Fighting Dreamers: FLOW Performs At Otakon 2024

• Author: Samantha Ferreira

• Editor: Samantha Ferreira

Introduction

Within the anime community, it’s nearly impossible to find a person who FLOW’s music hasn’t impacted. Since their foundation in 1998, the J-Rock group has gone on to perform the theme songs for iconic shows like Naruto, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, and Eureka Seven. As such, hits like Sign and GO!!! have become an indelible part of the soundtrack of an entire generation of fans.

And, really, the group has been eager to bring their music to the world, as they’ve toured the globe numerous times since 2015, including an unforgettable performance at Otakon 2017. This year, FLOW made their return to Washington DC as part of their “FLOW World Tour: Anime Shibari 2024-2025,” with their chosen venue being a triumphant encore at Otakon 2024.

The Calm Before The Storm

By the time our team reached the ballroom, the venue was already packed, with nary an open seat in the house. A banner for the convention, which was adorned with a ‘90s-inspired design, was projected on the massive video screen onstage, while the smaller screens that flanked it toggled between several advertorial stills. Meanwhile, theme songs for popular anime themes blared over the speakers. The murmurs of excited fans also buzzed through the air, as people chatted eagerly about the shows they were watching, their experiences that day, or even what they scored in the Dealer’s Room. 

At ten minutes to start, fog machines kicked on, blanketing the room in a comforting haze that immediately took me back to rock concerts I’d been to in the past. Granted, the smoke wasn’t the same type of smoke, but the effect was appreciated, nonetheless.

A few minutes later, the lights went dim, to raucous applause. The show was about to begin, and nobody in the crowd was ready for the experience that was about to unfold.

FLOW Takes The Stage

A hush fell over the auditorium, as the opening strings for Tales of Berseria theme song BURN began playing while dialogue from the game played over the loudspeakers against the soaring orchestral intro. The group took the stage, waving at the crowd as they took up their instruments. Suddenly, The lights kicked on, as the song entered its guitar-heavy break. The audience erupted into cheers, as vocalist Kōshi Asakawa sang its opening bars. Asakawa and fellow vocalist Keigo Hayashi strutted along the stage, working the room as they sang, while guitarist Takeshi Asakawa, bassist Kōtaro Gotō, and drummer Hiroshi Iwasaki drove the musical conversation with competent playing. The energy kept up as the group flowed seamlessly into Tales of Zestiria the X theme song KAZE NO UTA, while the audience bounced along to the beat, and joined in on the “Whoa-oa-oa!” bridge. 

Raucous cheers swelled once more as the song ended, and Kōshi Asakawa called out, “We hope you enjoy this light concert and anime celebration!”

The crowd was given little chance to rest, as the band broke into Love and Justice, the opening theme to Kinnikuman Perfect Origin Arc. The room burst in another wave of cheers, as FLOW played the song’s opening bars. All the while, the group’s members seemed to feed off the energy; Asakawa and Hayashi’s lyrics radiated with passion, as Takeshi Asakawa shredded behind them. Members of the audience responded in turn, cheering and pumping their fists, as some in attendance busted out their best wotagei with colorful light pens.

A Love For The Legendary

Cheers swelled again, as Gotō kicked into a heavy bassline, leading into Durarara!! theme song Steppin’ Out. The energy of the evening continued to build through the opening verse, to the point that the floor was shaking as people bounced and bounded in the audience, while pen lights flailed along with the rhythm. Meanwhile, members of the group strutted along the stage and worked the crowd, growing louder in response to the rising cheers. Gotō, meanwhile, got playful with his performance, as his bassline took on an addictively fun slap. 

Indeed, while some groups dominate the stage, and others make the audience their own, FLOW was there to party and wanted everyone to lose themselves in the energy of the evening.

This couldn’t be more apparent when they broke into Dragon Ball Z theme song Cha La Head Cha La, prompting the entire room to start singing along. For those three minutes, everyone had joined in joyous harmony, as band and audience alike celebrated Akira Toriyama’s timeless classic series. Kōshi Asakawa ended the song by leading the room in a Kamehameha gesture, to cheers and applause.

Another pop rose from the crowd as FLOW broke into Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods insert song HERO ~Kibou no Uta~. The crowd bounced and vibed to the song, cheering with the chorus.

The ovations swelled once again, as the lights suddenly went dark. Hayashi addressed the room, talking about the group’s experiences exploring Washington, DC while Takeshi Asakawa swapped guitars.

The energy of the night shifted as the group broke into Eureka Seven opening theme Days. The playful melody and enchanting rhythm had several members of the audience bopping and clapping along with the music. Asakawa and Hayashi brought the energy back to the show’s high point as they entered the break and started to rap. They beckoned the audience to rise once more and lose themselves in the moment as their lyrics reverberated through the room.

A cheer arose from the crowd as the song entered its breakdown before transitioning into Eureka Seven AO theme song BRAVELUE. Asakawa and Hayashi played off each other brilliantly, as they conversed musically with the rest of the band. Gotō, Iwasaki, and Takeshi Asakawa responded in turn, as they amped up their performances to match the energy of the moment.

Do You Re:Member?

As the song ended, Hayashi thanked everyone in attendance once more, as the house lights dimmed. A heavy cello began to play, as narration from Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion played over the PA system. The audience erupted, as they sang along to the opening bars of theme song COLORS. They whooped and cheered, responding Kōshi Asakawa’s calls with ecstatic cries of “Hey!” FLOW then transitioned into Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion theme song World End, as the room lost itself again. Hundreds were on their feet, cheering and clapping along, as they sang along with the chorus. At the breakdown, Gotō took the spotlight, as he broke into a furious solo that Hayashi and Asakawa fed off of, while Takeshi Asakawa held his own with a musical response. Iwasaki, meanwhile, kept the pace of with tight, skillful playing.

As the song ended, Hayashi asked the audience, “Are you having fun?” The crowd responded with an emphatic “yeah!” He smiled, as he continued, adding “I am happy to have this concert in Washington DC at Otakon. Thank you for loving Japanese anime. Thank you for [your love of] Japanese music. Thank you for your love of FLOW!” The crowd cheered again, as Hayashi finished his address, saying “We are connected by anime and music, and this connection is eternal. thank you so much.”

His closing words flowed into Back Arrow closing theme United Sparrows. The melancholy piano melody provided a pleasant counterpoint to the bombastic vibe that had been built up to that point. The audience swayed in unison, letting out a cheer as the song broke into its chorus. It was a welcome respite, a reset to the energy in the room, which had been running at high octane for much of the evening.

As the song ended, applause rang out throughout the crowd, before the room rumbled with the sound of taiko beats. Audible gasps could be heard behind me as dialogue from Naruto played over the loudspeakers. Suddenly, guitarist Asakawa began playing a riff that was immediately familiar to everyone in the room. Iwasaki joined him on drums, as Kōshi Asakawa started singing the opening lyrics to Naruto’s eighth opening theme, Re:Member.

During the breakdown, Hayashi introduced his fellow members of the band, each of whom responded by playing a short solo on their instrument. When it came to Takeshi’s turn, the lights dimmed, as the guitarist rushed onstage in in a jacket adorned with colored lights. He led the audience in a wotagei to a poppy melody. Asakawa handed the mic to him, and Takeshi blurted out, “Long time no see! I have a celebration dance for Otakon! Let’s dance together! OK?” He then led the audience in chants of “Oi! Oi! Oi!” as the room responded with the same. Iwasaki, meanwhile, played a short beat to accompany the moment.

The Final Act

The group immediately jumped into Naruto Shippuden’s sixth opening theme song, Sign. As FLOW played, the song’s lyrics projected onto the massive screens flanking the stage while the audience sang along. For a few minutes, FLOW weren’t the stars of the evening. The audience was, as everyone joined in chorus with the icons onstage. The song’s refrain of “Can you hear me?” echoed through the room, as the floor shook from people jumping and dancing to the music. By the final verse, there wasn’t a single voice in the room that was silent, as they sang in response to Asakawa’s calls.

As the song ended, Asakawa yelled, “Let’s go!” as the group began playing the opening bars to the iconic Naruto theme song, GO!!! Cheers swelled up, while the energy amped up to eleven. As people danced and bopped to the music, they joined in, singing along to the refrain of “We are fighting dreamers,” and responded to Asakawa’s call-outs. The fervor grew throughout the song, as FLOW drank in the energy of the moment, their performance’s intensity growing in response. 

A loud cheer erupted as GO!!! ended, and the band entered their final song, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations opening theme GOLD. The entire room was on its feet, jumping in excitement, as Asakawa and Hayashi played off each other onstage. They bounded from one end of the stage, mugging to the audience as Takeshi took a spot front-and-center in the room.

As the final song ended, the group took a celebratory selfie with the audience, before saying their farewells and running offstage. As the audience funneled out into the main halls of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, it was hard for anybody to deny that they’d been a part of something special. For a fleeting hour, FLOW had turned the convention’s thirtieth anniversary into a proper celebration, with an energy that would never be forgotten. 

The magic of the evening’s festivities would linger long after the room had gone silent, in the conversations and chatter that arose throughout the weekend. FLOW had turned Otakon from a celebration into a proper party, and that joyful energy of the night became a constant undercurrent over the rest of the weekend.