Kenji Kawai Explained

Landscape:yes
Kenji Kawai
Background:non_performing_personnel
Native Name:川井 憲次
Birth Date:23 April 1957
Birth Place:Shinagawa, Japan
Genre:Film score
Electronic music
Instrumental music
Years Active:1980–present
Associated Acts:Mamoru Oshii

is a Japanese music composer and arranger. Known as one of the biggest names in the soundtrack world, he has worked on a wide range of mixed media productions, including anime, TV shows, films and video games. Among his credits are Toei's Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Forever, Tsui Hark's Seven Swords and ; Wilson Yip's Ip Man; Mamoru Oshii's films The Red Spectacles, , Ghost in the Shell, Mobile Police Patlabor, the OVA and TV anime adaptations of Vampire Princess Miyu, The Sky Crawlers and Avalon; the anime adaptations of Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma ½ and Maison Ikkoku; the live-action adaptation of Gantz and Hideo Nakata's films Ring, Ring 2, Chaos, Dark Water and Kaidan.

His nephew, Hidehiro Kawai, is a bassist in Fox Capture Plan, an instrumental band.

Career

After dropping out of a nuclear engineering program at Tokai University, Kawai began studying music at Shobi Music Academy. However, he dropped out after half a year. With a few friends, he created the band Muse, playing fusion rock and participating in music competitions. Through competing in such contests, the band members became technically competent to enter the music industry and decided to part ways.[1]

After leaving Muse, Kawai began composing music for commercials in his home studio. While recording music for radio actor and voice actor Yūji Mitsuya, he met music director Naoko Asari, who advised him to compose anime soundtracks. Some of his work for anime soundtracks can be found in Ranma ½ and Ghost in the Shell. According to Kawai, he is not good at creating music from nothing, as he draws sounds from the visuals of the works. In the majority of cases, the images of the anime are not yet created, so he creates music when referencing storyboard visuals.[2]

Following his success as an anime movies music composer, he became involved in live action movies. He contributed music to horror films: Ring, Ring 2, Dark Water, Japanese-Polish science-fiction film Avalon, the Hong Kong film Seven Swords and in the 2017 live action film Death Note.

Kawai has worked on several projects with director Mamoru Oshii (both Headgear members) and has written scores for all of Hideo Nakata's films. The most recent film featuring his music is 2009's Assault Girls by director Oshii. Kawai's music has received the Annie Award and Hong Kong Film Award. In 2005, Ghost in The Shell 2: Innocence he was nominated for an Annie Award.

For the music found in Seven Swords and A Battle of Wits he was nominated for Best Original Film Score Awards at both the 25th and 26th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2006 and 2007.

Works

Anime/television

YearTitleNotes
1986Cosmos Pink ShockTV Movie
1986Maison Ikkoku
1987Devilman – The BirthOVA
1988Mobile Police PatlaborOVA
1988Vampire Princess MiyuOVA
1989
1989Ranma 1/2
1989Movie
1989Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai!OVA
1989Ranma 1/2: Nettohen
1990Devilman – The Demon BirdOVA
1990Project A-koOVA
1990Karakuri Kengō Den Musashi Lord
1990Kyatto Ninden Teyandee
1990MAROKO
1991Burn Up!OVA
1991Ranma 1/2: Big Trouble in Nekonron, ChinaOVA
1991Mermaid ForestOVA
1991Demon Warrior Luna VargaOVA
1992Zetsuai 1989OVA
1992Hime-chan's Ribbon
1993Ranma ½ OVAOVA
1993The Irresponsible Captain TylorOVA, TV Series
1993Movie
1994Blue Seed
1994Iczer Girl IczelionOVA
1995Princess MinervaOVA
1995 Ghost in The ShellMovie
1996Sorcerer Hunters
1996Baby and Me
1997Hyper Police
1997Vampire Princess Miyu
1999You're Under Arrest THE MOVIE
1999Dai-GuardMovie
2001Geisters – Fractions of Earth
2001OVA
2001Rave Master
2002
2003Gunparade March
2004Ghost in The Shell 2: INNOCENCEMovie
2004Ultraman Nexus[3]
2004Windy Tales
2005Starship Operators
2005
2006Fate/Stay NightTV series
2006Tachiguishi-RetsudenMusic and Actor
2006Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
2007Seirei no Moribito
2007Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai
2007Mobile Suit Gundam 00
2008The Sky Crawlers
2009Eden of the East
2010Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works
2010
2011Towa no Quon
2011Busou Chuugakusei Basket Army
2012009 Re:Cyborg
2012Unofficial Sentai Akibaranger
2014Barakamon
2014World Trigger
2014The Perfect Insider
2015Hana MoyuTaiga drama
2015Wakaba Girl
2015Subete ga F ni Naru
2016Mobile Police Patlabor: RebootONA, serve as extra episode of Japan Animator Expo
2016Joker Game
2016Mob Psycho 100
2016Servamp
2016
2017Ultraman Geed
2017Kamen Rider Build[4]
2018The Ryuo's Work Is Never Done!
2018ManpukuAsadora
2019Afterlost
2019No Guns Life
2020Higurashi: When They Cry – Gou
2021Vlad LoveONA
2021Higurashi: When They Cry – Sotsu
2023The Fire Hunter
2023My Home Hero
2023ONA

Film

YearTitle
1987The Red Spectacles
1991Mikadroid: Robokill Beneath Disco Club Layla
1991
1992Talking Head
1998Ring
1999Ring 2
2000Sadistic and Masochistic
2000Sleeping Bride
2000Chaos
2001Avalon
2001UNLOVED
2001The Princess Blade
2002Dark Water
2002Samuraj
2002Bloody Mallory
2004Kibakichi: Bakko yokaiden
2004Kibakichi: Bakko yokaiden 2
2005Open Your Mind
2005Antarctic Journal
2005Seven Swords
2005Rinne
2005Kidan (Chinese: 奇谈)
2006Death Note
2006Running Wild
2006 Dragon Tiger Gate
2006Trapped Ashes
2006
2006A Battle of Wits
2007Kaidan
2008Ip Man
2009Assault Girls
2009The Hovering Blade
2010Ip Man 2
2010The Incite Mill
2010
2011GANTZ
2011GANTZ: Perfect Answer
2011Tormented
2013
2014
2015Ip Man 3
2015Gamera
2017Biohazard Vendetta
2018
2018
2019Ip Man 4
2019Blood Friends (Japanese: 血ぃともだち)[5]

Video games

YearTitlePlatform
1990Sansara NagaFamicom
1990Bloody Warriors: Shangō no GyakushūFamicom
1992SorcerianPC Engine
1994Team Innocent: The Point of No ReturnPC-FX
1994Sansara Naga 2Super Famicom
1998Deep Fear Sega Saturn
2003Nobunaga's Ambition Online (Chapter of Hiryu)PlayStation 2
2007FolksSoulPlayStation 3
2007–2010Sangokushi OnlineWindows

Others

Awards and honors

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Profile. 2017-06-01. ja.
  2. News: 作曲家・川井憲次「「トワイライトQ」が僕の感性のターニングポイント」 (2) 押井守監督との出会い . マイナビニュース . 2013-05-17 . 2020-05-19 .
  3. Web site: ja:「ジーッとしてても、ドーにもならねぇ!」ウルトラマンシリーズ最新作「ウルトラマンジード」メインキャスト発表!. http://m-78.jp/news/n-4760/. m-78.jp. 2017-06-01. ja. 2017-06-01.
  4. Web site: Release .
  5. Web site: 血ぃともだち. June 17, 2022. eiga.com.
  6. Web site: 『GAMERA』石井克人監督 インタビュー(続報)最新のVFX技法を取り入れ、" 新世代の特撮"を実現させる . 2022-04-09 . . ja.