This is discussion archived from a time before the current discussion method was installed.
Frau Blucher: what about when the expository theme tune is in another language? I'm thinking primarily of anime here - Gankutsuou has opening and closing themes sung, in English, by a chap who used to be in the Stranglers. Heard by someone who isn't fluent in English, they just sound cool; heard by an English speaker, they become a super-cheesy Expository Theme Tune.
Likewise the song "Brothers" from Fullmetal Alchemist - not the show theme but a song used throughout as the protagonists' personal incidental theme. Sung in Russian in the original Japanese show, it's atmospheric, sad and lovely (at least to a non-Russian speaker). However, when the American distributors dubbed the show, for some reason they chose to re-record an English version of the song, revealing that its lyrics, in fact, beat you over the head with the show's premise in classic Expository Theme Tune style. And totally flattening its emotional impact when it's supposed to be making you sniffle in the sad bits of the show.
Anyway, my question is, is this phenomenon a subset of the Expository Theme Tune (which I think we could cover on the main page)? Or does the fact that it's an anime-only trope make it more suitable for Anime Theme Song? I'd go for the first, personally.
Sci Vo: The Gankutsuou example sounds like it would fit here, the Fullmetal Alchemist example sounds like it would fit under Leitmotif.
Sikon: "Brothers" does sound lovely to one Russian speaker, namely me. And it's surprisingly good Russian and sung without an obvious accent. Incidentally, where can I find the English lyrics.
Connington: I cut the Firefly entry because it's a clear example of a Thematic Theme Tune. Pretty please don't put it back, okay?
Devil's Advocate: Cutting Friends for the same reason. In fact, it's already listed at Thematic Theme Tune.
