Bracket Fate: Let's Party Like It's 1985

This Bracket had a LOT of 80's sounding tracks, including the sleeper hit "The Search of
Odin". I enjoyed most of them.
R1P5
Wolf's Rain - Gravity
This track is very classically oriented. Fairly competently executed, but nothing really
compelling about it. The definition of "easy listening". It does its job well, I suppose, but
it's pretty forgettable.
Aoki ryuusei SPT Layzner - Melos no you ni ~LONELY WAY~
This track is also pretty standard for anime, but has a nice 80's vibe (and reminds me of
New Order in particular). The bass pedal tone is going to be a recurrent feature in the
songs after this one, since this bracket is strongly 80's.
Winner: Lonely Way
I like New Order, so a song reminiscent of their style is fun to listen to. Gravity is exactly
like 60-65% of the songs in this tournament, and Lonely Way introduces some decent
variety. Also, who doesn't want to go around screaming "RONERY WAY" at the top of
their lungs??

R1P6
Darker than Black - Howling:
I used to be a very ardent listener of thrash metal, and this guitarist seems to have gone
to great pains to emulate the tone of Metallica's Master of Puppets album. The
drummer seems to be on board with the theme, but the vocalist simply is not, and in the
chorus more or less forces everyone else to accommodate his style of singing. The
song is half standard metal and half average anime Jrock.
Odin: Photon Space Sailer Starlight - The Search for Odin
On a scale of 1-10, this song is 85: 1985 to be precise. The synths, gated reverb,
vocals, pedal tone bass, and masterfully produced guitars all create a sound that can
only be described as 80's. A period piece through and through. Bon Jovi, Journey,
Genesis, Duran Duran, Devo, New Order, Depeche Mode, and even some Smiths can
be heard in this one track.

Winner: The Search for Odin

Is this even a question? Odin is everything I wish music was today: it picks an aesthetic
and goes balls to the wall in adhering to it. We need more Odin in our lives. Sadly, it's
losing pretty hard right now. So vote for it. Please. Vote for it here, vote for it on all your
mobile devices, vote for it on the main site. Give me Odin or Give me Death. And
apparently I'm not the only Odin nut out there.
R1P7
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone complex - Inner Universe
This song is a well-executed fusion of EDM and J-pop. The vocals are especially
interesting, and the lyrics are written in Russian, Latin, and English. Since just about
everyone and their mother has seen Ghost in the Shell or at least given it a try, by and
large most everyone knows this song. Iconic and memorable.
DNAngel - Byakuya ~True Light~
Very classical intro: Harpsichords, strings, timpanis, and bells all make a nice
appearance in the first 30 seconds. It quickly becomes standard and boring thereafter
though. Just your average bear of anime music. The vocalist is especially subpar; he's
a better singer than me, but that's just because i'm horrible at singing.
Winner: Inner Universe
Another ridiculously easy pick. While True Light has fairly good instrumental work, none
of it is especially compelling, and the vocalist would do better in a noise-rock band or
some other genre where lazily monotonically reciting the lyrics is acceptable. Inner
Universe is much better executed as a whole.
R1P8
Aria the Natural - Natsu Machi
I'd forgotten that tracks like this exist in all the plethora of 80's and Jrock that made up
the tracks prior. A 6/8 crooner ballad through and through, I'm assuming that this fits the
theme of the anime well (Aria the Natural is a very non-threatening title). The
tambourine is a nice touch. The whole song works well towards its theme and is very
cohesive.
Fruits Basket - For Fruits Basket
A very minimalistic piece; I'm tempted to describe it as a lullaby. The vocals are really
quite good, and all the other instruments built around accentuating the vocals. Very

soothing *falls asleep*

Winner: For Fruits Basket
These two pieces are similar enough and well executed enough that picking one is a
difficult task. I went with For Fruits Basket simply because I enjoyed the minimalistic
premise and the overall vibe it created more than the vibe of Natsu Machi. It reminded
me of "No Surprises" by Radiohead.