Music / One OK Rock

From left to right: Tomoya, Toru, Taka, Ryota.

ONE OK ROCK is a Japanese rock band consisting of Takahiro "Taka" Moriuchi (vocals), Toru Yamashita (guitar), Ryota Kohama (bass) and Tomoya Kanki (drums). Self-described as "emotional rock", their exact genre is hard to pin down, as they've tried on a lot of sounds and styles over the years; they have ties to the J-Rock scene as well as the Western Pop Punk scene, especially All Time Low and Sleeping with Sirens.

Founded in 2005, they first gathered a following nationally, but their goal was always international success, which is why their lyrics changed from being mostly in Japanese to almost exclusively in English over the years. It seems to be paying off too—they fill arenas in East and Southeast Asia and are gathering a following in the rest of the world. They've also worked with international stars such as Avril Lavigne and Ed Sheeran.

The band's name is a pun on "one o'clock," which used to be the time their band practice started when they were first formed.^note One o'clock at night, that is.

Discography:

• Zeitakubyō (2007)
• Beam of Light (2008)
• Kanjō Effect (2008)
• Niche Syndrome (2010)
• Zankyo Reference (2011)
• Jinsei×Boku= (2013)
• 35xxxv (2015)
• Ambitions (2017)
• Eye of the Storm (2019)
• Luxury Disease (2022)

Tropes:

• Album Intro Track: Every album from Niche Syndrome to Ambitions has a short one.
• Alien Invasion: In the video to "Last Dance", a couple's breakup is interrupted by one of these.
• All Take and No Give: In "Worst in Me":
  All you do is take, take, take, but you're giving me nothing
  Why you such a fake, fake, fake, always asking for something
• American Title: "American Girls".
• Audience Participation: Taka frequently has the audience sing parts of the songs during lives.
• Badass Adorable: Taka stands at a mere 168 cm (5'6'') and could easily pass as ten years younger than he is. He also has near-unlimited energy on stage and is an immensely powerful performer.
• Be Yourself: A recurring theme in songs—specifically, the singer himself wanting to keep being himself no matter what others say. "Stand Out Fit In" and "Start Again" come to mind.
• Bilingual Bonus: "ONE OK ROCK" is a play on how "one o'clock" would be written in Japanese ("wan oku rokku"); all they did was change the romanization.
• Boke and Tsukkomi Routine: A common occurrence between Tomoya (boke) and Taka (tsukkomi), respectively, with Tomoya goofing off and Taka smacking him to shut him up.
• Break-Up/Make-Up Scenario: The "Last Dance" music video has a couple breaking up, the boyfriend about to move out just as the city gets attacked by aliens, forcing him to turn back and shelter with his ex-girlfriend. The two get closer again as the attack continues.
• Break-Up Song: "Heartache", "Take What You Want", and "Letting Go". "Last Dance" may or may not count too; it's about a relationship that's in the middle of drifting apart, but whether or not the couple gets back together is left ambiguous.
• Butt-Monkey: Tomoya is, according to his own statements, the most bullied member of the band; he frequently gets picked on by Taka and Toru. He says he's okay with it, though.
• Childhood Friends: Toru and Ryota grew up together and used to be in a hip-hop group together before founding the band.
• Color Motif: Each of the newer albums has one color it's associated with: red for 35xxxv, yellow for Ambitions and orange for Eye of the Storm.
• Cuddle Bug: Taka is very physically affectionate, including on stage. He regularly hugs his bandmates or other people he's on stage with or even kisses them on the cheek.
• Determinator: Toru. Neither a twisted guitar strap nor a fall off the stage are enough to keep him from playing on like nothing happened, and the only reason Taka is in the band is because Toru wouldn't take no for an answer and literally stalked him into joining.
• "Double, Double" Title: "Deeper Deeper".
• Dumb and Drummer: Subverted with Tomoya, who can initially give off that impression thanks to his airheaded Plucky Comic Relief demeanor. However, his bandmates have also stated that he's very sharp and technical, as well as one of the smartest members of the band.
• Epic Rocking: "C.h.a.o.s.m.y.t.h." (5:18) and "Be the light" (5:38).
• Fading into the Next Song: Done in the first three tracks of 35xxxv, with the intro fading into "Take Me to the Top", which in turn fades into "Cry Out".
• Faux Yay: Generally averted—the vast majority of stage antics between the band appear to be genuine displays of affection between close friends (and sometimes quite spontaneous). Played straight, however, in the infamous performance of "20/20" during the Ambitions Japan Tour, which has Taka and Toru getting all up in each other's faces, grabbing each other by the neck, and Taka falling to his knees before Toru, to name a few stunts.
• Former Child Star:
  • Toru and Ryota first got known as members of the hip-hop group HEADS when they were in fifth and sixth grade, respectively.
  • Taka used to be an idol in the group NEWS as a young teenager.
• The Gadfly: Taka enjoys playfully messing with his bandmates and teasing the audience.
• Genre Roulette: They have done anything from typical J-Rock to a Pop Punk sound to arena rock to basically pop, and it's anyone's guess what they're going to tackle next.
• Great Balls of Fire!: An occasional guest during concerts, generally to accentuate highlights.
• Grief Song: "Smiling Down" deals with the loss of a loved one. As does "Broken Heart of Gold," with the lyrics suggesting the feeling of being hollowed out and being at the Despair Event Horizon after losing a loved one. Quite appropriately, the latter serves as the theme song of Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning, a story involving Star-Crossed Lovers.
• Homesickness Hymn: "One Way Ticket" is about a long-distance relationship and missing your partner while away on tour.
• Incredibly Long Note: Played up to eleven in "Clock Strikes". Taka can hold it for almost thirty seconds during lives.
• The Invisible Band: In the "Stand Out Fit In" music video, the band's faces don't show up at all.
• Jack of All Trades: Not only is Taka an excellent singer, performer and the band's main songwriter, he can also play all of his bandmates' instruments and then some, and has written and produced songs for other artists as well.
• Long-Runner Line-up: The four of them have played together since 2006—originally with a fifth member, Alex, who left in 2009. Ever since then, the members have stayed the same.
• Metal Scream: "Deeper Deeper" begins with a spectacular one.
• Multilingual Song: Most of their discography is made of songs that have lyrics in both Japanese and English. Averted with the international versions of songs ever since 35xxxv, which are all in English; but still well and alive with the Japanese versions, which each have at least one verse in Japanese.
• The Nicknamer: Ryota calls Taka "Mori-chan" and Tomoya "Tomo-kun".
• New Sound Album: "Eye of the Storm" is notably Lighter and Softer in sound than the other albums, as well as a lot more pop, to very…mixed responses from the fanbase. Whether or not this change sticks has yet to be seen, but Taka has hinted that it probably won't.
• Ode to Family: "the same as…" is about familial love.
• Performance Video: The band's most common type of music video has them simply performing somewhere, with added visual effects.
• Pie in the Face: An ongoing tradition for birthdays. The band member whose birthday it is will either get shoved face-first into the cake by his bandmates or just have it thrown at his face.
• Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Taka, a mere 168 centimeters tall and filled with endless Hot-Blooded energy on stage. Not to mention endless lung capacity.
• Precision F-Strike: In "Memories": "Go on and fuck yourself!" Also sometimes on stage: "MIGHTY! FUCKING! LONG! FALL!"
• Protest Song: "Renegades" is about rallying together to fight the world's injustices and standing up for a better future. Even more emphasized in the music video, which depicts people marching for all the big social movements of the era.
• Pun-Based Title: The song "69" is completely safe for work in its subject matter—it's about rock. The Japanese word for "six" is "roku" while the word for "nine" can be pronounced "ku", so "six-nine" can be read as "rokku" (rock).
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech:
  • "Ending Story??" is about a person who ties the singer down and breaking free from them at last.
  • "Worst In Me" is about a relationship that is All Take and No Give.
• Relationship-Salvaging Disaster: The abovementioned Alien Invasion in the "Last Dance" video forces the separating couple to shelter together and brings them closer again.
• Rock Star Song: "Nothing Helps" is about the purpose of going on stage—giving a voice to those who don't have one, as well as the fans being the ones who keep the band going.
• Self-Empowerment Anthem: "We Are".
  When you're standing on the edge
  So young and hopeless
  Got demons in your head
  We are, we are
  No ground beneath your feet
  Not here to hold you
  'Cause we are, we are
  The colors in the dark
• Self-Parody: "Kanzen Zaitaku Dreamer"^note "Perfect Stay-at-Home Dreamer" is a quarantine spoof of their 2010 hit "Kanzen Kankaku Dreamer". It starts off as a genuine reenactment of the original music video, but quickly goes off the rails as the band members start goofing off. Hilarity Ensues.
• Sex with the Ex: "Bedroom Warfare" is about a couple that's broken up, can't stand each other anymore, but still get together in the bedroom at night.
• Silly Love Songs: "Wherever you are". Subverted with most other love songs, however; they're either straight-up about breakups and heartbreak or take on a melancholy edge in the middle of all the sweetness.
• Supporting Leader: Toru is officially the leader of the band, but Taka is the frontman and main songwriter.
• Stuff Blowing Up: The "Taking Off" video culminates in the two protagonists getting caught in an explosion.
• Tareme Eyes: Toru's large droopy eyes are so iconic they've gotten him widely associated with Gachapin. Old interviews reveal that he's had that nickname since very early on.
• Team Dad and Team Mom: Toru and Taka, according to the band, though accounts vary on which is which. Taka himself once named Toru as the Team Mom while referring to himself as a "stupid rock father"; according to Tomoya in a later interview, meanwhile, it's the other way around.
• Technician Versus Performer: Tomoya and Taka, respectively, according to Taka himself. When asked which of his bandmates he'd like to be in his next life, he said he wanted to be Tomoya because he wanted to know what his technical approach to music feels like.
• Tick Tock Tune: A ticking clock sound effect shows up at the beginning of the aptly-named "Clock Strikes".
• Title Track: "Eye of the Storm" on, well, Eye of the Storm. It's the first album that has one, unless you count the intro tracks.
• True Companions: The four have been a band since their teenage years, gone through thick and thin together, and it shows. According to Taka, they feel like a family.
• Vocal Tag Team: Taka and Toru in the early days of the band, with Taka singing and Toru singing and rapping. Toru quit rapping after Alex left the band and he stepped up as the lead guitarist, since doing both at once was simply too much. His voice can still be heard on "Yume Yume".
• Walking Shirtless Scene: Ryota frequently plays shirtless.
• What the Hell, Hero?: "Listen" has the singer calling out a friend on their self-destructive behavior and telling them to accept their advice instead of hoping the singer will always save them.