FLOW unleashes ‘Naruto’ anthems in sold-out Manila concert

Filipino concertgoers were transported to the Shinobi World as Japanese rock band FLOW performed iconic hits from the wildly popular anime series “Naruto” at the SM North EDSA Skydome.

The five-piece band took the stage at the Quezon City venue late Tuesday as part of its “FLOW: Naruto the Rock” world tour, delivering songs it had recorded for the series alongside its renditions of other memorable tracks from the anime.

Fans wearing Naruto-themed shirts and forehead protectors bearing the spiral symbol of the Hidden Leaf Village packed the intimate concert hall for the sold-out show. Some even donned the signature cloaks of the Akatsuki organization or the flak jackets worn by ninjas in the series.

FLOW opened its set with a rendition of the largely instrumental “Naruto Main Theme,” originally by Musashi Project, firing up the crowd before launching into “Haruka Kanata,” originally recorded by fellow Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation.

As the band delivered an array of rock songs ranging from high-energy, headbang-inducing anthems to emotive midtempo numbers, scenes from the anime played on screens, from battles during the Chunin Exams arc to the deaths of major characters such as Asuma Sarutobi and Itachi Uchiha.

Among the highlights were FLOW’s original contributions to the anime — “Re:member,” “Sign” and “GO!!!” — as well as its covers of “Yura Yura” and “Hero’s Come Back!!,” all of which prompted some of the loudest sing-alongs of the evening.

Throughout the concert, which lasted more than an hour, the crowd’s energy never waned, with fans singing along, pumping their fists in the air and jumping so enthusiastically that the floor seemed to shake beneath their feet.

“Manila, it was a powerful night,” the band wrote on Instagram after the show.

“Your voices, energy, vibes, everything made our performance greater,” it added.

FLOW’s solo concert came more than a year after the band performed at the New Frontier Theater as part of Anisama World 2025 in Manila, an anime music festival.

Formed in the late 1990s, FLOW has gained international recognition, particularly for its theme songs for popular anime series. The band consists of vocalists Keigo and Kōshi, guitarist Take, bassist Got’s and drummer Iwasaki.

“Naruto” originated as a manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto before being adapted into an anime that premiered in 2002. In the Philippines, the anime aired on ABS-CBN.

The series follows Naruto Uzumaki, a hyperactive young ninja who, despite being ostracized by his fellow villagers, dreams of becoming their leader, known as the Hokage.