they write all ur fave anime openings
Welcome to mixed feelings’ Hyperspecific, a profile series of increasingly intimate questions in which we ask our favorite artists, scientists, musicians, and the like to unveil their innermost selves — their weird existential musings.
A hyper specific pastime of mine is asking other weebs to name their favorite anime opening and then asking if they can fight. There are the classics: YUI’s “Again” from Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, Yoko Takahashi’s “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” from Neon Genesis Evangelion, or my personal favorite sleeper hit: TK’s “Unravel” from Tokyo Ghoul. But in recent years, a newer group has joined the pantheon of stop-what-you’re-doing-and-belt-with-me greats and it is YOASOBI.
YOASOBI (which loosely translates to “nightlife” in Japanese) is a certifiable bop machine. Between the two of them — composer and producer Ayase and vocalist ikura — they’ve managed to score the openings to the most popular anime right now including the subversive fantasy drama Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Oshi No Ko for which their song “Idol” won this year’s Crunchyroll award for Best Anime Song, and Beastars, the show everyone loves but won’t admit that they do (I say it lovingly: furries).
What makes YOASOBI so unique is their dedication to pulling inspiration from written works for their music, which the group has been doing since their inception in 2019. Their dance-pop sound is the ideal juxtaposition to the darker subject matter they explore: the highs and lows of Japan’s entertainment industry or the trials and tribulations of finding your humanity when you've cut yourself off emotionally from the world, to name two.
On a separate note, they are also responsible for this J-pop-meets-K-pop meeting of the minds when they joined some of the biggest K-pop acts (Stray Kids, NewJeans, Seventeen, Le Sserafim, and more) for an extremely meta performance of “Idol.”
As you can probably tell, YOASOBI provides the soundtrack to much of the things that bring me joy. To celebrate the release of their EP E-Side 3 this spring, they answered our Hyperspecific questionnaire. Read their answers — including the first fandom they lost themselves in and their thoughts on Legend of Zelda: TotK — below. XO, Mi-Anne
LEVEL I
Something you’re always hoping people bring up in conversation when you first meet.
Ayase: It makes me really happy when someone asks me, “hey, where's the clothes you're wearing from? What's the brand?”
ikura: I think for me, since I am a musical artist, if people talk about their impression of a live performance, how the staging was, or really any kind of subject related to music, it really helps me get into the conversation.
One destructive trait you know you possess and wish you didn’t.
Ayase: Well, I for one am a very shy guy, so sometimes I can't always look people in the eye. And I know that about myself.
ikura: This happened to me quite recently actually! Whenever I meet an artist or a celebrity that I really like I get really nervous and anxious around it. So I want to overcome that.
If a bodega were to name a dish after you, what would it be? (Be specific.)
ikura: I think it would be okonomiyaki, which is kind of a mixed Japanese pancake where you can throw anything into it. We’d have Japanese elements and also Western elements. We’re not sure this really exists!
One song that makes you feel understood.
ikura: Taylor [Swift] writes so openly and frankly about her love life…but I’m not sure if I’m like that so I don’t know…
Ayase: It’s not a specific song, but there is an artist in Japan [named Gen Hoshino.] I love his lyrics and stylistic musical choices. I feel like he really understands me.
Something you think is wildly underrated.
Ayase: There's a video game, Legend of Zelda: Tears of Kingdom, it's the latest entry in the Zelda franchise. Although it has been called a masterpiece, I think it deserves to be called that even more so. It has turned the world upside down!
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LEVEL II
A movie you watch when you want to self-soothe.
ikura: I don't tend to watch the same movie multiple times, but recently I had a girls night with some of my friends and we rewatched the film Coda. It was very thought-provoking because as artists who do we write for? Where are we directing a lot of our musical energy? It was a very interesting experience to see it for the second time...I fold it into my own daily life as an artist and a lot of the music is very natural, so I find it relaxing. I'll listen to the Coda soundtrack when I'm in the car or on the move.
What’s the first fandom you lost yourself in..
ikura: High School Musical
Ayase: "Monster Hunter"
Something you bought recently after LOTS of research.
ikura: I bought an inhaler (to moisturize my throat for better vocal performance).
Ayase: I got a height-adjustable desk.
LEVEL III
What’s an anecdote you usually tell to describe how you were as a kid?
ikura: I would often break my favorite toys since I loved them too much. My parents would call me "destroyer."
Ayase: I loved the Japanese "Power Rangers" series when I was around three. One day I was sleeping, but the opening theme song came on, and I suddenly woke up and danced to it. My family members still talk about this.
What is your low-key hell and actual heaven?
ikura: Heaven [is] when I'm eating something delicious. Hell [is] when it's super cold.
Ayase: Heaven [is] when I'm having a good drink. Hell [is] when I encounter insects.
One time you laughed so hard you cried.
Ayase: I laughed so hard I cried watching a Manzai (a traditional style of Japanese comedy) of Reiwa Roman at the final round of the M-1 Grand Prix 2023 (an annual stand-up comedy competition in Japan).
Random thing you hate so much for no apparent reason.
ikura & Ayase: We both don't hate anything for no reason!
How you exit a party.
ikura: "I must wake up early tomorrow, so I'm going home!"
Ayase: "I'm leaving because I have some work left!"
How you wanna go (either un-seriously or seriously).
ikura: I want to prepare for my last day by surprising and making people giggle, so that everyone will not be sad. I want to make them cry and laugh, not just be sad.
Ayase: I want fireworks to go up. I want my last day to be vibrant, nothing serious.
I also hate bugs