Most bands in Japan dream of landing one of their songs as an anime theme. Hard-rock outfit Band-Maid, however, became the anime itself for this spring’s “Rock Is a Lady’s Modesty.”

“We actually performed the characters’ parts via motion capture, turning our movements into animation,” drummer Akane tells The Japan Times over video chat, describing the group’s involvement with a series about young women at a posh private school who form a rebellious rock band.

“There are movements (from the show) they want us to re-create — sometimes movements you wouldn’t naturally do,” guitarist Kanami adds. “It’s like acting. You have to incorporate the performance they’re asking for while still playing.”

The series, which began as a manga in 2022, isn't based on Band-Maid (stylized in all caps) — but it feels like it could have been. Since 2013, the quintet has served up heavy riffs while wearing Akihabara-ready maid costumes, a concept inspired by guitarist and vocalist Miku Kobato’s former job at a maid cafe. The contrast between the frilly aesthetic and the band’s aggressive sound became its calling card. Coupled with instrumental prowess, it turned Band-Maid into an international success, spawning overseas tours and earning them a devoted following among the YouTube reactor set.

“The synergy between the original manga and Band-Maid was so strong that it feels as if it was always meant to be,” anime director Shinya Watada told Anime News Network earlier this year.

Contributing to “Rock Is a Lady’s Modesty” — including the blistering opening tune “Ready to Rock” — marks the latest chapter for one of J-rock’s most workmanlike acts of the past decade. Throughout 2025, the band — made up of Akane, Kobato, Kanami, bassist Misa and lead vocalist Saiki (all but Kobato witholding their full names for privacy) — toured Japan. In October, Band-Maid appeared as special guests for celebrated rocker Hyde during two shows at Chiba’s Makuhari Messe, achieving a hard-rock milestone.

“We felt a kind of intensity there that’s different from our usual shows — the very heat of it,” Saiki says. “Above all, it made us feel again how great rock bands are, and how we’re glad to be doing this. And it made us want to keep going so Band-Maid can leave its name behind in rock history like Hyde has.”

Keeping the creative formula fresh is key to that goal. On the band’s latest EP, “Scooooop,” stylized in all caps and released last month, Band-Maid shook up its songwriting approach on the opening track, “Present Perfect.”

“Normally I propose everything, including the overall structure of the song, to the members,” Kanami says. “But this time the theme was to make one song that would define Band-Maid’s direction going forward, like a new calling card. We thought through arrangements closely as a group, and I wrote the song based on that shared structure.”

The result is a ferocious rock number twisting through dynamic passages, some dramatic and others darting. The lyrics serve as a mission statement, celebrating originality and craftsmanship.

“In the lyrics, I wanted to include our essence — something that reflects who we’ve been and our resolve for the future, po,” says Kobato, who, as her band’s press agent insists on noting, ends every sentence with the Japanese sound a pigeon makes. “I incorporated parts that reference lyrics from our representative songs and slipped in album titles, po. Little touches for people to notice when they look at the lyric sheet. Fitting those ideas to the melody was difficult; I rewrote a lot despite limited time, po. I thought deeply and closely about it so that both our history and our resolve would come through, po.”

The rest of “Scoooop” sees the band branching into new sonic territory. The up-tempo “Super Sunshine” was written with festival crowds in mind, while “Dilly-Dally” experiments with electronically manipulated vocals and club-leaning beats, while “Sion,” meanwhile, gives Saiki a chance to slow things down for a rare ballad.

“I rescheduled the recording two or three times,” she says. “I felt I couldn’t sing it unless I was truly satisfied with my condition. It wasn’t just about my voice — it was about emotion and my mental state.”

Rounding out the EP are three tracks created for anime series, an area Band-Maid has long excelled in, well before it became the go-to path for Japanese artists seeking global attention. Having done 10 such collaborations to date — not counting contributions to video games and variety shows — the band has developed a precise approach to these tie-ups.

“It depends on the work, but for endings I sometimes suggest starting a bit more quietly, or propose a riff that jumps out right from the top. For openings, I tend to aim for something brighter and instantly striking, maybe beginning with the vocal to make a strong impression,” Kanami says, adding that she always studies the source material. “Basically, I submit about two patterns to the anime production side so they can choose which matches the image better.”

The chance to keep creating for — and, in the case of their motion-capture debut, becoming — anime is one they welcome. But the biggest takeaway of the year, the members agree, is a renewed devotion to playing live, where they feel most at home.

“We toured Japan again for the first time in two years, traveling to many places,” Saiki says. “Doing a tour again made us feel, from the bottom of our hearts, that we really are a live band. We love standing on stage as Band-Maid and playing in front of our fans. That’s truly our reason to live.”