Sunny (Yorushika song)

"Sunny"
Single by Yorushika
LanguageJapanese
ReleasedJanuary 5, 2024
Genre
Length4:30
LabelPolydor
Songwriter(s)N-buna
Producer(s)N-buna
Yorushika singles chronology
"Moonbath"
(2023) 		"Sunny"
(2024) 		"Rubato"
(2024)
Music video
"Sunny" on YouTube

"Sunny" (Japanese: 晴る, Hepburn: Haru, lit. 'clear') is a song by Japanese rock duo Yorushika. It was released as a single by Polydor Records on January 5, 2024, served as the second opening theme for the 2023 Japanese anime series Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. Commericially, "Sunny" peaked at number 11 on the Oricon Combined Singles Chart and number eight on the Billboard Japan Hot 100,[1] and received platinum certification for streaming by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ).

Background and composition

On December 22, 2023, following the sixteen episode "Long-Lived Friends" ended, it was announced that Yorushika would be in charge of the second opening theme for anime series Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, titled "Sunny", alongside the song's snippet via the anime's fourth trailer.[2] The song was available digitally on January 5, 2024, the same day as the seventeenth episode "Take Care" premiere.[3] One half of Yorushika N-buna revealed on the press release that "Sunny" is about "hoping for sunny days when the weather is not sunny."[4]

Critical reception

Ryōhei Ohara from Real Sound pointed out that the lyrics of "Sunny" are more abstract than Frieren's first opening theme, "Yūsha" by Yoasobi, but evaluated it as "a song that fits closely with the anime,"[5] while Eriko Ishii surprised "the raw emotion expressed in the powerful words that come out of the chorus," and praised Suis's vocals that is "not a voice that tells a story, but a voice that is determined to convey a strong message to the listener."[6]

Music video

An accompanying animated music video for "Sunny" premiered on March 8, 2024, directed by Kohta Morie, who previously worked for several Yorushika's music videos.[7] According to the director, it was initially aimed to premiere close to the song's release date. However, Yorushika requested for compromising on the quality.[8] Inspired by Haruki Murakami's 1985 novel Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World,[8] the story depicts a child and his father living in a town surrounded by impenetrable wall, showing different weathers.[9] The special version of music video, featuring footages from the "First-Class Mage Exam" episode, was uploaded on March 29.[10]

Other uses

The rearranged version of "Sunny" was used for the Suntory Gin's Sui online commericial "Sui to Utaeba".[11]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Sunny"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[18] Gold 100,000*
Streaming
Japan (RIAJ)[19] Platinum 100,000,000†

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "【ビルボード】YOASOBI「アイドル」19週ぶりの総合首位奪還、『葬送のフリーレン』新OPヨルシカ「晴る」がトップ10入り". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  2. ^ "ヨルシカ、新曲"晴る"がTVアニメ『葬送のフリーレン』新OPテーマに決定。2024年1月に配信リリース". Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). December 27, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  3. ^ "ヨルシカ、TVアニメ『葬送のフリーレン』新OPテーマ「晴る」担当! 1月5日配信リリース決定!". Lisani (in Japanese). December 23, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  4. ^ "ヨルシカがTVアニメ『葬送のフリーレン』新オープニングテーマを担当! 1月5日に新曲「晴る」配信リリース決定!". Encore (in Japanese). December 23, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  5. ^ Ohara, Ryōhei (January 8, 2024). "『葬送のフリーレン』新OPテーマ、ヨルシカ「晴る」に滲む勇者ヒンメルの姿 名前の由来から楽曲を読み解く". Real Sound (in Japanese). Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  6. ^ Mori, Tomoyuki; Ishii, Eriko (January 12, 2024). "Vaundy、キタニタツヤ、JO1、Creepy Nuts、スキマスイッチ、ヨルシカ......注目新譜6作をレビュー". Real Sound (in Japanese). Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  7. ^ "ヨルシカ「晴る」MVを公開! 少年視点で描いたCGアニメーションは「とても難産な作品でした」". The First Times (in Japanese). March 3, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  8. ^ a b Watanabe, Hideki (June 21, 2024). "楽曲と映像の相乗効果で生まれるショートフィルム的な読後感 ヨルシカ『晴る』MV". CDWorld.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  9. ^ Ogihara, Azusa (March 8, 2024). "ヨルシカは「晴る」にどんな祈りを込めたのか？ 『葬送のフリーレン』とも共鳴するMVで描いた物語の真意". Real Sound (in Japanese). Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  10. ^ "『葬送のフリーレン』 × ヨルシカによる「晴る」スペシャルMV解禁! 一級魔法使い試験編名シーンも登場". The First Times (in Japanese). March 29, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  11. ^ "サントリージン「翠(SUI)」の新WEB CM『翠と唄えば』で流れる曲は?". CDJournal (in Japanese). December 12, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  12. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot 100 – Week of January 17, 2024". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  13. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Animation – Week of January 17, 2024". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  14. ^ "ヨルシカの合算シングル売上" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  15. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot 100 – 2024 Year-End". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  16. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Animation – 2024 Year-End". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  17. ^ "【オリコン年間ランキング2024】Snow Man、「作品別売上数部門」で史上最多の6冠を達成! Creepy Nuts「Bling-Bang-Bang-Born」が3冠、Number_i『No.O -ring-』も首位に | デジタルシングル(単曲)ランキング 1位~10位". Oricon (in Japanese). December 20, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  18. ^ "Japanese digital single certifications – ヨルシカ – 晴る" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved January 20, 2025. Select 2024年5月 on the drop-down menu
  19. ^ "Japanese single streaming certifications – ヨルシカ – 晴る" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved January 20, 2025. Select 2024年7月 on the drop-down menu