Composed by Hironobu Kageyama and Yougo Kouno
Lyrics by Hironobu Kageyama
Arranged by Peter Tom-Wolverton
Video Editor: Dave Hall
So an Evangelion, a Gundam, and Gurren Lagann walk into a tactical role-playing game…
No, that is not the setup to a joke; it is what you get in Banpresto’s long-running (since 1991!) Super Robot Wars series, a massive crossover of nearly every Japanese giant robot franchise there is. In particular, the SRW Alpha sub-series (2000-2005) was notable for introducing fully animated attacks, a new skill system whereby your decisions can affect the difficulty you face and the unlocks you may receive later on, and, of course, the tradition of opening/ending songs by JAM Project.
Just who is JAM Project? They are a supergroup comprising five of the biggest names in songs for animé (the JAM stands for “Japanese Animation-song Makers”), making music that epitomizes “hot-blooded.” Imagine if Freddie Mercury, Sammy Hagar, Jon Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, and Patrick Stump all joined forces to sing rollicking songs about giant robots filled with Burning Anime Spirit™, and you will get the general idea.
“Gong” begins with a lovely string introduction that belies the violence to follow (there is war in this game, after all). The vocals enter to a more restrained martial feel, expressing the emotional preparation for blasting off into a final climactic battle, before the rock groove hits in full force and never looks back. From there on, it is all about focusing on the future that must be secured and the loved ones back home who must be protected, and hyping up the warriors for the imminent battle. The repeated line “gongu narase” (“sound the gong”) is a Japanese metaphor for a call to war.
Pilot fearsome mechs, save the universe, and sound awesome doing it: what more could a video game need?
#njgso #vgm #orchestra #superrobotwars
7 дек 2023
