role-playing video game
Role-playing video games, also known as CRPG (computer/console role-playing games), comprise a broad video game genre generally defined by a detailed story and character advancement (often through increasing characters' levels or other skills) ...
series ''
Ni no Kuni
''Ni no Kuni'' is a series of role-playing video games developed and published in Japan by Level-5; Bandai Namco publishes the games outside Japan. The first games in the series chiefly follow the young Oliver, and his journey to another wor ...
'', developed by Level-5 and published in Western regions by
Bandai Namco Entertainment
is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game video game publisher, publisher, and the video game branch of the wider Bandai Namco Holdings group. Founded in 2006 as it is the successor to Namco's home and arcade video game ...
, is primarily composed by
Joe Hisaishi
, known professionally as , is a Japanese composer, musical director, conductor and pianist, known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981. Hisaishi's music has been known to explore and incorporate different genres, inclu ...
and performed by the
Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
The is recognized as the oldest symphony orchestra in Japan. It was founded in 1911 and debuted at the original Matsuzakaya store in Nagoya as the . It relocated to Tokyo in 1938. As of 2024, it has 166 members.
The orchestra plays frequently a ...
. Hisaishi, known for his previous work on
Studio Ghibli
is a Japanese animation studio based in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It has a strong presence in the animation industry and has exp ...
films, agreed to work on the games after witnessing the development team's passion for the project. He aimed to make the music reflect the fantasy genre, creating a compatibility between the soundtracks and the game worlds.
An album titled ''Ni no Kuni: Shikkoku no Madoushi Original Soundtrack'' was released in Japan in February 2011, featuring music from '' Ni no Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn''. A two-disc soundtrack was later released in March 2013; the first disc is a re-release of the Japanese soundtrack, while the second disc contains additional tracks from '' Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch''. Critical reception to the soundtracks have been positive, as reviewers felt that the music for the first two games connected appropriately with the gameplay, with critics stating that Hisaishi's contributions matched the art style by Studio Ghibli. Hisaishi would later return to compose for '' Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom'', with its soundtrack releasing in June 2018.
Production and composition
When
Studio Ghibli
is a Japanese animation studio based in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It has a strong presence in the animation industry and has exp ...
agreed to produce the animated sequences of ''
Ni no Kuni
''Ni no Kuni'' is a series of role-playing video games developed and published in Japan by Level-5; Bandai Namco publishes the games outside Japan. The first games in the series chiefly follow the young Oliver, and his journey to another wor ...
'', they contacted
Joe Hisaishi
, known professionally as , is a Japanese composer, musical director, conductor and pianist, known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981. Hisaishi's music has been known to explore and incorporate different genres, inclu ...
to work on the game music. Hisaishi, who previously worked with Studio Ghibli on films such as ''
Princess Mononoke
is a 1997 Japanese animated historical drama, historical fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Set in the Muromachi period of Japanese history, the film follows Ashitaka, a young Emishi prince who journeys west to cure his curs ...
'' (1997) and ''
Spirited Away
is a 2001 Japanese Anime film, animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It was produced by Toshio Suzuki, animated by Studio Ghibli, and distributed by Toho.Level-5 producer and writer
Akihiro Hino
(born July 20, 1968) is a Japanese video game designer and businessman. Starting his career as a programmer in the 1990s, he later took on roles in writing, design, directing and producing. He founded Level-5 (company), Level-5 in 1998 and rema ...
. After witnessing Hino's passion for the project, Hisaishi agreed to work on the soundtrack. Rei Kondoh created the other half of the score, and all in-game music was performed by the
Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
The is recognized as the oldest symphony orchestra in Japan. It was founded in 1911 and debuted at the original Matsuzakaya store in Nagoya as the . It relocated to Tokyo in 1938. As of 2024, it has 166 members.
The orchestra plays frequently a ...
. "Kokoro no Kakera", the games' theme song, was written by Hisaishi; his daughter Mai Fujisawa performed the song in Japanese, while chorister Archie Buchanan performed the English version. The team found great difficulty in selecting a performer for the English version, though ultimately settled upon Buchanan due to his ability to convey the "vulnerability and innocence" of the games' characters in a "moving and powerful performance". For the orchestral music to fit onto the
Nintendo DS
The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...
at a high quality, ''Ni no Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn'' was shipped on a 4-gigabit
game card
A Nintendo Game Card is a physical flash memory, flash storage card produced by Nintendo that contain video game software for the Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS line of handheld game consoles as well as the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 li ...
.
Hisaishi wrote 21 songs as piano sketches, across seven days. He found that the rhythm of the score was more complex than expected, but felt that this is "usually a good sign", which encouraged him to continue. The music was intended to reflect the fantasy genre, and contain an elegance based on traditional
folk music of Ireland
Irish traditional music (also known as Irish trad, Irish folk music, and other variants) is a genre of folk music that developed in Ireland.
In ''A History of Irish Music'' (1905), W. H. Grattan Flood wrote that, in Gaelic Ireland, there we ...
; Hisaishi described the music as "nostalgic, but still connected to the future". Hisaishi also felt a compatibility between his music and the world that the development team was creating, stating that their ideas generally worked naturally in "perfect unison".
For the soundtracks, the piano was performed by Febian Reza Pane, the
lute
A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck (music), neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted.
More specifically, the term "lu ...
by Hiroshi Kaneko, the
sitar
The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in 19th-century India. Khusrau K ...
by Masahiro Itami, the whistle by Hideyo Takakuwa, and the
tabla
A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...
by Ikuo Kakehashi. All music was recorded at Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall by Avaco Creative Studio, while Wonder Station mixed the soundtrack at Azabu-O Studio. Hiroyuki Akita oversaw the former, as recording engineer. Hisaishi would also return to work on the score for '' Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom''.
Albums
''Ni no Kuni: Shikkoku no Madoushi Original Soundtrack''
Joe Hisaishi
, known professionally as , is a Japanese composer, musical director, conductor and pianist, known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981. Hisaishi's music has been known to explore and incorporate different genres, inclu ...
and performed by the
Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
The is recognized as the oldest symphony orchestra in Japan. It was founded in 1911 and debuted at the original Matsuzakaya store in Nagoya as the . It relocated to Tokyo in 1938. As of 2024, it has 166 members.
The orchestra plays frequently a ...
. The soundtrack spans twenty-one tracks, covering a duration of 55 minutes.
FRAME
A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent.
Frame and FRAME may also refer to:
Physical objects
In building construction
*Framing (con ...
published the album on February 9, 2011.
In the context of the game, the soundtrack was well received. Michael Baker of RPGamer found the game's music to be "top-notch", noting its appropriation for gameplay. Patrick Gann of RPGFan called the soundtrack "beautiful", comparing it favorably to
Koichi Sugiyama
was a Japanese composer, conductor, and orchestrator. He was best known for composing for the ''Dragon Quest'' franchise, along with several other video games, anime, film, television shows, and pop songs. Classically trained, Sugiyama was c ...
's work on the ''Dragon Quest'' series. RPGLand's Janelle Hindman lauded the music as "gorgeously crafted", appreciating the lack of electronic or synthesized songs, and ''Gigazine'' named it "magnificent". ''
Nintendo Gamer
''Nintendo Gamer'' was a magazine published in the United Kingdom which mainly covered Nintendo video game consoles and software. It was the successor publication to ''N64 Magazine'', later renamed NGC Magazine (1997–2006), and ''Super Play'' ...
''s Matthew Castle lauded the music, favorably comparing it to film soundtracks.
''Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch ‒ The Original Soundtrack''
''Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch ‒ The Original Soundtrack'' consists of music from '' Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch'', composed by Hisaishi and performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. The soundtrack spans two discs; the first disc is a re-release of the Japanese soundtrack, with twenty-one tracks, while the second disc contains twelve additional tracks from '' Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch''. Both discs cover a duration of 87 minutes. Wayô Records published the soundtrack on March 28, 2013.
In the context of the game, the soundtrack was well received. Colin Moriarty of
IGN
''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
felt that it was appropriate in every situation, praising its ability to create emotion and involve players in the experience.
GameTrailers
''GameTrailers'' (''GT'') was an American video gaming website created by Geoffrey R. Grotz and Brandon Jones in 2002. The website specialized in multimedia content, including trailers and gameplay footage of upcoming and recently released v ...
found the soundtrack "powerful", commenting on its appropriate use during gameplay, and
GamesRadar
''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', '' Edge'' and ''Computer ...
's Brittany Vincent named it "breathtaking". Jen Bosier of ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' approved of the soundtrack's usage within the game, particularly praising the piano pieces.
James Stephanie Sterling
James Stephanie Sterling, also known as Commander Sterling and formerly known as Jim Sterling, is a British freelance video game journalist, critic, pundit, YouTuber, and professional wrestler. Before becoming independent in September 2014, s ...
of
Destructoid
''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017 and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022.
Histor ...
favorably compared the soundtrack to ''
Dragon Quest VIII
''Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King'' is a 2004 role-playing video game developed by Level-5 and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. It was first released in Japan in November 2004, followed by North America in November ...
'', praising the orchestral qualities and "sense of fun". Chris Scullion of ''
Computer and Video Games
''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') is a British-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot web ...
'' wrote that the music ensures the game "sounds as good as it looks". Robert Steinman of RPGFan felt that the music perfectly sets the tone of the game, stating that it is among "some of the best work" of video game music, and Jasmine Rea of
VentureBeat
''VentureBeat'' is an American technology website headquartered in San Francisco, California. ''VentureBeat'' is a tech news source that publishes news, analysis, long-form features, interviews, and videos. The ''VentureBeat'' company was fou ...
found that the music "enhances the overall Ghibli quality" to the game.
Eurogamer
''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 alongside parent company Gamer Network.
In 2008, it started in the formerly eponymous trade fair EGX (Eurogamer Expo until 2013) organised by its parent company. Fr ...
's Oli Welsh called the music "a lush and romantic treat", though criticized the repetitiveness of the battle music. Kirk Hamilton of ''
Kotaku
''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier.
History ...
'' echoed similar remarks, heavily criticizing the battle music, but otherwise calling the music "uncommonly gorgeous".
''Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch'' won Best Sound from Cheat Code Central, and the soundtrack received nominations at the 2011
International Film Music Critics Association
The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) is a professional association for online, print and radio journalists who specialize in writing about original film and television music.
History and purpose
The IFMCA was founded in the ...
, 2014
SXSW
South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
Destructoid
''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017 and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022.
Histor ...
and
GameTrailers
''GameTrailers'' (''GT'') was an American video gaming website created by Geoffrey R. Grotz and Brandon Jones in 2002. The website specialized in multimedia content, including trailers and gameplay footage of upcoming and recently released v ...
. The game's main theme, "Kokoro no Kakera", also won the award for Original/Adapted Song at the 13th National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards.
''Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom Original Soundtrack''
''Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom Original Soundtrack'' consists of music from '' Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom'', again composed by Hisaishi and performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. It was released by Avex Entertainment in Japan and worldwide by Wayô Records on June 6, 2018.
Ni no Kuni
''Ni no Kuni'' is a series of role-playing video games developed and published in Japan by Level-5; Bandai Namco publishes the games outside Japan. The first games in the series chiefly follow the young Oliver, and his journey to another wor ...
Ni no Kuni
''Ni no Kuni'' is a series of role-playing video games developed and published in Japan by Level-5; Bandai Namco publishes the games outside Japan. The first games in the series chiefly follow the young Oliver, and his journey to another wor ...