It took me the better part of the year to get all the way to 2009, but getting that chance to revisit all the music from shows that I’ve watched and those that I only know of through the music feels like a long, but rewarding journey. I’ll express more of that joy and nostalgia in an afterthoughts post consisting of what I’ve learned, new stuff to check out, etc; this one is reserved solely for 2009′s shows, the year that brought us the divisive, but popular K-ON!, an end to the enthralling Kara no Kyoukai movies, and, of course, the excitement and mystery embodied in Eden of the East. Musically, this year saw names like Masaru Yokoyama and Akihiko Matsumoto put their stamp down while video game composers I’ve enjoyed have made ventures into the realm of anime music. There’s a lot to talk about, that’s for sure.

So as usual, full clips are delivered here, Youtube ones are spoilered. I’ll be cheating a bit and linking to reviews when warranted to save time else I’ll be repeating myself a bit too much. Beyond that, just sit back, and enjoy the bevy of tunes from the recent past!

Queen’s Blade
Let’s start with a surprise. Yes, Queen’s Blade’s reputation has preceded it because of the multitude of T&A on display in every episode. It’s understandable why that might make Queen’s Blade so off-putting for many, but there’s a not insignificant number of writers who can vouch that underneath the fanservice is a solid story. And though I can’t personally vouch for the show’s content, I can vouch for its music. Masaru Yokoyama’s contributions to the soundtrack have been solid, and I’d definitely put his name on my radar since he looks like to be a very strong up-and-coming anime composer. I especially like the way the main theme for the series turned out. The first does have a strong, adventurous spirit behind it in the vein of the type of music you’d expect out of medieval fantasy epics while the second conveys the end of a long, victorious, heroic journey.

Main Theme A

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Main Theme B

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Guin Saga
And while we’re dwelling on fantasy epics, Guin Saga certainly fits the bill given its roots as a series of fantasy novels penned by Kaoru Kurimoto that served as a major influence in Kentaro Miura’s work on the popular Berserk manga. From all the reports I got, the Guin Saga anime is found wanting, and that’s not too much of a surprise since adapting a 100+ volume novel series into 26 episodes and expect some sort of finality is sheer folly even in the best circumstances. I did catch bits of it early on and that was mostly because of Nobuo Uematsu’s involvement with the score. If you’ve listened through the Final Fantasy series where Uematsu serves as the composer, Guin Saga’s music should sound familiar since his style from the FF games does carry over to the anime. “Grand Opening – The Thread of Fate” draws forth the anime’s epic scope and makes for an appropriate opener for the soundtrack. The entire “Mongaul Suite” is also worth giving a listen, but of the four tracks that comprise the suite, it’s the “2nd Movement (Sortie)” that reminds me the most of Uematsu’s FF scores somehow.

Grand Opening – The Thread of Fate

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Mongaul Suite – 2nd Movement (Sortie)

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Kemono no Souja Erin
Here, we have another fantasy anime. This one isn’t as action-oriented, but from all the screenshots and summaries that I’ve seen and read, the story looks to be compelling, filled with plenty of drama brought about by solid writing. The setting is also one of its other strengths. If you’ll recall the review I wrote of Kemono no Souja Erin’s soundtrack, one of the points I made was that composer Masayuki Sakamoto brings out the “long time ago in a fantasy world different from our own” tones through good use of traditional instruments, evidenced in tracks like “Kodai no Kamigami” and “Ashita,” with its upbeat flute melody.

Kodai no Kamigami

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Ashita

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Bounen no Xam’d
You really can’t go wrong with Michiru Ooshima since the orchestral delights that she’s been serving up continue to persist along with the addition of a vocal work from the chorus that sounds suspiciously like the one used to sing FMA’s “Brothers.” It’s a series packed with action, making it a good match with Ooshima’s musical tendencies and I really hope that I can find the time to actually watch the whole thing since I’ve heard nothing but good reports flying in (well, except for the ending).

堕夢人のテーマ～現に一添えの想い～

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Kara no Kyoukai
Kara no Kyoukai’s atmosphere is downright heavy. There’s just so much darkness enshrouding the characters and setting that it’s a big part of why the movies are so immersive. And when it comes to sculpting that dark atmosphere, I can think of very few composers who can match the outstanding work that Yuki Kajiura has done. The tracks in the first movie are the most memorable ones and I wish I could give them names other than the generic tags like “M01″ which draws forth the mystical, haunting aura of the setup through Kalafina (who perform some excellent theme songs which I’ll cover later) or “M12+13′s” discordant opening that takes us into a heavy rhythmic section before dispensing with an utterly glorious section that combines grace and power in one awesome package.

M01

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M12+M13

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Tatakau Shisho: The Book of Bantorra
While I did not watch this show, the reports from people who have been watching suggest that it gets better and it all ties together rather well, which means patience is the key to enjoying this one. And while you’re trying to make out all of the religious/mythological elements or whatever it is this show throws at you, hopefully you do pay attention to Yoshihisa Hirano’s score. Of all the anime composers that come to mind, Hirano is probably one of the few who works the most in the classical style with his channeling of Mozart in Ouran High School Host Club and Orff in Death Note. I’m not quite able to identify the composer whose influence Hirano works off of in Bantorra (though Orff might not be a bad bet), but the work he does is compelling if you enjoy the heavy dose of ominous choral pieces that he scatters in this score.

Magic

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Antagonism

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Umi Monogatari
What is a Ken Muramatsu soundtrack that doesn’t carry the relaxing tones that he’s used from his previous works? If you’re going into Umi Monogatari expecting anything new from him, there really isn’t much to speak of. His music is still soothing as he, once again, employs that combination of traditional Japanese music with the light jazz that dominates his earlier works. It’s still a good listen, though the same can’t be said for the anime series, which didn’t really have that solid of an execution because one character in particular wasn’t too sympathetic. Good for doing homework since it blends right in without being distracting, yet still holds up even if you do focus on the music.

Eikyuu no Nagisa ~a dream in beach~ (Umi Monogatari Theme) – Shinrabanshou

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

“Teidanuhikyari” (Shima Uta) – Aragaenu mono

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class
I’ve always been partial to slice of life music with an upbeat tone to it, and I suppose that’s a major reason why GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class’s soundtrack jibes with me so well. Its music stirs you with its energy that pushes you to expand your horizons by consuming a broad swath of enriching experiences and accumulate a storehouse’s worth of insights to help you think outside the boundaries of what you thought was possible. The characters’ approach to art lessons has an irresistible amount of gusto, captured in tracks like “GA ~ art design class.” Yes, I’m aware that this soundtrack isn’t for everyone, but it meshes well with my outlook, and so, it’s one that I’ll put on whenever I need that extra bit of energy to see me through whatever it is I’m doing.

GA ~ art design class

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

So many minds

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Summer Wars
The fantastic adventure that Summer Wars brings to light is captured through Akihiko Matsumoto’s score, which combines glorious orchestral pieces along with heavier synth tracks in its depiction of the virtual world. As I commented in my review of the Summer Wars soundtrack, it does tend towards experimental music in the middle, making it less appealing to me since the tracks that I enjoyed the most were the orchestral tracks. That said, “Kasou Toshi Oz” certainly has its place since it unveils the bustling virtual world bit by bit, and the alarm-y nature of the track feels like a wonder revelation. Still, nothing beats the excitement that the “Overture” summons. Listening to that, you feel like you’re about to embark upon a grand adventure of a lifetime!

Kasou Toshi Oz

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Overture to the Summer Wars

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Aoi Hana
This yuri anime offers up Takefumi Haketa and with that, a clear sign of what to expect: good melodies that have this tendency to reuse 2-3 thematic components. In Aoi Hana’s soundtrack, he doesn’t abuse this to the extent that he does with Someday’s Dreamer’s soundtrack, but it’s worth mentioning for people who are looking for greater melodic differentiation within a disc. For the rest of us who enjoy sweet orchestral and/or piano airs, this is a wonderful soundtrack to relax to.

Komorebi wo Kakeorite

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Date

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That was more than what I meant to cover and is indicative of how much my anime viewing habits along with my penchant for musical delving has come. But it’s not quite over yet! So take up that last remaining storehouse of energy and let’s rip through the OP/ED/Insert songs on page 2!

Track List:

[[Visit blog to check out this spoiler]]

Review: Listening to Kemono no Souja Erin’s soundtrack was a bit of a dissonant experience and not in the musical term so much as in the way the tracks didn’t fit together neatly. This seeming lack of consistency in the themes might be because I’ve never seen the series, and so, my preconceptions are far off the mark. Based on a description of Kemono no Souja Erin’s plot, I had expected a soundtrack that sculpts the show’s fantasy setting similar to how Kenji Kawai’s compositions did so for Seirei no Moribito. While it’d be unfair to say that this soundtrack fails in this endeavor because most of the tracks on here are solid in their ability to immerse the listener into Erin’s setting, it’s the niggling details like the electric guitar tracks that just don’t feel appropriate or the few boring, atmospheric tracks that cycle their dull tones through twice without receiving any development that drag this otherwise enjoyable soundtrack down.

Maybe my expectations are just a little high since the first few tracks were so promising in the way they transport you into a whole different world. Masayuki Sakamoto succeeds in doing this through traditional instruments and a lively recorder to bring this fantasy world to life. For example, the opening track, “Kodai no Kamigami,” uses various Japanese stringed instruments to place the listener in a mythical, feudal society filled with activity as one can imagine a royal procession moving in a stately manner through the crowded city streets. A few tracks later, “Ashita” departs from the urban setting through a whimsical recorder part that plays a joyful, upbeat melody containing the essence of a wonderful pastoral setting. And as you approach the end, there is “Ginyuu Gakudan” which uses a lively Celtic melody to make for a good change of pace while reinforcing Erin’s setting even if it’s slightly repetitive.

Kodai no Kamigami
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Ashita
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Ginyuu Gakudan
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
The piano pieces scattered throughout are also solid, especially in their depiction of the show’s emotional scenes. I’m especially fond of “Ai,” which uses a soft melody to create a feeling of the warmth derived through love that just washes over the listener subtly. “Erin no Kouki Shin” is also unforgettable since its theme forms the core of many other tracks, and even then, it’s easy to be entranced by how it channels serenity and childhood innocence through its light melody. Some of the more serious moments are also covered as in “Hisou,” which is slow and ponderous, as it depicts an epic struggle, adding variety to the soundtrack’s emotional content.

Ai
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Erin no Kouki Shin
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A few ambient pieces also make their rounds and while I’m not a huge fan of purely atmospheric music, such pieces are tolerable if used in moderation as they are here. Those who’ve listened to the Natsume Yuujinchou soundtrack and enjoyed the odd tracks will feel right at home with “Touhebi” which sounds heavy and unwieldy, combining a bass and electric guitar sound effects to leave one feeling a bit uneasy in the environs through the random sound effects which can be heard when this piece is being played. Unfortunately, not all of them are this interesting since tracks like “Shinen” is more par for the course by simply being boring and unengaging as it repeats itself without really going anywhere. Still, this issue doesn’t come up all too often to really notice.

Touhebi
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Shinen
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But what is noticeable are the pieces that employ the heavy use of the electric guitar. Now, I’m not opposed to electric guitar when it works, is appropriate, and done well, like in NEEDLESS’s soundtrack. But given what I know about Kemono no Souja Erin, the electric guitars are a total mismatch with the show’s mood. For example, “Shuugeki” brings forth a sense of intensity through the rhythm and grim melody which would be perfectly fine if this were depicting a war between nature versus technology, but otherwise, it feels out of place. “Sentou” is also just a bit too repetitive with its melody for me to appreciate its attempt to create tension. If either of these pieces had more oomph to them, they’d be more easily enjoyable, but neither are particularly compelling.

Shuugeki
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
In spite of this concern, Kemono no Souja Erin’s soundtrack is solid as far as music goes. Compared to other anime soundtracks though, consistency isn’t its strong point and while the good pieces are really good, the dull, repetitive tracks come up often enough to make listening to this album straight through an annoyance. Because of this, it’s better to simply cherry-pick one’s way through this album and create a playlist containing all the good tracks while leaving the others for the very occasional listen.

Rating: Good