# ChouCho
ChouCho (ちょうちょ, stylized ChouCho) is a Japanese singer from [Suita](https://www.edgepedia.org/suita), Osaka Prefecture, who sings theme songs for anime and tokusatsu works and debuted on 27 July 2011 with "Kawaru Mirai", the opening theme of the TV anime *Kami-sama no Memo-chou* (*Heaven's Memo Pad*), on the label Lantis.[1](https://www.lantis.jp/artist/choucho/bio.html) • [2](https://spice.eplus.jp/articles/290169) She first gained attention with roughly one million plays of her cover songs in the "utattemita" category of the video site Nico Nico Douga.[1](https://www.lantis.jp/artist/choucho/bio.html) Her tie-in record includes *Hyouka*, *[Girls und Panzer](https://www.edgepedia.org/girls-und-panzer)*, *[Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya](https://www.edgepedia.org/fate-kaleid-liner-prisma-illya)*, and *Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga*, and she marked her 15th debut anniversary in 2026 with the digital single "Defy the Silence" and festival appearances in Seoul and Nagano.[3](https://repotama.com/2026/07/203910/)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin | Suita, Osaka Prefecture[4](https://web.archive.org/web/20130610131938/http:/artist.cdjournal.com/a/-/907337) |
| Major debut | 27 July 2011, "Kawaru Mirai" (*Kami-sama no Memo-chou* OP), Lantis[1](https://www.lantis.jp/artist/choucho/bio.html) • [2](https://spice.eplus.jp/articles/290169) |
| Pre-debut | Anison cover band Lotus Lotus from about 2007; ~1,000,000 Nico Nico Douga cover plays[5](https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/542885/) |
| Signature tie-ins | "Yasashisa no Riyuu" (*Hyouka*), "DreamRiser" (*Girls und Panzer*), *Girls und Panzer das Finale* themes[1](https://www.lantis.jp/artist/choucho/bio.html) |
| Best-charting release | 2016 debut-5th-anniversary best album, Oricon No. 13[1](https://www.lantis.jp/artist/choucho/bio.html) |
| Best-selling single | "piece of youth" (2015, *Girls und Panzer der Film* theme), 4,095 first-week copies[6](https://ranking.zonosite.com/2020/10/16/post-8041/) |
| Latest release | "Defy the Silence", digital single, 27 July 2026[3](https://repotama.com/2026/07/203910/) |
## Career
ChouCho began learning music on electone at age 4 and formed her first band in her second year of high school. From around 2007 she performed live in Osaka as vocalist of the anison cover band Lotus Lotus (ロータス★ロータス).[7](https://www.lisani.jp/0000001084/) She made her first post to Nico Nico Douga's "utattemita" category in 2008, and her covers there drew about one million plays.[4](https://web.archive.org/web/20130610131938/http:/artist.cdjournal.com/a/-/907337) • [1](https://www.lantis.jp/artist/choucho/bio.html) In 2009 she suspended music activity to study abroad, resuming after returning to Japan in 2011.[5](https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/542885/) She had moved to Tokyo to sing, uploading videos and performing street lives, and was contacted by Lantis about a major debut.[8](https://www.animeherald.com/interview/meeting-dream-riser-anime-herald-talks-choucho/)
The major debut came on 27 July 2011 with "Kawaru Mirai".[2](https://spice.eplus.jp/articles/290169) • [1](https://www.lantis.jp/artist/choucho/bio.html) Theme-song offers for *Mashiroiro Symphony*, *Hyouka*, and *Girls und Panzer* followed, and on 2 May 2012 she changed her professional name from ちょうちょ to ChouCho with the release of her 4th single "Yasashisa no Riyuu", the *Hyouka* opening theme.[1](https://www.lantis.jp/artist/choucho/bio.html) • [9](https://t.pia.jp/pia/artist/artists.do?artistsCd=A3120003) Her first album *flyleaf* followed on 8 August 2012, she completed her first one-man tour in autumn 2012, and her second album *secretgarden* was released on 25 December 2013.[9](https://t.pia.jp/pia/artist/artists.do?artistsCd=A3120003) • [1](https://www.lantis.jp/artist/choucho/bio.html)
## Discography and anime tie-ins
Her tie-in list runs from the debut through tokusatsu and continuing franchise work:
- "Kawaru Mirai", *Kami-sama no Memo-chou* OP, 27 July 2011; "Authentic symphony", *Mashiroiro Symphony* OP, 26 October 2011[6](https://ranking.zonosite.com/2020/10/16/post-8041/)
- "Yasashisa no Riyuu", *Hyouka* OP, 2 May 2012; "DreamRiser", *Girls und Panzer* OP, 24 October 2012[9](https://t.pia.jp/pia/artist/artists.do?artistsCd=A3120003) • [6](https://ranking.zonosite.com/2020/10/16/post-8041/)
- "Sora to Kimi no Message", *Gargantia* ED, May 2013; "starlog", *Prisma Illya* OP, July 2013[7](https://www.lisani.jp/0000001084/)
- *secretgarden* (25 December 2013) includes "DreamRiser", "Hikari" (*Fairy Fencer F* ED), and "earthlit" (ANN news/sports December 2013 ending theme); it also marked her first major-label songwriting.[7](https://www.lisani.jp/0000001084/)
- "BLESS YoUr NAME", *High School DxD BorN* OP, 2015; "piece of youth"/"GloryStory", *[Girls und Panzer der Film](https://www.edgepedia.org/girls-und-panzer-der-film)* theme, released with the film on 25 November 2015[6](https://ranking.zonosite.com/2020/10/16/post-8041/) • [1](https://www.lantis.jp/artist/choucho/bio.html)
- "Asterism", *Prisma Illya 2wei!* OP, 27 July 2016; "Orange Iro", *[Tsurune](https://www.edgepedia.org/tsurune)* ED, 2018[6](https://ranking.zonosite.com/2020/10/16/post-8041/)
- "Nanairo no Tane", self-written and composed, first-cour ED of *Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga*, July 2021[10](https://www.oricon.co.jp/special/57900/)
- "Hoshikuzu Diary" (星屑ダイアリー), digital single for the 10th anniversary of *Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya*, 8 August 2023; "Never Say Goodbye", OP of *Girls und Panzer das Finale* episodes 4–6, 4 October 2023 in regular (LACM-24436) and LP-size (LACZ-10174) editions[11](http://choucho-net.com/discography)
- "Green jade", ED of *The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic* (治癒魔法の間違った使い方), 28 February 2024 (LACM-24479)[11](http://choucho-net.com/discography)
- "Hikisasu Tobira" (光射す扉), ED of the TV anime *Yuusha Party wo Tsuihou Sareta Shiromadoushi*, digital-only single (LZC-3151), 11 July 2025[11](http://choucho-net.com/discography)
Her best albums are the 2016 debut-anniversary release, whose 24 tracks include 23 anime and game tie-ins,[1](https://www.lantis.jp/artist/choucho/bio.html) and the two-CD *ChouCho the BEST* released 8 December 2021 for her 10th anniversary, in limited 2CD+BD and regular editions.[10](https://www.oricon.co.jp/special/57900/) • [11](http://choucho-net.com/discography) Billboard Japan also lists *ChouCho ColleCtion "bouquet"* (released 25 May 2016) and products tied to the *Girls und Panzer der Film* cinematic concert.[12](https://www.billboard-japan.com/artists/detail/202699)
## Singing style and songwriting
Lantis describes her as a natural, lustrous voice praised regardless of genre, with overseas anime-event appearances and hi-res distribution among her activities.[1](https://www.lantis.jp/artist/choucho/bio.html) Oricon News attributes her decade-long anison career to a warm, deep vocal quality and natural voice production that fits any story world.[10](https://www.oricon.co.jp/special/57900/) ChouCho herself identifies her voice's lack of distinctive tics as its feature, letting her match many kinds of songs.[13](https://www.jungle.ne.jp/sp_post/243-choucho/)
She began writing her anime theme songs herself around her 15th single "kaleidoscope/Usubenii no Tsuki" (released 26 August 2017), the theme of the film *Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya: Oath Under Snow*, after personally negotiating to write it.[10](https://www.oricon.co.jp/special/57900/) She says joining Lantis brought more chances to write lyrics and music,[8](https://www.animeherald.com/interview/meeting-dream-riser-anime-herald-talks-choucho/) and that her expression grows with each tour.[13](https://www.jungle.ne.jp/sp_post/243-choucho/)
## By the numbers
First-week Oricon sales compiled from her singles catalog show a consistent few-thousand-copy range for the major tie-in singles: "Kawaru Mirai" 3,624; "Authentic symphony" 3,387; "Yasashisa no Riyuu" 3,714; "DreamRiser" 1,905; "starlog" 3,681.[6](https://ranking.zonosite.com/2020/10/16/post-8041/) "Sora to Kimi no Message" sold 2,349 first-week copies, "Asterism" 1,412, "BLESS YoUr NAME" 912, and "Orange Iro" 246.[6](https://ranking.zonosite.com/2020/10/16/post-8041/) Her best-selling single is "piece of youth", the *Girls und Panzer der Film* theme, at 4,095 first-week copies.[6](https://ranking.zonosite.com/2020/10/16/post-8041/) On the album side, the 2016 best album reached No. 13 on the Oricon chart.[1](https://www.lantis.jp/artist/choucho/bio.html)
## Live career and festivals
Her first one-man tour was completed in autumn 2012.[1](https://www.lantis.jp/artist/choucho/bio.html) She first appeared at [Animelo Summer Live](https://www.edgepedia.org/animelo-summer-live) in August 2013 at Animelo Summer Live 2013 -FLAG NINE-, and appeared a second time at Animelo Summer Live 2015 -THE GATE- in August 2015.[7](https://www.lisani.jp/0000001084/) • [1](https://www.lantis.jp/artist/choucho/bio.html) For the 2016 best album she toured five venues nationwide.[1](https://www.lantis.jp/artist/choucho/bio.html)
In 2026 she performed at KIMCHIKURA Fes '26, a subculture music event in Seoul, South Korea, on 8 August, and is scheduled to appear at Nagano Aniera Festa 2026 on 19–20 September.[3](https://repotama.com/2026/07/203910/) Her own production, "ChouCho Presents GIRLS und PANZER Special Live", takes place on 25 October 2026 with fellow Lantis artist Sasaki Sayaka as guest and a duet planned; her official site announced a SUPER VIP ticket sellout.[3](https://repotama.com/2026/07/203910/) • [14](https://choucho-net.com/)
## Recent developments
The period from late 2023 through 2026 centers on *Girls und Panzer* and her 15th anniversary. "Never Say Goodbye", the opening theme of *Girls und Panzer das Finale* episodes 4–6, was released on 4 October 2023, and Lantis published an animation music video for it marking the theatrical release of episode 4.[11](http://choucho-net.com/discography) • [15](https://www.lantis.jp/artist/choucho/news.html) She calls *Girls und Panzer* a work she has been with since just after her debut, having sung its theme song immediately after debuting.[3](https://repotama.com/2026/07/203910/)
New tie-ins continued with "Green jade" (February 2024) and "Hikisasu Tobira" (July 2025).[11](http://choucho-net.com/discography) She appears on Animelo Summer Live -AXEL- DAY2,[15](https://www.lantis.jp/artist/choucho/news.html) and for the anniversary itself she digitally released "Defy the Silence", the image song for the fourth PV of the figure series *LINK TRAVELERS*, on 27 July 2026, her debut date, arranged by Jun Murayama; she describes it as a classic Western-fantasy-style song.[3](https://repotama.com/2026/07/203910/)
## References
1. [ChouCho | Lantis web site (biography)](https://www.lantis.jp/artist/choucho/bio.html)
2. [ChouCho 10th-anniversary interview | SPICE (e-plus)](https://spice.eplus.jp/articles/290169)
3. [ChouCho 15th-anniversary "Defy the Silence" interview | Repotama](https://repotama.com/2026/07/203910/)
4. [ChouCho | CDJournal (archived)](https://web.archive.org/web/20130610131938/http:/artist.cdjournal.com/a/-/907337)
5. [ChouCho profile | ORICON NEWS](https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/542885/)
6. [ChouCho CD release and sales compilation](https://ranking.zonosite.com/2020/10/16/post-8041/)
7. [ChouCho *secretgarden* interview | LisAni!](https://www.lisani.jp/0000001084/)
8. [Meeting The Dream Riser: Anime Herald Talks To ChouCho](https://www.animeherald.com/interview/meeting-dream-riser-anime-herald-talks-choucho/)
9. [ChouCho profile | Ticket Pia](https://t.pia.jp/pia/artist/artists.do?artistsCd=A3120003)
10. [ChouCho 10th-anniversary best album feature | ORICON NEWS](https://www.oricon.co.jp/special/57900/)
11. [ChouCho Official site » Discography](http://choucho-net.com/discography)
12. [ChouCho | Billboard JAPAN artist page](https://www.billboard-japan.com/artists/detail/202699)
13. [ChouCho interview | JUNGLE☆LIFE](https://www.jungle.ne.jp/sp_post/243-choucho/)
14. [ChouCho Official site](https://choucho-net.com/)
15. [ChouCho | Lantis web site (news index)](https://www.lantis.jp/artist/choucho/news.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › East and Southeast Asian pop scenes › Anime, Vocaloid, game, and doujin music › Artists, groups, and people: Anime, Vocaloid, game, and doujin music › Classic and hot-blooded anison singers*
*Initially written Sep 19, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 30, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license