Kaikai Kitan

"Kaikai Kitan" (廻廻奇譚) is a song recorded by Japanese singer Eve. It was released on October 3, 2020 by Toy's Factory. It was used as the first opening theme for the anime series Jujutsu Kaisen.[1][2]

"Kaikai Kitan"
Single by Eve
from the EP Kaikai Kitan/Ao no Waltz
LanguageJapanese
ReleasedOctober 3, 2020 (2020-10-03)
Recorded2020
GenreJ-pop
Length3:39
LabelToy's Factory
Songwriter(s)Eve
Producer(s)Eve
Eve singles chronology
"Snow"
(2019)		 "Kaikai Kitan"
(2020)		 "Promise"
(2020)

Background and production

On August 11, 2020, it was announced that the single would be used as the opening theme song for the anime Jujutsu Kaisen, which would begin airing from October.[3] The release date was revealed on September 19, and at the same time, the third promotional video of the animation using this song was released on YouTube.

It was Eve's first release after his last song 10 months earlier. The singer, who had been reading the manga for some time, said he was "impressed" that his song was chosen as the opening song, and commented as follows:

There were many moments when Itadori's life and fights made me reflect. I was thinking about how I could accompany this energetic work, and so I created the music.

— Eve[4]

Producing the song, Eve reread the manga from the first volume to the last and redefined the image of the work. He stated that he first produced a 90-second demo and then, at the request of the anime director, added a large chorus-like development to the chorus part to add a violent melody.[5] On the production, Eve said, "I think my voice is pretty light, so they made me think about how to sing a heavy, dark, fast-paced song with that voice. I hadn't been conscious of my songwriting until now, so it was a song that I had a deep feeling for," he said.[5]

Composition

The song is an upper tune characterized by a fast and heavy sound and dramatically developing melody.[5] While the sound of the first verse is based on a fast band sound with solid guitars, the arrangement switches to a trap-like mid-tempo groove in the A-melody section of the second verse.[6]

Some of the lyrics overlap the plot of Jujutsu Kaisen, with many phrases recalling the fate of the protagonist, Yuji Itadori, and foreshadowing future events.[5]

Music video

The music video is directed by Yuichiro Saeki and uses footage from the anime.[7] It was released on YouTube on November 20, 2020 and surpassed 100 million views on April 13, 2021.[8]

On March 26, 2021, a live video presentation was released on YouTube to celebrate the video reaching 100 million views.[9]

Critical reception

Satoru Ryusei of Real Sound commented that "we can enjoy the sound, something very typical of anime songs, and at the same time, it seems to represent the light and dark sides of sorcerers who have their own dark pasts and bitter experiences and yet move forward with their own beliefs".[6] Kari Komatsu of Rockin' On says, "the song is less than four minutes long, but is infused with a wealth of sounds and arrangements, including effective vocal effects, and vividly reflects the struggle to get through a chaotic world."[10]

When writing the opening for the second season of Jujutsu Kaisen, "Where Our Blue Is", the singer Tatsuya Kitani was influenced by "Kaikai Kitan".[11]

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart performance for "Kaikai Kitan"
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[12] 7

Awards and nominations
Awards and nominations for "Kaikai Kitan"
Ceremony Year Award Result Ref.
5th Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2021 Best Opening Sequence Nominated [13]

References
  1. Eve [@oO0Eve0Oo] (2020-08-11). "◆この度、10月放送のTVアニメ『呪術廻戦』の主題歌OPを担当します。ジャンプ作品で育ってきた自分にとって大変感慨深いです。エネルギーあるこの作品にどう寄り添えるか、そういうことを考えながら音楽を作っていました。新曲『廻廻奇譚』をどうぞ宜しくお願いします。" (Tweet). Retrieved 2020-08-11 – via Twitter.
  2. "アニメ「呪術廻戦」オープニングはEve、エンディングは多国籍バンドALIが担当". コミックナタリー. ナターシャ. 2020-08-11. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  3. "アニメ「呪術廻戦」OPはEve、EDはALI feat. AKLO". 音楽ナタリー. 2020-08-11. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  4. 新曲“廻廻奇譚”がTVアニメ『呪術廻戦』のオープニングテーマに決定
  5. "Eve「廻廻奇譚 / 蒼のワルツ」対談 Eve×朴性厚監督｜テレビアニメ「呪術廻戦」の世界を彩る音楽に込められた"呪術愛" - 音楽ナタリー 特集・インタビュー". 音楽ナタリー (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-06-04.
  6. "Eve「廻廻奇譚」＆ALI「LOST IN PARADISE feat. AKLO」はなぜ胸に刺さる？ 『呪術廻戦』とシンクロした先鋭的な2曲を分析". Real Sound. 2020-12-11. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  7. "Eve「廻廻奇譚」、「呪術廻戦」とコラボしたアニメMV公開（動画あり）". Natalie (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  8. "Jujutsu Kaisen Opening Kaikai Kitan by Eve Exceeds 100 Million Views on YouTube". Anime Corner. 2021-04-13. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  9. "Eve「廻廻奇譚」撮り下ろしライブ映像公開（動画あり）". Natalie (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  10. "混沌と戦うための意志". rockin'on.com. October 2020. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  11. "キタニタツヤ、『呪術廻戦』OPテーマ「青のすみか」で救う青春時代の記憶　"届ける"ために芽生えた変化も明かす". Real Sound (in Japanese). 2023-07-19. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  12. "Billboard Japan Hot 100 [ 2021/01/13 公開]". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  13. "¡Estos son los ganadores de los Anime Awards 2021!". Crunchyroll (in Spanish). February 19, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
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