Flow (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese rock band formed in 1998 as a five-piece band made up of two vocalists, a guitarist, a bassist, and a drummer.[3] They are signed to Sacra Music.[4] As of November 2023, the band has released 40 singles and 12 studio albums. Their songs have been featured in the opening sequences of several anime and Japanese drama series.[2]
History
The group began in 1993 when brothers Kōshi (elder: vocals, rhythm guitar) and Take (younger: lead guitar) began playing together.[1] They formed Flow in 1998, and by 2000, were joined by Keigo (vocals), Gotō (bass) and Iwasaki (drums).[5] In 2001, the band released its first maxi single, Flow #0. In 2002, the group released two mini-albums within the same year, followed by "Okuru Kotoba", Flow's first cover single, released in January 2003,[6] which remained on the Oricon indie chart for seven consecutive weeks and also hit No. 6 on the overall singles chart. In the spring of that year, their first full-scale album Splash!!! debuted at No. 2 on the Oricon album chart. In July 2003, Flow released the single "Blaster" on the major label Ki/oon Records. In April 2004, they released "GO!!!", which stayed on the Oricon Top 10 Chart for three weeks. In May 2004, Flow released their first major label album Game.[7]
They provided a cover of "Cha-La Head-Cha-La" as the main theme song for the film Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods;[22] the song, coupled with an insert song from the film, was released as a double A-side single on March 20, 2013,[23] and subsequently would be featured as the opening theme for Dragon Ball video games such as Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z and Dragon Ball XenoVerse. Flow released their eighth studio album Flow The Max!!! on March 27, 2013. Flow went to Brazil for the first time to perform at Ressacca Friends in 2013. Their single "Ai Ai Ai ni Utarete Bye Bye Bye" released on February 26, 2014 was used as the second opening to the anime Samurai Flamenco.[24] Flow returned to Brazil in the summer of 2014 to perform at Anime Friends in Sao Paulo and at SuperCon in Recife. They returned to perform at AnimeFest after 8 years in August 2014 at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel.[25] Their single, "7 -seven-", was a collaboration with the band Granrodeo and was featured as the ending theme to the anime The Seven Deadly Sins.[26] Flow released their second anime best album compilation Flow Anime Best Kiwami on February 25, 2015. Flow's first-ever world tour, Flow World Tour 2015 Kiwami, saw them performing five times in Japan and fourteen times in seven other countries.[27] Their first digital single, "Hikari Oikakete" (光追いかけて), was released on March 21, 2015 and was used as the image song for the Naruto stage play Live Spectacle Naruto.[28] Their single "Niji no Sora" (虹の空) was used as the 34th ending theme of Naruto Shippuden.[29]
Their single "Steppin' out" was used as the opening theme of Durarara!!x2: Ketsu.[30] Flow's single "Kaze no Uta (風ノ唄) / Burn" was released on August 24, 2016; the songs are used as the opening themes of Tales of Zestiria the X and Tales of Berseria. Their single "Innosense" was released on February 8, 2017; the song was used as the second ending theme of Tales of Zestiria the X. The band covered "Classic" on the album Tribute of Mucc -en- as a tribute to the band Mucc released on November 22, 2017. Flow returned to North America to perform at Anime Boston on March 30, 2018.[31] They covered "D.O.D. (Drink Or Die)" for the June 6, 2018 hide tribute album Tribute Impulse.[32] They also performed the theme song "Neiro" (音色, lit. "Sound-colored") for the drama series Sachiiro no One Room.[33] Their song "Break it down" was used in the 2020 game Naruto x Boruto Ninja Tribes. Flow again performed at the Nippon Budokan on January 30, 2019. They released their album Tribalythm on April 10, 2019 and their tour Flow Live Tour 2019: Tribalythm promoted the album.
Flow successfully performed Flow Chokaigi 2020 "Anime Shibari Returns" at the Makuhari Messe Event Hall on February 24, 2020. They covered Granrodeo's "Modern Strange Cowboy" on the album Granrodeo Tribute Album "Rodeo Freak" released on May 13, 2020.[34] Flow's song "Shinsekai" (新世界, lit. "New World") was used for opening theme of the 2020 anime series Shadowverse.[35] They held a special online concert series featuring all 11 of their albums titled Flow Special Online Live Comprehensive Album Series: Flame of 12 Months every 26 of the month, which started on September 26, 2020 and ended on August 26, 2021.[36] The band produced "Nijīro no Puddle" (虹色のPuddle, lit. "Puddle of Rainbow Color") for the virtual YouTuber agency Nijisanji, which celebrated their 3rd anniversary in 2021. The song was sung by a total of 12 livers, including Akina Saegusa, Furen E Lustario, Hayato Kagami, Kaede Higuchi, Kuzuha, Rena Yorumi, Rion Takamiya, Ryushen, Saku Sasaki, Sara Hoshikawa, Shellin Burgundy, and Toya Kenmochi. Their single "United Sparrows" was used for the ending theme of the 2021 anime series Back Arrow.[37] On August 9, 2021, they held their first in-person concert since the COVID-19 pandemic titled Flow The Carnival 2021 ~Shinsekai~ in Line Cube Shibuya.[38]
The single "Dice" was released on December 15, 2021 and contained three collaboration songs. "Dice" was used for the first opening theme song of the 15th anniversary rebroadcast of the 2006 anime series Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. "Moment" (モメント) was featured in the slot machine game Pachislot Anemone: Eureka Seven HI-Evolution. "Yūshou" (優勝, lit. "Winner") was a partnership between Flow and Afterglow from the BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! mobile rhythm game. The two parties also collaborated for a cover of "Colors", which is a playable song in Girls Band Party!; "Yūshō" was also added to the game for a limited time from December 11, 2021 to January 10, 2022.[39]
Two songs from the single "Gold" were used in "Naruto" franchise. "Tomoshibi" (燈, lit. "Light") was used as the image song for the stage play Live Spectacle "Naruto" ~Uzumaki Naruto Monogatari~, while "Gold" used as the tenth opening theme song for the anime Boruto: Naruto Next Generation in January 2022. The new single titled "Daydream Believer" (デイドリーム ビリーヴァー)" was a collaboration with the band Orange Range and was used for the second opening theme of 15th Anniversary re-run of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 anime. The single also includes a cover of Orange Range's "O2".
"Neiro" used as Sachiiro no One Room live-action drama series theme song. "Break It Down" used as browser game Naruto x Boruto Ninja Tribes theme song.
Released on February 25, 2015. Featuring American J-Pop singer, Diana Garnet. The original song was the third opening theme for the Naruto: Shippuden anime.
Released digitally on June 14, 2023. Part of the "Flow x Naruto Theme Song Cover" project, in which the band covered the opening and ending themes of the Naruto anime series at the Naruto x Boruto park in Nijigen no Mori. The original song was the second opening theme for Naruto.
"Viva★Rock" (ビバ★ロック)
Orange Range
Released digitally on June 7, 2023. Part of the "Flow x Naruto Theme Song Cover" project. The original song was the third ending theme for the Naruto anime series.
Released digitally on June 26, 2023. Part of the "Flow x Naruto Theme Song Cover" project. The original song was the fourth opening theme for the Naruto: Shippuden anime series.
"Moshimo"
Daisuke
The original song was the twelfth opening theme for the Naruto: Shippuden anime series.
Released digitally on July 26, 2023. Part of the "Flow x Naruto Theme Song Cover" project. The original song was the sixteenth opening theme for the Naruto: Shippuden anime series.
Part of the "Flow x Naruto Theme Song Cover" project. The original song was the twentieth and the last opening theme for the Naruto: Shippuden anime series.
2024
"Naruto Main Theme"
Musashi Project
Flow 20th Anniversary Special Live 2023 ~Anime Shibari Festival~ (Limited Edition)
^ガンダムシリーズ、コードギアス、ケロロ軍曹の映像をいつでもどこでも！ [Gundam series, Code Geass, Sergeant Keroro anytime, anywhere!]. Barks Japan (in Japanese). January 9, 2008. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
^"[FLOW] 5周年記念の新曲は初ドラマ主題歌" [FLOW's 5th anniversary new song be their first drama theme song]. Natalie (in Japanese). May 28, 2007. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
^"「エウレカAO」新テーマはFLOW、新人5人組joyが担当" [FLOW, and a 5-rookie-person Joy are in charge for Eureka AO's new theme]. Natalie (in Japanese). June 21, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
