was a Japanese composer who was active from the early 1960s until 2017. He specialized in incidental music for media such as

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

and film. Kikuchi was regarded as one of Japan's most highly demanded film and TV composers, working principally on ''

tokusatsu is a Japanese term for live action film or television drama that makes heavy use of practical special effects. ''Tokusatsu'' entertainment mainly refers to science fiction, war, fantasy, or horror media featuring such technology but is som ...

'' and

anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...

productions, as well as violent action films, ''

jidaigeki is a genre of film, television, video game, and theatre in Japan. Literally meaning "period dramas", they are most often set during the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—'' Portrait of H ...

'', and television dramas.

Early life and education

Kikuchi was born on 1 November 1931 in the city of

Hirosaki is a city located in western Aomori Prefecture, Japan. On 1 April 2020, the city had an estimated population of 168,739 in 71,716 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Hirosaki developed as a castle town fo ...

Aomori Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the eas ...

. He graduated from Aomori Prefectural Hirosaki Technical High School, specializing in mechanics. Shunsuke then attended the Nihon University College of Art.

Career

After graduating from the Nihon University College of Art, he made his debut composing for the 1961 film . '' The Tō-Ō Nippō Press'' wrote that the contrast between the heroic opening theme and the melancholic ballad ending theme that Kikuchi composed for the 1969 ''

Tiger Mask is a Japanese manga series written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Naoki Tsuji. The series was first published in Kodansha's ''Bokura Magazine'' from 1968 to 1970 and was later published in ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from 1970 to ...

'' anime, "changed Japanese anime music." Kikuchi composed the song , sung by

Meiko Kaji is a Japanese actress and singer. Since the 1960s, she has appeared in over 100 film and television roles, most prominently in the 1970s with her most famous roles as outlaw characters, best known for her performances in the film series '' Stra ...

, for the early 1970s '' Female Convict Scorpion'' series was included in the American film ''

Kill Bill ''Kill Bill: Volume 1'' is a 2003 American martial arts film Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature numerous martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment ...

'' and on its soundtrack. ''The Tō-Ō Nippō Press'' also wrote that the success of the TV drama ''

Abarenbō Shōgun (Abarenbō Shōgun) was a Japanese television program on the TV Asahi network. Set in the eighteenth century, it showed fictitious events in the life of Yoshimune, the eighth Tokugawa ''shōgun''. The program started in 1978 under the title '' ...

'', which aired for 800 episodes from 1978 to 2008, had people say; "If Shunsuke Kikuchi is in charge of the music, the show will be a hit." In 1976 kikuchi composed the music for Divine Demon-Dragon Gaiking (大空魔竜ガイキング, Daikū Maryū Gaikingu); in 1979 composed " Doraemon no Uta", the theme song of the ''

Doraemon ''Doraemon'' ( ja, ドラえもん ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio. The manga was first serialized in December 1969, with its 1,345 individual chapters compiled into 45 ''tankōbon'' volumes and ...

'' anime, which ran on TV for 26 years. Up-

tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...

works like those in '' Kamen Rider'' and ''Abarenbō Shōgun'' form the majority of Kikuchi's works, while his slow background music from long-running series have become some of his best-known works. Some notable works that he composed for, include anime and ''tokusatsu'' like ''

'', ''Kamen Rider'', '' Dragon Ball'', '' Dragon Ball Z'', ''jidaigeki'' such as ''Abarenbō Shōgun'' and '' Chōshichirō Edo Nikki'', and TBS Saturday-night productions ranging from '' Key Hunter'' to ''

G-Men '75 was a long-running prime-time popular television detective series in Japan. It aired on Saturday nights in the 9:00–9:54 p.m. time slot on the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) network from May 24, 1975 to April 3, 1982. A sequel, ''G-Men ' ...

'' became long-running hit series.

Retirement and death

Kikuchi ceased composing music in 2017, when he stated that he was taking a break to be treated for an illness. Kikuchi died while being treated for

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

in a hospital in Tokyo on 24 April 2021. His death was announced four days later.

Awards

In 1983 Kikuchi was nominated for the Japan Academy Prize for Music for his work on '' The Gate of Youth'' and '' To Trap a Kidnapper''. He received an Award of Merit at the 2013

Tokyo Anime Award The Tokyo Anime Awards started in 2002, but was named in 2005. The first, second and third award ceremonies were simply named 'Competition'. The award ceremonies were held at the Tokyo International Anime Fair (TAF) until 2013. In 2014, after th ...

s. Kikuchi has won several annual awards from the

Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers The , often referred to as JASRAC, is a Japanese copyright collection society. It was founded in 1939 as a nonprofit organization, and is the largest musical copyright administration society in Japan. Overview JASRAC's main business activity ...

based on the royalties he earned from his works in the previous year. He won the International Award, which is based on foreign income, in 1983 (''

UFO Robot Grendizer , known as '' Grandizer'' in the United States, is a Japanese Super Robot anime television series and manga created by manga artist Go Nagai. It is the third entry in the '' Mazinger'' series, however it is non-canon due to '' Mazinger ...

''), 1989 (''UFO Robot Grendizer''), 2008 (''Dragon Ball Z''), 2010 (''Doraemon''), 2012 (''Doraemon''), 2015 (''Dragon Ball Z''), 2016 (''

Kiteretsu Daihyakka is a Japanese manga series by duo Fujiko Fujio and later Fujiko F. Fujio, which ran in the children's magazine '' Kodomo no Hikari'' from April 1974 to July 1977. The manga was later made into a 331-episode anime television series which ran ...

''), 2018 (''Dragon Ball Z''), and 2019 (''Dragon Ball Z''). He came in second in overall royalties in 2004 (''Dragon Ball Z''). In 2015, he received a lifetime achievement award at the 57th Japan Record Awards.

Selected works

*'' Abare Hasshū Goyō Tabi'' (1991-1994) *'' The Unfettered Shogun / Abarenbō Shōgun'' (1978) *'' Arabian Nights: Sinbad's Adventures'' (1975-1976) *''

Babel II is a Japanese 1971 manga series by Mitsuteru Yokoyama. It was translated into an animated format in 1973 as a television series, in 1992 as an original video animation series and in 2001 as a thirteen-episode television series. Yokoyama' ...

'' (1973) *''

Casshan ''Casshan'', also known in Japan as , is an anime series created by Tatsunoko Productions founder Tatsuo Yoshida in 1973. The ''Casshern'' franchise also includes a 1993 original video animation titled '' Casshan: Robot Hunter'', and a 2004 ...

'' (1973-1974) *''

Castle of Sand is a 1974 Japanese police procedural film directed by Yoshitarō Nomura, based on the novel '' Suna no Utsuwa'' by Seicho Matsumoto. Plot Yoshitaro Nomura's 1974 film of Seicho Matsumoto's immensely popular detective story tells the tale of two ...

'' (1977) *'' Chōshichirō Edo Nikki'' (1983-1991) *'' Daimos'' (1978-1979) *''

Danguard Ace is a Japanese science fiction anime series created by Leiji Matsumoto with Dan Kobayashi. ''Danguard Ace'' is Matsumoto's only contribution to the mecha genre. Synopsis Danguard Ace takes place on a future Earth in which natural resourc ...

'' (1977-1978) *''

Denjin Zaborger , translated as ''Electroid Zaborger 7'', was a Japanese tokusatsu television series that aired in 1974. Produced by P Productions, it was the production company's seventh tokusatsu series, following ''Tetsujin Tiger Seven'' and preceding ''Bouke ...

'' (1974-1975) *''

'' (1979-2005) *'' Dotakon'' (1981) *''

Dr. Slump and Arale-chan is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was serialized in Shueisha's anthology magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1980 to 1984, with the chapters collected into 18 ''tankōbon'' volumes. The series fol ...

'' (1981-1986) *'' Dragon Ball'' (1986-1989) *'' Dragon Ball Z'' (1989-1996) *'' Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!'' (2008) *''

Dragon Ball Z Kai ''Dragon Ball Z Kai'' (known in Japan as ) is a revised version of the anime series ''Dragon Ball Z'', produced in commemoration of its 20th anniversary. Produced by Toei Animation, the series was originally broadcast in Japan on Fuji TV from Ap ...

'' (2011, replacing Kenji Yamamoto (composer born 1958); music taken from ''Dragon Ball'' and ''Dragon Ball Z'') *'' Dragon Princess'' (1976) *'' Female Convict 701: Scorpion'' (1972) *''

Gaiking is a Japanese Super Robot mecha anime series produced by Toei Animation. For distribution purposes, Toei refers to this television series as ''Dino-Mecha Gaiking'' or simply ''Gaiking''. It ran from April 1976 through January 1977 and co ...

'' (1976-1977) *''

Gamera vs. Guiron is a 1969 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Noriaki Yuasa, written by Niisan Takahashi, and produced by Daiei Film. It is the fifth entry in the ''Gamera'' film series, following '' Gamera vs. Viras'', which was released the previous year. '' ...

'' (1969) *'' Gamera vs. Jiger'' (1970) *'' Gamera vs. Zigra'' (1971) *'' Gamera: Super Monster'' (1980) *''

'' (1975-82) *''

Getter Robo is a Japanese mecha media franchise created by Ken Ishikawa and Go Nagai. An anime television series produced by Toei Animation was broadcast on Fuji TV from April 4, 1974, to May 8, 1975, with a total of 51 episodes. The manga was seria ...

'' (1974-1975) and ''

Getter Robo G , known as ''Starvengers'' in the United States, is a super robot anime series by Toei Animation based on ''Hundred Demons Empire'' arc of ''Getter Robo'' manga by Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa. This direct sequel to ''Getter Robo'' was broadc ...

'' (1975-1976) *'' Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell'' (1968) *''

High School! Kimengumi is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Motoei Shinzawa. A first series ''Third Year Funny-face Club'' was serialized in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from October 1980 to April 1982. ''High School! Kimengumi'' was seri ...

'' (1985-1987) *''

Hurricane Polymar is a Japanese anime and OVA series produced by Tatsunoko Productions. The show was created by Tatsuo Yoshida, who had produced many of Tatsunoko's series. Other romanizations of the name include ''Hurricane Polymer'', and ''Hariken Polyma ...

'' (1974-1975) *'' Jumborg Ace'' (1973) *'' Kamen Rider'' (first series - ZX) (1971-1984) *''

'' (1988-1996) *'' Kure Kure Takora'' (1973-1974) *''

La Seine no Hoshi is Japanese anime series by Soeisha (later renamed as Sunrise), which premiered in Japan on Fuji TV from April 4, 1975 and finished its run on December 26, 1975, spanning a total of 39 episodes. The title translates to English as "The Star o ...

'' (1975-1976) *'' Message from Space: Galactic Wars'' (1978-1979) (with Kenichiro Morioka) *'' Little Ghost Q-Taro'' (1985-1987) *'' Robot Detective / Robot Keiji'' (1973) *'' Ronin of the Wilderness'' (1972-1974) *''

Sakigake!! Otokojuku , also known as simply ''Otokojuku'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Miyashita. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1985 to 1991. It is staged in an all-boys school that ...

'' (1988) *'' Sister Street Fighter / Revenge of the Dragon / Onna Hissatsu Ken'' (1974) *'' Starzinger / Spaceketeers / Sci-Bots'' (1978-1979) *'' Tenchi in Tokyo / New Tenchi Muyo'' (1997) *'' Terror Beneath the Sea'' (1966) *'' The Fierce Battles of Edo'' (1979) *''

'' (1969-1971) and ''Tiger Mask II'' (1981-1982) *''

Tōyama no Kin-san is a popular character based on the historical Tōyama Kagemoto, a samurai and official of the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period of Japanese history. In kabuki and kōdan, he was celebrated under his childhood name, Kinshirō, shortened to ...

'' (with Ryōtarō Sugi) *''

UFO Robo Grendizer , known as '' Grandizer'' in the United States, is a Japanese Super Robot anime television series and manga created by manga artist Go Nagai. It is the third entry in the ''Mazinger'' series, however it is non-canon due to '' Mazinger Z: ...

'' (1975-1977) *'' Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs'' (1974)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kikuchi, Shunsuke 1931 births 2021 deaths 20th-century Japanese composers 21st-century Japanese composers Anime composers Deaths from pneumonia in Japan Japanese film score composers Japanese male film score composers Japanese music arrangers People from Hirosaki