Key visual, featuring the members of MyGO!!!!!. From left to right: Rāna Kaname, Soyo Nagasaki, Tomori Takamatsu (center), Anon Chihaya, and Taki Shiina
BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!! is a Japanese anime television series created by Bushiroad and produced by Sanzigen. It is a spin-off to the main BanG Dream! series,serving as its chronological sequel. The series aired from June to September 2023. Two compilation films recapping the events of the series with some additional scenes were released in September and November 2024. A manga adaptation written and illustrated by Yuama with story by Yotsuji Haibuchi,titled BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!! Swaying in the Rain,Looking for the Sunshine,began serialization in Bushiroad's magazine Comic Growl in December 2024.
The series received generally positive reviews. Critics and fans have praised It's MyGO!!!!! for its plot,role design,visuals,and depiction of interpersonal relations and mood disorder as well as its unconventional approach to the realm of music anime. A sequel focusing on the characters of the band Ave Mujica,BanG Dream! Ave Mujica,was broadcast in 2025,while a sequel to both It's MyGO!!!!! and Ave Mujica was announced following the final episode of Ave Mujica.
Premise
The series follows the formation of the titular band MyGO!!!!!,one of two bands,along with Ave Mujica,that were founded following the breakup of the band Crychic. Haneoka Girls' Academy student Tomori Takamatsu is approached by recent transferee Anon Chihaya,who aims to recruit her in building a band upon seeing most of the school being in bands. Tomori hesitates to accept her invite as Anon learns and becomes involved in the drama of Tomori's former band alongside Tomori's bandmates Soyo Nagasaki and Taki Shiina and outsider Rāna Kaname that threatens the growth of their fledgling band.
A first-year at Haneoka Girls' Academy, she often sees things differently from others and has trouble making friends. Despite her introverted nature, she deeply cares for her friends and bandmates and accepts them for who they are despite their flaws. She was part of the all-girls band Crychic with four others, where she was the vocalist. Following the band's hostile breakup during middle school, she once again became reclusive and hesitant to join bands. She later joins the band, later named MyGO!!!!!, led by Anon, and sees it as a second chance to overcome her trauma from Crychic's breakup. Tomori also has many quirky habits, including collecting objects she finds aesthetically pleasing, such as rocks, notebooks, and bandages featuring animal designs, and arranging objects neatly.
Director Kōdai Kakimoto said he wanted to depict Tomori as a "punk band vocalist" and embody punk itself through her character's inability to get along with people in daily life, making her a manifestation of miscommunication.[2]
A first-year at Haneoka Girls' Academy who recently transferred in after studying abroad in England. She can be proactive, trendy, does well academically, and while she was popular in her middle school, she distances herself from how she acted back then. She leads the effort to create a band, later named MyGO!!!!!, to become popular after seeing much of Haneoka's student body being part of bands despite overstating her own skills at guitar and eventually convinces Soyo, Taki, Tomori, and Rāna to join, and becoming the rhythm guitarist of the band.
According to writer Yuniko Ayana, Anon was chosen as the point-of-view character for the beginning of the series so as to more easily introduce the audience to Tomori and the inciting incident of Crychic's breakup without overwhelming the audience with such a complex and emotionally heavy plot point at the beginning of the story.[3]
A student at Hanasakigawa Girls' Academy, in her third year of middle school, she is eccentric, appears frequently at the live music venue RiNG, has impressive skills at playing the guitar, and is clear about what she dislikes and likes. She later joins the band MyGO!!!!! as its lead guitarist, though she acts on her own accord and appears at the band's practice sessions infrequently. It is later revealed that she is Shifune Tsuzuki's granddaughter, and she aspired to join a band to find somewhere she can belong after the closing of Space.[4]
Ayana stated that Rāna's character and her connection to Space was conceptualized early in the development of It's MyGO!!!!!, as the story was initially planned as an interquel set between the events of the first and second seasons of the anime series.[3]
A first-year at Tsukinomori Girls' Academy who plays the double bass in the school's brass band club. She has a reputation for being kind to others, and was previously the bassist for Crychic. She is friends with Mutsumi, and she regularly updates her on the wellbeing of their former bandmates following the band's breakup. Underneath her calm facade, she attempts to reform Crychic through convincing Sakiko and Mutsumi to rejoin. She later joins the band MyGO!!!!! in order to achieve her goal.
Kakimoto said that the production team set her character's keyword as the "mother of the group". This not only stems from her gentle personality but is also related to her complicated family background.[2]
A first-year at Hanasakigawa Girls' Academy, she works part-time at RiNG and likes being alone, causing her to be antisocial and abrasive towards others, especially Anon. Despite this, she is caring and is good friends with Tomori, whom she is highly protective of following Crychic's breakup and looks up to with admiration, and she has an older sister. She was formerly the drummer for Crychic, and later joins the band MyGO!!!!!.
Ayana said that the motive of designing Taki was to emphasize Tomori's amazing talent as a genius lyricist.[3] Kakimoto stated that the relationship between Taki, Anon, and Tomori is one of the key focuses in the anime's creation.[2]
A first-year at Haneoka Girls' Academy, who often plays piano at the school's music room. She was formerly the keyboardist for the band Crychic, which consisted of herself, Mutsumi, Tomori, Soyo, and Taki. However, she quit the band for unknown reasons, which led to her friendships with Tomori, Soyo, and Taki becoming strained. She later forms and becomes band leader for Ave Mujica, which is introduced at the end of the series, and takes on the alter-ego "Oblivionis".
A student at Tsukinomori Girls' Academy and formerly part of Crychic, where she played guitar, who is bad at expressing how she feels. She is friends with Soyo and Sakiko, and she tends to act as their intermediary regarding their individual motives. She later joins the band Ave Mujica and takes on the alter-ego "Mortis."
A first-year at Hanasakigawa Girls' Academy who is skilled at playing bass and participates in a large number of bands. She is a friend of Taki and they engage in friendly banter regarding their respective bands. She later joins the band Ave Mujica, using the alter-ego "Timoris." Yuniko Ayana stated in an interview that Umiri's character was inspired by a social media post she had seen from a real life teenage bass player, who claimed that they were at one point been a member of ten bands simultaneously.[3]
A first-year at Hanasakigawa Girls' Academy and classmate of Taki and Umiri, who is the vocalist and guitarist in an idol unit called sumimi. She is childhood friends with Sakiko and later joins her band Ave Mujica, using the alter-ego "Doloris."
An online influencer who Anon frequently watches. Nicknamed "Nyamuchi," she mainly posts videos about beauty and make-up, and is later shown to be skilled at playing drums. She later joins the band Ave Mujica and takes on the alter-ego "Amoris."
The vocalist and bandmate of Uika in the idol unit sumimi.
Production
Planning
After producing the 3rd season of the main BanG Dream! series, the production team developed the idea to "portray characters more realistically" and "depict irreversible major events in the storyline". Subsequently, Bushiroad producer Yuki Nemoto conceived a "serious-themed band project" originating from the idea of "debut a melodic hardcore band and a metal band". When the script reached approximately episode 4 during development, Bushiroad decided to integrate this project into the existing BanG Dream! universe. This decision led the production team to pause scriptwriting and overhaul character designs and story settings. The original plan of telling a 26-episode story about two bands with a total of 10 members was restructured into two seasons separately focuses on different bands. Ultimately, the production team decided to allocate the core narrative to two anime series, It's MyGO!!!!! and Ave Mujica, clearly delineating the narrative trajectories of the two bands.[12]
Writing
According to lead writer Yuniko Ayana, the choice to make It's MyGO!!!!! a more tonally serious drama came at the request of Yuki Nemoto.[13][3] Nemoto said he hopes It's MyGO!!!!! will be a work resonating with the younger generation, portraying the genuine, laughter-and-tears-filled interpersonal relationships among high school students.[14] Given the lighter tone of previous BanG Dream! installments, Ayana initially struggled with balancing this direction with the desire to not alienate fans of earlier installments, but was told by series director Kōdai Kakimoto to commit fully to the heavier tone.[13] Ayana drew on her past personal experiences with "betrayal and distrust", which provided the impetus for Tomori's emotional conflict within the series narrative.[13][3] To prepare for writing the series, Ayana did research into real-life bands of high school girls, which informed some of the story and characters.[3] Ayana stated that she felt It's MyGO!!!!! was the most realistic work she had written thus far, even including her works outside of the BanG Dream! franchise.[13]
According to Kakimoto, the script for It's MyGO!!!!! underwent multiple drastic overhauls. Initially, the story direction was based on character settings, but the actual writing process revealed the characters' multifaceted personalities, triggering chain reactions, such as altered motivations, reconstructed relationships, and interwoven plotlines. Each adjustment required rebuilding subsequent developments and retconning scripts already in progress, resulting in some episodes being rewritten up to five or six times. For example, the initial concept portrayed Anon Chihaya as a "bold-acting returnee student beneath a model-student facade", but to differentiate her from other BanG Dream! characters like Rokka Asahi, her flaws such as "trend-chasing vanity" and "calculating nature" were amplified to "deepen human authenticity".[12] In order to better integrate this series into the BanG Dream! project, the writing staff made the decision to assign the characters to existing schools in the BanG Dream! universe, and created their interaction with the previous BanG Dream! characters.[2]
To design Tomori's notebook and style of writing, the production team referenced numerous lyricists' poetry collections, along with the doodles and handwritten notes found within them.[15]:57 Writer Midori Gotō created Tomori's monologues and poems in Episode 10.[2]
Animation
According to Kakimoto, the animation was almost entirely produced in-house at Sanzigen, and every animator worked on multiple episodes. The creative team also entrusted Sanzigen's animators with handling both the storyboards and directing.[16] Studio president Hiroaki Matsuura pointed out how the series fuses CG and hand-drawn techniques. While most of the visual elements were produced as CG, Sanzigen's animation team added many hand-drawn details such as refined hair, eyes, and shadows, particularly for close-up shots.[17]
Writer Yuniko Ayana said that the third episode of the series, presented from Tomori's first-personperspective, was fun to write.[18] The episode was praised by critics for its unique visual presentation.[19][20]
Matsuura said that Episode 3, which is entirely presented as a long take showing Tomori's point-of-view, was inspired by a particular artist’s live footage and that he specifically requested for the episode to imitate its feel.[17] To write the episode's script, Ayana watched the film Being John Malkovich so as to understand how to best write a story presented from a first-person perspective. Because Tomori herself was not visible for most of the episode, with her presence primarily being conveyed through her spoken dialogue and the occasional use of her reflection in mirrors, Ayana had to consider how to best tell the story with the visuals of what she witnesses, which she described as a novel challenge. She also noted that the infrequent use of mirrors in the episode expressed the nature of Tomori's character, as she would rarely look at her own reflection.[18]
The fixed camera shots in episode 7, which followed MyGO!!!!!'s movements in the dressing room prior to their first concert, were also given particular attention, and Ayana watched the hidden camera television program Human Observation Show: Monitoring[ja] to inform how to write for these scenes.[18] Matsuura explained that in the wide shots, the characters were always moving, which he said was not standard for other anime but made the scenes feel more believable.[17] Kakimoto agreed that the fixed camera system better captured the band's natural interactions with one another, as opposed to following them closely as they might in a documentary context.[15]:87 He hoped the audience to feel as if they were MyGO!!!!!'s live staff or one of the members.[2] To inform the animation of certain scenes, the writers and animators sometimes acted out the story's events during meetings. In particular, Ayana acted out how she had envisioned Soyo's movements during the ending of the eighth episode, when Soyo begs Sakiko to reform Crychic; one of her co-writers acted as Sakiko during the demonstration.[18]
The live concert scenes of the anime were all recorded by real musicians, including Daisuke Hasegawa, the guitarist for Aqua Timez, and Ryuhei Kinoshita. For the scene where Anon Chihaya makes a mistake during a performance, Hasegawa intentionally hit the wrong strings, and recorded close-up footage of the hand movements, which was then provided to Sanzigen as reference material.[21] Storyboard artist Tomomi Umetsu enriched the live performance scene in episode 10, while animators improvised the members' expressions and acting nuances under the guidance by CG director Daichi Omori and Motomu Endō.[2]
Themes and analysis
In a departure from the main BanG Dream! series, It's MyGO!!!!! focuses on organic drama and interpersonal strife.[22] Kakimoto said this work delves into more serious storytelling such as people's gloomy emotions, conflicts, and tangled relationships.[2] He stated that this work breaks away from the framework of previous series' animations where "characters formed a group together because they like each other".[23] He additionally said that It's MyGO!!!!! is a story about characters no longer hiding the flaws and shame they once tried to cover up, and still seeking connections with others in spite of their emotional wounds.[24] Nemoto explained that precisely in a social climate where people easily compare themselves to others through social media and the Internet, he believed depicting struggles and vivid human nature could create a work with stronger emotional resonance.[25] Taki Shiina's voice actress Coco Hayashi mentioned that one of the core themes of It's MyGO!!!!! is "finding a place to belong".[26] According to Anime Feminist, the series touches upon content such as depression, anxiety, shyness, asociality, stalking, parental abuse, effects of divorce, and feeling of alienation by microaggressions.[27]Animate Times pointed out in an anime guide that the series depicts a messy human drama that fully emphasizes discord among members and the self-righteous behavior of the characters, causing the anime to be sometimes called a "depression anime" due to this storytelling style.[28]
Masaki Endō from Oricon News pointed out the anime stands out among band-themed anime by depicting the anguish of lacking excitement and the frustration of youth through delicate emotions and presenting strained relationships akin to the real world. He believed that this approach reflected recent trends of works centering on communication-challenged protagonists, after series such as Komi Can't Communicate and Bocchi the Rock! gained audience acceptance.[25]Natalie writer Shouki Ōta described "girls expressing their emotions" as the central narrative element of the anime. He thought It's MyGO!!!!! centers on two elements, including the intertwining feelings that await at the end of intertwined human relationships, and the self-consciousness that is unique to adolescence, while the series depicts these two elements through the two themes of girls' high school and girl band.[29]
Yuki Kawano of Japanese online magazine DenFaminicoGamer interpreted the character Anon Chihaya as a metaphor for modern people. He described the character as "cheerful on surface, yet only concerned with herself and unwilling to exert effort". He also characterized the series as having an emotionally heavy style, saying it depicts the intricacies of human relationships and the character's pain with "more realism than actual reality", similar to Japanese daytime drama and Korean drama.[30] Leyvan, another reviewer for DenFaminicoGamer noticed the "textbook-like efficacy of human relationships" depicted in It's MyGO!!!!!. He suggested that the development of social media and other technologies in the 2010s, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to the younger generation's failure to cultivate interpersonal communication and social skills during adolescence, and that It's MyGO!!!!! reflected these anxieties and "mirrors the era". Further, he said the series' depiction of shared emotional trauma can be interpreted in countless ways depending on the viewer by projecting their own life experiences or current circumstances onto these elements.[31]
Media
Anime
An anime television series centered around MyGO!!!!! that serves as the spin-off and chronological sequel to the main series was announced on April 9, 2023, during the band's 4th concert.[32] It is produced by Sanzigen and directed by Kōdai Kakimoto, with Yuniko Ayana writing and supervising series scripts. It premiered on June 29, 2023, with three episodes premiering on the same day, and aired until September 14, 2023, on Tokyo MX and other networks.[33] The opening theme is "One Droplet",[b] while the ending theme is "Bookmark",[c] both performed by the eponymous band. Crunchyroll licensed the series.[34][35]Muse Communication licensed the series in Southeast Asia.[36]
On January 6, 2024, it was announced that the anime would be made into a compilation film split into two parts with new footage that aims to add focus on band member Rāna Kaname, revealing the two parts would be titled "Spring Sunshine, Lost Cat" (春の陽だまり、迷い猫, Haru no Hidamari, Mayoi Neko) and "Sing, Songs That Become Us & FILM LIVE" (うたう、僕らになれるうた & FILM LIVE, Utau, Bokura ni Nareru Uta & Film Live).[37][38] The two parts of the compilation film opened in Japanese theaters on September 27 and November 8, respectively.[39][40][41]Crunchyroll reported that both parts of the compilation film aired in over 70 Japanese theaters.[42][43]
"Haneoka's Quirky Girl" Transliteration: "Haneoka no Fushigi-chan" (Japanese: 羽丘の不思議ちゃん)
Motomu Endō
Yuniko Ayana
Kōdai Kakimoto
June29,2023(2023-6-29)
Anon Chihaya transfers into Haneoka Girls' Academy late into spring, just before Golden Week. Realizing that almost everyone at school is in a band due to Haneoka's senior students and alumni being members of popular bands, she hurriedly begins trying to build one of her own. As she looks around school, Anon overhears a piano performance by student Sakiko Togawa and proposes forming a band with her, but Sakiko declines her offer. Meanwhile, Soyo Nagasaki, a student from Tsukinomori Girls' Academy, seeks to contact Sakiko through Mutsumi Wakaba, a classmate of hers and childhood friend of Sakiko, but Mutsumi is evasive. Back at Haneoka, Anon decides to approach her classmate Tomori Takamatsu, hoping to befriend her after being informed of her past in a band and reading her notebooks of lyrics. Tomori expresses hesitance due to the hostile nature of her previous band's breakup, and Anon reassures her she can try again and strive to prevent it from happening again. Hearing this, Tomori asks Anon if she would join a band for her whole life. Anon is bemused by the notion, and Tomori, embarrassed, runs away. Anon chases her to a live house, RiNG, to apologize where she is stopped by part-time employee and Tomori's friend Taki Shiina, who is angered at Anon's attempt to recruit Tomori to a band.
2
"I Won't Invite You Anymore" Transliteration: "Mō Sasowanai" (Japanese: もう誘わない)
Motomu Endō
Midori Gotō
Tomomi Umetsu
June29,2023(2023-6-29)
While trying to recruit band members at RiNG, Anon encounters Soyo, who witnessed her confrontation with Taki. As the two talk at RiNG's café, Taki begrudgingly serves them, and a girl named Rāna Kaname appears for an open mic and begins playing the guitar over their conversation. Anon mentions approaching Tomori about the band, catching Soyo's interest as a former bandmate of hers. Inferring that Anon and Tomori are connected through both attending Haneoka, Soyo agrees to join Anon's band, with the intention of reconnecting with Tomori through her. Anon, oblivious to Soyo's true goals, is delighted. Meanwhile, Sakiko meets with Mutsumi and requests that Mutsumi conceal Sakiko's whereabouts from Soyo. Anon learns during a visit to RiNG that Taki was also in Soyo and Tomori's old band, Crychic. After noticing Soyo and Taki react dejectedly to their band's past, Anon messages Tomori to meet up and asks about her involvement in Crychic.
3
"Crychic"
Daichi Ōmori & Hajime Yamanokuchi
Yuniko Ayana
Kōdai Kakimoto
June29,2023(2023-6-29)
In an episode told exclusively from Tomori's first-person point of view,[19] she recalls her childhood and upbringing. Much of her youth and middle school life had been spent alone and she wrote her thoughts and struggles in her notebook. While reaching over a bridge for a flower in the wind, she was tackled by Sakiko, who misinterpreted her action as a suicide attempt. The two befriended one another, and Sakiko took a liking to Tomori's writing and turned it into a composition. Sakiko then suggested forming a band with her classmates Soyo and Mutsumi, with Taki later joining due to her esteemed older sister recommending her to Sakiko, and the group began to bond. Sakiko's optimistic nature motivated Tomori as the lyricist and vocalist, culminating in a successful debut show for Crychic with their song "Haruhikage" (春日影, lit. "Spring Sunlight"). However, the group saw a social media comment about the concert criticizing Tomori's singing, which demoralized her. Sakiko then abruptly quit the band days later without explanation which led to an argument between the members, and Mutsumi expressed that she never enjoyed being in Crychic. The band split up as a result, and Tomori reverted to her isolated nature upon entering high school and seeing Sakiko distance herself from Tomori.
4
"For Our Whole Lives?!" Transliteration: "Isshō da yo!?" (Japanese: 一生だよ！？)
Kōichirō Koga
Hitomi Ogawa
Shouko Hayashi
July6,2023(2023-7-6)
After hearing Tomori's story, Anon encourages her to try again. Soyo arrives and likewise encourages Tomori, saying no one was to blame for Crychic's breakup, but Tomori is unconvinced and flees. Soyo and Anon discuss the issue, and Anon reveals that Sakiko has transferred from Tsukinomori to Haneoka. Soyo thus goes to Haneoka and approaches Sakiko in an attempt to reconcile, but Sakiko refuses to speak with her. Anon calls Soyo and Tomori to RiNG and pushes them to discuss the issue with Taki. While Taki blames Sakiko for quitting, Tomori, remembering the negative online comment, claims her singing was at fault. Soyo maintains her position that no one is to blame, and Tomori decides to commit after learning that Taki is not angry with her. Soyo suggests reforming the band, promising to stay together and talk out any future issues. Although Anon is uncertain of her commitment, everyone agrees to prepare for a show, while Rāna watches with interest. At their first practice, Anon admits to having limited guitar experience before Rāna appears. Elsewhere, sumimi vocalist and guitarist Uika Misumi gazes at Sakiko's messages longingly after recording a song.
5
"I'm Not Running Away!" Transliteration: "Nigetenai!" (Japanese: 逃げてない！)
Daichi Ōmori
Akiko Waba
Hiroshi Morita
July13,2023(2023-7-13)
Rāna plays "Haruhikage" proficiently despite no prior familiarity with the song and expresses interest in joining them. The band is impressed with her skill, and Anon is distressed by the possibility that Rāna will overshadow her. The band is invited to fill a vacant slot and perform at Poppin'Party and Afterglow's joint show at RiNG, but Tomori hesitates because of her trauma over Crychic's breakup. Taki and Anon argue over whether they should play the show until Taki criticizes Anon's poor work ethic and her attempts to use Tomori's hesitation to stall for time. Offended, Anon runs away, and then encounters her former classmates from middle school, who are confused to see her in Haneoka's school uniform, as they had heard she was studying abroad. Anon at first panics, but Tomori catches up to her and they go to an aquarium together. Anon explains to Tomori that she had studied in England after graduating middle school, but returned to Japan after experiencing culture shock, and that she feels ashamed of having run away. Tomori reassures Anon that running from her fears is natural and another means to find her calling, as Tomori had done before joining Anon's band. Having become closer to one another, the two return to Soyo and Taki and declare their resolve to commit to performing in the upcoming show.
6
"Why, When It's Too Late" Transliteration: "Nande Imasara" (Japanese: なんで今更)
Kōichirō Koga
Midori Gotō
Kozue Oka
July20,2023(2023-7-20)
While the band discusses what song to play at the show, Taki suggests "Haruhikage", but Soyo expresses reluctance. Tomori showcases new lyrics to the band, motivating Taki to produce a composition for them. However, Anon struggles to play it while Rāna does so with ease, prompting Taki to recruit Rāna to the band. Unsatisfied with the lack of progress, Taki relegates Anon to practicing basic chords while Rāna's inconsistent appearances at practices prevent the band from operating cohesively. Meanwhile, Soyo tells Mutsumi that she intends to reform Crychic, and invites Mutsumi to join after the show at RiNG. Mutsumi refuses and informs Sakiko, who then plans on attending the show in order to confront Soyo. Taki's frustrations boil over as a byproduct of overworking herself while trying to mimic Sakiko's band leadership and composition skills, and she begins skipping practice. Anon and Tomori visit and confront Taki at Hanasakigawa about her absence. While there, they encounter Rāna, who they learn is a Hanasakigawa junior high school student.
7
"Even After Today's Concert Ends" Transliteration: "Kyō no Raibu ga Owatte mo" (Japanese: 今日のライブが終わっても)
Tomomi Umetsu
Yuniko Ayana
Tomomi Umetsu
July27,2023(2023-7-27)
The day of the band's debut show arrives, but they struggle through a sound check and nervously wait their turn to perform. Once on stage, they also struggle through their opening song as Tomori suffers from stage fright and sings poorly, but she starts to sing with more confidence after seeing Sakiko and Mutsumi in the audience. As part of her emceeing between songs, Tomori confesses her fears about performing in a band again after Crychic's breakup but aspires to continue expressing her feelings through music; Rāna uses the opportunity to segue into "Haruhikage", catching Soyo and Sakiko off-guard and the band follows along. Hurt by its performance, Sakiko tearfully flees RiNG, which Soyo notices, to her despair. Although Taki, Tomori, and Anon celebrate their debut as a success, Soyo angrily confronts them about playing the song. After fleeing from RiNG, an anguished Sakiko calls Uika during her work and asks her for a favor to "make her forget everything".
Soyo points out how Sakiko cried and walked out during their performance of "Haruhikage", upset by this as she believes that its use disrupted her plan to reform Crychic. Taki reacts dismissively, remarking that Sakiko is no longer part of the band. Offended by this, Soyo skips practice after the debut show. Blaming herself for the conflict, Tomori looks for Soyo at Tsukinomori to apologize, but learns she has not been attending school. Taki, Tomori, and Anon argue over how or if to proceed without Soyo, and Rāna, frustrated with the situation, leaves the band. Meanwhile, Sakiko reunites and reminisces with Uika on their childhood. Uika comments that she attended Crychic's concert, but Sakiko abruptly changes the subject. Soyo attempts to text Sakiko but finds that she has been blocked. Soyo approaches Mutsumi to reach Sakiko through her, coaxing Mutsumi to help by guilt tripping her into feeling responsible for Crychic's breakup. Mutsumi arranges a meeting between the two, and Soyo apologizes for performing "Haruhikage" and pleads for Sakiko to reform Crychic with her. Sakiko rejects her offer, criticizing it as rash and ignorant of the other Crychic members' personal agency, and further calls out Soyo's selfishness and attachment to the past, before leaving her behind.
In a flashback, Soyo recounts moving to a new penthouse condo with her mother, who was often absent in her youth following her parents' divorce, and attending Tsukinomori's middle school, where she became a double bass player in the school's brass band. Her performance attracted Sakiko's interest, and she was approached about joining what would become Crychic. Distraught about Crychic's breakup and Sakiko's words, Soyo reasons that her actions have been selfless. Anon, Taki, and Tomori try to reach out to Soyo but are repeatedly ignored. Taki intercepts Soyo at a brass band event at which she is performing, where Soyo reveals that she planned to discard Anon and Rāna after reforming Crychic and her promise to Tomori was a lie to keep her and Taki from leaving. Furious, Taki unilaterally elects to replace Soyo as the band's bassist, recruiting her classmate and support musician Umiri Yahata. Anon and Tomori are displeased with the change, and Umiri quickly leaves upon noticing their discontent. Taki explains Soyo's intentions and betrayal to Anon and Tomori, shocking them. Upset at having been used by Soyo and believing she is unwanted, Anon quits the band, devastating Tomori.
With the band fragmented and Taki and Anon both avoiding her, Tomori begins writing down her troubles as poems in her notebook. Tomori encounters Uika by chance at the Sunshine City planetarium, and shares her writings. Recognizing her as Sakiko's bandmate, Uika encourages Tomori to express her feelings before leaving. Tomori then conducts a series of solo spoken word performances at RiNG, which become popular as an intrigued Rāna joins to provide musical support. At Rāna's urging, Taki joins in participating and reconciles with Tomori. Mutsumi tells Taki and Tomori that Soyo is depressed following her failure to reform Crychic. Tomori persuades Anon to join in performing, while relaying Mutsumi's tip about Soyo, and Anon confesses she started the band to make herself look good. Anon approaches Soyo at Tsukinomori and follows her to her home, imploring her to rejoin while empathizing with Soyo's selfish motives. Soyo declares that she will come to Tomori's next performance to break up the band. At the show, Tomori sees Soyo in the audience and drags her up onto the stage. The reunited band performs Tomori's poem, improvising a song where Tomori sings her desire to reach out to her bandmates in spite of their conflicts, moving all its members except Rāna (who is delighted) to tears.
Following the show, Soyo makes amends with the band. They are suddenly notified of their next show as reserved by Tomori during her performances, so they begin preparing despite not yet having a band name or new song written. The five convene at Soyo's penthouse to brainstorm while Anon sets up the band's social media account. As they spend time in Soyo's penthouse, the band begins to form genuine bonds after learning of their flaws. While finalizing the song and costumes the night before the show at Anon's house, Rāna opens up about her aspiration of finding somewhere to belong after the closing of Space, which Tomori interprets as continuing on despite feeling lost and facing hurt. Anon, inspired by her interpretation and using one of her notes, suggests calling themselves "Maigo no Band" (迷子のバンド, lit. "The Band of Lost Children").
12
"It's my go!!!!!"
Shouko Hayashi
Akiko Waba
Daichi Ōmori
August31,2023(2023-8-31)
Before the band goes on stage, Anon learns their band name has been shortened into "Maigo". Reiterating how the band feels lost, Anon gains an idea and coins their final name by turning the phrase "itsumo maigo" (いつも迷子, lit. "always lost") into "It's My Go". The band then proudly performs their set, as Mutsumi and Umiri watch on; after the show, the band agrees to use the name MyGO!!!!! with five exclamation marks to symbolize each member. When the band notices a bag of cucumbers left in their dressing room, Soyo tracks down Mutsumi to return and reject the gift, despite Mutsumi showing support for Soyo staying with MyGO!!!!!. Mutsumi quietly meets with Umiri, who urges her to take her time to consider a major decision. Sometime later, Sakiko meets with beauty influencer Nyamu Yūtenji upon being notified of her online popularity and drumming skills. Sakiko recruits Nyamu to her new band by convincing her of Mutsumi and Uika's involvement and asks her to entrust her life to Sakiko.
13
"The Only One I Can Trust Is Myself" Transliteration: "Shinjirareru no ha Waga Mi Hitotsu" (Japanese: 信じられるのは我が身ひとつ)
Hajime Yamanokuchi
Yuniko Ayana
Naoya Okugawa
September14,2023(2023-9-14)
Sakiko visits Mutsumi about recruiting her for her band and Mutsumi immediately agrees due to her concern for Sakiko's mental state. Meanwhile, MyGO!!!!! celebrates the success of their previous shows and believes they can participate in band activities for a lifetime as they try and move forward even with their past trauma. Soyo privately admits to Tomori that she felt uncomfortable with her lyrics as they resonated with her insecurities, and Soyo remarks she can now be able to face them with MyGO!!!!!. Hearing this, Tomori tries to reconcile with Sakiko the next day, but is rebuked and Sakiko leaves, bitterly wishing her happiness. Tomori encounters Uika again with Anon at the planetarium and Tomori thanks her for her advice; Anon points out how Uika knew her despite Tomori not introducing herself. Uika travels to a theater where Sakiko conducts final preparations and leads Uika, Mutsumi, Umiri, and Nyamu to their band's first concert, concealing their identities and debuting as Ave Mujica. After its success, Sakiko splits from the band and returns to a disheveled home with her alcoholic father.
Manga
A manga adaptation written and illustrated by Yuama with story by Yotsuji Haibuchi that retells the story from Soyo's perspective, titled BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!! Swaying in the Rain, Looking for the Sunshine (BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!! 雨にそよいで晴れを請う, BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!! Ame ni Soyoide Hare wo Kou), was announced on October 21, 2024.[47] It began serialization in Comic Growl on December 27, 2024, in both Japanese and English.[48]
Other media
A series of shorts focusing on the daily lives of the members of MyGO!!!!!, titled "MyGO!!!!! Members' Daily Life" (MyGO!!!!!メンバーの日常, MyGO!!!!! Menbā no Nichijō), started releasing on the band's YouTube channel in August 2022.[49]
Reception
In the Anime Preview Guide on Anime News Network, responses to the series premiere were mixed. Some reviewers found its pace engaging for its differences from previous similar anime such as Love Live! or previous BanG Dream! installments, with Christopher Farris describing it as "impressively melancholic", while James Beckett disliked the narrative's tone and found it dull in comparison, and Richard Eisenbeis felt that the plot was difficult to follow. The characters, particularly Tomori, were generally praised. Despite his dislike of the episode's pacing, Beckett found the show's 3D animation and visual style to be strong, while Nicholas Dupree and Rebecca Silverman had mixed feelings about the look of the series.[50] The series would win an award at the 2023 Reddit Anime Awards on the r/anime subreddit for the "Anime of the Year" prize, from the award jury.[51][52] It was voted as the Best Anime of 2023 on 5channel.[53] Taki Shiina's line "This person doesn't know anything! I'm blocking them!" (「こいつ何も分かってない！ブロックしてやる！」) was nominated for the Grand Prize at the 2023 Anime Buzzword Award.[54]
Farris expressed eagerness to see how It's MyGO!!!!! would fit into the larger franchise prior to the show's premiere,[55] and later reviewed the entire series for the publication.[56] He praised Yuniko Ayana's writing, the characters, the animation and visual direction, and the show's emotional weight and dramatic tonal and narrative differences from past BanG Dream! installments, calling the series "the most wildly ambitious" entry of the franchise, and credited it with reinvigorating his enthusiasm as a BanG Dream! fan.[19] He would later select it as his favorite of the summer 2023 season, and ultimately of 2023 overall, and said that he was eagerly anticipating the sequel.[19][57] He also named the song Hekitenbansou (碧天伴走) as one of the best anime songs of 2023, citing its use in episode 7 to show Tomori's character development.[57][58] Despite his praise, Farris felt that the final episode was an "awkwardly abrupt conclusion" and noted that some scenes can "look too washed-out or too dark."[56]
Steve Jones, who also selected it as his favorite of the year, had similar praises.[19][58] Jones particularly emphasized the perceived yuri subtext of the series, attributing its presence to Yuniko Ayana's history with the genre in works such as Flip Flappers.[19] In particular, Jones highlighted the "bold and almost experimental swerve" of the first-person perspective in which the third episode is told,[19] and the scene in the eighth episode where Soyo and Sakiko argue as his favorite anime scene of the year, calling it "indistinguishable from a fight between two exes."[57] He additionally named Anon his favorite character of the year, praising the character for her emotional depth, uniqueness, and interesting development throughout the show.[59]
Nick Creamer wrote on the Crunchyroll blog that while it may be hard for some fans to find the series, it differs from the dramedy of Love Live!, rising to become one of the "most beloved productions" of 2023, and predicted it would become beloved in 2025, noting the series' mix of "tortured personal drama, rich character arcs, and...heart-on-sleeve musical performances." He also argued that the series writer Yuniko Ayana provides the backbone and personality of the series, constructing a "rich web of emotional hangups and personal connections" while paying attention to character acting and visual framing, engaging in melodramatic psychological drama which makes it a standout series within "the music drama ecosystem."[60]
Yota Tokuda of Real Sound stressed that the storyline of It's MyGO!!!!! was against the tide from previous idol anime. He pointed out the portrayal of failure and split of the band members happened after a successful live performance in episode 7, embodying the "rock ethos" that overturning the established norms of music anime. He also praised the performance in episode 10, suggesting "they seem to be attempting resistance by creating a new kind of circularity, breaking free from the tragic cycle.[61]Anime Feminist reviewer Brock K also pointed out that the anime's handling of frictions is different from the common practice of other works in this genre, and praised the more dramatic tone and style for the writing allowed all of the characters to move beyond their archetypes and be fully-fleshed out real people with flaws and all.[22]
Chinese digital newspaper The Paper praised the use of 3DCG animation in It's MyGO!!!!! and believed the modeling, character actions and behaviors, and lighting and shadows in the anime surpass the pursuit of realism in traditional hand-drawn animation, presenting unique emotional expression and visual appeal. The Paper particularly praised the uses of the first-person narrative of the 3rd episode and the fixed camera angle switching in the 7th episode, citing that "at its core, it is a subjectivity born of creative intent, artfully concealed within an ethical framework defined by two distinct forms of exclusion and limitation…there are both precise calculations and the revelation of the traces of the scriptwriter's self-observation." Despite this, The Paper also criticizes the overreliance on this technique for damaging the sensibility of the scenes and the authenticity of their characters.[62]
In December 2024, a newborn king penguin from Xpark, an aquarium in Taiwan, was officially named "Tomorin", a nickname of Tomori Takamatsu, after an online name voting event. Xpark contacted the Japanese producers of the anime and their Japanese management team to ensure the event met expectations and could proceed smoothly.[63]
Sequels
Following the airing of the anime's thirteenth and final episode on September 14, 2023, a direct sequel to It's MyGO!!!!!, titled BanG Dream! Ave Mujica, was announced.[64][65] It aired from January 2 to March 27, 2025, with much of the staff and cast returning.[66] A sequel to both It's MyGO!!!!! and Ave Mujica was later announced following the release of the thirteenth and final episode of Ave Mujica on March 27, 2025.[67]
↑ "Even So". BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!!. Episode 11 (in Japanese). August 24, 2023. Tokyo MX.
↑ "豊川 祥子". BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!! (in Japanese). Archived from the original on November 10, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
1 2 "Ave Mujica、謎に包まれたヘヴィサウンドの真実 才気あふれる5人が生み出すアンサンブルの実像【インタビュー前編】"[Ave Mujica, the truth behind the mysterious heavy sound: The true nature of the ensemble created by five talented people [Interview Part 1]]. Oricon News. September 15, 2023. Archived from the original on January 8, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
↑ "若葉 睦". BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!! (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 3, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
↑ "八幡 海鈴". BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!! (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 9, 2024. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
↑ "三角 初華". BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!! (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
↑ "祐天寺 にゃむ". BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!! (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 8, 2024. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
↑ "純田 まな". BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!! (in Japanese). Archived from the original on November 10, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
1 2 スタッフインタビュー：監督・柿本広大さん[Staff interview: Director Kōdai Kakimoto]. Megami Magazine (in Japanese). 299 (4). Gakken: 28–31. February 28, 2025. ASINB0DYJBXZHN.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The Anime News Network Editorial Team (September 25, 2023). "The Best and Worst Anime of Summer 2023". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 9, 2025. Retrieved February 18, 2025. Steve Jones: The third episode is what truly breaks the mold, as we witness in first person the frustrations that fuel lead singer Tomori's passionate lyrics about her struggles to connect with other people.
↑ Farris, Christopher (June 28, 2023). "The Most Anticipated Anime of Summer 2023". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 26, 2024. Retrieved February 25, 2025. Note: Various ANN reviewers list series in this posting, but only the section by Farris is cited here.
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