Rodrigo y Gabriela Release Monster Video Created by Manga Legend Naoki Urasawa

When a world‑renowned manga master teams up with a Grammy‑winning guitar duo, the result is a hypnotic fusion of sound and sight. On June 18 2026, Rodrigo y Gabriela dropped a music video for the lead single “Monster,” the first visual taste of their upcoming album OurHome. The clip was drawn and animated by Naoki Urasawa, the Japanese artist whose psychological thriller series Monster has sold more than 140 million copies worldwide.

The collaboration began in an unlikely way. Urasawa discovered that the song’s title and mood were inspired by his own manga. The duo had written “Monster” before learning that Urasawa was a fan of their live shows. After Urasawa heard the track and recognized its connection to his series, he reached out through the duo’s Japanese promoter. A meeting in Tokyo followed, and the parties agreed to create a video that would visually echo the tension and moral ambiguity that define Monster.

Musically, “Monster” stands out as one of the darker tracks on OurHome. The duo has said the composition captures the psychological depth found in Urasawa’s narrative, using haunting guitar lines to mirror the suspense of the manga’s storyline. The partnership therefore feels like a natural extension of both artists’ explorations of complex themes.

Urasawa’s studio produced the clip, blending his signature detailed line work and dramatic shading with the duo’s flamenco‑influenced acoustic guitar. The animated short follows Rodrigo y Gabriela’s performance while intercutting with scenes that echo the series’ tense atmosphere. Within four days of its release, the video has already amassed more than 93,000 views on YouTube.

OurHome will arrive on September 18 2026 through ATO Records. The album follows the 2023 release In Between Thoughts…A New World and continues the duo’s tradition of instrumental guitar work. The single and its video were announced via the duo’s official social‑media channels, with the clip shared on their YouTube channel.

The partnership exemplifies a growing trend of cross‑media collaborations in the music industry, where visual artists from distinct disciplines contribute to a release’s promotion. While the project is primarily artistic, it also expands each artist’s audience—introducing Rodrigo y Gabriela’s fans to Urasawa’s manga and exposing manga readers to instrumental guitar music.

Following the video’s debut, the next steps are clear: OurHome will launch in September, and the duo will likely follow the album’s release with a promotional tour that will feature live performances of “Monster.” Specific tour dates have not yet been announced, but the album’s launch will be accompanied by a series of live shows and media appearances.

In sum, Rodrigo y Gabriela’s new single “Monster” and its accompanying video showcase a rare convergence of acoustic guitar mastery and manga artistry. The project underscores both artists’ willingness to experiment with visual storytelling and highlights the enduring appeal of psychological themes across creative mediums.