Rocking out and taking out monsters: The power of music in anime [Part 1]

Music has always been important in anime, but especially in recent years. This year alone, at least seven music series aired, specifically BanG Dream! Ave Mujica (also known as Ave Mujica – The Die is Cast), Flower and Asura, Harmony of Mille-Feuille, Maebashi Witches, Princession Orchestra, You and Idol Pretty Cure, and Rock Is a Lady’s Modesty. This post will focus on three of those series (Ave Mujica – The Die is Cast, You and Idol Pretty Cure, and Rock Is a Lady’s Modesty), and talk about two music series which I watched this year, but aired in previous years: Love Live!! Sunshine (season 2) and K-On! (season 2).

This post will be in two parts. This part will talk about Ave Mujica – The Die is Cast, You and Idol Pretty Cure, and Rock Is a Lady’s Modesty, Love Live!! Sunshine (season 2), and K-On! (season 2). The second part will focus on Nana and Sound! Euphonium. As a warning, this post will discuss alcoholism, mental health, abusive relationships, and other mature topics.

On January 2nd, Ave Mujica – The Die is Cast burst onto the scene, streaming on Crunchyroll. It is the the sequel series to BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!!, which aired from June to September 2023. The first episode starts off with a play/performance (a masquerade), pulling you in. All band members cover their faces in order to hide their identities. Of course, in typical fashion of the BanG Dream! franchise, this leads into a rock song. While some yuri reviewers abandoned the aforementioned franchise, which this series (originally called BanG Dream! Ave Mujica) is spun off from, I take a different perspective. With Sakiko Togawa (voiced by Kanon Takao) is leader of this band, which calls themselves Ave Mujica. She tells them to keep on their masks until they get back to the dressing room to conceal their identities. This is intended on ensuring the band’s popularity without becoming a “passing fad.” She is good friends with Uika Misumi (voiced by Rico Sasaki) who sticks by her no matter what. At the same time, there are tensions between some band members.

Sakiko’s home life is a mess. In the first episode, she has to pick up her father from jail because he is a drunkard and brings him home. She still aims to advance her band so they canto play at Budokan. She remembers back to the loss of her mother at an early age. After listening to the band Morfonica in the school gym, after school, she was drawn to music. This leads to the creation of CRYCHIC. She attempts to live with her drunkard father, who reportedly committed massive fraud, rather than her grandfather. At the same time, she tries to hold the band together before it all falls apart. In a connection to It’s My Go!, Anon Chihaya (voiced by Rin Tateishi) invites Tomori Takamatsu (voiced by Hina Yōmiya) to attend a performance of Ave Mujica, and then invites Soyo Nagasaki (voiced by Mika Kohinata). All the while, Sakiko’s father wants her to leave him alone, even though she clearly cares for him.

The first episode ends with a play/performance by band members Sakiko, Mutsumi Wakaba (voiced by Yuzuki Watase), Misumi, and Umiri Yahata (voiced by Mei Okada). Nyamu Yūtenji (voiced by Akane Yonezawa) ruins everything because she is tired of the masquerade. Sakiko decides to go with it despite the fact that she is annoyed with Nyamu. In episodes that follow, some band members predict it is the beginning of the end for their band. Anon, Tomori, Soyo, and others have a role, but only as secondary characters. For instance, Rāna Kaname (voiced by Hina Aoki) and Taki Shiina (voiced by Coco Hayashi) only briefly appear.

At one point, Sakiko stays with Uika rather than returning to her alcoholic father. Mutsumi has a nervous breakdown. She begins going down a dark path, with her alternate identity (Mortis) taking control of her body during a live performance! Teenage angst continues to reign supreme. The band splits apart in episodes four and five. By episode five, they have gone their separate ways. The rest of the show, like It’s My Go!, is filled with hurt, angst, and strong emotions. It was a lot to take in every week. It is later revealed, in the eighth episode, that Mutsumi is a manufactured personality. She does not, apparently, exist. One personality ends up killing the other!

The eleventh episode goes a unique direction. The entire episode almost exclusively focuses on a one-woman play put on by Hatsune Misumi “Uika” about her life, allowing her to “detach into the necessarily unreliable.” She wanted to become close to Sakiko by becoming someone else. Hatsune’s stage production may not even be real. Due to corporate insurance, this could be why she is not shown kissing Saki. The episode reveals the family tree of Hatsune and Sakiko. With this episode, viewers are encouraged to revisit the scene where “Sakiko meets with the girl she knows as Uika” in the eighth episode of It’s My Go!!!! All the while, Ave Magica is… falling apart again.

The series ends with Sakiko accepts Hatsune, despite confessing her true identity. Sakiko gets her belongings from her family mansion and decides to move with with Hatsune. Both return to their activities as Ave Magica members. As she keeps secrets, she apologizes to Tomori, for dragging her band, MyGo!!!!! into the issues with their band, and demands support from their former agency. Later, Ave Mujica and MyGO!!!!! hold separate performances. The last episode ends with a bang, with songs resonating about the circumstances they are in, and both bands concluding their concerts with standing ovations. The series plot threads are certainly continued in two manga volumes, and will be in a planned sequel, and a film.

By the time Ave Mujica had ended, a few musical series had taken their place. One of those was You and Idol Pretty Cure. Although it did not have a “girl band” in the usual sense, the characters came together as an idol group to fight evil. The series is the second in the entire Pretty Cure franchise to center on idols, and have singing and music as a theme. The first is Suite PreCure. It occupied the time slot of Wonderful PreCure, when it premiered on February 2nd of this year. Chiaki Kon, known for work on various episodes of DokiDoki! PreCure, Kirakira Pretty Cure a la Mode, The Way of the Househusband, Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure, and Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure, directed, with Yōichi Katō as writer, and Miho Sugimoto as character designer. The three protagonists, who transform into Cure Idol, Cure Wink, and Cure Kyun-Kun, are Uta Sakura, Nana Aokaze, and Kokoro Shigure. They all have their own personalities, either loving to sing (Uta), play piano (Nana), or dance (Kokoro). They are voiced by Misato Matsuoka, Minami Takahashi, and Natsumi Takamori respectfully. Their final attacks involve song and dance routines.

The Pretty Cures get their power from various fairies, like Purirun (voiced by Yoshino Nanjō) and Meroron (voiced by Miharu Hanai), both of whom live in KirakiLand. The latter is ruled by Queen Pikariine (voiced by Sayaka Ohara). I liked how ridiculous the fairies are at the beginning and that Uta does not trust them at all (acting exactly as she should!). The heroic protagonists face the Chokkiri Gang, which aim to steal people’s sparkles, and are led by Darkine (voiced by Rina Satō). She is assisted by three generals: one woman (Chokkirinu), and two men (Zackly and Cutty). The latter like to play pool. These characters are voiced by Sayuri Yahagi, Setsuji Satō, and Hiroki Yamada. They summon Makkuranda monsters are various forms. Uta’s younger sister, named Hamori (voiced by Yuko Iida) and her dog companion, Kyu-chan (voiced by Kenjiro Tsuda) appear occasionally.

Many of these voice actors were familiar. For instance, Matsuoka voiced characters in Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie (Kyo Nekozaki), Girls Band Cry (Nana), and two other series this year: Bad Girl (Suzu Suzukase) and Harmony of Mille-Feuille (Rei “Reirei” Kanoe). Takahashi voiced characters in Flip Flappers (Cocona), Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid (Lucoa), and Harukana Receive (Kanna Aragaki). Takamori voiced characters in Stardust Telepath and Love Live! School Idol Project (Nanjō voiced Eli Ayase in this series too). Hanai voiced Kokoa in Acro Trip and Beatrice in Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement. The other voice actors were new. Like some other series in this paragraph, female friendship was an important part of this series. Otherwise, You and Idol Pretty Cure focuses on the importance of having confidence in yourself, living up to expectations, idol life, female empowerment, family, standing up for others, and managing their job as saviors.

Surely, there were other musical series which shined throughout the year, like Flower and Asura, Harmony of Mille-Feuille, Maebashi Witches, and Princession Orchestra. One was above the rest: Rock Is a Lady’s Modesty. Unlike You and Idol Pretty Cure and Ave Mujica, this series streamed on HIDIVE. This anime, also known as Rock wa Lady no Tashinamideshite, is based on Hiroshi Fukuda’s ongoing manga (eight volumes published do far). It falls squarely into the music and coming of age genres. Beginning in April, directed by Shinya Watada and Ōri Yasukawa (assistant director). It is written by Shogo Yasukawa and comes from Bandai Namco Pictures. Watada previously directed many episodes of Love Live! Superstar!!, Love Live! Sunshine!!, and Love Live! School Idol Project. Yasukawa directed KonoSuba, Stars Align, and Somali and the Forest Spirit episodes.

The angst present was clear from the video previews I watched before this released. Even one voice actor, Akira Sekine, who voices Lilisa Suzunomiya in this series, voiced Anna Doll in Bureaucrat to Villainess, and characters in Senpai Is an Otokonoko (Saki Aoi), Ippon Again! (Emma Durand), Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure (Sora Harewataru/Cure Sky), Akebi’s Sailor Uniform (Kei Tanigawa), Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story (Lily Lipman), and Princess Principal (Princess Charlotte). The series gets even more credence considering that Fukuda’s manga was recommended by Aki Hamazi. She wrote the manga that the Bocchi the Rock! anime was based on. That anime has been renewed for a second season.

Prior to watching this series, I read some of the manga, showing Lilisa attempting to become a refined woman and comes across Otoha Kurogane, who Miyuri Shimabukuro voices. Otoha, who plays drums, convinces her to play guitar wildly, and they play off against each other. They have a music battle of sorts, making me think of the rap battle in D4DJ (episode “Childhood Friends”), the music battle-of-sorts in the final season of Love Live! Superstar, or the duet between Steven and Greg in the Steven Universe film.

Lilisa and Otoha are drawn to each other, competing with one another in the first episode. They form a rock band and attempt to keep their playing a secret. This contrasts from the polite, quiet, modest, elite, and proper nature of the school, for ladies of the upper class, with classical music playing. It echoes series like Maria Watches Over Us, with both Lilisa and Otaha trapped in this gilded cage, and this series is stocked full with Class S markers. The difference between these two series is clear in the series opening, even more than the trailer, since it is by Band-Maid, which is an actual band.

The second episode follows the first with Lilisa trying to avoid playing with Otoha and accidentally saying she learned English from the Red Chili Peppers. At the same time that her stepsister Alice plays violin better than her, Otoha reveals that she plays drums because she wants to, not to be a lady or anything like that. This surprises Lilisa, who plays guitar alongside her, in an effort to “prove her wrong.” In later episodes, Lilisa and Otoha have a jam session, and playing together in a band (after looking for band members).

Alice tries to kick Lilisa and her mother out of the mansion they live in together (and fails), while Lilisa’s mother tries to shame her into submission. The fifth episode is one of the best. Alice learns that her sister plays guitar and is amazed, while they deal with an arrogant professional singer, followed by the sixth episode, which introduces Tina Isemi, the Prince of Oushin, and badass Shiro, as they try to find their sound. Shiro remains a hard ass, clashing not just with Lilisa but with Tina, causing band fissures.

Rock is a Lady’s Modesty ends with a contest between the Rock Lady band, consisting of Lilisa, Tina, Shiro and Otoha, and a boy band. They win as their song resonates, even though they are new. Even Alice comes to admire her sister. The end of the series leaves open the possibility of continuation. Sadly, due to the one-season yuri curse, it is unlikely. As one reviewer put it, the series is “loud, vulgar, sapphic, and proud,” often in an overtly sexual and flirtatious way. Although this series faded away, the coming year will bring with it Bocchi the Rock! season two and the Hasunosora Girls’ High School Idol Club anime film. Ikizuraibu! Love Live! Bluebird is only a mixed media project with social media postings but could get an anime adaptation.

Ave Mujica, You and Idol Pretty Cure, and Rock Is a Lady’s Modesty all differ from series in previous years, like Love Live! Sunshine!!. This year I watched the second season of that series, which originally aired from October to December 2017. I felt that the first season ended on a good note, despite criticism about the plot using story elements from the original series, Love Live! School Idol Project, which was the first entry in the Love Live! franchise, I agree that visual comedy, and other aspects, made it enjoyable. The second season begins with Uranohoshi Girls’ Academy threatened with closure again. Although yuri themes aren’t the core of the series, and it more subtext than anything else, this series excels when it comes to female friendship, with music at the center. This is not unique to this series, but is the same on every series within the franchise.

Highlights of this series include a shy library reader named Hanamaru Kunakida. She’s a gregarious introvert and one protagonist. Another protagonist, Mari, is a third-year student. This series had a 2023 spinoff named Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror, where the characters reprise their roles, with an idol focus. That series has few male characters, with the all-female cast being shown as friends with one another rather than lovers. The same is the case in Love Live! Sunshine!! Sunrise, a division of Bandai Namco Filmworks, an anime studio which produced animated series within the Love Live! franchise, produced this series. Tadashi Hirayama directed the series. He recently directed Girls Band Cry, which had some yurish themes.

In Love Live! Sunshine!!, eight girls are members of Aquors, a school idol club: Chika Takami (voiced by Anju Inami), Hanamaru Kunikida (voiced by Kanako Takatsuki), Mari Ohara (voiced by Aina Suzuki), Riko Sakurauchi (voiced by Rikako Aida), Dia Kurosawa (voiced by Arisa Komiya), You Watanbe (voiced by Shuka Saitō), Yoshiko “Yohane” Tsuhima (voiced by Aika Kobayashi), and Ruby Kurosawa (voiced by Ai Furihata). Each one has their own personality. They serve as school idols for their high school, facing off against other groups like Saint Snow, and aim to win the highest level of the Love Live! contest. The series sadly ends with their high school closing down.

Love Live! Sunshine!! is different in many ways from K-On!, with both seasons streaming on Prime Video for purchase and HIDIVE. This series is based on a manga, of the same name, by Kakifly. She is known for yuri comedy and slice-of-life manga Kanamemo and yurish slice-of-life comedy Yuyushiki. Both were adapted into anime like K-On! The series begins by following the story of four high school girls (Yui Hirasawa, Mio Akiyama, Ritsu Tainaka, and Tsumugi Kotobuki) who join a light music club at their all-girls private high school.

Yui improves her guitar abilities as the series progresses. She is joined by Mio on bass, Ritsu on drums, and Tsumugi in keyboard. Their club is overseen by former guitar-player and current music teacher Sawako Yamanaka. First-year Azusa Nakano later joins, becoming the rhythm guitarist.

The second season, which originally aired from April to September 2010, is twice as long as the first season (13 episodes). It picks up where the first left off, continuing to follow the stories of Yui, Mio, Ritsu, Tsumugi, Azusa, and their friends. It follows the last year that the first four are part of the club before they graduate from Sakuragaoka High. Yui’s sister, Ui (voiced by Madoka Yonezawa) is a supporting character, as is Yui’s friend Nodoka Manabe (voiced by Chika Fujitō), a friend of Ui and Azusa named Jun Suzuki (voiced by Yoriko Nagata), and former student council president and Mio fan club founder Megumi Sokabe (voiced by Asumi Kodama). Ritsu’s younger brother Satoshi Tainaka (voiced by Mika Itō) also has a supporting role.

Other characters, who appear in the manga, like Sumire Saitō, Nao Okuda, Akira Wada, Sachi Hayashi, Ayame Yoshida, Kana Yoshii, or Chiyo Hirose, do not appear in the anime. Additionally, none of the characters featured in K-On! Shuffle are in the anime. As such, to learn the full story, it requires reading the manga.

The voice actors for K-On! have lent their voices to many series. This has included anime with yuri themes or yuri subtext. For instance, Aki Toyosaki, who voices Yui in this series, voiced characters in Sweet Blue Flowers (Miwa Mogi), Kanamemo (Kana Nakamachi), YuruYuri (Chitose Ikeda), and Flip Flappers (Welwitschia), and Aoi Inuyama in the Laid-Back Camp. Those series focus on female friendship, like K-On!. Yoko Hikasa, who voices Mio in K-on!, voiced characters in BanG Dream! (Tomoe Udagawa), Bodacious Space Pirates (Lynn Lambretta), Encouragement of Climb (Kaede Saitō), Little Witch Academia (Diana Cavendish), I’m in Love with the Villainess (Yu Bauer) and Flower and Asura (Shura Saionji). Some other voice actors, for K-On!, have lent their voices to characters in Kin-iro Mosaic, Bloom Into You, and Noir.

K-On! ended with a film which aired in Japanese theaters in early December 2011. It released on Blu-ray and DVD in mid-July 2012. This film brings the characters outside the confines of Japan, as they play a few gigs in London, and connects with the series as a whole. In a certain way, it was partially an inspiration for a place I visited during my overseas trip: the British Museum’s Enlightenment Gallery. During the film, when the characters travel around to London, they go to the aforementioned gallery, and touch a replica Rosetta Stone. The next part of this series will focus on Sound! Euphonium seasons 1-3 and Nana.