Satoru Kōsaki

is a Japanese music composer and arranger. He is best known for his work on anime, including Lucky Star, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Monogatari, Beastars and The Apothecary Diaries. He worked at Namco, where he primarily composed soundtracks for video games. Since 2005, he has been affiliated with Keiichi Okabe's music production company Monaca, where he has often collaborated with his colleagues to produce soundtracks for anime and other media.

Biography

Early life Kōsaki was born on September 16, 1974, in Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan. He began playing the piano and Electone, at the age of three. His parents also played classical guitar and frequently played songs by classical guitarists within the household. Although he eventually ceased playing the piano, he played the trumpet in his junior high school's brass band. He listened to fusion artists such as Casiopea and T-Square, as well as pop artists such as Hikaru Genji, and developed an interest in video game music through the Mycom BASIC Magazine, where he started to program music on a PC-9801.

As an information engineering student at Kyoto University, he developed an interest in composing music as a member of the amateur circle , For his work on Tekken games, he created music in genres such as techno and breakbeat; he did not consider these genres to be his area of expertise, but tried his best to maintain a quality on par with other composers involved. He also participated in J-pop competitions, but was unsuccessful in all of them. Still in contact with director Yamamoto, he would also score the music for the 2005 OVA Munto 2: Beyond the Walls of Time, using the alias Shinji Ikeda as he was still employed at Namco at the time. Citing a desire to compose a greater variety of music without restrictions, he left the company towards the end of the year to join Monaca, a production group founded the previous year by his former colleague Keiichi Okabe, who had previously left Namco in 2000 for similar reasons. "God knows..." in particular has received a lot of acclaim, although Kōsaki found it challenging to compose due to having little experience with band recording and playing guitar, It would also go on to win the 2007 Radio Kansai Award, a subset of the Animation Kobe Theme Song Award. He found the workload overwhelming, as prior to joining Monaca he was not used to composing a large number of tracks under time constraints.

In December 2010, he announced an indefinite hiatus from his work due to poor health. He began a second illness-related hiatus in February 2014 and returned to work in January 2015. During this time, he re-studied music theory, as he previously felt insecure about not having formal music education. In 2020, a compilation album titled Satoru Kosaki 20th Anniversary Selected Works "DAWN" was released to commemorate 20 years of being a composer. It includes a selection of his most successful songs, while the limited edition release also includes a selection of anime BGM. In 2021, he composed for the anime Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song; the following year, the anime won the Best Music Anime award at AniTrendz's 8th Annual Anime Trending Awards.

Works Anime

Year Title Notes 2005 Munto 2: Beyond the Walls of Time & theme song "Toki no Kabe o Koete", lyrics; as Shinji Ikeda 2006 The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya & insert songs "God knows...", "Lost my music", and "Koi no Mikuru Densetsu" 2007 Lucky Star & opening theme "Motteke! Sailor Fuku", various insert songs 2008 Penguin Musume Heart opening theme "Ren'ai Jiyū Shoujo" Sekirei opening theme "Sekirei", ending theme "Dear sweet heart" Lucky Star OVA Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens & opening theme "Motto Hade ni ne!", ending themes "Musuhi no Toki" and "Shirigeya no Theme", various insert songs 2009 Sora o Miageru Shōjo no Hitomi ni Utsuru Sekai & insert song "Montaro no Uta"; with various others The Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya & opening theme "Ima Made no Arasuji", ending theme "Atogaki no Yō na Mono" Nyorōn Churuya-san The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya second season; & opening theme "Super Driver"Tenjōbito to Akutobito Saigo no Tatakai with various others Bakemonogatari & opening themes "staple stable", "Kaerimichi", "ambivalent world", "Renai Circulation", and "sugar sweet nightmare" 2010 The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya with Ryuichi Takada, Keigo Hoashi, and Kakeru Ishihama Working!! opening theme "Someone Else", ending theme "Go to Heart Edge" Sekirei: Pure Engagement ending theme "Onnaji Kimochi" Highschool of the Dead ending theme "Under the Honey Shine"Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai & ending theme "Tadaima.", insert song "Meteor Impact" Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto & various insert songs; with various others 2011 Fractale insert song "Hiru no Hoshi"Wandering Son with Keiichi Okabe and Keigo Hoashi A Channel & opening theme "Morning Arch", ending theme "Humming Girl"; with Ryuichi Takada, Keigo Hoashi, and Kakeru Ishihama The Idolmaster opening theme "Ready!!" 2012 Nisemonogatari & opening themes "Futakotome", "marshmallow justice", and "Platinum Disco" Natsume Yūjin-chō Shi ending theme "Takaramono" A Channel & smile opening theme "Balloon Theater" Joshiraku opening theme "Oato ga Yoroshikutte... yo!" Blast of Tempest ending theme "Happy Endings" Arata-naru Sekai theme song "Arata-naru Sekai" Nekomonogatari (Black) & opening theme "perfect slumbers", ending theme "Kieru Daydream" 2013 Star Driver The Movie & insert song "Hikari no Octave"; with various others Vividred Operation ending theme "Vivid Shining Sky" Muromi-san opening theme "Nanatsu no Umi yori Kimi no Umi" Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai. & insert song "Planet Burst" Monogatari Series: Second Season & opening themes "chocolate insomnia", "happy bite", "Mōsō Express", "fast love", and "Kogarashi Sentiment", ending theme "Sono Koe o Oboeteru" 2014 The Idolmaster Movie: Beyond the Brilliant Future! theme song "M@STERPIECE" Wake Up, Girls! Seven Idols theme song "Tachiagare!", insert song "Ōzora no Prism" Wake Up, Girls! opening theme "7 Girls War" Captain Earth insert song "Mugen no Hana" 2016 Kizumonogatari Part 1: Tekketsu with Ryuichi Takada, Keigo Hoashi, and Ken Namba Koyomimonogatari Monster Strike with Keiichi Hirokawa and Kuniyuki Takahashi Anne Happy with various others Kizumonogatari Part 2: Nekketsu & ending theme "étoile et toi" Monster Strike The Movie with Kuniyuki Takahashi, Ryuichi Takada, and Keiichi Hirokawa 2017 Kizumonogatari Part 3: Reiketsu & ending theme "étoile et toi [édition le blanc]" Frame Arms Girl opening theme "Tiny Tiny" Owarimonogatari & opening themes "terminal terminal" and "dreamy date drive" Fireworks& insert song "Forever Friends" (rearrangement; original composition by REMEDIOS) Wake Up, Girls! New Chapter insert song "Kakeru x Kakeru" 2018 Fate/Extra Last Encore & opening theme "Bright Burning Shout"; with various others 2019 Zoku Owarimonogatari opening theme "07734" Beastars & ending themes "Le Zoo" and "Floating Story on the Moon"; insert songs "Many Stories" and "A Tale of Moon"; with Ryuichi Takada 2020 Maesetsu! with Oliver Good and Keita Inoue 2021 Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song & opening theme & ending themes "Sing My Pleasure" and "Fluorite Eye's Song"; insert songs "My Code", "A Tender Moon Tempo" (brass arrangement), "Galaxy Anthem", and "Harmony of One's Heart" 2022 Aharen-san Is Indecipherable & ending theme "AHAREN HEART"; with Oliver Good and Keita Inoue 2023 The Apothecary Diaries & insert songs "Ashita o Tazunete", "Secchuuka", and "Sōkū no Honō"; with Kevin Penkin and Alisa Okehazama Protocol: Rain with Oliver Good and Keita Inoue The Diary of Ochibi-san 2024 Beastars Final Season - Part 1 opening theme "Into The World"; with issei Monogatari Series: Off & Monster Season episodes #1-6

Video games

Year Title Notes 1999 Aqua Rush with Akitaka Tohyama and Yoshihito Yano 2000 Tekken Tag Tournament PS2 version; & trumpet; with various others 2001 Mr. Driller G trumpet Tekken 4 arcade version; with Yuu Miyake and Akitaka Tohyama Kotoba no Puzzle: Mojipittan arcade version; & various insert songs, lyrics, vocals 2002 Taiko no Tatsujin 3 trumpet Tekken 4 PS2 version; with various others Star Trigon with Jesahm, Hiroshi Okubo and Tetsukazu Nakanishi Mr. Driller Drill Land trumpet 2003 Kotoba no Puzzle: Mojipittan PS2 version; & various insert songs, lyrics, vocals Yumeria & trumpet, melodica R: Racing Evolution with various others 2004 Katamari Damacy trumpet Xenosaga Freaks Xenopittan minigame only; & various insert songs; with Hiroshi Okubo Kotoba no Puzzle: Mojipittan Daijiten & trumpet, various insert songs, lyrics, vocals; with various others Tekken 5 arcade version; with various others 2005 Tekken 5 PS2 version; & theme song "Sparking"; with various others Mobile Suit Gundam: One Year War trumpet; with various others We Love Katamari trumpet The Idolmaster arcade version; insert song "Mahou wo Kakete!", lyrics Taiko no Tatsujin: Tobikkiri! Anime Special opening theme "Hibike! Taiko no Tatsujin", trumpet Tekken: Dark Resurrection with various others Taiko no Tatsujin: Wai Wai Happy Rokudaime insert song "Swan Lake ~still a duckling~"; trumpet Me & My Katamari trumpet 2006 Rappelz with various others 2007 Kotoba no Puzzle: Mojipittan DS The Idolmaster Xbox 360 version; insert song "Go My Way!!", trumpet Beautiful Katamari trumpet Tekken 6 "Artificial Ruins" The Promise of Haruhi Suzumiya with Hiromoto Nakaya 2008 Lucky Star: Ryōō Gakuen Ōtōsai opening theme "Hamatte Sabotte Oh My God!" The Idolmaster Live For You! insert song "My Song" Kotoba no Puzzle: Mojipittan Wii Secret Game: Killer Queen opening theme "Secret Game" 2009 The Idolmaster SP insert song "Kiramekirari" Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA opening theme "The Secret Garden", insert song "Dear Cocoa Girls" The Idolmaster Dearly Stars theme song "Hello!!" Sekirei: Gifts from the Future ending theme "Survive Baby Survive!" 2010 Tantei Opera Milky Holmes opening theme "Ameagari no Mirai", ending theme "Kikoenakutemo Arigatо̄" 2013 The Idolmaster Shiny TV insert song "Sora" 2018 Monogatari Series PucPuc theme song "Wicked Prince" 2019 Yin Yang Shi: Bai Wen Pai & various insert songs; with Ryuichi Takada 2021 The Idolmaster Starlit Season insert song "Gratitude" 2022 The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls: Starlight Stage insert song "Junjou Sekkin Story" 2023 Ensemble Stars! insert song "Angelic Grace" 2025 Once Upon a Katamari insert song "Katamari Damacy"

Other Year Title Notes 1997 Onnen Sentai Ressentiment live-action film; performance as Emperor Komuro 2006 The Idolmaster Radio radio show; theme songs "Urgent!!" and "Okey-dokey" 2007 The Idolmaster Radio For You! Internet radio show; theme song "FO(U)R" 2010 Watashi no Yasashikunai Senpai live-action film; opening theme "Maji de Koi suru 5 Byōmae Dai Daisuki" 2018 Mangan television drama; background music for episodes 1 and 2 2019 Inakunare, Gunjo live-action film; with Kuniyuki Takahashi