The theme song for the next Asadora"Bakebake" will be "Waratari Korondari" by Humbert Humbert

It was revealed on August 19th that the duo "Humbert Humbert" will be performing the theme song for the NHK morning drama " Bakebake " (NHK General Asadora and others), starring Akari Takaishi , which will begin airing on September 29th in the second half of 2025. The theme song is titled "Waratari Korondari" (Laughing and Falling), and will be debuted on the NHK music program "Utacon" (NHK General TV), which will be broadcast from 7:57 pm on August 26th. This will be the first time that Humbert Humbert will perform and sing on a public live broadcast.

" Bakebake " is the story of a couple who, together with her foreign husband, love ghost stories and shed light on the "nameless people" who had been forgotten in Meiji-era Japan as it became increasingly Westernized, and who acted as spokespeople for them. Takaishi plays the heroine, Toki Matsuno , the daughter of a fallen samurai from Matsue, modeled after Yakumo Koizumi Lafcadio Hearn 's wife, Setsu. The script is written by Fujiki Mitsuhiko, who has worked on NHK's "Asagaya Sisters' Laid-Back Life" and WOWOW's "Shooting Break Series," among others.

On "Utacon," Humbert Humbert will perform "Laughing and Falling" for the first time, and Takaishi, who plays the heroine Toki Matsuno, and Tommy Bastow, who plays Toki's husband Lefkada Haven, will appear as guests and talk about the highlights of the drama.

◇Comment from Yuho Sano of "Humbert Humbert"

"The theme song for the Asadora?!" I was surprised when I heard it, but I was even more surprised when I heard it was set in Matsue. I've been there many times for live performances since I was little, and it's a place that holds many memories for me. I think I've created a great song that perfectly suits the story. I hope many people will listen to it."

◇Comment from Yoshinari Sato of "Humbert Humbert"

At first, I was worried about what kind of song I should write, but I realized that overthinking songwriting can actually be bad for you, so I simply read "Memories" by Koizumi Setsu, who was the model for the song, over and over again, and wrote the song in one go, imagining myself as Setsu.

◇Comment from Production Director Kuniomi Hashizume

When creating the theme song for "Bakebake," I wanted to ask someone who could sing the natural atmosphere of Toki and Heaven without embellishment. The two members of Humbert Humbert are able to blend into the world of the show, as if they were acting, and turn it into a song just as it is. I contacted them because I thought they would be able to create a theme song for "Bakebake" that captures the worldview of the drama, just like the many songs they have spun. Even though Yoshinari and Yuho sing in the same way, there is a sense that their voices seem to overlap, yet do not, which I feel is similar to the relationship between Toki and Heaven.

In creating the song, we had Setsu read her "Notes of Memories" over and over again, visited places associated with her in Matsue, and even attended the filming in the studio, allowing her to fully immerse herself in the world of the drama. When I heard the song that was created, I was simply moved. "Laughing and Falling" is a song that I never get tired of, no matter how many times I listen to it. Depending on the mood I'm in when I hear it, sometimes it comforts me, sometimes it encourages me, sometimes it makes me cry, sometimes it makes me laugh. It's a song that sounds different every time I hear it. I believe we've been given a theme song that will flow smoothly throughout the drama and touch my heart.