Mamono Hunter Yoko - Touch My Heart: Yohko Songs & Soundtracks

This soundtrack for Mamano Hunter Yohko (also known as "Devil Hunter Yoko") comes with a 15-page booklet of scenes from the anime. The main vocalist is ultra-talented Aya Hisakawa, who, of course, plays the role of Yohko. Very well known in the anime voice biz, she also has quite a few solo releases available. (Personally, I like her anime roles better than her solos.) There are 20 tracks in all - 13 vocal tracks and seven tracks of the music in the anime. Most of the songs are a blend of disco, soft pop, and rock. Because of the main plot line in the anime, the lyrics tend to focus on the "girl-ish" love kind of theme. It's very evident in songs like "But Wait! Sexy Girl", "Touch My Heart", and "Love Coup de Grace - Go! Go!" (you know, involving stuff like looking for the perfect boyfriend, searching for true love, etc.).

My two favorite tracks are "I'm Proud Of Me" and "Full Moon Deal". My main intention for buying this soundtrack was for these two songs, after I heard them on an otaku music video on the episodes. Both are very upbeat songs with great lyrics. The track "Invisible Two" is a very cool, almost jazzy duet of Hisakawa and Yoshida. Listen for the sax, it's awesome! The title track, "Touch My Heart," is good, and so is the bonus remix version. As for the regular music tracks, they're pretty linear, standard anime music. "Battle of Destiny" and "Ayako of Darkness" are the only two I really liked.

I'm afraid I can't recommend a lot of anime soundtracks. I'm no expert in the field, but I've heard my fair share, and this is certainly one of my faves. Even if you don't understand the lyrics, they still sound good, and the music tracks are a nice bonus. There's a certain late '80s charm to it that I find appealing. If you're looking for Yohko CDs, your best bet is to get this one. Since the others are single albums, just get this compilation disc. Most, if not all of the songs from the show, are on this CD.