Kaijū (song)

"Kaijū"
Single by Sakanaction
LanguageJapanese
ReleasedFebruary 20, 2025
GenreRock[1]
Length4:12
LabelNF
Composer(s)Sakanaction
Lyricist(s)Ichiro Yamaguchi
Producer(s)Sakanaction
Sakanaction singles chronology
"Shock!"
(2022) 		"Kaijū"
(2025)
Music video
"Kaijū" on YouTube

"Kaijū" (Japanese: 怪獣; lit. 'strange beast') is a song by Japanese rock band Sakanaction. It was released as a single through the band's NF Records, a Victor Entertainment subsidiary, on February 20, 2025, the band's first single release since "Shock!" in 2022. The song serves as the opening theme for the Japanese anime series Orb: On the Movements of the Earth. Commercially, Kaijū peaked at number two on both the Oricon Combined Singles Chart and Billboard Japan Hot 100.

Background and release

On August 8, 2024, it was unveiled that Sakanaction would perform the opening theme of the anime adaptation for Orb: On the Movements of the Earth.[2] The next month, on September 5, the official trailer for the anime was uploaded, announcing the opening theme's title, "Kaijū".[3] At the first show of the band's tour Sakanaquarium 2025: Kaijū in Sagamihara on January 25, 2025, the band's vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Ichiro Yamaguchi revealed that the song was just completed the day before the concert.[4] The song was released on February 20, 2025; the band's first anime-affiliated work in their career and their first music in three years since "Shock!" in 2022.[5]

Lyrics and composition

According to Yamaguchi, "Kaijū" is focused on "how to make [the song] as abstract and persuasive as possible" rather than "easy-to-understand, concrete music,"[6] and mixed Sakanaction's musical style with the worldview of Orb: On the Movements of the Earth.[7]

Commercial performance

In Japan, "Kaijū" debuted at number two on the Oricon Combined Singles Chart for the date issued March 3, 2025, behind Sakurazaka46's "Udagawa Generation".[8] It also topped the Digital Singles Chart, selling 28,497 units in its first week, surpassing Sakanaction's previous record, "Wasurerarenai no", with 22,034 units.[9] "Kaijū" entered the Billboard Japan Hot 100 on February 26, 2025, at number two, reaching 26,512 downloads and 8,284,152 streams in its first week.[10] The song also debuted atop the Download Songs,[11] and number three on the Streaming Songs charts,[12] before reaching the new peak at number two the next week with 9,942,536 streams, a 120% increase, the highest among that week's top-100 songs.[13] Additionally, "Kaijū" debuted at number one on the specific-genre Hot Animation chart.[14]

Music video

A collaborative music video for "Kaijū" with Orb: On the Movements of the Earth was uploaded on February 20, 2025, the same day as the single release, which is available for a limited time of three months. Directed by Yusuke Tanaka, the music video features footage from the anime, from the first to 21st episode, the last episode to be aired before the video's release.[15]

The official music video, also directed by Tanaka, premiered on March 15, following the anime's season finale.[16] It depicts Yamaguchi carefully holding an unknown object, shaped like an egg, through a dimly lit underground metro station. Many of the people he runs into in the video try to steal the object from him, sometimes by force, or by manipulation, such as seduction and hypnosis. The video ends with Yamaguchi dropping the egg to an unidentified woman, before being pulled inside the station's wall.[17]

Live performances

Before the release, Sakanaction debuted the performance of "Kaijū" on the NHK television special Sakanaction Yamaguchi Ichiro "Chi" o Fukameru on October 28, 2024.[18] The band performed the full-length version of the song for the first time at their concert tour Sakanaquarium 2025: Kaijū and later included it on the tour's setlist.[19] Yamaguchi performed "Kaijū" live on his YouTube channel on February 20, shortly after the single's release.[20]

Credits and personnel

  • Sakanaction – composer, arrangement, string arrangement
    • Ichiro Yamaguchi – vocalist, lyrics
    • Motoharu Iwadera – electric guitar
    • Ami Kusakari – bass
    • Emi Okazaki – keyboards
    • Keiichi Ejima – drums
  • Mikiko Ise – violin
  • Mika Nakamura – violin
  • Shoko Miki – viola
  • Ayumi Hashimoto – cello
  • Yuzuru Tomita – string arrangement
  • Masashi Uramoto – recording, mixing
    • Minori Ishikawa – recording assistant, mixing assistant
    • Haruki Natsuyama – recording assistant
    • Seiya Fujita – recording assistant
    • Miyuki Nakamura – recording assistant
  • Tsubasa Yamazaki – mastering
  • Yuhi Kawamura – mastering assistant

Charts

Chart performance for "Kaijū"
Chart (2025) Peak
position
Global 200 (Billboard)[21] 96
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[22] 2
Japan Hot Animation (Billboard Japan)[23] 1
Japan Combined Singles (Oricon)[24] 2

Certifications

Certifications for "Kaijū"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Streaming
Japan (RIAJ)[25] Gold 50,000,000†

† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Sawada, Daisuke (March 18, 2025). "サカナクション"怪獣"の独自性と普遍性とは? 山口一郎が病と共生しながら書いた歌の力強さと重み". Mikiki (in Japanese). Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  2. ^ "サカナクション、アニメ「チ。―地球の運動について―」OP主題歌を担当". Musicman (in Japanese). August 8, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  3. ^ "アニメ『チ。 ―地球の運動について―』サカナクション『怪獣』、ヨルシカ『アポリア』が同時解禁の本PV公開! 追加キャストに小西克幸さん、中村悠一さん、仁見紗綾さんが決定". Pash! Plus (in Japanese). September 5, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  4. ^ "サカナクション、スタートした全国ツアーで新曲「怪獣」初披露". Barks (in Japanese). January 27, 2025. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  5. ^ "サカナクション3年ぶり新曲「怪獣」2月20日配信決定、アニメ『チ。』とのコラボアー写公開". Bezzy (in Japanese). February 12, 2025. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  6. ^ "サカナクション、TVアニメ『チ。 ―地球の運動について―』OP主題歌に決定! コメントも到着!". Lisani (in Japanese). August 8, 2025. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  7. ^ "アニメ『チ。』主題歌一覧 | 発売日・配信開始はいつ? OPはサカナクション、EDはヨルシカ". Anime Freaks (in Japanese). February 20, 2025. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  8. ^ "櫻坂46、通算10作目の合算シングル1位獲得【オリコンランキング】". Oricon (in Japanese). February 27, 2025. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  9. ^ "サカナクション、自身初のデジタルシングル1位獲得 アニメ『チ。』主題歌「怪獣」【オリコンランキング】". Oricon (in Japanese). February 26, 2025. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  10. ^ "【ビルボード】櫻坂46「UDAGAWA GENERATION」が総合首位、サカナクション「怪獣」初登場2位". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). February 26, 2025. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  11. ^ "【ビルボード】サカナクション「怪獣」DLソング堂々の首位デビュー、Ryosuke Yamadaが続く". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). February 26, 2025. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  12. ^ "【ビルボード】Mrs. GREEN APPLE「ライラック」通算25週目のストリーミング首位 サカナクション「怪獣」自身最高位でデビュー". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). February 26, 2025. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  13. ^ "【ビルボード】Mrs. GREEN APPLE「ライラック」ストリーミング首位 サカナクション「怪獣」猛追/timeleszがトップ10入り". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). March 5, 2025. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  14. ^ "【ビルボード】サカナクション「怪獣」、Mrs. GREEN APPLE「ライラック」からアニメ首位奪取". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). March 5, 2025. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  15. ^ "サカナクション、 新曲「怪獣」リリース記念 アニメ『チ。 ―地球の運動について―』とのコラボMVが期間限定公開". Pia (in Japanese). February 20, 2025. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  16. ^ "サカナクション「怪獣」のMVティザー公開、アニメ「チ。」のオープニング主題歌". Natalie (in Japanese). March 11, 2025. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  17. ^ "サカナクション最新曲「怪獣」MV公開、卵を大事に抱えた山口一郎が薄暗い通路を進み続ける". Bezzy (in Japanese). March 16, 2025. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  18. ^ "サカナクション山口一郎、「チ。」作者の魚豊氏と対談 トップクリエイターの二人が語り合う". MusicVoice (in Japanese). October 28, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  19. ^ "サカナクション、全国ツアーが開幕 新曲「怪獣」が完成&初披露". Spice (in Japanese). January 27, 2025. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  20. ^ "アニメ『チ。』OPテーマ『怪獣』配信が開始 「鳥肌が立ちました」「本当にすごい曲」". Grape (in Japanese). February 20, 2025. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  21. ^ "Billboard Global 200: Week of March 8, 2025". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  22. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot 100 – Week of February 26, 2025". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  23. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Animation – Week of February 26, 2025". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  24. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Combined Singles: 2025-03-03" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on February 27, 2025. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  25. ^ "Japanese single streaming certifications – Sakanaction – Kaijū" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved May 29, 2025. Select 2025年4月 on the drop-down menu
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