[Editor’s Note: I’ve been asking Tim for concert reports from Japan for quite some time now, and he’s finally come through in a big way. He was at the August 29 performance of music from Dragon Quest IX, which was conducted by Koichi Sugiyama himself. Through Tim’s lengthy write-up, you’ll get a feel for what was performed and how it was received. I always love hearing the details about these shows I know I’ll never get to attend, and I hope you enjoy his review as well!]
First, let me start off by saying that I am not too familiar with the Dragon Quest series. Despite being a huge JRPG fan, the Dragon Quest series has never really quite cut it for me gameplay-wise, and as such, I know little about its musical history.
Of course I am aware of Mr. Kouichi Sugiyama and his place in the VGM industry, but I know little of his actual music (except for the Dragon Quest “Overture” and level up jingle) so I went into this concert as a relative layman. I had only played Dragon Quest VIII before which, despite not managing to please me in the gameplay department, had an enjoyable soundtrack which would eventually turn into a great orchestral album (note: the Japanese edition of the game was completely midi, whereas the US localization used the orchestral version).
That said, I try to attend any and all game music concerts that come to the Kansai area, just to show my appreciation, because most concerts take place only in Tokyo. To prepare for this particular one, I decided to pick up the game, which was fun, and despite the fact that I did not manage to finish it in time for the concert, I had heard most of the songs (there aren’t that many to begin with), so I think I was well enough prepared.
With that, the day began. Read our report from the Dragon Quest IX concert after the jump. (more…)
