For quite a few years I have noticed a very common part of the chord progression in almost every anime theme or background music in JRPGs. I had no idea if there was a name for it until recently:
user link on blog.animeinstrumentality.net
Now there's a definite write-up on the musical theory behind that. Basically, it's a temporary switch to the main chord's relative minor.
If you listen to a lot of music that comes out of Japan, you will hear this chord pattern EVERYWHERE! It may drive you nuts to notice it. Heh.
