Kow Otani (大谷幸, Ōtani Kō, born May 1, 1957) is a prolific Japanese composer… Read Full Bio ↴Kow Otani (大谷幸, Ōtani Kō, born May 1, 1957) is a prolific Japanese composer, arranger and pianist from Tokyo.
He's known for the music behind several anime (like Gundam Wing, Haibane Renmei, Eyeshield21 and Shakugan no Shana), several japanese movies (for example 咬みつきたい, Gamera and Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah) and some video games (like Shadow of the Colossus, Sky Odyssey and Philosoma).

Soon after graduating from university he became one of the founding members of IMAGINE (currently known as IMAGIN), a company dedicated to producing high-end music for anime and anime-related video games.

Otani's first appearance as music producer would be as composer for the anime シティーハンター. Soon after he'd be composing the music for several anime like Spy Games (1988), The Ultimate Teacher (1988), The Yadamura Waltz (1988), Future GPX Cyber Formula (1991) and You're Under Arrest (1994). In 1995 he composed the music that would make his name more known internationally with the music composition for Gundam Wing and 2 years later for Gundam Wing Endless Waltz.

Several successful and lesser-successful anime would follow after that, among which Eyeshield 21, Outlaw Star, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, aBe's Haibane Renmei and Shakugan no Shana.

But he wasn't only famous for his work on anime. In 1991 he composed the music for the movie 就職戦線異状なし about several students trying to find a job at the end of the 80s when japanese companies tried to hire only the best. Three more movies would follow untill he started to work on the music for the 9th Gamera movie, Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, in 1994(released 1995). Several other movies came soon after that among which 2 more Gamera movies in 1996 and 1999. Currently The iDol is the last movie for which he composed music.

He has also composed music for a few video games, most notably Shadow of the Colossus (Roar of the Earth), the PlayStation 2 flight simulator Sky Odyssey, and the PlayStation shooter Philosoma.
Roar of the Earth won the "Soundtrack of the Year" award in the United States-based video game magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly.

Kow Otani has also been involved in the education and advicing-role for several younger japanese composers among which 宮崎慎二 (Crayon Shin-Chan, Pokemon) and 浜口史郎 (Final Fantasy XI, Rosario + Vampire). Most of which happened relating to producing studio IMAGIN.

During the summer of 2010 Bandai Visual announced Otani will be producing the music for the latest .hack// anime: .hack//Quantum, which is scheduled to be released in november 2010.

Wondering
大谷幸 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Wondering if I am lost now
But finding my way back home and
Wondering if love is with me
And guiding my destiny

Wondering if we are true friends
That distance cannot destroy and
Wondering if you are lonely

While waiting for my return

Come, be one with me
Let us follow the path of light
Mystery seeks to be understood
Someday we'll find truth

Wondering just who I might be
Who I was and will become and
Wondering if I can move on
Move into the world above

Come, be one with me
Let us follow the path of light
Mystery seeks to be understood
Someday we'll find truth

Wondering if I am lost now
But finding my way back home and
Wondering if love is with me
And guiding my destiny

Wondering just who I might be
Who I was and will become and

Wondering if I can move on
Move into the world above

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Wondering" by 大谷幸 are about introspection and seeking answers to important questions about life, love, and purpose. The singer is wondering whether they are lost or on the right track, and whether love and friendship are guiding their journey. They ask for unity and clarity, and express a desire to understand the mysteries of the universe.

The first verse is about finding one's way back home and wondering if love is present in one's life. The second verse is about friendship and questioning whether distance can truly break bonds. The chorus invites the listener to follow the path of light and to seek understanding of the mysteries of the universe. The last verse is about self-discovery and personal growth, with the singer wondering who they are now and who they will become.

The song has a positive and hopeful message, encouraging listeners to keep searching for answers and to believe that truth will be found someday. The repetitive structure of the song and the simple melody create a sense of comfort and familiarity, adding to the song's message of finding one's way back home.

Line by Line Meaning

Wondering if I am lost now
Questioning whether or not I am lost at this moment

But finding my way back home and
Despite that questioning, I am discovering my way back to safety

Wondering if love is with me
Contemplating whether love is present with me or not

And guiding my destiny
And influencing the-future-I'm-going-to-have

Wondering if we are true friends
Asking if our relationship is real friendship or not

That distance cannot destroy and
A friendship so strong that even distance can't break it apart

Wondering if you are lonely
Thinking about the possibility of your feeling lonely

While waiting for my return
While you wait for me to come back to you

Come, be one with me
Join me, become one with me

Let us follow the path of light
Let us pursue the light, the right direction or choices

Mystery seeks to be understood
The unknown things we're looking for clarity

Someday we'll find truth
One day, we will finally find the true answers

Wondering just who I might be
Reflecting on my true identity

Who I was and will become and
Looking back on who I was and looking forward to who I will be

Wondering if I can move on
Questioning myself whether it's time to move forward

Move into the world above
Transition to a state of higher quality