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The Elusive Samurai Season 2 Ending Theme: Hinatazaka46 Collab Wins Over Fans

逃げ上手の若君 第二期ED 日向坂46コラボに日本ファンの反応

The Elusive SamuraiJapanese ReactionJapanese Fans
The Elusive Samurai Season 2 Ending Theme: Hinatazaka46 Collab Wins Over Fans
“I don't know the first thing about anime, but… is this song riding some kind of divine wind right now?”

アニメには全く疎いのですが… もしかしてこの曲、今神風吹いてます？

— @としかず桜井

The ending theme for The Elusive Samurai Season 2 — "Romantic ga Hoshii Nara" by Bocchi Boromaru featuring Nao Kosaka, Yoko Shogenji and Kaho Fujishima of Hinatazaka46 — has pulled in a crowd that does not normally turn up for anime songs. Across 578 comments on the music video, the most-liked one (211 likes) is from exactly that crowd: "I don't know anything about anime at all, but… is this song riding some kind of divine wind right now?"

What makes the thread worth reading is that two fandoms are standing in the same room. Anime viewers arrive from the show and are startled to find it sitting at number one on the hype chart; idol fans arrive for the three members and spend the thread taking each voice apart — Kosaka's as pure healing, Shogenji's as the one that gets addictive, Fujishima's as cute with a core of steel — and marvel at how three completely different tones lock together. Several point out that the lyrics are colour-coded so you always know whose part you're hearing, and one flags the timestamp where the MV goes sightseeing in Kamakura and works in Elusive Samurai references.

Underneath it all is a quiet campaign to make this the breakout hit of the year, complete with comparisons to last year's AiScReam, people who already have the live crowd chant worked out, and one commenter who simply gives up and admits what they actually feel.

This titleJapanese reactions to The Elusive SamuraiRead all 3 roundups on the title page
（YouTube · ぼっちぼろまる（Official Music Video））

Japanese fan reactions (excerpted from 578)

  • Came here from Elusive Samurai — number one on the hype chart? That's an insane level of popularity.

    逃げ若からきたが、ハイプ1位って人気エグいな

    — @kontenakuwaneeka_baseball77 likes

  • Congrats on number one on the hype ranking! Yoko's voice is so beautiful.

    ハイプランキング１位おめでとう！ よーこちゃんの声がとても美しい

    — @ゆーき091144 likes

  • It's a great song on its own terms, and it still fits Elusive Samurai perfectly. That's impressive.

    曲としてめっちゃ良いのに逃げ若にピッタリあってるのすごい

    — @工藤-kr78 likes

  • A god-tier song I've had on infinite repeat on Spotify since it dropped. Thank you, Elusive Samurai season 2.

    公開から一生Spotifyで回してる神曲 逃げ若2期ありがとう

    — @斗稀-t7q52 likes

  • 2:38 — going sightseeing in Kamakura is so on-brand, and they even worked in Elusive Samurai elements. Legend.

    2:38 鎌倉観光してて推せる　逃げ若要素も入れてくれる神

    — @みずいろインキ58 likes

  • Great song, and the anime's fun too — I want more people to find both!

    いい曲だし、アニメも面白いしもっと見つかって欲しい！

    — @ヒーター-t2a37 likes

  • I love these guerrilla moments where idols get to sing a song with a completely different concept from their own group's.

    こういうアイドルが自分のグループとは特色が違ったコンセプトの曲歌うゲリライベント大好き

    — @rU_rA-061 likes

  • Nothing but gratitude that they cast these three.

    3人を起用してくれて感謝しかない

    — @9nine大好きコバ52 likes

  • Getting another ED from Bocchi Boromaru would have been enough on its own, and then Hinatazaka's voices are in it too — this is such cute pop, I'm so happy!!!!! So cute!!

    またぼっちぼろまるさんでedを聞けるだけで嬉しいのに、日向坂さんの歌声まで入ってくれてほんとめちゃかわPOPで嬉しいです！！！！！かわいい！！

    — @hijj_NGS42 likes

  • To be able to take in this much of Nao's healing properties in one go — Boromaru is too much of an inventor.

    こんなに菜緒さんの声の癒し成分を 摂取出来るなんて ぼろまるさん発明家過ぎる

    — @nerogatto493963 likes

  • Kosaka's voice is genuinely healing 😊

    小坂さんの声は本当に癒し😊

    — @mbamaru116864 likes

  • Nao's voice has this natural transparency to it.

    菜緒ちゃんの声、天性の透明感なんだよな

    — @ヌスーP-s9w53 likes

  • Yoko's voice is so addictive~

    陽子の声が癖になる〜

    — @かほりん降臨-n1r50 likes

  • Kahorin's voice is cute but has this core of steel to it, I love it ♡♡

    かほりんの声かわいいのに芯があるかんじしてめっちゃすき♡♡

    — @しおれもん20234 likes

  • The three of them have completely different vocal timbres and they harmonise so well it makes my chest tighten.

    3人の全然違う声質があまりにも調和してて胸がギュッとなる

    — @にじゴリ56 likes

  • All three of them have real character in their voices and their vocals. So good.

    3人とも声とボーカルのキャラが立っててすごくいい

    — @ragamuffin9838 likes

  • Each of their voices' individuality is used so well, and it comes out so cute! My ears are happy!

    3人の声の個性がめっちゃ活かされてて、めっちゃ可愛くなってる！耳が幸せ！

    — @ningensikaku28 likes

  • Blue: Nao Kosaka (Kosakana) Green: Yoko Shogenji (Yoko) Red: Kaho Fujishima (Kahorin)

    青:小坂菜緒(こさかな) 緑:正源司陽子(よーこ) 赤:藤嶌果歩(かほりん)

    — @ten-pre51 likes

  • So glad they colour-coded it by who's singing which part!!

    歌唱パートごとに色分けしてくれるの嬉しい！！

    — @mkt642935 likes

  • Using the colour of the lyrics to show whose part it is — genius!

    『歌詞の色』で誰のパートか分かるようになってるの天才！

    — @marco-cameko7 likes

  • I'm getting something close to last year's AiScReam from this. I really hope this song blows up more this year....

    去年のAiScReamに近い何かを感じる 今年この曲もっと流行らないかな....

    — @corn_supe45 likes

  • It's got a Pop'n Music feel to it. Makes you want to hear it again and again.

    ポップンミュージック感あるね 何度も聞きたくなる

    — @nexus405427 likes

  • It's not that long is bad — a pop and lovely song like this hits harder at around three minutes! Bocchi is the best!

    長いからダメじゃなくて、こういうポップでラブリーな曲は３分ぐらいがインパクトあってよき！ぼっちさん最高！

    — @なまらチョス23 likes

  • The cute animation and the beautiful vocals leave me completely full!

    可愛いアニメと綺麗な歌声に、めちゃくちゃ満たされる!

    — @ColdBrewJasmine33 likes

  • Apparently they've already learned the choreography, so I'm expecting them to perform it somewhere soon.

    既に振り入れもしてるらしいから 近いうちにどこかで披露してくれると期待

    — @SelfSecurityGuard31 likes

  • I can already hear the crowd chant for the chorus 😊 I want to do that call at a live show 😊😊

    サビの部分のコールが、既に思い浮かぶ😊　ライブでコールしたいなぁえが😊😊

    — @yamaken614827 likes

  • Being liked by girls this cute — I'm so damn jealous.

    こんなかわいい女の子たちに好かれるのクソ羨ましい

    — @ふじ-coto473325 likes

FAQ

What song is this?
"Romantic ga Hoshii Nara," the ending theme for The Elusive Samurai Season 2, by Bocchi Boromaru featuring three Hinatazaka46 members: Nao Kosaka, Yoko Shogenji and Kaho Fujishima.
Why are people who don't watch anime in the comments?
The Hinatazaka46 collab brought idol fans in, and the song charted — commenters mention it hitting number one on the hype ranking, and the top comment is from someone who says outright they know nothing about anime. Anime viewers arriving from the series are reacting to how big the song already is.
Does the music video connect to the anime itself?
Yes — commenters point to the 2:38 mark, where the MV goes sightseeing around Kamakura and works in Elusive Samurai elements, and others praise how well a bright pop song fits the series despite the tonal gap.
Read next · The Elusive Samurai

The Elusive Samurai Season 2 Episode 1: Live-Action Takauji Scene Splits Fans

“Live-action evil-god Takauji is way too scary — I'm watching this live at night, please stop doing that 😭 It's genuinely bad for my heart.”

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This is one of 3 Japanese-reaction roundups for The Elusive Samurai. See them all →

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