Here are some tokusatsu-flavoured song suggestions for your listening pleasure.
Ultraman the Next ED — Never Goodbye.
This hard rock song from the 2004 Ultraman movie was by Tak Matsumoto Group, a band comprising B’z’s Matsumoto Takahiro, Mr Big’s Eric Martin and Damn Yankees’ Jack Blades.
Ryukendo ED — Everybody Goes.
This new Takara-sponsored show is a little rougher around the edges and seems to have a lower budget than Toei or Toho shows but it features some nifty CG work and giggle-licious comedy. Aikawa Nanase’s energetic song plays during an “Eh?”-eliciting ending sequence featuring a football set-piece.
Dekaranger — Blue is the sky.
Going by Dekaranger, no criminal case is so complex that it can’t be solved through the use of a giant robot. This song may not be “PAH-FECT,” as Hayashi Tsuyoshi’s Dekablue would put it, but it’s surprisingly good for a character song.
Kamen Rider Hibiki ED — Shonen Yo.
The stirring ED song for the series was a classy orchestral tune exhorting directionless youth to find their own way in life and this was the theme of the series as well.
Gransazer BGM — Beautiful Earth (strings version).
Gransazer was a series of two halves. The first was quite good and certainly head and shoulders over typical sentai fare while the second meandered and bogged down. The background music was one of the elements that stayed cool throughout, however, and the album makes for some fun listening.
Seek them out and be sure to strike a heroic pose when you’re listening to them.
