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by Charles Tan
Most fans have an inkling for songs sung in an anime, like the Voltes V theme song. However, unlike Voltes V which has a domestic soundtrack, the usual source for those catchy tunes are through Japanese CDs. Since majority do not speak and read the language, the contents of those CDs are often a mystery. Don’t fret though. You don’t have to quick guess which CD to buy or spend your entire savings on a worthless CD. If there’s anything I’m actually good at, it’s choosing which anime CDs are worth the buy and with this article, you’ll increase your chances of finding a great soundtrack (or the perfect Valentines gift).
First off, you have to realize the market for Japanese CDs in general. There are some domestic releases (which means a Philippine company has acquired the rights to it and are selling it here at a relatively cheaper price, although it’s not the original Japanese release) available. They’re a few but they exist. An example is the Utada Hikaru album, which was released by OctoArts EMI Music Inc. After the domestic release is the original Japanese release. They’re more expensive than normal CDs (Y3000 or around P1000) simply because Japan has a high standard of living (which means prices for stuff there are really expensive…a Coke can is Y100 or P33). However, they’re the originals and usually contain some bonus stuff like line art or calendars when it comes to anime CDs. There are also Japanese Singles, which are smaller CDs that can be played on newer CD players and on the PC CD-ROM. The singles are cheaper (around Y1000 at most) and usually contain two or three songs. They are, however, the most difficult to find here (for more info on where to get CDs, check out the Shopping Guide article on the Vol. 1 No. 2 Issue of P.Otaku Bytes). Lastly, there are Taiwan copies of Japanese CDs. It’s a bit tough to explain (just bear in mind that Taiwan does not recognize the U.N. and so does away with some of their rulings) but music-wise, the CD quality is the same and the packaging is usually altered from the original versions (and they also will not contain the special giveaways). They are also significantly cheaper than their original counterparts and are the ones most available here in the Philippines (unless you do online shopping).
Second, it would be easier if you had a meager knowledge of the Japanese alphabet, even if it’s just reading (not necessarily understanding) the words. It would be a great help if you have the time to study it (be sure to study Katakana and then Hirigana). It may seem daunting but it’s not that difficult. You could also just get an alphabet chart or something and keep it with you as you go shop and buy. However, if this doesn’t seem a good alternative for you, don’t worry.
Third, we now come to the actual CD evaluation process. Most, if not all, anime CDs have English titles in them. They go something like “Rurouni Kenshin Original Soundtrack” or “Gundam Wing Operation 1”. This will usually give you a clue to what kind of CD you are getting. If you are into the background music (BGMs) of a particular show, your best bet would be buying the ones with the title “Original Soundtrack”. Also, some animes have themes that get brought over to the CD. An example is Gundam Wing. Another name for its soundtrack is “Operation” so it’s Original Soundtrack 1 is entitled Operation 1 while Original Soundtrack 2 is entitled Operation 2. Another example is G Gundam, which has a tournament-fight theme to it, and its CDs are aptly named “Round”.
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