Kara Dennison
April 26, 2021 
Can’t stop dancing to the new How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord theme? Same here. “EVERYBODY! EVERYBODY!” is the energetic new hit of the spring season. (And no, we’re not telling you how many times we’ve played it so far. Just assume “a lot.”)
If you think the tune has a familiar vibe, you’re not wrong. One of the performers — who also happens to be the composer — is rapper MOTSU. But where have you heard him before?
A Varied Career
MOTSU, real name Mototaka Segawa, doesn’t hold still for a second. He’s released music with lots of bands prior to How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord, under lots of names. He once recorded under the name Chill Jet, and his credits include stints with bands like Mother Ninja and ALTIMA. (And one other big one, but we’re getting there.)
At the moment, Yo-kai Watch fans can hear him as part of the group King Cream Soda. Look for him there under the name Gerappo, performing themes for the kids’ anime series alongside Maiko and ZZROCK.
Get a m.o.v.e. On
But let’s cut right to the chase. If you heard MOTSU rapping in the How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord opening and ending, your mind may have gone back to a different anime: Initial D. To which we say… good catch.
Most famously, MOTSU was once part of the band m.o.v.e., alongside singer yuri and bandmate t-kimura. The three performed opening and ending themes for the popular street-racing series, including memorable tunes like “Rage Your Dream” and “Dogfight.” While m.o.v.e. broke up several years ago, their songs are still hugely popular in the anime world. And, of course, if you’ve heard them once, you’ll recognize them everywhere.
Demon Lord Dancing
For the new season of How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord, MOTSU joins forces with series voice actress Yuu Serizawa and TRF’s DJ KOO. On top of performing, MOTSU also composed the theme (as well as the ending theme, “YOU YOU YOU”). It’s definitely got the vibe of his earlier work, along with an extra dose of good-mood hype. Even the music video looks like nothing but fun. (Though it does contain some flashing effects, so watch with caution.)
For long-time fans of MOTSU’s work under different names and with different groups, it’s exciting to see what he’s been up to lately. Though… we’ll admit we were not expecting the rapper from our favorite street racing anime to show up in this spring’s isekai harem show. But we aren’t complaining.
