HANABIE Brings Harajuku-core to Dallas
Written and Photographed by Ramray Wong | April 13, 2026
Judging solely from the sickeningly-sweet anime art style of their album and EP cover art, or from pictures of the band members themselves adorned in loud, maximalist, Harajuku inspired outfits, one could hardly guess Hanabie is a metalcore band, or as the fans coined, “Harajuku-core”. Though the average person would be duly surprised at the sounds behind their looks, their loyal fans got exactly what they came for when they hit the stage at House of Blues Dallas.
Hanabie originally began as a Maximum the Hormone cover band in Tokyo before moving towards original music. They reached international recognition following the release of their 2023 international single, “Pardon Me, I Have to Go Now” which ushered in their image as a cutesy, playful girl-group with chugging riffs and screaming vocals to western spheres. In a city like Dallas, that means Hanabie’s gravity draws out lovers of obscure music and the chronically online Japanophiles.
The band’s trademark introduction immediately drew cheers from the crowd. One by one, each member ran to center stage and emoted before the lead vocalist, Yukina, introduced herself in a pink cowboy hat. Thus, they began with their opening track “ICONIC” off their latest EP HOT TOPIC released earlier this year. Even for those who know the kind of music they make, their adorable introductions could have one nearly forget they are in for an explosive ride. The energy was interrupted only by an audio mishap with one of the microphones, and so Yukina gave her best effort in bridging the language barrier to engage in playful crowdwork. She pointed out several members in the crowd dressed in comical attire such as a Buc-ee’s onesie and a banana suit. Others went the extra mile to cosplay their favorite anime characters. Once the audio returned, so too did the sonic kinesis of Hanabie.
It is worth praising how technically skilled the band members are. Hettsu (bass) and Chika (drums) held consistent rhythm despite how exhausting it looked to play metalcore-style drums the entire duration of the show. Could anyone expect less from the latter who was a former drum instructor? The same endurance could be seen in Yukina whose visceral vocals rippled through the atmosphere of the venue without a single break. Last but not least, the guitarist Matsuri showed off her dual-talent in her ability to chug riffs and sing melodic lines counter to Yukina’s screams. The mass of talent on the stage brewed a storm of mosh pits and crowd surfing among the most excited fans.
An inspiring thematic takeaway one would draw from their performance is how confidence and ownership bend the expectations surrounding a musical subculture. That is, not only do Hanabie break metalcore fashion norms, they also don’t wash away their fun, playful demeanors on stage in favor of being nonchalant and “tough” as per the typical metalcore band. Their proud ownership of this could easily make one think: yes, this is what a regular metalcore band looks and acts like. Indeed, the average metalcore band does not look and act like Hanabie, but with their growing fanbase and influence, it is only a matter of time before they cement Harajuku-core into the culture of hardcore music.
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