Anime Music: Yoko Kanno or Yuki Kajiura?

[JKTrix]

This is probably for the bigger anime fans.

Anime News Network has a poll (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/poll.php?id=115&page=booth) up today, apparently it's been a pretty heavily debated topic for a while.

Both of these ladies are probably 2 of the best when it comes to musical composition in anime. To point out of their more popular works for casual anime viewers:
Yoko Kanno is the lady behind the authentic jazz of Cowboy Bebop and the epic orchestration of Escaflowne.
Yuki Kajiura is responsible for the music of the last 2 Xenosaga games and the .hack//* anime.

People who are deeper into anime should know the other works they've done, so I won't list more.

They are both awesome and their soundtracks are usually great, even if the particular anime they are working on isn't so hot. However, my vote goes to Yoko Kanno, because her range is so diverse. To go from Orchestral/Choral Escaflowne to Jazzy Bebop then to the very modern Industrial style of Ghost in the Shell, all with outstanding soundtracks, is a range that Kajiura has yet to even attempt.

While Kajiura's stuff is awesome and often beautiful, I find that .hack, Noir, Madlax and Tsubasa kind of sound the same. Kind of like how John Williams' music, which is very good, sounds very similar. The melodies themselves may be different, but listening through Star Wars, Superman and Harry Potters' soundtracks you'll hear a lot of similarities.

It's great that they have a certain style, and I'm still a big fan of theirs, but this vote goes to Yoko Kanno.

It'd be interesting to see who some of the other big anime fans there are on this site.

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

God damn you. I love them both.

In this case though, I love Yuki Kajiura more.

[XxSephirothxX]

Escaflowne proves how awesome Kanno can be at orchestral stuff, while Cowboy Bebop is an absolutely amazing soundtrack, with such an eclectic mix of jazz, blues, and everything else, it's probably the best soundtrack for an anime series ever. Not to mention the fact it's based in a form of music that is far more American than it is Japanese. Yoko Kanno ftw.

[Germ Hamee]

Pretty much what you said, JKTrix. Yuki Kajiura was great for awhile, but she keeps putting out essentially the same damned album and I'm just getting tired of her style. Yoko Kanno never fails to surprise me with her versatility.

[StarlightAngel]

Both are really good, but I like Kajiura's style 'cause... I just like that kind of style. A lot.

[LunarWeaver]

Oh my... :( Such choices. I do like Kanno a lot, but probably because I listen to Kajiura's Xenosaga soundtracks endlessly, I've grown to love her style a ton. I'm going to say her. A Song of Storm Fire from Tsubasa Chronicle alone is enough for my vote.

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

I like both of their styles though after watching Cowboy Bebop, I have to admit that Yoko Kanno has a greater range of variety than Yuki Kajiura, though that is not saying that I do not like her style. This is somewhat hard. I have a few favorites from Escaflowne that I simply love, though with Yuki Kajiura her songs have not sticked with me so much. Still I would have to give my vote to Yuki Kajiura from the simple fact that I probably listen to her more often.

[Nominus Experse]

Yoko Kanno:

As has been mentioned, I am drawn to a person who is able to employ a wide and talented range of techniques to give her a wider, much more enjoyable scale in music scapes. From Jazz to Orchestral compositions, it all has a certain quality one can only expect from a true virtuoso. It creates a culture and appeal to the show through the music, and if anyone has seen Cowboy Bebop, they will realize how wonderfully and masterfully Yoko was able to mesh the music in with the anime. They are in many ways, inseparable.

Although Yuki is also a wonderful composer, it seems as though the tracks share far too much similarities, as has already been mentioned. The comparison to John Williams was a perfect one - as much as I love John, his soundtracks have a terrible tendency to leak into the others, save for the few melodies and verses that break the momentary confusion.

They are both masterful, but Yoko is by far the greater of the two.

[Dr Aum]

Yoko Kanno is a musical goddess.


That is all.

[Zeromus_X]

Oh, Lunar sent that PM in preparation for that thread, didn't he?

Still, I do really enjoy Yoko Kanno's works. I've actually listened to or at least seen anime where she was the composer (since I hardly ever watch anime, this is a big thing).

And I really like Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell's soundtracks, of course.

[Aemilius Blight]

I loved Yuki Kajiura's work on Xenosaga Episode III but I found most of the tracks in .Hack//SIGN to be rather sleep-inducing (just like the anime itself).

And come on: Yoko Kanno was responsible for Cowboy Bebop. She almost wins by default.

[Renmiri]

They do Video Game tracks too, don't they ? I remember watchink Kano on Play! last year.

[Tasura]

Oh gods, this is one hell of a hard choice, I dont want to make it, but I must. I really like the Tsubasa Chronicle music, and most of the .hack songs, but I also like the Cowboy Bebop music, and the GitS music, but Yuki Kaijura takes it, becuase there are more of her songs that I like, if Yoko Kanno had done Inner Universe, she would have taken it easily, but unfortunatly, ANN has Origa as the one who did it.

[escobert]

Yuki Kajiura

.HACK//sign has the best anime music ever imo.

[Marshall Banana]

I'm in love with Youko Kanno! =O

I especially like her work with Maaya Sakamoto, and Cowboy Bebop and Wolf's Rain may have my favorite soundtracks by her! As for Kajiura, I haven't heard nearly as much of her music, and she didn't leave me with the same kind of impression that Kanno did the first time I heard her music. =D


They do Video Game tracks too, don't they ?
I know that Kanno has done a few. Napple Tale comes to mind.

[Wolf Kanno]

Gee... I wonder who I'm going to vote for?

Yoko Kanno is a smurfing goddess...

I prefer diversity in my soundtracks and I consider Macross Plus to be one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. Cowboy Bebop, Wolf's Rain, Escaflowne, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex are all beautiful and amazing soundtracks on their own merits. With a wide range of musical stylings and excellent vocals.

Her personal music is also amazing, you really get a better sense of her range of influences. I highly recommend her album "Songs to Fly".

Now don't get me wrong, Yuki Kajiru is pretty amazing as well but I have to agree that her music tends to all sound the same. Only .hack//Sign really breaks that mold. There is a pretty good variety of styles in it. Her vocal tracks tend to be quite amazing.

[Renmiri]

Wolf's rain rules!!! :love: