Aiko Fukushima is the composer of new animated action series Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles — premiering tomorrow, Thursday April 28th on Netflix. The show is adapted from the “Usagi Yojimbo” comic book by Stan Sakai and follows a 16-year-old rabbit on his quest to become a true samurai… making some new friends and taking-on some enemies in the process. There are many layers to Fukushima’s score for the series, as she discusses in this Animation Scoop Q&A. (This interview was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: Yuichi Usagi turns 16 years old at the beginning of the show. When you were 16 years old, were you into music, samurai action or a little bit of both?

Aiko Fukushima: (laughs) Maybe a little bit of both. Maybe not samurai action that much [though]. (laughs) More music.

JM: What were the kinds of music you were listening to at 16 years old?

AF: Pop. Rock. Whatever came around. I was in Japan and I was more into U.S. pop than J-pop. I thought that J-pop was not cool and I was too cool to be listening to J-pop.

JM: And are there animated movie or TV series scores that have really inspired you throughout your life and career?

AF: Yeah, mostly films. Mostly dramas. Of course Hayao Miyazaki animations. That’s a very big influence for all Japanese people and Japanese kids. And the music particularly from his movies. Very nice and very well composed. Beautiful music by Joe Hisaishi.

JM: I love The Wind Rises. And I was in L.A. recently and visited The Academy Museum and saw the Hayao Miyazaki exhibit, which is incredible. Have you been to it yet?

AF: I really want to but I have been really busy with Samurai Rabbit and I couldn’t leave my house, basically, for the last eight months or so. (laughs) I’m really looking forward to going to that.

JM: I hope you really like it. And yes, now that the show is out this week you can get over to The Academy Museum to see it!

AF: (laughs)

JM: When you approach this show with the 10 episodes, is it really one at a time, or are you doing a little bit for every episode simultaneously?

AF: It’s very important to have the arc of each episode. We were working on each episode one by one.

JM: I was thinking — since this is based on a comic book — if you read a comic book and you’re seeing these action sequences take place, maybe you’re imagining the music in your head. You’re creating your own music in your head. Has that been something you experienced?

AF: I think about it — when I read a book, not just a comic book. I think about music and situations.

JM: And there are some cool hand-drawn sequences in this. Did you want to approach those moments differently compared to everything else on the show?

AF: Yes, the hand-drawn part was one of the coolest. 3D animation is beautiful [too]. And the hand-drawn is drawn with brushstrokes — almost like calligraphy. Like old Japanese paintings. We wanted to do a little bit more of a traditional side for that part.

Aiko Fukushima

JM: You see what Usagi wants to do and who he wants to fight and there’s a different impact when it comes to those. How do you determine when a moment needs music and when a moment doesn’t? I think about some of the more emotional scenes, especially in the first episode?

AF: Technically, if there’s a lot of conversation going on, then music shouldn’t be there. The conversation can just carry the scene. We’ll do very minimal music. Or if we need something to fill out the atmosphere, I will put in music.

JM: There are some lovely moments, especially in that first episode, with the “saying goodbye” aspect. And you have a real hip-hop element to the music. I found that especially in the beginning of episode three (“Possessions”). What’s the trial and error process like when getting that hip-hop element just right?

AF: That was really difficult because hip-hop is usually slow, but we needed to do the action scene and the producers wanted hip-hop. That was hard to combine. And also I was combining with the Japanese traditional instruments on top of hip-hop. That was challenging and also a fun experience.

JM: I heard the section and I thought, “It’s not traditional but it works! It really works!”

AF: (laughs) That was fun.

JM: And you also do the theme [main title] music for the show. Did you come-up with that first or save it for a little down the line in the process?

AF: I had to do it in the very beginning. They had it in their minds that we have to have the theme music. I came-up with it pretty quickly. [In each episode] We have some kind of music and some kind of story before the main title comes in.

JM: Right.

AF: So we had to have the main title so it would make sense. This is my first time doing a series. I have done movies and that’s a little bit different.

JM: Your foray into television! What were the surprises you experienced as you worked on a TV series for the first time?

AF: When you’re writing for a movie it’s a little bit different. This show… there are so many different characters. There are five main characters and four sub-characters. They will come into a scene and the different stories all the time. I had to come-up with all the themes for each character. And also, different situations: when they go into this world, it’s this theme or when they go to this place, this is the theme. I had to come-up with those themes, which was really fun to do. I wanted it to be, “When you hear this music you are here — or this character is in this scene” so you get the sense of the connected, overall arc.

JM: Connecting each character and location… I think that’s really valuable for children, especially, to connect with the characters and the situations.

AF: That is true.

JM: How do you hope that your music, especially with this show, inspires children to get into music and the arts?

AF: That’s interesting. I think this whole series is very good for kids to watch because it’s not violent. They will go for the fight and do the action scene. It’s serious, but there’s not any blood. It’s almost nonviolent. They’re doing it for the quest and the good cause. And friendship is the big center of the story of the series. I really like that they can get that from doing it together or if you’re focused and you can conquer anything. I really like that. And also artistically it’s really beautiful and I hope [kids] will like the music and learn a little bit of Japanese traditional culture and instruments. I use a bunch of them. And I feel honored that I can represent my culture and also music.

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Jackson Murphy

Jackson Murphy is a movie critic and entertainment columnist. He is the creator of the website Lights-Camera-Jackson.com, and has made numerous appearances on television and radio.

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