Description of Item:
The first Inuyasha soundtrack, with background music composed by Kaoru Wada, opening by V6, and ending by dream. The background music was introduced over approximately the first 30 episodes.
Tracklist:
01. CHANGE THE WORLD (TV size)
02. Shukumei no Tabi e [On a Journey of Destiny]
03. Sabutaitoru [Subtitle]
04. Hanyou Inuyasha [Half-Demon - Inuyasha]
05. Kakushi Ido kara Sengoku Jidai e [From the Hidden Well to the Feudal Era]
06. Youkei Sesshoumaru [Demon Brother - Sesshoumaru]
07. Shikon no Tama o Nerau Chimimouryou [Spirits Seeking the Sacred Jewel]
08. Kiba no Ken Tessaiga [Fang Sword - Tessaiga]
09. Kyuuchi [Dilemma]
10. Youen [Fascinating]
11. Aikyacchi A [Eyecatch A]
12. Toki o Koete Kagome [Transcending Time - Kagome]
13. Dokidoki Ukiuki [Cheerful Heartthrobbing]
14. Ganbare! Houjou-kun [Go for It! Houjou]
15. Mura no Ichinichi [A Day in the Village]
16. Shikon no Tama o Tomete [Seeking the Sacred Jewel]
17. Nomi no Jijii Myouga [Old Man Flea - Myouga]
18. Osuwari! [Sit!]
19. Kogitsune Youkai Shippou [Litte Fox Demon - Shippou]
20. Furyou Houshi Miroku [Delinquent Priest - Miroku]
21. Kazaana [Wind Tunnel]
22. Taijiya Sango [Exterminator - Sango]
23. Unmei to Koigokoro [Fate and Awakening Love]
24. Bojou [Longing]
25. Aikyacchi B [Eyecatch B]
26. Fuonna Kehai [Uneasy Feeling]
27. Jayou Naraku [Malicious - Naraku]
28. Shuugeki [Attack]
29. Shikon [Dead Souls]
30. Hiun no Miko Kikyou [Fated Priestess - Kikyou]
31. Aika [Elegy]
32. Kanashimi no Hate ni [The Extent of Sadness]
33. Kagome to Inuyasha [Kagome and Inuyasha]
34. Reiryoku [Holy Powers]
35. Jaki [Evil Energy]
36. Shitou [Battle to the Death]
37. Daihangeki [Big Counterattack]
38. My will (TV size)
Review:
Well, since this monster of a CD has 38 tracks, I'm not going to bother commenting on every single one of them, or I'd be here for weeks. Instead, I'll just pick and choose the ones I thought were worth commenting on specifically.
03 "Hanyou Inuyasha"
It's the main theme of the series, so I might as well at least give it a nod. Yup, it's the music you hear during every single episode preview, plus occasionally within the series proper as well. There are ten zillion different renditions of this theme that appear throughout the series, so it's a good thing it's a fun piece.
06 "Youkei Sesshoumaru"
Yes, that IS supposed to be "Youkei", not "Youkai". This track is two parts, the first being a slow, mysterious version of the Sesshoumaru theme, the second being the "Hoo yeah, who's the evil badass?" version. This was one of my favorite themes in the early TV series, but it has gone into utter disuse as the series progressed, mostly because the theme doesn't really fit Sesshoumaru's character anymore (he's still a badass, but doesn't particularly reek of "evil") and Kaoru Wada has yet to give him a new one (well, except track 10, which is, like, the first half of this track all over again).
09 "Kyuuchi"
This is the "Ah @&*%, something bad just happened" music. It's yet another rendition of the main "Inuyasha" theme. I can't for the life of me think of a specific moment this is used, other than I associate it with the statement above. ^_^* But I just really like the "Holy crap!" feel of it.
12 "Toki o Koete Kagome"
Jeez, are only tracks that are multiples of three any good on this CD? :P But, it's the Kagome theme! I love the Kagome theme! It gets a good number of re-mixes as the series progresses, too, including those awesome vocal versions (this one's all instrumental, though, played on a wood flute).
16 "Shikon no Tama o Tomete"
Ha, I broke my pattern of threes. Anyway, there's nothing really special about this track, other than it appears in the series ALL THE TIME. It's in two parts, the first part being, "La la la, we're walking down the road" music, that probably begins 75% of all episodes. The second half is the "La la la, we're settling down to camp" music that appears in a good chunk of episodes as well.
19 "Kogitsune Youkai Shippou"
More character themes! I loveth character themes, and Shippou probably has my favorite character theme of them all. It's just so CUTE! Too bad it hardly gets any use in the series whatsoever.
21 "Kazaana"
Sorry, Miroku, I like your curse's theme better than your theme. Not that the Miroku theme isn't good, since I like all character themes (well... besides Kouga's...), but this one deserves more attention. It's that light percussive thing with the little "Huhp" voices that often plays when Miroku opens his Kazaana. The second part of the track is a more "battle theme" version of Miroku's main theme.
22 "Taijiya Sango"
Awww... purty. Sango easily has the prettiest theme of anyone in the series, and all later mixes of her theme are total awesomeness. This version begins with a slow piano version of the theme, then moves into the more upbeat version that played during her initial appearance in the series.
23 "Unmei to Koigokoro"
Remember those "vocal versions of Kagome's theme" I mentioned? Well, here's one. The second half of this track is a more upbeat, lighthearted version of Kagome's theme, played on the wood flute again.
24 "Bojou"
And, moving from upbeat versions of Kagome's theme, here's a slow version of Inuyasha's theme, played on strings. Usually plays when our dog boy's being contemplative or angsting over something bad he just did. Track 31 is pretty much a repeat of this, only on the flute.
27 "Jayou Naraku"
IT'S THE DAMN HARPSICHORDS! This is probably my favorite theme in the series to mock. I mean, the scene switches and you hear the harpsichords start up, and you immediately think, "Oh, Naraku must be around here somewhere". And, sure enough, he usually pops up right after that. Honestly, if he wants to hide, he needs to ditch his minstrel. :P
30 "Hiun no Miko Kikyou"
Here's that meloncholy theme for our meloncholy priestess. This theme just screams, "I've had a hard life and I'm tragic!" Though maybe not quite that amusingly. No matter what you think of the character, her theme is pretty, nonetheless.
33 "Kagome to Inuyasha"
More Kagome vocal theme of doom! Plus some pretty... uh... I can't really identify the instrument. Somewhere between plucked strings and piano. It almost sounds music box-like. The second half of the track is the same thing, except definitely on plucked strings and a harp, plus more of those "woooh" vocals we all love. ^_^
34 "Reiryoku"
Well, Kikyou was feeling left out in the vocal theme department, so she gets one, too. Except hers, unlike the soothing, pretty versions Kagome gets, is more of a forceful, commanding tone.
35 "Shitou"
It's the "Inuyasha vs Everyone" battle music! Honestly, this thing plays during just about every major fight, especially ones against Sesshoumaru. Good thing it's one of my favorite battle themes in the series.
General Thoughts:
So, I reviewed 15 tracks, and six of them were NOT divisible by three. But I guess that means they're spacing their good music fairly evenly.
Of course, since this is the music that starts the whole series going, it's natural to feel all nostalgic while listening to it. Granted, most of these themes have survived up to the current episodes, so it's not like they stopped getting used.
Honestly, I really have no gripes with this soundtrack. It came out before they started doing that whole copy protection thing, so it'll actually play on a computer's CD player (I don't know if newer printings of this CD have changed that, though). The CD is character theme-heavy, which to me is a good thing. It has a decent running time at just over an hour. I guess the only gripe is that BECAUSE it's the first soundtrack, and thus has all the themes that appeared early on, it's also the soundtrack of the themes you hear over and over again in the series, which might be a little mundane for some people looking for something new and not so heavily-used.