Ichirō Yamaguchi of Sakanaction talks about the difficulties of entering the anime market and invites collaboration after “Kaijuu.”
Sakanaction’s vocalist and leader, Ichirō Yamaguchi, has recently caught fans’ attention in Japan due to a video from seven months ago that only now has become a topic of discussion.
On his official YouTube channel, the musician talked about his wish to compose another anime theme song, while also highlighting the challenges faced by artists outside major record labels, especially due to Sony’s dominance in the Japanese animation industry.
Ichirō Yamaguchi of Sakanaction talks about the difficulties of entering the anime market and invites collaboration after “Kaijuu.”
During his livestream titled “Konya mo Zatsudan-chū” (“Chatting Again Tonight”), Yamaguchi explained around the 44-minute mark that he wants to create another anime theme song, but admitted that the market is largely dominated by artists under Sony Music.
According to him, this happens because Sony owns Aniplex, one of Japan’s leading anime production companies. As a result, Aniplex anime titles are usually handled by Sony’s own musicians, leaving little room for artists from other labels.
Yamaguchi, who is signed under Victor Entertainment, said this imbalance creates a natural barrier in the industry. However, he also mentioned that Victor owns FlyingDog, a subsidiary involved in anime production, which could open doors for future collaborations.
The role of “Kaijuu” and an invitation to anime studios
Recently, Sakanaction released the song “Kaijuu” (“Monster”), which serves as the opening theme for the anime Orb: On the Movements of the Earth, released in 2024 and concluded earlier this year.
In the livestream, Yamaguchi revealed that the song’s success and positive reception made him even more motivated to keep exploring the anime world. He expressed that he would be happy to collaborate again with anime studios or manga artists interested in working with Sakanaction, and even extended an open invitation for them to contact him.
“After creating Kaijuu, if any manga author or anime studio wants to work with Sakanaction, I’d be very happy if they reached out,” said the vocalist.