She’s one of the most engaging drummers out there! Simply amazing. She “plays the song”, rather than just being the rhythm in the background.

And this is early Akane 🤯 She's changed her playing style since, much more upright so less back problems, but fck me she is amazing, it was Akane who got me drumming again a couple of years ago at a young 62 😂 She reminded me that it's fun and everyday I have a hoot wailing away like a drunk in a bar fight. Akane is a consummate talent and wonderful seeing her paying some homage to Nao, I adore them both. All hail the prettiest gorilla that's ever been, thanks so much for this 👍🍻

MISA may be the Barefoot Assassin but it's Akane who always delivers the lethal kicks :)

Akane is awesome. This is pretty old now, in yhe days of the tiny hat. She is even better now, an awesome drummer and an integral part of an awesome band

She is so talented, Her and Misa are one of the great bass/drum combo's going right now.

She really has some nice wrists!

Nao from MTH is the reason that Akane pursued the drums with the intensity that she has. She already enjoyed drumming, but didn't think she would be taken seriously playing the music she really liked. Which was MTH. In one her interviews she said that when she found out the MTH's drummer was a small tiny woman, it blew her away. And she then decided then that she wanted to go to music school for drums, instead of going to cosmetology school to be a hair dresser. And if I am remembering correctly, this was done before she bought a "GOOD" double kick pedal, so was using a standard single pedal. Her current double pedal setup is a HIGHLY modified DW5000, using the z connector rod from a pearl double pedal and she has experimented with springs and chains from Tama, Sonor, Sakae and other companies. From a photo from behind her kit from Welcome Rockville, I know several drummers who haven't been able to ID just what springs and chains she is using, but they all say they are customized/modified. And I haven't been able to confirm this, but I just read over on Futaba/2ch that Akane was seen/heard at a music/instrument store in Tokyo trying a DW9000 and was playing "SOMETHING" at 235 bpm. It wasn't Black Hole which is 220 bpm. Again, I have no way of verifying that, unless someone got it on video. Since Dragonforce has a song or two at that BPM, it's possible she played Dragonforce.

The things that I like about these videos are that we don't often get to see extended, close focus on Akane and just how easy she makes it look. I guess Akane is nicknamed "Gorilla" because of her tireless drumming. But, she really offers a lesson in energy conservation. There is no wasted motion, nor tension to her technique. Every move, no matter how fast, is relaxed.

Akane, MISA and Kanami all did a cover around the time when this was made, in the very early days of Band-Maid. Here's the one Kanami-sama made, a cover of OK Rock's Koi N Aibou - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mJ19eJiezdG-n30.htmlsi=aPPyeGLxzAsZDKj3

Great idea! You already know that Nao was Akane's inspiration (also Tamu Murata's of Nemophila). That's why I checked out MtH. First I listened to A-L-I-E-N but it didn't grab me. Then I listened to Yoshu Fukushu and it went straight into my Desert Island Discs. Despite not knowing any Japanese, I felt like I knew exactly what the song was about. You're right that there were people saying that Band-Maid weren't really playing, but they have said that these playthroughs were not in response to that.

There was Akane praising Nao Kawakita. Some amazing careers begin with some fortunate inspirations. Thanks Nao for been a model!

I’m not a drummer, but Akane’s drumming is fascinating to me. Akane seems to take Keith Moon’s essential kit and play with the unexpected creativity of Neil Peart.

Imxo, Senri Kawaguchi is at the top of jazz-fusion drummers (maybe even for all genres), as is Akane Hirose for hard rock. How Akane, Kanami, MISA, Saiki and Miku found each other to form Band-Maid is a F'n miracle! Thx, Chris & Sam!

I managed to watch a Behind the Scenes video on Band-Maid's US Tour from last year, the only time when Akane was able to practice playing the drums, was when they arrive at the venue they're playing at. All the other members of the band however are able to practice pretty much at any time they were on the tour bus.

She was still using a single pedal for the kick drum. I think Kaname was the one who convinced her to learn double pedal.

RIP tiny hat, Akane and Misa are a rock solid duo. They are (in my opinion) Band-Maid's secret weapon, a solid rhythm section is the bedrock of any band. Akane (along with Pau from The Warning) are my favourite current drummers. So much power, energy and passion for their performance 🤘

RIP Tiny Hat ❤

Nao is the one to blame for so many of amazing female drummers in Japan. Both a Akane and Tamu name her as inspiration to become a drummer.

I believe the Apprentice has become the Master. Mao is amazing, but the technical level of the stuff Akane has put out on Unseen World to present is top shelf, itself. Mao, Haruna, Akane, where do they get all these wonderful drummers?!?!?!?!

Guys thanks for this nice reaction and upload -----Amagine Akane going full Gorilla mode this is not even close to her potential Gorilla mode is absolutely mind blowing when she does go full G-mode😮

It is well known that Haruna the drummer of Lovebites and A-chan are best friends forming what Akane calls the big eaters' drumming corp. Akane learned to play trumpet in high school but gave that up because she was inspired by Nao, Max's female drummer. In other words if no Nao then the likelihood of Akane making that change in instruments might not have occurred. At least at the very time it did.

This is early, slouched over Akane. She missed some action back then with back issues. She's much more upright and centered these days. She's always been awesome though. 😀

Not a fan of MTH, but always love watching Akane.

Chris, you and Sam need to check out Trident - voltage toi hear the drummer Junna....I love me some Akane but Junna is 🔥 and 24ish....I think she was 20 during this video and since has toured with Marty Freeman and Fate Gear

Yes, early on BAND-MAID was accused of not really playing their own instruments. This was no doubt a combination of Kanami's backing tracks and their fantastic LIVE mix on their LIVE Music Videos. Also possibly the reason for the choice of the high and heavily ambient mix for Line Cube Shibuya with all the audience mics. Though it did tend to make the low end a little unfocused for a BAND-MAID video, there was no question that they were not just up there miming like Milli Vanilli, especially with all the crowd interactions. One could make an argument that playing to backing tracks makes it easier, however you could also argue that it's harder, because once you lock in there can be no deviation, especially since all the lighting cues are tied in.

funny thing about those doubts and doubters during their early years, the fill beast used to play ian paice pieces before the band was formed.

hope you guys do more Sokoninaru i found your channel though them much love they have a new music video out for they're song "saitei"

Other skeptics (maybe the same ones) say the same thing about Kanami. There's a video on YT of Mincho easily playing a One Ok Rock song. No one, however, doubted Misa. Ha-ha-ha!

I'm more tuned to rock as opposed to metal, and my favorites are more towards power metal and symphonic metal. But Akane just kills it and leaves it for dead, she's just magnificent in any thing she does. In my opinion, she's a true savant, because there are so many different things going on that she has to keep track of every little thing and be on time without fail. Your point about her hands and feet are doing four different things at the same and they're basically working at cross-purposes to each other. The synaptic connections between her ears, her brain and her hands are working at an unbelievably fast rate, and this is just a cover with no other instruments or band members present. This doesn't mean that it's easier, it just means the outside forces that are present in both live performances and recording music videos aren't there to possibly distract her. And then you think of what she has on her plate at a live show, being the band leader and making sure everyone is in their proper place within the song and keeping the time, it's even more amazing. It's not like she's the only drummer who has that ability, but she does it so effortlessly and is laughing and enjoying the show and interacting with the rest of the band at the same time. That's the thing that impresses me the most, her doing all these complex parts of each song and still is having fun and making it look easy. Sorry, I got carried away and had to go all pedantic on this, lol.

Japanese people are very talented they dont fake anything

Early misguided comments about BANDMAID not really playing we’re probably fuelled by Miku (who really couldn’t play in the early days) and the rest who made it look so easy that it couldn’t be real! Lol

Great video! Love your comments of where her techniques shines. There is another "proof" video for Kanami playing cover of One OK Rock for doubters. Ttile: "Band-Maid - Kanami Cover of One OK Rock" kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mqp1oK2cydC5iZs.html

Unfortunately MtH took down their music video of this. It was epic with the crowd going nuts.

😁Tiny Hat 😢

No need to say I love Akane's drumming. But could we spent two minutes to praise the original drummer, the also insanely talented Nao? We all know she's Akane's inspiration (besides tons of young female drummers!). Oh, and both are funny as hell too!

Killer. Thanks. BTW, Kanami also published a cover 9 years ago in response to claims that Band Maid didn't play their instruments. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mqp1oK2cydC5iZs.html. It's not as cool a song as Benjo and Kanami, for all her skills and compositional brilliance (a real genius), is not the monster that Akane is on her instrument. I may be Kanami's biggest fan but superheroes have to have balanced powers to keep it fair.

Benjo =　toilet

Next rection please, Drumer from Indonesia "OKI FADHLAN - JASAD ( SILIWANGI ) DRUM PLAYTHROUGH" in KZfaq kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rcuhd6pz3bvYm5s.htmlsi=OEuK2pnewq5b4qn8

MtH is super bad ass.

Featuring His Holiness TinyHat-san.

最後まで聞いてからコメントしては？

Is she even human