Welcome to Lodoss Island! Original Soundtrack

WELCOME TO LODOSS ISLAND!
ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
Copyright © 1998 Group SNE * Haykuyashiki Rei / Kadokawa Shoten
KICA 400
Available in Japan: 24 April 1998
¥ 3,059

—by Charles McCarter

1. Sei Kishi Paan 3:03

Holy Knight Parn

2. Mainichi Gankyo tte Tabi o Suru Minna e (Short Size version) 3:27

To Those Who Journey Persistently Everyday

3. Ankoku no Yami 3:14

The Dark Darkness

4. Suspense 1 3:30

5. Daimajutsushi Wooto 3:10

Great Sorcerer Wort

6. Ippo Susunde Nippo Segaru 3:00

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

7. Fianna Ai no Teema 3:34

Fianna's Love Theme

8. Seirei Mahou Deedo 3:17

Spirit Magic Deed

9. Paan Dan no Kitsui 1:05

Parn's Manly Resolution

10. Suspense 2 2:43

11. Kessen! Seikishi e no Michi 3:59

Deciding Battle! Road to the Holy Knights

12. Aratanaru Tabidachi 2:28

A New Journey

13. Mainichi Gankyo tte Tabi o Suru Minna e 5:12

To Those Who Journey Persistently Everyday

14. Mainichi Gankyo tte Tabi o Suru Minna e (Karaoke Version) 5:12

The half-hour SD movie YOUKOSO LODOSS-TOU E! (Welcome to Lodoss Island!) debuted in April this year in Japanese theaters, packaged as a double feature with the MAZE movie. Since the movie is SD, listeners should not expect the same grandiose and expansive soundtrack that permeated the LODOSS OVA series; to do so would be to invite disappointment. Instead, this CD features a number of tracks that can only be described as "cute." The opening track, "Sei Kishi Paan" (Holy Knight Parn), begins with a lone trumpet playing a bright and bouncy fanfare. As the tune progresses, more brass join this happy chorus. The listener can almost see the SD form of Parn marching over hills, a big, bright, goofy smile on his face.
Much of the music on this CD, in fact, seems to reside in the realm of "borderline silly." The composers seem to have watched a few too many westerns, as the whole trumpet and brass motif is in near constant use. For example, "Paan Dan no Kitsui" (Parn's Manly Resolution) sounds like a gunfight piece. Only here the use of synthesizers is a little more obvious than in other tracks. "Kessen! Seikishi e no Michi" (Deciding Battle! The Road to the Holy Nights) makes extensive use of trombones in the melody line (at first just one and later a whole choir full) to give that "manly" feel to the piece. It sounds like the theme from THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN on a budget. And finally, "Aratanaru Tabidachi" (A New Journey) begins with a snare drum intro that leads right into a bugle piece. These pieces, while great to enhance the comic mood of the SD story, do not stand alone very well. They become repetitive and somewhat boring after being heard several times.
There are a couple of rather unusual tracks, as well. "Daimajutsushi Wooto" (Great Sorcerer Wort) is not, as would be expected, a grand piece with a strong sense of atmosphere. Rather, with it's castanets and lilting melody, it begins more like a Flamenco dance. It seems a very strange choice for Wort. And Deed's piece, "Seirei Mahou Deed" (Spirit Magic Deed) is a jazzy saxophone tune that, while it might make Kenny G proud, seems a little inappropriate for a high elf. Of course, in the context of the movie, these choices could be appropriate, but here they just seem bizarre.
There are two versions of the vocal, "Mainichi Gankyo tte Tabi o Suru Minna e" (To Those Who Journey Persistently Everyday), a short version and a full-length version. Sung by Parn and Deedlit, this song is a somewhat saccharine duet about not giving up no matter what happens. It is cute, but cute often loses its appeal over time. Listeners will either like this track or skip ahead.
Comprised of synthesized mood music that borders on the silly when heard outside the context of the film, even LODOSS fans may want to postpone purchasing this CD until they have actually had a chance to see the film.