[Hypnosis Mic] Buster Bros!!!'s strongest three brothers! What kind of team are they?

2025.07.29

You've probably heard the term "Hypnosis Mic" a lot recently. It's a rap battle project featuring 12 male voice actors produced by King Records. The 12 characters each fight for their own territory. Six CDs have been released so far, and live performances are planned for the future! It's the most dynamic genre right now, and it looks like it's only going to get bigger. In this article, we'll be giving you a thorough introduction to Buster Bros!!!, one of the units featured in "Hypnosis Mic," from the Ikebukuro Division!

Contents

The World of Hypnosis Mic

Hypnosis Mic Relationship Diagram
Source: Hypnosis Mic ©King Record Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.

While many of you may already know this, let's briefly review the world of Hypnosis Mic. The story takes place in the "H-Era." Armed warfare has been eradicated. Women have taken over the role of hegemon, replacing barbaric men. Politics is now carried out in the walled-off Chuo Ward, a city ruled only by women. Men are forced to live in areas outside of Chuo Ward, such as the Ikebukuro Division, Yokohama Division, Shibuya Division, and Shinjuku Division. In place of military force, they use special microphones called "Hypnosis Mic" that can directly interfere with people's minds. Men battle for territory through rap!

What is "Buster Bros!!!"?

Hypnosis Mic has four divisions, each with its own representative team. The representative team of the "Ikebukuro Division" is "Buster Bros!!!", the representative team of the "Yokohama Division" is "MAD TRIGGER CREW", the representative team of the "Shibuya Division" is "Fling Posse", and the representative team of the "Shinjuku Division" is "Matenrou".

They will captivate you with their overwhelming rhymes and new-age crime!

"Buster Bros!!!" from the Ikebukuro Division was the first of the four divisions to release a CD. This unit, consisting of three brothers, is the only division in which all members are in their teens. Their powerful raps, captivating audiences with their stunning rhymes and new-age critiques, are a hallmark of their music. In the next section, we'll introduce each of the three unique brothers!

"Buster Bros!!!" Member Introduction #1: Ichiro Yamada

First up is Ichiro Yamada (MC.B.B./MC Big Brother). Born on July 26th, he's 19 years old and the eldest of the three brothers. He runs an information agency called "Maniya Yamada" and receives various requests every day. He is a caring and righteous man who is loved by everyone, and is very caring towards his siblings. He hates bullying the weak. There is information that he used to be a delinquent so much so that everyone in Ikebukuro knew his name, but the details about this are not known. We think this will become clear in future drama CDs and the like.

Is he actually an otaku?

Ichiro is a former delinquent, an informant, and a beloved older brother... but he's also a huge otaku! He loves anime and light novels, and always checks out the latest light novel releases. There are scenes in the drama CD where he reads light novels and watches anime with his younger brother, Jiro. It's a bit surprising, isn't it?

Is he on bad terms with Samatoki?

Ichiro was once a member of the powerful group "The Dirty Dawg." He and Samatoki Aohitsugi, leader of the Yokohama Division "MAD TRIGGER CREW," were once senior and junior during their time with The Dirty Dawg and their days as delinquents. However, they now have a very bitter relationship. As soon as they come face to face, a fight breaks out on Hypnosis Mic. From listening to the drama CD, it's clear that something happened between the two of them, but the details are still unknown... We look forward to future information!

"Buster Bros!!!" Member Introduction #2: Jiro Yamada

And now we have Jiro Yamada (MC.M.B/MC Middle Brother). Born on February 6th, he's 17 years old and currently a second-year high school student. He's the second of three brothers. He grew up watching his older brother Ichiro, who was adored by everyone, and he idolizes him. He imitated Ichiro in everything he did and became a delinquent himself. He's good at fighting and is the leader of the Ikebukuro Division. He's also knowledgeable about anime and light novels, another influence from Ichiro.

Does he always get into fights with Saburo?

Jiro is always fighting with his youngest brother, Saburo. Whenever the two get together, they inevitably end up fighting, and it's not uncommon for Ichiro to step in to stop them. However, when Saburo is at a disadvantage in a battle, Ichiro is quick to help him, and he shows signs of wanting Saburo to rely on him as an older brother, so it's clear he doesn't dislike him.

Is He Actually a Virgin?

Jiro is a high school student who's a delinquent and good at fighting. He also likes anime and light novels. Some fans even say he "looks like a married woman." Despite all these attributes, it turns out that Jiro is actually a virgin! This was revealed during his first live concert in Ikebukuro, when Saburo called him "very inexperienced with women" and "a virgin," but it's a bit surprising, isn't it?

"Buster Bros!!!" Member Introduction #2: Saburo Yamada

Last but not least, we have Saburo Yamada (MC.L.B./MC Little Brother). Born on December 16th, he's 14 years old and currently in his third year of junior high school. Unlike his older brothers, he's a genius, and has been described as a "child prodigy." He never became a delinquent, but he respects his eldest son, Ichiro. He is generally friendly, but he has a twisted personality and looks down on those who are inferior to him. As a result, he doesn't have many friends, and is always looking for someone to play his hobbies of board games and cards with.

Do you always fight with Jiro?

As mentioned above, Jiro and Saburo are constantly fighting. Though they both respect their older brother, Ichiro, whenever they're together, they're constantly arguing. Saburo calls Jiro "moron," and looks down on him, but Jiro always snaps at him. However, when listening to the drama CD, there are scenes that make you wonder, "Maybe they're really good friends...?" Perhaps, for some reason, they just can't be honest with each other.

Shining Individuality! Songs from "Buster Bros!!!"

Each member has their own character song. Each of them has a completely different style of song, each one quite unique. It's so much fun to compare Ichiro's rap, showcasing his impressive skills, Jiro's rap with his memorable shouts, and Saburo's rap with its beautiful melodies. Singing them at karaoke is sure to be a hit. Here are the songs by the three members.

"I'm Ichiro"

First up is Ichiro's song, "I'm Ichiro." The lyrics were written by Yoshira Heitaro and the music was composed by Gesshoku Kaigi. As many of you may know, the lyricist, Yoshira Heitaro, is a pseudonym for Kimura Subaru, who plays Ichiro. The defining feature of this song can be summed up in one word: "cool!" Kimura Subaru, who describes himself as a "self-proclaimed rap-crazy voice actor" and "born in Germany and raised on hip-hop," is also a top-notch hip-hop performer. His overwhelming skills are enough to give you goosebumps. By the way, you wouldn't know it just by listening to the song, but the lyrics of the second verse are peppered with references to "Evangelion." "Don't run away," "Angels," and more are lyrics that are typical of the nerdy Ichiro.

"Sensen Fukoku"

Next up is Jiro's song, "Sensen Fukoku." The lyrics and music were written by Gesshoku Kaigi. This song showcases Jiro's masculinity and coolness. Starting with the lyrics, "I'm the second in command of Bungokuraku, the proud watchdog of this territory," we can see the brave Jiro. There's a line in the middle that goes, "I always fight with the third in command, I grew up only looking at his big back, Every time my knees feel like they're going to give way, I realize, 'We're family'" and I'm sure many will be moved by it...! What's more, it's the easiest of the three brothers' songs to sing, so it's sure to be a hit at karaoke. If you listen to the full song, you can hear the shouts, which are really cool!

"New Star"

Finally, we have Saburo's song, "New Star." The lyrics and music were written by Yasutsugu Miura. This song samples Bach's "Air on the G String." This allows classical music to play behind the rap, creating a completely different atmosphere from the other songs. The lyrics are simply adorable, with lines like "A magical fourteen" and "Each of my words become a star and light up this town, dazzlingly." Saburo is usually cheeky, but there are lyrics that give a glimpse of his true feelings, such as "At times like this, I sometimes wonder if I was a normal middle school student." There's no doubt that listening to the song will make you love Saburo even more.

Are they really good friends? Introducing the Voice Actors of "Buster Bros!!!"

Source: Hypnosis Mic ©King Record Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.

As the "male voice actor rap battle project," Hypnosis Mic is characterized by its tendency to feature voice actors more prominently than other 2D content. Voice actors appear in music videos, frequently participate in Nico Nico Live broadcasts, and hold live concerts, creating a close relationship between the characters and their voice actors. The three voice actors of "Buster Bros!!!" are especially good friends. They have a lot of fun together on Nico Live. Here we will introduce the voice actors of "Buster Bros!!!".

Subaru Kimura as Ichiro Yamada

He is half Japanese and half German, and his real name is "Subaru Samuel Bartsch." As mentioned above, Kimura is no stranger to hip hop, and while he was in high school he formed a hip hop unit called "TAIFU-N" with his best friends. They would gather on the school rooftop almost every day after school to dance, perform street shows, and hold rap battles. Kimura is also best known for his role as Gian in "Doraemon." Incidentally, when he first took over the role, Kimura was still in junior high school.

Haruki Ishiya as Jiro Yamada

A native of Miyazaki Prefecture, Ishiya has been active as a voice actor since around 2013. Other roles he has played include Shuichi Tsukamoto, the protagonist's childhood friend, in "Sound! Euphonium." He also played the lead role in the 2017 drama "AKIBA'S TRIP -THE ANIMATION-"! We're looking forward to seeing more of him in the future.

Amasaki Kohei as Yamada Saburo

Amasaki, a native of Osaka Prefecture, has been working as a voice actor since around 2014. His other roles include Yaguchi Haruo in "Hi Score Girl" and Kirill Vrubel in the anime "DOUBLE DECKER! Doug & Kirill." Both are leading roles, so we look forward to seeing more of them in the future. The three voice actors from Ikebukuro are very close, perhaps because they are all close in age.

"IKEBUKURO WEST GAME PARK" is the "Buster Bros!!!" division song.

In Hypnosis Mic, each division has its own song. The song for the Ikebukuro Division is "IKEBUKURO WEST GAME PARK." The lyrics are by Yoshihara Heitaro and the music is by Gesshoku Kaigi. This song is so cool and catchy that it's sure to make you happy just listening to it. Ichiro, Jiro, and Saburo take turns singing, passing the baton along as they go, and you can really feel the close bond between the brothers. If you listen to the full version, you'll find a lot more, including material from NicoNico Live Broadcast and Ichiro's beatboxing.

"Buster Bros!!!" Summary

This concludes our introduction to "Buster Bros!!!," Hypnosis Mic's Ikebukuro Division. Each of the three brothers has their own unique charm, and we're sure we'll get to see even more of their unique side in the future! While the world and setting of Hypnosis Mic are still shrouded in mystery, we're excited for future developments.