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Songs From Evangelion, Other Anime Win JASRAC Awards
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC) announced on Tuesday that it has given the first-place award in the latest JASRAC Awards to "Zankoku na Tenshi no Teeze" ("Thesis of a Cruel Angel"), the opening theme for the 1995-1996 Neon Genesis Evangelion television anime series. The song was sung by Yoko Takahashi, with lyrics by Neko Oikawa and composition by Hidetoshi Sato.
The song earned the gold prize for its continued royalties from online sales, pachinko and pachislo (pachinko parlor slot machine) games, karaoke, and other venues in 2010 — 15 years after its debut. The song garnered renewed popularity with Hideaki Anno and Khara's ongoing four-film remake of Gainax's television series.
JASRAC also handed out an International Award for the music that earned the most money overseas last year. Nine of the top 10 Japanese musical pieces in overseas royalties came from anime:
- 1st place - Composer Kenichi Kamio for the theme song to Barbapapa
- 2nd place - Composer Shunsuke Kikuchi for the background music for Dragon Ball Z
- 3rd place - Composer Fumio Sebata for the background music for Kamen Rider Ryuki
- 4th place - Composer Kuniaki Haishima for the background music for Monster
- 5th place - Composer Shinji Miyazaki for the background music for Pokémon
- 6th place - Composer Toshio Masuda for the background music for Naruto
- 7th place - Composer Shigeto Mori for the background music for Anne of Green Gables
- 8th place - Composer Shunsuke Kikuchi for the background music for Doraemon
- 9th place - Composer Taku Iwasaki for the background music for Oban Star-Racers
- 10th place - Composer Seiji Yokoyama for the background music for Saint Seiya
Sources: Anime Anime Japan, 47News, Jiji.com
Image © Gainax/Project Eva., TV Tokyo
