The band Radwimps has always been popular in Japan, even expanding their reach across certain parts of Europe. Yet prior to the release of Kimi no Na ha, Radwimps had virtually no prior involvement in the anime scene. This was probably due to the fact that Radwimps had no need for it due to their popularity in Japan. Extra publicity could never be a negative though, or could it?
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRfHcp2GjVI[/embedyt]
Radwimps Coming to America
With Kimi no Na ha’s release and introduction to America, Radwimps finally gained traction in the United States. Normally this would be seen as a positive for the renowned rock band. However, with the United States release of Kimi no Na ha came an opportunity for a dubbed title. With this English adaptation, the band also deemed an English translation of the songs was necessary. Normally this wouldn’t raise as much of an alarm, but with dubs being a mainstay for casual and non-anime viewers it does cause a problem. Having been relatively unknown in the United States, the poorly adapted song could possibly negatively influence their image. What needs to be recognized is that despite the English songs being poorly done, it shouldn’t cause a negative view on the group.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LwwObssPno[/embedyt]
Still Hope
Despite having the double release in English and Japanese there is still hope that fans of the movie will listen to their Japanese music. Having been designed for the Japanese release, the music deserves to be listened to in this fashion. However, even if the music from Kimi no Na ha was listened to in English, Radwimps has many exceptional songs in Japanese. With this in mind, please listen to Radwimps as their music truly is great.
