Takanori Arisawa (April 2, 1951 - November 26, 2005) was a Tokyo-born composer and arranger best known for creating the iconic soundtrack to Sailor Moon. He died of bladder cancer at 54.
The Sailor Moon music was Arisawa's breakthrough work, earning him the 1993 Golden Disk Grand Prize from Columbia Records. He stuck with the series throughout its run, also composing for related video games and stage musicals. His work proved massively popular overseas—he won the JASRAC International Award three times (1998, 2000, 2001) for highest international royalties, a testament to how far Sailor Moon's music had traveled.
Arisawa drew heavy inspiration from Western TV, particularly Charlie's Angels, which shaped his approach to the show's overall sound. He was thoughtful about character themes, often weaving in symbolic elements pulled from different musical traditions and cultures. What's interesting is how his style evolved with the series itself: as Sailor Moon's story grew darker and the characters matured through real trauma, his arrangements shifted away from pop sensibilities toward classical textures, mirroring their emotional growth.
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