Zoe
Member
Fun fact. 99% of SPEED's sales took place over a 4 year period beginning in 96 and weren't beat until this year.
(they didn't break up because of waning popularity--they were on the verge of too much friction to continue)
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Japanese Music (Pop, rock and all 'dat) |OT|
- Thread starter Blablurn
- Start date
Fun fact. 99% of SPEED's sales took place over a 4 year period beginning in 96 and weren't beat until this year.
(they didn't break up because of waning popularity--they were on the verge of too much friction to continue)
ReyBrujo
Gold Member
I remember reading or listening that the group split because Takako and hiro wanted to focus on their solo careers. I can ask a friend who is a huge SPEED fan about that later, she is busy doing a marathon with the blurays of AKB48's Tokyo Dome concert right now ♪⌒ヽ(*゜O゜
ノ\ スゴイッ!!!
ノ\ スゴイッ!!!
Zoe
Member
I remember reading or listening that the group split because Takako and hiro wanted to focus on their solo careers. I can ask a friend who is a huge SPEED fan about that later, she is busy doing a marathon with the blurays of AKB48's Tokyo Dome concert right now ♪⌒ヽ(*゜O゜
There was an interview that came out a couple of years ago where they admitted there was a lot of tension in the group. If they had stuck together, they wouldn't be friends now.
It's pretty much accepted that Hiroko was the main reason for the split. She started to rebel against management, and she's said many times that if Treasure hadn't happened, she would have quit singing all together.
SolidSnakex
Member
I just can't see another group coming around any time soon that's as big as AKB. They're at the point where they're everywhere in Japan, all over TV, billboards, spinoff groups that are popular and now they have spinoff groups in other countries. Certainly there will be another big idol group after AKB's time has come and gone, but i'd honestly be shocked if they turned out to be as big as AKB is now.
As far as Jurina goes, it seems like a really bad idea to continue to have her pull double duty between AKB and SKE. She's still really young and often has to take time off either due to injury or because she's worn out. They seem to clearly have their eyes set on her being the future ace of the group, so it seems like a bad idea to burn her out so early. Especially when it's obvious that all the work is taking a toll on her. That's just one reason why it makes more sense to use Mayuyu right now. She's obviously the fan pick (behind Yuko) to take that position. And she's the perfect age for it.
As far as Jurina goes, it seems like a really bad idea to continue to have her pull double duty between AKB and SKE. She's still really young and often has to take time off either due to injury or because she's worn out. They seem to clearly have their eyes set on her being the future ace of the group, so it seems like a bad idea to burn her out so early. Especially when it's obvious that all the work is taking a toll on her. That's just one reason why it makes more sense to use Mayuyu right now. She's obviously the fan pick (behind Yuko) to take that position. And she's the perfect age for it.
ReyBrujo
Gold Member
I think Momokuro could be big. Their main drawback is that they belong to Stardust, which cannot compete against Danso, the main publicity agency behind the 48-family, nor with most of the agencies backing up AKB48 right now (Ogi, Ohta, Horipro, etc). With great pains they got some mainstream presence lately (Furby CM, Kitagawa Keiko's dorama main song, Kouhaku Uta Gassen). Their other disadvantage is that they are getting old, so the kind of songs they are singing might no longer be appropriate in a couple of years (much like Watarirouka Hashiritai, their songs were fun when they were all between 14-16, but now that they got CinDy in, and that half the members are 18 or older, singing "Akanbe Bashi" just doesn't seem right).
However, it is often said between wotas that Momokuro got a bigger female followship than 48 groups, so it's just a matter of releasing the right song at the right time like AKB48 did with "Heavy Rotation". That could make the difference.
Regarding Jurina, she pushes herself to her limits. She got a very strong personality, and as she ages, her stamina as well as her constitution increases. But AKS noticed she wasn't handled correctly by the Nagoya branch (as in, they were limiting her activities, and they trusted her when she said she was fine when she was actually not), and the fact that she was attending a Tokyo school having to commute two hours per day took its toll eventually. So they placed her in Team K so that the Tokyo branch could control her more effectively, to limit her activities and check on her health, just like Miruki was transferred to Team B to control her temperament, both reasons explained by Akimoto in a G+ post. If you ask me, Miruki could be even bigger than Mayuyu, but she is still childish and untrustworthy.
However, it is often said between wotas that Momokuro got a bigger female followship than 48 groups, so it's just a matter of releasing the right song at the right time like AKB48 did with "Heavy Rotation". That could make the difference.
Regarding Jurina, she pushes herself to her limits. She got a very strong personality, and as she ages, her stamina as well as her constitution increases. But AKS noticed she wasn't handled correctly by the Nagoya branch (as in, they were limiting her activities, and they trusted her when she said she was fine when she was actually not), and the fact that she was attending a Tokyo school having to commute two hours per day took its toll eventually. So they placed her in Team K so that the Tokyo branch could control her more effectively, to limit her activities and check on her health, just like Miruki was transferred to Team B to control her temperament, both reasons explained by Akimoto in a G+ post. If you ask me, Miruki could be even bigger than Mayuyu, but she is still childish and untrustworthy.
The biggest reason why AKB is where they are in regards to popularity and sales is due to Otakus. Right out the gate they went after them and their singles and albums still continue to appeal to their nature of collecting things.
They get fans to buy "music" which does nothing more than to get them to consume it in mass. For example buying multiple disc just to get the message from your favorite member of the group. It's like buying booster packs of a trading card game to hope you end up with your desired high rarity card.
They get fans to buy "music" which does nothing more than to get them to consume it in mass. For example buying multiple disc just to get the message from your favorite member of the group. It's like buying booster packs of a trading card game to hope you end up with your desired high rarity card.
Anyone knows if cdjapan charges you right when you pre-order something? Or are you charged when the item is shipped?
I want to pre-order NCIS's new DVD (http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=ESBL-2335) and since I want them to ship it asap I need to hurry...
I want to pre-order NCIS's new DVD (http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=ESBL-2335) and since I want them to ship it asap I need to hurry...
Thanks!
ReyBrujo
Gold Member
It's just how the industry evolved for them, and they are smart to continue to exploit it without exhausting it.
Recently there was a thread in the gaming section, Only 10% of the gaming industry's $50 billion comes from casuals, which could be applied to AKB48. Only a small percentage of their sales go to mainstream audience, as you say most comes from otakus. And there is nothing wrong with that. Who would have thought Bethesda could sell horse armours?
I learned I was wrong in that aspect: casual audience is too volatile to trust them as an source of money. It's better to have a strong followship, please them, and expand to the mass audience only to transform them into hardcore followers, not to live out of them. From an economic point of view, 100 copies sold to a single fan is just as pocketed money as 100 copies sold to 100 fans. And thanks to Danso and the agencies they get a real multimedia presence, virtually every single sport newspaper and young magazine features them (with different levels of sellthrough success, of course), plus they appear on TV multiple times per day, as individuals or as group.
Wotas → specialized media → mainstream media → mass audience. And at the same time, the mass audience consumes mainstream media to get news of them, and the mainstream media start looking for new groups in the specialized media, which encourages wotas to start promoting their own favorite groups. It lasts until the mass audience focuses somewhere else. But nobody knows when that would happen, so as long as the cycle continues, it is better to exploit it as much as possible.
No you're 100 percent right. There's nothing wrong with them targeting a dedicated fanbase and getting them on board I just has a small issue with the how they do it. It really seems exploitative in my eyes but that's just how money and business works like you said. As a listener it starts to stagnant fast.
ReyBrujo
Gold Member
Well, when "Sakura no Hanabiratachi 2008" was released, DefStar did a promotion: if you fetched all 44 posters, you would get a ticket for a special event. The posters were given randomly, one per theater CD, so you would have to be very lucky to get them all buying just 44 CDs. They scrapped the idea because it was against law. However, if you do a raffle where your chances increases as you buy more CDs, it is not illegal, which is what they do now.
By the way, one would think fans are abused by this, but technically nobody forces them to participate. Also, there is a whole economy around AKB48. If you buy one limited edition CD, you get a picture, which you can sell at Yahoo! Auctions for some money (for most of the girls there is always someone willing to buy it). If you collect BLT pics, they sell pretty well. I have seen some pictures being sold for over USD 500. This Yukirin set of 130 pictures is being auctioned for over USD 1,000. You can't sell handshake tickets since they got your name, but special gifts like 2-shots are anonymous, and I have seen some of those sell for over USD 2500.
They end up losing some money, true, but when I turn left and look at my game collection, I realize I have spent over USD 5,000 in games that I no longer play, some that are even factory sealed still. And it is a small collection, since I have never been a real hardcore gamer, and that I don't have easy access to gaming shops being from Argentina.
It is pretty similar to what happened with Magic: The Gathering, I had a couple of friends who earned enough money to live without working by just trading, buying and selling, spending 10-12 hours per day traveling to different places to get the best offers.
Regarding their songs, they are idols who aren't really proficient at singing or dancing (which is true for most Japanese idol groups). Except RIVER, Beginner and UZA, all other songs could be classified as bubblegum pop. But that is just part of what they sell. They are "cheerleaders", and should be rated in their whole and not just their songs.
By the way, one would think fans are abused by this, but technically nobody forces them to participate. Also, there is a whole economy around AKB48. If you buy one limited edition CD, you get a picture, which you can sell at Yahoo! Auctions for some money (for most of the girls there is always someone willing to buy it). If you collect BLT pics, they sell pretty well. I have seen some pictures being sold for over USD 500. This Yukirin set of 130 pictures is being auctioned for over USD 1,000. You can't sell handshake tickets since they got your name, but special gifts like 2-shots are anonymous, and I have seen some of those sell for over USD 2500.
They end up losing some money, true, but when I turn left and look at my game collection, I realize I have spent over USD 5,000 in games that I no longer play, some that are even factory sealed still. And it is a small collection, since I have never been a real hardcore gamer, and that I don't have easy access to gaming shops being from Argentina.
It is pretty similar to what happened with Magic: The Gathering, I had a couple of friends who earned enough money to live without working by just trading, buying and selling, spending 10-12 hours per day traveling to different places to get the best offers.
Regarding their songs, they are idols who aren't really proficient at singing or dancing (which is true for most Japanese idol groups). Except RIVER, Beginner and UZA, all other songs could be classified as bubblegum pop. But that is just part of what they sell. They are "cheerleaders", and should be rated in their whole and not just their songs.
Love this thread!
I might never have known about awesome groups like Capsule and Perfume if it weren't for you guys.
By the way, I'm a little sad that no one has brought up LiSA in this thread. It's true that she's known mostly as an Anime J-pop artist, and those singles are not really my cup of tea, but she's got a really fantastic voice and does some good rock and quite a few catchy tunes as well. She actually reminds me a bit of Kaela Kimura. She's got two albums of her own now, and did most of the lead vocals in Girl's Dead Monster - Jun Maeda's fake band created for the anime Angel Beats.
Here are some of my favorites:
Egoistic SHOOTER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlE5p69qmnU
Mousou Controller
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZPJHyDEjZE
Morning Dreamer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqQDvfSpRH0
Kakuseiya
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGvnsEA7FrY
Now and Future
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viFITuyrQhE
Run With Wolves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weBzuwpwAao
Jet Rocket
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jxh6l5uLAhU
She's pretty much my favorite artist right now. Here's hoping she can break into the mainstream sometime soon.
I might never have known about awesome groups like Capsule and Perfume if it weren't for you guys.
By the way, I'm a little sad that no one has brought up LiSA in this thread. It's true that she's known mostly as an Anime J-pop artist, and those singles are not really my cup of tea, but she's got a really fantastic voice and does some good rock and quite a few catchy tunes as well. She actually reminds me a bit of Kaela Kimura. She's got two albums of her own now, and did most of the lead vocals in Girl's Dead Monster - Jun Maeda's fake band created for the anime Angel Beats.
Here are some of my favorites:
Egoistic SHOOTER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlE5p69qmnU
Mousou Controller
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZPJHyDEjZE
Morning Dreamer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqQDvfSpRH0
Kakuseiya
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGvnsEA7FrY
Now and Future
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viFITuyrQhE
Run With Wolves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weBzuwpwAao
Jet Rocket
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jxh6l5uLAhU
She's pretty much my favorite artist right now. Here's hoping she can break into the mainstream sometime soon.
IIRC you have to buy it again. That sucks.
That's horrible. Damn, might pass on this album then at least in digital form
Bought tricot and The Flickers latest EPs, pretty great stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RnoV1XZRFw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSDHS_CCsm0
The Flickers's one seems less frantic than their other releases but it's still really good.
Also, I've been listening to bands and artists such as Mongol800, Suneohai, Blankey Jet City, Doping Panda, DOES, Lunkhead... Stop being awesome Japanese rock, thanks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RnoV1XZRFw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSDHS_CCsm0
The Flickers's one seems less frantic than their other releases but it's still really good.
Also, I've been listening to bands and artists such as Mongol800, Suneohai, Blankey Jet City, Doping Panda, DOES, Lunkhead... Stop being awesome Japanese rock, thanks.
It's not true though. Once you buy Amazon MP3s, the digital files stay in your account and can be redownload later. I think it's a cloud locker they called your media library or something.
Did they change their policy?
I remember reading that you could not download your music again.
redmetal86
Member
well, AKB48 won another Nihon Rekodo Taishou this year for Manatsu No Sounds Good.
SolidSnakex
Member
Well deserved as Manatsu is really catchy. And they also won best artist/group
dakkumauji
Member
Really cool song!
Androp's new Album have Arrived! along with the two singles from Monica Uranglass Too bad My new shiny Ultrabook doesn't have a CD Drive so that have to wait. Sadly, my friend couldn't find Dinosaur by Czecho no Republic. Ah, well, I have to ask another person.
OK, that sounds fantastic. I don't even like Post-rock, but its ambient plus the downtempo electronica is quite mesmerizing. Reminds me a lot of Sangle Call Lilli Line whom I adore.
Thanks.
costed me like £36, Bloody hell!
Matryoshka - Laideronnette
Tracklist:
01 – Monotonous Purgatory
02 – Noctambulist
03 – Sacred Play Secret Place
04 – Instant Immortal
05 – Cut All Trees
06 – Butterflysoup
07 – Hallucinatory Halo
08 – Oblivion
09 – Niedola
10 – Gentle Afternoon
OK, that sounds fantastic. I don't even like Post-rock, but its ambient plus the downtempo electronica is quite mesmerizing. Reminds me a lot of Sangle Call Lilli Line whom I adore.
Thanks.
ReyBrujo
Gold Member
The real news (which happened some time ago, actually) is that Akimoto Yasushi, their producer, got the prize as songwriter. Everyone expected them to win with Manatsu, since they maintained their popularity level through the year and Manatsu is the best-selling single in 10 or so years. They got some good chances of getting it next year too.
: )
Memento_Mori15
Member
Thanks for sharing this. Really nice.
This live version of Hybrid Rainbow by the pillows... Sogood.gif
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg2ZDtRskq8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg2ZDtRskq8
New UVERworld album is so good. Anybody like UVERworld here? They're my fav band
Good example of Vocals carrying the Music. The Instrumental plays are just horrendous, but the vocals is the saving grace for this band.
Used to like them when I didn't anything about Japanese Music. The memories...
/Nostalgic
Speaking of Which, ''Top of The Fuck'n World'' by The Mirraz is still as amazing as ever. Too bad the new Album that came out this year is quite disappointing.
Received my live DVDs of the pillows (Lostman Go To Budokan) and the telephones (SUPER DISCO Hits Final!!!).
The telephones are just crazy, the keyboardist keeps jumping all over the place, the vocalist does a cartwheel... Hilarious. The crowd is on fire, too.
Time to watch the pillows's one.
The telephones are just crazy, the keyboardist keeps jumping all over the place, the vocalist does a cartwheel... Hilarious. The crowd is on fire, too.
Time to watch the pillows's one.
Yeah, The telephones are the most energetic bunch live. I have seen couple of those gigs around the internet and they go bonkers (Just like Datarock whom I have seen live).
On the flip side, While Monica Uranglass are quite fun on thier recordings because of their heavy synths and trance, their live performance are just absolutely pathetic compared to other bands that relies heavily on synths. No way am I going to pay 3500 yen for such performance if I happen to go to Japan. Low on Synth stuff and the vocals suck. Why can't they do Auto-tune live as they rely on it on their recordings?
NO WAY
takuya is a great manipulator and I love how their style has evolved over every album. love the jazz influences in the new album.
I should add '' the last time I have heard them'' Since I haven't listened to them since Early 2000s.
you almost had me raging X(
their first album is probably my least favorite and the best part about it is the vocals (agree with you).
every other one from "BURIGHT" to "THE ONE" (their new album) are all really excellent all around. they've really found their own style. i can recommend songs if you're interested?
I a not into Idol groups (ONE OK ROCK is an exception) but fire away, Let me have it. I amight as well check them to feed my criosity.
Idol groups?
Phonomezer
Banned
When will there be a new Kyary album tho
Yes. Both of those two bands have largely femalae audience that care about thier look and thier previous carrier (Especially since ONe OK Rock have personel from Hip-hop dance group and NEWS)
You can actually see the effect it had on ONE OK ROCK. Zankyou Refernce is way more Emo than Niche Syndrome and guess which one sold remarkably.
Zoe
Member
You have a funny definition of "idol."
That's not what idols are though.
AKB is incredibly hit or miss for me, and I think the quality of their singles took a nosedive after Sakura no Ki ni Narou ages ago. Since then I haven't enjoyed a lot of their singles. Mayuyu's solo stuff is okay, though
My absolute favorite idol group is Berryz Koubou, but their last two singles (WANT! and Asian Celebration) have been very weak... which sucks because the previous two singles (cha cha SING and Be Genki <Naseba Naru!>) were amazing. Oh well.
My absolute favorite idol group is Berryz Koubou, but their last two singles (WANT! and Asian Celebration) have been very weak... which sucks because the previous two singles (cha cha SING and Be Genki <Naseba Naru!>) were amazing. Oh well.
WHAT?? ~_~
UVERworld is not an idol group. do you know what an 'idol' group is? You can call any rock band that has a female fan base an idol group going by your logic. UVERworld has an even distribution of fans of both gender.
SolidSnakex
Member
Probably after she finishes her worldwide tour. Which means some time after April.
Speaking of Kyary, her Kohaku outfit lived up to her promise
