Line #84 Music/AsianKungFuGeneration


1	[[quoteright:290:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nm1_9121.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:290:L - R: Yamada, Gotoh, Kiyoshi, and Kita.]]
3	->''Knowing that memories are things,\
4	That don't remain in eternity,\
5	I kept scratching my head,\
6	And cried in the corner of my heart,\
7	Days I asked you not to lose,\
8	That passed by below the elevation,\
9	I regret them- I missed the chance to tell you that day''
10	-->"Re:Re:"
11
12	Asian Kung-Fu Generation is a Japanese band formed in [[LongRunnerLineUp 1996]] by Masafumi Gotoh (lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist), Kensuke Kita (lead guitarist and backing vocalist), Takahiro Yamada (bassist and backing vocalist), and Kiyoshi Ijichi (drummer). The band is critically acclaimed and commercially successful in Japan. Their popularity peaked around 2004-2007, but they are still doing well. Fans call them Ajikan, AKG, or AFKG for short.
13
14	They host the Nano-Mugen Festival each summer. Musicians and bands from Japan, America, and the UK come to perform; each act contributes one song to make up a compilation album released to advertise the festival. Some previous acts include Spitz, Chatmonchy, Beat Crusaders, Ellegarden, Music/ThirdEyeBlind, Unicorn, and Music/BenFolds.
15
16	Outside of Japan, they are best known for their songs "Haruka Kanata", "Rewrite", and "After Dark", which were used as opening songs for the ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'', and ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' anime respectively.
17
18	The band has released 8 studio albums and five [=EPs=].
19	* Independent period:
20	** ''Caramelman and Asian Kung-Fu Generation'' (2000)
21	** ''The Time Past And I Could Not See You Again'' (2000)
22	** ''I'm Standing Here.'' (2001)
23	* After getting signed by Ki/oon Records:
24	** ''Houkai Amplifier''[[note]]Destructive Amplifier[[/note]] (2002)
25	** ''Kimi Tsunagi Five M''[[note]]Connection to You Five M[[/note]] (2003)
26	** ''Sol-fa'' (2004)
27	** ''Fanclub'' (2006)
28	** ''Feedback File'' (2006): A collection of B-sides and {{Cut Song}}s.
29	** ''World World World'' (2008)
30	** ''Mada Minu Ashita ni''[[note]]Into an Unseen Tomorrow[[/note]] (2008)
31	** ''Surf Bungaku Kamakura''[[note]]Surf Literature Kamakura[[/note]] (2008)
32	** ''Magic Disk'' (2010)
33	** ''Landmark'' (2012)
34	** ''Wonder Future'' (2015)
35	** ''Sol-fa 2016'' (2016)
36	** ''Hometown'' (2018)
37
38	----
39	!!Asian Kung-Fu Generation contains examples of:
40
41	* AnimatedMusicVideo: "Atarashii Sekai" and "World World World".
42	* AnimeThemeSong: One of the things that gained them renown.
43	** ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': "Haruka Kanata"[[note]]Distant Horizon[[/note]] from ''Houkai Amplifier''
44	** ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'': "Rewrite" from ''Sol-fa''
45	** ''Manga/{{Tekkonkinkreet}}'': "Aru Machi no Gunjou"[[note]]A Town in Blue[[/note]] from ''World World World''
46	** ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': "After Dark" from ''World World World''
47	** ''Literature/TheTatamiGalaxy'': "Maigo Inu to Ame no Beat"[[note]]A Lost Dog and Beats of the Rain[[/note]] from ''Magic Disk''
48	** ''Manga/{{Erased}}'': "Re:Re" from ''Sol-fa 2016''
49	** ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': "Blood Circulator"
50	* AudienceParticipationSong: Fans sing along
51	** "Haruka Kanata": 'Iki isoide shiboritotte...'.
52	** "Loop & Loop", fans shout 'Shimatta' before they go wild at the chorus.
53	** "Re:Re:": 'Woohoo... whoaa... kimi janai to sa... woohoo... yeaaah...'.
54	** "Rewrite": Since Landmark era until now, they extended the bridge section with more guitar solo and Gotoh made call and response with fans, 'mebaete ta kanjou kitte kuyan de... (''fans repeating'') shosen tada bonyou shitte naite... (''fans repeating'')',
55	* BigYes: Most famously at the beginning of "Understand", though there are many others.
56	** Almost every "Re:Re:" live version, Gotoh replaced 'Fusagareta kyou o uranda' with 'Yeah yeaaah'.
57	* ConceptAlbum: ''World World World'' is supposed to tell a story; Gotoh says that you should listen to it at least once in order. Also, ''Surf Bungaku Kamakura'''s songs are each named after notable stops along the famous Enoshima Electric Railway in order starting from Fujisawa and ending with Kamakura.
58	* ConceptVideo: A few, especially "Shinseiki no Love Song".
59	* CallBack / ContinuityNod: "All Right Part 2" makes references to "Blue Train", "Tightrope", "Mafuyu no Dance", and "Maigoinu to Ame no Beat". In addition, Yusuke Nakamura occasionally does this with their album art:
60	** The wire on the cover of ''Houkai Amplifier'' connects to the string on ''Kimi Tsunagi Five M''.
61	** The guy on the cover of ''Manga/{{Solanin}}'' is wearing a ''Fanclub'' T-shirt.
62	** There's a doll dressed up as the girl on ''Sol-fa'' on the cover of ''Maigo Inu To Ame no Beat''.
63	** There's a ''Houkai Amplifier'' CD on ''Magic Disk'''s album art. If you squint, you can tell that the boy on the cover has been replaced with Gotoh.
64	* CrossOver:
65	** Hello Hello, Fujisawa Loser's b-side, is a full English song with The Rentals.
66	** All Right part 2 features Eriko Hashimoto of Chatmonchy for their compilation ''Nano-Mugen Compilation 2011'' and then they add it to ''Landmark''.
67	** They had a single called "Wake Up!" with Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra.
68	* ADayInTheLimelight: "Uso to Wonderland", where Kita is the lead singer.
69	* EmoKid: Subverted. Many of the songs have emo-sounding lyrics, but they almost always have happy or hopeful endings.
70	* EpicInstrumentalOpener: "Siren", "Siren#2", and "Gekkou".
71	* EpicRocking: "Kimi to Iu Hana", "Siren#2", and "Gekkou" are more than 6 minutes.
72	* FadingIntoTheNextSong: "Tabidatsu Kimi e" → "Neoteny" and "World World" → "Aru Machi no Gunjou".
73	* FakeBand: [[Music/BeastieBoys "Kiyostie Boys"]], which is really just them wearing sunglasses, with Gotoh playing the drums and Kiyoshi singing.
74	* FanDisservice: Kita crossdressing. He wore a pink frilly shirt, a short skirt, make-up, and hair clips.
75	** Or FanService, depending on the viewer.
76	* GainaxEnding: The "Fujisawa Loser" video starts out as a weird metaphor for the difficulties of either entering a company or being in a famous band...as obstacle courses. Pretty straightforward. Then [[spoiler:the big fancy house and the supermodel at the end of the course get up and elope in a yacht]].
77	* GratuitousEnglish: Most of their early independently released music. Gotoh is actually trying to change this into fluent English by taking weekly English lessons.
78	* {{Improv}}: "Road Movie" was originally an improvised song that changed depending on the location they were preforming. The "Whoaaaaa"s at the beginning of "Laika" were also improvised by Gotoh.
79	** Also, [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments "Breakfast Minority"]].
80	* UsefulNotes/JapaneseChristian: Kiyoshi.
81	* LyricalDissonance: "Laika". It's so upbeat and happy sounding, you'd never guess that it's about a dog who's doomed to die alone in space.
82	* LongRunnerLineUp: Type 1 taken to the LogicalExtreme - 16 years and counting with only the one original line-up.
83	* LyricsVideoMismatch: "''Kimi No Machi Made''" is about a guy who wants to fly over to his lover's town like a bird. The music video, on the other hand, is about a synchronized swimming duo persevering despite [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments getting attacked by a giant lobster in the middle of a competition]].
84	* MetalScream: Gotoh screams certain words in some songs. However, this is becoming rare recently as his voice is changing.
85	* NonAppearingTitle: Many, such as "Solanin", "Blue Train", and "Re:Re:".
86	** Technically Mugen Glider, which contains the phrases "glider" and "mugen yuraida", but not "mugen glider".
87	** The lyrics of "Mustang" were inspired by the manga ''Manga/{{Solanin}}''. They later made the theme song for the movie.
88	* PerformanceVideo: The 2016 version of "Rewrite"
89	* PowerBallad: "Gekkou" and "Tightrope".
90	* ProtestSong: "No.9", "Wakusei", and "N2".
91	* RockMeAmadeus: "Gekkou" opens with a snippet of "''[[PublicDomainSoundtrack Clair de lune]]''".
92	* SelfBackingVocalist: Kita and Yamada mostly provide backing vocal, but Gotoh did this trope on Rewrite and Re:Re from ''Sol-fa 2016''
93	* ShrinkingViolet: Yamada.
94	* SmokingIsCool: In the music video for "Solanin" and "Loser", Kita is randomly shown smoking.
95	* SplashOfColor: "Mirai no Kakera"'s music video nearly all Black and White, but there are lines and little scenes with red color.
96	* StepUpToTheMicrophone: Kita as lead vocals on, "Uso to Wonderland", "Seaside Sleeping", "Time Traveler", "Hakkei" and "Omatsuri No Ato", all of them are B-sides from the band's singles. Yamada has this opportunity on "Yellow".
97	* StudioChatter: "Maigoinu to Ame no Beat" starts with [[SpokenWordInMusic Gotoh's count-off ("Check, check, check...One, two, two")]]. Also, "''Yuigahama Kite''" ends with the members' laughter.
98	* SurrealMusicVideo: "Atarashii Sekai".
99	* TenderTears: Gotoh is a sensitive guy...He cried when watching ''This Is It'' despite not being a fan of Music/MichaelJackson.
100	** Gotoh and Kita both looked like they were on the verge of tears when Gotoh made a speech about the Akihabara massacre at Nano-Mugen Festival 2008.
101	* TitleTrack: "I'm Standing Here", "World World World", "Mada Minu Ashita ni", "Magic Disk" and "Wonder Future".
102	* VocalTagTeam: While Gotoh is the lead singer, Kita and Yamada sang lead occasionally.
103	** On "Night Diving", Gotoh duet with Kita.
104	** On "Yellow", Yamada sing verse while Gotoh and Kita sing the chorus.

Context Music / AsianKungFuGeneration