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Kaoru Wada

Composer · Born May 5, 1962 (64) · Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan

Kaoru Wada (和田薫) is a Japanese music composer well-known for his work in anime.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 5, 1962 (64)
From
Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan
Works as
Composer
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 54 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 156 days to Oct 27Down 27% in 30 days

What are Kaoru Wada's films like?

Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Animation8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Animation movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 31st percentile
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
30%
Bonds
27%
Survival
16%
Power
13%
Self
7%
Society
4%
Ideas
3%
Family bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this themePower2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 2 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 6

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

Gentle 0 · Charged 5 · Intense 6

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

Steady 4 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 5

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

Casual 2 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 2

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 9 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Thrilling
6
Absurd
2
Melancholic
3
Dread
2
Other
10

How their films linger

Fun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet3
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous1

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 Kaoru Wada's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Kaoru Wada'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

54 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page.

  • Ranma ½(2024)

    Show 25 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • A Couple of Cuckoos(2022)

    Show 1 episode · Supervising Animation Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • Tesla Note(2021)

    Show 13 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Shabake (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Composer

  • The Journey(2021)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon(2020)

    Show 48 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all shows

  • Puzzle & Dragons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 389 episodes · Composer

  • Shin Godzilla vs. Evangelion Symphony (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Conductor

  • Hokori to Gensou (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Composer

  • The File of Young Kindaichi Returns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show 47 episodes · Composer

  • 金田一少年の事件簿 OAD 黒魔術殺人事件 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

  • Hard Romanticker(2011)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Seinto Seiya: The Lost Canvas - Meio Shinwa(2009)

    Show 26 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Casshern Sins(2008)

    Show 24 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • The Last Game: Waseda vs. Keio (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Composer

  • Graveyard Kitaro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 11 episodes · Composer

  • Mushiking: The Guardians of the Forest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 52 episodes · Composer

  • Samurai 7(2004)

    Show 26 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • Inuyasha the Movie 4: Fire on the Mystic Island(2004)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • InuYasha the Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler(2003)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Princess Tutu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 38 episodes · Composer

  • InuYasha the Movie 2: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass(2002)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Inuyasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time(2001)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Riot in Gujo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Music Director

  • Ghost Stories (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 19 episodes · Composer

  • Inuyasha(2000)

    Show 167 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Strange Dawn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 13 episodes · Composer

  • Puppet Princess(2000)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Rerere no Tensai Bakabon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 24 episodes · Composer

  • Himitsu(1999)

    Music Arranger

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The File of Young Kindaichi 2: Murderous Deep Blue(1999)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 27 episodes · Composer

  • Kunoichi: Lady Ninja(1998)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Gegege no Kitaro: Yokai Express! The Phantom Train (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Composer

  • Kindaichi Case Files (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 148 episodes · Compositor

  • Gegege no Kitaro: Ghost Night Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Composer

  • Kindaichi Case Files Movie 1: The Opera House Murders(1996)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Gegege no Kitaro: The Great Sea Beast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Composer

  • Graduation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

  • Crest of Betrayal(1994)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Samurai Shodown: The Motion Picture (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Composer

  • Galaxy Warring State Chronicle Rai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 52 episodes · Composer

  • The Cockpit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 1 episode · Composer

  • Battle Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Composer

  • Battle Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

  • Ninja Scroll(1993)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Alien Defender Geo-Armor: Kishin Corps (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 7 episodes · Composer

  • Silent Möbius 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Composer

  • Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Composer

  • Mozaika (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 4 episodes · Composer

  • 3x3 Eyes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 4 episodes · Compositors

  • Madara (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

  • Silent Möbius (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Composer

  • Scarlet Demon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Composer

Career shape

A full career of 50 titles from 1989 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Inuyasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time (2001)

$11M worldwide

Highest rated

Ninja Scroll (1993)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Ranma ½ (2024)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Music44 of 50: 43 only music, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score74thOther crew7 of 50: 6 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1980s1 · crew1990s24 · crew2000s13 · crew2010s6 · crew2020s6 · 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 Kaoru Wada's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 75th percentile, the median of all 13; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 82nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

82ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

78thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 21 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser8
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · composer

Tesla Note (2021)

90th percentile spread · 54% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

Ninja Scroll (1993)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 66/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 65. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.

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 Kaoru Wada work with?

People who share at least 2 of Kaoru Wada's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Kappei Yamaguchi shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers