is a Japanese writer and co-founder of the
visual novel
A , often abbreviated as VN, is a form of digital semi-interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with and used in the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with sta ...
brand
Key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
under
Visual Arts
The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and textile arts al ...
. He is considered a pioneer of
nakige visual novels, and has mainly contributed as a scenario writer,
lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment.
Royalties
A lyricist's income ...
, and musical
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Defi ...
for the games the company produces. His style was originally inspired by
James Herbert Brennan
James Herbert "Herbie" Brennan (born Ireland, 5 July 1940) is a lecturer and the author of over 100 fiction and non-fiction books for adults, teens, and children.
Biography
Brennan's '' Man, Myth & Magic'' was published by Yaquinto Publicati ...
, and is influenced by
Haruki Murakami
is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been bestsellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his ...
's novel ''
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
is a 1985 novel by Japanese author Haruki Murakami. It was awarded the Tanizaki Prize in 1985. The English translation by Alfred Birnbaum was released in 1991. A strange and dreamlike novel, its chapters alternate between two narratives—"Hard ...
''.
Originally from
Mie, Japan, Maeda graduated from Mie high school and later went on to graduate from
Chukyo University
is a private university in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, with campuses in Nagoya and Toyota. The main building is located in Yagoto, Shōwa-ku, Nagoya.
Notable faculty members
* Naomi Miyake, cognitive scientist
* Koji Murofushi, Olympic hammer t ...
with a major in
psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...
. Before forming Key, Maeda worked for the company
Tactics
Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to:
* Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks
** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield
** Chess tactics
** Political tact ...
where he had a hand in the creation of two games for that company, ''
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
'' and ''
One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e''. After forming Key, Maeda has put much work into such titles as ''
Kanon'', ''
Air
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing f ...
'', ''
Clannad
Clannad () is an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history, including ...
'', ''
Little Busters!'', ''
Angel Beats!
''Angel Beats!'' is a 13-episode Japanese anime television series produced by P.A. Works and Aniplex and directed by Seiji Kishi. The story was originally conceived by Jun Maeda, who also wrote the screenplay and composed the music with t ...
'', ''
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
'', ''
Summer Pockets
''Summer Pockets'' is a Japanese visual novel developed by Key, a brand of Visual Arts. It was released on June 29, 2018 for Windows and is rated for all ages. ''Summer Pockets'' is Key's 13th game, following its previous games such as '' Kanon'' ...
'', and ''
The Day I Became a God
is a 2020 Japanese anime television series produced by P.A. Works and Aniplex and directed by Yoshiyuki Asai. It aired from October to December 2020. The story was originally conceived by Jun Maeda, who also wrote the screenplay, with origina ...
''. He is also the author of a
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
series titled ''
Hibiki's Magic
, subtitled ''a continental chronicle'' in the original version, is a Japanese manga series written by Jun Maeda and illustrated by Rei Izumi. The story centers on a young girl named Hibiki who is the apprentice to a very skilled wizard named Sh ...
''.
Early life
Jun Maeda started writing at a young age; while attending elementary school, Maeda wrote his first amateur
gamebook
A gamebook is a work of printed fiction that allows the reader to participate in the story by making choices. The narrative branches along various paths, typically through the use of numbered paragraphs or pages. Each narrative typically does not ...
. Maeda was initially inspired by the ''
Grailquest
GrailQuest is a series of gamebooks by J. H. Brennan. The books are illustrated by John Higgins. The stories follow the adventures of a young hero named Pip, who is often called upon by Merlin to right wrongs and save the realm from evil. The s ...
'' series of gamebooks by J.H. Brennan, especially the first two books in the series ''The Castle of Darkness'' and ''The Den of Dragons'' which he found to be especially interesting. Through junior-high school, Maeda worked on the
school newspaper
A student publication is a media outlet such as a newspaper, magazine, television show, or radio station produced by students at an educational institution. These publications typically cover local and school-related news, but they may also repor ...
and even had some short stories published in the paper. Once attending Mie high school, he started to
write lyrics and
compose music. It was at this time that he became immersed in the
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
genre of fiction. While attending
Chukyo University
is a private university in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, with campuses in Nagoya and Toyota. The main building is located in Yagoto, Shōwa-ku, Nagoya.
Notable faculty members
* Naomi Miyake, cognitive scientist
* Koji Murofushi, Olympic hammer t ...
, Maeda managed to get some short stories published in
Kadokawa Shoten
, formerly , is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing based in Tokyo, Japan. It became an internal division of Kadokawa Corporation on October 1, 2013. Kadokawa publishes manga, light novels, manga anthology magazines su ...
's
seinen
is an editorial category of Japanese comics marketed toward young adult men. In Japanese, the word ''seinen'' literally means "youth", but the term "''seinen'' manga" is also used to describe the target audience of magazines like '' Weekly Ma ...
light novel
A light novel (, Hepburn: ''raito noberu'') is a style of young adult novel primarily targeting high school and middle school students. The term "light novel" is a ''wasei-eigo'', or a Japanese term formed from words in the English languag ...
magazine ''
The Sneaker
is a Japanese light novel magazine that was published by Kadokawa Shoten between 1993 and 2011. It was launched April 1993 then proceeded to be published monthly for most of its run. The magazine was aimed at a young adult male audience. It seria ...
''. Finally, when he was writing his graduation thesis, he started listening to
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
music.
Career
While still attending university, Maeda sought to begin working as a musical composer for video games, and desired to work at big-name companies like
Nihon Falcom Corporation
is a Japanese video game developer, best known for their '' Ys'', ''The Legend of Heroes'', and ''Trails'' series. The company was founded in March 1981, making them one of the oldest active video game companies. They are credited with pioneeri ...
,
Namco
was a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Na ...
, and
Capcom
is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...
, but he was unsuccessful. He eventually was able to be granted an interview with the video game developer TGL, but was unable to supply correct documentation, and did not get the job. As he was unable to get a job working with music, Maeda decided to change his occupational choice to that of a scenario writer for a video game company. At the time in the mid-1990s, scenario writers for consumer video games were inexperienced, so Maeda decided to shoot for
adult games
An ''eroge'' ( or , ''erogē''; ; a portmanteau of ''erotic game'' , ''erochikku gēmu'') is a Japanese genre of erotic video game. In 1982, Japan's Koei, founded by husband-and-wife team Yoichi and Keiko Erikawa (and later known for strategy ...
instead. During a period of one month, Maeda wrote a long, 300-page
erotic story, intending to sell it to an adult game developer. He first tried with
AliceSoft
(sometimes Alice Soft) was established in 1989, as an eroge developer and publisher for the computer market, first for the PC-88 and PC-98, and later for PCs running Microsoft Windows platforms. Its first titles were Rance and Intruder, releas ...
, makers of the popular ''
Rance
Rance may refer to:
Places
* Rance (river), northwestern France
* Rancé, a commune in eastern France, near Lyon
* Ranče, a small settlement in Slovenia
* Rance, Wallonia, part of the municipality of Sivry-Rance
** Rouge de Rance, a Devonian ...
'' series, but finally ended up working for the company Scoop. At Scoop in 1997, he contributed as the main scenario writer for the company's first game, ''Chaos Queen Ryōko''; however, Maeda was not happy with the work environment and promptly filed his resignation with the company shortly after finishing his work on the scenario.
Around this time, Jun Maeda was inspired by
Hiroyuki Kanno's pioneering 1996 visual novel ''
YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World''. It demonstrated the storytelling potential of the visual novel medium, and influenced Maeda's later works. After leaving Scoop in 1997, Maeda went to work for the newly formed company
Tactics
Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to:
* Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks
** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield
** Chess tactics
** Political tact ...
under the publisher
Nexton
is a Japanese software publishing company specializing in the publishing and distribution of adult visual novels for 23 game development brands that Nexton is partners with. The company is located in Osaka, Japan. The current president, Akihik ...
. There, he went to work on the scenario and musical composition of Tactics' second game ''
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
'', followed by his work on the scenario for their third game ''
One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e'' in 1998. After realizing the positive reception received for both titles, Maeda and much of the staff who made both ''Moon'' and ''One'', including
Itaru Hinoue
is the pseudonym of a Japanese artist from Osaka, Japan, who is one of the founding members of the visual novel brand Key under VisualArt's. Hinoue's choice of her pseudonym stems from the manga ''C'' by Shō Kitagawa; the protagonist in the man ...
,
Shinji Orito
is a Japanese musical composer originally from Hyōgo, Japan working for the visual novel brand Key under VisualArt's. Before forming Key, Orito worked for another software company named Leaf where he contributed to four games. After leaving ...
,
Naoki Hisaya
, born , is a Japanese screenwriter who has worked for Tactics, Key and Siesta, but as of 2006, he is a freelance writer. He is well known for being the main writer of the popular visual novel '' Kanon'' while working under Key. Additional works ...
, and
OdiakeS
OdiakeS (born March 22) is a Japanese composer from Tokyo, Japan who has worked for a variety of visual novel companies. His first work was on the game '' One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e'' under Tactics. When the staff of ''One'' left Tactics to create th ...
, left Tactics to work under the video game publishing company
VisualArt's
, formerly and previously spelled in English as VisualArt's, is a Japanese publishing company which specializes in publishing and distributing visual novels for a large list of game developers. Visual Arts has developed game engines their brands ...
where they formed the company
Key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
.
After forming Key, Maeda worked on the music and scenario for their first title ''
Kanon'' released in 1999, which proved to be very popular in the
adult game market in Japan. Beside Maeda, the majority of ''Kanon'' scenario was written by Naoki Hisaya, but he quit Key shortly after ''Kanon'' was produced. Following this, Maeda wrote most of the scenario for Key's next title ''
Air
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing f ...
'', along with again working as the
lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment.
Royalties
A lyricist's income ...
and one of the composers for the music featured in the game. After a period of four years in 2004, Key released their third and longest game ''
Clannad
Clannad () is an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history, including ...
'' where Maeda did a vast amount of the writing for the game; in all, Maeda put in around 75% of the work that went into the creation of ''Clannad''. Also in 2004, Maeda began writing his first
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
entitled ''
Hibiki's Magic
, subtitled ''a continental chronicle'' in the original version, is a Japanese manga series written by Jun Maeda and illustrated by Rei Izumi. The story centers on a young girl named Hibiki who is the apprentice to a very skilled wizard named Sh ...
'', which was first conceived as a short story he wrote as a student.
In 2005, Maeda worked on the scenario and music for Key's fifth game ''
Tomoyo After: It's a Wonderful Life'', followed by Key's sixth title ''
Little Busters!'' released in July 2007 which he also worked on in regards to the scenario and music.
Maeda was reported to say in the February 2007 issue of ''
Comptiq
is a Japanese computer game magazine, first published in 1983, by Kadokawa Shoten. The name "Comptiq" came from combining the words "computer" and "boutique". Originally a PC magazine, its focus shifted from computers to computer games. As of S ...
'' that after the completion of ''Little Busters!'', he would not be working on the scenario staff for Key any longer. However, in an interview in the December 2007 issue of ''
Dengeki G's Magazine
is a Japanese magazine published by ASCII Media Works (formerly MediaWorks) and sold monthly on the thirtieth that primarily contains information on bishōjo games, but also includes an entire section on anime based on bishōjo games, and seria ...
'', Maeda said that he would still be working on the music for Key's next game.
In 2007, Maeda also composed the ending theme for the game ''Himawari no Chapel de Kimi to'' for the company Marron, and he was on the music staff for Ram's game ''
5'' released in July 2008. Maeda worked in collaboration with
Na-Ga
Na-Ga is a male Japanese artist who is employed as a graphic designer and illustrator for the company Key known for such famous visual novels as '' Kanon'', ''Air'', and ''Clannad'' among others. Na-Ga has been working for Key since the productio ...
and
ASCII Media Works' ''
Dengeki G's Magazine
is a Japanese magazine published by ASCII Media Works (formerly MediaWorks) and sold monthly on the thirtieth that primarily contains information on bishōjo games, but also includes an entire section on anime based on bishōjo games, and seria ...
'' to the anime series and
mixed media
In visual art, mixed media describes artwork in which more than one medium or material has been employed.
Assemblages, collages, and sculpture are three common examples of art using different media. Materials used to create mixed media art incl ...
project ''
Angel Beats!
''Angel Beats!'' is a 13-episode Japanese anime television series produced by P.A. Works and Aniplex and directed by Seiji Kishi. The story was originally conceived by Jun Maeda, who also wrote the screenplay and composed the music with t ...
'' as the planner and writer, as well as composing the anime's music. Maeda worked on Key's ninth game ''
Rewrite'' with the composition of the game's music and as the quality checker.
In 2015, Maeda designed and co-wrote the scenario for the ''
Angel Beats!
''Angel Beats!'' is a 13-episode Japanese anime television series produced by P.A. Works and Aniplex and directed by Seiji Kishi. The story was originally conceived by Jun Maeda, who also wrote the screenplay and composed the music with t ...
'' visual novel, as well as composing some of the game's music. Maeda once again collaborated with Na-Ga, ''Dengeki G's Magazine'',
P.A. Works, and Aniplex to produce his second anime series ''
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
'' in 2015, contributing as the planner, writer, and composing the anime's music. In 2016, Maeda revealed that he is suffering from
dilated cardiomyopathy
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a condition in which the heart becomes enlarged and cannot pump blood effectively. Symptoms vary from none to feeling tired, leg swelling, and shortness of breath. It may also result in chest pain or fainting. Co ...
. To recover from this condition, he will need a
heart transplant
A heart transplant, or a cardiac transplant, is a surgical transplant procedure performed on patients with end-stage heart failure or severe coronary artery disease when other medical or surgical treatments have failed. , the most common procedu ...
. Maeda is credited for the original concept and the composition of the music for Key's visual novel ''
Summer Pockets
''Summer Pockets'' is a Japanese visual novel developed by Key, a brand of Visual Arts. It was released on June 29, 2018 for Windows and is rated for all ages. ''Summer Pockets'' is Key's 13th game, following its previous games such as '' Kanon'' ...
''. Maeda collaborated with Na-Ga, P.A. Works, and Aniplex for a third time to produce the anime series ''
The Day I Became a God
is a 2020 Japanese anime television series produced by P.A. Works and Aniplex and directed by Yoshiyuki Asai. It aired from October to December 2020. The story was originally conceived by Jun Maeda, who also wrote the screenplay, with origina ...
'' in 2020, contributing as the planner and writer. In 2021, Maeda published his first novel, ''Nekogarizoku no Osa''. His most recent work, ''
Heaven Burns Red
(stylized in block capitals) is a free-to-play mobile action game co-developed by WFS, inc. and Key. It was released on February 10, 2022 for iOS and Android in Japan. It is Jun Maeda's first completely new game in 15 years as main scenario wr ...
'', was released in Japan in February 2022 for
iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also include ...
and
Android. It is a turn-based role-playing game with visual novel and
gacha game
A is a video game that implements the (toy vending machine) mechanic. Similar to loot boxes, gacha games entice players to spend in-game currency to receive a random in-game item. Some in-game currency generally can be gained through game ...
elements created in tandem with Wright Flyer Studios.
Writing themes
As is prevalent in the scenarios Maeda has written for
visual novel
A , often abbreviated as VN, is a form of digital semi-interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with and used in the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with sta ...
s, there are recurring themes related to the concept of a family and the bonds that hold it together.
Most prevalent are the maternal bonds felt between a mother and daughter relationship, as can be seen strongly in ''
Kanon'', ''
Air
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing f ...
'', and ''
Clannad
Clannad () is an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history, including ...
''. However, in one of his earliest works, ''
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
'', there was a conflict between the female protagonist and her late mother. Another recurring theme is that of
magical realism
Magical is the adjective for magic. It may also refer to:
* Magical (horse)
Magical (foaled 18 May 2015) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who excelled over middle distances and was rated in the top twenty racehorses in the world in 2018 and ...
, or adding fantastical elements into a story that would appear otherwise to be normal, such as with the concept of the illusionary world in ''Clannad'', or the use of magic in ''Air'' and supernatural elements in ''Charlotte''. Similarly, the concept of the switching between a real-life setting and the mystical Eternal World from ''
One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e'' has been compared to Haruki Murakami's novel ''Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World'', which uses a similar dichotomy between reality and fantasy.
After the production of ''Moon'' with its melancholic storylines, Maeda decided to shoot for what has later become known as a "crying game", starting with ''One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e''. A crying game in this sense is a type of
bishōjo game
A or , is "a type of Japanese video game centered on interactions with attractive girls".
''Bishōjo'' games are similar to ''Choose Your Own Adventure'' books in the way of narrative, in which the game tells a story but the player may make ...
which can make the player cry for the characters, and thus give a more profound impact on the players. When working on ''Kanon'' with a similar goal, Maeda worked in depressing elements to the two heroines' stories he wrote for:
Makoto Sawatari, and
Mai Kawasumi
This is a list of characters from the Japanese visual novel, manga, and anime series ''Kanon (visual novel), Kanon''. The protagonist of the story is Yuichi Aizawa, a seventeen-year-old man who has forgotten much of his past as a child. There are ...
.
Musical involvement
Jun Maeda
composes and
writes lyrics for songs and
background music
Background music (British English: piped music) is a mode of musical performance in which the music is not intended to be a primary focus of potential listeners, but its content, character, and volume level are deliberately chosen to affect behav ...
featured in games he works on. At
Tactics
Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to:
* Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks
** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield
** Chess tactics
** Political tact ...
, he composed a single piece of music for ''
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
'', but did not contribute to the music in ''
One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e''. At Key, Maeda has worked on the music for all of Key's titles except for ''
Planetarian: The Reverie of a Little Planet'' and ''
Rewrite Harvest festa!''.
He also composed and wrote the lyrics to the ending theme song for the ''Clannad'' anime series, and similarly for the opening theme song for the ''Clannad After Story'' anime series. Music that Maeda composes for Key titles is published on Key's
record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...
Key Sounds Label
Key Sounds Label is a Japanese independent record label formed in 2001 as a brand of the publishing company VisualArt's. Key Sounds Label was formed to catalog and release music related to visual novels produced by the brand Key, also under Visua ...
. On the label, Maeda produced three singles and one album where he wrote and composed all the songs which include: "
Natsukage / Nostalgia", "
Birthday Song,Requiem
"Birthday Song, Requiem" is a collaboration maxi single containing songs sung by former I've Sound singer Lia. It was first released on December 28, 2002 at Comiket 63 in Japan by Key Sounds Label bearing the catalog number ''KSLA-0007''. The sin ...
", "
Spica/Hanabi/Moon
"Spica/Hanabi/Moon" is a collaboration maxi single containing songs sung by I've Sound's Lia first released on August 15, 2003, at Comiket 64 in Japan by Key Sounds Label bearing the catalog number ''KSLA-0008''. The single contains one disc wit ...
", and ''
Love Song
A love song is a song about romantic love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. A comprehensive list of even the best known performers and composers of love songs would be a large order ...
''; the songs on the first three were sung by
Lia
Lia is a feminine given name. In the Spanish-speaking world, it is accented Lía. In America, the name may be a variant of Leah or Lea. Lia may be a diminutive of various names including Julia, Cecilia, Amelia, Talia, Cornelia, Ophelia, Rosal ...
and the fourth was sung by
Riya Riya is an feminine given name. Notable people with the name include:
* Riya, Japanese singer
* Riya Bamniyal, Indian actress
* Riya Deepsi, Indian actress and model
*Riya Sen (born 1981), Indian actress
*Riya Suman
Riya Suman is an Indian a ...
.
Maeda wrote and composed the two songs "Doll", performed separately by Lia and
Aoi Tada
is a Japanese singer and former voice actress. She formerly belonged to Gekidan Himawari. Her most noted voice role is that of Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV in '' Cowboy Bebop''. She also performed an insert song to the series, "Wo Qui N ...
, and "Human", performed by Lia; both versions of "Doll" were used as the main ending
theme songs
Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at som ...
for the second season of the anime series ''
Gunslinger Girl
''Gunslinger Girl'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series by Yu Aida. It began serialization on May 21, 2002 in ''Dengeki Daioh'' and ended on September 27, 2012. The chapters were also published in 15 ''tankōbon'' volumes by A ...
'' in 2008, while "Human" was used for the final episode. Maeda's first involvement as a main composer was with the 2008 visual novel ''
5'' by
Ram
Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to:
Animals
* A male sheep
* Ram cichlid, a freshwater tropical fish
People
* Ram (given name)
* Ram (surname)
* Ram (director) (Ramsubramaniam), an Indian Tamil film director
* RAM (musician) (born 1974), Dutch
* ...
where he composed about twenty
background music
Background music (British English: piped music) is a mode of musical performance in which the music is not intended to be a primary focus of potential listeners, but its content, character, and volume level are deliberately chosen to affect behav ...
tracks. Maeda also wrote and composed the opening and ending themes used in ''5''. Maeda formed his own record label named Flaming June in 2011, and the first release on the label is the single "Killer Song" by
Nagi Yanagi
, stylized as , is a Japanese singer and songwriter from Osaka Prefecture who is signed to NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan. After becoming interested with music in her childhood, she began singing and writing original songs. In 2006, she began ...
released in December 2011. Flaming June released an original concept album with Yanagi on April 25, 2012 titled ''
Owari no Hoshi no Love Song''. Maeda released the concept album ''Long Long Love Song'' featuring
Anri Kumaki
is a Japanese pop female singer-songwriter currently signed on unBORDE Records, a division of Warner Music Group Japan.
Biography
Anri Kumaki started writing songs when she was 17 years old and won the audition of a TV program which was br ...
on July 26, 2017. In 2021, Maeda wrote and composed one song for ''
The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls: Starlight Stage'' titled "Beat of the Night", performed by Kaoru Sakura. Maeda wrote and composed the opening theme song for the 2022 anime series ''
Prima Doll
is a Japanese multimedia project created by Key and Visual Arts in October 2020, which also includes toy figurines by Kotobukiya, a short story serialization and a web novel. A 12-episode anime television series by Bibury Animation Studios ...
'', titled "Tin Toy Melody".
References
External links
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Key's official website
Key Sounds Label official website
Flaming June official website
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Maeda, Jun
1975 births
Anime composers
Hentai creators
Interactive fiction writers
Japanese composers
Japanese film score composers
Japanese male composers
Japanese male film score composers
Japanese songwriters
Japanese video game designers
Japanese writers
Key (company)
Living people
Video game composers
Writers from Mie Prefecture