Kenji Kawai[1] Kawai Kenji (川井 憲次?), born April 23, 1957 in Shinagawa, Tokyo, is a Japanese music composer, for motion pictures, anime movies, videogames and televised programs. He has contributed to the musical scores for numerous films from Japan and other countries in Asia, working in film genres as diverse as anime, horror, sci-fi and historical epic. Among his credits are Tsui Hark's The Seven Swords; Mamoru Oshii's films The Red Spectacles, StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops, Ghost in the Shell and Avalon; the anime adaptations of Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma ½ and Maison Ikkoku; and Hideo Nakata's films Ring, Ring 2, Chaos, Dark Water and Kaidan.
Career[]
After dropping out of a nuclear engineering program at Tokai University, Kenji 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.
After leaving Muse, Kenji Kawai began composing music for commercials in his home studio. While recording music for radio actor and seiyuu 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, Ghost in the Shell and in the well-known recent (live action) film Death Note.[2]
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 and the Hong Kong film Seven Swords.
He 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. Kenji 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.
Description of selected albums[]
Ghost in The Shell (1995)[]
The original soundtrack for Ghost in the Shell used Japanese choir singing parts of the Shintō prayer too kami emi tame and taiko drums. Other tracks are mostly instrumental, peaceful, with the dominance of drums. The CD also included pop song "See You Everyday", sung in Cantonese by Fang Ka Wing.
Avalon[]
The OST for Avalon featured songs sung only in Polish, telling the story of the mystical land Avalon. Works were performed by the Polish National Philharmonic Orkiestre, Choir of Philharmonic Orkiestre, and solo parts by opera singer Elzbieta Towarnicka (Elizabeth Towarnicka). There are a few songs of joyful mood, "Log in" or "Voyage to Avalon" for example, but also traditional instrumental songs with drums and electronic music.
Ghost in the Shell - Innocence[]
The OST for the second Ghost in the Shell film used the main theme from the first part in a different arrangement. Two completely new works were added to the CD ("The Doll House", "The Doll House 2") and two songs sung by jazz singer Kimiko Itoh ("Follow me", "River of Crystals").
Vampire Princess Miyu - TV OST[]
This CD include 34 works. The opening for TV series – "Shinma no Kodou" uses flutes, a feminine chorus and piano. Solo parts are sung by Kasahara Hiroko ("Aitai"), Nagasawa Miki ("Manmaru Temari Uta" - sings with children) and Suzuki Saeko (ending Miyu Yachiyo with flute and piano). There are many fight scene themes which use fiddles, piano and sometimes drums.
List of works[]
Years 1985 – 1990[]
| Title | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1986. | めぞん一刻 (Maison ikkoku, Ikkoku House) | |
| 1987. | 地獄の番犬：赤い目がね (Akai Megane, The Red Spectacles) | |
| 1987. | デビルマン (Devilman - The Birth) | |
| 1988. | 機動警察パトレイバ— (Mobile Police Patlabor) | |
| 1988. | 吸血姫美夕 (Vampire Princess Miyu) | |
| 1989. | 機動警察パトレイバ— (Mobile Police Patlabor) | |
| 1989. | らんま１／２ (Ranma 1/2) | |
| 1989. | 機動警察パトレイバ— 劇場版 (Mobile Police Patlabor: The Movie) | |
| 1989. | らんま１／２ 熱闘編 (Ranma 1/2: Hard Battle) | |
| 1990. | デビルマン (Devilman - The Demon Bird) | |
| 1990. | プロジェケトA子 (Project A-ko) |
Years 1991 – 2000[]
| Title | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1991. | バ—ンナップ (Burn up!) | |
| 1991. | ミカドロイド (Mikadroid: Robokill Beneath Disco Club Layla) | |
| 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) | |
| 1991. | 人魚の森 (Mermaid Forest) | |
| 1991. | 地獄の番犬: ケルベロス (Stray Dog: Kerberos Panzer Cops) | |
| 1991. | 魔獣戦士ルナ・ヴァルガ— (Demon Warrior Luna Varga) | |
| 1992. | ト—キング・ヘッド (Talking Head) | |
| 1992. | 姫ちゃんのリボン (Hime-chan's Ribbon) | |
| 1993. | らんま1/2 OVA (Ranma OVA) | |
| 1993. | 無責任艦長タイラ— (Irresponsible Captain Tylor) | |
| 1993. | 機動警察パトレイバ—2 the Movie (Mobile Police Patlabor 2: The Movie) | |
| 1994. | ブル—シ—ド (Blue Seed) | |
| 1994. | 戦え!! イクサ—1 (Fight!! Iczer-1) | |
| 1995. | プリンセス ミネルバ (Princess Minerva) | |
| 1995. | 攻殻機動隊 (GITS, Ghost in The Shell) | |
| 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) | |
| 1998. | リング (Ring, The Ring) | |
| 1998. | ディープフィアー (Deep Fear) | |
| 1999. | 逮捕しちゃうぞ the MOVIE (You're Under Arrest! The Movie) | |
| 1999. | リング2 (Ring 2, The Ring 2) | |
| 1999. | 地球防衛企業ダイ・ガ—ド (Dai-Guard) | |
| 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) |
Years 2001 – current[]
| Title | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2001. | ガイスタ—ズ (Geisters - Fractions of Earth) | |
| 2001. | アヴァロン (Avalon) | |
| 2001. | UNLOVED | |
| 2001. | 新白雪姫伝説プリ—ティア (New Snow White's Legend Pretear) | |
| 2001. | 修羅雪姫 (The Princess Blade) | |
| 2002. | 仄暗い水の底から (Dark Water) | |
| 2002. | パトレイバ— WXIII (Patlabor WXIII, Wasted 13: Patlabor the Movie 3) | |
| 2002. | Le Samouraï (Samurai, Samuraj) | |
| 2002. | Bloody Mallory | |
| 2003. | ガンパレ—ド・マ—チ -新たなる行軍歌 (Gunparade March) | |
| 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) | |
| 2004. | イノセンス (Ghost in The Shell 2: INNOCENCE) | |
| 2004. | ウルトラマンネクサス (Ultraman Nexus) | |
| 2004. | 風人物語 (Windy Tales, Fūjin Monogatari) | |
| 2005. | スタ—シップ・オペレ—タ—ズ (Starship Operators) | |
| 2005. | MAKOTO | |
| 2005. | めざめの方舟 (Open Your Mind) | |
| 2005. | Namgeuk-ilgi (Antarctic Journal) | |
| 2005. | 七劍(Qī Jian, Seven Swords) | |
| 2005. | "Nobunaga's Ambition Online" (Chapter of Hiryu) | |
| 2005. | 輪廻 (Rinne, Reincarnation) | |
| 2005. | 奇谈 (Kidan) | |
| 2006. | フェイト/ステイナイト (Fate/Stay Night) | |
| 2006. | 立喰師列伝 - Tachiguishi-Retsuden (Tachigui: The Amazing Lives of the Fast Food Grifters) - music and actor | |
| 2006. | デスノ—ト (Death Note) | |
| 2006. | 야수 (Running Wild) | |
| 2006. | 龍虎門 (Dragon Tiger Gate) | |
| 2006. | Trapped Ashes | |
| 2006. | Death Note: The Last Name | |
| 2006. | 墨攻(Mo Gōng, A Battle of Wits) | |
| 2006. | ひぐらしのなく頃に (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni) | |
| 2007. | 怪谈 (Kaidan) | |
| 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 | |
| 2007. | "FolksSoul" | |
| 2008. | The Sky Crawlers | |
| 2008. | 葉問 Ip Man | |
| 2009. | Eden of the East | |
| 2009. | アサルトガールズ (Assault Girls) | |
| 2009. | Apocalypse: The Second World War | |
| 2009. | Samayou Yaiba | |
| 2010. | 劇場版フェイト/ステイナイト Unlimited Blade Works (Fate/Stay Night the movie: Unlimited Blade Works) | |
| 2010. | 葉問2 Ip Man 2 | |
| 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) | |
| 2010. | インシテミル 7日間のデス・ゲーム (The Incite Mill: A Death Game in 7 Days) |
See also[]
- Hideo Nakata
- Mamoru Oshii
- J-Horror
- Anime
- Japanese movies
External links[]
| File:Commons-logo.svg | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kenji Kawai. |
- Official site of Kenji Kawai (Japanese)
- Template:Title without disambig at the Internet Movie Database
Bibliography[]
ar:كينجي كاواي it:Kenji Kawai hu:Kavai Kendzsi ms:Kenji Kawai pl:Kenji Kawai ru:Каваи, Кэндзи fi:Kenji Kawai uk:Каваї Кендзі zh:川井憲次