Is this Anti-Arashi? or Anti-Japanese boy band?

[riavents.livejournal.com]

SDGundamX said " Whereas the West's fascination with boy bands pretty much died with the breakup of N'Sync, the Japanese seem to have a never-ending obsession with them. In fact, boy bands in Japan have been honed into a phenomenon that goes far beyond simply singing on-stage. "This clip from one of the most popular current boy bands in Japan, Arashi, will show you just how crazy boy band shows have become."

The clip he was referring was from Arashi's dream alive concert at Tokyo dome.
http://www.videosift.com/video/Japanese-Boy-Band-Arashi

He even tagged with now thats entertainment, possibly gay

I know everybody is entitled to their own opinion but the words he used to describe Arashi and Japanese boy band in general was so negative especially to those who are non-fans/ not familiar with Japanese culture. -- so much for destructive criticism!!!




Mods, please delete if this isn't allowed

Comments

[mirai-kazuko.livejournal.com]

Well, whatever. XDDD

All I know is Arashi is great and the person who made that post is just depressed because of the loss of his American boy band.

Asian boy bands are what's in now, YAY!

[riavents.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I agree with you because Asian pop is on the rise!!

[riavents.livejournal.com]

yeah, the circus tag fits because apparently the theme was actually Dream Alive. Dreams can be happy, fun and crazy no wonder the boys showed that in the concert. But SDGundamX just didn't dig it.

[kegom.livejournal.com]

I don't think the comment is all that negative. Sure, it's been very probably been written by someone who isn't into boybands at all, but I think all in all that person is pretty fair.
He/She says that Japanese have a never-ending obsession with boy-bands - I have no idea how true that is, not being Japanese, but Johnny's control the pop-music market, so it might at least appear like that to an outsider. He/She also says that they have been honed into a phenomenom that goes beyond the stage, which is completely true - Arashi's main job isn't singing and dancing, it's being Arashi; and for the last point - he/she said that it shows how crazy boyband shows (note: not the boybands themselves!) have become, and honestly... the Dream-A-Live show IS crazy.

It's amazing with its explosion of rainbows, sparkles and strange circus-like stage-show - but I know even die-hard Arashi fans who went "...O_o" when they first saw the show (or pictures of it).


That we fans love Arashi for exactly that glorious, eye-blinding, unashamedly dorky craziness and others don't... that's just how it is. ^-^

[tigerlily25.livejournal.com]

^OMG! Don't put the last paragraph in small letters coz I can relate with that.:)

oops, a random comment o/

[starsystems.livejournal.com]

but I know even die-hard Arashi fans who went "...O_o" when they first saw the show
Definitely. I certainly went "wtf?" when I saw the floats and the costumes. Even though my wtf was filled mostly with love. xD

[riavents.livejournal.com]

thanks for your comment. It enlightened me. ^_^ somehow, I've been myopic these days and not thought of how outsiders view the fandom.

[jinnyss.livejournal.com]

Haha, agreed completely with the last paragraph.

In all honesty, I STILL make fun of boy bands (...nsync? really?) =| Albeit with a giant sanctioned off corner of my heart and allowance for Arashi, where it is a no touch zone. And I mean, really, even FANS make fun of Arashi for the "seeming gay" thing sometimes (COUGHNINODANCINGCOUGHMAKINGEYESATTHECAMERACOUGH), and those costumes? ...Yeah.


The Boy band craze IS shocking, if looked at objectively. But really, that's the same with any celebrity obsession (America's following of the crash and burn of young stars, etc...). The only difference is that Arashi has some amazingly flamboyant costumes (and they make my heart turn into goo).

However, I also think that this type of thing is good, for most people. A normal dose of silliness is healthy, and even if it might just be their image (we as fans will never know for sure), the fact that they are SO POSITIVE just makes people happy! Haha. Lots of fans talk about their shows or songs bringing smiles to their faces, and that's never a bad thing.

So, I think there's nothing wrong with what that person said, because it's pretty true if you have no idea what you're looking at. It's just a matter of personal choice.

Also, on a slightly petty note: I refuse to be lectured about my preferences in entertainment by someone who is named after a giant cartoon robot, Mr. GundamX. =| That's right. Look at my icon. Nino will fuck your gundam up.

[violomana.livejournal.com]

LOL. Last sentence pwns. So does your icon. <3

[mojolove.livejournal.com]

I refuse to be lectured about my preferences in entertainment by someone who is named after a giant cartoon robot, Mr. GundamX. =| That's right. Look at my icon. Nino will fuck your gundam up.
I LOVE your statement. xD I just have to say that.

[fluttering.livejournal.com]

that just goes to show you how popular Arashi have become, when even some lame-ass knows their name. XD

[riavents.livejournal.com]

thanks for the info. well, i'm still new in this fandom. maybe that's why I've been defensive. I didn't know that Japan's boy bands are a crazy popular phenomenon. I have yet to research more about my recent obsession

[violentxxxpose.livejournal.com]

Cultural differences.
The person didn't actually say anything wrong with their statement (well, except for the tags). I bet that person has a some kind of hidden desire for Arashi. XD

[crazychickencow.livejournal.com]

I still hold with my opinion that the hate of boybands (Japanese, American, or otherwise) is severely unfounded and is encouraged by people who believe that "not conforming to society" is somehow giving them personalities, but really, they're as much a corporate tool as the rest of us. People need to get over it and just enjoy the damn pop music.

[violomana.livejournal.com]

I know! Seriously. All the people at my work think they're so cool because they're into metal, punk, or whatever the hell it is. Then they all make fun of me (not just JE: The Pillows, The Brilliant Green, UVERworld, etc.), mock singing in Japanese gibberish whenever I have my iPod on.

IMO, I think THEIR music sucks. It's all screaming with no distinguishable melodies. Is that suppose to be special somehow? Who the hell wants to listen to THAT?

So yeah. Agreed. Everyone should just get over it. (You know they all secretly enjoy the pop goodness.)

[hard2findanick.livejournal.com]

I just think probably few of those who watched that vid are going to type "Arashi" in youtube and be first amuse..then amaze.. and in the end hopefully turns into goo with their cuteness and kakkoiness...
I mean the hanging part is too awesome you just know you can't usually see it anywhere else...now thats entertainment..
plus..it kindda suppress the shock of watching them in costumes..*rofl*

we might add Arashi lovers with this..all thanks to that person.. *pats that guy/girl*

if not..few more boyband haters..and we all know that's not going to make much change in the world :I

Oh..and thanks so much for the post :D you show so much care~<3 *pop roses for you*

[(Anonymous)]

I hope that post would actually create more fans... HAHAHAHAHA!!
Seriously, after you meet Arashi, there is no turning back... XD

[grimy13.livejournal.com]

XD He's just going after an easy target. Sounds like he has no life, I'm willing to bet that he has nothing to do so he just looks around on youtube and blogs about strange things he finds, feeling self important all the way.

But it appears that he is anti-boy band. Arashi was just in the line of fire.

): I would have loved to go to that show!

[kudoushinichi.livejournal.com]

My friends don't like Arashi (it's common thing to tease me) but I knew they had some of Arashi's songs in their mp3 player :p

Yeah, that doesn't bother me much XDDD

I love Arashi not because of they are just "boybands" but their struggles for what they achieve today... and it looks like they're still as modest as the first time I set my eyes on them few years ago ^^;

[helios-blue.livejournal.com]

umm... nothing's wrong with that person's opinion i think
anybody who's not familiar with JE will think that way
i also thought their costumes and actions are too much when i first saw their concert videos...

maybe he/she will end up searching for more about them because of curiosity
at least i know it has happened to some ppl whom i know ^^

eventhough he/she won't, nothing much will change

[missmomoko.livejournal.com]

I think the more I read that comment, I think it's not too negative. He just sounds like he's never seen such things before. I'd rather see a boy band really try and put on a darn good show (just like Arashi do) rather than just stand there and sit on stools! At least with Arashi they are always evolving and trying new things.

[bloodredsnow.livejournal.com]

I don't really think he's bashing on them really..I mean...if you look at it from the perspective of someone that's not really used to seeing the happy rainbowness that is Arashi, it's not hard to see that they're a little flamboyant lol...boys in bright colors singing happy songs on pretty ponies isn't exactly the typical guy's view of manliness ya know?

I think his initial reaction was just kinda like "lol wtf?"

I do agree with him that the show looked pretty crazy lol..I hope they release it on DVD...I'd love to see the entire Love So Sweet performance now...that really is insane..leave it to Arashi to go all out ^^

[honooko.livejournal.com]

I'm agreeing with the people who say it's not that negative. It's perfectly reasonable to me. Saying Japan has a boyband obsession is distinctly true, I think; JE started in the 60's, and have been going strong since.

And the concerts ARE insane. That's why they're so much fun.

I'd tag it the same way. XD

[hontowa.livejournal.com]

First of all, this person goes by the name "SDGundamX." That should be a pretty good indicator that it really doesn't matter what they have to say. Not to say that everyone is not entitled to their opinion, but it's just another person on the internet giving their take on something among thousands of other people doing the same thing. If this was a segment on some news show by a well known reporter, it might be worth going "hey now, was that really fair?" just because their take would actually be spread "as fact." But even then, there's always going to be people who see foreign things (from any culture) as weird/wacky/stupid/silly/etc no matter how much you try to explain cultural differences.

Like other people have said, Japan IS boyband obsessed, and their shows DO promote general insanity XD Now you could explain how Japanese idol boybands are different from N'sync all day, but in the end, who cares if some guy on the internet doesn't like Arashi?

[acidae.livejournal.com]

I'm seriously failing to see the point of this post, sorry. :/

Even when you ignore the fact that the entire blurb wasn't very negative at all (as several people have already pointed out), so what if this SDGundamX person really was being anti-Arashi or anti-boy band? Reacting this way will only support his/her belief that people are bat shit crazy when it comes to Japanese boy bands.

(And I don't know about you, but "one of the most popular current boy bands in Japan" doesn't exactly sound anti-Arashi to me.)

[steelthorns.livejournal.com]

...Well, he's right. They are a boy band, and just because Americans tend to view that in a negative light doesn't mean there's anything wrong with it. I refer to Arashi as a 'boy band' to my friends who aren't into it. It takes five minutes to describe the difference between American and Japanese boy bands if they're truly interested.

As for the 'possibly gay' thing - er, Arashi is made of rainbows? Anybody? It's unfortunate that the term gay is used for a lot of negative things, but I really doubt it's being used in a negative context here.

[nikouru.livejournal.com]

His comment isn't anti-anything...and even if it was, you have to realize that everyone outside of the japanese boyband fandom probably thinks its full of gayness and stupidity. Don't be so sensitive. Not everyone can tolerate rainbows and bad music, which means all of us are either incredibly awesome or incredibly lame.

I'm personally thinking awesome.

[colorfuldays.livejournal.com]

that's a good way to see it xD

[dalton6.livejournal.com]

I hope those responding the post don't make generalizations that all Westerners and/or Americans are anti-Japanese boy band. I know quite a few Westerners (myself included) who are big J boy band fans.

Obviously SDGundamX doesn't understand our attraction and doesn't want to. That's a darn shame. But, hey, not everyone likes the same thing and bashing a fandom does nothing for anyone. Are we going to stop liking J bands because SDGundamX claims it's silly? Of course not! Is that person going to start liking J bands more? Of course not! So let's put "Happiness" on loop and let people like SDGundamX bash their non-understanding heads against their keyboards in vain.

[yuri-senritsu.livejournal.com]

Yeah, honestly at first I scoffed at the whole boyband thing when I found out about JE. But then I fell in love. So I think its just a matter of time. XDD

[colorfuldays.livejournal.com]

For years, I used to deny my attraction for boys band. JE took my brain away. XD

[(Anonymous)]

I USED to be one of those people.......

And look where I am now.... XDDD

Curiousity really kills the cat... XDDD

[nightofhope.livejournal.com]

I think SDGundamX was entitled to his opinion but he probably could have chosen better tags for the video.

Also, I think it's mostly a cultural difference. In America, boy bands are known for just singing and doing flashy things to get people's attention. But in Japan, boy bands (specifically johnny's) do more than singing. A lot of them act in dramas or movies, do stage plays, have a college education (Keio boy! <3), and have other jobs that go beyond singing and entertaining. I think he just needs to be a little more aware of the differences between the two cultures ^^ lol sorry for the long reply ^^;;;

[kunimaki3567.livejournal.com]

Screw him. =X

Well, everyone has their own opinions.

[wendy138.livejournal.com]

The concepts of American boy bands and Japanese pop idols are such different entities that there just is not comparison. Yes, Johnny's groups are all manufactured, just like American pop groups. But Japanese boy bands don't just cut records and do promos for them, they do variety shows (that don't exist in the US, which now that I think about it is very very odd and that producers really should tap into instead of squeezing reality TV to the last drop), star in TV series and movies, be newscasters!! Whereas American boy bands stick only to singing/dancing and maybe acting, Japanese boy bands are quite immersed in all types of media.

I wouldn't be bummed about this person's comments. We're all entitled to our opinions, and we all don't have to like the same things.

[shatterdayvinyl.livejournal.com]

Japan Boy Bands RULE!!! hehe! somehow Mr. Gundam...i'm feelin you're a tinnie winnie bit insecure or whatev..maybe you're startin' to become an Arashi fan yourself...but you try to ignore your inner fangay assuming your a guy. haha... i love je!!!! let's celebrate japanese domination!!!!

[nostranger.livejournal.com]

they are IDOLS...not just boybands. LOL.

btw, i used to HATE JPOP before Arashi. haha =) how fandom changes you. =)

[(Anonymous)]

huh?what's the difference between IDOLS and boybands? they sing they sway their hips and my girls go gaga! anyways Asian domination is fast rising.screw that Gundam guy.

[(Anonymous)]

Idols are different from boybands.

This is why Arashi is called an idol group. This means that they are someone whom people look up to. Plus, they are people trained to be masters of a little bit of everything and they just dont sing or dance. In the Japanese culture, idols are very different from being a simple boyband or girl group.

[eddieblackmaru.livejournal.com]

is says the video is no longer there- is there anywhere I can see it?

[zschia.livejournal.com]

omg! he's named Mr. GundamX? how stupid is that!?

before i also cant take arashi's dancing and all those shiny-shimmering costumes....but then, fandom just sucked me right in to it....it cant be helped.

[aly2.livejournal.com]

I used to think that it was silly to be into boybands and such. I even remember laughing at a friend who 'chased' a boyband when they visited my country. But after I 'fell in love' with Arashi, I think I am in danger of doing just that if Arashi had a concert here! Haha. Anyway, I think it all depends on your perspective. If you do not like boybands/ support boybands, everything is just going to look ridiculous and downright stupid. But at least I am glad to have 'met' Arashi in my lifetime!!

Wow, thanks for the comments

[(Anonymous)]

Hi guys! SDGundamX here. Just found this website accidentally. Wish you had all posted on the VideoSift website--would have made for an interesting discussion!

If anything, reading your comments (some of which were insightful and some of which I found hilarious) has taught me to be a bit more careful about what I say on the Internet.

First off... I had NO intent to diss fans of Arashi. That wasn't it at all. I live in Japan, near-native fluent speaker of Japanese, and as many people have surmised by my avatar am a fan of Japanese pop culture.

Second, I posted this vid to share with Western viewers (who are mostly completely unaware of the boy band phenom here in Japan) the kinds of stuff that goes on here. True, I'm not a fan of Arashi--but I don't hate them or anything either. And that clip (too bad it got pulled) was so over the top that I thought it would get a lot of people to go LOL wtf?

Third, I embellished a bit with the "possibly gay" tags because to me... well the costumes and choreography and stuff were just so unbelievably flamboyant. If I were to do it again I'd probably delete that tag, because I think that's what negatively influenced the original poster. Sorry about that! But I genuinely meant the "now that's entertainment part." I'm pretty sure anyone who attended that concert felt they got their money's worth--much much more than singing going on there!

Peace!