Overview

The Legend of Heroes III: The Witch White was recently remade for the PSP and at last released to regions outside Japan. While its soundtrack mainly featured past arrangements of the game's music, two theme songs were exclusively created for the remake. Though firmly in the realms of J-Pop, the resultant songs are actually very good.

Body

The opening theme "The Other Side of Time" creates a feeling of innocence and expectation at the start of the main character's 'coming of age' experience. riya's vocals are a perfect complement for the game with their warm, light-hearted, yet unobtrusive character. She brings a lot of feeling to the lyrics and captures that sense of adventuring into a boundless world. The instrumentals are fairly standard pop fare, but the string overlays and backing singers add to the radiant feel. A very typical theme, but an emotional and fitting one nevertheless.

The ending theme "To the End of the Sky" has a significantly different tone. The lyrics and performance inspire a sense of relief and reflection at the end of the adventure. The vocals are considerably more mature than the opening, perhaps representing the growth of the main character, while the instrumentals are considerably more orchestral. It fits in context beautifully and is a fine farewell to the colourful world of The Legend of Heroes III.

The single ends with instrumental versions of the two songs. As with other singles, these are simply the tunes without the main vocalist. The result therefore sounds quite empty, though the instrumentals are still beautiful in the ending theme.

Summary

Overall, this single provides a likeable experience in and out of context. The inclusion of theme songs into The Legend of Heroes III seems to fit with the modern approach of The Legend of Heroes VI. However, the songs also seem to fit well within the individual story of The Legend of Heroes III. Those looking for the theme songs should head straight to this single and avoid the inadequate soundtrack release.