Mrs. Green Apple
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Mrs. Green Apple (stylized as Mrs. GREEN APPLE; ) is a Japanese
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band from
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
that made its major debut in 2015 with
EMI Records EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a British multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company EMI in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succes ...
. They are known for performing the fourth ending theme to the anime series ''
Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V , stylized as ''Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V'', is a Japanese anime series animated by Gallop. It is the fourth spin-off anime series in the ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' franchise following ''Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal''. The series aired in Japan on TV Tokyo from April 6, 2014 ...
'' as well as their first full album, ''Twelve'', which placed 10th on the Japanese national
Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics Statistics (from German language, German: ', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that ...
charts. Their song "Inferno" is used as the opening theme for the first season of the anime ''
Fire Force is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Atsushi Ohkubo. It was serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from September 2015 to February 2022, with its chapters collected in 34 volumes. In North A ...
''.


History


2013–2016: Formation and first albums

Singer Ohmori started creating music when he was in 6th grade, but did not form a band until 2013. Mrs. Green Apple was formed in the spring of 2013 with 4 members: Ohmori, Wakai, Yamanaka, and a former member who was a bassist. Later, Ohmori invited Fujisawa, and Mrs. Green Apple became a 5-member band. On February 4, 2014, the band released their demo CD, ''1st Demo'', at concert venues where they played. The demo included two songs, "リスキーゲーム (Risky Game)" and "恋と吟(うた) (Koi to Uta)." Just a few months later, their first mini album, ''Introduction'', was released at the band's first self-planned event. The gig, held on July 5 at Shibuya LUSH, sold out and was also the place where the former bassist announced that he would leave the band. 2015 marked a huge change for Mrs. Green Apple. On February 18, the band released their first nationally distributed CD, ''Progressive''. A month later, on March 26, they announced that they would debut from a major label at their third self-planned event, which also sold out. The group's mini album ''Variety'', was released by
EMI Records EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a British multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company EMI in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succes ...
on July 8, 2015. That summer, the group went on to perform at some of the most popular music festivals in Japan, such as
Rock in Japan Festival The Rock in Japan Festival is an annual three-day rock festival A rock festival is an open-air rock concert featuring many different performers, typically spread over two or three days and having a campsite and other amenities and forms of ...
,
Rising Sun Rock Festival Rising Sun Rock Festival is an annual rock festival held in Ishikari, Hokkaido, Japan. The two-day event is organized by WESS. It chiefly features Japanese rock , sometimes abbreviated to , is rock music from Japan. Influenced by American and ...
, and Rush Ball. In December, the group released their first single, "Speaking." The song was chosen as the fifth ending theme song for the anime ''
Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V , stylized as ''Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V'', is a Japanese anime series animated by Gallop. It is the fourth spin-off anime series in the ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' franchise following ''Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal''. The series aired in Japan on TV Tokyo from April 6, 2014 ...
''. Mrs. Green Apple released their first full album, ''Twelve'', on January 13, 2016, and made many appearances on television. The group went on their first national one-band tour from March 1 to April 10 of the same year.


2017–2019


2020–2022: Hiatus

Following the success of their first ever arena tour, the band announced that they will be releasing a ''Best Album'' compilation called "5". The album consisted of remastered tracks from their previous albums, as well as three new songs. It was released worldwide on July 8, 2020, together with the music video for the song "''Theater''." Shortly after the release of "5", the band announced the "''End of Phase 1''", as well as the deactivation of the individual Twitter accounts of each member. The band also published a blog post regarding their end of activities:
''Today, as of July 8, 2020, Mrs. Green Apple announces, "the end of Phase 1", and also that the band takes a break for the time being.'' ''That does not mean a negative hiatus, but we begin preparations for our new step to the next Phase.'' ''At the same time, Mrs. Green Apple is now independent from the ex-management company.''
The ''End of Phase 1'' also marked the announcement and start of "Project-MGA", in which the band will be hiring creators and project crew members to join them for their ''Phase 2.'' On February 18, 2021, the band announced that vocalist Motoki Ohmori was making his debut as a solo artist. His debut digital EP, "''French''", was released on February 24 (JST). Later, on December 29, 2021, it was announced that two members of ''Phase 1'' of Mrs. Green Apple, founding member and drummer Ayaka Yamanaka and bassist Kiyokazu Takano would be leaving the group; Fujisawa, Wakai, and Ohmori would remain in the group for ''Phase 2'', set to begin in 2022. A day later, on December 30, it was specified via YouTube video that MGA would officially return Spring 2022.


2024

Ohmori announced on the official website on January 20, 2024 that he had been diagnosed with sudden hearing loss in his left ear, after having problems to listen with it the day before. He added that the group would continue with concerts already announced, while paying attention to any changes, and continuing with any treatment given by doctors.


"Columbus" music video controversy

In June 2024, Mrs. Green Apple faced significant backlash following the release of the music video for their song "Columbus". The video, which premiered on June 12, depicted the band members dressed as various historical figures, including
Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
,
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
, and
Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
, interacting with
ape Apes (collectively Hominoidea ) are a superfamily of Old World simians native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia (though they were more widespread in Africa, most of Asia, and Europe in prehistory, and counting humans are found global ...
-like figures that appeared to be under their control. The depiction quickly drew widespread criticism for being racially insensitive and perpetuating harmful stereotypes. The controversy ignited on social media, where fans and critics alike condemned the video's imagery. Some interpreted the imagery as offensive, citing the historical context of Christopher Columbus and his association with the
colonization 475px, Map of the year each country achieved List of sovereign states by date of formation, independence. Colonization (British English: colonisation) is a process of establishing occupation of or control over foreign territories or peoples f ...
and exploitation of
indigenous peoples There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...
. The use of ape-like characters was particularly controversial, as it evoked racist imagery and stereotypes. In response to the escalating backlash, Mrs. Green Apple issued a public apology and removed the video from their official YouTube channel the following day. The band explained that their intention was to create a whimsical "fun house party" featuring historical figures and expressed deep regret for any offense caused. They acknowledged that their artistic vision had been misinterpreted and vowed to be more mindful in the future. Despite the apology, the incident continued to generate discussion and debate. The media, including major platforms such as the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
, covered the controversy, highlighting broader issues of cultural representation and sensitivity in the arts. Critics emphasized the responsibility of artists to consider the impact of their work on diverse audiences.
Universal Music Japan , often referred to as just Universal Music Japan or UMJ, is a Japanese subsidiary of the Universal Music Group founded in 1990. It is the largest subsidiary for a foreign company in Japan regarding music distribution. The company is responsible ...
also apologized, saying in a statement that the video contained "expressions that lack an understanding of history and cultural context." The Japanese division of
Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...
announced that it would withdraw all advertisements featuring the song.


2025

A collaboration project with
Tokyo Disney Resort The (local nickname ''TDR'') is a theme park and vacation resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, just east of Tokyo. The resort is owned and operated by the Oriental Land Company, the Oriental Land Co., a subsidiary of the Keisei Electric Rai ...
, called "Summer Cool-Off at Tokyo Disney Resort" was scheduled from July 2 to September 15. It includes a theme song, part of which was released on the resort's official YouTube channel. A TV commercial for "Summer Cool-Off at Tokyo Disney Resorts", featuring the theme song by Mrs. GREEN APPLE, was scheduled to be aired in the Chukyo and Kansai areas on June 7, followed by the Tokyo metropolitan area on June 14, and then nationwide. The video of the TV commercial was available on the Tokyo Disney Resort official YouTube channel from 8 a.m., and on the Tokyo Disney Resort special website from 9 a.m., on June 6.


Band members

;Current members * – vocals, guitar (2013–present) * – guitar (2013–present) * – keyboards (2013–present) ;Former members * – bass guitar (2013–2014) * – drums (2013–2021) * – bass guitar (2014–2021)


Discography


Studio albums


Compilation albums


Soundtrack albums


Extended plays


Singles


Other charted and certified songs


Awards and nominations


Notes


References


External links

* * {{Authority control 2013 establishments in Japan Musical groups from Tokyo Japanese rock music groups Japanese musical quintets Japanese musical trios EMI Records artists Music Awards Japan winners Musical groups established in 2013 Musical groups disestablished in 2020 Musical groups reestablished in 2022