Five Years Later: The Music of KOR Grows Up

FIVE YEARS LATER: THE MUSIC OF KOR GROWS UP

Copyright © VAP
Original Soundtrack: VPCG-84613, 1 Nov 1996
21 tracks, 72:54
¥3,000
Image Album: VPCG-84283, 1 Aug 1996
10 tracks, 49:15
¥3,000

— by Roderick "Agitator" Lee

Original Soundtrack

1. Opening Theme (Kyosuke No. 1) 3:46

2. Love I 3:52

3. Omoide I [Memory] 2:33

4. Tohou ni Kurete [Nightfall's Destination] 3:28

5. Madobe Kara (Kyosuke No. 1) [From the Windows's Edge] 3:18

6. Doko ni Iru no... [Where are you?] 4:24

7. Sounyuu Uta [Insert Song: Love is Power] 5:07

Kudou Aki

8. Omoide II 3:18

9. Lounge I 2:05

10. Lounge II 1:56

11. Kousa-suru Omoi [Intertwining Feelings] 3:43

12. Kyousuke no Theme I [Kyousuke's Theme] 2:01

13. Saikai [Reunion] 1:46

14. Sounyuu Uta "Don't Be Afraid" 4:09

15. Isekai no Tobira 6:25

16. Anata ni Kokoni Ite Hoshii (Kyousuke No. 1) [I Want You Here] 3:49

17. Kyousuke no Theme II 1:42

18. Love II 4:44

19. Yori Sou Futari (Kyousuke No. 1) [Come Together Like a Couple] 3:48

20. Ima, Soshite Korekara [Now, and After] 3:42

21. Shiutai Uta "Day Dream ~ Soba ni riu yo" [Theme Song "Day Dream ~ By Your Side"] 4:13

Agua

Image Album

1. Bokutachi no Road (Our Road) 6:06

Kudou Aki

2. Lesson 3:27

Ishizuka Mami

3. Run Away 5:07

4. Doko he (Where To?) 4:04

Kudou Aki

5. Drive 5:45

Kudou Aki

6. Shinjite (Trust) 5:25

Endou Yumi

7. Crossroad 3:11

8. Drive ~ Carry On Mix 5:59

Kudou Aki

9. Ano Natsu (That Summer) 3:22

10. Mind Game 6:47

Kudou Aki

When we last left our KOR fans, we had whetted their appetites earlier this year with a review of the MADOKA'S PIANO FILES Mini-Image Album. Then, two issues later, the main course: an in-depth preview of last year's SHIN KIMAGURE ORANGE ROAD: "Soshite, Ano Natsu no Hajimari," the first animated KOR in five years. An entree that includes the additional tidbit that the LD Box comes with cutout sections for the four new CDs: the LD bonus vocal CD, and the three official releases: ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK, IMAGE ALBUM, and MADOKA'S PIANO FILES. So, now three issues later, what better for dessert than the other two CDs?
Naturally, the main focus is going to be the movie's signature piece, "Kyosuke No. 1," which was written by Madoka as a dedication to Kyousuke. There is, in fact, not one actual track with that specific title. Rather, there are four different tracks on the ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK with parenthetical references to said instrumental. Throw in "Ano Natsu" (That Summer) from the IMAGE ALBUM and that makes five. Opening the ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK is (not surprisingly) "Opening Theme," a medium tempo "vanilla" version of "Kyosuke No. 1," a stately version with some opening and closing flourishes that distinguish it from ordinary BGM and set the table for the story to come. This is also the only version with backing instruments; all others are piano-only. Contrast this with "Madobe Kara" (From the Window's Edge), which is slower and has a somewhat somber opening; this is the version which Madoka plays while Kyousuke is watching her through the window. Then, there is "Yori Sou Futari" (Come Together Like a Couple), which is arguably the "purest" version since it is chronologically the first: the peaceful, relaxing original that Madoka debuts in 1991. "Ano Natsu" (That Summer), the IMAGE ALBUM offering, is another down tempo variation, this one muted like "Madobe Kara," but without the sorrowful undertones. Its mood is akin to "Yori Sou Futari," with less syncopation in its melody. And of course, there is "Anata ni Kokoni Ite Hoshii" (I Want You Here), which is the version that most fans will associate with the melody, "Kyosuke No. 1." Not surprisingly, this is the powerful, moving, majestic summons that Madoka plays in an effort to will her 1994 Kyousuke back to her.
But, it is not just the mature complexities of "Kyosuke No. 1" that stand out here. Most of the instrumentals demonstrate a growth that is reflective of the growth in the characters and their relationships. Granted, the real reason for this is probably the ten year changes in industry, but it is still a delightful parallel. Take "Tohou ni Kurete" (Nightfall's Destination), a driving force of sound and energy that propels Kyousuke to Madoka's place when he senses his existence slipping away. The musical potency serves as effective backdrop to the scene of dark clouds thundering above and turning the sunny afternoon into rain-soaked night. Or "Isekai no Tobira" (Door to Another World), which is unfortunately cut off in the actual scene where 1991 Kyosuke and his grandfather attempt to bring back 1994 Kyousuke. The CD version, though, is a symphonic suite over six minutes long, which starts off slowly with bells and chimes while the more prominent instruments gradually build their strength in the background. Then, the percussion breaks out and the woodwinds and simulated strings takeover as the beat rises and the level increases to a forte, an intense emotional close which drops in volume, but not in effect.
Those previous two tracks are very different from what we are used to equating with "KOR music," in part because there has never really been anything like this before. The original series was light and youthful. Not to say that SHIN KOR is dark—far from it. But, it does evoke a wider spectrum of emotions than past KOR fare, and these are two of the standouts from that new sound. More traditional is "Kousa-suru Omoi" (Intertwining Feelings), a medium tempo emotional wave that washes over the viewer and listener during the scene of Kyouske and Hikaru together in her hotel room. It is part memory, part longing, and all wondrous. Another more traditional piece is "Omoide" (Memory), a two track set which plays—when else?—during the flashbacks to the TV series scenes. Also good is "Love," another two track set. The first is a joyous, somewhat jazzy guitar memory backed by a clarinet that plays when Madoka and Kyosuke make plans for their date in 1991. The second part is also guitar, this one medium-to-slow with some backing keyboard, and plays during the actual date. Then, there is "Ima, Soshite Korekara" (Now, and After), the vigorous, forward-thinking epilogue BGM.
Unfortunately, just as Takada Akemi is absent as character designer, so is Wada Kanako absent as chief vocalist. Her "replacement," Kudou Aki, does an admirable job of making the listener forget she is missing. And this is where the IMAGE ALBUM comes in because there are only three vocals on the ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK. Meanwhile, the IMAGE ALBUM, somewhat uncharacteristically, is mostly vocals. Of its ten tracks, seven are vocals, rather unusual for image albums, which tend to be a mix of drama, dialogue, and BGM. Opening the IMAGE ALBUM is "Bokutachi no Road" (Our Road), a medium paced song that is calm and cheery, upbeat yet not up tempo, maybe like "Jeniina." Also by Kudou Aki is "Doko he" (Where To?), which is more upbeat, but of comparable temperament. She chimes in on the ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK as well with Hikaru's dance audition song, "Love is Power," but the image songs are actually better. Taking a look at some of the other vocalists, Endou Yumi's "Shinjite" (Trust) is a wonderful ballad, with a softly strumming guitar and a whistling piccolo. We last saw Ishizuka Mami arranging and playing the marvelous piano solos off of MADOKA'S PIANO FILES. But before that disc (because the IMAGE ALBUM came out first), she is the vocalist in "Lesson," a guitar ballad. Meanwhile, the highlight of the vocals is back on the ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK, with Agua's "Don't Be Afraid," the charming ballad that plays in the swimming reunion scene. Agua also contributes the movie ED, "Day Dream ~ Soba ni iru yo" (Day Dream ~ By Your Side), an upbeat closing which reflects the optimism of the final epilogue scenes.
Obviously, the bigger draw here is the ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK. After all, it actually features music used in the movie. But, there are only three vocals in the movie, and this is the attraction of the IMAGE ALBUM. Five tracks by a new KOR voice, Kudou Aki, and one each from two other vocalists plus two more piano instrumentals, including another variation of "Kyosuke No. 1," that is almost fifty minutes of great KOR image fare. Not bad for an image album. Get them both.
The reviewer thanks Theo Ching for his assistance with translating the track titles.