Isao Tomita and His Collaborations with Osamu Tezuka: Music’s Versatility Between Crosscultural Epigonism and Ultimate Mastery

Born in 1932, Isao Tomita is regarded as one of the most important composers of recent decades: unanimously categorised as one of the pioneers of electronic and synthesizer music, he contributed to the universal cultural heritage with musical compositions in a wide spectrum of stylistic orientations, from symphonic scores in classical European orchestral constructions through intimate concatenations of Japanese traditional chamber ensembles to so-called “space music”, in resonance with the quests and questions of late-modern intellectuals. This chapter delves into Tomita’s musical compositions for animation works directed by Osamu Tezuka, the equally celebrated “father” of Japanese manga and anime productions as they have come to be acknowledged globally.