Music can make a surprisingly big difference for an anime, especially up-and-coming original projects that don’t have any source material that fans could potentially already be familiar with. This was the case with Puella Magi Madoka Magica, a Studio Shaft original that introduced itself to anime fans in 2011 with the enchanting opening theme “Connect” by a female music unit called ClariS. The song’s hopeful, upbeat tempo and phenomenal vocal performance made it one of the best from that year and put the anime on almost every seasonal fan’s watch list.
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The duo would go on to produce other anime openings and endings, too, that were equally stunning, including the opening theme song for Nisekoi (2014) titled “Click”, the opening theme songs for Eromanga Sensei and My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute, as well as other theme song performances for the Madoka Magica franchise. Needless to say, the group has done an excellent job solidifying their place as icons. To kick off 2025, the duo made a surprising announcement that undoubtedly took their musical prowess in a brand-new direction, turning the group into a trio.
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ClariS’s Legacy Began With Two Young Girls With a Love For Music
As announced by Oricon JP, ClariS will be bringing on two new members, named Ellie and Anna, turning the group into a trio. While the group being expanded is relatively surprising, fan reaction has been very welcoming, with many calling the two new additions strikingly beautiful and looking forward to the future of their music and other creative endeavors. In addition to reworking existing music to work with a three-person unit, the group will also be revitalizing their dance routines to work with the trio. On February 24, 2025, the group will be hosting an in-person event that will give the new members an opportunity to properly introduce themselves to fans.
Interestingly, despite the J-pop sensation that ClariS has become in recent years, the pop group had extremely humble origins. Having originally formed in 2009 by two junior high girls that went by Clara and Alice who posted covers to the Japanese video-hosting site Niconico, the pair were later signed to the record label SME Records and released their first original single in 2010. In 2012, ClariS released their first studio album that was awarded a Gold Disc by the Recording Industry Association of Japan for having 100,000 copies shipped in a single year. From that point on, ClariS’s music became a cultural phenomenon around the world.
Source: Oricon JP
