For most artists, a debut performance in a new country is about making a first impression. For WOLF HOWL HARMONY, their appearance at Anime Friends in São Paulo became something far more personal.
Performing in front of a crowd of around 30,000 attendees across the festival, the group delivered a high-energy set that balanced explosive choreography with heartfelt moments. But for member GHEE, who spent part of his childhood in São Paulo, the show also marked a long-awaited return to a place he once called home.
"Coming back to Brazil and standing on that stage meant more to me than I can really explain," GHEE shared after the performance. "I got to reconnect with the local LOVERED community in person for the first time, and it felt like paying something back to my family here."
The quartet wasted no time setting the tone, opening with 'BAKUON -爆音-' and 'Gachi Funk'—two tracks infused with Brazilian funk influences that immediately drew the audience in. Between songs, the members greeted fans in Portuguese and chatted about their favourite anime, making the festival appearance feel less like a stop on an overseas schedule and more like a genuine cultural exchange.
One of the biggest crowd moments came when the group broke into acapella snippets of Dragon Ball and Naruto theme songs. The audience responded instantly, transforming the performance into a festival-wide singalong that underscored just how closely anime and music intersected throughout the weekend.
The emotional centrepiece arrived with 'PLEASE', a song that reflects the group's journey together through uncertainty and hope. Opening with a four-part acapella arrangement, the performance briefly hushed the crowd before swelling into one of the loudest audience reactions of the night.
"People who'd never heard our music before were moving to it immediately," SUZUKI said. "That's when I really understood what people mean when they say music has no borders."
Throughout the set, WOLF HOWL HARMONY also incorporated dance styles currently trending in Brazil, a thoughtful nod to local culture that helped bridge the gap between performers and audience. Their latest single, 'ココニイル Kokoniiru'—the ending theme for the anime Iwamoto-senpai no Suisen—was met with fans singing along in Japanese, a testament to the group's growing international following.
Closing the show with 'LOVE RED', the song that inspired the name of their fanbase, WOLF HOWL HARMONY ended their Brazil debut on a fitting note. For GHEE, it was a homecoming years in the making. For everyone else on stage, it was proof that the connection had already been built long before they arrived—and that Brazil may only be the beginning of the group's journey across Latin America.
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