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Favorite BGM/soundtrack of a Visual Novel


Exult

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Well, I hope we can all agree that the music in a VN is essential and influences your feelings throughout the scene.

Hehe...

I also find it so useful to use these soundtrack to my advantage and was left simply amazed of the tremendous help it made towards the novels i wrote.

I currently don't have a favorite VN soundtrack but I was hoping that's where you can help me.

What is your favorite VN soundtrack and how did he help you to understand the feelings that were going through the game?

Were you quick to change opinions when a soundtrack changed suddenly? example: One of the characters die and a sad soundtrack comes on. Then the leader speaks of how courageous the man was on how he fought to save everyone else lives and then the sad soundtrack turns to something with more hope.

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I would say it is essential to first play the game to enjoy the soundtrack.

Anyway here are my favorites:

Little Busters OST - the amount of good song you can listen to while working etc, just awesome, all good genres and all, some rock, some piano, some guitar etc.

OP and all EDs are just exceptional, the combat songs are awesome, emotional songs are awesome.

Hoshimemo OST - I would say it has bigger % of awesome songs (for me) than LB, but there is less songs overall.

again OP and EDs are so goooood, emotional songs awesome as well, the tense songs are one of the best ive heard.

And the chinami-ism song is well, chinamiTASTIC!

Wanko to Kurasou OST - doesn't have that many good songs but those that are good are soooo awesome, すれちがうおもい and うちにかえろう are one of the best emotional songs ive hread, easily comparable with top songs from LB and Hoshimemo.

There are some other good songs in that OST but these 2 are just.. exceptionally good.

There are ofc other games with awesome OST - air, clannad , kanon, planetarian, basically KEY has so awesome OSTs, but those 3 I listed up are what I listened the most last year 2012.

Also worth noting singles from games I put into my playlist:

ExE OP, fortissimo -the ultimate crysis- OP, Twinkle Crusaders OPs (all of them), hatsuyuki sakura OP, Dog Days Afternoon (Used for the Rin ga utau VN), Ever 17 menu music - KARMA, and some more I probably can't remember.

Mostly OPs are awesome but if you take the soundtrack as a whole, I cant judge for many VNs as I only download OST after I finish it.

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Oh as for the other part of the question, Yes, the music gives the mood, sometimes the scene is just driven solely by the music, in hoshimemo specifically - without that music some scenes wouldn't be what it was supposed to be. The same for LB. Sad moments become even sadder with sad music playing, happy moments become even happier with emotional music there.

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Yeah, soundtracks are essential. Playing a VN without it is just plain wrong.

My favourites:

Little Busters! OST - Steve had it right. Now I open LB! instead of WMP for music in the house.

Narcissu OST - Some of them are my favourites, can't count how many times I considered learning to play piano/violin upon hearing those.

Clannad OST - Almost every tracks moved my heart. I'm re-playing Clannad since I lost my save files for some reason, and I played only for the OSTs (downloading from the net feels like cheating :P )

Were you quick to change opinions when a soundtrack changed suddenly? example: One of the characters die and a sad soundtrack comes on. Then the leader speaks of how courageous the man was on how he fought to save everyone else lives and then the sad soundtrack turns to something with more hope.

I would say that I'm really, really quick to have a change of heart at times like this. Of all three mentioned above, Clannad did it the best.

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Personally, my favorite is the Deardrops OST. I love that punk rock feel that permeates the entire thing, along with the violin parts in some of the songs. The song that plays at the end of Riho's route is one of my all-time favorite songs from a VN, right up there with the intro to Little Busters!.

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My favorite has to be Narcissu. It's just a masterpiece!

As for how important music is in VNs, I remember way back in school music class, we did an exercise. Imagine watching your favorite movie with the volume off. See if you're still engaged in the same way. You could do the same with VNs. Mute the music and see how you find it ;).

Instead of using music to enhance the mood, I've been thinking of using it for different purposes. For example, maybe play a soundtrack that conveys a different or even opposite mood to the current plot. I've played a game recently that made me think about this. To avoid spoilers, I'll just keep it abstract. During the final puzzle, instead of having some dramatic soundtrack playing in the background, there was a sad melody playing. I found that to be pretty powerful.

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For me soundtracks are essential in a VN, anime or games. It's like a amplifier for your feelings, making an already amazing scene more powerful.

Music can really manipulate how you think about a scene, just try putting some sad music in a battle scene and then take some amazing upbeat track and the experience will totaly different.

I've also noticed that when you played a VN you will like the soundtrack more than if you listen to it before which might be pretty logical as you will associate then soundtrack with the game.

I'm always hunting for great soundtracks so I have quite a few favorites (and I noticed that key really know what they're doing):

Rewrite - I would say that it's my favorite at the moment. It have everything, many amazing sad pieces, great upbeat fighting music that make your spirit goes up and make you jump up and down in your chair. An example on one of my favorite song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT9v9mDO3TI

Little busters - It's as steve said, it's some great great music that you can listen to everywhere and it got everything you want.

Clannad - wow so many sad songs and they will all touch your heart either in a sad way or in a very happy way.

That would be my top 3 favorites... but far from the only ones.

Narcissu, sharin no kuni, kanon, katawa shoujo, planeterian also have some of my favorite tracks.

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hehe we just had a discussion about this and I just had one of these moments in a game - Muv Luv Extra xD

Totally casual conversation with E-E-E-E-EPIC music xD Makes it so funny and epic at the same time.

its 4. November if you want to see what I mean

After the practice, don't know if its always there in the common, I am going to Tama route at first so I selected to practice with Tama, this was just after it xD

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Thanks for all the replies it made me understand things in a different way.

Ehh, still have some questions but its even weird when I say to my self, guess I do have some interest in the way the brain works.

Everyones different, thats for sure ^_^

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Thanks for all the replies it made me understand things in a different way.

Ehh, still have some questions but its even weird when I say to my self, guess I do have some interest in the way the brain works.

Everyones different, thats for sure ^_^/>

There is no stupid questions don't be afraid to ask. ;)

The brain is really an interesting subject and it's often a lot of interesting discussions about it.

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Finjas breaks into thread.

So, I personally like Abo Takeshi's music a lot. Really, this man is a genius.

Just Listen to this (Too bad it's not allowed to post more youtube-links):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFQw79_O1FY

I do like dramatic soundtracks like something that was mentioned before - (Clannad, Kanon, Whatever. Takeshi Abo coping with this as well.) - But I more of a Suspense-type. Takeshi Abo is just perfect for Sci-Fi Thrillers, which is my favorite genre not only in VN, but in everything. His soundtracks are always inspire me.

But, well, if we forget about suspense, I really like Manyo's (Little Wing) soundtracks for Innocent Grey novels.

It is when something incredibly romantic adjoining with something unsettling. So melancholic and beautiful... Best thing to listen in the fresh winter morning with a cup of coffee. When you all so lonely and sad... without a girlfriend or something... all alone... Oh, sorry. I got carried away.

Anyway, makes me cry. Every time.

Just now, Listening to it I used two packs of wipes. Damn you, Innocent Grey!

Cheating the system. Pretend you didn't see anything but still accidentally click those nonexistent links below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8EmX1aTAnI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il4JlSLy8Bg

Oh, and about topic starter's question. Did you know that 07th Expansion calls their games not Visual but Sound novels? If you played Higurashi, Umineko or Higanbana you can say, that there are almost no differences between them and usual NVL-type visual novels. It's maybe only a justification of 07 Expansion's graphic madskillz, though. Still, at least part of this statement about Sound novels is definitely true.

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I'm still thinking about whether or not this is my favorite soundtrack, but Katawa Shoujo's themes have stuck with me in a way that no other VN's music has. I've got the tracks loaded onto my phone, and as I listen to them (walking around campus or whatnot), the songs evoke more emotion and more-quickly take me back to particular story memories than do any of my other game music.

I think that, at least for me, the "sticking element" and "reminiscing" element are a big part of any "favorite" VN music.

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I'm don't really listen to music much to be honest, so I don't pay too much attention to the soundtracks of vn on their own. Of course it's important for them to be well-suited to the game, but I don't really listen to them outside of that. I only really notice the music if it's really really good or really really annoying.

Having said that, I have two exceptions - the Air and Kanon soundtracks. I think they're just beautiful :)

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The music is a really important part of the game imo. It sets the mood and brings back memories when you listen to it later.

The most impact a soundtrack for me Saya No Uta OST, the game is a massive mind **** and listening to it makes me go totally O_O SAYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, Saya is here everything is okay... ;..;

Every VN improves the music after being read, if the vn is awesome. So will the music be as well,. (Well afterwards anyway)

I sometimes like to listen to OP of previous read VN's on youtube, makes me go totally nostalgic.

My favorite Vn soundtracks are from Clannad, Ever17 and Saya no uta.

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Hmm, interesting thread. I have to say for me anything done for Key, i.e. Clannad, Air, LB are the top of the list for sure. Emotional and epic at the same time. Although, I do tend to agree with Tay about Katawa Shoujo, those songs have a lasting impact that cannot be ignored.

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I find that what really makes me like a song is not the song itself, but rather the feelings and memories associated with the song. For example, even the grandest of orchestral concertos have nothing on Innocence (from Katawa Shoujo) because of the epic scenes it evokes. At this point in time i look at my iPod and realise pretty much half my whole library of songs on it come from VNs because of this. Its hard to pick favourites but here are the ones i really like:

*WARNING* Some of the videos, even if they are but picture backgrounds, may contain major plot spoilers - you may just want to listen to the audio and not look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y6DNQdlxNo, Katawa Shoujo

KS is full of beautiful songs. Nothing like chilling in the school library with the KS soundtrack playing.

Songs of Distant Earth, Muv-Luv Unlimited

I didn't really like the 'Muv-Luv' song (Alternative's ending) so this is basically the 'Muv-Luv series theme song' to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ywI2bSscl8, Symphonic Rain

A very aptly named song, and an extremely beautiful way to end off one of my favourite visual novels.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLLrDE69UW4, Symphonic Rain

It's a beautiful song, even though it's associated ending is likely to cause you to destroy something out of rage and grief.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIleIBSm_zc, Tsukihime

Poor song, doesn't even have a proper name. Despite its simplicity, it's really beautiful the way its used in-game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHIJz0Op6sc, Ever17

I'm one of those who prefer the newer version over the original.

Saya no Uta

Beautiful song to end a... not-sure-if-beautiful game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EmhlYh-bLU, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S4HvWRrsQU, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly5NiKQqJvc, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prOdAOZ6jWA, Little Busters!

LB! has one of the nicest collection of ending songs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Nbj4UUzoas, Narcissu Side 2nd

A song that perfectly captures the sadness and despair of the whole VN.

Unmei no Farfalla, Steins;Gate

A really epic ending song. This is quite possibly my 2nd favourite song ever, i always have this urge to sing along, especially at the chorus.

At the end of it all though i think you will have to play a VN to the finish to fully appreciate its music. It just isn't the same, listening to a song and just hearing the song, and listening to a song while recalling all the feelings. This is why i love VNs.

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  • 2 weeks later...

VN OSTs have such a big impact on me. They're very important for me during the game, and while I play they engrave in my mind.

After playing, listening to the OST just brings back everything in my mind, therefore my favorite OSTs are linked with my fav games...

Therefore I like a lot the OSTs of Kara no Shoujo and G-senjou no Maou. Just listening to the songs makes me happy :lol:

Currently playing Umineko and there are godlike stuff in this too.

And one thing I realized recently: I listened to Saya no Uta OST and it was awfully distressing. Even more than during the VN itself. (I like it though).

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Umineko has some very nice songs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuRRe1moVhY,

)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5WbC-blm5U, actually, I just like 片霧烈火's voice

G-Senjou no Maou also has some interesting takes on old songs, so that was a pleasant suprise (and 片霧烈火)

I heard that this song is something that made a scene in Higurashi

Not strictly VN, but CROW'S CLAW rewrites of VN music sound awesome (metal)

- CROW'S CLAW

- CROW'S CLAW

For Key fans, Keeper of the Metal Key (also metal)

Never played Clannad (or anything Key but Planetarium), but

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I just love OST's, I can hear them anytime no problem, regardless of being voiced or not, instrumental, orchestral, whatever. They really do make a difference in a VN, and I personally agree with some of the reviewing criteria of the Yandere Translation's reviewer (I don't even know if it's the site moderator or the like but anyway), which considers the music as a trait as "gradable" as the story, graphics, system, voice acting and such. Most people have already pointed it out, but Key really stands out in it's soundtracks, be it anime or VN. I just haven't noticed anyone pointing Yuki Kajiura, so I felt in kind of an obligation to share this >.< . Her songs are amazing, especially in Kara no Kyoukai and Mai Hime.

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I just haven't noticed anyone pointing Yuki Kajiura, so I felt in kind of an obligation to share this >.<

Well probably because she didn't do VN OSTs (actually if she did that would be amazing O_O)

But, yes, most of her works are really great. Kara no Kyoukai is definitely my favorite OSTs of all time, but she also did incredible stuff in Madoka, and very good OSTs for Fate/Zero and Sword Art Online (made 50% of the epicness of the fights for the latter!)

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