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Killkiss

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"Killkiss"
Digital and standard edition cover
Single by Ave Mujica
from the album Completeness
LanguageJapanese
B-side"Georgette Me, Georgette You"
ReleasedJanuary 15, 2025 (2025-01-15)
StudioStudio Mech, Sound City, Tokyo
Genre
Length3:28
LabelBushiroad Music
Songwriter(s)Daisuke Hasegawa, Diggy-MO'
Producer(s)Hiroki Matsumoto
Ave Mujica singles chronology
"Ether"
(2024) 		"Killkiss"
(2025) 		"Georgette Me, Georgette You"
(2025)

"Killkiss" (stylized as "KiLLKiSS") is a song by Japanese metal band Ave Mujica. It was released digitally on January 8, 2025, while the CD single was released on January 15, 2025, via Bushiroad Music, serving as the opening theme for the anime series BanG Dream! Ave Mujica. "Killkiss" was written by Daisuke Hasegawa and Diggy-MO', while the latter also wrote the song's lyrics.

"Killkiss" managed to chart in the official Japanese Singles Charts published by Oricon as well as on the Japan Hot 100, published by Billboard Japan. "Killkiss" was also longlisted for a nomination at the inaugural Music Awards Japan.

Background and release

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The release of "Killkiss" was announced on October 18, 2024. The announcement stated that the title-giving song would serve as the opening theme song for the then upcoming anime series BanG Dream! Ave Mujica, which started airing on Japanese television on January 2, 2025.[2][3] A weak prior to the physical release, the song was made public for streaming on January 8, 2025.[1]

The CD single was officially released in Japan on January 15, 2025,[2][4] and contains four tracks, including "Killkiss" and its B-Side "Georgette Me, Georgette You", with instrumental versions of both songs.[4]

The single was released in two version: Standard Edition and Limited Edition. The limited edition features a Blu-ray disc containing the band's whole concert "Veritas".[2] The first-press edition of both versions contained one out of five trading cards showing one of Ave Mujica's fictional band members.[4]

Writing and composition

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"Killkiss" was composed by Diggy-MO', a former member of Japanese hip-hop group Soul'd Out, in co-operation with Aqua Timez guitarist Daisuke Hasegawa,[5][6] while the lyrics were written by Diggy-MO' alone.[6] According to Musicstax, "Killkiss" is written in the key of E minor and has a tempo of 100 beats per minute.[7] Producer Hiroki Matsumoto described "Killkiss" as a fast song with a killer riffing and a magnificent orchestral part.[8]

"Killkiss" was produced by Hiroki Matsumoto at Mech Studio, Sound City in Tokyo. Koichi Hara mixed the song at Fennel Studio in Shibuya, Tokyo while it was mastered by Hiromichi "Tucky" Takiguchi at his own studio, Tucky's Mastering.[9][10] The vocals arrangements were handled by Diggy-MO'; Daisuke Hasegawa was responsible for the instrumental arrangements except for the string arrangements which were done by Takumi Sogi.[10]

In an interview with Yota Tokuta for Real Sound, vocalist/lead guitarist Rico Sasaki spoke about the recording sessions. She told that she had to change her schedules on the first day of recording vocals. Sasaki also revealed that she felt nervousness and had to fight with throat problems.[8]

Reception

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Lesley Aeschliman described "Killkiss" as an upbeat J-pop song that leans more into J-rock territory featuring an almost gothic sounding intro. Aeshliman wrote that the arrangement for the song is quite catchy and is said to be definitively grabbing a viewer's interest when they hear this in the opening theme of the anime. She concluded that fans of the BanG Dream! franchise will likely have the strongest appreciation for the song but it also could appeal to J-pop fans who like a hard sound to the genre.[11]

Writing for Anime Trending, Agnes Nguyen wrote in her review for the first three episodes of the anime series, that the opening sequence "features eye-catching visuals that can’t be written off as casual or unintentional for the project". She further wrote that the opening sequence would recall memories to the infamous Bad Apple!! video due to showcasing character silhouettes. Regarding the song itself, Nguyen stated that it managed to hit all her nostalgic musical preferences which she called-out being grunge, "depressing emo music" and contemporary rock music from the early 2000s.[12]

Commercial performance

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In the first week after the physical release, "Killkiss" managed to sell slightly more than 27.000 copies in Japan, resulting the single debuting at no. 4 on the official Singles Charts published by Oricon.[13]

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"Killkiss" was used as the opening theme song for the first season of the music anime television series BanG Dream! Ave Mujica while it's B-Side "Georgette Me, Georgette You" served as the ending theme song for the same series.[2][4] In the first episode of the anime series titled Sub rosa, the song was used in its entirely.[14] The corresponding scene was later uploaded on YouTube as an official anime music video.[15] The day after the anime series' premiere, a performance video for the song was officially released on YouTube.[16]

"Killkiss" is a playable song on the mobile rhythm game BanG Dream! Girls Band Party!.[17] Several beatmaps for the song were created in the rhythm game osu!.[18] "Killkiss" also became a game card in the trading card game Cardfight!! Vanguard OverDress (Card no. DZ-BT08).[19]

Accolades

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"Killkiss" was longlisted for a nomination in the categories Best Japanese Song and Best Anime Song at the inaugural Music Awards Japan but received no official nomination.[20][21]

Track listing

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All lyrics are written by Diggy-MO'.

Killkiss CD Single track listing
No.TitleMusicArrangementLength
1."Killkiss"
  • Diggy-MO'
  • Daisuke Hasegawa
  • Daisuke Hasegawa
3:28
2."Georgette Me, Georgette You"
  • Diggy-MO'
  • Koji Matsuzaka
  • Koji Matsuzaka
3:54
3."Killkiss" (Instrumental)
  • Diggy-MO'
  • Daisuke Hasegawa
  • Daisuke Hasegawa
3:28
4."Georgette Me, Georgette You" (Instrumental)
  • Diggy-MO'
  • Koji Matsuzaka
  • Koji Matsuzaka
3:54
Total length:14:44

Credits and personnel

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Credits adapted from the single liner notes.[9]

Ave Mujica

Additional musicians

  • Hiroki Matsumoto – producer, director (Blu-ray)
  • Daisuke Hasegawa – guitar arrangement (track 1 and 3)
  • Takuma Sogi – string arrangement
  • Ryūhei Kinoshita – bass arrangement
  • Kenzo Ueki – drum arrangement
  • Daisuke Kadowaki – first violin
  • Kano Tajima – first violin
  • Daisuke Yamamoto – second violin
  • Makiko Tomokiyo – second violin
  • Yuko Kajitani – viola
  • Hikari Takahashi – Bratsche
  • Toshiyuki Muranaka – cello
  • Yu Miyao – cello
  • Atsushi Kuramochi – contra bass
  • Eri Handa – package design coordination
  • Shunsaku Hirai – technical supervisor
  • Hikki Komori - illustrations

Technical

Locations

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Recording

  • Studio Mech, Sound City

Mixing

  • Fennel Studio

Mastering

  • Tucky's Mastering

Packaging

  • Rokushiki Co., Ltd.

Charts

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Chart (2025) Peak
position
Japanese Singles (Oricon)[22] 4
Japanese Combined Singles (Oricon)[23] 9
Japan Anime Singles (Oricon)[24] 1
Japanese Rock Singles (Oricon)[25] 1
Digital Song Charts (Oricon)[26] 27
Hot 100 (Billboard Japan)[27] 26
Hot Animation (Billboard Japan)[27] 4
Download Songs (Billboard Japan)[27] 35
Top Singles Sales (Billboard Japan)[27] 4

References

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  1. ^ a b "Ave Mujica - The Die is Cast - Showcases Symphonic Metal Creditless Opening Video 'KiLLKiSS'". Anime News Network. December 15, 2024. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d "Ave Mujica、TVアニメ"BanG Dream! Ave Mujica"OP＆EDテーマ収録シングル『KiLLKiSS』発売決定！購入者限定フリー・ライヴKT Zepp Yokohamaで開催！". Gekirock.com (in Japanese). October 18, 2024. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  3. ^ Simon Münch (October 18, 2024). "BanG Dream! Ave Mujica legt mit Teaser konkreten Starttermin fest". Crunchyroll (in German). Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d "Ave Mujica 2nd Single「KiLLKiSS」本日リリース". PRTimes.jp (in Japanese). January 15, 2025. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  5. ^ "長谷川大介". Supa Love (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 21, 2025. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  6. ^ a b Ken Pueyo (December 15, 2024). "Bang Dream! Releases Ave Mujica Anime Creditless Opening Song Video". Animecorner.me. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  7. ^ "KiLLKiSS". Musicstax.com (in multilingual). Retrieved June 13, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  8. ^ a b Yota Tokuda (March 28, 2025). "佐々木李子×松本拓輝Pが明かすAve Mujicaの舞台裏　「妥協をまったくしないところが嬉しい」". Realsound.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  9. ^ a b Ave Mujica: KiLLKiSS, Bushiroad Music, EAN: 4562494358570, Catalog Number: BRMM-10887, 2025 (in Japanese)
  10. ^ a b "KiLLKiSS / Ave Mujica [Limited Edition]". VGMDb.net. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  11. ^ Lesley Aeshliman (January 9, 2025). "Song Review: Ave Mujica – 'KiLLKiSS'". Aeschtunes.com. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  12. ^ Agnes Nguyen (January 2, 2025). "The Maddening Experience of Ave Mujica – The Die is Cast – Episodes 1-3 Review". Anitrendz.com. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  13. ^ "週間　シングルランキング 2025年01月27日付". Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 22, 2025. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  14. ^ "「BanG Dream! Ave Mujica」#1 挿入歌「KiLLKiSS」本編映像". Ota-suke.p (in Japanese). January 9, 2025. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  15. ^ "「KiLLKiSS」（TVアニメ「BanG Dream! Ave Mujica」#1 挿入歌）". YouTube (in Japanese). January 9, 2025. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  16. ^ Mikikazu Komatsu (January 3, 2025). "Ave Mujica - The Die is Cast - Anime Releases Opening Song Performance Clip". Crunchyroll. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  17. ^ "KiLLKiSS". Bandori.party (in Multi-lingual). Retrieved June 13, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  18. ^ "KiLLKiSS". osu!. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  19. ^ "KiLLKiSS". Cardfight!! Vanguard Card List (in Japanese). Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  20. ^ "Best Japanese Song Entries List" (PDF). Music Awards Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  21. ^ "Best Anime Song Entries List" (PDF). Music Awards Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  22. ^ "KiLLKiSS". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  23. ^ "Ave Mujica". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  24. ^ "アニメシングルランキング2025年01月27日付". Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 29, 2025. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  25. ^ "ROCKシングルランキング 2025年01月27日付". Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 22, 2025. Retrieved June 15, 2025.
  26. ^ "Ave Mujica". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  27. ^ a b c d "Ave Mujica". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved June 13, 2025.
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