# Masafumi Takada

Masafumi Takada (高田 雅史, Takada Masafumi, born August 2, 1970) is a Japanese composer and sound designer, best known for his work on the soundtracks for killer7, God Hand, No More Heroes, and the Earth Defense Force and Danganronpa series. Takada has worked on multiple projects for Goichi Suda's studio Grasshopper Manufacture and co-founded Too Kyo Games in 2017.

## Career

Takada was born in Inuyama, Aichi, Japan, and took interest in music since childhood after playing the Electone at Yamaha Music School and experimenting with synthesizers. He learned to play the piano and tuba in high school and studied music in Tokyo for six years, earning a degree. He entered the game industry around the end of the Super Famicom, which he felt was a good time as game console sound chips were becoming more advanced. In 1997, Takada composed the soundtrack of Moonlight Syndrome, directed by Goichi Suda. Takada would compose music for multiple projects by Grasshopper Manufacture, which Suda founded after leaving Human Entertainment. For killer7, Takada placed a large emphasis on ambient music and sought to retell the game's story through the music. He considers the game's soundtrack to be among his favorite work. For No More Heroes, Takada took inspiration from The Chemical Brothers for the boss music.
On November 5, 2008, Takada founded Sound Prestige, a music and sound production company. The company also functions as a record label where Takada publishes his own music. Takada composed the soundtrack of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc which released in 2010. For the soundtrack, Takada combined a variety of tones to convey tension and claustrophobia during exploration, and a sense of momentum during trials. Takada returned to compose the soundtrack of the sequel, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, in 2012, which sought to convey a tropical feel due to the change in setting. Takada composed for Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony in 2017, aiming for a more mature composition which ended up being more jazz-oriented. The soundtrack for V3 was much larger than the previous titles, and was split into two album releases.
In 2017, Takada co-founded the video game development studio Too Kyo Games, alongside former members of Spike Chunsoft. With the company, he composed for Death Come True (2020), Master Detective Archives: Rain Code (2023), and The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy (2025).

## Works

All works listed below were composed by Takada unless otherwise noted.

### Video games

| Year | Title | Notes |
| 1996 | Tsuribaka Nisshi | |
| 1996 | Ranma ½: Battle Renaissance | |
| 1996 | Parking Meijin | |
| 1997 | 2Tax Gold | |
| 1997 | Moonlight Syndrome | |
| 1998 | Air Boarder 64 | |
| 1998 | Mikagura Shōjo Tanteidan | |
| 1998 | Mizzurna Falls | piano arrangements |
| 1999 | Neko Zamurai | |
| 1999 | Remote Control Dandy | |
| 1999 | The Silver Case | |
| 2001 | Flower, Sun, and Rain | |
| 2002 | Robot Alchemic Drive | |
| 2003 | Monster Attack | |
| 2003 | Shining Soul II | |
| 2003 | Shin Mikagura Shōjo Tanteidan | |
| 2004 | Steel Battalion: Line of Contact | |
| 2004 | Tetsujin 28-go | |
| 2004 | Michigan: Report from Hell | |
| 2005 | killer7 | |
| 2005 | Global Defence Force | |
| 2005 | The 25th Ward: The Silver Case | |
| 2006 | Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked | |
| 2006 | Contact | |
| 2006 | Blood+: One Night Kiss | with Jun Fukuda and Shinya Tanaka |
| 2006 | Chōsōjū Mecha MG | |
| 2006 | God Hand | |
| 2006 | Beatmania IIDX 12: Happy Sky | "IceCube Pf.(RX-Ver.S.P.L.)" |
| 2006 | Earth Defense Force 2017 | |
| 2007 | Beatmania IIDX 13: Distorted | "WaterCube Pf.(RX-Ver.S.P.L.)" |
| 2007 | Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles | with Jun Fukuda |
| 2007 | No More Heroes | |
| 2008 | Super Smash Bros. Brawl | arrangements |
| 2008 | Flower, Sun, and Rain: Murder and Mystery in Paradise | |
| 2008 | Beatmania IIDX 14: Gold | "PentaCube Gt.(RX-Ver.S.P.L.)" |
| 2008 | Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse | |
| 2009 | Infinite Space | |
| 2009 | Beatmania IIDX 16: Empress | "ToyCube Pf.(RX-Ver.S.P.L.)" |
| 2010 | Zangeki no Reginleiv | |
| 2010 | Vanquish | |
| 2010 | Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc | |
| 2012 | Kid Icarus: Uprising | with various others |
| 2012 | Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair | |
| 2013 | Earth Defense Force 2025 | |
| 2014 | Guardian Summoner | |
| 2014 | Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U | arrangements |
| 2014 | Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls | |
| 2014 | The Evil Within | |
| 2015 | 100 Sleeping Princes and the Kingdom of Dreams | |
| 2015 | Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth | |
| 2015 | Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair | with Jun Fukuda |
| 2015 | World Gimmick | |
| 2016 | Crypt of the NecroDancer | Danganronpa arrangements |
| 2016 | Wagyan Shiritori de Shoubu da! | |
| 2016 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan | with Naofumi Harada |
| 2016 | Beatmania IIDX 24: Sinobuz | "Yellow Sketch(RX-Ver.S.P.L.)" |
| 2017 | Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony | |
| 2017 | Hana Oboro: Sengoku-den Ranki | |
| 2017 | Earth Defense Force 5 | with Jun Fukuda |
| 2017 | Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker's Memory | |
| 2018 | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | arrangements |
| 2019 | Renshin Astral | Cairo battle themes |
| 2020 | Death Come True | |
| 2022 | Earth Defense Force 6 | with Jun Fukuda |
| 2023 | Master Detective Archives: Rain Code | |
| 2025 | Tribe Nine | |
| 2025 | The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy | |

### Anime

| Year | Title |
| 2013 | Danganronpa: The Animation |
| 2016 | Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School |
| 2018 | 100 Sleeping Princes and the Kingdom of Dreams |
| 2019 | Days of Urashimasakatasen |
| 2022 | Tribe Nine |