Yoko Kanno performance to kick off Ragnarok Online 2 launch

Yoko Kanno is an extremely well-known name among anime lovers and for good reason. Having contributed to soundtracks from Ghost in the Shell, Macross Plus, Cowboy Bebop and Escaflowne, she's among the most highly-praised composers in the Japanese music industry.

Now, if you're into MMOs at all, you've probably heard of Ragnarok Online. The sequel to the game, RO2 is set to launch in Korea on June 20th and it just so happens that Yoko Kanno has composed the entire soundtrack for the game. What's more, she -- along with Origa and Maaya Sakamoto -- will be giving her first live performance in five years in Seoul (definitely the place to be in, if you ever decide to visit Korea!) to co-incide with the launch of the game, which will be "released in 63 nations around the world". Kanno will be performing some of her pieces from RO2, along with tracks from other anime series at the concert.

She will also contribute 5 - 10 new songs every year to the game's already outstanding soundtrack. These tracks will be released along with version upgrades for the game.

Ragnarok Online 2 is one of the only two online role-playing games I'd actually consider paying for at this point in time. (The other being Marvel Universe Online, which is still in development) RO, despite not being mind-blowing, was an extremely well-designed game in its own right. It was low on system requirements, high on style, had great music and a ton of customization options to keep you entertained. My only gripe with the game was the insane amount of grinding involved and the lack of quests.

If that's something that gets fixed in RO2, I'm definitely going to give the game a look.

[Via Anime News Network]