Eve no Jikan Original Soundtrack – Review
| Album Title: | Eve no Jikan Original Soundtrack |
|---|---|
| Anime Title: | Eve no Jikan |
| Artist: | Tooru Okada, Rie Tanaka, Kalafina, Yuki Kajiura |
| Catalog Number: | SVWC-7709 |
| Release Type: | Soundtrack |
| Release Date: | July 21, 2010 |
| Purchase at: | CDJapan |
Tracklist:
[spoiler]
| Track Title | Artist | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Eve no Ami | Tooru Okada | 1:08 |
| 2. CODE:LIFE | Tooru Okada | 1:32 |
| 3. Jinkouni Senman | Tooru Okada | 1:05 |
| 4. Eve no Jikan | Tooru Okada | 1:20 |
| 5. Tennai BGM | Tooru Okada | 1:35 |
| 6. Haita Seigyo | Tooru Okada | 0:32 |
| 7. Akiko | Tooru Okada | 0:34 |
| 8. Dragon God | Tooru Okada | 0:51 |
| 9. Eve no Nakama | Tooru Okada | 0:32 |
| 10. Sammy no Dekigokoro | Tooru Okada | 0:47 |
| 11. Dai Ichijou no Uta | Tooru Okada | 0:49 |
| 12. Tomadoi no Jikan | Tooru Okada | 1:25 |
| 13. Horror to Eros wa Kamihitoe | Tooru Okada | 0:13 |
| 14. Kidou | Tooru Okada | 0:32 |
| 15. Kanoo no Nakami | Tooru Okada | 0:32 |
| 16. Rina | Tooru Okada | 1:06 |
| 17. Kooji | Tooru Okada | 1:33 |
| 18. Tennai BGM2 | Tooru Okada | 1:40 |
| 19. Futari no Kyori | Tooru Okada | 0:27 |
| 20. House-roid wa Kano Yume wo Miru ka? | Tooru Okada | 1:12 |
| 21. LUH Kata | Tooru Okada | 0:40 |
| 22. Onboro Robot | Tooru Okada | 0:34 |
| 23. Katoran | Tooru Okada | 0:41 |
| 24. Yokan | Tooru Okada | 0:26 |
| 25. Rikuo Rensou Kyoku | Tooru Okada | 0:37 |
| 26. Ame no Kaerimichi | Tooru Okada | 1:19 |
| 27. Yasashii Jikan no Naka de | Tooru Okada | 0:47 |
| 28. Yasashii Jikan no Naka de / Rie Tanaka | Rie Tanaka | 3:17 |
| 29. Tex | Tooru Okada | 0:40 |
| 30. Rinri Iinkai | Tooru Okada | 2:31 |
| 31. Android | Tooru Okada | 0:17 |
| 32. Eve no Kanata | Tooru Okada | 2:21 |
| 33. I have a dream / Kalafina | Kalafina, Yuki Kajiura | 4:28 |
[/spoiler]
Review: Eve no Jikan’s movie soundtrack represents background music in its purest form. Its tracklist consists mostly of short snippets that serve as musical cues to trigger a story event while the lengthier tracks work primarily to channel a character or location’s aura. The music works well with the show’s visuals to depict the charming, sometimes eccentric nature of the titular cafe and its patrons, but beyond the nostalgia value for people who have seen the ONA, this soundtrack is unlikely to leave much of a lasting impact.
Those who have seen Eve no Jikan are probably able to remember a handful of tracks. There is, of course, “CODE:LIFE,” with its catchy rhythm that slowly grows more chaotic through the addition of other instruments. It displays a disharmonious kind of harmony; there are times when the instruments take off in different directions, resulting in a hubbub that resembles the pleasant, chatty atmosphere of a crowded cafe. The show’s eponymous track, “Eve no Jikan,” picks up where “CODE:LIFE” leaves off with a charming piano melody early on before blooming radiantly as a cavalcade of chaos creates a chorus that re-energizes as though it were opening a gateway to a utopia that offers a fresh, mind-opening experience, dissonant and harsh though it may be.
CODE:LIFE
[audio:02 Evenojikan.mp3]Eve no Jikan
[audio:04 Evenojikan.mp3]Beyond the tracks that are over a minute long, it’ll be tough finding memorable pieces. Most of the tracks that follow are fairly simplistic, and because they’re so short, are fairly undeveloped. For example, “Rikuo Rensou Kyoku’s” melody consists of a piano meandering around a minimalist fabric that, while fitting in its depiction of an everyman, just doesn’t curry one’s attention because it never expands upon that theme. I’d rather hear themes like “Akiko,” where the lively accordion gives way to a dapper sound that captures the titular character’s upbeat personality or “Yasashii Jikan no Naka de’s” jazzy sound that carries a hopeful air with an upswing that ends with a phrase that could be taken from any smooth piano jazz piece (think Vince Guaraldi’s “Linus and Lucy”).
Rikuo Rensou Kyoku
[audio:25 Evenojikan.mp3]Akiko
[audio:07 Evenojikan.mp3]Yasashii Jikan no Naka de
[audio:27 Evenojikan.mp3]Unfortunately, such catchy melodies and upbeat displays are in short supply as Tooru Okada rightfully aims for a more subdued soundtrack to make sure the music never eclipses the anime’s scenes. The ambiance that emanates from tracks like “Kanoo no Nakami” does well to sculpt some of the more tension-filled moments while also adding a layer of electronica to emphasize the show’s robotic theme. But more often than not, the atmosphere of fear is overblown as it is in portions of “Rinri Iinkai” and “Android,” where the dissonance isn’t exactly pleasing to the ear, especially with the latter’s use of a siren that sounds grating 5 seconds in. It doesn’t leave behind a strong impression at any rate.
Android
[audio:31 Evenojikan.mp3]“Eve no Kanata” does end it all on a hopeful note with its stately, subtle tones, but by then, the soundtrack has passed me by, and aside from the few tracks that stood out, Eve no Jikan’s soundtrack is largely forgettable. It’s understandable why Tooru approached the music the way he did given the scope of the project, but a part of me thinks a better composer could have succeeded in the face of such constraints. If you’re like me and enjoyed Eve no Jikan, you’ll find that the soundtrack is good for one or two listens to capture the nostalgia. But no more than that. It just doesn’t stand the test of time.
Eve no Kanata
[audio:32 Evenojikan.mp3]Rating: So-so
oh man, kajiura? no wonder I wasn’t too enthralled….
awesome album art though……. >.> <.<
CODE:LIFE is simply to catchy. I can practically picture the main characters entering the cafe and meeting someone interesting there.
As much as I enjoyed the series (haven’t seen the movie adaptation), I have to admit the music wasn’t the most compelling element.
I actually gave this soundtrack a go but gave up after the first few tracks. Looks like I didn’t miss anything too important =D
The music sounds nice, but is the show any good? Just wondering.
@lelangir
Agreed on that last bit for sure. That pic of Sammy did kinda draw me in.
@keikakudoori
I loved it when I first heard it. I remember when the opening sequence (for the lack of a better word) played, that was going to be one of the pieces to remember and I’m pretty glad it panned out. The others… not so much.
@Joojoobees
Haven’t seen it either, so I am looking forward to seeing what scenes would be added to the mix. Still, wish the music did turn out to be better than it was.
@Jen
Maybe listen to it after you watch the ONA… if you ever get around to it. There’s probably 1-2 pieces worth your while, granted, that’s pretty low, so eh.
@Valence
I love it! It easily rates a 8/10 in my book because the characters are easy to empathize with and I do like the theme that they’re putting across. Would definitely recommend.
From the samples presented, the soundtrack either comes off as pretentious or created to do its job and only its job, which is simply Background music. Perhaps if I watch this anime with its music in context, I’ll greater appreciate it than listening to it alone.
@Marcos G
I really do recommend watching the anime, not so much for the music, but for its presentation. It helps that there are about… I’m tempted to say 7 episodes and most of them are under 15 minutes, which means you can blaze through all of it in one day if you so choose.
I recently listened to this one as well and to tell the truth, I could not finish it. I just went about doing things and totally forgot about the ongoing music. Nevertheless, I absolutely love the ost cover 🙂
I’ve always really liked Yuki Kajiura + Kalafina together, but other than Code Life, nothing particularly interests me. In fact, Android was actually really annoying.
I’m a pretty big fan of Yuki Kajiura and her works. The one thing that bugs me about her music, though, is that most of her works sound similar (at least, all the ones I could think of off the top of my head).
That being said, I agree with the idea that this anime is worth a watch, though not for it’s music. It’s rather short, and pretty interesting to watch.
@Canne
The cover did bring in a lot of interest to my knowledge since it did get shared on GRSI and I have to agree that it might be the best thing about this album :p
@Yi
Well, Kajiura only composed that track; the rest was all done by Tooru Ookada who can inspire in a few pieces. A shame really.
@Tsuki
It’s a valid complaint about Kajiura. She’s a composer who works better in small listening doses than one that you’d run through her discography with.
That’s the charm of Eve all right!
Wow, talk about simplistic sounding! Quite an interesting contrast if you think about the complex A.I. needed for the androids for function.
I’m hoping for a full Eve no Jikan series. It would be far more interesting than the majority of the stuff airing recently.
@Reltair
It’s a contrast all right, but it does work to ease you into the show’s subtle terms. Of course, its subtlety means that it doesn’t work quite as well outside, and I don’t think Okada was trying to blaze new ground here.
Such a show would be interesting yes, because it has the capacity to bring up more issues into the debate and give us a better span for the socio-political background.
I’ve never understood Kajiura’s huge popularity as a BGM composer. Some of her work is nice, yes, but most of it is just not that remarkable to me.
@Yu
Just making sure you know that Kajiura didn’t compose this one =p
I do consider Kajiura a decent composer even if all her stuff sounds the same. Still, she’s one who’s better taken in in small doses than listening straight through. Unless it’s Mai HiME we’re talking about.
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