Fushigi Yuugi OAV Song Collection

Fushigi Yuugi OAV Song Collection CD Cover

FUSHIGI YUUGI OVA SONG COLLECTION
Ayers Inc.
AYCM-555
Jan 21, 1997
Running Time: 57:15
¥3000

— by Maria Muñoz

1. Prelude — Yoru Ga Okeru Mae Ni 2:46

2. Yoru ga Okeru mae ni (Nightfall) 3:50

Sato Akemi

3. Kiseki no Rensoku (Continuous Miracle) 4:43

Sato Akemi

4. Voice 4:31

Midorikawa Hikaru

5. Interlude — Perfect World 4:48

6. Kimi Nara Daijobu (If You Are All Right) 4:41

Ishizuka Saori

7. Interlude — Yoru ga Okeru mae ni 5:22

8. Everything For You 5:33

Sato Akemi

9. Perfect World 4:28

Sakamoto Chika

10. Ashita no Atashi wo Shinjitari 4:12

(Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day

11. Interlude — Everything For You) 5:11

12. Ashita Waii hi ni naru (Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day) 7:16

Sato Akemi

With FUSHIGI YUUGI successfully completing a 52 episode television series, the anime continues its run with an Original Video Series featuring a new story. The music from the TV series was wonderful to begin with and now the FUSHIGI YUUGI OAV SONG COLLECTION CD has been released with eight new vocal tracks and some beautiful instrumental scores.

The collection is presented in a symphony format with a beginning Prelude and three Interludes. These pieces act as soft intermission music between the OVA's main vocal tracks, which are all new and quite a treat for those who love the music from the television series.

The Prelude lends itself to a tender love scene, with the soft classical piano music of the opening song, "Yoru ga Okeru mae ni" (Nightfall). This music sets the mood for the first vocal track.

The three Interludes have an additional musical aspect that the Prelude does not, a strong violin. The violin music adds strength and serenity to the Interludes, all of which have their own distinct style. The first Interlude creates a strong Gershwin style, playing the piano and the violin against each other in a harmonious game of cat and mouse. The other two Interludes reflect the Prelude as they both use the classical piano and violin music of two vocal tracks: "Yoru ga Okeru mae ni" and "Everything for you".

Sato Akemi, the original singer of the television series opening, stays in form by singing the new opening, "Yoru ga Okeru mae ni". In addition, she also contributes three other vocal songs: "Kiseki no Renzoku" (Continuous Miracle), "Everything for you," and "Ashita waii Hi ni Naru" (Tomorrow will be a Good Day). Similarly, Ishizuka Saori, the original vocalist of the television series ending song, sings this new one as well, "Ashita no Atashi wo Shinjitari" (I Have Faith in Tomorrow), and one of the vocal songs, "Kimi nara Daijobu" (If You Are All Right). The opening song contains a variety of musical instruments, a piano playing the melody, percussion setting the rhythm, and a synthesizer, which all work together very beautifully. The ending song uses strong percussion instruments and the big brass instruments to give it a very unique beat.

Midorikawa Hikaru, Tamahome's voice actor, sings "Voice," one of two tracks that features a seiyuu from the series. In addition to his regular role as a voice actor for various anime series (Michael Grant in Marmalade Boy and Tochizawa in KOKO WA GREENWOOD), he is also part of a male seiyuu idol singer group called E.M.U. His song is especially appealing because of its soft drum beats and synthesizer feel, with an occasional violin to bring a somber tone to the piece. It fits very well with the scene from the first OVA where Tamahome is wandering aimlessly through the world in the book trying to figure out why he is back.

Sakamoto Chika, Nuriko's voice actor, sings "Perfect World," the second of the two seiyuu songs on the CD and performs splendidly in singing this tender, sad, yet gentle song, which conveys feeling and strength. Violins introduce this sweet song; then, a single guitar takes over in playing the beautiful melody and adding to the atmosphere. "Perfect World" helps set the mood for a scene when Tamahome and Kaen are talking to each other. Kaen, in an emotional fit of tears, stirs up a medicine of some sort and drinks it to show Tamahome it is not poison. After a bit of angst, Tamahome takes the same dish and drinks the medicine as well. A very tender yet tension-filled moment.

"Everything for you" contains very gentle, soft music. It captures the overall mysterious and sometimes hopeless tone of the series in its strong yet pleading quality. Synthesized instruments play throughout this piece and reflect the tone of the series.

"Kimi nara Daijobu" introduces a quirky disco-style to FUSHIGI YUUGI music. This song belongs in the 70s and has every element of 70s music. The "wakachika" sounds of the synthesizer and the "wa wa" twang of the guitar strings add to this different song, which seems out of place for a fantasy-genre, shoujo anime series like FUSHIGI YUUGI. Where one would assume more classical or ancient music, there is disco music instead.

Not only are there these great vocal songs and instrumentals, but there is also a small postcard of Miaka, Tamahome, Yui, Keisuke and Tetsuya. The cover booklet is set sideways, but opening it up reveals a nice, long mini poster of Tamahome and Miaka in modern costume. All these are added bonus for all FUSHIGI YUUGI fans.

The overall CD is well put together, and since most CDs tend to contain more BGMs instead of vocals, the FUSHIGI YUUGI OVA SONG COLLECTION is quite the opposite, which makes it more appealing. A definite purchase for those veteran FUSHIGI YUUGI fans or even ones that have never seen the series, the CD is one to get!

CD INFORMATION
FUSHIGI YUUGI OVA SONG COLLECTION
AYCM-555
21 Jan 1997
Running Time: 57:15 (12 Tracks)