Fans of NARUTO recently got a unique chance to interact with the band FLOW, the legendary rock group behind some of the anime’s most iconic tracks. The band invited questions from around the world, and they personally selected which ones to answer in an exclusive interview with AnimeTV チェーン.
Official Visual:
Both the original “NARUTO” anime and its sequel series, “Naruto Shippuden“, are currently available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The platform describes the series as follows:
The Village Hidden in the Leaves is home to the stealthiest ninja. But twelve years earlier, a fearsome Nine-tailed Fox terrorized the village before it was subdued and its spirit sealed within the body of a baby boy.
Fans: How did you become a band? (USA)
FLOW: The band started centered on the brothers, KOHSHI on vocals and TAKE on guitar. Then KOHSHI’s classmate, the vocalist KEIGO, and KOHSHI’s friend from his part-time job, the bassist GOT’S, joined. Finally, we met the drummer IWASAKI through someone I knew and formed the band with the current members.
Fans: What kept you motivated to continue doing them? (Philippines)
FLOW: We love LIVE shows, where we can deliver music directly, more than anything. While continuing the band for over 20 years, we have experienced firsthand how wonderful LIVE shows are. We want to do more LIVE shows, and there are many countries and places we haven’t been to yet. Going to those places and sharing our music is our biggest motivation right now.
Fans: Why are y’all so goated? What advice do you have for someone who wants to produce the same music you guys do? (Canada)
FLOW: I think it is important to listen to all kinds of music, without limiting yourself to one genre. Also, being exposed to a variety of other entertainment forms besides music—like manga, anime, and movies—and getting inspiration from them is very valuable.
Fans: How do you guys feel about your songs encouraging people to learn Japanese? (Mexico)
FLOW: We are truly happy that people get interested in Japanese language and culture through anime series or our music, and we love it when they show an approach of trying to understand it even more deeply and embracing it.
Fans: How did you feel when “GO!!!” was released? (Panama)
FLOW: When we watched the very first broadcast with the song “GO!!!” being used as the theme song, we almost couldn’t believe that our song was being played on TV together with the animated footage. It felt strangely surreal.
Fans: What’s your favorite Naruto song and why? (USA)
FLOW: It is “GO!!!”. It was our first time being given the opportunity to handle a theme song for the anime NARUTO, and through this song, we were able to encounter a variety of anime works afterward, eventually reaching the point where we can now perform live shows around the world.
Fans: Which was the song you find the most difficult to make? Like the one which you put the most of your time and where proud of you got it right (Uruguay)
FLOW: Even just within the Naruto anime-related works, we were entrusted with five songs: “GO!!!,” “Re:member,” “Sign,” “SUMMER FREAK,” and “Niji no Sora”. As our attachment to the works grew deeper, we had to face each song sincerely, and they were songs that required all of our mental energy.
Fans: First of all I’d like to thank you for making my childhood so special. Thank you! Q. Opening 6 Sign is my favourite Naruto opening, i’d like to know how you came up with the song and what inspirations you took while making it? (Armenia)
FLOW: We read through the key scenes from the original NARUTO manga so many times, so we formed the imagery in our minds while making the song. As it was an extremely important moment for both Naruto and Sasuke, I remember we put particularly strong feelings into it while creating the song.
Fans: Which Naruto character would you be (USA)
FLOW: I would like to be Kakashi. He’s like a spiritual mentor to Naruto, and I’m also strongly drawn to the stories he carries.
Fans: What was your favorite anime? (USA)
FLOW: In my childhood, I was obsessed with “Dragon Ball Z,” “Captain Tsubasa,” and “Gundam.” Also, the songs we were able to be part of, like “NARUTO” and “Code Geass,” are works I dearly love and cherish with special feeling.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
FLOW’s new song “5TELLA” has been chosen as the theme song for the arcade card game Mobile Suit Gundam Arsenal Base WAVECHOES.
The song has a fast and energetic melody that makes the game even more exciting for players. The lyrics are also inspired by the world and story of the game. Since the launch of the WAVECHOES series, players can hear the song on the game’s title screen, during battles, and in different promotional videos.
The song will be released on January 26. Please look forward to this new track, which marks the beginning of the “Year of FLOW” in 2026!
Streaming & Download: https://flow.lnk.to/5TELLA
Artist photo:
More about FLOW:
A five-member fusion rock band consisting of KOHSHI (vocals), KEIGO (vocals), TAKE (guitar), GOT’S (bass), and IWASAKI (drums). Brothers KOHSHI (older brother, vocals) and TAKE (younger brother, guitar) began their musical careers in 1993 and formed FLOW in 1998. KEIGO (vocals) and GOT’S (bass) joined in 1999, and IWASAKI (drums) joined in 2000, forming the band as it is today. Since their major label debut in 2003 with the single “Blaster,” they have released numerous hit songs, leveraging the powerful melodies woven by their twin vocals and their wide-ranging musicality. They are particularly known for their affinity with anime, having composed numerous theme songs for anime, including “GO!!!” (the opening theme for the anime “NARUTO”), “COLORS” (the opening theme for “Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion”), and “CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA” (the main theme for the film “Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods”) and “HERO ~Song of Hope~” (the in-movie theme). Since 2006, they have also been actively performing overseas, delivering music across borders as a “live band” with 145 live shows in 30 countries across Asia, North America, South America, and Europe. In 2024, they hosted “FLOW THE FESTIVAL,” a two-day anime song rock festival created by rock bands. Even now, more than 20 years after their debut, they continue to perform energetically.
■ FLOW links:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flowSMEJ
X (Twitter): https://x.com/FLOW_official
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/FLOW_OFFICIAL_JAPAN/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FLOWofficial.music
Weibo: https://weibo.com/u/7216893967
Website: https://www.flow-official.jp/
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