What exactly do people want from a site that talks about Japanese music / Japanese music writers?

[DocumentaLy]

This is a thread that I've thought about making for a while, but never did for some reason. For a long time, the international Japanese music fandom has been in shambles. Whether it be changing music trends, the rise of KPop, or just people getting older and moving on, things have been happening that weren't so good for the fandom as a whole. But for the past few years, I feel like things are really improving. I feel like things are growing, but with different people, or perhaps the same people but with a different mindset.

 

In 2011, I joined 6T because the forum I was on was basically dead. Over the years, we've grown the Japanese section of this series of forums. We are now basically the most most relevant and diverse and up to date Japanese music forum in English. And I'm really glad about that.

 

Posting here gave me the opportunity to write for Arama! Japan. Basically the owners of the site wanted to do a revamp of Arama They Didn't, which had fallen on hard times. They wanted something akin to what we had going on here at OH. As part of the team on the new site, we've become the most popular Japanese entertainment site in English. And I'm really proud about that too. When I go to other random sites about Japanese music, OH and Arama are the 2 sources that pop up the most, because we are the most up to date and diverse.

 

Arama led to The Japan Times, something that is still a bit surreal to me. Like I'm an actual writer now and meeting and talking to artists I admire. And I'm so thankful for this, as I am with everything.

 

But there is something else... I know you can't please everyone, but I really do want to unite the fandom. Some say it's impossible, hell even I say it sometimes, but it is something I really want to do. That is why I spend my free time doing what I do. I know that I can be a divisive figure at times, but we need more people to stand up and say something. And I feel like it's slowly but surely happening. 

 

Which leads back to the point of this thread... What do people want exactly from sites that talk about Japanese music? And what do people want from the writers that write about it? Should we say what we think, even if it rocks the boat? Or should we just play nice? Should we point out issues, or just cover them up / ignore them? Should we ask tough questions, or just be media mouthpieces?

 

I want honest answers. Because I know that Arama and JT both have a bit of a reputation for favoring certain kinds of acts, but denigrating others. And this isn't entirely my fault. A lot of readers on Arama blame idols for the downturn in Japanese music and see them as the reason why their yesteryear faves are flops now. This was happening back on the old site, before I even joined the team. And JT was seen as a worshiper of "hipster" music and an idol basher before I even worked there. But people fail to realize that the newspaper has a different (older) demographic, one that isn't really the same as your average JPop fan. But I will say this about my colleagues on both teams: we love Japanese music, and we wouldn't do what we do if we didn't. I wanted to make that clear because it's a common criticism of both teams, one which I find completely invalid.

[gyrobot]

Well lets discuss the elephant in the room here since you are open for dialog in this case and I feel I had been making sniping remarks due to out of community experiences with other groups. My reason for why I have such a guarded reaction towards Japantimes and Daily was due to how some native Japanese feel that the western sites that talk about JPOP seem to be doom and gloom and I am willing to side with them on that.

 

I see the major problem is there isn't anyone on Arama who can go to a place like 4chan's JP forum or similar forums. They have a rather loud voice and generally speaking a lot more conversations happen there than on the JPOP forums or subreddits. Here it is just the usual audience with few newcomers.

 

 

Personally i like to give Idols a chance (Even if you don't see eye to eye) if they can diversify and a couple of recent releases have pleased my ears. I still feel I have a siege mentality in my mind but if they make changes I like I can back that. Besides on the kpop issue, I am seeing fewer and fewer girl groups providing the westernized sound much like how JPOP is these days so my arguments before don't hold as much water as it used to and I learned to be accepting of it. I will be backing those that do but I don't go out of my way to bash idol groups that don't anymore. If i was here a couple of years ago, I would had been acting like an utter shill ranting on about how doomed JIdols are. Thankfully there are groups that suggest otherwise

[DocumentaLy]

Well lets discuss the elephant in the room here since you are open for dialog in this case and I feel I had been making sniping remarks due to out of community experiences with other groups. My reason for why I have such a guarded reaction towards Japantimes and Daily was due to how some native Japanese feel that the western sites that talk about JPOP seem to be doom and gloom and I am willing to side with them on that.

 

I see the major problem is there isn't anyone on Arama who can go to a place like 4chan's JP forum or similar forums. They have a rather loud voice and generally speaking a lot more conversations happen there than on the JPOP forums or subreddits. Here it is just the usual audience with few newcomers.

 

 

Personally i like to give Idols a chance (Even if you don't see eye to eye) if they can diversify and a couple of recent releases have pleased my ears. I still feel I have a siege mentality in my mind but if they make changes I like I can back that. Besides on the kpop issue, I am seeing fewer and fewer girl groups providing the westernized sound much like how JPOP is these days so my arguments before don't hold as much water as it used to and I learned to be accepting of it. I will be backing those that do but I don't go out of my way to bash idol groups that don't anymore. If i was here a couple of years ago, I would had been acting like an utter shill ranting on about how doomed JIdols are. Thankfully there are groups that suggest otherwise

 

I don't know what Daily is, but I'm not affiliated with them. The sites that the Japanese speak of, what are exactly? Do they mention Arama or The Japan Times by name? I don't think those 2 outlets are all gloom and doom, but there is downside to everything, and that is discussed at times. Arama actually has a readership in Japan, and our staff (some of which does live there) has said that their interactions with Japanese people when Arama is discussed has been positive. They also said it was weird how some Japanese people actually read the site. As far as JT, my interactions with Japanese people in regards to that has been positive. One thing I've heard over and over again in regards to my interviews with artists is that I ask questions that they've never been asked before by Japanese press. Japanese press (outside of tabloids) has a reputation for being guarded, while Westerners are more open. And the artists I have interviewed like this approach because it enables them to be more candid with what they think. And let's not forget that there are native Japanese people on staff in addition to the Westerners that live there and myself.

 

I don't really get what you mean by the second paragraph.

 

The thing before with you is that you couldn't accept Japanese idols for what they were, while i could. You wanted them to improve, while I knew that they wouldn't because there really wasn't a need to so why would I bother with them? You still like pop music, while I really don't care for it anymore. 

[lepidoptery]

If I were looking for such a site, which I'm not really, I'd prefer that there was a diverse staff that all had their own taste... so they don't have to agree with each other or make nice about releases they don't care for.  Ppl can find a writer whose taste somewhat aligns with their own and follow them, and check out other writers when things don't click.  Like browsing for a radio station.  Basically, everyone should act like they have their own radio program on a shared station and write about the stuff they like.  They don't really have to write about the stuff they don't like, unless for some reason they have a special interest in it going beyond the immediate music (like industry background stuff).

[IceHism]

I've basically lost all my time to go look through forums like this.  I even have aramajapan on rss but I miss a lot of things cause i don't have time to look through it everyday.

 

I'd like some sort of weekly digest of everything in a place that is easy to access from the front page on aramajapan.  Interesting news stories, interviews, interesting new PVs, interesting new releases(singles+albums), good or great live performances. and stuff like that over the week all compiled on one post on a weekly basis.  I'd imagine that it would be a pain to organize and write but that's just an idea of something that would really help me.  Especially if you have a set time that it would come up on and have an easily accessible URL.

 

Another thing that would be nice is if there was a way to sort hot articles of the day kind of like reddit where the boards are default set to sort by hot so you get to see all the trending stories of that day right on the front page.  You guys probably don't write enough articles to do this but that just came to mind.

 

So basically, i don't have content i want in particular but i'd like a way to access it even more easily.

[DocumentaLy]

I've basically lost all my time to go look through forums like this.  I even have aramajapan on rss but I miss a lot of things cause i don't have time to look through it everyday.

 

I'd like some sort of weekly digest of everything in a place that is easy to access from the front page on aramajapan.  Interesting news stories, interviews, interesting new PVs, interesting new releases(singles+albums), good or great live performances. and stuff like that over the week all compiled on one post on a weekly basis.  I'd imagine that it would be a pain to organize and write but that's just an idea of something that would really help me.  Especially if you have a set time that it would come up on and have an easily accessible URL.

 

Another thing that would be nice is if there was a way to sort hot articles of the day kind of like reddit where the boards are default set to sort by hot so you get to see all the trending stories of that day right on the front page.  You guys probably don't write enough articles to do this but that just came to mind.

 

So basically, i don't have content i want in particular but i'd like a way to access it even more easily.

 

We have the trending posts on the front page already though...

[miimuutan]

 

 

Which leads back to the point of this thread... What do people want exactly from sites that talk about Japanese music? And what do people want from the writers that write about it? Should we say what we think, even if it rocks the boat? Or should we just play nice? Should we point out issues, or just cover them up / ignore them? Should we ask tough questions, or just be media mouthpieces?

 

Although my blog is extremely far from anything resembling something professional or 'official' I'd really like to know these things as well. On my blog I only provide very short commentary on new releases because I tend to just feel satisfied publishing something with names and links alone. And while I understand that simply just listing/linking new artists can satisfy reader's curiosity I feel like eventually it'll get boring. I want my blog to be an exciting place that people look forward to reading. As a much more experienced and professional article writer, do you suppose you could share some tips?

[DocumentaLy]

Although my blog is extremely far from anything resembling something professional or 'official' I'd really like to know these things as well. On my blog I only provide very short commentary on new releases because I tend to just feel satisfied publishing something with names and links alone. And while I understand that simply just listing/linking new artists can satisfy reader's curiosity I feel like eventually it'll get boring. I want my blog to be an exciting place that people look forward to reading. As a much more experienced and professional article writer, do you suppose you could share some tips.

 

Sometimes, I really do just want to post a video and a name and that's it, especially for acts I really don't care about. But I can't. Sometimes, I'll wait til the cover and the tracklist and the video is out to post about something, just so I can have more to write about, especially for acts I don't care about. Basically when writing a post, give the name, the release date, if there is a tie-in, and a description of the video if there is one. Also interesting facts if there are any given on a site like Natalie. It's basically playing it by ear.

 

I keep saying "acts I really don't care about" because sometimes I feel forced to cover acts that I don't care about because people will complain if they're not covered. But I'm getting more away from that, hence why I didn't post about the new aiko or Nogizaka46 albums. They just don't interest me enough as acts to even bother posting about them.

[IceHism]

We have the trending posts on the front page already though...

 

That's only 8 articles.  The way reddit does it is by sorting every article with a filter based on time and upvotes. (i suppose you can use a mix of comments and views to substitute upvotes)

Also, the trending posts definitely aren't digests.

[DocumentaLy]

That's only 8 articles.  The way reddit does it is by sorting every article with a filter based on time and upvotes. (i suppose you can use a mix of comments and views to substitute upvotes)

Also, the trending posts definitely aren't digests.

 

Yeah, that would push a lot of articles to oblivion, even if they were new, because we do get a lot of older articles trending, likes ones from over a year ago.

 

And I personally wouldn't do a digest because I'm too busy putting up new content when I am on the site. Plus how would we know what to put with all the different content? Maybe I would do a monthly thing, like a podcast.

[IceHism]

Yeah, that would push a lot of articles to oblivion, even if they were new, because we do get a lot of older articles trending, likes ones from over a year ago.

 

And I personally wouldn't do a digest because I'm too busy putting up new content when I am on the site. Plus how would we know what to put with all the different content? Maybe I would do a monthly thing, like a podcast.

It doesn't have to push out new articles. Put more weight on time when filtering. Times closer to now should have a higher weight than ones from a year ago by a wide margin.

 

Also, I'm not saying this should be the default view. You can just give people the option to sort it this way.

 

I'm not sure if one person could do it, you probably have to get multiple people onboard to get out even a decent digest. As for what to put? Easy, both staff selections and high trending articles. I think that'd be a decent place to start. You can modify the criteria as you go along.

 

This whole thing might be quite cost prohibitive so no hard feelings if none of my ideas are heard. I just miss a lot of articles on a daily basis because I have no idea what is hot or interesting over the week.

[infinityonhigh]

i think the writers should say how they feel. even if people disagree, the comment section is always there. i do actually enjoy reading the debate threads on arama, because discussion is good and it gives me two opposing views on things. but with a lot of articles there are barely any comments or it's just people repeating the same thing over and over. i think diversity in opinions is important and what keeps me interested. arama feels a bit stale because theres not much commenters and most of the articles are just new music releases or music charts. when majide (2ch translations) was still active i remember reading almost every article, even for acts i didn't care about, because i thought it was interesting to see different opinions from people who knew more about these acts then i did. minuskaguko is good but it updates rarely which is a shame. i like the staff selections on arama the best because it shows an opinion on some releases. 

 

i would like to know more about japanese celebrities in their cultural context, like how their image is in japan and what things they've done to change/keep that image. i wanna hear about the trends. things that have made an impact. i would like to know about more past acts too, but not just simply "this was the most popular song of [whatever year]", i wanna know why it was so popular, what caused people to have an interest in that song/artist in that time, if that makes sense. or like, for example, kimura takuya. i've heard about how famous and influential and popular he used to be, but i've never really heard why, or how he influenced the media/culture, or how he's faring now, or anything interesting at all about him really. so i would like more editorials.

 

also... will you ever consider making a completely j-pop forum? this one is alright but it's obviously a mostly k-pop forum, which i have no interest in.

[Coffee Biscuit]

*snip*

 

Rock the boat: Sure

Play nice: Sure

Point out issue: Sure

cover them: No

tough questions: Sure

Media mouthpiece: No

 

Would've been the straight answer. However, you're only asking that question because you want those answers so you can be re-assured that you can continue to push your agenda.

 

Why would people think that?

 

"Because I know that Arama and JT both have a bit of a reputation for favoring certain kinds of acts, but denigrating others. And this isn't entirely my fault."

 

Note: Entirely

Of course it's not entirely, but you're also not denying the fact that you contributed toward it. Even you yourself knew this very well.

 

Basically.

 

You can write whatever you want, people can have opinion.

But if people see problem with what you write, they have the rights to voice their concern or even criticism.

 

 

Everyone have their favorites, and some wants to push their agenda. I'm not saying you can't criticize things, but when something is wrongfully criticize or have things blown out of proportion for the sake creating traffic or just being biased... You can expect the following

 

1. Expect criticism from people, especially from those who have a problem with injustice/misinformation

Which also leads to

 

2. Alienation of readers of specific interest. Making things more fragmented than it already is.

 

 

I can't help but chuckle when you mention "I want to unite the Japanese music fans". Especially coming from you.

 

You hit fans of other genre across the face with a shovel, kicks dirt at other people's favorite acts then tell them to expand their horizon. And you're wondering why a lot of them don't respond nicely to it.

 

 

"I want to unite Japanese music fans"

On one hand, I believe that.

On another... It's absolutely laughable coming from you.

Your past actions completely contradicts that.

Alienating everything that you dislike, and shove it in the fan's face.

 

 

 

 

Now, go ahead and tell me why your actions are justified, how you're raising the real problems, and how many of those "peers that pushes agenda" agrees with you. Then even put gif up and type some condescending shit at me. To me and many others, that's who you are, that's what you do. You don't unify people, you split people into groups and wonder "WHY SO FRAGMENTED?!"

 

As someone who don't hate/dislike a single "genre" in Jpop, that's my real opinion of you. While it's true you definitely introduce Japanese music to a number of people, but when it comes to unity, I see you and your peers more as a problem than a positive force.

[protoplasm]

Don't cover artists you "don't care about".

Find staff who care about them.

[blank_stare]

Rock the boat: Sure

Play nice: Sure

Point out issue: Sure

cover them: No

tough questions: Sure

Media mouthpiece: No

 

Would've been the straight answer. However, you're only asking that question because you want those answers so you can be re-assured that you can continue to push your agenda.

 

Why would people think that?

 

"Because I know that Arama and JT both have a bit of a reputation for favoring certain kinds of acts, but denigrating others. And this isn't entirely my fault."

 

Note: Entirely

Of course it's not entirely, but you're also not denying the fact that you contributed toward it. Even you yourself knew this very well.

 

Basically.

 

You can write whatever you want, people can have opinion.

But if people see problem with what you write, they have the rights to voice their concern or even criticism.

 

 

Everyone have their favorites, and some wants to push their agenda. I'm not saying you can't criticize things, but when something is wrongfully criticize or have things blown out of proportion for the sake creating traffic or just being biased... You can expect the following

 

1. Expect criticism from people, especially from those who have a problem with injustice/misinformation

Which also leads to

 

2. Alienation of readers of specific interest. Making things more fragmented than it already is.

 

 

I can't help but chuckle when you mention "I want to unite the Japanese music fans". Especially coming from you.

 

You hit fans of other genre across the face with a shovel, kicks dirt at other people's favorite acts then tell them to expand their horizon. And you're wondering why a lot of them don't respond nicely to it.

 

 

"I want to unite Japanese music fans"

On one hand, I believe that.

On another... It's absolutely laughable coming from you.

Your past actions completely contradicts that.

Alienating everything that you dislike, and shove it in the fan's face.

 

 

 

 

Now, go ahead and tell me why your actions are justified, how you're raising the real problems, and how many of those "peers that pushes agenda" agrees with you. Then even put gif up and type some condescending shit at me. To me and many others, that's who you are, that's what you do. You don't unify people, you split people into groups and wonder "WHY SO FRAGMENTED?!"

 

As someone who don't hate/dislike a single "genre" in Jpop, that's my real opinion of you. While it's true you definitely introduce Japanese music to a number of people, but when it comes to unity, I see you and your peers more as a problem than a positive force.

 

Don't cover artists you "don't care about".

Find staff who care about them.

[Mandilinn]

 

I've followed certain writers and websites in other forms of entertainment for years now and they have set certain standards that I expect to be met. Such as:

 

They're honest - I'm not looking for people that I continuously agree with. You don't get into anything new that way. But I'm also looking for writers that are honest about themselves, too. If they're wrong, they own up to it and they're not ashamed of it. They don't place the blame elsewhere when they're under fire for something, and they give credit where credit is due.

 

They're knowledgeable - They don't try to act like they know it all, but when they do understand a subject, they can back up what they're saying with years of personal experience or facts based in reality, not wild fantasies.

 

They're professional - They answer questions people have seriously and respectfully. When people try to purposely rile them up, they either try to answer them as seriously as anyone else (and stop when the conversation goes south), or they don't engage them at all. They're gracious, humble, and open to talking to anybody, regardless of their interest/knowledge.

 

There aren't any writers or news websites for the Japanese music scene that meet that standard, so I don't follow any and instead rely on the Japanese source or fans themselves. They're a lot more trustworthy at this point. It'll remain that way until someone with that type of experience decides to make a website.

[lepidoptery]

Sometimes, I really do just want to post a video and a name and that's it, especially for acts I really don't care about. But I can't. Sometimes, I'll wait til the cover and the tracklist and the video is out to post about something, just so I can have more to write about, especially for acts I don't care about. Basically when writing a post, give the name, the release date, if there is a tie-in, and a description of the video if there is one. Also interesting facts if there are any given on a site like Natalie. It's basically playing it by ear.

 

I keep saying "acts I really don't care about" because sometimes I feel forced to cover acts that I don't care about because people will complain if they're not covered. But I'm getting more away from that, hence why I didn't post about the new aiko or Nogizaka46 albums. They just don't interest me enough as acts to even bother posting about them.

I feel that in those cases, because they are acts that "should" be covered, there should be a roundup of such acts (maybe once a week, or every two weeks) of all the acts no one on the site cares enough to make a real post on, and they can be posted mostly without comment (but with these things you mentioned, since I feel like that's a minimum).  The title of this roundup feature doesn't have to be insulting about it, but it's understood that none of the writers are sufficiently interested for whatever reason... it can be a rotating duty so no one is stuck with it all the time.  It doesn't even necessarily need to be accredited to one person, even, it can just be "Arama staff" or whatever.  And that way it doesn't take up too much space on the site compared to more substantial articles, but there's still a place for readers to talk amongst themselves if they want to.

[DocumentaLy]

It doesn't have to push out new articles. Put more weight on time when filtering. Times closer to now should have a higher weight than ones from a year ago by a wide margin.

 

Also, I'm not saying this should be the default view. You can just give people the option to sort it this way.

 

I'm not sure if one person could do it, you probably have to get multiple people onboard to get out even a decent digest. As for what to put? Easy, both staff selections and high trending articles. I think that'd be a decent place to start. You can modify the criteria as you go along.

 

This whole thing might be quite cost prohibitive so no hard feelings if none of my ideas are heard. I just miss a lot of articles on a daily basis because I have no idea what is hot or interesting over the week.

 

Hmm, this explanation is better.

 

 

i think the writers should say how they feel. even if people disagree, the comment section is always there. i do actually enjoy reading the debate threads on arama, because discussion is good and it gives me two opposing views on things. but with a lot of articles there are barely any comments or it's just people repeating the same thing over and over. i think diversity in opinions is important and what keeps me interested. arama feels a bit stale because theres not much commenters and most of the articles are just new music releases or music charts. when majide (2ch translations) was still active i remember reading almost every article, even for acts i didn't care about, because i thought it was interesting to see different opinions from people who knew more about these acts then i did. minuskaguko is good but it updates rarely which is a shame. i like the staff selections on arama the best because it shows an opinion on some releases. 

 

i would like to know more about japanese celebrities in their cultural context, like how their image is in japan and what things they've done to change/keep that image. i wanna hear about the trends. things that have made an impact. i would like to know about more past acts too, but not just simply "this was the most popular song of [whatever year]", i wanna know why it was so popular, what caused people to have an interest in that song/artist in that time, if that makes sense. or like, for example, kimura takuya. i've heard about how famous and influential and popular he used to be, but i've never really heard why, or how he influenced the media/culture, or how he's faring now, or anything interesting at all about him really. so i would like more editorials.

 

also... will you ever consider making a completely j-pop forum? this one is alright but it's obviously a mostly k-pop forum, which i have no interest in.

 

One issue is engagement. A lot of people come to the site to read the articles, but then don't comment. I've noticed this here as well.

 

Personally speaking, I only want to talk about music. New releases and charts are my thing. As far as editorials go, I honestly don't have time for them between my real life and the daily stuff that is coming out that I post. In an ideal world, I would, but I don't. I've scrapped several things simply because I don't have time, and when I do get time, they seem a bit... past due. I even had a bit of a time getting my monthly reviews for the site done, hence why they were delayed so much in the past when I was running that feature.

 

Most of my real writing is focused on The Japan Times because that is an actual job. And my work there is very much focused on the now, because it is a daily publication.

 

And I'm going to be completely honest again, I only want to write about what I care about. I honestly don't care enough about a lot of Japanese celebrities to write about them, like Kimura Takuya for instance.

 

And we've been thinking about making a forum...

 

 

Rock the boat: Sure

Play nice: Sure

Point out issue: Sure

cover them: No

tough questions: Sure

Media mouthpiece: No

 

Would've been the straight answer. However, you're only asking that question because you want those answers so you can be re-assured that you can continue to push your agenda.

 

Why would people think that?

 

"Because I know that Arama and JT both have a bit of a reputation for favoring certain kinds of acts, but denigrating others. And this isn't entirely my fault."

 

Note: Entirely

Of course it's not entirely, but you're also not denying the fact that you contributed toward it. Even you yourself knew this very well.

 

Basically.

 

You can write whatever you want, people can have opinion.

But if people see problem with what you write, they have the rights to voice their concern or even criticism.

 

 

Everyone have their favorites, and some wants to push their agenda. I'm not saying you can't criticize things, but when something is wrongfully criticize or have things blown out of proportion for the sake creating traffic or just being biased... You can expect the following

 

1. Expect criticism from people, especially from those who have a problem with injustice/misinformation

Which also leads to

 

2. Alienation of readers of specific interest. Making things more fragmented than it already is.

 

 

I can't help but chuckle when you mention "I want to unite the Japanese music fans". Especially coming from you.

 

You hit fans of other genre across the face with a shovel, kicks dirt at other people's favorite acts then tell them to expand their horizon. And you're wondering why a lot of them don't respond nicely to it.

 

 

"I want to unite Japanese music fans"

On one hand, I believe that.

On another... It's absolutely laughable coming from you.

Your past actions completely contradicts that.

Alienating everything that you dislike, and shove it in the fan's face.

 

 

 

 

Now, go ahead and tell me why your actions are justified, how you're raising the real problems, and how many of those "peers that pushes agenda" agrees with you. Then even put gif up and type some condescending shit at me. To me and many others, that's who you are, that's what you do. You don't unify people, you split people into groups and wonder "WHY SO FRAGMENTED?!"

 

As someone who don't hate/dislike a single "genre" in Jpop, that's my real opinion of you. While it's true you definitely introduce Japanese music to a number of people, but when it comes to unity, I see you and your peers more as a problem than a positive force.

 

This isn't about me though...

 

And I do admit that I am partially to blame for the idol hate that is around. I have platforms to say what I think and people have agreed with me, to the chagrin of others. And I welcome the opinions of others, hence why on the weekly review posts there are polls for people to vote. I wouldn't had done that if I didn't want the opinions of others.

 

And I don't think I'm wrongly criticizing things or blowing things out of proportion, just how I don't think I'm pushing an agenda.

 

Who are the people that I've attacked? You can't even say it's all idol fans since when I've had to review idols, I have given some high scores. Hell, I gave Hey! Say! JUMP a 7.5 this week. Hell, I said that Gesu no Kiwami Otome., a band that I've supported since their debut, shouldn't make albums because they suck at the format. I said that Utada should've stayed on hiatus in light of her new releases, and everyone knows how much I was in support of her comeback. So this idea that I'm pushing an agenda and attacking just idol fans is super odd...

 

I do want to the unite the fandom. I want to basically get everyone on a clean page and realize what exactly is happening in Japan now and not what was happening a decade ago or within a certain niche just because international fans like it. I want a realistic picture of Japan to be presented, and a lot of the fandom is unaware of what that is.

 

I think we are a positive force because we are actually doing something, and not just complaining. There are so many people out there who are like "I should start a blog" or "I should contact an artist", but don't. But this is what we are doing, and that is positive. I think the fact that so many of these people have similar taste to me maybe shows that we are of a similar personality type?

 

 

 

Don't cover artists you "don't care about".

Find staff who care about them.

 

We've done this before, but honestly, they don't stick around, namely female idol fans. I've been looking for a solid person to report on that field for months, but they come and then go. They don't really stick around. And it's not because of abuse or anything. Maybe they just don't have the time? I don't know...

 

 

 

I feel that in those cases, because they are acts that "should" be covered, there should be a roundup of such acts (maybe once a week, or every two weeks) of all the acts no one on the site cares enough to make a real post on, and they can be posted mostly without comment (but with these things you mentioned, since I feel like that's a minimum).  The title of this roundup feature doesn't have to be insulting about it, but it's understood that none of the writers are sufficiently interested for whatever reason... it can be a rotating duty so no one is stuck with it all the time.  It doesn't even necessarily need to be accredited to one person, even, it can just be "Arama staff" or whatever.  And that way it doesn't take up too much space on the site compared to more substantial articles, but there's still a place for readers to talk amongst themselves if they want to.

 

This is a good idea.

[Coffee Biscuit]

This isn't about me though...

 

And I do admit that I am partially to blame for the idol hate that is around. I have platforms to say what I think and people have agreed with me, to the chagrin of others. And I welcome the opinions of others, hence why on the weekly review posts there are polls for people to vote. I wouldn't had done that if I didn't want the opinions of others.

 

And I don't think I'm wrongly criticizing things or blowing things out of proportion, just how I don't think I'm pushing an agenda.

 

Who are the people that I've attacked? You can't even say it's all idol fans since when I've had to review idols, I have given some high scores. Hell, I gave Hey! Say! JUMP a 7.5 this week. Hell, I said that Gesu no Kiwami Otome., a band that I've supported since their debut, shouldn't make albums because they suck at the format. I said that Utada should've stayed on hiatus in light of her new releases, and everyone knows how much I was in support of her comeback. So this idea that I'm pushing an agenda and attacking just idol fans is super odd...

 

I do want to the unite the fandom. I want to basically get everyone on a clean page and realize what exactly is happening in Japan now and not what was happening a decade ago or within a certain niche just because international fans like it. I want a realistic picture of Japan to be presented, and a lot of the fandom is unaware of what that is.

 

I think we are a positive force because we are actually doing something, and not just complaining. There are so many people out there who are like "I should start a blog" or "I should contact an artist", but don't. But this is what we are doing, and that is positive. I think the fact that so many of these people have similar taste to me maybe shows that we are of a similar personality type?

 

It isn't about you, yes, but you need to understand why people cannot take your statements seriously considering your past actions

Yes, you yourself admit that you're guilty of what you did and are partially to blame, and that is commendable. 

 

"You don't feel like you're pushing an agenda or wrongly criticize things."

That is only at best half true. You know it yourself.

You fail to address a lot of points in a lot of posts in the past, scoff off every opposing views and sources. Worse, in this very thread, you admitted to writing in a certain way to cater to your "older" fanbase because it's not a free service.

 

Basically

"at least this part is accurate, as shallow as it is, I'm partly telling the truth"

That is agenda pushing, that is biased writing. You own up to it, you admit you're guilty of it.

 

 

As much as I disagree with you on a lot of issues, I do believe you want to spread Japanese music. 

That aside, note this 

 

When I said your peers are damaging to the "unity" of Japanese music fans, I actually mean it wholeheartedly. Your actions are creating not diversity and acceptance, but elitism and intolerance of certain groups.

 

You attempted to alienate idol/anison/vocaloid community from Jpop because of your own agenda of presenting "Here's what Japan like".

The problem?

It usually comes with statements such as "But this is not popular, get with the time, get real", as such. It creates division and makes fans more fragmented, also closing the door on potential fans.

Honey is better at attracting bears than vinegar. 

 

Wanna know what's a great collaboration?

New Japan Pro Wrestling + Idols collaboration + BABYMETAL.

A lot of puzzle came together and click, I'm not going to go into details.

And the next WWE NXT event's theme-song is BABYMETAL's "Karate".

That is what you call unity.

 

If you're going to make fun of BABYMETAL, predicting their flop in a few years when they're probably the biggest J-Music influence right now... What comes around, goes around. When other acts that you like reach the top and are now the biggest, you will have a very hard time finding outside support. Partly due to the fact that BABYMETAL fanss are already isolated by some of the writings out there and choose not to venture into something that'll undoubtedly be different. Or simply out of frustration for how their favorites were treated.

 

I remember you start a thread about how Japanese fans don't all vote for Japanese act at certain awards because they're fragmented. Wanna take a guess why it is?

 

Remember when a certain poster talk about "I'm afraid anime fans will hate K-pop because K-pop fans keep talking crap on J-pop"

Use that as a case study, and really think about how united J-pop can actually be even if their favorite are not quite the same. Also, many J-pop listener had anison/vocaloid to thank for their first exposure to J-pop, and they are a sure fire proof to anison/vocaloids fans can expand their horizon. Why are you trying to further alienate them?

 

Again, I believe you mean well, but your actions are downright laughable.

 

 

Celebration of one act don't need to be accompanied with scrutinizing remarks at other acts.

 

Because you're the one posting here, and is the one that engage in the most conversation with me, I am writing this with you in mind. Do not mistake my post in this thread as me taking the chance to poop on you, it's simply me explaining why you haven't been too popular in some circles as of late, and why I feel your actions are fragmenting the fandom. I haven't written a single sentence with ill intent toward you in this thread like I did in some others.

 

Also, telling us that we're the problem and other acts don't criticize your writing because we're unstable is not the best way to make friends. 

 

Consider the following

 

Maybe we're criticizing your articles because unlike other acts, idol fans are probably the most vocal aside from elitist, and the one you need the most for your mission right now. Win them over, don't kick dirt on their favorite food/toys (A very passionate, united, and protective bunch)

 

 

Yes, those that agree with you are similar to you. "Birds of a feather", as such, you all share the common trait of writing things which fragments the overall fanbase. And because so many of you are together, you're constantly being reassure "we did nothing wrong".

 

There's strength in numbers, however, being in big groups where people that agrees with each other is not a great thing. You need people to disagree, to have a debate, and to see things from many front without biased vision and comfort of being able to sing in unison.

[kathp]

The previous Aramatheydidnt was more active. Everyone was there. Sure there's trashing too but none too serious.Usually the fans would check on a post to join the comments. They go over hundreds of comments. Until of course mods slowed down and left Arama to rot. Sure there was an improvement in content now. But you could do both an improvement of the overall site while still keeping the same level of engagement with readers. There were some trolls yes but it was part of the fun. Like hey, what happened to the fun times? Let's not all be too serious and stuck up. It's an entertainment site you know!

 

About the 'alienating readers' part, i think there's a lot of truth in that. That's why you should not even wonder why there's less people commenting or there's less engagement from readers. More fans just prefer airing their reactions in twitter or in tumblr than commenting in Arama. Fans tried to be active when it was re launched but can't be bothered now.

 

Like I'm sure people can appreciate new things they can learn. New music from indie bands, rising acts, 'real artists' posts and so on. It's part of providing a comprehensive view of Japanese entertainment as what Arama I think is trying to provide. So let's not fragment reader market. Fans can be there for the music, dramas, idols, celebs, manga etc.

 

Besides, what are your most popular posts? Based from trending / comments if it's not scandals, celebs, it's dramas, live action or Johnnys. A lot of fans got to Jpop because of dramas and idols too.

 

Maybe you heard 'some' peers agreeing to you, are they the majority? What about the others that just could'nt be bothered to voice out and just simply walk away. Afterall they can all enjoy their faves in their own twitter or tumblr.

[DocumentaLy]

It isn't about you, yes, but you need to understand why people cannot take your statements seriously considering your past actions

Yes, you yourself admit that you're guilty of what you did and are partially to blame, and that is commendable. 

 

"You don't feel like you're pushing an agenda or wrongly criticize things."

That is only at best half true. You know it yourself.

You fail to address a lot of points in a lot of posts in the past, scoff off every opposing views and sources. Worse, in this very thread, you admitted to writing in a certain way to cater to your "older" fanbase because it's not a free service.

 

Basically

"at least this part is accurate, as shallow as it is, I'm partly telling the truth"

That is agenda pushing, that is biased writing. You own up to it, you admit you're guilty of it.

 

 

As much as I disagree with you on a lot of issues, I do believe you want to spread Japanese music. 

That aside, note this 

 

When I said your peers are damaging to the "unity" of Japanese music fans, I actually mean it wholeheartedly. Your actions are creating not diversity and acceptance, but elitism and intolerance of certain groups.

 

You attempted to alienate idol/anison/vocaloid community from Jpop because of your own agenda of presenting "Here's what Japan like".

The problem?

It usually comes with statements such as "But this is not popular, get with the time, get real", as such. It creates division and makes fans more fragmented, also closing the door on potential fans.

Honey is better at attracting bears than vinegar. 

 

Wanna know what's a great collaboration?

New Japan Pro Wrestling + Idols collaboration + BABYMETAL.

A lot of puzzle came together and click, I'm not going to go into details.

And the next WWE NXT event's theme-song is BABYMETAL's "Karate".

That is what you call unity.

 

If you're going to make fun of BABYMETAL, predicting their flop in a few years when they're probably the biggest J-Music influence right now... What comes around, goes around. When other acts that you like reach the top and are now the biggest, you will have a very hard time finding outside support. Partly due to the fact that BABYMETAL fanss are already isolated by some of the writings out there and choose not to venture into something that'll undoubtedly be different. Or simply out of frustration for how their favorites were treated.

 

I remember you start a thread about how Japanese fans don't all vote for Japanese act at certain awards because they're fragmented. Wanna take a guess why it is?

 

Remember when a certain poster talk about "I'm afraid anime fans will hate K-pop because K-pop fans keep talking crap on J-pop"

Use that as a case study, and really think about how united J-pop can actually be even if their favorite are not quite the same. Also, many J-pop listener had anison/vocaloid to thank for their first exposure to J-pop, and they are a sure fire proof to anison/vocaloids fans can expand their horizon. Why are you trying to further alienate them?

 

Again, I believe you mean well, but your actions are downright laughable.

 

 

Celebration of one act don't need to be accompanied with scrutinizing remarks at other acts.

 

Because you're the one posting here, and is the one that engage in the most conversation with me, I am writing this with you in mind. Do not mistake my post in this thread as me taking the chance to poop on you, it's simply me explaining why you haven't been too popular in some circles as of late, and why I feel your actions are fragmenting the fandom. I haven't written a single sentence with ill intent toward you in this thread like I did in some others.

 

Also, telling us that we're the problem and other acts don't criticize your writing because we're unstable is not the best way to make friends. 

 

Consider the following

 

Maybe we're criticizing your articles because unlike other acts, idol fans are probably the most vocal, and the one you need the most right now

 

Yes, those that agree with you are similar to you. "Birds of a feather", as such, you all share the common trait of writing things which fragments the overall fanbase. And because so many of you are together, you're constantly being reassure "we did nothing wrong".

 

There's strength in numbers, however, being in big groups where people that agrees with each other is not a great thing. You need people to disagree, to have a debate, and to see things from many front without biased vision and comfort of being able to sing in unison.

 

When writing for difference audiences, you have to take on a different voice. There is a difference between writing for teens and 20-somethings who live around the world and writing for 30-somethings and 40-somethings who live in Japan. I didn't say I write differently because I'm paid for that job (I said that takes priority because that's paid), I write differently because there are different readerships. The people who read the newspaper do tend to be older and are looking for different music. I mean you have to look at how the music section fits in with the rest of the culture section, which features reviews on books, theater, and art as well. Talking about a more cutting edge or serious musician fits in more than talking about some pop star or idol group.

 

I consider myself an honest person, and that honesty can be problematic at times. Ever since I've taken on these roles, I've made it my mission to bring the fandom up to date, to do a reset of sorts. Like I get tired of going to certain sites and seeing people complain about Koda Kumi not being on Kohaku when she hasn't been relevant in years. And I also get tired of people who think that Morning Musume. should be on the show just because they can get a #1 single that sells 100k in its opening week. But then they also don't look at how inflated those sales are or how they can't crack 50k total with an album anymore. But I don't really see people asking that as much anymore because they got the message.

 

And then I said the idol boom was dying and that indie was rising, and some people didn't believe me, until Oricon released an article saying it. And then some of the 48s were cut from Kohaku last year and Gesu no Kiwami Otome. and Hoshino Gen debuted on the show.

 

What I said was the truth, and I wanted to spread that truth, and it's worked to a sizable extent.

 

I never said people can't listen to what they want to listen to, but they need to be aware of reality. Like I listen to Japanese rappers, but I'm not living in a la la land about their popularity.

 

The WWE and BABYMETAL things makes sense since they share a certain... aesthetic. But honestly, a lot of Japanese music doesn't share the same aesthetics, which is why I have my doubts about unity at times.

 

The thing about BABYMETAL is that their international fans think they're bigger than they really are. I don't really look at things from an international perspective, I look at things from a more Japanese perspective, because I'm more aware of Japanese sales and media coverage than the average international BABYMETAL fan (it's part of why I am in the positions that I am in). Like the biggest thing that week in Japan was definitely not BABYMETAL. Sandaime J Soul Brothers blew them out of the water. They were the ones who had just came off the #2 album of 2015 and had won the Japan Record Award for the second year in a row in December. The industry was focused on them, and I was focused on them as well.

 

The thing is though is that I don't need outside support for things I like when they hit it big (or ever really), because I know that Japan is there for them. Like when Sakanaction or Gesu no Kiwami Otome. or Hoshino Gen debuted on Kohaku, I didn't really care that they didn't have that many international fans, because I knew that they were successful in Japan. That matters to me more.

 

The Dempagumi.inc / EMA post was an experiment which basically told me that JPop fans aren't going to like something simply because its Japanese. It has to be good for them to like it. Even idol fans were saying this. And this idea isn't my creation. Like I said earlier, a lot of JPop fans don't like idols because they think they give Japanese music a bad name and because they feel as if the idol boom killed the careers of their faves. These thoughts were around long before I took on the roles that I have.

 

The thing you still don't understand is that the people who got into JPop back in the day via anime got in through the likes of Namie and BoA, not anisong singers and vocaloids. Seeing as how anisong singers and vocaloids are more of their own niche now, a lot of people get stuck in that niche. I mean, if you went to a Hatsune Miku concert, how many would know who Nishino Kana is, even though she's the biggest female soloist in Japan of the past few years? The connection between these 2 scenes is broken, and that's not my fault at all. I'm just pointing out that there is a divide.

 

The thing is though is that when you have signs that the idol trend is dying and a band boom is taking its place, you have to tell it like it is. Even Oricon said it. You can't just deny things to make people feel good. Again, problematic honesty.

 

Honestly, the thing about birds of a feather can be applied to idol fans as well. Anytime someone criticizes idol culture who isn't an idol fan, there is this massive dismissal. 

 

Thinking about it, there needs to be writer who takes idoldom seriously and has a platform that reaches outside of the idol fandom. I mean you have a site like TGS, but they're quite niche.

[DocumentaLy]

The previous Aramatheydidnt was more active. Everyone was there. Sure there's trashing too but none too serious.Usually the fans would check on a post to join the comments. They go over hundreds of comments. Until of course mods slowed down and left Arama to rot. Sure there was an improvement in content now. But you could do both an improvement of the overall site while still keeping the same level of engagement with readers. There were some trolls yes but it was part of the fun. Like hey, what happened to the fun times? Let's not all be too serious and stuck up. It's an entertainment site you know!

 

About the 'alienating readers' part, i think there's a lot of truth in that. That's why you should not even wonder why there's less people commenting or there's less engagement from readers. More fans just prefer airing their reactions in twitter or in tumblr than commenting in Arama. Fans tried to be active when it was re launched but can't be bothered now.

 

Like I'm sure people can appreciate new things they can learn. New music from indie bands, rising acts, 'real artists' posts and so on. It's part of providing a comprehensive view of Japanese entertainment as what Arama I think is trying to provide. So let's not fragment reader market. Fans can be there for the music, dramas, idols, celebs, manga etc.

 

Besides, what are your most popular posts? Based from trending / comments if it's not scandals, celebs, it's dramas, live action or Johnnys. A lot of fans got to Jpop because of dramas and idols too.

 

Maybe you heard 'some' peers agreeing to you, are they the majority? What about the others that just could'nt be bothered to voice out and just simply walk away. Afterall they can all enjoy their faves in their own twitter or tumblr.

 

I think a big thing is that times changed. People changed as did the Japanese industry itself. I do think the industry is less geared towards "fun" music now. I mean, looking at the trends, it went from female soloists (fun), to idols (fun for some but a source of animosity for some (mainly female soloists fans)), to indie (not as fun). In the closing post for AramaTheyDidn't, KPop was brought up as a reason, and I think that's valid. Korea is where the fun music is now. Japan, not so much.

 

One thing I will say is that we had a slew of writers pretty much abandon the site for unknown reasons, and we were left with a very, very small core who had similar taste, myself included. I was brought on board to shake things up, to post about things that weren't what the site was known for (JPop queens and idols) in an effort to create diversity. I only really care about music, so the other forms of entertainment weren't things I was following, let alone writing about. During this time, someone called the site a Japanese Pitchfork. I liked this idea, but I also knew that that wasn't the point of the site. So I started expanding what I posted, I did start digging up gossip, but honestly, it was tiring and not something I could do everyday. But we did get new writers to do these things so I don't have to. But we still do have some holes. Like I said earlier, we don't really have anyone who cares to post about about an act like Nogizaka46 or aiko.

 

There are other things that trend to, such as charts and Music Station and the review pieces.

 

There are people who agree with me, hence why I got the JT job, but I don't think that if I was posting about Johnny's and dramas, I would've gotten that job. I think the fact that I was bringing something new to the table is what garnered attention to the site and myself and resulted in what happened.

[Coffee Biscuit]

When writing for difference audiences, you have to take on a different voice. There is a difference between writing for teens and 20-somethings who live around the world and writing for 30-somethings and 40-somethings who live in Japan. I didn't say I write differently because I'm paid for that job (I said that takes priority because that's paid), I write differently because there are different readerships. The people who read the newspaper do tend to be older and are looking for different music. I mean you have to look at how the music section fits in with the rest of the culture section, which features reviews on books, theater, and art as well. Talking about a more cutting edge or serious musician fits in more than talking about some pop star or idol group.

 

I consider myself an honest person, and that honesty can be problematic at times. Ever since I've taken on these roles, I've made it my mission to bring the fandom up to date, to do a reset of sorts. Like I get tired of going to certain sites and seeing people complain about Koda Kumi not being on Kohaku when she hasn't been relevant in years. And I also get tired of people who think that Morning Musume. should be on the show just because they can get a #1 single that sells 100k in its opening week. But then they also don't look at how inflated those sales are or how they can't crack 50k total with an album anymore. But I don't really see people asking that as much anymore because they got the message.

 

And then I said the idol boom was dying and that indie was rising, and some people didn't believe me, until Oricon released an article saying it. And then some of the 48s were cut from Kohaku last year and Gesu no Kiwami Otome. and Hoshino Gen debuted on the show.

 

What I said was the truth, and I wanted to spread that truth, and it's worked to a sizable extent.

 

I never said people can't listen to what they want to listen to, but they need to be aware of reality. Like I listen to Japanese rappers, but I'm not living in a la la land about their popularity.

 

The WWE and BABYMETAL things makes sense since they share a certain... aesthetic. But honestly, a lot of Japanese music doesn't share the same aesthetics, which is why I have my doubts about unity at times.

 

The thing about BABYMETAL is that their international fans think they're bigger than they really are. I don't really look at things from an international perspective, I look at things from a more Japanese perspective, because I'm more aware of Japanese sales and media coverage than the average international BABYMETAL fan (it's part of why I am in the positions that I am in). Like the biggest thing that week in Japan was definitely not BABYMETAL. Sandaime J Soul Brothers blew them out of the water. They were the ones who had just came off the #2 album of 2015 and had won the Japan Record Award for the second year in a row in December. The industry was focused on them, and I was focused on them as well.

 

The thing is though is that I don't need outside support for things I like when they hit it big (or ever really), because I know that Japan is there for them. Like when Sakanaction or Gesu no Kiwami Otome. or Hoshino Gen debuted on Kohaku, I didn't really care that they didn't have that many international fans, because I knew that they were successful in Japan. That matters to me more.

 

The Dempagumi.inc / EMA post was an experiment which basically told me that JPop fans aren't going to like something simply because its Japanese. It has to be good for them to like it. Even idol fans were saying this. And this idea isn't my creation. Like I said earlier, a lot of JPop fans don't like idols because they think they give Japanese music a bad name and because they feel as if the idol boom killed the careers of their faves. These thoughts were around long before I took on the roles that I have.

 

The thing you still don't understand is that the people who got into JPop back in the day via anime got in through the likes of Namie and BoA, not anisong singers and vocaloids. Seeing as how anisong singers and vocaloids are more of their own niche now, a lot of people get stuck in that niche. I mean, if you went to a Hatsune Miku concert, how many would know who Nishino Kana is, even though she's the biggest female soloist in Japan of the past few years? The connection between these 2 scenes is broken, and that's not my fault at all. I'm just pointing out that there is a divide.

 

The thing is though is that when you have signs that the idol trend is dying and a band boom is taking its place, you have to tell it like it is. Even Oricon said it. You can't just deny things to make people feel good. Again, problematic honesty.

 

Honestly, the thing about birds of a feather can be applied to idol fans as well. Anytime someone criticizes idol culture who isn't an idol fan, there is this massive dismissal. 

 

Thinking about it, there needs to be writer who takes idoldom seriously and has a platform that reaches outside of the idol fandom. I mean you have a site like TGS, but they're quite niche.

 

I consider myself an honest person, and that honesty can be problematic at times. Ever since I've taken on these roles, I've made it my mission to bring the fandom up to date, to do a reset of sorts.

 

Good, spread the knowledge of "X act is big, and people love them"

 

"And then I said the idol boom was dying and that indie was rising, and some people didn't believe me, until Oricon released an article saying it. And then some of the 48s were cut from Kohaku last year and Gesu no Kiwami Otome. and Hoshino Gen debuted on the show."

 

And most of us have absolutely no problem with that. what we have problem with, are the post from a certain site which only translate bad comments from 2chan.

 

And many of them are misinformation, or what you call it "rumors" and continue to stir shit in it in order to push forward an agenda.

It's ridiculous.

 

Then it's blaming AKS and Avex for Soundscan going off record.

Which many fought heavily against the unwarranted claim, there is absolutely no proof.

Conspiracy theory was put forward as the truth. Really?

I dearly hope to even to you, that's something you'd consider a dark history or a mistake.

Because that was absolutely ridiculous.

 

saying

Indie is rising, idolboom is over. 

That is fine.

 

The above examples... Not really.

Don't even try to convince me that there's no agendas being pushed in the examples above.

 

 

WWE and BABYMETAL collaboration is a great success

It's build off the years of collaboration between NJPW and idol

Shinsuke Nakamura being the one of the biggest draw

and WWE network launching in Japan, as well as BABYMETAL being the biggest Japanese group in the west at the moment

The puzzle would not have come together even if one piece of it was missing.

Every pieces matters. 

And I am overwhelmed by the whole thing, how each individual pieces of the puzzle compliments the other and we get such a beautiful picture in the end. All because there is no infighting. 

 

Then, I turn around and I see your articles and posts... What are you suggesting? J-pop cannot sound too different from what other Japanese music sound like? Otherwise it should be disregarded? 

 

Anison are popular among geeks world wide, Idols are popular among Wotas, Indie is currently popular among youth in Japan, and BABYMETAL is popular in the West.

Embrace them, don't alienate one from another, they are all Japanese music.

Please! Expand your fucking horizon and actually accept things that're outside of your radar for once!

 

 

Their international fans think they're bigger than they are and you wish to correct them. 

Sure

 

Then, let's analyze what you wrote, paraphrasing of course.

Instead of "They're not popular in Japan, no one care about them at home" how about "They're not popular in Japan, but it's nice to see they find their niche outside"?

Instead of "They're ganna crash and burn in 2 years when their gimmick expires", how about "I wonder how long they'll stay up there"

 

You don't have to pretend to like them, you also don't have to say anything at all if their existence disgust you so much.

Ask yourself again, what is your mission... Unite Japanese Music fans, then stop turning them into your enemies, stop alienating them by circling them into another group! However, if uniting the fans is just pretty words that have no meaning to you... Then keep up the amazing work documentaly, you're uniting the fans like no others, many potential fans are flocking away because they perceive your page as hipster and elitist only.

 

All they care about is that BABYMETAL is making big strides in the West, they enjoy their music and gimmick, and are proud to see how much they've grown and is about to have a gig in Tokyo Dome.

I myself am very proud of their sucess, they survived European metal scenes, that is some fairytale level of ridiculous.

The fans of BABYMETAL are currently living in the present, not the future.

 

 

You claim you only want to spread what's the J-pop scene is actually like.

No one will believe you when you show blatant biased, admitted to being biased, and have done things that pushes a biased agenda openly.

Which boils back down to... Documentaly... You are actually not that honest. Don't try to kid others, and more importantly, stop kidding yourself.

 

They go to Hatsune Miku concert, which is btw, a fragment of the extremely massive Japanese music industry.

So, what is stopping you from reaching out to them and introduce an act or two, their feet are literally in the door, what is stopping you from embracing them?

Or do you not want them in because they're tainted, and will only accept them if they swore off Miku entirely? What is the truth here?

 

 

Anytime someone criticizes Idol culture, there's a massive dismissal.

Yes. and let me ask you a question...

Could it be because idol fans are terribly misrepresented and they're sick of it

Yes, or no?

My answer is yes. And I didn't know how bad it was until fairly recently where I join the Idol ship. 

I dug up years of bad articles, reading one horrible and fake article after another, articles that exist long before I even join the fandom. Just to give you an idea what idol fans are going through because of presses.

 

There's a general notion of "Why bother, they won't ever change".

Unfortunately, I agree, but I won't stand for spread of misinformation backed by agenda. And I'm glad that there are some that're around to support me even though I never had a single conversation with them anywhere else. Many of them, are also far more knowledgeable than myself when it comes to idols.

 

 

Basically, you have told lies, you have spread post with agendas...

Don't be a prick. And maybe, just maybe, you'll see more traffic from the "other" bunch

 

Just don't be surprise when there's individuals showing up and discrediting what you and your peers writes.

Be especially aware that some have already identified Arama and JT as "Press to not take seriously"

The numbers will only go up if you keep it up.

 

If you don't care about those traffic because you'll be fine doing what you've been doing.

Good. Keep it up. Because you're only interested in a certain group of people, not the entire "Japanese music community" like you claim.

[5th_wall]

I miss some of the old trolls the most. If you could resurrect some of them to write opinion pieces, it would be a good way to get people to comment again.

[MMC]

What I'd like to see:

• Focus on MUSIC. 
  Even if I don't mind some articles about juicy scandals, most of the time I honestly don't care about who's dating/marring/divorcing who. I think that these kind of articles should belong to a different place.
  Articles about TV and cinema can have their place as long as they're music related or about what's trending in Japan now.
• How to accomplish that? I want more reviews, more tips (about present but also past acts), more analysis (about the music scene, or just one artist, a music genre, etc...), more new music (unfortunately, they don't have spotify, but you can always make a video playlist of the best new music, like spotify's new music friday).
• What's really trending in Japan? I often check the charts, but I still feel like I didn't get the whole picture. What are they actually listening to (and not just buying because they're fans or wotas)? What is being played on the radio? What are the most successful concert tours? 
• Help the international readers to find/buy the music (useful tips about buying concert tickets or travelling to Japan could be really appreciated too). 

What I think it should change:

• I don't like when the articles feel dry and impersonal. Even when reporting just a news, make it your own. Every site should have its own distinctive style. Sometimes I feel like I'm reading 1:1 translations of press releases written in formal Japanese.
  And don't be afraid to write what you really think. Being too polite and condescending just kills the conversation. People need to realize that everyone is open for criticism. If you're offended by it, just keep living in your bubble where your favourite acts are untouchable. 
• About Arama, you guys did a terrific job. But there's still big room for improvements like:
  • revisit the site design; for example, add a menu at the top of the page with the main topics like music (with a sub-menu for news, charts, videos, reviews, etc.), TV, cinema, gossip, etc.; also add a footer section at the bottom of the site with the tags
  • make just one post for all the weekly music shows
  • make one post with the weekly best new music
  • the weekly #1 review post is a bit redundant since it's always: idol group of the week VS the same song for at least 2/3 weeks.  
  • etc.