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Hey, Answerman! [2007-01-05]

Akukaze wrote:

Henry Jones wrote: uot;]If you want a great example of what Kajiura is capable of, check out the Xenosaga Episode III soundtrack. Her work on Episode II is good, not great, but just about everyone involved gave a half-hearted effort on Episode II. Episode III's music is honestly amazing both in its use in the game and listening to it on CD. It takes an occasionally over-melodramatic and sometimes laughable space opera and takes up a few levels by its presence alone. It may use a few themes over and over, but it's something like 6 or 7 themes, so it's not like "Sakura's Theme" in Episode II that makes up half the soundtrack. It's the first game soundtrack in a LONG tong I've taken the effort to import (Katamari Damacy is great, but most of the people I know who are into this stuff already own it, so I hear it enough). It's too bad the "Best Selection" leaves some great stuff out, though. You know what's kind of ironic is that the Episode II music made me cringe for the most part, but then the extra stuff at the end of the game had really awesome music. And I'm pretty sure that some (if not all) of those songs were used in Episode III. I especially remember that the song from Heaven's Ruins was used in III. But ALL of Kajiura's Xenosaga music doesn't sound very Kajiura-ish. There aren't a lot of strings at all, and almost no vocal pieces. I guess since they're games they need to worry more about looping, but as a Kajiura fan I still find it disappointing.

How much have you listened to of Episode III? Yes, there are themes that are reused, but on rare occasions. KOS-MOS' theme is reprised at a very key moment, "Assault" is reprised at a key area, and "Fatal Fight" is replayed at a certain (and awesome) boss fight. But I'd say a good 95% of it is original material, and all the reused stuff is used at the the exact right moment.

Plus Episode III has PLENTY of strings. I'd say half of it has some sort of strings carrying the melody, and the last four tracks on the soundtrack are all string-driven (At least as far as the music goes). While the Emily Curtis song at the end is un-Kajiura, the song "Gobsibbe" is VERY vocal and very Kajiura (Even if it's a choir of nonsense syllables). I will agree that some tracks on II are very jarring and unlistenable, though.

Akukaze wrote:

I love Kajiura and Kanno's music equally, though, and think they're like apples and oranges. If Kanno had done the music for Noir, it wouldn't have worked, and the same goes for if Kajiura had done the music for Escaflowne. Though now that I think about it, it would be interesting to see what Kajiura would do for RahXephon..

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Just want to remind you that Kanno only composed the opening song "Hemisphere", but not the BGM and ending song. Ichiko Hashimoto did that.

I suppose I'm in the minority as I don't really like Absolute Boyfriend (actually, I find it almost painful, as I'm sure I've read this story at least twice before...)

Bravo to the Wyrd Sisters for that rant. If only Shojo Beat's publishers would listen. Unfortunately, there must be a lot more people talking with their dollars lately, or I can't imagine they'd be continuing this trend.

I suppose I'm in the minority as I don't really like Absolute Boyfriend (actually, I find it almost painful, as I'm sure I've read this story at least twice before...), but I do like Baby & Me. Perhaps because as a teenager I did so much of the caretaking for my own baby brother, but I find it rather charming.

In any case, the magazine has essentially lost all appeal for me. I don't enjoy Vampire Knight and Backstage Prince is a complete bore. I don't think I've read a single one of the articles in the last three issues either. I don't care about fashion (and even if I did, looking at some of the gaudy things they've been putting together, I doubt I'd read their version of "fashion advice" anyway. Sorry ladies, but that "Girls' Night Out" section in January looked to me like the 80s threw up on some overgrown mallrats!) I'd like Crimson Hero to return soon to its beginnings as an inspiring, never-give-up sort of story, but I'm not holding my breath. And finally, that new mascot is just awful! Come on, we're anime/manga geeks, not teenyboppers pining for our first junior high prom! That girl might fly if the magazine was targeted at that age range, but they seem to have put their content in direct conflict with the "Older Teen" rating they've given themselves.

What I read in there has been steadily shrinking, and I read less than one third of the January issue before it wound up on my shelf. What started out as a nice bargain for my tight budget (being able to enjoy several stories every month instead of just one and actually learning about culture and history too) seems to have turned into a big waste of my time and money. Luckily, my subscription is through my local comic shop and not the magazine directly, so I can cancel at any time. Which is exactly what I'm doing this week when I'm in that part of town.

You know what I'm wondering...how this debate even got started.

AuraShadow wrote:

You know what I'm wondering...how this debate even got started.

I once asked the same question and someone hypothesized it's because they're both "YK"s.