Overview

The Makai Senki Disgaea 3 Return Mini CD was a bonus packed with the release of the game on the PlayStation Vita. Featuring a mixture of new and old themes, does it have any knock-out tracks?

Body

The album opens with "Our Eternity," easily one of Tenpei Sato's best Disgaea vocal themes to date. Sung by Suzuko Mimori, it is an extremely beautiful theme reminiscent of his themes from Phantom Brave, as they feature an extremely delicate atmosphere. The piano and strings work is extremely romantic and Mimori's vocal work is absolutely exquisite, carrying the melody quite wonderfully.

There are also some other vocal themes on the album, both coming from the arrange version of the Disgaea 3 soundtrack. The first, "Extreme King Outlaw," featuring Yoshiko on vocals, is an upbeat, playful jazz theme, featuring plenty of big band brass tones, accompanying vocals, but I find the vocal performance to be a bit lackluster. The last vocal song on the album, featuring a bevy of singers, is "A Song for You." Over time, I have grown to appreciate this track a bit more than I originally had. It features a very gospel sort of sound, which may turn off some, but the instrumental work is definitely impressive.

There are also two new instrumental themes on the album. The first, "Black Lady," captures the Disgaea sound quite nicely with its mysterious strings work and haunting choral passages. Overall, it's a very dark, yet romantic, theme that should please fans. The other, "Ivory Touch," is an extremely heartwarming and thoughtful piano and woodwind based composition that just really tucks at the heartstrings. The beautiful strings harmonies and vocal accompaniment only further accentuate the romantic mood. As I've said many times before, Tenpei Sato really knows how to create extremely evocative themes that stir much emotion in the listener and this is no different.

Summary

In the end, this single is short but sweet. The new vocal theme is a marked improvement over the vocal themes of the original, whereas the new instrumental themes show Tenpei Sato at his finest. For those who want the CD, an auction site would be best, but if you wait until the localized version comes out in the West, it may also feature this CD as a bonus.