Singing Heart
Futureland LD 32-5061
25 Dec 1987
50:42 (12 tracks)
¥3008
Reissue: Futureland TYCY 5334
15 March 1995
12 tracks + 2 karaoke
¥2500
Loving Heart
Futureland LD 32-5099
8 April 1989
66:41 (15 tracks)
¥3008
Reissue: Futureland TYCY 5335
15 March 1995
15 tracks + 2 karaoke
¥2500
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It has now been over a decade since Matsumoto Izumi first introduced
manga and anime fans to one of the most popular characters ever,
Ayukawa Madoka from Kimagure Orange Road. This nostalgia has
fueled a second wind for the series with two new novels from Matsumoto
in an equal number of years, a new radio drama retelling of the manga,
and reissues of the nine original CDs, including the two compilation
discs, Singing Heart and Loving Heart. With two
separate but overlapping compilations, the natural question arises as
to which is the better buy.
Singing Heart came first, released on Christmas day 1987,
shortly after the start of the third "season". Not surprisingly,
then, it contains the first two OP/EDs but not the third. But, this
is a minor point of contention as there are still eight other tracks
to consider.
As its name would imply, most of the
selections put together for Singing Heart are happy and upbeat.
Thus, we find the two vivacious Fujishiro Minako insert vocals, "Furimuite
My Darling" ("Look Back, My Darling") and "Again". Moreover, no KOR
compilation would be complete without the voice that is synonymous with
the series, Wada Kanako (who also played Yukari in the tv series). She
appears five times here, with mostly up tempo songs like "Jeniina," the
insert song from KOR 12, the episode in which Madoka plans to leave for
America, and "Mou hitotsu no Yesterday" ("One More Yesterday"), a third
season insert song, which also became the ED for the final two OAVs. We
also get her two EDs, the effective juxtaposition of sorrow and cheery
melodies in "Kanashii Heart wa moete-iru" ("Sad Heart is Burning"), and
the beautiful serenity of "Natsu no Mirage" ("Summer Mirage"). Finally,
rounding out the collection and often serving as well-placed segues
between two different Wada tracks are the driving beat and hard guitar
riffs of very danceable tunes such as Tsubokura Tadako's "Breaking Heart"
and the two popular OPs, "Night of Summer Side" and "Orange Mystery".
Thus, we have half the picture. The remainder comes to form in early
1989 one year after the movie. Loving Heart has fifteen
tracks, including the full collection of three tv OP/ED pairs.
Fittingly, then, the disc opens with the third OP, Nakahara Meiko's
airy "Kagami no naka no Actress" ("Actress in the Mirror"). However,
this is far from a lightweight collection. As with Singing
Heart, the title conveys the overall mood, this time one that is
somber, thoughtful, more serious.
Once again, the ubiquitous Wada Kanako makes
her appearance, this time with all three vocals from Ano hi ni
Kaeritai (I Want to Return to Those Days) the 1988 KOR
theatrical release. (And, of course, the first two EDs are also present.)
The movie's theme, Ms. Wada's haunting "Ano sora wo Dakishimete" ("Embrace
the Sky"), appears as both an insert song for the rainfall scene as well
as the closing background for the final credits. It is only natural that
it close out Loving Heart.
But the real reward in Loving Heart
lies with four bonus "seiyuu image tracks," which appear on the image
drama, Cassette Tape no Dengon (Cassette Tape Message),
but never in any actual animation. First, there is the jocular "Yasashii
Jealousy" ("Tender Jealousy") by the twins' Tomizawa
Michie and Honda Chieko
(Manami and Kurumi, respectively) and the upbeat "Bayside Dancer" by Furuya
"Kyousuke" Tohru. But
after that, things get serious again. Madoka's Tsuru" Hiromi
calmly intones a splendid "Whispering Misty Night". While, if ever there
were one track that summed up this disc, it would be "Kogane-iro mo
Sakamichi" ("Golden Hill Road") by Hikaru's Hara Eriko.
Indeed, it is not difficult to imagine her desperate pleading vocal
echoing throughout the notorious rainfall scene of the final movie.
On paper, Loving Heart appears to be the hands-down "winner".
After all, it has three more tracks, all three tv OP/ED pairs, the
movie vocals, and the bonus seiyuu tracks. But, not everyone melts to
painful, romantic angst. For them, there is an alternative in
Singing Heart, a well thought out collection of happier tunes
in its own right. Indeed, it says something about the general feel of
the entire series that the lively, playful tunes first made it out on
compilation rather than the serious ones.
-- Roderick "Agitator" Lee
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