The TV anime "Girls Band Cry" began airing this April—have you seen it yet?
This popular series is about a group of girls who each face their own challenges in life. You get to watch them grapple with the music they believe in, the other band members, and even themselves, as they grow and improve one step at a time. As an anime about girl bands, the music and the scenes of their performances are not only very high quality but also ooze style. The songs are great in their own right, but the lyrics are also written with the characters and band as the emotional backbone, allowing you to enjoy them on a whole new level. There are truly so many special things to say about this series: you should watch it for yourself and see.
In the meantime, we are here to report on the cast of TOGENASHI TOGEARI's visit to the karaoke venue BIG ECHO Keikyu Kawasaki in Kawasaki City, where "Girls Band Cry" is set! They tried the collab drinks, signed the life-sized standees, and more: read on to find out...
The members of Togetoge arrive! And give an impromptu review of the drinks!?
The guests were Rina, who plays Nina Iseri, Yuri, who plays Momoka Kawaragi, Natsu, who plays Tomo Ebizuka, and Syuri, who plays Rupa. They immediately signed the life-size standees and posters on display on the ground floor.
Of all the BIG ECHO locations participating in the collab, only the Keikyu Kawasaki has these life-size standees! They also left messages for fans with their autographs, so make sure to visit in person and see for yourself.
Also on the ground floor is a display of memorable stills from the anime! You can relax and enjoy stills from not only the episodes, but also the opening and ending clips. BIG ECHO allows customers to take photos of them, so you can absolutely take lots of snaps for your social media!
Next, it was time for the guests to try the collab drinks. There were five recipes total, each themed after one of the members of the band. This went beyond matching their signature colors... The reporter from DAM Anime Buin felt that the flavors made sense for each character! "Of course Nina would be fizzy... Of course Tomo would be strawberry milk!" What do you think?
The cast members tried the drinks too, and gave their impressions. You can watch it on TikTok here:
@damanimebuin #ガールズバンドクライ と#BIGECHO のコラボにトゲナシトゲアリご本人達が来てくれました🎸⚡️ コラボドリンクの種類がたくさんあって迷っちゃう🥺💖 コラボは6月30日(日)までだからみんな急いでね〜！💨 詳しくは「ガールズバンドクライ ビッグエコー」で検索🔍 ※ピック型バッジが欠品した際は販売を休止させていただく場合があります。 #ガールズバンドクライ #トゲナシトゲアリ #ガルクラ #girlsbandcry #BIGECHO #ビッグエコー #コラボドリンク #カラオケ #アニメ #DAM #DAMアニメ部 ♬ What to raise - Shin Kawasaki (Temporary) - TOGENASHITOGEARI
Plus, when you order a collab drink, you also get a guitar pick-shaped badge! They're all so cute, you will have to collect them all!
*Pick-shaped badges are limited stock - please make sure to check availability at individual locations.
Drinks aren't the main attraction at BIG ECHO, though: that is definitely karaoke. Here you can sing along to the opening theme "Wrong World (TV size)" and ending theme "I'm Nobody (TV size)" while the anime clip plays! Don't you think it would feel amazing to belt out "Wrong World" to that stylish animation?
What's more, fans have until June 30 (JST) to sing TOGENASHI TOGEARI theme songs and enter via the Denmoku system for the chance to win a T-shirt autographed by all members, and original mini flags with adorable art. A lot of their back catalogue is available to play, including the anime-clip songs we mentioned before, so check with BIG ECHO for details.
▲Original mini flags.
Before calling an end to the wonderful day, the reporter from DAM Anime Buin asked the cast members for some last impressions, as well as any recommended spots around Kawasaki City, where the anime is set.
The cast all loved the pick-shaped badges, which Rina thought was unique among all the merch they've released so far.
Yuri said she felt a little funny knowing there was now a drink based on her character. She knows there are fans out there who will order as many drinks as it takes to get their favorite character's badge - she says she herself is the type to never give up in that situation, so she understands - but she also tells everyone not to make themselves sick.
Natsu was not only so happy to get the chance to have fans sing Togetoge songs right while the anime is airing, but also to give more people reasons to visit Kawasaki. When she sees people posting themselves with the collab drinks singing at BIG ECHO on social media, it makes her feel one with the fandom.
Syuri has visited karaoke collabs for her favorite anime many times in the past, and it is like a dream come true for her to get one for something she is involved with. She feels nostalgic and happy seeing people posting about drinking lots of collab drinks for their favorite characters, as she has done the same thing herself.
Here are their recommendations for things to do in Kawasaki:
Syuri's pick: La Cittadella. There's a cinema there she used to visit as a child, so it is a very familiar place to her. It shows up a lot in the anime series as well as music videos. There's also a live music club called Club Citta nearby, where she is looking forward to performing with the others this September.
Natsu's pick: Uvance Todoroki Stadium. It's the place she's visited the most times in all of Kawasaki. She was very excited to see fans who had never watched soccer before come when they attended the Kawasaki Frontale home game event recently.
Yuri's pick: Lazona Kawasaki Plaza. Nina, Momoka and Subaru perform live there in episode 3 of the TV anime, and she and the other cast members also made a pilgrimage there themselves. She'd love to perform for real in Lufa Plaza someday.
Rina's pick: Live House Serbian Night. She got to perform there last year on December 20 as part of the "Get to KAWASAKI 2023" live event. She thinks that the venue feels cosy like another home, and she loves to perform with the fans so close.
So, if you get the chance to make a pilgrimage to Kawasaki, the holy land of "Girls Band Cry," by June 30, make sure to visit karaoke venue BIG ECHO Keikyu Kawasaki and immerse yourself in the world of the anime!
