At this year’s Cosplay Mania in Manila, we had the amazing honor to meet and interview Angela (stylized as angela), a Japanese band best known for their energetic and emotionally charged anisongs, most notably for all themes for Soukyuu no Fafner EXODUS. The powerhouse duo is comprised of vocalist atsuko and guitarist KATSU, and are international superstars welcomed to multiple events all over the world, with Cosplay Mania 2025 in the Philippines being one of the most recent.
Ahead of their performance at the Japanese Anime Music concert, Angela has graced Anime Corner and a few other media outlets with the honor of a sneak peek at their music journey so far – from their experiences in staying inspired with music, their hobbies, and performing all over the world.
Parts of this interview have been lightly edited for clarity.
Passion for Anisongs and Music Inspirations
Angela is widely known for their melodious, dynamic blend of J-Pop, rock, electronica, and jazz. Their anisongs deliver captivating tunes and unique originality, showcasing the band’s powerful vocals and stage presence that they’ve honed since their beginnings in 1993. Since then, they’ve performed themes for K, Knights of Sidonia, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Ajin: Demi-Human, My Awkward Senpai, and many more.
When asked about what contributed to their colorful success in the industry, they replied that it was all about being creative in incorporating different genres into their theme songs.
“[Our approach in creating or conceptualizing an anime song is] going through the original work of the anime, like the manga or novels, and making a song that can lift or cheer on the protagonist. At other times, we also try to draw inspiration from everyday life or our experiences with fans.”
And of course, they also have their music inspirations while growing up – atsuko shared that it was Madonna and Michael Jackson for her, while KATSU said that he listened to a lot of music growing up, but his roots are definitely from Billy Joel.
When asked which anime theme song was closest to their hearts, they shared that it was their first theme song with Fafner in the Azure.
“Fafner in the Azure! We’ve created a lot of theme songs for Fafner for 20 years. We currently hold the Guinness World Record for the most number of songs sung for a single anime franchise, which is 35 songs in total. Among those songs, ‘Shangri-La’ is the most important to us.”
It’s wonderful when we think of the fact that Angela has done a lot in spreading anisongs throughout the whole world. Outside of music, Angela also shared where they get their inspiration and creativity. KATSU said that his outdoor activities included diving, underwater photography, and being a certified rescue diver. Meanwhile, atsuko shared that she enjoys seeing other artists’ concerts, and that traveling around also gives her a good recharge for the motivation that she needs for performing.
Experiences with Live Performances and Connecting with Fans
Angela’s powerful stage presence is what makes their performances very iconic. It’s always full of passion, energy, and soul! In the interview, Angela and KATSU said they’ve never once forgotten lyrics or made a mishap during their performances on stage, which just goes to show how experienced and professional they are as musicians.
When asked if they had a personal ritual or a mindset before performances, they shared that it’s all about wanting to pull off an enjoyable show.
“We do a handshake right before our live performance to tell each other to relax and have fun. We do get very nervous when we’re live on stage, so we try to be open and make a friendly vibe for everyone in the audience.”
Angela added that they actually really appreciate it when the audience sings along with them during their performances. It makes them happy to know their music can connect with fans despite being in another language. It’s undeniably one of their most unforgettable moments in their live shows.
Angela has also attended multiple conventions abroad, including America, Canada, and Europe, and at the Anime Festival Asia in Southeast Asia. They mentioned that one of their favorite memories is the experience of meeting their fans in person. “During autograph sessions, it really makes us happy whenever we see fans who bring past CD albums with them and even wear our exclusive concert shirts.”
Angela continued to share how happy they feel receiving the love and support of fans overseas, especially when they later travel all the way to Japan just to see the duo’s live performances.
Exploring Music, Hobbies, and Dreams for the Future
Amidst the talk about anime and inspirations, we also found out that Angela is very interested in exploring other musical styles and incorporating them into their band’s sound. “It’s not exactly a genre, but we want to try using traditional instruments and music from other countries.”
In another what-if situation, when asked what anime they’d love to have the opportunity to sing and compose for, they mentioned that they really liked Gundam and that they wish to get the chance to perform for the franchise someday.
They also humored us when we asked what they’d probably be doing other than being musicians. Atsuko affirmed her earlier comment and said that she’d “travel around the world within a year.” KATSU also did the same and mentioned diving again, but amusingly added that he’d be “working at Jollibee!” In case you missed it, the duo has an Instagram post about their fascinating first dining experience at the restaurant (Spaghetti with banana sauce) and a post on X (formerly Twitter) that included a Chickenjoy bucket in their JAM Concert group photo.
Next, we were curious to find out what was next for Angela. The duo excitedly explained that they were about to release their newest album and would be embarking on a series of tours. It’s something that they hope everyone can look forward to.
As the exclusive media interview came to a close, the last question that we asked of Angela was if they had a special message they wanted to share with their Filipino fans. As a response to their enthusiastic fans, the band mentioned their wish to come back soon. “[Although the upcoming] tours will be mainly in Japan and China, we would also want to do a show here in the Philippines!”
We’d like to thank Angela for coming to the Philippines and for taking the time to speak to us! Follow them on their Instagram, X (Twitter), and YouTube. Angela’s setlist at Cosplay Mania’s JAM Concert is also available to listen to on multiple streaming platforms.
Thank you as well to Cosplay.ph for having us at Cosplay Mania 2025. Visit the Cosplay Mania Facebook page and X (Twitter) for more updates on their future anime and cosplay events.
Interview Assistance: Ken Pueyo
Photos via Cosplay.ph
Disclaimer: Anime Corner is a media partner for Cosplay Mania 2025
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