"When words leave off, music begins." (Heinrich Heine)

Last week I was sitting in my office, attempting to do some work, and listening to my iPod. I have so much music on the thing that I am constantly overwhelmed by the sheer number of options open to me for my listening pleasure. As a result, I will sometimes play by genre and try to re-discover some of the denizens of my iPod.

So I was listening to the Alternative genre and this song comes on. I lift my head in surprise - this is the closing theme to Ergo Proxy! I think I must have accidentally put on my anime playlist (and, yes .... I do have an anime playlist -- would you expect any less?). I examine the screen of my iPod and find that, no, this isn't my anime playlist. It is Radiohead's "Paranoid Android."

Now I'm sure that most people in America (and perhaps most people in Japan, as well) would have thought of the song primarily as an amazing Radiohead track, and secondarily (should they be familiar with anime) as an apt closing theme song for a science fiction-based, adult-oriented dark series with main characters and a future world inhabited by both humans and androids (called AutoReivs). But for me, the song had failed to make an impression on its own until I had connected it with a show I had found fascinating.

This got me to thinking about the various shows I had watched in the past two years where the soundtrack had made a big impression. As anyone knows, a well crafted soundtrack, with carefully selected songs and instrumentation, can make or break a show. A show that might otherwise be pedestrian or mundane can become interesting. A show that would be merely good can become great.

So here are my top seven (so far) series in which the music was so thoughtfully integrated that the show would not be anywhere near as impressive without it. In fact, a number of these series would literally have become pointless without their music.


7. Last Exile

For those unfamiliar with it, this show is set in an alternate reality along a steampunk technological line. The show is gorgeous - the animation is top notch, amazing voice acting cast, complex plot lines and characters. The trailers for this show often utilize the opening title sequence, and for good reason. That sequence has stunning aerial combat maneuvers between opposing airborne battleships, dramatic shots of the main characters, hints at what is to come ... all playing out to the sound of an alternative theme infused with some techno rhythms and scottish bagpipes (trust me, it works). Other portions of the show boast lush mixes of grand orchestral melodies with a soaring choral accompaniment. The music always matches mood and helps in highlighting the emotions, the political intrigue, and the general mood of the show. It never distracts from, and always enhances the viewing experience.

6. Mushi-Shi

This series is ethereal. For all intents and purposes, this show has only one recurring character. Ginko has the rare ability to see mushi, which are creatures that are neither plant nor animal, but not exactly spirit. The show often has a dreamlike quality, its action is not typically the loud or bombastic sort. It has a quiet energy, but is fascinating and intelligent. The soundtrack highlights the mysticism, mystery, and introspective nature of the show. In a cast and director commentary on the final disk, Travis Willingham (voice actor portraying Ginko) notes that the music often sounds as if they were at a Mushi-Shi day spa. This is rather accurate - the music tends to have that kind of soothing impact. But it does not put you to sleep, instead it seems to focus your attention. Beyond this, the opening title theme has a folksy flavor and is sung beautifully in English. Though much of the music is "mood music," without it the show just would not be the same.

5. Samurai Champloo

From the great Shinichirō Watanabe (creator of Cowboy Bebop) came a series veritably bursting with action. It is colorful, sharp, witty, and the music plays a major role. Trailers from this show led one at first to suspect a classic samurai/ronin tale of the Edo period. But, in a tongue-in-cheek way, the trailer then surprisingly lets you know that even though it was a time of samurai, it was also a time of hip-hop. (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ANvMgx76SI).  And there you have it. Fantastically choreographed fight scenes, punctuated by an incredibly fun hip-hop score. And it is all done by Japanese artists. The juxtaposition of such idiosyncratic memes (the classic, 1600s-1800s time period of samurai and ronin placed hand-in-hand with the decidedly 20th/21st century stylings of hip-hop) makes for an unforgettable ride.

4. RahXephon

This show hinges on music - the near future world, in which the majority of humans are at odds with an alien race, tells the story of how someone will actually change the world with music. With music acting as such an overarching theme, it should be unsurprising that the soundtrack to the show (in fact, there are three original soundtracks from the show and another from a movie version of the show) greatly impacts and is central to a viewer's experience. The music is modern and mostly instrumental, it is not easy music to listen to. It has dissonance and a certain alien-ness (probably on purpose, considering that it is not meant to be the music of humans).

3. Princess Tutu

The show's characters attend and the plots all unfurl in the general vicinity of a ballet academy. Unlike many of the other shows on this list, this show mostly utilizes pre-existing music. The score includes sublime excerpts from Tchaikovsky (Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty), Mussorgsky (Pictures at an Exhibition), and Saint-Saëns (Carnival of the Animals), among many others (excerpts from various famous ballets play a part). Each character has a different classical theme, and Princess Tutu derives her own power from her dancing - music here has consciously been made another (and very important) character.

2. BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad

BECK is a wonderful coming of age story. The main character's journey toward adulthood is spurred by his introduction to world of music (specifically, rock). The music in this show couldn't be much more different than the music in the prior entry. As his story is told through his initial musical fumblings, his growing proficiency, and his eventual mastery of the guitar, music had to be integral to every single episode. And that doesn't even include the fact that he must learn to be confident enough to stand in front of others and sing. The show's soundtrack is amazing - the irony of it is that it cannot be released in the US by the English vocal cast (due to licensing issues), which is really a huge shame. This is a soundtrack that I'd listen to even if I hadn't seen the show; the fact is, every time I do hear one of the songs I can not only appreciate it on its own merits, but it also reminds me of one of the very best shows I've ever watched (anime or otherwise).

1. Cowboy Bebop

Could this list really end in any other way???? Bebop definitely ranks in my top 5 anime ever watched. This show is the undeniable masterpiece of Shinichirō Watanabe's career (it pre-dated his Samurai Champloo), and a big part of its appeal and ascendancy is the music it employs in telling its story. The musical score was composed by Yoko Kanno (amazing in her own right, also involved with countless other shows from Wolf's Rain and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, to the more recent Darker than Black).

From the show's title, to each episode's theme, music was inextricable from the storytelling. Each episode (actually, called "sessions" - so appropriate) was entitled in such a way that it alluded to (whether obviously or subtly) a musical genre. The session/episode would then be infused with that musical genre's characteristics. The themed episodes and their music were amazing. Early sessions include "Asteroid Blues," "Stray Dog Strut" and "Honkeytonk Woman." This show gave rise to no less than four separate soundtracks, and there are other soundtracks remixing songs from the first four or reordering them. Though all are worth listening to, the soundtrack Blue should not be missed. The show itself oozed cool, and the music was a big part of that attitude, as well as its critical success and enduring popularity .

Honorable Mentions (and worth picking up to listen to):
Witch Hunter Robin
Samurai 7
Darker Than Black
Wolf's Rain
Ergo Proxy