Kimagure Orange Road CD collection

KIMAGURE ORANGE ROAD CD COLLECTION
Licensed from Victor Entertainment, Inc.
Copyright © 1995 Matsumoto Izumi / Shuueisha, Nippon TV, Toei
(US) JNA ANIMATION JNA 1517-2
(Japanese) VDR-1171
(US)$15.95
¥3008
Available Now

— by Roderick "Agitator" Lee

Music Collection

1. Mogitate no Koi (Just Plucking Off Love) [OP] 3:20

Kawauchi Rie

2. Shakunetsu Paradise (Scorching Paradise) 1:22

3. Seaside Yochi Dream (Seaside Dream) 2:55

4. Summertime Triangle 2:52

5. Kimagure Tenshi (Kimagure Angel) [ED] 4:21

Kawauchi Rie

6. de Maimu que 2:21

7. Tokimeki Natsu-iro Graffiti (Beating Summertime Graffiti) [IS] 1:44

Kawauchi Rie

8. Beat de Shitto (Jealous Beat) 4:14

9. Kinjirareta Koi no Shima (Island of Forbidden Love) 3:10

10. Nagisa no Love Chase (Love Chase at the Beach) 4:36

11. 'Heart' o Nice Catch [Insert Song] 3:23

Kawauchi Rie

Unpublished BGM Collection

12. Waku Waku Island 2:30

13. Telepathy Scramble 1:20

14. Marine Paadise 1:21

15. Escape 1:46

16. ABCB 2:21

17. Mayowasenaide Madonna (Don't Make Me Get Lost, Madonna) 1:14

18. Himitsu Shirei (Secret Command) 1:16

19. Itoshi no My Love (My Darling Love) 1:18

20. Natsu no Omoi o Nosete... (Carrying Summer Memories) 1:11

One of the many things that makes KIMAGURE ORANGE ROAD an excellent series is its delightful blend of engaging vocals and beautiful instrumentals. So, when JVC, the growing fan favorite purveyor of affordable U.S. release anime soundtracks, announced it was releasing a KOR CD, the news initially excited fans who are already looking forward to the first animated version of the popular series since 1988. But, as series music fans know, the question over which one CD to purchase is a perennial one, so naturally, this leads to the question of which one CD has JVC decided to press.

Surprise!

Of the nine "core" CDs this could possibly be, JVC has released none of them. Instead, the U.S. release KIMAGURE ORANGE ROAD CD COLLECTION is from the often forgotten JUMP OAV SPECIAL; die-hard fans will recognize this as Victor catalog release VDR-1171.

The gut reaction is to immediately pan this disc for what it is not. There are no Wada Kanako vocals here, no lonely saxophone instrumentals, and certainly no bonus seiyuu tracks from the likes of Tsuru Hiromi or Furuya Tohru. But, for listeners who have actually seen the JUMP SPEICAL, they will discover that this disc does in fact evoke images of that one-shot title. And is not that why soundtracks are made?

Twenty tracks in all, the disc is almost evenly split in two parts: the "Music Collection" and the "Unpublished BGM Collection," which is an odd denotation since many of the "unpublished" instrumentals do, in fact, appear in the video. Rather remarkable considering that at just over fifty minutes, the disc is actually longer than the title for which it is a soundtrack.

The Music Collection includes four vocals, three of which are featured in the video (the fourth appears only as an instrumental), all by Kawauchi Rie. The OP, "Mogitate no Koi" (Just Plucking Off Love) also opens the CD, a playful jaunt that sets the tone of both video and disc. The Jump Special stresses the romantic comedy elements in KOR with the emphasis on comedy; this is the playful KOR, the lighthearted KOR before reality intruded impolitely on our favorite triangle. There are no serious undertones here, nothing close to the pensive, moody vocals of Wada Kanako from "Ano hi ni Kaeritai."

"Kimagure Tenshi" (Whimsical Angel), the ED, is a peaceful ballad with wonderful backing vocals that closes the video nicely. "ABCB" is reminiscent of many of the series BGMs and sets the opening scene in which Kazuya schemes to get Kyousuke to take him to Okinawa. "Kinjirareta Koi no Shima" (Island of Forbidden Love), complete with background beach sounds including bird calls and crashing waves, is another serene piece which effectively complements Kyousuke and Madoka's moonlight beach scene.

The gem here is "'Heart' o Nice Catch," the final vocal which, as the title implies, is the background vocal for the flashback "99 Steps" scene when Kyousuke and Madoka first meet. This is a pleasant piece which is comparable to some of the better TV series vocals. It and "Mogitate no Koi" are the reason to buy this disc.

Taken in the proper context, JVC's KOR CD COLLECTION, is a worthwhile disc as a soundtrack. But, since this is not the TV series music, it really is only for die-hard KOR fans. Only a few of the instrumentals are series-level quality, and there are not enough vocal tracks to fill in the holes. Listeners who have seen the JUMP SPECIAL (and like it) will probably not be disappointed. All others may feel differently.