I did not originally intend to blog about this, but urge kept getting stronger, so I decided to do so, although I'm a bit late starting.
For those who don't know what it is - it's not what you think it is! The Best Anime MOE Tourney actually stands for Best Anime Music of Openings & Endings Tourney; it's a music tourney for anime openings and endings organised by the people at the anime music blog Anime Instrumentality. Insert songs actually qualify as well, but the organisers were already clutching at straws when they contrived up "Best Anime MOE Tourney", so they couldn't fit that part in. Here's the webiste: http://animusictourney.wordpress.com/
The main tournament itself is a standard knock out competition comprising 256 tracks (I don't say songs because some of them are instrumental opening/endings), so there's not much to talk about there. The process of selecting the 256 tracks is a bit more interesting. You can nominate up to 15 tracks (minimum is 5), ordered by preference. The top tracks receive 35 nomination points, the next one receives slightly less (30 if I recall correctly) and so on. Tracks #11 to #15 receives 5 points each. The nomination stage is already over, by the way - like I said, I started blogging late.
I listen to a lot of anime music, and I like an awful lot, so cutting my nominations down to 15 was a painful process. I started with a shortlist of around 60 anime that I can remember containing tracks that I liked that also qualifies for the tournament, and grinded (you have no idea how appropriate that word is) the number down to 15. It was so hard that to make the decisions easier, I had to impose guidelines such as only taking one song from each anime, and favouring older and more obscure tracks over popular ones, with the reason being the popular ones are less likely to need my help in the qualification stages. And by the time I'd finished, I had very little confidence that I'd actually picked my favourite 15 tracks. The differences are often miniscule, and there are some songs which I've listened to so often that I can no longer tell how much I like them compared to other tracks.
Naturally, you'll be dying to know what my final 15 were. But like a cheesy game/reality TV show host, I'm going to take a detour first, and visit some of the songs missed out on a place:
Umi no Triton OP (not sure the name of the song)
I really wanted to include this. It's an anime I watched when I was about 6, and the theme stayed with me. It's also so obscure (at least on these shores) and old that there's probably more chance of me winning the lottery than anyone else nominating this song. It's one of those themes styled similarly to a lot of action-y Japanese shows (robot shows, power suit shows, that kind of stuff) from decades past, using a more retro, distinctively Japanese scale that you just don't hear any more.
Reason for cut: As much as I love the melody, the song is a bit repetitive, showing little variety beyond bog standard key shifts. The vocals are also a bit too over the top to be taken seriously today. That last reason is also my reason for cutting numerous other oldies like the "Getter Robo" OP from the list.
"Liminality" (the full version) [insert song from ".Hack//Liminality"]
One of Yuki Kajiura's best songs, in my opinion. The song is rich in atmosphere, stunning from verse to chorus and filled with the kind of pseudo-operatic soprano vocals that Kajiura favours.
Reason for cut: The variation in the the middle of the song is a bit weak. The rest of the song is so strong that it might still have made it, except I've got an EVEN BETTER Kajiura song in my final 15.
"Haru no Katami" [ED of "Ayakashi Japanese Classic Horror"]
A deliciously oriental track with unusual vocals. I don't know whether it's a more traditional Japanese style of singing, or whether it's just her unique style.
Reason for cut: The sudden, breathy changes in syllables in the song gets a little trying after a while. Incidentically, the single for the song also includes a cover version of Fairground Attraction's "Perfect", featuring the same kind of vocals. It sounded horrible.
"Mizu no Madoromi" [ED of "Fantastic Children"]
A very exotic sounding song that's rather appropriate for the anime, considering its premise.
Reason for cut: The instrumental variation section in the middle is a bit bland. It may have made the cut on a different day, though
"Men of Destiny" [OP2 of "Gundam 0083: Stardust Memories]
Towards the latter end of the 80s and the beginning of the 90s, there seems to be a trend for themes from robot/power suit anime to shift from the bombastic, very Japanese sounds like the "Getter Robo" OP to more western influenced sounds. "Men of Destiny" is good example of this - it sounds very much like western pop/rock song from the decade of cheese, the 80s. I love cheesy 80s music, and I think this song, with all its energy and catchy hooks, hits all the right notes for me as a fan of that kind of music.
Reason for cut: I ended up with quite a few of these kinds of songs in my list, and had to cut some for the sake of having more variety in my final 15. This was very close to the top though, and might well have made it on a different day. One of the "AD Police" songs was also in the "cut" pile due to the fierce competition.
"Reach Out to the Sky Someday" [OP of "Gundam 0080: War in Pocket"]:
Another anime song from that late 80s/early 90s period that sounds quite westernised. Unlike the Gundam 0083 song though, this one isn't really a typical sounding western-influenced anime song from that period: it's almost pure pop, with very little of the kind of rock instrumentals/vocals that was all the rage back in the 80s. Then again, Gundam 0080 wasn't a typical gundam show, so it's only appropriate that the song is quite different too. I just love the moment when the song spreads its wings and soars during the chorus; it's so uplifting.
Reason for cut: As good as the chorus is, the verse isn't as good. Also, the engrish is a black mark against the song ("I never give up forever")!
"Doraemon no Uta" [OP of "Doraemon"]
When I was growing up in China, Doraemon was one of the most popular shows for kids. I don't think my fondness for this song is down to nostalgia though; I really do think this bouncy, catchy song is great, a perfect fit for a kids' show.
Reason for cut: It's awesome, but just not quite awesome enough to make the cut.
"Dearest" [OP of "I My Me! Strawberry Eggs"]
The anime was rather meh, but the opening was very pleasant, and had a warmth to it that represented the strongest aspect of the show.
Reason for cut: It's very solid but not spectacular, so lost out against songs that really wowed me.
"Never the End" [ED of "Bubblegum Crisis" episode 7]
The vocals sound like Mari Iijima, and the song sounds like something Minmei would sing, albeit one of her classier numbers. I'm a big fan of Minmei's voice so this is definitely a good thing. Incidentally, no Macross songs made my final cut. I liked quite a few of Minmei's songs, but none of them so much that I would put them in my favourites. I think this "Bubblegum Crisis" song beats them all.
Reason for cut: This was one of the harder ones to cut, but there's a better "Bubblegum Crisis" song that I put through to my final 15, which sealed this song's fate.
"Ai no Hikari to Kage" [ED of "Rose of Versailles]
I think the opening for "Rose of Versailles" was popular enough to make the qualifications, but I guess I'm weird in that I prefer the ED by far. I think it has a much more interesting melody, starting from delicate beginnings and building up to a dramatic chorus. Based on the strength of the song itself, it's one of my favourite EDs.
Reason for cut: Just listen till the end.
"Nahji no Uta" [insert song from "Guardian of the Sacred Spirit"]
I remember it as the Rice Planting Song, because in the anime, it's a song that children sing as they're planting rice in the fields or something. The song ties in quite closely to the story, and when I first heard it I was astonished by how authentic it sounds - the use of the Chinese Pentatonic scale, the children's chorus, the simple yet catchy and enduring melody all make it easy to imagine people singing it while working in the fields. I liked the ED of the anime too, but the Rice Planting Song edges it.
Reason for cut: It's probably a less interesting song when you take it out of context, but really, on another day it may well have made the cut.
"Kirei na Yozora" [ED 1 of "Stellvia of the Universe"]
Back in the day when this anime was still well known, it had a reputation for its music (I've listened to the soundtrack and can verify that the reputation is deserved), including an awesome set of OP/EDs which all had the distinctively over-the-top vocals of Angela stamped on them. And now no one seems to remember it any more.
Reason for cut: I didn't think the too-cheery children's chorus and instrumentals fitted the rest of the song.
"Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien" [Ultimate ED of "Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien"]
Having the show on my favourite list have raised a few eyebrows over the years. But I make no apologies - I think it's one of the most gut-wrenching tragedy/romance melodramas I've ever watched. The ending to the very last episode was hugely emotional, and I think that was the first and only time this song got played, and it did a great job of supplementing the mood.
Reason for cut: Removed from the context, I noticed that the song isn't as good as I remembered in the anime. I still like it very much, but a lot of the music phrases sound a bit too familiar, like they've been used in too many other songs already.
"Scramble" [OP of "School Rumble"]
I liked "School Rumble", but it was a show I didn't take to initially. I immediately took to the opening theme though, as it's simply one of the most ludicrously catchy songs ever! This was one of the last songs to be eliminated from my shortlist. It may have been the 16th song, actually.
Reason for cut: I think I cut it on a whim. "School Rumble" was also a very popular show back in the day, so I probably figured it might make it without my help. Spoiler: it didn't. It did receive some nomination points though, so it would have got in if I had put it high enough in my list of 15. Would I have put it through if I'd known? Probably.
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So there we go, my select list of songs that didn't make it to my final 15. There were others of course, like the "Last Exile" ED and one of the "Nana" EDs, but I picked out some of the older, more obscure and more interesting songs, and also songs that came closest to making it. I'd originally planned to continue onto my top 15 in this post, but I think I've rambled on enough already, so it'll have to be in the next post instead.
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