Shunsuke Kikuchi has passed away

[GhostEmperorX]

Does anyone know if he continued making music in any capacity after he retired?

He made some insert songs for certain Super Sentai series.

[OmegaRockman]

While I'm certainly sad, 89 years is a really good run. For that reason, I feel different about Kikuchi-san's passing than I did about Tsuru-san's: instead of lamenting a life cut tragically short, I feel like we can celebrate a full life filled with immense accomplishment. The impact Kikuchi left on Japanese media even beyond Dragon Ball cannot be understated, and I'm so glad that we had such a powerhouse of a talent attached to our favorite franchise. I love this man's work wherever I hear it. I even love Kikuchi Kai. It's my preferred way to watch Kai, and the plagiarism scandal has little to do with it. Kikuchi is just what Dragon Ball is supposed to sound like to me.

I recently posted in another thread that while I have nostalgia for the Movie 5 "real bands" score, I still prefer Kikuchi's OST for that film. Well, I'm watching the movie now as I write this, and my opinion still hasn't changed. Shunsuke Kikuchi is the fucking king. Thank you for everything you did for Dragon Ball and for anime/tokusatsu music, Kikuchi-san, and I hope you rest well.

[dbgtFO]

Very true OmegaRockman!
I will always be thankful for his contribution to the series and especially appreciative of the Genkidama themez which exudes hope and optimism in the face of insurmoubtable odds.
Rest in power Mr. Kikuchi!

[Lord Beerus]

He lived a long life and produced some phenomenal music, not just for Dragon Ball, but for many TV shows and films.

One of the greatest composers to come out of Japan and he will be dearly missed.

[tronk21]

Rest in peace, maestro. Your legacy won't be forgotten any time soon. Your soul and heart that you've poured into your music can still be heard in all those friendly and peculiar tracks that you've created over decades. And that makes you live in our memories. So I don't feel sad because I can always listen to some happy Dr. Slump tunes or catchy Getter Robot themes. Or dream about the complete score for Dragon Ball. As long as his work isn't forgotten, his spirit lives on.

[Dr. Casey]

89 is a ripe old age to live to. I'm unlearned, when was the last time he was composing music, assuming he wasn't doing it anymore?

Might've gotten the answer by now elsewhere, but he last did compositions in 2017, the year he turned 86 (part of a trend where people are, of course, being active for longer than they used to be - the composer for the Dragon Quest series turned 90 this month and is still making the soundtrack for Dragon Quest 12.)

[KBABZ]

A little lo-fi Head Cha La tribute from Tee Lopes. He's of Portugese descent and watched all three shows over there growing up, and is most famous for composing the music to Sonic Mania.

https://twitter.com/teelopesmusic/statu ... 9422662662

[FortuneSSJ]

One of my all time favourite composers. One of the reasons why I can't enjoy DB Kai. His work in Dragon Ball helped shape this franchise identity and had impact on a lot of people's childhoods, including mine.

We may never have someone like him. May he rest in peace.

This scene is still one of the few times I genuinely teared up with fiction:


And that wouldn't have happened without his music.

[Kunzait_83]

While I'm certainly sad, 89 years is a really good run. For that reason, I feel different about Kikuchi-san's passing than I did about Tsuru-san's: instead of lamenting a life cut tragically short, I feel like we can celebrate a full life filled with immense accomplishment. The impact Kikuchi left on Japanese media even beyond Dragon Ball cannot be understated, and I'm so glad that we had such a powerhouse of a talent attached to our favorite franchise.

This by far and away best sums it up. 89 is a much better run than far too many people get. Kikuchi was an absolutely gargantuan musical talent, well far and beyond just Dragon Ball. Masenko mentioned it earlier in this thread, but it really cannot be stressed enough what an absolutely incredible, classic exploitation film Female Prisoner Scorpion 701 is. Its a live action adaptation of a Seinen manga by Toru Shinohara, which is gorgeously illustrated and also recommended.



Both the manga and the live action film - which has a whole slew of sequels, most of which are also really damn good - are definitely way, way, WAY far afield from this community's usual Shonen/children's wheelhouse; but for those of you who are feeling a bit adventurous, definitely give the film (and its sequels and its manga) a go sometime. Kikuchi definitely delivers the goods as you'd expect, but the film overall is outstanding in and of itself.

But yeah, we just lost one of the key people (alongside Toriyama and Nozawa) that helped make up the heart and soul of Dragon Ball. RIP to a phenomenal composer.

[Koitsukai]

One of my all time favourite composers. One of the reasons why I can't enjoy DB Kai.

This. I don't last half an episode of the Kikuchi-less Kai. It's like a different show without his masterpieces.

[TheRed259]

Shunsuke Kikuchi you were a legendary music composer. Rest in peace.

[goku the krump dancer]

I'm definitely part of the crew who hasn't heard any of his work outside of Dragon Ball, it's going on the "To Do" List for sure though.

But yeah, 89 years of life can certainly be tied up with a neat little bow and looked back on as gift, especially for someone as important as Kikuchi seemed to be outside of the DB world. It's a shame that his novelty will go largely unrecognized by the U.S fanbase because of the ignorance of earlier dub practices, Oh well., despite succumbing to an illness I'm sure he went with a smile.

Peace and Power to Shunsuke Kikuchi.

The 8:25 mark is one of my favorite DB Tracks by him - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGLpdZHTTB8

[Thanos]

RIP, his work was an inseparable piece of the identity of Dragon Ball in animated form.

It's sad to think within the next 10+ years, like by 2030 or so, most of the original Dragon Ball VA's and staff might pass away.

In the content drought between ‘97 and ‘13, there was always that hope that the band could all come back together and give us more. At some point that will no longer be possible. This freaks me out more than I care to admit. Dragon Ball has had a bit of an identity crisis with the passing and retirement of key actors and composers ever since Battle of Gods, for example we don’t have the music, narrator or several main characters sounding like they “should”, but that will only get worse over time. Perhaps there are more pressing and immediate concerns, but a sobering thought nonetheless.

[DragonBallFoodie]

RIP To a great anime composer.

[Extreme_kai]

RIP KIKUCHI
It's sad that I've only recently been able to appreciate his work since I grew up with the Faulconer score. As an adult viewer, I grew to prefer Kikuchi to Faulconer although they are both great in their own right.

[Noah]

That's sure a sad day for me, I'm very fond of his compositions. He is the John Williams of Dragon Ball for me. Although GT had a good soundtrack, Kikuchi deserved to work on it may as well on Super.

I could note thousands of tracks that I like in the series, but I'll leave this one

I'm in tears right now, thanks for everything Mr. Kikuchi, for being part of my childhood, for all the memories, for the feelings of epic and joy while listening his compositions on my headphones.

See you in the afterlife.

[MasenkoHA]

RIP To a great anime composer.

He composed a lot more than anime my guy.

[Soppa Saia People]

is that really necessary to weirdly correct someone who's commenting on someone's death ?

[GhostEmperorX]

Ichirō Mizuki and Kōhei Tanaka pay their respects:
https://twitter.com/aniki_z/status/1387657363260248066
https://twitter.com/kenokun/status/1387573371957743617

Tanaka in particular has a lot to say on this, considering that his first job as an arranger was for a song composed by Kikuchi for Captain Harlock: Arcadia of my Youth.

Once again I feel so bad about every negative thing I ever said about Kikuchi.

[KBABZ]

is that really necessary to weirdly correct someone who's commenting on someone's death ?

It could have been better worded but I think it was a good intent, to expose someone to the full breadth of his work.