A new trailer released on Sunday revealed the artists set to perform the opening and ending themes for the upcoming anime series Shironeko Project: Zero Chronicle which is set to begin airing on April 6, 2020.

The series is an anime adaptation of the 3D action RPG smartphone game of the same name.

Takanori Nishikawa will perform the series opening theme.

He will be joined by guest vocalist ASCA who is known for her hit single RESISTER which has over 100,000 downloads in Japan. Details on the song title and its release have yet to be announced, but the song will cover the drama between the series’s main characters, Prince of Darkness and Queen of Light Iris.

Rei Yasuda will perform the ending theme song through the dark. Yasuda announced the release of her third studio album Re:I recently, which will hit shelves on March 18. through the dark is being produced by Japanese-Korean record producer and songwrite Jeff Miyahara who has worked with numerous high profile artists including Namie Amuro and Girl’s Generation.

Speaking about the ending theme, Rei Yasuda said: “What is it we can we do for the person we love? I tried expressing these mixed and strong emotions with the themes of light and dark. Love is made up of these two strong forms of love. It’s something that no one can touch, and if you have it, you can make it through any kind of darkness. I really believe that.”

She continues: “I wrote the song about going through hardships to want to do something to protect the person you love, even if you don’t know what someone with such a faint light as yourself can do. It’s a powerful and straightforward feeling that I’m sure everyone has deep instead their heart.”

© COLOPL/Shironeko Animation Project

©COLOPL, Inc.

It has been announced that musician, singer-songwriter and record producer Tomoyasu Hotei will feature on Takanori Nishikawa’s new song UNBROKEN. Both musicians are longtime associates; Hotei featured as a guest on Nishikawa’s self-cover album UNDER:COVER 2 (2013). Hotei reacted enthusiastically to Nishikawa’s request to feature on his new track.

The song was written for the upcoming live-action film Touken Ranbu: The Movie which will be released on January 18, 2019. It is a head-to-head battle between Nishikawa’s vocals and Hotei’s guitar playing that captures the feeling of the film in both the sound and lyrics.

Touken Ranbu: The Movie Trailer

Comment: Takanori Nishikawa
“So that I could write an appropriate song for the main theme that has in it both never-before-seen originality and enthusiasm I was able to summon Tomoyasu Hotei, the ultimate savant! He was in the middle of a busy tour at the time, but he gladly and very kindly accepted my request. I have nothing but gratitude for him. Hotei’s recording process is exciting. The tone of his guitar, the originality of each and everyone of his phrases, and his guitar solos. It was like he was just [casually] walking around. I’m putting my all into my vocals too for his unique guitar [playing], so please look forward to our two-man battle!”

Comment: Tomoyasu Hotei
“I have made music with Nishikawa several times but this is our first collaboration where we really face one another. Singing about Touken Ranbu’s showy world together with Nishikawa’s powerful and fast-paced sound is captivating like cherry blossoms dancing in a tempest. They entwine dramatically. My guitar too―I was able to play sharply and make it ever-changing like ninjutsu. Takanori Nishikawa has  many different faces, but you cannot dislike his true ability to shout. He’s a real vocalist, there aren’t many of them out there.

Takanori Nishikawa is in charge of the ending theme song for the upcoming anime series Gakuen Basara and has announced that the track will be available for purchased on October 5.

Nishikawa is collaborating with Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas for the song which is titled Be Affected. It’s described as a fast paced rock number with lyrics expressing gratitude for life. This is the first time for the two artists to collaborate.

Pre-orders for the single are now open. Pre-ordering will give you access to an exclusive Gakuen Basara digital wallpaper.

“Be Affected”×”Gakuen Basara” Collaborative Music Video

Inazuma Rock Festival 2018 will take place from September 22 to 24. Takanori Nishikawa will perform at the event on September 22 and Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas on September 23.

Comment From Takanori Nishikawa

“It’s been a while! ‘Gakuen Basara’ is a long-cherished anime of mine, and I can’t hide my happiness at the fact it’s starting! It’s a spin-off series and will be different from the other anime series and games to date, but personally that’s something I genuinely want to enjoy. That’s why I thought to take a different approach to songwriting this time and collaborated with Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas who I’ve been friends with for a while. I hope everyone looks forward to the song as much as the series.”

Comment From Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas

“We somehow receive an offer from Nishikawa and worked on a collaborative track which is a first for this band! We’re truly grateful to have received such a valuable opportunity! Please be sure to listen to the song and hear the chemical reaction between Las Vegas’ music and Nishkawa’s voice!

The anime series will premiere on TBS on October 4 and then on BS-TBS on October 6. The opening theme song will be performed by virtual idols EIGHT OF TRIANGLE.

It was revealed earlier in July that Japanese singer-songwriter Takanori Nishkawa, also known as T.M.Revolution, would be singing the opening and ending themes for Thunderbolt Fantasy Touriken Yuuki 2, a collaborative series by the Japanese companies Nitroplus and Good Smile Company and Taiwanese puppet production company Pili International Multimedia.

It has just been announced that both songs, His/Story and Roll The Dice, will be released as singles on November 14.

The songs were written in collaboration with Japanese composer Hiroyuki Sawano who is known for having worked on the soundtracks of many anime series including Kill la Kill and all three Attack on Titan seasons.

Both tracks are a combination of Sawano’s grand sound and Nishikawa’s vocals described as cries the soul. They serve to add further layers to the world of Thunderbolt Fantasy Touriken Yuuki 2.

The CDs will be released as three different versions each with different packaging. The first press limited edition is coupled with a DVD that features the music video for Roll The Dice and its making-of footage while the limited pressing edition includes a DVD featuring the songs’ opening and ending videos.

The series will begin airing on October 1 and includes voice acting by Nishikawa who will play the character Rōfu Yō.

Takanori Nishikawa’s Comments

I’m Takanori Nishkawa, and I’ve been given the chance to be in charge of the opening and ending themes for Thunderbolt Fantasy Touriken Yuuki 2. I’m twice as happy as when I worked on the first season as not only do I get to do the opening theme, but the ending too! And I’m even happier than that because I’ve been able to collaborate with Sawano, something I’ve been longing to do!

The opening theme has the lyrics and melody of the first season’s main theme and has been changed into a song called ‘His/Story.’ The ending theme ‘Roll The Dice’ is a dramatic song that expresses the hapless fates of the characters who have been tossed about.

I have faith in both songs, so I hope that people can support them alongside the series. I will also be playing the role of Rōfu Yō once more as in ‘Thunderbolt Fantasy: The Sword of Life and Death,’ so please look forward to that too.

Hiroyuki Sawano’s Comments

It has been a very stimulating and valuable experience getting to produce the opening and ending themes of Thunderbolt Fantasy Touriken Yuuki 2 together with Nishkawa.  I feel that in both songs―the opening ‘His/Story’ and the ending ‘Roll The Dice―the vigour and liveliness of the sound was made stronger by Nishikawa’s voice which in turn produced a more powerful and emotional song. For the first season we were working on the same song but were both in different places, so I’m honoured to have been able to work together with him for season two.

Please enjoy the songs together with the world of the series!