HAIBANE RENMEI soundtrack hanenone

This is the 19-track CD based on Yoshitoshi Abe's original anime, Haibane Renmei. Composer Ko Otani did a brilliant job producing suitable music for this existential fantasy drama. The same composer who crafted sondtracks for Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Otani's work here is a step above traditional anime soundtracks. In the ten-page CD booklet, you'll find an interview with Ko Otani in which he reveals inspiration for his work on Haibane Renmei, as well as remarkable artwork and lyrics to the only two English-language songs, "Wondering" and "Love Will Light The Way". The soundtrack is a delicate, lighthearted affair. It blossoms with beautiful piano chords, a gently-played harp, lush strings and a mandolin that seems to whisper fantasy landscape. Ambient and rich with sounds that linger long after the CD has played, I'd recommend this as a veritable dance for the ears that succinctly parallels the beauty of the anime on which it's based.

This soundtrack is quite slow and deliberate, but that does not mean at all that this soundtrack is boring. In fact, this soundtrack is a beautiful work of art. The various instruments come together to create splendid and atmospheric songs. The piano work in this soundtrack is especially good. Overall this is quite a relaxing and stimulating soundtrack. You can't go wrong with this.