Vivid (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | March 2009 |
| Founder | Iv, Ko-Ki |
| Defunct | April 2015 |
| Fate | Disbanded in 2015; reunited in 2025 without drummer Ko-Ki |
| Headquarters | Tokyo , Japan |
Area served | Japan, Asia |
Key people | Shin (vocals), Reno (lead guitar), Ryōga (rhythm guitar), Iv (bass guitar), Ko-Ki (drums, synthesizers, turntables; until 2015) |
| Products | Music albums, singles, live performances |
| Owner | Sony Music Japan (Epic Records Japan) |
Vivid (presented as ViViD) is a Tokyo-based Japanese visual kei rock ensemble consisting of five members. Established in March 2009, the group is affiliated with Sony Music Japan under the Epic Records Japan label. After concluding their final tour in April 2015, Vivid disbanded but made a comeback in 2025 for nationwide tours without drummer Ko-Ki.
2009–2010: Formation and initial phase
The band Vivid was created in March 2009 by rhythm section members Iv (formerly of Kisnate) and Ko-ki (formerly of Novelis), who were soon joined by vocalist Shin (previously with Dennou Romeo) and guitarists Reno (also ex-Novelis) and Ryoga. In April, they secured a contract with Indie-PSC and held their debut live performance at Takadanobaba Area in Tokyo. Their official website went live that same month, with debut releases scheduled for July and August.
Between May and June, Vivid conducted five live performances, beginning at Shibuya O-West on May 11. Their first single, "Take-off," released on July 8, achieved the number 2 spot on the indie Oricon charts and reached number 63 on the major charts. Prior to releasing their next single, they organized three concerts at Takadanobaba Area during July and August.
The band's second single, "Dear," launched on August 19 along with their inaugural promotional video. It attained number 2 on the indie Oricon charts and climbed to number 44 on the major charts before selling out and being reissued on February 1, 2010. They concluded August with a live event at Takadanobaba Area.
From September through October 2009, Vivid participated in seven PS Company "Chichū Rōkaku" events held in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Kawasaki. On October 21, they released their debut mini-album The Vivid Color in two editions; it reached number 34 on Oricon’s major charts and remained there for two weeks. That month also saw them perform at H'evn magazine’s event at Shibuya O-West, the "V-Rock Festival '09" at Makuhari Messe, and a Halloween-themed concert.
In November and December, Vivid took part in numerous events such as v[Neu]’s "Time-Limit Vol.1," several volumes of "Chichū Rōkaku," and "Absolute Domain Zettai Ryōiki" shows hosted across venues like Esaka Muse and Nagoya E.L.L.
Their third single, "Across the Border," was released on February 17, 2010 in three different versions and peaked at number 22 on the Oricon weekly singles chart.
On July 3–4, 2010, Vivid made their international debut performing at Japan Expo in Paris. Shortly after, their fourth single "Precious" came out on July 7, reaching number 15 on the Oricon Weekly Chart. In August of that year, they signed with Sony Music Japan’s Epic Records label.
2011–present: Major label activities and disbandment
Their fifth single marked their first release under a major label; it served as the ending theme for the Level E anime series and was released on January 19, 2011.
The sixth single titled "Blue," released on July 13, 2011, was chosen as the 14th opening theme for the well-known Bleach anime.
In 2011, Vivid expanded their reach into Asian markets with tours covering Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Noteworthy appearances included performing at the 13th annual ACGHK Heart Beat Seinen Music Festival in Hong Kong on August 2, participating in V-Rock Festival 2011 at Makuhari Messe on October 23, as well as live shows held in Taipei and Singapore during November.
Their seventh single "Fake," released November 9, 2011, was used as the theme song for the dating simulation game Koi to Shigoto to Kimi no Produce.
On January 7, 2012, Vivid hosted "Vivid Live 2012 Take Off: Birth to the New World" at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan arena. Following this event closely was their eighth single "Message," released January 11 and inspired by Shin’s thoughts reflecting on their Budokan performance.
The ninth single "Real," which came out May 16, 2012, became their third opening theme for the Mobile Suit Gundam AGE anime series. Their first full-length studio album Infinity was released June 27 that year to solidify their presence under a major label.
"Hikari," released February 5, 2014, served as the second opening theme for Magi: Kingdom of Magic, further strengthening their connection to anime-related projects.
On January 28, 2015, Vivid announced plans to disband following their concluding tour stop at Pacifico Yokohama.
After disbandment, guitarist Reno embarked on a solo career through PS Company with his initial solo live performance held in June 2015. Vocalist Shin also pursued solo endeavors via Zany Zap Records and debuted his solo album "Good Morning Dreamer" in August 2017.
In March of 2025, Vivid reunited for shows at Tokyo Garden Theater. The success of these performances led to an official comeback featuring multiple tours throughout Japan during that year; however, drummer Ko-Ki did not rejoin the lineup.
Members
- Shin (シン) - lead vocals
- Reno (零乃(れの)) - lead guitarist
- Ryōga (怜我(りょうが)) - rhythm guitarist
- Iv (イヴ) - bass guitar
- Ko-Ki - drummer, also responsible for synthesizers and turntables
Albums
| Album Title | Release Date | Record Label | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Vivid Color | October 21, 2009 | PS Company | Mini-album |
| Infinity | June 27, 2012 | Epic | Studio album |
| The Pendulum | February 26, 2014 | Epic | Full-length album |
Singles
| Single Title | Release Date | Record Label | Associated Anime Soundtrack |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Take-off" | July 8, 2009 | PS Company | |
| "Dear" | August 19, 2009 | PS Company | |
| "Across the Border" | February 17, 2010 | PS Company | |
| "Precious" | July 7, 2010 | PS Company | |
| ""Yume" ~Mugen no Kanata~" | January 19, 2011 | Epic Records | OST for Level E ending theme |
| "Blue" | July 13, 2011 | Epic Records | OST for Bleach 14th opening theme |
| "Fake" | November 9, 2011 | Epic Records | |
| "Message" | January 11, 2012 | Epic Records | |
| "Real" | May 16, 2012 | Epic Records | OST third opening for Mobile Suit Gundam AGE |
| "Answer" | April 24, 2013 | Epic Records | |
| "Hikari" | February 5, 2014 | Epic Records | OST for Magi: The Kingdom of Magic |
| "Thank you for all -From the beginning" | January 28, 2015 | Epic Records |
Music videos
| Year of Release | Song Title |
|---|---|
| 2009 | "Dear" |
| "69-II" | |
| 2010 | "Across The Border" |
| "Precious" | |
| 2011 | "Yume: Mugen no Kanata" |
| "Blue" (two versions) | |
| "Fake" | |
| 2012 | "Message" |
| "Real" | |
| 2013 |