Headlining the third and final day of the JAM Concert at Cosplay Mania 2026 will be the brilliant Japanese songwriter, composer, and arranger who has shaped the soundscape of modern anime songs. ZAQ has been a pioneer and innovator in the industry, and Filipinos will get to experience firsthand her unparalleled talent and energy on October 4, 2026 at the SMX Convention Center.
Gaining recognition with her iconic debut single “Sparkling Daydream” from the hit anime series Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! to hit themes for a variety of anime titles such as Classroom of the Elite, Trinity Seven, and Food Wars!, ZAQ was a trailblazer that has defined what anime songs can be.
arkadymac.com has been given the incredible opportunity to have an interview with ZAQ, and we got to talk about how her passion for music came to be. We asked her what kinds of music influenced her work.
“Game music. I especially love the music from Chrono Trigger and the Final Fantasy series. I was deeply influenced by how much of a game’s worldview and character emotions could be expressed through music alone. Even today, creating a unique world through music—without being bound by genre—is one of the core principles I value when composing my own tracks.”
We were curious how she felt when her song was chosen as the opening song for the anime “Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions”
“I was incredibly happy with the response! Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! was the project that marked a massive starting point for my career as an artist, so when I heard I would be performing the opening theme song, it truly felt like a dream come true. On top of that, being able to work on an anime produced by a studio like Kyoto Animation was an experience that felt like a miracle among miracles. While there was definitely pressure, it was the exact moment my dream came true, so I poured absolutely everything I had into creating the music.”
We then got to ask her what has been her inspiration for making songs that have been loved by anime fans worldwide?
“After all, my biggest driving force is my pure love for anime! I truly love the time spent thinking, ‘It would be amazing if there was a song like this for this series. When I imagine the world of the anime and the feelings of the characters, the urge to create music just keeps rushing in. Because I have received so much inspiration and excitement from anime myself, I want to deliver those same feelings to someone else through my own music this time. I believe that is the reason why I have kept making music all this time.”
With a talented artist of this caliber performing for the first time in the country, we hope that true fans of music can come and support her on Day 3 of the JAM concert at Cosplay Mania 2026 this October 4, 2026 at the SMX Convention Center Manila.
Our thanks to Cosplay.ph for the opportunity to have this interview, as well as to ZAQ for taking the time to let us and our readers get to know more about her.
And thank you for dropping by. Do visit us again for more features here at arkadymac.com.
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