Yurika (musician)

Yurika Kobayashi (小林 友里花, Kobayashi Yurika, born October 29, 1995),[2] mononymously known by the stage name Yurika (stylized as YURiKA) is a Japanese musician from Hasuda, Saitama who is signed to Toho Animation Records. She made her professional debut in 2017 with the release of the single "Shiny Ray", the title track of which was used as the first opening theme to the anime television series Little Witch Academia.

Yurika
小林 友里花
Born (1995-10-29) October 29, 1995[1]
Hasuda, Saitama
Occupation(s)Musician
Years active2017–present

Biography

Yurika was born in Hasuda, Saitama on October 29, 1995.[1][2] From an early age, she had dreamed of becoming a musician. She started playing the piano at the age of 3, and she also listened to the music of Morning Musume and its subgroup Minimoni. While in elementary school, she heard the song "Genesis of Aquarion" by Akino in a commercial, which led her to become interested in anime music and a desire to perform songs for anime.[3] Her desire to become an anime musician was also influenced by the popularity of the series Haruhi Suzumiya and K-On! at the time.[3]

In high school, she tried out for the Animax Anison Grand Prix and other anime-related singing competitions. In 2014, she placed 6th in a televised competition sponsored by Nippon TV and first in an anime music singing competition sponsored by NHK.[4][5] In 2016, she won an audition sponsored by the media company Toho and signed a contract with label Toho Animation Records.[6]

She made her professional debut in 2017 with the release of her first single "Shiny Ray" on February 22, 2017; the title track is used as the first opening theme to the anime television series Little Witch Academia.[7] Her second single "Mind Conductor" was released on May 24, 2017; the title track is used as the second opening theme to Little Witch Academia.[8] Her third single "Kyōmen no Nami" (鏡面の波, The Waves on the Mirror's Surface) was released on December 6, 2017; the title track is used as the opening theme to the anime series Land of the Lustrous.[9] She performed an insert song for the 2018 visual novel Summer Pockets.[10] In September 2019, she performed the singles "Le zoo", "Sleeping instinct", "Marble" and "Floating Story on the Moon" for the anime television series Beastars. Each track served as an ending theme.[11]

Discography

Singles
Title Oricon chart position
Shiny Ray
  • Released: February 22, 2017
 64[12]
Mind Conductor
  • Released: May 22, 2017
 75[13]
Kyōmen no Nami (鏡面の波)
  • Released: December 6, 2017
 43[14]
Futari no Hane (ふたりの羽根)
  • Released: August 15, 2018
 36[15]

References
  1. "英語 | 先生サポート | 浜島書店" (in Japanese). Hamajima Shoten.
  2. "Profile". YURiKA official website (in Japanese). Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  3. "YURiKAが考える、アニソンシンガーの特徴と目指す道「"曲推し"をもっと増やしたい！」". Real Sound (in Japanese). May 28, 2017. Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  4. "ウッチャンナンチャン：5回連続で「歌唱王」のMCに 18年正月放送" (in Japanese). Mantan Web. September 27, 2017. Archived from the original on April 6, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  5. NHK Nodo Jiman (in Japanese). December 27, 2014. NHK.
  6. "YURiKAインタビュー＆無人島CD、この1枚". Denon official blog (in Japanese). March 8, 2018. Archived from the original on April 6, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  7. Sherman, Jennifer. "Little Witch Academia TV Anime's Ads Preview Theme Songs". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 21, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  8. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (March 24, 2017). "Little Witch Academia Anime's Video Previews 2nd Half, New Theme Songs". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 2, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  9. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (September 24, 2017). "Land of the Lustrous Anime's Music Video Previews YURiKA's Theme Song". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 30, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  10. "「Summer Pockets」挿入歌アーティストとして「YURiKA」＆「水谷瑠奈（NanosizeMir）」の参加決定!!" (in Japanese). Key. Archived from the original on March 13, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  11. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (September 16, 2019). "BEASTARS Anime's Video Reveals Opening Song, October 8 Premiere". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  12. "Shiny Ray [Anime-ban]" Shiny Ray【アニメ盤】. Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 6, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  13. "MIND CONDUCTOR (Anime-ban)" MIND CONDUCTOR(アニメ盤). Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 6, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  14. "Kyōmen no Nami [Anime-ban]" 鏡面の波【アニメ盤】. Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 6, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  15. "Futari no Hane [Anime-ban]" ふたりの羽根【アニメ盤】. Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved September 12, 2018.
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