Sounds of anime.
It’s easy to focus on the visuals in anime. They’re pretty darn important. If they’re a little bit off, it could ruin the whole thing. The same often applies to the soundtrack. With the right music an anime can go from good to great.
Tank!
Opening theme to Cowboy Beebop
The obvious example of this is Cowboy Beebop. Music is a heavy influence on the anime. All the episode titles are song titles. It’s not just the themes, even the incidental music carries a lot of weight. Think about it, would Cowboy Beebop be the same without the harmonica? I don’t think so. The harmonica sets a very important tone. It brings up images of old westerns, of savage and lawless frontiers.
Then of course we have themes. The right theme can really help an anime take off. Shoot, just look at Lucky Star. The opening to that show will hook you as soon as you hear it. The theme’s CD single sold out in record time when it was released in Japan. The closing theme is a bit different. They use karaoke, sometimes even using music from other anime shows. It’s not as rockin’ as the opening, but it does add to the show’s appeal.
I could go on and on about this. There are lots of anime that use music to their advantage. FLCL, Beck, and pretty much anything by Miyazaki all use music in such a way that it’s almost a second layer of visuals. Watch ‘em without the music and you only get half the story.
The next time you watch an anime, listen to it. What kind of music are they using? How does it influence the show?
What do you think? Is there an anime you love that just wouldn’t be the same without it’s music?
anime, soundtrack, anime soundtrack, anime music, music, Cowboy Beebop, themes, Lucky Star, opening, closing, opening theme, closing theme, FLCL, Beck
July 14th, 2007 at 2:58 am
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