Cute Penguins, Despicable Vocals, Rockin’ Music – Prinny: Can This Really Be The OST? (Review)

Penguin… things! I’ll admit I’m not the biggest Disgaea fan, so I don’t know anything about the origins of prinnies, but it doesn’t take a well-versed fan to know that penguins are adorable. Even more, this game actually features the lovable creatures in a hardcore action platformer, which is a stark contrast to the horrible penguin games we’ve seen based on movie licenses in recent years.

So, if you do happen to be a fan of Disgaea, you’re not only familiar with prinnies, but also familiar with composer Tenpei Sato. He’s worked on a huge number of games, including Disgaea and other Nippon Ichi titles, so most of you will be right at home with his work. For those who aren’t familiar, this is hardcore game music, complete with a gamey sound and unrealistic instrument emulation. Fortunately for those of us who are into this sort of thing,  NIS decided to distribute the soundtrack with every copy of the game, and even went as far as to cleverly title it Prinny: Can This Really Be the OST?.

Hit the jump to find out of this bonus is worth the time in your CD player!

Alright, you know it’s a bad sign when the first things you hear are screechy, out-of-tune female vocals in Japanese. That’s exactly what you’ll find with the opening track, “Asagi Metamorphose.” The back track features a funky octave-jumping base, but the painful vocals had me wanting to stab my cochlea with a sharp instrument over and over again. It may be surprising to hear, but don’t let this one scare you away, as it only goes up from here.

“Brave Heart” follows with an epic RPG melody that had me thinking of the Soul Calibur series with its grandiose string melodies and powerful brass stabs. The same powerful sound returns with “Dark Soul,” which makes use of some exotic instruments to add an ethnic flavor to the heavy orchestral style.

“Asagi My Love” attempts to right the wrongs of the opening track, starting with some lovely guitars and tubular bells that sound a bit like Christmas. It sounds like the happiest Christmas ever, in fact. Vocals are added to the mix, and are even in tune this time around! Thank you, singers!

My favorite track on the album is easily “Hello! My Dream,” which is ridiculously happy and catchy. Jazz organs, smooth saxophones, and wailing guitars are beaming with so much cheer that I think Sato surpasses even Noriyuki Iwadare in terms of joyous melodies. This is a very impressive effort that has earned a permanent place on my iPod to brighten up my dark days. “Lead Roulette” takes a close second with its jazzy sound and fast tempo. It’s downright funky.

So, let’s get into some of variety that the Prinny soundtrack has to offer. How about some bossa nova? “Nobody Knows” has you covered with saxophone and electric piano. “You Go Girl (Piko Piko Version),” on the other hand, sports a retro sound and a typical groovy melody and some trippy panning (try listening to this one with some headphones). Taking a step into the unknown, “Witch Walking” is an unsettling piece with ghostly pads and whistling synth lines.

Getting into some rock music, “Last Celebration” features chugging guitars and brassy synths in typical Sakuraba fashion, while “Flying Chorus” makes use of some more authentic guitar sounds and even works in a choir. “Tower of Ice” is another one with some awesome shredding accented by brass stabs and an orchestral chord progression.

The final track, “Kusha Kusha No Yume (Wrinkled Dreams)” is your typical anime-sounding theme track, again in tune! The voices actually sound a whole lot more mature here, and the musical accompaniment is much more contemplative and less hit-you-over-the-head happy. It’s an appropriate ending to an effective soundtrack.

If you happened to pick up Prinny: Can I Really Be The Hero? for your PSP, pop this disc in your CD player and give it a few listens, if not just for the amazing “Hello! My Dream” and “Lead Roulette.” Just skip the first track and everything will be alright. It’s definitely awesome that NIS decided to include the album with the US release, and Sato should be proud of the variety of styles he presents with this release.

Are you a fan of composer Tenpei Sato’s work? Are penguin creatures with peg legs your idea of cute, or am I just crazy?