In case you’re here to only listen to the soundclips and not read any of the text, below is the master list of all the pieces featured in this profile entry in order. It’ll save time if you don’t want to have to click through each and every track.

Master List
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Biography:
Of all the anime composers who’ve crossed our paths, none is more draped with an aura of mystery than Yoko Kanno. Despite having composed so much anime music (last count was somewhere around 32 series and movies, including OP and ED themes), not much is known about her aside from a brief glimpse here and there from what other artists and directors tell us. The way in which she conducts herself is best described as eccentric, with a sprightly personality similar to Ed’s from Cowboy Bebop and a tendency to hide her singing prowess by denying that she indeed Gabriela Robin, but there’s no denying the effects her works have had upon audiences.

Born on March 19, 1964, Yoko Kanno grew up with music. She started piano when she was very young and, growing up, won many awards and competitions on the instrument. Kanno also had an ear for composing from an early age; amongst her earliest compositions are a song she wrote for a boy she liked in middle school. Despite her interest in music and composition in general, she had aspirations to be a novelist and went to college to study Japanese literature. Setting her priorities straight, she dropped out after just one week to pursue a career in music. After taking up the keyboard, she made her professional musical debut as the keyboardist for the band TESTU100%. From there, she gained momentum and recognition for her work with the group, and began to receive offers to compose for commercials and video games.

Kanno’s first foray into the anime music scene was in arranging the ending theme for Studio Ghibli’s Porco Rosso. Her first real task as an anime composer was for Production I.G.’s Please Save My Earth in 1994, where many of her compositions were performed by Akino Arai. Though it still hadn’t established Kanno as a standalone soundtrack composer, it did leave audiences with Kanno’s memorable theme “Memory of Time,” which would get a poignant instrumental treatment in “The Eternal Spiral.” Furthermore, it was through this soundtrack that Kanno would be acquainted with fellow composer and to-be husband Hajime Mizoguchi, with whom she’d collaborate with in future works.

Please Save My Earth – The Eternal Spiral

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It wouldn’t be until the Macross Plus OVA that Kanno would work on a soundtrack by herself and where she would really enter the mainstream fan’s awareness. Macross Plus’s score saw such gems as the patriotically uplifting fanfare in “National Anthem of MACROSS” as well as the serene and introspective “MYUNG Theme,” parts of which seemed like a natural outgrowth of the music she did for Please Save My Earth and would undoubtedly influence her momentous score for Escaflowne.

Macross Plus – MYUNG Theme

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Kanno went on to score the first “episode” titled Magnetic Rose of the 1996 three-part film Memories. To match the serious, intense tone of Magnetic Rose, Kanno drew deeply from the opera canon for inspiration and arrangement, resulting in tracks such as “End” as well as her spin on Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini’s Madame Butterfly and Tosca. But as far as 1996 goes, Magnetic Rose would be almost insignificant. At least, next to a veritable giant of an anime series which aired during the same year.

Magnetic Rose – End

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Escaflowne, released in 1996, was a landmark work for Kanno in a number of ways. First, it marked Kanno’s first joint effort with Maaya Sakamoto, a budding artist with whom she would find herself working with on many future projects. Secondly, she would team up with Hajime Mizoguchi once more. This time, however, she’d be much more involved than in Please Save My Earth. Escaflowne’s score is noted for its eclectic genres, encompassing classical, contemporary/experimental, and even Gregorian-styled chanting. Kanno would compose the bulk of it, bringing forth such memorable themes as “Dance of Curse” and the enchanting “Angel,” though Mizoguchi arguably stole the show in composing the uplifting “Gloria.” Still, the two composers’ works blended well, and Escaflowne’s score continues to be highly regarded as being among the finest original soundtracks of its time.

Escaflowne – Angel

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While working on Escaflowne, Kanno also contributed small parts for other shows around this time, including bits and pieces of X Clamp Characters File and the ED for Clamp School Detectives. She also collaborated with Production I.G. on the short film Noiseman Sound Insect in 1998. The ED in particular, is noteworthy, featuring vocals by a budding Crystal Kay Williams, who would go on to perform in more prominent anime down the line.

But 1998 offered more than just a long-forgotten I.G. film. It was a big year for Kanno, where heavy hitters like the opening themes for Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight and Cardcaptor Sakura landed on her list of projects. A return to the Macross franchise also followed, with the sweeping “Angel Voice” for Macross Dynamite 7. And, of course, there was Sunrise’s Brain Powerd, which allowed Kanno to flex her orchestral muscles and deliver a score noted for its majesty and scope.

Brain Powerd’s subtle, complex orchestrations and creative flourishes impressed listeners. Though the show itself received mixed reviews and was not a huge success, the OST had lasting value. “Power of the Light” was one of the highlights, shocking us with Kanno’s ability to compose something so complex and intricate without formal training. The song moves at breakneck speed and is reminiscent of certain ultra-modern wind ensemble pieces, driving towards a soft, emotional ending. This is regarded as one of Kanno’s most underrated works; most blame the less-than-stellar show for casting a shadow on her excellent score.

Brain Powerd – Power of the Light

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But nothing – and we mean nothing – could compare to the juggernaut anime of 1998, which was none other than Cowboy Bebop and was arguably the greatest and most far-reaching of Kanno’s work thus far. The soundtrack for this watershed series rocketed Kanno to near super-stardom in the anime community. Never before was a composer so crucially and lovingly associated with an anime series’ success; nary a review of Bebop failed to mention the jazz-inspired soundtrack as a major factor of the show’s quality. From the opener “Tank!” to the insert songs to the ED “The Real Folk Blues,” the sheer audacity and effectiveness in the OST’s execution left many (especially Aftershok) in awe.

What was particularly notable about this soundtrack was its reach. People who had never seen the show or even heard of anime found themselves enamored of the energy and mood of the songs Kanno composed. In terms of worldwide success and universal appeal, few composers matched the feat that Kanno accomplished through Cowboy Bebop.

Cowboy Bebop – Tank!

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Kanno would return to Bebop once more for its sophomore run in the feature film Cowboy Bebop: Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door. Though still strongly rooted in jazz, Heaven’s Door’s soundtrack leaned more toward vocal pieces and had a more rock-inspired feel. It’s generally regarded as an excellent complement to the show’s OST, which centered more around instrumental big-band arrangements.

Cowboy Bebop: Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door – Ask DNA

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Riding that wave of success, she returned to mecha by becoming yet another successful Gundam franchise composer by scoring the ∀ (Turn A) Gundam soundtrack. Of the tracks that shined, none stood out more than the “Memory of Military Boots,” a glorious theme that reminded us of why she’s often compared favorably to John Williams. On the flip side, she also delivered the poignancy and introspective feel through the “Moon” theme which imparted a wonderful sense of lightness unto the listener. As a plus, “Moon” is performed by Gabriela Robin, or Kanno herself, as we’d prefer to call it, demonstrating her range of expression. Although the soundtrack does contain some tribal-like chants (your mileage may vary), it’s the orchestral tracks that once again, show what Kanno’s capable of.

∀ Gundam – Memory of Military Boots

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All of these successes gave her more room to experiment, allowing Kanno to gladly take the plunge with Earth Girl Arjuna, where she delivers her interesting take on Indian music through a more modern lens. This was most evident in the second track, “Awakening” which included some really weird chanting with electric guitars backing it up. The sense of drama still existed, but in terms of it being conventional it most certainly wasn’t. Overall, traditionalists will be drawn in by the whimsical, outworldly tracks like “Clóe,” while some of the more chant-heavy songs fused with those Indian influences will appeal to those looking for something different. It’s more experimental than most of her works and so, the ability to tolerate this eclectic brew of chants, guitar distortions, and whimsy will lie at the core of whether you’ll enjoy the experience or not.

Earth Girl Arjuna – Clóe

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The experimentation continued in Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex where Kanno dabbled in more modern genres, most notably, techno, trance, and harder-edged rock. Kanno’s goal was to bring a human charm to Ghost in the Shell’s cybernetic/robotic world and she largely succeeded. Whatever impressions one may have about the CG opening, there’s no doubt that the ethereal OP song, titled “Inner Universe” and sung by Origa, made for a solid entry that immersed the viewer in this mechanical future while other tracks like the spine-tingling “Torukia” expanded the scope of what it means to be human through its vocals, which moved from a tribal chant to a full-blown chorus.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex – Torukia

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In Wolf’s Rain, Yoko Kanno made a return to the orchestra as her medium of choice for bringing out the moments of tenderness and euphoria while also conveying the awesome scope of the journey the characters undertake through sweeping orchestral classics like “Shiro, Long Tails” and “My Little Flower.” But in keeping with her idiom, she continues to explore other musical genres and her explorations yield plenty, fusing the soundtrack with a Latin flavor while scattering about some New Age guitar music, and tribal flutes and rhythms.

Wolf’s Rain – My Little Flower

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Next up was Kawamori’s Sousei no Aquarion, a show with some of the silliest pilot combining sequences ever. Nevertheless, the soundtrack was anything but silly as it featured some hard-hitting tracks that are among Kanno’s best. Once again, the orchestral pieces formed much of the album’s base, but, while the mixture of piano, strings, and orchestra continue to shine, the choral works, which haven’t been featured as prominently in Kanno’s scores since Escaflowne, made a triumphant return, lending an air of majesty to the mecha fights that took place. Of all the orchestral pieces that appeared in the soundtrack, nothing shone quite like “First Love Final Love,” a piece that incorporated orchestra and chorus into such a glorious combination that it may very well be the best finale piece that Kanno had ever written.

Sousei no Aquarion – First Love, Final Love

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In contrast to the highly-praised orchestral portion, her stylistic exploration in Aquarion is much more mixed, with very prominent electronica and heavily distorted synth tracks. Of those, none have really stood (to us at least) as being particularly memorable and play second fiddle to the soundtrack’s orchestral backbone.

Her Darker than Black score was another instance where Kanno’s experiments in other genres met with mixed reactions. Stylistically, half of the music was improvisational jazz with a Spanish or Latin flavor. “Highheel Runway,” for example, could very well be a lively Brazilian bossa. Unfortunately the atmospheric nature of improv didn’t give the tracks any direction. While the jazzy rhythms DtB utilized are nostalgic of Cowboy Bebop, there is no clincher track with the attention-grabbing ability that “Tank!” had. However, what truly brings the album down (in a few eyes) is the rock music which made up the other half of the album. “Outside,” the most notable of these, contains an electric guitar that screams aimlessly, to the listener’s chagrin, throughout the track. All in all, the grungy sound became such a messy affair that the rock tracks are better avoided.

Darker Than Black – Highheel Runaway

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In spite of her mixed record with DtB, Kanno made a triumphant return in her soundtrack for Macross Frontier, which recaptured the commanding orchestral sound that has endeared her to many. Here she borrowed stylistically from many Western film composers (especially the intensity of Hans Zimmer and the majesty of John Williams). She even pays tribute to the former, quoting Pirates of the Caribbean (or Gladiator if you prefer) in “Tally Ho!” Nevertheless, the pieces are clearly her own as she skillfully drew on the power and versatility of an orchestra. Very few anime can boast a soundtrack with pieces like “Take Off” which recreated the epic nature of, well, a take-off. Nor have I heard another composer beside Hisaishi utilize an entire ensemble to create a playful atmosphere like that in “Test Flight Delight”. Macross Frontier truly delivered an enthralling experience all around, demonstrating Kanno’s remarkable skill and ingenuity.

Macross Frontier – TALLY HO!

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No Kanno discussion would be complete without a mention of all the pop music she’s composed either. The most iconic of her works probably are the ones performed by Maaya Sakamoto and, more recently, May’n. As we said above, Kanno’s collaboration with Sakamoto dated all the way back to 1996, with the single Yakusoku Wa Iranai for Escaflowne. Sakamoto’s gentle voice lent itself excellently to many of Kanno’s works, with the most memorable ones including “Gravity” from Wolf’s Rain and “Hemisphere” from Rahxephon. “Gravity” is especially poignant, with a sense of uncertainty brought about by Sakamoto’s expression and the repetitive piano chord drumming out the despairing monotonicity of it all. One cannot do justice to the song with words; it’s a song that achieves the rare feat of reaching directly into the listeners’ hearts through the composition and performance which convey the emotions that come from the artists’ themselves.

Wolfs Rain – Gravity

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While Sakamoto brings out the more relaxing and introspective feel of Kanno’s works, May’n shines in the pop-rock pieces. With a rather thin and reedy voice, May’n shines in faster tracks like “Nothern Cross” and “Lion,” where one can feel her passion pulsing through (and even more so during her outstanding live performances). While lacking the ability to age as well as works of Sakamoto, it does rank rather high on the enjoyment factor, if one is not bothered by the thin quality of May’n voice.

Macross Frontier – Lion

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And for a quick assessment of how her works have gone, check out page 2 where you get a breakdown by each staff member’s thoughts.

Tracklist

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Review: Director Junichi Sato’s record with quality anime is mixed, but the common thread that runs through all of his titles is wonderful music. If you’ve read any of his interviews, you’ll notice that he places music upon a high pedestal, thinking, correctly, that it plays a major role in immersing the audience into the anime. This is especially true when he directs iyashikei anime, with its calming, character-centric focus, and healing touch that always hovers about. This wondrous interweaving of healing and music is exemplified most brilliantly in his work on ARIA and its celebrated soundtrack and is demonstrated once more in Tamayura. As Tamayura’s story is smaller in its scope than ARIA’s, so goes its soundtrack. But that smaller scale does not mean a diminishment of quality as its music shines as an example of a simple, yet effective soundtrack.

The theme Tamayura focuses upon is in preserving precious memories, with an emphasis on a girl’s love of photography. This concept leaks over to the soundtrack, which brims with the nostalgia one gets from seeing an old snapshot, taking memories once thought to be forgotten, and unveiling them where they regain their clarity and form once more. “Introduction” depicts this process through its murmuring piano phrases that slowly reveal the crystalline facets of the past until the full radiance of one’s childhood joys are lit and restored by the process of recollection.

Introduction

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As the memories take form, “Tamayura ~ Main Theme” comes in with its twinkling piano introduction and ushers me forward with its sunny disposition. The measured steps amble along with a hop and a skip through a structure far from complicated, but nevertheless gets me into the proper mindset by conveying the characters’ eagerness and joy along with a dab of curiosity as they explore the world around them. This piece, so subdued in its softness and lightness, succeeds in capturing the show’s serendipitous, heartfelt nature as it invites me to share in the characters’ discoveries and moments of happiness.

Tamayura ~ Main Theme

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The pleasure that the characters derive from their short journeys is reinforced through tracks like “Maigeru Kimochi” and “Kuresen ni Notte” which bring out their zest for life in similar ways. “Maigeru Kimochi” waltzes with whimsical abandon through a bright and cheery piano melody to establish an atmosphere rolling with delight. This mood is heightened further by the oboe in the second half which exults in the characters’ light, boundless spirit. Augmenting that is “Kuresan ni Notte,” a track that is more sprightly because its staccato melody skips along enthusiastically, but it knows when to slow down to cultivate the rustic setting through the bandoneon’s folksy sound.

Maigeru Kimochi

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“Kuresan ni Notte

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When it moves away from the joys that come from days spent romping around with friends, Tamayura’s soundtrack grows more introspective, focusing upon the characters’ hopes as predominantly piano pieces like “Akogare” nudge them gently forwards. As I listen to that track, the image conjured is of the characters making steady progress towards their goals. Its tone is confident, carrying with it a certainty in the passions the characters wish to pursue. This effort culminates in the serenity that “Mirai no Jibun e” radiates. Its piano melody starts slow to depict the characters’ slight hesitation, but the piece sheds that hesitation, growing stronger ever so slowly until the strings resound with the sound of success. The way “Mirai no Jibun e” ends is inspiring, filled with optimism and euphoria, and is uplifting through this expression of hope and joy.

Akogare

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Mirai no Jibun e

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Through its slow-paced fare delivered by a mix of piano, acoustic guitar, and strings, Tamayura is yet another strong entry in a long line of wonderful iyashikei anime soundtracks. The music is soft and serene, with a nostalgic air that collects memories thought to be fleeting and exposes them to full view where they can blossom and be cherished once more. It’s altogether fitting for a show centering upon a snapshot of a little girl’s life.

Rating: Very Good

Review: If there was any doubt, Maaya Sakamoto shows through Down Town / Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta Nara that she’s still got the vocal chops to deliver some fantastic covers of songs released in the 1970s. “Down Town,” in particular, is an absolute delight from the get-go. The instrumentals, with the bass, an animated brass section, and the sprightly piano backing up Maaya Sakamoto’s expressive vocals all combine to weave an upbeat, carefree atmosphere that evokes the razzle dazzle of the metropolis’s titular area and in so doing, brings forth a track that tops out my list of favorite OP/EDs for this Fall season.

As you can probably infer from the above, all of “Down Town’s” components work well to bring out the fun and excitement that flow out from its depiction of the city’s entertainment district. The nightlife comes alive through Sakamoto’s delivery: her tones are a mixture of calm and cool and are enticing enough that it would get me to to explore the jazz clubs that dot every block and every street corner cafe on account of the latent energy that bubbles forth from her. The subtler elements that arranger Takayuki Hattori tosses into the picture, from the whimsical three-note piano sequence during the chorus to the intermittent car horns, only add to the fun while the song’s faults, like the repetitious lyrics, is overcome by the jazzy instrumentals and the light vocals. The pull that “Down Town” exerts upon me is irresistible: just leave my regards to the humdrum of Main Street as I head off to Broadway!

“Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta Nara” doesn’t make for a great transition since it’s a 180-degree turn from “Down Town,” with a rhythm that departs towards the slower-pace of the country. The acoustic guitar duo of Depapepe, who’ve done some excellent music for Honey and Clover II, play the soft, relaxing accompaniment while Maaya Sakamoto’s soothing vocals are reminiscent of Natsumi Kiyoura’s performance of “Kaze Sagashi” from Sketchbook ~full color’S~. That is, both pieces convey a laid-back, rustic aura conjured through the guitars while the vocalists’ heartfelt delivery succeed in enveloping me with their warmth. In Sakamoto’s case, it gets me to buy into Tamayura’s youthful vibe as it reinforces the message of cherishing the dreams and wonderful memories of one’s childhood, pointless though they may appear to be.

The album wraps up with “Kanashikute Yarikirenai” which takes you into a quieter setting. While all three tracks exude nostalgia, “Kanashikute Yarikirenai’s” sounds much more forlorn. A melancholy air hovers about it as the blues vibe coming from Sakamoto’s longing tones and the bass and piano’s slow tempo draw me into the song’s expression of sadness and loneliness wonderfully. Even if wistfulness and regret are the last thoughts that this album leaves us with, it’s nevertheless a poignant way to go.

It never hurts to do covers of tried and true songs, especially when they still have the staying power that all three songs on this on this album possess. Also, it doesn’t hurt to have competent singers like Maaya Sakamoto take the reins. For her part, Sakamoto continues to demonstrate why she remains one of my favorite seiyuu vocalists by using her voice to bring out the pizazz or evoke the upbeat, tranquil aura of the countryside in the openings to Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru and Tamayura respectively. They might not eclipse some of her earlier works, but out of all the OP/EDs I’ve listened to this season, they stand out as being my two favorites.

Rating: Very Good

Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru OP – Down Town

Tamayura OP -Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta Nara

2003 brings back a lot of fond memories since that was the year that my interest in the medium was rekindled after going on a one-year hiatus. By that time, I had completely settled into my new environment, made quite a few friends, and more importantly, I had a sense of direction. That peace of mind helped free up more time and through a friend, I was compelled to give anime another shot since a lot of good shows were airing, some of which would end up on my all-time favorites list. It would be an overstatement to call this period an anime renaissance, but at the time, it sure felt that way to me.

Note: Youtube videos are spoilered, clips contain the entire track, and with that, let’s go!

Anyone who has known me for any significant length of time will know that if given the opportunity, I can babble on and on about how awesome Gunslinger Girl is. And how could I not? Everything about the show caught my attention straight away, from the crisp, detailed art and animation to the plot, and it effectively brought me back into the fold and held me there but good.

But the music… Gunslinger Girl’s soundtrack was an utterly beautiful piece of work that I would not hesitate in putting in a top 10 soundtracks list if I ever decided to sit down and take the time to cobble one together. Toshihiko Sahashi really outdid himself with the classical-style melodies that conveyed the action and the setting wonderfully. The “TEMA’s” are pretty much the foundation that the soundtrack is crafted behind, and I love “TEMA I’s” melancholy violin melody the best out of them all though “TEMA IV’s” intensity will always be a favorite too since it does a good job of bringing on the action. Concentrating on the themes alone would mean missing out on a lot of other excellent pieces such as “Bucolica” and “Ti Amo” which depict the characters’ day to day life in the European perfectly allowing you to immerse yourself in the setting.

TEMA I
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bucolica
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And lest I forget, the OP, “Light Before We Land,” also had the effect of tuning me into the Delgados, and I really like the music from their Hate album.

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The only other show that could hold a candle to Gunslinger Girl was Full Metal Alchemist, which kept me in rapt attention with its ambitious plot and enjoyable cast of characters. It also served as my introduction to Michiru Ooshima’s works which, as I’ve commented before, tends to be fairly consistent from anime to anime. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a bad soundtrack from her ever. She just captures the drama and action so well.

Whether it’s the novelty factor of hearing Ooshima for the first time or the nostalgia factor surrounding FMA, I don’t know, but I’m still tempted to call this her best soundtrack to date. The action sounds have the required level of intensity so that you can feel the sense of urgency floating about, but the drama inherent in the tragedies that the brothers Elric are forced to endure is conveyed most poignantly through “Brothers.” “Kiro” is also memorable in the way in which the scope of the series is brought to light by giving the listener a taste of the show’s ambition through the militaristic beats and the grand, epic orchestral pieces. That people lament the lack of Ooshima in the latest rendition of the FMA saga just goes to show just how strongly people linked her music to the series. Akira Senju’s compositions are good enough, but without “Brothers,” something still feels missing.

Kiro
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Brothers
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Since we’re on the subject of grand adventures, how about some Last Exile? That show had quite a bit of that, didn’t it? But while the militaristic tracks like “Chivalry Spirits” are fine in my book, the compositions from the show that stand out the most are the ones that evoke the feeling you get as you look upon the the rustic, Irish countryside through the mixture of accordion, guitars, violins, and woodwinds that this soundtrack is filled with. For that matter, it’s the Irish inflections in the sound that helps differentiate this album beyond your typical adventuring anime soundtrack and so, I prefer tracks such as “Morning in Norkia” and “Workin’ on the Cloud.” Also, Hitomi Kuroishi’s singing isn’t my cup of tea, so I’ll give her vocal tracks a pass when I listen to the soundtrack.

Workin’ on the Cloud
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Chivalry Spirits
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That adventuresome theme also means we turn towards Wolf’s Rain, where Kanno’s eclectic mix of Latin rhythms and orchestral works make for an enjoyable listen overall. As you can probably guess, I have a stronger bias in favor of her orchestral compositions, and so, “Shiro Long Tails” will always earn a firm nod for its memorable, melancholy melody. But also, let us not forget Maaya Sakamoto’s performance in “Gravity,” which should get some sort of award for being one of the most poignant ending themes ever. I mean, it’s survived this long and has been a fan favorite since it came out in 2003.

Shiro Long Tails
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Chrono Crusade was also a show worth mentioning because it was my first exposure to Hikaru Nanase’s works. Her dark, gothic melodies earn a thumbs up from me, some of the sillier Rosette-oriented tracks are a bit annoying, only because one is an arrangement of the other and only a careful listen will really allow you to differentiate them. Still, the standouts are the OP, “Tsubasa wa Pleasure Line” sung by Minami Kuribayashi and the ED, “Sayonara Solitaire” composed by Yuki Kajiura and sung by Saeko Chiba.

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Chrono Crusade might be one of Gonzo’s more underrated works. At least, I hardly see ever hear people discussing this show. All suspicions for this lack of discussion seem to center upon a mysterious organization known only as the Cult of the New.

And while we talk about shows that hardly ever get mentioned, I don’t see Scrapped Princess getting much love either. The few words that I can use to describe this is that for all intents and purposes, Scrapped Princess was a JRPG that was turned into an anime (Utawarerumono is a more egregious example of this). Also composed by Hikaru Nanase, I can’t claim to remember a thing from the soundtrack, and so, I must present you with the OP, “Little Wing,” since you can never go wrong with JAM Project.

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To shift gears a bit, maybe someone can update me on what’s going on with Mikuni Shimokawa. I was first aware of her when I watched Full Metal Panic, but it was in the Fumoffu spinoff that I really appreciated her singing a whole lot more. During 2003 and for many years thereafter, “Sore Ga Ai Deshou” was my favorite anime song, and one that I’d foist upon any unsuspecting anime fans who had not heard that piece. The ED, “Kimi ni Fuku Kaze,” isn’t as awesome compared to the OP, but I also enjoyed that one a whole lot, probably because the little marching figures and the rhythm has driven it into my mind forevermore. Soundtrack is more of Toshihiko Sahashi from the first series, so you know what you’re getting into.

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Kino’s Journey also features Shimokawa in the OP “All the Way” which was a really catchy song. It also was totally out of place with the general atmosphere that Kino’s Journey established through its vignettes. My guess is that they were trying to bring forth a sense of discovery since the song does a good job of making me want to pack my bags and explore the world so that I can marvel and experience all that life has to offer. After all, I maintain that traveling broadens ones mind, allowing one to see things from a different cultural perspective.

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Finally, we come to Planetes, the show that I’m still guilty of not having seen to completion. In listening to the music by Kotaro Nakagawa (of Code Geass fame), I can’t help but feel a sense of grandiosity through the first track, “Outside Atmosphere,” which is marvelous as it gets you to think upon the pictures of Earth that we’ve all seen before in our textbooks. It’s an image most of us will probably never experience in person, but it never fails to leave me in awe and wonder as I look at it and realize that the sum total of the human experience is encapsulated on that tiny sphere. The rest of the soundtrack is good too, but I don’t think they deliver on as strong a first impression like “Outside Atmosphere.” Yes, I really do pimp this song a bit too much.

Outside Atmosphere
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Other Notes:

A limit does need to be set on the number of times I mention that I haven’t seen Someday’s Dreamers and my overriding need to listen to Takefumi Haketa’s soundtrack the whole way through since I was so impressed by “Where the Sky and Earth Meet” (found on a MALKeionbu compilation near you!). My advice is to grab the compilation, and if you liked what you hear, give the show a shot or the soundtrack a listen.

The RahXephon movie came out this year, didn’t it? I suppose that I could post the Steve Conte/Maaya Sakamoto duet in “Garden of Everything” that arranges the well-known “Polovtsian Dances” from Borodin’s opera Prince Igor since their voices intertwine beautifully, but I’ve always preferred the original Oh well, for your listening pleasure since I don’t want this section to be totally devoid of music:

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R.O.D. TV gets a lot of mixed opinions and I’m on the side that found the story to be enjoyable. It also gets a lot of flak for using the same themes from the OVA, but I don’t find this to be a major fault since Iwasaki arranges the main theme so that each variation is enjoyable on its own. But then again, I’m big on the whole “theme and variations” bit that composers do (“Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini” comes to mind).

To borrow a joke from NegativeZero, Shingetsutan Tsukihime received not one, but two fan discs composed by Toshiyuki Omori. Surprising, isn’t it? The music uses the violins to create an overwhelming sense of despair that makes for a good listen, but there’s nothing that’s really really memorable here. Except maybe the OP song “Sacred Moon” and the way it hits on the gothic horror fairly decently. OK, there’s a really poignant violin track too, but this is getting to be a bit lengthy and I’m starting to feel lazy. (For those who don’t get the joke, there is no Tsukihime anime.)

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Anything else that I missed other than possibly Tokyo Godfathers? I’ve been meaning to watch that, but I just haven’t found the time. And by that, I mean muscle out a block of time since it’s been hard finding the free time to actually hit my backlog, what with the stuff that’s currently out. It’ll sit on the back burner along with just about everything else.

Voting Thread

Two back to back Piece of the Week posts due to a fairly busy week. At least that’s my excuse anyhow.

The pieces this week give off a different vibe that isn’t quite in-your-face or emotionally charged, making it really hard to evaluate them properly and dispense with the points. Most of the pieces did a good job of adhering to the theme though because of the theme, most of the tracks are fairly melancholy or downright despondent. While I had been hoping for more of the adventurous kind of lost-ness, the despairing mood largely prevailed, resulting in the following tracks nominated:

Kanon – Shoujo no Ori
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This piece evokes that whole feel of being lost in a winterscape, which, given the source of the song, makes it really appropriate. While it does carry an emotional charge for most of the way through, I thought the motive gets repetitive and the only part where this becomes more interesting is around 0:42 where the mood becomes really somber as it dispenses with the aforementioned emotional charge. Unfortunately, that doesn’t last long enough to receive any major development and transitions back to the repeating motive shortly after. For those who have access to the Kanon/Air Piano Arrange Album “Re-feel”, I’d give that one a listen since it’s a much better rendition. This version gets a pass from me seeing that there are far better tracks this week.

Hidamari Sketch x365 – Shinmiri
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“Shinmiri” has that lazy, drifting vibe that combines a sort of easygoing aimlessness as the subject is in a wonderful, dreamlike state. The introduction with the intonation brings out the aforementioned vibe, and if this piece were to consist entirely of that motive, it’d be plain boring. However, the solo violin around 0:35 marks a divergence that stands well on its own, and, when combined with the intonation and background instrumentation from the introduction, makes the piece a whole lot more enjoyable. This one deserves 1 point.

Pokemon Heroes – Search for the Girl
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Wow, this piece was certainly an eye-opener (ear-opener?) and though it may come from a somewhat maligned source, it still packs quite a punch through its mix of violin and accordion to create a sound that makes this piece stand apart from all of the other tracks in this week’s selection. There is an upbeatness that encourages the listener to seek out adventure and excitement in the beginning before transitioning into a flowing melody that brings forth more tension as the piece progresses. You can hear the atmosphere become more mournful as the feelings of loneliness and insecurity envelop the subject, but the way it keeps the listener engaged is what makes this piece truly shine, and listening to it felt like a shot of fresh air. Definitely deserving of 2 points.

Wolf’s Rain – Gravity
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I’m not all too surprised to see this track make an appearance because I do consider it Maaya Sakamoto at her very best. Her ability to convey that sense of longing is superb and the melody itself packs a pretty strong emotional punch as it draws you in and takes you for a melancholy ride. Enjoyable all the way through, this one gets 2 points from me. The only complaint that I have is why we haven’t heard tracks that are as high caliber as this from Sakamoto as of late (“Triangular” was terrible).

Zettai Shounen – Ho
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
This piece is probably the most despondent of the lot because of how strongly it emphasizes that feeling of loneliness, as though there’s a hole in your soul. While such moods can be very powerful, this track’s execution doesn’t quite hit the mark because of a lack of development in that despondent theme. It also doesn’t help that this piece is just too short for anything meaningful to come out of it. There’s potential for “Ho” to be much more, but we didn’t get it in this instance.

Soukyuu no Fafner -Dead Aggressor- – Doubt | Mayoi
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“Doubt” is fairly similar to “Ho,” but it’s slightly better because of how well it uses dissonance to whip up an unsettling atmosphere that is similar to the feeling one gets in a forest after dark with no light sources to guide you through. While this piece isn’t going to be getting any points from me, it’s certainly more enjoyable even if it’s not remarkable.

Serial Experiments Lain – Signal of Loneliness
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
I really like the melancholy vibe that you get from the guitar work in this song which, on the whole, gives this piece a nice, folksy feeling as though you’re listening to someone singing this song while around a campfire as the moon shines brightly. The singer’s tendency to go off-tune helps contribute to this overall mood by sounding genuinely folksy. A few minor gripes that I had was the repetitiveness, especially the “ahh nani wo” which could have had their iterations reduced by one so as to not draw things out for too long. Save for that (and it’s a very minor issue that doesn’t detract from the overall enjoyability), this song is solid and only slightly loses out to the next piece on this list.

Paprika – Shizuku Ippai no Kioku
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Looking back, it’s hard to believe that I disliked this piece. But that was back in the day when I had failed to appreciate the kind of vibe one gets out of the cacophony as chaos descends to reign supreme throughout this piece (and this movie for that matter). Having knowledge of the context in which this piece is heard helps a great deal because once you realize the nature of the parade, you’d be hard-pressed to come up with a piece that more accurately describes the surreal atmosphere. The deluge of visuals and sound that the parade scene throws at you does an excellent job of conveying the confusion really well, and by succeeding at getting me to feel really lost as I watched that film, this piece definitely deserves 1 point.

Casshern Sins – Memory Past
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
This piece depicts the sense one gets from being lost by delivering it in a calm, quiet, and subtle track. The image I get while listening to this is that of a wanderer, a directionless soul who searches both within and without to find some sort of destination, but in spite of that effort, none materializes. It’s a poignant piece, but like a few tracks we’ve heard thus far, it feels too short. Had this been developed just a bit more, I could see it becoming a stellar track.

Bleach – Nothing Can Be Explained
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
This piece is yet another pleasant surprise and I particularly like the way it manages to make you feel as though you’re in an alien environment through that discordant opening bit followed by the voice work which drifts in and out, as though it were a disembodied spirit trying to drive you insane with its echoing, ephemeral chatter. “Nothing can be Explained” executes the feeling of being lost really well as the vocals leave you feeling uneasy, as though you’re trapped in a landscape that’s so strange you have no clue where to even begin going in search of an escape route. I especially liked the use of the round, which emphasizes the element of lost-ness, making this yet another solid track, even if it loses out on getting point nods from me.

So there you have it! My point distribution can be found below. I think the theme of lost was a bit more difficult to find good pieces for, but the good thing is that there were a lot of tracks that stood out as being interesting and made for a nice listen all in all. I think that Week 4′s legendary theme will be a bit better as far as track quality goes, so I’ll definitely be looking to see what people come up with.

(+2) Pokemon Heroes – Search for the Girl
(+2) Wolf’s Rain – Gravity
(+1) Hidamari Sketch x365 – Shinmiri
(+1) Paprika – Shizuku Ippai no Kioku

Review: Yoko Kanno’s latest effort into the realm of soundtracks is another winner with many pieces that succeed at sweeping me off my feet with their sheer force and intensity. This is among the grandest works I’ve ever listened to in the world of anime soundtracks and the epic feel that many of the orchestral tracks carry with them can be seen as a tribute to the best that movie soundtracks have to offer. As you listen, you can hear a smattering of Hans Zimmer, John Williams, and even Bruce Broughton (who worked on Rescuers Down Under) throughout this album. Although the orchestrated and instrumental pieces are all excellent, the vocal tracks are generally mediocre and leave the listener wanting, which brings down the overall quality of the album.

As befits a Macross Soundtrack, many of the tracks have a militaristic and space opera bent to them. The opening track “Frontier 2059” does just that with an opening dominated by drums and trumpet before moving into a sweeping orchestrated fanfare which evokes the image of spaceships embarking upon a grand journey. “Vital Force” is also an epic piece with its fanfares that would fit just fine serving as theme for the Olympic Games.

Spread throughout the album are some other interesting tracks such as “Private Army” which has a Latino flavor to it with the guitar work and “Alto’s Theme” which is fairly solemn. There are also some soothing piano pieces like “Innocent Green” and “Kira Kira,” both of which consist of a repeating melody. They don’t particularly push any bounds, but that’s OK since they serve their role more as introspective pieces.

It’s only a matter of time before the orchestral tracks return in full force, and return it does with the likes of “Tally Ho,” which has all the feel of a battle preparation theme as the lines are being drawn. I’m awed by the sheer emotions presented as the moments of discordant chords which increase the tension. It’s definitely a grand, epic, and powerful piece that will carry you through fortunes and misfortunes until the piece resolves by closing on an optimistic note.

However, “Tally Ho” just really does not compare to “The Target” which may be one of the best action pieces ever. It opens very much with a mood that screams of an intense space battle that draws comparisons to the music played during the Battle of Yavin from the original Star Wars. Of all the superb pieces scattered throughout this album, this track is probably the best of the lot.

The main problems with this soundtrack lie in the vocal tracks, many of which have decent background music and production values but are saddled with terrible vocalists. While the various renditions of “Aimo” are calming and enjoyable, the rest of the vocal tracks that don’t involve Megumi Nakajima are terrible. I often found myself skipping through May’n’s tracks because her voice is just terrible and the melody was never all that interesting to because of how utterly generic it was. Maaya Sakamoto’s poor performance with Triangular was also a shame since her work has been a lot better in the past. Listening to her sing that opening was painful.

The majestic melodies in the orchestral and instrumental tracks just cannot be understated for they represent the pinnacle of anime music. Few soundtracks are able to match the degree of intensity and awesomeness contained here. Although, the vocal tracks by and large are washouts, the Macross Frontier soundtrack delivers a solid performance and is definitely worth your time.

Rating: Very Good

Music Sampler