THE BABYSTARS

The Japanese rock group The Babystars was formed in 1996 and consisted of vocalist Akihito Tanaka, guitarist Rikiya Takahashi, keyboardist Yōsuke Ichikawa, and drummer Tomaru Asami; the band was signed to Sony Music Japan’s Ki/oon Records. Their breakthrough came with the 2002 single "Hikari e" (released 24 July 2002), which served as the third opening theme for the anime One Piece and remained on the charts for 27 weeks, establishing the group’s presence in the pop‑rock scene. In 2003 the duo released the studio album Bebisuta on 9 April, followed by the single "Young Young Young" (9 April 2003) and "Sari Yuku Kimi E" (8 October 2003), both of which reinforced their melodic style. The 2004 release laugh → love (1 December 2004) and the single "SUNDAY" (10 November 2004) earned the band the distinction of providing the first ending theme for the anime Yakitate!! Japan. Their 2006 single "World" (1 March 2006) marked the final commercial output before the departure of Yōsuke Ichikawa and Tomaru Asami on 31 May 2006; the group subsequently disbanded. The Babystars’ catalog remains a reference point for early‑2000s Japanese pop‑rock, with "Hikari e" continuing to receive airplay and retrospective recognition in anime music retrospectives.