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Kôichi Sugiyama

Kôichi Sugiyama

Composer · Died September 30, 2021, aged 90 · Tokyo, Japan

Koichi Sugiyama was a Japanese composer, conductor, and orchestrator. He is known for composing the music for the Dragon Quest franchise, along with several other video games, anime, film, and television shows. Classically trained, he is considered a major inspiration for other Japanese game music composers.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 11, 1931
Died
September 30, 2021 (aged 90)
From
Tokyo, Japan
Works as
Composer
Titles
5 on MovieCove · 20 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 32% in 30 days

What are Kôichi Sugiyama's films like?

Across their 5 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
43%
Self
18%
Ideas
16%
Bonds
11%
Morality
11%
War2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 1 · Dark 3

Heightened: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their heightened movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 0 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 5

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 2 · Intense 3

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 2 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
3
Melancholic
3
Thrilling
2
Contemplative
1
Dread
2
Other
2

How their films linger

Thought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Bittersweet2
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Kôichi Sugiyama's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 2 of their 5 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Kôichi Sugiyama's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

20 credits, 5 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Godzilla Fest 5: Great Monster Battle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Composer

  • Dragon Quest: Your Story(2019)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Symphonic Suite Dragon Quest V: Tenku no Hanayome (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Composer · Executive Producer · as Himself - Conductor

  • Ballet Dragon Quest ~ Star Dancers Ballet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Composer

  • Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 46 episodes · Composer

  • Dragon Quest IV Symphonic Suite: London Philharmonic Orchestra Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Composer · as Himself - Conductor

  • Godzilla vs. Biollante(1989)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Dragon Quest: Legend of the Hero Abel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 43 episodes · Composer

  • Dragon Quest Fantasia Video (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Composer

  • Kojika Monogatari (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 52 episodes · Composer

  • Space Runaway Ideon: A Contact(1982)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Space Runaway Ideon: Be Invoked(1982)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Sea Prince and the Fire Child (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Composer

  • Cyborg 009: Legend of the Super Galaxy(1980)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Space Runaway Ideon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Show 39 episodes · Composer

  • Hell Worms (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Composer

  • Gatchaman: The Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Composer

  • A Lavish Invitation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Composer

  • The Tigers: The World is Waiting For Us (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Composer

  • Cyborg 009 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 26 episodes · Composer

Career shape

A full career of 20 titles from 1968 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Dragon Quest: Your Story (2019)

$11M worldwide

Highest rated

Space Runaway Ideon: Be Invoked (1982)

Midcredits 88th

Most popular right now

Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Producing1 of 20: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleMusic20 of 20: 19 only music, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score68th

By decade

1960s3 · crew1970s2 · crew1980s9 · crew1990s2 · crew2000s1 · crew2010s2 · crew2020s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Kôichi Sugiyama's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 68th percentile, the median of all 5; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 70th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 5 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th2

Shape of the crowd

3 of their 5 titles are Mixed.

  • Crowd Pleaser2
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · composer

Space Runaway Ideon: Be Invoked (1982)

81st percentile spread · 16% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

Space Runaway Ideon: Be Invoked (1982)

Midcredits 88th · 69% liked

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Kôichi Sugiyama work with?

People who share at least 2 of Kôichi Sugiyama's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Fuyumi Shiraishi shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Editors

Producers