The world has lost a gem. Shunsuke Kikuchi was a prolific Japanese composer specially known for Dragon Ball Z who specialized in music in media such as Televisions and movies.
Shunsuke Kikuchi was born on 1st November 1931, in Hirosaki, Aomri, Japan and he passed away on 24th April 2021.
Japanese Media company Oricon was the first to report the death of Shunsuke Kikuchi. According to the media company, death was announced by the Japanese society for the rights of the author, composer, and publisher today, however, Kikuchi passed away on 24th April. Oricon has noticed that Kikuchi passed away at any hospital or medical facility at the age of 89 due to aspiration pneumonia. It is a kind of lung infection caused by a large amount of external material from the mouth or the stomach entering the lungs.
Shunsuke Kikuchi is famous for his work as a composer; his popular composition is in the “Dragon Ball” anime series.
Shunsuke Kikuchi started his first composition career in 1960 and he debuted in film in the year 1961 “The Eighth Enemy”.
The Japanese anime series which is famous all over the world “Dragon Ball” produced by Toei Animation, premiered in 1986, and Kikuchi composed the music for the series which got great response from the all over the world the composition of the music in Dragon Ball got famous worldwide and got massive popularity. After his great work in Dragon Ball also joined the sequel series “Dragon Ball Z” in 1989 of follow-up movie and remastered series “Dragon Ball Z Kai” and composed music for them as well.
Some of his other composition which got a great response includes “The Unfettered Shogun”, The theme song song of “Doraemon”, ” Masked Rider (Kamen Rider)”, “Tiger Mask”, “Gaiking”, “Dr. Slump” and many more.
Shunsuke Kikuchi retired in 2017 due to his illness.
The production company that used concert featuring the music of “Dragon Ball” paid tribute to Kikuchi on Twitter
“Our work and concert are dedicated to him from the beginning” the company wrote.
Kikuchi got nominated in year 1983 for the Japan Academy Award for his outstanding work on the “Gate of Youth” and “To Trap a kidnapper” he received the Tokyo anime award in 2013 and a lifetime Japan record award for distinguished service in 2015.
Throughout his 56-year career, where he shaped music in Japanese film, TV, and anime, Kikuchi won many awards, including 9 JASRAC International Awards in which 4 were for his work on Dragon Ball Z and 2 were for his work on Doraemon. Very few people are there who became a big influence for society. Kikuchi was one of them. He totally changed the music of Japan in a very great form. He inspired many people in his field who wanted to be a music composer. He is an inspiration for the world and may his soul rest in peace.
