Asuka Ōkura

Asuka Ōkura (大倉 明日香, Ōkura Asuka, born September 5, 1996),[1] also known by the stage name Asca (stylized as ASCA), is a Japanese musician signed to Sacra Music.[1] She made her debut in 2013 after becoming a finalist at the 5th Animax All-Japan Anisong Grand Prix. After focusing on her studies, she resumed her music career in late 2016. Her songs have been featured in the anime series The Pet Girl of Sakurasou, Fate/Apocrypha, Sword Art Online, and Darwin's Game.

Asuka Ōkura
大倉 明日香
Also known asASCA
Born (1996-09-05) September 5, 1996
Aichi Prefecture, Japan
GenresJ-pop, anison
Years active2013, 2016–present
LabelsMedia Factory (2012–2013)
Sacra Music (2017–present)
Websitewww.asca-official.com

Biography

Early life

Ōkura was born in Aichi Prefecture on September 5, 1996.[1][2] She had aspired to become a musician since she was in elementary school, at which time she also become interested in anime music.[3] She became interested in singing after listening to the song "I believe" by Ayaka, and songs by BoA and Dreams Come True.[4] During her second year in junior high school, her older sister, who had begun taking music lessons, encouraged her to do the same.[3] Afterwards, she started playing in a band, with herself on vocals and her sisters playing instruments.

Career

At the encouragement of her music teacher, she decided to audition for the 5th Animax All-Japan Anisong Grand Prix in 2011.[3] She became a finalist in the contest, which was eventually won by Konomi Suzuki.[5] Although she did not win the contest, as a finalist, Ōkura was offered a one-year contract with music label Media Factory.[4] After a year had passed and as the contract was about to expire, it was decided that she would make her music debut.[4] She released her first single "Prime Number: Kimi to Deaeru Hi" (Prime number ~君と出会える日~) on March 11, 2013;[6] the title song is used as the second ending theme to the anime television series The Pet Girl of Sakurasou.[5] After the release of the single, she put her career on hold to focus on her high school studies.[4]

After she graduated from high school, Ōkura resumed her music career in 2016. Her first post-comeback release was the mini-album Days, which was released digitally on December 21, 2016.[7] The following year, she moved to the record label Sacra Music and began using the stage name Asca. Her next release was the song "Rust", which was included in the August 2017 issue of LisAni magazine.[1] Her second single "Koe" was released digitally on November 12, 2017 and received a physical release on November 22, 2017; the title track is used as the second ending theme to the anime television series Fate/Apocrypha.[2][8] Her third single "Pledge" was released digitally on February 16, 2018 and received a physical release on February 21, 2018; the song is used as the ending theme of anime Record of Grancrest War[9] Her fourth single "Rin" (凜, Cold) was released digitally on May 4, 2018 and received a physical release on May 9, 2018; the song is be used as the second opening theme of anime Record of Grancrest War[10] She released three collaborated singles "Ain Soph Aur" (アインソフオウル, Limitless Light) with Ayasa, "Nisemono no Koi ni Sayounara" (偽物の恋にさようなら, Goodbye to Fake Love)) with Kanon Wakeshima, and "Suspected, Confused and Action" with Boku no Lyric no Boyomi digitally on September 24, 2018, October 29, 2018, and November 30, 2018, respectively. Her fifth single "Resister" was released digitally on January 13, 2019[11] and received a physical release on February 27, 2019; the song "Resister" is used as the second opening theme of anime Sword Art Online: Alicization,[12] while the song "Mirage" is used as the theme song of VR game Tokyo Chronos.[13] ASCA is featured on Hiroyuki Sawano's song "Unti-L", under the name "SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:ASCA"; the song is feature on Hiroyuki Sawano album "R∃/MEMBER".[14] Her sixth single "Rust/Hibari/Kōbō" was released on September 4, 2019.[15] "Hibari" was released digitally on July 14, 2019,[16] and is used as the ending theme to the anime series The Case Files of Lord El-Melloi II,[17] while "Kōbō" is used as the insert song of VR game Tokyo Chronos.[18] She was released her first album titled Hyakkaryōran (百花繚乱, Hundred Songs) on November 6, 2019.[19] The album included her new song Selfrontier (セルフロンティア) that was used as the opening theme song of game Sword Art Online: Alicization Rising Steel[20] Her seventh single "Chain" was released digitally on January 18, 2020[21] and received a physical release on February 26, 2020; the title track is used as the opening theme to anime series Darwin's Game.[22] She collaborated with Takanori Nishikawa in performing the song "Tenbin -LIBRA-" (天秤-Libra-, Balance -LIBRA-) that was released on May 27, 2020; the song is used as the opening theme of anime series White Cat Project: Zero Chronicle.[23] Her eighth single "Howling" was released digitally on October 4, 2020,[24] and will received physical release on November 4, 2020; the title track is used as the opening theme to the second season of anime series The Irregular at Magic High School.[25] The single itself will included Garnidelia second single "Grilletto", which was used as the second opening of the first season of the same anime.

Discography

As Asuka Ōkura

Mini albums
Year Album details
2016 DAYS [Indies]
  • Released: December 21, 2016
  • Format: Digital download

Singles
Year Song Peak Oricon
chart positions
2013 Prime number ~Kimi to Deaeru Hi~ (君と出会える日, The Day I Can Meet You)
  • Released: February 27, 2013
 40[26]

As ASCA

Album
Year Song Peak Oricon
chart positions
2019 Hyakkaryōran (百歌繚乱, Hundred Songs)
  • Released: November 6, 2019
  • Label: Sacra Music (VVCL-1525, VVCL-1527, VVCL-1529)
  • Format: CD,CD+BD
 11[19]
2021 Hyakki Yakō (百希夜行, Night Parade of One Hundred Demons)
  • Released: January 27, 2021
  • Label: Sacra Music (VVCL-1812, VVCL-1815, VVCL-1817)
  • Format: CD,CD+BD

Singles
Year Song Peak Oricon
chart positions		 Album
2017 RUST
  • Released: August, 2017
 — Hyakkaryōran (百歌繚乱, Hundred Songs)
KOE (Voice)
  • Released: November 22, 2017
 33[27]
2018 PLEDGE
  • Released: February 21, 2018
 92[28]
"Rin" (凜, Cold)
  • Released: May 9, 2018
 44[29]
2019 RESISTER
  • Released: February 27, 2019
 14[30]
RUST/Hibari/Kōbō (RUST/雲雀/光芒, Rust/Skylark/Beam of Light)
  • Released: September 4, 2019
 20[31]
2020 CHAIN
  • Released: February 26, 2020
 26[32]
Howling
  • To be released: November 4, 2020
"—" denotes releases that were ineligible to chart.[upper-alpha 1]

Collaboration singles
Year Song Peak Oricon
chart positions		 Album
2020 Tenbin -LIBRA- (天秤-Libra-, Balance -LIBRA-) (with Takanori Nishikawa)
  • Released: May 27, 2020
 7[33]

Guest appearances
Song Year Album Album artist
"Unti-L" 2019 R∃/MEMBER[upper-alpha 2] SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]

Digital singles
Year Song Album
2018 "Ain Soph Aur" (アインソフオウル, Limitless Light) (with Ayasa)
  • Released: September 24, 2018
 Hyakkaryōran (百歌繚乱, Hundred Songs)
"Nisemono no Koi ni Sayounara" (偽物の恋にさようなら, Goodbye to Fake Love)) (with Kanon Wakeshima)
  • Released: October 29, 2018
Suspected, Confused and Action (under the name ASCA VS Boku no Lyric no Boyomi)
  • Released: November 30, 2018

Notes
  1. As a bonus CD released with issues of the anime music magazine LisAni!, these songs were ineligible to chart on the Oricon singles chart.
  2. "Unti-L" is also included on the album Hyakkaryōran (百歌繚乱, Hundred Songs); this version is titled "Unti-L <100S-R2>". ASCA is collaborated with Mizuki in this version.

References
  1. "Official profile". Sacra Music. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  2. "楽曲「KOE」が人気アニメ「Fate/Apocrypha」EDテーマに大抜擢されたASCAとは!?" (in Japanese). Oricon. September 24, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  3. "『さくら荘のペットな彼女』新エンディングテーマを歌う女子高生新人歌手・大倉明日香さんインタビュー" (in Japanese). Animate. February 1, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  4. "音楽では食べていけないと知る世代の本音 大倉明日香×Ryota" (in Japanese). Cinra. December 21, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  5. "鈴木このみ、大倉明日香がアニメ「さくら荘のペットな彼女」の新OP＆EDを担当！CDは2月27日に発売！" (in Japanese). Koeputa. December 26, 2012. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  6. "Prime number～君と出会える日～" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  7. "デイズ - EP" (in Japanese). iTunes. December 21, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  8. "Fate/Apocrypha Anime Previews 2nd Cour, New Theme Song Artists in Promo Video". Anime News Network. September 24, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  9. "ASCA Performs Record of Grancrest War". Anime News Network. December 1, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  10. "ASCA, Mashiro Ayano Return for 2nd Record of Grancrest War Theme Songs". Anime News Network. March 2, 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  11. "RESISTER - Single" (in Japanese). iTunes. January 13, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  12. "ASCA, ReoNa Perform New Theme Songs for Sword Art Online: Alicization Anime". Anime News Network. December 8, 2018. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  13. "ASCAʼs New Song, "Mirage" Will be the Ending Song of Tokyo Chronos". Anime News Network. January 13, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  14. "R∃/MEMBER" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  15. "ASCA、5thシングル「RUST / 雲雀 / 光芒」9月4日(水) CDリリース決定！" (in Japanese). Sacra Music. June 14, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  16. "RUST / 雲雀 / 光芒 - Single" (in Japanese). iTunes. July 14, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  17. "ASCA Performs Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files Anime's Ending Song". Anime News Network. April 29, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  18. "THEME SONG" (in Japanese). Tokyo Chronos Official website. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  19. "百花繚乱" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  20. "Sword Art Online: Alicization Rising Steel Smartphone Game Unveils Opening Video". Anime News Network. September 14, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  21. "CHAIN - Single" (in Japanese). iTunes. January 18, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  22. Sherman, Jennifer (December 17, 2019). "Darwin's Game Anime's Video Previews ASCA Theme Song". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  23. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (January 27, 2020). "Shironeko Project: Zero Chronicle Anime's Video Reveals Theme Song Artists, April 6 Premiere". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  24. "- Single" (in Japanese). iTunes. October 4, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  25. "Irregular at Magic High School Anime Season 2's 2nd Video Introduces Theme Songs". Anime News Network. September 5, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  26. "Prime number～君と出会える日～" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  27. "KOE" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  28. "PLEDGE" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  29. "凜[Rin]" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  30. "RESISTER" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  31. "RUST/雲雀/光芒[RUST/Hibari/Kōbō]" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  32. "CHAIN" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  33. "天秤-Libra-" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
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