Intro
 
        A strong orchestral soundtrack composed by Nami Kubota for an average series though it probably won’t meet everyone’s tastes.
 
Standout Tracks
 
        The album actually starts strong with its self titled instrumental theme that really lends itself to the series and projects the proper opening feelings for a series such as this. The fourth track, ‘Kanashimi no Hate’, is also a very strong track. I really enjoyed the soft piano and strings parts coupled together.
 
        Another strong standout track was the track ‘Unmei no Ito’ which is a harp solo. There were very few songs that even utilized harp part throughout the album and so this one was a very unexpected track but still very enjoyable as the harp was allowed to just relax on its own and lay out a dreamy slow track.
 
Bad Points
 
        I really can’t say that every track on the album is a winner. The first thing that came to mind is that I thought it was very odd that the theme from the eye catches were included on this volume but the opening and closing themes were completely omitted. I’ve grown rather used to hearing at least the TV size version of themes on soundtracks but in this case they were nowhere to be found.
 
        As with most albums that are completely instrumental, it’s hard to say that this is going to be an album that everyone is going to enjoy. Most of the tracks are very subdued but they are still instrumentals and unless you are already a fan of classical music it’s very difficult to say that you’ll be won over by this album because of that.
 
        The shortness of the series really played against the soundtrack in this case as well with no real ability for insert songs to be used which is a shame since there were many places throughout the series where an insert song or an image song could’ve made a much stronger impact but sadly this was not a choice utilized which is just a missed opportunity for a stronger soundtrack.
 
Does It Take Me Back?
 
        I can’t say that there are many songs on this soundtrack that really take me back to the series and makes me think about the characters in particular scenes or situations. Some songs that got repetitive play throughout the series standout a little such as ‘Chikane no Theme’ with its soft piano and flute theme. This song in particular is a strong favorite of mine because of the images it invokes of some of the sadder scenes such as Chikane sitting alone by the piano or in the rose garden where she had her secret lunches with Himeko.
 
        Some of the more tense songs with their horn and percussion leads make me think back to some of the battle scenes from the series. They don’t exactly take me back to specific battle scenes though. The first song that I really noticed this with was the track ‘Arashi no Naka no Kessen’. This starts with a strong horn and percussion but seamlessly segways into the strings. 
 
Overall
 
        Overall this wasn’t a fabulous album but it is still a strong album for different reasons. The music on this album is beautiful and there is absolutely nothing you could say to convince me otherwise. The orchestral themes are strong and in the soft pieces, it really invokes powerful images of a calm setting. You really see the simple beauty in your mind of a clear field or the rose garden. The pieces which use more horn or percussion leads do add to the tense feelings that they are supposed to.
 
        In the end though, this is an album which falls very firmly into the ‘take it or leave it’ category. If you were a fan of the series and you enjoy classical music, you’re more than likely going to find something on here which makes it worth the cost. If you weren’t a fan of the series to begin with or if you were a fan but don’t enjoy classical music there’s nothing on this album that you’ll find worth picking up. In my case, it won’t get regular rotation through my music collection but it still has a place within my collection.
 
Final Grade: 79% – C