Yuki Kajiura

Does anyone else like her? She did the .hack//SIGN soundtracks, Noir, Tsubasa Chronicles and Xenosaga II. She has a pretty unique style which can be a little repetitive but overall I think is fantastic. Does anyone else like her?

Her anime soundtracks are fantastic, but her VGM soundtracks are average at best. Xenosaga II Movie Scene OST was so incredibly dull in comparison to Mitsuda’s Xenosaga. I can’t believe they didn’t release an OST for Shinji Hosoe’s in-game music because it was so much more creative albeit better than Kajiura’s score.

To be honest, this should probably be in the music forum instead of this one since most of Kajiura’s work has been in tv, not games.

I absolutely can’t get enough of her style though. Seeing her name in anything’s credits instantly gives me a reason to check it out. I just wish more of the soundtracks she’s done were available locally, particularly the ones for Aquarian Age, Madlax, and Tsubasa Chronicle, not to mention the insert songs she wrote for Gundam Seed.

Xenosaga II Movie Scene OST was so incredibly dull in comparison to Mitsuda’s Xenosaga.Thats something I havent heard much of. Most people consider Mitsudas episode I soundtrack "powerful" but an overall boring and repetitive soundtrack. I though Kajiura achiever much much more variation in her music and more power even without the orchestra in tracks like "lamentation" and "communication breakdown". Not that I didnt love episode I. I just didnt love it as much. Didnt excite me as much I guess. I’d never played either of the games when I listened to both soundtracks first and I enjoyed episode II alot more. The usual complaint is how horrible that….other composers music was. I really cant recall anyone preferring him over Kajiuras.

Thats something I havent heard much of. Most people consider Mitsudas episode I soundtrack "powerful" but an overall boring and repetitive soundtrack. I though Kajiura achiever much much more variation in her music and more power even without the orchestra in tracks like "lamentation" and "communication breakdown". Not that I didnt love episode I. I just didnt love it as much. Didnt excite me as much I guess. I’d never played either of the games when I listened to both soundtracks first and I enjoyed episode II alot more. The usual complaint is how horrible that….other composers music was. I really cant recall anyone preferring him over Kajiuras.

I guarantee, if you’d ask any other serious VGM fan, you’ll get similar results to my claim. I thought Episode II’s music was WAY too repetitive (I mean, how many times do we hear Debs Lyon’s vocals), the same music and lyrics were used all the way through, and it seemed as if Kajiura only gave half an effort with the arranging. Perhaps Kajiura’s vocal tracks, "Jr" and "Sweet Song", both sung by Margeret Dorn, are stronger than "Pain" and "Kokoro" from Mitsuda’s score, but that’s about it for me. Very dull and repetitive. At least Xenosaga was pretty much original material all the way through.

Kajiura can’t be compared with Hosoe, because the later has been around and has had experience with VGM for almost 20 years. Kajiura has had little to none, and that’s why her OST failed in comparison to the creativity and variability of Hosoe’s score.

This is just my opinion, of course 🙂

I guarantee, if you’d ask any other serious VGM fan, you’ll get similar results to my claim. I thought Episode II’s music was WAY too repetitive (I mean, how many times do we hear Debs Lyon’s vocals), the same music and lyrics were used all the way through, and it seemed as if Kajiura only gave half an effort with the arranging. Perhaps Kajiura’s vocal tracks, "Jr" and "Sweet Song", both sung by Margeret Dorn, are stronger than "Pain" and "Kokoro" from Mitsuda’s score, but that’s about it for me. Very dull and repetitive. At least Xenosaga was pretty much original material all the way through.

Kajiura can’t be compared with Hosoe, because the later has been around and has had experience with VGM for almost 20 years. Kajiura has had little to none, and that’s why her OST failed in comparison to the creativity and variability of Hosoe’s score.

This is just my opinion, of course :)Shinji Hosoe, Hes the guy who did "moonflower palace" and "time is changing" for the dark chronicle premium arrange right? Oh god, I want to hit with a sharp metal object >< I dont like that guy much. Not that I know much about him. There the only tracks I know him to have done.

Anyway he did the background music during gameplay right? If so you;re definitely the first person I’ve met in game reviews and music reviews who hasnt thought his episode II music was, well unimpressive. Most people say it was just extremely repetivitve and ambient beeps but having not played the game myself I cant say. I think mitsuda overused Kokoro also but I can see pretty clearly why Kajiuras recycling would turn you off the soundtrack but I think to be fair she nows how to vary the same song and she does it very well.

Shinji Hosoe, Hes the guy who did "moonflower palace" and "time is changing" for the dark chronicle premium arrange right? Oh god, I want to hit with a sharp metal object >< I dont like that guy much. Not that I know much about him. There the only tracks I know him to have done.

Yeah, that’s him. He’s not everybody’s taste, but he is one of the few pioneers and is certainly in the top 5 influential VGM composers of all time.

Anyway he did the background music during gameplay right? If so you;re definitely the first person I’ve met in game reviews and music reviews who hasnt thought his episode II music was, well unimpressive. Most people say it was just extremely repetivitve and ambient beeps but having not played the game myself I cant say. Hey mitsuda overused Kokoro also. I can see pretty clearly why the recycling would turn you off the soundtrack but I think to be fair she nows how to vary the same song and she does it very well.

I’m curious to know what reviews you have read. Mitsuda overused "Kokoro", yes, but the arranging in each is pretty darn good (being a good arranger himself), perhaps on par with Kajiura’s arranging.

Ones Ive read recently would be here-

http://www.squaresound.com/reviews/talaysen/xenosaga2movie.html
http://www.squaresound.com/reviews/will/xenosaga2movie.html

episode I – http://www.chudahs-corner.com/reviews/sbps0004.html
episode II- http://www.chudahs-corner.com/reviews/vicl61431.html

The episode I album above though is the directors cut but I think it gets the overall impression across just as well.

http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/xs2-movie/index.html
http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/xs-ost/index.html

Heh, fan reviews. To tell you the truth, I don’t agree with anything that SquareSound reviews say, and the Chudah’s Corner review is somewhat lacking. I don’t trust fan reviews, but I do trust the ones written by the staff members of both of these websites (which would include me).

Heh, fan reviews. To tell you the truth, I don’t agree with anything that SquareSound reviews say, and the Chudah’s Corner review is somewhat lacking. I don’t trust fan reviews, but I do trust the ones written by the staff members of both of these websites (which would include me).haha well fair enough then 🙂 but what about my review? I never played eoither game but I bought both soundtracks. I was a huge Kajiura fan at the time but I actually didnt realise the soundtrack was by her. I just went on the episode II website, heard a sample and thought oh god thats amazing. I ordered both soundtracks and while theyre both fabuous works of art, Kajiuras style for me was more entertaining and imaginative. Episode I was just a little lacking.

haha well fair enough then 🙂 but what about my review? I never played eoither game but I bought both soundtracks. I was a huge Kajiura fan at the time but I actually didnt realise the soundtrack was by her. I just went on the episode II website, heard a sample and thought oh god thats amazing. I ordered both soundtracks and while theyre both fabuous works of art, Kajiuras style for me was more entertaining and imaginative. Episode I was just a little lacking.

How about we just say that they both are different OSTs, because they truly are. Xenosaga was more Space Operatic with a lot of ambience, though with more highs than the sequel, while Xenosaga II was a lot more dramatic but mostly stayed on the same level and never seemed to really go that extra notch 🙂

By the way, I should correct myself earlier. I shall add the new words in bold:

Heh, fan reviews. To tell you the truth, I don’t agree with anything that those SquareSound reviews say, and the Chudah’s Corner reviews are somewhat lacking. I don’t trust fan reviews, but I do trust the ones written by the staff members of both of these websites (which would include me).