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
Original network	Tokyo MX, Sun TV, KBS Kyoto, BS11
Original run	April 6, 2024 – present
Episodes	7

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 produced by Toei Animation. 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, primarily comprising of high school dropouts. Before the band’s formation, each member was part of two bands, with Nina, Momoka, and Subaru performing under the name Shin-Kawasaki (Temporary) (新川崎（仮）, Shin-Kawasaki (Kari)), and Tomo and Rupa performing as Beni-Shouga (stylized in lowercase).

Nina Iseri (井芹仁菜, Iseri Nina)

Voiced by: Rina (理名)

The vocalist of Togenashi Togeari who left the countryside and her strained past life 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 member of Diamond Dust before leaving due to creative differences. 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 despite showing no interest. 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 who ran away from home after experiencing no parental support and has dreams of performing at the Budokan. She uses a Nord Electro 6HP electric keyboard.

Rupa (ルパ)

Voiced by: Syuri (朱李)

The bassist of Togenashi Togeari who, like Tomo, has dreams of performing at the Budokan. 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

The vocalist of Diamond Dust and a former friend of Nina.

Nana (ナナ)

Voiced by: Misato Matsuoka

The bassist of Diamond Dust.

Rin (リン)

Voiced by: Yuki Urushiyama

The guitarist of Diamond Dust.

Ai (アイ)

Voiced by: Momoko Miyashiro

The drummer of Diamond Dust.

Other characters

Suzune Iseri (井芹涼音, Iseri Suzune)

Voiced by: Sakura Ando

Nina's older sister.

Tendou Awa (安和天童, Awa Tendō)

Voiced by: Naoko Kouda

Subaru's grandmother, who is a prolific actress.

Hayashi (林)

Voiced by: Hiroaki Hirata

The manager of the Tokyo live house Shin-Kawasaki performed in.

Mine (ミネ)

Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro

An indie guitarist, who Momoka idolizes and is friends with.

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
6	"Zattō, Bokura No Machi" (雑踏、僕らの街, "Wrong World")	May 22, 2024
7	"Darenimo Narenai Watashi Dakara" (誰にもなれない私だから, "I'm Nobody")	May 22, 2024
8	"Shikai No Sumi Kuchiru Oto" (視界の隅 朽ちる音, "What to Raise")	June 29, 2024

Albums

#	Title	Release date	Ref.
1	"Togeari" (棘アリ)	April 24, 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)	Kazuo Sakai	Jukki Hanada	Kazuo Sakai	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 the station. 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 idolizes named Diamond Dust. Heading to Momoka’s house for Nina to stay the night, Momoka discloses she would be leaving Kawasaki the following morning to quit music, much to Nina's confusion. Momoka asks Nina her reason for moving to Kawasaki, and Nina replies there was no place for her back home. 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, 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)	Maya Asakura	Jukki Hanada	Kazuo Sakai	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 as a vocalist from their street performance. Nina also opens up to Momoka on her strained family upbringing and how she was a subject of bullying. 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, 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 head out for dinner, with Nina becoming increasingly isolated from Momoka and Subaru’s banter. 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. Refusing to be convinced otherwise 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 realizing she would be living alone in darkness, Momoka and Subaru arrive to comfort her and help, with Momoka stating her admiration of Nina sticking true to herself rather than compromise it.
3	"Stumbling Conversation" Transliteration: "Zukkoke Mondō" (Japanese: ズッコケ問答)	Miho Hirayama	Jukki Hanada	Kazuo Sakai	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. 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, and Nina reluctantly complies. Arriving at Subaru's acting school in Tokyo, she hands Subaru her phone back and prepares to head back home to study, despite Subaru's polite requests for dinner, resulting in Subaru confronting her and explaining she has no intention to cause problems. She expounds that each member in a band has to sort out any internal disagreements 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 interest 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 suggests she should channel all her emotions through singing. On the day of the public concert, the girls, performing under the temporary name Shin-Kawasaki, wait for Nina to come onstage with her outfit on. Momoka calls out to her and motivates her to let her emotions all out, helping her confidence to perform with her bandmates.
4	"Gratitude (Surprise!)" Transliteration: "Kansha（Odoroki）" (Japanese: 感謝（驚）)	Kazue Otsuki	Jukki Hanada	Kazuo Sakai	April 27, 2024 (2024-04-27)
While taking a break from rehearsing, 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 elaborates on her past with Diamond Dust to Nina, starting out as a school band and dropping out to work as indies before being signed to 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. Reaching Subaru's acting school in the hopes of convincing her not to follow through, Nina and Momoka see Subaru accompanying her grandmother, actress Tendou Awa. Subaru explains to them 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 cast 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)	Maya Asakura	Jukki Hanada	Kazuo Sakai	May 4, 2024 (2024-05-04)
Momoka reserves Shin-Kawasaki to a live house gig and tasks each member to sell tickets. In the process of doing so, the live house manager requests Nina and Subaru to give a Diamond Dust concert ticket gifted to him by one of its members to Momoka, but Nina and Subaru decide on watching the concert themselves. At the concert, Nina recognizes the band's new vocalist, Hina, as a former friend who had a connection to her bullying, causing her to leave the venue in anger. During Shin-Kawasaki's rehearsal, Nina and Momoka come to a head with how they view Diamond Dust; Subaru interrupts by taking their quarrel to an izakaya knowing that nothing can be done with the current tensions. Nina states Momoka's indifference with the direction of the current Diamond Dust brings the assumption the band meant nothing to her, and Momoka retorts her only issue is with Hina and change is inevitable within a band. Nina points out her quitting the band due to the commercialization they were undergoing not favoring her vision, remarking the Diamond Dust Momoka formed and wanted was what helped Nina in her lowest; Momoka finally opens up her full reason on leaving Diamond Dust, saying they promised to stick together no matter what, and even with their pleas for Momoka to stay as they changed, she nevertheless quit. After airing out their misgivings, they make amends as the girls head home and prepare for their live house gig.
6	"A Tribute to the Outcasts" Transliteration: "Haguremono Sanka" (Japanese: はぐれ者賛歌)	Yasuhiro Tanabe	Jukki Hanada	Kazuo Sakai	May 11, 2024 (2024-05-11)
Two girls are shown rewatching Shin-Kawasaki's live house gig before recording a song. Meanwhile, as Shin-Kawasaki rests from their gig, Momoka asserts they should continue practicing and not prioritize on other band-related matters. Nina and Subaru ask her if she has any goal for the band, with Momoka replying having none, leading Subaru to also ask Nina later what her own goal for the band is. Inquiring to the live house manager on where to start, she infers that a large following can be a way to be noticed; when she proposes ways to gain followers to Momoka and Subaru and is asked on her sudden drive, Nina makes it clear on wanting to go professional, having no intention to lose against Diamond Dust. As Nina expresses to Subaru on her desire, they were overheard by the two girls. Introducing themselves as Rupa and Tomo Ebizuka of Beni-Shouga, they scouted Nina and Subaru for a collaboration and shared their vision after watching them perform. Hearing Rupa and Tomo's dream of performing at the Budokan, Nina makes that her goal as part of going professional. Nina and Subaru approach Momoka on evaluating Rupa and Tomo's skills and offer to collaborate through a session; they then discuss how even if Momoka still has a passion for music, they take note on her thinking if there is a point after giving up once. Some days later, all the girls begin to rehearse and see their synergy; Nina convinces Momoka on letting Rupa and Tomo join the band.
7	"Put a Name on It" Transliteration: "Namae Wo Tsukete Yaru" (Japanese: 名前をつけてやる)	Kazue Otsuki Kenji Imura	Jukki Hanada	Kazuo Sakai	May 18, 2024 (2024-05-18)
With the inclusion of Rupa and Tomo, the girls discuss on renaming the band from Shin-Kawasaki as Momoka is invited by one of her friends to perform at a local live house in Suwa and use it as experience for band coordination. As they make travel preparations, Nina is surprised by the visit of her sister Suzune at her unit, who shows concern with Nina's current path of prioritizing band activities instead of school. A few days later, Shin-Kawasaki sets out for Suwa, where Nina also learns about Rupa and Tomo's backgrounds. They finally meet Momoka's contact, Mine, who reserves them to the live house and is impressed with their skills. While rehearsing, Momoka announces their performance would be her last before quitting the band and music again, jeopardizing Nina's plans. Later at a bar, Mine notices Nina looking downhearted, and they talk on the circumstances of quitting music, with Mine expressing her fear of failing after setting high hopes; she, however, adds that even with that fear, she advises on not dwelling on it, inspiring Nina. On the day of their live house performance, Nina proclaims to the audience and her bandmates their new name as Togenashi Togeari, her intent to move forward and rely on one another despite their doubts, and announces she would be dropping out of school to continue her dream, shocking her bandmates.
8	"If You Were to Cry" Transliteration: "Moshimo Kimi Ga Naku Naraba" (Japanese: もしも君が泣くならば)	TBA	TBA	TBA	May 25, 2024 (2024-05-25)

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