Anime Juke Box - No Need for Promises - The Vision of Escaflowne

Been a while since the old Anime Juke Box has spun some j-pop for you. I was going through some of my older anime soundtracks and ran into all three of the wonderful CDs for Vision of Escaflowne. The music was co-composed by wonder woman Yoko Kanno and her husband at the time Hajime Mizoguchi. The score is one of her most bombastic orchestral powerhouses, with amazing action cues, sweeping romance and gothic horror. It works well in the series and is always a treat to listen to.

But Kanno's skills go well beyond her ability to compose for orchestra. She almost always writes the opening and ending pop/rock songs for the anime series she works on. Vision of Escaflowne is no exception. She gets the series started with this cheerful number called No Need for Promises. Like most J-pop of the 90s it is perky, happy, and well produced. Kanno has a thing for using bagpipes in her 90s scores and songs, so you get an interlude with them here too.

Perhaps the biggest thing about this song is that Kanno got the voice actress playing the main role of Hitomi to sing the song. The actress's name is Maaya Sakamoto, and this song launched her successful singing career at the tender age of 16. Kanno and Sakamoto worked on many projects afterward, with Kanno even writing the songs for an entire album of Sakamoto's songs. Both women are still hard at work in the world of film and anime music to this day. So here is where it all began with No Need for Promises from Vision of Escaflowne, written by Yoko Kanno and sung by Maaya Sakamoto.

Anime Juke Box - Field of Love - Brain Power'd

It has been a little while since I've posted a piece of music from the excellent Japanese composer Yoko Kanno (she is on my list of favorite film composers). Kanno not only wrote some excellent scores, but always comes up with memorable theme songs for the series she works on. Kanno can write music for nearly any genre, and it is a testament to her talent that these theme songs work so well in the shows and even get incorporated into the fabric of the scores.

Kanno has worked on a lot of very famous projects including Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, but I wanted to highlight her work from a lesser known series. After the massive popularity of Neon Genesis Evangelion many anime studios rushed to create their own angsty-teen-controlling-giant-robot series. One of these was Brain Power'd, a show with some interesting concepts, but a really messy script that never seemed to gel. That didn't stop Kanno from creating one hell of a score (one of my favorites). Here is the end credits song called Field of Love and performed by KOKIA. It is a dreamy piece, a nice contrast to some of the more hyper end credits songs you usually hear in anime.

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Anime Juke Box - Blue - Cowboy Bebop

So I've posted music from Outlaw Star and Trigun, but nothing from Cowboy Bebop yet. Well, it is about time to change that. Yoko Kanno wrote all the music for the series, and most of it was performed by her band The Seatbelts. This jazz combo gave the series a distinctive sound, and one that matches the series perfectly. But Kanno does what she always does best, and that is show off her versatility. Cowboy Bebop boasts some atonal electronic tracks, traditional orchestral and operatic style vocals, and of course pop and rock songs. Blue is played during the final scene of the series, and really fits the scene perfectly. Mai Yamane frequently collaborated with Kanno in the 1990s and her vocal style reminds me of Melissa Etheridge. Here she sings the whole song in English, and does a pretty good job.

Rogues' Gallery - Sharon Apple

There is no reason to think Sharon's logo is a twisted
version of the Macross Plus logo, no reason at all.

In my review of Macross Plus I spent a lot of time talking about Sharon Apple and her devious ways, but only included a single teaser picture of the virtual idol. That's because Sharon beguiled me with her melodious voice and stunning visage(s). I ended up with way too many screen captures of her. So I focused on presenting the rest of the cast and the mecha from the series, and decided to give Sharon her own blog post.

And since she becomes the primary antagonist of the series, she's a perfect fit for the rogues' gallery concept. What is interesting about Macross Plus is that Isamu is our main character, but his rival Guld, isn't a bad guy. In fact he seems a lot more sensible and calm than Isamu. There's a bit of irony in that, and any fan of the original Macross (or Robotech) series will pick up on it. Guld is actually half Zentradi. The Zentradi are an alien race of warriors who are genetically bred to be soldiers. So it is in Guld's DNA to fight and to win. There is a brief mention in the series that Guld is taking some kind of drug to help temper his killer instinct. Of course he ends up snapping a few times, and Isamu is on the receiving end. But still, Guld isn't a bad guy, he's made some bad choices in life but deep down he still cares about Myung and Isamu.

Guld focusing hard on not killing Isamu.

Since those three were childhood friends, the series needed someone else to raise the stakes of villainy. Enter Sharon Apple. But in all honesty, I feel a bit bad for her too. She's essentially a super powerful child who has no guidance and doesn't realize that she is doing anything wrong. She just wants to please everyone. And the only way to do that is to give them what they want. Since they all love watching her, they get to watch her - forever. She figures out that Isamu loves living on the edge of danger. This must be because he wants to experience death, right? So why not give him that ultimate experience. See it all makes logical sense in the end... Right guys?

Um, Ok, so maybe I've been listening to too much Sharon Apple music, and I'm sympathizing with the devil. But it's hard to argue with a virtual siren. So without further ado, enjoy some images of the real star of Macross Plus. And why don't you listen to her song Idol Talk while you do so. I'm sure it won't have any affect on your mind.

So if Sharon is a virtual idol, then what does her hardware look like. Well it's pretty simple actually. You've got your basic HAL inspired black box with a red eye. Red is a motif for Sharon. Might have something to do with apples, but she will neither confirm nor deny that.

Sharon keeps a digital eye on all her fans.

Later in the series, Sharon takes control of the "Ghost Fighter", a lethal mecha that gives Guld and Isamu a real run for the money. And what color is it?

Oh she's sleek and wicked looking in her "Ghost Fighter"
mode.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, but where's the virtual idol! That's what we all came to see! Ok, well you get three different versions of Sharon in her virtual idol form. First there is the pixie-esque playful version.

Just because she's cute doesn't mean she won't
try to kill you.

Then there's the one with the long red hair and hypnotic gaze. She seems to be the seducer of the group, usually appearing when she wants to entice a watcher to do her will.

Whoops, Isamu made eye contact.

Finally there is the purple garbed goddess. She's the one that speaks the most often and wants to care for everyone. But she's just as dangerous as the others.

Sharon tells Myung that she will take care of
everything. It is not a comforting thought.

In the final episode Sharon and Myung have a face off. Creator and creation try to reason with each other. The thing is Sharon is everything that Myung tried to bury. At first Myung doesn't understand that.

Myung tries to have a chat with her "daughters", but
it's difficult when she's tied up.

Once Myung figures out Sharon's logic, it dawns on her how dangerous the virtual idol is. For Sharon, there is no need to "reason" with her creator. Because the reason is so very clear. The roles reverse and Sharon starts treating Myung as the child, even going so far as to appear larger than Myung in those final scenes.

I'm your mother now. Be a good little girl bring
Isamu to me.

One of the perks of being virtual is you can be in multiple places at once. During the finale concert at Macross, Sharon appears as a towering goddess over the city, while her music and image appears on every screen and holographic projector in the city.

A giant crazy goddess was seen over Macross last
night.

But it's hard to stay mad at Sharon. She looks so peaceful when she's turning everyone into her devoted slave/fans. They'll just sit there and stare at her for an eternity (or until they die of thirst, whichever comes first).

So calm. So serene. So crazy. Notice her earrings
are her symbol. 

Eventually Isamu and Guld manage to defeat some of Sharon's traps and weapons. So she starts playing dirty. Isamu enlisted one of her biggest fans (and an expert hacker) to put a stop to the virtual idol. Well, because the poor dope is using a computer to hack into Sharon's mainframe (is that dirty?), she decides to visit him. 

Sharon comes face to face with her biggest fan, and
twists his mind like a candy cane.

Then she goes for Isamu, swimming through his tracking screen and into his lap, singing her siren song the whole time.

Dealing with virtual idols is never covered in the
airline safety films.

Luckily Myung breaks the spell by singing Voices in the intercom and shattering Sharon's hypnotic music. Isamu snaps out of it and destroys Sharon once and for all. It's a neat call back to the original Macross saga, where a pop star's song brings two warring races together.

Giant goddess Sharon is sad there won't be
an encore performance.

And there you have it, the ULTIMATE Sharon Apple experience on this blog. Short of going to one of her concerts it doesn't get much better than this. So for fans of the muse hell bent on pleasing her fans to death, I hope you enjoyed this gallery. Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to listen to Information High again and wait for Sharon to come out of my computer and sing me to death... sleep, I meant sleep. 

Disclaimer: While Sharon Apple was destroyed at the end of the series, fans suspect that some of her programming survived and is even now plotting a return to the virtual world. Except she changed her name to Hatsune Miku to keep people from freaking out.

Macross Plus (1994)

Introduction:

I blogged about how I’m part of the Robotech generation of anime fans. It was the series that really brought anime to my attention as a kid. And even though I became a full-fledged fan of Japanese animation about ten years after viewing the series, it made an impression on me. One of the anime series of the 1990s that helped pull me into fandom (after Rally and the Gunsmith Cats worked their magic) was a sequel to the Robotech saga. Of course Robotech was the American name for the series, in Japan it was known as Super Dimension Fortress: Macross.

Summary:

Isamu Dyson (Lee Stone) is a young cocky mecha pilot. He has all the skills to make him great, but a reckless attitude that endangers others when he shows off. Because he’s a bit of an ass, his superiors decide to transfer him to New Edwards on the planet Eden, to be a test pilot for the experimental mecha they are working on. Isamu knows his ego is writing checks his body can’t cash, but he doesn’t care, and heads off for his new assignment with glee.

Little does he know that his old rival Guld Goa Bowman (Richard George) is also a test pilot at New Edwards. The two renew their dislike for each other, and Colonel Millard (Beau Billingslea) uses it to his advantage, forcing the two to compete with each other to determine which experimental fighter will be the best fit for the military.

To further complicate matters, Isamu and Guld both had a childhood crush on the same girl, Myung Fang Lone (Anne Sherman). She’s also returned to Eden as the manager of the hottest idol singer in the galaxy. The singer is named Sharon Apple (Melora Harte), but she is no ordinary idol. She’s actually a computer system that is linked to Myung. Her emotional programming gets a boost from her human counterpart, and the computer creates the perfect image and songs for the spectators – creating the ultimate in entertainment.

These four personalities are going to collide in a battle of egos, history and technology. And don’t count Sharon out, just because she doesn’t have a body, doesn’t mean she won’t play for keeps, and leave nothing but pieces in her wake.

Good Points:

• Some amazing animation for its time
• Wonderful score and songs by Yoko Kanno
• Develops an interesting corner of the Macross universe

Bad Points:

• Those looking for pure action will be annoyed by the human drama that takes center stage
• Someone watched Top Gun a few times before writing the script
• Does not follow any of the characters or events from the television series

Overall:

Judged on its own merits, Macross Plus is an entertaining series. The impressive animation showcases some amazing battle sequences and the virtual realities of Sharon Apple. Kanno’s songs are a wonderful mix of mysterious, beautiful, and poppy.  It’s solid entertainment, and was certainly a showcase series of its time.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 4

Sound: 4

Acting: 3

Script: 3

Music: 4

Direction: 4

Entertainment: 4

Total:  4

In Depth Review

The Macross Plus logo opens each episode. In the
mid 90s this CG image was the cat's pajamas!

This was one of those Original Animated Video (OAV) series that I remember taking forever to get a full release. For some reason the first two episodes were widely available on VHS, but episode three was hard to get a hold of, and the final episode took forever to get released in North America, nearly a year after the third episode of memory serves. But anime fans were patient and while we were waiting we could spin through the epic saga of Record of Lodoss War or Tenchi Muyo again. It’s funny to think back on those crazy VHS only days and remember how rare some of this stuff was, and how excited we were about these shows. Now that anime has saturated the world of entertainment, I wondered how well a glorified version of Top Gun was going to hold up with my memories.

To tell you the truth Macross Plus was still very entertaining. I didn’t remember it being so focused on the love triangle. I didn’t remember the animation being so good (especially during the flying and battle sequences). And now that I’ve seen the entirety of the original Macross series (sure it was in Robotech form, but it counts), a lot of neat parallels became more obvious.

Guld's fighter prepares for it's next test run at
New Edwards.

As a whole Macross Plus has some impressive animation. They’ve taken the overall designs of the fighter planes, outfits and general tech of the original Macross series and pushed it forward a bit. You still recognize this as the same universe, but it everything looks a bit cleaner and a bit shinier. The two specialized fighters transform (of course), and the animators have a field day putting the two fighters into various situations where they can switch modes and continue battling. Each episode contains at least one fighter test sequence, but the finale episode has the biggest and most elaborate fight scene in the series. As far as 90s transforming mecha action, it is hard to top that battle scene.

I have seen some folks take issue with the character design. In an act of rebellion, the characters defy the tiny nose convention of most anime, and go for some serious nasal action. I actually liked this look; it certainly makes the series stand apart from its peers in the visual department. The same look would be used in one of the best series of the decade, Vision of Escaflowne, which boasted many of the same creative team. To me it’s a nice glimpse of a time when unique character design was more prevalent in anime.

Sharon Apple's first concert on planet Eden is
a smashing success.

But the most interesting character, and interesting use of animation in Macross Plus is Sharon Apple. Her computer design is obviously inspired by HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey. But her virtual self has three distinct looks and personalities. There are two concerts with Sharon and the animators go all out letting the virtual idol assume all three variations of her personality, create holographic backgrounds and a dazzling array of visual flourishes. These concerts scenes are some of the best utilization of CG and integrating it into the hand drawn visuals in the series. Since the whole thing is a virtual concert the incongruous styles don’t detract much. The last episode, where Sharon unleashes her final scheme, gives her plenty of time to shine. My favorite moment is when she appears as a towering goddess looming over Macross welcoming her slaves… I mean fans, to embrace her. There are some wonderful and iconic visuals in this final episode, and Sharon’s fans are sure to pick that one as their favorite.

Isamu is riding the highway to the danger zone when
he trash talks to Guld.

As I mentioned the series does use a bit of computer animation. Since this was the mid-90s some of it looks a bit primitive now. When it is used for holographic displays or during the virtual concerts it’s fine. But there are a few moments where it is used for the fighters, and they just don’t look too good over hand drawn backgrounds or characters. This was an issue with anime of the period, before computers really took over the coloring and consistency of the animation. Some series worked it in better than others, and for me Macross Plus wasn’t as jarring as something like Blue Submarine No. 6.

And speaking of the concerts and music, well you knew I had to mention it at some point. Yoko Kanno’s work on Macross Plus is what really brought her to the attention of many anime fans as well as being her real breakout piece. She composed the score; an eclectic mix of styles ranging from classical inspirations like Stravinsky and Prokofiev, to film composer styles similar to Ennio Morricone, John Williams and even Bill Conti’s work on The Right Stuff. The score is primarily orchestral and performed with energy by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

Myung is Sharon Apple's "manager" in more ways
than one.

Of course the pop songs performed by Sharon Apple are the highlight, with Kanno using several different artists to perform for the virtual idol and provide a wide spread of styles and flavors. The main theme for the series has to be the song Voices. This was a song the character Myung sung in her youth, but has turned her back on. It appears several times as other characters mention it. There’s a great orchestral version of the song, an a cappella version, and a full ballad version of the song. It is one of Kanno’s best songs and well worth checking out.

Since this was an early anime release, it was made when anime companies were experimenting with translating the J-pop into English. The English dub for Macross Plus features an English version of Voices, performed by Michelle Flynn. She does a fine job and her vocal style is very similar to Akino Arai. The rest of the English dub is pretty hit and miss. It’s kind of odd, because many of these performers would go on to do some great work for future projects like Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. But here, there are some very stilted deliveries, flat performances and some odd acting choices. There are a few comical (not intentional) moments. The script isn’t terribly complicated, so you can go with Japanese with subtitles for this one. Of the cast, I think Lee Stone (which was a pseudonym for actor Bryan Cranston of Breaking Bad fame) as Isamu does the best job channeling his inner Tom Cruise.

One of the images that always comes to mind
when I think of this series.

So the script to Macross Plus is the major weak point. It is Top Gun with a virtual idol mixed in with transforming fighter planes. But while the Tom Cruise flick focused on how awesome the jets were and how awesome Tom Cruise was, Macross Plus goes for a soapy route. The love triangle is played to the hilt, with Guld, Isamu and Myung all fighting their inner demons, their mixed up past and their desires. It actually gives the three characters a bit more dimension that Maverick and Iceman ever really got. But it also lays it on a bit thick at times. Both Guld and Isamu are some of the most unprofessional pilots I’ve ever seen, even for test pilots. Myung fares a bit better, with her desires being channeled into Sharon Apple, who takes those desires and actualizes them. 

Sharon Apple takes the whole thing to a new level, she’s a newborn whose entire psyche is based on a damaged woman’s. She has nearly godlike powers and doesn’t feel she needs to hold back when trying to achieve her ultimate goal – to provide Isamu with the ultimate experience. In other words, try her darnedest to kill him in front of Myung. You know how those virtual idols are. 

A rescue attempt is about go horribly wrong.

There is an interesting theme about technology running through the whole series. Both of the new mecha fighters are cutting edge weapons. The one Isamu is piloting is faster and more maneuverable than the current design. But it still relies on a pilot to get the job done. The other fighter that Guld is flying is tied directly to his brain. He doesn't actually have controls in front of him, but uses his mind as the interface. It can react as as quickly as Guld can think. But as the series continues we learn of another fighter the Macross government is working on, one with an advanced AI that doesn't require a pilot at all. This "Ghost Fighter" becomes a nemesis for the Guld and Isamu. And it mirrors Sharon Apple, an advanced AI who wants to take over Myung's duties to "her men". Of course Sharon takes control of the Ghost Fighter and that turns into the grand battle in the final episode. While the story isn’t anything terribly new, there is enough of it to flesh out four episodes each running about 40 minutes or so, and to give us some wonderful animated sequences.

This cityscape is familiar to all fans of the Macross
(and Robotech) series.

Directors Shoji Kawamori and Shinichiro Watanabe do a great job keeping the story trucking along for that entire series. There is a nice balance of action, drama and eye candy in each episode. The only episode that bogs down a little bit is the third one. It is mostly set up for the final episode. This episode is the most soapy of the episodes in Macross Plus, and it is light on action. But the fourth episode more than makes up for it pushing the action to 11 and having Sharon Apple take center stage. Watanabe would go on to work on Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo ( both featuring music by Yoko Kanno). Kawamori would continue work in the Macross universe as well as create the fantasy saga Vision of Escaflowne and Aquarion (both also featuring music by Yoko Kanno). As you can see Macross Plus served as a springboard to several careers. In that way it a milestone for Japanese animation. But it is also a entertaining series worth checking out. Just make sure that Sharon Apple doesn’t come out of your screen and start singing… you’ll be in real trouble .

But wait! Where is Sharon Apple in this review? I suspect she needed a rogues' gallery of her own.

"I'll be waiting to give you the Ultimate experience." 

Anime Juke Box - Pulse - Macross Plus

A while back I wrote a blog about Yoko Kanno explaining why she is one of my favorite film/anime composers. In that blog I wrote a bit about her first real break out score for an anime series called Macross Plus. I figured it was time to revisit Kanno's music and in particular her J-pop. 

When one of the main characters in the series is an idol singer, you need a composer who can craft both score and songs. Kanno did both on Macross Plus. The other issue was that the idol was popular because she could sing any kind of song and appeal to any kind of listener. So the variety of songs is pretty interesting and impressive. Now keep in mind this was made in 1994, so much of the pop sound in these tracks is very grounded in the 90s.

The song I'm featuring is Pulse, which should remind listeners of the group Enigma who shot to fame in the early 90s with Sadeness Part 1. The opening music is actually used in the opening title card for Macross Plus, and the rest of the song appeared in various forms throughout the series. So here is Sharon Apple singing Pulse with a little help from Akino Arai.

Anime Juke Box - Grace - Jin Roh

Composer Hajime Mizoguchi serves up an interesting score for the film Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade. For the most part it is a low key score, using a mix of orchestral and electronic elements. There are some interesting action cues and for the more touching scenes Mizoguchi serves up the right emotions. But the cue that makes the score is the end credits track called "Grace" or "Grace - Jin-Roh - Omega".

In this cue Mizoguchi takes his main theme, adds female vocals by Gabriela Robin (aka Yoko Kanno). Kanno also performs the piano in this track. It's a lovely piece, one of my favorites featuring Kanno's singing.

Movie Music Musings: Favorite Composers - Yoko Kanno

Yoko Kanno

In the previous installment of my Favorite Composers series, I talked a bit about John Williams and his work. His music certainly impacted me during my youth, but as always, tastes and interests change.

In the late ‘90s my interests shifted over to Japanese animation and the world of Japanese pop and rock. While most of anime series featured plenty of scores focused on pop elements, there were a few with larger budgets that managed to get full bodied orchestral scores. Some of the best of these scores were created by a woman named Yoko Kanno.

When it comes to the work of Kanno, variety is the name the of the game. The first work of hers I obtained was the score to Macross Plus. This series is like a sci-fi version of Top Gun, but with better characters and killer artificial intelligence added for kicks. The AI at the center of the story is a pop idol completely manufactured to appeal to the largest number of people. Her concerts include amazing holographic images, and she can appear in many forms (all of them smoking hot).

Kanno’s score is all over the place. For the starfighter based scenes she uses a mix of Bill Conti’s heroic sound for The Right Stuff and Stravinsky’s style from The Firebird. It’s wonderful dynamic stuff. For scenes in the city of Macross and in the more urban environments she provides a vast array of music. Some of it could come from The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly and some of it sounds like techno-urban-vocal-jazz... if that makes any sense.

There’s her pop music for the virtual idol, Sharon Apple. Again it’s an eclectic mix, but one that makes sense for an idol singer who appeals to anyone. She does a jazzy piece that sounds like something out of Twin Peaks, another piece that could be performed by Enigma, and a rhythmic chant in Sanskrit that is exotic and sexy all at once. A techno jazz piece appears during an action climax where the hero attempts to break through a blockade of defense satellites. The result is exciting and iconic in the film itself. As a stand alone listen it’s a great piece of electronica. Here is the jazzy piece called: Borderline.

Video Removed from Youtube at this time

Finally there is the song "Voices" performed by the leading lady in the film. It comes in two different versions and adds a touch of bittersweet sadness to the whole series. Kanno's work here is what gives a real heart to this action oriented series and is the highlight of the Macross Plus soundtracks.

Since I enjoyed anime primarily in the 90s, most of my collection of her works comes from that period. But she's been busy working in animation and video games for years now. Still you'll notice that when I talk about her music, its for series that are pretty old. Take this piece called "Ark" from the long forgotten series Brain Power'd. 

What really got me was when the series Cowboy Bebop came out. The score is a mix of jazz, blues, funk and rock. Not only does it fit the series like a glove, but the amazing array of styles and how well they are executed is impressive. Check out the extended version of the opening credits called: Tank!

The same woman who wrote and performed on that also gave us an amazing fantasy score to a series called Vision of Escaflowne. She takes various influences from classical works and fuses them with modern film scoring techniques. You’ll hear some Stravinsky, Holst and Wagner melted with John Williams and James Horner. One of the best pieces from the series is the thrilling track: Dance of Curse. It has a full chorus chanting along with the powerhouse orchestra.

One of her most powerful pieces comes from the film Jin Roh. She was brought in for the end titles, and that is her singing under her pseudonym Gabrielle Robin. It's called "Grace Omega".

When I first discovered Kanno, I was floored by her abilities. How could one person be so adept at writing pop, jazz, rock, and orchestral scores? Was she a musical genius? How come I’d never heard of her before, and why hadn’t she gotten discovered by Hollywood. Hell, the woman can even sing.

Well if you have some knowledge of film music and classical music than you begin to hear one of Kanno’s biggest issues. She takes her inspiration very directly and rarely masks it. It's a controversy that always comes up whenever I talk with more musically knowledgable folks.  Some call it plagiarism, and I agree in some cases she gets really close to the edge. But I believe that she adds enough of her own style or orchestrates the music with enough of a difference to make it unique. I always enjoy her music and to me that is the most important thing. 

If you don’t mind the borrowing, her stuff is amazing. I can easily recommend the first CDs for either Cowboy Bebop if you like jazz, or Vision of Escaflowne if you enjoy orchestral. Both includes some J-pop songs as well, but they are darn catchy.

For the next installment I'll go into one of most famous composers of the Golden Age of film music. Even if you've never heard the name Bernard Herrmann - you have heard his music.