In all honesty, I’m very much considering going even if there won’t be autograph sessions or any of the like. I may not stan them as much as I did AAA way back when, but they make some great music. Apparently the dance quartet (now trio) Synergy, whom they worked with for the regeneration tour and singles Shawty & Keep Your Love, may also come?

Between this and Kinkakuji at the Lincoln Center Festival… be right back, I’m rearranging my plans and my financials for this summer.

At long last, I finally offer you another ranking post.

No, really, it’s been a long time. To say that things have changed is a bit of an understatement. As with last time, the ranking post has been done with the Johnny’s CD Debut groups ranker at BATHKAME (but if you use it, bear in mind that as it’s Japanese, it’s all in kanji. An English version with the addition of Kusano/Uchi/Toma/other long-standing juniors can be downloaded here.) Top 9 (because to include everyone 10 and up would be to count 23 people) are bolded.

And there you have it – the state of my current Johnny’s fandom. Let’s get the obvious observation out of the way first – Miyake Ken leapt like Superman. Second obvious observation – there is some serious clustering going on here.

The General Trend

To start with, I actually have to reference a line in this post:

Is [a bad fan] a person who likes only one part of the whole, instead of the whole?

Meaning – if you call yourself a KAT-TUN fan and hate Kamenashi Kazuya, are you a bad KAT-TUN fan? Could you call yourself a good Natsuyaki Miyabi fan if you liked her stuff with Berryz, but not with Buono? Exactly how much of a Koda Kumi fan are you if you groove to her slutty dancepop but fall asleep at her ballads? And can I really say I’m a Johnny’s fan if there are groups I hate?

It’s a mixed bag of a question. I’m not saying that to be a fan, you have to love everything about something. Even when people bind themselves with another person for life there are bound to be irksome mannerisms between the two. But at the same time, if you like Matsumoto Jun and not the rest of Arashi, you really shouldn’t be calling yourself an Arashi fan at all.

My approach to it is to at least treat the whole as open-mindedly as possible once I’ve decided to go for it. So even when I acknowledged myself as an Arashi fan, despite my initial distaste for Matsujun, I tried to at least not let that distaste flavor my fandom. And when I decided I was going to call myself a Johnny’s fan, that meant giving all the groups a try, and more importantly, giving all the groups’ members a chance.

Way back in 2008 - over three years ago, now – I’d only just resigned myself to being a Johnny’s fan. Certainly with the prevalence of SMAP and the You&J groups, I knew about them. But the Johnny’s I revolved around were the KinKi Kids, half of whom was my major downfall into Johnny’s, and Arashi, who sealed the deal. Now it’s been three years. That’s a lot of time for change. Everyone and the Voltronites have grown (some old enough to actually participate in Countdown past midnight), Jin has left KAT-TUN (if you didn’t know that, then the rock you’ve been living under must be pretty cozy. Care to loan it to me sometime?), Kusano is never coming back (face it already, fangirls), and most importantly, I’ve gotten to know more about Johnny’s and more Johnny’s themselves.

I’m not really a history buff, but there certainly is a lot to admire about the past, and particularly in relation to continuous idols. There is a definite fascinating quality to being able to see idols grow, even if it’s only on one end, and I would point out that this holds true whether or not you like Johnny’s idols. The various changes in Morning Musume’s lineup, the expanding popularity of AKB48 (and its sister groups) and comparing it to predecessor Onyanko Club, the evolution of D-BOYS as a unit, or even just the physical and musical growth that w-inds./(no longer FLAME)/Lead have gone through.

Put bluntly: Seeing Johnny’s in the 90s is like looking at a car wreck. It’s horrible and yet you just can’t tear your eyes away from it. I grew to like Johnny’s in the late 2000s, so let me be the first to say: I like the modern look. I like the magically corrected teeth. I like that they are boys – no, men – that I can arguably be physically attracted to. What’s in now is what appeals to me because I am in the now.

Yet we can’t deny the awkward transitioning phase that they must all go through, whether it’s because they have to get through puberty (as much of Hey! Say! JUMP did) or because they lack the years of polish that time in the industry will give them (as Kis-My-Ft2 will have to do now). The changes can be profound.

And senpai groups have so much of this because they debuted in the 90s that, really, why would you ever want to look away?

Physical imagery aside, the senpai have plenty to their name. SMAP is often credited with creating the lasting idol – and as they hit their 20th anniversary this year, they certainly deserve a lot of credit. While nowadays Ohno Satoshi, Tegoshi Yuya, and Akanishi Jin are apparently the vocals fangirls cream their pants over, Sakamoto Masayuki won a worldwide competition for covers of the Tarzan theme song, You’ll Be In My Heart, under the name Sakamoto Marsa – and if Japanese wiki is to be believed, complimented by Phil Collins himself when he admitted to singing it a key higher than the original: “Next time, I’ll have to do that.” (Give a listen to the other songs he did for the Japanese version of the movie: Two Worlds, Strangers Like Us, and Son of Man – my personal favorite for the vocalizations at the end.) And you want to talk about member love? Watch any senpai show. Any. They’ve got it in spades, given how the original Johnny’s setup had them all dorming together and especially after working together for so long.

It’s this same member love that makes senpai group interactions in general, including current ones, so enjoyable to watch. SMAP, TOKIO, V6, and KinKi Kids are all no strangers to ribbing on their fellow members, despite the fact that they all most likely don’t meet up with each other unless it’s for work purposes. And when they all get together, no holds are barred. It’s why Countdown concerts with the senpai, old J-FRIENDS videos, and guest appearances on each others’ shows can be such fun to watch. Yes, TOKIO scolding Arashi whenever they appear on their shows is hilarious – but there is still that distinct senpai-kouhai relationship. In fact, that same relationship is exactly why TOKIO is often scolding Arashi – for not respecting it, especially towards “Mabo-nii.” The senpai generation of Johnny’s are equals – equals even beyond the Johnny’s company rule of everyone calling each other with the “-kun” suffix. They don’t need this pretense to mess around. It’s natural, and it’s all the more fun to watch for that. You don’t just adore their individual accomplishments – you come to love the group as a whole.

It’s not hard to presume that this is also why so many H!P wota shat their pants when Dream Musume was announced. With so many old names and familiar faces returning, the glory days were undeniably recalled. And after all, had Nakazawa Yuko, Iida Kaori, and Abe Natsumi not busted their asses to help sell those copies of Morning Coffee way back when, there might not even be a Morning Musume today.

There is definitely something to be said about senpai. That’s of course not to slight those younger and upcoming – they have their own perks, and there is a reason why they have as many fans as they do. It’s their prime, or they’re going to come into their own, and they’ll etch their part into idol history as well.

…at least, I think that’s why Koharu’s included in Dream Musume.

The Individual Results

Okay, enough senpai-praising. If I haven’t scared you off already, let’s attack the actual ranking results and how they ended up the way they did.

In May 2008 (which is why a ranking done in January 2008 doesn’t reflect it), I started getting really into V6 with the release of their single Chou. This escalated when they released the mini-album VIBES in that same summer, and gradually built up as I explored their past discography until we hit the release of LIGHT IN YOUR HEART/Swing! at the end of that same summer.

Let it be said – when I dive into a fandom, I go deep.

At the same time, Arashi’s escalating popularity started to take its toll on me. With multiple ongoing variety shows and plenty more from their past, I fell into the easy rhythm of just waiting for fansubs… and then when the subbed files were done (because this is the Arashi fandom, waiting? What waiting? It’s like Naruto fansubs - everyone’s tripping over themselves to be first.) I put them off until I had “time.” This got worse in 2009, the year of the 10th Anniversaries – including Arashi - and keeping up with Arashi became a full-time job. A few brushes with some rabid fans only cemented my growing distaste, and in 2010 I decided to jump ship and just keep an eye in the crow’s nest looking out every so often.

The path was wide open for V6. A few episodes of Gakkou he Ikou! – which I was introduced to because of their josou prank on Arashi, not gonna lie – and the fact that they had a regular food-centric variety show ensured that I was hooked. I can even tell you for a fact that even on my annual casino trip in 2010, I spent a large amount of time not on the slots watching VVV6, because my main memories of that trip are of watching the cheesecake (dessert, unless there’s some hidden fanservice I haven’t seen before) episodes.

And with V6 storming in where Arashi once held court, my natural inclination (see original ranking post) towards the adorable Miyake Ken already had him high on the roster. Long-time readers will also remember my adoration of Kuitan (starring Morita Go), and with Okada Junichi being as popular as Matsumoto Jun, it was easy to lean towards Coming Century at first. In fact, if forced to pick, I’d still say Coming Century is my favorite of the two subgroups because I like their upbeat music more. 20th Century quickly caught up and they evened out, but no matter how much a fan loves a group, they’ll always have their favorites. So while Ken keeps first place (making the jump from relative dead last to number 1), Inohara Yoshihiko with his oft-exposed two sides (good-humored wacky and thoughtfully mature) took number 2.

V6 now thoroughly dominating the top, my former tied #1, Ninomiya Kazunari ends up in number 7. He was tied with Sho then, but not long after (with the help of certain D no Arashi episodes) he slipped into ultimately 1 – such is why Sho isn’t here with him. Domoto Koichi, who’s been a surprisingly staunch favorite since 2006, keeps his “after the main group” spot at number 7 - only 7 because there are 6 members of V6, whereas last time he tied with Matsujun for 5. To be honest, he probably managed to stay high because of his recent canine acquisition, and my own canine acquisition, after which I’ve become amazingly forgiving of adoring pet owners including Koichi. Also tied at 7 is Nakai Masahiro – who’s one of only 4 people on here whose ranking didn’t change. Though Utaban is sadly long gone, whether he’s on SMAP x SMAP, hosting a special, or talking to fans for Marching J he still doesn’t change his style. (Or his inability to sing.) So why shouldn’t my opinion of him – based off that style – reflect that?

Top 9 past, let’s look at the… fourteen 10s. Well, there are fourteen, but in the fourteen are the rest of Arashi, SMAP, all of TOKIO, and one lone straggler from Kanjani8 – Yokoyama Yu. Arashi’s descent and SMAP and TOKIO’s rise have to do with the senpai fascination – though actually TOKIO’s Nagase and Taichi are right where they were before – but what about Yoko? Well, he’s right where he was before as well. Yoko, as one of the most visible members of the Kanjani Bunch, didn’t really see a decline in activity, and while I’ve slowly dipped my toes into the Kanjani pool, it hasn’t been enough for anyone to overtake him.

Domoto Tsuyoshi, the other half of KinKi suffered a major decline – from 8 to 24 – mostly because of that same senpai fascination. It’s a bit hard to see at first how it backfired on him until you realize that KinKi only have one group show, Tsuyoshi’s solo show was kicked off the air during the three-year interval, and I haven’t watched either because I’ve been so busy catching up on the other senpai groups. Immediately following him are Kamenashi Kazuya and Masuda Takahisa, my two favorite members of KAT-TUN and NEWS respectively, and they’re where they are because they ranked highest out of their groups last time too, and the groups in question haven’t really done anything to change that. Murakami Shingo is the last of the top 25, and as another of the most visible members of Kanjani8, he mostly improved his standing with me thanks to the escape-the-room variety game show DERO!.

Most of the rest of Kanjani8 are sequestered after them – Yasu and Maru are slightly higher because of what appears to be good-naturedness, but I still don’t know K8 well enough for that to make much of a difference - along with the Koyashige duo of NEWS. Koyama Keiichiro and Kato Shigeaki aren’t actually higher than Pi and Tegoshi for any reason of their own, so let’s skip them. (I know, NEWS fans. That happens far too often.)

And in the last bunch – tied at rank 34 – are all there because I either don’t really care about them or because fandom has cause them to be irksome to me. Which is a bit unfair after all my talk about open-mindedness, but the mind is what it is. Hey! Say! JUMP and Tackey & Tsubasa are all there for the former reason – even Chinen, Yuto, and Yamada, who used to be higher.

Everyone else is there for the latter. While I’m not going to be one to brag that Arashi fans are better than KAT-TUN fans, some KAT-TUN fans left a particularly bad flavor on me, which combined with my earlier dislike didn’t help them at all during these past three years. But more directly, Ohkura Tadayoshi didn’t rise with the rest of his group because – despite also being one of the more visible members of Kanjani thanks to his acting – his fans and one of them who I interact with fairly often in particular have made him unappealing. Likewise with Tegoshi Yuya, and for Yamashita Tomohisa it’s a combination of that and overexposure – the same reason I initially disliked Matsujun. More than their actions themselves, I avoid getting to know and like them further because their fans’ behavior reflect in a displeasing manner. It becomes a question of “Do I want to be associated with these people based off my interest in this person?” and not “Do I think the person themselves is admirable/likable?”

That, to me, is probably the biggest reason why the bad fan question is so important.

The Change

Do these changed results reflect a change in the way I fan and interact with fandom? Actually, surprisingly, yes. Let’s focus specifically on V6, though this is probably also applicable to SMAP, TOKIO, and KinKi. The overseas V6 fandom is small – especially in comparison to Arashi and You&J – and at times, very intimidating. Fresh material is limited by the law of idol promotion in Japan – fresh meat always takes precedence. And subbed files and fan graphics, while in existence, are definitely much lower in quantity.

In the Arashi fandom, while I was the one who dragged Ruri into the muck with me, she was actually the key through which I got to know other Arashi fans. Ruri sadly hasn’t been as receptive to the old men of V6 (because Arashi takes up so much time when she has it), so I’ve had to strike out myself. (This is actually quite terrifying for a socially-stunted person like me. I almost never reach out, both online and off. Even my association with Ruri is because she messaged me first.) Since there’s not all that much new material, there is plenty of appreciation for the old, whether on LiveJournal or tumblr. With limited subbed files, I rely on the raws – which not only have prompted and helped me to improve my Japanese, but have also been much easier to keep up with now that V6 as a group only have one regular show. But I took it a step further and decided to help sub, and now I’m arguably making even more of a connection with other V6 fans. (A lot of kowtowing too – I’ve never been part of a subbing effort before and oh the breadth of things to learn.)

To be honest, I’ve never really been happier with my position in the Johnny’s fandom.

Perhaps a large fandom, as lovely as it is to know the talents you support are popular, may not always be the best thing. Sure, I lament that I never have anyone to sing V6 at karaoke with (whereas if I liked NEWS/KAT-TUN or still Arashi, as everyone in New York seems to, I’d have plenty of offers), but I’m also beginning to feel more part of a group of like-minded people. And isn’t that what fandom – essentially a giant club – is for?

International Wota is currently holding a charity auction to benefit Japan, and I’ve put up some things from my own collection for it. If you’re a fan of AAA, w-inds., or girl idols in general, you’re probably going to be interested, so check it out!

Fans can be generally defined as people who fanatically like something – but what actions separate the good from the bad?

Is it a person who doesn’t financially support the artist, but downloads everything instead?

Is it a person who wants to become a major player in the fandom and resorts to harassment, stealing, and other sorts of wank in order to spread their name?

Is it a person who is delusional regarding the subject of their fandom, such that they believe s/he is their *~*ONE TRUE RABU*~* and may even stalk her/him, if the option is available?

Is it a person who likes only one part of the whole, instead of the whole?

Is it a person with absolutely nothing to contribute to the fandom other than inane and potentially insulting commentary?

Is it a person who automatically jumps to insults and derogatory words (see: bitch, whore, slut) when referring to people they dislike?

Is it a person who is insultingly outspoken about what they consider immoral only so that s/he becomes known as a major speaker on the fandom in question?

Is it a person who, despite being a fan, abuses language in their fanhood? (Note that this is not the same as not being proficient in the main language in which you are communicating – usually English. See: “hi minasan ginki des ka” as an opener, usage of the word “bakka” in reference to an idiot instead of the proper “baka”, random usage of the terms “kawaii” and “kakkoii,” and ending every other sentence in “ne.”)

Is it a person who may like the fandom in question, but are very outspoken regarding parts they do not like?

Is it a person who thinks that they have the right to judge who is a “true” fan and who isn’t?

Is it a person who is truly fanatical, someone who is almost rabidly unforgiving of anyone who holds a different opinion in regards to their fandom, even in a public forum for the open discussion of the topic?

Is it all of the above?

Or is it something completely different?

You tell me.

Those of you who think you might be able to make it, you’ve got plenty of time to start planning and preparing.

Those of you who don’t give a shit, well, too bad. Even ignoring the V6 connection, look up Kinkakuji. It’s a surprisingly compelling tale.

And for those of you who just want to know when I’ll post more often on this blog… I did say this blog was operating under the pretenses that I didn’t give a crap. (Well, that’s a lie. I care, I do. We blame school.)

I recently found out that thanks to a happy show by the name of Music Fair, a doomsday collaboration had occurred.

“Recently found out” being just “tonight” (It is two minutes to 5AM as I type this, and I am told I finished this post and its tumblr accompaniment at 5:42AM…) while procrastinating on a paper due in about 8 hours, and “doomsday collaboration” being a situation of the “wow, I didn’t think this would ever occur” variety.

But apparently I’m pretty slow on the uptake, since this particular episode aired 4 days ago.

Basically, HOME MADE KAZOKU, Johnny’s duo Tegomass, and AKB48 subunit Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 got together and covered Perfume’s Chocolate Disco.

Some things were great about this:

• Watarirouka Hashiritai being the main singers.  What better cover of a cute girl group than with a cute girl group.
• KURO being effin’ cool-as-hell KURO. MICRO also gets points because the interjections didn’t seem out of place, but c’mon. KURO was rocking the shades.
• DJ U-ICHI. You can never go wrong with DJ U-ICHI.
• The original dance!
• Massu enjoying the hell out of himself.
• Massu and KURO bopping to the song together. I have an OTP for this song now. And I don’t do pairings.
• I adore those schoolgirl uniforms Watarirouka were wearing. So much. You don’t even know.

But others were just bad:

• Sorry to say, AKB48 stans, Watanabe Mayu’s (I think?) solo singing here. Too heavy on the cute. Group sounded great together. Mayu solo made me wince.
• Hell, even Massu sounded kind of off because it was a bit too high for him.
• Tegoshi trying to be cool-as-hell when he wasn’t flirting with the camera. Yeah… that’s what HMK were there for. You looked like some of the girls rejected you.
• Going back to Massu… the skirt? Even for Johnny’s, that’s a pretty big WTF.
• MICRO not singing. Man’s got a good voice. What I wanted to hear most was him singing.

But hell, in the end it was fun. Still not gonna stan AKB48 or Tegomass, and my interest in HOME MADE KAZOKU is definitely much lower than it was about 3 to 4 years ago… but can we get more along the lines of this from Japan, please?

There’s a common music meme that is ageless. By which I mean it was likely floating around even before the Internet. It’s also very simple. You’ve no doubt heard of it – and even if you somehow haven’t you’ll get the idea right away.

It usually goes like this: What are your [X number] desert island albums? If you were stuck on a deserted island with only a music player, which 1/5/10/whatever number albums would you want to have?

If you somehow still don’t get it, then let’s take it in a different way – what album(s) would you be able to listen to over and over?

While I will always be the first to admit that, hell yes, obviously bias plays a major part in any statement I make… when I tell you that Coming Century‘s second album Hello-Goodbye is second on my personal desert island album list, you should trust me.

“Hold on. Second album? Only second? But… they’re part of V6. Like, the Johnny’s group that’s been around for over 15 years.” You’re skeptical. I understand. I mean, look at all the group songs they have as part of V6′s releases. But, no, this is most certainly their second album (mini-album, more like. They didn’t even get a CD jewel case, just fabric sleeves in carboard.) and at the rate they’ve gone, we may be able to next expect another album in 2016.

Never mind that, though. I tell you Hello-Goodbye (not to be confused with Aiba’s solo song from Arashi’s Dream “A”live) is second on my desert island list, and I mean it. I’m quite obviously a V6 fan, and even more so a Miyake Ken stan, so yes, personal fangirl moments abound. But even if you’re none too fond of the nasal stylings of Go/Ken, this release is a solid piece of pop.

o1/ Hello-Goodbye: The titular first track is a pop-rock piece with a heavy emphasis on guitars, punctuated by bass, mixing in hand claps for variety, and altogether not out of place in the recent Japanese hip-hop trend of combining rap stanzas and a catchy pop everything else. Of course, then you look at the creator credits and see that Spontania and Jeff Miyahara had a hand in this and you totally understand why it works. It is infectious: I’ve listened to it since the music video came out, I sing it at karaoke, I have even cropped the chorus and use it as my ringtone, and I am still not sick of it.

o2/ Black-out: I harbor some suspicion that following Akanishi Jin’s return from America, everyone in Johnny’s wanted an English-only song. I don’t know why. But this is one of those English-only songs. Ignoring the definite accent on the singing of all three members and the occasional Engrish silliness (“God, please make believe the jerky heaven”? The Japanese translation says it’s supposed to be “God, somehow please make me believe in a evil heaven,” but sure, I’m always up for some good dried meats.), this is also a high-energy rock track that may have been better served with some other vocalists, but done some definite justice in the chorus.

o3/ 手のひらのUNIVERSE [Tenohira no UNIVERSE]: I’m a big fan of new-age/ethereal-sounding pieces. BIG big fan. This is not one of those songs. We kick off with various disjointed synth beats and a vocoded Go. You are about to sit through 4 minutes more of the same. The payoff comes in the chorus, where the vocoded high vocals and empty music background actually does create the feel of a vast expanse – like, say, a universe. If you don’t like the opening, though, it’s relatively certain that you’re not going to like the rest of the track.

o4/ Forget it all: Electric beats and an 80′s atmosphere greet you, and you’re completely expecting a disco ball to come down. One should, because we have just entered an un-forgivingly dance song. Appropriately enough, the lyrics tell you, quite literally, to “forget it all and dancin’” – and there is no reason not to forget it all and groove along. Ken gets the most solo parts, Go and Okada are fittingly breathy and smooth respectively when they sing, and the three of them don’t blend quite so well in the choruses… but the singing is not important here. All that’s important is dancing.

o5/ 想いのカケラ [Omoi no KAKERA]: This song starts off the way you’d (or I’d, perhaps) expect Tenohira no UNIVERSE to – light synth notes floating amidst a slow guitar jam. This, my friends, is the obligatory pop ballad. Well, every pop album needs one. Not all of them are good. This one isn’t bad. Granted, the fact that it’s Kamisen and not Tonisen singing this means that Okada leads in the chorus, and Go/Ken need to harmonize for each other. The result is still lovely.

o6/ Precious Song: Our final track on most editions is a summery guitar pop piece that requires a refreshing commercial with sunlight, water being splashed, and people running for a cold drink. I kid you not. This is happy and bouncy. There is a sudden and slightly jarring break from this mood during the bridge when scratching and electric guitars draw out images of skateboarding and hip-hop, and when we emerge it seems like completely different scenery. The chorus assures you this is not so. We are happy. Come be happy with us. And enjoy a nice, cold, refreshing… whatever your cool-down beverage of choice is.

o7/ ファイト [FIGHT]: A bonus track only available on the CD-only version, from the opening guitar strums you know you’re going to be in for a power cheering song. There is a deliberate buildup from stanza to chorus, from sputtering rap into a soft melody and then a headlong rush into the punchy chorus. Perhaps the one problem is that Go gets the solo lines before the final chorus, and his voice comes off as too weak and reedy compared to, say, what Okada would have brought to those lines. But no matter – you’ve already sat through three and a half minutes of this, how much can that have ruined those final 30 seconds?

But wait! This being a Johnny’s-related release, you just know we’re missing some solo songs. Every Johnny’s album has solo songs! (Barring NEWS. Sorry guys, but at this rate I don’t think you’re ever getting those on a CD.) Following the logic, this one has to have solo songs too!

And right you would be – out of the three editions this album was sold in (Johnny’s + avex = moneymaking collaboration of doom), one of them was a 2CD version, where the second CD had a solo song for each member.

Let that settle in your head for a moment. I spent about $30 for 2 discs in cardboard sleeves, one of which has 6 (because this isn’t CD-only) songs and the other only 3. The pictures aren’t even that great quality. (See above.) …again, I tell you: Johnny’s and avex combined are the death of my finances.

o1/ You are my everything: I say solo songs and the sticker on the plastic wrapping of the release says solo songs, but as you’ll hear, the other two members get bit parts in these songs. The first, Morita Go‘s solo, is a sweet love song just as the title proclaims. It’s almost lazy in the way it ambles through the stanzas, but that’s primarily to make as much use of Go’s breathy singing as possible. I tried to imagine another voice singing this song, but somehow it just didn’t have as much of an impact. Even when Okada and Ken pop up about three minutes in for the bridge, it’s mostly for variety. Soft and relaxing.

o2/ 4U: As much as I adore Miyake Ken, I am also known to say that he sounds like a 10 year old. (And looks like an overgrown one.) So at first you hear him in this upbeat and catchy pop and it sounds fitting. Then you realize the lyrics are sort-of sexual and still utterly devoted in a sweet way, and somehow it makes him a bit more grown up. (It will also explain any excited fangirl shrieks when the music pops up.) Go and Okada each get a line in the second set of stanzas, but the song is so fast-paced that they may blow right by you.

Over on tumblr, I’m doing a 30-day song meme in order to turn it into a bit less of a V6 fangirling blog and a bit more of the media-filled companion to my WordPress blogs I originally envisioned it to be. Since the first day was “Your favorite song” and this filled it, I’m not sure how well I’ve succeeded.

o3/ Shall we Love?: Last is, of course Okada Junichi. Don’t be alarmed. If this song bears a resemblance to Justin Timberlake’s SexyBack, that’s because the “take it to the chorus/bridge” clip is indeed the same. Imai Daisuke apparently couldn’t find any better. As you can probably guess, this solo takes the form of electric R&B, and Ken and Go’s appearance takes the form of a “take it to the future” before the final chorus. (It’s actually pretty nice, done in stereo.) Unfortunately, it also doesn’t resonate with me, but it’s interesting to hear Okada doing a recorded solo that’s not a ballad. Now we also know why he doesn’t usually do recorded solos that aren’t ballads.

Johnny’s fans take heart – if you’ve ever hoped for more variety from a Johnny’s group, Hello-Goodbye shows that it can be done. (But especially if you’re Tackey & Tsubasa, V6, or now Kis-My-Ft2.) If you’ve ever wanted to quell the mockery of idol pop, Hello-Goodbye shows that anything you can do, a Johnny’s can possibly do better.

And if you’re not a fan of Johnny’s music, then Hello-Goodbye may be the album with which to start giving them a try. I mean, really, you get to experience both the musical joy and the horrid money loss many fangirls feel on a constant basis. What better starter package than that?

Back on topic – the main subject of these tweets? The use of “J-Pop” as a category.

Y’see, I am one of those people. I’m anal about the tagging of my MP3s. I’ve gotten called out on it, and I’ve verbally displayed my annoyance at people who don’t. I don’t care if you know what the song is, why the hell would you leave “[insert mp3 site that you probably didn't get the song from here!].com – [Generic Song Title]” in the Song Name tag? For one thing, you’d have to wait for the site name to scroll past before the actual title comes up; for another, sometimes the title isn’t even in there. To say nothing of it fucking with tag-reading things like Last.fm, any iPod games involving music information, or MP3s uploaded to tumblr.

I like to think I’m not too bad about this obsessive behavior. All I really need is the

• Song Name
• Song Artist (as styled officially, whether in kanji or with Up AnD dOwN letters)
• Year
• Track Number (# of # – even if all I have is the one MP3 from a release with 30 tracks)
• Album Title
• Disc Number (Only if there’s more than one CD)
• Genre
• Album Art – preferably in a size at least 300×300, but I’ll put up with less if that’s all that is available. (JOHNNY’S! I SHAKE MY FIST AT YOU!)

I usually fill out “Album Artist” with either the romanized name (if in Kanji) or an associated grouping (every one of the 188 tracks on the BEMANI BEST for the 10th anniversary compilation is under “Beatmania”) and I’m a bit less anal about composer – I’ll fill it in if the information is available, but I won’t hunt it down like everything else.

“No,” you’re telling me, “All that’s pretty anal already. Isn’t all you need for the tag stuff the name and the artist, anyway?”

Well, here’s the kicker, then – for someone so anal, I’m guilty of just shamelessly labeling the genre tags with “JPop” over and over and over. It matters not whether it’s Johnny’s or Pay money To my Pain or SOUL’d OUT or Vocaloid that I’m tagging – ctrl+I in iTunes, “JPop” in the genre box, and I am satisfied.

Not so much since that tweet.

“J-Pop”, obviously, is Japanese Pop. “Pop” being pop music, and quoting Wiki:

Pop music (a term that originally derives from an abbreviation of “popular”) is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented towards a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.

So is there something wrong with saying that a track has popular appeal? Just take m-flo, seeing as the tweet sparking this post originated from one of the members. Though categorized as hip-hop, the fact that they are chart toppers alone speaks to the fact that they have popular appeal. The music in question was undeniably a hit with the younger generations (teenagers and early twenties) – and besides, as he says in the original tweet “I think it is ok to make something ‘pop’”

Perhaps it’s the Japanese part? Well, it is Japanese in origin, debuting in the Japanese music market, with Japanese lyrics. And he does admit, generally, m-flo is jpop. He also tweeted this and this, and let’s face it – Japanese pop, as mass-produced can be corny, stupid, or both.

But let’s make it simple. Here, he just says outright that he thinks the term “JPop” is lame. And going back even further, here he asks if the term “JPop” is necessary anymore, for both users and people working in the industry. When you get down to it, he’s got a point – music is globalized. Even if you don’t listen to Japanese music (and what the hell are you doing reading this blog if you don’t?), at some point, you have very likely listened to something that has played elsewhere in the world. Perhaps it’s time to drop the language boundaries. Away with the K, away with the C, away with the J, away with the Euro – wait, europop is a legitimate genre. Never mind that last one. But the terms “JPop”/”KPop”/”CPop” and even “Anison” (anime songs) are admittedly extremely loose. As long as it’s Japanese, Korean, Chinese, or tied to an anime, it will technically fit into the respective “genre”. And when you rip a Japanese music CD, the automatic MP3 genre tag is “DOMESTIC POPS” – which doesn’t work quite as well when you’re overseas, but makes it very clear that, of course, to the Japanese, J-Pop is just pop.

So saying, would you tag Nightmare‘s the WORLD as Japanese Pop? It was in the Japanese music market, after all. Japanese Rock? Since it is undeniably Japanese, and undeniably rock. Or perhaps the more specific subset Visual Kei? (Though that technically applies more to the visual style than the musical style.) Can we say it’s an anison? It was the first opening theme song to the Death Note anime. Do we drop it altogether and let them be the rock/heavy metal they are?

And furthermore – should you tag each song in a release individually? Take a mixture album like the Dance Dance Revolution soundtracks where there are many different musical genres. Is this one trance, this one happy hardcore, this one ska? Or are they all just unceremoniously filed under “Soundtrack” or “Game”? CHEMISTRY is primarily a R&B duo, but if you listen to their regeneration album (also primarily R&B), second track Period is clearly rock-tinged pop. Oh, it was a theme song for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, too. How to squeeze anison in there?

I know. I’m making a huge deal out of this. All this really comes down to is – in the end, I want my MP3s tagged properly. And yet if an artist is going to say that s/he doesn’t want to be called “JPop,” I want to respect that. Until I figure that out, and manage to retag over 25000 MP3 files*, my music library is going to give me a headache.

*Barring Johnny’s and other idol groups, of course. C’mon, those are unrepentantly Japanese pop.

I am on a continuous quest for songs with really, really, really long names. It’s hilarious to see them at karaoke, squished in tiny font into a tiny space. I don’t actually sing them, because half the time I don’t know them. But it’s hilarious.

That brings us to Missing You ~Time To Love~ feat. KWANGSOO, JIHYUK, GEONIL (from Choshinsei). I think it’s self explanatory.

Missing You ~Time To Love~ is Tamaki’s first physical offering since her first album with Universal Music Japan, STEP, released February last year. It’s also apparently the only single for her upcoming album Ready!, to be released basically a year after STEP. I know she’s changed her style fairly radically since signing up with Universal J, but I’ve been listening to this for the better part of a week and I’m still not sure what to think about it.

This song is actually a cover of the Korean Time to Love, a collaboration between girl group T-ARA and boyband Choshinsei. (And now you know where the subtitle comes from.) Apparently, since Choshinsei are signed to UNIVERSAL J for their Japanese releases, the three rappers reprised their roles in the Japanese cover. I don’t know if it was a favor, or orders from the higher-ups, but the song was probably improved by it. Sadly, the appearance didn’t extend to the music video, because it would’ve been possibly more interesting than what we got… but I’ll get to that later.

Tamaki takes over both the rapping and the singing parts T-ARA held, with reworked lyrics in Japanese, of course. She’s decent enough with pace at the former – but something about her rapping just doesn’t strike a chord with me. (To be fair, I didn’t like the female rap in the original either, but for the tone.) The singing turns out better, of course, but that’s what she’s pretty much been doing since her debut almost 8 years ago.

I’m fairly certain the music is the same as it was in the original song, but considering the original was released in 2009, the music hasn’t had time to become outdated. Synth beats with a piano melody, though dramatic, there’s not much to really say about it – arguably, it’s not much without the vocals. Which doesn’t say much in the case of Tamaki’s version, when much of the vocals are rapping.

The single also comes with a remix (Missing You ~Time To Love~ feat. KWANGSOO, JIHYUK, GEONIL (from Choshinsei) (U.F.S Remix)) that exchanges the piano and synth for a more motown atmosphere. It fits better with the rap, but the chorus sticks out oddly. This song just can’t win.

Going back to the promotional music video. So we don’t have the boys from Choshinsei. What we do have is Tamaki Nami decked out like a shiny Victorian hooker with four male backdancers. The PV gives about 80% focus on Tamaki, and 20% focus on the backdancers twirling and posing against doors and other silly things.

And on the flipside, there is Tamaki Nami in a glass display case. Not sure you can really say this is better.

Unless, of course, you like zettai ryouiki. There’s plenty of that on offer.

Hell, just look at the cover. I like the way the artist name and title are displayed. The bright red blocks against the black and white photo is a nice contrast, too. But that photo is not and will hardly ever be a flattering picture of Tamaki Nami.

Missing You ~Time To Love~ is a mess on many counts – unless you are a diehard fan of Tamaki Nami. I wish the best for her, but I seriously hope her album is better than this.

This is a pretty good list, and you are only doing yourself a disfavor by not giving it a try. But for those of you more iffy, here’s a quick rundown.

androp‘s MirrorDance starts with some snappy beats and guitar strums, brings in a quick round of light synth, and then we only head up from there. It’s uplifting in a easy listening meets rock way with club rearing its head in the bridges. Think of it like ORANGE RANGE and UVERworld’s more synthesized offerings, but not nearly as rough.

From cinema staff is GATE, ballad rock-pop with some pretty sweet vocals. It starts out strong and the video is full of intense guitar playing, but when vocalist Iida Mizuki starts on the mic things slow down to match with his singing.

The song from [Champagne] is titled Rocknrolla! That in itself should tell you plenty. In case it doesn’t, it’s a fun rock song with purely English lyrics. Still need a comparison? BEAT CRUSADERS without the heavy Engrish accent, a less rough voice (though I know, that was part of the fun of BEAT CRUSADERS), and without the pixelated face printouts as masks.

Sekai no Owari has a very ominous name – literally, World’s End. Their song title, Tenshi to Akuma, isn’t much better (Angel and Devil). And then you listen to the song (light pop-rock with piano), listen to the lyrics (comparing the greys of the world to the black-and-white we learn as children), and you realize that perhaps it’s more hopeful. Vocalist Fukase Satoshi has a childish drawl to his voice that emphasizes this, and the music is just as pure.

Sonodaband gives us SoulRiver_2010, and at first, I was at a loss to describe them for you because there are no vocals. Then I realized that I love this track and it’s perfect without the vocals. Combining classical strings (violin and cello) with electric ones (guitar and bass), and adding drums and a keyboard for beat and added melody gives us this funky and beautiful track. I kind of want to say if you like what Kanno Yoko produced in the late 90′s, you’ll enjoy this, but that might be a disservice to both parties.

On the iTunes page, Tameoka Sonomi is compared to Furuchi Toko and May J. (There’s your comparison.) When you listen to movin’on, you’ll probably agree on the May J comparison, at least, and perhaps add Kato Miliyah to the list. movin’on starts out slow with only a piano and Tameoka’s strong but soothing voice, but quickly gains ground. While movin’on was from her first album, when she releases her second album on February 23rd, you at least have this guarantee of a strong addition to Japanese female R&B.

TEE‘s Change My Life is a fast-paced celebratory piece makes me think of Def Tech or Hilcrhyme. But that’s probably because I haven’t listened to much Japanese Reggae. The song that’s actually on the playlist is Denwa wo Dakishimete (RADIO EDIT), but all YouTube has to offer is a 30-second preview that shows a light ballad with slight reggae influences.

NIKIIE‘s song being titled Shunkashuutou (a live performance on YouTube) is a bit amusing to me only because I looked up Hilcrhyme’s slower songs for the above blurb, and one of them is similarly titled. That said, this Shunkashuutou is a pop piece that starts slow and becomes dramatically upbeat when the chorus hits. NIKIIE (pronounced like “Nicky”) is a singer-songwriter who plays the piano and has a voice that is less whiny than YUI’s, not as likely to lull you to sleep as Rie fu’s, and may be a substitute for those of you missing Ayaka (though not as husky).

We’re nearing the end here, with Violent is Savanna and their song AWAIRO SAKURA CHIRU. Signed to avex, it should not come to you as much surprise that singer Seika has vocals of the whiny persuasion. If you get past that opening chorus, though, it’s not too bad a pop-rock piece, fairly gentle in the stanzas and never really hitting the same level of nasal whine as in the opening again. Either that or I got used to it.

The last one on the list is back number, whose song Shiawase not only is on the list, but debuted on iTunes. Unfortunately, a preview is nowhere to be found on the Internet, so kimivalkyrie hunted down stay with me as a sample instead. The latter is a rock-pop ballad showcasing vocalist Kiyomizu Iori(?) and some grungy guitars. Having tried other songs (Haru wo Uta ni Shite and Nishifuji Kouen), I think I can say he sounds pretty nice when soft (like in Haru wo Uta ni Shite), but the slight whine in Kiyomizu’s voice seems to be an apt part of the band’s music.

And there you have it – iTunes Japan Sound of 2011. What strikes you, what doesn’t? Love them all? Hate them all? Just want Johnny’s? (…I don’t quite know what to say to those of you in the latter category.) Feel free to leave a comment – or better yet, go to the original post on arama and thank kimivalkyrie for sharing the joy.