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Title
 Mothra 2 - Original Soundtrack Complete
International Title
 Rebirth of Mothra II
Music By: Toshiyuki Watanabe
Record Label: PolyGram
   
Running Time: 56:22/36:12 Discs: 2
Release: January 1998 CD Number: POCX-1089/90
Comments
Anthony Romero
Following up PolyGram's single disc release (POCX-1088), comes the "complete" album for Rebirth of Mothra II. As expected, the disc is pretty fleshed out in terms of content, containing the full score to the 1997 movie, extended cues, a karaoke version of the "Mothra Song", and sound effects. The content overall clocks in at 92 minutes which, although a little low for a two disc set, gives a good deal of music for the listener to mill over. As a bonus feature, the second disc in this set has some 10 production stills, excluding the first which is a render of the movie's logo, that are available in 640x480, 800x600 or 1024x768 resolutions and can be accessed when the disc is placed into a CD-Rom drive.

Now, as for the music itself, composer Toshiyuki Watanabe turns in another fine performance here, and my personal favorite of the three "Rebirth of Mothra" films. Among his work for this production are a number of standout cues, such as the ever catchy "Dagahra Arrives" theme, a more fleshed out and better orchestrated version of the theme for Mothra Leo ("The Great, Miraculous Metamorphosis") and a very excellent battle march for the conflict between the two kaiju in the movie. Watanabe shows his range with this score too, giving a eerie theme in the form of "The Threat to Life", a somber and slightly majestic one for "Princess Yuna's Theme", while also a number of more playful cues, such "Boys". The final cue from the score, "To the New Generation of Children", is also particularly impressive, as Watanabe goes out with a bang. "To the World of Adventure 1" is also another upstanding theme off this disc, although the start of it sounds like it's almost right out of Joe Hisaishi's score for Princess Mononoke (1997).

One thing that should be noted about this soundtrack, though, is that, unlike the other two movies in the series, there isn't much vocal music at all to be found. Depending on one's tastes, that could either be a boon or a drawback, but it's pretty much confined here to just "The Mothra Song" and then heard sparingly in track 26 as well.

Overall, I really enjoyed Watanabe's score for this entry in the series. There aren't any parts where the score feels like it lags and, despite reoccurring themes, it doesn't feel repetitive either. All in all, it's probably my favorite of the three late 1990's Mothra scores. As for this set in particular, I would recommend it over the single disc release. It's not going to be cheap, and never was, but if one is a fan of this particular score it might be worth shelling out for since the runtime on both ADV and PolyGram's single disc efforts is so short.
Rating: Star Rating
Tracks
    Disc 1
  1. Opening Title (M1)
  2. The Shadow of a Gigantic Beast (M2)
  3. The Strange Creature 1 (M3)
  4. At the Cape (M4)
  5. The Meeting of the Little Girl and Ghogo (M5)
  6. Boys (M6)
  7. Belvera and the Children (M7)
  8. The Fierce Battle in the Woods (M8)
  9. The Strange Creature 2 (M9)
  10. The Wandering Duo (M10)
  11. The Threat to Life (M10A)
  12. The Gigantic Beast Awakens (M11)
  13. To the World of Adventure 1 (M12)
  14. To the World of Adventure 2 · Nilai-kanai (M13)
  15. The Legend Resurrected (M14)
  16. Dagahra's Revival (M15)
  17. In Order to Save the World · The Mothra Song (M16)
    By: Megumi Kobayashi, Sayaka Yamaguchi, Composer: Yuji Koseki
  18. A Girl's Crisis (M17)
  19. Dagahra Arrives (M18)
  20. The Beautiful Guardian Deity · Mothra vs. Dagahra 1 (M19)
  21. Mothra vs. Dagahra 2
  22. To an Abysmal Valley (M20)
  23. Mothra vs. Dagahra 3
  24. Reunion (M21)
  25. Bridge M (M21A)
  26. Prepared to Die · The Mothra Song · To the Ocean Floor (M22)
    By: Megumi Kobayashi, Sayaka Yamaguchi
  27. The Civilazation of Nilai-kanai
  28. Mothra, Desperate Situation (M23)
  29. A Frantic Struggle
  30. Fairy Appears (M24)
  31. The Door Opens (M25)
  32. Among the Hidden Treasures (M26)
  33. The Strange-Looking God
  34. The Giant Witch Figure (M27)
  35. Princess Yuna's Theme (M28)
  36. Deterioration, the God's Visage Falls (M29)
  37. The Imminent Crisis Comes (M30)
  38. Trying to Escape (M31)
    Disc 2
  1. A Moment of Desperation (M32)
  2. Ghogo and the Miracle (M33)
  3. Mothra vs. Dagahra 4
  4. The Great, Miraculous Metamorphosis (M35)
  5. Great Battle at the Bottom of the Ocean (M36)
  6. The End of the Legend (M37)
  7. To the New Generation of Children (M38)
  8. The Strange Creature 1 (M3 - Full Version)
  9. At the Cape (M4 - Full Version)
  10. Belvera and the Children (M7 - Full Version)
  11. The Fierce Battle in the Woods (M8 - Full Version)
  12. The Gigantic Beast Awakens (M11 - Full Version)
  13. To the World of Adventure 2 · Nilai-kanai (M13 - Full Version)
  14. In Order to Save the World · The Mothra Song (M16 - Karaoke)
    Composer: Yuji Koseki
  15. The Beautiful Guardian Deity · Mothra vs. Dagahra 1 (M19 - Full Version)
  16. Reunion (M21 - Full Version)
  17. Fairy Appears (M24 - Full Version)
  18. The Giant Witch Figure (M27 - Full Version)
  19. Ghogo and the Miracle (M33 - Full Version)
  20. Great Battle at the Bottom of the Ocean (M36 - Full Version)
  21. Sound Effects: Mothra, Aqua Mothra, Dagahra, Garu-Garu II, Ghogo




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