Anime Anime Global

June 9 is “Rock Day”.

The anniversary was born from a combination of the words “6” and “9”. It originates from rock and roll in the USA, and nowadays, the word “rock” has gone beyond its original meaning, becoming so a term used in many places.

Many bands have appeared in anime as well, performing a wide variety of genres of music, including rock music. The bands vary in their appeal, from their overwhelmingly loud vocals to their superb guitar techniques.

Here at Anime! Anime! we conducted a reader survey asking, “What is your favorite band from the anime series?”.
In the case the title has been adapted into an anime, we have also included bands that didn't make any performance in the show, along with bands that only appeared in the original manga (and also new bands which were introduced in the anime version).
During the survey period between May 29 to Jun. 5, a total of 185 responses were received. The gender ratio featured almost the same number of votes with 45% male and 55% female. The age group was about 50% for those under the age of 19, about 25% for those in their 20s, mainly focusing on youngsters.

■HTT from “K-On!” is on top! The band got back together unexpectedly last year, becoming so a hot topic.
The 1st place goes to Houkago Tea Time (HTT) from “K.On!” with an approval rating of about 20%.

The high school girls' After School Tea Time band gained a lot of popularity due to its match with the fluffy storyline; “Their songs have a good tempo and match with the characters, and, in addition, many of them were easy to get excited about”, and “I was able to see heartwarming and unconventional teenagers of a band that appears totally different from the others”.
According to some of the fans, their variety of songs was also appealing, “HTT is the perfect band! I love the fact that they can perform many different genres of music, from pop songs to cool songs to comical songs”. Their unexpected performance at Animelo Summer Live 2019 thrilled the fans; “The surprising performance they had on their 10th anniversary at Anisama was amazing!”.

The 2nd place goes to Roselia from “BanG Dream!” with an approval rating of about 10%.

Some comments were received such as, “Roselia is so cool. The costumes, the songs, the atmosphere, everything is great”, and “I like the songs, the voices, and the characters. Also, I can't believe they even managed the stage direction and the costumes by themselves at such a high level… It's amazing!”. Many fans commented about their “BanG Dream!” live performance where the cast members introduced their own musical instruments, “As being voice actors, their live music performance is unbelievable”.

The 3rd place goes to given from “Given”, which had about 10 percent support.

Given, the band to which the protagonist Satou Mafuyu belongs, was praised by the fans not only for the songs, but also for the stories of each member; “It's a moving story about four people who are haunted by their past, and build up a new life as a band”. Other comments were also received; “The first scene where Mafuyu sang by reading the song lyrics was very touching!”, and “I was hooked on the live scenes”.

■ Additional comments have been revealed!
Girls Dead Monster from “Angel Beats!”; “The GirlDeMo can be said to be the starting point of LiSA. The insert song “Ichiban no Takaramono” reminds me of some scenes from the show and makes me want to cry”.
The A-Band from “My Hero Academia”; “The song 'Hero too', which was performed in the anime, was very touching by the way it showed the students growing up as heroes. The gaudy stage performance characterized by the students' unique personalities was also very powerful”.

Plasmagica from “SHOW BY ROCK!!”; “Plasmagica and all the bands in the show are very attractive. The way they grow up in a Myumon drama (not a human drama), the coolness of their songs, their cuteness… all of these aspects are put together making everything great”.
Some votes were also received for popular works of the '90s such as “Macross 7” with its band FIRE BOMBER; “I love their variety of genres, such as rock songs and ballads”, and “The timeless and hot sound touched my heart”.

The survey featured a lot of comments not only related to the songs of the band, but also to the live scenes which fans have been reminded of. A variety of bands, from full-fledged artists to school clubs and characters who fight with their singing voices, have been gathered.

■Overall Ranking
[What is your favorite band from the anime series?]
1. Houkago Tea Time “K-On!”
2. Roselia “BanG Dream!”
3. given “Given”
4. Girls Dead Monster “Angel Beats!”
5. FIRE BOMBER “Macross 7”
5. Poppin'Party “Bang Dream!”
7. Afterglow “Bang Dream!”
8. A-Band “My Hero Academia”
9. in NO hurry to shout “Anonymous Noise”
9. The Sketchbook “SKET DANCE”
9. SOARA “TSUKIPRO THE ANIMATION”
9. High×Joker “The Idolmaster: SideM”
9. Hello, Happy World! “BanG Dream!”
14. Argonavis “Argonavis from BanG Dream!”
14. ULTRA SOULS “Bakumatsu Rock”
14. ENOZ “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya”
14. The fallen moon “Fuuka”
14. More Than True “Aikatsu!”

(Response period: May 29 – Jun. 5, 2020)