Anyway, this niche column once again makes its return for Winter 2012. And like columns past, this one is sparse on plot elements since its focus is on the composer rolls, stuff they’ve done in the past, and wild speculation as to how well their music will mesh with the series in question. Onwards and sideways! (Note: sequels are not covered here.)

Ano Natsu de Matteru
Composer: I’ve Sound (but mostly Maiko Iuchi)
Synopsis: A romantic comedy involving two girls, Ichika Takatsuki and Remon Yamano and a boy, Kaito Kirishima.
Zzero’s Thoughts: As long as Maiko Iuchi reins in the heavy electronica he generally uses when working on I’ve Sound’s vocal projects, I think I’ll live. Those were probably the tracks that bugged me the most when I listened through Toaru Majutsu no Index’s soundtrack, but given that this is a rom-com, I’m hoping the heavy electronica will either be toned down or be absent altogether. Those types of pieces are really the only ones I didn’t like about Index anyhow; the rest of them were generally pleasant, enjoyable, if not overly memorable.
Yu’s Thoughts: Maiko Iuchi’s score for Toaru Kagaku  no Railgun was decent, and I did enjoy the few slice of life tracks mixed in with the electronica battle stuff. If him scoring a romantic comedy means more of the slice of life pieces, this album might actually be okay. However, it’s also very possible that he’ll just incorporate synth into his slice of life compositions, and those kinds of OSTs are usually pretty mediocre.
Aftershok’s Thoughts: I’ve got few nice things to say about Iuchi’s work on Railgun, and his lack any other notable releases doesn’t have me looking forward to Ano Natsu. There might be a synthesizer.

Another
Composer: Kou Otani
Synopsis: 26 years ago, an honors student suddenly dies and in 1998, a fearful aura continues to hang over the classroom as Koichi Sakakibara transfers in.
Zzero’s Thoughts: If I had decided to talk about the web series Kyosogiga in this article, I could have made a joke about Another anime scored by Kou Otani, but alas. It is interesting to see him working on a Japanese horror anime considering that none of his past works suggests that his strength is in this area. You’d think something like this would go to Yasuharu Takanashi, but he’s probably overloaded at this point with PreCure and Fairy Tail’s soundtrack. Still, the snippets of music in the preview does fit the creepy mold, and I do hope to see his music immerse me in the show’s horror atmosphere since it’s definitely a show I’ll be checking out this winter.
Aftershok’s Thoughts: Like zzero mentioned, Otani has never scored a show like this before, and it intrigues me how his style will adapt to this sort of setting. Some of you may know that Kou is my favorite composer, but I haven’t heard anything truly impressive from him in a long time. Only thing that worries me, though, is that horror OST’s generally consist of not much more than slowly crescendoing high-pitched strings and boomy percussion. I hope Kou will be able to break the mold, but don’t know if his typically reserved style will find a home here.

Aquarion Evol
Composer: Yoko Kanno
Synopsis: 12,000 years after the events in Aquarion, the reincarnated characters return once more to fight enemies from another world in their giant robot while making pleasurable noises when their individual machines combine to form said giant robot.
Zzero’s Thoughts: I think I said something about no sequels being on here. Well, time to make this entry the sole exception to the rule. So when this anime was announced, I had a hunch that Yoko Kanno would make her return here and that turned out to be right, bringing with it a bit of excitement. After all, hasn’t there a big time gap between this and the Macross Frontier movies? The question though is what new tracks Kanno will be composing and whether it can live up to the work she did for Aquarion. “First Love Final Love” isn’t my favorite Kanno finale piece for nothing and if she can deliver the same sort of epicness in this Aquarion incarnation, I’ll be a very happy music reviewer.
Aftershok’s Thoughts: Who is this fresh-faced newcomer? This certainly isn’t the washed-up composer that crumbled into a flaming pile of disappointment in Darker than Black or the one whose reputation is becoming increasingly stained with accusations of plagiarism! Hopefully this newbie will be able to make a name for herself in this soundtrack!

Black Rock Shooter
Composer: ryo (supercell)
Synopsis: Split between school life and alternate universe sequences, the Black Rock Shooter OVA saw Mato Kuroi’s bond with her new friend Yomi Takanashi grow as Mato enters a new school. Meanwhile, in an alternate universe, Black Rock Shooter finds herself involved in a struggle of epic proportions against her nemesis, Dead Master.
Zzero’s Thoughts: Given how strongly ryo’s career has skyrocketed in terms of his melodies’ popularity, one might be tempted to eagerly await what he has in store for Black Rock Shooter’s soundtrack. This eagerness is tempered by the fact that the soundtrack might not be anything more than arrangements of ryo’s music, making him less of a primary composer than simply a source for arrangers to draw from. We’ll just have to find out.
Aftershok’s Thoughts: I doubt Mr. Oh-so-busy ryo will actually sit down to compose all the cute little incidental numbers for this score. Expect a soundtrack with him receiving too much credit for too little work. They’re moving on name recognition here, and he’ll contribute, at most, one or two battle themes, or maybe an OP/ED. Expect remixed versions of his older songs. OR I’ll eat my words, and this will be a lovely soundtrack with lots of new, exciting themes composed for the show by none other than the supercell man himself.
Yu’s Thoughts: The first BRS OVA had a soundtrack that was very much meh, with nothing in it that stuck with me after listening to it a few times. The only exception would be the Black Rock Shooter song, but that was composed before the OVA. I’m expecting more unremarkable things from this. That is, unless the second OVA just reuses all the music from the first one. After all, everyone knows BRS is just running off of the popularity of the original video.

Brave10
Composer: Seikou Nagaoka
Synopsis: The adventures of 10 legendary warriors from Japan’s Sengoku period.
Zzero’s Thoughts: Normally, a soundtrack by Seikou Nagaoka would be cause for some optimism, as I did like the work that he put into Strike Witches. The character themes were very fitting and the music composed for action sequences were outright inspiring. Eagerness quickly turned to disappointment as I checked out the PV, though, where I was treated to a bunch of generic action tunes. Nothing stood out, nothing was very compelling musically, and watching that effectively killed any excitement I might have had for this series. Someone call in Sawano since he actually did a decent job with Sengoku Basara.

Daily Lives of High School Boys
Composers: Audio Highs
Synopsis: A slice of life comedy revolving around… what else? high school boys.
Zzero’s Thoughts: The team responsible for the Bakuman and Gintama soundtracks makes their return once more with what will most likely be yet another eclectic soundtrack. I could see their works going well with gag anime given the snippets that I’ve listened to from Gintama, but somehow, I don’t think it’ll do anything beyond fitting in with the anime.
Yu’s Thoughts: Comedies almost never have memorable music, that’s all that needs to be said.
Aftershok’s Thoughts: Comedies often have memorable music, that’s all that needs to be said.

High School DxD
Composer: Ryosuke Nakanishi
Synopsis: Issei Hyodo finds himself killed on his very first date and reincarnated as a devil serving Riasu, a devil who also happens to be the prettiest girl on campus.
Zzero’s Thoughts: Beyond his work on Majikoi, Nakanishi doesn’t really have that many composer credits to his name. Most of his work history has been in arranging; he’s done a lot of work arranging the likes of the B-side on Sketch Switch as well as composer credits for the odd track here and there from Kiniro no Corda and Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3 Kurenai no Tsuki. I haven’t seen any of the shows listed here, so his body of work is effectively still an unknown quantity. Given that I don’t hear much raving about his works, I can safely assume I’m not missing out.
Aftershok’s Thoughts: Having actually seen some of Majikoi, I can assure you I don’t remember a thing about the music. That can mean one of only three things:

1) The show did not have music.
2) The music was so awful that I forced myself to forget everything about it.
3) The music was highly unmemorable.

Whichever one it is, it doesn’t look good for High School.

Mouretsu Pirates
Composers: Elements Garden
Synopsis: Marika Kato, a high schooler, finds out one day that her father was once the captain of the space pirate ship, the Bentenmaru. Because of how the succession rules work amongst space pirates, Marika is to inherit her father’s position and embarks on a new life filled with adventure.
Zzero’s Thoughts: As an entity, Elements Garden doesn’t seem to have many anime soundtracks to their credit, but when you break it down into individual composers like Noriyasu Agematsu and Fujita Junpei, you’ve got quite a few titles ranging from White Album to Ga-Rei -Zero-. All of these soundtracks have been enjoyable, and given the grand odyssey that this anime hints at in the synopsis, the music should be very fitting, especially if Agematsu brings the action-oriented flair he’s offered us through the Wild Arms series of video games.
Yu’s Thoughts: Noriyasu Agematsu did a great job with Ga-Rei -Zero-’s soundtrack. It demonstrated that he could write both depressing and upbeat themes and have both sound good. Hopefully this displayed versatility will apply to this soundtrack, because if it does, I’ll be looking forward to this release.

Recorder to Randoseru
Composer: Takaaki Anzai
Synopsis: An adaptation of a 4-koma, this series focuses upon Atsushi, who is 11 years old but looks much older than that and his sister Atsumi, who is 17, but still looks like an elementary school student.
Zzero’s Thoughts: Is there really that much one can say about this show? The composer is a virtual unknown; the people I know who watched Fortune Arterial didn’t really have much to say about the music. And judging from the levels of (non)hype surrounding this series, I’d say Anzai’s compositions will register on my radar in some other series far into the future. Just not this one.

Rinne no Lagrange
Composer: Saeko Suzuki
Synopsis: Kyono Madoka rides a robot and fights against aliens.
Zzero’s Thoughts: The anime titles that I most associate with this particular composer are the Keroro Gunsou movies. The downside? I haven’t actually gone out of my way to give any of them a full listen-through. Based off of a few samples of tracks from those aforementioned OSTs, I can say that none of it sounds really all too compelling since they’re really all too short for the composer to really be able to strut her stuff and write music that really makes me sit up and take notice.

Sennhime Zesshou Symphogear
Composers: Elements Garden
Synopsis: Vocalists Tsubasa and Kanade team up to fight against monsters simply known as Noise.
Zzero’s Thoughts: While I have little faith in this show’s ability to execute its premise in a way that’ll leave me entertained, I will say that having Elements Garden on board leaves me with much hope on the musical front. Elements Garden’s vocal music has generally jibed with me, and given of this show’s idol-centric focus, I do hope to see them bring forth some memorable pop songs that’ll stick with me for a long time to come. After all, many of my favorite works of theirs features Nana Mizuki’s stunning vocals (see “Justice to Believe” from Wild Arms V). And wait… Nana Mizuki is also going to be in this anime? Sounds like a winning combination to me!

Zzero’s Final Thoughts: Winter 2012 seems to be a barren season. None of the plot synopses looks particularly exciting beyond the three or four sequels that I just might follow. Furthermore, the composers that have been called up to score these shows haven’t been all too compelling, either. Aside from the likes of Yoko Kanno, Kou Otani, Elements Garden, and maybe Audio Highs, this upcoming season is lacking in the big names, or even the lesser names of much merit. Kajiura is probably continuing on with Fate/Zero and Iwasaki frankly does need to take a break to let his creative juices rest since his last couple efforts have been lackluster compared to his usual ability to impress. If nothing else, this upcoming season might be just what I need to catch up on some of the soundtracks from 2011 that have passed me by. And for that matter, catch up on 2011 anime too.

In my previous posts I covered getting to Japan for Animelo Summer Live 2011 – Rainbow and the first of the two concerts on Saturday 27 August 2011.

Sunday was a bit more relaxed. The hotel was 20 minutes walk from Ueno station and closer to the hotel were the main museums and galleries in Tokyo.

Tokyo National Museum

I visited the Tokyo National Museum then took a limited express train from Ueno to Saitama-Shintoshin and this time purchased a towel, some food and bottled water outside the arena. Again, I met the person from KNT and we were seated in slightly different seats in the same guest box as the previous night’s concert. The audience was no less enthusiastic than they were the previous day.

There is a summary clip on Youtube that has song excerpts and photos of the artists, mainly taken at the second concert here, but to go into my thoughts, let’s hop on down after the jump!

The second day’s concert started with a duet starring Yui Horie and Nana Mizuki, who fired up a medley of Hikari from Inukami and Cosmic Love from Rosario + Vampire. Both songs were extremely catchy and a good choice to start things off.

I’d seen some concert-goers wearing Minami Kuribayashi t-shirts and was looking forward to her set. First, she sang Rumbling Hearts from Kimi ga Nozomu Eien. After talking to the audience we heard Toki sude ni Hajimari wo Kizamu from Katanagatari and Straight Jet from Infinite Stratos. There were a few calls of “Chotto” from Minami-san between songs to get sips of water before she finished with the perennial favorite, Tsubasa wa Pleasure Line from Chrono Crusade, this time, in a duet with Maon Kurosaki accompanied by the strings. Although the choice of songs was good, the audience wasn’t quite with Minami-san, but thankfully, Maon-san made the set finish on a strong note.

Maon Kurosaki continued with Magic∞World and finished with Memories Last, both from A Certain Magical Index II. Although this was Maon’s first Animelo, she had already impressed me with the songs I had found on Youtube, including “Magic∞World” from a television special called Lisan Live! and I thought this performance was even better. It helped that the audience’s positive feedback to Maon-san made the performances distinct and not a repeat of other performances.

Next was Mamoru Miyano with Orpheus from Uta no Prince-sama: Maji Love 1000% (note that the linked clip has a different, female vocalist) and Body Rock. The orange light-sticks appeared during this set and stayed around for the sporty and fun RO-KYU-BU! with Shoot! and Party Love ~Okkiku Naritai~. This was followed by a rainbow of colored sticks to hail Milky Holmes’ arrival, where they sang Seikai wa Hitotsu! Janai!! and Ameagari no Mirai. There was a fun energy to both RO-KYU-BU! and Milky Holmes that was infectious with the audience.

Steins;Gate was next – Kanako Ito sang Hacking to the gate with guitarist Shikura Chiyomaru followed by Phantasm (Yui Sakakibara) with Tokitsukasadoru Juuni no Meiyaku. I love Kanako-san’s distinct vocal style and energy and wished we could have heard more of her. If she didn’t sing in Japanese, one could imagine her music being used in a soundtrack for something set in Central or South America. Yui-san, for her part, had some of the angst in her voice like a singer from the USA, UK or Ireland.

Kishow Taniyama of GRANRODEO and Mamoru Miyano then performed the Durarara!! opening theme, Uragiri no Yuuyake which stood apart from the others by being a good grungy, shouty, rock song.

Yui Horie was next, with Immoralist from Dragon Crisis, PRESENTER from Dog Days and Yahho!! from Kanamemo. Yui-san was a stronger performer than I remembered from previous concert videos – she was and still is an understated and articulate professional.

Chiaki Ishikawa then sang the very beautiful Mou Nanimo Kowakunai, Kowaku wa Nai from Mobile Suit Gundam 00 and Fukanzen Nenshou from Kanisama Dolls. The way these songs were sung were melodically powerful enough to be able to stand on their own without accompaniment – her vocals were very strong, well-pitched and clear with great emotion, or as my notes stated: good!

JAM Project provided part two of their trademark multi-voice powerhouse rock (still fresh and full of energy) with the 2011 releases NOAH and Vanguard, and audience favourite Rescue Fire. I’ve grown to enjoy their music from previous concert videos, but having new songs in their set helped avoid the feeling of having heard it all before.

After a 20 minute interval, the anime that involved a girl wrapped up in a futon, Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko was up with Erio wo Kamatte Chan, or rather her character voice actress, Asuka Ōgame appearing likewise to perform Os-Alien and Kotatsu Kara Nagameru Sekai Chizu. If you haven’t heard them, they are jarring yet appealing in the way they accompany the series.

Heavier still, GRANRODEO came back with Supernova, Outsider from Cutie Honey: The Live and Go For It from IGPX. Their previous Animelo sets hadn’t grabbed me, but Supernova had a great sense of focus that made the other songs more accessible.

Kalafina was a late addition to the concert program but their performance was extremely polished with Magia from Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Sprinter from Kara no Kyōkai ~ Mujun Rasen. Their performance was very strong, and lived up to the standard of their Red Moon tour Blu-ray disc, but with the advantage of a far more enthusiastic Animelo audience. I can’t wait to get the Blu-ray of the concert for the performance of “Magia” alone.

I had earlier heard the voice of Motsu from M.O.V.E in pre-recorded announcements at the arena, then he appeared with fripSide keyboard player Satoshi Yaginuma and Maon Kurosaki as ALTIMA with I’ll believe from Shakugan no Shana III. It was great to have Motsu as a secret guest and the combination of performers worked well – their energy levels were about the same and it was quite distinct from Motsu’s 2010 collaboration with Yukari Tamura, “You & Me”.

As my tour guide told me, a poll had been held on Twitter for the act that concert-goers most wanted to see that wasn’t yet booked. T.M.Revolution won that poll and obliged with a very polished Flags from Sengoku Basara Chronicle Hero, SWORD SUMMIT from Sengoku Basara II, and Ignited from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny. The clips I found don’t do justice to how clear the songs sounded at Animelo.

As with the previous night, when you combine JAM Project members with other performers you get something even better. In this case they incorporated Nana Mizuki and Masaaki Endoh for a stirring rendition of Eternal Blaze from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A’s, then Nana-chan as the solo vocalist with Unbreakable from UnchainBlades ReXX, Junetsu Paradox from Blood-C and Scarlet Knight from Dog Days.

Then it was time for the theme song Rainbow (the clip has subtitles in Japanese and English) with all the artists except Kalafina and with it, a lot of “goodbyes” and “See you next year for Anisama 2011″ on the screen.

After this concert we went backstage again and this time I met Chiaki Ishikawa. Like Minori Chihara the previous night, Chiaki-san was one of the most pleasant people one could meet. If I spoke Japanese and everyone had plenty of time I would have liked to have thanked as many of the other artists as possible for their performances. Outside Saitama-Shintoshin station I thanked the person from KNT for all her help and we shook hands and I took the train back to the hotel, again purchasing noodles for a late dinner.

It had been a great couple of concerts for me, even though I had nowhere near the level experience of the songs and artists that most of the concert-goers had. The spirit of collaboration extended way beyond the songs sung, including the excellent organisation of the event, and how these concerts were treated as the main event of the year by an overwhelming majority of the participants.

National Museum of Nature and Science

On Monday I checked out of the hotel, visited the National Museum of Nature and Science, picked up my back-pack and took a regular train from Nippori to Narita Terminal 2, flying back overnight and changing in Sydney to a Singapore-bound flight that stopped in Adelaide (make sure you are familiar with the transfer arrangements in Sydney if you travel this way).

Since getting back home I haven’t lost the excitement of the trip and seeing and meeting some of the people behind a large slice of the music of anime, even though more than two months have passed. (The collection of Youtube clips referenced in these reviews were put together to help remember the concerts while waiting for the blu-ray releases). In conversations with others since then, many were surprised that I didn’t find Tokyo crowded (possibly due to being there in late summer), and were surprised that it wasn’t as expensive as they’d believed it would be.

In summary, a life-changing trip, great people, places, music and hospitality. I’d definitely recommend doing this at least once just to experience the awesomeness of it all!

The further I progress into the 2000s, the more familiar the shows look and the more music I seem to have accumulated from those series. That’s no accident given how much more I watched from the second half of the decade and so, the lists start becoming really long and it is in 2005 where I really have issues figuring out which soundtracks I’d consider my favorite because there’s just too many to choose from. I’ve reformatted this year’s selections somewhat to make it easier to read if you’re skimming through. Hopefully, that helps with the deluge of shows that I’m showcasing.

Same goes for OP/EDs for that matter. Fan favorites like Air’s “Tori no Uta” can be heard since 2005, but there are a handful of other good ones that deserve mention. Do be warned though. This list is huge. Ridiculously so. I’d listen to a few and then come back otherwise you might be overwhelmed by the sheer number of awesome tracks on here.

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

Blood+
Blood+ is a good place to start as any because it’s one of the few (I’m guessing) anime soundtracks composed by Western composers. And notable composers at that. I still remember the moment I spotted Mark Mancina and Hans Zimmer in the opening credits and how my eyes bulged out as I began to expect a soundtrack of grand proportions. Both of them are widely known for their film scores and here, their work does not disappoint. The standouts like the “Grand Finale” are absolutely fantastic, but the track that really takes the cake lies in “Diva” which never fails to raise the goosebumps with its hauntingly beautiful melody. Just don’t try to whistle along unless you can hit those high notes.

Grand Theme

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Diva

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle
A lot of people say that Mai HiME was their favorite Kajiura soundtrack, and I’d largely agree with that sentiment. However, the soundtrack to Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle is really solid and though it wouldn’t top Mai HiME, it certainly comes close. Here, Kajiura dispenses with her usual style to create that mysterious atmosphere through the violins and chorus parts. Still, it’s the tracks ringing with emotion like “Guess How Much I Love You” that win me over alongside with action-y tracks like “Break the Sword of Justice” that bring to mind some of her video game music in the Xenosaga series.

Break the Sword of Justice

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Guess How Much I Love You

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid
Sequels generally mean same composers and rehashed music, but for what its worth, some of the newer tracks that showed up in FMP:TSR were pretty impressive on the whole. The main theme in particular struck me as being more memorable and part of that is attributable to me liking the military themes in this series as well as the overall darker atmosphere that Sahashi puts forward. Even his more emotional tracks like “Looking Back” are able to take the main theme of the series and work it in such a way as to bring about an air of calm that works as a way to get you to be introspective. And of course, “Counterattack” takes the theme and delivers a grandiose fanfare that leaves you feeling damned inspired to fight on!

Looking Back

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Counterattack

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Victorian Romance Emma
Beyond the idea of maids done right, this Victorian Romance Emma features some excellent music by Ryo Kunihiko, whose compositions capture more brimming love than an aim to recreate Victorian English music. You do hear quite a few harpsichord tracks here and there, but the recorders are what set this soundtrack apart, especially in the ending sequence that brings out the sort of music you’d expect out of a country fair. Still, with a solid opener in “Silhouette of a Breeze” and the piano stuff like “Emma,” which captures her quiet, introspective, but dignified demeanor, this soundtrack was a love at first listen.

Silhouette of a Breeze

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Emma

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
ARIA the Animation
I really don’t know how else to put it. ARIA’s music is pure magic, bringing together waves upon waves of relaxing sentiments that makes you want to run away from the hecticness of day to day life to paddle around in a gondola and experience life through rose-colored glasses. The music certainly helps in that regard with the Choro Club and Takeshi Senoo bringing in both light, bouncy fare like “AQUA” that sets the main theme of the entire ARIA franchise to stunning, heartfelt tracks like “Mangetsu no Dolche” with its cello melody that really succeeds in bringing unto the listener the feeling that they’re privy to a scene that is wonderfully precious. And lest I forget, there are quite a few tracks propped up by Eri Kawai’s serene voice, and listening to her singing makes her passing feel that much more of a loss.

AQUA

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Mangetsu no Dolche

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Santa Claus no Sora

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Air
I’ve already mentioned Air and the music for the VN is probably my second favorite after Clannad’s awesome soundtrack. There’s a reason for this blatant favoritism: the gap between Clannad and Air is pretty wide and I’m not sure I can point out to many of Air’s tunes that are immediately memorable but don’t strike you as “generic dating sim music.” Well, there is Jun Maeda’s “Summer Lights” that’s always going to be a fan favorite. The piano melody is nothing complicated, but the way it conjures up the image of the countryside summer (cicadas not included!) through its breezy feel is catchy and wonderful the whole way through. Yes, there is also “Tori no Uta” on top of that if you want something that’s really memorable. I’m sure that was pretty much everyone’s first introduction to Lia’s voice.

Summer Lights

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Sousei no Aquarion
Sometimes, anime directors make the darnedest things. I’m not sure if this series was supposed to be a joke, a parody, or something borne out of madness, but drawing those comparisons between those unification sequences and sex is far-fetched, but if it’s meant to be played for laughs, then it sure as hell succeeded. Anyhow, Kanno once again showcases her talent for diversity while doing a heck of a job with what she pulls forth. It’s almost like how she conducts herself in Wolf’s Rain because of how it mixes all those musical genres and have it be pretty solid on the whole. Oddly enough, I don’t find myself listening to the first soundtrack a whole lot; the second one is where the songs that really catch my attention are located. “Shinwa Teki Gikou Sonata” nails the kind of fast-paced piano music I really like to hear. If it’s grandiosity, then look no further than “First Love, Final Love” which brings out that finale that fills you with the sort of feeling you’d get out of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” from Messiah. Maybe that’s just intentional since the main character is supposed to be that messianic figure reincarnated.

Shinwa Teki Gikou Sonata

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

First Love, Final Love

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
That should be it for the BGM. Page 2 is where you want to go for them OP/EDs.

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
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
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
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
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
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
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
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
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
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
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
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
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!
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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
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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
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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
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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

Review: The overwhelming consensus from the comments received for last week’s review of Yuki Morikawa’s Character CD indicated that while there was some amount of enthusiasm for Aya Hirano’s performance as Yuki, most people were eagerly awaiting my take on this album for one reason and one reason only: Nana Mizuki. And who could blame them given 1) Nana Mizuki’s excellent reputation as a voice actress and singer and 2) the insert song that she sang in episode 3 of White Album which gave us a taste of what was to come. Even though the dialogue during that episode’s segment made it difficult to wholly concentrate on Mizuki’s singing, one could still tell that the song would be astoundingly beautiful.

In the past, I and a few others have commented on how Nana Mizuki tends to do well within a certain dynamic range which can result in some of her music sounding generic across the board, making it difficult to differentiate one song from the next. Here, we find that only “SOUND OF DESTINY” fits that case because once you listen to “Glass Flower,” you’ll find that Nana Mizuki becomes a lot more expressive and her delivery really shines in a way that makes the song nothing short of brilliant.

SOUND OF DESTINY:
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“SOUND OF DESTINY” was originally written for the White Album game and if you listen to the original version found on the game’s soundtrack, you’ll find that the Jpop feel that was present in the original is preserved in this album’s version. Although I’m not all too keen on the way the music sounds, when you throw in Nana Mizuki’s voice on top of the pop harmony, the song improves upon the original by leaps and bounds. The music opens up with a steady rhythm with a synth part to provide you with a standard pop backdrop. As I mentioned, it’s Nana Mizuki’s performance that makes this piece tolerable by making it come to life through the power of her delivery. Nevertheless, she can only do so much to enhance the generic pop and though this song doesn’t have any major flaws, it’ll end up being forgotten because there isn’t much about this track that particularly stands out aside from Mizuki’s competent performance.

Glass Flower:
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But where “SOUND OF DESTINY” does a passable job, “Glass Flower” just blows you out of the water. While I’d initially commented on lelangir’s blog that given Nana Mizuki’s enormous body of work, one can’t declare this song to be the best she’s ever done, after listening to it for a fair number of times, I’d have to conclude that it’s going to be pretty high up there. You know that when a song gets me to melt in my seat, that it’s a very good sign and “Glass Flower” has succeeded in doing just that.

“Glass Flower’s” opening is just soothing and crystal clear and I love the way Nana Mizuki integrates herself into the song. Here, her expressiveness can’t be emphasized enough since her delivery is that wonderful, especially when you get to the chorus section around 0:56. At that point, you can feel the emotion in her voice as she ponders over whether her feelings are requited while acknowledging that her tough exterior hides a fragile, glasslike interior and that she’s too afraid of the prospect of rejection to find out how her partner feels. The presentation is already stunningly beautiful, but the song continues to shine as it adds a saxophone part starting around 2:37 that plays all the way to the end. Its inclusion complements the atmosphere of the piece through and through and once the song finished, the only feeling I got was one of awe since it was magnificently executed.

“SOUND OF DESTINY” might be the competent piece that doesn’t stand out all too much, but it does whet our appetite for “Glass Flower” which effectively serves as the main course and the dessert all rolled into one. “Glass Flower’s” melody and Mizuki’s impeccable performance hits all of the right spots and through that single performance, Mizuki once again affirms why her reputation is as deserving as it is. “SOUND OF DESTINY” may be a hit or miss, but if “Glass Flower” doesn’t melt your heart away with Mizuki’s expressiveness, you may want to check and make sure you haven’t killed off your emotions or something.

Rating: Very Good

Review: The more I listen to Nana Mizuki, the more one-dimensional of a singer she becomes. She certainly has a good voice, but her vocal talents aren’t too diverse, which can be irritating to those who seek diversity. Then again, I’m probably not someone who can honestly write that off as a major fault because my previous review of Nana Mizuki’s single Trickster was slightly negative because of how the music differed from my tastes and expectations. So although Shin Ai, the OP single to White Album, isn’t all too different from the body of Mizuki’s performances that I find enjoyable, at the very least it’s a return to a style that I welcome with open arms.

Noriyasu Agematsu’s style is readily apparent from the opening notes to “Shin Ai” and if you’re familiar with his other contributions like with Mizuki’s “Justice to Believe,” it’s easy to guess at how this song is structured. The piano opening starts out with a serene motive before the piece bursts with life as a flurry of instruments join in and set the mood and pace of the song. Nana Mizuki makes her entrance around 0:25 and her voice shines brilliantly as she conveys a tone that is reflective and nostalgic, at least, until the chorus part comes in at 1:14. At this point, the tempo picks up and the tone becomes more passionate and emphatic. Throughout this section, Mizuki pours her heart out into the music and the vibe that this song gives off is a strong affirmation of love, especially with the short, repeating motive from 1:17-1:19 that sounds almost desperate as though she were pining for her lover before the first verse ends it with her reemphasizing her desires. And as the song continues, there are a few issues with Mizuki’s performance, particularly with the way she handles some of the higher notes, but luckily, those don’t detract too much from the song. The strength of Mizuki’s emotion-filled performance as well as the energy that she puts into the music is what makes this song so appealing, sealing it as yet another solid Mizuki track.

“PRIDE OF GLORY” is a departure from “Shin Ai” in that it starts out with a dominating melody that seems inspired by a Bach fugue and settles into a techno beat that complements Mizuki’s performance decently. The problem comes in the fact that there isn’t much that stands out in this track and as a result, it’s nowhere as entrancing or engrossing as “Shin Ai.” This song attempts to be forceful by employing heavy beats, but unfortunately, they’re far too pronounced, which make them distracting. That’s not to say that it’s utterly devoid of anything interesting. The electric guitar riff around the 3:00 mark makes for a nice diversion, but that’s about the extent of it because that section doesn’t last nearly long enough to get much development. Mizuki’s performance remains solid, but because the heavy beats add so little substance to the piece, what ends up happening is that it becomes a fairly mediocre track.

Finally, this album wraps up with “Gozen Rei-Ji no Baby Doll” which is a fairly upbeat and inoffensive pop song that packs a nice rhythm and melody and makes it enjoyable because of how laid back it is. Instead of bending the song to her will and filling it with intense passion like in some of her other songs, Mizuki goes with the flow, which has the effect of leaving the listener at ease. There aren’t any twists or surprises to worry about, so one can simply relax and be taken along for the ride. Although it’s a generic pop song the feeling of peacefulness and joy that this track brings is perfect for closing out the album.

This album is definitely solid and even though “PRIDE OF GLORY” can get on people’s nerves, there aren’t any really subpar tracks to drive down the overall quality. Furthermore, the reversion back to Nana Mizuki’s usual style should keep her fans pretty happy. Even though others may wish for some more variety, maybe it’s just best if Nana Mizuki sticks to her strengths and delivers consistently enjoyable tracks. But if you’re not of this mindset and want to see a different side to her, it may be best to just skip this one and move on.

Rating: Good

Opening – Shin Ai

Review: My earliest exposure to Nana Mizuki’s music had been through the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha series in which she performs the OP as well as several insert songs within the series. Those particular songs stand out as being some of my favorite OP songs due to their intensity that is conveyed through Mizuki’s vocal talents. So while I can’t really call myself a devoted fan, to say that I only merely enjoy her music is a bit of an understatement.

When I caught wind that she would be doing the OP and ED for Rosario to Vampire Capu2, I was looking forwards to listening to her songs once again. After giving the album a good listen, I came out with two conclusions. Firstly, the first and third tracks are decent listens (the third moreso than the first), though they are hardly Mizuki at her best. Secondly, you should listen to “DISCOTHEQUE” while watching the OP to see how Gonzo syncs the music to the animation, with the thought that in spite of the excellent work on Gonzo’s part, “DISCOTHEQUE” isn’t particularly good, with or without the accompanying animation.

“Trickster” starts off well with Mizuki jumping right in as the song starts a buildup through the guitar and percussion in the background before finally getting into the core of the song’s melody around the 30-second mark. The level of energy increases, though not as much as one might expect from a Mizuki song. While her voice is as solid as usual, she just doesn’t seem to convey the amount of intensity that she usually does, which makes this song feel somewhat muted. However, do keep an ear out for the segment between 1:59 – 2:23, which is absolutely superb as you hear the awesome guitar work pumps its dose of energy into the song. Aside from that moment, the rest of the song just falls into a realm that’s above average. The ending isn’t too great either as the song quiets down and trails off without providing a real sort of closure. “Trickster” isn’t a bad piece, but Mizuki’s done a lot better that the gap between this and her best works is considerable.

The first thing that came to mind when I heard the opening notes of “DISCOTHEQUE” was the music to Chicago (the film starring Richard Gere, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Renee Zellweger). It’s not an area in which I’ve heard Mizuki sing and as I listened to the song, it became clear that this type of music doesn’t play to Mizuki’s strengths. Part of the problem comes from the jarring shifts in the tone and atmosphere of the music which jumps from a Chicago-flavored jazzy feel over to generic J-pop fare (think Koda Kumi’s “Real Emotion” here) and back on multiple occasions. The structure of the music is really what’s at fault here as it can’t seem to settle on what sort of genre it wants to be a part of, so it tries to be an amalgam, and an unsuccessful one at that. Like the previous track, the highlight of this piece is the instrumental solo, which occurs around 2:56 where the saxophone is allowed to play a short motive before Mizuki comes back in. Aside from that promising moment, I’d skip this track.

“Trinity Cross” is probably the closest track on this album to your usual Mizuki fare. The opening somewhat reminds me of Nanoha StrikerS’s “SECRET AMBITION” without the same amount of intensity and emotion, but there’s a lot more of it present here than in the preceding pieces. “Trinity Cross’s” melody channels Mizuki’s style rather well as it showcases her vocal range while maintaining a good amount of intensity, especially when she hits some of the higher registers. There’s also a calming transition starting around 3:09 that feels beautiful for the short period of time that it lasts until the intense melody is reintroduced before it concludes forcefully and resolutely. All in all, the action and energy that this piece evokes makes this song the best track on this album.

What initially drew me to Nana Mizuki’s music was forcefulness of the emotions she poured forth and the sheer intensity that she puts into her music, both of which are in very short supply in this album. There’s nothing wrong with an artist going outside the styles that they’re good at so that they can experiment around a bit, but in this instance, the experiment didn’t yield particularly great results. Nana Mizuki has released far superior albums, so if you’ve the urge to listen to her music and you don’t want to listen to her more mediocre fare, you should give this album a pass.

Rating: Decent

Track 2 – DISCOTHEQUE

Track 3 – Trinity Cross