Neo Ranga

27 Tracks; 51:51

1. Kaze no Nemuru Shima (The Island Where Wind Sleeps) 4:29

Vocal: Miyamura Yuko, Sumitomo Yuko, and Sendai Eri

2. Neo Riddle 1:06

3. Nankaikiou (Southern Sea King) 2:19

4. Kami no Ryouiki (God's Territory) 1:32

5. Neo Trick 2:27

6. Barou 1:51

7. Ware wa Kitareri (I Have Arrived) 2:06

8. Neo Ranga 2:38

9. ASE 1:17

10. Eye 1:14

11. God Secret 1:52

12. San-Chourou (The Three Elders) 1:09

13. Town 1:12

14. Shimabara 1:38

15. Ushio 1:02

16. Machigattenai (It's Not a Mistake) 1:15

17. Neo Character 1:10

18. Joel 1:08

19. Yuuhi 1:04

20. Naturalization 1:37

21. Three Grief 1:39

22. Catastrophe 1:17

23. Anger Ranga 1:55

24. Ranga 2:29

25. Kyoshinkai (The Impartial God Association) 1:30

26. Kaze no Nemuru Shima inst. 4:31

(The Island Where Wind Sleeps - instrumental version)

27. Prologue ~ A City in the Sky 4:24

Vocal: Ito Masaaki

—by Chadwick Ngan

Usually, I only buy soundtracks of anime titles that I've seen already; I want to know for sure that I'm going to like the music on the CD. NEO RANGA is one of those rare occasions when I listen to my adventure spirit for a change. For the longest time, my knowledge of NEO RANGA only extends to advertisements on magazines like Newtype or AX, plus our review in issue 4.7. What I've seen intrigued me though, so when I happened to come across the opening animation one day, I paid close attention to it. The opening song is so different from your typical fare, and blended so well with the animation it left a deep impression on me. I also noticed that Haishima Kuniaki, a name that I've seen a lot recently, composed the music. Those two factors managed to overwhelm my caution, and I grabbed a copy of the soundtrack.
The packaging is above average for this CD. The jewel case comes inside a box, which has the show title embossed on it in calligraphic characters. There is a romanized track list on the back of both the case and the booklet, which is a plus to those struggling with the language. The artworks used in the booklet are well done, with two double-page illustrations. That certainly was a pleasant surprise for me. In addition, those of you who can read Japanese can enjoy an essay written by a commentator that explains the musical themes in this soundtrack.
As an impulse buy, how does NEO RANGA hold up? Surprisingly well. While he is not as well known internationally as Kanno Yoko, Haishima Kuniaki is a prolific composer who has written or directed music for such shows as HERE IS GREENWOOD, MASTER KEATON, SPRIGGAN, HIMIKO-DEN, GASARAKI, and BLUE GENDER. His musical signature has been described as a "reality space that has a hidden fantasy." Haishima likes to blend urban and tribal music elements to give his pieces a unique character. NEO RANGA music is full of synthesizer compositions mixed with a strong tribal rhythm. It is this juxtaposition of fantasy and reality, the bizarre versus the mundane that keeps this CD on my frequent listening list.
The disc contains two vocals, the opening and ending songs. The OP, "Kaze no Nemuru Shima" (The Island Where Wind Sleeps), is sung by the main characters' voices, Miyamura Yuko (Asuka in EVANGELION), Sumitomo Yuko, and Sendai Eri, with Miyamura singing the lead in her Asuka voice. Tribal chants are used in the background chorus, and even in the lyrics during refrains. This creates a strong surreal feeling, which works very well with the opening animation. As a stand-alone piece, it may take some getting use to, especially if you have never seen NEO RANGA, or aren't the tribal music type. By contrast the ED, "Prologue ~ A City in the Sky" is a light jazzy piece with an interesting rap during the interlude. The song is simple and down-to-earth, and its position as the last track on the CD means your listening experience ends with a note on reality.
Over half the instrumentals on this disc contain some tribal elements in their compositions. Some are ominous, angst-ridden ones like "Neo Riddle," or "Catastrophe." A few of them, like "Neo Trick," has a repetitive pattern that suggests ritualistic music. Even the action themes, "Ware wa Kitareri" (I Have Arrived), "ASE," or "Kyoshinkai" (The Impartial God Association) reminds me of tribal war dances at times. My favorites, however, are the image themes for Ranga, the giant robot/guardian god. In "Nankaikiou" (Southern Sea King) and "Neo Ranga," Haishima uses a rapid, relentless drumbeat as the bass, which is very noticeable despite the louder wind instruments accompanying it. The impression I get is that of a strong, imposing figure, which is quite appropriate since the insert booklet shows Ranga towering over Tokyo buildings.
There are calm, thoughtful moments in the music as well. "Kami no Ryouiki" (God's Territory) is a short, subdued piece that carries a sense of silent mystery and wonder. Then there are the character themes, bunched together in the middle third of the CD. Starting with "San-Chourou" (The Three Elders) and continuing through "Three Grief," these are simple tunes free of tribal influences. A lot of them are short, happy tunes, reminiscent of your typical background music in game soundtracks. The three exceptions are "Machigattenai" (It's Not a Mistake) which is a reflective piece, and "Naturalization," and "Three Grief" which are very melancholic. I like these three tracks a lot, not only because they provide a break from the tribal rhythm, but also because they use the piano in a very tasteful manner.
Overall, I'd say the NEO RANGA soundtrack is certainly recommendable. If you are looking for something different from your typical J-Pop anime music, give Haishima Kuniaki a chance. He may not be Kanno Yoko, but his music is no less enjoyable.

Pony Canyon Inc.
PCCG-00461
¥2,800
Available now in Japan
Where to buy