Girls Band Cry

Girls Band Cry
Key visual
ガールズバンドクライ (Gāruzu Bando Kurai)
Genre	Music
Created by	Toei Animation
Anime television series
Directed by	Kazuo Sakai
Produced by	Tadashi Hirayama
Written by	Jukki Hanada
Music by	Kenji Tamai
Studio	Toei Animation Kinema Citrus
Original network	Tokyo MX, Sun TV, KBS Kyoto, BS11
Original run	April 6, 2024 – present
Episodes	5

Girls Band Cry (ガールズバンドクライ, Gāruzu Bando Kurai) is an original Japanese anime television series created and co-produced by Toei Animation and Kinema Citrus. It is directed by Kazuo Sakai and written by Jukki Hanada, with Nari Teshima handling the character designs, Mari Kondō and Jae Hoon Jung serving as CGI directors, and Kenji Tamai composing the music. It premiered on April 6, 2024, on Tokyo MX and other networks.

Characters

Togenashi Togeari

Togenashi Togeari (トゲナシトゲアリ) is the central band of the anime.

Nina Iseri (井芹仁菜, Iseri Nina)

Voiced by: Rina (理名)

The vocalist of Togenashi Togeari who left the countryside to start anew. In promotional material, she can be seen with a Butterscotch Blonde G&L Asat Classic electric guitar.

Momoka Kawaragi (河原木桃香, Kawaragi Momoka)

Voiced by: Yuri (夕莉)

The guitarist of Togenashi Togeari who was a former member of Diamond Dust. She uses a blue Psychederhythm Psychomaster electric guitar.

Subaru Awa (安和すばる, Awa Subaru)

Voiced by: Mirei (美怜)

The drummer of Togenashi Togeari who attends acting school to follow in her grandmother's footsteps. She uses a Charcoal Metallic Pearl Roadshow drum kit.

Tomo Ebizuka (海老塚智, Ebizuka Tomo)

Voiced by: Natsu (凪都)

The keyboardist of Togenashi Togeari. She uses a Nord Electro 6HP electric keyboard.

Rupa (ルパ)

Voiced by: Syuri (朱李)

The bassist of Togenashi Togeari. She uses an Ebony Gibson SG Standard bass.

Diamond Dust

Diamond Dust is the music group Nina idolizes and which Momoka was a former member of.

Hina (ヒナ)

Voiced by: Reina Kondō (近藤玲奈)

The vocalist of Diamond Dust.

Nana (ナナ)

Voiced by: Misato Matsuoka (松岡美里)

The bassist of Diamond Dust.

Rin (リン)

Voiced by: Yuki Urushiyama (漆山ゆうき)

The guitarist of Diamond Dust.

Ai (アイ)

Voiced by: Momoko Miyashiro (宮白桃子)

The drummer of Diamond Dust.

Production and release

In 2021, Toei Animation, Agehasprings and Universal Music Japan announced they would initiate a new project which would combine animation with real band activity. In the same year, Agehasprings, with the assistance from Toei Animation and Universal Music Japan, held an audition called "Girl’s Rock Audition" for the vocalist, guitarist, bassist, drummer and keyboardist of the all-female band which would be the core of the project.

An original anime project titled Girls Band Cry and produced by Toei Animation was announced on April 24, 2023, with a teaser visual revealed. The visual features a girl with a guitar, with a slogan "Throw in All the Anger, Joy and Sadness." (怒りも喜びも哀しさも全部ぶちこめ。) On May 29, a key visual of the anime was revealed with main cast and staff. The five members of Togenashi Togeari (トゲナシトゲアリ) also were revealed with the music videos of their two songs, "Na mo Naki Nani mo Kamo" (名もなき何もかも, "Nameless Name") and "Itsuwari no Kotowari" (偽りの理, "No Rhyme nor Reason"), released.

Discography

Singles

#	Title	Release date	Ref
1	"Na mo Naki Nani mo Kamo" (名もなき何もかも, "Nameless Name")	July 26, 2023
2	"Kiutsu, Hakudaku-su" (気鬱、白濁す, "White Drizzle in Gloom")	August 30, 2023
3	"Hazete Saku" (爆ぜて咲く, "Bleeding Hearts")	October 25, 2023
4	"Gokushiteki Gokusaishoku Answer" (極私的極彩色アンサー, "Answer to Extreme")	December 20, 2023
5	"Unmei ni Kaketai Ronri" (運命に賭けたい論理, "Lonely Fate to Be Destined")	February 29, 2024

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Storyboarded by	Original air date
1	"Tokyo Hype" Transliteration: "Tōkyō Wasshoi" (Japanese: 東京ワッショイ)	Unknown	Unknown	TBA	April 6, 2024 (2024-04-06)
Nina Iseri, a high school dropout who left Kumamoto, arrives in Kawasaki. As the agency that rents the keys to her unit is closed for the night, Nina decides to stay at a mall. While browsing social media, she sees a post of a street performance taking place within the area and runs towards it, encountering Momoka Kawaragi, a former member of a group Nina idolized in her youth named Diamond Dust. Heading to Momoka’s house for Nina to stay the night, Momoka discloses that she would be leaving Kawasaki the following morning to quit music, much to Nina's confusion. Momoka asks about Nina's living situation and notes how she has got it easy upon hearing her plans, leading Nina to storm out; Momoka runs after her, apologizing and asking Nina's reason for moving to Kawasaki, with Nina replying that there was no place for her. The following morning, Nina wakes up to see Momoka gone, leaving her guitar for her to use; not wanting her to leave, Nina runs to where Momoka held her last street performance, her guitar in hand, and expresses her desire to not see her give up. Momoka returns to play her guitar, and both perform a song Momoka composed in her time with Diamond Dust.
2	"Three Night Owls" Transliteration: "3-Biki No Yakō-Sei No Ikimono" (Japanese: 3匹の夜行性の生き物)	TBA	TBA	TBA	April 13, 2024 (2024-04-13)
As Nina enrolls at a college in the hopes of advancing to university, Momoka brings up the proposition of forming a band upon seeing her skills and soul as a vocalist from their street performance, which Nina declines. Momoka and Nina promise to one another on doing well in their individual endeavors. Later, Nina receives a message from Momoka on wanting to give her a spare light from a friend noting the lack of lighting in her unit, which Nina agrees to pick up from Momoka's house the same night. She is then introduced to her friend, Subaru Awa, who is enlisted as the drummer for their band. The three girls then head out for dinner, with Momoka and Subaru conversing as Nina becomes increasingly isolated from their conversation. Subaru proceeds to ask questions to Nina, discomforting her and leaving; Momoka confronts Nina on her behavior, and Nina voices her assumption that Subaru seems to be looking down on her and taking advantage, with Momoka clarifying she means well. Refusing to see it that way due to her cynicism, Nina angrily leaves with the spare light, declaring she would close herself off from anybody; she begins to mope on her cynical outlook and lashes out, damaging the light in the process. As she breaks down in tears upon arriving to her unit and realizing she would be living alone in darkness, Momoka and Subaru arrive to comfort her and help in installing the light, and Momoka states how much she loves Nina sticking true to herself rather than compromise it, enlisting her in the band.
3	"Stumbling Conversation" Transliteration: "Zukkoke Mondō" (Japanese: ズッコケ問答)	TBA	TBA	TBA	April 20, 2024 (2024-04-20)
The girls discuss on what type of song they should create as a band. Nina and Subaru both walk home and Subaru talks about being impressed with Nina's ability to compose a song with no prior musical training. Nina, still nervous around Subaru, goes home ahead of her, something that Subaru takes note of. The next day, Momoka requests Nina to return Subaru's phone, which she left in Momoka's house, due to being busy, and Nina reluctantly complies. Arriving at Subaru's acting school, she hands Subaru her phone back and decides to head back home to study, despite Subaru's requests on taking her out to dinner. Subaru confronts her on being uncomfortable with her, explaining she has no intention to cause problems. She expounds that each member in a band has to sort out any internal disagreements rather than ignore it in order to grow and is open to any comments Nina has of her, with Subaru also detailing she merely took up acting to follow her grandmother's footsteps even if she has no want in it and prefers music; after a few conversations, Nina and Subaru begin to speak on equal footing. Momoka has also reserved a public concert for them to perform in, but Nina has doubts on performing to a big audience; Momoka states she should channel all her emotions through singing. Nina experiences this as the girls begin to practice for the song they composed. On the day of the public concert, the girls wait for Nina to come onstage with her outfit despite disliking it. Momoka calls out to her through microphone and motivates her to let her emotions all out, prompting her to enter and sing a successful performance with her bandmates.
4	"Between Gratitude and Surprise" Transliteration: "Kansha（Odoroki）" (Japanese: 感謝（驚）)	TBA	TBA	TBA	April 27, 2024 (2024-04-27)
While taking a break from practicing, Subaru receives a message which prompts her to leave ahead of Nina and Momoka. As they talk about what kind of message Subaru received, Momoka expounds to Nina on her past with Diamond Dust, starting out as a school band and dropping out to work as indies before being contracted by a major label by the time Momoka left the group. The following morning, Subaru messages Nina she would be leaving the band, to Nina's shock. Heading to Subaru's acting school in the hopes of convincing her not to follow through, Nina and Momoka encounter Subaru accompanying her grandmother, actress Tendou Awa. Subaru explains to them while Tendou is absent she cannot directly express to her grandmother on not wanting to be an actress. During an improv session, Nina takes the opportunity to vent to Subaru on her duplicity on leaving despite sticking together; Subaru reiterates on not wanting to leave and states she would only be seen by others as Tendou's granddaughter, further proven as she receives an email on being casted to a drama per Tendou's recommendation. Later, Nina comes to Subaru's apartment as Subaru explains that even if she does not like acting, saying to her grandmother on wanting to follow her footsteps brings a genuine smile to her. Nina suggests Subaru on coming clean rather than drag it out, which Subaru agrees; during a shoot for the drama days later, however, as Tendou conveys her gratefulness on Subaru coming to appreciate her profession and wanting to try it out, Nina pulls Subaru out as she is about to confess, much to Subaru's annoyance. Despite this, Subaru figures out she would have to deal with this one day regardless, and decides to help out with the band at the moment.
5	"Raise Your Voice" Transliteration: "Utagoe Yō Kore" (Japanese: 歌声よおこれ)	TBA	TBA	TBA	May 4, 2024 (2024-05-04)
6	"Anthen for the Disenfranchised"	TBA	TBA	TBA	May 11, 2024 (2024-05-11)

External links

• Official website of Togenashi Togeari - Universal Music Japan (in Japanese)
• Anime official website (in Japanese)
• Girls Band Cry (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia