Did Kikuchi rip off James Bond?

[Attitudefan]

I have been watching the Red Ribbon Army arc again, and first off, I have to say I forgot how amazing it is! It's funny, fun and overall great! Though I could go on with what they did right with it, that's not the topic at hand that I want to discuss about. What I did want to talk about is the music during that arc; it has a very James Bond feel to it and many times comes close to the actual James Bond themes. I don't know if any of you are James Bond fans but I am and I can tell you, there were times I felt Kikuchi was leaning to parody and other times I felt he was being a little bit of a Yammamoto. I may be looking at it the wrong way but seriously, some of those themes are heavily influenced by Bond!

[JulieYBM]

Yeah, I love the Red Ribbon Army arc stuff. I thought Kikuchi was going for a strong 1960s spy movie motif and I think it paid off incredibly well.

[Attitudefan]

I never noticed it before until recently! I don't know why I didn't notice that before...

Though, I have to say, one of the songs, to me, sounded like it was almost note for note James Bond. I think it was in one of the cave episodes when Blue, with his men, is following Goku and co. cautiously.

I was sitting there thinking that maybe Kikuchi did get away with some "copycating" or in the least, a homage to that '60s spy motif.

[kei17]

Yeah, the motif of Gneral Blue is based on the worldwide famous James Bond theme, but I definitely don't consider it as a rip-off since the James Bond theme is very common that it may plays at least once a day on Japanese TV. It's more like a parody also considering the existence of a Jaws-like track in early episodes. It is said that anime directors/producers often order a score by providing some specific examples from famous Hollywood films, like "Would you compose some pieces that sound like the score in the Matrix?". For your information, there is a track in Evangelion which sounds identical to a piece from one of the James Bond films.

[DragonBoxZTheMovies]

This piece always struck me as James Bond-esque:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nQXEdVzQWw
Compare 0:30-0:40 with 0:00-0:07 (Heh, 0:07, 007) of the well-known James Bond theme:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii1tc493bZM
It's not as in your face as, say, Yamamoto and Avatar, but I think it's there, unless it's just me.

[Attitudefan]

Yeah, the motif of Gneral Blue is based on the worldwide famous James Bond theme, but I definitely don't consider it as a rip-off since the James Bond theme is very common that it may plays at least once a day on Japanese TV. It's more like a parody also considering the existence of a Jaws-like track in early episodes. It is said that anime directors/producers often order a score by providing some specific examples from famous Hollywood films, like "Would you compose some pieces that sound like the score in the Matrix?". For your information, there is a track in Evangelion which sounds identical to a piece from one of the James Bond films.

I think this is probably what Toei was going for. Something that sounded like James Bond and going from similar to almost identical. It works, and I find it very interesting!

This piece always struck me as James Bond-esque:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nQXEdVzQWw
Compare 0:30-0:40 with 0:00-0:07 (Heh, 0:07, 007) of the well-known James Bond theme:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii1tc493bZM
It's not as in your face as, say, Yamamoto and Avatar, but I think it's there, unless it's just me.

Yup, it seems like they kind of reversed the notes on the scale to make that sound. Too much of coincidence don't ya think? Heck, maybe Kikcuhi loved James Bond for all we know?

[ThunderPX]

Uh oh. We should watch out that this doesn't get to Toei, otherwise we'll have no Dragon Ball score at all by this time next year.

[Gonstead]

At first I thought that 00 in the 007 were Mr Popo's eyes and was getting kinda freaked out but when the 7 showed up I calmed down XD.

Yeah, I can hear the resemblance in the arrangement and how it's played but not enough to count as a ripoff for me.

[jjgp1112]

There was one Red Ribbon theme that was frequently used that sounded really Charlie's Angels-esque

[cRookie_Monster]

I thought he probably had Henry Mancini influence (Peter Gunn, Pink Panther)

http://daizex.fanboyreview.net/viewtopi ... 12&t=16567

[Attitudefan]

I thought he probably had Henry Mancini influence (Peter Gunn, Pink Panther)

http://daizex.fanboyreview.net/viewtopi ... 12&t=16567

I can see that resemblance and the influence with that music. Good thread btw.

Uh oh. We should watch out that this doesn't get to Toei, otherwise we'll have no Dragon Ball score at all by this time next year.

Haha yeah! I am gonna try and find that song where it plays like Bond in the Blue arc.

[Attitudefan]

I found it!!!!

It's about 10 minutes in (sans intro but does include recap) in Dragonball episode 50 (FUNi's title is "The Trap is Sprung). It starts off with it's own tune but then starts to play a James Bond like theme but the notes are inverted (like instead of going high to low it goes low to high for example) At the same time it gives its own spin to it though; it may be hard to really call it a rip off. More of a homage or "make it sound like X's theme".

[dbboxkaifan]

Kikuchi was inspired by various genres and so it may end up sounding alike, still, it's not a rip-off, he had his own unique music style.

I'd love to hear the new tracks he composed for the Japanese shows in 2009-11, maybe with the Kanji names I'd find it.

Karl Benz invented the automobile (vehicle - car), so in a way, every other company committed a rip-off, according to some people (they were inspired in making their own, not stealing).

[Attitudefan]

Karl Benz invented the automobile (vehicle - car), so in a way, every other company committed a rip-off, according to some people (they were inspired in making their own, not stealing).

Well, I wasn't saying he necessarily did rip it off. The one song is unreleased so the only time you'll ever hear it is in that episode.

[Attitudefan]

Blue's theme also has James Bond type notes in it as I was just listening to it on the DB CD

[Gonstead]

I'm wondering if Kikuchi actually ever stole something for one of his songs like with what Yamamoto did.

Man, the Dragon Ball franchise really has some shady aspects to it don't you think?

[Attitudefan]

It's hard to say, but Blue's theme has way too many coincidences to not have any relation to James Bond. Seriously, the end of the song ends with the James Bond "DUN DUN DUN DAA!!!!"

[kei17]

I'm wondering if Kikuchi actually ever stole something for one of his songs like with what Yamamoto did.

I think he never did it because he is well known as one of the most creative musical composers in Japan. If you suspect him, you'll have to suspect all other Japanese composers, too. It's not that I am trying to be authoritarian. It is a fact that he became famous thanks to his great creativity. Also, there are millions of Kikuchi fans among the otaku (not only anime, but tokusatsu, yakuza films, TV dramas, etc.) and billions of people all around the world have heard his compositions, but they've never found any rip-offs so far. He made many homages and parodies, though.

[dbboxkaifan]

I think he never did it because he is well known as one of the most creative musical composers in Japan. If you suspect him, you'll have to suspect all other Japanese composers, too. It's not that I am trying to be authoritarian. It is a fact that he became famous thanks to his great creativity. Also, there are millions of Kikuchi fans among the otaku (not only anime, but tokusatsu, yakuza films, TV dramas, etc.) and billions of people all around the world have heard his compositions, but they've never found any rip-offs so far. He made many homages and parodies, though.

Thank you, Kei17.

Shunsuke Kikuchi isn't a thief as Kenji Yamamoto was/is, Kikuchi produces his own music with his ideals.

For Yamamoto to have lasted so many years robbing other musicians he surely had no respect for himself nor for his own work.

http://youtu.be/6BIiVNXCYO4 (Faulconer DBZ - Aristocratic British) this kind of sounds like something from Final Fantasy, Animal Crossing or other retro games, is this considered a rip-off?

[Gonstead]

^^I don't really hear it.