What I hate about most J-Pop fans I meet in real life

mx3oo · #1 13th October 2010, 05:13 AM

The other day, I was talking to someone, and I found out that she was Korean. So I asked her the obvious...

Me: So you're Korean... do you by any chance listen to K-Pop?
Her: No, but I'm a huge J-Pop fan though.

Pretty cool, right? I was pretty happy to have found another J-Pop listener.

Me: Awesome! I'm a big J-Pop fan as well. What artists do you listen to?
Her: Oh, I just listen to music from like animes and stuff.

Yeah, that's right.

Me: Really? I don't really watch anime. I usually just listen to, like, mainstream J-Pop artists.
Her: Yeah, ok... do you listen to "[insert random theme song from some anime here]"?

So basically, she just asked me if I, in present tense, listen to some obscure song from an anime.

Me: No, sorry, I haven't heard of it. Who's it by?
Her: It's from [insert anime show here].
Me: Ok. So, have you ever heard of Ayumi Hamasaki? (last hope here...)
Her: No.

What a disappointment! I mean, I'll admit, I was also at a point where I was just beginning to explore J-Pop, and I had a few songs that I listened to over and over, without really knowing much about the artists, but I was 12, I wouldn't have asked people if they regularly listen to some specific song, and I certainly didn't think of myself as a J-Pop "fan" yet. Sadly, I still have yet to meet, in real life, a J-Pop fan like me, someone who has at least heard of the major artists, and preferably, knows what "an Oricon" is.

Sorry if this sounds like too much ranting, but this is annoying. Have any of you guys had any similar experience?

YuriChan · #2 13th October 2010, 05:17 AM

^I was like that once... But in time, I was more into J-POP than anime songs!

Every once in while, I'll listen to them! ^_^

waterballoon · #3 13th October 2010, 05:19 AM

Well, I think it's pretty subjective.

I wouldn't expect someone who says, "I'm a fan of Japanese music/J-Pop!" to know the "mainstream" artistes, cos J-Pop can mean A LOT of different singers/music, and not just the one we know.

Granted, if someone was a huge fan of older J-Pop music and asked if you knew Seiko Matsuda/other older singer, you might not know who they are either if you're not into oldies. Similary, if a J-Pop fan is crazy about Enka, and you're not into Enka which means you do not know any of the artistes in Enka, does that make you less of a J-Pop fan?

happiholic★ · #4 13th October 2010, 05:25 AM

^You make good points, but I hate J-Pop fans who only know anime songs too. My cousin is like that, and it makes me sick. The worst it when they refuse to listen to any artist that isn't connected to anime in some way. But, that's just me.

waterballoon · #5 13th October 2010, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Love Shine

^You make good points, but I hate J-Pop fans who only know anime songs too. My cousin is like that, and it makes me sick. The worst it when they refuse to listen to any artist that isn't connected to anime in some way. But, that's just me.

Lol, i know what you mean, I think that's the thread starter & emiko feel too...

Well, then again, some J-Pop singers get famous BECAUSE of anime songs... so... lol. Some anime songs are pretty good too, but I know hardcore "only anime songs plzzz if not it's not J-POP!!" people are... ignorant and annoying, so we ignore them

terra · #6 15th October 2010, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Love Shine

^You make good points, but I hate J-Pop fans who only know anime songs too. My cousin is like that, and it makes me sick. The worst it when they refuse to listen to any artist that isn't connected to anime in some way. But, that's just me.

Same here....but I succeeded in introducing JPop singers other than anime singers to my friends who is like that.

AyUta · #7 17th October 2010, 03:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Love Shine

^You make good points, but I hate J-Pop fans who only know anime songs too. My cousin is like that, and it makes me sick. The worst it when they refuse to listen to any artist that isn't connected to anime in some way. But, that's just me.

That's me too

.

pommy48 · #8 13th October 2010, 05:28 AM

All of the time X_X...Most of the people that I meet are just like your experience~ They listen to only the Naruto soundtracks and call themselves J-pop fanatics

ILoveGeniuses · #9 18th October 2010, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pommy48

All of the time X_X...Most of the people that I meet are just like your experience~ They listen to only the Naruto soundtracks and call themselves J-pop fanatics

I also hate it when people call themselves real anime fans and yet all they know is like pokemon and inuyasha type of stuff.

Oh, and I've also had a person say "I'm a Jpop fan" and then when i asked the person what they liked, she started going on about the theme songs to Sailormoon, Chobits and CardCaptor Sakura.

Another thing I find is I got talking to this Chinese girl the other day. She knew like Wonder Girls and BoA when i mentioned them, but didn't know Big Bang, DBSK, SNSD etc. She even had never heard of Ayu, but claimed she moved over here from HK recently. Then told me she only listens to Cantonese and Mandarin singers for the most part.

Oh, and even more annoying, my roommates are Chinese and know ALL sorts of really old Chinese singers, but up 'til recently of constantly drilling them in their heads hadn't heard of more recent ones like Jolin Tsai, Leehom Wang or even Jay Chou.

emi♡ · #10 13th October 2010, 05:41 AM

That is the BIGGEST disappointment EVER.

I know that Jpop represents a HUGE group of genres and artists...but meeting people that SAY they LOVE Japanese music, come to find out they really only like Japanese music because it's in anime, to me, don't really have a passion for the music...they just watched some anime and liked the songs, and took them, and it's very annoying.

In any case, when I hear of people knowing some Japanese artists, I take time to evaluate what that actually means.

It's like me and French music. I've listened to people like Alizee, Mylene Farmer, and a few other bands. I dont go around saying that I just LOVE French music and I listen to it all the time, and I'm so into their scene.

I happen to like/love some artists that happen to be French and sing in French, but if you start going down the list of the who's who in the French music industry, I'm gonna be totally lost.

Now I'm not saying that everyone has to be so intense into jpop like I am... but if someone says that they are just the biggest Japanese Pop lovers...those fools better know who Ayu, koda, namie, hikki, morning musume, etc, along with the bigger name bands are at the VERY least.

sorry, long post. I hate those people. I stay away from them.

Pieces_of_SEVEN · #11 13th October 2010, 06:16 AM

I agree wit the OP! That has happened to me as well, and it's really annoying. lol

TITANIC · #12 13th October 2010, 06:17 AM

I have seen tis experience a lot. I dont mind because I live in the country where Ayu is a stranger for them. ahaha. nobody love jpop here except japanese.

Kingdom · #13 13th October 2010, 06:20 AM

This happens to me a lot... and the fact that they're usually calling themselves otakus and smell bad like they haven't showered doesn't help either :-/

happiholic★ · #14 13th October 2010, 06:24 AM

I hate people who call themselves otakus like its a good thing. Its not.

Earth_maiden · #15 13th October 2010, 06:37 AM

I used to be like that, only listening to anime related music.

But after branching out into other albums from artists who sang various anime themes, then listening to other artist who were "similar" to said previous artists, I eventually stopped listening to anime music all together.

I'm proud of my J-music heritage though, without anime I never would have heard Ayu, Utada, Koda Kumi, Gackt, BoA, X-Japan or heaps of other artists. Though these days I've been selling off my anime DVDs to pay for my Ayu addiction...

gallowsCalibrator · #16 13th October 2010, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Love Shine

I hate people who call themselves otakus like its a good thing. Its not.

Same here! There are people prancing around saying, "Oh, I'm so otaku, I love Japan and anime and manga...and anime...and manga..." And they think that because they know "KAWAII" and "SUGOI" that they are instantly Japanese language experts... And they think Japan is made of anime and manga. They don't love Japan, they just love anime and manga... I've met a few people like this and they are so annoying!!! (-_-)"

But on the plus side, I've converted a few "otakus" to liking Ayu, Perfume, Hikki, Ai-chan, etc.

Hope isn't always lost with them!

~Saru · #17 13th October 2010, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by captain-kawaii123

And they think that because they know "KAWAII" and "SUGOI" that they are instantly Japanese language experts... And they think Japan is made of anime and manga.(-_-)"

I know what you mean
it annoys me greatly when people talk like "omgee thats so kawaii" or "omgee your such a baka" its like grr speak properly! either one or the other!

Delirium-Zer0 · #18 14th October 2010, 04:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~Saru

I know what you mean
it annoys me greatly when people talk like "omgee thats so kawaii" or "omgee your such a baka" its like grr speak properly! either one or the other!

I want to kill those people sometimes... they're making those of us with genuine interest in Japan & its culture and language look bad. x_x

I can give one bit of input... I don't get "omg you must be an otaku" when I tell people I'm interested in Japanese pop music anymore. I get "Oh wow, really? That's so interesting! What's it like?"

One of the best things about transitioning into the adult world, lemme tell ya. People don't make assumptions. At my age, being into a foreign music market makes you worldly, interesting, and different in a good way, not automatically a nerd. I've made CDs for several people, they don't always love it sure but they were openminded to it.

Tough it out, kids!

dartsofpleasure · #19 15th October 2010, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delirium-Zer0

I want to kill those people sometimes... they're making those of us with genuine interest in Japan & its culture and language look bad. x_x

I can give one bit of input... I don't get "omg you must be an otaku" when I tell people I'm interested in Japanese pop music anymore. I get "Oh wow, really? That's so interesting! What's it like?"

One of the best things about transitioning into the adult world, lemme tell ya. People don't make assumptions. At my age, being into a foreign music market makes you worldly, interesting, and different in a good way, not automatically a nerd. I've made CDs for several people, they don't always love it sure but they were openminded to it.

Tough it out, kids!

This, a thousand times this. Truth.

As for other japanese music fans, I've met a few but we always seem to have differing tastes. They'll be really into visual kei and j-rock and when I ask them about others all I get is "Ayumi who?"

ayane4ever · #20 14th October 2010, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~Saru

I know what you mean
it annoys me greatly when people talk like "omgee thats so kawaii" or "omgee your such a baka" its like grr speak properly! either one or the other!

Haha That is really annouying sometimes but so many people do it!

Though I don't mind if people do Just like anime or find an artist through anime

...I just get annouyed when people think ALL J-Pop fans just like anime songs or found it through anime...I actually didn't know what anime was until after i was a Jpop fan xD I saw people with the pic's etc but i just thought they did em or something haha