Madoka's Piano Files

MADOKA'S PIANO FILES
VAP
VPCG-84614
December 1, 1996
¥2500

— by Roderick "Agitator" Lee

1. Summer Time 4:29

2. With You I 2:59

3. Omoi no Yukue (Fondness For Where I Am) 2:53

4. Emotion 3:07

5. Missing 2:25

6. Film 4:11

7. With You II 2:47

KIMAGURE ORANGE ROAD has always had multiple attractions: appealing characters, engaging story, delightful music, and of course, beautiful character designs by Takada Akemi. And while the second wave of KOR first came to fruition in print with creator Matsumoto Izumi's new "Shin KOR" novel series, the audio side has been mostly neglected, except for the KOR CINEMA radio CDs. How many people, though, are likely to purchase a series of radio dramas if they do not understand Japanese?

Thus, KOR fans have several reasons to welcome last year's theatrical release of "Soshite, Ano Natsu no Hajimari (And Then, the Beginning of That Summer)," an animated version of the first "Shin KOR" novel as well as the first anime release of anything KOR since the first movie, "Ano hi ni Kaeritai (I Want to Return to That Day)." For, not only do KOR fans have a chance to see a new chapter on video, but music fans can also look forward to excellent music following in the tradition of Wada Kanako, Fujishiro Minako, and the series seiyuu themselves.

MADOKA'S PIANO FILES is a collection of seven pieces by that new, hot songwriter, Ayukawa Madoka, age 22. Madoka has set her once ubiquitous saxophone aside and is again excelling at what she does; she is the fresh face who took the music scene by storm when the first song she wrote became a big hit for Hayakawa Mitsuru, the idol singer turned star from the two-part Spring Idol OVAs. Now, all her composing is piano music, and some delightful piano music it is.

Her signature piece is "With You," a crisp, fugue-like presentation in two movements. The opener, "Summer Time," is a peaceful, lazy piece, evocative of a cool summer evening. It serves to set the tone for the entire disc, thoughtful but not somber, serene yet not devoid of emotion. This is still a love story after all. "Emotion" is appropriately named, as it is probably the most powerful composition on the disc; "Missing" follows immediately. Both melodies have similar construction, opening slowly and quietly, then gradually rising in tempo and complexity to emotional crescendos. "Emotion" has a stronger progression and opens more robustly, while, reflective of its title, "Missing" is more pleading and somewhat haunting. "Omoi no Yukue (Fondness for Where I Am)," the only Japanese title, is a charming piece, both reflective and cheery. The rising action of "Emotion" and "Missing" is paralleled in "Film," but here the climax is more triumphant, a celebration. Follow and close with the second movement of "With You," and these two tracks round out a very pleasant collection.

The CD says "Image Mini Album," which means strictly speaking, none of these songs should appear in the actual soundtrack. Which is disappointing, as all seven songs continue the KOR musical tradition wonderfully.

CD INFORMATION
MADOKA'S PIANO FILES
VAP VPCG-84614
1 Dec 1996
All songs arranged and piano played by Ishizuka Mami.