Gunhed music and video
Soundtrack CD, July 1989
I collect anime and film soundtracks by the ton, but very few get spun as often as this one. It’s like another main character in the movie, so pitch-perfect that if the world of Gunhed was a musical instrument, this is the sound it would make. Composer/saxophonist Toshiyuki Honda has an extensive and award-winning career in both studio music and film scores, but even there Gunhed is exceptional. Nowhere else did he apply the same fusion of synth, horns, and tuned percussion. No matter how many times I’ve listened to it, some moments still make me feel like my chair has suddenly transformed into a rocket.
The only other Honda score that sounds remotely similar to Gunhed was an earlier one for A Taxing Woman, which earned him a Japanese Academy Award. Listen to a sample here.
Listen to the album on Youtube (without songs)
Partial track-by-track playlist
More Toshiyuki Honda music on Youtube
Wikipedia page on Toshiyuki Honda
CD booklet
Home Video Releases
Toho VHS, 1989
Toho Laserdisc, 1989
ADV Films DVD, November 2004
(Opposite side of the sleeve)
ADV Films insert
Toho DVD, February 2007
Toho Blu-ray, June 2022
Disc 1 features the theatrical cut and promos. Disc 2 features the TV edition with making-of extras
(Opposite side of the sleeve)