Two Year Mark: Reflections, Inspirations, and an Unboxing!
Time has a weird way of sneaking up on you sometimes. It’s always moving at the same steady rate, but when you turn around to really keep tabs on it, it already seems to have skipped ahead a few months, leaving you to wonder what exactly you’ve achieved while time went on its merry jaunt.
You might be surprised or shocked by what you see since you can never really where you’ll end up. At least, that’s the impression I’ve gotten writing about anime music soundtracks for this site. When I started, there was no grand, cosmic imperative telling me that “THOU SHALT WRITE ABOUT ANIME MUSIC”; it was borne out of a desire to simply connect the music to the material so as to enrich the anime experience on a more personal level. Because of its subjective nature, there’s really not much concrete stuff to go off of in writing about why I liked or dislike a given song or album and I figured to make the best of it. Early on, I often wondered what the hell I was doing since this seemed like a trivial diversion at best. After all, shouldn’t I be concerned about securing my future through more concrete endeavors like trying to get a job promotion? Why burn my spare time doing this?
My simple answer is that I enjoy sharing the joys that I’ve gotten from listening to anime scores and either visualizing the fantastic scenes before me or just reminiscing fondly upon the series’ unforgettable moments. Soundtracks, particularly those for video games and anime, have been something that has always been with me. While I was younger, armed with a cassette tape, I’d play through Final Fantasy VI just to record the music. Once I got into anime, I’d also pay attention to the background music. I might not be eccentric enough to try to record it, but I suppose this blog is the present-day incarnation of that particular obsession. And I do hope that all of you have been able to glean something out of this effort.
Needless to say, I’ve gotten a lot more than I bargained for, given this blog’s modest beginnings. The opportunities that have popped up through channels like the Eminence Symphony Orchestra which then got me connected to Jayson Napolitano, Patrick Gann and the others at Original Sound Version are the more visible aspects of where Anime Instrumentality has taken me. No less important is the interaction with the anime fans, whether it’s here, on other people’s blogs, or elsewhere, and I’m constantly learning something new each day. Whether you’ve left a short comment calling my attention to a soundtrack that merits a look or introducing music that would otherwise not have reached my ears via MALKeionbu, it’s been a great experience all around. There were some tough times like when I had to balance working life with writing on this blog, but on the whole, it’s been gratifying. I look forward to seeing new faces and palling around with the familiar folks over this coming year.
Anniversaries give me a reason to add something new. Last year, we had the MALKeionbu set up so that it’s become a place for people to hang out and show to others some anime track that’s caught their ear. This year… well, I’m not completely sure, but the staff and I are working on something and with due time and effort, I do hope to see it materialize soon.
No, I’m not referring to the unboxing video that I made for ARIA the Box, but if you’re curious as to what was in the soundtrack collection holds, look no further:
Until then, I hope to see you around this corner of the anime fandom! Here’s to a wonderful, memorable year 3!
So that’s how you pronounce zzeroparticle. Indeed, you do learn something new each day.
I discovered this site when you did a Yuki Kajiura month. I believe it was last January. Then I ignored you a while.
Congratulations on two years!
Happy 2-year anniversary! Keep up the good work.
I discovered you when you did the post about Clannad episode 16.
It’s really enjoyable and insightful to read your thoughts on music and really fun to contribute to the MALKeionbu with you. I hope that your coming blog years will be just as exciting as these previous 2.
Congrats my friend.
Happy anniversary. There are so many things in this post that rang true to my own experiences blogging.
“After all, shouldn’t I be concerned about securing my future through more concrete endeavors like trying to get a job promotion? Why burn my spare time doing this?”
I still face this dilemma all the time, albeit more about school and such than jobs.
Also, agreed that music is so subjective. At the same time though, I think you’ve done a wonderful job in making something subjective into something concrete. Your review eloquently dissect a piece of music for the readers. Sometimes I’d listen to a piece and not sure of my opinions, especially for pieces with good and bad elements. Reading your review breaking an album down, what you thought were good, and what you didn’t like makes me understand a bit more of my own tastes.
Anyways, congrats on anniversary.
Happy Anniversary to you and your insightful ani-music blog. I certainly love reading your discerning reviews which are well written. So keep up the good work. 🙂
z-zeroparticle, I was pronouncing it right! Congrats on year two! There’s so much I’ve been exposed to from your work here and on MAL (even though I rarely comment there). Keep up the great work!
@Baka-Raptor
It’d be a drag without you to dispense with your advice for achieving one’s peak potential, so I have you to thank for that. Maybe all I’ll do from now on in gratitude is to review Yuki Kajiura albums =p
@Jayson
Thanks for the support!
@Taka
You know, that’s probably one of my favorite posts I’ve ever written. The problem with that is that it requires some degree of familiarity with the soundtrack, and by then, I had been really well-attuned to Clannad’s. Maybe I should stop watching anime, listen to the soundtracks first, and then watch the show to get that burst of inspiration once more.
But yeah, getting that infusion of Gintama love from you has been enjoyable and I look forward to you putting more of that quirky sound in future MALKeionbu theme weeks.
@Yi
Writing these reviews offers me that chance to indulge in the emotional aspect of things whereas much of my work IRL deals with more of the thinking/logic side. And there’s also the labor of love too, so can’t discount that.
That I’ve helped you come to understand your preferences/tastes by offering a wide swath of music to sample is awesome and I’ve glad to know that you’ve benefited from my musings! =D
@Ayumikat
Thanks! Hope you’ll continue to read on and pass along awesome stuff that I skipped out on like that time you reminded me to give Kuroshitsuji’s OST a shot!
@RP
I realized that I probably should have put up a pronunciation guide at some point or another when people struggled to say this username on a radio show. Now no one has an excuse to mess it up!
Congratulations! I’m only a recent reader, but I can say I enjoy the posts here very much.
Also, blogging is supposed to be subjective. Blogs are websites full of posts about an individual’s opinions, whether it be about music, shows, anything. The great part about a blog like yours is that others can offer their opinions and be responded to.
@Yu
Definitely glad to have a musically-inclined person on board. And a cellist to boot (if I remember correctly)! That’s a good check in case I ever babble too much :p
It’s certainly been fun stirring up conversations about anime and anime music, something I didn’t get to do a whole lot of before starting this site. So in that regard, it’s been a fulfilling part of what I do here since it allows me to learn more about others (and hopefully they get the same thing out of it too!).
Congratz on the two years mark!
You are currently the only anime music-related blog I follow right now 🙂
I absolutely love FF VI ost! especially the opera track (humming the tune)
@Canne
Thanks! I certainly enjoy your reviews as well and those definitely make for great reads.
FFVI was probably the first soundtrack that I really came to love, from the dramatic, epic opening theme to the oh-my-god awesome ending medley where they combined the character themes into one song. An unforgettable experience and my favorite numbered FF game!
Happy anniversary! I’ve only just started visiting your blog, but I’m loving it so far.Sometimes I wonder why I pour so much time and energy into blogging, and it seems as though writing about animusic comes naturally to you. There’s a kind of passion that comes across in your reviews that I really enjoy reading.Keep up the great work ^^
Happy 2 year anniversary =)
like canne said your the only music related blog, im subcribed to ^^
keep it up!
@Mint
Oh man, if you knew the time I’ve had to spend on some of this. Yeah, it’s pretty time consuming, but I love the work and love just pouring my thoughts out to convey what I feel about a piece or a soundtrack. Glad you’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of it.
@Fabrice
No plans to stop on my end. I’ll power through it because music has been an integral part of my anime viewing experience!
Congrats and happy second year anniversary! Time sure does past by quickly, doesn’t it?
Man, cassette tape recording FF6 music. That’s hardcore, lol.
Nice unboxing video, it’s fun seeing new ways of presenting material. Looking forward to more in the future!
@Reltair
How could I not record FFVI’s music? :p Yeah, it was pretty much a pain in the ass trying to get all the songs to come out right, but fun to do though. So many memorable themes…