M-1 Winner and Radio Stars Acclaim! Resonating with Youth! New Band Novel 'We Certainly Shone' Off to a Strong Start!
Ryosuke Kaneko's latest novel 'We Certainly Shone,' published by Bungeishunju, depicts the youth of high school girls shining in a light music club and their reality 10 years later. It has received enthusiastic recommendations from celebrities and high school students alike.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 28, 2026 at 15:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 28, 2026 at 08:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 09:07 (1h 5m after Collected)
Following his brilliant debut with 'Dead Yamada and the Classroom,' Ryosuke Kaneko's newest work 'We Certainly Shone' is a youth band novel that portrays the brilliance of high school girls in a light music club and their lives ten years later.
Released by Bungeishunju on April 9th, the book has received recommendation comments from M-1 winner Kimura Band of the comedy duo 'Takuro,' Angelina 1/3 who serves as the principal of TOKYO FM's 'SCHOOL OF LOCK!', Tonzu from the comedy duo 'Harukaze ni Tsugu,' and author Mio Nukaga!
Furthermore, hot and earnest reviews have arrived from middle and high school students of the same generation as the story's protagonists!
### Endorsements
**Kimura Band (Takuro):**
"It's packed with all the hot feelings when you start something, and the frustration and emptiness when you hit a wall. It shook my heart directly!! I'm so glad I encountered this work!! Life is always youth!!"
**Angelina 1/3 (Gacharic Spin/ailly):**
"The more you read, the more you can hear the music of Sanagi-inu. This is what it means to be loved by music and to love music."
**Tonzu (Harukaze ni Tsugu):**
"Why did they make me read this novel, when I'm the same age as the protagonist, living a life driven and tossed about by dreams and ambitions (lol). I wanted to retort 'Stop it!!!' but then I thought maybe it was a fateful timing. I'm glad I found this novel!"
**Mio Nukaga (Author):**
"No tricks or gimmicks? That's what's good about a youth novel. Let's just be swallowed by the youth that is right there."
### STORY
I quit my favorite band. Because I loved it so much, I quit.
Mizuha, a high schooler, formed the band 'Sanagi-inu' after being invited by her classmate Asagao. The dream of the four members was to perform at Kohaku one day. That dream, which seemed absurd, changed color the moment they heard 'Hikari,' the first original song Asagao ever wrote.
...10 years later, 26-year-old Mizuha was staring at a PC at her office. In the internet news she saw during a break, she learns of Sanagi-inu's first appearance at Kohaku. The band she loved with all her heart, and precisely why she quit, is finally going to Kohaku.
### Voices from Students
A reading session was held just before the release, attended by about 30 middle and high school students during their spring break. Here are some of their passionate comments:
- "Everyone walking their own life is so cool. The sense of immersion was amazing." (Middle school 1st year)
- "The performance scenes are so incredible I'm speechless! I shouldn't know the songs, but they play in my head." (High school 2nd year)
- "I cried for the first time reading a book." (High school 1st year)
### Author Message
"I wrote about the unending youth and the light of life." — Ryosuke Kaneko
### Bibliographic Information
- **Title:** We Certainly Shone
- **Author:** Ryosuke Kaneko
- **Price:** 1,650 yen (tax included)
- **Publisher:** Bungeishunju Ltd.
- **Release Date:** April 9, 2026
- **ISBN:** 978-4-16-392090-0
Released by Bungeishunju on April 9th, the book has received recommendation comments from M-1 winner Kimura Band of the comedy duo 'Takuro,' Angelina 1/3 who serves as the principal of TOKYO FM's 'SCHOOL OF LOCK!', Tonzu from the comedy duo 'Harukaze ni Tsugu,' and author Mio Nukaga!
Furthermore, hot and earnest reviews have arrived from middle and high school students of the same generation as the story's protagonists!
### Endorsements
**Kimura Band (Takuro):**
"It's packed with all the hot feelings when you start something, and the frustration and emptiness when you hit a wall. It shook my heart directly!! I'm so glad I encountered this work!! Life is always youth!!"
**Angelina 1/3 (Gacharic Spin/ailly):**
"The more you read, the more you can hear the music of Sanagi-inu. This is what it means to be loved by music and to love music."
**Tonzu (Harukaze ni Tsugu):**
"Why did they make me read this novel, when I'm the same age as the protagonist, living a life driven and tossed about by dreams and ambitions (lol). I wanted to retort 'Stop it!!!' but then I thought maybe it was a fateful timing. I'm glad I found this novel!"
**Mio Nukaga (Author):**
"No tricks or gimmicks? That's what's good about a youth novel. Let's just be swallowed by the youth that is right there."
### STORY
I quit my favorite band. Because I loved it so much, I quit.
Mizuha, a high schooler, formed the band 'Sanagi-inu' after being invited by her classmate Asagao. The dream of the four members was to perform at Kohaku one day. That dream, which seemed absurd, changed color the moment they heard 'Hikari,' the first original song Asagao ever wrote.
...10 years later, 26-year-old Mizuha was staring at a PC at her office. In the internet news she saw during a break, she learns of Sanagi-inu's first appearance at Kohaku. The band she loved with all her heart, and precisely why she quit, is finally going to Kohaku.
### Voices from Students
A reading session was held just before the release, attended by about 30 middle and high school students during their spring break. Here are some of their passionate comments:
- "Everyone walking their own life is so cool. The sense of immersion was amazing." (Middle school 1st year)
- "The performance scenes are so incredible I'm speechless! I shouldn't know the songs, but they play in my head." (High school 2nd year)
- "I cried for the first time reading a book." (High school 1st year)
### Author Message
"I wrote about the unending youth and the light of life." — Ryosuke Kaneko
### Bibliographic Information
- **Title:** We Certainly Shone
- **Author:** Ryosuke Kaneko
- **Price:** 1,650 yen (tax included)
- **Publisher:** Bungeishunju Ltd.
- **Release Date:** April 9, 2026
- **ISBN:** 978-4-16-392090-0