Following the success of the BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!! and Ave Mujica anime, the franchise is taking what’s best of those series and combining it with the main rhythm game series, resulting in BanG Dream! Our Notes. The new mobile game offers a brand-new rhythm gameplay system with visuals that look nearly 1:1 with the anime, and thanks to Bilibili Game and Bushiroad, I was able to experience a slice of BanG Dream! Our Notes for preview in its recent closed beta test. I’m not thoroughly impressed with what I played, but there’s a lot to enjoy here.
BanG Dream! Our Notes is a new rhythm game that takes the stories of the It’s MyGO!!!!! and Ave Mujica anime with a game-centric perspective and brand-new stories. While these bands are the focus, players can explore original story chapters with millsage, Ikka Dumb Rock!, and most notably, Mugendai MewType, who are the stars of the BanG Dream! YUME∞MITA. For this preview, I mostly had access to the stories of It’s MyGO!!!!! and Ave Mujica, which follow the anime quite closely. If you enjoy the BanG Dream! anime, you’ll definitely enjoy what BanG Dream! Our Notes offers for a multitude of reasons.
The Anime Comes Alive at Your Fingertips in BanG Dream! Our Notes
BanG Dream! Our Notes utilizes Live2D to make the characters feel like their straight out of the anime series rather than being all-new renditions specifically for a game. In addition, all of the voice actresses return for fully voice-acted scenes. The Live2D and full voice-acting make for an experience that is authentic to BanG Dream!, and while the story retreads a lot of water, it’s still enjoyable and full of moments—at least from what I’ve played through. Like the anime, the story chapters feel personal and focus on the relationships between the band members, so that aspect is maintained.
The full game promises a multi-route narrative with a cast of 25 characters at launch, so it’s quite a promising start. There’s also a “Cinematic Narrative System” that emphasizes emotional moments in the story through character animations, dynamic performance sequences, illustrations, and storyboard-inspired cinematics. In other words, BanG Dream! Our Notes aims to bolsters the crucial moments of the story through it’s art and presentation, and thus far, it works well in dialogue and scenes.
In terms of gameplay, BanG Dream! Our Notes plays just like any other tap-based rhythm game on mobile. You’ll tap, hold, and flick notes as they come across their lines, and hitting them perfectly will build combos and earn higher scores and ranks per song. If you’re a beginner or coming back to rhythm games after a long spell away, then you’ll notice that this game is actually a little difficult at first. However, there’s an Assist Mode that helps you get used to the flow of notes in songs, helping you improve over time. Regarding songs, BanG Dream! Our Notes features a stellar soundtrack with songs from across the entire franchise, with more to be revealed ahead of launch.
BanG Dream! Our Notes also lets you team up with other players in real-time multiplayer with the GEKISO LIVE system. GEKISO LIVE works just like normal song performances with the inclusion of GEKISO sections, which work seamlessly into each song to add some new twists. Up to five players can perform simultaneously on the stage to rack up score, but unfortunately, GEKISO LIVE wasn’t ready for testing for the closed beta test. I think this feature will be fun in practice, however.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Like other gacha games, BanG Dream! Our Notes will allow you to summon characters ranging from R (Rare) to SSR. Each character has unique skills that can be updated to boost their parameters and boost your score gains during song performances. At first, you might think you’re doing something wrong and only getting D Ranks on songs, but it’s definitely a case of needing to upgrade your band.
To be more specific, each band member has a Leader Skill, LIVE Skill, and GEKISO Skill. When these skills activate, you can expect a number of bonuses to boost your overall score. For example, Tomori Takamatsu’s Leader Skill will boost MyGO!!!!! members’ overall performance by a notable percentage. All these skills will improve as you level up and “Awaken” the character in typical gacha fashion. You can also raise each band’s overall Rank to improve their base parameters, and “Snapshots” can be equipped as a base stat booster as well.
I can’t speak the gacha mechanics since all the characters were free for this closed beta test, with gacha banners being inaccessible. Ultimately, having SSR characters with the best Snapshots and upgraded stats will net you the most success. However, you can still enjoy songs and the game’s story without needing to spend. Only time will tell how the full version of the game pans out with its in-game economy and gacha banners. I am hoping that materials used to upgrade characters to the max level can be easily grinded for.
BanG Dream! Our Notes Could Be a Fantastic Rhythm Game
After having played the closed beta test for a few sessions, I think BanG Dream! Our Notes could be a really fun rhythm game for BanG Dream! fans. I’m not entirely sure it would bring in loads of newcomers, but the full voice-overs and anime-like character designs could be just enough to get someone into the series. That being said, I’d have to hold my full judgment for the full release later this year. I’m very curious about what the story mode will offer at length, and above all, the gacha systems, GEKISO LIVE, and loot pool for upgrade materials will be key factors that will determine whether hardcore fans will keep on playing.
BanG Dream! Our Notes is coming to both Android and iOS in 2026, and global pre-registration is already live. Although the release is still a ways away, the franchise is expected to pick up soon with the premiere of the new BanG Dream! Ave Mujica prima aurora anime film in fall 2026 in Japan. Afterward, the long-awaited BanG Dream! Ave Mujica sequel anime will follow up in January 2027. There’s plenty of room for BanG Dream! Our Notes to capitalize on the hype.
Disclaimer: Bilibili Game provided access to the BanG Dream! Our Notes closed beta test for coverage purposes.
