Gundam GQuuuuuux Band NOMELON NOLEMON Strives to Make Their Music Universal

Japanese music duo, NOMELON NOLEMON, made an explosive U.S. debut on the Anime Expo stage during the Gundam GQuuuuuuX panel. While 2025 also marks their fourth anniversary, they’re only just getting started on their launch into stardom. Their music encompasses various aspects of J-pop, including songs that fall within the pop-rock and electronic genres.

Comprised of composer tsumiki and vocalist MIKIMARIA, the two have seen renewed, international interest in their music after their contributions to the Gundam GQuuuuuuX library with “Midnight Reflection,” “afterimage,” and “HALO.” MIKIMARIA also lent her vocals to the insert song “From the Aquarium City,” which also received high praise from fans.

ANN had the opportunity to speak with tsumiki and MIKIMARIA before their performance. At the time of the conversation, the two artists shared what it was like working on music for the Gundam GQuuuuuuX series, as well as their aspirations to return for a full tour. Notably, eagle-eyed GQuuuuuuX fans online have mentioned some similarities between MIKIMARIA and Machu, which MIKIMARIA noticed as well.

Nice to meet you. Could you please provide an introduction and how you got into making music as individuals?

TSUMIKI: I am the composer tsumiki, and originally I composed music on Vocaloid technology, and that’s what kind of led me down the path of J-Pop. We decided to make music together, which is where NOMELON NOLEMON came to life.

MIKIMARIA: I’m the vocalist, MIKIMARIA. I started off as a singer and songwriter, as sort of a solo performer. I would upload cover songs that I would put on social media, and that’s where tsumiki found me and reached out to say, “Hey, maybe we can do something together.” So we formed a unit.

How did NOMELON NOLEMON form, and how did you choose the palindrome name of the band?

TSUMIKI: When I was still a Vocaloid producer, I made an album, and after releasing that album, I thought the next step was going into J-pop and exploring a different genre of music. I knew I needed to form a unit, which meant I needed a vocalist. I asked around and did some searching, which ultimately led me to MIKIMARIA, and we formed our unit.

In terms of our name, I’m really into Japanese phrases that are the same, whether you read them from above or below. On that list of candidates was NOMELON NOLEMON. There really isn’t a deep meaning, per se, but that was the reason why I chose the name.

This year is NOMELON NOLEMON‘s fourth anniversary. How has your process for music production and lyrical development changed?

TSUMIKI: For us, one of the goals we had when forming this unit was to make the type of music that we wanted to make now or even in that moment. There wasn’t a strong push to absolutely do this or that. That hasn’t changed over the years, so if you feel any change, it wasn’t intentional.

What are your goals now and for the future?

MIKIMARIA: I don’t really have an obvious goal at the moment. I think that even opportunities, like the chance to perform for people outside of Japan, allow more fans to get to know us. Being able to do what we do on an international stage makes me really happy.

Are there plans to do a U.S. tour?

MIKIMARIA: There are no plans for now, but we would love to.

TSUMIKI: Yes, we would.

Turning to Gundam GQuuuuuuX, are you caught up with the episodes? Who is your favorite character?

MIKIMARIA: We’ve both seen all the episodes so far, and my favorite character is Machu.

TSUMIKI: It’s tough to narrow it down to one. Thinking about the series as a whole, I would say that the entire process and creation, from the screenplay to the character design, are remarkable. It’s one of the few anime that I like holistically.

What does it mean for you to be part of the Gundam franchise?

TSUMIKI: In my case, my dad was of the generation that watched the first Gundam in real time on air. More than anything, seeing my dad so happy is what brought me a lot of joy.

MIKIMARIA: Joining the Gundam franchise, I could feel myself and us as a unit, leveling up. There are many new experiences that we have overcome, and as I mentioned earlier, we’re able to cross and transcend borders, spreading across the world, for which I’m very thankful.

Are you given any context or animation material for the music you’ve composed for Gundam GQuuuuuuX? Or are you only told the general situation?

TSUMIKI: When we compose, we’re given different materials, such as background on the characters and the screenplay. It’s a work in progress, so it’s usually only up to whatever episode is complete at the time. We begin composing, and while we’re doing that, we’ll get additional materials or screenplays throughout the process. We take it in, observe it, and read it. It’s really cool to see it animated, because how you read it and actually see the end product are quite different.

Was it difficult to integrate the story elements from Gundam GQuuuuuuX since it’s quite a complex story?

TSUMIKI: It is very difficult! (Laughs)

The lyrics produced for Gundam GQuuuuuuX like “Midnight Reflection,” “HALO,” and “afterimage” are reflective of the characters’ feelings. Are you told which characters are involved, or are you just given a general overview of the situation?

TSUMIKI: When I compose, instead of thinking about this track or whether this song is going to be played over a certain scene, I try to absorb the whole spirit of the project or the story, holistically. Then, I compose based on that. I strive to capture a deeper meaning that can be applied to or utilized in any scene throughout the series.

Even though the songs by NOMELON NOLEMON aren’t framed around any particular character, they’ll play while a character is onscreen. For example, “HALO” for Machu or “afterimage” for Nyaan. Do you think they’re crafted for the character’s feelings? Specifically, how Machu feels towards Shuji for “HALO” and Nyaan feels towards Shuji for “afterimage”?

TSUMIKI: I know earlier I said I try to think about the series or project holistically, but of course, I have to have something to grab on to. There’s an image within me whenever I compose. I don’t want anything to be used specifically for just this one scene or this moment, so I think about how lyrics’ sentences and phrases can be used. I want it to be more universal, so when viewers consume it, they can relate to and feel the lyrics. I try to be very conscious about how I put the phrases together in that respect. I try to take a step back, but certain themes and images still come to mind whenever I write lyrics.

For MIKIMARIA, do you sing in a way that you think suits the character?

MIKIMARIA: In my case, I don’t necessarily change the way I sing. I take that emotion and feelings that I get from reading the screenplay, as well as all the music that’s applied to the series, and I put the appropriate emotion to it. I would say that there’s no specific image that I have in mind when I sing a particular song for a character.

You provided the vocals for the song “From the Aquarium City.” Did composer Yoshimasa Terui specifically ask you to do the vocals for the song? Did you know if he thought you channeled Machu because you have similar hair to hers, and you happened to be the same height?

MIKIMARIA: (Laughs) I think Terui-san didn’t really cast me for that reason, as in because he thought I looked like Machu. I like to believe that I was cast in that role because of my singing ability, but there are similarities. That has been pointed out by viewers of the series as well. That being said, I would say on a personality level, I’m not quite the same as Machu. However, with the silhouette and the hairstyle, I can see the resemblance. Perhaps that’s why I gravitated towards Machu as my favorite character.

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ANN’s coverage of Anime Expo 2025 is sponsored by Yen Press and Ize Press!