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Interview with Masakatsu Takagi

Masakatsu Takagi, the composer behind the vivid soundscapes of Mamoru Hosoda's films "Wolf Children", "The Boy and the Beast" and "Mirai", has crafted music that resonates deeply with the films' audience. Drawing from the melodies that defined those three films, five female vocalists were chosen to write and perform the songs with brand-new lyrics, creating a new songbook full of musical treasures. Through this, "Studio Chizu Music
Journey Vol. 2: Masakatsu Takagi – A Time to Sing" was born. Just ahead of his upcoming
live performances in Osaka and Yokohama this May, we spoke with Composer Takagi about the inspiration behind the album.

"Perhaps Those Tracks Were Always Meant to Be Songs" - Takagi

— This album brings together music from Hosoda's films reimagined as vocal tracks—a project you've described as a "13-year dream." What did that journey mean to you?

Takagi: I first worked on a Hosoda film with "Wolf Children". At the time, it was a big summer animation release with a huge audience, and I honestly didn't know where to start. I thought about what Joe Hisaishi had done for Ghibli films and wondered, "Is this really something I can take on?".

I wrote music while reading the storyboards, and during the early stages of "Wolf Children", there was so much to explore in Hosoda's vision. He encouraged me to approach the film freely. I treated it like writing a book report—just responding to what I read. As I sat at the piano imagining scenes, I often found myself singing or humming, adding vocal elements to many of the sketches (demos), even though they were instrumental.

— So even from back then, the seeds of “song” were already present.

Takagi: I submitted several pieces to Hosoda, and for the ones that weren't used, I sometimes thought, "Maybe I'll turn these into full songs someday." In fact, it felt less like writing a soundtrack and more like composing songs. Unexpectedly, many of the demos were accepted as-is, including those that featured my own vocals—like "First Echo" and "Lullaby in the Peaceful Light”, it's rare for demos with guide vocals to be used in a film, so I was thrilled with the result. Some of the other tracks were expanded into melodies with full orchestration to match specific scenes. I was happy with how the soundtrack turned out overall, but there was still a lingering sense of, "Wait, wasn't that supposed to be a “song”...?".

"A Sense of Hosoda's Films Coming Full Circle" - Takagi

— How did you arrive at the idea of working with female vocalists to write and perform original lyrics to the songs?

Takagi: I tried writing lyrics on my own many times, but each time I hit a standstill. I couldn't detach myself from the film's imagery, and writing lyrics separate from the film felt unnatural to me. I thought about who could sing each of these tracks, but the project paused during the pandemic. When we resumed, Tetsushi Koyama from Sony Music suggested the artist Clémentine. I asked her to handle the lyrics and vocals for one of the tracks, and the project was set to start again.

Clémentine's recording was wonderful, it went so well that it helped set the direction of the entire project. We decided to also ask for arrangements when possible, and I would join in on piano when needed. But even that was flexible and not a “must.” I essentially gave each artist full freedom with the request: "Use this melody, make it into a song you want to sing." It was a bold ask, but everyone involved rose to the occasion beautifully.

— It really feels as if the film soundtracks were transformed into individual “songs” that still resonate with the themes of Hosoda's works. It feels like we were rediscovering the heart and essence of the films.

Takagi: I agree. I've been listening to the finished album constantly. At times it feels like this is the real soundtrack. Each of Hosoda's films has a distinct mood, and some might say that the style or direction of his works may have shifted with each film. But when I listen to the album again, I realize that perhaps he's been telling the same story all along. His films, which once seemed to move in vastly different directions, now feel mysteriously unified together.

— Your music for visual media, whether animation or live action, often flows like wind or light, and I think that it's wonderful that it is not overly explanatory to each scene. The creative process of reimaging that music as “songs” with lyrics, what was that like for you?

Takagi: When I compose for film, I try to avoid redundancy. Movies are complete works, and each element—dialogue, visuals, music—should offer something unique. If the music simply echoes what's on screen, it can feel constraining.

— The meaning becomes too fixed.

Takagi: Right. Some directors want that, and many composers can deliver it well. But I prefer to shift the perspective a bit. I see it as writing an alternate script—adding another layer to the film.

Take "Wolf Children" as an example, it starts with a college student named Hana meeting Wolf Man, but I felt a “mother's” gaze throughout. It was as if generations of mothers were watching over her, welcoming new life. That mythic point of view was what I tried to express in the soundtrack—assigning that feeling to the sky or the wind.

"The Boy and the Beast" has fight scenes in Shibuya, but I saw those scenes more like a festival—a sacred clash of mikoshi floats. I approached it like music for a ritual. These were my personal interpretations; Director Hosoda never really explained the scenes in detail—even if I asked! [laughs]

Because of those personal interpretations, if I were to write the lyrics, they'd be shaped by my perspective on the film. That's why I was so happy to have others write the lyrics for this project.

I gave each vocalist a bit of background, just enough to avoid over-explaining. For example, Saho Terao's "Tanememi" is from the potato harvesting scene, but I originally imagined from the perspective of a mother and child watching a train from "Galaxy Express". When I told her that, it clicked. She wove that image into a song only she could write, blending both the scene and her own story.

With "Marginalia Song", Manami Kakudo and I started with the image of a little boy journeying under the stars. Her lyrics, however, depicted the world before birth. It ends just as life begins. It's a powerful lyric that made me realize, yes, "Mirai" is a story that really exemplifies that too.

Each artist approached this project the same way I did years ago: diving into the film and music, then combining that with their own storytelling. I gave almost no specific directions, yet what they produced were the songs I had always hoped for. It was a wonderful experience.

— After your performances in Osaka (May 17) and Yokohama (May 31), you'll be heading to France for special concerts. You'll have the chance to present your music and Hosoda's world to fans around the globe.

Takagi: When people abroad talk about Hosoda's films, it often feels deeply personal to them. They would say, "I had this experience, so I saw it this way." Instead of just consuming the story, they connect it with their own memories and emotions.

In that sense, I feel this album was also made from that perspective. Watching a scene again brought back personal memories—what I thought or felt in that moment. It was like sharing my own demo tape. In regard to animation, maybe it's like revealing the process of the storyboards as they are being made. Everything I felt while composing the “songs” is in the album. Thanks to the vocalists, those feelings deepened and blossomed into something truly special.

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(Info below)
Studio Chizu Music Journey Vol. 2
Masakatsu Takagi - A Time to Sing
CD Out Now / Vinyl Releasing October 1, 2025
CD: SICL-30070 / 3,300 yen (tax incl.)
*High-quality BSCD2 release
Vinyl;: SIJP-1162 / 4,950 yen (tax incl.)
Featuring Guest Vocalists: Clémentine, Ann Sally, Saho Terao, Manami Kakudo, Hana Hope
Website: https://studiochizu.com/news/5651

【収録曲】
01　Kito Kito with Hana Hope
02　Tanana with Clémentine
03　Tanememi with Saho Terao
04　Cradle of Myriad Stars with Ann Sally
05　Marginalia Song with Manami Kakudo
06　Birthplace of Life with Saho Terao
07　Le garçon et la bête with Clémentine
08　Free the Wind with Ann Sally
09　Mother's Song with Hana Hope
10　Rainy Steps with Saho Terao
11　Cosmos with Clémentine
12　Home after Rain with Ann Sally
13　Shukusai with Manami Kakudo

June 2025: Studio Chizu Music Journey in Paris
As part of Studio Chizu's music project, Masakatsu Takagi will present two special concerts in France.

Scheduled Dates:
① June 12, 2025 (Thu) - 20:00 start
Venue: Centre Culturel Charlie Chaplin (Vaulx-en-Velin, near Lyon, France)
Website: https://www.centrecharliechaplin.com/
Address: Place de la Nation, 69120 Vaulx-en-Velin FRANCE
② June 14, 2025 (Sat) - 15:00 start
Venue: Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris (MCJP, Paris, France)
Website: https://www.mcjp.fr/
Address: 101 bis, quai Jacques Chirac, 75015 Paris FRANCE
Performance Info:
Japanese: https://www.mcjp.fr/ja/la-mcjp/actualites/studio-chizu-ja
French: https://www.mcjp.fr/fr/la-mcjp/actualites/studio-chizu

KADOKAWA Group