Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! Original Soundtrack – Review

Album Title:	Sound of a small love & chu-2 byo story
Anime Title:	Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!
Artist:	Nijine, ZAQ, Maaya Uchida, Chinatsu Akasaki, Azumi Asakura, Sumire Uesaka
Catalog Number:	LACA-9258~9
Release Type:	Soundtrack
Release Date:	January 9, 2013
Purchase at:	CDJapan, Play-Asia

Tracklist
Disc 1
[spoiler]

Track Title	Artist	Time
01. Sparkling Daydream (TV size)	ZAQ	1:36
02. Welcome to the Chu-2 byo world!	Nijine	2:07
03. Chuunibyou to wa Nanzo ya	Nijine	1:30
04. Shinpi no Shoujo to no Deai	Nijine	2:03
05. Akogare no Futsuu Seikatsu yo	Nijine	1:54
06. Cute and chu-2 byo	Nijine	1:40
07. Ukare Egao de Go!	Nijine	1:28
08. Chu-2 byo is cool!	Nijine	2:19
09. comical boys	Nijine	1:30
10. The Dark Hero	Nijine	1:36
11. Nikumenai Onna no Ko	Nijine	1:35
12. Umaku Ikanai Koto mo Arutte Monde	Nijine	1:32
13. Teitai na Kanjou	Nijine	1:43
14. Yuugure to Yorisou Kanjou	Nijine	1:26
15. Kondou no Saki ni Nanika ga Aru no da	Nijine	1:30
16. Gakkari Gakusei Jidai	Nijine	1:52
17. Kanjou, Sono na wa ‘Hiai’	Nijine	1:43
18. Kokoro no Sukima ni Fuan ga Yattekuru	Nijine	1:46
19. Sonna Koto mo Aru yo ne	Nijine	1:34
20. Kitai Shichatte Iindesu	Nijine	1:45
21. Oi oi, Daijoubu ka?	Nijine	1:32
22. Watashi ni mo Mieru	Nijine	0:58
23. Maou Kourin ~Ichi~	Nijine	0:10
24. Maou Kourin ~Ni~	Nijine	0:12
25. Maou Kourin ~San~	Nijine	0:15
26. Heiwa na Nichijou ga Ichiban no Shiawase	Nijine	1:30
27. Mousou Dekomori Senritsu ~Hokan~	Nijine	1:51
28. Mousou Dekomori Senritsu ~Kakushin~	Nijine	1:39
29. Mousou Dekomori Senritsu ~Gattai~	Nijine	1:32
30. Soshite Ashita mo Chuunibyou wa Tsuzuku no de Atta	Nijine	1:46

[/spoiler]
Disc 2
[spoiler]

Track Title	Artist	Time
01. Mousou Battle ~Karei Kaishin~	Nijine	1:56
02. Mousou Battle ~Catharsis~	Nijine	1:44
03. Mousou Battle ~Seisen~	Nijine	2:16
04. Mousou Battle ~Densetsu Shoukan~	Nijine	1:38
05. Surechigau Kokoro to Kokoro	Nijine	1:50
06. Atatakasa ni Tsutsumarete Hi wa Kureru	Nijine	2:00
07. Hajimare no Tane	ZAQ	2:15
08. Fukashi Kyoukaisen wo Sagashite	Nijine	1:36
09. Ochiruna!	Nijine	1:37
10. Kimi no Tonari ni	ZAQ	2:33
11. Miagete Goran Yoru no Hoshi wo	Izumi Taku	2:42
12. Kanashiki Mousou Battle	Nijine	2:04
13. Kanashiki Mousou Battle ~piano~	Nijine	0:52
14. Tebanashita Mono wo Torimodoshini	Nijine	1:56
15. Omou Mono Doushi no Saikai	Nijine	2:38
16. Sore wa Hontou ni Attan da	Nijine	2:26
17. Rikai to Aijou to Yasashii Manazashi	Nijine	1:53
18. Koi wa Tsuzuiteiku	Nijine	1:29
19. Yokokuhen ~Chuunibyou World no Kaimaku~	Nijine	1:50
20. Yokokuhen ~Chuunibyou no Shinjitsu~	Nijine	0:40
21. Keitai Gal Game	Nijine	0:54
22. Eiga Ongakuteki Romance	Nijine	0:55
23. Sparkling Daydream ~piano~	Nijine	1:21
24. INSIDE IDENTITY ~piano~	Nijine	2:04
25. Chuunibyou Eye Catch ~Mysterious~	Nijine	0:08
26. Chuunibyou Eye Catch ~Fuan~	Nijine	0:08
27. Chuunibyou Eye Catch ~Comical~	Nijine	0:06
28. Chuunibyou Eye Catch ~Gag~	Nijine	0:07
29. Chuunibyou Eye Catch ~Romantic~	Nijine	0:08
30. Chuunibyou Eye Catch ~Utsukushisa~	Nijine	0:09
31. INSIDE IDENTITY (TV size)	Black Raison d’être	1:36

[/spoiler]
Review: Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai’s soundtrack shoots to make its music work within its anime context and succeeds to its detriment. Nijine is no stranger to composing anime music and his compositions for Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai, though tedious and bland, were able to elicit a smile from me as memories of the anime come flooding back as a result of some of his melodies. But robbed of this context, his pieces drift around like withered greens in a lukewarm soup that isn’t hearty enough to sate my appetite.

The first disc demonstrates the context problem most pointedly. Although I smiled while listening to many of the tracks, it wasn’t because I appreciated the music. “Welcome to the Chu-2 byo world!” plastered a silly grin over my face as the light, peppy, synth bounced along serendipitously, evoking the sillier moments between the two leads, Yuuta and Rikka. The piece’s comical nature attempts to invoke an exaggerated giddiness, and at times, is fun and quirky. However, the instrumentation quickly feels static and muted, and I wish that the liveliness gushed out more strongly. Alas, the track is ultimately unable to overcome its dullness, rendering itself noteworthy only to those who have seen the anime.

Welcome to the Chu-2 byo world!

[audio:102 – Chuunikoi.mp3]
The problems only become more pronounced the farther you go; ChuuniKoi’s slice of life tracks are among some of the most lifeless ones I’ve heard outside of K-ON!’s soundtrack. “Akogare no Futsuu Seikatsu yo” is far too content with its repetitive piano chords without making any attempt at developing the track beyond the token addition of instruments. Others like “Umaku Ikanai Koto mo Arutte Monde” and “Oi oi, Daijoubu ka?” plod along with little care when it comes to keeping the listener entertained. Whatever attempts are made at bringing life to the music, like the latter’s clarinet ditties that bear a hint of mischievousness, are for naught. On the whole, these tracks do little more than produce moments where listeners go, “Ahh, they played this when X happened.”

Akogare no Futsuu Seikatsu yo

[audio:105 – Chuunikoi.mp3]

Oi oi, Daijoubu ka?

[audio:121 – Chuunikoi.mp3]
There are a few decent tracks, like “The Dark Hero,” which stereotypically plays out the ominous RPG dungeon shtick delightfully well, and the energetic, swingy electric guitar in “Kitai Shichatte Iindesu” to stir the listener from the blandness, but it’s not enough to overcome the disc’s lackluster efforts. To make it worse, the “Mousou Dekomori Senritsu” set of tracks which close out the disc leave a sour aftertaste; its use of heavy drumbeats, stagnant brassy airs, and terse string chords to evoke a sense of tension feels forced and uninspired. I found the first one, “~Hokan~,” to be especially guilty of this as the bombastic melody is static and so, does little to bring forth the hot-blooded feeling that better action-y and adventuresome tracks can deliver upon.

The Dark Hero

[audio:110 – Chuunikoi.mp3]

Mousou Dekomori Senritsu

[audio:127 – Chuunikoi.mp3]
The music in the second disc thankfully takes a turn for the better, but only slightly more. To start the disc off, Nijine gives us some decent, if not extraordinary battle music comparable to those found in RPGs. For example, “~Karei Kaishin~” carries the fast-paced feel of battle using strings that alternate between driving the melody and sitting in the background while the synth takes over. The second track, “~Catharsis~,” drives the action further with short, but relentless string chords and synthy wails atop the electric guitar rhythm. “~Seisen~” doesn’t add much beyond a harder, more urgent rock sound but “~Densetsu Shoukan~” brings in a soaring chorus with sections of dissonant brass to drive up the tension. While these battle themes are unremarkable, their parallel to RPG music is a clever touch. Chuunibyou (middle schoolers with overactive imaginations and often imagine themselves to be heroes or supervillains) who engage in deep, heroic fantasies would precisely imagine themselves to be RPG characters, so whether this was on purpose or a lucky coincidence, we’ll never know, but it definitely works in this context.

Mousou Battle ~Densetsu Shoukan~

[audio:204 – Chuunikoi.mp3]
If the battle music got better, then so did the lighter fare. “Atatakasa ni Tsutsumarete Hi wa Kureru” impresses as it delivers a light piano that oozes contentment through its gentle tones. The gladness intensifies further when the strings join in, bearing an optimism that is wonderfully stirring as the melody yearns towards that brighter future. “Omou Mono Doushi no Saikai” is also solid as the strings, with piano accompaniment, captures the personal tragedy most poignantly, releasing it in a flurry of catharsis that is beautiful to behold. Finally, “Sore wa Hontou ni Attan da” takes one on the road to a happy ending as it evokes that brighter, quieter outlook as the clarinet and strings deliver a beautiful, heartfelt track that empties out the sorrow and refills it with happiness.

Atatakasa ni Tsutsumarete Hi wa Kureru

[audio:206 – Chuunikoi.mp3]

Omou Mono Doushi no Saikai

[audio:215 – Chuunikoi.mp3]
When the second disc is considered in the totality of its offerings however, it’s not enough to overcome the first disc’s faults. I often wondered whether Nijine’s style wasn’t a good fit with Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai, given that his compositions for anime like Hatsukoi Limited and Natsuiro Kiseki were more enjoyable. So although I don’t think anyone who went into Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai was expecting anything stellar musically, it still could have been much better. Chuunibyou imaginations require grand, epic themes to serve their purposes, and to have music of this caliber is simply a disservice to their vivid thoughts, fantasies, and daydreams.

Rating: So-so