It’s the gaiden of all gaidens! Romancia is a cute side-story from Falcom’s Sorcerian series, which is itself part of the Dragon Slayer family of games. This eight-track arranged album covers the music from this light-hearted piece of Falcom fantasy.
What makes the album appealing? Well, for starters, it’s one of Falcom’s earliest releases. That means you’ll find work from Yuzo Koshiro, Ikuro Fujiwara, and other Japanese VGM veterans on this disc. Exciting, no?
There’s also a fair bit of variety here. The first five tracks are instrumental arrangements. Then there are two vocal tracks. Finally, an all-in-one OST is packed into track 8, similar to the “Original Sound Story” tracks made famous by Dragon Quest.
So you got good brand name (Falcom), good musicians (Koshiro), and a variety of music types. But guess what kills the goodness? That’s right: the cheese factor. We’re not talking some sort of refined cheese for mature tastes. This is just pure, unadulterated cheddar. I wouldn’t be surprised if the disc was labeled “manufactured in Wisconsin.” Was that a cheesy joke? It’s fitting, in a review for this cheese-tastic album.
Yes, some of the melodies are catchy. And yes, some of the dungeon music sounds more “serious” than the rest of the album. But ultimately, this is some of the least memorable music Falcom ever produced. For collectors, it’s an interesting (and expensive) piece of musical history. For fans, it’s a cute selection of music to listen to. But for serious audiophiles, there’s not a lot to love here, unless you’re really into oldschool synth, in which case the OST medley track will be worth your attention. Taste and see for yourself: Romancia is a little too cheesy for most VGM fans.
