I
have been both dreading and anticipating this write up since I
started my little blog back in February. Don't get me wrong, I love
this game and one of the most interesting and original games
Square-Enix has come up with in the past decade. From the graphics,
to the characters to the music, this game is near flawless. So why am
I having difficulty in writing a review for The World Ends With You?
I have no idea what is popular on the j-pop scene.
To
be perfectly honest, this games soundtrack feels Square grabbed the
Japanese Top 40 and plugged it into the game. If it was any other
game, S-E game, this would be a failure, but somehow with TWEWY, it
works. That's not to say using Billboard top 40 songs or licensed
songs in general is a bad idea. Jet Set Radio Future did it, as well
as the Tony Hawk games, and they both introduced people to songs and
bands they may have missed out on. TWEWY does the exact same thing,
only this time with J-Pop.
Another
reason why the TWEWY music is an abnormality is because it is an RPG,
not a sports game*. Games like Tony Hawk, EA Sports games and JSRF
can get away with using Billboard music is because they are set in a
(somewhat) modern urban environment, be it a sports arena, abandoned
warehouse or stylized Future Tokyo. Yes TWEWY is set in modern day
Shibuya, but it is not a sports game.
So
what makes TWEWY soundtrack so special? My personal belief is that
while in Japan, the music is nothing special but to the casual jRPG
fans in North America, it would give them more exposure to a new
genre of music. The more seasoned jRPG vet's might be used to the
songs, but still find them catchy.
So
why do I think the music is special? It is a Square Enix game whose
music is the complete opposite of what they usually do. Instead, for
the most part they got licenses from several J-Pop musicians and used
their songs. They still had one of their in-house composers and SAWA
member (Also featured on the album), Takeharu Ishimoto; whose credits
include, Vagrant Story. Legend of Mana, and Kingdom Hearts II among
other games.
Mr
Ishimoto's work on the album was pretty solid. Being mostly a synth
artist, his brand of music was a perfect fit for this project. His
works such as Underground and Forebode bring a sense of melancholy
and despair while his other tracks like Let's Get Together as well as
Slash and Slash are far more jubilant and uplifting, which brings a
solid balance to the soundtrack.
On
the other half of the soundtrack, I can't help but listen to the
j-Pop artists. They bring a new kind of energy to the soundtrack and
given that the game is set in a very urban part of Tokyo. From what I
have read on Wikipedia, Shibuya is considered one of the fashion
capitals of Japan. Given one of the tasks you complete in TWEWY
regarding fashion, it makes much more sense. The j-Pop music is a
perfect fit for the soundtrack as it seems to make the world seem
more real. I feel without this music, the game wouldn't be as
memorable.
The
two halves of the TWEWY soundtrack compliment each other very well.
On the Square-Enix side, Takeharu Ishimoto's work is fantastic and
does a great job establishing the mood of the game. On the other
side, the other musicians do a great job making the world seem real.
The lyrics are fun, catchy and sometimes, suggestive as hell. If you
are a fan of j-Pop this is a great addition to your collection. You
can find the albums on Play Asia or on iTunes (and for some reason
they've listed Takharu Ishimoto as sole composer)
Next
week, I am taking a break from video game music and take a look at
some modern, non gaming music. This is Daimo Mac and I am lost in the
music
~~
Footnote*
Given the nature of JSRF, it would be easy to classify it as a pseudo
sport game
~~
Follow
me on Twitter @lostwiththmusic or
email me at lostwithmusic@gmail.com.
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