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.

Title: ef – a tale of memories
Episodes: 12
Company: SHAFT
Genre(s): Romance, Drama
Air Dates: 7 Oct 2007 – 23 Dec 2007

Synopsis: Hiro Hirono is a high school student who also works drawing manga. Unfortunately, in doing so, he’s had to skip out on school quite a bit to meet the deadlines. Enter Kei Shindo, Hiro’s childhood friend who tries to look out for Hiro’s well-being. However, her hold over Hiro is being challenged by Miyako Miyamura, a free-spirited girl who also has a habit of skipping school. Together, these three form what is essentially the first love triangle of the series.

The second story centers on Renji, a boy in middle school who befriends Chihiro Shindo, Kei’s twin sister and a girl whose eye is blind due to an accident and cannot remember anything that’s occurred more than 13 hours before. In spite of this Renji works hard to see her every day and together, the two start to undertake a project to begin writing a novel. Although Chihiro cannot remember long enough to ensure that the story will run coherently from one page to the next, it’s with the hope that by collaborating with Renji, she will be able to fulfill her dream of becoming a novelist.

Pros:

• Extremely good use of camera work
• Tenmon once again delivers a good soundtrack along with the OP and ED themes
• Excellent use of symbolism throughout the series

Cons:

• Use of cliches is somewhat annoying
• Some of the characters are difficult to like

Review: Melodrama makes for poor writing because the situations can feel so contrived and the characters feel unbelievable. Thankfully, ef – a Tale of Memories manages to avoid most of the pitfalls of the romance genre through their mix of interesting characters and the situations that they must deal with. Furthermore, ef would not have been so good if it weren’t for the camera work and screen effects which do an excellent job of complementing the characters, giving us an insight into their mindset or an in-depth look into their psyche.

Ef’s approach by using parallel storylines means that at least one of the plotlines should be appealing to the viewer. Hiro’s story follows the typical love triangle plot where Kei and Miyako vie for his attentions and he must choose between the two while Chihiro’s and Renji’s is more of a simple love story with a huge obstacle placed in their path that could destroy their relationship outright.

Hiro’s story is fairly standard in that conflict is sown once Kei and Miyako are aware of one another. Throughout this struggle, neither Kei nor Miyako are presented sympathetically because of the emotional baggage that they bring with them. In spite of this, they are given a lot of background information, allowing the viewer to get a feel for why they act the way they do. However, do not expect much in the way of character development; most of them don’t experience a major change in character or personality until one is forced to accept Hiro’s decision.

Much of the Hiro’s arc’s strength comes from the dialogue regarding theoretical ideas like a discussion over the commercialization of art versus staying true to one’s own vision. It’s those kinds of conversations that succeed in engaging the viewer by presenting a thought-provoking idea and giving the viewer an opportunity to spin those ideas around while listening to the characters’ arguments.

Chihiro and Renji’s story is the stronger of the two because of the way it presents amnesia as an obstacle. The reason why it’s so compelling is because the romance takes place not only through the two interacting with each other, but also through the book that the two decide to write together. Not only does an amnesiac writing a book make for an interesting situation, the symbolism and the parallels it draws between the main character in the novel and Chihiro’s life is excellently executed, especially when it forces Chihiro to make a fateful decision towards the end.

The poignancy of the stories is enhanced through the excellent use of the camera and quirky visuals. Director Shin Ounuma follows in Akiyuki Shinbo’s footsteps by using similar methods that accentuate the mood in a given scene and give us a picture of a certain character’s mindset by complementing their monologue with the visuals. In doing so, we have a more wholesome grasp for the character with all of their frailties and emotional issues.

In spite of all these positives, ef still doesn’t break away from the major clichés that are par for the genre. For a series that had excellent, original storytelling, the moments in which they resorted to clichés really stood out. Thankfully, those moments are few and far in between and did not impair my enjoyment of the series.

Through all of the symbolism that the writers employ and the excellent camera work, ef shows that it can competently present two stories while keeping it interesting and enjoyable. The few minor complaints here and there do not change the fact that ef – A Tale of Memories is a beautiful and compelling drama.

Score: Good

Title: True Tears
Episodes: 13
Company: P.A. Works
Genre(s): Romance, Drama
Air Dates: 6 January 2008 – 30 March 2008

Synopsis: Shinichiro Nakagami is an ordinary high school student except for his talent at drawing. There’s something about his artistic vision that keeps him going back to a teary motif, most likely stemming from a Hiromi Yuasa’s circumstances. Outwardly, Hiromi seems to show no sorrow and is very upbeat and energetic at school, but at home, her demeanor is much more solemn. Her behavior towards Shinichiro is already causing him quite a bit of frustration, and a meeting with Noe Isurugi only increases it further. Noe is different from most other girls in that she’s eccentric, mysterious, and is rumored to have the power to curse others, and yet, she and Shinichiro form a bond rather quickly. As their relationship develops, a tug-of-war ensues, and in the end, Shinichiro must decide what direction his artistic vision should go as well as which girl to open his heart to.

Pros:

• Excellent use of symbolism to detail the plot’s direction
• Visuals are absolutely stunning
• Music is really absorbing and enjoyable

Cons:

• Characters are largely unsympathetic and weak
• Noticeable plot bomb near the series’ end
• Ending was poorly executed as it used every cliché in the book to resolve it

Review: True Tears starts out really well and it shows all the promise of being a top tier romance series. Its characters are well-defined, the music does an excellent job of absorbing the audience into the series, and the visuals are beautiful and detailed. The plot is solid halfway through until its execution falters off and the series gets doused in cliché after cliché. While there are a lot of things True Tears does right, its shoddy execution towards the end almost undermines all it had set out to do early on, turning what could have been an excellent show into one that is merely passable.

The characters are fairly well presented because they are defined by the issues that they must contend with. Hiromi has to deal with Shinichiro’s mother’s cold, uncaring attitude, Noe must reconcile her inner feelings and determine what it means to cry, and Shinichiro must decide which of the two girls he loves more. While this plot isn’t exactly innovative, True Tears succeeds at catching the viewer’s interest through the way they frame the characters. Noe, in particular, is fun to watch because of her eccentricities, making her a fresh face in a tired sea of female character archetypes. Her struggles are pretty endearing, especially when she tries to come to terms with her feelings for Shinichiro and when she realizes that his feelings aren’t completely aligned with hers.

Unfortunately, the other characters aren’t up to par. Shinichiro’s indecisiveness ends up hurting both girls and does him no favors. While that sort of behavior is understandable for a kid his age, it’s still frustrating to watch. Even more irritating was Hiromi’s behavior and how catastrophe-prone it is at times. For example, she lied about who she really likes and showed an outward lack of sympathy to the motorcycle owner when his bike got into an accident. Her reaction to that incident was just cold and heartless, and her dishonesty towards her feelings for Shinichiro does little to make me sympathize with her plight.

The writers also make a few missteps along the way with some of the other characters. For example, Shinichiro’s mother’s coldness towards Hiromi inexplicably melts away and Aiko seemed to have been an afterthought because of how little of an impact she had on Shinichiro and the overall storyline. What they did manage to do right was to pace the story well and their judicious use of symbolism ranging from the plot of Shinichiro’s picture book, which served as a parallel to the storyline to the part where Noe’s finger bled, symbolizing how hurt she felt on the inside because of her glove, representing Shinichiro, did not protect her from the elements. Their approach to symbolism really showed a great deal of forethought and it succeeded admirably in complementing the storyline.

Furthermore, True Tears’s animation is extremely fluid and the background art is colorful and detailed. The series doesn’t disappoint in the music either with a lot of background piano melodies blending in seamlessly with the action on screen. And of course, the opening Reflectia performed by eufonius bears mention because it is a soothing and enjoyable piece.

In spite of its flaws, True Tears isn’t entirely without merit. However, they are still problematic enough that I would not recommend True Tears to any but the most ardent romance fans. And even then, it’s not even going to be at the top of the list because there are just far better romance shows to watch.

Score: Decent

Title: Yotsunoha
Episodes: 2 (OVA)
Company: Hal Film Maker
Genre(s): Romance, Drama
Air Dates: 29 February 2008 – 28 March 2008

Synopsis: Makoto, Nono, Iori, and Matsuri had been best friends for ten years when it was announced that their school would be shut down and that all of them would have to relocate to new schools. Before the four went their separate ways, they agreed to bury a time capsule with their precious memories under a tree on school grounds and to meet again in three years. Three years have passed and there had been little contact between the four friends, but somehow, all of them found their way back to their old school, only to find that the time capsule was missing. As they set about to find it, the feelings the four had for one another would surface and the time they spent there would allow them to resolve their past issues with one another.

Pros:

• Decent presentation of the storyline
• The ending was actually handled well

Cons:

• Many parts of the plot in which I shook my head in disbelief
• Characters are cardboard cutout clichés and their motivations doesn’t always make sense
• Nono’s voice actress got annoying at times

Review: There have been quite a few shows out there that deal with taboo topics and each of them has had various degrees of success. For good or for ill, the lolicon taboo has not had a decent show to its name. While Yotsunoha takes a step in the right direction, the constraints of its length as well as its other pressing concerns makes it fall short, rendering it merely as a passable romance anime series. It isn’t downright terrible by any stretch, but there are enough glaring issues with this OVA to make the viewer cringe.

Part of the problem with this series is its origin as an eroge, which the viewer can readily identify based on its cast. Unfortunately, this isn’t one of the better ones as far as characters go because by and large, most of the cast is made up of shallow character archetypes. The girls include Iori, a large-breasted but air-headed and clumsy girl, Matsuri, the token tsundere, and Nono, the loli who’s overly devoted to the main character for some unknown reason. It also does not help that Makoto, the male protagonist, is a thick-headed pervert who is so dense and unappealing that it begs the question as to why the girls enjoy his company so much. I suppose that the answer lies in the fact that this is an eroge adaptation where anything’s possible. Unfortunately, it does not change the fact that the characters lacked depth beyond their superficial clichés, making it difficult to really connect with them as characters.

The flow of the story was bit fragmented because the plot relies on flashbacks to give the proper context to the dialogue. Once the viewer has a good grasp of the past events that shape each character’s feelings towards one another, the story becomes a little bit more palatable due to its presentation. My hopes had been pretty low after watching the first episode because of how ridiculous the character interactions were, but I was surprised to find how well the second episode managed to make up for it. The producers did an excellent job of taking the plot progression and working it in such a way that the series flowed smoothly without feeling forced. The way they eased into the ending felt natural and did an excellent job of tying up enough loose ends to make it all satisfactory.

As far as sound direction goes, Nono’s voice very annoying because of how grating it was. Every time she tried to endear herself to Makoto, I just winced in pain at her high-pitched, unconvincing delivery. Thankfully, only her voice was an issue because the rest of the characters were decently voiced. The music also doesn’t stand out too much either, but because it was so short, there was never really much time to develop memorable melodies.

In spite of all the issues that plagued the series, Yotsunoha manages to do a decent job with the material that it has to work with. It was not enough to make it a remarkable series, but given what could have gone wrong, it was not as terrible as it could have been. For a series that presents a loli character as the male character’s love interest, it succeeds at being a simplistic romance series that is neither outstanding nor terrible. Anyone looking for a compelling romance should look elsewhere.

Score: So-so

Title: 5 Centimeters Per Second (Byousoku 5 Centimeter)
Episodes: 3 (OVA)
Company: Comix Wave
Genre(s): Romance
Air Dates: 3 March 2007

Synopsis: Takaki Tono and Akari Shinohara had always been really good friends since childhood. This friendship would eventually blossom into love, but as they got older, circumstances forced them to move further and further apart. The increasing distance between the two tests the strength of their love as well as their ability to deal with their daily life despite being so far apart.

Pros:

• Absolutely gorgeous artwork and stunningly detailed animation
• Characters are easy to identify with in an excellent plot
• Music is absolutely beautiful and gives the scenes strong impact

Cons:

• Ending might not be everyone’s cup of tea; somewhat underwhelming

Review: If there is anything that Makoto Shinkai’s works are known for, it is the amazing quality of the artwork as well as a plot revolving around distance and how it creates barriers to romantic relationships. 5 Centimeters Per Second follows this formula, while adding in a few shifts in the point of view to make it differ a bit from his previous works. Although this change in perspective fills up one episode, the focus is still on the protagonist Takaki Tono. By framing the story around Takaki, Shinkai has succeeded in creating a brilliant work that shows not only Takaki’s hopes, dreams, and aspirations in full detail, but also how those hopes prevent him from looking beyond the past.

Takaki’s inability to let go of the past is what makes him an identifiable and sympathetic character. As the story goes on his character flaws become all that much more apparent and the viewer can begin to identify the point at which his longing for Akari becomes an obsession that will not allow him to go on with his life. The way this change is presented to the viewer is definitely well done, especially by having the viewer look at this situation through Kanae’s, Takaki’s classmate, lens. Her narration and interaction with Takaki provides the viewer with an outsider’s view of how others perceived Takaki and allows for a well-rounded view of his character. It helps that Kanae is a deep character with her own set of motivations and goals and by watching her attempts to bond with Takaki, we gain some small degree of sympathy for her and see how she serves as an excellent contrast to Takaki.

The excellently done characters and plot have succeeded at tugging at our emotions, but the impact would not have been as strong if it weren’t for the stellar animation and the wondrous soundtrack. Shinkai’s animation had always been top-notch, and 5 Centimeters just keeps on pushing the bar higher. Every frame is just rich in detail, ranging from the lighting at the train station to the stunning beauty of watching cherry blossoms drifting along with the wind. The music also packs quite a punch with Tenmon at the helm. His melodies complement the scenes by strengthening the emotional impact and delivering an excellent soundtrack.

Finally, the ending lacks definitiveness. While it shows that Takaki’s life is in a rut, the OVA never really suggests that he breaks out of it. The last segment of the third episode consists of a series of flashbacks, while stunningly beautiful, does not really go anywhere. In light of how well done everything else was, the ending was just a tad bit underwhelming.

In spite of the ending, 5 Centimeters Per Second is solid all the way through. Every component works well to deliver a wonderfully romantic story that slowly becomes frayed by distance, from the breathtaking animation all the way to the soundtrack which complements each scene nicely. For people looking for a serious romance, you can’t go wrong with 5 Centimeters Per Second.

Score: Very Good