Hot on the heels of last year’s original theme song (“Kusuburu Heart ni Hi o Tsukero!!”) to “Dragon Ball Z 2” (“Budokai 2”), it seems that Hironobu Kageyama will be back again this year for the third game!

Translated below is the majority of the 14 June 2004 entry from “Kage-chan no Himitsu Nikki” (or “Kage-chan‘s Secret Diary” — Hironobu Kageyama’s very own blog on his official website):

6/14 (Monday)

Today was also a very exciting day. (^_^)v First, in Komuro-san’s own Logem [?] Studio, I worked on finishing up the vocal track from the DragonBall LA session. I re-sang it from the updated and corrected official lyrics, and we put in the chorus. The chorus is being done by the well-known YUKA-chan. And somehow, New York resident KÛKO-chan proved she could return to her home country and participate in a hurry!! (^_^)v Those two were able to sing a capella just by looking at the sheet music, so we finished in the blink of an eye. They had such a memorable tone. It reminded me of back when we were making Dragon Ball albums for the Monolith Project. Even nowadays, I sometimes drag out those CDs and listen to them; they’re still good. My own ones are as well, but among the ballads and such that KÛKO-chan has done, there are so many lovely songs that just pierce my heart. Our talk turned to that today, too, since the lyricist, Yuriko Mori-san, likes “Hitomi no Naka no Chikyû” [“An Earth Within Your Eyes”]… (^_^)v I like that one, too— and “Mizu-Iro Seijin” [“Sky-Blue Aliens”], and “Sora Meguru Bôken” [“Adventures All Around the Sky”], and… err, there’s so many that I can’t really count them all. And, though it’s a bit off-topic, I hear that when KÛKO-chan drives her car, she really steps on the gas when she hears my songs. (Laughs) Also, the conclusion we finally reached with everyone is that next year, we’re definitely going to have a DBZ Reunion live concert!! (^_^)v It’ll also be exactly 20 years since KÛKO-chan’s debut… really! After that, everyone said that of course, we’ll be inviting Shin[‘ichi] Ishihara-chan!! (Laughs) And then, once my song’s finished, next time we’ll move over to Yotsuya’s Sound Valley Studio and do the recording for “Nyahho~~ Sensei”!! What’s great about Nyahho~~ Sensei is that the tension in the acting is really incredible. (^_^)v As a joke, I said, “Sakura-chan, all of your fans might run away, because you’re too intense,” (laughs) but that might be the new situation. (^_^)v Being busy is a good thing. You know, it’s like the sense of art and skill in the songs I’ve attached myself to have become essential in the world. Every day is fun. So, then, I’ve got to try a lot harder!! (-_,-) Whew…

Summary?!

• Hironobu Kageyama is indeed performing the main vocals on the new opening theme for “Dragon Ball Z 3” (“Budokai 3”)
• YUKA and KUKO are performing back-up vocals on the same track
• There will be another DBZ reunion concert (will we be lucky enough for a tour?) to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Dragon Ball

Thanks to Joshua Thompson for the heads-up!