Work (Millennium Parade and Ringo Sheena song)

"Work"
Single by Millennium Parade and Ringo Sheena
A-side"2045"
ReleasedMay 17, 2023 (2023-05-17)
Recorded2023
Length3:21
LabelAriola Japan
Songwriters
ProducerMillennium Parade
Millennium Parade singles chronology
"No Time to Cast Anchor"
(2022) 		"Work" / "2045"
(2023) 		"Goldenweek"
(2024)
Ringo Sheena singles chronology
"Toogood"
(2022) 		"Work" / "2045"
(2023) 		"Je Suis Libre"
(2023)
Audio sample
Millennium Parade and Ringo Sheena – "Work"
  • file
  • help
Music video
"Work" on YouTube

"Work" (stylized as "W●RK") is a song by Japanese band Millenium Parade and Japanese singer Ringo Sheena, released on May 17, 2023, through Ariola Japan as the first opening theme for the Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku (2023) anime television series. The song had peaked at number 5 on Japan's Oricon chart.

Background and release

"Work" is the opening song for the Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku anime,[1][2][3] performed as a duet by Millennium Parade, the musical project of Daiki Tsuneta,[4][5] and Ringo Sheena.[6][7] It serves as the first collaboration between the two.[1] The song was regarded by Anime Corner as the Top Anime Opening Picks in Spring 2023.[8] The TV version spans for a duration of one minute and 30 seconds, whereas the full version of the song lasts for three minutes and 21 seconds. The song first aired on February 26, 2023. It was later released digitally on April 1 and was later released physically on May 17, alongside "2045" as a double A-side single. The song would be nominated as Best Opening Sequence and Best Anime Song at the 8th Crunchyroll Anime Awards.[9] The music video for "Work" was directed by Yuichi Kodama with the help of Ryuken Sato and Naoki Kaneko, and was produced by Mamoru Inagaki with Mizuki Ohno. The video features both singers in the city, later panning to them on a stage.

Composition

The song reflects on the struggles and contradictions of life and work, criticizing the mundane routine of society while urging listeners to break free, explore themselves, and confront both personal flaws and societal norms. It blends introspection with commentary on modern labor, conformity, and existential questions, challenging the idea of a “correct” path in life and celebrating individuality and survival through adversity. In the music video, the opening visuals of the song for Hell’s Paradise juxtapose intense motion and stark imagery of characters fighting for survival, symbolizing the constant struggle between life and death, a central theme of the aseries. Characters shown in combat, movement, and transformation visually mirror the song’s existential lyrics about testing oneself and confronting life’s challenges. These visuals reinforce the anime’s story—death‑row convicts fighting monstrous threats to obtain the elixir of life.

Track listing

Digital download and streaming – promotional single
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Work"
Millennium Parade3:21
CD single
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Work"
Daiki Tsuneta3:21
2."2045"
  • Sheena
  • Tsuneta
Tsuneta3:41
Total length:7:02
  • Limited CD+Blu-ray – Millennium Parade Live 2021 "The Millennium Parade", October 4, 2021 Tokyo Garden Theater
  1. "Nehan"
  2. "Fly with Me"
  3. "Bon Dance"
  4. "Snip"
  5. "Veil"
  6. "Www"
  7. "Stay!!!"
  8. "Philip"
  9. "Dark"
  10. "Slumberland"
  11. "Trepanation"
  12. "Plankton"
  13. "Lost and Found"
  14. "Fireworks and Flying Sparks"
  15. "Familia"
  16. "U"
  17. "Matsuri no Ato"
  18. "2992"
  19. "Call Me"

Personnel

  • Daiki Tsuneta – vocals, guitar, programming
  • Ringo Sheena – vocals
  • Melraw – horn arrangement
  • Jun Miyakawa – synths, organ
  • Ayatake Ezaki – synths
  • Kazuki Arai – bass
  • Yu Seki – drums
  • Yu Sasaki – mixing, recording engineer
  • Randy Merrill – mastering
  • Uni Inoue – recording engineer (Ringo Sheena vocals)

Accolades

Year Award Category Result Ref.
2024 8th Crunchyroll Anime Awards Best Opening Sequence Nominated [9]
Best Anime Song

Charts

Chart performance for "Work"
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Japan Hot 100 (Billboard)[10] 26
Japan (Oricon)[11] 5

References

  1. ^ a b Moo, William (April 3, 2023). "Millennium Parade & Sheena Ringo's "WORK" Opening Theme for Hell's Paradise Now Streaming on Music Platforms". Anime Trending. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  2. ^ Piedra, Josh (April 3, 2023). "Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku Opening Theme Has Released". Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  3. ^ John-Day, Michael (April 3, 2023). "Hell's Paradise Fans Are Obsessed With the Anime's Opening Sequence". CBR. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  4. ^ Cambosa, Teddy (February 26, 2023). "Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku Reveals April 1 Premiere and Opening Theme Song in New Trailer". Anime Corner. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  5. ^ Komatsu, Mikikazu (April 16, 2023). "Hell's Paradise Anime Opening & Ending Theme Music Videos Now Streamed". Crunchyroll. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  6. ^ Davidson, Danica (April 4, 2023). "Hell's Paradise Opening Theme Song "WORK" Now Available Everywhere". Otaku USA Magazine. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  7. ^ Leung, Hilary (April 14, 2023). "Crunchyroll Announces Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku English Dub Cast". CBR. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  8. ^ Nwaenie, Chike (October 31, 2023). "Hell's Paradise Author Teases New Projects". Anime Corner. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  9. ^ a b Hazra, Adriana (March 2, 2024). "All the Winners of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2024". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  10. ^ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). April 26, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  11. ^ "W●RK/2〇45 | millennium parade × 椎名林檎". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved July 17, 2025.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.