Tell me these aren't epic
So. Remember how I was being a total dork about Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann? I am now being a total dork about the music. Anime, as a general rule, has excellent background music, much better than the standard fare we get in western animation that isn't a movie. Point in case, I was listening to the soundtrack to Revolutionary Girl Utena while studying, and my mother came into my room and commented that the music was beautiful. I have quite the collection of anime soundtracks, most of which were my constant companions in college as I worked on research papers and class work. I've gotten a lot of mileage out of the Utena, Escaflowne, Hellsing, LAST EXILE, and Macross Plus soundtracks over the years, and I keep adding to the collection because while I don't mind silence, I'm a musical creature at heart (I play two instruments and have been learning a third, if that's any indication) and to not have music going is weird to me.
Anyway, back on topic. The score for Gurren Lagann is by Taku Iwasaki, who has done the score for Witch Hunter Robin, Read or Die (both the OVA and the TV series), and Soul Eater. While not as prolific as The Great Yoko Kanno, Iwasaki's work is memorable. And in the case of Gurren Lagann, the score is EPIC. Yes, with all caps. It's that EPIC. As one person commented, "It makes me want to punch a bear and I'm a GIRL." The TV Tropes page for the show lists the entire soundtrack as a Crowning Music as Awesome because you'd be really hard pressed to find a track that isn't EPIC. However, there are a few that stick out. And wouldn't you know it, Gainax was nice enough to create AMVs for their own show to the show's music.
And I'm going to share them, because to no do so would be a travesty. Heh.
First up is "Rap is the Man's Soul!! (Dai-Gurren-Dan Theme)" - an alternate universe could have been, and probably the launcher of a thousand fics:
Second is "Baf!Baf! Do you like being that...Fired Up?!" - Pachinko IN SPACE!:
Third up is "Boing vs. Boing" - a thinly veiled reference to Yoko's boobs, go figure, done in a similar art style as Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo:
Fourth is "With your XXX, Pierce the Heavens!!" - a personal favorite, and the music really reminds me of a spaghetti western:
Fifth is "Rap is a Man's Soul!" - Note: This is the original version of the song and this video is very much NOT SAFE FOR WORK. LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE. XD In fact, you might be offended by this video. I know I'm slightly scandalized by it (and those who know me really well know that it takes a lot to rattle me).
Sixth up is "To Hell with Gattai!" - a sort of alternate universe take on TTGL, or showing how humanity was driven to live underground:
Seventh is ""Libera me" from Hell" - which is one of my all time favorite tracks from the series. The combination of the operatic "Libera me" requiem, driving piano hook, and "Rap is the Man's Soul!" is EPIC. It should be noted that this particular short is quite divisive - you either love it or you hate it. Part of that comes from the fact that most of it is actual location filming (looks like the American southwest to me) with really nothing to tie it to the show save that the locations look a lot like the surface when Kamina and Simon see it for the first time. That being said, the music alone usually makes up for it.:
Finally we have "All You Bastards, Get Fired UP!" - telling the back story of the first antagonist Lord Genome:
Seriously, tell me that this series isn't the ur example of EPIC. I hadn't seen the series when I went to Anime Expo, so I had no idea why it was plastered all over everything. I wondered if the series was a great as everyone seemed to say it was, and now that I've seen it, I understand just how BADASS this series is. Not that I want to cosplay as anyone or anything else, I'm perfectly content to sit and do the usual fannish things - read fanfiction, cruise devART for fanart (fart?), discuss it with my friends and blast the music as I work around the house. Yes, hi, I'm a total dork.
I have never denied this. I will try and tone it down and only let it show when it's appropriate, but hot damn, I feel like I need to share this truly EPIC music. With everyone who's willing to listen, anyway. X3
Anyway, back on topic. The score for Gurren Lagann is by Taku Iwasaki, who has done the score for Witch Hunter Robin, Read or Die (both the OVA and the TV series), and Soul Eater. While not as prolific as The Great Yoko Kanno, Iwasaki's work is memorable. And in the case of Gurren Lagann, the score is EPIC. Yes, with all caps. It's that EPIC. As one person commented, "It makes me want to punch a bear and I'm a GIRL." The TV Tropes page for the show lists the entire soundtrack as a Crowning Music as Awesome because you'd be really hard pressed to find a track that isn't EPIC. However, there are a few that stick out. And wouldn't you know it, Gainax was nice enough to create AMVs for their own show to the show's music.
And I'm going to share them, because to no do so would be a travesty. Heh.
First up is "Rap is the Man's Soul!! (Dai-Gurren-Dan Theme)" - an alternate universe could have been, and probably the launcher of a thousand fics:
Click to viewSecond is "Baf!Baf! Do you like being that...Fired Up?!" - Pachinko IN SPACE!:
Third up is "Boing vs. Boing" - a thinly veiled reference to Yoko's boobs, go figure, done in a similar art style as Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo:
Fourth is "With your XXX, Pierce the Heavens!!" - a personal favorite, and the music really reminds me of a spaghetti western:
Fifth is "Rap is a Man's Soul!" - Note: This is the original version of the song and this video is very much NOT SAFE FOR WORK. LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE. XD In fact, you might be offended by this video. I know I'm slightly scandalized by it (and those who know me really well know that it takes a lot to rattle me).
Sixth up is "To Hell with Gattai!" - a sort of alternate universe take on TTGL, or showing how humanity was driven to live underground:
Seventh is ""Libera me" from Hell" - which is one of my all time favorite tracks from the series. The combination of the operatic "Libera me" requiem, driving piano hook, and "Rap is the Man's Soul!" is EPIC. It should be noted that this particular short is quite divisive - you either love it or you hate it. Part of that comes from the fact that most of it is actual location filming (looks like the American southwest to me) with really nothing to tie it to the show save that the locations look a lot like the surface when Kamina and Simon see it for the first time. That being said, the music alone usually makes up for it.:
Finally we have "All You Bastards, Get Fired UP!" - telling the back story of the first antagonist Lord Genome:
Seriously, tell me that this series isn't the ur example of EPIC. I hadn't seen the series when I went to Anime Expo, so I had no idea why it was plastered all over everything. I wondered if the series was a great as everyone seemed to say it was, and now that I've seen it, I understand just how BADASS this series is. Not that I want to cosplay as anyone or anything else, I'm perfectly content to sit and do the usual fannish things - read fanfiction, cruise devART for fanart (fart?), discuss it with my friends and blast the music as I work around the house. Yes, hi, I'm a total dork.
I have never denied this. I will try and tone it down and only let it show when it's appropriate, but hot damn, I feel like I need to share this truly EPIC music. With everyone who's willing to listen, anyway. X3