On Aug. 16, the Japanese pop group YOASOBI took the stage at the Hollywood Bowl, marking the final stop on their ‘Never Ending Stories’ tour, a celebration of the band’s past, present and future, featuring songs across their four-album series, “The Book.”
The two-artist band consists of composer Ayase and vocalist Lilas Ikuta, known publicly as Ikura, who work together to bring stories from various anime, games and short stories to life via their music.
YOASOBI’s breakout song, “Racing Into the Night,” was the group’s first foray into bringing stories to life. Based on “The Seduction of Thanatos” by Maya Hoshino, the track sought to capture the somber atmosphere of the short story while still keeping a catchy melody.
“I looked at the lyrics [of “Racing Into the Night”], and I was like, ‘Oh my god,’” said Claire Inchizu, an attendee from Downey, California. “I love the story behind it, and it’s just been my favorite ever since.”
This focus on storytelling continued throughout the setlist. YOASOBI opened with their second biggest hit, “Idol,” which was featured on “Oshi no Ko,” an anime within the entertainment industry and idol culture.
The crowd erupted into cheers upon hearing the song, with many audience members waving their light sticks in sync, similar to scenes featured in the anime.
YOASOBI is not short on stories to tell. They’ve been enlisted to create music for various properties, including “The Brave” for the anime “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End,” “Biri-Biri” for the Pokémon Company and “Orion” for the video game “Overwatch.”
These collaborations have introduced fans of Ayase and Ikura to new media.
“I only started watching ‘Oshi no Ko’ because of YOASOBI and the same with ‘Frieren,’” said attendee Samantha Tang. “I’m glad, through music, I could discover a different anime that’s good to watch.”
The collaborations have also helped YOASOBI amass a large international fanbase. They have encouraged this growth by creating the E-Side series of albums, which serve as official translations of their songs.
Although some fans prefer the Japanese originals, the E-Side albums have allowed YOASOBI to tell their stories to a wider audience.
“I don’t speak Japanese, so I can understand the E-Side lyrics better,” said Nick Rothe, an attendee from Orange County. “I can get a sense of what they’re singing about better, so it helps me out.”
As YOASOBI ended their encore and tour with “Racing into the Night,” Ayase thanked the crowd.
“I now have even greater confidence to make J-pop resonate more and more around the world,” Ayase said. “We will keep growing and growing and become even bigger, and we will definitely come back again.”
Edited by Justin Ha