Dragon Ball Z is one of the greatest action animated series of all time (if not one of the best action series of all time). There is very little about the series that you likely haven't read about or discussed. From the humble origins of the story to becoming one of Toei Animation's biggest franchises behind only One Piece, the influence of Akira Toriyama's creation can be felt far and wide.

That being said, one of the few aspects of the series that isn't discussed as much is the music. The music is about as crucial to the series being as good as it is as the animation and voice acting, yet the topic of the music is also a long and complicated one, as there are multiple scores, composers, and even a legal problem that hangs between one of the shows. So let's walk down music lane and find out the history of the music of the Dragon Ball franchise.

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Who Composed the Music For Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z?

For the original Dragon Ball and its immensely popular sequel Dragon Ball Z, the responsibility for the musical backdrop for the series was put in the hands of Shunsuke Kikuchi (he also composed the music for a previous Toriyama series, Dr. Slump). His compositions ranged from energetic and rousing battle themes to serene and contemplative pieces that accompany quieter moments of reflection or sadness. Kikuchi's music has a distinctive quality, characterized by its use of traditional Japanese instruments blended with Western orchestration, which perfectly complements the blend of martial arts, fantasy, and science-fiction elements.

His scores not only enhance the viewing experience but have also become iconic in their own right, leaving a lasting impression on audiences around the world. He also composed the melodies for the opening and closing songs, which have become classics in the anime scene. Over the years he wrote the iconic battle theme scores, and character themes for characters like Goku and Vegeta, and even knew when to let the silence do the speaking for the characters. His musical themes have been carried over to various forms of Dragon Ball Z media, but he is not the only one who has contributed musically to this franchise.

Who Composed the Music for Dragon Ball GT?

The music for Dragon Ball GT was composed by Akihito Tokunaga. He took over the musical reins for this installment of the Dragon Ball series after Shunsuke Kikuchi decided not to return. When Tokunaga was chosen to compose for Dragon Ball GT, he had the daunting task of following in the footsteps of someone whose musical scores had become as associated with the Dragon Ball universe as John Williams's music was for Star Wars. Despite what must have been immense pressure to follow up such a class act, Tokunaga brought his own distinct style and sensibility to the series.

Tokunaga introduced a fresher, modern sound, incorporating more synthesized elements and contemporary rhythms. The series' opening theme, DAN DAN Kokoro Hikareteku, became particularly popular and is considered by many fans to be one of the greatest opening anime theme songs of all time. Furthermore, as Dragon Ball GT explored themes of nostalgia, with Goku being transformed back into a child and revisiting past places and characters, Tokunaga's music played an essential role in evoking these emotions, bridging the gap between the old musical themes and new ones, adding another rich layer to the Dragon Ball music legacy.

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Who Composed the Music for Dragon Ball Z: Kai?

The music for Dragon Ball Z: Kai is where things start to get weird. The score was initially composed by Kenji Yamamoto. However, in 2011, it came to light that there were instances of musical infringement in Yamamoto's score. Obviously, the story is a long and complicated one (and one that is certainly worth reading up on), but as a result of these plagiarism issues, Toei Animation decided to replace Yamamoto's score with Kikuchi's original music from Dragon Ball Z for later broadcasts and home releases.

Since the alleged plagiarism was caught late in the game, early DVD and BluRay releases of Dragon Ball Z: Kai were released with Yamamoto's score, and these copies have become sought-out collector's items for fans of the series.

Who Composed the Music for Dragon Ball Super?

Dragon Ball Super was the first new anime from the Dragon Ball universe after a significant hiatus. Norihito Sumitomo was entrusted with the crucial task of composing the musical score for this new chapter. Sumitomo brought a fresh musical perspective to Dragon Ball Super while ensuring that the music stayed true to the heart and spirit of the Dragon Ball universe. He skillfully crafted a balance between new-age, electronic sounds and traditional, orchestral themes. This melding provided the series with a modern touch, making it accessible to newer audiences, while also invoking nostalgia for long-time fans. As of this writing, he is the primary composer for not only Dragon Ball Super, but for other Dragon Ball Super-related media like video games and the latest movies.

Who Composed the Music for the English Dub of Dragon Ball Z?

Now with all the history of the original score out of the way, where things got complicated is that most of this Japanese music was replaced when the various series were dubbed for English-speaking audiences. For Dragon Ball, the music was composed by Peter Berring, who wrote a new intro and score for the first thirteen episodes of the show (as well as the movie Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies). This initial dub was canceled after 13 episodes, and when Funimation returned to dub the rest of the show the new dub retained Shunsuke Kikuchi's original Japanese score.

In the case of Dragon Ball Z, the first two seasons dubbed by Funimation with the Ocean Group, commonly referred to as the Ocean Dub, replaced the original Kikuchi score with music composed by Shuki Levy and Ron Wasserman. However, when Funimation began using an in-house team for voice actors and redubbed the earlier episodes, they introduced a new score composed by Bruce Faulconer's music studio, Faulconer Productions, starting from the Android Saga. This music (as well as the American intro Rock the Dragon) became particularly iconic for many American fans of the series (though fans of the Japanese score tended to dislike the new music).

When it came time to dub Dragon Ball GT, Funimation decided to substitute Akihito Tokunaga's original score with a soundtrack crafted by Mark Menza. While early VHS releases primarily used the English scores, when DVDs came along fans of the Japanese scores could listen to them if they watched the show in Japanese. Imported BluRay editions would let viewers choose which score they would like to listen to when watching the show in English (as several of the opening and closing themes were even dubbed by this point).

The history of the music behind the various Dragon Ball series, movies, and video games is a long and deep one. This isn't even taking dubs from other parts of the world into account. Fans have their own opinions of which music is better, but one thing that is positive is that thanks to music streaming services, it is more available than ever before. So, whether you like the Levy, Faulconer, or Kikuchi scores (the Yamaoto score might be difficult to find), give the music a spin and bask in the most underappreciated aspect of the Dragon Ball series.

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