There's one aspect of the 1998 Japanese OVA Tekken: The Motion Picture that really stands out: the movie's instrumental score. You might feel that for a movie based on a fighting game series there isn't enough fighting or alternatively you might really like that there is more emphasis on story. Maybe your favourite character didn't make it into the movie; with more than half the roster absent and/or dealt with in 2 sec cameos that's highly likely, actually. But maybe you think leaving out half the cast and focusing on the story-relevant characters instead was a rather wise decision. Whatever your thoughts are on the movie, its soundtrack is the one thing beyond any doubt. (Its original Japanese soundtrack that is, not the horrible American one that replaced instrumental tracks with odd songs by then-famous rock bands.)
Composer Kazuhiko Toyama's work really shines. It's a sophisticated, thematic, organic, melodramatic and interesting surprise. For titles like 'Strained Situation' and 'Cold Blooded' Toyama used elements in his writing to convey drama, suspense and urgency that are reminiscent of the instrumental scores for the TV shows Lost and Alias, long before anyone ever heard of these shows or Michael Giacchino. Toyama's score is extremely cohesive from start to finish, both in terms of instrumentation and motifs. The subtle and consistent Silent Assassin motif with its string-heavy writing and its disturbing and stalking undertone forms THE perfect themes for the Williams sisters; perfect instrumental representations interpretations of their personas, and brilliant pieces of music at that.
Below you can listen to the opening theme, Nina's and Anna's theme and the piece accompanying their final confrontation which, by the movie's own canon, is also their last, since Anna gets eaten by a dinosaur. lol She really had this one coming!
The spam load of pictures are shots of each track's respective scene in the movie.
01. Toyama Kazuhiko - TEKKEN
06. Toyama Kazuhiko - Silent Assassin (NINA)
13. Toyama Kazuhiko - Silent Assassin (ANNA)
20. Toyama Kazuhiko - NINA vs ANNA
Tekken The Motion Picture OVA Soundtrack - Composed by Kazuhiko Toyama and performed by Los Solistas De Tokio. Arranged by Masao Akashi. Original Soundtrack published by Sony Records and released Jan 21, 1998.
Kazuhiko Toyama (born October 10, 1956) is a Japanese composer, notable for creating music for Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Bikkuriman, Cyber City Oedo 808, A Wind Named Amnesia, Goku Midnight Eye I and II and New Cutie Honey. You can follow him on Twitter by clicking Kazuhiko Toyama @KAZZTYM
Screenshots taken from the DVD release of Tekken: The Motion Picture © 1997 Namco Ltd / Ascii Corporation / Sony Music Entertainment (Japan)
