<p><strong>Because <em>Rock Symphony BLUE SONNET</em> is actually an <em>image album</em>, not a soundtrack album.</strong> They are not related to the OVA.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%B4%85%E3%81%84%E7%89%99#%E3%82%A4%E3%83%A1%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A2%E3%83%AB%E3%83%90%E3%83%A0" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Japanese Wikipedia</a> categorized it as an image album.</p>
<blockquote>
<h3>Image Album</h3>
<hr />
<ul>
<li>Rock Symphony BLUE SONNET (1982)</li>
<li>Rock Symphony BLUE SONNET II</li>
<li>BLUE SONNET III Ballade</li>
<li>BLUE SONNET IV DESERT CITY</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>According to <a href="https://joelover.hateblo.jp/entry/isd" rel="nofollow noreferrer">a Japanese blog article by joelover</a>, for image albums, quoting a book by Joe Hisashi,</p>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>The image album precedes the soundtrack. The clues are the illustrations and words that convey the image of the work. The image album is created based on these images.</p>
<p>(Quoted from <em>I am - Faraway Music Road -</em> by Joe Hisaishi, 1992, p. 37)</p>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<p>Compared to the soundtrack,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A soundtrack often refers to the actual music used in a play. Recently, the term OST (Original Sound Track) is also used to indicate that it is the music accompanying a play.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So, <em>Rock Symphony BLUE SONNET</em> and its subsequent image albums are original audio works made specifically to capture the image of the world of <em>Blue Sonnet</em> series.</p>
<p>In conclusion, the OVA was made to adapt the manga series, but the image albums were made to expand the story instead. They are not related to each other, both production-wise and purpose-wise.</p>
<hr />
<p>For direct comparison, taken from Joe Hisashi's own works for Ghibli production, <em>Princess Mononoke</em> has both image album and soundtrack album:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002RN9BI" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>Princess Mononoke</em> Image Album</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000058A7J" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>Princess Mononoke</em> Soundtrack</a></li>
</ul>
<hr />
<p>See also:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_song" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipedia - Image song</a></li>
</ul>
<hr />


CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-13T08:12:32.243Z
2021-05-14T05:31:57.250Z
2021-05-14T05:31:57.250Z
Aki Tanaka
<p>The anime Akai Kiba: Blue Sonnet debuted in 1989. The soundtrack Rock Symphony BLUE SONNET was published in 1982 [1]. I understand that the manga was published starting in 1981, but Manga usually do not get soundtracks.</p>
<p>Why does the soundtrack predate the anime by so many years? Is it even related to the anime?</p>
<p>[1] <a href="https://vgmdb.net/album/48805" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://vgmdb.net/album/48805</a></p>

<music>
Why does the Blue Sonnet soundtrack predate the anime by seven years?
# Why does the Blue Sonnet soundtrack predate the anime by seven years?
Posted by: username_0 on 2021-04-25
The anime Akai Kiba: Blue Sonnet debuted in 1989. The soundtrack Rock Symphony BLUE SONNET was published in 1982 [1]. I understand that the manga was published starting in 1981, but Manga usually do not get soundtracks.

Why does the soundtrack predate the anime by so many years? Is it even related to the anime?

[1] <https://vgmdb.net/album/48805>
**Tags:** music
---
## 1 answers
### Answer by username_1 on 2021-05-13. Score: 1 | Accepted answer
**Because *Rock Symphony BLUE SONNET* is actually an *image album*, not a soundtrack album.** They are not related to the OVA.

The [Japanese Wikipedia](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%B4%85%E3%81%84%E7%89%99#%E3%82%A4%E3%83%A1%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A2%E3%83%AB%E3%83%90%E3%83%A0) categorized it as an image album.

> ### Image Album
>
> ---
>
> * Rock Symphony BLUE SONNET (1982)
> * Rock Symphony BLUE SONNET II
> * BLUE SONNET III Ballade
> * BLUE SONNET IV DESERT CITY

According to [a Japanese blog article by joelover](https://joelover.hateblo.jp/entry/isd), for image albums, quoting a book by Joe Hisashi,

> > The image album precedes the soundtrack. The clues are the illustrations and words that convey the image of the work. The image album is created based on these images.
> >
> > (Quoted from *I am - Faraway Music Road -* by Joe Hisaishi, 1992, p. 37)

Compared to the soundtrack,

> A soundtrack often refers to the actual music used in a play. Recently, the term OST (Original Sound Track) is also used to indicate that it is the music accompanying a play.

So, *Rock Symphony BLUE SONNET* and its subsequent image albums are original audio works made specifically to capture the image of the world of *Blue Sonnet* series.

In conclusion, the OVA was made to adapt the manga series, but the image albums were made to expand the story instead. They are not related to each other, both production-wise and purpose-wise.

---

For direct comparison, taken from Joe Hisashi's own works for Ghibli production, *Princess Mononoke* has both image album and soundtrack album:

* [*Princess Mononoke* Image Album](https://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002RN9BI)
* [*Princess Mononoke* Soundtrack](https://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000058A7J)

---

See also:

* [Wikipedia - Image song](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_song)

---
---
