UlasanAnime.com – To properly discuss the Otakon Blogging Day 3 events, it’s essential to first establish some key facts regarding the featured musical group.
Firstly, Eminence positions itself as the premier, worldwide anime and game orchestra. This is how they present themselves, and they claim to be the first in this niche. While their website might be considered somewhat rudimentary, further information about them can be found through standard channels, such as Wikipedia. It’s worth noting that “Eminence” is indeed an abbreviation for the Eminence Symphony Orchestra.
Secondly, the orchestra is based in Australia. This location, while geographically distant for many, likely offers cost advantages in assembling international musicians compared to Japan or even the United States. Furthermore, traveling to Japan or other East Asian locations for their performances is not overly burdensome for those already in that region of the world.
What is particularly noteworthy for many, including myself, is Eminence’s status as a high-profile group dedicated to performing anime music. While game music has gained significant recognition and continues to do so, opportunities to hear such compositions outside of Japan, beyond specific events like the RO2 show in Korea or an Eminence performance, have been scarce. This has left fans in regions like America without many options, until now.
Previously, American fans had access to events like PLAY and the Final Fantasy concert series. The author believes that the market for such niche entertainment is certainly ready to support these kinds of productions. The question then became: was Otakon 2007 receptive to this offering?
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In a word, yes. The response was overwhelmingly positive.
Reflecting on the experience after returning home from Otakon, the actual musical performance itself was described as somewhat lackluster. This was attributed to a combination of factors, including the atmosphere of the venue, the level of expectations, audience fatigue, potential lack of rehearsal time, and even environmental conditions like a windy stage. However, what truly resonated was not just the orchestra’s potential, but their actual execution and the song selections they presented. Some preliminary video samples are available on YouTube for those interested.
One particular performance that deeply impressed the author was Hisaishi’s rendition of “Kimi wo Nosete” from Castle in the Sky. The author notes that all of Eminence’s Hisaishi pieces were considered “home runs,” even if some arrangements had to be simplified to fit the ensemble’s capabilities. “The Legend of Ashitaka” from Princess Mononoke is cited as another strong example.
Given that Hitoshi Sakimoto was present at the convention and has a working relationship with Eminence, the orchestra performed several of his well-known pieces. This included the theme from Odin Sphere and a selection of tracks from Romeo x Juliet.
While not a fervent fan of Kajiura Yuki, the author acknowledges that her music, such as “Canta per me,” can be very effective. Eminence performed several of her compositions, with “Canta per me” and their rearranged version of “Anna ni Issho Datta no ni” from Gundam SEED being particularly memorable.
However, the performance that truly captivated the author was Eminence’s rendition of “Beyond the Clouds” from Makoto Shinkai’s film The Place Promised in Our Early Days. The composer for this piece, Tenmon, is highlighted as an indie composer who caters to the otaku community. Selecting a song from his repertoire was seen as significant, not only because it’s a beautiful piece but because it evokes strong emotions, tapping into a specific emotional vulnerability with powerful symphonic execution.
Fortunately, the orchestra’s performance was not solely focused on serious pieces. The author notes that the group also demonstrated their ability to engage the audience in a more fun and interactive manner.
The author concludes the main part of the Otakon 2007 coverage by mentioning that readers will have to endure a few more weeks of blog posts about the event.
Before concluding, the author offers a tentative playlist of the songs performed, acknowledging that it’s based on memory and likely incomplete. An official setlist was not available as it was finalized only the night before. Readers are encouraged to contribute to filling in the gaps, with links provided to relevant forum threads that also include anecdotes from the MC sessions. A particularly amusing anecdote shared is how Eminence’s recording session for Sakimoto’s music was notably “geeky” when Sakimoto showed footage to the orchestra beforehand, a contrast to the typical silent practice of a traditional orchestra.
The tentative playlist includes:
- 1. Tuning
- 2. Romeo x Juliet song (??)
- 3. Canta per me (Noir – Anime)
- 4. Not sure where this is from
- 5. Odin Sphere Main Theme
- 6. Mononoke Hime theme
- 7. Laputa theme (Kimi wo nosete)
- 8. Totoro theme
- 9. Ferris Wheel – Lia, composed by Sakimoto.
- 9. Romeo x Juliet song – The title was given but not remembered, sounding like “Orgesomething.”
- 10. Anna ni Issho Datta no ni
- 11. Beyond the Clouds (Tenmon, from Shinkai’s film)
- 12. Romeo x Juliet Song
- 13. Romeo x Juliet Song
- 14. Romeo x Juliet Song
- 15. Hako no niwa (Rakugaki Oukoku 2)
- 16. Can’t remember
- 17. Thanatos (Evangelion)
- 18. Pain?
- 19. Radical Dreamers.
Encore performances included:
- 20. Super Mario Brothers medley
- 21. Scars of Time (Chrono Cross)
