Spice and Wolf Game OP – By Your Side – Review
| Album Title: | Wolf and Spice: My One Year With Horo Theme Song “By Your Side” or Okami to Koshinryo Boku to Horo no Ichinen Theme Kyoku “Tonari ni Iru yo” |
|---|---|
| Anime Title: | Spice and Wolf |
| Artist: | Dai Aizawa; Ami Koshimizu |
| Catalog Number: | MNCA-9028 |
| Release Type: | Game Single |
| Release Date: | Jun 26, 2008 |
| Track Title | Artist | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. By Your Side (“Tonari ni Iru yo”) | Dai Aizawa; Ami Koshimizu | 4:07 |
| 2. By Your Side ED Version | Dai Aizawa; Ami Koshimizu | 5:03 |
| 3. By Your Side BGM Version | Dai Aizawa | 3:46 |
| 4. By Your Side -instrumental- | Dai Aizawa | 4:07 |
| 5. By Your Side ED version -instrumental- | Dai Aizawa | 5:00 |
Review: This is going to be one of the shorter reviews simply because this CD gives you one track and throws in variations to keep it interesting. “By Your Side” (“Tonari ni Iru yo”) is an extremely beautiful track that keeps in with the spirit of the Spice and Wolf anime series by being generally upbeat. The first version of “By Your Side,” puts you into the mood for some traveling as the melody feels as though it promises a safe, but magnificent adventure. Ami Koshimizu definitely needs to be credited here because her voice is crisp and clear while conveying the traveling mood that this song conjures up. The upbeat nature of the track should yield quite a few listens and I was very happy with how this turned out.
The slower ED version takes that same melody but slows the tempo down to the point that the mood changes just slightly from an adventuresome mood to one that’s more wistful as the traveler looks back and reflects upon the journey. Though I’ve no doubt that the lyrics are the same, the change is definitely there, but it still results in a track that’s very satisfying to listen to.
Finally, we come to the BGM version which replaces Ami Koshimizu’s voice and replaces it with a violin. Somehow, the violin’s addition wasn’t quite as seamless and the piece felt slightly rushed at times. As such, this one felt the most out of place. Nevertheless, it doesn’t spoil the overall mood of the album and I’d highly recommend this one to anyone who enjoys upbeat vocal music or just needs to add another stellar Spice and Wolf album to their collection.
Rating: Very Good
