Anime music

I'm new in anime music and would like to learn about it.
I only knew of Escaflowne, Gundam Seed who have solid music.

Escaflowne was based on things like Ravel, Bartok, Shostakovitch. If you know these composers you would certainly notice that.

In Gundam Seed we get great orchestral works, in its own style, I don't recognize any classical composers in it.

My tastes: everything of Hamauzu, VGM (grandia 2, drakengard 2, MGS3) , Jazz

Knowing what my tastes are, which anime would you recommend this community to listen to? Hopefully there are people here who are experts in all anime series.

List of evaluated music: (just a note to myself)

Yoko Kanno:

Cowboy bebop OST1 (mediocre)
Cowboy bebop OST2 (wow, what a disappointment)
Cowboy bebop OST3 (too much vocal music in western style, I like the oriental style more, the jazz is not my kind though)
Cowboy bebop CDBOX collection: (5CD): The fourth CD is worth it because of the warm environment and the good songs. The other CD's aren't. It's just not my kind of music.

Wolf's Rain OST1 (interesting jazz tunes, orchestral works are nice)
Wolf's Rain OST2 (Mouth on fire = excellent, I like the guitar-orchestra combinations)

Sousei no Aquarion OST1: Only good songs are: Heath of Wasteland, Become a Bird. The others are opera, not my thing. And if you liked High Spirit, you'd better listen to Korngold's Violin Concerto, it's just the same, but longer.

Brain PowerD: There are very strong melodies in it and good use of the piano! Very orchestral, just as I like it. The first song of OST 1 is very innovative. The last song of OST 2 has something Barber-like. In fact I think many songs here are inspired on western/American themes.

Turn A Gundam: This one has orchestral masterpieces!

Gundam Seed Destiny OST1 : too movie-like: it fits the anime but as music just to listen to: no, no clear melody, all samples look alike, his work on Gundam Seed OST was more interesting to me

Ghost in the Shell Kenji Kawai version: Sounds like real ghosts to me, especially those screaming girl voices, not my thing.

Ghost in the Shell SAC: man, you've got it all wrong, this is NOT my cup of tea, even if it's Kanno. I mean this music style isn't anything like Escaflowne and Hamauzu...

Taku Iwasaki: Read or Die: Unoriginal use of the MGS-theme, this appears in at least 4 songs..., the other songs are non-melodic, quality is bad, there is one good melody in there but that's all

RUROUNI KENSHIN (wow so much composers I really didn't have a clue...):

Taku Iwasaki: Kenshin Seisouhen OVA 2 ost: This is what I'm talking about! Just my thing. The bad thing is that it's all repetition of themes.

Taro Iwashiro: Kenshin Ishin Shishi no Rekuiemu: He did his part of music in the season about the Catholic girl and the ninja girl. It's what I find the best music of the TV-serie.

Rurouni Kenshin Complete box set: The first disc has all the popular Kenshin music, and is recommended. The second disc is just a filler, they could even just leave this disc out. (different composers)

Noriyuki Asakura: Kenshin OST's: Yes this composer is just the filler of the background music of the anime serie, the more important melodies come from another composer. But Heart of Sword is excellent. (composed by Daisuke Asakura though)

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Toshiro Masuda: Naruto OST 1: no, no, and no... it's all too regular. I don't like that kind of guitar sound. Catchy melodies but not special enough. The oriental parts are of good quality but too tonal for me. I need special sequences.

Hamaguchi: Ah! My Goddess OST1: I don't like music without a certain amount of quality in it. It seems that Hamaguchi is too synth sound oriented this time, which is not my taste. I like it big with orchestra or real live instruments like in Kanno's works. I'm sure Hamaguchi has done this but in this anime it seems that he didn't use his full potential. And besides the quality the melodies seem too old. (No innovation or special themes) One thing is right: it's anime like music and some of those themes seem familiar but it's not serious enough for me to listen to.

Ah! My Goddess TV2: This is a lot different than the OST1, real live instruments are being used. Quality is good, but still I don't like the melodies in it.

Yuki Kajiura: Noir OST 1 first song is magnificent, the weirdness-factor is coming close to my taste, good environment but some songs are too shallow, it's like you listened to nothing at all... I hear nice quality instruments but then the melody stinks, I'm confused in my decision whether it's bad or good! Reminds me of Drakengard. I look forward evaluating OST 2
Noir OST 2: I really don't like the melodies... some songs are so chaotic I get a headache, the only song I like is the main theme, the rest is bleh and boring

Toshihiko Sahashi: Gunslinger Girl: Orchestral music yes, but most of the themes don't say anything and others are OLD, they remind me of the 60's, the music my parents listen. Even worse, I see an image of eighty year old people dancing in a bar. So, not good. That arrangment of the piano concerto of Chopin was creative though...

Toshiro Masuda: Excel Saga OST (2CD): Interesting features/effects, melodies aren't bad. The jazz parts of the OST I do like! Also very anime-like music. I recommend "Love"-"Ai" really breath taking. And what an original last song there is in OST2! I find this brilliant, hear for yourself.

Witch Hunter Robin: If you like rock, this is for you. But for myself I don't like it. It induces me with some depressive feeling. It's like I feel emptiness just by listening to it, it turns me crazy.


Earth Girl Arjuna (Kanno): This is an OST that features world music. I would say most of it is Scandinavian-African style. I didn't like it because the music is more describing, it doesn't stand on itself.

Kouhei Tanaka: Angelic Layer OST: Fully orchestrated. Style is like Strauss. Very light music, I feel no real intentions, no emotions. Not my taste. But the opening song is magnificent.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Certainly enough to keep me busy!:biggrin:

There's nowhere I can't reach.

.hack, isn't that video game music? Or is there an anime version too?
And OST 1 02 Rush from Cowboy Bebop, why did Yoko use those horrible violins, sounds so computer generated.

How ya doing, buddy?

Starting with Cowboy Bebop OST 1, I didn't like too much of it, only two songs stood out: Rush and Piano black. Rush was good until the strings ruined it all.

Most amazing jew boots

Originally Posted by Outlaw

But anyway, Wolf's Rain's also good....So is Ghost in the Shell: SAC. Two more series with music done by Yoko Kanno.

I saw Ghost in the Shell was done by Kenji Kawai, I'm confused now.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I just listened to the Kenshin Seisouhen OVA 2 ost. Great quality.
But I wonder: I've seen the Rurouni Kenshin episodes and have never heard this music before.

Which anime is this Seisouhen music from?
Also can someone list all the Seisouhen albums and OVA's of Rurouni Kenshin?

Looks like Kenji Kawai is more of a film music composer:

Ghost in the Shell: it interested me to look into his other works:

Vampire Princess Miyu
Avalon
WXIII Patlabor
Rave Master
Open your Mind
Gunparade March

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Yamamanama

Get Ashura-jo no Hitomi's OST. It's not an anime, but it's by Yoko Kanno, and it's really grood. Most of it is orchestral, but there's a highly odd, Bulgarian-souding song in Kannoese on there too.

If it's not an anime, where does this soundtrack come from? I searched on google but I get those weird spanish sites.

FELIPE NO

The Kenshin series complete CD box album (2 CD's) is pretty good, don't try the OST's though, that composer isn't that good. (at least from my view)

Angelic Layer (Tanaka) hasn't been mentioned that much in this thread, but it's really a masterpiece. Fully orchestrated and an excellent opening song by another composer (Andou). Song quality is superb. Almost something like Escaflowne, also inspired on classical motives.

I'm confused about one thing though:
Heart of Sword is composed by Daisuke Asakura, but also by Noriyuki Asakura.
Which one is it?

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I guess they are brothers, because they have the same name Asakura?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

As for me, I don't like English songs. Not only because of the language: the voice they use isn't appealing to me, japanese voices are more charming), but especially because of the music itself, it's more interesting melodically.

I just don't like to listen to the radio, hearing that sort of pop music.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Also, I don't want to know what they are saying, because then I use my other side of my brain while studying maths.

Originally Posted by Keero

Only thing is, I'm sad that people think I am weird because I listen to japanese music. But of course the GFF answer is "who gives a f*ck what people think. Well to succeed in life you HAVE to have connections with people. If you scare them away with playing japanese music in your car it's kinda weird

That's the Ashe disease, you follow whatever other people say if you are in minority. (in 30% of all cases, those 30% are people with a weak personality) It's sad.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Does anyone know the track in Brain PowerD OST 2 where you can find the exact same melody as in Music Box (Brain PowerD OST 1) but orchestrated instead. It really bothers me.

Maybe it's my imagination...

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by eriol33

Hmm, does any of you listen to old times anime music? Personally I like the music of the 90s anime, it brings nostalgy. Try this song if you want to know the main stream of anime music in that era.

It's this song that makes me love anime music. There is nothing else out there that could possibly use these modulation techniques and sound effects.

Originally Posted by PiccoloNamek

One soundtrack that I have recently fallen in love with is Kanno's Turn-A Gundam soundtrack. In my opinion, it is her best work by far, better than Escaflowne, Bebop, Macross Plus... all of them. It isn't often that I'm this enchanted and entranced by a soundtrack, but this one has managed to do it, and more.

This soundtrack has it all, classical, pop, techno, ambient mood songs, traditional japanese festival music, and even a little jazzy ditty that sounds like it could have come right out of a 1940's radio broadcast. Truly a work of art.

This Turn-A Gundam must be something good... Have you yet compared it to Brain PowerD? Because Brain PowerD has one of the best melodies I've ever heard.

I was speaking idiomatically.