The arrangement of the tracks on this CD is very straightforward. It begins with the first opening theme, then goes on to the first ending theme, and then alternates between the opening and ending themes until reaching the third ending theme. The pattern is broken when the fourth ending appears before the fourth opening. The sequencing starts out all right, because it makes it easier to locate which opening or ending you’re looking for if you remember which number it is. However, the sequencing is thrown off when the fourth ending is placed before the fourth opening. It appears the sequencing was done to match the chronological order that the songs made their first appearance during the series.The CD opens with "R*O*C*K*S," which is a very upbeat track. To me, this is one of the memorable openings for Naruto; this is probably due in large part to the fact that this is the first Naruto opening theme. "Wind" is next on the CD; it's a slow to midtempo track that served as the first closing theme for Naruto. This is another song that I recognize once it gets going.
"Far Away Distance" is another upbeat track, and it's one that I don't recognize right at first until the music really kicks in. "Harmonia" is a slower song, and I can remember this one right away; I remember this one due to the strong attachment this song has to the accompanying visuals of the ending credits for me.
"Sadness Into Kindness" is another upbeat opening track, and it's another song that I can recognize as soon as it starts up. "Viva*Rock" is actually an upbeat ending track which I don't recognize right away, because the ending credits cut off the very opening of the song. Once the song gets to a point that I recognize it, I remember that it goes with the ending credits with the marching chibi versions of the Naruto characters.
"Alive" is the fourth ending track, and it's a slower track; it's also another song I can recognize as soon as it starts playing. "Go!!!" is another upbeat opening, and it's another one I can recognize as soon as it starts. The final track is "Many Times Until Now," which is the fifth ending theme. It's an upbeat ending theme, but I don't really recognize until the vocals kick in.
Even with the songs that I may not recognize right away, I still found Naruto Best Hit Collection to be an enjoyable listening experience. I'm glad that I was able to add this soundtrack to my CD collection.
If you enjoy the Naruto opening and ending themes, this would be a good disc to try to acquire in order to get some of these early openings and closings. There is a second volume that includes more of the openings and closings for the original Naruto television anime series, so this could serve as the start of a collection.
However, this CD is starting to become harder to find. Be sure to look around at sites that sell Japanese import CDs and try to find the best deal.
I wrote this review after listening to a copy of this CD that my husband purchased for me as a gift.
| R*O*C*K*S Wind Far Away Distance Harmonia Sadness Into Kindness Viva*Rock ~Japanese Side~ Alive Go!!! Many Times Until Now |
