September 25, 2012

• Theme Songs

  Lately, I’ve been thinking about cartoon theme songs. In particular, I’m wondering why anime theme songs are so bloody long, especially when compared to good, old-fashioned ‘Murican cartoon theme songs. While I usually skip theme songs anyway, I couldn’t help but notice this trend, and it truly solidified during this anime season.

  This season you had series like Hyouka, KoiChoco, NakaImo, and more with theme songs all at a minute-and-a-half long. On the other side of the ocean, you have shows like My Little Pony and Gravity Falls with theme songs around forty seconds long. That’s roughly fifty seconds of time that an anime could’ve filled with, I dunno, content! (read: panty shots)

  I can see why this is. Those crafty Japaners want to sell CDs to sweaty, mouth-breathing nerds who would happily pay full album price for a disc with maybe three songs on it if they can tie the songs to some anime series. And what better way to fill a CD’s content than by just slapping on the opening theme song and the credits music (plus one other song that they slap in the middle of the TV season for no other reason than to sell more CDs)?

  It is time to stop this hideous feedback loop! It is time to fight back! Stop buying this anime music! Maybe if we can all come together and stop this, we can bring some meaningful change to the industry. We’ll finally have shorter, more reasonable theme songs. We’ll have anime series with more content! (read: jiggle physics) Let us all unite! And while we’re at it, let us also build a time machine powered by flying pigs and pixie dust!

  (Full Disclaimer: I am a sweaty, mouth-breathing nerd who would happily pay full album price for a disc with maybe three songs on it if they can tie the songs to some anime series)

  • 7:25 am
  • 3 Comments