Giant Robo I Original Soundtrack

I remember when watching the first several episodes of the Giant Robo anime series, the score stood out as being one of the most exhilarating of any anime or film I'd ever seen, matching the dynamic story and animation scene for scene. Fortunately the score to the first episode manages to remain every bit as enthralling on its own in pure musical form.

Giant Robo's music seems very much a tribute to classic adventure cinema from decades past, and in the process of hailing such classic works reaches all over the musical spectrum. Perhaps most surprising is the operatic theme for the "Tragedy of Bashtarlle", in which the somber orchestral instrumentation and virtuoso tenor solo voice perfectly capture the mood of tragedy and sadness. Beyond the point of wowing listeners for its uniqueness for an anime score, it remains captivating for sheer beauty.

"Main Title", "Train Chase ~ Whereabouts of the Black Attache Case", and "Robo's Autoguard Activates!" seem influenced by scores to black-and-white serial adventures, with their blaring brass, soaring strings, and booming percussion. The six-minute "Train Chase" brings to mind classic John Williams action marathons like the battles of Yavin and Endor in Star Wars, understandable given the common cinematic influences of that series. "Escape" shifts the musical tone just a bit with rolling snares and even more prominent brass to mimic classic Western movie action scores (a style that is even more dramatically utilized in the second episode's soundtrack).

Other highlights include the bombastic orchestra-choir combination in "Tragedy Repeats Itself...", the poignant theme of personal loss found in "G's Storage ~ Theme of the Experts of Justice", and lighthearted refrains in tracks like "View from Up High" and "Lovey Tetsugyu". "Next Episode" combines the power of orchestra, choir, and contemporary percussion for an immensely dramatic conclusion that will indeed have listeners clamoring for the next installment.

Despite the very wide variety in musical styles they are all implemented superbly, with hardly a dull or unpleasant track to be found. If there were any nitpicking to be done, it would be that in following the on-screen action a few tracks momentarily sacrifice musicality for cinematic impact. These are only occasional exceptions - in general the score is one of those rare gems that is cinematic and narrative while standing on its own as an enjoyable musical experience. As the initial installment in a classic series, Giant Robo I Original Soundtrack is a must for any soundtrack fan.