Overview

In 2011, the fourth main entry of Nippon Ichi Software's Disgaea series was released for the PlayStation 3. Tenpei Sato once again took the helm for the music and offered a lavish range of instrumental and vocal music. The opening and ending themes for the game were particularly special and, for the first time in the series' history, were commemorated with a vocal single.

Body

Starting with the vocal themes, album opens with "Last Engage," a theme that is most similar to Disgaea 2's opening theme, "Sinful Rose." This is an energetic, catchy vocal theme led by a group called Secret Character, comprising of Asami Shimoda and Akiko Hasegawa. With its hybridised orchestral, rock, and pop influences, it really manages to capture the essence of Disgaea that I felt the opening theme for Disgaea 3 was missing. The vocals themselves are quite beautiful and manage to capture the beauty of the melody, while the backing vocals are an uplifting addition too.

Moving to the ending theme, "Canary Voyage ~Little Bird In Your Universe~" is another major improvement on Disgaea 3. The supporting vocals by Chika Takahashi in the introduction immediate bring to mind the more touching moments of the Phantom Brave. Suzuko Mimori's lead vocals have an air of innocence about them and, although she borders on the kawaii side of the vocal spectrum, her voice is a strong fit for the accompanying music. As for the compositions, it is definitely pop-inspired, but carries with it the more intricate touches of an orchestral sound. The piano is a suitable addition to the theme, especially in the instrumental bridge, as it helps bring a sense of delicateness to the piece; however, the strings and brass are truly what make this theme a success with their marvelous support as romantic harmonizing elements to the vocal melody.

The single ends with full-length instrumental renditions of these tracks for karaoke purposes. Of course, these tracks will be superfluous additions for most, but their inclusion follows an established industry protocol.

Summary

Overall, both "Last Engage" and "Canary Voyage" are strong themes to open and close the fourth Disgaea title. However, I actually prefer some of the other vocal themes in the soundtrack, especially Sarah Alainn's "Golden Memories", to the opener. Despite its elaborate presentation, this single is just a small part of the fruits that the full soundtrack offers.