

If the anime series was called “Koto on Ice”, this cover would have just landed a spectacular quadruple axel.

…that attempt at humour probably didn’t even make much sense, but fret not, it doesn’t change how absolutely beautiful this rendition of figure skating anime Yuri!!! On Ice’s opening theme is.

Feast your ears on this koto quartet version of “History Maker”, arranged and performed by koto player Kazushi Okimasa (@okimasakazushi)!

▼ Here’s the original.

The original version of “History Maker” by Dean Fujioka has a very contemporary feel to it, which perfectly suits the anime, but Kazushi Okimasa’s cover with the koto adds a graceful touch to it without losing its essence.

If you liked this collaboration of traditional Japanese instruments and anime songs, you’d be pleased to know that there’s more! On top of being a fabulous koto player, Kazushi Okimasa also leads Famikoto, a band which performs game and anime music on various Japanese instruments including the koto, shakuhachi and shamisen. Studio Ghibl fans will want to give a lsiten to this version of “Kimi wo Nosete,” from Hayao Miyazaki’s Castle in the Sky Laputa.

And here’s my personal favourite – Sailor Moon‘s opening theme “Moonlight Densetsu”.

With such a wide range of anime eras represented, it’s only a matter of time until another famous series gets the koto treatment, and you can follow Kazushi Okimasa on Twitter or YouTube for more awesome covers!

Source, top image: Twitter/Kazushi Okimasa

Follow Joan on Twitter for more about anime, and poor attempts at humour.