Michiru Yamane (Sept. 23, 1963) is an independent videogame musician most distinguished and lauded for her work in the Castlevania series. Her compositional career began in 1989, but it was not until 1997, with the release of Symphony of the Night, that she made a name for herself. Yamane's popularity has arisen out of her ability to establish distinct melodies with clear, classical- and/or rock-inspired harmonic progressions. Her explorations into less consonant territory, usually reserved for games' chaotically-oriented zones, however, are often met with tepid attention.