Why Kikuchi didn't compose music for the series after the Saiyan Saga?

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TheRed259
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Why Kikuchi didn't compose music for the series after the Saiyan Saga?

Post by TheRed259 » Wed Mar 07, 2018 6:32 pm

Why do you think Kikuchi didn't compose music for the series after the Saiyan Saga? (except for the Buu arc where he composed some tracks based on the 2nd DBZ Opening & Ending) The soundtracks they used after the Saiyan Saga were from the DBZ Movies.

Was it because of time restrictions?
Would have been better if Toei had told Kikuchi to compose music exclusively for the Freeza, Cell and Buu arcs?
Last edited by TheRed259 on Wed Mar 07, 2018 9:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Why Kikuchi didn't compose music for the series after the Saiyan Saga?

Post by Dragon Sponge » Wed Mar 07, 2018 7:22 pm

I think it was most likely because, with the begin of the 90s (right where the Anime Saiyan Arc ended) Toeianimation started to realese two Dragon Ball Movies per year instead of just one like it was in the 80s where Kikuchi composed one Series package between the Movie packages. With music that had to be made for two Movies in one year, there probably was no time to compose music for the Series between all of that or it might too exhausting for Kikuchi. The Buu Arc is the only exception because, with the Opening & Ending theme song the Buu Arc provided, there had to be variations composed by Kikuchi, which is if i´m right pretty much all of what this Series package consist off, since the music package of the Bojack Movie was used in combination for the early Buu Arc music.
Would have been better if Toei told Kikuchi to compose music exclusively for the Freeza, Cell and Buu arcs?
Who knows, there might have been more specific Character themes or maybe also more remixed themes of older ones, and maybe it would have been better music for those Arcs. But still the Movie packages were pretty good used for the Series and some of the specific Movie themes had been greatly reinterpretated for Series characters, like, Dr. Willows theme for Freeza or Coolers theme for the Cyborgs.

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Re: Why Kikuchi didn't compose music for the series after the Saiyan Saga?

Post by Captain-Sora » Thu Mar 08, 2018 5:25 am

Dragon Sponge wrote:Who knows, there might have been more specific Character themes
Yeah, that's the one big detriment to the direction taken with the musical score for most of the Z-era. They made use of those numerous film cues quite well, but it's a bit disheartening when you think back and take note of the many missed opportunities they had for Kikuchi to whip up original material for certain characters and situations.

One can only speculate how he would've tackled themes for all the antagonists and other newly introduced supporting characters throughout the series. Not that we have absolutely no clue how he would've done so. Given how derivative a handful of the movie villains are, one could assume a few of their themes would be somewhat similar to what Kikuchi would've had in mind for a few characters in the main continuity. For example, Coola's material would sometimes be arranged in this B-movie alien-esque fashion (Such as here, here, and here). One could assume Freeza would've had a similar treatment. If not that, maybe he would've been accompanied by some sleazy sax material, like in that one short cue accompanying his appearance in Movie 12, which reflects that land shark facet of him.

As far as the music situation was concerned, that aforementioned rehashed nature of some movie antagonists and scenarios can actually be seen as a boon in retrospect. The metallic rearrangements of Coola's material for Movie 6, as well some of the cues for the Androids in Movie 7, all conveniently gel well with the Android and Cell narrative going on in the anime at the time. The first few films aren't exactly retreads, but it is convenient how their scores match certain thematic elements in the earlier arcs as well. The first film had a sinister yet almost regal leitmotif for Garlic Jr., and Uiro was accompanied by a 50s/60s sci-fi-esque theme in Movie 2, both of which work really well with storylines heavily focused on an evil prince from space and the alien tyrant above him.

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Re: Why Kikuchi didn't compose music for the series after the Saiyan Saga?

Post by SuperCyan2 » Sun Mar 11, 2018 10:46 am

Who knows, there might have been more specific Character themes
Kikuchi's style of music was incidental and if he still makes it, it'll still be incidental. The point I'm making here is that when you hear several Kikuchi-made tunes they'll all sound very similar to each other due to his own style but is that a bad thing? No, I personally love it that they all sound so extremely familiar.

Dragon Ball Kai could have benefited from Shunsuke Kikuchi's other BGM songs as they would have felt just right at home but what we got instead was a random, messy job.
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Re: Why Kikuchi didn't compose music for the series after the Saiyan Saga?

Post by DB1984 » Sun Mar 11, 2018 6:36 pm

To keep recording session costs down. And Toei likely did this for all their other Animes.

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Re: Why Kikuchi didn't compose music for the series after the Saiyan Saga?

Post by IHaveNoUserName » Tue Mar 13, 2018 6:51 pm

TheRed259 wrote:Why do you think Kikuchi didn't compose music for the series after the Saiyan Saga? (except for the Buu arc where he composed some tracks based on the 2nd DBZ Opening & Ending) The soundtracks they used after the Saiyan Saga were from the DBZ Movies.

Was it because of time restrictions?
Would have been better if Toei had told Kikuchi to compose music exclusively for the Freeza, Cell and Buu arcs?
He mostly made bgm for the movies which then toei used that bgm for the future arcs most likely
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