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!

On February 22, the popular rock band SCANDAL will release the documentary MIRROR on Blu-ray and DVD. In April, the artists will embark on the SCANDAL TOUR 2023 – Unlimited UTOPIA, performing in seven cities across Japan.

The new song Line of Sight was written by the band to serve as the theme song for the arcade card game Mobile Suit Gundam Arsenal Base LINXTAGE, scheduled to release in late February. Read SCANDAL’s comment below!

Mobile Suit Gundam Arsenal Base LINXTAGE〈LINXTAGE SEASON:01〉PV

—
“We’re pleased to announce that we’ve been put in charge of the theme song for Mobile Suit Gundam Arsenal Base LINXTAGE.
This summer, SCANDAL will celebrate our 17th anniversary. What a great time to get this incredible offer!
We met with the team behind Arsenal Base and shared our thoughts and feelings before starting production on the song.
In the game, music is played during battle scenes, where players’ emotions are heightened. Considering that, we wrote a fast-paced, danceable track.
In the end, we combined our own thoughts and feelings with the world of Gundam. Be sure to listen to the lyrics closely!
Please enjoy our music as you play Arsenal Base!
—

Mobile Suit Gundam Arsenal Base is a real-time strategy arcade card game in which players take on the role of a commander in control of five mobile suits and five pilots fighting to destroy a collection of enemy battleships. Found in many arcades across Japan, players place pilot cards on the terminal in dedicated boxes. The terminal then reads a QR code on each card. The series will soon introduce tons of new content including the LINXTAGE BATTLE system, in which two players can enter battle at the same time. Be sure to listen to a snippet of Line of Sight in the new PV!

The mobile game Puzzle & Dragons has been around for ten years, with over 90 million downloads worldwide. Continuing its incredible popularity to this day, Universal Music has announced that a best-of album would be released on November 23, 2022, featuring a number of popular tracks from the game.

The album, titled Puzzle & Dragons 10th Anniversary Festival, will feature a collection of original songs by famed game composers Kenji Ito and Yukio Nakajima. Fans of the series will be excited to hear Departure Ver.0, created by Ito before the well-known song Departure was released. This will be the first time that the song has ever been released.

The album jacket features newly-drawn illustrations of Ideal, who won the top spot in last year’s character ranking, Sonia, Roche, Valeria, and Mil. 

The album will be released as a CD and will also be available to stream and download. Those buying the CD will enjoy a two-disc set and special packaging, with a booklet featuring illustrations and interviews by Kenji Ito, Yukio Nakajima, and the producer Yamamoto. 100 lucky winners will be selected by lottery to win an original towel featuring exclusive art.

Over the past decade, Puzzle & Dragons has brought plenty of joy to people’s lives. Have you ever played the title? Is the music special to you?

Don’t miss the 10th-anniversary celebration of Puzzle & Dragons!

©GungHo Online Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

An animated music video for the track ətˈæk 0N tάɪtn＜TFSv＞ from Attack on Titan The Final Season has been uploaded to YouTube. The song will be featured on the upcoming second soundtrack, scheduled to be released on June 22 and composed by Hiroyuki Sawano. The track itself was played during a crucial moment in Episode 87. 

The music video features footage from The Final Season Part 2, which aired from January to April.

ətˈæk 0N tάɪtn＜TFSv＞ – Attack on Titan The Final Season OST (Official Music Video)

The soundtrack will include 15 tracks including Ashes on the Fire -PTV- and Footsteps of Doom. Fans of the series won’t want to miss picking it up, and it will also be available to stream on all major streaming services this week.

The final episodes of Attack on Titan The Final Season will air on NHK General in 2023.

©諫山創・講談社／「進撃の巨人」The Final Season製作委員会

An animated music video for Ashes on the Fire -PTV- from Attack on Titan The Final Season has been released! Featuring music by Kohta Yamamoto, the upcoming second soundtrack, set to be released on June 22, is already becoming a hot topic online. It will also include the full version of Footsteps of Doom, which played during a vital scene in episode 80. The song has over 4 million plays on YouTube, an incredible feat for a song from an anime soundtrack. The final episodes of Attack on Titan The Final Season will air on NHK General in 2023. 

Ashes on The Fire -PTV- / Attack on Titan The Final Season OST

https://youtu.be/OhLF2dsmQpI

Footsteps of Doom / Attack on Titan The Final Season OST 

https://youtu.be/GJl_fn_skOM

Attack on Titan The Final Season OST 02 Announcement Trailer

https://youtu.be/CxMAtgTbkdU

The soundtrack will include 15 tracks including the popular song the ətˈæk 0N tάɪtn<TFSv>. Be sure to give it a listen whenever you’re feeling nostalgic for this incredible series!

A second soundtrack for Attack on Titan The Final Season will be released on streaming services on June 22, 2022.

Attack on Titan The Final Season Part 2 aired from January to April of 2022. The new soundtrack will include the full version of Footsteps of Doom, written by Kohta Yamamoto and played during episode 80. The song has over 4 million plays on YouTube, an incredible feat for a song from an anime soundtrack. 

The album will also include a new version of Ashes on the Fire and the track ətˈæk 0N tάɪtn＜TFSv＞.

Attack on Titan The Final Season Original Soundtrack – Footsteps of Doom Sample Video

The album jacket features a new illustration of Eren Jaeger drawn by animator Takashi Kojima, who was in charge of the opening animation for Attack on Titan The Final Season Part 2.

The final episodes of Attack on Titan The Final Season will air on NHK General in 2023. 

©諫山創・講談社／「進撃の巨人」The Final Season製作委員会

Rock band MAN WITH A MISSION is getting ready to release a new album, Break and Cross the Walls II, on May 25. Ahead of this exciting date, the group has revealed the music video for Blaze on YouTube!

Blaze has been featured as the opening theme for Mobile Suit GUNDAM Iron Blooded Orphans Special Edition, the nine-episode digest edition of the 2015-2017 anime series, since April. The clip is packed with the anime’s memorable scenes, so be sure to check it out! 

The theme song is also available on all popular music streaming sites.

Blaze – MAN WITH A MISSION (GUNDAM Iron Blooded Orphans Special Edition Anime Music Video)
https://youtu.be/rTamYmhLOaw

MAN WITH A MISSION will start a nationwide tour, MAN WITH A MISSION Presents Break and Cross the Walls Tour 2022, on June 16.

The soundtrack for World Trigger Seasons 2 & 3, which both aired in 2021, will be released on April 27, 2022.

The anime adaptation of Daisuke Ashihara’s sci-fi action manga, currently serialized in Jump Square, first premiered in 2014. A second season aired from January to April 2021, and a third season ran from October 2021 until January 2022. 

The soundtrack will contain a total of 39 sounds. The music was composed by Kenji Kawai, who has written the music for the series since season one. On October 17, 2021, the World Trigger Symphonic Band event was held at the Tokyo Garden Theater.

©葦原大介／集英社・テレビ朝日・東映アニメーション

The soundtrack for the anime series takt op.Destiny, which wrapped in December 2021, was released on February 23, 2022! Available in standard and limited-edition versions and on streaming services, a trailer for the collection of classical tracks has also been uploaded to YouTube!

The standard two-disc set includes 52 tracks from the anime series, while the limited edition includes 4-discs covering all classical tracks found in the show and voice tracks by the main cast. A 68-page booklet includes interviews with the show’s director and composer, original drawings, storyboards, and more behind-the-scenes details. 

Composer Yorihiro Ike commented on the soundtrack. “It’s still so fresh in my mind. I realize now that the series was actually a love-focused drama, so when I wrote the song With Love, it was all the more meaningful. It was an important piece of work for me. The soundtrack includes everything from classical pieces to jazz riffs. It won’t disappoint, so please, give it a listen.” 

The teaser trailer includes the song With Love, an important song inspired by the show’s main character.

takt op.Destiny Original Soundtrack Teaser Trailer

The series, available to stream in the west on Crunchyroll, tells the story of a world shaken by a black meteorite. Monsters appear from the crater, and those who hold the power of the “Musicart” can use the power of music and sound to defeat the beasts. Produced by MAPPA and MADHOUSE and directed by Yuki Ito, it became a global hit, and will expand into the video game market in the future.

©DeNA/takt op.Phil

Japanese lingerie brand PEACH JOHN has begun selling a new collaboration with the popular anime series Mobile Suit Gundam 00. These items are available at select PEACH JOHN stores and online, and consists of two lingerie sets, loungewear, and a reusable bag. Those wanting to buy these pieces in-store will need to go to the Shibuya, Shinjuku Sanchome, or Osaka locations.

Peasy001 / Peasy Panties

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Bra Set (No Wires)

Oversized PJ Set

Haro Reusable Bag

Many popular emblems and logos from the popular series appear on these pieces. The Peasy001 set features a non-wired bra top that is extremely comfortable, with fabric made of glossy stretch satin. 

The soft and warm pajamas are available in pastel tones matching the image colors of the main characters, and all are available in loose sizes to make them extra cozy. 

The reuseable bag is large enough to hold A3-sized items, and is made of a light and durable polyester fabric with the beloved character Haro printed all over it. It also includes a storage pouch which can be used as a coin purse or small accessory case.

Premium Bandai is now accepting orders for a new Earthware Pot resembling Char’s Z’Gok from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam. This is perfect for cooking up some stew this winter season!

Char’s Z’Gok Earthenware Pot: ¥7,480 (Tax Included) *Shipping and Handling not included

The pot is large enough to make food for 1-2 people and is designed to look like Char’s Z’Gok from the “ascending from underwater” scene in the Battle of Jaburo. The pot’s steam vent is the Mobile Suit’s missile launch port!

This product is available to purchase at GUNDAM Cafe locations around Japan and online at the Premium Bandai store. Items ordered online will ship in December. 

©創通・サンライズ

Nagoya PARCO will host the Gundam World Contrast event from December 24, 2021 until January 16, 2022. The event will feature a deep-dive of Mobile Suit Gundam and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED from various perspectives and will show the contrasts between the two popular series. The event will then travel nationwide after finishing in Nagoya.

Plastic Model for Advanced Ticket Holders

Bonus: Gundam World Contrast Limited Design Special Promo Card

Story Wall

Special Photo Spot

Exhibition of Katsumi Kawaguchi’s Contrast Diorama

Conceptual Exhibitions

Limited-Edition Merchandise

Only at Gundam World Contrast

MG 1/100 RX-78-2 Gundam Ver 3.0 (Event Exclusive)

1/100 Aile Strike Gundam Ver.RM (Event Exclusive)

ENTRY GRADE 1/144 Strike Gundam (Event Presale)

Clear Folder (Set of 2, Gundam World Contrast Exclusive)

Pop Socket (Gundam World Contrast Exclusive)

Acrylic Stand (10 varieties, Gundam World Contrast Exclusive)

Choco Crunch (Gundam World Contrast Exclusive)

Mug (Gundam World Contrast Exclusive)

Visitors can enjoy the exhibition corner, which shows the history of both works including famous scenes and the emotional growth of the main characters. The merchandise corner will feature a number of goods only available at the event including Gunpla. Fans of the franchise shouldn’t miss this, as visitors will get a promo card to use for Bandai’s latest arcade card game Mobile Suit Gundam Arsenal Base, scheduled to release in spring 2021.

©創通・サンライズ