Just how many soundtracks can a twenty-six episode
series churn out? As a matter of fact, The Vision of Escaflowne manages to do four.
With the previous two being quite a success, you doubt if they can manage it a third
time. So how does the third soundtrack fare?
If the first track on the CD is any indication, the
third soundtrack is just as good as the other albums. Short Notice is just
that, short. However, it’s a great piece. Used as the music when they show the
preview of the next episode, Short Notice is foreboding and at the same time
lively, sounding like something out of Arabian Nights.
Arcadia might as well have been orchestrated
and sung in an opera with its grandeur and encompassing composition. Epistle
is another track which has orchestrated music, giving the perfect feel of threat and
danger as a foe suddenly appears. Farewell, on the other hand, is played in
such a way that you feel the loss as someone you love is torn away from you. With
such a sad feeling, it manages to touch you.
Where have all the darker themed and tragic BGM’s
gone? Apparently, in this disc. With the likes of Scrappy and Blaze
added to Epistle, you end up with three villain scores. Illusion
and Fatal compound Farewell, enough to satisfy those depressed
people out there.
Fear not though, there’s more to this CD than sad
themes. Shrilly has a playful tune to it while Revenge has a
hopeful melody, sounding similar to music found in Back to the Future as well as
Amazing Stories. As it continues through, you’ll discover that Revenge is a
BGM best suited for the climax of an epic story. Lastly, Again, the last track on the
album, is an instrumental variation of the popular opening theme. For die-hard fans,
this piece is reason enough to purchase the entire disc!
The vocals on this CD is also pretty good. The
ballads Aoi Hitomi and Hikari no Naka E, although sounding simple,
are gems on their own. Perfect World (not to be confused with a song of the
same name sung by a certain seishi) can be heard in the episode when Allen discovers
the mystery of his father and fits the scene that it portrays so those who’ve watched
that episode will appreciate this song better although it can stand well on its own.
It’s also one of those rare ballads in anime sung by a guy that’s actually good.
I Recommend Instincts has a more westernized song feel to it rather than a
Japanese one. It’s not used to its discredit but instead a praise to the hopeful and
catchy song it is.
Overall, for those who love symphonic background
music, this is the CD for you, whether you actually watched Escaflowne or not. For
the fans, if you’re the type who’s satiating for background music more than you do
for the vocals, then this might be your dream CD with its opera-esque musical score.
However, if all the gloom and doom isn’t to your taste, the OST 2 would be a better
choice for its more optimistic BGMs.
-Charles Tan
