aespa and RIIZE Are Scoring Kill Blue: K-Pop Takes Over Anime Season

SM Entertainment has positioned two of its biggest acts at the center of one of anime's most anticipated spring 2026 premieres. aespa performs "ATTITUDE," the opening theme for the Kill Blue TV anime, while RIIZE handles the ending theme, "KILL SHOT." The double announcement, made March 5, 2026 via DMM, signals just how serious the K-pop-to-anime pipeline has become.

What Is Kill Blue?

Kill Blue is the anime adaptation of Tadatoshi Fujimaki's manga of the same name, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from April 2023 to September 2025 and collected into 13 volumes. Fujimaki is the creator behind Kuroko's Basketball, one of the defining sports manga of the 2010s, which makes Kill Blue one of the season's more pedigree-backed titles. The series follows Juzo Ogami, a legendary hitman forced to restart his life as a middle schooler. Studio CUE handles the animation, directed by Hiro Kaburagi, with Miho Daidoji as character designer. Kill Blue premieres April 11, 2026 on TV Tokyo and affiliate channels.

aespa's "ATTITUDE": A Japanese Milestone

aespa released "ATTITUDE" as a Japanese digital single on March 6, 2026, marking it the group's first Japanese-language digital single. The track is built around the quartet's signature high-energy delivery: thumping production, a melody that catches immediately, and lyrics centered on unshakeable self-identity.

"We believe the track perfectly matches the fast-paced energy of Kill Blue," aespa said in their official statement. "To everyone who's looking forward to the series, we hope you enjoy the world of Kill Blue together with our opening theme, 'ATTITUDE!'"

The timing is deliberate. Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning are heading into their biggest Japan moment yet: Kyocera Dome Osaka on April 11 and 12, followed by Tokyo Dome on April 25 and 26. Scoring an anime opening theme for a TV Tokyo series that premieres the same weekend as their Osaka dome run is not a coincidence. It is a strategic entry into the Japanese market at scale.

RIIZE's "KILL SHOT": Rock-Driven and Built for the Story

RIIZE brings a different energy to their contribution. "KILL SHOT" is built around a rock-inspired sound, layering aggressive drum beats with breakbeats before opening into an emotionally expansive chorus. The group described it as capturing the series' core tension, "where 'the front and the back' and 'the ordinary and the extraordinary' intersect."

"We hope you enjoy the song along with the anime's story," the group said. The six members, Shotaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Sohee, and Anton, have built a reputation for sonic range since debuting under SM Entertainment in 2023, and "KILL SHOT" lands at the heavier end of that spectrum.

Why This Keeps Happening

K-pop acts performing anime theme songs is no longer novel, but the scale and visibility of these placements keeps climbing. What makes the Kill Blue announcement different is the source material's credibility. Fujimaki built his name on Kuroko's Basketball, a series that ran for six years and became a genuine cultural export. Kill Blue arrives with built-in anticipation, and whoever scores its themes gets attached to that audience at first contact.

Both aespa and RIIZE are under SM Entertainment, which signals an intentional label-level strategy around anime integration rather than a one-off deal. SM has consistently pushed into the Japanese market through official channels, and locking in two acts for the same title amplifies the footprint considerably.

What to Watch For

Kill Blue premieres April 11, 2026 on TV Tokyo. aespa's "ATTITUDE" is available now on global streaming platforms. RIIZE's "KILL SHOT" was revealed alongside the anime's second trailer on March 5. Both songs will appear in the anime's weekly broadcast as it rolls out through the spring season.