The Blend of East and West

         When I was a teenager, I used to play on the PS2 and was super into the Dynasty Warriors series. As some of you know, it's a hack and slash game based on the Three Kingdoms Period in Chinese history. The series, produced by the then Koei, was more than entertainment. I managed to learn the HanYu PinYin system used by the PRC through the game. FYI, you learned a different Pinyin system if you lived in Taiwan.

         Aside from the gameplay, what I loved about the series was its music. Even though I haven't played the series past its sixth installment, I still enjoy the OSTs from the later titles. Most of the tracks are a blend of western and traditional Chinese instruments.

         The music enhances the play experience as they have historical context to them. For example, Avenging Battle is a piece about the Battle of Yi Ling/Xiao Ting, after the death of Guan Yu and Liu Bei launched a disastrous campaign against the Kingdom of Wu.

         Never Dying Wishes plays out like Zhuge Liang's swan song as he passed away before the conclusion of his final campaign in the Battle of Wuzhang Plains. In short, the tracks complement the story and the atmosphere.

         Of course, you can't let good history go to waste. The same formula can be found in the Samurai Warriors series by the same company.

         This piece accompanied the Siege of Ueda Castle. You could hear the shamisen clearly in the composition, another blend of traditional and western music.

         To add to the atmosphere, Petals in the Wind depicts the final battle of the Sengoku Period at Osaka. For those of us who know how things ended, the track felt all too appropriate.

         To this day, I still have music produced by Koei Tecmo on my playlist. They are often my go-to when either working out or going through long night shifts.