HIRAIDAI releases lyric video for ‘HONEY&MOON’, from his latest EP!

‘SURF & TURF’ Digial Jacket cover

Popular Singer-songwriter HIRAIDAI has released a lyric video for his song ‘HONEY&MOON’, which was published on August 30 as a YouTube Premiere release. The song is featured on ‘SURF & TURF (Deluxe Edition)’, which was released on August 27 as an expanded version of his ‘SURF & TURF’ EP, originally released digitally on June 25. 

Perfect for summer, the song is filled with romance, sung by HIRAIDAI over a lovers’ rock-style reggae band sound. The song was performed during a special concert for 6,000 attendees at Enoshima Higashihama Beach in Japan on August 28, receiving a red-hot reaction from fans.

The lyric video is perfectly suited to a song about the moon. This mellow video shows the cute silhouette of a rabbit against a lunar background that gradually changes from pink to orange. The video is out now, so check it out!

The EP ‘SURF & TURF (Deluxe Edition)’ is a special package that includes five songs from the ‘SURF & TURF’ EP, which was originally produced in conjunction with HIRAIDAI’s own music festival titled HIRAIDAI presents THE BEACH TRIP 2023. In addition to the five songs from the original EP, it also features two new songs (‘HONEY&MOON’ and ‘Jinsei Note’), along with live recordings of five songs performed at the THE BEACH TRIP 2023 at ZOZO Marine Stadium, which drew some 30,000 fans.

A playlist that collect HIRAIDAI’s must-hear summer songs has also been released on various streaming platforms – a perfect soundtrack for the last days of summer which can be located here!

HIRAIDAI「SURF & TURF」

01. HONEY&MOON

02. Jinsei Note

03. Lovely Day, Lovely Place.

04. Wonderful Life

05. Surf ’n Turf

06. Kakegae no nai Mono

07. Endless Summer

08. Lovely Day, Lovely Place. (live at THE BEACH TRIP 2023)

09. Wonderful Life (live at THE BEACH TRIP 2023)

10. Surf ’n Turf (live at THE BEACH TRIP 2023)

11. Kakegae no nai Mono (live at THE BEACH TRIP 2023)

12. Endless Summer (live at THE BEACH TRIP 2023)

BACK-ON Trigger Big Reaction with KAMEN RIDER GOTCHARD Opening Theme ‘CHEMY×STORY’

‘CHEMY×STORY’ Digial Jacket Cover

Pop-rockers BACK-ON prove once again they are ones to keep an ion as new single ‘CHEMY×STORY’ (pronounced like ‘Chemistry’) causes a big reaction in Japan.

When news broke that ‘CHEMY×STORY’ would feature as the official opening theme to KAMEN RIDER GOTCHARD, the latest series of Japan’s pop-culture phenomenon KAMEN RIDER, the hashtag #BACKONtrended across their home country as fans took to social media to share the big announcement. The band also became the number one trending topic on Yahoo! News, and a tweet about the track from KAMEN RIDER’s music manager received almost one million views. The TV cut of the track is available to download and stream this week, as KAMEN RIDER GOTCHARD’s first episode airs.

BACK-ON are no strangers to catchy opening theme songs. In a career spanning nearly two decades, they’ve handled songs for some of Japan’s most loved anime franchises, including GUNDAM, Initial D and Fairy Tail. It’s no surprise that music and TV lovers alike are making a big deal about BACK-ON making the leap from the world of anime into the explosive realms of Japanese live-action superhero TV shows (tokusatsu), not least because of the amount of effort and energy they put into each song, making sure the music and lyrics hit the mark with the core audience of each show, while also keeping BACK-ON’s distinctive sound and style.

Previously BACK-ON’s high-energy single ‘Chair’ secured the pair’s debut to the KAMEN RIDER universe when it featured as an insert song in last season’s KAMEN RIDER GEATS. ‘Chair’’s lyrics, composition and cover art all referencing parts of the show. New single ‘CHEMY×STORY’ follows suit by including elements of KAMEN RIDER GOTCHARD within the release, from the series protagonist featuring on the single’s cover art, to his catchphrase “Gotcha!” appearing within the lyrics, plus clever wordplay that incorporates themes from the story within the lyrics. The song title ‘CHEMY×STORY’ itself being a play on words, sounding like the English word ‘chemistry’ while referencing the KAMEN RIDER GOTCHARD’s plot, a “STORY” which revolves around the “CHEMY”, an artificial lifeform that has been unleashed and must be recaptured. Perhaps this word play goes much deeper than it first seems? Fans will have to watch the series to see if the mystery is revealed.

KENJI03, BACK-ON’s guitarist and writer for the track comments, “We finally got to do a theme song for KAMEN RIDER!”. Bandmate and rapper TEEDA adds, “I’m honoured to sing the theme song of KAMEN RIDER, which I have loved since I was a child. We hope you like it and we’re looking forward to play ‘CHEMY×STORY’ in front of you guys soon!”

‘CHEMY×STORY’ by BACK-ON is available to download and stream now!

BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE Are Set to Capture the Hearts of Fans with GULF KANAWUT from Thailand With Latest Single ‘All I Ever Wanted’

Popular supergroup BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE are back and ready to capture the hearts of their fans all around the world with their latest single, ‘All I Ever Wanted’. A collaborative effort between both the group and Thai affluential actor and artist, GULF KANAWUT, the single is available today on all major digital streaming platforms.

This brand new infectious single, ‘All I Ever Wanted’ revolves around BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE’s heartfelt and deepest appreciation for their fans. With the belief that their ultimate goal would not hold any meaning if they did not have the constant support of their fans, the group compares it to love from a loved one, emphasizing the importance of companionship and support in achieving dreams.

The music video for the song perfectly complements its message. Building on the theme of their previous release and music video, ‘Drop Dead’, ‘All I Ever Wanted’ delves into a "Post-Apocalyptic" world that has partially recovered from destruction. In this world, BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE portray their fun and playful side, showcasing that they can find joy even in challenging circumstances as long as they are together as a tight-knit group. GULF KANAWUT plays the role of a survivor in this post-apocalyptic world, serving as a symbol of hope and perseverance, much like BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE themselves. The video echoes the song's essence, conveying the idea that true happiness lies in the company of loved ones, regardless of any situation. Additionally, the collaboration between the group and GULF KANAWUT further strengthens the connection between the song’s theme and the visual representation, making the overall experience more meaningful for viewers. 

Be sure to check out the music video for “All I Ever Wanted’ below along with the streaming link here!

New Visual For The Second Season Of ‘Kizuna no Allele’

Kizuna no Alella Key visual

©KA/絆のアリルPJ ©絆のアリル製作委員会

The second season of Kizuna no Alelle is just around the corner with it scheduled to finally begin airing on October 4th. A fresh new visual for the anime shows BRT5, VICONIC and, 3DM8 who will all appear in the series and interact with one another. On October 1st Animax will be doing a marathon of the entire first season.

The broadcast schedule for season 2 is as follows.

TV Tokyo – Midnight on Wednesday, October 4th

TV Osaka – 1:35 A.M. on Wednesday, October 4th

TV Aichi - 2.05 A.M. on Wednesday, October 4th

Animax – 9:30 A.M. on Sunday, October 14th

And here is a list of the sites that will be streaming the new season.

Bandai Channel, ABEMA, d-anime store, DMM TV, FOD, Hulu, J:COM On Demand MEGA Pack, Prime Video, TELASA, Milplus, U-NEXT, Anime Hōdai, Flat Douga, Google Play, HAPPY! Douga, Animax on Demand

The 3rd Main Graphic Has Been Unveiled!

Feast your eyes on this new main graphic featuring all 15 girls in a mix of stage clothes
and their own personal outfits.
The graphic is captioned, ‘I’m Going All In, to Become the Me I Want to Be’.
The greatest ideal is striving for, and becoming, who you want to be, free from the influence of the real world. This tale is interwoven with the individual thoughts and wishes of these 15 girls.

Information about “Kizuna no Allele”
The title: Kizuna no Allele

Broadcasting: On air from October 2023.
TV Tokyo – Midnight on Wednesday October 4th
TV Osaka – 1:35 A.M. on Wednesday October 4th
TV Aichi - 2.05 A.M. on Wednesday October 4th
Animax – 9:30 A.M. on Sunday October 14th

Streaming services below will also be available sequentially from October. 

The official HP of the TV Anime: kizunanoallele.com
The official Twitter: kizunanoallele

Cast

“PathTLive”
Miracle: AYUMI HINOHARA
Quan: RINA KAWAGUCHI
Chris: HIKARI KODAMA
Noelle: YUKA NUKUI
Riz: ARISA HANAWA

“BRT5”
Niska: YUURI MATSUOKA
Jessie: RANDHI
Ellie: HARUKA YOSHIKI
Sarah: HINA NATSUME
Halle: HINAKI YANO

“VICONIC”
Jua: NOZOMI NAGUMO
Thea: TSUKINO

“3DM8”
Ximena: RURI ARAI
Zoe: NAO FURUHATA
Sofia: YUNA KITAHARA

Kizuna AI: Kizuna AI

Auris: MASUMI TAZAWA
Ada: KANA UEDA


Staff

Directed by: KENICHIRO KOMAYA
Series Composition: DEKO AKAO
Character Design: SHIORI ASAKA / NIINA MORITA
Chief Animation Director: SHIORI ASAKA / NIINA MORITA / MIZUKI TAKAHASHI
Prop Design: HOIKEI TAM
Color Design: MITSUKO SEKIMOTO
Art Director: MASAKAZU MIYAKE
Fine Art Setting: KAZUSHIGE KANEHIRA / YURI SANAMI / NARIYUKI OGI
CG Director: RYO SASAKI
Cinematographer: MAYUKO KOIKE
Edit: JUNICHI MASUNAGA
Sound Director: JIN AKETAGAWA
Sound Effects: YUI ANDO
Music: GO SAKABE
Animation Production: WIT STUDIO × SIGNAL.MD


Streaming Information

Bandai Channel
ABEMA
d-anime store
DMM TV
FOD
Hulu
J:COM On Demand MEGA Pack
Prime Video
TELASA
Milplus
U-NEXT
Anime Hōdai
Flat Douga
Google Play
HAPPY! Douga
Animax on Demand


Information about Alleles

I want to connect with everyone while I perform on live shows around the world.
We are going to dive into the world, from the real world to the virtual world.
This is the XR artist’s project which connects the virtual and real.
 
The 15 members, who appear on the TV Anime “Kizuna no Allele”, are going to challenge themselves through various activities. They will do weekly short live shows mainly on YouTube Live streaming and teach dance lessons.

Dive into “I”
ーXR artist’s project which connects Virtual and Real.ー
 
Please look forward to seeing their new challenges and achievements!

SKY-HI And BE:FIRST Come Together In New Release

Japanese rapper, producer, and CEO of BMSG, SKY-HI has announced a compelling split release on 28 August 2023, Monday. The single features the opening and closing themes for the upcoming Baki Hanma Season 2 - "The Father vs. Son Saga”. “Sarracenia” is the title for the opening theme and “Salvia” is the title for the closing theme, both songs were written by SKY-HI himself who is a big fan of the manga for the anime.

In ‘Sarracenia’, SKY-HI delves into the psyche of Yujiro Hanma, Baki Hanma's formidable father, exploring his profound musings on strength and masculinity. “Salvia” is performed by the seven-member dance and vocal group BE:FIRST which SKY-HI himself is the executive producer of. The digital single is pre-released on major streaming platforms today, while both “Sarracenia” and “Salvia” are up on YouTube in their full anime format. Lastly, the full music video for “Sarracenia” is posted below.