WANIMA

Overview

WANIMA (ワニマ) is a Japanese three-piece punk rock band from Kumamoto, formed in 2010. The lineup is Kenta (vocals, bass), Ko-shin (guitar, chorus) and Fuji (drums, chorus). The band is managed by Bear Book, the company headed by Kenta, and releases through unBORDE under Warner Music Japan. Their genres include J-pop, J-rock and melodic hardcore. They made their first appearance on NHK's Kohaku Uta Gassen in 2017, and their major-label debut album Everybody!! topped the Oricon weekly album chart in 2018.

Career

Formation

After the earlier band HANIMA broke up in 2006, Kenta moved from Kumamoto to Tokyo; in 2008 his childhood friend Ko-shin left the Self-Defense Forces and joined him. In 2010 they met drummer Wakita and formed WANIMA. Wakita left in 2012 and Fuji, also from Kumamoto, joined. The band's name combines the initials of the former drummer, Nishida and Matsumoto, with the first part now referring to Fujiwara.

Indie years

WANIMA released the second demo HELLO!! MY NAME IS… in April 2013 and toured independently. In 2014 they released the third demo Feelings rip, and in August it was announced they had signed with Pizza of Death Records. In October they put out their first nationally distributed release, the mini album Can Not Behaved!!, followed by a 33-date national tour.

Breakthrough and major-label success

In 2015 the band made their first appearances at festivals including PUNKSPRING, Rock in Japan Festival and Summer Sonic. Their first single Think That... arrived in August, and the first full album Are You Coming? followed in November, debuting at No. 4 on the Oricon chart. In 2016 they won Best Breakthrough Artist at the Space Shower Music Awards, and Are You Coming? received the runner-up prize at the CD Shop Awards.

In March 2017 they held their first solo concert at Saitama Super Arena, and in November hosted the WANIMA 18 Festival before their first Kohaku appearance on December 31. Everybody!! sold 126,000 copies in its first week in January 2018 and reached No. 1. In August 2018 they played their first dome shows at MetLife Dome, drawing 70,000 over two days. The second major album COMINATCHA!! (October 2019) also topped the Oricon chart, giving them back-to-back No. 1 CD albums. In 2020 part of their tour was cancelled due to COVID-19, and they released the mini album Cheddar Flavor. In 2021 they held the Cheddar Flavor Tour, finishing at Yokohama Arena; on August 25 it was announced that all three members had tested positive for COVID-19.

Recent activity

The Catch Up TOUR 2022 began in March 2022. In June they released the split EP Aiyaiya (愛彌々) with MONGOL800, and in July the digital single Focus on me. In September they held 1CHANCE FESTIVAL 2022. In October 2023 they announced that their management contract with Pizza of Death Management would end on October 31 and that they would go independent by founding a new company, Crisp Junk. The third major album Catch Up was released on October 11, 2023, followed by 1Time in January 2024 and singles including Rolling Days, Sorry Not Sorry, Matatabi, Off-Leash and others through 2025.

Musical style

Rooted in punk rock, WANIMA blends melodic hardcore with J-pop sensibilities. Kenta grew up listening to reggae and hip-hop through his sister's influence and was struck by the punk rock that his childhood friend Ko-shin introduced him to. The band's sound is built on Kenta's vocals and bass, Ko-shin's guitar and Fuji's drums, with all three contributing to its chorus-driven approach.