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Review: More often than not, listening to a soundtrack without having contextual knowledge requires firing up one’s imagination to figure out exactly what moods or settings the show’s composer is trying to capture through the music. Ryo Kunihiko is probably one of the better composers at this task since he has proven time and time again of being able to seamlessly blend his compositions to fit the scenes. In Victorian Romance Emma, his tracks depict the quiet, romantic atmosphere of the plot as well as the show’s English setting really well. It’s no surprise then, that, fresh from his work on the Aion MMORPG soundtrack, Kunihiko has little difficulty in bringing out the sense of adventure that Tegami Bachi (Letter Bee) evokes through the anime.

Before I go on, do note that I have neither seen nor read Letter Bee. Anything written here is purely speculation on my part combined with some heavy inference based on the track titles. If my descriptions reveal ignorance, well, you will know why.

Anyhow, I bring up Kunihiko’s work on Aion because the first thought I had was how much Tegami Bachi’s score reminded me of an RPG soundtrack. Its grand main theme, titled “LETTER BEE,” encapsulates the scope of the anime through a strong, attention-grabbing introduction featuring an orchestral melody that depicts a growing sense of excitement and adventure. Though there are moments where it moves into a more somber section to highlight the importance of the titular carriers’ task and the hardships they face on their journeys, it never loses sight of the awe-inspiring sights and sounds the carriers experience as they go about their work. The exhilaration carried throughout the piece is not unlike an RPG’s main theme, which gets the listener pumped about experiencing and interacting with the game’s world as the story soon unfolds.

LETTER BEE

[See post to listen to audio]
The similarities don’t end there either. You hear music reminiscent of battle themes in “Heavy-Metal Enemy (Shuugeki Gaichuu)” and “Shoot Down!” The former builds its menacing tone through screaming electronica and synth tones which support the bass guitar’s rhythm well enough though the track could certainly be improved if the tension were cranked up a few notches. “Shoot Down!” is the better of the two. Its introduction moves at a frenzied pace, conveying the imminent danger, before bringing the strings to the fore to play a series of grim chords that could be taken out from an action flick. Or, if you need a video game comparison, think Metal Gear Solid. To be sure, it’s not quite as developed as Harry Gregson-Williams’s score for the MGS series, but its dissonance works well enough to heighten the intensity of the action sequences.

Shoot Down!

[See post to listen to audio]
And what about the character/town themes? That’s one area in which this soundtrack really excels. Although Niche and Steak’s eponymous theme is a mix of melancholy and shyness that grows more playful and open as the piece progresses and Connor Culh’s unwieldy melody is a perfect semblance of the character’s rotund, clumsy manner, it’s the theme depicting the duo of Lag and Niche that really does it for me. The animated melody has the feel of an Irish dance that issues forth exuberance and eagerness by the truckload. It’s energy imbues the soundtrack with life and just listening to the lively music makes you want to join them on their travels and share in the wondrous sights and sounds that they come across.

Niche & Steak

[See post to listen to audio]

Lag & Niche

[See post to listen to audio]
One good example of such a place would be the “White Desert of Jose” which I presume to be an actual location in the series. In listening to it, you’d hardly be able to picture it as a dry, uninhabitable desert because of how the electric guitar and the piano combine really well to breathe life into the area. It’s almost as though the desert flowers were blooming right before your eyes, leaving you completely awestruck by the vibrant colors that meet your gaze. And of course, it goes without saying that the the underground world of AmberGround, with its mysteries and wonders, is depicted beautifully through a slow chant that makes you feel as though you’re walking upon hallowed ground, especially when the female chorus augments the mood through their ethereal voices.

White Desert of Jose

[See post to listen to audio]

Canon of AMBER GROUND (Full version)

[See post to listen to audio]
Through it all, the emotional fare like “Nocturne ~ a Destiny” will come in to fulfill the needs of the show’s more introspective moments, but make no mistake about it, Letter Bee’s soundtrack’s forte is in its ability to convey the excitement the characters must feel with each and every assignment. The path the characters tread may be dangerous at times, but it’s a rewarding trek the whole way through, and Kunihiko’s latest score certainly reflects that well.

Nocturne ~ a Destiny

[See post to listen to audio]

Rating: Very Good

Remember when I posted about watching TV during my vacation a month or so ago and being surprised about hearing that snippet from Victorian Romance Emma come up? Well, I did get a response awhile ago when I e-mailed the folks at Bloomberg, and here’s what they had to say:

The song during Judy Woodruff is called Ruby Rain.

Source: http://www.audionetworkplc.com/production-music/ruby-rain_5497.aspx

So basically, they’re saying that the song originated from a work composed by Igor Dvorkin and Duncan Pittock!

Now, there’s no date as to when “Ruby Rain” was composed, so it’s going to be difficult to nail down which came first: Kunihiko’s “The Season” or Dvorkin/Pittock’s “Ruby Rain.” Furthermore, the booklet for the Emma soundtrack doesn’t come with any liner notes that could be translated so you really aren’t able to see into Kunihiko’s mind and determine where he derived inspiration from when he composed the piece.

Obviously, when you compare the two tracks, the only similarity is in that short motive so plagiarism is the furthest thing from my mind. But hearing that does emphasize just how often composers quote other pieces of music.

Prominent artists like Yoko Kanno have been known to engage in musically quoting. If you’ve listened to her works on Macross Frontier, you’ll be able to pick out some prominent themes from the soundtrack such as “The Target,” which uses a part of John Williams’s melody from Star Wars and, of course, “Big Boys,” which derives a large part its music from Hans Zimmer’s Gladiator soundtrack (Pirates of the Caribbean would later use the same theme). And those compositions that borrow the same technique from Carl Orff’s “O Fortuna” from Carmina Burana? Those are far too numerous to count.

Big Boys

[See post to listen to audio]

None of this is a cause for alarm – unless it’s frighteningly close like Satoshi Kadokura’s compositions for Gundam F91 – nor should it result in less appreciation for compositions by Kunihiko, Kanno, et al. Rather, it reminds us just how music from new composers continually builds upon the works of those who came before, whether it’s by quoting or writing a variation upon a theme. Through that, it’s really easy to appreciate how the world of music is intertwined between contemporary artists, artists from different cultures, and artists from different eras. After all, Beethoven operated no differently (the well-known theme from his 9th Symphony can be heard in a Mozart work) and so, one shouldn’t expect anime composers to be bucking that trend. It all comes together into the sticky, but wonderful body of music compositions anyhow, and as long as current musicians continue to add their own flourishes and quirks to their own works and not descend into the perilous path of plagiarism, I’ll stay a happy camper.

This post features Ryo Kunihiko’s name rather than Yoko Kanno or some other composer, and for good reason: Kunihiko’s been on my mind as of late. It shouldn’t be too hard for you all to guess why that is. And no, it’s not Aion’s soundtrack either.

Vacations allow me to get away from a lot of things and I primarily use that time to undergo urban detox by going camping. For the days when I’m not out in the wilderness, I spend that time watching TV in hotel rooms. It seems like the only time I ever touch the TV is when I’m on vacation. That suits me just fine since I make up for that by watching anime the rest of the year anyhow.

Taking a vacation doesn’t get me away from anime music. I’ll blast video game and anime tunes from my iPod when I drive or fly around the country, and that is to be expected. What is unexpected is hearing anime music come out of a 24-hour financial news station. While I was in Portland, I found myself tuning in to Bloomberg TV and more specifically, a show titled “Conversations with Judy Woodruff.” I was somewhat familiar with Judy Woodruff’s work as a journalist, but I was even more familiar with the theme used for her show. Give it a listen, and no, you don’t need to listen to it in its entirety unless you like Paul Volcker; the first 10 seconds will do.

Well, that was a surprise! Maybe some of you recognized it as a work composed by Ryo Kunihiko for the Victorian Romance Emma soundtrack:

The Season
[See post to listen to audio]

Now, I didn’t stick around long enough for the credits to roll (it was late and I was tired). All I know is that Charles Tomaras is the show’s sound mixer, which I guess means that he selects the music and puts it all together. Does this mean that either he, or someone on Woodruff’s staff, listens to anime music and might even be an anime fan? Is that person aware of where the melody comes from or was it chosen for the show because it sounds pretty? I’m sure a quick e-mail could answer all of that if I could find out who to contact and how to contact them (the Bloomberg website is labyrinthine in this regard).

Mundane reason or not, as long as Ryo Kunihiko gets a royalty check from Judy Woodruff’s show, that’s all I can really ask for.

2002 brings in more shows that I’m now more familiar with, though the one thing to keep in mind is that I didn’t watch these shows in 2002. It was a time where I was transitioning into a new environment and all of the excitement and anxieties that come with doing such a thing. So I ended up putting off anime for a whole year until 2003 rekindled my interest in the medium once more with a spate of shows that proved to be pretty damn awesome. Well, you weren’t really here to read my life story, so I’ll spare you the details for another day when it might actually be relevant.

Note: Youtube videos are spoilered, clips contain the entire track, and with that, let’s go! God help us all if your connection can’t get these clips fast enough or this site experiences slowdowns. Be patient!

You could probably guess that my fanaticism for Taku Iwasaki was fervently in full swing as it carried over from 2002 and even further back since he has not yet disappointed in the slightest. After all, we’re still three years away from the atrocity that was Black Cat. So needless to say, his work on Getbackers and Witch Hunter Robin, was a continuation of his great run in form.

Of the two albums, Witch Hunter Robin is by far the more consistent as it juggles between the soft, mysterious-sounding stuff and action-y tracks. The main draw of WHR was, as you might expect the action when you have Robin, Amon and the rest of the crew at STN-J rushing in and engaging in combat. Of those, “Flame” gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it as I anticipate the battle that is to come. Though there’s not whole lot in the way of development, I’m willing to give it a pass because of how much I’ve come to associate it with the fight scenes in this series. I suspect that for me, part of the attraction is the way in which each stage of the fight feels deliberate as the melody and rhythm shifts around a bit at certain points.

Flame
[See post to listen to audio]
Of course, the other part of what made the soundtrack enjoyable is the theme of the eponymous character, “Robin.” In listening to it, you get a taste for both her earnest and gentle nature. There is a hint of mystery surrounding her, which I think this track captures well and it does make for one of the better character themes out there. Maybe it’s because of the nostalgia factor.

Robin
[See post to listen to audio]
The OP and ED also deserve mention because “Half Pain” and “Shell” are pretty damn awesome, and though I don’t listen to rock all that much, these two tracks see quite a bit of playtime still even after all these years. OK, well, only one is actually rock. The ED is more piano plus an aura of loneliness or something with a bit of longing thrown in for good measure. I like it.

Witch Hunter Robin OP & ED »

Getbackers is not as good as Witch Hunter Robin because it’s not as consistent, but it’s pretty hard not to like the damn thing. Here, Iwasaki employs a healthy dose of jazz to mix things up a bit, and the result is a soundtrack that’s really fun to listen to. The sheer amount of style it oozes out of every pore cannot be praised enough, especially in the main theme, which demands your attention right off the bat with its badass action that is all too fitting with the pulpiness that this series is just filled with. The show itself is decent up to a certain point since the writing quality does drop quite a bit, but the soundtrack, especially the first disc, is one that I’d highly recommend giving a shot.

Getbackers
[See post to listen to audio]
Full Metal Panic offers a different sort of action from what Getbackers provides, and its serious tones are fitting with Toshihiko Sahashi’s compositions. I don’t think I’ve ever heard Sahashi compose a bad soundtrack, and maybe that’s because I haven’t been looking hard enough. Either way what’s always impressed me is how well he handles the orchestra bits, and his work on FMP is certainly no exception to that. His militaristic themes are always consistent; they won’t necessarily wow you per se, but they are a notch above some of the action tracks that I’ve heard. “Plan 1056″ shines particularly brightly because of the urgency that you get through the drum section.

Plan 1056
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The slice of life moments are also enjoyable with its mix of easy listening tracks, which goes to show how versatile of a composer Sahashi is (and it’ll be something that’s in full display in 2003, mark my words). And if you want an awesome homage, look no further. The infectious A-Team Theme can be found here, and its inclusion earns my unconditional praise.

Tokkou Yarou
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Ootani Kou’s name should be familiar to many a VGM fan since he was responsible for the epic tracks in Shadows of the Colossus, but the intensity of the giant battles are almost nowhere to be found on his score for Haibane Renmei. Haibane’s peaceful, soothing score delivers upon so well is the way it conveys the feeling of rusticana through tracks like “A New Plate’s Rondo” and the upbeat “Starting of the World.” The former’s harpsichord and flute work together really well to immerse you into the setting as you alight upon a world that is far simpler and more relaxed, though I imagine people looking for an energetic start to the day will strongly favor the latter since it has the rhythm and tempo to create a hustle-bustle atmosphere. If that was all there is to it, this album wouldn’t be so highly regarded. The emotional piano tracks that pop up on occasion draw out the feelings of pain and regret, delivering it poignantly so that you, too, empathize with the characters’ struggles.

A New Plate’s Rondo
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Starting of the World
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So yes, Haibane might not be a show that I can say anything intelligible about, but thankfully, I can describe my feelings about the soundtrack. Its blend of calm, serene fare and the sadness that it imbues is really wonderful. And lest I forget, the OP, “Free Bird,” deserves a mention for its ability to distill the setting in a nutshell.

Haibane Renmei – Free Bird »

Finally, we come to Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou. Back when I watched the original OVA, I wasn’t quite able to come to grips with it, but in Quiet Country Cafe, I was slowly drawn into its fading world. The soundtrack, played by the Choro Club (and Taku Iwasaki might have a composer’s role here, I’m not sure), is beautifully serene. Yes, I’m quite the sucker for soft, pretty music like this and Choro Club has never failed to impress. As good as their work is here, I really like their work on a certain franchise a whole lot more. Look forward to it!

Cafe Alpha – Main Theme Orchestration
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Yuunagi no Jidai
[See post to listen to audio]

Hall of (My) Shame:

There’s a lot of patching up that needs to be done here, unfortunately, and I guess if there’s a year that can be called the “Lost Year” in the realm of anime music for me, it’d have to be 2002 since I’m missing quite a few gems (that people should comment about if they like this stuff!). Twelve Kingdoms is bound to get a listen one of these days once I find the time to actually watch the series. Ryo Kunihiko’s work on this anime, of the little I’ve heard, is positively epic. In listening to the opening sequence, it’s easy to get one’s breath taken away by the scope of what the series seemingly offers. And seeing how much praise it gets from people’s Decades lists, this show is a matter of “when I’ll get to it” rather than “if I’ll get to it.”

Twelve Kingdoms – Junigenmukyou (full version)
[See post to listen to audio]

.hack//SIGN also came out that year, and its snail-like pacing undermined its interesting premise. Through this show, I was convinced that Yuki Kajiura would only stick to mediocre anime (this prediction would be proven resoundingly wrong, by the way) but the little music that I’ve heard from this series does garner a favorable impression. Rahxephon’s absence is another headscratcher since its OP, “Hemisphere,” has been so widely praised. I hear the score is pretty good too.

Rahxephon – Hemisphere »

2002 also saw the release of Chobits, and aside from a very catchy OP, in “Let Me Be With You,” I haven’t watched it and cannot comment further beyond “what’s with Clamp adaptations and their catchy openings?”. Even more damning is the lack of Yoko Kanno’s soundtrack for Ghost in the Shell: Stand-Alone Complex. This was the series that brought Origa to my attention through her excellent performance of “Inner Universe” that leaves me feeling floaty because of her ethereal voice. Given Kanno’s stellar reputation, this soundtrack definitely demands a listen, but like all that’s been afflicting me as of late, the lack of time means that it’s sitting on the backburner. Along with about 3 dozen other things vying for my attention simultaneously.

Chobits – Let Me Be With You »

GitS: SAC – Inner Universe »

Hmm… now that I look back upon this lengthy entry, 2002 was an impressive year music-wise, wasn’t it?

Voting Thread

As of this blog post for this week’s anime music selections, there are less than 4 hours left before I close things up and prepare for week 5’s stuff.

Anyhow, this week’s theme focuses on legendary anime pieces and we’ve got a pretty decent set with plenty of variety ranging from the expected militaristic fanfares and majestic tracks to ROCKIN’ songs as well as songs infused with a Spanish/Latin flavor. The quality of the selections made it difficult to assign the points, but in the end, four tracks managed to get my favorable nod while the rest fell into the Honorable Mentions category. And with that, here are the tracks from this most legendary week:

Twelve Kingdoms – Junigenmukyou (full version)
[See post to listen to audio]
From the beginning, this track has an aura of mystery about it, as though it were depicting a world nestled away from the ravages of time. That atmosphere describes what I know of Twelve Kingdom’s setting really well, and it’s beautiful in that regard. Once the drumming section begins in 1:06, you begin to get a feel for the scope of this war-torn story, with its heroics and tragedies, bringing forth a sense of danger before leveling off into a sort of eerie tranquility which projects an image of the battlefield after a battle. The track’s depiction of the dichotomy between court life and the soldier’s life gives a complete picture of the political dealings of the bygone era, but it’s not over yet since the piece has one final surprise with the segue from the calm, courtly scene into a heroic, rallying battle-cry as you can feel the kingdom mobilize in an inspiring energy-filled melody. (+1)

Code Geass – Black Knights
[See post to listen to audio]
The Spanish/Latin rhythm makes for a wonderful effect, especially when combined with the male choral part to yield a piece that’s filled with a certain grimness and works to bring out the seriousness of the overarching plot as well as the intensity of the action-y moments. While this track doesn’t get points this week, it does serve as an enjoyable change of pace amongst the tracks nominated this week as a result of this unique mixture.

Gigantic Formula – Main theme v.0
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The fanfare in the beginning feels like a sunrise as it bursts forth in a showy display of brilliance. It’s not often that the hairs on the back of my neck raise up, but the introduction manages to achieve that like none other. The melody and the harmony complement each other so well in this majestic piece and I love the way the piece moves between the loud/majestic sections and the softer interludes that it’s difficult for me to feel bored listening to this. Awesome from start to finish and the images it instilled in my mind moved me to tears. OK, so I’m a sucker for this kind of stuff, but it’s definitely worth a listen. (+2)

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann – “Libera me” From Hell
[See post to listen to audio]
The opera part kinda fools you in the beginning into expecting some sort of brilliance like the Queen of the Night’s song in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, but that expectation is dashed once the rap part makes its entry. From what I’ve heard about TTGL (yes, I have not seen this series. BLASPHEMY!!!), I can see how it meshes really well with the themes it espouses. As for the music though, I have difficulty enjoying the opera singer’s performance since the part starting around 1:23 feels cacophonous and directionless even though (oddly enough) I found the rap part to mesh well with the instrumentals. At least it does its job in bringing out the epic side of things and had I seen the series, I think I’d be able to appreciate this track a lot more. As it stands though, the track is decent even if I wouldn’t elevate it to “amazing” status.

Heroic Age – Heroic Age
[See post to listen to audio]
Even though this stands out as yet another majestic track, I can’t seem to be able to get enough of them. This piece’s puts in my mind an aerial view of a nice, quiet, beautiful valley just before dawn as the glider you’re riding upon flies into the heart of this amazing view, instilling you with a sense of serenity, as though to show the vastness and beauty that the world offers. The mood then changes and the sheer regality comes fully into being with the crescendo around 1:30 followed by a fanfare around the 2:00. There, the totality of its majesty comes into being, and one cannot help but look at in awe as it brings out that sense of sanctity, duty, and destiny. Naoki Sato deserves props for conveying that epic journey/view/whatever it’s describing. (+2)

Berserk – BEHILIT
[See post to listen to audio]
Yes, this one is different and I wouldn’t call this legendary as much as lost… or maybe that’s because the track gives me the feeling I might get if I were in an untamed jungle where danger might lurk around any corner. You can sort of hear this from the harmony, which has an affect of creating tension through its tempo and repetitive nature. It’s a nice change of pace though, but not point-worthy in light of some of the better selections.

FLCL – I Think I Can
[See post to listen to audio]
This particular piece actually sounds pretty good with all the awesome guitar work going in the background to provide an interesting backdrop to the vocals with all its grooviness while going through the verses. However, my rating on this piece plummets around 0:41 when the words “I think I can” are being sung in the chorus section. Those lyrics are just too cheesy for my tastes because it puts the image of The Little Engine That Could into my mind and I can’t divorce those intertwining thoughts from each other, turning a ROCKIN’ song into one that’s silly. If you wanted an example of a piece that could be ruined by just one section, “I think I can’s” chorus section would be a great example of that.

Read or Die OVA – Bring all the wisdom to Great Britain!
[See post to listen to audio]
And yet… this piece also brings forth a bit of cheese, but it’s an enjoyable sort of cheese if you keep the backdrop of the series in mind since the concept of the British Library being in control of Britain’s super secret spy squad makes for an entertaining plot. The militaristic music is over-the-top, but I wouldn’t have it any other way and it makes for an enjoyable listen as you imagine the troops assembling to perform the task hinted at in the piece’s title through their objective of preventing powerful books from falling into the wrong hands.

Princess Mononoke – Legend of Ashitaka
[See post to listen to audio]
I really love this piece and it’s probably one of the first soundtracks that caught my attention way back in the infancy of my anime experience. It captures the essence of the movie really well, starting off with the grim opening that paints Ashitaka as a man on a mission to cure his disease and in doing so, setting the epic journey into its proper perspective. It’s subtle, but emotionally stirring and it will always stand out as one of Hisaishi’s better pieces.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack – Segment III: Sally
[See post to listen to audio]
“Sally” feels grim and brooding with a hint of impatience, conveying the atmosphere and emotions that people feel right before a battle is about to commence. The air is thick with anticipation and both sides seem to be eager to rush forth and engage the opposition and with that crescendo, the piece moves into a rallying cry of sorts. At this point, you can feel the intensity of the battle as both sides send their troops forth (or “sallying,” if you will ) with cries for heroism and valor. Another strong piece that edges out the preceding one based on the novelty factor. (+1)

So there you have it! My point distribution can be found below. Week 5’s theme will be based on pop vocals, 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) Gigantic Formula – Main theme v.0
(+2) Heroic Age – Heroic Age
(+1) Twelve Kingdoms – Junigenmukyou (full version)
(+1) Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack – Segment III: Sally