BACK-ON Announces New EP “ANIMANIA” Featuring Anime Theme Song Covers, Plus Live Dates

Japanese rock band BACK-ON is set to release a new EP, ANIMANIA, on April 1, 2026, featuring covers of iconic anime theme songs. The announcement comes with the release of their cover of Kota Niisato’s “Hands Up!”, originally the 16th opening theme for the long-running anime series One Piece, which debuted on July 31, 2013 [One Piece Wiki].

“Hands Up!” Cover and ANIMANIA Tracklist

BACK-ON’s rendition of “Hands Up!” is described as having a unified beat and melody, making it a potential highlight of their live performances. The EP will also include covers of songs originally performed by HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR, Kumi Koda, and FLOW.

The complete tracklist for ANIMANIA is as follows:

• 01. PRIDE (Original: HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR)
• 02. Guess Who Is Back (Original: Kumi Koda)
• 03. HANDS UP! (Original: Kota Niisato)
• 04. GO!!! (Original: FLOW)

ANIMANIA Chapter2 Live Tour Dates

In conjunction with the EP release, BACK-ON has announced ANIMANIA Chapter2, a live tour featuring a one-man reveal specializing in anime and game theme songs. The tour will include performances in Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokyo:

• April 11, 2026 (Saturday) – Osaka ANIMA
• April 12, 2026 (Sunday) – Nagoya SPADE BOX
• May 2, 2026 (Saturday) – Tokyo Veats Shibuya

Ticket Information

Tickets for the tour are available in three tiers:

• Benefit Ticket: ¥7,500
• Standing Ticket: ¥5,000
• Standing Ticket (Student Discount): ¥2,500

All tickets include a separate drink fee. The performances will feature not only BACK-ON’s own anime tie-up songs but also covers of anime songs by other artists. [Amazon]

Fans can find more information about BACK-ON on their Wikipedia page.