QUEENDOM -- Chiki Chiki Ban Ban（チキチキバンバン）

 

This is only an early observation so far but it seems as if there's been a larger-than-usual number of catchy theme songs from this particular season's crop of anime. Of course, I had already been expecting some of that greatness from Martin and his "GIRI GIRI" for the third season of "Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai"（かぐや様は告らせたい）.

I've yet to see a single episode of this Spring 2022 anime called "Paripi Koumei"（パリピ孔明...Koumei of the Party People, although the official translation is Ya Boy Kongming!）which was adapted from a manga series that had its run between 2019 and 2021, but the opening and ending themes have already got me by the ears. Really, I should take a look at the show since one of the main characters, Eiko, is played by seiyuu Kaede Hondo（本渡楓）who has been part of the "Zombie Land Saga"（ゾンビランドサガ）franchise, although she doesn't have a singing role this time around (the singing by her character is handled by 96neko).

When I heard the premise behind "Paripi Koumei", I just thought, yep, that's Japanese pop culture for you. Just reincarnate the legendary Chinese military strategist Zhuge Liang Kongming (181 AD - 234) into 21st-century Shibuya and make him an effective manager for Eiko the budding singer. Happens all the time.

But as for that opening theme, I automatically got walloped with memories of my old 80s music productions by Stock Aitken Waterman and the works by Tommy february6, and though I never actually watched any of those Eurovision competitions, I've got a feeling that they also had plenty of that synthy music. Regardless, QUEENDOM's "Chiki Chiki Ban Ban" (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) definitely perked up my ears and made me wonder about one of my old stomping grounds, Shibuya. Usually, I would wait until the full version of the anison comes out, but this time around, I decided to jump the gun since the opening credits have also been plenty catchy.

QUEENDOM is a special unit made up of members from other bands. We've got hibiki and moca from song-and-dance group lol, Akina and Taki from an aidoru group FAKY, and fashion model/singer Maria Kaneya（金谷鞠杏）from another vocal group known as GENIC. The other interesting thing is that "Chiki Chiki Ban Ban" is a cover of a 2014 song known as "Bulikirály" (Party King) performed by Hungarian singer Jolly. Tarcsi Zoltan was responsible for the original melody with Takaki "RUCCA" Mizoguchi（溝口貴紀）providing the Japanese lyrics. 

I'll have to handle the ending theme in its own article soon enough since it also has a past story supporting it.