Today, Square Enix sadly announced that legendary video game composer Koichi Sugiyama had passed away on September 30th. Sugiyama had been with the company since its Enix days in 1985, where he created the soundtrack to the original Dragon Quest for the NES. He would go on to create a legacy by composing songs for the franchise for the next 35 years, including every mainline entry all the way up to Dragon Quest XI, and the many spinoffs, like Dragon Quest Builders, Dragon Quest Monsters, and more. Prior to his death, he was also working on tracks for the still in development Dragon Quest XII. His musical talent was important enough for Japan to honor him with an award of Person of Cultural Merit in 2020, and his composition of one of the Dragon Quest themes was featured in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

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[GoldAnthro]

All hail the king of determining who is kind and loving.

If you deny a massacre happening when there is clearly documented your not a good person, doesn't matter how much you do to try to make up for that fact. And the added bonus of trying to gimp the soundtrack for dragon quest games to make people cough up more money is not a good added bonus. I also fail to see a history of any charitable work despite the MASSIVE salary he made.

 

[Ace_Axel]

I have a soft spot for Dragon Quest V, especially the overworld theme



If this video link isn't allowed, I apologize, but damn it sounds good

This one and Dragon Quest II's overworld theme are my favorite! DQV overall had a GREAT soundtrack! You can tell that Sugiyama went in with extra effort to make it sound so good on SNES.

 

[YukidaruPunch]

I really love Sugiyama's work (both in DQ and even in Shiren) but it's a shame he held some beliefs which were very disrespectful or borderline harmful such as denying Japan's war crimes. I also understand that we was 90 and grew up in a totally different era so I can, even if not supporting it in the slightest, let it slide.

Still, the man composed some themes which I love in games that are very important to me. DQ5 is a game that changed me forever. So thanks for the memories, and may the person rest in peace.

 

[coregee]

Glad this scumbag finally kicked the bucket.

 

[MIMITAI]

bye bye denialist, i'm so happy he's gone

one moron less on this planet: and I don't give a fuck about his musical career since it's a separate thing. Just because someone's talented doesn't mean they get a free pass to be a dumbfuck.

as an LGBT person myself an extra middle finger to this old fuck

 

[Burorī]

I feel like this is gonna get mixed reactions because of "Political Views"...
Anyways, Rest In Peace, he was also a human being like us after all

 

[Burorī]

I knew there would be at least one in this thread.

Is it that hard to just either say "Rest In Peace" or ignore the thread entirely? We can appreciate the art and legacy of someone's work without agreeing with or glorifying their politics.

Exactly, being happy over someone's death is still something fucked no matter if he was homophobic or not

 

[MIMITAI]

Exactly, being happy over someone's death is still something fucked no matter if he was homophobic or not

dang imagine being more pressed about this than about sugi's lgbtphobia and war crime denialism


sugi fans are truly fucked LMAO

 

[Burorī]

dang imagine being more pressed about this than about sugi's lgbtphobia and war crime denialism


sugi fans are truly fucked LMAO

I'm not even a Dragon Quest fan at all, I just think it's wrong to be cheering at someone's death.
He may have said the wrong things but he never hurt anyone unlike some people in history

 

[Burorī]

dang imagine being more pressed about this than about sugi's lgbtphobia and war crime denialism


sugi fans are truly fucked LMAO

Look I know he wasn't a good guy judging by what most people say online but getting excited over someone's DEATH just feels wrong and inhuman

 

[Engezerstorung]

I'm not even a Dragon Quest fan at all, I just think it's wrong to be cheering at someone's death.
He may have said the wrong things but he never hurt anyone unlike some people in history

Thing is, it is those people "who only have their beliefs and didnt hurt anyone" that vote/support those who do and who would never had the opportunity to do it without said support, hurtfull ideas hurt, even if you are not the one actively and directly doing the hurting. Those opinions arent just on the same level as liking pineapple pizza or not.

 

[Burorī]

Thing is, it is those people "who only have their beliefs and didnt hurt anyone" that vote/support those who do and who would never had the opportunity to do it without said support, hurtfull ideas hurt, even if you are not the one actively and directly doing the hurting. Those opinions arent just on the same level as liking pineapple pizza or not.

I agree, he was a bad person, can't deny that. I even heard that he was Islamophobic at some point which concerns me but I still can't feel any good from a person dying.

 

[tabzer]

I heard he abused several members on this board, which seems to be the reason why people are up in arms.

I'll take 10 of him over any one of you.

 

[LuigiXHero]

His music was ok but never got why he never brought on more people to make more music. DQ11 having like 3 songs was really bad. Ended up playing most of the game with the music off. The only goods were from past games in some small areas and flying.

 

[duelistjp]

His music was ok but never got why he never brought on more people to make more music. DQ11 having like 3 songs was really bad. Ended up playing most of the game with the music off. The only goods were from past games in some small areas and flying.

dragon quest knows its audience. someone who played the first game picks up dq xi without having heard of the series since immediately knows it is the same series. continuity of the music was a large part of that familiarity. the series is rooted in the fact that aside from minor QoL it is still the same game you knew when you were a kid. like how pokemon still has you going around collecting eight badges in order to get to the place you fight a series of battles than the champion. it is the video game equivalent of comfort food

 

[Whole lotta love]

Rest in piss fascist

 

[Fugelmir]

Rest in piss fascist

Big talk to a dead guy. Wanna do something about a modern day fascist society like Saudi Arabia or Iran?

Keep hitting low hanging fruit that doesn't hit back. #EZMODE

 

[IssMare]

I feel really sad by this, as his music and compositions mean so much to me, I still listen to them on a regular basis. May he rest in peace, he leaves a legacy for generations to enjoy...

 

[godreborn]

I feel really sad by this, as his music and compositions mean so much to me, I still listen to them on a regular basis. May he rest in peace, he leaves a legacy for generations to enjoy...

My favorite is the symphonic suite of the dragon quest 5 battle song. The ps2 version seems to be orchestrated. I'm at that zoom-something town where you learn zoom on that version.

 

[MIMITAI]

Look I know he wasn't a good guy judging by what most people say online but getting excited over someone's DEATH just feels wrong and inhuman

therefore i'm inhumane as fuck and proud of it, at least i'm not an lgbtphobic piece of shit and don't deny war crimes