ShowMinorSavage, a new unit formed by BMSG’s Aile The Shota along with SOTA and MANATO from BE:FIRST, have released their first EP! ShowMinorSavage was added to all major streaming services on February 22, 2023.

The three artists met at a BMSG audition and immediately hit it off, sharing similar musical backgrounds and interests. Unsurprisingly, they formed ShowMinorSavage soon after.

Their unit name comes from their intention to transform minor acts in the music scene into major acts, showing how savage they can be. Their first EP was created with this idea very much in mind.

ShowMinorSavage / SUPER ICY (Prod. Chaki Zulu) -Music Video-

The EP features the first songs produced under the group name ShowMinorSavage, including No Cap Navy, a song sampled from SKY-HI’s Nanairo Holiday created by the three members, and Thinkin’ bout you, a dope hip-hop track expressing the member’s love and featuring a vocal loop by TRILL DYNASTY. The groovy and extremely danceable song SUPER ICY was produced by Chaki Zulu.

The major debut of ShowMinorSavage is sure to create waves in the music scene, and you won’t want to miss it!

The popular boy band BE:FIRST has released the music video for the new song Boom Boom Back on YouTube.

Boom Boom Back – BE: FIRST (Music Video)

This is BE:FIRST’s first new song in five months. The hybrid hip-hop dance number is effortlessly unique, with the music video showing off each of the member’s personalities as they wander Shibuya.

The video brings to life the Shibuya of the 2000s, combining both dramatic shots and dance shots, the latter of which are shot on a Shibuya-inspired stage. With a mix of 90s flavor, 2000s teen beats, and a splash of modern styling, this track is sure to be a hit with fans.

The video was produced by a team of talented creators, including director Kensaku Kakimoto, known for his short film Parasite in Love, Shiho Etori, an active editor, and Satomi Inagaki, who is currently active in commercials and documentaries.

The addictive choreography was created by KAITA and KAZ the FIRE, choreographers who have been attracting attention on TikTok and Instagram with their #BBB Challenge.

Boom Boom Back was released digitally on February 13, 2023. The song is already appearing on a number of major charts, topping the iTunes Overall Song Ranking and the LINE MUSIC Real-time Song Top 100. Major streaming sites are also holding listening campaigns, so be sure to check them out.

This is BE:FIRST’s first music video in quite a while, so be sure to give it a watch!

Netflix has announced that it will release the live-action adaptation of One Piece worldwide in 2023.

One Piece is one of Japan’s most popular and long-running manga series. Created by Eiichiro Oda, the manga has sold over 500 million copies worldwide.

The series was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1997, starting with the protagonist Monkey D. Luffy going on a journey with the Straw Hat Pirates to find the One Piece, a treasure that was left behind by the legendary “Pirate King” Gol D. Roger.

The live-action project has gained a ton of attention on social media, with the cast being revealed in 2022. As the world awaits more production news, the first live-action visuals have been released along with the news that the series is coming in 2023.

Following the hugely positive feedback for ONE PIECE FILM RED, fans are ready to see the Monkey D. Luffy once again in the first episode of the Netflix series titled ROMANCE DAWN – Dawn of Adventure-.

In the original series, Luffy, who admires the great pirate Shanks after meeting him in his hometown of Foosha as a child, decides to become the Pirate King, taking to the open seas to make his dream come true.

During his unpredictable adventures, Luffy meets a group of friends who he can always trust.

The newly-released visual shows Luffy (played by Iñaki Godoy) in his trademark straw hat, raising his right fist to the sky.

On his Instagram page, Godoy often posts pictures of his friends and fellow cast members including Mackenyu (Roronoa Zoro) and Jacob Gibson (Usopp). Fans have been largely pleased with the casting choices.

The extraordinary success of ONE PIECE FILM RED made headlines in 2022, as the film topped the yearly box office in Japan. It finally ended its theatrical run on January 29.

Will you be tuning in to the live-action Netflix series?

(C)尾田栄一郎/集英社

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

Popular Japanese band Official Hige Dandism has released behind-the-scenes footage from the filming of their music video for Subtitle, the theme song for the Japanese drama series silent. The video includes in-depth interviews with the band members!

Subtitle – Official Hige Dandism Music Video (Behind the Scenes)
https://youtu.be/XMOIlABPukc

Subtitle was written as the theme song for silent, a drama series currently airing on Fuji TV.

Currently, Subtitle has surpassed 100 million views and has topped the Billboard JAPAN Streaming Songs chart for six consecutive weeks since its release on November 30.

 
Official Hige Dandism will appear at the 2022 FNS Song Festival on December 7 and 14, as well as CDTV Live! Live! 4-Hour Christmas SP on TBS on December 19 and the 73rd Annual Kouhaku Uta Gassen on New Year’s Eve.

The band is currently in the middle of their SHOCKING NUTS TOUR. More details about tickets can be found on the group’s official website.

The 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos versions of BE:FIRST’s first album BE:1 are now available on all major streaming services. The album was first released on August 31 and managed to chart extremely high, instantly becoming a massive hit. 360 Reality Audio uses Sony’s 360 impresive stereoscopic sound technology, allowing sound to pour in from all directions. This allows music lovers to experience their favorite songs in three-dimensions, making it feel as if they were at a live concert. 

The group’s first album BE:1 contains 15 songs from various genres, including BE:FIRST’s debut song Gifted. It also includes Bye-Good-Bye, which has been streamed more than 100 million times, and Scream, which took the top spot on the Billboard Japan Overall Song Chart JAPAN HOT 100. The album includes a total of 15 songs, many from different genres, so if you haven’t listened, this is the best way to do so! 

A video related to the song Milli-Billi from BE:FIRST’s first album BE:1 was released on November 30 at 21:00! Following its release on August 31, 2022, BE:1 has become a massive hit with fans worldwide.

Milli-Billi -???????- / BE:FIRST

https://youtu.be/xW_tCRiiFOs

Milli-Billi is a hip-hop track in which each and every member of the group tried their hand at rapping! Filled with BE:FIRST character while also being fresh and new, this fast-paced relay-style song has become a fan favorite.

A video of SOTA dancing with KAITA, the choreographer of the song, was posted on TikTok, quickly becoming a hot topic not only among fans but also among dancers. Numerous dance cover videos have been posted since.

@befirst_official Milli-Billi 🤑🤑🤑 🕺w / choreographer KAITA #振付師本人 #KAITA #SOTA #BEFIRST #MilliBilli #ミリビリ ♬ Milli-Billi – BE:FIRST

Milli-Billi is very popular among the group’s fans and there’s no doubt that this will be a winner. Every music video that the group has uploaded so far has managed to pull in incredible amounts of views, so we look forward to seeing how well this one performs.

Check out the video to see what it’s all about!

Cake.jp, a website specializing in cakes and sweets, is installing special vending machines in AEON MALL locations! These machines are part of a collaboration with ONE PIECE FILM RED.

The collaboration vending machines will offer canned cakes inspired by Luffy, Uta, and Shanks from the popular film. Each cake tin features original designs by Cake.jp and each character’s cake has a unique flavor. 

Flavors

Luffy: A refreshing cake with orange cream, jelly, blueberry cream, and more.

Uta: A colorful cake with a variety of flavors including melon, lemon, orange, and blueberry cream.

Shanks: A chocolate-based cake with berry cream and a perfect balance of richness and acidity.

Collaboration Vending Machine

While the Cake.jp official website sells these cakes exclusively in a set of three, the collaborative vending machine allows customers to purchase them separately. Fans of all ages will love these tasty treats, so after seeing the film why not pick up some of these sweets for yourself or a friend?

(C)尾田栄一郎／2022「ワンピース」製作委員会

Famous sports brand VANS has announced a collaboration with the wildly popular manga and anime series One Piece! Fans can expect to find colorful shoes and apparel when the new items hit shelves next month.

Sk8-Hi Punk Hazard

The Sk8-Hi Punk Hazard sneakers were based on the original VANS Sk8-Hi silhouette. The sneakers show off the Straw Hat Crew’s adventures, with a frozen landscape on one side and a fiery landscape on the other. The characters sport the brand’s iconic checkerboard pattern. 

VANS Classic Old Skools with a Devil Fruit Motif

The VANS Classic Old Skools sport the Devil Fruit, something that has given many characters in the show special abilities and powers. The VANS Classic Authentic sneakers are dotted with symbols and logos from One Piece, perfect for fans who want something a bit more subtle.

Robin & Nami’s Collab

The new collaboration VANS Skate Classics will feature Wanted Posters and will be available in either a Nami pattern or a Nico Robin pattern, with the One Piece logo on the outsole. 

Art from Famed Japanese Artist Cookie!

For this unique collaboration, Japanese artist Cookie! provided some new art of Tony Tony Chopper. The Authentic 44 DX One Piece Cookie! features a pink checkerboard pattern with an illustration of the adorable character blended with Cookie! himself. The collection will also feature other goods including hats, bags, hoodies, shirts, and socks. 

The Vans One Piece Collection will go on sale on November 11, 2022, at the Vans Story at APAC and VANS retailers nationwide. It’s unclear whether the items will be available to purchase overseas. 

Official HiGE DANdism released the new song Subtitle on streaming services on October 12, 2022.

Subtitle was chosen as the theme song for the Fuji TV Thursday drama silent. The series follows Tsumugi Aoba, a high schooler who falls in love with fellow student So Sakura. The two love music, and while life pulls them apart, they meet again eight years later at a CD shop. As happy as they are, Tsumugi realizes that So has nearly lost his hearing.

The first episode aired on October 6 and trended at the top spot on Twitter worldwide. Following this, people streamed the episode 1.6 million times, and many are calling it the hottest drama of the season. The show set a record on FOD, TVer, and GYAO as the Fuji TV show with the most views in the shortest amount of time. The official audio for the show’s theme is also available on YouTube.

Along with providing the theme for the drama series, Official HiGE DANdism has also been tasked with producing the music for the junior high school team at the 90th NHK All-Japan School Choir Competition. The theme this year is ‘map,’ and the group expressed thanks for being chosen to participate in the festivities in such a major way. “I hope everyone looks forward to the song that we create,” the group commented.

On October 5, the group released ‘one-man tour 2021-2022 -Editorial- @SAITAMA SUPER ARENA’ on Blu-ray, DVD, and CD. Additionally, the Official HiGE DANdism SHOCKING NUTS TOUR is currently underway, visiting 9 cities throughout Japan for a total of 20 shows.

Popular boys group BE:FIRST has released the music video for Message. The track was featured on the group’s chart-topping first album BE:1 released on August 31.

Message is BE:FIRST’s first love song, featuring a soundscape punctuated by sweet guitar riffs. The mid-tempo ballad is a collaboration between singer-songwriter eill, whose songs reflect elements of soul and R&B and whose silky, soulful voice is incredibly addicting; Matt Cab, whose musical sense and unique sound is perfect for a wide range of genres; and MATZ and SKY-HI, who have attracted attention as next-generation artists who lead the Japanese dance music scene.

The music video shows seven people in love and was filmed like a drama series. The seven performers portray their daily lives as they fall in love, struggle with love, and learn to move forward. The powerful dance is also a highlight. Check out the dramatic performances of the seven members in this elaborate setting.

BE:FIRST is currently on its first nationwide tour, titled BE:FIRST 1st One Man Tour “BE:1” 2022-2023. The tour will take the members to 17 cities nationwide for a total of 29 shows.

Be sure to watch this dance-filled music video, offering a glimpse at a new side of BE:FIRST.

Japanese music streaming site RecoChoku has announced the top song and album rankings for September 2022.

Ado tops both the single and album charts for the second month in a row with her tracks from the movie ONE PIECE FILM RED. The singer provided the singing voice of Uta, the main character in the film which was released nationwide on August 6, 2022. The theme song for the film, New Genesis, ranked top in the weekly rankings on September 7, September 14, and September 28. Back in August, Ado dominated the charts as well, with I’m Invincible and Where the Wind Blows taking the top spots.

Ado also took first place in September’s album ranking with her collection of songs from ONE PIECE FILM RED. A number of other popular artists worked on the album, including Yasutaka Nakata, Mrs. GREEN APPLE, Vaundy, FAKE TYPE., Hiroyuki Sawano, Yuta Orisaka, and Motohiro Hata. The album for the film also ranked top in the weekly rankings on September 7, September 14, and September 28. 

In August, Ado took the top spot for both most popular song and most popular album on RecoChoku’s download ranking, and the singer has done it again in September.

If you haven’t listened to Ado’s collection of songs from the new ONE PIECE film, this is your sign to do so.

RecoChoku Monthly Music Award – September 2022

(Announced October 1, 2022)

Single Ranking
1st Place: New Genesis (Uta from ONE PIECE FILM RED) – Ado (Released June 8, 2022)
2nd Place: Hitotsuboshi – KOH+
3rd Place: Start Over – THE BEAT GARDEN
4th Place: Velvet – back number
5th Place: I’m Invincible (Uta from ONE PIECE FILM RED) – Ado
https://recochoku.jp/ranking/single/monthly/

Album Ranking
1st Place: Uta’s Songs from ONE PIECE FILM RED – Ado (Released August 10, 2022)
2nd Place: Luxury Disease – ONE OK ROCK
3rd Place: YUZU ARENA TOUR 2022 SEES -ALWAYS with you- Yuzu
4th Place: Hitotsuboshi ~Galileo Collection 2007-2022 – KOH+ 
5th Place: BE:1 – BE:FIRST
https://recochoku.jp/ranking/album/monthly/ 
  

©尾田栄一郎／2022「ワンピース」製作委員会