Unfulfilled Harmonies: Ryuichi's Bitter Struggle between "Blade Runner" and an Anime Movie

Ryuichi Sakamoto (1952-2023) was particularly renowned worldwide as a composer of film music. He provided music for various types of movies, saying he held affection for each of them, except for one exception. He was initially enthusiastic about his involvement in the soundtrack for the anime film "Royal Space Force" (1987), but later came to view it as a blemish on his career. While casually browsing Facebook and listening to the ending tune of "Royal Space Force" on YouTube, I stumbled upon a short re-edit video of the movie "Blade Runner" (1982). It struck me that this tune and "Blade Runner" blended together remarkably well.

Blade Runner (1982) #asthetic #cinematography #ridleyscott #harrisonford #rutgerhauer

Posted by Back to 80s on Monday, May 29, 2023

Ryuichi had initially been captivated by the "Royal Space Force" project because he sensed a connection between this anime film and "Blade Runner." "Royal Space Force" had a similar flavor of cultural fusion, for example, featuring soldiers dressed in military uniforms reminiscent of Scottish traditional attire, paying homage to a Japanese-style grave. Ryuichi held a deep admiration for "Blade Runner." Before the actual production of "Royal Space Force" began, he was brimming with excitement upon seeing extensive sketches and well-developed storyboards. He composed the soundtrack long before the completion of the film. "Royal” was a groundbreaking feat for an anime film at the time but, I suppose, he realized that animation and live-action movies are fundamentally different upon viewing the finished product. It is understandable why he harbored hesitations about providing soundtracks for animations throughout his career.

A few years ago, a critic who had worked as the production producer for the anime movie seemed shocked when Ryuichi indirectly revealed that he considered his involvement in the soundtrack production of this film to be a stain on his career. Swiftly, he took to YouTube and uploaded a video to concede that there had been communication breakdowns with the staff, leaving Ryuichi feeling frustrated. However, he explained that it was largely due to Ryuichi's lack of experience in anime projects and his insufficient understanding of the animation production process.

While his explanation sounded plausible, I believe it only revealed half of the truth. Even if there had been effective communication with the production team, in my humble opinion, Ryuichi would have ended up regarding his work on this film unfavorably. Animation films are entirely hand-drawn, meaning that regardless of their pursuit of realistic storytelling or visual design, they ultimately manifest as animated hand-drawn images. This contrasts sharply with the fact that "Blade Runner," despite also having numerous sketches of the mixed culture that does not exist in reality drawn before production, ultimately became a live-action film.

What he failed to grasp is that animation, even when produced as a film, is a distinct form of artistic expression separate from live-action film. Presumably, he only realized this upon viewing the final film. "Royal Space Force" shared the same ambitious goal as "Blade Runner" of crafting a wholly imagined multicultural society within its narrative world. However, the outcome resulted in something entirely devoid of the coolness associated with "Blade Runner." It was nothing more than an animated cartoon, no matter how realistic it was for an anime movie of the time.

As a side note, following his confession, Ryuichi accepted offers to work on two soundtracks for animation projects. Interestingly, both happened to be the projects he undertook while battling illness. Both were good, but not masterpieces. In the end, he passed away distancing himself from animation throughout his life.