Through the Night (OUTLAW STAR Opening Theme)

THROUGH THE NIGHT
OUTLAW STAR OPENING THEME
Copyright © 1998 Morning Star * Sunrise/Shueisha * Sotsu Agency
Victor Japan VIDL-30072
Available now
¥1020

—by Charles McCarter

1. Through the Night 4:10

2. Kono Jidai no Naka de (In This Age) 5:52

3. Through the Night (TV Mix) 4:10

4. Kono Jidai no Naka de (In This Age - TV Mix) 5:52

All vocals by Arimachi Masahiko

I picked this up on a whim, since I have not seen any OUTLAW STAR yet. But I figure that a CD single is a cheap enough gamble. What a pleasant surprise.
This CD does not waste any time getting serious. After an approximately two-second high-speed synthesizer introduction, the song takes off. "SemeNAIde KeseNAIde MakeNAIde..." are the opening words, with heavy accents on the "nai" as indicated. However, the song is not all just fast words moving at an impossible beat. Although the tempo does not slow down, the verses seem a bit slower than the chorus, which opens the song. In addition, the syncopation permeating the track helps to keep the listener always on his guard waiting for something new. And the vocals as done by Arimachi Masahiko are very, very good. He manages to bring both words and melody together (which is not easy, when a song moves as fast as this one does). His voice also has some character to it, so it sounds like he is actually singing with soul, rather than just blandly putting out another "idol song." Clearly, a significant amount of work has gone into this track, and it is very reminiscent of some of the best 80s anime openings.
"Kono Jidai no Naka de" ("In This Age") is much different, a slow ballad with minimal accompaniment. The acoustic guitar and tambourine in the first half add an interesting touch to this song that is tinged with sadness and is an interesting contrast to the electric guitar solo that bridges the verses. Again, Mr. Arimachi's voice shines through; with an arrangement like this, vocal talent is very difficult to fake.
The third and fourth tracks are labeled as "TV Mixes," which seems somewhat mysterious. However, upon first listen, it is very obvious that they are merely karaoke tracks. Nothing particularly unique here, but they are, as always, a fun bonus when buying CD singles.
Fans of rock anime tunes will appreciate "Through the Night," but wil perhaps be tempted to wait for the soundtrack CD to come out. Those who cannot wait, however, can enjoy the CD single and practice their karaoke.