Nadesico the Movie: The Princes of Darkness Original Soundtrack

NADESICO THE MOVIE: THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS
ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
Copyright © Xebec / 1998 Nadesico Production Committee
KICA 410
¥3059
Available in Japan
Where to buy

—by Charles McCarter

1. Ryuugeki

Dragon Attack

2. Taitorubakku ~ Buraku Serena I

Title Back: Black Selena I

3. Nadesico no Teema

Nadesico's Theme

4. Boson Jampu

Boson Jump

5. Rinken Sasatsu

Inspection Investigation

6. Konran * Konton

Chaos * Confusion

7. Yokan ~ Ryuugeki II

Premonition ~ Dragon Attack II

8. Aestivalis I

9. Yochou

Portent

10. Burakku Serena II

Black Selena II

11. Nadesico no Mukuro

Corpse of the Nadesico

12. Kasei no Kokeisha (Melody Ari)

Successor to Mars (With Melody)

13. Nemureru "Dennou" no Mori no Bijo

Woman of the Sleeping Computer Forest

14. Hokushin Shichinin

North Star Seven

15. Nadesico no Kuruu I

Nadesico Crew I

16. Hanamiko

17. Megurumuku Tsuioku

Wandering Reminiscence

18. Nadesico no Kuruu II

Nadesico Crew II

19. Nadescio no Kuruu III

Nadesico Crew III

20. ROSE BUD

Vocal Matsuzawa Yumi

21. Yurika no Yume

Nadesico's Theme II

22. Boson Jampu III

Boson Jump III

23. Getsushin Tojou

Moon Warriors Appear

24. Ryuugeki II

Dragon Attack II

25. Yurika no Yume (Boson Jampu II)

Yurika's Dream (Boson Jump II)

26. Nadesico no Teema II

Nadesico Supreme

27. Seisatsu susu Nadesico

Nadesico Supreme

28. Aestivalis II

29. Burakku Serena III

Black Selena III

30. Super Aestivalis

31. DEAREST

Vocal: Matsuzawa Yumi

32. Hisago Puran

Hisago Plan

33. Fight

34. Serekuto

Select

35. Sutaato

Start

36. Kasei no Kokeisha (Melody Nashi)

Successor to Mars (Without Melody)

37. Kasei no Yose

Mars Music Hall

38. Naze Nani Nadesico

The How and Why of Nadesico

39. Kayou Shou

Song Show

This soundtrack starts off with a bang. In fact, when I first put this in my player, I thought it was playing the wrong CD. Immediately, a full orchestra appears to convey the immense terror involved in the "Dragon Attack." Those who have been following the NADESICO anime know that the movie is indeed much more hard core science fiction that the television series was. And as a result, the music for the movie is of a different breed.
In the liner notes, composer Hattori Takayuki says that he wanted the music for the movie to be much more "grand" than it was in the television series. He wanted to make the music for things like the Boson Jumps and the Black Selena have more of an impact. And since he had a full orchestra and synthesizers to work with, he was able to achieve this goal. For the most part, the music is very comparable to the big-screen Hollywood soundtracks. This CD sounds like it could have come from the pen of John Williams or James Horner.
Amdist all the sturm and drang that goes with a heavy-duty science fiction movie, there are of course some lighter pieces. One of my favorites is "Hanamiko," a jazz tune with intertwining melodies performed primarily by clarinet and violin. However, like most of the other tracks on the CD, just when it really starts to get interesting, it ends.
Hattori makes extensive use of woodwinds on this CD, especially clarinet. It gives the soundtrack a very different feel from many of the other anime soundtracks today. Oboes also make numerous appearances, as they tend to reflect the melancholy feeling that pervades the CD and indeed the movie itself.
There is also a fair amount of electronic instruments used. However, they don't seem to be used in conjunction with the orchestra very much. The electronic pieces seem to be used for the lighter scenes in the movie, such as the "Song Show," and the "How and Why of the Nadesico." These tracks obviously showcase the lighter moments in the film. A couple of tracks of "traditional" Japanese music are also included, like track 37, "Mars Music Hall," which adds a nice touch of depth to the CD.
There are two vocals on this album, both sung by Matsuzawa Yumi. The first, "ROSEBUD," is a rock song that is not very different from the typical J-pop fair common in anime these days, although it is perhaps less "cute" than other songs. While it does have a nice beat and a good melody, it doesn't have the same energy as "You Get to Burning," the TV series opening. It does have a similar trumpet bridge during the intermission, though. The other vocal, "Dearest," is a slower song, and is a much better showcase for Ms. Matsuzawa's vocal ability. A slow, lilting drum provides the majority of the accompaniment to this song, giving it a very new jazz, almost bossa nova feel.
My biggest gripe with this CD is that it's short. And not only is the CD itself short, but since it clocks in at under 40 minutes and there are 39 tracks, well, you do the math The BGM pieces are all very well done, but most of them are too short to be really satisfying. However, if you listen to the CD straight through, the various tracks all blend together nicely. This is one of those CDs that will undoubtedly have a greater impact on the listener once he or she has seen the movie. Overall the CD is very nice, and there are some good but very short compositions here. Maybe they'll do a NADESICO Symphony CD.