gren

I think the music in Noir is excellent; Noir OST I was the first anime soundtrack I ever bought, and it really got me into the works of Yuki Kajiura and anime soundtracks in general. Hearing "Canta per Me" for the first time, when Kirika is being chased through the forest by hitmen, really blew me away. Although a lot of Kajiura's pieces are heavily synthesized, they fit well with the overall feeling of the show. Noir is already a great anime; for me, the music gives it that much more of an edge over other anime in the genre.

Well, since I started this, might as well go all the way...

As I mentioned before, the music in Noir is like icing on the cake-it makes a good thing even better. Although they lack the all-out flair of Yoko Kanno's work on the Cowboy Bebop soundtracks, the songs of Noir are quite a bit more varied, and convey the characters' feelings well.

Noir has three official soundtracks: Noir OST I, Noir OST II, and Noir Blanc Dans (or Blanc Dans Noir, I've seen it both ways). OST I has the beginning and ending themes and background music from the series (full versions, thankfully). OST II has remixes of songs on OST I, and also more background music. Blanc Dans has several remixes of the opening themes, more remixes of OST I songs, songs sung by the characters themselves, dialogue, and more background music. Between these three albums, you get just about every piece of music played in Noir, in every possible way it could be played.

A few of my favorites:

Kopperia no Hitsugi (OST I):
The opening theme, and reason I decided to check out the series. Played over animation that begins with a single gunshot, a drop of blood (wine?), and a spilled martini, this song hints at the action and mystique present throughout Noir. Japanese vocals over a light techno beat and dramatic string arrangement, this piece and the opening animation itself have a James Bond sort of feel (well, if he were an assassin instead of a spy).

Canta Per Me (OST I):
By far, the absolute best song of Noir. Initially played when Kirika has a flashback to fleeing hitmen through a bamboo forest, this is one of the most heavily used pieces in the series. Sung in Italian over a simple guitar riff (with a violin coming in near the end), even when translated this song stands up to scrutiny. When I first heard it, I got right on the computer to find a full version, and played it over and over, until I eventually bought the album. There's really no way for me to describe how beautiful this song is; it still gives me chills when I listen to it.

Melody (OST I):
The music box melody that plays from the pocketwatch. This version adds a bit of rock, complete with a wailing guitar in the background. An interesting piece, although I think you'd have to be into the series to give this one more than just one listen and a shrug.

Sorrow (OST I):
I don't recall what scene this was played in. It's a great song though, a single cello playing the most mournful tune I've ever heard. Very morose; I've considered having this one played at my funeral.

Canta per Me II (OST II):
If Canta per Me is the number one song of Noir, then this one's a close second. No vocals this time, just a string arrangement and light beat that build to an awesome climax. At first it seems to be only a slower, sadder, stringed rendering of the original, but then goes far enough away (if even for just a moment) to become its own song. An echo of the vocals in the original can be heard near the end of the song. Best listened to with a little more bass than the rest of the songs; it really brings out the bass cello in the background.

Les Soldats II (OST II):
This is one of the few songs that I can say I like better than the original it was based off. The first Les Soldats was a sort of Gregorian chanting over techno, which somewhat worked, but wasn't one of my favorites. The second has a melancholy violin, chimes, repeating piano tune, and doesn't add the chanting until near the end. Works out much better than the original, and fits the Soldats better.

Okay, I think that's enough for now. Let me know what you think! If this generates some interest, I'll keep going; there are quite a few more songs that I really like from this series.

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Gren's Music

Soldat of life

I for one loved the soundtrack from Noir, though I prefered the "melody" as it brought a lot of sense of mystery even if it was somewhat simple.

Yuki Kajiura did a great job with .Hack//Sign and I have a few songs in my personalised playlist I listen to everyday...though I lost some after backing up my PC and not taking enough care to have all the songs I accumulated...I had found those songs from a friend's CD and I don't think seeing that friend anytime soon.

I'm happy you put up most of her work so maybe I could try to find her eventually...I had forgotten her name....doesn't help to make research on her...though I could have simply searched for the anime and looked at the songs that were in the anime...

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Thanks to Xelhes for this amazing work of art ^.^
Poetry Corner

solking

I've been wanting to know the names of the OSTs. Now I know what to look for.

The music is excellent. You can tell the quality of the anime from the quality of music they have. Music is a major part of anime. It sets the mood for the entire series. The first thing someone looks at is the OP of the anime. Its necessary to captivate the audience.

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gren

I couldn't agree more; if a series is good, the music enhances it, and if it's mediocre, a good musical score might actually help viewers get into it. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who's really into anime soundtracks!

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Gren's Music

higurashi_kikio

I did buy the 2 soundtracks from the anime "NOIR" and i relly like them,especialy the first soundtrack.My fav songs are "Melodie","Snow","Chloe","Salva nos","Coppeira no hitsugi","Canta per me","Corsican corridor"and "Kirei na kanjou".The songs are relly good and all the fans of this anime sould buy the soundtrack.It's worth it.

heavery

I have to agree that the quality of songs on the anime determines how good the anime series is. And Noir soundtrack is one of the best anime soundtracks I’ve heard. I love the Canta per me also.

Cyberboy

well i loved the song Salva Nos. it really is suitable in noir's gun battles.

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~my~little~angel~

I love that show and the music.
I memorized all the words to the opening and ending them in 5th grade.
I did that a lot...I was a determined little 5th grader. XD Lol
The opening theme gets me hyped up and the ending theme relaxes me and makes me happy.
By the way, any of you can PM me.
I am always looking for friends.

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-- Hassun