Hiroshi Kitadani

Overview

Hiroshi Kitadani (きただに ひろし, born Hiroshi Kitadani on August 24, 1968) is a Japanese singer from Susa, Abu District (now Hagi), Yamaguchi Prefecture, signed to HIGHWAY STAR. Nicknamed "Danny," he is best known as an anime-song singer, above all for "We Are!", the first opening theme of the TV anime One Piece. He has also sung the series' fifteenth, nineteenth (with Kishidan), twenty-second and twenty-sixth openings. He is a member of JAM Project and SV Tribe, was a member of the band Lapis Lazuli, and works behind the scenes on many songs.

Career

Early years

Kitadani became absorbed in music as a first-year junior high student alongside his older brother, who had taken up guitar. He dropped out of high school and moved to Tokyo, and after nine years on the indie scene he made his major debut in November 1994 as part of the rock trio STAGGER, which released an album through Warner Music Japan. In July 1998 he made a fresh debut as a solo singer under the name "give peace a chance," and in 1999 he released a self-titled album.

"We Are!" and the rise to anison stardom

In April 1999 he joined the rock band Lapis Lazuli as vocalist "Hirosy." That November he became an anime-song singer under the name Hiroshi Kitadani with "We Are!" (single released October 20, 1999), the first opening of One Piece. Composer Kohei Tanaka had asked him to record a guide vocal; when it was submitted to the production team, they decided to let him sing the finished song himself. The song made him globally recognized and established his position as an anison singer. Lapis Lazuli released a mini-album before he left.

JAM Project and the 2000s

In February 2002 he became bassist and vocalist of the acoustic band MANGA TRIO, and in June 2002 he joined JAM Project as a second-generation member. He debuted at the group's second live concert and took part in studio recording starting with the single "Nageki no Rozario." By the time of JAM Project's first world tour his popularity had risen dramatically and he became known to fans around the world. In 2004 he made his voice-acting debut as Shin Forte in the fourth season of Galaxy Angel. In February 2006 he moved, together with Hironobu Kageyama and Masaaki Endoh, to SOLID VOX (later HIGHWAY STAR). Singles from this period include "Madan Senki Ryukendo" and "Justice of Darkness ~Yokai Ningen Bem no Theme" (2006) and "Endless Dream" (2007).

Solo albums and the 2010s

His first full-length studio album, R-new, arrived on August 27, 2008, with JAM Project bandmate Masami Okui providing backing vocals and harmonies on many tracks. An accompanying documentary shows him working on the songs with friends in a small studio and cooking meals in his own apartment. He released "Rescue Taiso" in 2009 and "U-n-d-e-r—STANDING!" with SV Tribe in October 2011. In November 2011 he returned to One Piece after twelve years with the new opening "We Go!". His second album, Real, followed on August 8, 2012, then "Baku Atsu! Gaist Crusher" in December 2013. To mark his 20th anniversary he released the best album SCORE in August 2014, and in September was appointed a Yamaguchi Furusato Ambassador. He released "We Can!" on June 26, 2016, followed by an album of the same name on August 24. In August 2017 he was hospitalized with sudden hearing loss, and his birthday live planned for that month was postponed.

2019 to the present

In March 2019 he released the ending theme for episode 6 of the TV anime Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan, followed in September by "OVER THE TOP." Later releases include "Red Darkness" (October 2020), "Open the GATE" (October 2021) and "Bokura no Spectra" (July 2023). In 2024 he issued "Āssu!" and "We Are! – From THE FIRST TAKE" in January, "Hoshi to Kemono" in February, and "Mirai e Susume! Sea Jetter Kaito NEXT ACTION FOR THE FUTURE" in September. In 2025 he put out the album ONE PIECE SONG COVERS Nakama no Shirushi x in May and the single "YOU BE ONE WINNER" in June.

Musical style and activities

Coming from a rock-band background, Kitadani centers on powerful vocals in anime and tokusatsu theme songs. With JAM Project he has performed with Masaaki Endoh and Hironobu Kageyama at events in Latin America such as Anime Friends, and the group is a recurring guest at the annual summer anison festival Animelo. He also collaborated with Aki Misato and Masaaki Endoh to produce anime theme songs as the group SV Tribe.

Personal profile

Kitadani is a skilled home cook with a collection of carefully chosen cookware, and he holds a hairdresser's license. A devoted sake lover, he favors leopard-print designs and frequently changes his hairstyle and hair color. He serves as a tourism ambassador for his hometown of Susa in Hagi, Yamaguchi, for which he also wrote a promotional song about the local squid. He is a fan of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp baseball team.