History Music / BandMaid

Band-Maid is a Japanese HardRock band based out of UsefulNotes/{{Tokyo}}[[labelnote:*]] (though none of the members are natives – Miku is from Kumamoto on Kyushu, Kanami is from Kanagawa [just south of Tokyo], Akane is from Hyogo, Misa is from Okayama, and Saiki is from Yamanashi)[[/labelnote]] managed by Platinum Production and currently signed to major Japanese record label Pony Canyon.[[labelnote:†]] From 2016-2019 they were signed to various sublabels of Nippon Crown.[[/labelnote]] JPU Records distributes their material internationally. Formed in July 2013 and made up entirely of women, their {{gimmick}} is that they dress like the famous MaidCafe waitresses Japanese cities are known for. This idea comes from founder Miku's experience working in one in Akihabara before forming the band, and is [[SubvertedTrope an intentional juxtaposition]] of the submissive {{Meido}} trope, with extremely aggressive music played expertly by ladies who, for the most part, don't really act the part of maids – they're more likely to trash a place than clean it for you.

* Saiki Atsumi (厚見 彩姫) [-[D.O.B: 1994/02/08]-] – Lead vocals

** Saiki = Sai-chan

Band-Maid is a Japanese HardRock band based out of UsefulNotes/{{Tokyo}}[[labelnote:*]] (though none of the members are natives – Miku is from Kumamoto on Kyushu, Kanami is from Kanagawa [just south of Tokyo], Akane is from Hyogo, Misa is from Okayama, and Saiki is from Yamanashi)[[/labelnote]] managed by Platinum Production and currently signed to major Japanese record label Pony Canyon.[[labelnote:†]] From 2016-2019 they were signed to various sublabels of Nippon Crown.[[/labelnote]] JPU Records distributes their material internationally. Formed in July 2013 and consisting entirely of women, their {{gimmick}} is that they dress like the famous MaidCafe waitresses that Japan is known for. This idea comes from founder Miku's experience working in one in Akihabara shortly before forming the band, and is [[SubvertedTrope an intentional juxtaposition]] of the submissive {{Meido}} trope with extremely aggressive music played expertly by ladies who, for the most part, don't really act the part of maids – they're more likely to trash a place than clean it for you.

Their official website is [[https://bandmaid.tokyo here.]] The band's official twitter feed is [[https://twitter.com/bandmaid here.]] Each member also has her own social media pages.

* AnimalMotifs: Miku fancies herself a pigeon – her given last name translates literally to "small pigeon"

* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: Discussed. Kanami has spoken multiple times of her love for Saiki and also insists she means more than just going out on a date. Saiki just kinda takes it in stride. However, out-of-character interviews suggest Kanami plays it up a bit for the camera …though she really does adore Saiki.
-->'''Kanami:''' "What are my ambitions? Well, I have two. The first one is to marry Sai-chan. But what's the second?"

Band-Maid is a Japanese HardRock band from UsefulNotes/{{Tokyo}}[[labelnote:*]] (though none of the members are natives – Miku is from Kumamoto on Kyushu, Kanami is from Kanagawa [just south of Tokyo], Akane is from Hyogo, Misa is from Okayama, and Saiki is from Yamanashi)[[/labelnote]] managed by Platinum Production and currently signed to major Japanese record label Pony Canyon.[[labelnote:†]] From 2016-2019 they were signed to various sublabels of Nippon Crown.[[/labelnote]] JPU Records distributes their material internationally. Formed in July 2013 and consisting entirely of women, their {{gimmick}} is that they dress like the famous MaidCafe waitresses that Japan is known for. This idea comes from founder Miku's experience working in one in Akihabara shortly before forming the band, and is [[SubvertedTrope an intentional juxtaposition]] of the submissive {{Meido}} trope with extremely aggressive music played expertly by ladies who, for the most part, don't really act the part of maids – they're more likely to trash a place than clean it for you.

Their unique aesthetic and tight musicianship has gained them a significant cult following outside Japan. They played their first overseas gig at Seattle's Sakura-Con in 2016. Not long after, they embarked upon their first world tour (Mexico, Hong Kong, Europe). They toured internationally every year from 2016 to 2019, but did not do so in 2020 due to the global coronavirus pandemic which also caused them to cancel all of their Japan shows between Valentine's Day and September. It also caused, much to their own dismay, the suspension of their much-anticipated engagement at the prestigious Nippon Budokan in February 2021 shortly after the release of their seventh album. Instead, the Maids took to performing livestreamed concerts – titled "Online OKYU-JI" – to make up for it. Their December 2020 Online Okyuji, held on Akane's birthday, [[https://twitter.com/bandmaid/status/1339042574200270848 had viewers from over sixty countries.]]

* TrademarkFavoriteDrink: Misa's CharmPoint is that she loves her whisky/beer and carries a flask or small bottle with her, often having it nearby on stage while performing. When the band collaborated with Zippo to release limited edition lighters, her design included the words "[[TheAlcoholic Alcohol is Necessary]]".

-->'''Kanami:''' ''[-(to Saiki, hopeful)-]'' "Do you want to see my cooking photos?"\\

* FanCommunityNickname: They call their fans Masters and Princesses, or ''Goshujin-sama'' and ''{{Ojou}}-sama''. A concert is called a "serving" (給仕 ''kyūji'').

Band-Maid is a Japanese HardRock band from UsefulNotes/{{Tokyo}}[[labelnote:*]] (though none of the members are natives – Miku is from Kumamoto on Kyushu, Kanami is from Kanagawa [just south of Tokyo], Akane is from Hyogo, Misa is from Okayama, and Saiki is from Yamanashi)[[/labelnote]] managed by Platinum Production and currently signed to major Japanese record label Pony Canyon.[[labelnote:†]] From 2016-2019 they were signed to various sublabels of Nippon Crown.[[/labelnote]] Internationally, JPU Records distributes their material. Formed in July 2013 and consisting entirely of women, their {{gimmick}} is that they dress like the famous MaidCafe waitresses that Japan is known for. This idea comes from founder Miku's experience working in one in Akihabara shortly before forming the band, and is [[SubvertedTrope an intentional juxtaposition]] of the submissive {{Meido}} trope with extremely aggressive music played expertly by ladies who, for the most part, don't really act the part of maids – they're more likely to trash a place than clean it for you.

* Miku Kobato (小鳩 ミク) [-[Date Of Birth: 1991/10/21]-] – Rhythm guitar, backing and lead vocals; primary lyricist

** Miku = Kobato, Miku-chan

** Kanami = Mincho

* MsFanservice: Well, they dress like maid cafe waitresses after all. As noted above, the intention was to subvert the submissive maid concept.

* OneSteveLimit: Invoked by Miku, who changed her stage name because it was too similar with Misa's.

* {{Otaku}}: Discussed regarding Akane. She enjoys anime in general but is a '''''huge''''' fan of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', especially Asuka. She says her drum-kit is red as a ShoutOut to Asuka and EVA-02.

-->'''Kanami:''' "What are my ambitions? Well, I have two. The first, as you know, is I want to marry Sai-chan. But what is the second?"

* [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Spell My Spell with a C]]: While Miku's {{catchphrase}} during ''Omajinai Time'', “もえもえ！ きゅんきゅん！”, is usually Romanized as ''"Moe-moe! Kyun-kyun!"'', the spelling used by Miku for its second half is officially "Cune".

Band-Maid is a Japanese HardRock band from UsefulNotes/{{Tokyo}}[[labelnote:*]] (though none of the members are natives – Miku is from Kumamoto on Kyushu, Kanami is from Kanagawa [just south of Tokyo], Akane is from Hyogo, Misa is from Okayama, and Saiki is from Yamanashi)[[/labelnote]] managed by Platinum Production and currently signed to Revolver Records, a sublabel of Nippon Crown (with which they've been affiliated since 2016). Internationally, JPU Records distributes their material. Formed in mid-2013 and consisting entirely of women, their {{gimmick}} is that they dress like the famous MaidCafe waitresses that Japan is known for. This idea comes from founder Miku's experience working in one in Akihabara shortly before forming the band, and is [[SubvertedTrope an intentional juxtaposition]] of the submissive {{Meido}} trope with extremely aggressive music played expertly by ladies who, for the most part, don't really act the part of maids – they're more likely to trash a place than clean it for you.

* IHaveManyNames: Miku. As a maid, Idol, and rock star, she has previously gone by Himawari ("sunflower") and Mika Noguchi.

** The only time Misa really opened up was during a 2019 solo interview on a radio show sponsored by Sapporo Beer (natch). While she did discuss her musical background, she was far more keen to talk about booze.

* [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Spell My Spell with a C]]: While Miku's {{catchphrase}} during ''Omajinai Time'', 「もえもえ！ きゅんきゅん！」, is normally Romanized as ''"Moe-moe! Kyun-kyun!"'', the spelling used by Miku for its second half is officially "Cune".

** MISA is often mistaken for one. However, she's known to be very friendly and often silly when she's with her bandmates and friends. She's just painfully shy around strangers.

* NiceHat: Through 2016 Akane had a tiny black bowler hat with white brim pinned into her hair at a jaunty angle as part of her uniform.

* VerbalTic: Miku punctuates her speech with "po", the onomatopoeia for pigeon call, in every public appearance (but not when singing), because her surname Kobato means "little pigeon".[[labelnote:*]] Probably not her actual surname, since she used to go by "Noguchi".[[/labelnote]] Yes, she'll even do it when speaking English at international gigs. [[https://twitter.com/miku_bandmaid/status/1344842387403673600 Or on twitter.]]

* IHaveManyNames: Miku. As a maid, Idol, and rock star, she has previously gone by Himawari (向日葵 = "sunflower") and Mika Noguchi.

** Akane = Ah-chan, Gorilla

* LeadDrummer: A rather literal case. Drummer Akane was for a long time the official leader of the band.
** This is despite the fact that Miku started the band. Akane was made leader because she was considered the most with-it (the others, not without justification, considered Miku too much of a ManicPixieDreamGirl); in the early days, Akane was the one who made sure all their gear got where it needed to be. She's also the oldest.
** Nowadays, Akane's designation has kind of fallen by the wayside as Miku has stepped up to the plate – Miku was ''always'' the most communicative with outsiders and leads audience interactions.

** Saiki wears a blue rose – she tends to be reserved (though not as much as Misa)

-->'''Kanami:''' "What are my ambitions? Well, I have two. The first, as you know, is I want to marry Sai-chan. But what is the second?"\\

* AnimeThemeSong: Their song "Different", composed by Kanami and intended as a challenge for Miku – "If you can play this, you can play anything I throw at you" were her words – was used as the opening for the Fall 2020 season of ''Log Horizon''. The Maids' single includes the anime's 89-second version.

** Her call-and-response with the audience usually involves the MaidCafe stock phrase "Moe Moe Kyun Kyun!"

-->'''Kanami:''' "What are my ambitions? Well, I have two. The first, as you know, is I want to marry Sai-chan. But what is the second?"

Their unique aesthetic and tight musicianship has gained them a significant cult following outside Japan. They played their first overseas gig at Seattle's Sakura-Con in 2016. Not long after, they embarked upon their first world tour (Mexico, Hong Kong, Europe). They toured internationally every year from 2016 to 2019, but did not do so in 2020 likely due to the global COVID pandemic which also caused them to cancel all of their Japan shows between Valentine's Day and September. As of this edit, they are still scheduled to play the prestigious Nippon Budokan in February 2021 shortly after the release of their seventh album.

* IdolSinger: Miku used to be in a three-girl idol group called Lil Cumin (リル・クミン) under the name Mika Noguchi (野口みか). She still exhibits some Idol mannerisms when interacting with fans.

--->''[-(in English)-]'' "I am Small Pigeon. ♡Okay?♡ "

* SurprisinglyGoodEnglish: "Don't Let Me Down" is written in English and the two vocalists sing it pretty well, albeit with an accent.
* ThirdPersonPerson: Miku Kobato sometimes addresses herself as "Kobato". Whether she's just intending it as her last name or its meaning ("small pigeon") is up in the air, though she ''has'' explained her name in English and called herself a pigeon onstage.
* TrademarkFavoriteDrink: Misa's CharmPoint is that she loves her whisky/beer and carries a flask with her, often having it nearby on stage while performing. When the band collaborated with Zippo to release limited edition lighters, her design included the words "[[TheAlcoholic Alcohol is Necessary]]".
* {{Tradesnark}}: Until 2014, the band's name was stylized as BAND-MAID®.

* Miku Kobato (小鳩 ミク) [-[Date Of Birth: 1991/10/21]-] – Rhythm guitar, vocals; primary lyricist
* Kanami Tohno (遠乃 歌波) [-[D.O.B: 1991/09/28]-] – Lead guitar, backing vocals; primary composer
* Akane Hirose (廣瀬 茜) [-[D.O.B: 1990/12/14]-] – Drums

Miku came up with the idea after her previous gig fell apart. She recruited Kanami via the internet. Kanami brought in her occasional backup Akane. Akane then suggested her friend Misa for bass. Not long after the band's debut, they realized they needed a stronger lead vocalist than Miku so they chose Saiki (who at the time was less than two years out of high school) after an audition. Miku, who did not play an instrument up to that point, asked Kanami to teach her guitar.

** She's also admitted in interviews to eating everyone else's leftovers.

* VerbalTic: Miku punctuates her speech with "po", the onomatopoeia for pigeon call, in every public appearance (but not when singing), because her surname Kobato means "little pigeon".[[labelnote:*]] Probably not her actual surname, since she used to go by "Noguchi".[[/labelnote]] Yes, she'll even do it when speaking English at international gigs.

* NonUniformUniform: Since their second album release, they've customized their maid costumes according to their personalities. Only Miku and Kanami keep the full Meido outfit; Akane and Saiki ditched the apron and maid headdress, and Misa simply wears a long black dress, which she calls the "assassin maid" (殺し屋) outfit.

* {{Otaku}}: Discussed regarding Akane. She enjoys anime in general but is a '''''huge''''' fan of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', especially Asuka. She says her drum-kit is red-&-orange as a ShoutOut to Asuka and EVA-02.

** The only time Misa has really opened up was during a 2019 solo interview on a radio show sponsored by Sapporo Beer (natch). While she did discuss her musical background, she was far more keen to talk about booze.

-->'''Kanami:''' "What are my ambitions? Well, I have two. The first, as you know, is I want to marry Saiki. But what is the second?"
* ScaryMusicianHarmlessMusic: Inverted somewhat. Upon seeing them, most would assume they're a {{JPop}} idol group, not a heavy metal band. However, the music itself is very accessible.

* VerbalTic: Miku punctuates her speech with "po", the onomatopoeia for pigeon call, in every public appearance (but not when singing), because her surname Kobato means "little pigeon".[[labelnote:*]] Possibly not her actual surname, since she used to go by "Noguchi".[[/labelnote]] Yes, she'll even do it when speaking English at international gigs.

* [[WidgetSeries Widget Band]]: Good luck trying to explain an all-female band who dress as maids and play extremely hard rock to someone not familiar with Japanese music.

** Their call-and-response with the audience usually involves the MaidCafe stock phrase "Moe Moe Kyun!"

* ''TBA'' (2021)

* GenkiGirl: Miku is very energetic in concerts and other public appearances.

* LeadDrummer: A rather literal case, drummer Akane was for a long time the official leader of the band.
** This is despite the fact that Miku started the band. Akane was made leader because she was considered the most with-it (the others, not without justification, considered Miku too much of a ManicPixieDreamGirl); in the early days, she was the one who made sure all their gear got where it needed to be. She's also the oldest.

----
They are often compared to Music/{{Babymetal}} due to both being female hard-rocking groups from Japan with clean vocal styles and Gothic-inspired outfits. However, the similarities mostly end there. Key differences:
## While Babymetal was formed by a man at an agency (Amuse), Band-Maid formed organically
## The Babymetal girls do not play their own instruments; Band-Maid do
## Band-Maid do not dance. If they ever do, it's certainly not choreographed
## Despite their aesthetic, Band-Maid are NOT an Idol group or even alt-Idol or Idol-fusion; they are a legitimate band who write & compose their own songs
## Band-Maid's members are significantly older – all but Saiki were in their 20's when the band formed in 2013 (Saiki was 19); at that same time Babymetal's lead singer Suzuka had just started high school (15½)

That said, one thing Band-Maid ''does'' share in common with Babymetal and other Japanese acts is that they cultivate [[{{Kayfabe}} stage personas]] they maintain even when off-stage. Though ''also'' like Babymetal, some members are more transparent than others. Also compare and contrast Music/{{PassCode}}, an IdolSinger GirlGroup with whom Band-Maid have long been friendly.

Their official website is [[https://bandmaid.tokyo here.]] The band's official twitter feed is [[https://twitter.com/bandmaid here.]] Each member also has her own social media pages.

Miku came up with the idea after her previous gig fell apart. She recruited Kanami via the internet. Kanami brought in her occasional backup Akane. Akane then suggested her friend Misa for bass. Not long after the band's debut, they realized they needed a stronger lead vocalist than Miku so they chose Saiki (who at the time was less than two years out of high school) after an audition. Miku, who did not play an instrument up to that point, asked Kanami of to teach her guitar.

Band-Maid is a Japanese HardRock band from UsefulNotes/{{Tokyo}}[[labelnote:*]] (though none of the members are natives – Miku is from Kumamoto on Kyushu, Kanami is from Kanagawa [just south of Tokyo], Akane is from Hyogo, Misa is from Okayama, and Saiki is from Yamanashi)[[/labelnote]] managed by currently signed to Revolver Records, a sublabel of Nippon Crown (with which they've been affiliated since 2016). Internationally, JPU Records distributes their material. Formed in mid-2013 and consisting entirely of women, their {{gimmick}} is that they dress like the famous MaidCafe waitresses that Japan is known for. This idea comes from founder Miku's experience working in one in Akihabara shortly before forming the band, and is [[SubvertedTrope an intentional juxtaposition]] of the submissive {{Meido}} trope with extremely aggressive music played expertly by ladies who, for the most part, don't really act the part of maids – they're more likely to trash a place than clean it for you.

%%Additional image removed per IP discussion thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1317986693061200100&page=103
%%One image per page, please.

-> ''Breaking new gates!''

Band-Maid is a Japanese HeavyMetal[=/=]HardRock band from UsefulNotes/{{Tokyo}}. Formed in 2013 and consisting entirely of women, their shtick is that they dress like the famous MaidCafe waitresses that Japan is known for. This idea came from the experience one member had working in one. They've garnered a fairly large cult following around the world for their visual style and music, which features aggressive guitars and many solos. Already a popular live act back home, they made their first appearances outside Japan in 2016, initially playing at UsefulNotes/{{Seattle}}'s Sakura-Con and UsefulNotes/{{London}}'s Comic-Con before organizing solo US & EU tours each year since 2016.

* Saiki Atsumi (Lead vocals)
* Miku Kobato (Rhythm guitar, backing and lead vocals)
* Kanami Touno (Lead guitar, piano, backing vocals)
* Akane Hirose (Drums)
* Misa (Bass)

[[AC: Discography]]
* ''Maid in Japan'' (2013)

They are often compared to Music/BabyMetal due to being female metal bands from Japan with clean vocal styles. However, there are three key differences -- they formed independently rather than being created by a label, they play their own instruments, and they're all adults.[[note]]By now the girls in Music/BabyMetal are adults too, by Western standards.[[/note]] On the other hand, like Music/BabyMetal and many other Japanese acts, they do cultivate a [[{{Kayfabe}} stage persona]] they maintain even when off-stage.

* AnimalMotif: Miku fancies herself a pigeon. She punctuates her speech with "po" and uses a lot of dove emojis on social media.
* BigEater: Akane's Charm-Point is her huge appetite.

** Their call-and-response with the audience usually involves the MaidCafe stock phrase "Moe Moe Kyun!", spelled "Moe Moe Cune" for Western audiences.

* GirlGroup: Often get called one. In reality, they share nothing in common with them except being made up entirely of women and wearing attractive costumes.
* GratuitousEnglish: It shows up a lot, [[SurprisinglyGoodEnglish though it's not as bad as some other bands]].

* IdolSinger: Miku used to be in a three-girl idol group called リル・クミン (Lil Cumin) under the name Mika Noguchi. She still exhibits some idol mannerisms when interacting with fans.
* IHaveManyNames: As a maid, idol, and rock star, Miku has previously gone by Himawari ("sunflower") and Mika Noguchi.

* LeadDrummer: A rather literal case, drummer Akane is the official leader of the band.

* MsFanservice: Well, they dress like maid cafe waitresses after all. The intention was to subvert the submissive maid concept.
* NonUniformUniform: Since their second album release, they customized their maid costumes according to their personalities. Only Miku and Kanami keep the full Meido uniform; Akane and Saiki ditched the apron and maid headdress, and Misa simply wears a long black dress, which she calls the "assassin maid" outfit.

* {{Pun}}: ''Maid in Japan'', most obviously. Also, the name of the band itself being a pun on band-aid.

* RedOniBlueOni: In the music videos, Saiki usually has a blue rose as part of her costume while Miku has a red rose. Saiki is usually quieter while Miku is very outgoing.

* SurprisinglyGoodEnglish: "Don't Let Me Down" is written in English and the two vocalists sing it pretty well, although with an accent.
* ThirdPersonPerson: Kobato addresses herself as "Kobato". She might also mean "this little pigeon" by that.
* TrademarkFavoriteDrink: Misa's CharmPoint is that she loves her whisky and carries a flask with her, and often has a bottle near her on stage while performing. When the band collaborated with Zippo to release limited edition lighters, her design included the words "[[TheAlcoholic Alcohol is Necessary]]".

* VerbalTic: Miku punctuates her speech with "po", the onomatopoeia for pigeon call, in every public appearance (but not when singing), because her surname Kobato means "little pigeon".[[labelnote:*]]Possibly not her actual surname though. She used to go by Mika Noguchi.[[/labelnote]]
* VocalTagTeam: Saiki and Miku trade vocals with each other.
* WidgetSeries: Good luck trying to explain an all-female band who dress as maids and play heavy metal to someone not familiar with Japanese music.

* Kanami Touno (Guitar, piano, backing vocals)

They are often compared to Music/BabyMetal due to being female metal bands from Japan with clean vocal styles. However, there are three key differences -- they formed independently rather than being created by a label, they play their own instruments, and they're all adults.[[note]]By now the girls in Music/BabyMetal are adults too, by Western standards.[[/note]] On the other hand, like Music/BabyMetal and many other Japanese acts, they do cultivate a stage persona they maintain even when off-stage.

* FanCommunityNickname: They call their fans Masters and Princesses, or ''Goshujin-sama'' and ''{{Ojou}}-sama''.

* Miku Kobato (Rhythm guitar, backing and co-lead vocals)

* Saiki Atsumi (Vocals)
* Miku Kobato (Guitar, vocals)
* Kanami Touno (Guitar)

* StepUpToTheMicrophone: Miku sings lead on "Rock in Me" from ''World Domination''. Miku was originally going to be the band's lead singer, and [[VocalTagTeam she occasionally splits lead vocal duties with Saiki]].

* BigEater: Kanami's CharmPoint is her huge appetite.