Album/EP

Hanabie. – Bucchigiri Tokyo (EP Review)

Dec 4, 2024

7 min read

Hanabie. – Bucchigiri Tokyo
Released: December 4th, 2024

Lineup

Yukina // Vocals
Matsuri // Guitar
Hettsu // Bass
Chika // Drums

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Coming off their headline Australian tour, it’s never been a better time to start getting into Japan’s metalcore sensation Hanabie. Fierce, ferocious and explosive- the band has made a name for themselves amongst Australian audiences, including myself, and won themselves a hoard of new fans.

Now taking on a Hanabie. release can be a little daunting as I know how passionate their fans can be, but I was very excited to dive into their latest EP Bucchigiri Tokyo. Now forgive my mediocre Japanese, but after consulting the internet and some close friends, the general consensus is that the title translates to ‘Big Win Tokyo’– so let’s see if it is a big win for the queens of Tokyo’s metalcore scene.

They waste no time getting down to business with the title track. Giving us a fun little pop-punk riff, but then straight away, Yukina is growling in our ears. It does not lose its punk feel though if anything it just ramps up the heavy. The clean vocals are sweet and dabble in that cutesy feel but remain quite strong. The breakdown is joyous. The whole track captures the vibe of Hanabie straight away. It doesn’t pull any punches and it works perfectly as the first cab off the rank.

One of the previous singles, ‘Metamorphose!’, follows and the aggression continues. The concept behind the song is what if the members were able to transfer into superheroes and it has that anthemic feel to it. For those who are into anime, this sure to be a favourite. There is almost a sultriness in the delivery of the choruses, between Yukina going straight in with grizzly vocals. Personally, this has quickly become one of my favourite tracks off the album because not only is the breakdown nice and nasty, but the catchiness of the main riff is also addictive.

Speaking of addictive, ‘OTAKU Lovely Densetsu’. A nerd anthem. Opening with a spoken word about how anime, games and the internet are life. Discussing themes of how work sucks and how anime and gaming are a part of Japanese culture- the word Densetsu can mean tradition and/or legendary. Otaku, which is slowly becoming less derogatory, is used to explain somebody who is unhealthy obsessed with something. Drummer Chika goes insane on this track and shows just how her addition to the band is so welcome.

Once again, they effortlessly combine their erratic metalcore style, with EDM samples and pop sensibilities to bring to life something so ridiculously energetic and tight.

‘GAMBLER’ moves away from some of the cutesier styles and samples that are littered in the first few tracks. It has a very Japanese pop-style feel in the verses but feels a little less “kawaii” and more mature in its delivery. The more traditional Japanese-sounding samples are a nice touch and overall, it is refreshing to hear another side of Hanabie. With circle pit-worthy sections and windmill-inducing breakdowns, ‘GAMBLER’ still brings out the essence of Hanabie, but gives us more to listen to. Matsuri on guitar is the real star for me on this track, with her riffs and licks standing out.

She continues to be a riff master well into the next track ‘Ito Wokashi My Type’, giving us that old-school metalcore feel. Honestly, it is one of the only things I really like about this track. The spoken sections come across as disconnected and though my understanding of Japanese is a little lacklustre- it still feels just like they missed an opportunity to really utilise the instrumentation to create something bigger and better.

This continues with the outro track, ‘Bonus Guilty Time’. Again, perhaps if my understanding of Japanese was a little more advanced, I would find a little more merit to it- and while the samples are fun- I feel a little dissatisfied with how it has ended. The four tracks at the start were so rich, entertaining and enjoyable to listen to- it felt like they just slapped together the ending as an afterthought.

Despite this though, it is a solid listen and does help relieve the post-Hanabie tour blues.