Everyone has songs or melodies that rocked their teenage years. These could be from famous American singers like Rihanna or iconic bands like The Beatles. But there’s a whole generation that came together over a shared passion for Japanese animation.  Code Geass, Naruto: Shippuden, Dragon Ball Z, and Eureka Seven—all these famous and cult anime series have one thing in common: they feature opening and ending songs performed by the Japanese rock band FLOW!

Formed in 2000, FLOW is a Japanese band of five members, well-known for their anime songs over the years. After celebrating their 20th anniversary in February 2024, they launched their new world tour called ANIME SHIBARI 2024-2025, kicking off with their first stage in Australia, followed by the second stage in the US, and the third leg of their journey taking place in Europe.

Their concert in Paris was held on September 14th at the Bataclan, and the show was completely sold out. This marked their third visit to France, following Japan Expo 2012 and a concert in Paris in 2015. The show began with a DJ set featuring tons of famous anime songs like ‘IDOL’ by YOASOBI. Then Kohshi, Keigo, Got’s, and Iwasaki took the stage after an introduction tape with voices from Naruto.

Divided into four acts, each represented a different anime that made the group famous worldwide. Starting with Naruto’s 8th opening, ’Re:member, and their new song, ‘Kaze no Uta’, the first act, consisting of six songs, ended with the audience screaming « CHA-LA HEAD CHA-LA » along with the singers’ duet, followed by ‘HERO 〜Kibou no Uta〜’, concluding the tribute to Dragon Ball Z!

The second and third acts focused on Eureka Seven and Code Geass, giving fans a chance to feel nostalgic while listening to the band perform ‘DAYS’, ‘Bravelue’, ‘COLORS’, and ‘United Sparrows’. The final act was, of course, dedicated to their songs featured in Naruto, Naruto: Shippuden, and Boruto openings and endings. Fans were treated to an exclusive cover of ORANGE RANGE’s ‘Viva★Rock’, a fiery performance of ‘Go!!!’ that ended with a stunning crowd wave, and Boruto’s 10th opening ‘GOLD’, which capped off this nostalgic journey for many anime fans in Paris.

From its announcement, the ‘ANIME SHIBARI’ world tour was destined to be a tribute to the entire Japanese animation era of the early 21st century. During their Paris show, the five members of FLOW brought a wave of nostalgia to the City of Lights, which delighted fans of all ages! They promised to return soon, and we can’t wait to sing and dance along to all these popular songs again!