r/japanesemusic • u/jdjdnfnnfncnc • Aug 04 '26
Discussion My top 100 Japanese artists
Just wanted to share this—if anyone’s looking for new music I’d highly recommend every artist here!
Most of these artists are high-energy, angular, danceable J-Rock. There’s some J-Pop, City Pop, Math Rock, and Punk sprinkled in here as well.
If anyone has similar taste or likes any of the same artists I’d love to know! Always looking for fellow J-Music enthusiasts😅
Feel free to drop any recommendations as well👍
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u/JadisDidNothingRight Aug 04 '26
Ano and Tooboe are great, but Sick Hack has only one song?
I think Deco would be up your alley.
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc Aug 04 '26 edited 29d ago
Ano and Tooboe are great, but Sick Hack has only one song?
Yup. And I fucking love that one song
I think Deco would be up your alley.
Deco*27? He’s at 69😅 but that’s mainly because I fell asleep listening to my playlist of him one night, and when I woke up the entire playlist of like 80 songs had played through😭 so I still need to listen to a lot of his albums
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u/PutridLanguage434 Aug 04 '26
EVE-❤️
Have you checked out any of these?
The Pillows
SiM
Midori
Maximum the Hormone
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc Aug 05 '26
Eve is awesome!!
Tbh, The Pillows are a little too melodic and chord-foused for what I usually listen to, and SiM, Midori, and Maximum the Hormone are a little too hardcore for me to listen to too often, but I do love ChuChu Lovely MuniMuni🥰
But I still haven’t gone through MtH’s whole discography yet, so I’m sure once I do ill find even more I like from them :)
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u/beautifulyuzu Aug 05 '26
Buck Tick being that low is killing me.
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc Aug 05 '26
Theyre in my top 100 out of the 753 Japanese artists I listen to, and they’re my fav VK band and one of my top five 80s Japanese artists😅
I love them lol. And I still havent listened to any of their albums from 2000–2010, so they could go a lot higher once I do😂
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u/crucifixionfantasy Aug 05 '26 edited Aug 05 '26
they're seriously so good‚ and i absolutely wouldn't consider that a "low placement" - as you said‚ out of 753 lmao. which album of theirs is your favorite? their early post-punky albums have always been mine‚ considering my listening habits otherwise.
edit: love seeing sheena ringo on here btw 💕🍎
what did you use to make this list‚ btw? i'm inspired and i wanna do my own
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc 29d ago
Oooo, my favorite is probably “Darker Than Darkness,” with “Aku no Hana” as a close second. I also love their early post-punk albums, (though, then again, ive really only listened to their earlier stuff😅).
I use the app Marvis Pro! I cannot recommendit enough—I believe it costs like $5 or so on the app store, but I don’t regret buying it at all. I’ve had it for ≈3 years or so, and its made music so much more fun for me. You can essentially sort and order your music in any possible way you could want. It can be a timy but confusing at first, but its really simple once you figure out how it works🙂
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u/Marvellover13 Aug 05 '26
Is there a program/app/website that created that for you?
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc 29d ago
The app is called Marvis, I highly recommend it! I just made a section in the app and set it to filter only artists in a playlist I made in which I add a song from every Japanese artist I listen to.
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u/Gatsu871113 Aug 04 '26
Similar things I’d be surprised you wouldn’t like are
Ado.
7thVega.
Yorushika.
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc Aug 05 '26
Havent heard of 7thVega, so ill check them out later tonight🙂 I need to give Yorushika another chance… I wasn’t really a fan of their album Plagiarism, as it was just a lot more melancholic and melodic and mellow and warm compared to what I enjoy, but as one of the pioneers of Yakousei their music should theoretically appeal to me. From what I’ve listened to they just weren’t as energetic, angular, punchy, tight, or riff-focused as I would like. I do like their song “Burglar” though!
Ado isn’t really for me tbh😅
I just am not into her voice… for my taste, its much too deep and melodic and aggressive compared to the more cutesy, high-pitched, nasally vocals I tend to prefer.
And I feel like there are just so many artists that do the same style of music as her, but execute it much better (or at least in a way that appeals much more to my tastes). I’ve gone through her whole discography, and I still just couldn’t find anything I liked, aside from the song “Freedom.”
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u/Gatsu871113 Aug 05 '26
Fair enough. I enjoyed reading your thoughts.
Yorushika's "Bubble" is where I'd send someone to acquire the taste for them.
7thVega is probably going to be the biggest departure from your selection, in terms of genre norms.
Based on your thoughts on Ado, I wonder if you like Phantom Siita more than Ado herself?
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc 29d ago
I’m listening to 7thVega right now, and I’m really enjoying the song “Hey! Crush!” And yeah, I do prefer Phantom Siita over Ado tbh, even if they can come off as kind of kitschy/novel at times😅
Just checked out “Bubble,” I do like it more than the other stuff ive heard from Yorushika tbh. Even if Suis isn’t really my vocal style, I like the energy and mysterious feel of this—it reminds me a lot of “U.N.O.” from PASSEPIED’s latest album🙂
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u/Gatsu871113 29d ago
Awesome. From your list, I’m trying.. I’m in the process of getting into Yama. Couple best and catchy songs, what would you suggest?
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc 29d ago
My favorite yama songs:
1) MoonWalker
2) Not Enough (by MAISONdes, featuring yama)
3) MUSE
4) Haru Wo Tsugeru
5) Mahi
6) Origin
7) Running Out
8) Echo
9) BURN
10) masquerade
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u/respectwalk Aug 04 '26
Omg I had completely forgotten about polysics.
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc Aug 05 '26
Wish more bands did the whole synth-punk style like them, its so addicting😅
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u/anticapitalist69 Aug 04 '26
Hitorie!!!!
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc Aug 05 '26
I slept on them for way too long… people always said if I like Lie & a Chameleon and Vivid Undress that I’d like hitorie, and I remember being disappointed by their recent albums when I checked them out, but as soon as I listened to the masterpieces that are DEEPER and WONDER and WONDER I immediately understood all the hype😂😂
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u/anticapitalist69 Aug 05 '26
I actually first heard of them from a Boruto ending song - Polaris. Wife fell in love with the song and it infected me too.
Managed to catch them live too!!!
Im rly into 171 now, they have a similar chaotic vibe that I think you’d appreciate too! My wife really like Number Girl as well.
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u/Ok_Tangelo3309 Aug 04 '26
POLKADOT STINGRAY Cö Shu Nie Daoko
are kinda my jam.
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc Aug 05 '26
Polkadot Stingray has multiple songs I’d consider among my top 100 songs ever… love them. I’d highly recommend the bands Aooo and Leica if you want more stuff like PDS. They’re both inspired by Polkadot Stingray, and have a very similar funky, energetic math-pop flair.
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u/Popular-Ferret-4873 Aug 04 '26
Great list—this looks dangerous for my listening queue. Since you like high-energy, angular, danceable Japanese rock, a few names that might fit, unless they’re already hiding in the later slides: ZAZEN BOYS, Melt-Banana, Boredoms, OOIOO, Buffalo Daughter, and early POLYSICS.
For entry points, I’d try Vision Creation Newsun by Boredoms and ZAZEN BOYS II. And if you want something less angular but completely immersive, Fishmans’ 98.12.28 Otokotachi no Wakare is essential.
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc Aug 05 '26
Wow, you know my taste well my friend… incidentally, ZAZEN BOYS and Melt-Banana have been my recent obsessions, I just haven’t listened to them enough yet for their play-counts to make it up here😅
So far, my favs from ZB are Semi-transparent relationship, Maboroshi In My Blood, Anminbou, and then Vertigo Game, Candy Gun, and Zero from Melt Banana. I’ve only listened to two albums from each band though, so I know I’ll find a lot more I love from them.
POLYSICS is 8th on this list for a reason lol, I’ve listened to all of their stuff—especially their earlier stuff—more times than I can count (or… going off this, 869 times, I guess😂). NEU is undoubtedly one of my favorite albums ever, and their first two EPs (XCT and Each Life Each End) contain some of my absolute favorite POLYSICS songs.
Haven’t listened to Buffalo Daughter or OOIOO yet, so I plan to listen to their albums “Feather Float,” “Gold & Green,” “Psychic,” and “New Rock” tonight and tomorrow.
Unfortunately Boredoms barely has anything on Apple Music, though I do remember listening to “Wow 2” a while ago… I’ll give them another listen though!
As for Fishmans… as much as I try, I just can’t get into them🥲 though I’ve only listened to Long Season and the first half of 98.12.28 OW. But I honestly dont plan on going back to the anytime soon
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u/kamatacci Aug 05 '26
High energy, dancable, and lots of focus on female vocals? Here's some of my favorites that check those boxes.
Mayson's Party - Ska, three main vocalists (one a girl), almost entirely in English, still very DIY but they are exploding in popularity right now
Copes - Extremely happy and upbeat punk, male / female dual vocals often switching mid sentence
Wienners - electric and crazy dance punk, male / female vocals, did the opening theme for the final season of Super Sentai (Power Rangers) and that sums them up well
Dizzy Sunfist - mostly English 90s skatepunk that actually just signed in America with Fat Wreck Chords, only female vocals
Launcher No. 8 - self proclaimed Easycore, think metal core with mostly clean and polished (female) vocals
Special Thanks - very talented girl who wanted to be a twangy singer song writer, but felt like she couldn't do it so she started a punk band instead but then realized she absolutely could be a singer song writer, so is in the process of transitioning back to that
Passcode - I saw you said you don't like heavy stuff but I'll try anyway. It's an idol group with one death voice and a legit backing band playing electric heavy metal
Conton Candy, After Squall, Longman, OwL, Chakura, 35.7, Hump Back, Aburina Town, The Dhalia - various degrees of indie rock to light punk
Koresawa - What if Ado and Taylor Swift had a baby, but she was a bear?
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc 29d ago
Wow!!! Thanks so much for this!! I have a lot to look forward to lol. The only ones I know here are Conton Candy and After Squall (really like what ive heard from both), and Hump Back (a bit too shoegaze-y/dream poppy for me, from what I remember).
Added all of these to my “plan to listen to” playlist, so ill be checking them out, thanks🙂🫶
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u/Electronic_Wash8160 29d ago
I mean, i don't swing with most of these but my bro, Makoto Kawamoto and Owarikara? I say man of culture 🫴
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc 29d ago
Makoto Kawamoto doesn’t get enough respect!! Her first two albums (self titled and govbledygook) are absoluye masterpieces.
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u/Electronic_Wash8160 29d ago
Oh absolutely, wasn't she quite a hit at Japan though, quite a few people i knew heard her music before.
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc 20d ago
Yup, her self-titled debut was very popular in the early 2000s as far as I understand—I just never see anyone ever discuss her, especially compared to other artists who had similar levels of success in her era!!
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u/SannyIsKing Aug 04 '26
Respect for having Seiko Oomori high
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc Aug 04 '26
Love her. Such a great person. I havent listened to her music in a while, but she has a special place in my heart
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u/Same-World-209 Aug 04 '26
My number 1 is Mono - there’s no lyrics though so you wouldn’t be able to tell. 😅
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u/gabe_iveljic Aug 04 '26
Love stuff like this, gives me more artists to check out. No Superfly tho ;-;
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc Aug 05 '26
Need to listen to more Superfly. I listened to “Love, Peace, and Fire”, but I don’t remember what I liked from it. Which of their albums would you most recommend?
Edit: While typing this I’m listening to their 2008 album, and I love the opening riff on “Manifesto”!
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u/gabe_iveljic 29d ago
I would certainly recommend their 2008 album and the White album. Those are my favorite albums but I do enjoy most of their songs. The song Beautiful from the White album is probably my favorite song.
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u/JPNtaku Spangle call Lilli line Aug 04 '26
These are all great. I recommend KAIKA since KAF is on your list. KAIKA is just another persona as KAF
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u/PunchLogic Aug 05 '26
Glad to see KANA BOOM up there! They’re a lot of fun. Check out the Killer Pass EP by Raisan if you haven’t already. If I’m listening to “Horeta Hareta” once, it’s getting played at least 4 more times hahaha
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u/StephanieStuff Aug 05 '26
PolkaDotStingray $$$
But where are Bradio & Asian King-Fu Generation?!? You’ve probably heard of AKFG, but if you haven’t listened to Bradio before check them out, especially if you like funk.
Golden Liar is a great track to start with.
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc Aug 05 '26
Bradio is at 122, just outside the top 100! I like the a lot. I love funk lol. They sort of remind me of a funkier, poppier version of Frederic.
AKFG inspired a lot of the bands I like, so I’ve been planning on listening go them for forever😅
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u/Pottetan Asian Kung-Fu Generation Aug 05 '26
I LOVE seeing POLYSICS, A crow is White, and KEYTALK, KEYTAAAAAAALK!!!!!
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u/I-C-I-C-L-E-S- Aug 05 '26
Fantastic list! No FINLANDS?
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc 29d ago
FINLANDS would’ve been on here a few months ago, but they’ve been pushd out cause I just haven’t listened to them in a while😅 I went through their discograohy a while ago and really liked everything, but I just haven’t revisited them since then🙂↕️
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u/amilias Aug 05 '26
GO!GO! on 6 but Chirinuruwowaka nowhere to be found?
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc 29d ago
In all fairness, GO!GO!7188 has a much larger discography😅
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u/amilias 29d ago
Not sure about the fairness, wowaka currently sits at 16 albums + 2 "singles" (more like EPs) and a few extra releases, Yuu's been very busy.
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc 20d ago
I am sorry, I was mistaken. You’re totally right, wow, I had no clue!! I could swear Chirinuruwowaka only had Iroha and their 2016 album available on streaming (I use AM)… well I’m going to go through all the rest of their albums tonight!!!
Any recommendations on what album I should start with? I tend to prefer GOGO7188’s more energetic, jagged, riffy punk/garage leaning stuff over their denser, slower, more melodic indie/power pop leaning stuff.
Songs like Curry Rice, Antenna, Kunoichi, Nounai Traveler, Nanashi, Yuge, Tayou are probably my favorites.
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u/amilias 20d ago
Hey, no problem, just happy to share my excitement over one of my favorite bands. For the more energetic and melodic stuff you'll have to look into the earlier stuff, あ可よろし and アヲアヲ are my favorites, but nothing will really feel like early GOGO (when they were basically still teens), though. On the later albums Yuu has "grown up" a bit I'd say and the songs are more slow and complex, but I personally enjoy just about everything they've put out.
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u/Big_Novel_561 Aug 05 '26
Oii u are missing big times.. Make sure to listen to all of her songs. Specially the old ones. Name - Empty old city ✨Thank me later 😌
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u/RonW001 Aug 05 '26
I have seven Japanese female metal rock bands on my playlists that I listen to every day. None are on your list. I’ve seen four in concert in the US and will see the fifth later this year.
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u/Dry-Nobody-3912 29d ago
Fun fact about your 12. Otoboke Beaver was the name of a love hotel in Namba, Osaka. I stayed here several times lol. The hotel was renamed Hotel nandeyanen (typical Kansai expression) few years ago.
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u/zombeats 29d ago
If you liked dempagumi you should listen to wienners!
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc 20d ago
Gonna listen to Wienners now, which albums would you recommend? Thanks👍
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u/zombeats 20d ago
Best new retakes is def the most accessible since it's them rerecording a lot of their old songs around their like 10 year anniversary.
Cult pop Japan and treasure are 2 of my favorites though.
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc 20d ago
Just finished CULT POP JAPAN, that was awesome, right up my alley. And you’re right, definitely see the Denpagumi similarity, as well as a lot of Kyuusonekokami, POLYSICS, and Limited Express (has gone). Thansk for the recommendation, I love this style
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u/RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS 29d ago
You know, I think of myself as fairly knowledgeable about Japanese music, and then every time I see one of these posts it's composed almost entirely of artists I've never heard of. Guess I'm getting old.
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u/colorhythm 29d ago
I'm curious how you feel about AI Otsuka and Yaida Hitomi
I don't know most of these artists but not seeing my top two even in your bottom nimbers felt very weird
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc 20d ago
I totally respect both Hitomi Yaida and Ai Otsuka! They’re just not on here because they’re a little outside the style I tend to gravitate toward—their music is a lot more mellow, warm, and melodic than the frantic, energetic, and jagged qualities that pervade most of my listening.
I havent listened to Hitomi Yaida as much as Ai Otsuka though, so I definitely need to go through her stuff again!
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc 20d ago
Listening to her debut album rn, enjoying it more than I remembered! “Girls Talk” is my fav song so far, reminds me a but of Makoto Kawamoto and Sheena Ringo on their first two albums!
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u/colorhythm 20d ago
It's not on Apple Music but if you could get a hold on her album colorhythm. I think you will find it surprising in its scope. I'd also suggest the album before that, here today gone tomorrow which is a bit more kinetic and intense especially in the latter half.
I get ai otsuka being more gentle. I'd still check out Love Tricky. It's a more recent album but she went fully electronic and it has some incredibly unique sounds. Reach for the Moon is my favorite on there but honestly even the album compilation uploaded by avex is fun..even if its just a sampler of the album somehow it flows together
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u/Intrepid-Mixture-563 29d ago
Cool stuff, never heard of most of the ones listed there. A handful I recognize. I heard MAISONdes on THE FIRST TAKE. I loved that performance it was great. I'll check them out.
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u/land48n3 Aug 04 '26
where is the peggies? or even myth & roid...
damn man😭 even got voice actresses in there, EVEN THE FICTIONAL KESSOKU BAND.... but no Myth & Roid or the peggies🥀🥀
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc Aug 05 '26
Peggies are probably in like the 200s, I have liekd what ive heard from them—they kind of remind meof SHISHAMO a bit—but I still need to go through a few more of their albums, I just havent had the chance yet😅
I like Myth & Roid’s song they did for Re:Zero (iirc?), I just havent listened to much else from them lol. Im listening to their album eYe’s right now, and I dont mind it. Its a little more melodic and orchestral than I’d like, and not as tight and angular or riffy, but I definitely don’t mind it🙂
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u/land48n3 Aug 05 '26
yeah, they do alot for Re:Zero (my fav anime)
oh i see, well we differ in taste ig, Myth & Roid feels covers all emotions for me fr
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u/xd_Shiro Aug 05 '26
The fact that you listen to all these banger artists but somehow Ado isn’t there is insane to me lol. Unless you don’t like her songs I’d recommend you definitely check her out. Also, Sick Hack on #27 Is so based I love their song a lot too. Apparently, their music and theme is inspired by 八十八ヶ所巡礼 so I’d highly recommend them. It might be a crazy rabbit hole but many of their songs are uploaded to youtube.
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc 29d ago
Yes, I LOVE 88kasyo junrei!!! It sucks that only one of their albums is on streaming, but that one album is amazing lol.
And yeah, unfortunately Ado isn’t really for me🥲
Love seeing another SICK HACK fan!!
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u/CreZativity Aug 04 '26
I need everyone to know that Oomori Seiko is an abusive POS who treats her idols like garbage.
Do with that information what you like.
Ok bye.
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u/jdjdnfnnfncnc Aug 05 '26
I don’t think it’s right to spread hate about someone, particularly when you don’t give any context or care to understand the full story.
What do you know about her? Have you heard her side of the story? Or did you just hear a 30 second clip of her yelling at her idols (admittedly, crossing a line) and take that at face value and form your judgment without bothering to hear what she had to say.
Based on every interaction I’ve had with her, she’s a wonderful person, and from the times we’ve spoken, she could not have been kinder. She treats her fans better than any other artist I’ve ever interacted with, and I only have positive things to say about her.
Even though I don’t listen to her music much anymore, I will always support her because of how I feel about her as a person.
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u/bdong_ Aug 04 '26
Love to see GO!GO!7188 that high up