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Resident Evil composer admits he is not fully deaf, Capcom "truly surprised"

"Japanese Beethoven" Mamoru Samuragochi's recent revelations came as a shock to Capcom, but publisher won't take any action because the soundtracks aren't available anymore.

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Capcom was "truly surprised" to learn that Resident Evil and Onimusha composer Mamoru Samuragochi, the once beloved composer known as the "Japanese Beethoven," is not completely deaf and even paid someone else to write his music for the past decade.

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Earlier this week, Samuragochi admitted that his hearing had improved in recent years to such a point where he could discern words if a person spoke directly into his ear. In a statement to Eurogamer, Capcom brushed aside any notion that the publisher was aware of this and said it does not plan to take legal action.

"We at Capcom were truly surprised by Samuragochi's recent admission," a Capcom representative said. "However, as both soundtracks involved are no longer in circulation, we have no plans to take action of any kind."

Samuragochi we now know was fraudulently credited with composing the beloved "Hiroshima Symphony," which commemorated the lives lost in the atomic explosion. He is known to gamers for his work (but really the work of Takashi Niigaki) on the Resident Evil: Director's Cut and Onimusha Warlords games.

Niigaki explained recently that Samuragochi threatened to take his own life if Niigaki exposed him for what he was. However, he decided to come forward because one of the ghostwritten pieces will be used by a Japanese figure skater during the Sochi Winter Olympics and Niigaki did not want to involve the skater in the deception.

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