Your favorite anime soundtracks

In the past, I touched upon a few aspects of anime soundtracks. I feel that the music in anime can be extremely crucial to selling a scene or conveying a mood. The on-screen action can only go so far, but the mixing with the right music can do amazing things. Those anime scenes paired with the right tunes will form memories that forever stick in your head. They'll probably have you humming as well!

I feel that both anime and game soundtracks never get the respect they deserve. There are thousands of people that are working their asses off to make sure the music you hear fits the scene, and only heightens what's going on. The right tune can bring you to tears or completely rip you out of a moment. It's that kind of make-or-break situation that weighs heavy on the sound staff as they try to put together something special.

It's hard for me to pick just one anime that features my favorite soundtrack. I think pound for pound, I'd have to call for a tie between FLCL and Death Note. The music of FLCL is absolutely fantastic, thanks to the band The Pillows. Their original creations outside of FLCL just somehow matched up ridiculously well with the anime. It's a 100% perfect fit. As for Death Note, that soundtrack gets the nod for a fully original score that will stick with you forever. Just hearing a few notes from some of those songs will instantly transport me to a moment in the series, and my emotions are automatically stirred up.

That's not to say that those two anime are the only ones that feature amazing soundtracks. Cowboy Bebop is another anime that is absolutely gorgeous to listen to, so long as you don't mind country twang and smooth jazz! What anime soundtracks do you think are head-and-shoulders above the rest? If it's on your iPod or computer, it must be worth a listen!