D4DJ First Mix is an anime series based on the D4DJ franchise. It premiered on October 30, 2020. It is animated by the CGI anime studio Sanzigen and directed by Mizushima Seiji.
Staff[]
Production Crew[]
- Director: Mizushima Seiji
- Assistant Director: Suzuki Daisuke
- Executive Producer: Kidani Takaaki
- Chief Producer: Nakayama Masashi
- Series Composition: Zappa Gō
- Script: Nakamura Ko
- Character Design: Yache
- Animated Character Design: Hara Takuya
- Modeling Director: Haraoka Daisuke, Takaoka Shinya
- Rigging Director: Nishijima Tatsuji
- Color Design: Matsuyama Aiko
- Cinematographer: Kobayashi Shunsuke
- Art Director: Tsuboi Kenta
- Art Setting: Tada Shuhei
- Editing: Enokida Misaki
- Sound Director: Nagasaki Yukio
- Music Score: Sataka Ryohei
- Animation Producer: Matsuura Hiroaki
- Animation Production Studio: Sangizen
Cast[]
- Nishio Yuka as Aimoto Rinku
- Kagami Karin as Akashi Maho
- Mimura Haruka as Ohnaruto Muni
- Shizaki Kanon as Togetsu Rei
- Aimi as Yamate Kyoko
- Takagi Miyu as Inuyose Shinobu
- Koizumi Moeka as Sasago Jennifer Yuka
- Kurachi Reo as Shimizu Esora
- Tsumugi Risa as Izumo Saki
- Maeshima Ami as Niijima Ibuki
- Iwata Haruki as Hanamaki Towa
- Sato Hinata as Fukushima Noa
- Mizuki Nana as Amano Airi
- Raychell as Himegami Shano
- Furuya Tōru as Kofune Ryujin
Episode List[]
| No. | Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | "First Mix" | October 22, 2020 (YouTube)[2] October 30, 2020 (Official Premiere) |
| It is the first day of school for Aimoto Rinku, who had recently moved back to Japan after living abroad in Africa. During lunch, she overhears a familiar song over the intercom that she traces to DJ and broadcaster Akashi Maho. Rinku expresses interest in how DJing works, prompting Maho to take her to a performance by Peaky P-key that inspires her to start her own unit. Maho is initially put off by Rinku's repeated offers to join her, but agrees to help and teach her the basics. | ||
| 02 | "Next Step" | November 6, 2020 |
| Maho teaches Rinku about song transitions, but Rinku's enthusiasm prompts Maho to suggest that Rinku should be the group's dancer. The two then put up a promotional poster that fails to generate interest until Maho learns about a remix contest. Despite not placing in the top five, Maho receives an honorable mention which helps draw attention to her unit's upcoming live show. The performance, with Maho as the DJ and Rinku as the singer, is ultimately a success. | ||
| 03 | "Only Me" | November 13, 2020 |
| Ohnaruto Muni attends Maho and Rinku's concert, which evokes memories of being childhood friends with the latter. Although her initial attempts to talk to Rinku fail, she encounters her and Maho at a café and intervenes when she disapproves of Maho's proposed promotional poster. A new poster by Muni receives positive reviews and Rinku invites her to join the group as a VJ. On the day of their show, Muni runs away after having a nightmare of developing stage fright before a play as a child. Rinku finds her at the playground where they used to spend time together and, as she had done when they were younger, motivates her to return in time for the performance. | ||
| 04 | "Make My Song" | November 20, 2020 |
| Looking for more ways to gain popularity ahead of the school festival's Sunset Stage competition, the group enters a songwriting contest organized by Photon Maiden. Rinku volunteers to learn the piano to create a melody for the song, and she catches the attention of Togetsu Rei, a pianist who regularly practices in the school's music room. Rei agrees to teach Rinku how to play, but Maho points out that it would be more efficient to have Rei compose the melody herself. Although the song fails to win the contest, the four decide to use it for themselves. | ||
| 05 | "One and Only" | November 27, 2020 |
| Although the group continues to grow in popularity, Muni is bothered about receiving no attention beyond her VJ title and wants to increase her presence by singing an image song. Unsure of how to compose the ideal song, Rei visits Muni's house for a sleepover, where they bond but Rei continues to struggle with writing. Although the song is disorganized, the group decides to proceed and invites Rei to join them onstage as a keyboardist. After their concert, the four formally change the unit name to "Happy Around!" as a reference to Rinku's catchphrase. To Muni's chagrin, her peers focus their praise on Rei instead. | ||
| 06 | "Fall Camp" | December 4, 2020 |
| With finals on the horizon and much of Happy Around! struggling in their classes, the group plans a study session at Rei's house. Despite her wealthy background, she proposes making curry similar to the instant meal she had during her sleepover with Muni. When Rei purchases the wrong meat and curry roux, Maho suggests cooking beef stew instead. After dinner, the girls relax until Maho recalls their reason for organizing the meeting, leading to late-night studying. Nevertheless, the others pass their exams and they hold a celebratory concert. | ||
| 07 | "Holy Gifts" | December 18, 2020 |
| Happy Around! wants to perform on Christmas Day, but Maho is unable to schedule a concert on the day. While Rinku mopes by eating, she meets Yamate Kyoko, the leader of Peaky P-key. Kyoko, who had been watching Happy Around!, invites her to attend Peaky P-key's upcoming Christmas live and explains such shows are held to spread the festive spirit as the unit was formed on the holiday. During the concert, Kyoko asks Rinku to perform with Peaky P-key. Afterwards, while Muni and Rei praise Rinku, Maho is noticeably distraught. | ||
| 08 | "Dear Friend" | December 25, 2020 |
| Maho fears Rinku is being recruited to join Peaky P-key, and her worries are exacerbated by misunderstandings of conversations between the group and Rinku, particularly the latter maintaining a secret with Kyoko. She meets Inuyose Shinobu, Peaky P-key's DJ, and asks if Rinku is indeed switching units; although Shinobu is also unaware of such plans, she encourages Maho to make music better than her own to entice Rinku into staying. Shinobu reminisces about how Peaky P-key was formed, recalling that Kyoko had been a longtime fan who struggled to compose tracks that would consistently build excitement before agreeing to start a unit together. After Happy Around! performs their new song, Kyoko gives the group seashell accessories, which she and Rinku reveal they had commissioned as reciprocation for the latter's guest appearance at Peaky P-key's show. | ||
| 09 | "Encounter With Light" | January 1, 2021 |
| Happy Around! reaches eighth place in the Sunset Stage rankings to qualify for the competition, but their position is jeopardized by the rise of Photon Maiden. After Photon Maiden's latest performance, the two groups are tied for the rank and are subject to a one-on-one battle to break the tie. Needing an especially impressive song to give them a boost, Rei composes a series of melodies, though her preferred piece is shelved as the others feel it does not fit their image. While they proceed with a song that Rinku is comfortable with singing, Rei continues to mull over her favored melody before figuring that she could sing it herself. | ||
| 10 | "Brand New World" | January 8, 2021 |
| Rinku walks in on Rei singing her song and encourages her to perform it at the Battle Mix Party. While Rei is initially hesitant as she fears the song does not match the unit's image, she agrees upon receiving the others' blessings. As Happy Around! and Photon Maiden prepare their new songs, Rinku encounters and befriends Photon Maiden's Hanamaki Towa. After the groups play their songs, Happy Around! is voted as the winner. | ||
| 11 | "Voice of Evolution" | January 15, 2021 |
| While listening to Happy Around!'s winning song, Photon Maiden's Izumo Saki senses a new, calmer color in their music rather than the usual bright hues. She enters the upcoming remix contest and fails to win, but her track catches Maho's attention; after Saki follows her and is caught, Maho explains although she enjoys the remix, it is too disorganized. Maho expresses surprise at Saki's inexperience with remixing, to which she reveals that Photon Maiden's songs are selected by their producer to align with their persona, though she wants to create her own music. The rest of her unit agree to play her remix at their next show, and despite concerns that the producer would reject it, it is ultimately accepted; further worries about the song's reception among fans are quelled when they garner positive reactions upon performing. | ||
| 12 | "Childhood Friends" | January 22, 2021 |
| Rinku suggests performing a rap battle with Muni at the Sunset Stage, to Muni's apprehension. When Rinku struggles to create verses, she visits Muni's house to practice and work out on her exercise game as she had "promised", which irks Muni. Rinku abruptly hands the game's controls to Muni ahead of a boss battle to answer a phone call from Towa. Afterwards, an upset Muni asks Rinku to leave. The next day, Rinku's difficulties continue and Muni walks out. Later, Muni confides in Rei that she feels guilty for breaking her own promise with Rinku to write each other letters after the latter moved to Africa. Rei and Maho decide to intervene by organizing a rap battle for the childhood friends to voice their thoughts. Muni begins by expressing her frustration with Rinku prioritizing her popularity over her, to which Rinku answers she had always kept Muni and the group in mind; when Rinku mentions the broken promise, Muni admits she had stopped writing as the letters made them feel more distanced and was too afraid to apologize; as the song transitions into musical verse, the two confess their desires to reconnect and make amends. | ||
| 13 | "Groovy Mix" | January 29, 2021 |
| Happy Around! is pitted against Peaky P-Key in the Sunset Stage's first round, to the former's dismay before being motivated as it is their best opportunity to face the latter. The group continues practicing at Rinku's house, where they reminisce about their formation, and attends the Yoba Festival, where Maho openly challenges Shinobu ahead of their competition. The two units perform new songs and Peaky P-Key advances, eventually going on to win the tournament. After the Sunset Stage, Happy Around! further recalls their journey before being invited—along with Peaky P-Key—to an afterparty held by Photon Maiden. | ||
List of Songs in First Mix[]
Theme Songs[]
- Opening: Guru Guru DJ TURN!!
- Happy Around! feat. KYOKO (Peaky P-key) and SAKI (Photon Maiden)
- Ending: WOW WAR TONIGHT ~Toki ni wa Okose yo Movement~
Insert Songs[]
- Electric Chaos★Countdown by Peaky P-key (Episode 1)
- Shake it up by Yamamoto Meco (Episode 1)
- Feeling Good↑↑ by Aimoto Rinku and DJ Mash (Episode 2)
- Summer Night by J Wazz (Episode 2)
- Feeling Good↑↑ by Aimoto Rinku, DJ Mash and VJ ONLY (Episodes 3-4)
- Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 played by Togetsu Rei (Episodes 3-4)
- Make My Style by Aimoto Rinku, DJ Mash and VJ ONLY (Episode 4)
- A lot of life by Photon Maiden (Episodes 4, 9, and 13)
- Give Me Awesome!!!! by Happy Around! (Episode 5)
- Make My Style by Happy Around! (Episode 6)
- Let's do the 'Big-Bang!' by Peaky P-key ft. RINKU (Episode 7)
- Angels We Have Heard on High by Yamamoto Meco (Episode 7)
- Shiny Summer by yukacco (Episode 7)
- Happy Around Days by Happy Around! (Episodes 8-9)
- Here's the light by Photon Maiden (Episode 9)
- Photon Melodies by Photon Maiden (Episode 9)
- Akatsuki by Photon Maiden (Episode 10)
- Brand New World by Happy Around! (Episodes 10-11)
- Floor Killer by Merm4id (Episode 11)
- Ginga Tetsudō 999 by Acchu Iwata (Episode 11)
- Akatsuki (Fruits Mix) by Photon Maiden (Episode 11)
- 1RKO by RANL and ZAQ (Episode 12)
- HONEST -conflict01- by Aimoto Rinku and Ohnaruto Muni (Episode 12)
- HONEST -happy a word- by Happy Around! (Episode 13)
- ABSOLUTE by Peaky P-key (Episode 13)
- Wish You Luck by Peaky P-key (Episode 13)
- Happy Music♪ by Happy Around! (Episode 13)
Gallery[]
Teaser Visual
Key Visual
Key visual showing the entire main cast
Trivia[]
- Due to COVID-19 issue, Bushiroad applied the J-LOD subsidization for the international brand promotion of this anime. It was officially recognized by Visual Industry Promotion Organzation with J-LOD subsidization plan.[3]
References[]
- ↑ Official Twitter
- ↑ Official Twitter
- ↑ In the D4DJ Global Channel, a text string listed with "This anime is subsidized by J-LOD." will be announced in the description for all the episode videos with international dub editions. (Example)