Crunchyroll Expo is fast approaching. On Friday, July 22, anime fans at San Diego Comic Con were given a sneak-preview of one of the musical acts, ATARASHII GAKKO!. In Japan, they're known as ??????????? (ATARASHII GAKKO NO LEADERS), and the quartet brings a frenetic pace that transcends any one genre.

All photos were provided courtesy of Crunchyroll

This was their second-ever show in America, with the first being at last year's Head in the Clouds festival by 88rising, who is also their American label. The group is associated with ASOBISYSTEM, which you might recognize as being the same group that Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Capsule, Yasutaka Nakata, and many others belong to.

One of the not-so-secrets behind the San Diego Convention Center is the Rady Shell, which normally plays host to the San Diego Symphony and many other musical events. As the name might suggest, the Rady Shell is shaped like the aquatic object of the same name. Given the proximity to the water, it is quite fitting. Crunchyroll rented the venue out for the weekend and on two nights hosted ATARASHII GAKKO! and a special Dragon Ball Z Concert Experience (which, sadly, I was unable to go to due to scheduling conflicts).

While my friends and I walked from our hotel room to the Rady Shell, I was unable to describe to them just what we were going to see. And, even after seeing them in person for the first time, I'm afraid I still can't sufficiently describe them. It's something you have to experience. If I had to try, I would say it's like seeing a storm wearing school uniforms: there's a lot of sound, a lot of movement, and it's almost impossible to predict just which way they'll be going. ATARASHII GAKKO! literally translates to "new school," so taking the group's Japanese name into account means you can consider them "the leaders of the new school." They definitely took things in a direction different than I'm used to.

As I hinted at earlier, their music is impossible to pin to any one genre. There's hip hop, there's rap, there's funk, there's jazz, there's city pop, and some rock to boot. There's even a fever dream of a song in the form of "CANDY" which, when combined with the visualizer in the background, must make for quite a trip.

The set list includes many of the group's popular songs including "???? (Final Humanity)," "???? (Night Before the Test)," and "??? (koi geba)." The eclectic "Pineapple Kryptonite," released last fall, is also part of the set, but sans the alien that was present at their Head in the Clouds performance. Later on, we were treated to the group's latest single, "WOO! GO!," which was released this April. For this song, they even encouraged the audience to join in the dancing and taught the moves of the chorus. I will say I really like the contrasting elements of this song where it jumps between Suzuka and Rin's hip-hop and the smooth vocal chorus as sung by Mizyu and Kanon. Rounding out the set is one of their most successful songs, "NAI NAI NAI," and the relatively new "Free Your Mind." One song I wish they had performed is their cover of the Beastie Boys' "Intergalactic," which I think would be well received over here.

One thing that can be hard to fully appreciate during a live performance when you're at a distance is the amount of work they put into their dance and choreography. The group has released some videos of their dance practices and the complexity and activeness really comes to the fore. Each member is never really inactive; they're constantly moving or setting up for a new part of the routine. I had to watch the videos multiple times and rewind them in order to not miss anything.

The group's next American appearance will be at Crunchyroll Expo in San Jose, CA, on August 5. The expo itself runs August 5 through 7. Tickets are available HERE. I advise you to buy a pass now before they completely sell out.  You don't want to be scrambling last minute like people did with Anime Expo.  Please visit Crunchyroll Expo's main website for more information regarding the event.  ATARASHII GAKKO! is the first leg of three nights of concerts and musical performances that you won't want to miss, including fellow headliners BURNOUT SYNDROMES and SiM.

So, should you make ATARASHII GAKKO! a part of your night at CRX? Yes. I definitely recommend it. If you're already a fan, it's something you won't want to miss. While we surely will see the four of them in the future, sometimes it is hard to predict when the next show will be. Don't take any tour for granted and go to every performance you can. If you are just finding out about them, there's no better time to become a new fan.

If you are unable to make it to Crunchyroll Expo, or just want to see them again, you'll have a few other chances. In San Francisco, they'll be at the Great American Music Hall (RIP Slim's) on August 17. Fans in Southern California can either catch them at The Roxy in Los Angeles on August 18, or at Head in the Clouds 2022 on August 20 and 21 in Pasadena.