Once again, a big thank to everyone that participated on year’s THTFHQ Awards!
This year our THTFHQ Awards focused on celebrating the amazing music released this decade. No popularity came into question so fairer awards are impossible come around, as everyone is, in our books, a winner.
Below we take a look at our readers’ picks in the bands/seiyuu unit category, with a brief memo on the career of that band/seiyuu unit until now and diving a bit on the most voted release by our readers in the poll we conducted from December 20 to December 22, 2019.
A note that, regardless of where they sit on this feature, no ranking was made between bands/seiyuu units, only their releases got ranked within their repertoire and we elaborated on the results, talking about the most vote release(s).
buzz★Vibes “ZETSUBOU FUNK”
buzz★Vibes have been impressing with their funky-rock sound and playful pop lyrics. The duo’s ZETSUBOU FUNK is our readers’ favorite release with 55,6% of the votes.
buzz★Vibes made their debut under Lantis in 2017 with the digital single, Screamin’ 2nite. The duo consists of Showtaro Morikubo and composer/guitarist, Shinnosuke.
G.Addict “everlasting note”
G.Addict‘s everlasting note grabs a spot on this feature after earning 41,2% of the votes. The title track is remembered as their best song. Everything about it – instrumental, vocals, vibe -, fit perfectly and sounded pretty good.
G.Addict were formed with the single purpose of releasing music for the Goulart Knights project. The group consisting of Yuki Kaji, Kazuma Horie, Atsushi Abe and Takuma Terashima made their debut under Lantis with the pop-rock mini-album signal in 2009.
The unit disbanded in 2011 and each member followed their route (Yuki Kaji and Takuma Terashima made their solo debuts
OLDCODEX “Catal Rhythm”
OLDCODEX‘s explosive Catal Rhythm gets a well deserved spot on this feature. With 12,9% of the votes, this is our readers’ favorite release. Featured as the ending theme of Kuroko no Basuke, Catal Rhythm was an instant hit song. With incisive guitars, an exciting pacing and the powerful vocals of Ta_2, it is not surprise that this is a fan favorite release.
OLDCODEX made their debut in 2009 with a self-titled mini-album. Since then the band has released multiple singles, mini-albums and full-length albums that, more than often, chart high on Oricon’s charts. OLDCODEX have experimented with hardrock, punk rock, pop-punk, hardcore and, as of late, don an alternative rock sound with bits of electronica in the mix.
&6allein “UNLOCK☆START!!!”
In one of the most surprising news of the year, &6allein recently announced their disbandment. However, before the unfortunate news, the group was able to put a smile on a lot of faces with their bubbly and addictive pop sound. UNLOCK☆START!!! (50% of the votes) found the group experimenting with a darker look and sound and it was an instant fan favorite.
&6allein debuted in 2016 under Marine Entertainment and found their lineup to be rather volatile. With the departures of Yusuke Miyamoto (2017) and Tatsuya Tokutake (2019), the group was in a bind. As of December 2019, the group announced their disbandment.
GRANRODEO “TRASH CANDY”
GRANRODEO‘s repertoire is filled with headbangers. 2017’s TRASH CANDY was no different. Synths and heavy guitar riffs were one and the same, and the band kept on playing around with their sound while showcasing their versatility.
GRANRODEO made their debut in 2005 under Lantis with the single, Go For It!. With over 35 releases under their belt, the band is as iconic as it is unique. With seiyuu Kisho Taniyama – under the moniker KISHOW -, and with the insane guitar skills of e-ZUKA, GRANRODEO have established themselves as the best anisong band in the industry.
ELEKITER ROUND 0 “RE:QUIEM”
ELEKITER ROUND 0, seiyuu unit consisting of Shinnosuke Tachibana and Satoshi Hino, released the stunner, RE:QUIEM, in 2015. The album featured lyrics by Tachibana and Hino, this was an album that counted with a lot of input by the talented duo during the creative process. We named RE:QUIEM as the unit’s best album and it resonates with our readers’ opinions, as the album got 36,8% of the votes.
ELEKITER ROUND 0 debuted under Marine Entertainment in 2010 with the mini-album, 零ERφ (Rei ERO). They were known for a unique take on the lyrics – with Tachibana penning most of those -, as well as all releases featuring solo tracks by both seiyuu, giving equal measures of the spotlight to each. The group has been on hiatus since 2015.
D.A.T “CHANGE THE WORLD”
D.A.T‘s change to a fast-paced pop-rock sound was more than enough for our readers to choose it as their favorite. CHANGE THE WORLD got 41,2% of the votes.
D.A.T, seiyuu unit consisting of Dragon and Tiger’s hosts – Daisuke Ono and Takayuki Kondo – debuted under Marine Entertainment in 2012 with the single, VS. Known for their explosive dance moves and addictive pop sound, the group has been one of the most
M.O.E “Ano Koro no Omoi ga Hajikeru CD”
M.O.E (Wataru Hatano and Takuma Terashima) released Ano Koro no Omoi ga Hajikeru CD in 2019 and it turned into an instant favorite among our readers (26,3% of the votes). The unit revisited classic anime songs for this release, giving their own spin on them.
M.O.E made their debut under Marine Entertainment in 2011. They specialize in performing covers of popular anisong releases.
UNCLE BOMB “INFINTE”
UNCLE BOMB, seiyuu unit consisting of Kiramune labelmates Hiroyuki Yoshino and Daisuke Namikawa made their debut in 2016 with INFINITE. Donning an upbeat pop-rock sound, the two seiyuu were able to capture our readers’ hearts, getting 37,5% of the votes.
UNCLE BOMB debuted in 2016 and since then have been an entertaining outfit within the Kiramune roster. Pop, rock and even acoustic and electronica are all fair game for their playful brand of music.
KAmiYU “REASON”
Another Kiramune outfit, KAmiYU was in peak form when REASON (58% of the votes) was released back in 2013. The title track was featured in the anime Karneval as the ending theme, one that fans did not want to skip.
KAmiYU consist on Kiramune labelmates Hiroshi Kamiya and Miyu Irino. The duo debuted in 2011 with the single, link-up. Contrary to most units under Kiramune, KAmiYU are seldom active.
Trignal “tricolore”
One of our favorite mini-albums is once again found on one of our features, this time thanks to our readers love for it. tricolore got 25% of the votes, showing just how popular the funk-pop album is. Riding on momentum, Trignal managed to release a close to flawless release in this mini-album, featuring stunning performances, self-penned songs and fancy funk instrumentals.
Trignal (Ryohei Kimura, Tsubasa Yonaga and Takuya Eguchi) made their debut under Kiramune in 2012 with the single, PARTY. Although they lacked consistency for a couple of years, Trignal came around donning a mature sound and look in 2014 and, since then, they are one of the best seiyuu units currently active in the music industry.
Connect “CONNECT no tanoshi ongaku”
Connect, seiyuu unit consisting of Mitsuo Iwata and Kenichi Suzumura, released CONNECT no tanoshi ongaku in 2013. This released features playful pop songs and entertaining vocals by two talented singers.
Connect debuted under Kiramune on 2009 with their self-titled single. Since then their brand of upbeat pop and rock has been infectious.
SCREEN mode “Reason Living”
SCREEN mode have been making waves with their unique blend of rock. Fronted by seiyuu Yu Hayashi, the rock band released Reason Living (44,1%) in 2016. The title track was featured in the popular anime, Bungou Stray Dogs and was an instant hit among fans of the series.
SCREEN mode made their debut under Lantis in 2013 with the single, Gekka STORY. Since then, the band consistently features their songs in anime and have earned considerable popularity thanks to it.
Feromen “Magic Mirror”
Feromen, visual kei seiyuu unit consisting on Junichi Suwabe and Kousuke Toriumi, have always had the formula to make an impression. With befitting visual-kei inspired looks and performing a unique blend of pop with classic elements, Magic Mirror is our readers’ favorite release (21,1% of the votes).
Feromen made their debut under Nippon Columbia in 2009 with the mini-album, Kinki no bara 〜 Aphrodisiac 〜. They duo is known for their seductive vocals, provocative lyrics and unique instrumentals.
UMake “Make up a dream”
Self-producing duo UMake is currently a rising seiyuu unit. Make up a dream is a fan favorite release getting 46,2% of the votes. Pop and rock go hand-in-hand for this release, creating easy listening songs with soothing lyrics that create a unique warm, feel good vibe.
UMake, self-producing seiyuu unit consisting of 81 Produce’s talents Kento Ito and Yoshiki Nakajima, debuted under indie label, artsonic, in 2018 with SUMMER☆MONSTER. Since then they have been making jaws dropping with their creativity and top tier vocals.
AMADEUS “You Make Me ↑”
Urban pop duo, AMADEUS, is no stranger to creating unique songs. You Make Me ↑ impressed our readers getting 25,9% of the votes. The mesmerizing yet simple beat, Lotus Juice’s flowy rap and Jack Westwood’s vocals left a big impression on us at the time of release.
AMADEUS debuted in 2018 with the digital single O.M.C.. They perform R&B, hip-hop, electronica and pop music.
Hi!Superb “Happy Life Spectacle”
Hi!Superb have changed their sound and looks more than a couple of times. The seiyuu + actor group is known for their catchy pop music and fancy dance moves. 2019’s Happy Life Spectacle is a readers’ favorite, getting 53,8% of the votes.
Hi!Superb debuted in 2018 with Turn into Love. They are unique 2.5D unit with focus on a 100% synchonization between character and actor/seiyuu. Hi!Superb excel in Dance＆Vocals.
Kashicomi “Chance!”
Part of the new generation of seiyuu units, Kashicomi have been making a name for themselves with their warm, pop-rock sound. Chance! is our readers’ favorite release (83,3% of the votes).
Kashicomi consist on Showhuku Showrai’s radio hosts, Sho Nogami and Shoya Chiba. The duo debuted in 2018 with an acoustic, bright pop-rock sound.
M4!!!! “ONLY LOVE / 4 Me!!!!”
Just like other units under Marine Entertainment, M4!!!! dons a pop-rock sound that is captivating. Fan favorite ONLY LOVE / 4 Me!!!! grabs a spot on this feature with 60% of the votes.
Another Marine Entertainment outfit, M4!!!! consist on Daiki Hamano, Kouhei Amasaki, Takuma Nagatsuka and Taichi Ichikawa, hosts of RADIO M4!!!!.
Hyorotto Danshi “Oshiete yo”
Bubbly pop single Oshiete yo is our readers’ favorite release by Hyorotto Danshi. 63,9% of the votes took the duo’s best release to date to this feature.
Hyorotto Danshi consist on Koutaro Nishiyama and Yuichiro Umehara. The duo made their debut under Lantis in 2018 with Oshiete yo.
SparQlew “Bring it on!”
SparQlew‘s 1st full-length album, Bring it on!, was an instant favorite for our readers. The bubbly pop release, that achieved #1 on iTunes animation chart, got 60% of the votes.
SparQlew consist on Yuto Uemura, Shun Horie, Shoya Chiba, Yuuya Hozumi and Takuto Yoshinaga. They are signed to Kiramune and are well known for their bubblegum pop music.
With this we complete this year’s THTFHQ Awards. Thank you to everyone that participated. Looking forward for next year’s edition, this time focusing exclusively on 2020’s releases.
