Snow in Summer: I like the orchestral arrangement (OA) album :
https://vgmdb.net/album/78244 better. the high notes coming from children choir are not as haunting.
Hills of Radiant Winds: not much different really. I like it.
Blu-bird: definitely prefer this version over original. much crisper percussion and choir and strings is a nice addition.
Cold Steel coffin: orchestra sound wise it's a big improvement. love it. choir is also superior to the original vocals.
Grandma: hmm too too too fast piano. I like it but both original and the OA album are better. too many overlapping sounds that appear as if just to appear. simplicity of the original Grandma piece is much more effective. like the overly dramatic strings toward the end was unnecessary.
The Wretched automatons: strings is so much better here. cello with vocals yes yes. worked so well. 5:37 minutes but no boredom. epic, sad, hopeful.
City of Commerce: flute sublime. go Rie !!! yes so good. lovely sounds.
The Prestigious Mask: see above. the oboe is heartbreakingly good. the strings enter at 0:44 ah lovely.. then flute. just super. the cello at the end. it's one leitmotif used so well. much better than the original.
Temple of drifting sands: the operatic sound is yes. very very good. strings in the middle is also yes. very dramatic. joining of vocal + strings in the latter section is simply magical. strings is also very middle-eastern like.
Gods bound by rules: NO. NO. NO. didn't work. moving on. collection of epical notes? choir? the original is COLOSSALLY better. also the concert version is much better.
Kaine/Premonition: a capella - nice. too long tho.
Deep Crimson Foe: NO. AAA. no no no. original is so much better. the children choir is so underwhelming, the desperation felt in the original track is but lost here. the latter part is a nice addition but the mix that with the original vocals and perfection it would have been.
The lost forest: another DIDN'T work track. the original is miles ahead.
Dispossesion - Strings ver.: very well done strings. but not much different.
Dark Colossus Destroys All: OA album is better. It's not too bad but technically the arrangement is far inferior. Ryuichi Takada seems to have a way of having their choir and strings segmented with pauses which doesn't really work for me.
Ashes of Dreams - Nouveau: hmm no. original is better. the problem with this arrangement is that strings is trumped by too much violin. it's screechy at times and makes its too melodramatic (there's already a lot of that )
Ashes of Dreams - Naudhaich: gotta love that oboe flute horn combo. Ryuichi Takeda saves it here. blending of instruments at the end is just sublime.
Fleeting Words/Family: nice vocals. finally a track that ends properly lol.
Fleeting Words/Outsider: epic. bombastic. choir is underwhelmed but otherwise very enjoyable. trumpet? at 1:08 is a bit funny. midsection is very nuce.
Shadowlords castle: i like the electronica interlude before things get hectic. choir is nice too. more male.
Dance of the Evanescent: nice short chamber music then wtf something weird happens, the track goes nuts ? sth wrong with the rip?
Song of the Ancients/Fate: very nice strings intro. midsection blends of instruments is a bit chaotic but works ok. it's a VERY nice arrangement but... the original's feeling is different, it's simpler and more effective.
Emil/Karma: vocals are a big NO. na na na. it's epic no question but I prefer original.
Emil/Sacrifice: flute is so so good but vocals are still no. the instruments are so good I will learn to tolerate the vocals.
Shadowlord: SUBLIME. so haunting so powerful. a huge yes. I paid attention to every second. the choir has so a bit more power here than the vocals in the original (a bit mind). the ending section goosebumpy. my only qualm is the LOOPING TRACK. gah.
Analogous memories: I liked it but the vocals are bit screechy. I don't mind alien manifestation but I minded a bit here.
Grandma/Reunion: not sure if I like the repeating choir parts. hmm no.
Aratanaru: nice orchestra sound no question.
