PassCode - Interview (2026)

PassCode
Interview by David Cirone
March 26, 2026

In our exclusive interview with PassCode members Nao Minami, Kaede Takashima, Hinako Ogami, and Emily Arima, we talk about global expansion, creating anime theme songs, and pushing themselves further with their latest single “Liberator”.

From “WILLSHINE” to your latest track “Liberator”, PassCode has continued to evolve — same attitude, different look, updated sound. As performers, how do you feel you’re growing and changing?

Nao: I believe in staying true to who we are while continuing to evolve. I want to keep improving our performances and music without ever losing the sense of gratitude and excitement I felt the first time I saw our CD in stores or performed live. I also think that being able to keep creating music with the same team is a big reason why PassCode has continued to evolve.

PassCode has traveled the world, including your recent ASIA TOUR. How has meeting international fans influenced your performances?

Emily: I was really happy to hear the crowd cheer when I did my screams. Even without a shared language, we were able to perform with confidence, and that’s all thanks to everyone who supports and loves PassCode.

Using English phrases in your songs helps you connect with international fans, but it’s not always easy. Which members are having fun with English lyrics, and which members get nervous about them?

Nao: I’m not very good at English pronunciation, so I don’t get many English parts in our songs. I’d like to be able to sing more of them.

Kaede: I wasn’t able to speak English to begin with, so I still struggle with it, especially pronunciation. I practice on my own, but I still go into every recording a bit nervous, wondering if I’m getting it right.

Hinako: At first, there were words I couldn’t pronounce well and I struggled with them, but now I’m starting to get the hang of it, and I’m enjoying the process.

Emily: I like Western music and movies, so I enjoy singing lyrics in English! I’ve been gradually getting better at it too.

I believe in staying true to who we are while continuing to evolve. I want to keep improving our performances and music without ever losing the sense of gratitude and excitement.

PassCode – Destinex (Making of)

In your behind-the-scenes video for DESTINEX, we see you had many challenges to make the “one-shot” MV work. What are your memories from that day of shooting?

Nao: Since it was all done in one take, I was told not to mess up the lyrics under any circumstances. I haven’t told the director, but I actually messed up one line… I hope they didn’t notice.

Kaede: I thought a one-take shoot might be really quick, but to make it work, we were rehearsing over and over from early morning. It made me realize for the first time just how much preparation goes into it.

Hinako: If you made even one mistake, the entire take would be unusable, so it was a kind of pressure I’d never experienced before. It had rained heavily the day before too, so the ground was muddy, and I remember nearly slipping several times

Emily: I had a scene where an extra grabbed my arm while I was doing my screams, and it was tough to get the timing right without causing a retake. But we pulled it off!

PassCode’s performance and lyrics are usually very strong, aggressive, and confident. What are the secret sides of your personalities that fans can’t see by just watching your shows?

Nao: Most of the members are quiet. I talk a lot, so when I’m not around, the dressing room is usually very silent.

Kaede: In my private life, I hardly ever leave the house. I play games and keep to myself. I don’t get much sun.

Hinako: Sometimes the members act like babies and cling to me (laughs).

Emily: When I’m in the bath, I listen to jazz, pop, and R&B!

With Moood Records, PassCode has become more deeply involved in the world of anime. When you’re watching anime for fun, do you pay more attention to the music? What do you feel an opening/ending theme does for the viewer experience?

Nao: I’ve started thinking a lot about what kind of song would work if PassCode were to do the opening for an anime.

Kaede: When I’m out walking around and I hear an anime theme playing, it brings the scenes from that anime to mind. Even years later, just hearing the song makes me remember it, so I feel like the theme song and the anime are inseparable.

Hinako: When I watch other anime now, I find myself wondering who’s singing the opening or ending. With PassCode’s sense of speed in our songs and Arima’s screams, I think we can really heighten viewers’ expectations for action scenes and darker elements.

Emily: When I watch anime now, I find myself curious about what kind of songs other artists create specifically for each series.

PassCode – INSIGNIA (Mastering Documentary)

We’ve seen Passcode members directly involved in the studio mastering sessions. What are you listening for in the final production to make sure the songs sound perfect?

Nao: Since it’s the final stage, of course I check things like the EQ and overall finish, but what I focused on most was the length of the gaps between tracks. Each song should stand on its own, but I was also thinking about whether the album feels good to listen to as a whole. It’s kind of like asking whether it can be experienced like a single film from start to finish. It might be similar to putting together a live setlist.

Let’s talk about your latest single “Liberator” from the TV anime Roll Over and Die. How do you feel performing this song live on stage? What emotions come out of you when you sing these lyrics?

Kaede: The choreography really adds to it when we perform it live, and you can fully feel a grand, darker world than what PassCode has done before. There’s a line, “If I could hold the tears you showed in my arms,” and I really love it because it captures the beauty of becoming stronger in order to protect what matters to you.

Hinako: Right from the start, Arima’s powerful screams kick in, so when I perform it live, I feel like I’ve been given some kind of special strength too (laughs). Lines like “I want to protect you” and “I want to fulfill it with you” connect with the feelings of the anime’s protagonist, Flum, so I naturally find myself thinking about her.

PassCode – Liberator – TV anime “ROLL OVER and DIE” opening theme