies. It’s soft and quiet, with an air of subtlety that’s really gentle. I think the piano and acoustic guitar parts in the background along with Yuumao’s rhythmic delivery is what secures this piece as one of my favorites since it allows a feeling of calmness to wash over you while you examine your feelings. Yuumao, in particular, helps in that area by dispensing with the subtle sense of longing well when she sings. A very solid track overall!

Kimikiss ~Pure Rouge~ – Wasurenaide
[See post to listen to audio]
I figured someone would nominate this track since it’s definitely Suara’s strongest performance as she pours forth a large amount of emotion backed by the piano which complements the song nicely. Her delivery is just so beautifully done that one can’t help but be swept away by the music as a whole. Of all the tracks selected this week, this one is my favorite because of how the vocals and the instrumentation just combines together to feel just right, making it an enjoyable track from start to finish. (+2)

Ai Yori Aoshi ~Enishi~ – I do!
[See post to listen to audio]
Of all the tracks selected, I think this one is closest to pure, unadulterated pop. In light of some of the pieces we have at our disposal, this one also comes off as being closest to generic, as nice as it sounds. The singer’s voice is pretty soothing and the chorus part does work as far as being catchy goes. This track is something that I can see myself listening to once in awhile, but it’s not likely to become a mainstay in my audio player.

Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto ~Natsu no Sora~ – Fly Away
[See post to listen to audio]
A victory for diversity in the form of THYME who delivers a track that has an impeccable sort of pacing that makes for a contagious listen because of how you get sucked into the opening chorus section. The electric guitar and THYME’s voice complement each other well throughout the chorus and even if I’m not as thrilled with the main verses, I really do enjoy the way it builds itself back up to the chorus part. In addition to providing variety as far as the week is concerned, this song also has its own internal variety throughout each verse’s execution, which keeps the song engaging and fun. The shift in the key does feel a bit bizarre as you close in towards the end, and I think that’s the tiny dinger that makes this track lose out on points just barely.

Tsukuyomi ~Moon Phase~ – Neko Mimi Mode
[See post to listen to audio]
What. OK, my objective side tells me this should not get any points at all, but how can I not? It’s so moeeeee that I’m going to die from the sheer cuteness overload. No, I have not seen Tsukiyomi Moon Phase, so I’ll have to picture this in mind with Chiwa Saito’s other characters: namely Rebecca Miyamoto. Seeing Miyamoto-sensei put on cat ears while indignantly saying those lines in the song just conjures up imagery that’s just far too hilarious that I can’t stop laughing in delight. It becomes even more adorable when she starts making those cat noises which grab at your attention and make you go “dawwwww,” a feeling that gets enhanced when she makes that pouting, whining noise. I gotta give it to this track for being able to keep me entertained… and for getting into my head. I can’t stop putting this song on repeat! I’m in DESPAIR!!! (+1)

Code Geass R2 – Masquerade
[See post to listen to audio]
I’m apparently not quite as knowledgeable about this artist, but I can say that this track doesn’t catch my attention at all. There’s a sort of airiness that I really don’t dig and the Gothic feel that this song pushes forth doesn’t really sit well with me unlike Ali Project’s Rozen Maiden fare. I just don’t like Hitomi’s delivery. Sorry.

So there you have it! My point distribution can be found below. Week 6’s theme will be based on traveling, 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) White Album – Glass no Hana
(+2) Kimikiss ~Pure Rouge~ – Wasurenaide
(+1) Top wo Nerae! 2 Diebuster – Groovin’ Magic
(+1) Tsukuyomi ~Moon Phase~ – Neko Mimi Mode