Hidamari Sketch x★★★ Original Sound Track: Hidamari • Day's • Night – Review

Album Title:	Hidamari Sketch x★★★ Original Sound Track: Hidamari • Day’s • Night
Anime Title:	Hidamari Sketch x★★★
Artist:	Tomoki Kikuya, Tatsuya Kikuchi, Dai Murai, Kana Asumi, Kaori Mizuhashi, Yuuko Gotou, Ryoko Shintani, marble
Catalog Number:	LASA-5041
Release Type:	Soundtrack
Release Date:	March 24, 2010
Purchase at:	CDJapan, Play-Asia

Tracklist
[spoiler]

Track Title	Artist	Time
1. Sate Sate	Tomoki Kikuya	0:06
2. Hidamari na Shouchou	Tomoki Kikuya	1:37
3. Dekiru Kanatte ☆☆☆(TV size)	Tomoki Kikuya	1:33
4. Hidamari Sou no Asa ~Ichi Nensei~	Tomoki Kikuya	1:57
5. Doki Doki Odekake	Tomoki Kikuya	1:35
6. Hidamari Sou no Asa ~Ni Nensei~	Tomoki Kikuya	1:28
7. Uki Uki	Tomoki Kikuya	1:50
8. Hidamari Sou no Asa ~San Nensei~	Tomoki Kikuya	1:33
9. Hogaraka Nichiyoubi	Tomoki Kikuya	2:12
10. Tanoshimi Shin Seikatsu	Tomoki Kikuya	1:35
11. Hajimemashite, Hidamari Sou	Tomoki Kikuya	1:34
12. Naka Yoku Dekirukana?	Tomoki Kikuya	1:34
13. Tayori ni Naru Senpai?	Tomoki Kikuya	1:32
14. Watashi wa Senpao	Tomoki Kikuya	1:45
15. Watashi mo Senpai	Tomoki Kikuya	1:37
16. Nakayoku Shiyo!	Tomoki Kikuya	1:46
17. Minna to Issho	Tomoki Kikuya	2:01
18. Korette Heiki?	Tomoki Kikuya	1:34
19. Shinkasuru Yoshinoya-sensei	Tomoki Kikuya	1:15
20. Shinkashi Tsuzukeru Yoshinoya-sensei	Tomoki Kikuya	1:28
21. Kouchou-sensei VS Yoshinoya-sensei	Tomoki Kikuya	1:05
22. Tama ni wa Konna Hi mo	Tomoki Kikuya	1:20
23. Aru Hi no Shokutaku	Tomoki Kikuya	2:03
24. Nanka Zureteru?	Tomoki Kikuya	1:33
25. Nanika Zureteru?	Tomoki Kikuya	1:38
26. Nazeka Zureteru?	Tomoki Kikuya	1:46
27. Hidamari Sou no Yukaina Kawari mono	Tomoki Kikuya	1:37
28. Yuttari Yamabuki Koukou	Tomoki Kikuya	1:33
29. Ittekimasu	Tomoki Kikuya	1:39
30. Sakura Sakura Saku ~Ano Hi Kimi wo Matsu Sora to Onaji de~ (TV size)	marble	1:31
31. Shinmiri	Tomoki Kikuya	1:39

[/spoiler]
Review: If ARIA’s music can be described as listening to a nice slice of heaven, then Hidamari Sketch’s soundtrack’s firmly deposits me into my happy place. The magnitude to which I enjoy Tomoki Kikuya’s compositions should be evident through this comparison which sets the two franchises worlds apart. Here, Kikuya’s blend of jazz rhythms and minimalist melodies does all right; it’s fun and relaxing to listen to even if it’s not a mind-blowing experience. I enjoyed the melodies in Hidamari Sketch X365 a lot and while the whimsical-ness remains in this third installment, there are a lot more minimalist pieces this time around. Intact is the way the album depicts the day to day lives of Hidamari’s residents, and even if some of the tracks are unremarkable, there are enough delightful pieces for me to give this album a nod of approval.

The track that sets the tone for this album is “Hidamari na Shouchou,” which captures the lightness and pleasantness associated of the early morning. I particularly like the way the piano part meanders along, shaking off the cobwebs from the night’s rest, before awakening through a bouncy section that feels as though the characters are ready and eager to explore the new day. It’s not boisterous; after all, the excitement in Hidamari Sketch is more subdued. Its success comes in making us feel the warmth brought about by their camaraderie as the characters eagerly experience the simple pleasures of life while growing and maturing together. This piece, and the album as a whole, seeks to assure us that each character will find their own slice of happiness through melodies that allow the listener to relax and share in the characters’ wonderful lives.

Hidamari na Shouchou

[audio:02 Hidasketch3.mp3]
But what I find interesting is how the theme in “Hidamari na Shouchou” is crafted to specially suit each pair of characters. For example, “Hidamari Sou no Asa ~Ichi Nensei~” (First-years) fittingly lacks certainty and wanders just a bit more than that of the older characters as they get their feet wet and settle down in their new lives. Contrast that with the version for the “Ni Nensei (Second-years)” who have the routine down pat and function pretty much on autopilot and the melody for the “San Nensei (Third-years)” which features a stately sound that you might get from Baroque music. Of the three, the “San Nensei version” is the most mature-sounding with a dab of wistfulness and introspectiveness, which is in line with the fact that Hiro and Sae will soon graduate, and so, time becomes all the more precious to them.

Hidamari Sou no Asa ~Ichi Nensei~

[audio:04 Hidasketch3.mp3]

Hidamari Sou no Asa ~San Nensei~

[audio:08 Hidasketch3.mp3]
The rest of the tracks focus on depicting the many situations the characters go through each day. Some of it, like “Hajimemashite, Hidamari Sou,” are quiet, unremarkable, light music that fits the scene, but doesn’t do much else. Others subtly bubble their emotions to the surface, like the soft, gentle “Nakayoku Shiyo!” which uses a very wonderful accordion melody to wash over the listener with its mellow tones, making it a wonderful piece with which to end the day.

Nakayoku Shiyo!

[audio:16 Hidasketch3.mp3]
One thing to keep in mind though is that context becomes a bigger issue as far as the minimalist tracks are concerned – and there are quite a few – which don’t make for great standalone listens. For example, “Korette Heiki?” feels like it’s drifting along without any solid sense of direction while “Tama ni wa Konna Hi mo” is better with its use of the recorder, but it never puts its stamp on the soundtrack to be particularly memorable. Ditto for the trio of “Nanka Zureteru,” “Nanika Zureteru,” and “Nazeka Zureteru.” I will say that I enjoy Kikuya’s approach to minimalism a bit more here than in Satoru Kousaki’s Bakemonogatari soundtrack, but it doesn’t change the fact that it will have difficulty appealing to those who have not seen the show.

Tama ni wa Konna Hi mo

[audio:22 Hidasketch3.mp3]

Nazeka Zureteru

[audio:26 Hidasketch3.mp3]
Still, for all the unremarkable tracks that it passes along, the bulk of the soundtrack is still an enjoyable listen, moreso if you’re looking for quiet, mellow music to do homework to. It might not uplift one’s spirit or leave behind an indelible mark once you finish with it, but it’s never tedious either. If you’re willing to absorb the warm tones that it offers up, there’s enough here to make this Hidamari Sketch album a good, if not memorable, listening experience.

Rating: Good