Columns
Beyond the Anisong vol.13 — UNISON SQUARE GARDEN: Until a Rock Band Learned to Play Love
Fifteen years of evolution: how UNISON SQUARE GARDEN went from battle-anime anthems to scoring a shoujo romance. Tracing a rock band's "adaptation" from TIGER & BUNNY to Uruwashi no Yoi no Tsuki.
Beyond the Anisong vol.12 — Vaundy: Turning Anison into Pop Music
From Chainsaw Man to Yomi no Tsugai, Vaundy has written theme songs for eight works. We trace his declaration to "turn anison into pop" and the milestone reached in Yomi no Tsugai, where he wrote both the opening and the ending.
Beyond the Anisong vol.11 — King Gnu: The Aesthetics of Running Alongside
From "Prayer X" in 2018 to "AIZO" in 2026, King Gnu has crossed paths with anime six times. Not "dedicating" to the work, nor "riding on top" of it — a reading of the third path Daiki Tsuneta reached over eight years: running alongside.
Beyond the Anisong vol.10 — Maaya Sakamoto: Wings That Flew Beyond Yoko Kanno
As Maaya Sakamoto celebrates her 30th anniversary, Yoko Kanno's songs dominate fan polls—yet third place "Be mine!" tells a story of artistic independence.
Beyond the Anisong vol.9 — BEYOND THE TIME: The Melody That Transcends Time
In 1988, Tetsuya Komuro composed a melody for Char's Counterattack. Thirty-seven years later, it resounded in the newest Gundam series. The story of the one song that defies the unwritten rule of anime music.
Beyond the Anisong vol.8 — What Eureka Seven Sounded: The Day Techno and House Became Anime's DNA
All 50 episode titles named after real songs. From Detroit techno to acid house — Eureka Seven etched club music into the very DNA of anime.
Beyond the Anisong vol.7 — Shoji Kawamori and the War of Song: 42 Years of Questioning
"Can song alone end a war?" — The question posed by 23-year-old director Shoji Kawamori has continued to evolve for 42 years, from Macross to AKB0048 to Expo 2025.
Beyond the Anisong Extra — The Anisong Sound Quality Project
With a smartphone and Bluetooth setup costing just 6,500 yen, sounds I'd never heard before became audible. How a budget audio upgrade transformed my experience with the Jujutsu Kaisen OST.
Beyond the Anisong vol.6 — From a Shibuya Record Shop to the World: The Legacy of Nujabes
It was a single anime that carried an unknown beatmaker from Shibuya to the world. Tracing the miraculous chain from Nujabes and Samurai Champloo to the birth of lo-fi hip hop.
Beyond the Anisong #5: Yoshimasa Terui — The Bandman Who Changed Anime Scoring
A post-rock band guitarist dove into Jujutsu Kaisen with zero film scoring experience and transformed the landscape of anime music. Tracing Yoshimasa Terui's journey and the tectonic shift happening in the world of anime scoring.
Beyond the Anisong #4: Shinichiro Watanabe and LAZARUS — When Anime Became a Magnet for Global Talent
Kamasi Washington, Bonobo, Floating Points. World-class jazz and electronica artists converge on Shinichiro Watanabe's latest work LAZARUS, pointing toward the future of anime music.
Beyond the Anisong #3: When Guns N' Roses Chose Gundam — Anime as a Global Platform
SZA on a Gundam opening, Guns N' Roses on the end credits. In an era when Western music legends provide songs for anime, how is the world of anisong changing?
Beyond the Anisong #2: K-POP Enters the Anime Song Arena
The influx of K-pop artists into anime theme songs has accelerated dramatically in recent years. From Beyblade to Solo Leveling and Trillion Game — decoding the clear strategy behind this movement.
Beyond the Anisong #1: Why Anime Songs?
"Anime songs are just kids' music, right?" If that's what you think, you're missing out on something extraordinary. This column digs into what lies beyond the anisong — the structure of the music, the talent of the artists, and the creative forces behind the scenes.