Your Dream Composer

[Super Saiyan Swagger]

As the topic says. It can literally be anyone you want, dead or alive. Who would you dream to compose the soundtrack for a Dragon Ball product?

As for myself, I would fucking love it if the collaborated efforts of Hans Zimmer and John Powell were to compose the soundtrack for like an animated Dragon Ball movie or something. The music they created for the Kung Fu Panda films just oozes with charm, I absolutely love it and I can definitely see Dragon Ball with that kind of music.

Just listen to this, I would have the biggest fucking smile on my face if I could hear something like this in Dragon Ball: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS3vRuZBlLA

Post your dream composers below! It can be whoever you want!

[Lord Beerus]

Yuki Kajiura.

A simply phenomenal composer and not just the best in anime, but one of the very best ever. Seriously, Google or YouTube her. Her work is amazing.

[Wezenheim]

Yuki Kajiura is a good choice. If I'm being totally selfish I'd probably go with Yoko Kanno. I absolutely adore her music.

[Black_Liger]

*Researches who the hell Yuki Kajiura is*.


BRING HER TO MY DRAGON BALL THIS IS AMAZING.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iddZ_OvwL7Q

[theoriginalbilis]

If we're strictly going with Japanese composers, I really think Toshihiko Sahashi would be a perfect fit for the franchise. Not a super well-known guy, but his work can be heard in a variety of anime and game productions, such as The Big O, Gundam SEED, Full Metal Panic, and Hunter X Hunter.

The majority of his work tends to favor orchestral compositions, mixed with a bit of guitar rock, jazz, or synth. For a more classical style, but with a modern approach, I think he could pull off "Dragon Ball" music beautifully.

Here's some samples of his more "action-y" / triumphant pieces:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzCVxr0QMas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxC14kSEmbQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56OcJ7saL0U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ1D2DMRNzQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImOrl-Jqofw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8QAeJk3q94

[Mythros]

Dead or alive? First person who came to mind was Stravinsky. There may be others who would fit the mould, but he came to mind, and thinking of some of his most famous works, there's certainly something his flavour of 20th Century classical music could add to Dragon Ball.

Firstly, his music is incredible and a defining part of modern classical. Scores like Petrushka show his ability to capture the whimsy of a world like Dragon Ball: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esD90diWZds

Then, he has the mysterious and unsettling aspects down pat, to say nothing of his mastery over conveying thematic story material (cf. Firebird Suite): https://youtu.be/RZkIAVGlfWk?t=20s

'What about the famous Dragon Ball brass?', you ask. I present, the finale of Firebird:
https://youtu.be/RZkIAVGlfWk?t=44m52s

Oh, and Stravinsky is also widely regarded as not only one of the great composers of the 20th Century but of all Western art music -- what people term classical -- albeit not quite on the same level as Bach or Beethoven.

[mcdonough88]

DEAD: Arisawa Takanori, I LOVE LOVE his scores from Digimon.
ALIVE: Sagisu, It would be REALLY INTERESTING.

[floofychan333]

If not Shun Kikuchi, then John Williams. I think that would be pretty epic

[TheBlackPaladin]

*Any* composer: Either Kikuchi again ('cause why not?), or Bill Conti, composer of the majority of the Rocky movies. I've always thought this track in particular sounded like it could work perfectly for a DBZ fight.

Limited to realistic choices: Shiro Sagisu of Neon Genesis Evangelion and Bleach, who I consider to be the John Williams of anime...although the Evangelion score alone is enough to show just how much range the guy has.

[cRookie_Monster]

For the original DB series? I'd have to say Nobuo Uematsu with budget for a real orchestra and band. He has the range of style and charm to pull it off. He has this sophistication to some of his music that makes it so interesting to listen to, and then at times he pulls back and writes so simply and beautifully, throwing in just enough interest in to make it cool without being too strange. He's a master of that more than any other composer I've heard. His melodies bear extreme repetition, only getting better over time which is amazing given many of the most famous tunes are played with the worst general MIDI sounds imaginable! The guy is a genius. He's also prolific as heck. He doesn't seem to dry up.


For DBZ and beyond... I'm gonna do the selfish thing. I want the notes I pick, noone else, no directions from Funimation, or even fans, and no collaborations. I want to selfishly choose every note, every silent moment, instrument, mix, placement, etc. That would be heaven. I don't really trust another human to do DBZ the way I want to hear it. Not even Mike or Julius. All 4 of the "Faulconer" composers, believe it or not, are dramatically different composers with different styles. We had a mission of sounding alike and following direction so the stuff we did can be misleading. And then there's also a difference between our normal styles and what we think is appropriate for DBZ of course. So yeah. I want to do it I wish I had time and rights to just spend a few years and publish it for the hell of it. All new themes, with as much time as I want on each (instead of compressing to TV production schedule) and unlimited budget... Hell yeah. I'd hire an orchestra and conduct it myself for when I wanted orchestra. That would be amazing (but a lot of work of course)

[Kamiccolo9]

For the original DB series? I'd have to say Nobuo Uematsu with budget for a real orchestra and band. He has the range of style and charm to pull it off. He has this sophistication to some of his music that makes it so interesting to listen to, and then at times he pulls back and writes so simply and beautifully, throwing in just enough interest in to make it cool without being too strange. He's a master of that more than any other composer I've heard. His melodies bear extreme repetition, only getting better over time which is amazing given many of the most famous tunes are played with the worst general MIDI sounds imaginable! The guy is a genius. He's also prolific as heck. He doesn't seem to dry up.

Uematsu doing Dragon Ball would make me squeal like a little girl. I need this in my life.

[TheAldella]

Yasuharu Takanashi has a way with impact and intensity that I've always adored. His peaceful style would probably help bring a bit more of an asian feel back to Dragon Ball, as well.

[JulieYBM]

I would just reuse Kikuchi"s score. Then again, in a dream scenario I would hold auditions.

[Ree]

my dream composer already composed for the Emperor Pilaf arc and his name's Peter Berring =D
I cant come up with anyone else besides who was already said in the thread

[Dbzfan94]

Kikuchi for Super

[Black_Liger]

I would just reuse Kikuchi"s score. Then again, in a dream scenario I would hold auditions.

NO GOD PLEASE NO, I'd rather have him composing for DB Again but no, not the less than 90 music pieces for 90+ eps again. lol

I think Noriyuki Iwadare would make for a Kickass Kikuchi replacement, his jazzy tunes with brass from Ace Attorney remind me so much of kikuchi.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9dK9hV2E0Q

[Kuririn Fan]

Kikuchi for Super

Good choice, man. Might be the first thing we agree on.

[DragonDuck]

I think Noriyuki Iwadare would make for a Kickass Kikuchi replacement, his jazzy tunes with brass from Ace Attorney remind me so much of kikuchi.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9dK9hV2E0Q

I think something similar to Iwadare's Grandia score would fit early Dragon Ball like a glove.

Also, Uematsu?
PERFECT!!

[Black_Liger]

I think Noriyuki Iwadare would make for a Kickass Kikuchi replacement, his jazzy tunes with brass from Ace Attorney remind me so much of kikuchi.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9dK9hV2E0Q

I think something similar to Iwadare's Grandia score would fit early Dragon Ball like a glove.

Also, Uematsu?
PERFECT!!

OH SHIT, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0s3DQMbciY

[SaiyanZ]

I love Kikuchi but I don't think I want an "outdated" feeling to the music. I've been going through the Ryu ga Gotoku games, the SEGA team who makes the tracks for those games is almost a perfect fit for Dragon Ball when it comes to the action stuff. For more casual moments, I'd mix it up and see if someone like Tsutchie or Nujabes could do something; their hip-hop-esque "quiet" beats are great in Samurai Champloo & Gangsta.. Tsuneo Imahori would be another interesting choice, always loved his western and guitar stuff on Trigun and Gungrave. As said earlier too, Yoko Kanno and the guy who did The Big O would be great.

G Gundam's composer would be a good fit too I think for DBZ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMd-qOY9vrM
Audio Highs from Gintama makes good, sad piano tracks too, love to hear something like it in DB: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX-UwSdd3uQ