Yoko Kanno/Awesome Music

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This is your brain on the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack. Let's point out that's supposed to be John Williams. It's THAT GOOD.

Let's just stop here and agree that the entire musical oeuvre of Yoko Kanno is a Crowning Music of Awesome. Sort of like how every chapter of the Summa Theologica is a miracle. This era's Mozart or Beethoven. God of Music. You get the picture.

  • Macross Plus has a lot of awesome music, but Information High is one of the best, especially when seen in context.
    • "Voices" can make a person cry with its sheer Awesomeness. It's won its share of "Best Anime Song of X period" awards, and it's easy to see why.
    • "National Anthem of Macross". Listen and feel patriotic fervor for a country that doesn't even exist!
    • "After, in the dark" is a rocking '80s-style open-air concert performance that plays over the first episode fadeout, and at the beginning of the Sharon Apple concert. As an in-story product of the virtual idol Sharon Apple, it really makes me buy how an AI could have become a mega-popular performer in the Macross universe. This is crucial to the plot, you see. ;)
  • Macross 7's OVA sequel Dynamite 7 has Angel Voice, even Basara haters have to admit that this song is pretty awesome.
    • Think about it, Angel Voice is basically JAM Project and Yoko Kanno together in one song! You can't get anymore awesome then that.
      • Becomes even better when you consider that Mari Iijima (Lin Minmay) did her own version. That was awesome enough on its own, then the fans mixed it with the original, the result is sheer musical awesomeness as well as a Crowning Moment of Awesome for fan mixes.
  • Macross Frontier has a the Nyan Nyan Service Medley, which combines multiple songs from the series, all possible examples of this trope in their own right, into one medley made of sheer awesome.
  • Often looked over is her work for Turn a Gundam. Quite a few of the songs are very well done, especially Black History and Moon.
  • Vision of Escaflowne's "Dance of Curse." Repetitive, but awesome.
    • The movie had an up-tempo reprise "Dance of Curse II", and then took it to the next level with "Black Escaflowne". Neither track would have been out of place in an apocalyptic Hollywood movie preview.
    • Also, "Epistle" and "Chain" from the same series.
    • Gotta toss in "Shadow of a Doubt". Dat Cello. Such wonderful political intrigue music.
    • White Dove, the opening recap for the series for the first few episodes, awesome enough from just that until you listen to the soundtrack version and you realize that, Hey there are words in this song!
    • The amazingly beautiful "Story of Escaflowne" that's played during the finale. If the ending doesn't make you misty eyed, this will.
    • "Arcadia", which accompanies Hitomi's vision of the Atlanteans' ancient doomed utopia, and her final epiphany about who she truly loves at the end of the series. Exquisitely poignant dissonances in the strings form the introduction to a literally operatic piece (it's an honest-to-god aria). Transcendentally beautiful.
    • "Sora" is a truly beautiful song. I can't find any better words to describe it, as trying would just feel redundant.
    • Heck, ANY track from the Escaflowne soundtrack is epicly gorgeous! Revenge, Farewell, Murder, Angel, Wings, Gloria, etc...
    • From the Escaflowne Movie OST, "Take My Hands" is an emotionally powerful interlude in the soundtrack when Van's wings are revealed while rescuing Hitomi. Seriously. The last stanza is used in the opening of the Escaflowne Movie DVD.
  • Cowboy Bebop. "Tank!", Quite possibly the Best. Theme Song. EVER. Especially when played LIVE!
    • Also the extended version of "The Real Folk Blues" from the last episode.
      • The song in the last episode isn't "The Real Folk Blues," but rather "See You, Space Cowboy". This version was going to be the regular ending credits, but it wasn't ready in time for the first episode broadcast, so they switched the songs.
    • Agreed, and "Bad dog, no biscuits" is so awesome it made this troper shed a tear.
      • Angriest. Trombone solo. Ever.
    • The most AWESOME ending in the history of anime segues seamlessly into the beautiful 'Blue'.
      • Roughly 90% of anime fans want that song played at their funerals.
      • The ending of the final episode is one of the few end credit sequences to an anime series that Adult Swim doesn't speed up to get in more advertising time (including most other Cowboy Bebop episodes after the initial run). "Blue" is just that PERFECT an ending to the series.
    • As if that's not enough, "Space Lion", "Rain" and the ED "Real Folk Blues" are truly and simply beautiful. Quite possibly the best OST ever.
    • No Reply is an astoundingly beautiful, passionate song.
      • It doesn't even bother most people that the song is about the dying moments going through the singer's mind as he's committing suicide. It's THAT. DAMN. GOOD.
    • "What Planet is This"
      • Not only is the music amazing on its own, but the fact it is used during a protracted dogfight/chase with main character Spike, using what are essentially futuristic fighter jets. Surprisingly, it fits the scene perfectly.
      • On a similar note, "Elm" shows that even in the middle of a chase scene, the right song can turn it from being about catching the bad guy to an internal, emotional struggle. Just try replacing this song with anything else, and I swear Jet's chase scene will be nowhere near as powerful.
    • Along with "Blue", this troper would like to submit "Green Bird".
    • "Call Me, Call Me" has been one of This Troper's favorite songs since the series first aired on Adult Swim in 2001. A truly beautiful Tear Jerker when taken in context when it's used in the series.
    • "Is It Real?". It has such a fatal and tragic message, and yet it's also quite moving.
    • It would be easier to simply say that every song on the OST is made of win than to list all of the awesome songs on it.
    • Yo Pumpkin Head: dancing in your chair = impossible to resist.
    • I cant be the only one who really loves Ask-DNA
    • The melancholy Road to the West could be described as a saxophone weeping lyrically for 3 minutes. As one of the comments states, "If I ever break up with my girlfriend and I find myself driving on the highway at night alone, while it's raining, still remembering her and the times we had, this is the song that would be playing in my head." This is actually the emotional context in which it was used in the series.
  • One absolutely magnificent piece is Grace Omega from Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, which ushers in the end credits in the most spine-tingling way imaginable.
  • The Wolf's Rain soundtrack. "Stray", the theme song, definitely deserves a mention. The song is reminiscent of all the most epic 80s power ballads, with Steve Conte's voice making it even better. And then there's the frankly brilliant moment where the guitar makes a howling sound, just as a wolf is shown howling...
    • "Gravity" is just such a wonderfully, beautifully melancholy song, that it deserves to be included here.
    • "Heaven's Not Enough", also sung by Steve Conte, for more power ballad goodness.
    • This troper would like to add "Tell Me What The Rain Knows", for its sheer beauty and goosebumps-inducing factor. Although it does fall under 'collabs with Maaya Sakamoto' category, this troper found it special enough to get a separate mention.
    • The final track, "Go To Rakuen", is just so beautiful this troper cried first time they heard it. It's really indescribable. Also the heartbreaking "Shiro, Long tails" that played during some of the most emotional battles.
    • "Strangers", sung by Raj Ramayya - the haunting trumpet, the soft vocals, the lyrics filled with desire and hope that lets you believe the wolves really could make it to Paradise. At the same time this makes it very sorrowful, but still no less gorgeous.
    • "Face On". Ho-ly shit... Makes this one cry it's so epic.
    • "Run Wolf Warrior, Run" is possibly the most poetic and beautiful song this troper has heard, and it definitely deserves mentioning.
    • No mention yet of "Cloud 9"? Dude, that song practically has awesome written all over it!
  • The soundtrack for Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is really, really good. There isn't really a single track that isn't marvelous, they always blend perfectly with the visuals and context of the scenes they're matched with, and they play a huge part in making the show so amazing. It's possibly one of the greatest soundtracks ever made.
    • The opening song for Ghost In The Shell Stand Alone Complex: 2nd Gig. You can find the anime altered full version here.
    • As amazing as the second opening Rise was, one can never forget the jaw-droppingly amazing first opening, Inner Universe.
    • Not to mention the opening theme for the terrestrial broadcast of the first season Get9 Hip-hopadelic delight, indeed....
    • It would be easy to go, "The whole soundtrack is made from PURE AWESOME" without really lying. Especially for making a piece of music played primarily on the kazoo into the most malevolent piece of music in anime history.
      • If you don't absolutely HATE everything that this song is, then it's not doing what it was suppose to do. "Go DA DA" is just as it's described: The most malevolent and ominously evil sounding song you'll ever hear. It's suppose to instill scorn from the listener.
    • It's hard to find any song that's better than "Stamina Rose" to kick off any anime, let alone TV series in general.
    • Torukia could also easily be the best track in the OST.
      • It's also kickass in a capella Gregorian-like slow choir-only version in episode "Poker Face", when there's a sniper duel on church's roof.
    • "Date of Rebirth". I mean, holy crap.
    • Also from Solid State Society, I present "Take a Little Hand","Human Step" and ""From The Roof Top/Somewhere in the Silence".
    • Also,"Ride From Technology".Sounds like a lost masterpiece from Cowboy Bebop, definitely great.And not to forget,Fish/Silent Cruise.Such a dramatic song with such a power,purely awesome. And what about the great Jam Rock masterpiece which is called Yakitori? Okay, I admit, this soundtrack is simply awesome and so is Yoko Kanno.
    • The song beauty is within us (lyrics), specifically written for the episode that features it, Runaway Evidence TESTATION, perfectly conveys the anguish and enigmatic motives of Kago Takeshi.
    • Run Rabbit Junk
    • How about I Do, the beautiful Italian song that plays throughout most of the Tear Jerker scenes in 2nd Gig.
      • If you didn't start crying when this song was used in context with the episode "Affection", then you truly have no soul. I'm tearing up just thinking about this song right now.
      • "Every time that song plays, an angel is born." And I get Sand in My Eyes.
    • "From the Rooftops ~ Somewhere in the Silence (Sniper's Theme) is just one of those songs you can listen to whenever you just need to relax. The song itself gives off a relaxing atmosphere that you can't help but immerse yourself in.
    • This Troper would like to present Psychedelic Soul. It's a bittersweet tale, but absolutely beautiful. If I could chose any song to listen to for the rest of time, this would definitely be it.
    • Know Your Enemy is a beautiful piece of music which can change moods so many times and still be gorgeous.
    • The fight against the Jigabachi helicopter in 'Natural Enemy' was pretty awesome by itself, but wouldn't have been anywhere near as awesome as it is without THIS playing in the background.
    • There's also the desperate, melancholy Christmas in the Silent Forest.
    • To sum up, the soundtrack is really, REALLY good!
  • Several tracks from Turn a Gundam: Moon (especially the live version), Tsuki no Mayu, and This Troper's personal favorite, Back to the River - Original Vocal Version.
  • Brain Powerd is also worthy of note as sort of a precursor to Turn a Gundam, this was the first collaberation between Kanno and Yoshiyuki Tomino and gave us such great songs as Light of Love, Sonne and Flow.
  • The Genesis of Aquarion soundtrack, especially the theme song Sousei no Aquarion, composed by her.
  • The Please Save My Earth ova episode ending song, Toki no Kioku ("The Moment's Memory"), set the nostalgic mood of the anime. The rest of the soundtrack contributes as well, of course....
  • I'm going with the entire Darker than Black soundtrack. GO Dark and Highheel Runaway in particular. When those songs start, you know some crazy shit is about to go down.
  • Her collaborations with Maaya Sakamoto. Unsurprisingly, there isn't a bad song on any of her Kanno-produced albums, and many AWESOME ones. For a sample, there's "Sea Of Miracles", "Hemisphere", "Triangler" [dead link], "Platinum" the above-mentioned "Gravity" and, the one that started it all, "Yakusoku wa Iranai" [dead link]
  • This song called "O Bento O Tabenagara" is sung by Kiyoura Natsumi.
  • "Cloe" from Earth Maiden Arjuna. Just... just listen to it.
    • The battle theme "Earth Resonance" mixes wordless chorus and orchestra into a uniquely energizing piece with its strong rhythms. It's in 13/16 time for half of it!
  • How has her work on Oban Star Racers not been mentioned yet? Granted most are collaborations, but still.
    • First up we have A Chance to Shine a very uplifting tune, with Akino on vocals.
      • And then we have Waratteta with vocals by Mou Sukoshi.
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