Obituary: Composer Hiroaki Watanabe died of heart failure - active in many animations and special effects such as "Mazinger Z," "Android Kikaider," and "Kikai Sentai ZENKAIJAR.

It has been announced that the composer, Hiroaki Watanabe, passed away due to heart failure caused by senility.

According to reports, Mr. Watanabe passed away at 4:00 a.m. on June 23 at a hospital in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, due to heart failure caused by senility.
He was 96 years old.
The funeral service was held by related parties.

Mr. Watanabe was born in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture.

After working on music for radio dramas for Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting, he began composing music for movies in 1956 with "Ningyo Sashichi Tatmonotacho Yosei Rokushin Bijin". 1970 saw him composing music for many special effects dramas and animations, including "Mazinger Z", "Baseball Madness", "Getter Robo No.", "Dangai O, the Great Star of Evil", and "Secret Planet Dangaio". and other animated works, Super Sentai series such as "Secret Sentai Goranger," Metal Hero series such as "Space Detective Gabin," and other special effects works such as "Android Kikaider" and "Inazuman.

As a composer, he purchased a Minimoog synthesizer at an early stage and created theatrical accompaniment incorporating electronic sounds for "Mazinger Z" and other films. He also had a great influence on the industry as a pioneer of automatic performance with synthesizers.

In recent years, he had collaborated with Kenichiro Oishi on the theatrical accompaniment for "Kikai Sentai ZENKAIJAR" in 2021.

We pray for his soul rest in peace.