"Improving" American Anime: Better Soundtrack

I can't express this enough. Toys and T-shirts sell kids' properties, but what about shows with older intended audiences? Even children's anime in Japan has movie-quality music for some reason. Why are American animes lacking in the sound department? Mark Mancina and Hans Zimmer of Lion King fame recently made the soundtrack to Blood+, a Japanese anime. If we're exporting musical talent, surely we should be able to import some. Ryuichi Sakamoto is pretty major in the American indie scene. Japanese pop group Puffy Amiyumi made the theme to Teen Titans:

Even Yoko Kanno composed the theme to Oban: Star Racers, a French anime.

That's not to say the music can't be in-house. In addition to movies, American TV shows often have CD soundtracks released. Smallville and The O.C. have extremely successful soundtracks. (Imogen Heap was launched in the States thanks TO soundtracks!) Sadly, unless we're talking a Disney movie, cartoons rarely ever have "serious" soundtracks released. The most we Americans get are "novelty" albums like sing-alongs and parodic themes made for animated comedies (Dexter's Laboratory comes to mind. And don't get me wrong. Dexter's Lab is one of my favorite cartoons ever.) Some more dramatic cartoons like Justice League have soundtracks released, but they don't nearly get the exposure that soundtracks of live action shows do.

Folks. Come on. If American anime is to be taken seriously, it can't have those same cheesy theme songs with embarrassing lyrics. You know. The ones that shame you as an American. (I am staring right at BEN 10.) The fact that it's a children's show is irrelevant to me, and yes, my judgment is subjective. But here:


Top is a show aimed at young preteen to teen boys in America...


And here is a show aimed at young preteen to teen boys in Japan (despite the show touching on very adult themes). You be the judge.

The difference may have something to do with the fact that in Japan many voice actors (seiyuu) sing on anime soundtracks, as well, and unlike here in the States they're treated much like celebrities. Nevertheless, usually the only cartoons that get noteworthy musical attention here are established properties, and everything else sounds like it was slapped together by an elaborate corporate nightmare.

Let's get some star power going. Two distinct vocal themes, one for opening and ending sequences. Vocal insert songs as many live action dramas have. Even reality shows have them...come on! But most importantly, American anime needs an actual score. Not studio library tracks or royalty-free music but an ACTUAL SCORE. This will take the novelty out American anime as well as provide a new means of gathering income for production.