Girls Band Cry (Japanese: ガールズバンドクライ, Hepburn: Gāruzu Bando Kurai), abbreviated as GaruKura (ガルクラ), is an original Japanese anime television series created and produced by Toei Animation. The series is part of a multimedia project that began in 2023 in collaboration with Agehasprings and Universal Music Japan, with music being the focus. It aired from April to June 2024. A mobile game developed by DONUTS GAMES Inc titled Girls Band Cry First Riff (ガールズバンドクライ First Riff) is in development, and an action-platformer Windows game titled Momoka (wo) Wasshoi (桃香（を）ワッショイ), inspired by the anime series, was released in September 2025.
Contents
Plot
Set in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, the series follows Nina Iseri, a high school dropout who moves to the city to prove she can live by herself and be successful. She then meets Momoka Kawaragi by chance, and the two realize their commonalities, including a shared love of music. Together with other girls from different walks of life, the girls form a band as an avenue to let their raw emotions out, while facing hardships with their internal struggles and being new to the music scene.
Characters
Togenashi Togeari
Togenashi Togeari (トゲナシトゲアリ; lit. "thornless thorn") is the central rock band of the series, consisting primarily of high school dropouts. Before the band's formation, each member was part of two bands, with Nina, Momoka, and Subaru performing under the name Shin-Kawasaki (Temporary) (新川崎（仮）, Shin-Kawasaki (Kari)), and Tomo and Rupa performing as Vocaloid duo Beni-Shouga (derived from the condiment of the same name, stylized in lowercase). After merging, their new name originates from Nina reading an audience member's shirt saying "Togenashi Togeari" during their Suwa live house gig.
Nina Iseri (井芹 仁菜, Iseri Nina)
Voiced by: Rina (理名)
The main protagonist of the series and the lead vocalist of Togenashi Togeari hailing from Kumamoto who left her hometown and her strained past life to start anew. She is not on good terms with her father and dropped out of high school due to being the subject of bullying. She initially moved to Tokyo with the aim of studying at a cram school and entering university, only to focus on Togenashi Togeari instead. She is a major fan of the band Diamond Dust and felt that their songs helped her during the difficult times in her life. In promotional material, she is seen with a Butterscotch Blonde G&L Asat Classic electric guitar, a guitar based on the design of the Fender Telecaster, which she plays as the band's rhythm guitarist in the finale.
Momoka Kawaragi (河原木 桃香, Kawaragi Momoka)
Voiced by: Yuri (夕莉)
The lead guitarist and leader of Togenashi Togeari hailing from Asahikawa who was a former member of Diamond Dust before leaving due to creative differences, a decision she holds regret despite holding no ill will towards her former bandmates. She then performed as a solo artist and planned to quit before meeting Nina and being reinvigorated by her determination. She plays a Costa Azul Metallic Psychederhythm Psychomaster electric guitar, a Japanese-made Fender Jazzmaster clone.
Subaru Awa (安和 すばる, Awa Subaru)
Voiced by: Mirei (美怜)
Diamond Dust
Diamond Dust (ダイヤモンドダスト) is an idol rock band Nina idolizes and which Momoka was a member of, starting as a group of friends forming a school band before dropping out and being signed to a major label by the time Momoka left the band.
Hina (ヒナ)
Voiced by: Reina Kondō
The lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of Diamond Dust after Momoka's departure, and a former friend of Nina. She plays a See-Through Purple Fernandes NTG-LTD electric guitar.
Nana (ナナ)
Voiced by: Misato Matsuoka
The bassist of Diamond Dust who plays a Caribbean Shoreline Flat Ibanez Premium SR1605B bass.
Rin (リン)
Voiced by: Yuki Urushiyama
The lead guitarist of Diamond Dust who plays a Deep Candy Apple Red ESP Horizon-I electric guitar.
Ai (アイ)
Voiced by: Momoko Miyashiro
The drummer of Diamond Dust who plays a Natural Cherry Pearl Masters Maple drum kit.
Iseri family
Muneo Iseri (井芹 宗男, Iseri Muneo)
Voiced by: Haruo Yamagishi
Nina's father who works as an advisor to Kumamoto's board of education. Before the events of the anime, Muneo and Nina had an estranged relationship with Muneo having difficulty in understanding his daughter, despite having published a book on parenting.
Yasue Iseri (井芹 靖恵, Iseri Yasue)
Voiced by: Sachiko Kojima
Nina's mother.
Suzune Iseri (井芹 涼音, Iseri Suzune)
Voiced by: Sakura Ando
Nina's older sister.
Other characters
Tendou Awa (安和 天童, Awa Tendō)
Voiced by: Naoko Kouda
Subaru's grandmother who is a prolific actress.
Hayashi (林)
Voiced by: Hiroaki Hirata
The manager of the Tokyo live house Shin-Kawasaki performed in.
Mine (ミネ)
Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro
An indie musician who Momoka idolizes and is friends with.
Shiomi Miura (三浦 潮海, Miura Shiomi)
Voiced by: Ai Furihata
A talent scout affiliated with Golden Archer who is a fan of the original Diamond Dust and offers her connections to Togenashi Togeari on linking with a label for further popularity.
Production
Background
In August 2019, upon joining Toei Animation, series producer Tadashi Hirayama was approached to produce a new original work focused on music. Hirayama enlisted the assistance of Kazuo Sakai and Jukki Hanada, staff he had worked with on Love Live! Sunshine!!, to brainstorm the initial ideas of the story. Hirayama then approached Kenji Tamai of Agehasprings around the end of 2019 to compose the music for the project and scout and manage the talents to form the band.
Hanada focused on writing an all-female band story for the project based on his love for Japanese rock music, having already written stories about idols. Hirayama cited the projected economic loss from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the concurrent COVID-19 pandemic as inspirations to make the story grounded in reality, basing it around the hardships of being a musician. The decision to set the story in Kawasaki was based on Hirayama and Hanada's observations of the city being overlooked compared to the neighboring cities of Tokyo and Yokohama, rent being cheaper, and fostering music activity, further grounding the story.
Development and casting
In June 2021, Toei Animation, Agehasprings, and Universal Music Japan announced they would initiate a new project which would combine animation with real band activity. In the same year, Agehasprings, with the assistance from Toei Animation and Universal Music Japan, held an audition called "Girl’s Rock Audition" for the vocalist, guitarist, bassist, drummer, and keyboardist of the all-female band which would be the core of the project. Tamai recounted how he aimed the band to debut first to foster their popularity before the anime began its airing. He also shared that although the auditions received several applications, there was difficulty in choosing candidates who had proficient skills in both music and voice acting, leading the process to take more than a year and half to find the necessary talent.
An original anime television series produced by Toei Animation titled Girls Band Cry was announced on April 24, 2023, with a teaser visual revealed. The visual features a girl with a guitar, with a slogan "Throw in All the Anger, Joy, and Sadness." (怒りも喜びも哀しさも全部ぶちこめ。) On May 29 of the same year, a key visual of the anime was revealed alongside the main cast and staff. The five members of Togenashi Togeari were also revealed with the music videos of their two songs, "Na mo Naki Nani mo Kamo" (名もなき何もかも; "Nameless Name") and "Itsuwari no Kotowari" (偽りの理; "No Rhyme nor Reason"), released on the project's YouTube channel. In the following months, more music videos that accompany their recently released songs would be released to their channel alongside introductory videos of each member of Togenashi Togeari; these songs would later be compiled into physical singles.
Media
Music
The discography of Girls Band Cry includes two studio albums, one soundtrack album, two extended plays, and eleven singles performed by Togenashi Togeari. Additionally, two digital singles were released by Diamond Dust, later compiled as an extended play. All music is released under the Universal Music Japan label.
Anime
On December 20, 2023, the first PV for the anime was released with its premiere set for April 2024. A second PV was later released on February 9, 2024, confirming its premiere date of April 6 of the same year. It is directed by Kazuo Sakai, with Jukki Hanada handling the series composition alongside writing the screenplays, Tadashi Hirayama as series producer, Nari Teshima designing the characters, Mari Kondō and Jae Hoon Jung as CGI directors, and Kenji Tamai as music composer. The series aired from April 6 to June 29, 2024, on Tokyo MX and other networks. The opening theme is "Zattō, Bokura no Machi" (雑踏、僕らの街; "Wrong World"), while the ending theme is "Darenimo Narenai Watashi Dakara" (誰にもなれない私だから; "I'm Nobody"), both performed by Togenashi Togeari.
Toei Animation digitally released the series on Microsoft Movies & TV, Fandango at Home, Hoopla, and Prime Video on August 13. The decision was met with confusion and criticism by some fans as it was seen as embarrassing and "out of touch" with the show's overseas audience. Crunchyroll streamed the series worldwide outside of East Asia on November 6.
On September 13, at the end of Togenashi Togeari's second live concert, it was announced that a two-part compilation film is in production. The two parts of the compilation film, titled "Seishun Kyōsōkyoku" (青春狂走曲) and "Nā, Mirai." (なぁ、未来。), opened in Japanese theaters on October 3 and November 14, 2025, respectively.
During a panel at AnimagiC on August 2, 2025, anime publisher Peppermint announced to release the anime series on blu-ray in German-speaking regions beginning in 2026.
Games
On August 31, 2024, after the anime's streaming marathon on their official YouTube channel, the cast of Girls Band Cry announced that a mobile game is in development, with auditions for new cast members to be performing as a band being currently held.
On September 13, 2025, the official Japanese social media accounts of Girls Band Cry announced that they will release a game titled Momoka (wo) Wasshoi (桃香（を）ワッショイ), where the player controls characters Nina Iseri and Subaru Awa as they carry a drunk Momoka Kawaragi across various obstacles to safely bring her home. Upon arrival, the player must time an action correctly to throw Momoka on the sofa.
The game is inspired by the fifth episode of the anime series was released on September 29, 2025, for Windows via Steam during the Tokyo Game Show.
On September 23, 2025, the official Japanese social media accounts of Girls Band Cry revealed more about the mobile game developed by DONUTS GAMES Inc with the name of Girls Band Cry First Riff (ガールズバンドクライ First Riff), having a teaser and official Twitter account.
Manga
A manga adaptation illustrated by Boiru Iseebi began serialization in Micro Magazine's Comic Ride web magazine and RaiComi website on January 30, 2026.
Future
Hanada tweeted from his Twitter account before the twelfth episode's airing addressing the risks of relying on making sales from an original anime like Girls Band Cry, adding that because of these risks, no current plans for a second season or movie succeeding the anime have been made. After the finale aired, the project tweeted on its official Twitter account that the story will still progress in the future and it, alongside Togenashi Togeari, shall continue to be supported through its real-life activities.
On July 12, 2024, however, it was announced that Natsu and Mirei both went on an indefinite hiatus due to poor health. The remaining three main cast members will be still performing in Togenashi Togeari. On April 10, 2025, it was later announced that Natsu and Mirei would be returning to dubbing.
On September 23, 2025, it was announced that a sequel anime film has been greenlit for production.