On June 29, SESSIONS COLLECTION VOL. 1 was released. This is the first digital compilation inspired Tokyo Community Radio’s recent training program “sessions.” DJ and Beatmaker Licaxxx runs the online radio platform, and the training sessions have seen incredible success, inspiring new musicians to grow and improve.

“sessions” is a training program focused exclusively on dance music. Participants work closely with DJs and other active music creators to hone their skills and share unique experiences. The main goal of the program is to teach more about current technology and to share real-world examples that can help participants thrive. Sharing actual problems that current artists are facing and how to overcome them is also a popular part of the program.

Club (RDC) and Red Bull, inviting guests to embark on a 3-day/2-night training camp in Izu to hone their DJ and dance music skills. Artists from all over Japan were selected from an open call and gathered to create new works individually or in groups after listening to advice and having discussions with track makers active in several different genres.

A ton of music produced during the “sessions” program is included on TCR’s first 18-track digital compilation album. In addition to the 14 artists that participated, Stones Taro, Carpainter, Pharakami Sanders, and Licaxxx worked with FELINE to create a track as well. This genre-crossing compilation album by the next generation of Japan-based artists is a must-hear for active DJs, and a behind-the-scenes look at the training camp is available on TCR’s official YouTube channel.

TCR will also be hosting events in Tokyo and Osaka this weekend with re:lax, a unit comprised of DJ/producers re:ni and Laksa from the UK. Keep an eye out for more details!

Kroi is a five-member band blending a wide mix of musical styles, from R&B and funk to soul, rock, and hip-hop. The group has just released their new digital single Fuurai on all major streaming services.

The song will also be included in Kroi’s second major EP MAGNET scheduled to be released on March 29, 2023.

The song is vastly different than Hard Pool released last month, featuring a relaxing melody and vocals and lyrics by Uchida. Fuurai shows off the true range of Kroi’s music.

Fuurai also features performances by members of Zainichi Funk, a band that participated in Kroi’s Live Tour 2021-2022 “Dig the Deep.” Motoi Murakami (Trumpet), Gentle Kubota (Trombone), and Takehide Hashimoto (Sax) appear on the track.

Fuurai (Music Video)

The music video for Fuurai has also been released.

Takuto Shimpo, who has directed many of Kroi’s past music videos and stage productions, returned for Fuurai.

The many locations seen in the video match the music perfectly, and fans will want to head to YouTube right away.

Kroi will release its second major EP MAGNET on March 29, 2023.

In 2013, Shinichi Ishizuka’s BLUE GIANT manga series hit the scene. Serialized in Big Comic, the series has sold over 9 million copies to date. Readers have fallen in love with the author’s depiction of emotion and Ishizuka has even influenced the real-world jazz scene with his creation. BLUE GIANT will be adapted into an anime film coming to theaters on February 17, and the staff’s dream of bringing real jazz at max volume to the masses will finally come true.

The world-renowned pianist Hiromi Uehara oversaw the film’s music. The authentic jazz heard in the film’s trailer has already become a hot topic, and the original soundtrack will be released on February 17, the same day as the film’s release.

Hiromi Uehara has been a close friend of Shinichi Ishizuka for years, and even before the film adaptation was announced, she had privately composed an original song for JASS, the trio formed by the main character Dai Miyamoto. Uehara wrote, performed, and produced the entire soundtrack including the songs FIRST NOTE, N.E.W., and WE WILL.

Saxophonist Tomoaki Baba will play the saxophone for the character Dai, who aspires to be the best sax player on Earth. Auditions were held in cooperation with Universal Music, featuring leading players from Japan and abroad. Baba was an easy choice, wowing judges with his large sax and powerful performance. Shun Ishiwaka, the drummer of the band Millennium Parade, will play the drums for Dai’s classmate Shunji Tamada.

More than 30 top-class classical and jazz musicians participated in the soundtrack’s production, including a string section conducted by Miho Hazama and led by members of Hiromi Uehara’s Piano Quintet.

Hiromi Uehara also wrote the original track BLUE GIANT, used as the film’s end-roll song. “When I was doing the recording for this film, this melody suddenly popped into my head. I became obsessed and immediately wrote it down,” Uehara said. “I was so inspired by the BLUE GIANT film that I created this song that same day. Of course, I had to title it the same thing!”

The soundtrack contains 29 songs and is perfect for listening to while you enjoy a quiet winter night at home. Don’t miss it!

The non-credit version of the Tokyo Revengers: Christmas Showdown arc ending theme is now available.

The track is inspired by the emotionally-charged second season, which picks up where the first season left off and focuses heavily on Taiju, Yuzuha, and Hakkai Shiba. Listeners will be reminded to protect the things they care about as they listen to the powerful lyrics.

Tokyo Revengers: Christmas Showdown Non-credit Ending

With its emotional melody and fitting lyrics, fans of the first season should be ready to face the intensity of the ongoing second season. The song is now streaming.

Be sure to tune in to the explosive second season of this globally-loved anime series!

Introduction
Takemichi Hanagaki traveled twelve years back in time in order to save his girlfriend and change his life for the better. Returning to the present day after his battle with Valhalla is done, he’s now the leader of the Tokyo Manji gang. His joy is short-lived, however, as the modern gang still seems to be ruled by Tetta Kisaki, the root of all evil. Nothing has been altered, and in order to truly save his girlfriend, Takemichi needs to face things head-on.

©和久井健・講談社／アニメ「東京リベンジャーズ」製作委員会

Tuyu, the musical unit formed by songwriter and guitarist Pusu, pianist miro, and vocalist Rei, will release Kizutsukedo, Aishiteru (It Might Be Painful, but I Still Love It) digitally on January 15, 2023.

The song is currently being used as the ending theme song for Tokyo Revengers: Christmas Showdown, which began airing on January 7, 2023. The track is perfect for the emotionally-charged second season, which picks up where the first season left off and focuses heavily on Taiju, Yuzuha, and Hakkai Shiba. Rei’s impressive vocals and miro’s emotional piano performance combine to create an extremely addictive pop track. This is Tuyu’s first song to be featured in an anime series.

Tokyo Revengers: Christmas Showdown Non-credit Ending

The non-credit ending video will be available on the official Tokyo Revengers YouTube channel on January 15.

Tuyu will hold a solo concert, Spring Rain, at Zepp Haneda in Tokyo on March 4, 2023. Two performances will be held: one in the daytime and one at night, with one themed around sunny weather and the other themed around rainy weather. Tickets will be available by lottery on e+ starting January 22 at 23:59.

At the end of 2022, Tuyu performed at COUNTDOWN JAPAN 22/23. Be sure to keep an eye on this group this year!

©和久井健・講談社／アニメ「東京リベンジャーズ」製作委員会

Rock band Official Hige Dandism has released a music video for their song White Noise on YouTube.

White Noise serves as the opening theme song for Tokyo Revengers Christmas Showdown Arc which began airing on January 7. The band also performed the previous opening song Cry Baby.

Official Hige Dandism – White Noise [Official Video]

Official Hige Dandism – White Noise

The Official Hige Dandism SHOCKING NUTS TOUR is currently underway, with the band performing in halls throughout Japan. For details on each venue and how to purchase tickets, visit the band’s official website!

©和久井健・講談社／アニメ「東京リベンジャーズ」製作委員会

Tokyo Revengers Christmas Showdown Arc began airing on January 7, and more packaging information for the upcoming DVD and Blu-ray release has been revealed. Both versions will consist of three volumes, and the first volume’s cover features the powerful Black Dragon gang.

A commemorative event featuring the series’ star-studded cast has also been announced for June 18, 2023. Ticket applications for the afternoon event will be included inside the first DVD/Blu-ray. Keep an eye out for more information!

The fourth character image song album, Tokyo Revengers EP04, will also be released on March 15, 2023, featuring music from Hakkai Shiba, Yuzuha Shiba, Seishu Inui, and Hajime Kokonoi.

Fans can see which purchase bonuses are available at participating shops on the official website. Perks will be handed out with the purchase of the first DVD/Blu-ray and the 4th character song album.

Tune into the new season of Tokyo Revengers airing now!

©和久井健・講談社／アニメ「東京リベンジャーズ」製作委員会

Singer Vickeblanka has released a live performance video of Black Catcher, the opening theme song for the anime series Black Clover. On January 25, 2023, the singer will release Vickeblanka presents RAINBOW ROAD -Ki- on Blu-ray and DVD.

Black Catcher – Vickeblanka (from「RAINBOW ROAD -Ki-」LIVE DVD＆Blu-ray on sale January 25, 2023)

Black Catcher serves as the 10th opening theme for Black Clover. The song has been ranked in Spotify’s Top 10 Most Played Japanese Songs Overseas for three consecutive years and has been streamed over 160 million times. The accompanying music video has been viewed over 50 million times.

Vickeblanka appeared in the recent Shochiku Tokyu New Year’s drama series Kaden Samurai Special Stop! Chuushingura. At the start of the series, the main character Shijuro Kanenashi plays a yakuza in prison after being falsely accused of a crime. The series co-stars Kenichi Takito who was surprised by Vicke’s powerful performance.

Treasure, the theme song for the regular drama series, is also being used as the theme of this special.

Vickeblanka presents RAINBOW ROAD -Ki- will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on January 25, 2023. This was the singer’s first arena concert, featuring a rare 19-track setlist including encores.

The live show includes signature tracks like Masshiro, Ca Va?, and ULALA, as well as an encore performance of the song Changes. The concert release also includes a 2-CD set of live recordings from the performance. The asymmetrical stage featured a unique acoustic setup that is fully captured in this incredible set.

In addition to the standard edition, a Limited First Edition will include a 52-page photobook with rare images from the rehearsal.

Those who preorder through the French Link fan club will receive a special rubber band, and an A3-size calendar poster on a first-come, first-served basis. 55 people who preorder by midnight on January 6 will win an A3-size calendar poster autographed by Vickeblanka himself.

LE SSERAFIM, a girl group produced by BTS’s label HYBE, released FEARLESS -Japanese version- on download and streaming sites on December 15. The full single will be released on January 25, 2023.

LE SSERAFILM is a five-member girl group consisting of Kim Chaewon, Sakura, Huh Yunjin, Kazuha, and Hong Eunchae. This is the first girl group produced by HYBE and SOURCE MUSIC, who have both worked with a number of global artists.

The original Korean track FEARLESS spent 19 consecutive weeks on the U.S. Billboard charts, setting a record for K-pop idols. The music video received over 100 million views within its first 100 days of release.

Numerous Campaigns Underway Now

In conjunction with the advance release of the Japanese version of FEARLESS, a playback campaign was launched on Rakuten Music starting December 15. Those playing the song can receive an original postcard. A social media sharing campaign is also underway–those sharing the song from select music streaming services on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #FEARLESS will be entered to win an original sticker.

A LINE MUSIC playback campaign will also begin on December 21. Participants will be selected by lottery to take place in an online event with random members of LE SSERAFIM. All participants will also receive an original LINE Talk background image, so be sure to take part! More details will be released soon, so keep an eye out.

Sizuk, a music project started by composer Shunryu, has officially launched! The composer is known for his contributions to anime and idol music, and in this new project, Shunryu will collaborate with illustrators, lyricists, singers, and other talents to produce original content.

For the project’s debut single, Dystopia will serve as the opening theme for the anime series The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World, scheduled to premiere in January 2023. The lyrics were written by Shoko Fujibayashi and arranged by John Kanda (PENGUIN RESEARCH), with a jacket illustration by SOLANI. It was sung by AYAME, the vocalist of the rock band AliA.

The song will be released as a digital single on January 6, 2023. Be sure not to miss the anime series either!

©御子柴奈々・講談社／「冰剣の魔術師が世界を統べる」 製作委員会

From December 10, 2022 until January 22, 2023, a special Tokyo Revengers Fair will take place at Animate locations nationwide and online to celebrate the return of the anime series for the Christmas Showdown Arc!

The series tells the story of freelancer Takemichi Hanagaki, who finds out that his only girlfriend has been killed by the ruthless Tokyo Manji Gang. Going back in time 12 years, he decides to save his girlfriend and become a better version of himself. The first season of the anime series ran from April to September of last year and was based on Ken Wakui’s manga series, which concluded on November 16. The anime will return in January 2023 for its second season.

During the event, fans can snag a special bromide (8 varieties) for every ¥1,100 spent (including tax) on Tokyo Revengers goods. These bromides will feature new illustrations of Mikey, Draken, Inupi, Koko, and other popular characters in tuxedos!

New merchandise will also be on sale, including clear cases, acrylic stands, and more, all featuring the new artwork.

Christmas card-style flyers will also be handed out at select Animate stores starting December 3 while supplies last, so be sure to celebrate the holiday season with the cast of Tokyo Revengers!

(C)和久井健・講談社／アニメ「東京リベンジャーズ」製作委員会

More details about the upcoming Tokyo Revengers: Christmas Showdown arc have been revealed.

In a new trailer, fans got their first look at Taiju Shiba, a character exclusive to the Christmas Showdown arc. First Division Captain Seishu Inui and Hajime Kokonoi also make appearances.

Tokyo Revengers: Christmas Showdown Trailer
https://youtu.be/hfj7HaTbMSQ

Tomokazu Sugita will play Taiju Shiba, while Yuzuha Shiba will be portrayed by Mikako Komatsu. Character visuals for the two have also been revealed, along with a brand-new key visual for the series showing a stoic Takemichi Hanagaki.

The series will be broadcast on 37 stations nationwide, and an advance screening will be held on December 24, showing three episodes prior to their official broadcast. This will also include a chat with the main cast, and the ticket lottery is now open.

Tokyo Revengers will return with the Christmas Showdown arc in January 2023. Will you be tuning in?

 ©和久井健・講談社／アニメ「東京リベンジャーズ」製作委員会