YKWorshiper
I like Yuki
I've listened at least bits and pieces of most of YK's major soundtrack albums, but I still have at least a dozen to direct my attention to.
On a related note, and to my regret, I've to say I agree with Moderator George's general point about YK's more recent albums. With some exceptions, they have left me colder in terms of sheer musicianship and brilliance, one could say magic that the composer is able to deliver at her best.
Of her most recent full albums, I've yet to listen "Fena: Pirate Princess" and pretty much the entire "Vanitas no Karte". I do think most of her "Sword Art Online" work (Ordinal Scale... not so much) is on par with her best work, but apart from that franchise, I've only really enjoyed "Fate/Zero" the three-disc standalone complex version. Some others have been more than decent too, but nowhere as good as her best work in the 00s that I can endlessly listen to and enjoy. I've been trying to give a (critical) listen to her efforts this past decade, but usually have walked away disappointed.
Why this perceived trend has happened is open to speculation, but I have noticed that for some reason, track lengths on more recent albums have become exceedingly shorter.
However, I think the shorter track approach undercuts Y. Kajiura's greatest strengths as a composer, which are melody and structural development. She simply often doesn't have the time to work her magic. At the most, one is left with ambient feeling of an atmosphere that feels very short-lived outside the visual medium. An extreme example is SAO OS: only a handful of tracks out of 50 last even two minutes (!).
Personally, I don't know if this approach is imposed on her from without, or if it's her choice as an artist, which she is at full liberty to make of course. However, I think it unfortunately shrinks her magic and causes a seemingly unnecessary "cut" to it.
On a related note, and to my regret, I've to say I agree with Moderator George's general point about YK's more recent albums. With some exceptions, they have left me colder in terms of sheer musicianship and brilliance, one could say magic that the composer is able to deliver at her best.
Of her most recent full albums, I've yet to listen "Fena: Pirate Princess" and pretty much the entire "Vanitas no Karte". I do think most of her "Sword Art Online" work (Ordinal Scale... not so much) is on par with her best work, but apart from that franchise, I've only really enjoyed "Fate/Zero" the three-disc standalone complex version. Some others have been more than decent too, but nowhere as good as her best work in the 00s that I can endlessly listen to and enjoy. I've been trying to give a (critical) listen to her efforts this past decade, but usually have walked away disappointed.
Why this perceived trend has happened is open to speculation, but I have noticed that for some reason, track lengths on more recent albums have become exceedingly shorter.
However, I think the shorter track approach undercuts Y. Kajiura's greatest strengths as a composer, which are melody and structural development. She simply often doesn't have the time to work her magic. At the most, one is left with ambient feeling of an atmosphere that feels very short-lived outside the visual medium. An extreme example is SAO OS: only a handful of tracks out of 50 last even two minutes (!).
Personally, I don't know if this approach is imposed on her from without, or if it's her choice as an artist, which she is at full liberty to make of course. However, I think it unfortunately shrinks her magic and causes a seemingly unnecessary "cut" to it.
Both just lack emotion and originality for my tastes, they are too bland and incoherent. 