Feel the Fear

[Rogue_7]

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b228/travelingrant/P2020008.jpg

These little cuties are currently the #1 single. Every day I walk by this sign at least twice. I mean look at them. They want to EAT MY SOUL!

on a slightly more serious note, has anybody actually heard the whole song? They have it on a loop, but I've never been inclined to wait longer than the time it takes for the light to change and I wonder if it is as bad as I expect.

[akitaka]

We won't be seeing you jumping around in your underwear with their song on loop anytime soon, now, will we?

[羽之助]

Is this the latest Morning Musume spinoff?

[Mechs]

Jesus christ there's Twenty of 'em :eyepop:. Do they all sing?

[TLab3000]

[IMG]on a slightly more serious note, has anybody actually heard the whole song? They have it on a loop, but I've never been inclined to wait longer than the time it takes for the light to change and I wonder if it is as bad as I expect.

http://www.youtube.com/w/AKB48---%685C%306E%82B1%3073%3089%305F%3061?v=tum68TlXeK4&search=akb48

Didn't manage to listen past the first 10 seconds, yet.

Could you enlighten me about the band name? Akihabara doesn't seem to be too popular with the kids, or is it where their target audience is? Sounds kinda weird to me.

[gyoza]

I actually listened through the thing; I've heard worse.

Anyway, that part at the end kinda reminds me of one of Az's editorials where he talks about Japanese kids singing songs and crying a lot at graduation.

But anyway, wow. It's like watching 20 ultimate sweetness' at once.

[TLab3000]

I actually listened through the thing; I've heard worse.

Agreed, although the song is nothing special, either, IMHO.
What scares me is the "dancing". Looks like Lord of the Dance to me, in the beginning, when the upper parts of their bodies, uhm, shake, but there's not stepdancy stuff. It feels wrong.

[paul]

It looks they got group-mugged by a giant bag of flour before taking that picture.

[PopCulturePooka]

Hey look! More 'girl' bands aimed at young girls and pedophiles.

[satoharu]

I don't know if I'll ever understand the appeal of massive groups like this. Groups of girls, sure, fine, whatever. But 20 of them? Isn't that overkill?

And how old is that one in the lower right corner, 11? Oi. @_@

[OaklandZoo]

The name, AKB48 comes from where these girls do their training, Akihabara, and there are 48 of them. I'm guessing for that picture they picked the top 20. And they are in akihabara so all the otaku can visit them. The producer of this project, Akiyama Yasushi, talked about it during Waratte Iitomo about a month ago.

[paul]

Akihabara, and there are 48 of them. I'm guessing for that picture they picked the top 20.

Unless!...
They're making a human 3D pyramid, and there are more girls BEHIND the front face of the pyramid o_O

[satoharu]

Fourty...eight? That's just uncalled for.

[Masa the Masta]

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/2835/wtfgirl1yu.gif

WTF is up with those eyes?!?!?!?! O_O

[chrn368]

Jesus H. Christ what the feck was that!? Those girls are the DEVIL.

Is it just me or do all of thier voices sound the same? I wonder if it's just one of them singing and they just took her singing track duplicated it a couple of times and added reverb to all of them.

God the music is HORRIBLE too UGH.

chrn368 now scarred for life.

[Rogue_7]

WTF is up with those eyes?!?!?!?! O_O

I TOLD you she wanted to eat my soul!

[Frankey-eh]

....I like it.

The song is very energetic, and the lyric is so meaningful. (I guess it's only me. It makes me think of my graduation that I missed.)

And those girls are cute.

I dunno... I'll rather listen to these songs than American songs about breakups and "I wish I'm dead" songs.

[Masa the Masta]

and the lyric is so meaningful.


I fail to see meaning in Japanese music. I'm not being condescending either, I REALLY can't make sense out of it. :whoops:

How do you find meaning? Just curious. :hat:

Edit: By meaning, I meant ALL Japanese music.

[Frankey-eh]

I fail to see meaning in Japanese music. I'm not being condescending either, I REALLY can't make sense out of it. :whoops:

How do you find meaning? Just curious. :hat:

Edit: By meaning, I meant ALL Japanese music.

I meant I can relate to it. Or I can listen and say "aww, what a cute concept!"
I can relate to Japanese lyrics a LOT better than American lyrics. And the thing is, lyric is 75% of what makes a good song to me. That's probably why I don't like American music as much...

[Masa the Masta]

I meant I can relate to it. Or I can listen and say "aww, what a cute concept!"
I can relate to Japanese lyrics a LOT better than American lyrics. And the thing is, lyric is 75% of what makes a good song to me. That's probably why I don't like American music as much...


I guess to me, looking at a Japanese lyric feels like a code. I'd have to unlock the hidden meaning or something behind it..

I can't think of any specific song in general, but it could be like,

"My hairs are flowing against the wind
Only time tells me what I feel
Finding a hat in my kitchen cabinet"


That's how random it feels to me. :duh:

[satoharu]

Well, for better or for worse, American lyrics are often almost painfully straightforward. With Japanese lyrics, I suppose there's more of that feeling of "unlocking" the meaning because to me it feels like more of a broader idea (usually) is being expressed instead of telling it all exactly. Other times, it can seem like a string of random thoughts, but like Rika said, sometimes you just relate to it really well, and then there's no problem with finding the meaning, because you feel it yourself.

At least, that's how I usually am... :watson:

[Zensouken]

Well, for better or for worse, American lyrics are often almost painfully straightforward. With Japanese lyrics, I suppose there's more of that feeling of "unlocking" the meaning because to me it feels like more of a broader idea (usually) is being expressed instead of telling it all exactly. Other times, it can seem like a string of random thoughts, but like Rika said, sometimes you just relate to it really well, and then there's no problem with finding the meaning, because you feel it yourself.

At least, that's how I usually am... :watson:

You just described the differences between the American English and Japanese languages.

"Say it straight" vs "Figure it out"...

[Frankey-eh]

I guess to me, looking at a Japanese lyric feels like a code. I'd have to unlock the hidden meaning or something behind it..

I can't think of any specific song in general, but it could be like,

"My hairs are flowing against the wind
Only time tells me what I feel
Finding a hat in my kitchen cabinet"


That's how random it feels to me. :duh:

speaking of flying... you just reminded me of my favorite line in a song...

低空飛行をやめ　エンジン全開で

Literally, it means "stop flying low and go at full speed"
But there's also a figurative meaning, which means "stop being so cautious around me and show me your full color"

I guess I like indirectness. Like, I like hearing "there was a difference in our body temperature" (an actual line from a song I forgot the title of) more than directly saying "we started to drift further and further"

One of my favorite song is 世界に一つだけの花 (SMAP). Won't you say that song has a lot of meaning? I think even Americans can learn some of the themes from the song...

but interestingly.... My cousin (china) tells me the same thing. He goes,

Oh, Japanese songs? What? Don't they all go like:
You are my air,
I'm your air
blah, blah, blah...?

:rofl:

[satoharu]

@ Zensouken - I actually noticed that after I read it over again. Curious but true.

I much prefer the symbolism in lyrics to blatancy. Blatancy sounds...cheap to me, somehow. With some songs, it almost seems to me as if the lyricist had to "dumb down" the lyrics to ensure everyone would understand their intent properly...

But it also doesn't allow much room for interpretation. I love how I can absolutely adore the lyrics of a song, and then see how some people translated it, and see the general meaning of the song sometimes subtly and sometimes drastically different among different people. It's more personal that way, and I really like that.

[Kusoyaro]

The only Japanese song I ever liked and prolly ever will like for the lyrics is Akinori Nakagawa'a Reckless Fire (s.CRY.ed op). It's like my theme song, so fully encompasses my philosophies.
The rest are just random gibberish to me. They could literally be speaking a non-language and it would be the same.

[Rogue_7]

interestingly enough I really like both Japanese music and some German bands, yet speak neither of those languages, so I guess lyrics don't matter so much.

of course I really like some insightful, and meaningful lyrics. ooh you know, like "why don't we do it in the road." Stuff like that. It speaks to me in my innermost being.

[Zensouken]

The only Japanese song I ever liked and prolly ever will like for the lyrics is Akinori Nakagawa'a Reckless Fire (s.CRY.ed op). It's like my theme song, so fully encompasses my philosophies.
The rest are just random gibberish to me. They could literally be speaking a non-language and it would be the same.

About "Reckless Fire", I just started catching the latter eps of s.CRY.ed on Adult Swim and my Japanese isn't anywhere near advanced yet but I swear I'm hearing different lyrics as the series progresses...

[Kusoyaro]

Haha, that's what I thought, also, but I was watching the subs. I'm almost positive they reordered the lyrics in some eps. I don't know why. Like they just skip parts of it or go over some other parts that were never sung. Fucking wierd, but I love that song, probably one of the best, ever.
GO KAZUMA (of the Shell Bullet/The Treasoner)!

[Gestalt]

Only 20 girls in the group? *yawn*

How about.. 108?

http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/108/

[Zensouken]

I saw that 100+8 thing a little while ago and I just surmised it to, "Only in Japan"...

I mean yeah, America does some crazy shit, but a 100+8 girl group?!

"Only in Japan"

EDIT: Is there an "Only in Japan" thread, haha?!

[mikem]

Only 20 girls in the group? *yawn*

How about.. 108?

http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/108/

I saw them live in Shibuya. That was the best day of my entire trip hands down. Didn't realize they sang too.

[nameplease]

I'm going to have to agree with rika on this one. I actually like this song. It has a nice meaning, but it's definitely not too serious. Although the dancing is - :blank:.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm starting to get too old for this type of music. Oh, who cares? :D

Edit: Happy Belated Birthday, Kayano Masuyama, member of AKB48. You just turned 12.
WOW.