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On its own, Pretear OST Volume 1, is still sonic wallpaper and it does manage to make me wax nostalgic

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Pretear

Original Soundtrack 1

Review by: Stephanie Costello

Anime Series Soundtrack

Company: Pioneer

CD Length: approximately 56 minutes

Rated: PG (mild themes)

EXTERNAL EXAM

Fifteen year old Himeno Awayuki was a typical happy-go-lucky girl who’s live changed when her mother passed away and her father remarried into the wealthiest family in town. So wealthy, Himeno’s new step-mother changed the name of the city out of love for her new husband, Kaoru. As Himeno tries to adjust to her new step-mother and sisters – she discovers that she is the one the Leafe Knights have been searching for. Only she has the power to save the earth from the Princess of Disaster.

FINAL EXAM:

Pretear is loosely based on the story of Snow White. There are seven Leafe Knights and Himeno Awayuki translates into “White Princess”. The Princess of Disaster is analogous to the Wicked Queen of Snow White, but that’s about where the similarities end. I don’t recall Snow White having to deal with heart-wrenching love trapezoids and the dwarves didn’t have super-natural powers.

Best track

“White Destiny” performed by Yoko Ishida. This song opens both the show and this album. “White Destiny” is the most J-pop track on the album, and is a far more aggressive piece than the rest of the sonic wallpaper on the soundtrack. When I say aggressive, it’s comparatively. Abba is aggressive when compared to elevator music. Nevertheless, I think “White Destiny” is a great song.

Worst Track

The music of Himeno’s transformation sequence. The music itself isn’t bad, but it just sticks out and breaks the continuity of this album. If it were placed at the end of the track sequence it would fit the flow better.

Perfect for Fans of:

Ferrante & Teicher, Burt Bacharach, soundtracks of 60’s love stories….

If you’ve never seen Pretear but find yourself in possession of this soundtrack, you’ll be able to ascertain that Pretear IS a love story by the third track into the disc. It’s wholly conventional and profoundly mediocre, but that mediocrity stems from the fact that when you hear strings in a song, you’re thinking “ah, love story”. Those conventions work and so does this soundtrack. The titles are written in Japanese, but you know which track is the “forlorn lovers” song, the “heartbreaking loss” song, and the “holy crap my world is full of love and wonder” track. The soundtrack, in conjunction with the series, is a perfect mix of appropriate sonic wallpaper, with just enough presence to bolster emotions you’re already feeling.

On its own, Pretear OST Volume 1, is still sonic wallpaper and it does manage to make me wax nostalgic, but it’s also perfect music for cocktails. Ahhh…I can see it now…the sun hanging low in the summer sky…chillin’ on the patio with my friends….sipping a mojito…yes…THAT kind of nostalgia.

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