Overview

With Atelier Elkrone ~Dear for Otomate~, developers Gust and Idea Factory teamed up for the latest entry of the Atelier series, known for their alchemy workshops. This spin-off, however, is different than the other games as it's an otome game (lit. Maiden Game) — the goal being to build up a romantic relationship between the female player and several male characters via dialogue options. While Toshimichi Isoe's ZIZZ Studio produced the BGM, there are some familiar names shattered around the credits. Let's check it out.

Body

Among the highlights of Atelier Elkrone are its vocal themes. "At the City Where Flowers Bloom", an original composition by Haruka Shimotsuki, opens the soundtrack excellently in traditional Atelier manner. I really like the catchy and lighthearted melody, paired with the folksy accordion and violin accompaniment; it fits the scenery perfectly. Her second contribution is the ending theme "Dreaming With You", composed and arranged by MANYO (aka Tomomi Teratani), who also arranged the opening theme. It's a slow and emotional ballad, mostly dominated by piano, violin and flute. Haruka Shimotsuki's stunning vocals again fit well and show the versatility of her voice. It's a little clichéd, but works well given the focus of the game.

ZIZZ Studio's Ikuho Ebata contributed the theme "Song of a Faraway Prayer". It's a very atmospheric and lyrical theme with slow harp arpeggios and acoustic backing. The pure and beautiful vocals of A.m.u. help to create a fascinating and serene soundscape. It appears next to its main version in two different versions on the soundtrack, an instrumental and a shortened rendition titled "The Song of the Siren", where the lyrics simply replaced by na-na-na vocals. The laid-back "Lore Elkrone" is a guest appearance from series' veteran Daisuke Achiwa. If you're familiar with his rustical and acoustic style you know what to expect here. The guitar solo around the two minute mark is especially well done, while Noriko Mitose's vocals are also a pleasure. It's definitely one of my favorite tracks from this CD! All in all, the vocal themes are nice and easy to listen to, albeit nothing spectacular.

The same could be said for the background of the game. Most of the pieces are pretty decent for a first time listen, though there is not much which sticks out in the long-term. "The Gentle Breeze of Elkrone" and "Popotte's Overture" introduce us softly to the world of Elkrone with their Celtic approaches. If you're a sucker for nasal woodwinds, you'll definitely enjoy this compositions. Other tracks like "Within the Morning Mist" or "Beside a Small Window" also make use of gentle woodwinds. While the former uses a beautiful flute melody accompanied by piano and chimes, the latter creates a rather clumsy atmosphere with pizzicato strings and clarinet. With "A Seaside Street", "La Festa", "Tower of Intellect" or "Baton Dance" Ken Nakagawa's whimsical style should come in mind, if you are familiar with his his works on earlier Atelier titles.

For a bit more action, listen to tracks like "Battle of Destiny". Here. heavy electric guitar riffs are fused with choir and orchestral accompaniment. It's nothing compared to Daisuke Achiwa's battle tracks on past Atelier soundtracks, but it's still a interesting listen. The slapstick track "Synthesis Race" is also noteworthy for its fast-paced rag piano, banjo and various silly sound effects thrown within as well as the cool electric guitar riffs of "The Men's Weapon Shop". A shame this piece is so short! Indeed, plenty of the tracks here disappoint due to their brevity — it's not helped by the fact the tracks don't loop on this squashed one disc release.

The majority of the soundtrack is synthesized with moderately convincing samples, though there are some live performances featured on the soundtrack. The violin, played by Teisena, is one of many live instruments featured prominently throughout the score. It stars in tracks like the fantastic action theme "A Hero Visits!", the jazzy "A Cocktail With You", or the waltz in "The Prince and Me". Also some solos towards the end of the soundtrack are dedicated to the instrument, like "To You, My Beloved", which features a beautiful and heartfelt melody, which is only strengthened by the performance. Next to the violin, the piano also makes a major appearance towards the latter half. From the emotional "First Feelings", the depressing "The Darkness of the Heart" or the cheesy "Whispers of Love" there are several emotions illustrated within the music.

Summary

With Atelier Elkrone ~Dear for Otomate~, Zizz Studio delivers a solid game soundtrack that stays true to its nature. While the background music is rarely breathtaking, the music is pleasant enough for its context. The vocal themes are also among the better features, but they're not terribly original and just will inspired a fuzzy feeling. If you're a fan of the Atelier series, you'll might enjoy this. However, it is definitely not a must-listen and casual fans might be best waiting for Atelier Ayesha instead.