Naoki Sato

Sato Naoki

  • Name: Sato Naoki
  • Native name: 佐藤直紀
  • Also Known as: Satou Naoki, さとう なおき
  • Nationality: Japanese
  • Gender: Male
  • Born: May 2, 1970
  • Age: 55
Sato Naoki is a Japanese composer. He rose to prominence in the 2000s, primarily through his work in anime, video games, before breaking into films ca. 2004. His style has a distinctly Western flair while retaining classic Japanese sensibilities. Sato excels at composing brash, bold action music, but he is notable for his softer, entirely string driven themes as well. His early film works had a marked “video game” feel, but his style has matured in the 10+ years he’s been active in the industry. He found early success collaborating with director Takashi Yamazaki on the hit film Always (2005), earning a Japanese Academy Award for his efforts. He would be nominated for another for Yamazaki’s The Eternal Zero (2013).

Sato educated himself in various genres of music while studying at Tokyo College of Music. While his film work tends to be firmly rooted in the orchestra, he’s not above injecting rock, hip hop, or ethnic styles into his compositions. He is well known for composing the music for the anime X (the “Destiny” cue in particular is a favorite of the AMV crowd). He’s also worked on We Are Pretty Cure, Eureka Seven, Assassination Classroom and Heroic Age. He worked with vocalist Lisa Gerrard (of Gladiator fame) on the main theme for the wildly popular Ryomaden television series. He also scored a number of documentaries broadcast on NHK.

Aside from Yamazaki, who he has worked with since Always, Sato has also collaborated with Shinji Higuchi (Lorelei, Hidden Fortress: The Last Princess), Eiichiro Hasumi (Umizaru, Assassination Classroom), and Keishi Otomo (Ryomaden, Rurouni Kenshin).

(Source: Godzilla Cineaste) Edit Biography
Composer
Year Title Type Rating
2025 Black Showman
Movie
0.0
2024 6 Lying University Students
Movie
7.3
2024 The Diamond Sleeping in the Sea
Drama
8.3
2024 Blue Moment
Drama
7.6
2024 Onmyoji 0
Movie
7.4
2024 Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color
Movie
8.3
2023 Godzilla Minus One
Movie
8.5
2023 One Day: Seiya no kara Sawagi
Drama
7.5
2023 Natsuzora Dance
Movie
0.0
2023 Kazama Kimichika: Kyojo Zero
Drama
7.6
2023 Yudo
Movie
7.8
2023 The Legend & Butterfly
Movie
7.5
2022 Ghost Book
Movie
7.4
2021 Masquerade Night
Movie
7.4
2021 Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning
Movie
8.6
2021 Rurouni Kenshin: The Final
Movie
8.6
2021 Seiten wo Tsuke
Drama
7.9
2021 Re: Na mo Naki Sekai no End Roll: Half a Year Later
Drama
7.3
2021 The Master Plan
Movie
7.9
2020 The Voice of Sin
Movie
7.6
2019 The Great War of Archimedes
Movie
7.6
2019 Mistress - Onnatachi no Himitsu
Drama
7.1
2019 Mikazuki
Drama
7.6
2019 Masquerade Hotel
Movie
7.6
2018 Pandora IV: AI War
Drama
7.0
2018 We Love
Movie
6.5
2018 Million Dollar Man
Movie
7.3
2018 Code Blue: The Movie
Movie
8.2
2018 Code Blue: Another Everyday
Drama
7.4
2018 Over Drive
Movie
7.5
2017 Destiny: Kamakura Monogatari
Movie
7.6
2017 Seirei no Moribito Season 3
Drama
7.8
2017 Code Blue Season 3
Drama
8.4
2017 Seirei no Moribito Season 2
Drama
7.8
2017 A Life
Drama
7.6
2017 Honnoji Hotel
Movie
7.4
2016 A Man Called Pirate
Movie
7.3
2016 The Top Secret: Murder in Mind
Movie
7.2
2016 Shizumanu Taiyo
Drama
7.8
2016 Assassination Classroom: Graduation
Movie
7.8
2016 Seirei no Moribito
Drama
7.8
2015 Persona Non Grata
Movie
7.1
2015 Parasyte: Part 2
Movie
7.7
2015 Assassination Classroom
Movie
7.7
2014 Parasyte: Part 1
Movie
7.7
2014 Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends
Movie
8.7
2014 Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno
Movie
8.7
2014 A Bolt from the Blue
Movie
7.0
2014 Vision of Life
Movie
0.0
2014 KANO
Movie
7.9
2013 The Eternal Zero
Movie
8.1
2013 Emergency Room 24 Hours Season 5
Drama
7.6
2013 Onna to Otoko no Nettai
Drama
6.1
2012 Priceless
Drama
7.8
2012 Until the Break of Dawn
Movie
7.5
2012 Rurouni Kenshin
Movie
8.6
2012 Umizaru 4: Brave Hearts
Movie
7.9
2012 Always: Sunset on Third Street 3
Movie
7.7
2012 Unmei no Hito
Drama
7.7
2011 Carnation
Drama
7.8
2011 Pandora Season 3: Kakumei Zenya
Drama
7.6
2011 Dog x Police: The K-9 Force
Movie
7.4
2011 Shojotachi no Rashinban
Movie
7.0
2011 Peak: The Rescuers
Movie
7.5
2011 CO Ishoku Coordinator
Drama
7.6
2010 Space Battleship Yamato
Movie
7.1
2010 Umizaru 3: The Last Message
Movie
7.6
2010 Pandora Season 2: Kiga Retto
Drama
7.3
2010 Team Batista Season 2: General Rouge no Gaisen
Drama
7.5
2010 Code Blue Season 2
Drama
8.3
2010 RYOMADEN
Drama
7.9
2009 Ballad
Movie
7.0
2009 Guardian Angel
Movie
6.0
2009 Hagetaka
Movie
8.0
2009 Oppai Volleyball
Movie
6.8
2009 Kagero no Tsuji 3
Drama
6.0
2009 Soratobu Taiya
Drama
7.7
2009 The Triumphant Return of General Rouge
Movie
7.6
2008 K-20: Legend of the Mask
Movie
7.1
2008 Team Batista no Eiko
Drama
7.3
2008 Kagero no Tsuji 2
Drama
6.0
2008 Code Blue
Drama
8.0
2008 The Last Princess
Movie
6.8
2008 Pandora
Drama
6.9
2008 Gachi Boy
Movie
6.6
2008 The Glorious Team Batista
Movie
7.1
2008 Silver Season
Movie
7.1
2007 Little DJ
Movie
7.7
2007 Always: Sunset on Third Street 2
Movie
7.8
2007 Kagero no Tsuji
Drama
6.0
2007 Kisaragi
Movie
7.4
2007 For Those We Love
Movie
7.0
2007 Jodan ja nai!
Drama
6.7
2007 Hagetaka
Drama
7.5
2007 Konshu Tsuma ga Uwaki Shimasu
Drama
6.5
2007 Kuro-obi
Movie
7.0
2006 The Letters
Movie
7.5
2006 Umizaru 2: Limit of Love
Movie
7.7
2006 Top Caster
Drama
7.4
2006 Simsons
Movie
0.0
2005 Always: Sunset on Third Street
Movie
7.8
2005 Umizaru Evolution
Drama
7.6
2005 The All-Out Nine: Field of Nightmares
Movie
6.1
2005 Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean
Movie
6.3
2005 H2: Kimi to Ita Hibi
Drama
7.4
2004 Water Boys 2
Drama
7.2
2004 Umizaru
Movie
7.5
2004 Orange Days
Drama
8.2
2004 Fire Boys
Drama
7.4
2003 Manhattan Love Story
Drama
7.6
2003 Water Boys
Drama
7.2
2003 Kao
Drama
7.0
2003 Good Luck!!
Drama
8.0
1993 Seizaemon Zanji Tsuroku
Drama
0.0
Composer
Year Title Type Rating
2023 Kazama Kimichika: Kyojo Zero Tokubetsuhen
Special
7.5
2021 Kyojo 2
Special
7.7
2020 Kyojo
Special
7.9
2019 Isonoke no Hitobito - 20 nengo no Sazae-san
Special
7.2
2018 Code Blue Mou Hitotsu no Senjou
Special
7.6
2014 Pandora - Eien no Inochi
Special
7.0
2014 Sakura Housara
Special
7.0
2013 Aji Ichimonme: 2013 Special
Special
7.0
2011 Aji Ichimonme: 2011 Special
Special
6.0
2010 Kagero no Tsuji Special: Mother of the Sea
Special
0.0
2009 Kagero no Tsuji New Year Special "Dream Passage"
Special
0.0
2007 Barefoot Gen
Special
7.5
2005 Water Boys Finale
Special
7.0
2004 Renai Shousetsu
Special
8.2
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Sato Naoki

Naoki Sato
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Details

  • First Name: Naoki
  • Family Name: Sato
  • Native name: 佐藤直紀
  • Also Known as: Satou Naoki, さとう なおき
  • Nationality: Japanese
  • Gender: Male
  • Born: May 2, 1970
  • Age: 55

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