Fumiaki Nishihara thoroughly explains the appeal of the OP theme for the TV anime "Princess Principal," which has been attracting attention for its all-English lyrics!

The Other Side of the Wall," the OP theme song for the TV anime "Princess Principal," has just been released, and anime music writer and former Listani editor Fumiaki Nishihara explains the song's appeal! Editor-in-Chief Fumiaki Nishihara explains the appeal of the song.

This original anime is set at the end of the 19th century in London, the capital of the fictional Kingdom of Albion, and follows the activities of five beautiful young female spies, all of whom are high school girls attending the prestigious and traditional Queen's Mayfair School, but who use their identities as a cover for their espionage activities. Directed by Masanori Tachibana, series composition and script by Ichiro Okochi, original character design by Kohaku Kurosei, and music by Yuki Kajiura. Animation production is by Studio 3Hz and Actus.
⇒2017 Summer Anime List

The opening theme "The Other Side of the Wall," which is attracting attention for its English lyrics, was released today, and we asked Fumiken Nishihara to thoroughly explain the appeal of this song by creator Ryo Takahashi.

Fumiaki Nishihara's review】 ※Titles omitted

Aggressive and funky piano and a violently surging bass line.

The wild horns and vocal work dominate the listener with an overwhelming mass of sound.
Has there ever been such a strong jazz sound gracing the opening of an anime work? Even if we discount the rarity of the English lyrics, "The Other Side of the Wall" seems to have shown anime fans the possibilities of a new anime song.

The song was created by Void_Chords, an artist project led by Ryo Takahashi.

This is a creator-driven style that brings in various vocalists depending on the song, and MARU, who also performs live at Dream Comes True, has been selected for this first project.

The fact that this musician, Ryo Takahashi, has his roots in jazz has already been proven in the OP theme and accompaniment to the TV anime "ACCA 13th Ward Observation Division," which has been broadcast since January of this year.
His tone, which also contains elements of danceable club sounds, has the aroma of the European jazz scene of the late 1990s, to say the least.
The hedonistic worldview born from the encounter of techno and hip-hop with acid jazz.
Come to think of it, acid jazz originated in England in the 1980s, and the setting for this film, "Princess Principal," was also London.
And in this era, steampunk was on the rise in the entertainment industry, and of course, "Princess Principal" is also an animated spy action film with imaginary science flying around in a steamy city that looks like it is the end of the 19th century.

There is no way not to enjoy such a marriage in the relationship between an animated work and its music.
I am an anime writer whose job is to make sense, but even without such meta-ideas, Ryo Takahashi is the chosen one for "Princess Principal.

So, what kind of music will Void_Chords be playing in their next work?　We would like to heartily welcome another new star who has emerged in the animation world with a new musical style.

TEXT BY Fumiaki Nishihara

Please enjoy the 1s single released by Void_Chords.

TV anime "Princess Principal" opening movie

Product Information

Void_Chords feat. MARU "The Other Side of the Wall
Release date: July 26, 2017
Price: 1,200 yen (excluding tax)

Contents
The Other Side of the Wall (OP theme song of TV anime "Princess Principal")
Drive My Fate
The Other Side of the Wall (Instrumental)
Drive My Fate (Instrumental)

Artist Information
Void_Chords feat.
Artist project by Ryo Takahashi, the creator of "ONE III NOTES" which made an impact on the anime song world, and is now a hot topic creator who handles music for numerous anime productions. project by Ryo Takahashi, a creator who is currently creating music for numerous anime productions.

The first single will be sung by "MARU".

She has sung live for DREAMS COME TRUE and in the chorus of many famous artists, and is a rising star diva with an outstanding and stable voice.
In 2015, she participated in the Broadway musical "RENT" as Mrs. Jefferson.
She is a promising artist who is further expanding her range of activities.


(C)Princess Principal Project