This post is an entry to the 30 Week Anime Challenge series of posts.
I want to take this opportunity to share my favorite insert song (OST with lyrics) of all time!
Guilty Crown was not my cup of tea, but I loved the animation and the music. There was this track which was always played whenever Shu was using Inori’s weapon. It caught my attention at first, but with repetitive plays, it certainly got stuck in my head. After I got a copy of the anime’s OST, I couldn’t stop listening to it.
βίος <feat.Mika Kobayashi> by Sawano Hiroyuki
I initially thought the lyrics were somehow gibberish, just like how Kajiura-sensei did with her own compositions. But I was wrong, because they were in German. Even Germans found the pronunciation of the lyrics a bit odd.
Mika Kobayashi’s powerful vocals, the backup vocals all over the place, the prominent drumbeats that make me stomp my feet, and the guitar infused with electronic sounds created a piece that is now forever etched in my music charts. Sawano Hiroyuki, who has worked on GC, Attack on Titan, and Kill la Kill not so recently, may have similar sounding tracks today, but every track he has composed is so good to listen to. However, Bios still remains as one of the most remarkable songs and my top favorite in all anime he has composed for.
Anime Vios 
I clicked play and started reading this post, thinking, “Hmm… this sounds somewhat like Kill la Kill music.” Then I read the second part of the post! Aha! It is Sawano Hiroyuki who actually worked on Kill la Kill! 🙂
I like this song! 🙂 It has a certain powerful feeling emanating from it. I especially like the part in the 2:00-3:00 interval. The song reminds me somewhat of Before My Body is Dry and Blumenkranz, but also Torukia from Ghost in the Shell
What about my favorite insert song? Hmm… That’s not easy… Well, since I referred indirectly to Yoko Kanno, I guess this one comes to mind…
Yup. Sawano’s music is pretty much distinguishable. And he’s everywhere now. I mean, every since his Attack on Titan, he’s never had a break from producing music for anime! What a busy person he is these days.
Oh, nice reference to Kanno Yoko! I can see why Bios reminds you of Torukia. If I have to point out some similarities: the gibberish chorus, the rock + techno feel, and the prominent beats. 🙂 I haven’t yet seen Ghost in the Shell, but it sure has good music, huh? 😀 Thanks for sharing!
Do you tend to like calming music?
Ghost in the Shell is worth watching. I like the original film due to the excellent music by Kenji Kawai and directing by Mamoru Oshii. Nevertheless, the TV series also have some good moments, and Kanno’s music is great. One of my favorite moments is from the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GiG. It is a self-contained story, so I would not consider it a spoiler. I love how the song “I Do” by Ilaria Graziano perfectly matches the story.
Do I tend to like calming music? Probably. I used to listen to all kinds of music, but now I prefer something relaxing or upbeat and optimistic.
Thanks for those bits of information! I’m not familiar with Mamoru Oshii’s directing since I haven’t seen any of the titles in his belt. But seeing those big-name anime I think I’m rather interested to see those.
That was a beautiful piece! My chest somehow hurt when I listened to the track alone. But when I watched the entire scene, I felt hopeful. Oh, music and its different effects. Regardless, the song sounds both hopeful and poignant at the same time. Thanks for the recommendation!