"Butter-Fly" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Kōji Wada as the opening theme song to Digimon Adventure. The song was released as Wada's debut single on April 23, 1999.

"Butter-Fly"
Cover of the original 1999 single
Single by Kōji Wada
from the album All of My Mind
A-side	"Butter-Fly"
B-side	Seven Seven ~10th Memorial Version~ (Strong version)
Released	April 23, 1999 (1999-04-23) August 1, 2004 (2004-08-01) (re-release) April 22, 2009 (2009-04-22) (Strong version) November 25, 2015 (2015-11-25) (tri. version)
Genre	J-pop, anison
Length	4:14 18:14 (Strong version)
Label	Interchannel (1999-2008) T.Y. Entertainment (2008-2013) Feel Mee (2013-present)
Songwriter(s)	Hidenori Chiwata Cher Watanabe
Kōji Wada singles chronology
"Butter-Fly" (1999) "Target (Akai Shōgeki)" (2000)
"Hirari" (2007) "Butter-Fly (Strong Version)" (2009) "We Are Xros Heart!" (2010)
"Evolution & DigiXros" (2011) "Butter-Fly (tri. Version)" (2015) "Seven (tri. Version)" (2016)

Background and release

"Butter-Fly" was performed as the theme song to the 1999 film Digimon Adventure and later became the opening theme song to the television series of the same name.[1] It was the first time Wada had sung a rock song, as he originally performed "Butter-Fly" as a ballad.[2] Originally released on April 23, 1999,[1] the single was re-released on August 1, 2004 with new CD artwork to commemorate Digimon Adventure's 5th anniversary.[3][4] The success of the song gave Wada the title "Immortal Butterfly Anime Song Singer."[5]

Other versions

"Butter-Fly (Strong Version)" was released on April 22, 2009 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Digimon franchise as well as the 10th anniversary of his debut with the song.[6][7] It was his first single in three years after "Hirari" and charted on Oricon Weekly Singles for one week.[7]

"Butter-Fly (tri. Version)" was released on November 25, 2015 as the theme song for the Japanese version of the anime film series Digimon Adventure tri.,[8] and the single was his last release before his death on April 3, 2016.[9] A second version of "Butter-Fly (tri. Version)" was released as a tribute on May 1, 2018 as the ending theme to Digimon Adventure tri.: Chapter 6: Future, the final installment to the Digimon Adventure tri. film series, as well as the final part of the film.[10] The song was performed by AiM, Ayumi Miyazaki, and the eighteen main cast members of tri., along with posthumous archive audio of Wada.[10][11]

Reception

"Butter-Fly" ranked #5 on NHK's list of Top 100 Best Anime Songs in 2017.[12]

Cover versions

The cast for the male characters in Digimon Adventure performed "Butter-Fly" and released it with the We Love Digimon Music CD box on December 25, 2002.[13] The release was to commemorate the franchise's 100th CD release.[13]

The song has also been covered by Masaaki Endoh in his album Enson.

Halko Momoi covered "Butter-Fly" on her 2008 cover album More & More Quality Red: Anime Song Cover.[14]

Nagareda Project released a cover version on their album, Nagareda PPP, on August 8, 2012.[15]

Idol group Sea*A released an English version of "Butter-Fly" on their eponymous debut album, Sea*A, on March 27, 2013.[16]

Idol group Trefle performed a cover version of "Butter-Fly" and released it as their debut single on November 18, 2015, which charted at #78 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.[17] The song served as the opening theme song to the show Animemashite.[17] They performed the song at Anison History Japan!![18]

On September 2, 2019, Vocaloid Hatsune Miku released a cover, as part of a collaboration event with the Digimon franchise.[19]

Track listing

All songs arranged by Cher Watanabe.

1999 and 2004 version

Strong version

tri. version

Charts

References