Danica Davidson
December 6, 2022 
Chainsaw Man is one of the biggest anime out right now. Toru Kitajima, a.k.a. TK from the rock band Ling tosite sigure, is behind the ending theme “first death.” An official music video for the song was released today, and to coincide with this, TK spoke with Otaku USA about writing the song, how he approaches composing music, and what he’d like Western fans to know about him. Check out the interview below and here is the single’s linkfire for your listening pleasure.
How did you get involved in doing one of the ending songs for Chainsaw Man?
When I first received the offer, I was very surprised. When I was writing the song, I didn’t know whether my song would be used, so I worked with some pressure. I think it’s really important for a tie-in song to have affinity and blend well with the anime work, so I wanted to write the song with all that I had to get this tie-in.
How do you think your song sets the right mood for Chainsaw Man?
I focused on how I can lock in the drawing, the title, and the dramatic sense of speed that pours out of each page inside my music and the words without losing any of its touch. This is actually a very important part of my making music, so I think in that sense, my music naturally blended into Chainsaw Man’s extremeness and its unique attractiveness. I believed that if I try to expose my essentiality in music and the lethality of my words and the guitar by grasping what [mangaka] Tatsuki-san imagined, whether it may or may not be correct, I thought it was going to connect in the right way.
Were you a fan of the manga before this? Have you had a chance to watch the anime? If you have, what do you think?
I don’t usually read manga, but I did remember the vivid images that I saw somewhere. They left a strong impact in my memory, out of many commercials and advertisements that I was seeing every day. Only the teaser was released on YouTube, but that video made the impact even stronger so it helped me immerse into its world when I was creating the work.
The slow and rapid turns of the story and the series of startling scenes were something very close to what I had been expressing through my music, so I didn’t need to bring myself close to it intentionally. I was absorbed and before I knew it, it was finished.
How do you approach writing your music?
In a way, I am making violent music, so I didn’t have to change something exclusively for this project. I believed that I could express the devastating beauty that Chainsaw Man has if I faced it sincerely. I remember that the demo production was really fast.
Is there anything else you’d like Western fans to know about you?
Thank you so much for the support from overseas. I’m always dreaming of the landscape on the other side of the ocean. Recently, it has been difficult to go to other countries to perform, but there are various tools that help take away the borders. I hope that Chainsaw Man and our music reach out to the world without any difference or distance. And someday soon, I hope to see you in person on stage.
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
