Kaoru Wada (和田 薫 Wada Kaoru?, born May 5, 1962) is a Japanese music composer, music arranger, conductor, music orchestrator and pianist from Yamaguchi Prefecture. He studied at the Tokyo College of Music. He is popularly known for his work on anime soundtracks. He became known to the west through work on 3x3 Eyes and Battle Angel, and more recently Samurai 7 and the worldwide hit InuYasha. He also arranged works for orchestra and piano on original soundtracks like Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II. His powerful and sweeping melodies are given counterpoint by his sometime harsh, creepy lilting themes of suspense. His most popular works usually are found on the soundtracks of series with heavy emotional and supernatural themes being juxtaposed. Wada is also an apprentice of the famed Godzilla composer, Akira Ifukube. Wada is married to InuYasha seiyū Akiko Nakagawa, who also voices Sota Higurashi in that anime.
Work
Kaoru Wada has worked on the following anime series:
- 3x3 Eyes
- 3x3 Eyes Seima Densetsu
- Tamagotchi
- Battle Angel (Alita)
- D.Gray-man
- Dragon Quest Crest of Roto (movie)
- Eiyuu Gaiden Mozaicka
- Spirit of the Sword
- Gegege no Kitaro
- Ghost Stories (also known as Gakkou no Kaidan)
- Gilgamesh
- Captain Harlock
- Ijiwaru Baasan
- InuYasha series and movies
- Iron Leaguer
- Mushiking
- Kikaider
- Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo
- Kishin Heidan(機神兵団)
- Knight of the Iron Dragon
- Madara
- Mars Daybreak
- Ninja Scroll
- Play Ball
- Princess Tutu
- Puppet Princess
- Record of Lodoss War second TV series
- Rerere no Tensai Bakabon
- Sakura Wars
- Samurai 7
- Silent Möbius Motion Pictures 1-2
- Strange Dawn
- Tekkaman Blade
- The Cockpit
- Thunder Jet
- To Heart
