"This is huge": Fans ecstatic as Joe Hisaishi posts video of BTS' Namjoon's song cover of 'Merry-Go-Round of Life’ on Tiktok

Joe Hisaishi, a Japanese composer, posted BTS leader Kim Namjoon's cover video of Merry-Go-Round of Life on TikTok on January 20, 2024. The particular track is from one of the most beloved and popular anime movies, Howl's Moving Castle, from Studio Ghibli and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Anime fans and enthusiasts worldwide are aware of the popular track being composed by Joe Hisaishi.

Similarly, the BTS fandom is aware of Kim Namjoon, aka RM, and the rest of his band members' love and admiration for anime films and manga. Even before enlisting in the military in 2023, the Indigo rapper-songwriter had uploaded a piano rendition of Merry-Go-Round of Life. Now, the Japanese composer shared the particular clip on TikTok on January 20, sending fans across the world into a frenzy.

For the unaware, Mamoru Fujisawa, better known by his stage moniker Joe Hisaishi, is a legendary Japanese pianist, conductor, composer, and musical director. The stalwart of the music industry has composed over 100 motion pictures and solo albums since 1981.

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"NOT IN MY 2024 BINGO": Fans ecstatic as famous Joe Hisaishi acknowledges Namjoon's rendition of his song

BTS leader and main rapper Kim Namjoon, who is also a revered songwriter and music composer, covered the iconic song Merry-Go-Round of Life from the 2004 Hayao Miyazaki film Howl's Moving Castle on October 17, 2023.

Namjoon even shared the clip of his piano cover version on his personal Instagram account with a monochromatic filter on it. It is crucial to keep in mind that Namjoon has been serving in the military since December 11, 2023.

Months later, on January 20, 2024, Joe Hisaishi shared the particular clip on both TikTok and his Instagram and captioned it as:

"I love @rkive's cover of 'Merry Go Round Of Life" #bts #rm"

The famous track Merry-Go-Round of Life is a mixed ensemble. Additionally, the soundtrack to Howl's Moving Castle, composed by Joe Hisaishi, is a wonderful soundtrack that evokes a sense of optimism, even though life may be dreadfully little more than a merry-go-round of upheavals around the sun. The opening number is a playful yet magnificent waltz for orchestra that sounds like it belongs on a merry-go-round.

A new age of anime music was heralded by Hisaishi's extraordinary creativity and ability to combine classical Japanese themes with modern orchestration. His everlasting compositions enhance the narrative and heighten the visceral effect of each picture, becoming an essential component of Studio Ghibli's enchantment.

Hence, when an iconic music composer, musical director, conductor, and pianist acknowledges a fellow 28-year-old musician's piano cover and reshares it on his personal social media accounts, it is bound to make waves of headlines. The BTS ARMY flooded Twitter as they rejoiced and tweeted that somebody needed to inform Namjoon in the military that his favorite Japanese composer had sent a nod his way.

The 21st-century Japanese legendary composer is an icon for every anime and true music lover. His works are greatly loved in anime films and Studio Ghibli productions such as Castle in the Sky (1986), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Princess Mononoke (1997), Spirited Away (2001), Ponyo (2008), and The Wind Rises (2013), among others.

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Namjoon recently completed his basic military training on January 16, 2024, and graduated as one of the six Elite Soldiers along with fellow bandmate Kim Taehyung. In addition, Namjoon was deployed to the 15th Infantry Division of the Republic of Korea to carry out the remainder of his military service until his discharge in June 2025.