Because of their successful anime openings (“Rewrite” even won the Best Anime Theme Song at the American Anime Awards in 2007) Asian Kung-Fu Generation were able to reach international audiences and thus, international fame. They were able to sign a major record label and release more CDs.Īnd then the chance to do some anime music came knocking… ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION “Blood Circulator” (Short Ver.)Īsian Kung-Fu Generation probably could have reached their current level of fame even without doing anime songs, but arguably their contributions to the otaku world gave them that fame faster. Their blend of indie rock and alternative rock styles, largely inspired by Western bands like Weezer, Radiohead, Beck, and more, continued to gain traction in Japan. In the early 2000s they started to gain momentum, performing at bigger venues as well as rock festivals like Fuji Rock and Summer Sonic. It wasn’t until they released their first Japanese single, “Konayuki,” that they were picked up by a popular DJ in Japan and their music began to really circulate. Interestingly, Asian Kung-Fu Generation’s first songs were almost completely in English.
Asian Kung-Fu Generation continued to perform in small venues around Yokohama and Tokyo in their early years, not releasing a CD until 2000. Ijichi soon joined them after quitting his university band, and the group started to perform on their campus as well as small, local stages in the city. Gotoh, Kita, and Yamada all attended the same university in Yokohama, Japan, and because they all liked the same music, they decided to start playing together. Asian Kung-Fu Generation started in 1996 with Masafumi Gotoh (lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist), Kensuke Kita (lead guitarist and backing vocalist), Takahiro Yamada (bassist and backing vocalist), and Kiyoshi Ijichi (drummer) as the original members.