YOASOBI’s Beastars 2 opening song “Monster” is the most-viewed YouTube video of the first half of 2021 in Japan. The music video currently has over 114 million views.
Ikura, the vocalist of the YOASOBI duo, performed the song, while Ayase composed, arranged, and wrote the lyrics. Rina Mitsuzumi, who previously worked on Attack on Titan: The Final Season ED, directed the MV, which is available on YOASOBI’s official YouTube channel:
YOASOBI’s official Twitter account shared a celebratory Tweet, while thanking the MV director:
YOASOBI is a Japanese duo, formed in 2019. The members include Ikura, vocalist-songwriter, and Ayase, a Vocaloid producer. Their debut single “Yoru ni Kakeru” came out in December of 2019. In addition to Beastars 2 OP “Monster”, YOASOBI also performed the ending theme “Yasashii Suisei”.
Beastars is an anime based on a manga by Paru Itakagaki. Studio Orange produced the series. The anime is fully CGI and has a total of 24 episodes, across 2 seasons. The first season premiered in 2019, while the second one came out in 2021. The anime is a Netflix exclusive, with season 2 only recently becoming available worldwide. A sequel project is also in the works.
Viz Media licensed the manga in English and describes the plot as:
One night at Cherryton Academy, an herbivore student is brutally murdered. Among the members of the Drama Club, the herbivores’ suspicions naturally turn to their carnivore classmates… The prime suspect? Wolf Legoshi. But he wouldn’t hurt a fly. Or would he? Will dwarf rabbit Haru bring out the beast in him? Or are his feelings for her…something else?
Source: Oricon
©YOASOBI, 板垣巴留（秋田書店）／BEASTARS製作委員会