The Best Real Fantasy: A Q&A with QUEEN BEE

QUEEN BEE is a Japanese rock band consisting of lead vocalist and guitarist Avu-chan, bass guitarist Yashi-chan and lead guitarist Hibari-kun. They're probably best known for their songs "Mephisto", which served as the ending for the first season of Oshi no Ko, and "Violence", which was the ending for the 11th episode of Chainsaw Man. We were lucky enough to catch up to them at Anime Boston where they discussed among other things, the differences between American fans and Japanese fans, their sense of fashion, their favorite anime, and writing music for some of the most popular series of the last few years. Having quite the long career, there is sure some aspect of it that you'll want to check out! Fans of QUEEN BEE or those who are discovering them for the first time will definitely want to read on and check out their social media links at the end!

Anime Herald: Nice to meet you! What was your experience like last night performing here at Anime Boston?
Avu-chan: [In English] Very, very good! [Continues in Japanese] It was a lot of fun! We performed in Seattle last year, but the anime fans in Boston were very different than the ones in Seattle. It was really interesting to see that difference. The big difference that we felt about the fans in Seattle versus Boston was that in Seattle, they were pretty shy in the beginning, but here, when they kinda gave into it and really started enjoying themselves, the room just exploded with energy. It was a really great experience.

Behind the Manga Podcast (BTM): How is Boston treating you so far?
Avu-chan: It’s a lot of fun. Something that I really felt about their experience in Boston is just seeing how diversity here is just so normalized. Being able to see all sorts of different people, even just within the anime community, like the fusion between everything is great. Quite often in Japan, I find that cosplayers simply focus on copying exactly how the character looks, and there’s a lot more willingness over here for people to imbue their own personality into their cosplay. So there’s a very strong distinction between their personality and the anime personality and depending on everyone’s kind of taste, like how far they go into that, the fact that everyone’s really open to that, all these different diverse ways of experiencing and enjoying the anime. It’s really cool.

A-to-J: For those you don’t know you, how would you describe yourselves and your music?
Avu-chan: QUEEN BEE is the best real fantasy.
A-to-J: Very interesting.
[Laughter]

Anime Herald: Where does QUEEN BEE get its sense of fashion?
Avu-chan: [In English] Everything but Japanese fashion sense is... [Continues in Japanese] In Japan, fashion is very, very tied to people’s identity and personalities, and people kind of pick a lane and quite often you find that people will try to size each other up a little bit depending on what they’re wearing. It will indicate your personality quite a lot, and QUEEN BEE feel that they do also take that into account. Of course, it is about that first impression but where the overall inspiration comes from is from the desire to reach people from all diverse, different backgrounds and places and be something that everyone can connect with.
 
BTM: This is kind of a question for everybody: What was your biggest influence when it comes to producing music?
Yashi-chan: I take a lot of inspiration from like temples and nature and mountains and...
Hibari-kun: I don’t get my inspiration just from guitar, but also from other instruments and reading and watching films and the like.
Avu-chan: I take inspiration from all the things that have happened in my life and certain traumas and all other types of things as well but kind of going back to what I mentioned earlier, it’s very important that all the people who have been part of my life and a part of my journey especially these two that are working together like these people become the biggest inspiration for me and all the biggest reason for what I’m able to put out as QUEEN BEE.

A-to-J: The band has been together for nearly fifteen years now. How do you feel that the music and the fashion have kind of evolved in that timespan?  
QUEEN BEE: The more we do it, it just keeps getting more fresh and real. Every time something big happened, it was important for us to be very honest with ourselves and to get to the core of it. And by being honest every time, something happens. I think every time you’re able to continue building on what you’re making and continue to push forward.

Anime Herald: This question will be for each of the three members. If you read manga or watch anime, what are some of your favorites from growing up or some of your current favorites?
Yashi-chan: Pokémon. I have a lot. For games, I really like Mother 2 [Earthbound]. I have a lot of merch for the game at home.
Hibari-kun: When I was a kid, Dragon Ball, and as I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten into Evangelion and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
Avu-chan: Devilman by Go Nagai and Sailor Moon and Yu-Gi-Oh!, but my first experience with energy was Street Fighter. I’ve always really liked fighting games.
Anime Herald: I’ve just gotta ask. Who was your favorite Street Fighter II character?
Avu-chan: [In English] Cammy, because Cammy is very sad. [Laughter] She is so sad but very powerful! Powerful personality.
BTM: Kind of continuing the theme, what was your favorite Pokémon character and what’s your favorite JoJo character?
Yashi-chan: Team Rocket. [Avu-chan and the interpreter take a minute to figure out the English name of the Pokémon she described.] Right now, I feel like Muk.  
Hibari-kun: My favorite JoJo character is Wammu from season 2.
Avu-chan: So cool.
BTM: For Pokémon, I really like Oshawott, and for JoJo’s, I really like Weather Report.  
[The band takes a minute to figure out the Japanese name of Oshawott (Mijumaru)]
Avu-chan: The Japanese Pokémon name [for Muk] is very catchy. Betobeton. Before they learned anything, they learned the names of the Pokémon. It was just everywhere. It was a lot. Like a child cult around Pokémon. [English] Trauma. Trauma. Trauma. Trauma. [Japanese] I think with that brain power, I could have learned extra stuff but I don’t regret it. [English] No regrets.
BTM: I was the same way too. Like, I started from Pokémon: Soul Silver and Heart Gold and played every single one, all of them, to the latest one and the same thing with JoJo. The minute I learned about JoJo, all the way from the first one: I read parts One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.
[The have a conversation in Japanese that seems to be about Sailor Moon, JoJo, and Pokémon]
Avu-chan: [English] Thank you.

A-to-J: Recently, your music has been used for openings and ending of anime especially big ones like Oshi no Ko and Chainsaw Man. Do you feel that that’s brought in a big new audience for you and how does it feel to be in the spotlight for those two big anime?
Avu-chan: I would first like to make clear that I don’t believe that there are big anime and small anime, and that they’re all valid. Of course, I do feel that there are people who have found us through those songs and being able to come here for things like these conventions are as a result of these anime. I feel the most important thing is and if you came to the show last night, I’m sure you were able to feel this as well, that even if you were initially introduced by anime, eventually you’re gonna stick around for QUEEN BEE. I really think that’s our strength. If anything, it’s like Queen Bee is like the coolest anime that never ends. Almost like a Hello Kitty / Pikachu crossover.
Anime Herald: Pika Pika!
QUEEN BEE: Pika Pika!
Anime Herald: You thought it was Pika but it was me, Dio!
[Laughter]
Avu-chan: Cool. So smart.

Anime Herald: Following up on the last question, what was it like creating the songs for these respected anime? What was your creative process like creating something for an established work?
Avu-chan: For Oshi no Ko, we were told by the writer that “Mephisto” was essentially the final plot of the final episode. When I make songs, whether it’s for just myself, for anime tie-ins, or for films, I really dig deep and write from a very deep place. If it’s for an anime, I really consider the intentions behind the original work and so, I think I am able to really capture it because I am really focusing on the intentions rather than just the story.

BTM: What was it like finding out that there is a growing international audience for your music?
QUEEN BEE: We knew it was going to come!
[Laughter]
Avu-chan: I’m very happy!

A-to-J: Building off that overseas audience, you already talked about the difference between the audience in Seattle and the audience in Boston, do you feel that there’s a kind of tangible difference between audiences in Japan and audiences abroad?
Avu-chan: Totally different! I wonder what it is. Both are really great but Japan being... It’s not like there’s no diversity, but Japan being largely a homogeneous country, there’s a very clearly distinction between insider and foreigner versus there isn’t really that here.  So, that’s one thing that’s really difference about the Japanese audience. Just by not necessarily looking like the traditional Japanese, you are being pointed at as a foreigner and so, there’s a very clear thing there versus the diversity here. The fact that we would even come out of that culture in Japan is kind of a shock to some people. And so, getting people onboard and getting people to understand what it is that we’re trying to do takes a little bit longer in Japan. When we come here, we feel like the audience is very receptive right away and they understand what we’re trying to do. And so, the speed with which people just get onboard is a little bit different.  

Anime Herald: You’ve now obviously been able to perform in Japan, Seattle and Boston. Is there any music venue or city that is on your dream list to perform in?
Avu-chan: All of them! [In English] Under the sea! Sea and galaxy! I’m so serious. We are so serious! Real fantasy! Final Fantasy!
[Laughter]
Anime Herald: Oh, Emerald Weapon. Under the sea.
Avu-chan: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Kingdom Hearts! [Inaudible over laughter]

Anime Herald: If I can make a recommendation for a thing, I think you guys should check out Red Rocks in Colorado.  
Avu-chan: Because you suggested it, I kinda really want to do it now, but I don’t really like performing outside. But because you said it, I do want to do it. That’s what’s most important. At yesterday’s performance, we couldn’t bring the lighting team that usually does our lighting in Japan, and while we believe it is a strength of ours that we can perform wherever without that, I do want to bring the best production to every show. So we’re just working to be able to do the best shows that we can on a global scale.
 
BTM: Following off of that, what would you say is the most challenging piece to compose creatively?
Avu-chan: None of them. I’ve never really struggled because all of them are very pure and my songs are very honest.

Anime Herald: Oshi no Ko shines a light on various parts of the Japanese entertainment industry. When you were reading the source material, was there any particular arc or scene that struck you as genuine as something that you’ve experienced?
Avu-chan: First off, yes. A lot. In Japan, there’s a very big distinction between just entertainers and musicians. In general, entertainers have their own like "entertainer" term and musicians would not usually be included together in that. The word "geinoujin" that they use about entertainers is a very loose term, and it can mean a lot of different things. There are of course good people in the entertainment industry, but a lot of the deals and the promises being made can be very overbearing and just a lot on people’s plates. A lot more than people would be expecting. And all these things that can be shocking whether it’s in Japan, or in the entertainment industry over here as well. There’s a sense that it’s almost turned into entertainment itself. They’re almost, in a sense, giving up on the light and giving into the dark and things that are very, very dark and sad are just seen as curiosities for people and again, just turned into entertainment. The fact that they were able to create something like this, first off, I think is very important. I did connect with a lot of things but I think what’s most important is that they were able to make something like this and put it out there.

BTM: What would be your advice for any up-and-coming artists who look up to you guys and want to follow in the same footsteps as you?
Avu-chan: First off, we’re young as well. [In English] Forever young. [In Japanese] Even though we’ve been around, we are young. Getting signoffs from people and getting people discovering you, of course, is really important. Having a name to bring you up is important but the most important thing is not to rely on that and to do everything off of your own capabilities and your own abilities. First off, people are always watching so if you’re doing something that’s truly unique or truly special, in this modern age, with the Internet. If we have entered this era where you can be discovered no matter what, then you have also entered the era of having to work even harder because you’re competing with even more people. So, we’re not going to tell anyone what to do but if people see how hard that we fight for ourselves and how hard that we work and people see that and take inspiration from that, I think that might serve them well.

Anime Herald: That was a very good point that you just made. If everyone can get their music listened to, then you are competing with everyone. So, how do you keep developing so that you can keep ahead of the pack that is constantly chasing you? What do you do to keep your music fresh and fantastic and everything else that you want it to be?
Avu-chan: To never let go of loneliness. I think lots of people want to become artists to avoid the feeling of being alone. [In English] But creative is not hobby. Serious. So serious. [In Japanese] It’s almost more like a martial art in that it’s something that you have to take extremely seriously and be extremely disciplined about. So, if you believe that eventually people will understand and connect with that loneliness rather than trying to avoid the loneliness, not giving into it but connecting over it, the belief that people will come to see that is how we keep everything feeling new and fresh. It’s about having people come and understand you. It could be that even over the distance between stars but just the fact that they’re there and that you can see each other means it’s not about the distance and one day, the light’s gonna arrive.

BTM: What’s an anime or game you would recommend everyone should [watch or] play?
QUEEN BEE: It’s really hard because we have a lot of recommendations.
Hibari-kun: Kirby.
Avu-chan: Hard question. Very hard.
Yashi-chan: The more I think about it that more I keep coming up with more and it keeps getting harder. This has been the hardest question for us. We’re very serious about this.  
Avu-chan: I think Ghost in the Shell would be a good recommendation because it feels very close to the future that we’re headed towards, but it’s a lot more romantic than the future we’re headed towards.
Yashi-chan: I just can answer this one. There’s too many.
A-to-J: I think that’s a good place to end it.  
QUEEN BEE: Thanks so much!
Press: Thank you!
QUEEN BEE: It was a lot of fun!

We'd like to thank QUEEN BEE for the interview, and we strongly encourage everyone to check them out via the links below. As always, keep an eye out for more from QUEEN BEE in the future! Also, special thanks to Anime Boston for this opportunity!

For More Information on QUEEN BEE:
Website: https://ziyoou-vachi.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ziyoou-vachiSMEJ
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@qb_official_
X: https://twitter.com/qb_announce