SKET DANCE × the sketchbook "Youth Vacuum-Packed in the Reiwa Era" [Suzuki’s the Sound Forge vol.4]

1: Overture ~Why SKET DANCE Now?~

"“MS” Sequence Studio" Music Navigator Suzuki here.

2026 The first project of the year, the rock special "Rock’in Monthly", is here. This time, I will write a review about the

Netflix anime and the band that unleashed a passionate atmosphere of youth—a "chemical reaction" born from my current self reacting to that sound. “chemical reaction” I will be covering the anime "

SKET DANCE" and the in-show band "the sketchbook". I will proceed by unraveling, in my own way, why this work from the latter half of the Heisei era resonated so deeply with me now.

So, please stay with me until the end!

2: The "Supportive Youth" Depicted by SKET DANCE

In this section, I will introduce the overview of the work and the main characters, incorporating each character's perspective.

2-1: Overview of the Work

2007 to 2013, it was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" and is the anime version of a popular work that established a solid track record with a cumulative circulation of over 14 million copies.

The setting is the Kaimei Gakuen High School 's Campus Life Support Club—commonly known as the Sket Dan. It is a series primarily consisting of standalone episodes that depict the daily lives of a trio who solve requests from students in need in a laid-back, yet sincere manner, interwoven with a cast of unique characters. style.

Just when you think the fast-paced gags have run their course, the moment you pause, the story cuts deep into the characters' backgrounds and “pain.” That range captures the reality of youth, and I feel it is a work that quietly stands by the viewer's heart.

Now, let's introduce the three members of the Sket Dan who support this story, one by one.

2-2: Main Character Introduction

Bossun / Yusuke Fujisaki
CV: Hiroyuki Yoshino

Himeko / Hime Onizuka
CV: Ryoko Shiraishi

Switch / Kazuyoshi Usui
CV: Tomokazu Sugita

• Bossun, who shows unreliability but possesses the core strength of a 'classic Jump protagonist.'

• Himeko, a powerful, battle-oriented character with a bright and breezy Kansai dialect.

• Switch, who is intellectual and geeky, yet somehow carries an air of being a social butterfly.

The charm of this work lies in the intersection of these three distinct “personalities with great range.”

In this review, I will focus specifically on Himeko.

The emotions she has carried, and why she ultimately chose the Sket Dan alongside Bossun—

I will unravel the pain in her background and the shift in the strength she chose to protect, while layering in song reviews.

3: The continuation of the story played by the sketchbook

Here, I will introduce the other "protagonist" of this time, "the sketchbook," which made its major debut as the in-story band from "SKET DANCE."the sketchbook.

3-1: Introduction to the sketchbook

Bass & Vocals, Guitar, and Drums, a classic 3-piece lineup. During their active period from 2011 to 2015, they released 11 singles and 3 albums. Their sound ranges widely from

punk, pop, and rock ballads, making them a band that truly evokes the "classic J-ROCK style."

There is a story behind how this band was born.

Episodes 16-17 of the anime are the "real version" of the band formed by the Sket Dan at the "Kaimei Rock Festival." The moment I heard the intro to "

Michi," which was first performed in the work, my ears reacted instinctively, and by the next day, I was already digging for their music.

As an aside, I haven't covered many rock artists on this note. ...However, the navigator actually loves rock music too, and I'm the type who is particularly drawn to punk-leaning J-ROCK (like 10-FEET).

As someone like that, there's no way I wouldn't be hooked on this band.

(Later on, I made sure to recommend the sketchbook to the "old friend" who taught me about rock (lol))

As for the impression of the sound, as a band that jumped out of a "youth anime", it's a sound packed with "the power of youth." It has an energy that strikes straight at the heart.

3-1: Review Source Overview

Released in 2012, this is the sketchbook's 1st album. In addition to the

4 songs used as the regular OP/ED for the TV anime "SKET DANCE," it includes 2 special ED songs used in Switch and Himeko's past episodes, as well as a cover of the pillows' song "Funny Bunny," for a total of 13 tracks.

As a debut album, it has a lot of volume and is a very special record.

The sound is wide-ranging, from high-speed punk-leaning numbers to rock ballads, and even tracks reminiscent of classic American hard rock, making it an album that wears an atmosphere as if it were armed with various types of rock.

I haven't followed the market reaction at the time in detail, but what I feel through this work is that if you are "someone who likes 2000s J-ROCK," there is no reason not to be hooked—that is the level of perfection I can say with certainty.

This time, I will pick up two songs from this album, "HERO" and "Funny Bunny", and present them in a slightly different style than my usual reviews.two songs from my usual reviews.

4: The Moment Story and Music Overlap ~HERO/FUNNY BUNNY Song Review~

4-1 HIMEKO ~ Toughness × Tenderness ~

Born and raised in Osaka, Himeko admired the "hero" who, while usually unreliable, would always come to her rescue when it mattered most.

After transferring to a school in Tokyo, she met her only friend. When disturbing events began to surround that friend, Himeko gathered her courage and stood up for her.

However, that action was met with an unimaginable betrayal.

As a reaction to her deeply wounded heart, Himeko became known as "Onihime" and spent her days fighting. Eventually, tired of that life and wishing to "go somewhere where no one knows me", she walked through the gates of Kaimei Academy.

The ones who reached out to Himeko, who had begun to avoid people, were Captain (Chiaki Takahashi) and Bossun. Although she initially acted as if to push them away, she slowly began to open her heart.

But one day, an event reminiscent of her past betrayal occurred. Himeko tried to handle it alone and fell into a crisis. At that moment, it was Bossun who appeared to help her.

The sadness of being betrayed by someone she trusted. The past where she was afraid to trust others and used "strength" as a shield to run away.

The one who unlocked Himeko's heart was the presence of Bossun. Following this event, she joined the Sket Dan and, armed with a strength that encompasses kindness, moved forward to become someone who protects others.

4-2 HERO [Song Review]

Lyrics by Hiroshi Tada Composed & Arranged by tasuo

"HERO" is a song used as a special ending theme for episodes 36 and 37 of the TV anime "SKET DANCE", which depicts Himeko's past. a song used as a special ED.

The electric guitar arpeggio is impressive, and in the chorus, it shifts to a sound with a sense of depth, making it a "strength of feelings" rock ballad that lets you feel those emotions directly. The

arpeggio continues to mark a constant rhythm throughout the entire song, so accurately that it is no exaggeration to call it precise, with an air as if it were "marking time".

The chorus features another electric guitar playing in the right channel, composed of phrases centered on chord strumming, which reminds one of that scene in episode 37 at the park where emotions overflowed.

The world of the lyrics is exactly "Himeko's story" itself. And this line, spoken in the second chorus:
this line spoken in the second chorus.

It is as if Bossun is speaking to Himeko. These
"songs that stay close to the story", which only worked because of the concept of a band within the work, truly capture the hearts of the viewers and make them quietly tremble.

I was reminded once again of such wonderfulness.

4-3 KAIMEI・ROCK・FESTIVAL ～ Devoted Playing ～

Kaimei Academy's unique school event, the "Kaimei Rock Festival," is, as the name suggests, a "rock festival" where students form bands and perform. It was canceled the previous year because no bands signed up, but this year was different.

The Student Council Executive Committee, the band of the mysterious visual-kei character Dante, and that heat also spreads to the Sket Dan. Himeko, valued for her guitar experience, joins the girls' band "

YABASAWA BOOKS."Himeko.

PCArmed with finger drumming played on a , Switch forms the group "ch ch (Channel Channel)" with members of the Anime Research Club.Switch.

Meanwhile, only Bossun, who has no musical experience, is left behind.

However, at Himeko's suggestion, he tries his hand at bass, and luckily gets invited to join a band. Days of practicing the assigned song, "Funny Bunny," with all his might began.

That's when high school violinist Ayano Sugisaki appeared.

A bass with out-of-tune strings struggling with Bossun A connection was born when she spoke to , and while she helped him practice, she confided that she was hesitant about studying abroad in Germany.

Meanwhile, in the bands that Himeko, Switch, and Bossun had each joined, troubles forcing them to withdraw from participation occurred one after another.

So Bossun makes a decision. To give Ayano Sugisaki a push, he decides that the Sket Dan will form a band and enter the festival.

And then came the day of the festival.
The three of them played "Funny Bunny" passionately in front of Ayano Sugisaki.

The feelings poured into that sound certainly reached her, and having made up her mind, she set off for Germany...

4-4 Funny Bunny [Song Review]

Lyrics & Composed by SAWAO YAMANAKA 　
Original Arranged by the pillows, Jun Suzuki, Hitoshi Yoshida

"Funny Bunny" is a song used as an insert song in the TV anime "SKET DANCE" episodes 16 and 17 "Kaimei Rock Festival" arc.

The version used in this work is a cover by the sketchbook of the song of the same name released by the rock band the pillows in 1999. The background behind choosing "

Funny Bunny" as an insert song is that the original author, Kenta Shinohara was a fan of the pillows.

The backing track is a classic pop-rock composition.

In contrast to "HERO", which was also used in the show, the electric guitar continues to play a powerful distorted sound throughout the entire song. Its sound image has a momentum that pushes the listener forward head-on, allowing you to experience the "power to move forward" throughout the entire track.

The world of the lyrics, depicted within a short structure that concludes in two choruses, is a message directed at someone. Here too, the song's nature of "pushing someone forward" rises up from every word.

Among them, the following phrase left a strong impression.

These words are truly a phrase meant to gently, yet firmly, push Ayano Sugisaki forward. At the same time, they are words that symbolize this episode itself, constructed with deep respect for the song "Funny Bunny."

5: "Youth Once More" Resonating in the Reiwa Era

Why was I so strongly drawn to this work 13 years after its broadcast? I have re-organized the reasons for why I am so captivated now.

I cannot disclose the details, but I am currently continuing activities that support others. 2025 was a year of worry, suffering, and losing my way, due to various circumstances and external criticism.

Amidst that, as a change of pace, I played "SKET DANCE" on Netflix with the somewhat lighthearted intention of watching it because Sakura Tange, known for Sakura_Odyssey, appears in it.

What was depicted there was the sight of the three members of the Sket Dan pushing someone forward.

And it was a story of people like Himeko and Switch, who, having been pushed forward by Bossun, in turn changed into people who push others forward.

There, I found a world that could truly be called my starting point.

The trigger for starting the activities I mentioned at the beginning lies in the experience of being saved by the people I am now supporting, back when I was mentally cornered after being diagnosed with "Chronic Myeloid Leukemia" in 2022.

By working hard at something, strength returns to me as well. "To live," I will try to support someone with all my might. With that single-minded focus, I continue my activities even now.

"SKET DANCE," which feels like it has "vacuum-packed youth," showed me a "place to return to" for someone like me.

Honestly, I am at an age far removed from what one would call youth...

As long as you are mindful of TPO (Time, Place, and Occasion), I personally believe it is fine to have the energy to devote yourself to something at any age.

It was just a small trigger, but I feel now that "SKET DANCE" was a work I was destined to encounter.

And so that I, too, can become a "SKET Dan" for the people I am supporting now. I want to keep looking forward and moving ahead no matter what—

Because of the strength of that sentiment and the appeal of the music itself, I decided to feature it in this Sound Forge.

6: Afterword

“Suzuki’s The Sound Forge” Vol. 4. This time, I presented a collaboration review of "
Anime × Rock".

I encountered this work during my private time, separate from these activities. I was deeply moved by the music played within it, and I reflexively decided to
“write a review” and produced this piece.

note activities influenced me quite a bit, and as I mentioned on my Weblog before, I also had the encounter with the character Himeko's CV whom I featured this time, and I truly feel that a new world has greatly expanded within me, thanks to meeting Ryoko Shiraishi.

I have had experiences of being moved by anime works before, but this might be the first time I have felt so strongly that I was “pushed forward”.

It took quite a long time to encounter it, but I wrote this with feelings of gratitude toward the work SKET DANCE and everyone involved in it.

Thank you for staying with me until the end this time as well.
See you later.