After scouring the internet looking for more Japanese rock bands amidst my Japanese rock craze, I stumbled upon BBHF (Bird, Bear, Hare and Fish), being instantly drawn in by their sound; it turns out it wasn’t the first time I’d fallen in love with their music. BBHF is a band made up of core members originally from the band Galileo Galilei.
Galileo Galilei: The Precursor to BBHF and a Japanese Rock Sensation
The story of this band begins with Hokkaido’s soft rock band Galileo Galilei. Galileo Galilei was formed in 2007 by frontman Yūki Ozaki, drummer Kazuki Ozaki, bassist Hitoshi Sakō, and guitarist Sōhei Funaya and remained active until 2016, when it disbanded.
The band made many contributions to big-name anime like Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, Mobile Suit Gundam AGE, Big Windup! Season 2, Taifū no Noruda and Haikyu!! Second Season.
Hit Anime Opening Soundtrack “Aoi Shiori” of Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
However, of all its contributions to Japanese indie rock, its most notable performance was its opening soundtrack for 2011’s Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day: “Aoi Shiori” translating to blue bookmark.
“Aoi Shiori” is my favourite, not only of the band but of the entire Japanese pop-rock genre. “Aoi Shiori” reminds me of memories I never knew existed and brings up feelings of warmth, creating a desire to recall friendships of a time long past. Its use in the coming-of-age anime, Anohana works well to emphasize this feeling. For anime fans who watched Anohana 12 years ago when it first aired, this song adds a new level of nostalgia, bringing up pleasant childhoods and youths for many older generations.
What stands out the most to me is the lead guitarist and vocalist’s voice, Yūki Ozaki, a mellow and soothing voice capable of hitting highs and lows just right.
Throughout 2011-2013, Galileo Galilei saw mass success with their album “Parade”, reaching 5th in the Japanese Music Charts at their peak. As of April 2023, Galileo Galilei consistently racks in nearly 265,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and boasts nine songs counting well over 1,000,000 listens. The band has remained popular in the Japanese rock scene despite its inactivity.
Successor Band to Galileo Galilei, BBHF
Two years after disbanding, Galileo Galilei brothers Ozaki Yuuki and Ozaki Kazuk formed the successor band BBHF (Bird, Bear, Hare and Fish) with guitarist DAIKI.
BBHF has since amassed a sizeable following on Spotify and social media platforms, with almost 50,000 monthly listeners and one song boasting nearly 800,000 streams.
I recently fell in love with their song “メガフォン”; although a different vibe from the original Galileo Galilei sound but BBHF is a different band, so it’s not unexpected. Like their other songs, this song struck a chord in me, especially with the start of the summer season; this song reminds me of breezy beaches I’d visit and will surely become a staple of my summer playlist.
After cycling through their discography, I have nothing but good things to say about the music they make. If any band were to deserve more recognition, It would be BBHF; their sound is perfectly uplifting and vibrant. Give this Japanese rock band a try this summer!
To find out more about BBHF visit their website at birdbearhareandfish.com, to read more about their history visist this article written by JX Soo of NME.
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