“Omoinotake (思いの丈).” This curious word means “length (entirety) of thought” in Japanese. This explains that the true meaning of this word is so heavy and loaded with meaning, that it is written in the Roman script instead of Japanese. Even their intent behind this stylization conveys the “entirety of their thought” with gravitas. Perhaps that’s why they have a long list of soundtracks in their portfolio. Omoniotake, first formed in 2012, were active in the indie scene before debuting in the major one with the opening song for the Netflix original animation, Blue Period. Since then, they have been creating music for not only animation but also films and television series. More recently, their theme song “Billions of Light Years (幾億光年)” for the drama Eye Love You starring Korean actor Chae Jong Hyeop hit more than 100 million aggregate streams on the Billboard Japan Chart, and the band became the one representing the band-music scene in Japan.
Omoinotake consists of drummer Hironoshin Tomita, bassist Tomoaki Fukushima, and vocalist and keyboardist Leo Fugii. Unlike conventional bands, the keyboard leads the melody instead of the guitar which is why they introduce themselves as the “piano trio.”
This piano is what sets Omoinotake apart from the pack. Their songs which are heavily influenced by soul, jazz, and R&B, also has a lyrical feel that is characteristic of keyboard-forward music. Now, add Leo Fugii’s appealing falsetto and poetic lyrics to the mix, and you get a heady sound that tugs at the heartstrings of the listeners. This is why they have become incredibly popular soundtrack artists who are tasked with expressing the inner thoughts and minds of the characters. The band effectively expresses the key imagery and message of the original work in detail down to the progression of the song in their music video because they have a thorough understanding of the original work. This might be Omoinotake’s biggest strength. On a side note, the lyrics were written by bassist Tomoaki Fukushima, and music composed by vocalist and keyboardist Leo Fugii.
Now let’s take a closer look at the different original soundtrack by Omoinotake in chronological order.
TV series Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!
Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! is a TV adaptation of Yuu Toyota’s BL manga that was first published in 2018. The drama series was aired on TV Tokyo from 2020 and was also produced into a movie due to its overwhelming popularity. The hero Kiyoshi Adachi suddenly develops the power to read people’s minds when he touches them, as a reward for never having dated until the age of 30. That’s when he learns that his colleague Yuichi Kurosawa had feelings for him with his newly gained superpower. Omoinotake was responsible for creating a sweet opening song for this drama about Adachi and Kurosawa falling in love and starting a relationship.
The title of the song, “Ubugoe (産声)” means a newborn baby’s cry. It is a metaphor for Adachi’s expression of his love for someone for the first time in his life: “My voice like a newborn baby’s cry.” Other expressions like heartbeat, fetal movement, and body temperature are also incorporated into the lyrics which subtly portray Adachi’s feelings in a fresh, new way.
The theme song of the film adaptation that was released in 2022 “Heartbeat (Omoinotake)” is also about Adachi expressing his love for Kurosawa. The two men begin a long-distance relationship due to unforeseen circumstances, which is reflected in the lyrics: “I promise that I’ll listen out for you and find you even if we are apart” and “The heartbeat that combines ‘I’m back’ with ‘welcome back.’” The heartbeat theme seems to have been woven into the entire song: “two heart beats engraving the same rhythm” and “let's choose one future with two hearts”
Netflix Original Animation Blue Period
Blue Period which was released in 2021 is an animation adaptation of Tsubasa Yamaguchi’s original manga series of the same title. It is about a high school student, who was more interested in partying than studying, suddenly discovering his interest in art. As hinted in the title which is borrowed from Picasso's Blue Period which spans from 1901 to 1904, colors, painting and other art related imagery are used in the opening song of the animation “EVERBLUE”: “My life will be colorful someday / Just like colorless rain paints a rainbow / My life what color will my credit roll be? / A canvas on which tears are painted in layers / blue wish, red pain of failure / the mixed colors is like a scab.” The sound of the drums is layered over the keyboard’s melody and vocals, like paint on a canvas. The added bass and saxophone create a deliciously retro vibe.
The only thing the protagonist Yatora Yaguchi ever painted seriously was the one of Shibuya in the morning using varying shades of blue. Considering that Omoinotake started building a fanbase as they performed live on the streets of Shibuya before they debuted on the major scene with “EVERBLUE,” this is an interesting coincidence.
TV series Kanojotachi no Hanzai
This is one of the rare dark theme songs by Omoinotake. Kanojotachi no Hanzai is a television adaptation of Dai Yokojeki’s novel of the same title that was published in 2019. It is a suspense drama about three women, who were discriminated against for various reasons within the conservative Japanese community. The story unfolds with the three women who happen to get involved in the same murder case. This drama that aired from July to September 2023 garnered a lot of attention not only for the plot but because the actresses playing the three protagonists were all former idols from Nogizaka46, AKB48, and E-Girls. Mai Fukagawa even appeared in the music video as one of the main characters Mayumi Himura.
The title of the song “Uzumaku (渦幕)” is a made-up compound word that consists of vortex (渦) and screen (幕). Pronounced “Uzu-maku (うずまく),” this word is a homonym of the verb 渦巻く which means “to swirl” or “to be in a state of confusion due to jumbled up emotions and thoughts.” The lyrics successfully reflect the title with lines like “struggle as if to resist fate within the vortex,” “struggle as if to inevitably defy the two people’s vortex,” and “Fall in the same vortex, sink, unable to breathe, the vortex screen will descend soon.” The linguistic talents of Tomoaki Fukushima, who is the one responsible for writing the lyrics, truly shines through. Leo Fugii’s characteristic vocal timber is added to vividly express the inner thoughts of the three women who are doomed to ill fates.
TV series Eye Love You
“Billions of Light Years” is the theme song of Eye Love You which aired until March on TBS. It garnered a lot of attention since the first episode in January and kept its spot as the most streamed drama on TVer, a Japanese TV VOD platform until the series finale. It also hasn’t dropped from the top 10 most popular series on Japanese Netflix, which gives us an idea of how popular the show is. Chae Jong Hyeop, who played the male protagonist, positively charmed the Japanese viewers and has since risen to scene stealer status. In fact, his name was the number one trending search on Japanese Twitter when the show first aired. Chae’s popularity doesn’t seem to lose traction even after the series ended, with special fan meetings like the “Eye Love Fan Festival” being held, pop up stores being opened and collaboration cafés opening. The theme song “Billions of Light Years” also became a massive hit thanks to the success of the drama and has become one of the best-known songs by Omoinotake. The song received positive reviews saying that the sentimental voice unique to Leo Fugii paired with the sweet melody that compliments his voice perfectly portrayed the lovely mood of the drama.
Interestingly, the female protagonist Yuri Motomiya also gained the power of reading people’s minds just like Adachi from Cherry Magic! Her powers led her to the male protagonist Yoon Te-o. Yuri who can read a person’s mind just by making eye contact feels attracted to Te-o because he thinks in a language she can’t understand. Yuri’s superpower and the language barrier between the two characters are the two key motifs throughout the entire series. And just like most songs by Omoinotake, these motifs are reflected in the lyrics to “Billions of Light Years”: “Let me hear your voice again,” “Can you still hear my voice?” Once you listen to this song that bursts like fireworks at the end of each episode, you’ll start feeling butterflies before you know it.
TV Animation My Hero Academia
“My Hero Academia” is an animation adaptation of the manga series of the same title that was first published in 2014. The first volume of the original manga was almost instantly sold out when it was first released in November 2014, and more than 300 thousand copies were issued the following month. The series was heavily influenced by American graphic novels, especially DC and Marvel comics, which contributed to its popularity abroad including Korea. The total number of copies issued internationally surpassed 100 million as of January 2024, which goes to show just how popular this series is. The animation series that started airing in 2016 is currently on its seventh season. Many fans are expecting this season to be the last since the manga is nearing its end. The ending song of this smash hit is none other than Omoinotake’s “Tsubomi (蕾).”
In Omoinotake’s interview with Natalie Music, they said “When creating this song, we thought about My Hero Academia again, and were touched by how considerate the heroes including the main character Deku were of the people around them. They never gave up on trying to understand each other, and we wrote the song “Tsubomi” with that spirit in mind. We hope that this song reaches deep into your heart along with the original manga,” explaining their thought process that went into the production of the song. Vocalist Leo Fugii begins to sing right away: “We misunderstood each other and struggled in pain / Like a flower bud, my wish cries out, “Still” / With only one hope of keeping that flower bud alive.” The ending sequence that accompanies Omoinotake’s song juxtaposes the heroes confronting the villains in the past, with the more recent, mature heroes to portray the path they have followed to end up where they are now. As such, the music and the video work together to convey a united message which might be why Omoinotake is such a well-loved theme song artist.