Higurashi music discussion (OP/ED, game soundtracks, dramaCDs etc.)

[grunty]

I'm not saying the mood is wrong (having not played the game I've no clue of the contents), but that clip in the trailer is just utterly uninteresting. It sounds very ~standard~ I've-ish (not in a good way). We shall see how the full version makes me feel...

[Miko Miko]

i recently listened to it and i was disappointed, but i didnt know what to expect.
i do like it though. it just doesn't seem to fit Higurashi So well.

[Shion's Sanity]

Maybe once the series is released in Japan, someone will post the opening on YouTube.

[MarmoO]

Lately I've found on my disc a fragment (or wholeness?) of drama starring Ciel, Keichi and Rena (curry contest), it lasts something around 16 minutes. Can someone exactly tell me where did this drama come from (I mean what is the name of this cd)?

[Garet Linegod]

Originally Posted by Kaioshin_Sama

I just want to add a disclaimer to this before I go ahead and post my thoughts and say that what I post below is in no way meant to offend the tastes of any of the posters here and is just personal opinion and theory, and I'm sure a lot of people are going to hate me for this, but here goes:

See I liked the first opening though, it sounded different from most anime songs these days and it fit the mood of the series better than anything I could imagine. That's what I look for in my anime openings, uniqueness and an invocation of the anime in a musical form, and that song couldn't have fulfilled my expectations any better. And I'm sure a lot of people are going to hate me for what I'm about to say, but However, while this song may fit the new mood of the series in these later arcs (I don't know but I'll trust you on this), it just sounds to darn similiar to all the other J-Pop songs I'm hearing this days. This makes me wonder why I should bother to care about obtaining the openings as if they are something special, when there is a virtual stable of other songs that could just as easily have been slipped into this series opening slot, but probably lost the bid or didn't have an agency to apply pressure. In all honesty, I doubt this had as much to do with the song being the perfect choice as it probably did with Studio Deen having a contractual obligation to work with Eiko Shimamiya and this happened to be her latest single. And even if it that isn't the case, it's just the same type of sound I've heard from this industry for the past couple of years bar a few exceptions.

Which brings me to why I used to like ALI PROJECT so much. It's the same reason people liked Andrew W.K at first. When he first came on the scene his music with different then what everybody was used to at first, but then like ALI PROJECT, everybody started to notice all his songs sounded the same, using the same sets of lyrics, and same type of sound. Ultimately ALI PROJECT has shared Andrew W.K's fate music sounding all to similar and I think the anime industry as a whole is falling into this pit slowly but surely. I wrote a blog article about it just a half hour ago if anybody is interested in reading it. Rest assured though out of a lack of genuine interest in this song as a whole, I don't see myself wanting to hear the full version of this song as it isn't as unique or fitting as the first one. When I heard Season 1's opening I immediately thought of Higurashi's unsettling themes, but when I hear this song I don't really think of anything specific. And that's why to me this song doesn't work as a Higurashi theme.

I assume that you probably haven't played the game? Because it sounds like to me that you've been clouded by the image of the first series. You mentioned that the first OP is more fitting to Higurashi theme as a whole, but as Klashikari pointed out, the theme of "Higurashi" and "Higurashi Kai" are completely different. In the upcoming "Kai" chapters, the mystery and creepiness are no longer there as answers are given one by one, while the focus is shifted to something more important. I wouldn't comment on the quality of the new OP (although I agree that it fits the mood of "Kai" very well), but personally I would be HUGELY disappointed if they just have another eerie tune similar to 1st OP for "Kai". It would just shows they're incompetents who didn't even read the story before they start working.

I'll be waiting to see how many of those who are disappointed at the new OP will change their opinion once the subs for the lyrics are out as the story dives into the series' best part in the final two chapters.

[kingsky123]

actually imo, i feel that the OP should be more epic'ish

[Shion's Sanity]

Someone already translated some of the lyrics though.

[Li Jianliang]

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai Lyrics. TV size. Transcribed by ear. Don't take them 100% seriously.

The Flower of Hell (TV Size Version)
Vocals: Shimamiya Eiko

C’mon, let’s forget that the future
Will be smeared in blood again
If the tepid wind winds in coils
It’s probably a sign

Dash out, dash out
From your far too sad destiny
You’re not the flower of hell
Don’t bloom, don’t bloom at such a place
You mustn’t get caught
The fragments of time flutter about soundlessly


Naraku no Hana (TV Size Version)
Vocals: Shimamiya Eiko

Saa wasuremashou sono mirai ga
Mata chinurarete yuku nante
Namanurui kaze toguro maitara
Sore ga tabun aizu

Nukedashitette nukedashitette
Kanashisugiru unmei kara
Anata wa naraku no hana ja nai
Sonna basho de sakanaide sakanaide
Karametorarete ikanaide
Oto mo naku tobikau toki no kakera


奈落の花 (TVサイズバーション)
歌:島みやえい子

さぁ 忘れましょう その未来が
また血塗られてゆくなんて
生温い風 とぐろ巻いたら
それが多分 合図

抜け出してって 抜け出してって
悲しすぎる運命から
貴方は奈落の花じゃない
そんな場所で 咲かないで 咲かないで
搦め捕られていかないで
音も無く 飛び交う 時の欠片


Subject a (TV Size Version)
Vocals: anNina
Lyrics: interface
Composition: inazawa
Arrangement: inazawa

I pile soil onto your corpse
Even if that was forbidden
There was an incompletely hidden temptation
In the bliss of your innocent gaze

Why do sins exist?
Why do punishments exist?
The tip of the bone was very white
And invited the infinitely continuing darkness
Just about everything might seem vivid
And disappear soon


Taishou a (TV Size Version)
Vocals: anNina

Anata no nakigara ni tsuchi o kakeru
Sore ga kinjirarete ita to shite mo
Junsui na manazashi no kairaku ni wa
Kakushikirenai yuuwaku ga atta

Doushite tsumi ga aru no darou
Doushite batsu ga aru no darou
Hone no saki wa amari ni mo shiroku
Mugen ni tsuzuku yami o sasotta
Nani mo kamo ga azayaka ni miete
Sugu ni kiete shimau


対象a (TVサイズバーション)
歌:anNina

貴方の亡骸に 土をかける
それが禁じられていたとしても
純粋な眼差しの快楽には
隠しきれない誘惑があった

どうして罪があるのだろう
どうして罰があるのだろう
骨の先はあまりにも白く
無限に続く闇を誘った
何もかもが鮮やかに見えて
すぐに消えてしまう


**waits for the subs with botched lyrics to show up**

[MrZombie]

Well that's what I was waiting for. Even if the songs were more upbeat sounding, I knew the lyrics would have some rather "interesting" imagery.

[kingsky123]

ok i was wrong.. the song fits the show =P.

Spoiler for spoiler on higurashi ed:

er... did they try to make rika and hanyuu kiss???? that is so wrong.

[grunty]

Love the ED. And the OP is better than I suspected after the clip in the PV. Sorta disappointed the score is a complete reuse of the first series... no OST in sight.

[Benny1]

ED is nothing compared to Why, or why not. A shame.

OP is good.

I don't mind the ost so I'm not complaining too much of the lack of a new one.

[Klashikari]

well... that's your opinion, though i must say that "nothing" is quite a hard term here.
basically, both OP and ED have extremely different tones, and obviously haven't the same meaning and messages.

you must consider the fact that Season 1 and 2 aren't similar at all (you can obviously see the change in season 1. from creeps to "actions" and resolve).

thus, expecting "creeps", and comparing the OP and ED each other is rather irrelevant.

OP is unfortunately not working too much without the OP sequence, though the whole song might change the result. (much like OP1)

on the other hand, i really think that ED2, [taishou a] just beats completely [why or why not], considering the mood, ([why or why not] was really too much focusing on Rekka's voice, and the BGM was quite discrete and get its tones powerful only late in the song) and especially the voice. (it isn't really a matter of engrish or not, but Rekka was really nasal, and much less expressive than anNina in Taishou a)

meh, always a matter of opinion anyway, the four songs are just working a lot in their own way.

[Question]

Does someone have the reversed version of the first season's OP song(TV-sized or full)? I heard its REALLY creepy and i want to hear it for myself. Maybe somewhere like youtube?

[Klashikari]

meh... you could find it in various place, such like episode 1 of season 2
well, here you go
http://youtube.com/watch?v=o_CTBXJPh3M

[bloodmoon0011]

Those songs are... Amazing... When are the singles going to be released on CD?

[nihaha]

the singles for the op & ed will be released on 22/8/07 at japan.the op is done by i've sound.i like the op alot ^^ can't wait for the singles too be released ^^ oh and the the release will have a limited charater card with it as a 1st release gif 初回封入特典：キャラクターカード ^^

[krey]

love the new op played backwards.

[nihaha]

Originally Posted by krey

love the new op played backwards.

played backwards?

[Klashikari]

This one :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk2cU60AxcY

As you can hear, along with the chorus reproduicing the same chorus of OP1, the Reversed OP2 has some vibes of OP1 "normal play".
i think there are also some words, just like it was the case for EP1 (Reversed EP1 had "i love you", "oni-chan" and "Run away" )