Recommended Japanese bands for high school students

vibes of “yabai” (slang: intense/crazy/awesome)Yabai T-shatsu Yasan

Yabai T-Shirts Yasan – “Yabami” Music Video

Yabai T-Shirts Yasan is a three-piece band from Osaka.

Their lyrics often become a talking point, but another reason for their popularity is the entertaining music videos and parody elements packed with moments that invite witty retorts.

The MV for this song also reveals a punchline partway through, making it a work you can enjoy visually as well.

HALFjoōbachi

QUEEN BEE 'HALF' Official MV

Queen Bee is a four-piece alternative rock band formed in Hyogo Prefecture in 2009.

This song was used as the ending theme for the spring 2018 anime Tokyo Ghoul:re.

The music video, featuring vocalist Avu-chan’s stylish dancing, is also popular, so I recommend enjoying it along with the visuals.

Questions and AnswersKankaku Pierrot

Kankaku Piero “Question and Answer” OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO (theme song of the film “Confession of Murder: 22 Years Later”)

Kankaku Piero is a rock band that has been active since 2013.

This song was selected as the theme for the 2017 film “Confession of Murder: 22 Years Later,” and it’s a cool track with a driving sense of speed and a hint of eeriness that perfectly matches the film’s world.

Ultramarine DaysToukyou Jihen

Tokyo Incidents – Ultramarine Weather

Tokyo Jihen was a five-piece band formed around vocalist Ringo Sheena that was active from 2003 to 2012.

Its members were all musicians who worked on Sheena’s songs, and the band’s cool sound—expressing a unique worldview—possessed a high level of quality that no one else could replicate.

MerciKamisama, boku wa kizuite shimatta

God, I Noticed – Merci

Kamisama, I Have Noticed is a four-member rock band active since 2016.

Despite receiving tie-in features for anime and TV dramas soon after their debut, little is known about the members and they rarely perform live, making them a band shrouded in mystery.

When I feel like seeing youFish and Lips

Fish and Lips – When I Feel Like Seeing You [Music Video]

A three-piece band from Hatogaya, Saitama.

They formed and got moving in 2022, when the members were high school juniors.

As an original band outside of any school club, you can sense the trust among the members and their eagerness to be active as a band.

With songs like “Seishun Rock o Utatte” and “Aitaku Nattara,” they make the most of their high school setting, delivering lyrics that convey the sweetness and conflicts of youth, paired with a driving sound that’s part of their appeal.

As a three-piece, each member has clear solo moments and highlights, which also reflect the trust they have in one another.

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kappamaki

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Guitar, Loneliness, and the Blue Planetkessoku bando

[Lyric Video] Kessoku Band - “Guitar, Loneliness and the Blue Planet” / In-episode song from TV anime “Bocchi the Rock!” Episode 5

Kessoku Band has become popular well beyond the confines of being a fictional band from an anime, drawing the attention of many music fans.

They’re a girls’ band that appears in the 2022 anime adaptation of the hit manga Bocchi the Rock!, made up of four high school girls including the protagonist and guitarist, Hitori Goto.

The live house in Shimokitazawa featured in the show has become a pilgrimage site for anime fans, evoking a phenomenon reminiscent of K-On! over a decade ago.

The secret to their success, much like K-On!, lies in the sheer quality of the songs themselves.

Their debut album, Kessoku Band, released in 2022, topped the Oricon charts.

It includes a cover of ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION’s “Rolling Stone, Morning Comes to You,” and the solid band ensemble provided by seasoned session musicians, along with a set of tracks that recall the lineage of Japanese rock since the 2000s, has captured the hearts of music lovers.

The singing voice of Ikuyo Kita’s voice actor, Ikumi Hasegawa, is wonderful as well.

Don’t let preconceptions about “an in-anime band” hold you back—give their music a listen.

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KOH-1

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