The 2000s, namely 2000-2010, saw a dearth of amazing anime OST as anime became more mainstream and globalized. The decade especially saw some great soundtracks by notable composers like Kaoru Wada (Inuyasha), Yuki Kajiura (Tsubasa Chronicle), Michiru Oshima (FMA) and of course Yoko Kanno (Macross Frontier). In terms of anime openings, you saw flashier animation sequences with the help of digital technology, sometimes sloppier animation sequences because of said digital technology, awesome song selections and variety, more experimentation, and towards the end of the decade, there were more formulaic, cookie-cutter openings as anime studios stamped out similar shows season after season based on what worked.
My 1990s list was skewed because of personal sentiments to my favorite childhood anime and a sense of nostalgia. Unlike the
1990s anime list, the list below is slightly less biased because I included songs that I found to be good regardless of what I thought of the show. In the 1990s, I
saw whatever anime was available on TV, but in the 21st century, I had
more liberty to choose what I watch, hence pickier, and Japan produced
more titles with the digitization of animation, so there were too many shows to choose from. A few of the shows below I
haven't watched but simply enjoyed their OSTs, and there are
definitely more shounen titles here than my 1990s list, partly because I
think the last great mahou shoujo series was Card Captor Sakura, partly because I feel like less production budget is put into shoujo anime in general. There
were some solid shoujo series in the past decade and a half--I included a
bunch of songs from Full Moon wo Sagashite in my favorite endings
list, where animation sequence is less valued, but larger-budget shounen anime really trumped its competition for OP sequences.
What I have done with this list is also choose the best song from each franchise, should they have many openings, and also choose only one song from an artist. I mentioned that for me, a good anime opening theme 1) tries to tell some sort of message or story through the animation sequence
2) include foreshadowing of plotlines to come, employ symbolism or imagery, especially if the show is based on a manga (aka pander to the manga crowd) and vamp up expectations for the key characters 3) have a catchy chorus/ riff that
makes you anticipate the show 4) can be rewatched again after the show
ends and remind you off the exhilaration you initially felt when watching the show. Also 5) I would be able to listen to the OP themes on my music playlist and enjoy them as songs.
As we have switched over to watching anime on computers, it became much easier to simply skip over the anime OP theme. Good themes make you want to watch through the entire 1:30 minutes. Sometimes, unfortunately, good 1:30 opening themes are better than the entire show. This list was a lot harder to come up with because of the sheer variety, and it was hard eliminating some songs to choose my top 10. Again, they are in chronological order because it's fun to compare the changes across the decade.
1. Inuyasha OP1 - V6 - "Change the World" (2000)
Inuyasha is one of the first anime I began watching online in Japanese with subs.
Before, I used to watch Korean dubs. I think this opening IS the
official "Inuyasha" song. The opening sequence is poignant, capturing
feudal Japan, the spirit of adventure, Inuyasha's loneliness. Kagome is
also one of the rare shounen manga heroines that I really like.
Actually, Inuyasha has very likable characters. I even liked Naruku and
think he's an epic villain (plus he's voiced by one of my favorite
seiyuus). Too bad the story sort of dragged on and fell apart towards
the middle, because this anime will always hold a special place in my
heart. I always get surprised by all the sound effects in the OP--it was very 90s to include sound effects with the action
sequences in the OP. Because Inuyasha itself has a 1990s feel to it, I would almost prefer to group this with the1990s list, but the anime ran from 2000-2004.
2. Witch Hunter Robin OP - Bana - "Shell" (2002)
I used to listen to this song frequently in the early 2000s and rediscovered it in more recent years with new found appreciation for the song. I never watched the anime, but it's one of those songs that put you in a queer mood. Composer Taku Iwasaki did a great job with the OST for this anime, and I enjoy the guitar version of Shell especially. I like how the the OP connects with the ED theme "Half Pain", also by Bana.
3. D.N.Angel OP - Shunichi Miyamoto - "Byakuya" (True Light) (2003)
Shunichi
Miyamoto is a very talented singer-songwriter pianist with an angelic
voice. This beautiful opening I think outshines the anime itself, which
stars Irino Miyu, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle Syaoran's voice, TV anime
seiyuu debut as the hero Niwa Daisuke. By the way the anime originally
cast Sakura
Tange, CCS Sakura's seiyuu, which was why I was originally interested in
it, but I think she got recast. That would have been interesting. Old
Syaoran with young Sakura. This song may not have made the list if I had not caught an acoustic performance of the song by the artist and realized over again how good it was. Irino Miyu sings the song as well.
4. Scrapped Princess OP - Jam Project - "Little Wing" (2003)
I especially love the Celtic-sounding opening chords of the song; Studio
Bones never disappoints with animation, which is always clean and
crisp. This is where I first learned about Jam Project, and an anime OP list would not be complete without at least one Jam Project song. I remembering liking
this anime--I didn't particularly sympathize with any of the characters
and the story sort of fell apart towards the end, but it was overall a very good
animation with good production, music and overall premise. Plus, the characters resembled CLAMP's Angelic Layer anime designs. Actually
it's one of the animations which I really loved in the beginning, but
depending on the ending, it could have become really great or not.
Episode 17 still remains, I believe, one of the most memorable and
heart-wrenching episodes in anime, considering it was focused on a
minor character that only appeared for a couple of episodes, which was a
pity because Fulle was probably the best character in the anime. I
digress. I love anime openings that through the music and animation
sequence herald the promise of a good adventure to come and sets the atmosphere for the series, and this
opening does exactly that.
5. Full Metal Alchemist OP4 - Asian Kung-Fu Generation - "Rewrite" (2004)
As you already know, I love all of FMA songs, and I think FMA (the first series and reboot Brotherhood) might boast a repertoire of very solid anime openings and
endings overall, atop an excellent OST. I really couldn't choose which
OP I like the best. L'Arc~en~Ciel is probably the most popular, because
it is Laruku and because Funimation used it instead of Melissa as the OP
in North America. But Rewrite is such an exhilarating song, and the
title and lyrics are perfect for the last quartile of this amazing
series. The action sequences are superb, and this opening builds up to
the whole climax of FMA. On a side note, I personally think Cool Joke's
UNDO is a very underrated song and also had very cute sequences in the
OP which makes you feel really nostalgic (which is befitting since this
is the 3rd opening when you've fallen in love with the characters and
grown with them, right before the impending climax and bloodbath
awaiting.) And I love the recycled motive of the Ed and Al on the
railway. It made me want to cry when FMA: Brotherhood OP 2: Hologram
(which I love) used that imagery. I actually like the FMA ending songs
even
better though because I like to listen to more mellow songs when writing.
6. Bleach OP2 - UVERworld - "D-tecnoLife" (2005)
I love the opening sequence, the catchy melody of the tune, the
Hitsugaya-taicho pimping going on in this video. While this OP may not be
exceptionally stellar, it's a shounen action anime intro done
really well, at its very peak. Most of Bleach openings
are done very well--though I've long since stopped watching the series--I also really like Orange Range's Asterix, which
grew on me over time, because it's unique, edgy and Orange Range is awesome. Check out the Card Captor Sakura rendition of Asterix--it's awesome.
7. Sousei no Aquarion OP1 - Akino of Bless4 - "Genesis of Aquarion" (2005)
I haven't watched the anime, of the same director and composer pairing
as Escaflowne, but fell in love with song the first time I heard it--
you know those songs that just sends a shiver down your spine? This is
one. And I'm not the only one, because this song has become a meme in
the Nico Nico Douga (Japanese equivalent of youtube) and its melody is
used in part of the Nico Nico Douga anthem. The acapella version of this
song with Bless4 is so haunting and beautiful, and I like it better than the original. Out of Yoko Kanno's OST openings,
this song usually ranks the highest in Japanese fan polls out of best
anime songs, usually in the top 10 or 20.
8. Saiunkoku Monogatari - Ayaka Hirahara - "Hajimari No Kaze" (A Wind of Beginning) (2006)
This is one of my favorite anime openings of all times, not because of
high budget or stellar animation quality, but the sheer beauty of a
wonderful song paired with a well-planned animation sequence and
powerful, soulful vocals by Ayaka Hirahara. I especially love the
opening bars, "Hajimari no kaze yo... Todoke message..." That opening
line just filled my heart with hope, anticipation, a sense that an epic
story was about to unfold reflected perfectly by the silhouettes of
Shurei and Ryuuki facing each other (which is why I like the Season 1
opening better than the new animation sequence from Season 2). This opening might have lasted the longest, spanning through Season 1 and Season 2 which ran until 2008, a total of 78 episodes. There are three versions of the opening. The second half of Season 1 played a modified sequence introducing new characters and that is my favorite version. I like it when openings change the sequence based on plotline, like how in CCS OP1, when Syaoran was introduced, his snapshot appeared in the OP, replacing Sakura's dad. Saiunkoku being based on a
visual novel has an intelligent, unique and absorbing historical fantasy
storyline,
and Shurei is the rare heroine who is courageous, smart, independent
and perhaps a role model for women. I felt bad because in the beginning,
I thought this would be just another reverse harem anime. Instead, I
was pleasantly surprised to find one of the best, if not best,
historical fantasy anime out there in the past decade. I gave up on hoping
for a Season 3 however. The anime is paired with an oriental-themed
soundtrack, befitting since the heroine is a talented ehru player, and I
love how you can hear an ehru playing in the background for the opening
song. This song is composed by YANAGIMAN and like its title, conveys
exactly it's lyrics, "A Wind of Beginning."
Saiunkoku Monogatari, Opening 작성자 Maxi-kun
9. Seirei no Moribito OP - L'Arc~en~Ciel - "Shine" (2007)
Like "Giri Giri Chop" from B'z from
the 1990s list, this song was the one that almost didn't make it to the
Top 10 list. Not because the song and the opening animation sequence is not
wonderful, because it is, but because I haven't watched the anime. Also, I
knew I wanted to include a Laruku song in one of the lists, and was
debating between FMA's "Ready Steady Go" or Great Teacher Onizuka's
"Driver's High" but decided to go with the one that gets little
recognition though it is pretty amazing. So many anime use the pan-up to the sky motif as the closing image of an opening, but look how prettily it is done here.
10. EF - Tale of Melodies Opening - Elyssa - "Euphoric Field" (2008)
This opening with its catchy song and the artistic symbolism is very
addicting and visually stimulating in a non-typical way. Based off a
visual novel "EF - A Fairytale of Two," the anime,
while touching on mature subjects, is tastefully done and strikes a
balance between artistic interpretation, stunning visualizations,
psychological and emotional depth and awesome music, befitting as one of
the characters is a violinist. And kudos to the director for having a
different version of the opening each episode. Each episode has a slightly
different version, starting out in black and white with the English
version of the song and gradually adding in different colors, inverting colors,
until the final episode where the ending is in full color with the
Japanese version of Euphoric Field (they did the same with the first season OP); it's fun watching all of them simultaneously. What got
me interested is
is Makoto Shinkai's involvement in the game, whose works are perhaps
the most visually stunning pieces you will see in animation. Anyhow, a sign
of a successful opening is when the opening alone gets you to watch an
anime. I watched both EF - A Tale of Memories and EF - A Tale of
Melodies one weekend, though its the sort of anime I wouldn't usually
watch. I was blown away by
the quality of the series. The music is by Tenmon, whose work I loved in "5cm no
Byoushokou," directed by Makoto Shinkai. The two often work together.
Honorable mentions (in order of how closely they missed the Top 10):
Detective Conan OP22 - Zard ft. Aya Kamiki - "Ai wa Kurayami no Naka de" (2008)
The
ups of having an anime run for over a decade is that allows ample rule
for experimentation and exploration into many different themes. I like
how OP 22 focusing exclusively on the plotline of the Clash of the Red
and Black, prominently featuring in the rather darker and angstier than
usual opening sequence the characters of the Black Organization, the CIA
and FBI rather than the usual mess and mesh of various characters
present in Detective Conan. This opening theme sets the atmopshere for
one of the most intense showdowns in Detective Conan and is Detective
Conan at its best, justifying its 500+ episodes. While this may not be
my favorite Detective Conan song, I thought it's a combination of a
catchy song with a stylized animation sequence very relevant to the
story arc at that time, and a prime example of what a long-running anime
can do creatively with their openings. Truthfully, many of the OPs and
EDs start blurring together in my mind after a while, but this one does
not. And of course, it's a Zard song.
Clannad After Story - Lia - "Toki Wo Kizamu Uta" (2008)
Kyoto Animation's productions always have stellar animation quality and sometimes, I watch because of that reason alone. I would say the studio is an example of what I call 21st century formulaic harem OP that is done super well and artistically. I didn't like Kanon or
Air or any of those visual novel adaptations, but I enjoyed Clannad anime. Perhaps because it was really not a harem anime but focused on the
relationship between Tomoya and Nagisa, and you get to see Tomoya's
growth over the years. Perhaps I liked that Clannad's theme was
"family." Clannad: After Story made me cry a bucket, and I didn't think
it would. Anyhow, the opening sequence of both seasons bears rewatching
after you finish the anime. If nothing else, it's shiny and beautiful.
That silly Dango song is pretty addicting as well.
Tale of Abyss OP - Bump of Chicken - "Karma" (2008)
I absolutely love this song and the band Bump of Chicken, but it was originally used in the video game, so I didn't include it in the main list. Plus, I haven't watched the anime.
RahXephon - Maaya Sakamoto - "Hemisphere" (2002)
Another wonderful song composed by Yoko Kanno and sung by Maaya. But I already included a Yoko Kanno composition in the list above, and three Maaya songs in the 1990s list, which I like even better. I haven't watched this anime, either.
Saint Seiya Hades: Chapter Sanctuary -Yumi Matsuzawa - "Chikyuugi" (The Earth) (2002)
I
actually heard this opening in more recent years and have not watched
any of the Saint Seiya franchise. Because the franchise dates back to
the late 1980s, the opening had an oldies feel that I liked, and was surprised this song wasn't from the 1990s.The song is so melancholy, the opening so angsty, I love it.
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood OP2 - NICO Touches the Walls - "Hologram" (2009)
I
can make a whole list of just FMA songs. I chose one from Brotherhood
as well. This one was a close call with OP1 Yui's "Again" but I opted
for "Hologram" because of the catchy tune reminiscent of the first
series and all the imagery and fast action sequences animated that will
make manga fans squeal, for that's what Brotherhood is; a tribute to the
manga.
If I think harder, there will be a whole bunch of songs that I probably missed. There are many shoujo anime themes that didn't make it to this list such as the opening to Ultra Maniac, Gals!, Pretear, Fruits Basket, Princess Tutu and so-on, but I don't consider them to surpass the themes listed above. If I had to choose my top favorite songs on the list, it would be "Genesis of Aquarion" and "Hajimari no Kaze." The best opening theme for a series, based on song, animation sequence and my 5 criteria mentioned in the beginning would be Inuyasha's "Change the World." It's classic J-Pop, the flawlessly segued animation sequence doesn't leave you bored for a second and successfully tells a story, a condense version of the series, and leaves you feeling hopeful and excited about the show. I remember one of the later episodes reused "Change the World" and it hit that right note of nostalgia. I'm not sure if Youtube did an anime purge recently but it was hard to find good quality videos for some of the anime listed above. Let me know which opening theme of the 21st century is your favorite. Did I miss any themes?
Check out my list of:
Top 10 Anime Opening Themes Part 1: The 1990s
Top 10 Anime Ending Themes
Showing posts with label OST. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OST. Show all posts
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Ten Best Anime Ending Theme Songs
My top ten favorite anime ending songs in no particular order and not complete by any means. I went more for a survey of good anime ending themes out there that might not always be the best known (or may be very popular already.) I think I cover a wide range of anime between shoujo, shounen, jousei and mecha.
1. I love it when the first chords of the ending song kick into the end of the anime episode. The quintessential example of this of Fushigi Yuugi's ending "Tokimeki no Doukousen," especially with the ending of the first episode which gave me the feeling, ah this anime is going to be epic. The Yuu Watase manga illustration at the end was beautiful as well. Note: I have not watched the anime nor read the manga in its entirety and still plan to one day.
2. Full Metal Alchemist is noted for its great music, and if I could, I would include all the songs in my list. If had to pick my top (and it's a real hard choice), I would pick FMA's second ending theme Yellow Generation's "Tobira no Mukou E" because I love the way the beginning of the song kicks in at the end of the episode, which gives me a tingling sense of anticipation. I didn't really fall for FMA until the mid-teen episodes, and then rapidly, before I knew it, I was hooked. Oddly enough, Crystal Kay's "Motherland" is probably overall the crowd's least favorite ED, but it's the most re-listenable one and is a constant on my playlist, more so than most other songs. FMA did the progression of ending themes very well from the angsty and slightly bitter-toned Nana Kitade song "Kesenai Tsumi" or "Inerasable Sin" (I love the acoustic raw-breath version even more), the frustration and desperation felt in Tobira with it's opening lyrics, "The two of us are screaming, even now" (paired with music that is somewhat forward-looking and ends with a sense of hope), the nostalgic "Motherland" and finally the wistful Sowelu's "I Will." I found the last image in the ED 2 video very poignant, when the snowflake melts from the warmth of Ed's real hand and doesn't in his metal arm.
3. Honey and Clover 1st ending Sunohair's "Waltz" just pairs one of my favorite ending songs with my favorite anime. One of Honey and Clover's winning points (besides great character, plot, comedy drama and animation) is music, since it was named after to albums. Especially since the first half of season 1is so much more light-hearted than the rest of the series, this ending just embodies hope and youth. (And yes, I love it when the first chords of the ending kicks in at the end.)
4. Detective Conan Ending 17 - "Overture" by Inaba Koshi (of B'z). Yes, this is the song I really fell in love with B'z, who have done other Detective Conan related music. There are songs that the first time you hear it, it sense shivers down your spine. It was once said that Inaba Koshi's voice is one of Japan's national treasures, and I whole-heartedly agree. Matsumoto Tak and Inaba Koshi are really a dream combination. Overall, Detective Conan boasts an awesome OP and ED collection--sometimes I like the animations of the OP and ED even better than the story because they're angsty and more romantic than the actual series.
5. Full Moon wo Sagashite is a music anime so inevitably the music has to be good. I loved all of Changin' My Life's songs for this anime and Myco truly made "Mitsuki" shine. My favorite songs, if I had to pick one, would be first ending "Myself" (though my ultimate favorite would be Route L version of "Eternal Snow," which I wish was longer and recorded with better acoustics.) Nonetheless, I pick for best ending "New Future" because I just love how they use the song in the last episode and it ties the whole anime together-- it really brought tears to my eyes. And I loved how Tanemura Arina tied in the "New Future" lyrics in volume 7 of the manga. Anyhow, love them all.
6. Naruto's 1st ending theme Wind by Akeboshi. I know it's a cliched choice, yet is there any other subsequent ending theme that fits "Naruto" so well? I personally find this one of the most beautiful and poignant anime ending themes ever, the way it starts out with the flute, the vocals kick in, even the wispy animation. This was my first introduction to Akeboshi, and I fell in love with his music and lyrics. They are simple yet so poignant, and Japanese mixed in with a Celtic flair was very refreshing from the typical pop scene. I really like "Yellow Moon" as well which has been on my playlist quite frequently. Someday, I will catch up with Naruto Shippuden.
7. Wolf's Rain - "Gravity" by Maaya Sakamoto. You can't go wrong with Maaya meets Yoko Kanno, and this song, with complete English lyrics is a hauntingly memorable ending. I haven't watched the anime yet, and the ending sequence animation is boring, but I love the ending. I first heard just a short clip of the song at the end of an anime and then set out on a quest to find the song--I didn't even realize it was a Japanese anime song let alone Maaya.
8. Beck Mongolian Chop Squad Ending 2: Sowelu - "Moon on the Water." Good songs bring you back to the moment you hear them. The first time I heard the acapella duet between "Koyuki" and "Maho," it was 5 am sophomore year of college on the day we had to sign up for courses online for the spring semester at 8 am sharp (yes, it was a battle of speed), and I had not yet decided my classes. I was procrastinating and began watching Beck, and I still remember the shiver I felt down my spine when I heard the guitar strumming in and the clarity of Sowelu's voice (of course, I didn't know she was the singing voice of Maho then.)
9. Inuyasha - Do As Infinity - "Fukai Mori." DAI was one of my earliest J-pop hooks, and this probably is my favorite DAI song. Inuyasha, like many Shounen Jump anime, has great songs. Ending 4 Boa's "Every Heart" is also a favorite.
10. Nodame Cantabile's 1st ending "Konna Chikan de..." Yes, this song does it too--I love it when the beginning notes kick in at the end of the episode--this song gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling, and the lyrics are so cute too. (Makes you nostalgic hearing Tomokazu Seki aka Kinomoto Touya as Chiaki-senpai. Their personalities are actually surprisingly similar, down to the violin-playing. Lol.
Other notable anime ending themes.
Mahoujin Guru Guru - "Wind Climbing" I first heart the ending done in Korean, and the song is strangely memorable though anime itself is cute and silly. It still retains much popularity in Japan as well, it seems, according to polls.
Bleach ending 3 - Youhna - "Houki Boushi" The singer is actually Korean, and though I was introduced to her because of Bleach, I enjoy her Korean songs as well--she is talented and a breath of fresh air in the K-pop scene. I especially love this ending because the animation changed each episode to match a division. How awesome is that? Bleach, like FMA, boasts an awesome repertoire of theme songs, (unlike Naruto which is a hit or miss for me.)
Macross Frontier Ending 1 - May'n - "Diamond Crevasse." Since Macross is mecha music anime meets Yoko Kanno, of course it should have a spot on the list. I loved many songs on the soundtrack; I personally prefer Megumi's voice to May'n's voice, and my favorite song is "Ao no Ether." But Diamond Crevasse, I believe, is THE song of Macross. I love all subsequent versions of it.
Nana Ending 1 - Olivia's aka Reira's "A Little Pain." I think it's the best song of the bunch in another music-centric anime.
K-on Ending 1 - "Don't Say Lazy," which I don't think needs anymore pimping than the hype it has already gotten.
Slam Dunk Ending 2 Wands - "Sekai ga Owaru Made Wa"
Saint Tail Ending 1 - "Junshin "
Rurouni Kenshin Ending 3 - T.M. Revolution - "Heart of Sword."
Lastly, the Fancy Lala Ending Theme. The plotline is the typical young girl transformed into older popstar story. There was nothing outstanding about this anime (which was supposedly overshadowed by the reigning shoujo anime of the time, Card Captor Sakura). It is a typical coming of age story, but the last episode which segued into the ending theme really made this anime linger longer than just another typical magical shoujo anime. I actually prefer the Korean dub of the song, which is rare for me.
Favorite opening themes I think would be easier to do because openings have bigger animation budgets usually and need to capture the audience and are better publicized/ easier for me to recall. I feel like anime OPs should draw you in, and I do value good opening theme animation sequences. But with ending themes, I like songs that gives you a lingering sense after the episode has ended (hence oftentimes the more ballady ending themes in contrast with upbeat openings). With my favorite songs, I think there is a pattern of a. music animes, b. shounen anime c. anime I watched as a child d. anything involving Yoko Kanno or Maaya Sakamoto or both. You will see this pattern manifested more in the next list I make. ^_^
1. I love it when the first chords of the ending song kick into the end of the anime episode. The quintessential example of this of Fushigi Yuugi's ending "Tokimeki no Doukousen," especially with the ending of the first episode which gave me the feeling, ah this anime is going to be epic. The Yuu Watase manga illustration at the end was beautiful as well. Note: I have not watched the anime nor read the manga in its entirety and still plan to one day.
2. Full Metal Alchemist is noted for its great music, and if I could, I would include all the songs in my list. If had to pick my top (and it's a real hard choice), I would pick FMA's second ending theme Yellow Generation's "Tobira no Mukou E" because I love the way the beginning of the song kicks in at the end of the episode, which gives me a tingling sense of anticipation. I didn't really fall for FMA until the mid-teen episodes, and then rapidly, before I knew it, I was hooked. Oddly enough, Crystal Kay's "Motherland" is probably overall the crowd's least favorite ED, but it's the most re-listenable one and is a constant on my playlist, more so than most other songs. FMA did the progression of ending themes very well from the angsty and slightly bitter-toned Nana Kitade song "Kesenai Tsumi" or "Inerasable Sin" (I love the acoustic raw-breath version even more), the frustration and desperation felt in Tobira with it's opening lyrics, "The two of us are screaming, even now" (paired with music that is somewhat forward-looking and ends with a sense of hope), the nostalgic "Motherland" and finally the wistful Sowelu's "I Will." I found the last image in the ED 2 video very poignant, when the snowflake melts from the warmth of Ed's real hand and doesn't in his metal arm.
3. Honey and Clover 1st ending Sunohair's "Waltz" just pairs one of my favorite ending songs with my favorite anime. One of Honey and Clover's winning points (besides great character, plot, comedy drama and animation) is music, since it was named after to albums. Especially since the first half of season 1is so much more light-hearted than the rest of the series, this ending just embodies hope and youth. (And yes, I love it when the first chords of the ending kicks in at the end.)
4. Detective Conan Ending 17 - "Overture" by Inaba Koshi (of B'z). Yes, this is the song I really fell in love with B'z, who have done other Detective Conan related music. There are songs that the first time you hear it, it sense shivers down your spine. It was once said that Inaba Koshi's voice is one of Japan's national treasures, and I whole-heartedly agree. Matsumoto Tak and Inaba Koshi are really a dream combination. Overall, Detective Conan boasts an awesome OP and ED collection--sometimes I like the animations of the OP and ED even better than the story because they're angsty and more romantic than the actual series.
5. Full Moon wo Sagashite is a music anime so inevitably the music has to be good. I loved all of Changin' My Life's songs for this anime and Myco truly made "Mitsuki" shine. My favorite songs, if I had to pick one, would be first ending "Myself" (though my ultimate favorite would be Route L version of "Eternal Snow," which I wish was longer and recorded with better acoustics.) Nonetheless, I pick for best ending "New Future" because I just love how they use the song in the last episode and it ties the whole anime together-- it really brought tears to my eyes. And I loved how Tanemura Arina tied in the "New Future" lyrics in volume 7 of the manga. Anyhow, love them all.
6. Naruto's 1st ending theme Wind by Akeboshi. I know it's a cliched choice, yet is there any other subsequent ending theme that fits "Naruto" so well? I personally find this one of the most beautiful and poignant anime ending themes ever, the way it starts out with the flute, the vocals kick in, even the wispy animation. This was my first introduction to Akeboshi, and I fell in love with his music and lyrics. They are simple yet so poignant, and Japanese mixed in with a Celtic flair was very refreshing from the typical pop scene. I really like "Yellow Moon" as well which has been on my playlist quite frequently. Someday, I will catch up with Naruto Shippuden.
7. Wolf's Rain - "Gravity" by Maaya Sakamoto. You can't go wrong with Maaya meets Yoko Kanno, and this song, with complete English lyrics is a hauntingly memorable ending. I haven't watched the anime yet, and the ending sequence animation is boring, but I love the ending. I first heard just a short clip of the song at the end of an anime and then set out on a quest to find the song--I didn't even realize it was a Japanese anime song let alone Maaya.
8. Beck Mongolian Chop Squad Ending 2: Sowelu - "Moon on the Water." Good songs bring you back to the moment you hear them. The first time I heard the acapella duet between "Koyuki" and "Maho," it was 5 am sophomore year of college on the day we had to sign up for courses online for the spring semester at 8 am sharp (yes, it was a battle of speed), and I had not yet decided my classes. I was procrastinating and began watching Beck, and I still remember the shiver I felt down my spine when I heard the guitar strumming in and the clarity of Sowelu's voice (of course, I didn't know she was the singing voice of Maho then.)
9. Inuyasha - Do As Infinity - "Fukai Mori." DAI was one of my earliest J-pop hooks, and this probably is my favorite DAI song. Inuyasha, like many Shounen Jump anime, has great songs. Ending 4 Boa's "Every Heart" is also a favorite.
10. Nodame Cantabile's 1st ending "Konna Chikan de..." Yes, this song does it too--I love it when the beginning notes kick in at the end of the episode--this song gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling, and the lyrics are so cute too. (Makes you nostalgic hearing Tomokazu Seki aka Kinomoto Touya as Chiaki-senpai. Their personalities are actually surprisingly similar, down to the violin-playing. Lol.
Other notable anime ending themes.
Mahoujin Guru Guru - "Wind Climbing" I first heart the ending done in Korean, and the song is strangely memorable though anime itself is cute and silly. It still retains much popularity in Japan as well, it seems, according to polls.
Bleach ending 3 - Youhna - "Houki Boushi" The singer is actually Korean, and though I was introduced to her because of Bleach, I enjoy her Korean songs as well--she is talented and a breath of fresh air in the K-pop scene. I especially love this ending because the animation changed each episode to match a division. How awesome is that? Bleach, like FMA, boasts an awesome repertoire of theme songs, (unlike Naruto which is a hit or miss for me.)
Macross Frontier Ending 1 - May'n - "Diamond Crevasse." Since Macross is mecha music anime meets Yoko Kanno, of course it should have a spot on the list. I loved many songs on the soundtrack; I personally prefer Megumi's voice to May'n's voice, and my favorite song is "Ao no Ether." But Diamond Crevasse, I believe, is THE song of Macross. I love all subsequent versions of it.
Nana Ending 1 - Olivia's aka Reira's "A Little Pain." I think it's the best song of the bunch in another music-centric anime.
K-on Ending 1 - "Don't Say Lazy," which I don't think needs anymore pimping than the hype it has already gotten.
Slam Dunk Ending 2 Wands - "Sekai ga Owaru Made Wa"
Saint Tail Ending 1 - "Junshin "
Rurouni Kenshin Ending 3 - T.M. Revolution - "Heart of Sword."
Lastly, the Fancy Lala Ending Theme. The plotline is the typical young girl transformed into older popstar story. There was nothing outstanding about this anime (which was supposedly overshadowed by the reigning shoujo anime of the time, Card Captor Sakura). It is a typical coming of age story, but the last episode which segued into the ending theme really made this anime linger longer than just another typical magical shoujo anime. I actually prefer the Korean dub of the song, which is rare for me.
Favorite opening themes I think would be easier to do because openings have bigger animation budgets usually and need to capture the audience and are better publicized/ easier for me to recall. I feel like anime OPs should draw you in, and I do value good opening theme animation sequences. But with ending themes, I like songs that gives you a lingering sense after the episode has ended (hence oftentimes the more ballady ending themes in contrast with upbeat openings). With my favorite songs, I think there is a pattern of a. music animes, b. shounen anime c. anime I watched as a child d. anything involving Yoko Kanno or Maaya Sakamoto or both. You will see this pattern manifested more in the next list I make. ^_^
Friday, February 27, 2009
Best Anime OST
I thought I would start out with my favorite artists or songs, but I was inspired about anime OSTs today. I look at OSTs in two different ways. Firstly, do they serve their purpose, meaning, does the music do its job to convey the mood or emotion of the scene and also the anime. One of the reasons I may prefer watching anime to reading manga is because of sound because music can move me to tears, make me feel happy or give me fear and anticipation. Secondly, in an OST, I look at the individual pieces--are their themes or distinct songs that you can listen to alone and find beauty in it as music, separate from its original context.
My favorite Japanese composers are Joe Hisaishi, most famous for all his Studio Ghibli compositions. I call him the John Williams of Japan (Hisaishi and Miyazaki Hayao are like John William and Steven Spielberg lol...), and of course Yoko Kanno. Yoko Kanno is most famous for her compositions in Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in a Shell, Escaflowne, Sousei no Aquarion and Wolf Rain. She can do anything from orchestration, like in Escaflowne to more jazzy sounds in Cowboy Bebop or light pop like in her works for Maaya Sakamoto. I am actually more of a fan of her orchestration and choral works but that's just my taste.
I write about OSTs today because lately when I watch TV, especially Korean TV, I often here snippets of anime OSTs and they always make me smile. There was a Korean commercial and a bgm from Card Captor Sakura came on. CCS OST (I to IV plus movies and character singles) is a good example of an OST that everything is done right. The bgm conveys the giddy, feel good moments like with Sawayakana Asa(A Fresh Morning), the grandeous magical feeling when Sakura seals a card in Sakura's Theme, the suspicious mysterious feeling when there is a Clow Card lurking with Card no Keihai or the lonely feeling of the triangle when Sakura is heartbroken in "Heartbreak." Even Sakura's "Hoe" song is classic. Even the brief eyecatch and subtitle when the episode title shows up and during halftime captures the mood of the show so well. Because everything is done so well, the CCS soundtrack is something I feel like I underappreciate; but I also can't listen to it because it brings back every moment of the anime so vividly. Of the bunch, OST IV (Season Three) is my favorite, mostly because it contains the orchestration version and piano version of my favorite CCS song, Purachina, a Yoko Kanno composition. So, my favorite bgm piece may be Hontou no Ichiban (Purachina orchestration) and Hoshi no Michi no Kokuhaku (piano version.) But the fact is, you can see the progression of Sakura's growth simply by listening to the four original soundtracks for the CCS anime. Anyhow, kudos to Takayuki Negishi for creating a flawless OST!
So, on to my favorite OSTs in no particular order.
1. Joe Hisaishi - Honoo no Alpen Rose (Flaming Alpen Rose). There are two CDs, the anime OST and the Symphony Version, which is absolutely beautiful, especially since one of the main characters in the 1985 anime is an Austrian musical prodigy and composer. This is probably one of the animes that remains most in my mind that I watched when I was younger, and it was partially because of the music. The song to note is "Alpen Rose no Uta." I recently rewatched the anime in a French dub (the only version available) and realized how much I missed out on the story of the anime when I was little. In the brink of World War II, a young girl loses her parents and her memory. She is found by a boy called Lundi who names her Jeudi. This is the story of Jeudi and Lundi finding Jeudi's parents in the midst Nazi occupation and all the ostacles they face along the way. Jeudi has no memory except of a beautiful song, "Alpen Rose no Uta," a beautiful song that is actually the theme of French Resistance (had no idea about the Resistance when I first watched it when I was like 9... just thought it was a pretty song.) But the whole OST is perfection and is the first OST I bought (though I recommend the Symphony Version if you have to choose one.) The Jeudi and Lundi's theme piano version was played on the radio a lot when I was in Korea, and I remember first thinking, where have I heard this theme before? Lol...
2. Joe Hisaishi - Howl's Moving Castle. It's my favorite Studio Ghibli movie next to "Whisper of the Heart" which ironically isn't even a Hayao Miyazaki production. Anyhow, you really can't go wrong with a Joe Hisaishi + Ghibli creation.
3. Yoko Kanno - Escaflowne. The anime that introduced me to Yoko Kanno--the OST is sheer brilliance--the Gregorian chants, the orchestration. Wow... And even the opening song "Yakusoku wa Irenai." I was inspired to write this theme because I was watching cable TV and on the Korean channel, they're having a movie/drama award session and "Dance of the Curse" came on. Talk about exhilirating and astounding. I also love the violin in "Memory of Fanelia" and there's a Maaya Sakamoto vocal version "Aoi Hitomi" as well. Her voice still sounds so young and raw then! Everybody already knows I love "Yubiwa" from the movie OST.
4. Kaoru Wada - Inuyasha. Another example of an OST that everything is done so right that it's sort of underrated. I love Inuyasha's theme, I really love "Inuyasha to Kagome," all the different versions of it... It's a pity the anime went sort of nowhere. The first third was so promising. One of my favorite background OST while writing New Trials was Inuyasha Symphony Version. (Yes, do you see a pattern here? I like orchestration so much over synthetic sounds.) I looked at his credits and found out he composed the music for Kindaichi Shounen Jikenbo, where I also loved the bgm. Anyhow, I think he's underrated at times.
5. I like Yuki Kajiura a lot as well... I loved her from her Xenosaga stuff. I don't play games but I know the composer. Lol. Hence, I loved the Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles OST. Yoko Kanno + Yuki Kajiura would be my dream team.
6. Michiru Oshima - Full Metal Alchemist. I loved the anime so much--everything was executed with perfection. Animation, characterization, music, action, voice actors. I guess you can't go wrong with Studio Bones, nee? I am excited about the new remake for this awesome anime, especially since I didn't fancy the anime original ending and would like a manga faithful version. But the first half of the anime is so awesome, perhaps surpassing the manga and any other anime of its "generation." Puts all other shounen anime to shame. Either way, FMA had amazing opening and endings, all eight of them (you'll see them pop up when I make my favorite anime openings list.) I'm sort of skeptical that the magic and beauty of FMA can be conveyed with different music in the new version. Bratja is one of the most beautiful insert songs ever and probably the most memorable song from the OST. I believe it is sung in Russian, and it's usage in the anime can literally bring tears to my eyes. Anyhow, it's important to have a good OST and also have a good sound director who can insert the right music in the right places. FMA was sort of like that--the bgm had everything done "right."
Notable mention: I don't play Final Fantasy (though I had a friend obsessed with it) but I was quite obsessed with Eternity: Memory of Lightwaves for a while. My bravenet guestbook was kindly made by Cherry Star and has the midi for Final Fantasy X To Zankerland and for the longest time, I was like, oh it's pretty. Wonder what song it is. So, Final Fantasy Piano Collections was often on my playlist during my college era before my harddrive went bye-bye.
I also usually end up music-based anime, where music plays an integral part of the story (as if you can't tell in New Trials) such as Alpen Rose, Macross F and Full Moon wo Sagashite. I love that anime to pieces, but I didn't include it because I was striving more for a bgm theme more than vocals for this entry. Same with Macross Frontier, which did have fantastic bgm on top of good songs. The harmonica version of "Aimo" sticks in my mind. Another notable mention is the Saint Tail OST by Hayato Matsuo (which gives a similar vibe to CCS) who coincidentally did another favorite of mine, Magic Knight Rayearth. Yes, I'm the sort of geek who goes to animenewsnetwork.com and looks at who directed what, who did the music, who did the script. Lol...
Anyhow, the only thing to take out of here is Joe Hisaishi and Yoko Kanno are gods. :P
My favorite Japanese composers are Joe Hisaishi, most famous for all his Studio Ghibli compositions. I call him the John Williams of Japan (Hisaishi and Miyazaki Hayao are like John William and Steven Spielberg lol...), and of course Yoko Kanno. Yoko Kanno is most famous for her compositions in Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in a Shell, Escaflowne, Sousei no Aquarion and Wolf Rain. She can do anything from orchestration, like in Escaflowne to more jazzy sounds in Cowboy Bebop or light pop like in her works for Maaya Sakamoto. I am actually more of a fan of her orchestration and choral works but that's just my taste.
I write about OSTs today because lately when I watch TV, especially Korean TV, I often here snippets of anime OSTs and they always make me smile. There was a Korean commercial and a bgm from Card Captor Sakura came on. CCS OST (I to IV plus movies and character singles) is a good example of an OST that everything is done right. The bgm conveys the giddy, feel good moments like with Sawayakana Asa(A Fresh Morning), the grandeous magical feeling when Sakura seals a card in Sakura's Theme, the suspicious mysterious feeling when there is a Clow Card lurking with Card no Keihai or the lonely feeling of the triangle when Sakura is heartbroken in "Heartbreak." Even Sakura's "Hoe" song is classic. Even the brief eyecatch and subtitle when the episode title shows up and during halftime captures the mood of the show so well. Because everything is done so well, the CCS soundtrack is something I feel like I underappreciate; but I also can't listen to it because it brings back every moment of the anime so vividly. Of the bunch, OST IV (Season Three) is my favorite, mostly because it contains the orchestration version and piano version of my favorite CCS song, Purachina, a Yoko Kanno composition. So, my favorite bgm piece may be Hontou no Ichiban (Purachina orchestration) and Hoshi no Michi no Kokuhaku (piano version.) But the fact is, you can see the progression of Sakura's growth simply by listening to the four original soundtracks for the CCS anime. Anyhow, kudos to Takayuki Negishi for creating a flawless OST!
So, on to my favorite OSTs in no particular order.
1. Joe Hisaishi - Honoo no Alpen Rose (Flaming Alpen Rose). There are two CDs, the anime OST and the Symphony Version, which is absolutely beautiful, especially since one of the main characters in the 1985 anime is an Austrian musical prodigy and composer. This is probably one of the animes that remains most in my mind that I watched when I was younger, and it was partially because of the music. The song to note is "Alpen Rose no Uta." I recently rewatched the anime in a French dub (the only version available) and realized how much I missed out on the story of the anime when I was little. In the brink of World War II, a young girl loses her parents and her memory. She is found by a boy called Lundi who names her Jeudi. This is the story of Jeudi and Lundi finding Jeudi's parents in the midst Nazi occupation and all the ostacles they face along the way. Jeudi has no memory except of a beautiful song, "Alpen Rose no Uta," a beautiful song that is actually the theme of French Resistance (had no idea about the Resistance when I first watched it when I was like 9... just thought it was a pretty song.) But the whole OST is perfection and is the first OST I bought (though I recommend the Symphony Version if you have to choose one.) The Jeudi and Lundi's theme piano version was played on the radio a lot when I was in Korea, and I remember first thinking, where have I heard this theme before? Lol...
2. Joe Hisaishi - Howl's Moving Castle. It's my favorite Studio Ghibli movie next to "Whisper of the Heart" which ironically isn't even a Hayao Miyazaki production. Anyhow, you really can't go wrong with a Joe Hisaishi + Ghibli creation.
3. Yoko Kanno - Escaflowne. The anime that introduced me to Yoko Kanno--the OST is sheer brilliance--the Gregorian chants, the orchestration. Wow... And even the opening song "Yakusoku wa Irenai." I was inspired to write this theme because I was watching cable TV and on the Korean channel, they're having a movie/drama award session and "Dance of the Curse" came on. Talk about exhilirating and astounding. I also love the violin in "Memory of Fanelia" and there's a Maaya Sakamoto vocal version "Aoi Hitomi" as well. Her voice still sounds so young and raw then! Everybody already knows I love "Yubiwa" from the movie OST.
4. Kaoru Wada - Inuyasha. Another example of an OST that everything is done so right that it's sort of underrated. I love Inuyasha's theme, I really love "Inuyasha to Kagome," all the different versions of it... It's a pity the anime went sort of nowhere. The first third was so promising. One of my favorite background OST while writing New Trials was Inuyasha Symphony Version. (Yes, do you see a pattern here? I like orchestration so much over synthetic sounds.) I looked at his credits and found out he composed the music for Kindaichi Shounen Jikenbo, where I also loved the bgm. Anyhow, I think he's underrated at times.
5. I like Yuki Kajiura a lot as well... I loved her from her Xenosaga stuff. I don't play games but I know the composer. Lol. Hence, I loved the Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles OST. Yoko Kanno + Yuki Kajiura would be my dream team.
6. Michiru Oshima - Full Metal Alchemist. I loved the anime so much--everything was executed with perfection. Animation, characterization, music, action, voice actors. I guess you can't go wrong with Studio Bones, nee? I am excited about the new remake for this awesome anime, especially since I didn't fancy the anime original ending and would like a manga faithful version. But the first half of the anime is so awesome, perhaps surpassing the manga and any other anime of its "generation." Puts all other shounen anime to shame. Either way, FMA had amazing opening and endings, all eight of them (you'll see them pop up when I make my favorite anime openings list.) I'm sort of skeptical that the magic and beauty of FMA can be conveyed with different music in the new version. Bratja is one of the most beautiful insert songs ever and probably the most memorable song from the OST. I believe it is sung in Russian, and it's usage in the anime can literally bring tears to my eyes. Anyhow, it's important to have a good OST and also have a good sound director who can insert the right music in the right places. FMA was sort of like that--the bgm had everything done "right."
Notable mention: I don't play Final Fantasy (though I had a friend obsessed with it) but I was quite obsessed with Eternity: Memory of Lightwaves for a while. My bravenet guestbook was kindly made by Cherry Star and has the midi for Final Fantasy X To Zankerland and for the longest time, I was like, oh it's pretty. Wonder what song it is. So, Final Fantasy Piano Collections was often on my playlist during my college era before my harddrive went bye-bye.
I also usually end up music-based anime, where music plays an integral part of the story (as if you can't tell in New Trials) such as Alpen Rose, Macross F and Full Moon wo Sagashite. I love that anime to pieces, but I didn't include it because I was striving more for a bgm theme more than vocals for this entry. Same with Macross Frontier, which did have fantastic bgm on top of good songs. The harmonica version of "Aimo" sticks in my mind. Another notable mention is the Saint Tail OST by Hayato Matsuo (which gives a similar vibe to CCS) who coincidentally did another favorite of mine, Magic Knight Rayearth. Yes, I'm the sort of geek who goes to animenewsnetwork.com and looks at who directed what, who did the music, who did the script. Lol...
Anyhow, the only thing to take out of here is Joe Hisaishi and Yoko Kanno are gods. :P
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