"Butter-Fly" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Kōji Wada as the opening theme song to Digimon Adventure. The song was released as Wada's debut single on April 23, 1999.

"Butter-Fly"
Cover of the original 1999 single
Single by Kōji Wada
from the album All of My Mind
B-side
  • "Seven"
  • "Seven" (10th Memorial Version; Strong Version)
ReleasedApril 23, 1999 (1999-04-23)
GenreJ-pop, anison
Length
  • 4:14
  • 18:14 (Strong version)
LabelInterchannel
Songwriter(s)
  • Hidenori Chiwata
  • Cher Watanabe
Kōji Wada singles chronology
"Butter-Fly"
(1999)
"Target (Akai Shōgeki)"
(2000)

"Hirari"
(2007)

"Butter-Fly (Strong Version)"
(2009)

"We Are Xros Heart!"
(2010)

"Evolution & DigiXros"
(2011)

"Butter-Fly (tri. Version)"
(2015)

"Seven (tri. Version)"
(2016)

Background and release

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"Butter-Fly" was the theme song to the 1999 film Digimon Adventure,[1] performed as a ballad.[2] "Butter-Fly" was later re-worked as a rock song, and its rock iteration became the opening theme song to the television series of the same name.[2] It had been the first time Wada had performed a rock song.[2]

Originally released on April 23, 1999,[1] the single was re-released on August 1, 2004 with new CD artwork to commemorate Digimon Adventure's 5th anniversary.[3][4] The success of the song gave Wada the title "Immortal Butterfly Anime Song Singer."[5]

Other versions

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"Butter-Fly (Strong Version)" was released on April 22, 2009 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Digimon franchise as well as the 10th anniversary of his debut with the song.[6][7] It was his first single in three years after "Hirari" and charted on Oricon Weekly Singles for one week.[7]

"Butter-Fly (tri. Version)" was released on November 25, 2015 as the theme song for the Japanese version of the anime film series Digimon Adventure tri.,[8] and the single was his last release before his death on April 3, 2016.[9] A second version of "Butter-Fly (tri. Version)" was released as a tribute on May 1, 2018 as the ending theme to Digimon Adventure tri.: Chapter 6: Future, the final installment to the Digimon Adventure tri. film series, as well as the final part of the film.[10] The song was performed by AiM, Ayumi Miyazaki, and the eighteen main cast members of tri., along with posthumous archive audio of Wada.[10][11]

Reception

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"Butter-Fly" was ranked number 5 on NHK's list of Top 100 Best Anime Songs in 2017.[12]

Cover versions

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The cast for the male characters in Digimon Adventure performed "Butter-Fly" and released it with the We Love Digimon Music CD box on December 25, 2002.[13] The release was to commemorate the franchise's 100th CD release.[13]

The song has also been covered by Masaaki Endoh in his album Enson.

Halko Momoi covered "Butter-Fly" on her 2008 cover album More & More Quality Red: Anime Song Cover.[14]

Nagareda Project released a cover version on their album, Nagareda PPP, on August 8, 2012.[15]

Idol group Sea*A released an English version of "Butter-Fly" on their eponymous debut album, Sea*A, on March 27, 2013.[16]

Idol group Trefle performed a cover version of "Butter-Fly" and released it as their debut single on November 18, 2015, which charted at #78 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.[17] The song served as the opening theme song to the show Animemashite.[17] They performed the song at Anison History Japan!!.[18]

On September 2, 2019, Vocaloid Hatsune Miku released a cover, as part of a collaboration event with the Digimon franchise.[19]

Track listing

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All songs arranged by Cher Watanabe.

1999 and 2004 versions

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No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Butter-Fly"Hidenori Chiwata4:18
2."Seven"Kouhei Koyama4:17
3."Butter-Fly" (original karaoke) 4:18
4."Seven" (original karaoke) 4:17
Total length:17:12

Strong version

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"Butter-Fly (Strong Version)" single
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Butter-Fly" (Strong Version)Hidenori Chiwata4:30
2."Seven" (10th Memorial Version)Kouhei Koyama4:37
3."Butter-Fly" (Strong Version; original karaoke) 4:30
4."Seven" (10th Memorial Version; original karaoke) 4:37
Total length:18:13

tri. version

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"Butter-Fly (tri. Version)" single
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Butter-Fly" (tri. Version)Hidenori Chiwata3:45
2."Butter-Fly" (tri. Version; original karaoke) 3:45
Total length:7:30

Charts

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Butter-Fly". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "[デジモンテイマーズ] ホームページ Interview with Koji Wada". Dimps Corporation (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 6, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  3. ^ "Butter-Fly". Feel Mee (in Japanese). Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  4. ^ "Butter-Fly". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  5. ^ a b "和田光司 Solid Vox". Solid Vox (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 14, 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  6. ^ Koji Wada (March 20, 2009). "生まれ変わり" (in Japanese). Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  7. ^ a b c "Butter-Fly ~Strong Version~". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  8. ^ a b "Butter-Fly~tri.Version~". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  9. ^ Rafael Antonio Pineda (April 8, 2016). "Digimon Theme Song Singer Kouji Wada Passes Away". Anime News Network. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  10. ^ a b "Butter-Fly~tri.Version~(初回限定盤)". Feel Mee (in Japanese). Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  11. ^ "『デジモンアドベンチャーtri. 第6章「ぼくらの未来」』ED曲はデジモンミュージックの代表作「Butter-Fly」に決定". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). February 25, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  12. ^ "アニソンベスト100!結果発表|ニッポンアニメ100|NHK". NHK (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 23, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  13. ^ a b "デジモンミュージック100タイトル記念作品 We Love DiGiMONMUSiC(完全生産限定盤)". Feel Mee (in Japanese). Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  14. ^ "more&more quality RED ~Anime song cover~". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  15. ^ "流田PPP". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  16. ^ "Sea☆A". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  17. ^ a b "Butter-Fly / Trefle". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  18. ^ "「ANISON HISTORY JAPAN!!」で水瀬いのり&i☆Risがコラボユニット結成、水木一郎 VS 松本梨香のレジェンド対決も". Musicman Net (in Japanese). March 15, 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  19. ^ ""初音ミクxデジモン" による"Butter-Fly~初音ミク Version~"MV&フル尺音源が公開!人気絵師Rella、サメヤマ次郎、さいとうなおきによるキャラクターイラストも". Famitsu (in Japanese). September 2, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  20. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot 100 (December 30, 2019)". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  21. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Animation (December 30, 2019)". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved April 21, 2020.