Taka, the charismatic frontman of Japanese rock powerhouse ONE OK ROCK, recently dropped some serious praise for international anime fans, calling their understanding "highly intelligent." The band, globally recognized for theme songs in hits like "Beyblade X" and the live-action "Rurouni Kenshin" films, is seeing their respect for overseas fans grow by the day, as Taka revealed in a recent interview with anime streaming giant Crunchyroll.
Interestingly, Taka confessed he wasn't a typical anime kid growing up in Japan. "I barely watched any anime when I was little," he admitted. "It wasn't until I moved to the States and met American rock fans who loved anime that I really started getting into it. And once I did, I was hooked!" He noted that these fans weren't just passionate about music; they also had a deep interest in Japanese culture, which made him reflect on anime's massive global impact.
"We Japanese grew up watching American movies, so we naturally learned how to understand Western narratives. But what I've found is that overseas anime fans can grasp the underlying meanings of anime despite language and cultural barriers, and that's truly impressive," Taka continued. "They have to read subtitles, understand Japanese emotions and storytelling, and still get completely immersed. That makes me feel like their comprehension is incredibly high."
Since forming in 2005, ONE OK ROCK has not only soared in the Japanese music scene but also aggressively expanded into international markets. Their official foray into the anime world came in 2013 when they performed the theme song for the sci-fi animated film "Space Pirate Captain Harlock." As their tours spread across Europe and North America, Taka's interactions with overseas fans became more frequent, allowing him to observe how different cultures embrace anime.
Currently, he's binging popular titles like "Jujutsu Kaisen," "Chainsaw Man," "Demon Slayer," and "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End." He shared that themes like "friendship, perseverance, and teamwork" often resonate with the core philosophies behind his own music.
"Our songs often revolve around the theme of 'never giving up,' but we interpret it with different sounds and styles," he added.
ONE OK ROCK's latest album, "Detox," dropped in February 2025, diving into more social and political themes. Taka expressed his hope to continue fostering cultural exchange and emotional resonance through more musical works in the future.
via： Crunchyroll