After a very successful AnimagiC appearance last year, VK Blanka has been heavily requested by his international fans to perform once again in Mannheim, Germany. This time, he has been moved to a much bigger hall, the Mozarthall, that hosts more than double the audience compared to previous year.
We had the pleasure to chat with him and ask him a few questions about his musical inspirations and what he likes to do in Germany but also about his new collaborations, especially the freshly teamed-up band formation "Backseat Boyz", with his friends Yuji and JOY. Speaking of which, their first single "HOBO HOBO" is out now!
Hey VK Blanka! You are currently at AnimagiC in Mannheim. How are you feeling?
VK Blanka: I'm super excited. I also came here last year, but this year has an even more exciting and fashionable atmosphere. I can really feel it, so I'm thrilled to be back.
It’s your second time here. Now that you have a better image of the city and the convention, is there anything you are particularly looking forward to?
VK Blanka: Knowing the venue, the event's atmosphere, and the layout of Mannheim makes this place feel almost like home. It makes everything so easy to plan. I like that I know exactly when to perform, rehearse, eat, drop by the department store, or go shopping. It’s the absolute best.
So it has already become a routine for you!
VK Blanka: Exactly, it’s completely a routine now. (laughs)
You seem to like shifting between different styles and genres, but also experiment with sounds of different cultures. What is the kind of sound you’re currently obsessed with?
VK Blanka: Ever since I found out I was coming to Germany, my mind naturally drifted toward German music. Lately,... it’s hard to pronounce the title of the song, but it’s called something like... *sings* Ggudushd?
Ah you mean, "Du bist gut genug"?
VK Blanka: Yeah, that one!! That song really inspires me so much! When I return to Japan, I want to start creating music in that kind of genre. Performing abroad always leaves such a massive impression on me and brings me new ideas on what I want to write next.
You recently announced that you're partnering up with other creators to make music as "Backseat Boyz." How did this project come about?
VK Blanka: One of the members, Yuji, is a close friend of mine. It started casually over dinner. We just said, "Let’s do something fun and interesting." We kept that momentum going, and as we were chatting about it, the people around us thought it sounded fun too, which helped bring it to life.
Do you have a specific goal for the project?
VK Blanka: First of all, putting out music. Yuji and JOY are TV hosts/entertainers and models. That allows us to create a very special blend of the different creative careers. Right now I don’t know what we'll do next, but it’s definitely going to be interesting.
I also saw that your latest single is a collaboration with Japanese rapper Novel Core. This year is really a year of new collaborations for you. Is it a coincidence, or are you actively pursuing working with other artists?
VK Blanka: My stance is always to stay open to new collaborations. Novel Core is an amazingly talented rapper. Our song "Beast ≠ Knight (feat. Novel Core)," is the opening theme song for a TV Asahi's April 2026 Friday night drama called, "Cheated in My Last Three Months” (余命３ヶ月のサレ夫). It has this musically phenomenal atmosphere. It's almost like a conversational battle where our voices constantly overlap and I love how it turned out.
That's why I want to keep staying open to any kind of collaboration moving forward.
Have these collaborations changed how you approach music making?
VK Blanka: Definitely. When you’re not just singing by yourself and instead working alongside someone else, you can layer in a much wider variety of musical elements. It makes the entire creation process so much more fun.
What do you do to maintain balance during such intense music making sessions with others?
VK Blanka: Conversations. The most important thing when collaborating with other artists is communicating. Either over the phone, video chat, or face-to-face. Dialogue is everything.
Any message for our German readers?
VK Blanka: Hallo, Deutschland. Ich bin VK Blanka!
I'm really happy to see you guys for a second time. In the near future I'm going to give you some very good news so stay tuned!
For those who are at AnimagiC, thank you for waiting to see my concert and I hope I will come back next year again. Thank you so much for your support. Thank you! Vielen Dank!
"Thank you, VK!" - BSR Team
