#//i checked the credits and it seems each of them will get their own ost too ^^

[ysphcpb]

Beast Inside - Krist, Nanon, Off, Lee, Luke Go follow my ways that I feel it’s true.

[vapormaison]

2019 Best Japanese OST Press/Repress: Elfen Lied by Tiger Lab Records

Like many late millennials with artistic pretensions, I used to have an “Anituber” channel back in the wild west days of youtube. From 2010-2013 — roughly corresponding with my first three years in university — I reviewed DVD releases from ADV, Manga Entertainment, Central Park Media, and Geneon — all the big players in Western anime releases at the time, all dead and gone now with the rise of streaming. Everyone but Funimation — a sad irony and perhaps telling about the nature of the dubbing industry that the studio with a serial rape problem and established casting couch was the only one to survive.

In the interest of maintaining my personal ethics, posterity, and sanity I’ve long since deleted that channel. While there was definitely a “moment” on the platform for a nineteen year-old cokehead film student in front of a MacBook webcam doing his best Slavoj Zizek impression, that moment has long since passed. I’ve long since cooled on “substantive” media critique anyway. The world doesn’t need another Eisenstein-aligned Marxist analysis of Neon Genesis Evangelion — or, a 6-part series on using Lacanian techniques to develop a leftist praxis for Fate/Stay Night. Media exists in the present moment to be a salve for the postmodern hellscape we inhabit together.

As an interesting sidebar, the most popular video on that channel — raking in just north of 10k views over its lifetime from 2011-2015, was a twelve minute video essay on the 1995 anime Elfen Lied, where I asserted that it was the ultimate expression of contemporary Japanese anti-modern rage. While I don’t find myself particularly nostalgic for any of the content on that channel, I’m actually kind of proud of that one in particular.

While most of my analysis was fixated on the visuals, narrative, and recent oeuvre of its mangaka, Lynn Okamoto, and series director, Mamoru Kanbei, I did lay out a framework on why I consider it to be one of the most successful soundtracks ever produced for an anime. I did not heap this praise lightly, as that roughly fifteen year period of 1995-2010 was bookended by the OSTs of Evangelion and K-On! — and certainly proved to be one of the most sonically iconic periods that the medium has ever produced.

it was also one of the first soundtracks that spurred my own history of Japanese OST collection.

And, then, almost a decade later, I found out that Tiger Lab was releasing a vinyl of Elfen Lied.

In spite of this, when I originally the news, I felt a tinge of trepidation. This is not to throw shade at Tiger Lab, however — but at the reputation of previous releases of the Elfen Lied soundtrack in Japan. A quick adventure with google translate across the Japanese net for various Elfen Lied OST roleases — especially on CD — will reveal for you a lot of contempt from Otaku and anime-enthusiast audiophiles for any number of reasons. Most hinge on the quality of the physicals. This is often because Japanese physical media releases of anime soundtracks are often laden with fresh, exceptionally crisp and clean-sounding masters for CDs, and usually exclusive posters and other content geared toward the “collector” nature of many Otaku. This has usually not been the case with Elfen Lied.

A friend of mine in Kanagawa quipped “Sometimes it sounds better on the DVD” in regard to a number of OST releases of soundtracks from anime produced by Studio Arms with CD releases published by VAP. Admittedly, some of it must have been born in resentment, but I’ve always trusted the man’s opinion — as he’s invested a small family fortune into building a shrine of sorts to that studio’s output. He chalks up the poor release quality to the studio’s inability or lack of funds to master the content properly for a CD or HQ digital release, and VAP’s decline in release quality during the early 2000s roughly corresponding to a sale to another Zaibatsu. “Studio Arms made hentai for many years to stay solvent, maybe they could not send a good master to VAP [the publisher]” he told me. While I can’t know if it’s VAP, Arms or another studio handling the CD-master work, a cursory check of their oeuvre seems to confirm confirms that claim of his — but I acknowledge I’m wandering into uncharted waters here.

In spite of all that — I ordered the wax from Tiger Lab and was duly impressed. In lieu of reviewing each track as per my usual review format, in the following section I want to talk about my listening experience from the two formats I own the soundtrack in — the SA/VAP published CD from 2004 and Tiger Lab’s release. Once we finish going into the core differences — and why this vinyl is absolutely worth your purchase over competing physicals — I’ll go into the virtues of the listening experience on the whole.

Part 1: Comparisons of Select Tracks

I suppose the expectation is that I start off by taking about the most iconic recording from the series — the OP, Lilium. In the spirit of defying expectations, I’ll begin with what I consider a better litmus test.

My personal shit-test for a good master and press is how well it can handle a track that is sonically robust and diverse, crossing genre and form — requiring an intensive, sufficiently wide mix and refined master. You don’t get that on every OST album — but Elfen Lied offers one such potential track in particular, and that particular track happens to be my favorite composition on the entire album. Uso Sora, composed by Kayo Konishi and Yukio Kondo is a truly magnificent piece, and it’s used brilliantly in the series — for those familiar, I only need to quote one line: “M-m-mommy…?”.

It begins with lulling piano chords that gradually build in tempo and energy with the addition of percussion, and then it undergoes a full metamorphosis in its last minute or so to become an aggressive, frenetic techno piece with distorted lows and an angry drum kit. Mirroring the evolution of its subject in the show with understated aplomb, and functioning as a robust and enjoyable composition divorced from its source — it really deserve more recognition than it receives, but I do not doubt it will ever step forth from the massive shadow cast from the haunting chorals of Lilium, and the brilliantly directed visual intro that accompanied it.

Needless to say, Tiger Lab more than passed muster here, to the point where I’m almost blown away by just how good it sounds compared to the rest of my Elfen Lied related physicals. I experienced a definite brightness from the vinyl master over my stereo that I don't get from a lot of other Western label releases, like say Milano, which tends to cash in on a Westerner’s preference for warmth.  Tiger Lab deserves credit for this approach, because it genuinely feels like a more authentically “Japanese” sound. In my experience, the Western labels that care the most about the dedicated audiophile adhere to this sonic profile, and Tiger Lab deserves all due credit here.

Finally, I might as well include my thoughts on Lilium. In short, it sounds fantastic. The mix here really brings out the most of the chorals, and provides crisp and clean sounds where you want them most. It’s also one of those tracks where you can just feel the dynamic range before you even hear it. I ended up listening to these on my Cambridges, and I’ve got to say that’s there’s something in the way they treat this particular profile of song — strongly vocal dominated, extremely muted piano, and supporting string inhabiting the negative space — absolutely incredibly. It put the KEFs to shame. I’ve always asserted that you’ve got to pair certain songs with certain speaker pairs. I’ve never been a huge devotional music guy, and I’m not entirely sure that the Cambridge or KEFs provide ideal profiles for the track. That said, Lilium sounds great anyway.

But I can envision these on a pair of high end Yamahas, or a pair of vintage Blaupunkt bookshelves sounding as stone-cold killer as Lucy when Kouta’s threatened.

I sent a rip to my friend Hiroshi, the StudioArms Shrine man, who immediately snapped up a copy after listening. I also learned that it was actually the first vinyl purchase he’s ever made after two decades of serious collecting. So perhaps that is a testament in and of itself!

Part 2: Physicality

I rarely devote an entire section to talking about the vinyl/OBI itself, but then again, Tiger Lab has put out a release certainly worthy of this. First off, the cover, which pairs perfectly with the overall aesthetic of both the series and previous soundtrack releases. I can imagine this being a release that has already attracted some attention by Japanese collectors, as the cover seems to tap into a certain sense of continuity that I know are a huge hit with that community. It certainly pairs well with my two releases from VAP, and a laserdisc set that I have. They all opt for that very iconic Klimt Vienna Secession style with appropriate creative flourishes — but I like Tiger Lab’s take on it the most. The side characters populating the back in a choral array reminiscent of the Beethoven Frieze is also a really nice touch for any enthusiast of the fin-de-siècle style.

I picked up the pink vinyl on release, one of the few pink vinyls that I’ve bought that at least feels thematically consistent with the release and not just a default “vaporwave” or “city pop” or “future funk” styling. Diclonii rock the pink hair, after all. That all said, I’m wishing now that I got the “metallic gold” edition, as its another color that feels both apropos and stunningly beautiful. With all that in mind, this is also one of the better waxes that I’ve felt in-hand, and manages to feel robust. I’ve yet to find specific info, but it certainly feels like a 180g.

In conclusion, I’ve got to give immense credit to Tiger Lab for handling this release with a class and vigor that few Japanese publishers have given it. It certainly bodes well for the future of anime releases on vinyl, and makes me eager to fill out an emergent collection.

[im-just-here-for-the-drama]

My 2017 Most Hated and Favorite Dramas

2017 wasn’t the best drama year for me at the beginning. After Goblin finished, every drama was just not doing it for me. In February, I decided to take a break from dramas and I didn’t watch a single drama (not any Asian drama period), for two months, but I can’t help myself and  I finally went back to dramaland and for this year my tally is:

Dramas completed: 43

Dramas re-watched: 10

Dramas dropped:31

Highest rating given: 9

Lowest rating given: 2

The Dramas I Hated

Missing 9

This show started off with an interesting premise. Bunch of people stranded on an island. There should be mystery and intrigue, people possibly killing each other or whatever. It started off petty well.  The show did have mystery and intrigue, but it didn’t really deliver.  The show started going downhill after a certain point and I honestly don’t even remember what it was that made this show go downhill, I just remember that it did, and I stopped enjoying anything that happened. I do remember the character’s seeming pretty dumb when it came to handling the villain and don’t even get me started on the villain or that wtf ending.

The Liar and His Lover

I only watched this because a lot of people said it was better than it looked. It really wasn’t. The acting wasn’t good, the story wasn’t all that great and I could bring myself to care about any of the characters problems.I did like that almost kiss in the phone booth though. It was incredibly sexy. it’s a shame this was a different drama where that kind of chemistry could have continued.

Suspicious Partner

I can’t believe I actually watched this entire show. The only thing I liked about it was that Breathing Your Love song. I watched this from beginning to end and every episode was so painfully boring. There were a few minutes where I was interested, but then ultimately I got bored again. If I had been watching this on my own, I probably wouldn’t have watched past the first few episodes.

Hit the Top/The Best Hit

As much as I loved Enrique from Flower Boy Next Door, I could not get myself to like Hyun Jae, even though he was a similar character. He was far too childish and annoying to me. I’m one of those people who just couldn’t get past Hyun Jae and Woo Seung together. When Hyun Jae went to the future and found out Ji Hoon was his son, all I wanted was for the show to play with that and forge some type of bond between Ji Hoon and Hyun Jae, but nooo, show instead wants to focus on the love story between father and his son’ s crush. I couldn’t root for Hyun Jae at all. Sure Ji Hoon technically wasn’t his son, but he didn’t know that at first and still never tried to form a relationship with him. And to make things worse, once the show really started focusing on the romance, everything else was pushed to the side. I wanted to see Ji Hoon rap again and see a little more of his path with Drill trying to make it in the industry. I wanted to see where Woo Seung was planning on taking her career. Grandpa and Mal Sook were the best part of this show and they were ditched at the end too.

Reunited Worlds

I love Yeo Jin Goo and I love noona romances, so of course I was going to watch this show. It wasn’t good unfortunately. Aside from it not being all that engaging, the show just didn’t work. The acting was off (even Jin Goo’s acting wasn’t his best),  the chemistry was off, and every time the three leads were on screen together, whether it was Hae Sung and Jung Won, Jung Won and Min Joon, Min Joon and Hae Sung, or all three of them together, I always felt this awkward vibe between them. The age gap between Lee Yeon Hee,  Ahn Jae Hyun, Yeo Jin Goo was far too noticable. Jin Goo is a teenager and was a teenager in the show and you could feel the gap between them when they shared scenes. There was always just this offness between them as if none of them were particularly comfortable in playing these roles opposite each other where they were all supposed to be on the same level, but clearly weren’t.

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

Supposedly one of the best dramas of the year, but it’s sexist, homophobic, offensive for multiple other reasons, and just plain boring.

Favorites

The Boy Next Door/Some Guy

From the studio that brought us Lily Fever comes The Boy Next Door. I wasn’t going to watch this because I really ain’t here for the queerbait at this point, but I caved and watched it anyway, because I’ll take a good bromance since it’s as close to the gay as I’m gonna get. It was a funny, short, and a fairly enjoyable web drama.

Fight My Way

I loved this slice of life drama. Loved the characters and that there were two couple here going through two different stages in their relationships. It was funny and relatable in multiple aspects. There were a few missteps in the show ( Dong Man and Ae Ra’s skirt, Ae Ra’s father beating Dong Man which was clearly supposed to be funny, and I could have really used a little more plot about Ae Ra and her career). It wasn’t the best drama I’ve ever seen, but it was warm and comfortable. A very pleasant show to watch and that’s a good thing. Seol Hee was a stand out character for me.

The Guardians/Lookout

Badass female lead, a great antihero, Kim Seul Gi, Key, hottie priest, and a good ost wrapped up in one show? What’s not to like? Sure the characters did a few illogical things throughout the show, but I enjoyed the ride. Kim Young Kwang really proved himself here.

Because this is Our First Life

When I first heard about this show, I didn’t particularly think it was going to be good. Then I heard a million good things about it, so of course I had to check it out. Six episodes in, and I was not impressed. It was okay, watchable, but nothing to write home about. I watched more anyway, and then I don’t know what happened, but it really started clicking for me. The show was funny and honest with interesting conversations and interesting characters, and just when I thought something would be extremely cliche,  things would go in a different direction. I didn’t particularly care about Wo Rang and Ho Seok and I didn’t really like the last episodes arc with Ji Ho leaving and not telling Se Hee of her obvious plans to return, but overall this was definitely one of the best dramas of the year.

Go Back Couple

This drama wasn’t even remotely on my radar. The plot didn’t sound all that intriguing on paper, but I needed something to watch one day, and this was one of the new shows that had aired. I swear people completely slept on this show. I can’t even particularly remember why I loved it so much, but it was funny and cute. I loved Jin Joo and her group of friends, the likable love rivals, the gender role reversal in the second couple (also a likable aspect in BTLIOF), and of course the emotional highs and lows involving Jin Joo and her mother and of course Seo Jin. I wasn’t fond of Ban Do at the beginning, but I knew the show was going to show us his turn around and show us that he was actually worthy of Jin Joo and they didn’t disappoint. Jang Na Ra was also really good in this role. I knew she was a good actor, but she never really impressed me before, but her scenes were so good here I had to put her on my favorite actors list. This one was my favorite drama of the year.

Honorable Mentions (These shows aren’t over yet, but they deserve to be on my favorites list..for now.)

Wise Prison Life/ Prison Playbook

Another show where I can’t really pinpoint why I like it so much. It’s slow and the episode run time is ridiculous, but it’s so good. I’m not up to date with this solely because I don’t want to run out of subbed episodes to watch. It’s great watching Je Hyuk navigate prison life and I love that we get the other prisoners stories. The show really helps to humanize them all and show that everyone may not be exactly what they seem at first. I really hope this show stays good as it continues into the next year.

Money Flower

Another show I think isn’t getting as much credit as it deserves. I really wasn’t going to watch this because it sounded like your typical cliche revenge melo. It’s definitely makjang and melo, but that’s never a bad thing when it’s done right, and this one’s done right. The characters are intriguing and morally corrupt, even the main lead Pil Joo is slightly gray. The relationships between the characters are interesting too. Pil Joo and Boo Cheon seem to have this type of love-hate relationship, where Pil Joo’s love may or may not be fake. I love the sexual tension between Pil Joo and Mal Ran where Mal Ran seems to be attracted to Pil Joo even though she clearly doesn’t trust him completely, and Pil Joo certainly uses that attraction to his advantage.  I’d really love to see this twisted relationship play out. Can I have another drama based on this relationship please? Mo Hyun wasn’t that interesting of character at the start. She seemed like more of a love interest and a pawn in this game more than anything else, but given the most recent episodes, she’s stepping up to the plate, and I’m really excited to where this is going.