Pink iPod of Doom: Lady Death, Memories, Evangelion: Day of Second Impact, FLCL 2, Hand Maid May

By: Lauren Goodnight
Date: Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Summer! Yay for Summer! The only problem with Summer is that the Pink iPod of DOOM occasionally overheats during recharging! It doesn't need to reboot or anything, it just gets super hot in its little rubber case. The one thing the DOOMPod likes is new zipper pulls and phone straps! I once had so many on it that the charms weighted more than the 'Pod itself! I was so proud that day...



In this, the second part of the 4-part Pink iPod of DOOM series to clean up my review pile, I've taken a look at the one CD everyone should buy this year, Lady Death. Hey, it surprised the heck out of me too! Memories, a two-disc set from the triptych anime fil, is also on the chopping block. Evangelion: Day of Second Impact and FLCL 2 follow, buttressed up by the thoroughly weird release of Hand Maid May. Enjoy!

Lady Death: The Motion Picture

ADV Films



Oooooh, this disc is a really fun one to have on hand during long trips. Lady Death, while not selling within the anime market, sold extremely well in the comic book arena, where they were glad to have their lovely angel of death come to life in glorious... well, no one uses celluloid these days. What makes me even more pleased than they were is this disc, the first in a LONG time from ADV Films' music division! This is a masterful piece of epic fantasy music, rivaling some of my favorites such as Legend (Tangerine Dream). I am stunned at how atmospheric this album is, and no matter what you thought of Lady Death: The Motion Picture, I strongly recommend purchasing this at your first opportunity. A full, beautiful orchestra delivers in the hands of Bill Brown, who pulls a choir into the mix in a dreamy representation of hellish battles and heavenly beauty.

Where I took it: Its a long plane ride from Houston to South Carolina.

Where it took me: I never did see Lady Death: The Motion Picture. However, I got to make my own movie in my head, and it was one hell of a movie!

Standout track: The Endless Graveyard - This final track on the album was luscious. This was everything I want other epic discs, like the God of War soundtrack, to be and so much more.

Skip-it track: I didn't have a track I didn't enjoy. Maybe I'm just a sucker for fantasy discs, but this was a lovely treat.



Rating: 5 out of 5

Memories Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Geneon Entertainment



This two-disc set stars off with the music from Koji Morimoto's portion of 'Memories' called 'Magnetic Rose'. Its a good start, with Yoko Kanno composing a lovely world full of beauty and the grotesque. Kaoru Nishino sings the particularly memorable operatic 'Madara Butterfly'. Jun Miyake's take on Tensai Okamura's 'Stink Bomb' is next, and it, as well, is masterful, but it certainly feels much different from the classical apocalypse of 'Magnetic Rose'. A much stronger horn section and a latin percussion feel are big movers here between the well-orchestrated and more traditional action scene tracks. Disc two is dedicated solely to Hiroyuki Nagashima's orchestration of Katsuhiro Otomo's 'Cannon Fodder'. There is a sprinkling here and there of Indian musical influence, but you really have to listen for it. All in all, Nagashima's section sounds a LOT like a game soundtrack. The collection is capped off with a signature Yoko Kanno track, with a soaring vocal choir and a strong techno beat.

Where I took it: This rolled with me to the mall, wheren I browsed books and looked at teenagers play DDR.

Where it took me: Each movement told a very different story. For the major portion of Kanno's section, I was somewhat tense, yet floating. Miyake felt almost bipolar, and Nagashima's work was very appropriate to my arcade outing.

Standout Track: 'Madara Butterfly' - This clear, crisp, classic soprano rendition willhaunt me for the rest of my days.

Skip-it track: Song of the Soldiers - This was too short, too simply and too cliché, even for me.



Rating: 3 out of 5

Evangelion: The Day of Second Impact

Geneon Entertainment



Consider this your Best of Evangelion album. It has the most notable (sometimes notable and best are not one in the same) tracks from the history of Evangelion all on one easy-to-locate disc. Lovely orchestrations of the well-known moments rise up here to remind you of one of the most famous anime ever to find its way across the pond. I found the inclusion of where each song came from (in the liner notes) to be extremely helpful for the more obscure tracks, such as 'Jesus bleibet meine Freude' (which was the BGM on episode 26's ending song as per all of the video releases). A good all round purchase for Evangelion fans who are tired of keeping up with the numerous releases... however, if you have all of the discs, you can grow this one at home.

Standout track: A Cruel Angel's Thesis - This is a staple of the anime karaoke circuit for a reason. It is a really good pop song while being distinctive both vocally and musically.

Skip-it track: Thanatos ~If I can't be yours~ - The vocal version of Thanatos is passionless and stale. Move on before you draw comparisons to other instrumental tracks that ended up with lyrics... better tracks, like Nat King Cole's version of 'Stardust'.



Rating: 3.5 out of 5

FLCL Volume 2: King of Pirates

Geneon Entertainment



Mostly, this is a The Pillows disc with lots of drama tracks and three instrumentals. As a whole, its a better The Pillows Album than PENALTY LIFE was, and that can only be a good thing. Again, there is no translation of the drama tracks included with the liner notes, and this leaves fans at the mercy of the Geneon website for their understanding. This is a big mark against Geneon, but there are ways to improve this: for instance, include the translations on a folded white sheet separate from the booklet. Or, find a way to extend the booklet to include the translations. Drama tracks would be much more fun if I didn't have to sit at my computer every time I wanted to listen to them. It affects the CD as a whole, and I can't see myself listening to this more times than it takes to review it.

Where I took it: I could only take this to my computer and look through the Geneon website while trying to take it all in.

Where it took me: Nowhere. Absolutely nowhere. I would have liked to have experienced the FLCL world through this disc, but sadly, that didn't happen.

Standout track: Blues Drive Monster - I keep doing the little ska dance to this... Does that give away my age, or just the sheer number of subcultures I've been a part of?

Skip-it track: I Think I Can - By the end of this disc, the repetitive I Think I Can is just what I needed to seal the deal on this awful disc. Too bad it took over 7 minutes to do it. Ugh.



Rating:2 out of 5

Hand Maid May Original Soundtrack

Geneon Entertainment



This release is both amazing and creepy. The instrumental tracks from Hand Maid May are comforting in their formulaic nature, some even being so perfect as to warm your heart just by hearing them out of context. The OP and ED are both slightly annoying. Neither of these parts is amazing. Tracks 26-60 are the amazing parts. 25-35 are full of the voice actress for May saying vaguely submissive lines from the anime. 36-60 are all of the Japanese syllables imaginable, each in a few different tones of voice. These are to make a "voice collage" with. You can make Hand Maid May say anything you want, basically. Is this a good thing? Maybe. Is it creepy? As a voice actor, I can officially say that it is CREEPY! I wouldn't recommend this release for anyone but the die-hard Hand Maid May fans... or the more obsessed fans of Maria Yamamoto, May's seiyuu.

Where I took it: I took this out jogging. Boy was I in for a shock when May started her syllables.

Where it took me: The instrumental tracks were lovely and they made me feel comfortable even when I was sweaty and having a very hard time breathing. While jogging. Pervs.

Standout track: 'I'll do my best!' and 'Cupid Doll' - These are wonderful examples of the cute girl anime formula music. Don't miss these tracks!

Skip-it track: My True Feelings (Full Length Version) - The short version was bad enough. I did not ever need to hear a longer version of this low-end-of-pitchy bad excuse for a pop song.



Rating: 2 out of 5