{"id":2298965,"date":"2026-02-25T07:44:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T07:44:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2298965"},"modified":"2026-02-25T07:44:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T07:44:10","slug":"im-a-grown-up-who-found-a-new-music-obsession-j-pop-boy-bands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/im-a-grown-up-who-found-a-new-music-obsession-j-pop-boy-bands\/","title":{"rendered":"I’m a grown-up who found a new music obsession: J-pop boy bands"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I<\/span>t\u2019s usually better to begin a piece by getting straight to the point, isn’t it? So, here goes: I am a music and film journalist in my early 30s, and I am currently obsessed with J-pop boy bands.<\/p>\n

And no, I did not see this obsession coming at all. I unexpectedly fell into this rabbit hole, and I have loved every second of it so far.<\/p>\n

So, how did I get here?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If I had to pinpoint a reason, it would have to be the relentless rainy weather in January. One awfully humid day left me lethargic and stuck at home with absolutely nothing to do.<\/p>\n

I first tried watching the Korean drama Can This Love Be Translated?,<\/em> hoping for a fuzzy dose of romance. Midway through, though, I gave up. Watching Kim Seon-ho and Go Youn-jung travel the globe under sunny skies felt painfully unrelatable for my gloomy, jaded soul at the time.<\/p>\n

Then I noticed another recently premiered program on Netflix: COUNTDOWN CONCERT 2025-2026 STARTO to MOVE<\/em>. A brief glance at the show’s description said it was a live music concert featuring a number of J-pop boy bands.<\/p>\n

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I\u2019m somewhat familiar with the Japanese music scene, but not deeply. I adore Japanese rock bands like Novelbright and L’Arc-en-Ciel, I even interviewed the latter\u2019s vocalist, Hyde, last year, as well as soloists like Gen Hoshino. But that’s about it. The only J-pop boy bands I knew were Arashi and V6, and only by name. I had never taken a deep dive into their discography.<\/p>\n

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(Novelbright Official Website)<\/span><\/p>\n

So, as I was not in the mood for a feel-good romance, I pressed play on COUNTDOWN CONCERT 2025-2026 STARTO to MOVE<\/em>, which is apparently an annual New Year\u2019s Eve extravaganza by Starto Entertainment. Even if I didn\u2019t end up loving it, I figured it would be nice to have a little taste of New Year’s euphoria.<\/p>\n

Five minutes in, my curiosity was more than piqued: “Wow, I have no idea who these artists are, but judging by this packed stadium, they must be very popular.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ten minutes later: “Do their costumes have to be so sparkly?”\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fifteen minutes after that: “Wait\u2026 their singing and dancing are actually really good.”<\/p>\n

By the time the concert ended, I was sold: “Alright, I need to see more of them\u2014immediately!”<\/p>\n

Down the rabbit hole<\/strong><\/p>\n

The next couple of weeks were, oddly and delightfully, a whirlwind. I haven\u2019t been this obsessed since I was a kid in the early 2000s, discovering the Final Fantasy<\/em> video games.<\/p>\n

The Japanese docu-series RIDE ON TIME<\/em>, also on Netflix, gave me deeper insights into the boy bands featured in STARTO to MOVE. <\/em>My curiosity then led me to other J-pop concerts on different streaming platforms, such as to HEROes <\/em>\u301c<\/em>TOBE 1st Super Live<\/em>\u301c<\/em> SPECIAL EDITION<\/em> on Prime Video.<\/p>\n

At one point, I stayed tuned to literally nothing else but these sparkly guys.<\/p>\n

And there are many of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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(Starto Entertainment)<\/span><\/p>\n

Each J-pop boy band, as I\u2019ve discovered, has a distinct charm and style. SixTones’ music is fiery with a dash of masculine coolness. WEST. infuses joy and comfy humor in their artistry. BE:FIRST boasts remarkable sonic versatility. The discography of Number_i is both edgy and experimental.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Contrary to the Western hemisphere, boy bands in Japan are far from being monolithic.<\/p>\n

Out of all of them, my personal favorite is Naniwa Danshi. Which is both odd and delightful.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Logically speaking, this seven-member piece should not align with my musical taste. Compared to the other J-pop boy bands, Naniwa Danshi is much more clean-cut and classic. Definitely too wholesome for my typically ferocious playlist. (I’m the type of guy who listens to .Feast’s Sectumsempra<\/em> for stress release.)<\/p>\n

And yet, Naniwa Danshi’s honeyed tunes like “Diamond Smile” and “Special Kiss” never fail to lift my rain-induced grumpiness into light-as-feather elation, particularly after a miserably drenched commute home. And their vlog games and challenges are hilarious!<\/p>\n

Why them? Why now?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Perhaps a discerning psychiatrist could analyze why, instead of BTS or The 1975, it\u2019s J-pop boy bands that have me in a chokehold right now. Maybe this obsession is merely a seasonal affective disorder. Maybe it\u2019s escapism.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I, however, have my own hypothesis.<\/p>\n

As gaudy as these J-pop boy bands might seem at first glance, I couldn’t help but admire the pride they pour into their craft. The more live performances I watch, the more I\u2019m struck by their sheer aliveness\u2014their all-or-nothing work ethic, their go-big-or-go-home commitment. Those are qualities I can learn from, and not ones I get to witness every day.<\/p>\n

The Prime Video docu-series Naniwa Danshi’s Journey 1100 Days Till Debut<\/em>, in particular, revealed that underneath Naniwa Danshi’s sweetness lies a steely determination that I don\u2019t think I would have the strength to muster. None of these artists became an overnight sensation, and every sparkle they present to their adoring fans is backed by meticulous labor.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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(BE:FIRST Official Website)<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s inspiring to see artists who are not afraid to fully show up and show out. Sometimes, I feel Indonesian artists can be a little too sheepish in their craft.<\/p>\n

At this stage of my life, I\u2019m genuinely happy to see that I am still capable of enjoying and getting obsessed with something new. People say that our ear for music freezes as we get older. Well, I am a fully-fledged adult, and my ears have just expanded into an entirely new world.\u00a0<\/p>\n

My next mission: find someone my age with whom I can giddily gab about SixTones’ latest single.<\/p>\n

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Felix Martua is a music and film journalist who has interviewed countless artists over the years. He\u2019s known for his signature black jacket, Ghibli collar pin and slightly sinister grin.<\/em><\/p>\n

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