Monster Zero x SciFi Japan - Archive Only

or

Nothing here fits.

I don't think directly "fitting" is the point. A lot people took Desplat's score from Zero Dark Thirty as a sign that he'd be a great fit for Godzilla, but I had my doubts since the musical selections from Zero Dark Thirty were pretty boring and had no hook. Turns out Desplat's score divided more people than the actual movie. I like it okay, but only on a curve.

The above composers go bigger in scope, composing epic, sweeping motifs. Sawano in particular does some great work with drums in the two pieces I posted-- Which was a staple of Oshima's Godzilla theme. I doubt had people really had the access to Oshima's anime scores that fans would say her past work "fit" Godzilla, but she was certainly more than capable. The same goes for Sawano and Sagisu.

Oshima's scores are great stuff.

Desplat's score is one of the worst.

Years ago when Inuyasha was first running on Toonami, and it struck me that some of the series' music reminded me of Akira Ifukube's work. Unfortunately at the time I did not look further into who the composer was; until today.

So, a quick search brings up Kaoru Wada, and imagine my surprise when the beginning of the Wikipedia article mentions that Wada was an apprentice of Akira Ifukube. I don't think I've seen anything else Wada has composed for besides Samurai 7 and Casshern Sins (and some work on Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2, though it appears he wasn't the primary composer on the games).

Wada has a long list of credits check them out on the Wiki article on him. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaoru_Wada

Edit: dug up some Youtube videos for listening.

From Inuyasha, Sesshomaru's theme (this may have been the one that made me think of Ifukube's work)

https://youtu.be/qshbykNzjJ4


From Inuyasha

https://youtu.be/xMh9T-pcDc0


From D.Gray-man

https://youtu.be/Cqyka1dj_Yk

David Arnold
Michael Giacchino
Craig Armstrong
Hans Zimmer
Steve Jablonsky
Alan Silvestri

Kow Otani (who scored the Gamera trilogy and GMK) is a solid choice. I find his music to be memorable and catchy, especially his work in the Gamera films. I don't love his Godzilla stuff, but he does manage to convey the huge sense of scale that you need for a Godzilla film.

I don't want to see composers like Hattori (GvsSG and G2K) or Oshima. Hattori's work is sleep inducing in Space Godzilla and I found the score in G2K overly bland. Oshima's work is not bad per se, I just want something different. Her themes weren't particularly moving the way I feel Otani's are.

Other suggestions? I'm out. Most of my exposure to thematic music would be from anime, but that is a different medium...although I do love the score from Big O. Toshihiko Sahashi's work in that show is great.

Listen to this one from about 30 seconds in -



Or this one -



I'm not sure how they would translate to Godzilla, but I dig the music in Big O.

After the hype died down, I'm disappointed in Otani's GMK score. With what he did with Gamera, and later Shadow of the Colossus, I feel like GMK either was a rush job or an experiment. It's just the same themes repeated over and over and over with little variance. When I was constantly listening to the scores, I could nearly pick out what every track was after a brief moment except for most of GMK.

I'd love for Otani to come back and do something closer to his other great orchestral works. I doubt it, but I'd like it.

Shiro Sagisu is my dream choice. He has done excellent work for the Evangelion franchise; several of the themes from the original series, like and , sound tailor-made for a tokusatsu show, and his scores for EoE and the Rebuild films .

Kaoru Wada is a name I'd never heard of until maybe last week, when I was on TK; but I've quickly become a fan. The fact that Wada studied under Akira Ifukube himself almost makes him a no-brainer for a choice, and listening to his orchestral work only solidifies it:

My first choice would definitely be Reijiro Koroku. He did an amazing job on Godzilla 1985 and always thought it was a pity that Toho never brought him back.

Riichiro Manabe is still alive, right?

I can't believe that no one has mentioned Ramin Djawadi. Capable of composing epic themes, and he's got kaiju street cred after Pacific Rim.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK0ocnRfdSc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kROXpb3Gagg

This is seriously one of the most badass kaiju movie themes I've heard in years. Certainly better than anything during the millennium era.