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Hideharu Mori |
Hideharu Mori was a member of the J-pop group Picasso. Mori also wrote background music for the Maison Ikkoku film and the first eighteen episodes of Ranma 1/2, as well as Yawara.
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Kenji Kawai
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Kenji Kawai is one of the composers for Ranma 1/2. He is considered a top composer in the anime world, and has worked on such classic series as Maison Ikkoku and Ghost in the Shell. Mamoru Oshii, director of Ghost in the Shell and Urusei Yatsura: Beautiful Dreamer has worked with Kawai three times, which only goes to further show his immense talent.
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Akihisa Matsuura
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Matsuura composed much of the later music for Ranma 1/2, after Junji Nishimura came on as director. His sound makes extensive use of synthsizers, and moved away from the Chinese influences of the show. Now Matsuura works as an arranger for many bands and runs SAI Project, a music and dance collaboration, with Kunitomo Suga.
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CoCo
Members: Azusa Senou, Maki Miyamae, Reiko Miura, Erika Haneda & Mikiyo Ohno |
CoCo is the group that DoCo took its name from. They debuted on September 6, 1989 with the album Strawberry which included the single Equal Romance. Azusa Senou went solo in 1992 and recorded Mo Nakanaide (Don't Cry Anymore) also used in Ranma 1/2. CoCo disbanded after a final concert on August 3, 1994. Azusa Seno later retired from the entertainment business as well. They released ten albums over the course of their existance as a group.
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Ribbon
Members: Aiko Sato, Hiromi Nagasaku & Arimi Matsuno |
Ribbon debuted December 6, 1989 and released albums such as LUCKY POINT (which contained their debut single Little Date) and Jessica. Ribbon released their final album on March 18, 1994.
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Etsuko Nishio
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Etsuko Nishio was born on March 9, 1973 and sang the first opening song for Ranma 1/2, Ja Ja Uma ni Sasenaide (Don't Make Me Wild Like You) and later recorded Don't Mind Lai-Lai Boy. Etsuko debuted in April of 1989 when she was only 16. In 1988 she won the "Suppan Girl of the Year" award. After Ranma ½ Etsuko did quite a bit of nude photography that eventually evolved into films such as "Dochipira" volume 11.
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Kaori Sakagami
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Kaori Sakagami was born in Nagasaki on July 29, 1974. She recorded Platonic Tsuranuite (Let's Keep It Platonic) which is featured early in the Ranma 1/2 series. Kaori retired from the industry after only two years at the age of 15. Her career lasted from August 24, 1988 until July 25, 1990. Kaori also did nude pictorals after her singing career. She has also made some films such as "Yan Mama Trucker" (ヤンママトラッカー) about being a roughneck female truck driver and appeared in Ultraman Cosmos and played Ai in the live action Video Girl Ai.
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Azusa Seno
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Azusa was originally a member of CoCo, but left the group and went solo. Her first single was Mou Nakanaide (Don't Cry Anymore), and she released two albums as a solo artist, Crystal Eyes and Horizon in 1992 and 1993. Has she done a tasteful nude pictoral like other former Ranma 1/2 singers? Indeed she has.
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Yoshie Hayasaka
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Yoshie Hayasaka (whose real name is Yoshie Hirada) was born on September 25, 1975 in Okinawa, Japan. She debuted October 24, 1990 with the single Zettai! Part 2 (No Way! Part 2). Her final release was June 19, 1994. Yoshie also did a commerical for Kissmint chewing gum and eventually married professional wrestler Super Delfin.
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Kusu Kusu
Members: Jirou, Mu, Say & Makoto |
Kusu Kusu (the Japanese pronunciation of "couscous") released Chikyuu Orchestra (Earth Orchestra) in April of 1991, and shortly thereafter released their fourth album "Cajon". Most of their recordings have a tropical or World Music sound. Members Jirou and Makoto still work together under the moniker of Muito Bonito.
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Tokyo Shonen
Members: Michiru Sasano, Katsuhito Teshirogi, Hideo Nakamura & Akira Minakami |
Tokyo Shonen released their first album on November 21, 1988. They released 5 albums, 2 best of compilations, and 7 singles including Shy Shy Japanese and Harmony. Their final album was released August 21, 1991. Sasano went solo and eventually came out as a homosexual, releasing the book Coming OUT! and an album entitled Girl Meets Girl.
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YAWMIN
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YAWMIN has recorded two songs for Ranma 1/2, which are Friends and Koi da! Panic (Love Panic!) from the OVA series as well as working under the name "YAUMIN" for the anime All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku. YAWMIN would later work under her real name, Yoko Takahashi, and become involved with Neon Genesis Evangelion.
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Michiyo Nakajima
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Michiyo Nakajima, who sang Hinageshi (Poppy Flower), was actually slated to be a member of Ribbon, until she was replaced by Aiko Sato. She was also friends with CoCo member Maki Miyamae who she met in cram school. She also did music for other anime including Hana no Mahou Tsukai Mary Bell, Soar High! Isami, and D.N.Angel. Her other singles include Stay With Me and she did a photo book called Nudes.
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VisioN
Members: Masaki Tsuchihashi, Toshiyuki Okazaki, Akira Takahashi, & Take Toriyama |
Founded in 1988 and originally called "Nijiseki Junior" (20th Century Jr.), the band renamed itself in 1992. VisioN sounds a good deal like the English band Queen, especially on their b-side to Love Seeker (Can't Stop It). Vocalist Tsuchihashi is also known under the moniker "Treacle Well".
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Miho Morikawa
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Miho Morikawa was born May 5, 1968 in Osaka, Japan. Her first album was released in 1985 and she released her single Positive on December 12, 1991. Some of her other singles include Real Mind, Be Free, Pride, and Lovin' You. Miho is also one of the few musicians that worked on Ranma ½ that have had a lenghty career that stretches into the 2000s. Interestingly she also appeared in the background of the casino scene in the James Bond film, The World is Not Enough. Apparently she was contacted by a Bond producer who saw her singing (You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman on NHK television and mistakenly believed she was fluent in English and was interested in her appearing in the film until it was discovered she did not speak English.
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Piyo Piyo
Members: Chiaki Mori & Optim |
Piyo Piyo is Chiaki Mori, she made her debut in 1992, but later rebranded herself. In 1996 she formed the group Optim and released two albums, Onumie and Kotobuki. Mori now performs with her husband, and goes by the name Piapi.
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Rabbit
Members: Tomoharu Iwasa, Toshiya Noshita, Yasuhiro Shibakoshi & Toshiyuki Hayashi |
Rabbit sang It's Love, for the first film. They released their first single, Good Time & Bad Time in 1989, and some of their albums include Eat Here Or To Go?, Mr. Dream, and Mainstream.
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Picasso
Members: Tetsuya Tsujihata, Hideharu Mori & Junji Azuma |
Picasso is probably the best known of all the musicians that have worked on Ranma 1/2 on this side of the Pacific. Picasso has had a huge number of great songs not only on Ranma 1/2, but also on Maison Ikkoku with such songs as Fantasy, and Cinema. Tetsuya Tsujihata is the vocalist, Hideharu Mori plays keyboards and accordion, and Junji Azuma plays bass. Some of their albums include Marmalade Kids, Champion's Nostalgia, Shopping List, and Breakfast Newspaper.
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DoCo
Members: Megumi Hayashibara, Noriko Hidaka, Kikuko Inoue, Minami Takayama & Rei Sakuma |
DoCo is the band made up of the Japanese voice actresses for Akane, Nabiki, Kasumi, female Ranma, and Shampoo. They had two albums as well as a single, and individually sang on many Ranma ½ songs. Within DoCo Noriko Hidaka, Megumi Hayashibara, and Rei Sakuma make up the musical group Ties.
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ano
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Debuting in September 2020, ano often works alongside her band I's where she is the lead vocalist. Other than her work on Ranma 1/2, she also provided the ending theme "Chu, Tayousei" for the Chainsaw Man anime.
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Riria
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Cautious not to show her face, Riria got her start posting YouTube videos of herself singing and quickly became popular. She has provided the opening theme to the anime Watashi no Shiawase Kekkon.
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