Note that Nausicaa.net's definition applies only to Studio Ghibli albums =)

One example for the second part of your post: The recent Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi, where two image songs were performed in an episode.

And to substantiate it with a few more examples, we have Hana Emi To Kasumi Kusa which appears in Kasimasi (somewhat obscure) and of course, Love Hina's Yakusoku and Egao no mirai e (which is anything but an obscure series).

I just always viewed songs like the one that was played in Haruhi as insert songs. However, I had a chat with Bigblah on IRC and he classifies ones like that as both an insert song and a character image song, so it's all cleared up now.

For the record, zzeroparticle, I have not seen Love Hina (although yes, I know of it, certainly not an obscure secures indeed) or Kasimasi (which I have also heard of but have not seen).

Yeah, and Love Hina used some of the character songs as theme music for some characters such as Shinobu's laundry song. You never heard the lyrical version in the series but every now and then the music would pop up as background music for Shinobu if she was working hard or something. Been a while since I've seen the series so I can't remember if there were any other examples of this.

I'm voting for separate contests. Op/Ed is mostly Jpop while BGM is not. I'd like to have them not compete with each other.

Now that I've seen everything spelled out, I think there is a case for a seperate BGM contest.

One question though: would the contests be simultaneous?

I vote for seperating the insert songs and vocal OP/ED. They seem to me to be on different caliburs, primarily in popularity. It'd be more fair that way.

I might just be confused here, but if an image song appears in the middle of an anime episode, wouldn't it considered an insert song at that point? I'd like to know Bigblah's explanation on the subject.

He classified those as both being an insert song and a character image song when he was talking to me.

At first I said that it should be combined, but I've changed my mind; seperating vocal tracks would be more fair. I think that both parts should be held simultaneously, though (maybe in rounds with 8 vocal and 8 instrumental pairings).

I think that's an even better idea--rather than trying to hash out what counts as OP/ED and BGM, why not just make one contest all for vocals and another all for instrumentals?

I vote for separated, because it'll be easier and more simple to handle than it would be mixed.

Hello, any chance this Anime contest is going to start soon?

I mean, I just stumbled on Lupin 3 Jazz and I would have never found this incredible music without sheer coincidence. This contest should be all about sharing music with each other. Just like I stumbled on IDOLA and Wind of Phantom in the VGM contest.

I voted for all together, but actually, when you separate them naturally there will be more music, more to learn and all! The more contests, the better.

PS: why is there less interest in anime music than vgm music? Anime music is much more interesting than VGM...

Oh ho ho ho

Anyway, I'll give this some thought when my current obligations are over. Maybe in mid-December.

All right it's equally interesting due to the technology of music sampling. But in the past anime had more orchestration and then it was more interesting than VGM.

So what's the deal with this? :/