The Book 3 is the third Japanese-language extended play (sixth overall) by Japanese duo Yoasobi. It was released on October 4, 2023, through Sony Music Entertainment Japan, one year and ten months after their second EP The Book 2 (2021). Written solely by Ayase, the EP consists of ten tracks, including top-five singles "Shukufuku", "Idol", and "Yūsha". Commercially, The Book 3 peaked at number two on both the Oricon Albums Chart and Billboard Japan Hot Albums, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments of over 100,000 units.
Background and release
On September 1, 2023, Yoasobi announced their third extended play, titled The Book 3, alongside its track list and album cover, set to be released on October 4. Pre-orders of the EP began on the same day, being made available only as a limited-edition binder package.[1]The Book 3 comprises all singles from 2022 to 2023, including songs from the duo and four Naoki Prize-winning writers collaborative project Hajimete no; and three new tracks, which the two are interludes "Awakening" and "Worship", an intro for anime themes "Shukufuku" and "Idol", respectively, and another is an opening theme for anime series Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, titled "Yūsha", which was announced the same day as the EP via a promotional video of the anime,[2] and released as a single ahead of the EP on September 29.[3]The Book 3's trailer was uploaded on October 1.[4]
Music and lyrics
The Book 3 is an electropop and synth-pop record,[5] and contains ten tracks. The opening track "Yūsha" incorporated the Frieren's main character of the same name's emotional changes and memories towards the hero Himmel.[6] Despite funky and upbeat music,[7] it expresses lonely and melancholy atmosphere of the anime.[8] It is followed by the first opening theme of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, "Shukufuku", narrating XVX-016 Gundam Aerial's perspective to its host Suletta Mercury to fight alongside her and watch her lead-up to the events of the anime.[9] "Umi no Manimani" talks about a girl who runs away from home and gets off at a train station by the sea at night, and she is called out to by a mysterious girl.[10] "Mr." is described as a "painfully ephemeral" city pop track about the desire of an android towards their owner.[11]
A pop song with hip-hop elements,[12] "Idol" depicts the two-faced nature of an idols in the entertainment industry[13] via various perspectives on Oshi no Ko's character Ai Hoshino from her fans, her groupmates, and herself.[14] Next, "Seventeen" expresses a 17-year-old girl who decided to bid farewell to the world she lived in and her parents to save the crisis in the parallel world.[15] "Adventure" is described as "a bright and refreshing spring-like song packed with fun memories at the [Universal Studios Japan] park."[16] The EP concluded with "Suki da", telling the protagonist's fourth attempt to confess her crush, who is her childhood friend, while struggling across space and time to erase her past love confessions.[17][18]
Just like with their previous EPs, Yoasobi commemorated the release with the telephone campaign Denwa o "Yoru ni Kakeru" Shisaku for commentaries of each track from The Book 3 from September 27 to October 4; on the last day, fans were able to call the duo directly.[28] The duo appeared on several television shows during the promotion, such as Mezamashi TV,[29]Nichiyōbi no Hatsumimi-gaku,[30]Ano-chan no Den Den Denpa,[31] and Ogen-san no Sabusuku-dō.[32] They first performed "Adventure" on television at CDTV Live! Live! on December 18,[33] and gave the televised performance of "Idol" at the 74th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen on the 31st.[34] In support of the EP, Yoasobi embarked on their first Asia Tour from December 2023 to January 2024, including appearances at Clockenflap in Hong Kong and Simple Life Festival in Taiwan,[35] and continued with the Pop Out Zepp Tour in Japan between January and March 2024.[36]
Mie Sugiura from Rockin'On Japan praised The Book 3 as a "wonderful EP" with "ultimate level of perfection", and a "collection of short stories expressed through magnificent yet delicate music."[38]Financial Times's critic Ludovic Hunter-Tilney rated the EP three out of five stars for the "manic coding sessions, at once hectic and precisely put together."[37] Sara Delgado of Teen Vogue listed the EP as one of the fifteen best non-English albums of 2023.[5]
In Japan, The Book 3 debuted at number two on the Oricon Albums Chart, selling 71,556 copies, behind only Mr. Children's Miss You.[40] It also topped the Digital Albums Chart, Yoasobi's fourth album to do so, gaining 11,021 downloads on its first week,[41] and topping for four non-consecutive weeks.[42] Overall, the EP landed at number two on the Combined Albums Chart.[40]The Book 3 entered the Billboard Japan Hot Albums at number two, blocked from Miss You.[43] On its first week, the EP earned 72,927 CD copies (number two on the Top Albums Sales),[44] and 9,094 downloads (number one on the Download Albums); the latter was the second biggest digital sales week in 2023, behind 15,190 units of Kessoku Band's self-titled album,[45] and topped for three consecutive week.[46] In November, The Book 3 received gold certification for physical format from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), exceeding 100,000 shipments.[47]
