My really close friend Katie and I have been on such a huge J-Pop kick. She's always especially low-key been into Exile Tribe which made me wonder wtf the ruckus was about..and oh man...ya'll..... I am guilty of having a girl group bias by I've been sleeping on Exile Tribe like no one's business. Where the fuck was I these past years?
I feel like Exile Tribe has always been popular but I always kind of associated it with something tsuyome gyarus would listen to while getting ready to go out to the club or listen on the way to a damn car meet with friends or a boyfriend. When I look at my old Egg magazines they're always on the little music countdown playlists or are promo'd. Which is another reason why I thought that I needed to finally take a proper dive. I've casually listened to them before but now I have favorite things and I think the groups are crazily summertime appropriate.
First up! Hiroomi Tosaka's songs have been STUCK in my head. Songs like "Under the Moonlight", "Overdose" and "Chainbreaker" (known from High&Low's OST) are just so catchy. They're always on my playlist of things to listen to. I'm kicking myself for not going to OtaQuest in favor of the Gazette back last year (to be fair, the Gazette was so fun and I don't regret it, I just wish I could have gone to both things). Mainly because a lot of shit I already listened to (Capsule and m-flo specifically) was performing at that event and seeing m-flo is still a huge goal of mine but the fact that now I know Hiroomi was there and I know who that is now places a little bit more salt into the wound.
Here is "Overdose" and "Under the Moonlight" for those who want to check this artist out.
While I'm still on an Exile Tribe kick, I thought I'd mention what I like to dub as the baby groups. The Rampage is a huge music and J-Drama staple right now and they have a lot of summertime bops that are really catchy. They caught my attention with "Full Metal Trigger" because the rapper kind of reminds of the rapper Motsu from the group m.o.v.e of Initial D fame. I found their other stuff and it felt like summertime in January when I found them with tracks like "La Fiesta" and "Fandango".
However, Ballistik Boyz is mine and Katie's favorite baby group. Unlike The Rampage that has a really cool vibe about them, Ballistik goes in a different direction with really youthful and fun-sounding songs that people apparently rival with K-Pop. Lately, they have been trying to lean in a more mature direction with my favorite song of their bunch being called, "Strangers" while "Anti-Heroes" has their typical fun-loving sound that fans are accustomed to.
On another note, Kalen Anzai also been an artist I've been keeping eye on. I've been watching "M: Aisubeki Ai Subeki Hito ga Ite" and while Kalen definitely can't light a flame to Ayumi Hamasaki's iconic charisma, she should be seen as her own artist and comparing her to her J-Drama role quite unfair. Her rendition of m-flo and Lisa's "Come Again" was actually pretty solid and her song, "Sekai no Subete Tekini Kanjite Kodokusae Aishiteita" kind of sounds like something that the producer HAL would have produced. She definitely has a sound that sounds like a bit like if the old Japanese girl group Dream met Nami Tamaki. I do think they're marketing her too idol-y when her having a more iconic look beyond soft/cute idol-y things would suit her way more if they're going to have her do such nostalgic things. They threw her in a gyaru look for the Ayu j-drama and I adored that look the most and wish they went with that look for her instead of what they do with her but I guess that's me with a gyaru bias!
Since I brought up the Ayu J-drama "M" (we'll talk about it later I promise lmao) while the drama is absolute cheese, the whole soundtrack for the series is amazing. There are a couple of Avex signed artists who participated in a song called "Revive em All" and I've gotten all of my friends hooked on that among the rest of the "Avex Revival Trax" album. Imagine my excitement seeing FEMM for what feels like the first time in forever, and alongside my favorite girl group FAKY? Sign me the fuck up. I was so excited for this song even before it released.
lol's rendition of TRF's "Ez do Dance" is another favorite of my friends' and I. I have a friend who works doing stage work (mc, performances, and music things) for a con and I will not be shocked if this is the song and "Revive em All" is all he plays the whole damn weekend when cons are allowed to be a thing again. The whole album is fun but those two songs really make us old people kind of feel nostalgic while they still have a modern take done on them. I'm assuming the group lol is Avex's new AAA.
Speaking of AAA, I have been obsessed with their song "Bad Love". This was a song I played a lot at the beginning of 2020 and it definitely deserves a place on my list. AAA and I have been a thing since I was 13/14 when the Japanese trailer for the Chinese Initial D movie came out with AAA's "Blood on Fire" came out with it playing in the background. I *had* to figure out who the hell this group was and AAA always stuck out to me as the Japanese version of SClub7 later on considering it was a co-ed group. They've lost quite a couple of members lately. They only have one female vocalist left when they originally had 3 (I think) and I know they lost their male center lately due to a scandal where the guy had some stupid decision making. However, I feel like AAA is still going to be going strong as long as Nissy is in there considering he's one of the members who stood out a lot even on his own. "Bad Love" was such a different concept from the bright and happy things they usually do. I feel like this song matured the group up which I honestly really love. They're older. Please, by all means Avex, age their songs up since their audience is older. lol can keep the bright cutesy songs and fluffy ballads since they're younger.
I mentioned m-flo earlier and I couldn't NOT bring up m-flo. I grew up listening to Taku and Verbal's "loves" era that featured iconic collaborations with artists like my queen Namie Amuro, Koda Kumi, Sowelu, Emi Hinochi, and Chemistry. Though I think the songs everyone always recalls are the collabs with Crystal Kay and BoA. I was personally introduced to m-flo through songs like "I Like It" and "the love bug" as well so I can't argue it.
So when they came out with "Tell me Tell Me" with a damn heart next to the artists they were collabing with, I lost my shit. Did this mean they were bringing the "loves" era back?!! Indeed they are. "Tell Me Tell Me" is SUCH a fun song. Before this song came out, I was all over "Toxic Sweet" too (which is also a really good song and perfect for summer) but something about "Tell Me Tell Me" just felt like I was a teenager again. Especially with Lisa being involved. That's a whole 'nother level of nostalgia right there. Mind you, I'm going to use this word A LOT because the old is coming back new lately and it's pretty exciting for an old hag like myself. lmao.
Moving on, I mentioned how I have a girl group bias and I really haven't touched on it, have I? I mentioned FAKY beforehand and I think it's only appropriate to bring up them. They went through yet again, another member switch up or some shit. I think this is the third time they've repackaged their songs but I'm thrilled. Not because we're getting the same songs but because a third time is a charm for this group. They weren't really being pushed marketing-wise and they're not a cutesy idol-y group. They're a take on a fun girl-crush concept that I think wasn't doing so well in Japan for a little bit. I was so thrilled when their new songs last year were getting over a million views like they finally deserved. I've been following FAKY since their debut teasers. I always got frustrated (and discouraged) when I'd watch A-Nation performances. They'd have to follow up K-Pop groups that would get a lot of cheers and they'd barely get crowd responses for their songs. I'm so so glad they're FINALLY getting their moment after years and years of existing. Their hard work is paying off.
I'm usually the type of person that has to be in the mood for a ballad, but "half-moon" is such a beautiful song-both in composition and lyrically.
If you want a summer bop, however, give "Antidote" a listen. ;)
A girl group that I've pushed to hell and back is BananaLemon. I always jokingly say they're FAKY's rival but honestly I'd lose my damn mind if they collaborated. Both groups are so fucking cool. "Girls Gone Wild" is such a gyaru-y song talking about not giving a fuck and roaming around Shibuya. They've worn plenty of Baby Shoop and even sported those infamous Esperanza x OK collab boots that every gal lost their mind over. "Sugar Baby" takes the group on a cuter level I feel. The lyrics are still very powerful but this song has a really bouncy Y2K feel that could give the American girl group "Dream" (not the Japanese one I mentioned earlier, that's a different sound and concept completely) a run for their money.
Another girl group that I've found in this past year (that I'm HELLA late on) is an extension of E-Girls, called Sudannayuzuyully. Apparently, E-Girls disbanded but I'm hoping Sudannayuzuyully stays a thing. "Look At Me Now" is such a bad bitch song. The vocals and rap bits are powerful and I would have never expected such cute looking girls to be able to serve such a concept. "Ten Made Tobaso" is more of what I had expected and is a really nice feel-good song that I listened to a lot on mornings alone in my university's dorm as I made breakfast before starting up on schoolwork or Zoom classes in isolation. The song really gave me fluffy feelings even if the lyrics about longing for a loved one (something I haven't been able to relate to in years lmao).
I've been listening to Koda Kumi's newest remix album like no one's business. I recently bought LED strips to make mood lighting in my room since I had to move back to my family's temporarily since COVID-19 happened and my university dorms are closed. This whole ass album makes the music function that makes the lights change go absolutely bonkers. I haven't liked a Koda Kumi remix album in a minute and the originals of these songs are kinda 'meh' but I really love the remix versions of them. Lmao. Sorry Koda Kumi. I feel like her and Ayu make better club songs than they do normal songs and they should just do that now because they're amazing edited this way.
I'll share "Merry Go Round"'s remix but I think there's only one song on that whole album that I don't like. The rest are so good wtf... I can imagine Koda Kumi making a crazy grand entrance with the shadw remix of "K" or "Shut Out"'s Bunny mix. LOL And I mean, she was the one bitch who came out on a fucking fish tank underwater on a concert stage. That's gonna be ingrained in my memory forever no matter how cheesy her concepts were after awhile.
I think everyone already knows about Chamina but I'd also be crazy not to throw her on my list. I actually found her through a Miyavi song she collabed on when she was barely famous. I think "Doctor" really made her popular. However, since then, she's released good song after good song. "Picky" is no exception. It's such a bad bitch anthem. I loved "Voice Memo No. 5" as well-odd clown concept and all- but "Picky" was so damn good. I think if I remember correctly she released two mini-singles. One has the softer ballady songs and the other is a bit tougher. Songs such as "King" and "Baby" are also really amazing.
She recently also did an acoustic version of "Never Grow Up" which brings tears to my eyes because it was so beautifully done and she's also really pretty in that performance. If you've never heard of Chanmina, I highly recommend you give her a listen. She's so fun and I really like her stuff.
I've also been catching up with Johnny's related groups recently. Takizawa Hideaki is now a big shot over at Johnny's and to be fair, I always loved Tackey and Tsubasa. That was my bias of a group so I'm really happy for him. ;_;
I'll bring up some OGs first and then I'll get into what's new.
Imagine my shock when it was announced that Kamenashi Kazuya and Yamashita Tomohisa were going to be Shuji and Akira again. LOL. Not literally, they're known as Kame to Yamapi now but them collaborating brought me back to my "Seishun Amigo" days considering that was the first song I ever fully learned and memorized in Japanese and that was the first J-Drama I ever watched.
Amor is such a beautiful song with a mature vibe going for it that is quite fitting since both of them are quite older now.
Now I'll mention new groups for you. I feel so old mentioning Johnny's because I feel like this is way beyond my age demographic. I grew up with effing V6 for god's sake. LOL. Ugh and I was the right age to spazz over KAT-TUN and News when they were a thing. Then I kind of fell off of the bandwagon when Hey!Say!Jump debuted as well as the other group. I took a peek at King and Prince (thanks to the sequel Hana Yori Dango) single but it didn't go beyond that. Johnny's felt so...dated. They weren't as cool to me as they used to be. I had moved onto other concepts that evolved.
I'm happy to say that while Johnny's still feels like they're stuck in yester-year in some ways, they are finally evolving. I think that's partly due to new management but we shall see.
SixTONES and Snowman debuted together. I'm not sure if they're supposed to rival each other or not (was News and KAT-TUN even supposed to be rivals? lmao or was that Kanjani8? I vaguely recall some shit but maybe that was just some fan speculation).
The rumor was that Namie Amuro was teaching effing choreography to Snowman. I'm not sure how accurate that information was but holy fuck, if there was just some semblance of a ghost of my damn queen, I was there.
I obviously checked out Snowman first and still like them a bit more than SixTones.
"D.D" (Dancing Dynamite) is such a weird song. Some of it I like then some of it is like-wtf is this. Apparently, it's a bunch of older guys my age and then they have a baby member who is like...16 or something and is taking over the world doing Dior campaigns. Damn, what am I going with my life right? Regardless, they are like lighter/brighter group maybe
.
SixTones is a bit darker and even has Yoshiki from XJapan composing the song called "Imitation Rain". It's kind of a cheesy ballad but then again, I was the one who liked KAT-TUNs "Real Face" so am I really allowed to judge "Imitation Rain"? Lmao. Katie likes them so I guess that makes us Johnnys rivals or some shit.
">A lot of people insisted that I listen to Rina Sawayama and at first, I wasn't sure why until I really listened to "XS". That song is the epitome of Y2K sound. I like a lot of her other songs but "XS" appealed to me once I separated it from the video's really weird concept that I feel like didn't fit it. It was quirky but I dunno how to feel about it.
I feel like she has a lot of influence from early Utada Hikaru and Shiina Ringo (who ironically have songs together) either sound wise or image-wise but I feel like she could be associated with that if you're into those sorts of things.
This is from different genre and realm but I suppose I'm going back to my roots with this very last but not least recommendation. I don't keep up with visual kei too much anymore. The fandom is a little scary for my liking and just...yeah..I dunno. I think I'm getting old because all I keep up with is the Gazette and Acme. Two opposite fucking ends of the spectrum but I appreciate both.
Acme occupied a lot of my weekends when I was alone at my dorm complex because they started doing live streams that featured them playing their music. It was a really fun way to fill up the silence. Lots of really silly shenanigans goes on during their livestreams and it's honestly a blast. They're actually still doing them if you look on over at their official pages or fanclub pages. :)
Katie and I actually started off our 2020 with a bang because we actually went to their San Francisco live show and even treated ourselves to VIP tickets for her birthday. This is especially something I'm glad I did because obviously...concerts can't happen for a really long time now thanks to COVID. It was such a fun concert and a new experience for me because I had never been to such an intimate live before. I've been to my fair share of J-Rock concerts in my youth but never something like this and I really appreciated it.
If you're really into J-Rock still and I wanna say I they're oshare-kei but like..modern oshare...I'm not sure how to explain it. They're bright but then they still go hard....? lmao. Point is, they're really fun and you should check them out.
Now I'm finally going to talk about J-Dramas after linking a shit ton of music videos to you all. My current fixes have been pretty obvious if you've been following me on Instagram because I pretty much live reacted to some of the things I've watched.
I guess I'll start with the most anticipated "M". Where the hell do I even begin with "M". Here I thought we were going to get a serious Ayumi Hamasaki biopic because even though she's not as "cool" as she was before-she is a J-Pop icon. She was one of the first few J-Pop artists I found on my own and her songs to this day have stuck with me.
I did not expect "M" to be what it was. I read up on the J-Drama being an adaption of a book written by another person who apparently did interviews or something with Ayumi and had inside info that then went into a rather popular book.
This series I feel is overhyped. Hell, even I overhyped it at first because I was genuinely intrigued by the fact that there was going to be a series on someone who I knew of and who was still alive. I didn't know how often Japan did things like this but it caused a stir. I watch a lot of walking videos of Tokyo and I noticed even during the lockdown "M" ads were EVERYWHERE in Shibuya which was weird considering that when I saw these, "M" was on hiatus because they couldn't film due to COVID-19. But after watching the drama and noticing the ads I was like...hm...this isn't worth the hype Avex.
Kalen is going to forever suffer being compared to a such huge icon like Ayumi Hamasaki. Which is unfortunate because she lacks the same charisma that Ayumi Hamasaki has. Kalen doesn't feel adult enough and instead comes off childish. I understand that there were things in the 90s/00s that were childishly trendy but I think there was something cute but adult like that made it acceptable back then and if you don't have that charisma and look to pull off talking in 3rd person or being really confident while acting slightly childish-it makes you look daft.
This is unfortunate for Kalen Anzai because she is neat on her own but she's def not Ayu. I feel like if she could dance she'd be a really neat version of Nami Tamaki. Her sound is bright enough to do that sort of music. Ayumi Hamasaki has a cooler/darker tone to her voice. I'm really relieved they'd didn't make her cover a song of hers because that is a fuck ton of pressure and the comparisons would be brutal. I can see in certain shots how she could appear looking like Ayumi Hamasaki but I don't know if it's because they cheapened some really iconic looks of Ayumi's but it just doesn't translate well. Especially the "M" bridal look that everyone remembers for having a dumbly long train and just being poofy and lighting up. There's no way you can "half" do a look like that.
There is ONE look in the entire series that I absolutely adore. It's very gyaru. It's in episode 5 I think. She has an aqua look on for a photoshoot with a curly wig and that is the only look that I really feel would be 'Ayu'-like and even then, it looks out of place for its time. It looks like a Popteen shoot from 2003 and not 1998/1999.
The whole J-Drama feels like a fucking fanfiction. Matter fact, I've been writing a long term Haruka/Michiru fanfiction (Sailor Moon) for almost a decade and there was eerily some parallels between "M" and my own plot. I don't know if that makes me a cliche writer or if I'm really influenced by J-Dramas (and Ai Yazawa lmao) so much to where I know how to write appropriate storylines for shit like that because they all kind of do the same thing.
It doesn't really focus on Ayumi growing much as an artist rather than her only having motivation via being in love with her producer. Which kind of rubs me the wrong way considering that someone's success shouldn't be reliant on a man. It shouldn't take being in love with someone to bring good things out of you. I wish the character Masa was merely an influence for her songwriting (and mentorship) rather than the sole purpose of Ayu wanting to do well as an artist.
There are other parts of the drama that are overdramatic to the point of being dumb and yet, sometimes this J-Drama is such a large trainwreck that it's one of those things that is so bad that you can't look away. Most of the J-drama is Ayu bullied with overall sabotage, Masa throwing a fucking conniption fit, them having some overly cheesy moments, with some really good music from "Avex Revival Trax" thrown in the background.
What a mess. Yet, here I am. Weeks later. Still watching it. I don't know what to feel about it. It's a good way to pass time but if you're looking for a serious Ayumi Hamasaki biopic based on her real-life with some iconic looks used-you're in for a total disappointment. Like I said, I feel like this whole ordeal was overhyped. Wtf Avex. Was it worth the ad campaign for something this cheesy? They were better off making an idol series based on how Avex artists were marketed/whole Avex look-a faux artist that nothing to do with Ayumi Hamasaki's legacy and throw in old songs as a part of the drama's setlist for appeal. Associating Ayumi Hamasaki with this is just....-facepalms- and I'm not as crazy about Ayumi Hamasaki like I am for Namie Amuro and I am saying this.
Fuck, let's give Namie a proper biopic. That woman's life was way crazier and she prevailed against some savage shit. Plus she's out of the spotlight now enough for it to be a good nostalgia kick for her fans. I'd take that over this but then again, I'd want someone serious.
I feel bad for Ayumi Hamasaki fans because I think they anticipated something different. I sure did. I went through the trouble of finding the day it aired and watched it without subs and realized my Japanese must have not went to complete shit in the past decade because while I couldn't accurately translate what was going on word for word, I understood enough to be able to convey to my friends wtf was going on as we watched it together.
Moving onto a J-Drama release that HASN'T been disappointing, "Life: Senjou no Bokura" was released just in time for Pride month. I found it on a whim and was interested considering that I follow a lot of LGBTQ media even outside of Japan. I am admittedly a huge fujoshi when it comes to yaoi manga but I also like finding films from Taiwan and Thailand. Lesbian films that aren't done from the male eye are particularly difficult to stumble across but that's another story for a different post. LOL.
I didn't know what to expect from "Life: Senjou no Bokura" but most BL things that have been made usually are on limited platforms and either have actors who can't portray a gay relationship in a believable light (they look so uncomfortable lmao) or the drama or movie ends in tragedy. I don't know where this one is leading to. I'm aware there is a manga and I could spoil myself but I'm actually going to refrain from doing that and allow the drama to dictate my feelings towards this story before I delve into the manga.
The love story between the two characters is so sickenly sweet that it gives me cavities. Apparently, it will convey the couple's entire love story as they grow up together. I don't know if the drama will deviate from the manga but it's a series that I've been following that I thought I would share.
Here is the trailer for this drama.
The last J-Drama I am sharing is a bit older. I'm late on the uptake on this but I had to share it. It's too good.
When COVID-19 shut everything down, I had an abundance of time on my hands suddenly and I was completely alone in my dorm complex for three months. I had began watching J-Dramas with some of my closer friends who had come to visit because suddenly, I had all this time that I didn't have before and no social obligations to like...talk to people.
I searched on the internet for popular series and me already kind of dipping my toe into Exile related shit thanks to YouTube, suddenly found "High&Low". Holy shit. What type of hell did I get myself into with this series?
Katie knows more of who the hell everyone is more than I do. I'm a filthy casual but the whole storyline reminded me of something that could be adapted into a fucking fighting videogame with the gangs having really distinct things about them or fighting moves or styles that you can associate with said part of SWORD or whoever outside of SWORD.
And I think that's the appeal of "High&Low". Everyone has a favorite gang usually and you rep your favorite part of SWORD. It's a gang/bosozoku/yakuza J-Drama where the gangs fight over old school rivalries or territory. There's everything from classy biker gangs who fight for their own purpose to ones that parkour and take care of each other.
The fighting in this is well done. The choreo for it is....just...damn. Damn. All I can say about it. The Amamiya Brothers fights are always really crazy and Kizzy and Kaito's dual fight against the gang called "Doubt" always stands out in my mind because the choreographed teamwork is amazing. LOL. Plus I just really love Kaito and Kizzy's dynamics/relationship. It's the cutest.
It's such a fun series. Katie likes Rude Boys (ha, I didn't realize Smokey was the same dude who played Light in the Death Note J-drama..lmao wtf?) while I like White Rascals because they're classy AF. While I don't know who all of the Exile people are, I'm aware E-Girls is associated with it.
I flipped my shit seeing a VERY GROWN Endo Yuya (he plays Koo) and Saito Takumi in this. I know them from my TeniMyu days back when I was 13-15ish so I really freaked out seeing them in something so high end and being so..well...GROWN. Last time I saw them in things they were in their teens/early 20s I think and it's crazy how time really changes people. So it certainly excited me seeing things I did know about and that kept me around.
I'm sharing the movie 2 trailer because it shows off the gangs individually as well as show some of the really amazing fight scenes from that movie.
Much like how "M" has an amazing soundtrack, "High&Low" has a soundtrack that is just...so fucking memorable and has so many neat collaborations within it. Except, unlike "M", "High&Low" doesn't suck and when they insert a song it's not done cheesily. "Break into the Dark" always brings you back to really sad emotional scenes when it pops onto my playlist. PKCZ is a group that has Verbal from m-flo that does in it. Far East Movement even makes a cameo in the song "Asobo". The music that plays in this franchise is just...so so good. I don't know how to like...convey it without just showing you scenes or videos. Usually, each song is a theme for a specific gang-meaning you know that The Mighty Warriors, White Rascals, or whoever else is about to roll up to kick some ass. LOL. If you have a favorite part of SWORD or whatever, their image song will be your damn anthem.
If you thought the J-drama was good, the quality goes up even further in the 3 movies that come after the two seasons before it. No wonder this was so popular... I originally also got appealed thinking E-Girls was going to have a bigger role then what they actually had. </3 Those pink biker girl coats lured me in because there Ageha models a few years back repped simular. I def see how green fur lined parka and the long biker gang jackets came into style in gyaru fashion a few years back. It was thanks to this J-Drama without a doubt.
The series is so well received that CLAMP even did a manga for "High&Low" and it's deadass the cutest thing ever. I need that manga in my life please.
Currently, Katie and I are waiting for the side story movie called "High&Low: The Worst" to come out. There's apparently a manga done for this that isn't by CLAMP and has a rougher feel. It focuses on Oya High and is a crossover with another J-Drama "Crows Zero" which I also am beginning to watch. It's odd seeing a drama crossover but I can see how that would be exciting.
So that's what I've been listening and watching recently. Has there been anything on my list that stands out or catches your interest? Is there anything you'd like to recommend me looking into? Let me know in the comments! :)
Until next post guys!
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