Abe Mao “Lonely” [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg19Im4PyLo&hl=en_US&fs=1&] Let’s first talk about the video for Abe Mao’s “Lonely,” because it’ll end up serving as a solid writing device in the next paragraph. The clip works as a sorta meta-video wherein the (fake) making of one’s music video becomes the music video itself. It’s a theme plenty of band have…
Sometimes I play a Jeopardy-like game with my English students, asking them about America facts and quizzing them on grammar. For kicks, I also throw in a few personal questions like “what’s my dog named” or “how old am I?” The big finale, usually, is “what is my favorite Japanese band?” Since none of my…
Can any of the songs on this week’s Music Station come close to equaling the majesty of Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama’s shirt? Not an easy task. Let’s find out though! Arashi “Monster” [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2bo-NOjtu4&hl=en_US&fs=1&] Excuse me while I get self-referential for a minute. In pretty much every instance where I rave about robo-bop disco divas…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uT8vAsGp3s&hl=en_US&fs=1&] I have never seen The Neverending Story, putting me in a very sparse group of 20-somethings not holding fond memories of the film or pretending to have big ol’ nostalgic feelings for it. So, to me Miu Sakamoto’s video for “Silent Fiction” is just her showing off her dancing abilities while working a puppet…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t53j3xVyuxY&hl=en_US&fs=1&] Following the relative clank of their last single “Shukan Sentimental,” Osaka schoolgirl quartet SCANDAL strike back with the much more enjoyable blast of “Story.” Whereas “Sentimental” came off as really phoned in, the band just happy to be soundtracking the credits to a popular anime, “Story” wastes none of its four-minute run. The verses…