HANABIE. – A Decade of Dedication

HANABIE. has been making a relentless effort to get their name out in the overseas markets. Since 2023, in North America alone, they have done four major tours. Such persistence and tenacity is a necessity in a large country that isn’t always the most receptive to heavy music. But their perseverance has clearly been paying off, with a growing fanbase outside of Japan, and at their lively performances. Their current tour, a co-headline with Kim Dracula, also features a special guest, fellow Japanese metalcore act Crystal Lake.

Crystal Lake aren’t just fellow countrymen, as the band shares a special bond with their drummer Gaku Taura. “We first met Gaku when we were seniors in high school, so about 8 years ago,” states guitarist/vocalist Matsuri. He mentored the band, and even produced their 2018 EP Cherry Blossoms are Blooming. So to fast-forward to 2025 and be on tour on an entirely different continent, is something HANABIE. doesn’t take for granted. “It’s a really big thing for us, to have a band who mentored us on an international tour, especially on our tenth anniversary.” Matsuri also adds that she hopes that Taura will be an influence for drummer Chika. “She can very closely watch his performance every day, and I hope she gets some good energy from that.”

She also feels that HANABIE. and Crystal Lake will be able to help energize each other on the road. “Their performance has a lot of good energy, and that gives us a big boost to perform even better!” At this point, Chika chimes in to reiterate what a special occasion it is to have Crystal Lake on tour with them. “When we were in Minneapolis, we were able to sit down and have dinner with Crystal Lake. Of all of the places in the world, it was really something to think about, being able to sit down and eat steak with them in Minnesota.”

With 2025 being HANABIE.’s tenth anniversary as a band, they’ve established themselves with their Harajuku-core sound, as named by fans and embraced by the band’s aesthetic. Bright, vivid colors in their music as much as their stylish fashion choices. Something that represents them well in their twenties. For a band as clued into the times as HANABIE., they also realize that things don’t always stay the same. The need to adapt is key. When asked what they would imagine in the future, with another decade under their belt, both Matsuri and Chika admit it’s not the first time they have thought about the road ahead.

“We’ve actually been talking about what types of songs we’d want to write about ten years from now,” explains Matsuri. “The songs we write right now fit our age, being in our 20s. The songs, lyrics, fashion, and make-up. It all matches and we can do that in real time. So we are thinking about something more mature as we grow out of our 20s.” The band already has an idea as to what that might look like. “When we are in our 30s, we hope that the younger generation might look up to us,” she adds. “They might say, ‘HANABIE. are such cool adults, we want to be like them,’ and have that sort of vibe as a band. So in that sense, maybe our songs could have more of a cool and chill vibe to them.” Chika adds that, “that would be the ideal 30s band image, and it’s something that can change with each generation.”

In the last interview I had with HANABIE., we briefly discussed what was then their upcoming EP, Bucchigiri Tokyo. An EP that the band aimed to incorporate all of their worldly travels while going back to their Tokyo roots. They focused on the ‘metalcore’ elements and there was one piece that we couldn’t get further into at the time. Chika had said she was excited for it because it would be her first time recording vocals, but that was the only information we could go into at the time. So it seemed like a good time to get the rest of the story behind the Chika-centered ‘bonus’ track, “Guilty Time.” First off, Chika notes that while it’s her song, Matsuri wrote all of the lyrics and music. Matsuri adds, “I asked the other members of HANABIE. about Chika’s preferences for sweets and ice cream, trying to get an idea for ones that wouldn’t quickly change.”

At this point, Matsuri turns to Chika and asks, “How did you like the song?” “I love the song,” Chika smiles. She adds that “I didn’t tell my parents about the song before it was released.” They were quite surprised when it came out! “They asked me, ‘What is this song?’ and they loved it.” Chika smiles again and concludes, “It was my first time recording [vocals]. I’m really happy with how the song came out.”

Another topic that came about last time was the band’s first foray into anime tie-in territory, with the recording of the OP for the anime Momentary Lily. It was just recently announced that HANABIE. would be doing the OP for another anime, Araiguma Calcal-dan (Raccoon Calcal Force), titled “KaruGaru Everyday.” That anime has just begun airing as of April 3, so it makes two seasons of anime in a row now to feature music from HANABIE. “Japan has a lot of anime coming out now, and as Japanese anime fans, we are happy to have offers to do anime tie-ins,” states Matsuri. In the culture, it’s considered to be a high honor to be able to perform an anime tie-in. “In Japan, the anime OP and ED is done a lot by bands, it’s very intertwined. Momentary Lily was the first one we did, and we were really excited to get an anime tie-in. It was a very positive thing,” she says.

They were able to view Momentary Lily when writing the song, but that wasn’t something that was possible for their latest tie-in. “We actually haven’t seen the anime [yet] but we wrote the song, so once it starts we are looking forward to seeing our song in the anime,” notes Chika.

“To be a part of the animation project, it is something that opens doors to new audiences,” Matsuri explains, “Anime otaku in Japan have a love for metal too, so in that sense, it allows us to cross-over. To have anime fans know about HANABIE. through anime, it brings a new audience to the shows. It really opens doors for us. It spreads the opportunity to spread the word about HANABIE. They are able to watch the anime and listen to the song and then discover the band and maybe go to a show or listen to the music more.”

With bands coming out of anime and into reality in more recent years, with notable acts like Togenashi Togeari [from Girls Band Cry], Kessoku Band [from Bocchi the Rock], and a slew of Band Dream bands (most recently, Ave Mujica and MyGo!!!!!), as HANABIE. continues to get their foot in the door, would they consider doing the reverse and making an anime about themselves? “Hanabie is a pretty chaotic band, so a story of us forming the real Hanabie might not be too interesting as an anime,” states Matsuri.

But they do have some other ideas in mind. “Maybe going in another direction, such as a children’s anime would be better. Something where a kid watching the anime might be inspired to be in a band,” she muses. After some hushed discussion and giggles with Chika, she continues, “Fans sometimes tell us we are like PreCure [a long-running magical girl anime aimed at children], so something like that might be a fun thing to do for us. Something like a band hero anime,” she concludes.

The road ahead for HANABIE. seems ripe with opportunity. As they continue to carve a bigger foothold for themselves both at home in Japan and abroad, their ambition to lead the way in heavier music grows in resolve and strength. As their tenth anniversary as a band continues, this North American tour might be coming to a close, but they have already announced more summer and fall dates in Europe, as well as numerous shows in Japan. It’s just a matter of time before they return here, in their bid for global musical domination.