Ave Mujica is a Japanese all-femalemetal band that is part ofBushiroad'sBanG Dream! media franchise. Formed in 2023, the group's members portray fictional characters in the project's anime series and mobile gameBanG Dream! Girls Band Party! in addition to performing their characters' respective instruments in live concerts.
The band consists ofKanon Takao (keys),Yuzuki Watase (rhythm guitar),Rico Sasaki (lead guitar and vocals),Mei Okada (bass), and Akane Yonezawa (drums). In the game, Ave Mujica is represented by five first-year high-school students who make appearances during the game adaptation of the story ofMyGO!!!!!: Sakiko Togawa (Takao), Mutsumi Wakaba (Watase), Uika Misumi (Sasaki), Umiri Yahata (Okada), and Nyamu Yūtenji (Yonezawa).
The members go by the nicknames Oblivionis, Mortis, Doloris, Timoris, and Amoris respectively, all inspired by variouslunar maria. It symbolizes the subtle emotional experiences of the original characters, the more precise meaning of which is revealed in the official anime series.
Of the ten bands inBanG Dream!, Ave Mujica is one of seven whose members perform their own music.
Prior to their debut, Ave Mujica was teased during MyGO!!!!!'s 4th concert on April 9, 2023 through a single exhibit showcasing a wooden box,[4] and its content was disseminated toinfluencers and publications via analternate reality game, before its associatedmusic video was subsequently released.[5][6] On April 11, the band made their debut with the digital single "Black Birthday".[7] On June 4, as part of the final music festival forNakano Sunplaza, their first concert, dubbed "Primo die in scaena", was held.[8] On September 13, the band released their firstextended playAlea jacta est, which includes the previously released five digital singles.[9][10]
On January 17, 2024, following the reveal of the band's members, the band held their second concert titled "Perdere Omnia".[11] Following the concert, it was announced that the band would released their first single titled "Utopia" on April 24.[12] It was also announced that the band would release new songs on five consecutive months.[12] On July 7, the band held their third live concert titled "Quaerere Lumina".[13] On July 20, the band performed their first international festival attending atBilibili Macro Link inShanghai,China.[14] Following the "Quaerere Lumina" concert, it was announced that the band would release their second extended play titledElements on October 2.[15] On October 18, it was revealed that an anime series focusing on the band, titledBanG Dream! Ave Mujica, would set to premiere on January 2, 2025.[16]
On January 15, 2025, Ave Mujica released their second single titled "Killkiss", serving as the opening theme forBanG Dream! Ave Mujica.[17] The single's b-side, titled "Georgette Me, Georgette You", serves as the ending theme for the same series.[17][18] On April 23, following the conclusion of the anime series, the band released their first studio album titledCompleteness, which included both the opening and ending theme for the anime series.[19]
On June 7, the band performedAnimelo Summer Live inManila,Philippines for the first time.[20] A month later, the band played at Bilibili Macro Link in Shanghai, China.[21] The band is set to playJapan Jam,Rock in Japan andSummer Sonic music festivals during the summer.[22][23][24] On July 26, the band held their sixth concert, titled "Nova Historia" at LaLa arena TOKYO-BAY.[25] On August 4, the band released "Divine", a theme song for the 2025 video gameProgress Orders, published by Bushiroad.[26][27]
During Ave Mujica's first live, the identities of the band's performers were concealed through the use of limited stage lighting and cloaks.[8] The identities of the band's members were revealed in the final episode of the animeBanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!!.[28]
Yuzuki Watase (Mortis,rhythm guitar) – Watase had previously voice acted in another Bushiroad franchiseD4DJ as Miiko Takeshita of Lyrical Lily, prior to being cast as Mutsumi Wakaba.[34] She had begun playing theseven-string guitar upon joining Ave Mujica.[30]
Rico Sasaki (Doloris,lead guitar andvocals) – Prior to Ave Mujica, Sasaki had little musical experience, only having played guitar briefly during middle school, though she picked it up again after becoming active as a singer.[30] She also notably voiced characters such as Poporon inDropkick on My Devil!, and Ayako Yamada inKageki Shojo!.[35][36]
Mei Okada (Timoris,bass guitar) – Like Watase, Okada had also previously voice acted inD4DJ as Marika Mizushima of Merm4id.[37] Prior to joining Ave Mujica and being cast as Umiri Yahata, she admitted her only musical experience was with the piano, but she began to learn the bass after joining.[30]
Akane Yonezawa (Amoris,drums) – Yonezawa learned to play drums since the fourth grade and played in bands as a hobby as she continued studying. She moved to Tokyo due to her desire as a drummer.[30] She joined Ave Mujica and voices Nyamu Yūtenji in her first voice acting role.
In the anime, Ave Mujica is one of two bands, the other beingMyGO!!!!!, created following the breakup of Sakiko and Mutsumi's former band Crychic in their third year of middle school.[38] InIt's MyGO!!!!!, Sakiko spearheaded the effort of forming the band after watching her former Crychic bandmates Tomori, Soyo, and Taki perform their song without her consent.[39] Throughout the second half of the series, as the focus was still on the members of MyGO!!!!!, Sakiko gradually recruited the members of her new band, who were shown to be individuals that the members of MyGO!!!!! have interacted with or have knowledge of.[40][41][42]
The band made its anime debut in the thirteenth and final episode ofIt's MyGO!!!!!.[41] A direct sequel,BanG Dream! Ave Mujica, follows the titular band and its exploits.[43]
Ave Mujica’s music can be classified as metal, particularly symphonic metal, with its classical and majestic atmosphere. This style reflects the perfectly-crafted masquerade and Sakiko’s roots as a classical composer.....However, just as the masquerade serves as both a stage and a reflection of the band members, the sound is designed to balance its grandeur with a sense of illusion. Rather than seeking profound truths, the music aims to offer an intoxicating escape from reality and guilt, embodying the mysterious world of Ave Mujica.
— Anime director Kodai Kakimoto talks about the influence of gothic aesthetics on the project's music and sound design in an interview withMyAnimeList.
While writers of material for the band have primarily described their music as gothic and symphonic metal,[3] various music media outlets have also found noticeable influences fromgothic rock,metalcore, andpop music in their work.[44]
As of 23 April 2025[update], Ave Mujica has released 20 original songs, including several digital singles.Diggy-MO' [ja], best known for being a member of hip-hop groupSoul'd Out, frequently serves as the primary lyricist for the band, a contrast from other bands in the franchise who frequently work withElements Garden.[46] The band debuted with the digital single "Black Birthday" on 11 April 2023. The band released their first studio albumCompleteness on 23 April 2025.
^"ミラノの国際ジュニアコンクール参加レポート". Piano Teachers' National Association of Japan. July 5, 2013.Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. RetrievedJuly 7, 2019.
