In “Music of My Life,” artists from around the world guide No Manners through their latest music releases and reflect on the role music has played in their lives. In this installment, J-pop duo NOMELON NOLEMON chats music influences, soundtracking the Gundam series and their EP Halo.

For decades, the Japanese music industry has driven innovation and brought unique sounds into the global limelight. In recent years, however, the country has birthed a motley group of artists and performers, who are reshaping Japan’s sonic identity. 

NOMELON NOLEMON is one such music act gearing up for international success. Consisting of Vocaloid producer tsumiki and singer-songwriter MIKIMARIA, the J-pop duo is crossing borders and breaking boundaries with an eclectic sound that merges energetic pop, rock elements and Vocaloid production. 

Tsumiki and MIKIMARIA caught up with No Manners Magazine ahead of the release of their latest EP Halo and their first stateside performance at the Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX showcase, held at the Anime Expo 2025. Keep reading as the “ミッドナイト・リフレクション (Midnight Reflection)” singers guide us through the music of their life.

NOMELON NOLEMON’s Origins

Although they teamed up in 2021 through NOMELON NOLEMON, tsumiki and MIKIMARIA’s are not music newcomers by any means.

On one hand, MIKIMARIA dipped her toes into music through dance classes during elementary school. “The same dance school offered classes for vocal training. I was interested, so that was how I got my start,” she tells No Manners. “By the time I realized it, I was more focused on singing. So it was a very natural transition for me.” Later, MIKIMARIA went on to hone her skills by releasing music covers and joining PLUSONICA, an acoustic session project from Sony Music’s artist school, “the LESSON.”

On the other hand, tsumiki was born into a family of musicians. “My grandfather and grandmother operated a live house and my uncle was a composer,” he shares. The producer’s music education started at a young age with keyboard and electone classes. Eventually, he dabbled in music composition. “When I realized, I was on the path towards a music industry career,” tsumiki says. 

Before meeting MIKIMARIA online and releasing music as part of NOMELON NOLEMON, tsumiki produced his own album on Vocaloid. He also wrote the single “phony,” which became an instant hit in Japan and has amassed millions of streams across music platforms. 

Then, the musicians crossed paths almost serendipitously. “I was thinking about what I wanted to do next, and I wanted to try J-pop,” says tsumiki. “We found each other online when I saw her doing a cover. That’s when we decided to join forces and compose music together as NOMELON NOLEMON.”

On Their Music Evolution and Inspirations

In August 2021, NOMELON NOLEMON debuted their single “INAZMA.” Their first album POP was published in early 2022, containing nine tracks.  

MIKIMARIA looks back on this period fondly, highlighting the freshness of their first music releases. “I still remember it because when we made that album, we were just starting as a unit,” she shares. “There were a lot of possibilities of where we could go, so there’s a certain sense of excitement that I think I’ll never forget from that album.”

Over time, NOMELON NOLEMON’s music has steadily evolved, without straying too far from their original sound and intent. As tsumiki emphasizes, the duo has always released music they resonate with, without intentional or conscious desire to change what they do. However, he says, their skills have leveled up and their cultural approach strengthened. “If I look back on older compositions, I think we’re able to adapt and integrate Japanese culture at a higher resolution than we used to.”

Tsumiki also remarks on the influence they have drawn from Japan’s vibrant music scene and diversity of sounds. “My friends in the industry have different thoughts, different styles of music and different processes to compose, but a lot of our long-term goals are pointed in a similar direction,” he explains. “Despite the difference in genre sound, we are all aiming higher, and there’s a friendly sense of rivalry that helps us grow together. Being in that environment really inspires me and drives me to compose and find new sounds.”

NOMELON NOLEMON’s Sonic Identity 

While NOMELON NOLEMON’s sound heavily draws from traditional J-pop elements, tsumiki and MIKIMARIA are reinventing the genre in their own terms. Part of the newness in their music can be attributed to their lyricism, rhythm and versatility. 

“I think what makes our music unique is the rhythm. Traditionally, it’s hard to get different types of rhythms [to match] the Japanese language because of how lyrics are laid on top of the melody,” tusmiki shares. “I mentioned I started my career on the keyboard, but I actually play the drums a lot more. Whenever I compose something new, I usually start from the drums.”

NOMELON NOLEMON’s ability to incorporate different instruments, sounds and themes into addictive tracks without pigeonholing themselves into just one type of music has earned them attention across fields. “Being able to adapt our sound and make it what it needs to be, instead of forcing it into a certain identity, is something unique to us,” adds tsumiki. 

Case in point: the duo recently composed music for the latest installment of the Gundam series. Their song “Midnight Reflection,” released in their latest EP, serves as an insert in the Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Beginning anime. 

On Halo and the Gundam series 

Released on July 2, Halo, contains four tracks, leading with “Midnight Reflection.” The song came to life after the Gundam production studio reached out to the group. It is already making waves among fans of the Gundam franchise. 

“Our unit was very fortunate to be part of the Gundam project, and I think that’s going to put us on a different stage,” says MIKIMARIA. “We’ve reached new audiences around the world, and we’re feeling that in real time. Hopefully, this is just the start, and we can keep expanding our audience and fandom.”

Tsumiki echoes her words, expressing his gratitude towards the people outside Japan discovering their music. “I think these types of opportunities, when an international artist can jump across borders and cultures, don’t come very often,” he says. “If there’s any interest or something about our music that grabs people, I hope they can use this as the first step and listen to more of our music. And not just our music, but in general, the J-pop genre.”

Along with “Midnight Reflection,” the duo’s latest EP contains “きえない (Can’t be erased)”, “Halo” and “きみの惑星 (Your Planet).” MIKIMARIA found inspiration in the Gundam series to write “Your Planet.” “It was one of my challenges to write the lyrics for this new track,” she shares. “I put in a lot of the emotions and feelings from watching the Gundam movie and anime into the song.”

“I think these types of opportunities, when an international artist can jump across borders and cultures, don’t come very often. I hope people can use this as the first step and listen to more of our music. And not just our music, but in general, the J-pop genre.”

— tsumiki, NOMELON NOLEMON

On Their Goals and Upcoming Projects

Though NOMELON NOLEMON will promote Halo in the foreseeable future, they’re already anticipating their third studio album. There is no date for the release yet, but as tsumiki tells No Manners, it will add novelty to the group’s discography. “We’re still in the production phase, so we don’t know when it’s going to come out, but we’re very excited,” he says. “I think it’s going to be a very different project from what you’ve heard from NOMELON NOLEMON before.”

As for their goals and hopes for the future, the duo wants to solidify their place in J-pop and continue expanding their music catalog. They’re also aiming for longevity and coherence with their previous projects. “One of my goals is to be active as a unit as long as possible. That means, of course, composing and writing a lot more music,” says MIKIMARIA. “I want each and every track that we compose to be a representative song of our sound as a unit.”

“One of my goals is to become a representative, if you will, of J-pop and the Japanese artist scene,” adds tsumiki. “I think there’s a lot of amazing and wonderful things that Japanese culture has to offer, so taking that message and emotion to worldwide audiences is one of my goals.”

Discover NOMELON NOLEMON’s music on Spotify and follow them on their official social media channels.