Girls Band Cry Finally Gets an Official English Subbed Release on Low-Cost CATCHPLAY+ Service

Toei Animation’s Girls Band Cry anime series received an official English subbed release in Indonesia via CATCHPLAY+. Via X (formerly Twitter), fans can now stream the first 8 episodes — 2 behind the Japanese release. New episodes are released every Monday.

Overseas access to the series may come as a challenge, with the episodes only available to devices showing an Indonesian location. The series is unavailable even in Taiwan, despite CATCHPLAY+ being a Taiwanese service. Readers can currently get the 1-week plan ($0.49), monthly plan ($2.76), or discounted yearly plan ($12.21). Stills from the Girls Band Cry English subbed trailer are below.

Girls Band Cry has attracted somewhat of a cult following on social media, with the lack of access to most fans outside of Japan, France (via ADN), and South Korea (ANIPLUS), relegating the anime to a beloved yet fringe series in terms of popularity. Perhaps a testament to its quality, the series currently sits around the middle of Anime Corner’s Spring 2024 Anime Rankings, surrounded by series with far wider releases.

Girls Band Cry Continues CG Anime’s Increasing Acceptance

Girls Band Cry continues the increasing acceptance, and Toei‘s ramping up of CG production, in recent years. Toei opened a new studio in 2018 with 500 staff members, 200 of whom worked in CG animation. Land of the Lustrous‘ studio Orange said on the topic recently, “Seven years have passed since then, and both the viewer’s tolerance for CG and my own sensibilities have changed, so the question of what level of CG feels good has also changed.”

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Kazuo Sakai (Love Live!) directs Girls Band Cry, while the prolific Jukki Hanada (Steins; Gate, Fate/stay Night) is responsible for the screenplay. Hanada also writes the script for fellow music anime Sound! Euphonium. Kenji Tamai is credited as the music producer. CATCHPLAY+ describes Girls Band Cry:
In Tokyo, Nina Iseri drops out of high school to pursue university while navigating the city alone. Another girl faces betrayal, unsure of her next move, while a third survives by taking on part-time jobs after being abandoned by her parents. Despite life’s disappointments, they find solace in music, believing it offers a place where they truly belong. Through their shared passion, they defy the odds and seek refuge, acceptance, and hope in a world that often lets them down.

Source: CATCHPLAY+ (redirects to its corporate page for viewers with non-Indonesian locations), via X
© Toei Animation