At least I'm still providing something akin to interesting and useful information pertaining to Japan, yes? Thus, the purpose of my blog is fulfilled, at least until the next posting date.
Anyway.
Today, we are venturing once again into the solo-project-cum-band arena of J-rock, which is actually apparently a far wider genre than I ever would have imagined.
Acid Black Cherry
Yet another band that I only know of thanks to Melon and her penchant for watching PVs in our study abroad lounge while I was sitting nearby.
At least I think that's how it went...
Regardless. According to Wikipedia,
Acid Black Cherry is Janne Da Arc vocalist Yasu's solo project. The band's name is often seen shortened to "A.B.C.".
...short, but sweet? Here, once again, we see the ego problem inherent to the music scene, Japanese or otherwise. There are other members in this band. Yasu is not some sort of magician who can play five instruments at once while singing and sashaying his skinny booty across the stage. Despite what the bio and their album covers would have you believe, there are other men in this band.
Look! Look! There they are!
I mean, when they're in your music videos, I think it's a pretty jerky move to pretend they don't really matter. I mean, sure, Gackt insists that he is a solo act despite his numerous band members on stage, but at least he's consistent. If there's someone else in his music videos, it's some pretty lady he's sexing up, or failing that, some samurai dudes he's chopping up.
... he's a strange bird, that Gackt.
And yes, I'm sure, SOMEONE will prove me wrong here, but come on. The ABC band members have significant roles in the PVs. They simply wouldn't be the same without them, though Yasu is clearly the star. Yes, I'm sure he made the band; yes, I'm sure he's responsible for most of the music. But still!
... yes, yes, smallest violin, boo hoo. I feel for the little guys in the music biz, all right?
I mean, look at them.
(Side note- This is one of my favorite music videos EVER. It is adorably dorky.)
Sure, Yasu takes center stage, but would it be quite the same without his otaku ensemble? No.
And really, how can you be a dorky fangirl without your posse?
(Yes, I love that video too. Half of the enjoyment I get out of these guys is their amazing videos. Yea underdog fangirls, woo!)
And... er... how can you be a respectable... lounge singer without a group of mob men fighting over you?
Ok, so that one's a bit less solid, but it also brings up another point: Yasu likes to dress like a lady. Do I disapprove? No, no I do not. However, dressing like a very pretty lady while singing a dirty, dirty song about sex (trust me on this one) is bound to get a few people all riled up.
(Notice the otaku brothers in the second and third video? The first was ABC's first single, so I suppose it's a sort of running gag now.)
So maybe I get a little too excited about the solo-project idea; sure, the band members tend to get ignored, but it really is a solo project, after all. You just needs guys there to hold the instruments during lives.
In this case, though, I sort of wish the ABC
And maybe I'm way off base here; maybe this is a wide-spread phenomenon, and everyone does it without question. Maybe Gackt does regularly have other dudes in his videos that he is neither sexing nor chopping, and I am simply blissfully unaware.
Or maybe they are getting press, and the CD covers and Wikipedia pages are just gross misrepresentations of the truth.
When all is said and done, it could be that I just like getting worked up about things.
So, in conclusion, I like Acid Black Cherry. I definitely recommend that you give them a listen, if only during a watch-through of their thoroughly amusing videos.
... Yea, somehow, I think that I would receive very poor marks for organization, were I to turn this post in to a professorial type. Definitely not my most coherent piece. Such is life, I suppose.
This is Edo, signing off whilst thinking about men in dresses and just generally going off on her own tangent.
1 comment:
hmm, well when i was searching info about A.B.C. it was really weird that everywhere are just Yasu's name... and that all guys are really deserve to find his name near Yasu and A.B.C.
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