10 Years with Atarashii Gakko! and Defying the Norms

10 Years On: Where Is Atarashii Gakko!’s “Breaking Out” Journey Going?

With all that in mind, let me return to the first question. Don’t you think the meaning of “breaking out” has shifted quite a bit—from when you released “Miyao” to now, when “OTONABLUE” has brought widespread recognition in Japan and you have fans overseas eagerly waiting for you? Back in your early days, when you were still in school, “breaking out” felt more like teenage rebellion. But now, it seems to carry a different meaning. How do you see that change?

MIZYU: I think you’re absolutely right. At the time, it was this feeling of, “Why should we be bound by boring rules made by adults?” Of course, we still followed the rules, because rules are rules. But we also wanted to prove that following them didn’t mean you had to lose your individuality. I think we were speaking to ourselves—telling ourselves that it’s still possible to stand out, to break free. We were saying, “It’s okay to go beyond the lines.”

MIZYU: Back then, choosing to “step outside the lines” felt like an act of bravery—almost like a youthful determination to challenge the norm head-on. I think we were throwing out that energy like a statement against convention.

That spirit influenced the way we shaped our performances. There was a rebellious streak—like, “Let’s not be ordinary,” or “Let’s take the weird route.” But over time, that shifted. Now I feel more at peace with just being true to myself. If you like being normal, then say it loud—there’s power in owning that, too.

RIN: After doing this for ten years, people now often ask us things like, “What do individuality and freedom mean to you?” or “What advice would you give to someone who doesn’t feel comfortable standing out?”

RIN: Saying what I like and doing what I genuinely enjoy—those things might seem unconventional to others, but I’ve come to see them as something truly valuable in life. It’s grown into something that feels like a life motto.

KANON: Right now, pushing forward with what the four of us genuinely want to do feels like our own version of “going against the grain.” Even though we call it standing out, it actually feels like we’re in the right place.

I see. So for today’s Leaders, “going against the grain” means staying true to who you are and celebrating that authenticity.

SUZUKA: That’s right. It was our rebellious spirit that helped us discover what we truly love—things that aren’t ordinary, things only we could find. That’s what shaped our style. It’s a way of living authentically. At the same time, I think I’ve always carried this inner sense of rebellion, like I’m still in a constant push-and-pull with myself, just like I was in the early days of Atarashii Gakko!.

SUZUKA: I always want to break out of the patterns I’ve grown used to—the flow I’ve followed so far, the things I can already picture in my head. Almost every day, I find myself thinking, “I need to shake things up today—step into a time, a space, an environment I wouldn’t have imagined.”

I try to visualize that through instinct—colors, words, abstract ideas. Then I let those impressions guide me: “Maybe it’s this kind of place,” or “Maybe I should spend my day this way.” On a personal level, I think that rebellious urge to break away, like what I felt back in the early days of ATARASHII GAKKO!, still lives inside me.

If that feeling ever fades away, I’d be okay with it. I think I could live a healthy, peaceful life without it. But for now, there’s still a part of me that gets excited about tearing myself down in order to rebuild. As long as that spark is there, I’ll always be someone who craves to “step outside the lines.” I think I’ll always carry that urge to defy what feels ordinary within myself.

“ATARASHII GAKKO no SUSUME” (2CD + DVD)

Released on Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Price: 8,800 yen (excluding tax)

[Disc 1 (Anokoro)]

1. Gakkou Ikeyaa
2. Dokubana
3. Koi no Shadanki feat. H ZETTRIO
4. Saishuu Jinrui
5. Shiken Zenya
6. Mayeba Toutoshi
7. Koigeba
8. Toumei Boy
9. Keserasera
10. Koibumi
11. Otonablue
12. Miyao (10th anniversary ver.)

[Disc 2 (Konogoro)]

1. NAINAINAI
2. Pineapple Kryptonite
3. CANDY
4. Seishun o Kirisaku Hadou
5. Giri Giri
6. Fly High
7. Arigato
8. Forever Sisters
9. Tokyo Calling
10. Change
11. One Heart
12. Go Wild

[DVD]
“NIPPON Calling Tour 2024” at National Yoyogi Gymnasium, First Arena
https://lnk.to/AG-10thBEST

“ATARASHII GAKKO no SUSUME” (2CD)

Released on Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Price: 4,300 yen (excluding tax)