Toei Animation has revealed the key visual, main cast, staff details, and two music videos for the upcoming original anime, Girls Band Cry. The series is part of the girl band project of the same name produced in collaboration with the Japanese record label Agehasprings.
Girls Band Cry follows the life of Nina Iseri, a school dropout girl who works alone in Tokyo while aiming to attend university. The story takes off when she encounters Momoka Kawaragi, singing at a suburban station, and gets in touch with the power of music. Along with Subaru Awa, a girl who hides her true feelings while living, Tomo Ebizuka, who was abandoned by her parents, and Rupa, a lonely girl, they form a girl band named Togenashi Togeari.
The new Girls Band Cry visual features the band members’ dual realities: their band performances and the everyday routines that occur behind the scenes. Despite betrayals from friends and family, the visual showcase their desperate struggle to find their own place.
The cast of the five members of Togenashi Togeari was selected through an audition hosted by Agehasprings, in cooperation with Universal Music and Toei Animation. Rina plays Nina Iseri (vocals), Yūri plays Momoka Kawaragi (guitar), Mirei plays Subaru Awa (drums), Nagito plays Tomo Ebizuka (keyboard), and Shu Li plays Rupa (bass). Kazuo Sakai is directing the series and nari Teshima is working on the character design. The Girls Band Cry project’s music is produced by Agehasprings’ Kenji Tamai
Alongside the announcement, two music videos featuring songs by Togenashi Togeari, “no rhyme nor reason” and “Nameless Name,” have also been released. Both songs are available on various music streaming services starting May 29.
Additionally, the first CD of Girls Band Cry will be released on July 26, collecting the full version of “Nameless Name”, the “no rhyme nor reason” music video, as well as their Instrumental versions, and three audio drama episodes titled “Agete Ikimashou! Kore ga Watashitachi!” (Let’s get geared up! This is us!), “Sore wa Minna no Yume Dakara” (Because it’s everyone’s dream), and “Natsu! Saikyou no Kowai Hanashi!” (Summer! The scariest story ever told!).
The band’s new music videos are scheduled to be released on June 26 and July 24. The second CD, including the songs from these new music videos, will be released on August 30.
▍Girls Band Cry MVs
■ “no rhyme nor reason” by TOGENASHI TOGEARI
■ “Nameless Name” by TOGENASHI TOGEARI
▍Girls Band Cry Characters & Cast
■ Nina Iseri (vocals) – CV: Rina
An ordinary girl who is somewhat reclusive. She was always invisible in elementary, junior high, and high school, and her grades were very average. She has no big dreams in particular and has lived her whole life reading the atmosphere and going along with everyone else.
■ Momoka Kawaragi (guitar) – CV: Yūri
A 20-year-old street musician. She has a savage and boyish personality. She doesn’t like to wear girly clothes, and her hair and clothes are plain. Very cheerful and caring, she is a trustworthy senpai in the athletic club.
■ Subaru Awa (drums) – CV: Mirei
A girl who attends an entertainment school. She has appeared in commercials as a promising talent. A beautiful girl with a good social life, she is also very amiable. She has the good looks of a model, but on the inside, she is a strong-willed, competitive young lady.
■ Tomo Ebizuka (keyboard) – CV: Nagito
She used to be the daughter of a rich and famous local family. Now she lives in a shared apartment. She is cold and looks at the world from afar. Like a hedgehog, she is very cautious and does not open up much.
■ Rupa (bass) – CV: Shu Li
She is a slightly brown girl with an oriental air, with a South Asian father and a Japanese mother. She is full of artistic sense and has a clear head. She is a genius, and everyone looks up to her because of her gentle manner of speaking and her reserved demeanor. She is a heavy drinker and has a bit too much guts for her own good.
▍Girls Band Cry Anime Staff & Production
Original Story / Planning / Production: Toei Animation
Director: Kazuo Sakai
Character Design: nari Teshima
CG Director: Mari Kondo, Jae Hoon Jung
Music: Kenji Tamai (Agehasprings)