Ave Mujica is a Japanese all-female metal band that is part of Bushiroad's BanG Dream! media franchise. Formed in 2023, the group's members portray fictional characters in the project's anime series and mobile game BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! in addition to performing their characters' respective instruments in live concerts.
The band consists of Kanon Takao (keys), Yuzuki Watase (rhythm guitar), Rico Sasaki (lead guitar and vocals), Mei Okada (bass), and Akane Yonezawa (drums). In the game, Ave Mujica is represented by five first-year high-school students who make appearances during the game adaptation of the story of MyGO!!!!!: Sakiko Togawa (Takao), Mutsumi Wakaba (Watase), Uika Misumi (Sasaki), Umiri Yahata (Okada), and Nyamu Yūtenji (Yonezawa).
The members go by the nicknames Oblivionis, Mortis, Doloris, Timoris, and Amoris respectively, all inspired by various lunar maria. It symbolizes the subtle emotional experiences of the original characters, the more precise meaning of which is revealed in the official anime series.
Of the nine bands in BanG Dream!, Ave Mujica is one of six whose members perform their own music.
History
2023-2024: Debut, early activities and anime series
Prior to their debut, Ave Mujica was teased during MyGO!!!!!'s 4th concert on April 9, 2023 through a single exhibit showcasing a wooden box,[4] and its content was disseminated to influencers and publications via an alternate reality game, before its associated music video was subsequently released.[5][6] On April 11, the band made their debut with the digital single "Black Birthday".[7] On June 4, as part of the final music festival for Nakano Sunplaza, their first concert, dubbed "Primo die in scaena", was held.[8] On September 13, the band released their first extended playAlea jacta est, which includes the previously released five digital singles.[9][10]
On January 17, 2024, following the reveal of the band's members, the band held their second concert titled "Perdere Omnia".[11]. Following the concert, it was announced that the band would released their first single titled "Utopia" on April 24.[12] It was also announced that the band would release new songs on five consecutive months.[12] On July 7, the band held their third live concert titled "Quaerere Lumina".[13] On July 20, the band performed their first international festival attending at Bilibili Macro Link in Shanghai, China.[14] Following the "Quaerere Lumina" concert, it was announced that the band would release their second extended play titled Elements on October 2.[15] On October 18, it was revealed that an anime series focusing on the band, titled BanG Dream! Ave Mujica, would set to premiere on January 2, 2025.[16]
2025-present: "Killkiss" and first studio album
On January 15, 2025, Ave Mujica released their second single titled "Killkiss", serving as the opening theme for BanG Dream! Ave Mujica.[17] The single's b-side, titled "Georgette Me, Georgette You", serves as the ending theme for the same series.[17][18] On April 23, following the conclusion of the anime series, the band released their first studio album titled Completeness, which included both the opening and ending theme for the anime series.[19]
On June 7, the band performed Animelo Summer Live in Manila, Philippines for the first time.[20] A month later, the band played at Bilibili Macro Link in Shanghai, China.[21] The band is set to play Japan Jam, Rock in Japan and Summer Sonic music festivals during the summer.[22][23][24] On July 26, the band held their sixth concert, titled "Nova Historia" at LaLa arena TOKYO-BAY.[25] On August 04, the band released "Divine", a theme song for the 2025 video game Progress Orders, published by Bushiroad.[26][27]
Members
During Ave Mujica's first live, the identities of the band's performers were concealed through the use of limited stage lighting and cloaks.[8] The identities of the band's members were revealed in the final episode of the anime BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!!.[28]
Yuzuki Watase (Mortis, rhythm guitar) – Watase had previously voice acted in another Bushiroad franchise D4DJ as Miiko Takeshita of Lyrical Lily, prior to being cast as Mutsumi Wakaba.[34] She had begun playing the seven-string guitar upon joining Ave Mujica.[30]
Rico Sasaki (Doloris, lead guitar and vocals) – Prior to Ave Mujica, Sasaki had little musical experience, only having played guitar briefly during middle school, though she picked it up again after becoming active as a singer.[30] She also notably voiced characters such as Poporon in Dropkick on My Devil!, and Ayako Yamada in Kageki Shojo!.[35][36]
Mei Okada (Timoris, bass guitar) – Like Watase, Okada had also previously voice acted in D4DJ as Marika Mizushima of Merm4id.[37] Prior to joining Ave Mujica and being cast as Umiri Yahata, she admitted her only musical experience was with the piano, but she began to learn the bass after joining.[30]
Akane Yonezawa (Amoris, drums) – Yonezawa learned to play drums since the fourth grade and played in bands as a hobby as she continued studying. She moved to Tokyo due to her desire as a drummer.[30] She joined Ave Mujica and voices Nyamu Yūtenji in her first voice acting role.
In the anime, Ave Mujica is one of two bands, the other being MyGO!!!!!, created following the breakup of Sakiko and Mutsumi's former band Crychic in their third year of middle school.[38] In It's MyGO!!!!!, Sakiko spearheaded the effort of forming the band after watching her former Crychic bandmates Tomori, Soyo, and Taki perform their song without her consent.[39] Throughout the second half of the series, as the focus was still on the members of MyGO!!!!!, Sakiko gradually recruited the members of her new band, who were shown to be individuals that the members of MyGO!!!!! have interacted with or have knowledge of.[40][41][42]
The band made its anime debut in the thirteenth and final episode of It's MyGO!!!!!.[41] A direct sequel, BanG Dream! Ave Mujica, follows the titular band and its exploits.[43]
As of 23April2025[update], Ave Mujica has released 20 original songs, including several digital singles. Diggy-MO'[ja], best known for being a member of hip-hop group Soul'd Out, frequently serves as the primary lyricist for the band, a contrast from other bands in the franchise who frequently work with Elements Garden.[44] The band debuted with the digital single "Black Birthday" on 11 April 2023. The band released their first studio album Completeness on 23 April 2025.
Ave Mujica’s music can be classified as metal, particularly symphonic metal, with its classical and majestic atmosphere. This style reflects the perfectly-crafted masquerade and Sakiko’s roots as a classical composer.....However, just as the masquerade serves as both a stage and a reflection of the band members, the sound is designed to balance its grandeur with a sense of illusion. Rather than seeking profound truths, the music aims to offer an intoxicating escape from reality and guilt, embodying the mysterious world of Ave Mujica.
—Anime director Kodai Kakimoto talks about the influence of gothic aesthetics on the project's music and sound design in an interview with MyAnimeList.
While writers of material for the band have primarily described their music as gothic and symphonic metal,[57] various music media outlets have also found noticeable influences from gothic rock, metalcore, and pop music in their work.[58]
Reception
Rolling Stone Japan selected Ave Mujica as one of 25 musical acts to represent Japan in the publication's 2024 "Future of Music" issue.[59]
↑ "ミラノの国際ジュニアコンクール参加レポート". Piano Teachers' National Association of Japan. July 5, 2013. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
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