Anime Primer for the layperson, part 9
Yoko Kanno
I’ll never forget my freshman year at college when Manga Entertainment had a promotional showing one night for Macross Plus at the student center. It was a shared experience with my new roommate and lots of other students. It wasn’t just that we got to experience a then unseen anime on a giant projection screen, it was my introduction to the music of Yoko Kanno.
Now I knew Macross from the first third of Robotech, which was a US production taking 3 separate anime and putting it into a multi-generational wrapper. That first part Super Dimension Fortress Macross, and for the most part it is unchanged in Robotech, is totally it’s own thing in Japan. It was and is still super popular in the pop culture lexicon. Macross Plus is a continuation of that world of Macross. It features pilots, transforming mecha, and core to the experience are its songs. What Yoko Kanno does with the score for Macross Plus is that she gives the sensation of flight and that night, it was the music which was driving the emotions I was feeling while watching the first part of Macross Plus. You could feel the tension, the soaring, and the quiet power of small moments, When the first episode of that OVA (original video animation) ended it left us hungry for more.
Yoko Kanno is a prolific composer for anime soundtracks as well as film, tv, and videogames. It was her collaboration with the creators of the anime she worked which in my mind elevated their status. It was a time when you could get anime soundtracks on cd in NY Chinatown and if it was a Yoko Kanno soundtrack, I got it, whether I had seen the anime or not. Her range and career are vast, so I will highlight some anime she worked on which stood out to me.
Macross Plus — The story of a love triangle between 3 childhood friends who go on to become 2 pilots and a singer.
The Vision of Escaflowne — If Macross Plus was my introduction to Yoko Kanno, Escaflowne cemented me as a life long fan. This anime is a Fantasy Isekai which at its core is a Mecha anime. A high school track athlete gets transported to another world where she becomes entangled with a war the transforming mech Escaflowne at its center. There are many flying scenes which of course Yoko Kanno absolutely nails with epic scope and feeling. This is one of my favorite anime.
Cowboy Bebop — the sci-fi anime whose legacy has not been repeated. Yoko Kanno formed a jazz band Seatbelts and performed and composed the music for this ground breaking show. Right from the get go with her iconic opening theme song, you know you are watching something different. It was also a complete departure from what I knew of her before and truly expressed her range and talent.
Brain Powerd — I never saw this anime, but her work on the soundtrack is excellent and a return to what made her work great in Escaflowne.
Turn A Gundam — more excellent work by Yoko Kanno. This anime is a proto take on the Gundam mythos. Mobile Suit Gundam, for the uninitiated is synonymous with Japan. It is the premiere mecha anime in Japan. It’s the story of the Earth federation at war with its space colonies and the young pilots involved in that battle. I never was into Gundam, nor have I gotten past more than half of the first episode, but I’ve listened to the soundtrack a lot.
RahXephon — This mecha anime I feel tried to recreate the magic of Neon Genesis Evangelion. RahXephon instead of taking its inspiration from the Old Testament takes it instead from music. I remember it being ok when i saw it. Yoko Kanno only provided the opening theme for the TV series and OVA.
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2002, 2004, 2006) — Yoko Kanno moves into techno and electronic music that varies between rhythmic and haunting.
Macross Frontier — Yoko Kanna returns to Macross. Macross F hits all the notes that made SDF Macross great with lots of catchy pop songs by featured singers. This time the love triangle is between a pilot and 2 singers!
Kids on the Slope — I never got around to this. I heard it’s very good. It’s about a bunch of guys who play jazz.
Space Dandy — Yoko Kanno provided the end theme and 4 tracks. This series is like an all comedic take on the galaxy of Cowboy Bebop. Shinichirō Watanabe in addition to being chief director of Space Dandy, has a knack for bringing strong music to the table having co-directed on Macross Plus, director on Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Kids on the Slope, Terror in Resonance also with music by Yoko Kanno, and Carole and Tuesday.
Other anime in which the soundtracks are excellent.
Neon Genesis Evangelion — this series, has an amazing rocking score that compliments the action and quieter moments perfectly. The composer is Shiro Sagisu who also worked on the classic love triangle show Kimagure Orange Road, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water (a period piece inspired by Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea), Bleach, and Berserk: The Golden Age Arc.
Carole & Tuesday — imagine if American Idol took place on Mars, and two young girls from different backgrounds meet by chance and form a duo. The series features music by various recording artists for all the contestants. I actually went to see Madison McFerrin, yes Bobby McFerrin’s daughter, perform live based on the character she sang for in this show. All 24 episodes are on Netflix. I do prefer the early half of the season. Absolutely appropriate for kids. The entire soundtrack is on Spotify, although I highly suggest seeing the anime first. Although the first half of the season is way better than the second half.