28 May 2013

The Best Listening Material Anisong Offers

Even though I am not exactly a veteran in the field of anime music, the endless search for more and more good music always brings some of the best material to surface. Therefore, here are the top 10 songs anime has brought up since its birth. I've tried to put together the popular view, the widely accepted classics, and some of my personal favourites. So, be free to post your opinion on this list in the comments below, and add up your own anisong favourite.

10. Hare Hare Yukai

Aya Hirano, Minori Chihara, Yuko Goto
2006
Anime: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya



9. Rinbu-Revolution

Masami Okui
1997
Anime: Revolutionary Girl Utena



8. The World

Nightmare
2006
Anime: Death Note



7. Phantom Minds

Nana Mizuki
2010
Anime: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The Movie 1st



6. Paradise Lost
Minori Chihara
2008
Anime: Ga-rei Zero



5. Magia

Kalafina
2011
Anime: Puella Magi Madoka Magica



4. God Knows

Aya Hirano
2006
Anime: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya



3. Uninstall

Chiaki Ishikawa
2007
Anime: Bokurano



2. Cruel Angel Thesis


Yoko Takahashi
1995
Anime: Neon Genesis Evangelion



1. Anno ni Issho Datta no Ni


See-Saw
2002
Anime: Gundam Seed

15 comments:

  1. Top 10 lists! No, there's really not a whole lot I can fault with this one. Not as big a fan of Phantom Minds as Eternal Blaze (but maybe that's nostalgia talking? Both are good.). My list would probably have something taken from Mikuni Shimokawa thrown in there (probably that OP from Full Metal Panic Fumoffu) and "Sousei no Aquarion" since Akino from bless4's performance is magnificent! Maybe Spice and Wolf's Tabi no Tochu too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm quite glad you find this list mostly satisfying, seeing the immense gap in experience and expertise. O(≧∇≦)O
      Anyways, yes, I was going to put Eternal Blaze up on the list, but what probably averted me from it is the constant use of it as a concert staple with Nana.
      I've been hearing of Akino from bless4 from Animelo each year, but never really got around to listening to it. Sousei no Aquarion looks like a good start.

      Delete
  2. I don't know if I could order them, and I don't know too much about the older songs, but here's some from me.
    T.M.Revolution - Invoke (or some other one)
    SIAM SHADE - 1/3 no Junjou na Kanjou (cos it's a classic lol)
    Shouko Nakagawa - Sorairo Days
    FLOW - DAYS (or World End, Colours, Re:Member blah blah)
    HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR - PRIDE
    ALI PROJECT - Waga Routashi Aku no Hana
    Lia - My Soul, Your Beats!
    m.o.v.e - DOGFIGHT
    Origa - Inner Universe
    abingdon boys school - HOWLING (ok probably not as well known as the others but I'm an abs fan what can you say?)
    And Kalafina's Kara no Kyoukai work.. aaaaaaahhh too many good songs!!!!

    And of course there's lots of other great ones as well including the ones you & zzeroparticle mentioned.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's interesting to see how the newer and older fans would order the songs in place. Yeah, T.M. Revolution was a candidate as well, but with the song Ignited, which was very popular at last year's Animax:
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ekFfccppeM
      Unsurprisingly, the song is also from a mecha anime.

      Delete
    2. Now that you mentioned it, I realised half the songs I listed were from mecha anime =P
      I guess it's true.

      Delete
  3. I just knew that Nana and Minori would be in that list somewhere! Great job with this! ^_^

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! (★^O^★)
      They both made a great contribution to anime music; every place on the list is completely deserved. I actually thought of putting another Minori Chihara song, but that would be an unfair bias since it would be the third song from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya on the list.
      Well, it should still be a honourable mention: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdXkSjpvF74

      Delete
  4. Thanks for the posting!

    What can I say: bought the Haruhi Suzumiya BD box set, loved the orchestral concert and the performance of Yuki, Muon, Madobe Nite, so I looked on Youtube and found Rinbu-Revolution from Animelo Summer Live 2008, bought Kalafina's Red Moon Live BD, attended Animelo Summer Live 2011 and visited Japan 4 more times since for music of anime (Chiaki Ishikawa in July 2012, Nana Mizuki in Akita and Aomori in August 2012, Animelo Summer Live 2012, Angela, Anison Big 3, FictionJunction, Chiaki Ishikawa in Kagerou Pain, Yuki Kajiura Live vol. #10).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow... what I would give to go to at least one Animelo ( TДT)

      Delete
  5. Really good list, Nana <3! But if you are going back as far as 1995, you really should consider something from Yoko Kanno's soundtracks for Cowboy Bebop.

    Also ELISA, though she took a break because of fatigue a few years ago, but she's back! I loved Euphoric Field and Ebullient Future from ef: A Tale of Memories and ef: A Tale of Melodies.

    Speaking of Animelo, I agree with the above post. So much goodness from those live events.

    Some list worthy songs imo include:

    ASL 2010: Angela - Aoi Haru (ED Seitokai Yakuindomo), Girls Dead Monster feat. LiSA and marina - Crow Song, Alchemy (Insert songs Angel Beats!)

    ASL 2009: ELISA - Ebullient Future, Euphoric Field

    I'll get heck for this for being moe, but some of the K-ON music is pretty good and is list worthy imo! :D Singing!, Pure Pure Heart and NO, Thank You! are some off the top of my head.

    So many good song/bands from Bleach soundtracks: Yui, Stereopony, Scandal (actually probably too many good songs to make a list from lol)

    I love that you included Kalafina in your list. Along those lines, I'd suggest ClariS (Connect from Madoka and Naisho no Hanashi from Nisemonogatari are really good)

    All that being said, kudos for attempting a top 10 list. There's always ONE song that gets missed! XD Keep up the good work! :)




    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did only OP and ED songs, since there are simply too much good soundtracks to be listed on a top 10 list (therefore, Cowboy Bebop OSTs are kinda not eligible).
      ELISA never really got on my mind, as she isn't quite as famous or widely recognized as Yoko Hikasa, or Chiaki Ishikawa, or any of the old-school anison singers.
      Bleach falls out for the same reason as Cowboy Bepop, unfortunately.
      And, thanks for the good wishes :3 I'll try my best! (^-^)

      Delete
  6. Lots of good Ani-songs. I can never pick favorites. Everytime I try to nail down a top 10 or 20 I realize I left some amazing stuff out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agreed. Even a top 50 wouldn't be enough to gather every great song.

      Delete
  7. Your number one choice is perfect! Can't say I cared for Gundam Seed as an anime, but it had some great OP/ED's, and See-Saw's first ending will always be tops for me as well! Have you heard the Re Tracks version? It was literally perfect, made me get a little sad they aren't a duo anymore.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Of course I've listened to the Re-tracks version, and it's fantastic, but the first one somewhat still has that special charm. <3

      Delete

28 May 2013

The Best Listening Material Anisong Offers

Even though I am not exactly a veteran in the field of anime music, the endless search for more and more good music always brings some of the best material to surface. Therefore, here are the top 10 songs anime has brought up since its birth. I've tried to put together the popular view, the widely accepted classics, and some of my personal favourites. So, be free to post your opinion on this list in the comments below, and add up your own anisong favourite.

10. Hare Hare Yukai

Aya Hirano, Minori Chihara, Yuko Goto
2006
Anime: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya



9. Rinbu-Revolution

Masami Okui
1997
Anime: Revolutionary Girl Utena



8. The World

Nightmare
2006
Anime: Death Note



7. Phantom Minds

Nana Mizuki
2010
Anime: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The Movie 1st



6. Paradise Lost
Minori Chihara
2008
Anime: Ga-rei Zero



5. Magia

Kalafina
2011
Anime: Puella Magi Madoka Magica



4. God Knows

Aya Hirano
2006
Anime: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya



3. Uninstall

Chiaki Ishikawa
2007
Anime: Bokurano



2. Cruel Angel Thesis


Yoko Takahashi
1995
Anime: Neon Genesis Evangelion



1. Anno ni Issho Datta no Ni


See-Saw
2002
Anime: Gundam Seed

15 comments:

  1. Top 10 lists! No, there's really not a whole lot I can fault with this one. Not as big a fan of Phantom Minds as Eternal Blaze (but maybe that's nostalgia talking? Both are good.). My list would probably have something taken from Mikuni Shimokawa thrown in there (probably that OP from Full Metal Panic Fumoffu) and "Sousei no Aquarion" since Akino from bless4's performance is magnificent! Maybe Spice and Wolf's Tabi no Tochu too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm quite glad you find this list mostly satisfying, seeing the immense gap in experience and expertise. O(≧∇≦)O
      Anyways, yes, I was going to put Eternal Blaze up on the list, but what probably averted me from it is the constant use of it as a concert staple with Nana.
      I've been hearing of Akino from bless4 from Animelo each year, but never really got around to listening to it. Sousei no Aquarion looks like a good start.

      Delete
  2. I don't know if I could order them, and I don't know too much about the older songs, but here's some from me.
    T.M.Revolution - Invoke (or some other one)
    SIAM SHADE - 1/3 no Junjou na Kanjou (cos it's a classic lol)
    Shouko Nakagawa - Sorairo Days
    FLOW - DAYS (or World End, Colours, Re:Member blah blah)
    HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR - PRIDE
    ALI PROJECT - Waga Routashi Aku no Hana
    Lia - My Soul, Your Beats!
    m.o.v.e - DOGFIGHT
    Origa - Inner Universe
    abingdon boys school - HOWLING (ok probably not as well known as the others but I'm an abs fan what can you say?)
    And Kalafina's Kara no Kyoukai work.. aaaaaaahhh too many good songs!!!!

    And of course there's lots of other great ones as well including the ones you & zzeroparticle mentioned.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's interesting to see how the newer and older fans would order the songs in place. Yeah, T.M. Revolution was a candidate as well, but with the song Ignited, which was very popular at last year's Animax:
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ekFfccppeM
      Unsurprisingly, the song is also from a mecha anime.

      Delete
    2. Now that you mentioned it, I realised half the songs I listed were from mecha anime =P
      I guess it's true.

      Delete
  3. I just knew that Nana and Minori would be in that list somewhere! Great job with this! ^_^

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! (★^O^★)
      They both made a great contribution to anime music; every place on the list is completely deserved. I actually thought of putting another Minori Chihara song, but that would be an unfair bias since it would be the third song from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya on the list.
      Well, it should still be a honourable mention: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdXkSjpvF74

      Delete
  4. Thanks for the posting!

    What can I say: bought the Haruhi Suzumiya BD box set, loved the orchestral concert and the performance of Yuki, Muon, Madobe Nite, so I looked on Youtube and found Rinbu-Revolution from Animelo Summer Live 2008, bought Kalafina's Red Moon Live BD, attended Animelo Summer Live 2011 and visited Japan 4 more times since for music of anime (Chiaki Ishikawa in July 2012, Nana Mizuki in Akita and Aomori in August 2012, Animelo Summer Live 2012, Angela, Anison Big 3, FictionJunction, Chiaki Ishikawa in Kagerou Pain, Yuki Kajiura Live vol. #10).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow... what I would give to go to at least one Animelo ( TДT)

      Delete
  5. Really good list, Nana <3! But if you are going back as far as 1995, you really should consider something from Yoko Kanno's soundtracks for Cowboy Bebop.

    Also ELISA, though she took a break because of fatigue a few years ago, but she's back! I loved Euphoric Field and Ebullient Future from ef: A Tale of Memories and ef: A Tale of Melodies.

    Speaking of Animelo, I agree with the above post. So much goodness from those live events.

    Some list worthy songs imo include:

    ASL 2010: Angela - Aoi Haru (ED Seitokai Yakuindomo), Girls Dead Monster feat. LiSA and marina - Crow Song, Alchemy (Insert songs Angel Beats!)

    ASL 2009: ELISA - Ebullient Future, Euphoric Field

    I'll get heck for this for being moe, but some of the K-ON music is pretty good and is list worthy imo! :D Singing!, Pure Pure Heart and NO, Thank You! are some off the top of my head.

    So many good song/bands from Bleach soundtracks: Yui, Stereopony, Scandal (actually probably too many good songs to make a list from lol)

    I love that you included Kalafina in your list. Along those lines, I'd suggest ClariS (Connect from Madoka and Naisho no Hanashi from Nisemonogatari are really good)

    All that being said, kudos for attempting a top 10 list. There's always ONE song that gets missed! XD Keep up the good work! :)




    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did only OP and ED songs, since there are simply too much good soundtracks to be listed on a top 10 list (therefore, Cowboy Bebop OSTs are kinda not eligible).
      ELISA never really got on my mind, as she isn't quite as famous or widely recognized as Yoko Hikasa, or Chiaki Ishikawa, or any of the old-school anison singers.
      Bleach falls out for the same reason as Cowboy Bepop, unfortunately.
      And, thanks for the good wishes :3 I'll try my best! (^-^)

      Delete
  6. Lots of good Ani-songs. I can never pick favorites. Everytime I try to nail down a top 10 or 20 I realize I left some amazing stuff out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agreed. Even a top 50 wouldn't be enough to gather every great song.

      Delete
  7. Your number one choice is perfect! Can't say I cared for Gundam Seed as an anime, but it had some great OP/ED's, and See-Saw's first ending will always be tops for me as well! Have you heard the Re Tracks version? It was literally perfect, made me get a little sad they aren't a duo anymore.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Of course I've listened to the Re-tracks version, and it's fantastic, but the first one somewhat still has that special charm. <3

      Delete