Crossover J-Pop Superstar Kenshi Yonezu Releases New Song Bow and Arrow, Theme Song for the Anime Series ‘Medalist’

Japanese hitmaker KENSHI YONEZU, released a new song “BOW AND ARROW”, a song written as the theme song for the coming new anime series Medalist, streamed by Disney+ worldwide from Jan. 4.

“I’ve been an avid fan of the original manga. When I saw that the manga was going to be made into an anime, I couldn’t resist reaching out to offer my music. That’s how it led to the creation of “BOW AND ARROW”. It’s a great manga, I urge every human being to read this manga series. I’m also anticipating the anime as just a viewer. Wait there for the song as well.” Yonezu shares.A brand-new anime series from Japan, Medalist, which tells the story of figure skating coach Tsukasa, who is a man haunted by his past failures, works tirelessly to mold his latest student into a championship medalist. The series is based on an award-winning manga by TSURUMAIKADA, which won the first place in The Next Manga Award 2022, an award for manga series presented by Kadokawa, and the Best General Manga at Kodansha’s 48th annual Manga Awards in May, 2024. Yasutaka Yamamoto (Noblesse) is directing the anime at ENGI. Jukki Hanada (Love Live! Sunshine!!) is in charge of the series composition and screenplay. Chinatsu Kameyama (In Another World With My Smartphone) is designing the characters. Yuki Hayashi is composing the Ost music. The former Olympic skater Akiko Suzuki is choreographing the skating routines in the anime, in collaboration with retired figure skater Yuhana Yokoi and active competitive figure skater Hinano Isobe.

Medalist is out on Disney+ around the world and on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ in the United States on January 4th, the video of the opening of the anime with the “BOW AND ARROW” is also viewable now with the main characters in all their dynamism. Watch Here.

Following an extensive 20-date run across Japan, the multitalented Japanese hitmaker and singer-songwriter Kenshi Yonezu will head to his first U.S., Asia, and European performances of his career, with historic shows produced in Shanghai by STARGROUP, Taipei by BIGART, and all others by Live Nation. Shanghai for two consecutive shows on March 8th & March 9th at Mercedes-benz Arena, Taipei on March 15th & March 16th at Taipei Arena, the tour continues in Seoul on March 22nd & March 23rd at INSPIRE Arena. The European leg begins March 30th at London’s Eventim Apollo and April 1st at Paris’ Zenith. The tour will then move to the U.S., with a performance at the world-famous Radio City Music Hall in New York on April 4th and at Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater on April 6th.

ABOUT MEDALIST:

Medalist, the story of figure skating coach Tsukasa, who is a man haunted by his past failures, works tirelessly to mold his latest student into a championship medalist. The series is based on the original manga by TSURUMAIKADA, which appeared in the Kodansha’s Monthly Afternoon seinen manga magazine. Yasutaka Yamamoto has directed the show, which has been created by the animation studio ENGI. Stars Natsumi Haruse, Takeo Otsuka, Kana Ichinose, Yuma Uchida and Makoto Koichi. Medalist is out from January 4th, 2025, on Disney+ around the world and on Hulu and Hulu On Disney+ in the United States.

ABOUT KENSHI YONEZU

After gaining success with Vocaloid music under the stage name Hachi, Kenshi Yonezu began producing under his real name in 2012. In addition to music, he has attracted attention for his album cover illustrations and video productions. The video for his hit single “Lemon”, the long-running theme song for the TV series Unnatural, is the most-viewed music video in Japan, and topped Billboard Japan’s year-end charts for two consecutive years, leaving a mark on music history both in Japan and abroad. 

His 2020 album STRAY SHEEP set a record of 1.9 million copies sold with the highest-placing Japanese artist ever to appear on the IFPI year-end global ranking chart. He continued to work tirelessly during the COVID-19 pandemic, including performing as the first Asian in a virtual concert hosted by the online game Fortnite. Collaborated globally with UNIQLO on their UT collection with the storefront collaboration displays in NY and other 8 UNIQLO stores worldwide. He was awarded an AAC Award, listed in Forbes’ 100 Asian Digital Stars, and received the Minister of NEWS RELEASE Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists. 

In 2022, he released “M87” as the theme song for the film Shin Ultraman, and “POP SONG” as the theme song for a PlayStation commercial. His single “KICK BACK,” the opening theme for the TV anime Chainsaw Man, made Spotify’s Global Top 50, and became the first Japanese-language song certified Gold by RIAA®. He was also selected as the first and only Japanese artist to be a part of the “RIAA Class of 2023”, with which the association summarized the artists who had flourished in the year. 

In 2023, Yonezu released “Tsuki Wo Miteita – Moongazing” as the theme song for the RPG game Final Fantasy XVI, and “Chikyugi – Spinning Globe” – the theme song Studio Ghibli’s animated film The Boy and the Heron (Academy Award Winner for Best Animated Feature, 2024), directed by Hayao Miyazaki. 

In August 2024, Yonezu wrote “Garakuta – JUNK”, the theme song of the movie LAST MILE, and released his sixth studio album, LOST CORNER. In September, Yonezu released an exclusive line of graphic tees in collaboration with Uniqlo, as part of their ongoing UT series celebrating pop culture from around the world. After 11 years, Hachi (Kenshi Yonezu) himself created a new illustration for the VOCALOID song “Donut Hole”, and a fully animated music video based on the illustration. Original chocolate was also released from Godiva Japan as the “GODIVA x HACHI Donut Hole Collection” from October as the first time for Godiva worldwide to create a chocolate collection lineup in collaboration with an artist. In November Yonezu released “Azalea”, a song written as the theme song for the global Netflix series Beyond Goodbye. 

In 2025, Yonezu is heading to a world tour – KENSHI YONEZU 2025 TOUR / JUNK – following an extensive 20-date run across Japan, Shanghai and Taipei, the tour continues in Seoul for two consecutive shows on March 22nd & March 23rd at INSPIRE Arena. The European leg begins March 30th at London’s Eventim Apollo and April 1st at Paris’ Zenith. The tour will then move to the U.S., with a performance at the world-famous Radio City Music Hall in New York on April 4th and at Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater on April 6th.

As for Yonezu’s music videos, “Lemon” has surpassed 900 million views, continuing to break the records of Japanese artists.  It is one of the 16 music videos of his songs that garnered him a commanding record of surpassing 100 million views each (“Lemon,” “Eine Kleine,” “LOSER,” “Peace Sign,” “Haiirotoao (+Masaki Suda),” “orion,” “Flamingo,” “Kanden,” “Fireworks,” “Paprika,” “Shunrai,” “Uma to Shika,” “Spirits of the Sea,” “KICK BACK,” Foorin’s “Paprika” and Masaki Suda’s “Machigaisagashi”). He has over 7.48 million subscribers on his official YouTube channel.