Dragon Ball composer, died at age 89

 

Shunsuke Kikuchi , a prolific Japanese composer who has worked for Dragon Ball , Doraemon and Kamen Rider , has passed away at the age of 89.

According to an Oricon report, Shunsuke Kikuchi died on April 24 at a medical facility in Tokyo after suffering from aspiration pneumonia. Before his death, he was reportedly undergoing medical treatment at an institution. The report also notes that his close relatives organized a private funeral for the late composer.

Throughout his career, Kikuchi has worked on numerous anime productions, films and TV shows. He first became famous in the 1960s, making his debut as a composer in the 1961 film Eighth Enemy. In the years that followed, he gained worldwide recognition for his contributions to the Dragon Ball franchise .

The Dragon Ball Fandom page notes that in total, Shunsuke Kikuchi wrote 23 music packs for the original Dragon Ball show and its sequel Dragon Ball Z , resulting in over 400 different pieces of music. He also wrote the theme for Doraemon, an anime series that ran for 26 years, and he also wrote songs for Kamen Rider, Tiger Mask, Dr. Slump and many others.

Among many awards, the composer was nominated for a Japanese Academy Award in 1983 for his work on Youth's Gate and To Catch the Kidnapper. He then received a Merit Award at the Tokyo Anime Awards 2013 and later won the prestigious Merit Award at the 57th Japan Record Awards in 2015.