In 2017, the masked musical unit AmPm made its debut with the song Best Part of Us, and has continued to attract listeners from all over the world. In celebration of its 5th anniversary in 2022, the pair are planning tons of new projects. Each will be announced on the 16th of each month.

Along with releasing original music, AmPm has been working to create valuable assets in the Metaverse, starting with the sale of NFT. In a first for a Japanese artist, the pair began selling a limited trial of unreleased music in 2021. Recently, AmPm announced some new NFT digital art.

Based on the pair’s experience of music curators, the NFT project hopes to provide unique pieces for an affordable price, allowing as many people as possible to become familiar with the NFT space.

AmPm recently purchased ‘Jidori Girls,’ a project by JidoriDeployer, on OpenSea. They decided to purchase it not only because of its immediate appeal, but also because it fit with AmPm’s worldview.

After the announcement, there was an exchange on Twitter with the creator of Jidori Girls. Fans from around the world also chimed in with comments like “You are incredible,” “Awesome collab!,” and “Thanks for joining our community!” 

AmPm Delivering “THE BOOK”

https://youtube.com/shorts/MD2xQcLScjs

In the note section, the pair explained the NFT, how they came to purchase it, its appeal, and the significance of the purchase.

It’s unclear how NFTs will affect AmPm’s future activities. Fans will just have to stay tuned to find out!

A new trailer for the upcoming Fruits Basket -prelude- compilation film is highlighting the movie’s theme song, set to be performed by Trio Ohashi. The film will release in select theaters on February 18, 2022.

The film will center around Tohru’s parents Kyoko and Katsuya. The theme song, Niji to Kaito (Rainbow and Kite) will be sure to pull at the audience’s heartstrings. The track will also be included on Trio Ohashi’s 15th-anniversary album scheduled to release on February 16, 2022.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/G3W_3EEzzSg

Fruits Basket initially ran in Hana to Yume magazine from 1998 until 2006 and was written and illustrated by Natsuki Takaya. The manga series has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. In April 2019, a new anime adaptation was broadcast on TV Tokyo, running for three years. A Fruits Basket stage show is scheduled to start on March 4, 2022.

Ⓒ高屋奈月・白泉社／フルーツバスケット製作委員会

Tokyo (VIVID Remix), a remixed version of AmPm’s dance track Tokyo, was released on Friday, January 7, 2022.

AmPm / Tokyo (VIVID Remix)

The original song was released in March 2021 and was the first full-fledged dance track based on AmPm’s roots in dance music. Inspired by the neon city of Tokyo, it was released on Sushi Muzik, an up-and-coming label based in Amsterdam and founded in 2020. The company has released tracks from dance music legends like Norman Doray, Roland Clark, Kryder, and Eddie Amador. 

The remix was done by DJ VIVID, who is from the United States but based in Tokyo. Leading the Asian club scene, he has released his original music on A-list labels like Armada and Enhanced Music and has reached #19 on the US Billboard Dance Chart and #8 on the US Radio Chart.

Message from VIVID

“AmPm’s unique sound found in ‘Tokyo’ inspired me to bring a house-y vibe geared for the underground nightclubs in Japan.“

Message from AmPm

“We’re happy to have started 2022 with such a fast-paced song. The original song itself was pretty fast, but this more dense sound is something that only DJ VIVID can provide. I think listeners will enjoy the difference between this and the original track. 

I hope that this year, people from all over the world will be able to gather in Tokyo.”

Masked unit AmPm has been gaining listeners from around the world since the release of their debut track Best Part of Us feat. Michael Kaneko in March 2017.

Their new single, Everyday feat. Amanda Yang, was released on August 20, and was made available to stream on the same day. 

Everyday feat. Amanda Yang

Amanda Yang is an American singer/songwriter with over 110 million streams on Spotify. Her soulful and clear vocals blend perfectly with the catchy tropical house beats, making this the quintessential refreshing 2021 summer anthem. This release also features previously released AmPm tracks Travelling Light and Own this Groove. 

Comment from Amanda Yang

Everyday is about getting caught off guard and falling in love with someone. Being vulnerable is hard. So, I wanted to capture the moments when you realized that you were no longer just “casual” with someone. The moments that showed it grew into something bigger. Everyday is about finally letting your guard down and being open to loving someone without restrictions.’

Comment from AmPm

‘Beginning in 2021, we’re not just releasing artist collaborations like we were before–we’re releasing pure dance tracks. Everyday is a great combo of AmPm’s past trends and this year’s dance music trend. It’s a simple and easy to understand summer tune, so we hope people can just enjoy the heat while vibing to this track. Even though there are still tons of restrictions in place this summer, we hope turning this song up a little louder will help raise everyone’s spirits.’ 

Japanese-Chinese boys collective WARPs UP’s Chinese members LANGYI and MINGJUN have started covering songs in Chinese. The project has started with a self-cover of Pleasure, the opening song for the Fruits Basket The Final anime that was announced in April.

“You, yourself, can change the future, regardless of your destiny or environment” is the theme of the original song, which has been transformed into an acoustic version, centring around on the piano. The arrangement has been adjusted to add a summery vibe, allowing the listener to imagine a warm and bright future.

The music video has been shot in a similar style to LANGYI’s WARPs UP Vocal Club cover in May, focusing on the two members singing into their microphones.

The video reflects the original meaning of the song, filmed carefully to capture a midsummer feeling.

The music video premieres on the WARPs UP YouTube channel on August 12, at 22:15.

「Pleasure (LANGYI & MINGJUN ver.)」Music Video

Pleasure (LANGYI & MINGJUN ver.) will be available on streaming sites from August 12th. The trilogy of acoustic covers being released this summer is made up of songs specially selected by the two Chinese members, covered in Chinese. The second and third songs are confirmed to be covers of hit songs that everybody will recognise.

AmPm are set to release their brand new digital single New York City on June 18. The Japanese masked duo made their debut and name known worldwide with the release of Best Part of Us feat. Michael Kaneko back in March 2017.

The track will be their second release of 2021 following Tokyo back in March which came as the duo’s first dance track. It’s a foot-stomping house music number with elements of techno and soulful house that make you think of New York.

 You could say New York City is also AmPm going back to their roots as the city is where they both donned their masks and began music together.

AmPm released their song Afterflow in collaboration with Taiwan-based singer Kimberley Chen last month  so be sure to check that out below too.

 ‘AmPm / Afterglow (feat. Kimberley Chen)’ (Music Video)

AmPm released their new single On The Black and White feat.Doul (Dipha Barus Remix) on April 23. The masked duo, who made their debut and name known worldwide with Best Part of Us feat. Michael Kaneko back in March 2017, are no strangers to remixing tracks, but this comes as the first time one of their owns tracks has been remixed by another artist.

AmPm’s song On The Black and White has been remixed by Indonesian music producer Dipha Barus. The original track, which features Doul, was released in January of this year. Barus keeps the emotional undertone of the original and transforms it into a number to move your feet to. There’s even a music video for it which you can check out below – it gives you an even better feel for the song. 

AmPm／On The Black and White feat. Doul (Dipha Barus Remix)

Dipha Barus and AmPm have some words about the remix which we’ve translated below.

Message from Dipha Barus 

“It’s truly an honour, and I’m overjoyed, being requested to remix AmPm’s On The Black and White. I’m grateful, since I’ve been in contact with them ever since we performed on the same stage together in 2017. It’s been a really fun experience getting stuck in with this remix. I can say with confidence that I’ve made the best thing I possibly could. I pray that my brothers are satisfied with the results, and I hope in the near future I can perform together with them again once we’re done with this!”

Message from AmPm

“We’ve been in touch with Dipha ever since we performed together at SPOTIFY ON STAGE in Indonesia in 2017. He’s unique, and we can feel his identity as an Indonesian artist on many of his songs. He’s someone we have great respect for. We’ve longed to work on a project with him. We’ve thought about having numerous different people remix our songs before, but for our first remix there’s no one else but him. It’s our first time experiencing our music being reborn by someone else’s hands, and it’s more than we could have hoped for. We’re so excited, and we look forward to performing with him again.”

The anime-themed cafe brand OTA★LAB CAFE will open its first permanent cafe, “Cheer fancle cafe,” in Awajicho, Tokyo on April 1, 2021. The cafe’s first collaboration will be with the hit series Fruits Basket whose manga has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. It will run from April 1 to May 9 and will feature a range of dishes and drinks inspired the series as well as merchandise, new and exclusive artwork drawn by the author Natsuki Takaya, and more.

Original Merchandise

Cheer fancle cafe Original Fruits Basket Pins (30 Designs) | ¥495 (Tax Included)

Cheer fancle cafe Original Fruits Basket Acrylic Stands (15 Designs) | ¥1,430 (Tax Included)

Cheer fancle cafe Original Fruits Basket Mini Acrylic Stands (15 Designs) | ¥1,000 (Tax Included)

Cheer fancle cafe Original Fruits Basket Acrylic Key Rings (15 Designs) | ¥715 (Tax Included)

Cheer fancle cafe Original Fruits Basket Postcard Sets (30 Designs/2 Included) | ¥385 (Tax Included)

Food Menu

Veggie Pasta ¥1,320 (Tax Included) / Omurice ¥1,320 / Egg Sandwich ¥880 (Tax Included)

Niratama Donburi ¥1,100 (Tax Included) / Hamburger ¥1,320 (Tax Included)

Dessert Menu

Strawberry Shortcake ¥990 (Tax Included) / Pancake ¥1,100 (Tax Included)

Coffee Milk Jelly ¥990 (Tax Included) / 3 Dango Set ¥880 (Tax Included)

Limited-Time Drinks Menu ①

Serving: April 1, 2021 – April 20, 2021

Onigiri White Smoothie ¥715 (Tax Included) / Starry Sky Latte ¥715 (Tax Included)

Cassis Berry Soda ¥715 (Tax Included) / Berry Drink ¥715 (Tax Included)

Limited-Time Drinks Menu ②

Serving: April 21, 2021 – May 9, 2021

Orange Soda ¥715 (Tax Included) / Milk Tea ¥715 (Tax Included)

Matcha Milk ¥715 (Tax Included) / Blue Soda ¥715 (Tax Included)

Present Campaign

Win one of two possible signed coasters

Three lucky customers who collect all five stamps at Cheer fancle cafe can win one of two possible coasters signed by the author of Fruits Basket.

Arrival Campaign

All customers who go to the cafe will receive one of 15 possible original book covers.

Dining Campaign

For every menu item order, customers will receive one of 32 possible coasters. There are 15 chibi designs, 15 completely original designs drawn by the manga author, and two rare designs.

Spending Campaign

For every ¥2,500 spent at the cafe, customers will receive one of 15 possible postcards.

Additionally, those who follow OTA★LAB CAFE on Twitter and retweet the campaign Tweet that will be posted on March 29 will have the chance to receive a set of all the above campaign items. This is available for five people from March 29 to April 5.

©高屋奈月/白泉社

Masked music duo AmPm released a remix of Ai Otsuka’s song Chime on music download and streaming services, along with a music video, on Wednesday (October 7).

Since August, Ai Otsuka has teamed up with music producers and track makers of various genres to release a remix of one of her songs per month. Chime comes as the third of hers to receive a remix. The first was PEACH which was remixed by Tomggg and the second Kingyo Hanabi by ANIMAL HACK. AmPm have produced music for a whole range of Japanese artists such as V6  and Ken Hirai, and have remixed for the likes of Afrojack and Nicky Romero outside of Japan.

Chime is used as the second opening theme for the first season of the 2019 TV anime adaptation of Fruits Basket. The song is hugely popular within anime community both inside and outside Japan.

Check out the colourful music video for the remix below which is inspired by the fairy tale The Ugly Duckling.

Ai Otsuka – “Chime (AmPm Remix)” Music Video

AmPm | Comment

“We’ve had the chance to remix a lot of different songs, but this one was the hardest to remix. The original track is fast-paced, and Otsuka’s voice is persistent. We went through a lot of trial and error which is unusual for us. We wondered things like, ‘Can we tamper with this part’ and ‘Have we finished?’ The original song was written as the second opening theme for season one of the Fruits Basket anime, but this remix feels more like and ending theme. If the original is the chime to start the day, then the remix is the one to signal the end of it. But we want people to think of it more as an ending that connects to tomorrow, rather than a cut off. We also think that although it’s the same song, you can take the lyrics differently between both versions, so we hope that makes the existence of a remix more fun for people so they can listen and compare!”

Asako Toki posted her music video for HOME over on her official YouTube channel. The song is the second opening theme for the ongoing TV anime series Fruits Basket.

The warm ballad was written for the anime series itself and sings of things that are close to home for people, like family, friends, and lovers.

The music video showcases Asako Toki at home using items that belong to her like her Korean book, cosmetics, records, character merchandise, and more. There are also scenes of Asako recording for the radio show she appears on in Hokkaido. It has a real sense of ‘home’ to it, giving fans a peek into Asako’s life.

Check out the music video below where we can once again enjoy Asako’s warm and gentle vocals.

©Natsuki Takaya・Hakusensha / Fruits Basket Production Committee

Fruits Basket Season Two started on July 6, 2020 in Japan and is broadcasted at midnight. The new season two ending theme song HOME by Asako Toki was released on digital music services on July 7, 2020.

The official music video, which includes the Fruits Basket opening anime video and lyrics was posted on Asako Toki’s official YouTube channel today.

This song was specifically written for the Fruits Basket anime. Filled with warmth, HOME depicts the relationships between family members, friends, and lovers. It signifies the home within your heart.

The music video shows the Fruits Basket characters embracing the song’s loving message – something that fans just cannot miss.

©Natsuki Takaya, Hakusensha, Inc./ Fruits Basket Production Committee

This year marks the 20th anniversary of pop rock band MONKEY MAJIK whose song Eden which they wrote as the ending theme for season two of Fruits Basket, which began playing in the series July 6, has been released on all major digital music platforms including Spotify, iTunes Store, and Apple Music.

Fruits Basket is a shojo manga series written and illustrated by Natsuki Takaya. It is recognised by Guinness World Records as the best selling shojo manga series of all time. The new anime adaptation began airing in April 2019. MONKEY MAJIK has written theme songs for many Japanese dramas, movies, and anime before, but this is their first time writing a track for a shojo series.

MONKEY MAJIK | Comment

“It’s an honour to have been able to write an ending theme for a series loved by so many people. In coming to write the song, we went ahead and watched the anime itself. We felt that it’s full of unforgettable words and scenes. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that it’s a series filled with things that we want to cherish in life. We wrote this song will picturing what the characters feel, so we hope you enjoy listening to it alongside the anime.” *Translated by MMN from Japanese

MONKEY MAJIK – Eden (Fruits Basket Season Two Ending Theme)

MONKEY MAJIK are set to hold an online fan meeting on July 11 to celebrate their 20th anniversary. They originally had a concert scheduled for that day for the commemoration, but it had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The band will go live from their social media accounts.

Fans can also check out their special 20th anniversary website which features comments from a host of prominent musicians who have close ties with MONKEY MAJIK, such as Sandwichman, Kazumasa Oda, Junichi Inagaki, and more. The website also features the “Music Video Gallery” where you can watch all 45 of the band’s music videos after they signed to a major label.

ⓒNatsuki Takaya・Hakusensha / Fruits Basket Production Committee