A thorough explanation of FLOW who enthusiastically played ‘GO!!!’ on “THE FIRST TAKE.”
Introducing their 10 hot and emotional anime songs!
FLOW is celebrating 20 years since their debut. Their first appearance on THE FIRST TAKE singing ‘GO!!!’ is drawing attention, but they have also worked on many popular anime songs, including ‘Sign’, ‘COLORS’ and ‘DAYS’.
We will look back on their career and focus on their popular anime songs. Explore FLOW, a band which gets hotter with experience!
日本語版記事はこちら
■Active in Japan and abroad! A Mixture Rock Band:
FLOW
FLOW
・Formed: 1998
・Major Debut: July 2, 2003, with a Single ‘Blaster’
・Member：KOHSHI（Vo） / KEIGO（Vo）/ TAKE（Gu）/ GOT’S（Ba）/ IWASAKI（Dr）
・OFFICIAL SITE https://www.flow-official.jp/
・Twitter @FLOW_official
・Instagram ＠FLOW_OFFICIAL_JAPAN
・TikTok @flow_official_japan
・Weibo FLOW_JP
・YouTube FLOW Official YouTube Channel
The brothers, KOHSHI and TAKE, who began their musical career in 1993, formed FLOW in 1998. KEIGO and GOT’S joined in 1999, followed by IWASAKI in 2000.
The name of the band FLOW comes from the hip-hop jargon: flow = vocalization, inflection of words and rap melodies. KOHSHI, who was attracted to the sense of the word and its meaning, named the band.
In 2003, FLOW released a cover of Kaientai’s ‘Okuru Kotoba’ which sold 300,000 copies despite being indie. The band made their major debut with ‘Blaster’ in July of the same year.
In 2023, 20 years after its release, ‘Okuru Kotoba’ was rerecorded as ‘Okuru Kotoba (20th anniversary version)’ as a bonus track on their latest album, ‘Voy ☆☆☆’. Following the release of the music video and drama video, co-starring Kaientai vocalist/actor Tetsuya Takeda, the song is in the spotlight again.
▼FLOW’Okuru Kotoba (20th anniversary version)’Music Video
▼FLOW’Okuru Kotoba (20th anniversary version)’Drama Video
In 2004, FLOW released their first anime tie-in single, ‘GO!!!’ as the opening theme of the anime series ‘Naruto’. In 2005, they then released ‘DAYS’, the opening theme of ‘Eureka Seven’. Both hit the top of the Oricon charts.
FLOW’s musicality, with the strength of the melody interwoven with the twin vocals, produces a strong band sound, and mixed rock which incorporates a variety of musical elements; it boasts overwhelming originality, and also works well with animated works. By teaming up with a number of anime titles; ‘COLORS’ for the first opening theme of the original ‘Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion’, ‘WORLD END’ for the opening theme of its second half ‘Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2’, ‘Sign’ for the opening theme of the sixth series of ‘Naruto Shippuden’ as well as the end theme of the fifth series of ‘Naruto: Shonen hen’, FLOW has made a name for itself, while at the same time proving its affinity with anime.
In addition, the band has a reputation for live performances with singing ‘like a stab in the heart’, solid playing and an aggressive style.
Their fame did not stop at home, but when they were invited to an anime convention in Texas, USA, in 2006, the band energetically held shows abroad and have performed 62 shows in 19 countries so far. Their 5th album ‘MICROCOSM’ was released in 44 countries, and they are particularly popular in North and South America, where their Mexico show in December 2022 attracted 3,000 people – an unusually high number for a Japanese artist.
Combining their affinity for anime and their ability to perform live, the band held ‘FLOW THE CARNIVAL 2017 – Anime Shibari’ in December 2017, performing only songs used in anime. As a result of the enthusiastic response, they released ‘FLOW THE BEST – Anime Shibari’, an album containing only the songs that they had contributed to anime. A tour with the same concept featured hits from previous anime songs that had captivated fans around the world.
In recent years, the band has released ‘DICE’, the opening theme of the anime ‘15th anniversary Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion’ and ‘GOLD’, the opening theme of the anime ‘BORUTO NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS’. As a live band and rock band with a number of hit anime songs, they are making a name for themselves in the world and pushing forward with their unique musical position.
▼FLOW‘DICE’
▼FLOW‘GOLD’
■Five band members, supporting each other:
KOHSHI
KOHSHI（Vo）
・Born: April 22, 1977
・Blood Type: O
・Hometown: Saitama
・Instagram ＠KOHSHI_FLOW
One of FLOW’s twin vocalists, KOHSHI writes most of the band’s lyrics. He is also TAKE’s older brother. While the brothers were performing cover songs of X JAPAN when they were students, they also started writing original songs, which led to the formation of FLOW. He excels in illustration and design, launching the apparel brand ‘ROCK THE FELLOWS’ and holding his own solo exhibitions. The cover of their latest album ‘Voy ☆☆☆’ was designed by him. KOHSHI is also known as a big drinker, and his love of tequila led him to become a certified ‘tequila maestro’.
KEIGO
KEIGO（Vo）
・Born: July 1, 1977
・Blood Type: O
・Hometown: Tokyo
・Instagram ＠keigo_flow
・Twitter ＠KEIGO_official
KEIGO often went to see FLOW’s former band (KOHSHI and TAKE) and sometimes jumped into shows, so he was recruited as a vocalist when the band was formed. His warm, personable singing voice forms one wing of the band’s twin vocals and he is also well known for talking, so he is the MC at shows and events. He is the sole lyricist for songs such as “BELIEVER,” “Aoki Wakusei” and others, and has contributed lyrics to many more. His first songwriting was the ballad ‘Tabi no Tochu’ from the mini-album ‘Fighting Dreamers.’ He loves football and is an enthusiastic supporter of Kashiwa Reysol.
TAKE
TAKE（Gu）
・Born: August 31, 1978
・Blood Type: A
・Hometown: Saitama
・Instagram ＠takeflow26
・Twitter ＠TAKE_FLOW
Guitar, chorus and programming. Responsible for composing most of the music, and also providing music for other artists and background music for stages and dramas. TAKE started playing guitar because of the‘50,000 yen incident’. The story is that he wanted to play guitar with his older brother but KOHSHI took 50,000 yen from TAKE’s savings without asking and bought a guitar for himself!After that incident, TAKE became very involved with the guitar, and as a result, pursued a career as a guitarist and musician. He has a variety of serious outdoor interests, including mountain climbing, camping, jogging and road biking.
GOT’S
GOT’S（Ba）
・Born: January 26, 1977
・Blood Type: A
・Hometown: Niigata
・Instagram ＠gots_flow
・Twitter ＠GOTS_FLOW
Bass. Early in their formation, in 1999, GOT’S joined the band following KEIGO. He is affectionately known as ‘Gocchan’ for his soothing character but, on the other hand, his bass playing is both artful and artisanal, supporting FLOW with single-mindedly played technical and heavy sounds. On the mini album ‘Fighting Dreamers’, for which all the band members were involved in songwriting, he contributed ‘Himitsu no Sakusen’ which begins with his stunning bass solo. In 2022, the bassist sold a collaboration ramen with the ramen shop ‘Gottsu’, and he worked as a manager of the shop in Akihabara, Tokyo, for a day on May 2.
IWASAKI
IWASAKI（Dr）
・Born: November 21, 1969
・Blood Type: A
・Hometown: Osaka
・Twitter @hainepp
Drummer, who joined last. With IWASAKI, the band got into its full swing. As the oldest and most reliable member of the band, his unfailingly powerful and accurate drumming and ability to handle a wide variety of FLOW songs supports the others. At the New Year’s show in 2016, he played drums while spinning on a circular stage. Loves cooking and he is good at it.
■Affinity of FLOW and Anime songs:？
In 2004, the year after FLOW’s major debut, ‘GO!!!’ was selected as the opening theme for ‘NARUTO’. Since then, the band has teamed up with such popular anime as the ‘NARUTO’series, ‘Eureka Seven’ and ‘Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion’, and produced many hit songs.
In 2018, the band released their album ‘FLOW THE BEST – Anime Shibari’, which contained only anime songs. As KEIGO asserts, “This (anime song) is the history of FLOW itself” and they have become deeply connected with anime songs.
Why does FLOW have a high affinity with anime? One reason is their sincere attitude toward anime songs.
Take a look at ‘NARUTO’. FLOW has been entrusted with the theme song many times, including the spinoff ‘BORUTO NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS’. Their musicality, which inspires the audience, matches the work, but perhaps the biggest reason is that the band understands and loves the world of ‘NARUTO’, and that’s what they convey to listeners. Even so, it is properly superimposed on FLOW’s story and established as their own music.
As TAKE said in the aforementioned interview about ‘Anime Shibari’, “We were given a lot of challenges (by anime songs), and some of them gave me a lot of freedom.” One of the reasons for their affinity with anime is that FLOW is a mixed-music band which excels at incorporating a wide range of music and has flexibly evolved its style and musicality for each work and song.
It has changed the form of the band at times, releasing ‘7-seven-’ and ‘Howling’ in collaboration with GRANRODEO for the anime ‘The Seven Deadly Sins’ and ‘Daydream Believer’ in collaboration with ORANGE RANGE for ‘15th Anniversary Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2’.
▼FLOW×GRANRODEO’7 -seven-’
▼FLOW×GRANRODEO’Howling’
▼FLOW×ORANGE RANGE‘Daydream Believer’
This miraculous collaboration on anime songs delighted not only anime fans but also music fans. The songs, which show off their individual appeal and closely tie into the work, give a sense of the meaning and significance of the collaboration as well as the topicality.
FLOW appeared on THE FIRST TAKE, which is a YouTube channel dedicated to shooting musicians and singers performing in a single take. The depth and persuasiveness of ‘GO!!!’allows you to appreciate the band’s career thus far.
▼FLOW – GO!!! / THE FIRST TAKE
■Hot and emotional! The 10 Best Anime songs of FLOW:
‘GO!!!’
Released in 2004. This is the opening theme song for the fourth season of the anime ‘NARUTO’ and the first tie-in song. It is also the starting point of FLOW’s anime song career that leads up to the present day. With lyrics which evoke Ninjas, such as “a shadow creeping noiselessly,” the song is finished as a lively tune which exudes the ‘verse’ characteristics of a live band. By staying close to the tune, you can replace it with your own story, aiming for greater heights. Now that I’ve listened to it again, I’ve been given a glimpse of its affinity with anime songs.,
‘Sign’
Released in 2010, this is the opening theme song which teamed up the band with ‘NARUTO’ for the fourth time. With an edgy rock sound and a strong emotional message in the vocals, (“a tenderness that doesn’t hurt rather than a strength that doesn’t hurt”), which resonates with your heart. Many fans say, “I almost cry when I listen to ‘Sign’ because it reminds me of a great anime scene.” It is one of those songs which has a strong international following despite the language barrier.
‘COLORS’
Released in 2006, the opening theme song of the first half of ‘Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion’. The single’s catchphrase “Upper crying disco” is true; this song has lightness, wistfulness and melody. You may not hold back your tears. The lyrics, which begin with “feel like I could change me and the world” and are about triggers and conflicts, immerse you in the world of the tune and it can overlap with yourself. When you finish listening, it gives you a feeling of exhilaration and positivity that shines a light into your heart.
‘DAYS’
Released in 2005, the opening theme song of ‘Eureka Seven’. Strings stand out in the intro, which begins with melancholy vocals. Using a four-note dance beat with the lyrics, “The promise we made that day fell apart” not only deepened and strengthened the relationship with anime songs, but also broke new ground for the band by adding new ways of expression to the worldview of ‘Eureka Seven’. “It was a new challenge for us”, one of the members later said.
‘HERO: Kibou no Uta’
Released in 2013, this is a song in a national anime film, ‘Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods’, that is catchy and delightful with plenty of love and respect for the work. The song is loved by fans all over the world with lyrics and a melody that bring back the original experience of anime songs. Notable are the bridge and the development of the second half of the song that shows the rock band’s commitment. The single also includes Hironobu Kageyama’s ‘CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA’, which was covered by FLOW, who have been well known since the time they released their cover of ‘Okuru Kotoba.’
‘Re:member’
Released in 2006, it was the opening theme for the 8th season of ‘NARUTO’ and also marked the return of KEIGO who was involved in a traffic accident in 2005. As the title suggests, this is an energetic song which expresses the feeling of “we are not alone” – when one member is missing and when we meet again, the determination of “a new journey begins now” with powerful singing, playing and strong shouts. As well as recalling a scene from the anime, it is easy to imagine the audience raising their fists and singing along.
‘Brave Blue’
Released in 2012, the opening theme for the second half of ‘EUREKA SEVEN: AO’. Announced as a self-answer song for‘DAYS’, FLOW captivated fans with their direction which incorporated the same rhythm pattern as‘DAYS’. The title was coined by combining “brave” and “blue”. The lyrics were created in the image of the main character, Ao Fukai, whose name means blue in Japanese. The lyrics of the chorus, “I have to go, I won’t cry anymore, Shangri-La,” wrings your heart.
‘WORLD END’
Released in 2008. The opening theme for the second half of ‘Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2’, it was produced as a sequel to ‘COLORS’ at the time of entering the final chapter. In contrast to ‘COLORS’, which sung of triggers and conflicts, this one sings about strong will and positivity. Some of the lyrics, “What did you hear? Song of Color”, are reminiscent of ‘COLORS’ but “The sky we saw that day/beyond wishes”, sings about hope and shows FLOW growing with their works.
‘Howling’FLOW×GRANRODEO
Released in 2018, the opening theme of ‘The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of The Commandments’. It is the second dream collaboration after the ending theme of ‘The Seven Deadly Sins’ released in 2014. Through ‘7-seven-’, the lyrics and music were co-written by FLOW and GRANRODEO to inject a heavier DNA from both. The heavy, deep singing and thick sound of the unique triple vocals is outstanding. TAKE and e-ZUKA’s twin guitars are also worth listening to.
‘Ai Ai Ai ni Utarete bye bye bye’
Released in 2014, the opening theme of season 2 of ‘Samurai Flamenco’, an up-tempo and rather catchy song with the producer Kenji Tamai from agehasprings, who is in charge of the anime’s music. The theme of this song is “Men’s fight song” which inspires you to believe in yourself and love yourself with the keyword “love”. The lyrics on this light tune give you awareness while the impactful chorus heats up a darker mood and gives you energy and courage.
■FLOW is roaring with 20th anniversary:
FLOW, who are currently celebrating 20th anniversary since their debut, are set to release their new album ‘Voy ☆☆☆’ on February 22. There will also be a national tour ‘FLOW 20th ANNIVERSARY LIVE TOUR 2023 “Voy ☆☆☆”’ with 20 shows in 20 cities.
Furthermore, a special show, ‘FLOW 20th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL LIVE 2023 -Anime Shibari Festival-’will be held on July 1 at Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Hall, which will be the largest capacity venue in the band’s history.
We’ve got to watch FLOW, who is still showing their ambitious activities on their 20th anniversary.
TEXT BY フジジュン
TRANSLATED BY Yuko ‘DORAMI’ Soutome
▼Click here for the latest FLOW article (Japanese)
https://www.thefirsttimes.jp/keywords/788/
