Which anime have the best soundtracks?

[ria1414]

Originally Posted by Tempester

Most of the replies will recommend Cowboy Bebop so I'll just say it has a good soundtrack and leave the rest to evaluate it better.

Mushishi has an excellent soundtrack, with relaxing, soothing BGM. Every episode has a different instrumental ending as well. Highly recommended.

Kanon 2006 has lots of soft, soothing music as well. All the music, including the OP/ED and BGM, has this unique "Kanon" feel to it that is mostly either melancholic (but not tragic) or refreshing.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann has a very "epic" soundtrack that ranges from catchy rap to symphonic battle music to dramatic opera music to electronic techno.

FLCL has loads of insert songs (by the same band) but I personally don't like them.

I'm sorry, when I think of soundtrack, I think of opening and closing songs, which are the same for Mushishi. Well wait, I don't think there was a closing song, just a mellow tune (even though a tune is a song).

As far as the best anime soundtrack, I'm gonna have to say Bleach, Blood+, and Inuyasha.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by ria1414

I'm sorry, when I think of soundtrack, I think of opening and closing songs

I think the term "soundtrack" or "OST" is used pretty inconsistently. I generally think of shows as having an OP, a "score," and an ED. Usually each of these is composed by a different person or group. I may like an OP (Kure-nai) or ED (Baccano!) more than the score, or enjoy the score itself more than either the OP or ED (Real Drive).

As a result I usually limit my focus to the score when talking about "soundtracks" because the scores are most easily compared across shows. OP/ED songs are placed there for reasons that may have little to do with the show itself, like promoting artists affiliated with members of the production committee. The score, on the other hand, is intended to deepen the experience of the story and seems to me more integral to the production.

Listen, for instance, to how Ootake bridges from a bittersweet to an optimistic note in her composition "Highball" at 14:25 of episode two of Bartender (or 6:40 in this YouTube version). It corresponds to the main character Ryuu's insight that helps his lovely patron Miwa resolve a life-long sadness. The change in musical emphasis subtly yet effectively conveys the underlying change in mood. Scores where the composer and director collaborate to produce a tapestry of sound and image, those are the scores I find memorable.

[zzeroparticle]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

I think the term "soundtrack" or "OST" is used pretty inconsistently. I generally think of shows as having an OP, a "score," and an ED. Usually each of these is composed by a different person or group. I may like an OP (Kure-nai) or ED (Baccano!) more than the score, or enjoy the score itself more than either the OP or ED (Real Drive).

Yeah, the way people use "soundtrack" and "OP/ED" synonymously (without any discussion of the BGM) is one of my pet peeves. A lot of it coming from the fact that there isn't much cohesive discussions with regard to the BGM itself. A damn shame I say!

Anyhow, Real Drive certainly had an interesting score though I've only gone through the first disc with all those decent pieces (I think there was a variations on a theme by Paganini or something mixed in there that triggered my fanboy mode). But they're certainly better than the OP/EDs for that series.

As for me, Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou's got my full attention for my favorite soundtrack of the most recent time period. A lot of qualifiers, I know, but I just can't stress how well Makoto Yoshimori's compositions tug at your heartstrings through his poignant pieces. Definitely listen to the sample I've posted of Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou's theme to hear what I mean because that track is, for a lack of a better descriptor, outright gorgeous. So yeah, highly recommend people give that one a shot. Just try to avoid some of the weirder tracks on there since they do sound pretty bizarre. And that might be an understatement.

[Alchemist007]

I totally dig this fighting music.
starts around :44
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hPnqhe8MPI (and watch out for the anti-christ spirit gun at 2:40!)

[Jan-Poo]

Cowboy Bebop
FLCL
Gunslinger girls
Noir

are on top of my list.

[KimmyChan]

Naruto and Bleach both have really kick-butt soundtracks I find

[CC]

• Cowboy Bebop
• .hack// series
• ef - a tale of memories

Another series that actually had great music was Wolf's Rain. Steve Conte did the OP, Maaya Sakamoto did the ED, and most of the tracks are composed by Yoko Kanno.

There was something else I was gonna throw in here, but I forgot what it was. These aren't particularly the best but I'd have to think harder to make a proper opinion - suppose I'll do so later...

[-Kh-]

My favourite Soundtracks as a whole, as in including vocal and background songs, are:

- .hack// series
- ef - A Tale of Two (Memories/Melodies)
- Video Girl AI

And basically any Yuki Kajiura soundtrack.


Now I have some other favourites, but those are mostly about vocal songs, not just OP/EDs, but Insert, Image and Character songs.

Then again, they aren't really based on a certain series, but mostly on the artists, since I might not like some of the other songs from that series, for example Bleach, with so many OP/EDs, not all are of my taste.

[khryoleoz]

I'm limiting my response to music content.

There are so many good ones, but I haven't yet found anything as powerful and compelling as Yoko Kanno's score and songs in the Vision of Escaflowne TV series.

The Rurouni Kenshin OVAs also have fine music by Taku Iwasaki.

And I absolutely love and adore Kaleido Star with musical score written by Mina Kubota.

[TinyRedLeaf]

For the most part, I find most drama, movie and game soundtracks — not just anime's — largely forgettable. Don't get me wrong, many series and movies do indeed feature great music, but here's the problem: The music usually does not stand very well on its own, when I listen to them independently from the show.

To date, only four anime OSTs have stuck in my mind (and, no, they do not include Samurai Champloo's). I've enjoyed literally every track in the following compilations:

Hanenone: Haibane Renmei Soundtrack
By Kou Otani
Refrain of Memory

What I hear:
A conversation between two sisters; the younger tells the older not to give up, she'll be by her side.


Sound of Sky Crawlers
By Kenji Kawai
Adler Tag

Actually...
My favourite track is Sail Away but, unfortunately, it's been yanked.


Witch Hunter Robin Original Sound Score I & II
By Taku Iwasaki
Kyrie

What I hear:
Confrontation inside cavernous cathedral.


Ghost In The Shell, Stand Alone Complex, Solid State Society OST
By Yoko Kanno
Zero Signal

What I hear:
Long live the revolution!

I think the one thing that should be immediately obvious is that none of the above sound typically anime-ish at all. It also helps that I like the industrial-synth-rock edge in some of them.

No offence to Joe Hisaishi, and many other great Japanese composers out there. I really like some their individual scores that appeared over the years, just not their entire soundtracks. I've listed some of those pieces before, over here.

[zzeroparticle]

Heh, interesting thoughts. The reason why I'm not so fond of anime soundtracks that use the industrial-synth-rock is because I like to immerse myself into the setting of the game/anime whenever I listen to soundtracks and many of the industrial-synth-rock-style tracks ruin the mood by being a bit too jarring for my tastes.

Can't fault your soundtrack choices though since all the ones you've listed have been really solid (though I haven't listened to Sky Crawlers' OST yet, but Kenji Kawai is usually awesome).

[KimmyChan]

Death Note has a good soundtrack too, along with many of the CLAMP series too

[Azley]

Bleach, Noir / Madlax / El Cazador de la Bruja / Hellsing / Naruto / City Hunter

[-Kh-]

Originally Posted by Azley

Bleach, Noir / Madlax / El Cazador de la Bruja / Hellsing / Naruto / City Hunter

You might not know, but there is a pattern there.

I will direct you to Yuki Kajiura

[jerkette]

I think those would be Naruto and Full Metal Panic. They have really great songs. Love love it! Oh, I think Death Note is also included.

[ShapetheSky]

Originally Posted by zzeroparticle

Yeah, the way people use "soundtrack" and "OP/ED" synonymously (without any discussion of the BGM) is one of my pet peeves. A lot of it coming from the fact that there isn't much cohesive discussions with regard to the BGM itself. A damn shame I say!

Anyhow, Real Drive certainly had an interesting score though I've only gone through the first disc with all those decent pieces (I think there was a variations on a theme by Paganini or something mixed in there that triggered my fanboy mode). But they're certainly better than the OP/EDs for that series.

You are very right, there indeed was a variation on a theme by Paganini in there
Although for me, the score (well, the disc composed by Yoshihisa Hirano) was a bit too cluttered in it's arrangements, making it exhausting to figure out what the heck's going on o_O
The 2nd disc with all the electronica felt a bit bland, but I really liked one piece there...hmm.
And nothing - nothing - against 9mm Parabellum Bullet!
One of the few few actually good japanese rock bands nowadays ~_~

Anyway, I never even consider OP/ED themes as part of the "soundtrack", except the composer of the original score wrote the music too, like in Macross Frontier etc.

But, alright:

Since the first Tetsuwan Birdy decode season aired, I'm on the way to becoming a Yuugo Kanno fanboy...some very awesome themes in there and his arrangements just get better from score to score *___*

[zzeroparticle]

Well, if you're a Yuugo Kanno fan (I refer to him as the "other" Kanno), you may want to try listening to his compositions from Toshokan Sensou. The rest of the album is a hit or miss depending on your musical tastes, but the main theme and the arrangement of the theme at the end of the album are absolutely beautiful.

[KimmyChan]

The anime movies Vexille, Appleseed & Appleseed Ex Machina all have awesome soundtracks

[christine_cute]

i like megumeru from clannad and also brand new breeze from kanon....

[Tri-ring]

Original sound tracks for Lupin the 3rd is quite good with Jazz and 70's funk music.
There is not as much variety like Cowboy Bebop but the music is great if you're into Jazz.