Kohei Tanaka (composer)

Kohei Tanaka
Born (1954-02-14) February 14, 1954 (age 69)
Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Alma materTokyo University of the Arts
Berklee College of Music
Occupations
  • composer
  • arranger
  • singer-songwriter
  • conductor
Musical career
Genres
Instrument(s)
  • vocals
  • piano
Years active1982–present
Labels

Kohei Tanaka (Japanese: 田中 公平, Hepburn: Tanaka Kōhei, born February 14, 1954) is a Japanese composer, arranger, conductor and singer-songwriter. He is affiliated with the music production company Imagine. He has created numerous musical scores for anime television series, OVAs, films, video games and tokusatsu series including Gunbuster, Sakura Wars and One Piece.

Biography

Tanaka was a student at Berklee College of Music.[1] While employed playing the piano in a hotel lounge, he was requested to arrange a song in Arcadia of My Youth: Endless Orbit SSX, a 1982 TV anime, and it became his first work as a composer. Afterwards, he produced some songs and arrangements for the Super Sentai series and his first work as a lead composer was for the television anime Konpora Kids in 1985.

Notably, the background music in Gunbuster made his name and talent very famous among anime fans and is recognized as one of his most important works.[2] He also handled the composition of Diebuster, a sequel series of Gunbuster, and showed a peculiar arrangement to his own work 17 years ago.

He hosted the Dai Anime Hakurankai radio show on Tokai Radio together with the voice actress Konami Yoshida from April 1993 to September 1994. His discussions with Toshio Okada and Hiroshi Yamamoto about anime, originally published in the hm3 voice acting magazine, have been republished in book form.

On February 14, 2008, he opened an official website and announced his intention to work also as a singer in the future. On July 4, he released his first solo album called Kokorone song 1st.

Works

Anime

Year Title Crew role Notes Source[3]
1985–86 Button Nose Music
1986 Dragon Ball Theme song arrangement "Makafushigi Adventure!", "Romantic Ageru yo" [1][4]
1986 Doteraman Music
1987 Esper Mami Music
1987 Maps Music OVA
1987 The Three Musketeers Music
1987–89 Lady!! series Music Also Hello! Lady Lynn
1988–89 Gunbuster Music [1][5]
1988 Patlabor Music OAVs [1]
1989–92 The Laughing Salesman Music
1989 Wataru Majinzan Music OVA
1990–91 Brave Exkaiser Music
1990 Obatarian Music
1990 Madō King Granzort: The Final Magical Battle Music OVA
1991–93 Matchless Raijin-Oh Music Also OVA in 1992
1991 Honō no Tenkōsei Music OVA
1991 Otaku no Video Music [1]
1992 Bastard!! Music [1]
1992 Spirit of Wonder: Miss China's Ring Music [1]
1993 Dragon Half Music OVA [1]
1993 Yaiba Music
1994 Mobile Fighter G Gundam Music
1995 Gulliver Boy Music
1996 Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team Music OVA [1]
1996 Brave Command Dagwon Music
1996 Violinist of Hameln Music, Composer [1]
1997 The King of Braves GaoGaiGar Music, Composer
1999 Pokémon The Movie 2000 Composer Insert song 1
1999–present One Piece Music with Shiro Hamaguchi [1][5][6]
1999–2000 Sakura Wars: The Radiant Gorgeous Blooming Cherry Blossoms Music OVA
2000–2003 The King of Braves GaoGaiGar Final Music Composer OVA
2000 Gate Keepers Music [1]
2000 Sakura Taisen Music TV series [1]
2001 Angelic Layer Music
2001 Gundam Evolve Music with others
2002 Tenchi Muyo! GXP Music [1]
2002 Gate Keepers 21 Music OVA
2002–03 Overman King Gainer Music
2002 Monkey Typhoon Music
2003 Sakura Taisen: Ecole de Paris Music
2003 Gad Guard series Music
2004–07 Kaiketsu Zorori series Music [7]
2004 Desert Punk Music
2004 Sakura Taisen: Le Nouveau Paris Music OVA
2004 Diebuster Music OVA
2006 Buso Renkin Music
2007 Sakura Taisen: New York, New York Music OVA
2007–08 Let's Go! Tamagotchi Music
2007 Tamagotchi: The Movie Music
2008 Rosario + Vampire series Music 2 seasons, with Shiro Hamaguchi
2009 Hayate the Combat Butler Composer, Arranger
2010–11 Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan series Music Demon Capital with Kazuhiko Sawaguchi and Keiji Iuchi
2012 Hyouka Music [8]
2012 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Theme song composition "JoJo (Sono Chi no Sadame)"
2013 Gaist Crusher Music with Takayuki Negishi
2015 Assassination Classroom Theme song arrangement [9]
2017 The Laughing Salesman New Music
2018 Planet With Composer, Arranger
2020 Sakura Wars: The Animation Music [10]
2020 Princess Connect Re:Dive Theme song arrangement
2020 Motto! Majime ni Fumajime Kaiketsu Zorori Music [11]
2021 Back Arrow Music
2021 D_Cide Traumerei the Animation Music [12]
2024 Grendizer U Music [13]

Films

Year Title Crew role Notes Source[3]
1988 Esper Mami: Hoshizora no Dancing Doll Music
1993 Hello! Dynosis Kids Music Doraemon short film
2001 One Piece: Clockwork Island Adventure Music
2001 Sakura Wars: The Movie Music Director
2002 One Piece: Chopper's Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals Music
2003 One Piece The Movie: Dead End no Bōken Music with Shiro Hamaguchi
2004 One Piece: The Cursed Holy Sword Music with Shiro Hamaguchi
2005 One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island Music
2006 Giant Mecha Soldier of Karakuri Castle Music with Fuminori Iwasaki
2007 One Piece Movie: The Desert Princess and the Pirates: Adventures in Alabasta Music with Shiro Hamaguchi, Fuminori Iwasaki, Minoru Mauro, Kazuhiko Sawaguchi
2008 Episode of Chopper Plus: Bloom in the Winter, Miracle Cherry Blossom Music with Shiro Hamaguchi
2008 Tamagotchi: Happiest Story in the Universe! Music Film with Shiro Hamaguchi
2009 One Piece Film: Strong World Music with Shiro Hamaguchi
2012 One Piece Film: Z Music with Shiro Hamaguchi
2012 Kaiketsu Zorori Da-Da-Da-Daibouken! Music [7]
2013 Kaiketsu Zorori: Mamoru ze! Kyouryuu no Tamago Music
2015 Kaiketsu Zorori: Uchū no Yūsha-tachi Music
2019 One Piece: Stampede Music [14][15]

Video games

Year Title Crew role Notes Source
1990 Wizardry V: Heart of the Maelstrom Music FM Towns version [16]
1992 Xardion Music [17]
Paladin's Quest Music
Just Breed Music [16]
1993 Tengai Makyo: Fuun Kabukiden Music [16]
1995 Tengai Makyō Zero Music [16]
1996 Lennus II Music [16]
Sakura Wars Music [18]
1997 Alundra Music [19][20]
1998 Dragon Force II: Kamisarishi Daichi ni Music Main song [21]
Sakura Wars 2: Thou Shalt Not Die Music [16]
1999 Alundra 2 Music [22]
2001 Sakura Wars 3: Is Paris Burning? Music [16]
2002 Sakura Wars 4: Fall in Love, Maidens Music [16]
2005 Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love Music [16]
2010 Resonance of Fate Music with Motoi Sakuraba [23]
2012 Gravity Rush Music [24][25]
2017 Gravity Rush 2 Music [26][27]
2018 Princess Connect! Re:Dive Music with others [28]
2019 One Piece: World Seeker Music [29]
2019 Sakura Wars Music [30]


See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "More Acen Guests". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  2. ^ "Profile of Tanaka Kohei". TanakaKouhei.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2006.
  3. ^ a b アニメ / メディア芸術データベース – 田中公平 [Anime / Media Arts Database (search results) – Kohei Tanaka]. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Japan: Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  4. ^ "ドラゴンボール -東映アニメーション-" (in Japanese). Toei Animation. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  5. ^ a b "One Piece's Tanaka & Romancing SaGa's Itō Hold Joint Concert". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  6. ^ Inc, Natasha. "「ONE PIECE」ワノ国編のBGM演奏は和楽器演奏集団・桜menが担当（コメントあり）". コミックナタリー (in Japanese). Retrieved August 12, 2019. {cite web}: |last= has generic name (help)
  7. ^ a b "Megumi Hayashibara Stars in Kaiketsu Zorori Trailer". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  8. ^ "Full Metal Panic's Gatoh Writes Kyoto Animation's Hyoka". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  9. ^ "Assassination Classroom Anime Cast Sings Opening Theme". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  10. ^ "New Sakura Wars Game Gets TV Anime in 2020". Anime News Network. September 13, 2019. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  11. ^ "New Kaiketsu Zorori Anime Reveals Cast, Theme Songs, April 5 Premiere". Anime News Network. February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  12. ^ "Bushiroad, Sumzap, Drecom Unveil D_Cide Traumerei Project With Game, TV Anime". Anime News Network. March 16, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  13. ^ "Grendizer U TV Anime Revealed for Debut in 2024". Anime News Network. August 5, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  14. ^ "「ONE PIECE ワンピース」DVD公式サイト". Log Collection (in Japanese). Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  15. ^ "EYCA-12666~7 | ONE PIECE STAMPEDE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK - VGMdb". vgmdb.net. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Kohei Tanaka profile". imagine-music.co.jp.
  17. ^ "Xardion for SNES (1992)". MobyGames. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  18. ^ "Hardcore Gaming 101: Sakura Taisen". hardcoregaming101.net. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  19. ^ "Blues Brothers 2000 - Retro Gamer". retrogamer.net. February 13, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  20. ^ "RPGamer > Staff Retroview > Alundra". rpgamer.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  21. ^ "Dragon Force II: When the Gods Abandoned the Earth : Review by Chris". Square Enix Music Online. Archived from the original on December 1, 2010. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  22. ^ Alundra 2 - PS1 - ending, archived from the original on December 21, 2021, retrieved March 14, 2021
  23. ^ "桜庭統さんと田中公平さんが『エンド オブ エタニティ』の音楽について語る [Dengeki: Interview with Motoi Sakuraba and Kouhei Tanaka]". Dengeki Online. March 2010. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  24. ^ Hamilton, Kirk (June 14, 2012). "The Dizzy, Delightfully Grand Music of Gravity Rush". kotaku.com. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  25. ^ Hamilton, Kirk (December 14, 2012). "The Best Video Game Music of 2012". kotaku.com. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  26. ^ "Check Out Gravity Rush 2's Latest Footage And Mini-Concert By Composer Kohei Tanaka". siliconera.com. July 29, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  27. ^ "11 minutes of Gravity Rush 2 gameplay, details". gematsu.com. December 9, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  28. ^ "Notice on Release of Anime RPG "PRINCESS CONNECT! Re:Dive"". cyberagent.co.jp. February 15, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  29. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "ONE PIECE: World Seeker - Announcement Trailer | PS4, X1, PC". YouTube.
  30. ^ "Project Sakura Wars announced for PS4". March 30, 2019.

External links