–Kanon–
Orito Shinji - 「凍土高原」 (Tundra Plateau)
Runner up: Maeda Jun - 「夢の跡」 (Remnants of a Dream)
I’ve played a bit of Kanon’s VN and didn’t like it at all…
But I absolutely love an anime adaptation of it. Probably, this is one of the rare beasts called “The Good VN Adaptation (and even better than original)”.
Toudo Kogen would be my most beloved OST from it. Personally, many Kanon’s OSTs gives me a feeling of fleeting nostalgia.
But this one goes further than that… It feels “real” to me. It has a good chemistry with snow. In the town where I live there are places where this melody would fit in perfectly. And I love it.
As for the runner up… Well, its an instrumetnal arrangement of “Last Regrets”. And as I’ve mentioned in another thread… I am deeply in love with “Last Regrets”.
–Air–
Orito Shinji – 「川」 (River)
Runner up: Togoshi Magome – 「双星」 (Twin Stars)
I haven’t played an original VN… But I’ve watched an anime adaptation and mostly liked it.
A bit sarcastic that Orito Shinji’s “Kawa” is my favourite here. It does sound similar to “Toudo Kougen”… and maybe thats why I like it?
I was conflicted about what melody to choose here, to be honest. And the runner up “Sousei” was very close to coming on top. But I’ve preffered a more “classic” style of Orito Shinji in the end.
–Clannad–
Maeda Jun - 「同じ高みへ」 (To the Same Heights)
Runners up: Orito Shinji – 「潮鳴り」 (Roaring Tide), 「月の位相」 (Phase of the Moon), and 「町、時の流れ、人」 (Town, Flow of Time, People)
And this was hard. Clannad’s OSTs are good. No, they are fantastic. Most of the melodies deserve to be called the very best…
Still, I’ve decided that the hope I feel in “Onaji Takami he” should be put on top of everything.
Orito Shinji’s “Shionari” and “Machi, Toki no Nagare, Hito” are powerful and melancholic at the same time.
Probably, if I judge by emotions inflicted alone on me by the sheer music… “Shionari” would be one of the strongest tracks by Key ever.
–Little Busters!–
PMMK - 騒がし乙女の憂愁 (Melancholy of a Noisy Girl)
Runners up: Maeda Jun – 「ともしび」 (Lamplight), Manack – 「降り続く雨の街で」 (In The Town of Incessant Rain), PMMK – 「少年たちとの別れ」 (Parting of the Boys) piano only ver.
I am still reading VN, but… this was unexpectedly easy.
Little Busters! have a lot of exemplar songs in it, but as far as melodies alone goes “Sawagashi Otome no Yuushuu” is the best.
Catchy rhythm and overall playfullnes… am I repeating what Hayate said before here? Oh, well.
–Rewrite–
Iuchi Maiko – 「深層森林」 (Deep Forest)
Runners up: Hosoi Soushi – 「ニリンソウ」 (Soft Windflower), Mizutsuki Ryou – 「散花」 (Scattered Flowers), “Scene Shifts There”
And here comes my most beloved Key’s work. Music, story, characters, everything…
It was extremely hard to pick my favourite melody in Rewrite…
But “Shinsou Shinrin” is probably the right choice. A deep melody which gives you both feelings of relaxation and strange uneasiness.
Whenever I hear it I feel like I’m staying in the middle of the forest, surrounded by green from all sides. It feels suffocating… yet comfortable.
For the runners up… “Nirinsou” was the 1st and foremost choice. I mean, I can listen to this melody all of eternity and never get tired of it. A simple yet rich melody. Kotori.
Then “Sanka” and “Scene shifts there”, which are probably also ones of the most memorable melodies in the entire Rewrite…
–Rewrite Harvest festa!–
Iuchi Maiko – 「愛を濯ぐ」 (Rinse Love)
Runner up: Tsukagoshi Yuuichirou – “Irrigated Land”
Funny thing. I dislike “Harvest” and love “Sasayaka na Hajimari”… yet as an instrumental arrangement I prefer “Ai wo Sosogu” more.
I have spent quite a lot of time listening to “Harvest festa!”'s OSTs. A lot of time in the game while reading the text, while translating it.
It feels like I can remind words from character’s routes where this melody played. It feels soothing. It feels rewarding.
–Angel Beats!–
ANANT-GARDE EYES – Theme of SSS
Runner up: Maeda Jun – “My most precious treasure”
I almost gave the 1st place to “My most precious treasure” when I’ve realised, that I prefer its vocal version much more.
So, Theme of SSS gets the 1st place in Angel Beats… I think I have a thing for a bit tragic melodies, huh?