Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The story begins during the 11th year of the Meiji era in Japan (1878) and follows a former assassin from the Bakumatsu, known as Hitokiri Battosai. After his work against the bakufu, he becomes Himura Kenshin, a wandering swordsman who protects the people of Japan with a vow never to take another life. Watsuki wrote the series upon his desire to make a shōnen manga different from others published at the time, with Kenshin being a former assassin and the story taking a more serious tone as it continued.
Takanori Nishikawa is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, voice actor, radio personality, and businessman. He performs under the stage name T.M.Revolution (T.M.R.), which stands for "Takanori Makes Revolution", stemming from the famous 1980s pop electronic band TM Network. Despite most of his songs being written by Akio Inoue and composed/arranged by Daisuke Asakura, T.M.Revolution is considered Nishikawa's solo project. Nishikawa is also known for contributions of ending and opening themes to many notable anime and game series.
Miwa Watabiki, better known by her stage name Chara (ちゃら), is a Japanese singer, actress and video jockey. She debuted in 1991 with the single Heaven. She is known for her song "Swallowtail Butterfly ", the theme song for the 1996 Shunji Iwai film Swallowtail Butterfly in which she starred, her 1997 hit single "Yasashii Kimochi", and her collaboration with Judy and Mary vocalist Yuki, "Ai no Hi Mittsu Orange". Chara later formed a band with Yuki, called Mean Machine.
Siam Shade was a five-piece Japanese rock band, formed in Tokyo in 1991. The classic line-up of Hideki on vocals, Natchin on bass, Kazuma and Daita on guitar, and Jun-ji on drums broke onto the visual kei scene alongside a multitude of other artists in the early 1990s and enjoyed a decade of relative popularity before disbanding in early 2002. The members have reunited several times since 2007 for one-off concerts and short tours. Outside Japan, Siam Shade is best known for "1/3 no Junjō na Kanjō", which was the sixth ending theme of the Rurouni Kenshin anime. Daita's work on their song "Triptych" was named the 83rd best guitar instrumental by Young Guitar Magazine in 2019.
Whiteberry (ホワイトベリー) were a five-piece all-girl pop/rock band from Kitami, Hokkaido, Japan. Although not reaching the cult status they enjoyed at home, the group gained a loyal following abroad with their recordings and live performances.
Himura Kenshin, known as Kenshin Himura in the English-language anime dubs, is a fictional character and the protagonist of the manga Rurouni Kenshin created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Kenshin's story is set in a fictional version of Japan during the Meiji period. Kenshin is a former legendary assassin known as "Hitokiri Battōsai" (人斬り抜刀斎), more properly named Himura Battōsai (緋村抜刀斎). At the end of the Bakumatsu, he becomes a wandering swordsman, now wielding a sakabatō—a katana that has the cutting edge on the inwardly curved side of the sword, thus being nearly incapable of killing. Kenshin wanders the Japanese countryside offering protection and aid to those in need as atonement for the murders he once committed as an assassin. In Tokyo, he meets a young woman named Kamiya Kaoru, who invites him to live in her dojo, despite learning about Kenshin's past. Throughout the series, Kenshin begins to establish lifelong relationships with many people, including ex-enemies, while dealing with his fair share of enemies, new and old.
NiNa are a Japan-market six-piece group formed in 1999 containing Kate Pierson, bassist Mick Karn, vocalist Yuki Isoya, Takemi Shima and Masahide Sakuma, and Steven Wolf, the session drummer. Masahide composed most of the music with input from Pierson and Yuki who also wrote the lyrics. From the 30-second opening track, which starts with ominous techno music and ends with Yuki and Pierson exclaiming "Hello everybody nice to meet you we're NiNa," the band's eponymous and only album is very diverse.
Taiji Sawada, also known mononymously as Taiji, was a Japanese musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former bassist of the rock band X Japan. X Japan rose to prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s, credited as founders of the Japanese visual kei movement. After leaving X Japan in January 1992, Taiji went on to work with many other bands, including Loudness and D.T.R.
Yuki Kuramochi, known professionally as Yuki, is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter. She is best known as the lead vocalist for Judy and Mary. She founded Judy and Mary in 1991 and became a solo artist in 2002. She has also been a member of the bands NiNa and Mean Machine.
Animetal was a Japanese heavy metal band who specialized in metal covers of theme songs from classic and modern Japanese anime and tokusatsu television series.
"Communication" is Hitomi Takahashi's 4th single under the Sony Records label. The single was released in only one format on July 12, 2006, nearly eight months after her last single Aozora no NAMIDA.
Lucifer was a Japanese visual kei rock band, best known for contributing several of their songs to the popular anime, Kaikan Phrase. The band was formed in 1999, and disbanded in early 2003. They officially debuted on 15 September 1999 with their big hit single Datenshi BLUE, and became increasingly popular thereafter.
Diamond Head was a Japanese band formed of session musicians and producers. They first gained notability as the backing and touring band for Hitomi Yaida.
The Dead Pop Stars is a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in 1992 by ex-Kamaitachi drummer Kenzi. Its current line-up consists of original members Aki and Kenzi on vocals and drums respectively, Hideto and Kentarou on guitar, and Ruiji on bass.
"Candy Line" is Hitomi Takahashi's 6th single under the Sony Records label, and was released on March 7, 2007, four months after her previous single "Ko·mo·re·bi."
"Jet Boy Jet Girl" is Hitomi Takahashi's 7th single under the Sony Records label, and was released on August 1, 2007 in two different versions - CD only and CD+DVD.
Takuya is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
One Ok Rock is a Japanese rock band formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalist Takahiro Moriuchi, guitarist, Toru Yamashita, bassist Ryota Kohama, and drummer Tomoya Kanki. Former members include drummer Yu Koyanagi and guitarist Alexander "Alex" Reimon Onizawa. They play varied styles of music, with songs ranging from alternative rock and emo to post-hardcore and pop punk.
The discography of the Japanese rock band One Ok Rock consists of ten studio albums, two EPs, and thirty-one singles. One Ok Rock was formed in Tokyo, Japan in 2005, consists of Takahiro Moriuchi (vocals), Toru Yamashita (guitar/leader), Ryota Kohama (bass) Alex,(formerly) on guitar, and Tomoya Kanki (drums). One Ok Rock have sold more than 3 million records worldwide.
"Broken Heart of Gold" is a song by Japanese rock band One Ok Rock. The song was written by vocalist Takahiro Moriuchi and guitarist Toru Yamashita with Nick Long, Dan Lancaster and Masato Hayakawa. It was released as a digital single on May 27, 2021, by Fueled by Ramen, serving as the theme song for the live-action film Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning.
