After discovering that July is "Top 10 Month" for BlackCriticGuy, I decided to have my own "Top 10 Month", starting with this list.
Rules:
- Only 1 OST per series
- That being said, each OST may have "mini-honorable-mentions" of other OSTs from the same anime, mentioned in passing
- Cannot be an OP/ED in any form (Sorry, Lilium)
- If you don't like it, make your own list.
Honorable mentions:
Little Busters (FLCL)
When I think of an iconic song from the climax of an anime, I think of this. This rock song carries the same awesome craziness that the anime has. This, along with "Ride on Shooting Star", are my favorite songs by The Pillows.
Despair (Naruto Shippuden)
You know, if I could, I probably would have put something more along the lines of "Naruto's Entire Freakin' Soundtrack", but, only one song per series, so.
I could have picked plenty of other songs from Naruto to fill this spot (Man of the World, Sadness and Sorrow, Hinata/Neji Theme, Orochimaru's Theme, Akatsuki's Theme), but I picked this one. Why? Because this song has close ties with one of my favorite arcs and two of my favorite characters. Not to mention the sadness and beauty in the song itself. In the end, it works as a great representation of the music in Naruto.
The World (.hack//SIGN)
From the first few melodic lines of this song, I knew .hack//SIGN was going to have a great soundtrack, and I was right. Great enough, in fact, that I had a bit of a struggle choosing this song over others (Fake Wings, Aura), but one thing kept me coming back to it: the lyrics. All the lyrics in the .hack//SIGN songs are beautiful and have deep meaning, and this is the prime example of that.
10. Standing in the Sunset Glow (Now and Then, Here and There)
You know, I hated putting this song so low. This greatly represents the beauty of the anime it's from, there are just other OSTs that are... better. Still, it's a powerful and emotional piece, and deserves its spot on this list.
9. Deja View (xxxHolic)
You know, I almost chose "Lost Memory" over this one, but while "Lost Memory" has an emotional feel, this song just carries the gentle atmosphere that xxxHolic has. It's not trying to be dramatic, it's just letting its simple beauty shine through. It's a beautiful, sentimental piece, and that's what makes it great.
8. The Story of Yomiyama (Another)
Ah, horror anime. This song is a definite gem in the Another soundtrack. It's intense, has a great climax, and a creepy beginning to boot.
7. Soundtrack 8 (Detective Conan)
You know, I originally meant for this to be an honorable mention. Then I realized- this song is really good. The Detective Conan's soundtrack is a great one, and this song is no exception. It has a dark, suave, almost noir feeling to it that perfectly reflects the anime. And as a fan of slow jazz, I simply had to include it on this list.
6. Madder Sky (Code Geass)
I had originally planned "Stories" from Code Geass in here, but then I realized just how epic this OST is. With an intense ostinato and a soaring fanfare, it shows how great a compisition can be. Not to mention it features the two main instruments I play :B (Trombone and French Horn). In the end, Madder Sky definitely deserves its spot on the list.
5. Brothers (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Probably the most iconic song from either FMA or FMA:B, this OST is simply beautiful. With the lyrics being a heartfelt dialogue between Ed and Al, this makes it emotional in both music and meaning. Although I prefer Vivc Magnogna's version, the original version still has the emotional punch that any other version has.
4. Light's Theme (Death Note)
Death Note has a great soundtrack, no doubt about that. Plently other soundtracks could have made the list (Death Note Theme, L Theme A, Mello Theme B), but I choose this one. It perfectly represents the calculating motions in L's head, and includes such aspects as a hard edge and a beautiful side. Its mixture of themes make it an amazing OST.
3. Jigoku Nagashi (Jigoku Shoujo)
Picking a song from this anime was near impossible. It was a three-way tie between this song, "Kouma to Rouba to Shouko" and "Aki ni Somaru". I decided to go for the most influential song, and ended up with this one, as it is the song that plays at the climax of each episode. It's no surprise, considering the intense beauty of this song.
2. Youkuso! Hitori Bocchi (Welcome to the NHK)
There are plenty of songs from this anime that represent its simple melancholy (Gusui ni Tarasu Tsui Ito, Hitori no Tame no Lullaby, Kyou wa Yuuhi Yarou), but this one takes the cake. Both the melody and the lyrics bring about a sense of depression with an odd sense of hope. It's an emotional OST for an emotional anime.
1. The Slightly Chipped Full Moon (Kuroshitsuji)
I had always considered Si Deus Me Relinquit my favorite song from Kuroshitsuji, but when I discovered this, it blew me away. One of the biggest things that I look for in an OST is beauty, and if there's an OST that deserves to be called beautiful, it's this. The lyrics, the melody - everything about it has beauty to it. Add it on to the fact that it's the theme to one of the most tragic characters in anime, and it makes it the top OST in anime.
