Kenji Kawai (川井 憲次, Kawai Kenji, born April 23, 1957) 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.[1] Among his credits are Toei's Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Forever, Tsui Hark's Seven Swords and Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon; Wilson Yip's Ip Man; Mamoru Oshii's films The Red Spectacles, StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops, Ghost in the Shell, Mobile Police Patlabor 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.
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Kenji Kawai 川井 憲次 | |
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Background information | |
Also known as | Kaai (かーいさん, Kāi-san) |
Born | (1957-04-23) April 23, 1957 (age 65) Shinagawa, Japan |
Genres | Film score Electronic music Instrumental music |
Occupation(s) | Composer, arranger |
Instrument(s) | Guitar, keyboard, drums, multi instruments |
Years active | 1980–present |
Website | Kenji Kawai Official Site |
His nephew, Hidehiro Kawai, is a bassist in Fox Capture Plan, an instrumental band.
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.[2]
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.[3]
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 the 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, for Innocence: Kôkaku kidôtai (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.
Year | Title | Notes |
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1986 | めぞん一刻 (Maison ikkoku, Ikkoku House) | |
1987 | デビルマン (Devilman – The Birth) | OVA |
1988 | 機動警察パトレイバ— (Mobile Police Patlabor) | OVA |
1988 | 吸血姫美夕 (Vampire Princess Miyu) | OVA |
1989 | 機動警察パトレイバ— (Patlabor: The TV Series) | |
1989 | らんま1/2 (Ranma 1/2) | |
1989 | 機動警察パトレイバ— 劇場版 (Patlabor: The Movie) | Movie |
1989 | 御先祖様万々歳! (Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai!, Long Long Live the Ancestors!) | OVA |
1989 | らんま1/2 熱闘編 (Ranma 1/2: Nettohen) | |
1990 | デビルマン (Devilman – The Demon Bird) | OVA |
1990 | プロジェケトA子 (Project A-ko) | OVA |
1990 | からくり剣豪伝ムサシロード (Karakuri Kengō Den Musashi Lord, Musashi, the Samurai Lord) | |
1990 | キャッ党 忍伝 てやんでえ (Kyatto Ninden Teyandee, Cat Ninja Legend Teyandee) | |
1990 | 麿子 (MAROKO) | |
1991 | バ—ンナップ (Burn up!) | OVA |
1991 | らんま 1/2 中国寝崑崙大決戦! 掟やぶりの激闘編!! (Ranma 1/2: Big Trouble in Nekonron, China) | OVA |
1991 | 人魚の森 (Mermaid Forest) | OVA |
1991 | 魔獣戦士ルナ・ヴァルガ— (Demon Warrior Luna Varga) | OVA |
1992 | 絶愛 -1989- (Zetsuai 1989) | OVA |
1992 | 姫ちゃんのリボン (Hime-chan's Ribbon) | |
1993 | らんま1/2 OVA (Ranma ½ OVA) | OVA |
1993 | 無責任艦長タイラ— (The Irresponsible Captain Tylor) | OVA, TV Series |
1993 | 機動警察パトレイバ—2 the Movie (Patlabor 2: The Movie) | Movie |
1994 | ブル—シ—ド (Blue Seed) | |
1994 | 戦え!! イクサ—1 (Iczer Girl Iczelion) | OVA |
1995 | プリンセス ミネルバ (Princess Minerva) | OVA |
1995 | 攻殻機動隊 (GITS, Ghost in The Shell) | Movie |
1996 | 爆れつハンタ— (Sorcerer Hunters) | |
1996 | 赤ちゃんと僕 (Baby and Me) | |
1997 | はいぱ—ぽりす (Hyper Police) | |
1997 | 吸血姫美夕 (Vampire Princess Miyu) | |
1999 | 逮捕しちゃうぞ the MOVIE (You're Under Arrest THE MOVIE) | |
1999 | 地球防衛企業ダイ・ガ—ド (Dai-Guard) | Movie |
2001 | ガイスタ—ズ (Geisters – Fractions of Earth) | |
2001 | あなたがここにいてほしい (Zaion: I Wish You Were Here) | OVA |
2001 | レイヴ (Rave Master) | |
2002 | パトレイバ— WXIII (WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3) | |
2003 | ガンパレ—ド・マ—チ -新たなる行軍歌 (Gunparade March) | |
2004 | イノセンス (Ghost in The Shell 2: INNOCENCE) | Movie |
2004 | ウルトラマンネクサス (Ultraman Nexus)[4] | |
2004 | 風人物語 (Windy Tales, Fūjin Monogatari) | |
2005 | スタ—シップ・オペレ—タ—ズ (Starship Operators) | |
2005 | MAKOTO [ja] | |
2006 | フェイト/ステイナイト (Fate/Stay Night) | TV series |
2006 | 立喰師列伝 – Tachiguishi-Retsuden (Tachigui: The Amazing Lives of the Fast Food Grifters) | Music and Actor |
2006 | ひぐらしのなく頃に (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni) | |
2007 | 精霊の守り人 (Seirei no Moribito) | |
2007 | ひぐらしのなく頃に解 (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai) | |
2007 | Mobile Suit Gundam 00 | |
2008 | The Sky Crawlers | |
2009 | Eden of the East | |
2010 | 劇場版フェイト/ステイナイト Unlimited Blade Works (Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works) | |
2010 | 劇場版機動戦士ガンダム00(ダブルオー)-A Wakening of the Trailblazer- (Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie: A Wakening of the Trailblazer) | |
2011 | トワノクオン (Towa no Quon) | |
2011 | 武装中学生 バスケットアーミー (Busou Chuugakusei Basket Army) | |
2012 | 009 RE:CYBORG (009 Re:Cyborg) | |
2012 | 非公認戦隊アキバレンジャー (Unofficial Sentai Akibaranger) | |
2014 | ばらかもん (Barakamon) | |
2014 | ワールドトリガー (World Trigger) | |
2014 | すべてがFになる (The Perfect Insider) | |
2015 | 花燃ゆ (Hana Moyu) | Taiga drama |
2015 | わかば*ガール (Wakaba Girl) | |
2015 | すべてがFになる (Subete ga F ni Naru) | |
2016 | 機動警察パトレイバーREBOOT (Mobile Police Patlabor: Reboot) | ONA, serve as extra episode of Japan Animator Expo |
2016 | ジョーカー・ゲーム (Joker Game) | |
2016 | モブサイコ100 (Mob Psycho 100) | |
2016 | SERVAMP -サーヴァンプ- (Servamp) | |
2016 | 刀剣乱舞-花丸- (Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru) | |
2017 | ウルトラマンジード- (Ultraman Geed)[4] | |
2017 | 仮面ライダービルド- (Kamen Rider Build)[5] | |
2018 | りゅうおうのおしごと!- (The Ryuo's Work is Never Done!)[citation needed] | |
2018 | まんぷく- (Manpuku) | Asadora |
2019 | 消滅都市 (Afterlost) | |
2019 | ノー・ガンズ・ライフ (No Guns Life) | |
2020 | ひぐらしのなく頃に業 (Higurashi: When They Cry – Gou) | |
2021 | ぶらどらぶ (Vlad Love) | |
2021 | ひぐらしのなく頃に卒 (Higurashi: When They Cry – Sotsu) | |
2023 | 火狩りの王 (Hikari no Ō) | |
2023 | マイホームヒーロー (My Home Hero) | |
Year | Title |
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1987 | 地獄の番犬:赤い目がね (The Red Spectacles) |
1991 | ミカドロイド (Mikadroid: Robokill Beneath Disco Club Layla) |
1991 | 地獄の番犬: ケルベロス (StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops) |
1992 | ト—キング・ヘッド (Talking Head) |
1998 | リング (Ring, The Ring) |
1999 | リング2 (Ring 2, The Ring 2) |
2000 | サディスティック&マゾヒスティック (Sadistic and Masochistic) |
2000 | ガラスの脳 (Sleeping Bride) |
2000 | カオス (Chaos) |
2001 | アヴァロン (Avalon) |
2001 | UNLOVED |
2001 | 修羅雪姫 (The Princess Blade) |
2002 | 仄暗い水の底から (Dark Water) |
2002 | Le Samouraï (Samurai, Samuraj) |
2002 | Bloody Mallory |
2004 | 跋扈妖怪传之牙吉 (Kibakichi: Bakko yokaiden) |
2004 | 跋扈妖怪传之牙吉2 (Kibakichi: Bakko yokaiden 2) |
2005 | めざめの方舟 (Open Your Mind) |
2005 | Namgeuk-ilgi (Antarctic Journal) |
2005 | 七劍(Qī Jian, Seven Swords) |
2005 | 輪廻 (Rinne, Reincarnation) |
2005 | 奇谈 (Kidan) |
2006 | デスノ—ト (Death Note) |
2006 | 야수 (Running Wild) |
2006 | 龍虎門 (Dragon Tiger Gate) |
2006 | Trapped Ashes |
2006 | Death Note 2: The Last Name |
2006 | 墨攻(Mo Gōng, A Battle of Wits) |
2007 | 怪谈 (Kaidan) |
2008 | Ip Man |
2009 | アサルトガールズ (Assault Girls) |
2009 | The Hovering Blade |
2010 | Ip Man 2 |
2010 | The Incite Mill |
2010 | ウルトラマンゼロ THE MOVIE 超決戦!ベリアル銀河帝国 (Ultraman Zero: The Revenge of Belial)[4] |
2011 | GANTZ (Gantz) |
2011 | GANTZ: Perfect Answer (GANTZ: Perfect Answer) |
2011 | Tormented |
2013 | Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon |
2014 | Garm Wars: The Last Druid |
2015 | Ip Man 3 |
2015 | Gamera |
2017 | Biohazard Vendetta |
2018 | Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings |
2018 | Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms |
2019 | Ip Man 4 |
2019 | Blood Friends[6] |
Year | Title | Notes |
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1990 | サンサーラ・ナーガ (Sansara Naga) | Famicom |
1990 | ブラッディ・ウァリアーズ シャンゴーの逆襲 (Bloody Warriors: Shangō no Gyakushū) | Famicom |
1992 | ソーサリアン (Sorcerian) | PC Engine |
1994 | チーム・イノセント (Team Innocent: The Point of No Return) | PC-FX |
1994 | サンサーラ・ナーガ2 (Sansara Naga 2) | Super Famicom |
1998 | ディープフィアー (Deep Fear) | Sega Saturn |
2003 | 信長の野望Online (Nobunaga's Ambition Online) (Chapter of Hiryu) | |
2007 | FolksSoul -失われた伝承- (FolksSoul) | PlayStation 3 |
2007–2010 | 三國志Online (Sangokushi Online) | PC |
Year | Title |
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2009 | Apocalypse: The Second World War |
General | |
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National libraries | |
Other |