Moon Revenge
(Sailormoon R movie)
This is the first anime song I fell in love with, and it is still one
of my favourites. It was played during the climax of the Sailormoon R
movie, and it is appropriately dark and dramatic. The lyrics are filled
with lush imagery about love, desire, destiny and pain.
Zankoku na Tenshi no Teeze ['Cruel Angel's Thesis']
(Neon Genesis Evangelion opening song)
I loved this song the first time I heard it, and even now, months later,
I'm not tired of hearing it. It's fast and lively, with a mood of
determination and energy.
Just Communication
(Gundam Wing opening song)
Gundam Wing features some of the best background music I've ever heard,
and the opening song is equally good. It's catchy and fast-moving, which
suits the strong action component of the series. This song is performed
by the group TWO MIX, whose vocalist Minami Takayama is herself a voice
actress in several well-known anime. (Her roles include Nabiki in Ranma
1/2 and Dilandau in Escaflowne.)
Rhythm Emotion
(Gundam Wing new opening song)
If anything, this is even better than the original opening song. Again
performed by TWO MIX, the accelerating pace of this song and the sense
of underlying tension reflect the escalating conflicts in the final
episodes of the series.
Winner
(Fushigi Yuugi)
I just love this song! It's upbeat and inspiring, with an irresistible
melody. Yukari Konno's rich, strong vocals bring to life the theme of breaking
through obstacles and emerging triumphant to 'seize the greatest
happiness'. A way cool song.
Yakusoku wa Iranai ['I Don't Need Promises']
(Vision of Escaflowne opening song)
A bright and uplifting song - I can only describe it as almost bell-like. Very
different in style from most other anime songs I've heard. The chorus
is incredibly catchy. The vocalist, Maaya Sakamoto, has a beautiful clear voice.
She's also the voice actress for Hitomi in Escaflowne, and she was only
16 when she played the role. Pretty impressive.
Mystic Eyes
(Vision of Escaflowne ending song)
Now this sounds like something you can dance to, which is what I feel like
doing whenever I hear it. The pulsating beat really gets under my skin. I was
hooked almost right away.
Bronze -Saishuushou- ['Bronze End of Chapter']
(Bronze OVA ending song)
This song grabbed my attention as soon as it rolled across the closing
credits. Driven by a slow, sensual, relentless beat, it is both dreamlike
and haunting. The impassioned lyrics capture the intense themes of Bronze
perfectly. One of my favourite lines: 'It's all right to defy any gods
who stand in our way.'
20XX Zetsu-Ai
(Bronze: Cathexis)
This is my favourite song from the Cathexis collection. It again features
Takehide's smooth, hypnotic voice, although 20XX is more of a rock song, with
an urgent beat and the strains of an electric guitar running wild at
intervals. The music video accompanying this song is really quite
incredible, portraying a futuristic landscape with Koji as a vampire lord
and Izumi as his hunter.
The Meteoric Hall of Fame