Forum - View topicBackground Music making or breaking a series
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SamuraiPenguin34
 Posts: 27 Location: west point, NY |
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I was just wondering how others felt,
sometimes I feel like the background music played at the right times, can make or break a series (or at least increase the level of emotion during a certain scene) for example: in berserk, when "gatsu" comes on as the background music during certain scenes, it really grabs me and pulls me into the scene and the feelings of the scene. also, for juuni kokki I feel like the music has a great effect on the storyline and the character development. so i was just wondering what everyone thinks, and if you could give examples to justify your response that would be great 
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Top Gun
 Posts: 4816 |
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I know it's been said at least a million times before, but any soundtrack composed by Yoko Kanno greatly enhances the series with which it's paired. She seems to have an uncanny gift for capturing the essence of a scene and feeding back into it with her music. There's no better example of this than Cowboy Bebop; take away the soundtrack, and you take away its very soul. In a way, Bebop is its music.
As far as personal favorites go, I can't help but love the soundtrack of Big O. Toshihiko Sahashi throws on lots of saxophone at just the right times to really bring out the whole noir feel of the series. And those battle themes..."Sure Promise" is the single-best track I've ever heard to set to giant robots beating the crap out of each other. 
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Zin5ki
 Posts: 6680 Location: London, UK |
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Without mentioning any of my "tearjerker" favorites, One of the strongest aspects of Akira was the percussive pieces it used- the originality of the score is the main thing which makes me separate it from other cyberpunk anime. The GITS soundtrack is more than noteworthy as well. |
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elloshiions
 Posts: 44 Location: USA |
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ah! i like a lot of the BGM when they seriously grab our attention to feel what is happening. it is a great feeling when you are able to feel the sensation of the show and all. i think BGM that captures us are a huge success.. while some are just bleh.
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jetz
 Posts: 2148 Location: Manila, Philippines |
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I remember that when I was watching Escaflowne, I couldn't care less about the storyline and I'd only pay attention whenever the BGM plays. If it weren't for Yoko Kanno's music, I probably wouldn't have finished it.
As for other series, I like it when OP/ED are played as BGM for important scenes, and sometimes during the last episodes. I like how it helps to remind me of what happened when the series just started, or sometimes it just intensifies a particular scene. I remember there was this episode of Shakugan no Shana II, it was during the second half of the series, and I think it was whenspoiler[ Yuji and Shana were fighting Sabrac. When they were about to beat him], Joint, the first OP, started playing in the background and it just made that scene so much better. |
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zeroski
Posts: 3 |
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ya the BGM something make the series amazing ,for me naruto music when naryto remmember his lonely like in his fight with gara or the secene with sasuka.
FMA the music make me cry (both japaneses and english) brother song it's wonderfull song. and the final secen in X tv spoiler[when shero killed by fuma .] for me the music play important role in the series and story effects |
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springsilence
Posts: 8 |
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Background music definitely enhances the emotions and they can capture the subtle , unstated feelings brilliantly . It's amazing how the music complements the story . Some of the best work has been done by Hans Zimmer nd Mark Mancina on Blood+ . Saya's Love and Saya's Destiny are my favourite pieces.....they translate the emotions beautifully . Some of the instrumental pieces are so delightfully sinister and evil .
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NocturnalUX
 Posts: 448 Location: Portugal |
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The background music in Meine Liebe is simply jarring at times. The heavy handed overly dramatic organ piece is bad enough and the frilly violins that appear every now and then do not help either.
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sirgalahadthegreat
 Posts: 108 |
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Of course! Look at shows like Ghost in the Shell and Cowboy Bebop, where Yoko Kanno's superb work accounts for almost 70% of the shows' popularity. And I also agree with springsilence about Blood+, which turned a crap anime with a stupid storyline into a worthwhile experience. Diva's song still freezes the blood in my veins!
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Yuki_Kun45
Exempt from Grammar Rules
 Posts: 725 Location: U.S.A. |
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.hack//SIGN by Yuki Kajiura is one of my favorites because of the perfect unique composition behind that.
Frankly it could have gone in three ways as I see it: It could have gone to traditional orchestral score (which wouldn't have fit) it could have gone Electronica (Which is kind of an obvious choice for the genere) or simply the music could have not been there at all. But between Mashimo's direction and Yuki's compositions, the score was the perfect for the setting and style of .hack//SIGN. |
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Kimiko_0
 Posts: 1796 Location: Leiden, NL, EU |
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Yes, music can definitely help make a good anime better. It's not always the case though that a great artist makes great music.
I loved Yoko Kanno's music for the Ghost In The Shell franchise, but it didn't impress me much in Vision Of Escaflowne. Of course, that could also be because I didn't care much for the latter anime itself.. Yuki Kajiura is great in .hack//SIGN, Noir and Madlax. With Elemental Gelade though, I thought at first that it was some lesser talent trying to imitate her style. El Cazador De La Bruja was good (yay, lesbian romance!), but the music wasn't all that impressive because it just reinforced the 'Mexican desert' setting. Mushishi had both beautiful art and music that go great together. Taken out of context though, Toshio Masuda's music is, well, still good, but not super awesome like Kajiura's. On the other hand, the music in the Crest/Banner Of The Stars I-III anime was seriously meh, ranging from unremarkable to overly dramatic to silly. It's a good series, but it would have been even better with more fitting music. |
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Oh Jam!
 Posts: 40 Location: Rugby U.K. Ferociously hot guy |
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Agreed (looking back on it now probably the only strong point), and Cowboy Bebop is a given. A little gem that may have slipped people by is the U.S. dubbed version of Fist of the North Star, gone is the campy obtrusive J-Rock and is replaced with a much more "subtle" mid 90's drum & bass/ambient soundtrack. Unfortunately said tracks are as hard to find as rocking horse poo. |
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Elfen12
 Posts: 479 Location: Bay Area |
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I think it definatly enhances it becuase i also belive when there is no background music that it also creates a certian affect. I think in anime like Noir and Madlax where the Music is very well conducted and is very likeable (for me at least hah), that it just gives the show that vibe that attracts one to it more. I think when , in any anime, there is a sad scene, sad sounding and somber music playing enhances the feeling one gets from the scene + music. When there is a serious scene, serious music playing will enhance the scene too, making it seem all the more serious. I dont' think there is anime out there ( so far ) that i havn't thought the music helped in any way, it just seems to me to be a necessity in Anime.
But there are also the scenes when no music is playing. When those occur, i think it ususaly means something is about to happen, or they realy want you to be paying attention to what is going on in the story or with a character (ususaly when going through some sort of faze change, development, things like that). Playing no music at certian times really can enhance the awareness one has to the show, becuase it really gets one paying attention to the details. That combined with playing music at times, creates an effect that is irreplaceable with anything but music. -Elfen12- |
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