[] Gunslinger Girl Original Soundtrack (MJCD-20073)

Gunslinger Girl Original Soundtrack

Overview

Toshihiko Sahashi is one of those one-trick ponies; no matter which series he works on, you pretty much know what you're going to get: a rich orchestral faire with a good mix of action-oriented pieces and mood music. Gunslinger Girl is a great example of this, but even then, it takes a step further given the subject material of the series itself. You're basically getting an album that is excellent both melodically and emotionally. I would go as far to say that this is probably Sahashi's best work, trumping the stuff he did for the Full Metal Panic series and even the Gundam SEED series.

Body

The album starts off with "The Light Before We Land," a song that plays during the opening to the series and in a way, it fits in with the overall theme of Gunslinger Girl. The second piece, "TEMA I" is where the album really begins kicking into high gear and Sahashi really shows his ability to compose. "TEMA I" is, in a word, grim and depressing. I loved the way Sahashi nailed down the mood and convey the overall theme of the series with regards to its subject matter. "TEMA I" still continues to give me goosebumps with its beauty in light of the tragedies that occur throughout the series.

Things take a 180-degree turn with the next set of tracks as you get pieces that hints at the atmosphere and activity of a European city. The violin's melody throughout these pieces help to create a calm and serene mood.

This relaxing trend continues on for a few tracks until you hear "Malinconomia" and the depression slowly begins to set in with the violins conveying the sadness. The feeling of isolation culminates in "Ansia," which launches into one of the most recognizable and beautiful themes present in the series. "Ansia" is soon followed by the first of the synth tracks, "Amoretto." The mood in this piece is far more subdued, but you begin to feel as though you can relax again. The world is pretty much restored to some sort of equilibrium point. The feeling doesn't last as "Rabbia" again hits the dissonant chords pretty hard for the first 30 seconds. The sense of danger is done really well and serves as a good backdrop to the series.

The shifts in mood continue on for quite a bit with about 2-3 somber pieces followed by something more relaxing. After going through "Buon Ricardo" where you're treated to a simple, but pleasant piano melody and "Maniaco" which is filled to the brim with a strange assortment of electronica without a clear melody, you come to the piece that really caught my attention when I watched the series and pretty much forced me to go out and actually give this soundtrack a listen: "TEMA IV."

"TEMA IV" is unfortunately short, but it hits all the right notes, starting with the opening chorus and violin melody before moving into the piano's melody. This piece does practically everything right as it takes a snippet from one of the many themes found in the prior pieces and uses it to create a sense of urgency. For those who've seen the series, you should remember hearing this in the many action scenes and chase scenes. For those who haven't, trust me when I tell you that it fits those scenes perfectly with the mood it creates.

Before the album comes to an end, you get "Romanze," a piece with a vocalist working her voice to an arrangement of the 2nd movement of Chopin's 1st Piano Concerto. The piece isn't all that great, but it is relaxing in a way. I would have preferred to hear an arrangement done with pure instrumentals as a way for the listener to relax given all of the tension that was present throughout TEMA IV, but the song is still fairly soothing. Finally, the album ends on a New Age song called "Dopo il Sogno" which plays while the credits are rolling. This song too isn't that great, but it does provide an end. A stronger ending would have made it better, but given some of the gems that are all over this soundtrack, I'm content with the sort of ending it had.

Summary

This soundtrack remains my most favorite anime soundtrack from a TV series. Toshihiko Sahashi provides a good mix of action and emotion. While I emphasized the orchestral pieces, there are still synth tracks that provide a good listen as well as some electronica for good measure. The only criticism that can really be said is that the album doesn't end on a great note as I'm not a huge fan of "Dopo il Sogno." Nevertheless, the rest of the album is a testament to Sahashi's skill and provides an enjoyable listen the whole way through.

Overall Score: 5/5

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