Returns:

Speaking of moving and memorable songs, 'Returns' by Poppin' Party ranks right up there.  It's very soulful, sad but hopeful I guess?  I decided the rather aimless and repetitive 'Artificer's Fancy' from Soul Calibur was no match for it and switched out another instrumental theme for a vocal.

Another moving and memorable song is 'Soyokaze no Harmony' by Yui Horie.  She sings it as Kotori in the original Da Capo and it's captivating.  It only makes sense that any normal boy would instantly fall for her the moment they saw and heard her singing that song, but Junichi's love for Nemu is so deep that somehow he fends her off despite the entire rest of the school simping for her.  So Kotori exists as some sort of last boss in the series, or a devil's temptation, that only Junichi Jesus can withstand.  This plot device wouldn't work if the song weren't amazing, but it really is amazing.  It's an amazing song and it's amazing Junichi stuck with Nemu after hearing it.

Soyokaze replaces 'Unrequited Love,' a prosaic, inoffensive song from FF 9.  It sounds like floating down a lazy river, never going anywhere or doing anything.  Certainly good enough for a 4-star rating, but 5-star?  That's a bit much.  It's the exact opposite of moving or memorable.  For that matter, I have problems with the very idea of unrequited love.  Isn't that just yearning?  Love should make you happy, but unrequited love is a source of sorrow.  Love is about uniting, but unrequited love is about an unbridgeable separation.  Love should give someone strength, but unrequited love is just putting a burden on that someone and making them feel uncomfortable/guilty.

I think if you truly feel an unrequited love for someone, the first thing you'd do is never mention it to the other person, as it's just an unwanted burden, like a gift of vile gloop, and then the next thing you should do is quickly stamp out the feeling and move on with your life so it no longer burdens you or depresses you that you aren't loved and never will be by the person you wish would do so.  It's only a source of misery and discord for all involved.  Of course it's different if you aren't sure it's unrequited, confessing your feelings to someone who you think might like you is totally reasonable, but once you know they don't what's the point?  Unrequited love is, by definition, a sure thing unrequited.  It's already over before it's even begun.  Give up hope.

Probably my favorite unrequited love is Suzumaru's for Hisame.  Suzumaru is gay and loves Hisame, who isn't gay, and anyway is already in love with the Princess of the kingdom and aspiring to do great deeds that will earn him the right to woo her.  So what does Suzumaru do with his love?  The first thing he does is never hint his feelings in the least around Hisame, and never do anything that would even hint that he's gay and even could have feelings for Hisame.  He acts like a friend around Hisame, just like Hisame acts towards Suzumaru, because he realizes that's the affection Hisame wants from him.  The next thing he does is everything in his power to help Hisame accomplish his mission and win the Princess' heart and hand, including risking his life in a duel against a fearsome opponent, all while pretending it's for his own ambition so Hisame doesn't feel indebted to him.

And after Suzumaru's plan succeeds and Hisame is happily married to the Princess, but then sadly ceases to be a success because Hisame is killed by a foreign conquering king, he abandons everyone and everything else and joins that foreign king's court as one of his leading generals, based on his long record of battlefield glory (yes it sounds strange in the modern era but in ancient China it was common for generals to switch factions all the time), in the hopes of one day getting close enough to the king that he can assassinate him and avenge his beloved friend, which even if his plan succeeds will surely lead to his death soon after.  He lives his entire life for love of Hisame, sacrifices everything for him, without Hisame ever knowing from start to finish he was ever loved at all.  I admit that's true unrequited love, very much like true love you find in The Princess Bride, only unrequited.

But man, that's the best possible unrequited love, and what good did it do?  It made Suzumaru melancholy his whole life that he could never have the one thing he wanted, and then made him commit suicide (but before then apparently the story was so depressing that the manga was cancelled.  Hinowa ga Yuku! is the best unrequited love can imaginably be and it's not good enough to keep a manga serialized.  That's just pathetic!)

I also replaced 'Sword of Doubt' from FF9 for 'daily-daily dream' by KOTOKO, the catchiest opening theme to Hayate no Gotoku.  Hayate is more nostalgic than FF9, so there's the moving part.  As for memorable, sword of doubt is far from that, it basically just plays notes one by one up the scale and then back down the scale, like someone is learning piano for the very first time.  It's spelled 'sword of doubt' but pronounced 'generic.'