By: Eric Himmelheber and Tamara Lazic
Translation Assistance: Bushido Samurai
Anime Corner had the amazing opportunity to interview anime music composers Yuki Hayashi and Makoto Miyazaki ahead of their participation in the upcoming Symphonic Anime tour in North America. They are joined by music composer Yasaharu Takanashi and conductor Thanapol Setabrahmana. The symphony will start its North American tour on September 6, 2024, in Montreal, Canada.
Hayashi is known for his exceptional work on series such as My Hero Academia and Haikyu!, creating one of the most iconic anime tracks in “You Say Run”. He also composed the soundtrack for the currently airing Wistoria: Wand and Sword anime series.
Miyazaki is known for his work on many big-name anime including One Punch Man, where he also worked on the theme songs with JAM Project, and more recently the hit series Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead. He’s worked on theme songs for Hyouka, Soul Eater, and more. As part of the (K)NoW_NAME unit, he’s composed the music for the Spy x Family, including the CODE: White movie, and Dorohedoro.
Q: How are you both doing? How is the gardening going, Hayashi-san?
Hayashi: (laughs) I’m doing well! Also having a lot of fun gardening.
Miyazaki: I’m doing great, thank you!
Q: You are both a part of the upcoming North American Symphonic Anime tour. You attended the concerts in Thailand last year, what can we expect this time around?
Hayashi: When I went to Thailand, I was very happy. I spoke to [Yasaharu] Takanashi-san and wanted to get involved with composing and performing. So I think Miyazaki-san is on the same page.
Miyazaki: I’m not directly composing for the tour, but last year when I went to Thailand, it was very interesting for me to see the Thai fans’ reaction. Their reaction was a bit more lively in comparison to Japanese fans.
Q: Your music opus will be performed live in front of North American audiences for the first time. In what way would you both say you’ve grown as composers over the past decade?
Hayashi: Over the last 10 years, I’ve worked on many different projects. So I’ve gained a vast amount of experience thanks to working on them.
Miyazaki: So I haven’t realized myself that I’m a soundtrack composer. I came from a band background and was in a rock n’ roll band before. But over the years, I’ve made a lot of soundtracks and I’ve played at those kinds of concerts as well. So music-wise, I’ve elevated my skills and now I’m working on more soundtrack stuff because of it.
Q: If you could compose music with only one instrument for the rest of your career, what would it be and why? Miyazaki-san, I’m guessing yours would be the Gibson ES-335 electric guitar?
Miyazaki: You are right! The Gibson ES-335 would be my choice of instrument (laughs).
Hayashi: I’m different from Miyazaki-san. I can’t play instruments as well as he can. If I didn’t have my PC, I would probably stop making music and focus on my gardening (laughs).
Q: Hayashi-san, you once said you hated the recorder growing up. Did you ever include it in a track you’ve produced so far? If not, will you ever include it? Same for Miyazaki-san, was there ever an instrument you hated growing up?
Hayashi: Ahhh, the recorder! You know me well! That’s correct, I don’t like the recorder. But I used to do something like dance and found it interesting that the dance itself changes with the background music. That’s how I entered into the world of [composing] soundtracks. So it’s not because I liked music that I became a composer who makes soundtracks. I didn’t take the path from the angle of the music side. I’ve been working as a composer to have fun with the happy feeling when the music and the sounds from a series or movie are combined.
Miyazaki: Hmmmm… There was no instrument that I hated. For an unknown reason, I really loved music growing up. I used to play in the music room and with my parents’ acoustic guitar as well.
Q: Could you tell us a bit about how you first got involved in anime projects? Do you have a favorite soundtrack?
Hayashi: I used to be a men’s rhythmic gymnast. So, through that, I got introduced to background music and began to make it as a hobby. From there, I got more into making music for commercials, [TV] dramas, games, and then that led to anime soundtracks.
Miyazaki: I didn’t start my career making anime music but rather other songs with vocals and such. But then a staff member proposed to me one day, “Why don’t you make soundtrack music?” That’s when I got more into that field and I enjoyed it! Now I’m really focused on the soundtrack side. I don’t really watch a lot of anime, so I get inspired more by soundtracks from Hollywood movies. Something I recently got inspired by was the Black Adam soundtrack. But if it was anime, it would be Haikyu!!, for which Hayashi-san composed.
Hayashi: Thank you! (laughs) […] When I was doing the men’s rhythmic gymnastics, I listened to the soundtracks and main theme songs from blockbuster movies that were popular at that time, whether it was Titanic or something else.
Q: Miyazaki-san, you are a part of the [K]NoW_NAME unit. What are the differences between working solo and on a team? What are some of the biggest challenges?
Miyazaki: Working on a team and solo is pretty much the same. When I work by myself, I just do it, you know? Of course, there are times to work with others, but in most cases, it’s not on the same music. When I work on an inserted song, it can be with a vocalist I get along with, and then I know things like the vocal range. So I think that’s a strong point as far as working as a team goes.
Q: Some of your most recent projects are Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle and Spy x Family CODE: White movies. What were some things you had in mind after realizing you would be composing for a theater surround sound system rather than just a home speaker? Was your approach different?
Hayashi: In movies and special single drama series, you receive scripts in advance and all the detailed settings are prepared. The shows mentioned, Spy x Family and Haikyu!!, have people like music directors, or supervisors. We compose 20, 30, or maybe even 50 songs at most for anime, according to the order sheets. Then the music directors, or people in charge of the selection, match our songs into scenes. That’s how the music comes together.
Miyazaki: The production process is all the same, just as Hayashi-san explained. The big difference with TV and movies is that if you’re at the theater you have the Dolby 5.1. So the mixing process is different. For Spy x Family’s TV series, it took two days for us to mix the sound properly. But for movies, for example, Spy x Family Code: White, that was through TOHO, which is a big studio, and we mixed it for like a week. We even tested how the music would sound different from where you’re sitting in the cinema. So that is completely different from the TV series.
Q: Hayashi-san, what was the process like for composing the soundtrack for Wistoria: Wand and Sword, which is currently airing? Was it anything similar to your other works or did you take a different approach to it since it’s in a fantasy setting? I noticed a heavy emphasis on the flute this time around.
Hayashi: Yes, in Wistoria there are a lot of acoustic instruments being used. Actually, there are two composers who aren’t credited, Luke Standridge and Asa Taylor. They were wonderful and added a lot of flute to the soundtrack, using a lot of those kinds of instruments in the process.
Q: Miyazaki-san, how do you approach different genres of works you compose for? You go from action-packed One Punch Man and titles like RPG Real Estate to the 1930s-influenced Spy x Family pretty easily. Who do you consult with the most about these?
Miyazaki: Initially, I would meet with the director and decide the direction of which way they want to go when considering the music and soundtrack. Then I would read the script and go from there. For example, with Spy x Family it was more like a jazz sound, and One Punch Man was more of a rock sound. So I would choose the genre and then put time into researching the genre. This is when I would consider different layers of the genre, find out what’s popular, and then decide from there.
Q: If the characters Yor, Loid, and Anya from Spy x Family were instruments, what would they be? The same goes for Hinata, Kageyama, and Tsukishima from Haikyu!!?
Miyazaki: For Loid, the main theme song from Spy x Family is based on his image and looks, it has a cool jazz sound. So for him piano, bass, or acoustic guitar. As for Anya, it’d be cute instruments or ones that sound cute. Maybe a recorder for her. And for Yor, she’s usually a nice and gentle mother. But it varies scene by scene since she also has moments where she’s killing people (laughs). So during those times, it’s more like a dark piano. But for every scene, it’s always a different kind of sound. Usually, when she’s a nice mother figure, she’d be more of a warm instrument and sound.
Hayashi: For Hinata, I have the image that he’s an acoustic instrument. For Kageyama, he’s a team leader and gives directions. So he would be a bass. As for Tsukishima, he’s a very logical player so I’d say he’d be a synthesizer.
Q: Who would you say is the biggest, most impactful name in today’s anime music scene? Similarly, do you have any newcomers on your radar, someone we should be keeping an eye on in the future?
Hayashi: Hiroyuki Sawano is someone that I greatly admire. I listen to a lot of his music. I even used to send music demos to him. Also, Kensuke Ushio, who composed for Chainsaw Man, Space Dandy, and Tengoku Daimakyo [Heavenly Delusion] is someone I find really cool and highly respect. As for the younger composers, Yutaka Yamada [Vinland Saga, Tokyo Ghoul] is someone I find cool as well. I hope more young composers will come out on the scene and they will bring new energy to the industry.
Miyazaki: I’m a huge fan of Hayashi-san (both laugh). Not just because he’s in this interview too, but I was a fan before I met him. I really respect and love Hayashi-san’s music and soundtracks. As for up-and-coming composers, Yuta Bando from Kaiju No. 8 is only 33 years old, but he’s really awesome. I think his style is really distinctive so I recommend fans check out his work!
Q: Do you guys have a message to the fans who will be coming to see you on the North American tour?
Hayashi: I recently saw my senpai, Kohei Tanaka from One Piece, in a big theater with 6,000 people. So I would love to go around the world and have an anime soundtrack concert. It feels like I have to do this. I would really love to go overseas more so please stay tuned.
Miyazaki: I’m looking forward to seeing everyone! I want to see how people overseas will react to the anime-style soundtracks. I’ve seen on social media how positively people react to the music so I want to see that in real life. If I have the opportunity, I would love to speak to some people and how they feel about the soundtracks!
We spent over an hour talking to Hayashi-san and Miyazaki-san, which was a huge chunk of time in their busy schedules. We tried to get information about the upcoming Dorohedoro season, but Miyazaki-san was tight-lipped, although he seemed quite pleased about getting to work on the new One Punch Man season.
If you’d like a chance to meet both of them (and Yasuharu Takanashi-san), make sure to check out the Symphonic Anime website, where you can get Meet & Greet tickets for performances in Montreal, Toronto, Boston, while also getting to enjoy the unique performance of some of the best anime soundtracks. If you’re not in North America, you can still enjoy Miyazaki-san and Hayashi-san’s music.
Also read:
Interview – Wistoria: Wand and Sword Anime Producer and Manga / Light Novel Editor
The comments are temporarily unavailable for maintenance.