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Kare Kano: Interview with Sagisu in the ...

Kare Kano: Interview with Sagisu in the Blu-ray limited edition booklet 5 of 5

Jun 20, 2022

・Polovtsian Dances

When Anno said he wanted to use "Polovtsian Dances" in our meeting, I did not understand his intention at first.

But as it turned out, that melody matched very well with the piano music and other pieces I had written earlier.

"Polovtsian Dances" was recorded in several different ways (acoustic guitar & piano, piano solo, strings & piano, strings) according to Anno's wishes.

In the trailer for "THE END OF EVANGELION," when using "Pachelbel's Canon," Anno used his own expressions such as "Gasa Gasa (a word used to describe the sound of dry objects touching each other)" or "Wasa Wasa (the way the leaves of grass and trees rustle in the wind, etc. Also, the way things shake and the sound of the shaking)" and faxed the arrangement and image to me, and all the performers worked together to respond to it.

So, I think Anno trusted that this group of musicians would be able to respond instantly to his requests.

To some extent, I wrote the score of the Polovtsian Dances arrangement in advance, and while looking at it, I asked Anno what he wanted.

Then I made an instant head arrangement, which became a variation of "Polovtsian".

Anyway, "Kare Kano" was full of such moments where Hideaki Anno's rich sense of music and the Sagisu score were in perfect harmony!

When I watched the TV broadcast, I felt a kind of ecstasy.

Another piece is the trumpet piece used in the aquarium scene of "EVANGELION:2.0 YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE." from the C series of ABC of incidental music.

I think that song also very much symbolizes the multi-rootedness of "Kare Kano", it works pretty good to shake people off more than "Eva", shaking off everything in all directions.

I don't know how to describe it, but the creators are very involved in the work and very entertained by it...I can't think of a good Japanese word for it. I think that feeling is expressed in the music.

They go to an aquarium and Ayanami serves miso soup...It was very interesting that the C-1 of "Kare Kano" was used in the memorable scene where the non-human being makes the most human thing.

Then there is the scene where Kaji and Misato meet again, and if you know the story from the previous movie, you already know that they were dating, and then the parody song of "Play Girl" from "Kare Kano" is played.

In short, both Ritsuko Akagi and Misato Katsuragi have coquetry.

"Coquetry" is a French word that does not exist in other countries.

The closest equivalent in Japanese is "媚態".

In short, it’s the right for only women to use their sexual charms.

For example, when we had the "#MeToo movement," Catherine Deneuve responded with something like, "We have the right to be hit on as women," because she was born and raised in a culture where coquetry exists.

In "Eva," Anno contrasts adult women with 14-year-olds very well, doesn't he?

He uses the music from "Kare Kano" to express this contrast.

He may not be aware of it, but I think his choice is amazing.

The reason why he can do that is because he shook it all off when he worked for the incidental music of "Kare Kano".

The piano pieces A-8 and A-9 are also used quite frequently in EVANGELION:2.0 YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE.

How can Misato and Kaji, Gendo and Shinji's mother, and others forget their ugly relationships for a moment and share a good time?

I entrusted such a desire for utopia to the music.

To begin with, with "Kare Kano" I created Fauré, Ravel, and Satie style pieces to represent utopia, and C-1-like pieces to represent physical dynamism.

In that sense, Kare Kano is a milestone in Anno's musicality.

One of the main characteristics of Anno's anime is that it can emphasize coquetry even though it is a shoujo manga anime.

It exists naturally together with the healthy sound of "Shotaro March" and the familiar sound of Tetsuzaburo Hirai (incidental music for "Kimottama Kaasan" etc.).

I think this is one of the main characteristics and diversity of Anno's theater, which mixes various things together.

I gave specific examples, like the "Play Girl" parody, but as with any Anno work, the most amazing thing is how he blends the coquetry of "Play Girl" with the home comedy drama "Arigato" in a way to the point where you can't distinguish between the two, really.

Last question. Do you recall any serious chaos at "Kare Kano"?

Not at all.

As I have always said in various media, the music is like an overflowing fountain, flowing out of me every time.

Even if Anno gets in a bad mood from time to time, by the time of "Kare Kano," I had already developed a tolerance and immunity to it through "Nadia" to "Eva" (laughs).

・・

つづく

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