I’m only 21, and band-maid has been my favorite. a little bit of my lore starts when i was fed up with the world and ready to throw in the towel bc it was too much. one day i stumbled across this japanese rock band called band-maid. i didn't like much of it at first, but it was something i sat with and always revisited. over the coming months i started to really pay attention to their lyrics, composition, message, their story and something clicked in me. eventually i noticed they were playing a live show like an hour from me so i decided to go. i was very close to the front and things like making eye contact with them while they poured their hearts out performing and the bond they have between the band members was so gentle and genuine. at first, their appearance may have played a large factor, but once getting to know and understand the characters they play on stage provides a different type of appreciation. truly one of a kind. type of stuff that makes you cry happy tears. i then mustered the strength to travel across the country to catch them again while seeing new things in life. the highlight was i eventually went to their 10th anniversary final in japan, made a vacation out of it. went to shibuya, went to the fuji lakes which was something i never thought i'd do this early. they advocate for strength and resilience which is more of a masculine trait so seeing that from a female band is refreshing. I deeply believe their message / story is what the world needs more of. the overarching message would be love above all is the most powerful force in the universe when utilized correctly. people that haven’t experienced reciprocal love (not sexual or romantically) are definitely drawn to these bands a lot more for the music and artists they adore give the same feeling back to them. a sense of unity and acceptance. all equal and opposite as some may say

Yep, I'm 63 and never in a million years would have thunk that 5 tiny little girls from Japan would become my favorite rock band. I mean like ever. Band-Maid's musicianship absolutely blew me away both technically and compositionally. As others have said they rekindled my love of the rock of my youth. Their music can be so nostalgic yet is fresh and innovative. 4 Years after coming across these ladies they still dominate my playlists. In fact I bought all of their albums and EP's and ripped them onto my phone. I regularly listen to the full albums while driving. I have not supported a band in that way in nearly 40 years (though it was cassette tapes instead of MP3's back then). I even traveled to another state to see them in person last spring which is definitely not something I've done in a while. I've never really tried to parse out why they hit me so hard when I first came across them but the fact that they always make me smile has a lot to do with it. Yes, sure they range from cute to gorgeous and, let's face it I'm always up for seeing attractive women having fun and smiling at the crowd (meaning me), so that gives them a leg up on any all male band I've ever seen. But 90% of the time I'm listening to them It's just the music so I feel comfortable saying that I'm not just enamored with what I see. On top of all of that the journey has led me to a whole host of incredible all female bands. I feel like my musical life is very rich right now in a way it has not been for decades.

What these bands have going for them: - nostalgia ("this band reminds me of that band from 30 years ago" - i.e. Lovebites reminds me of '80s thrash metal in the best way possible) - talent (you'd be hard-pressed to find a better rhythm section than Band-Maid's) - musical composition (Gacharic Spin's "Mindset", Band-Maid's "Corallium", Lovebites' "Soldier Stands Solitarily" - all absurdly good) - authenticity ("wow, they're better live than in the studio" is a common refrain) - positive energy / vibe (I have smiled more listening to J-rock and J-metal in the past couple years than everything else over the past 20) The fact these bands have attractive women in them is secondary. They write great music, they perform at a high level, and they exude positivity in what is far too often a bleak and depressing world. Discovering them has made my life demonstrably better - I am a happier person because of it. I imagine a lot of others feel similarly.

I'm male, in my 60's and have a music background. I was a music snob, preferring proggy stuff or hard core jazz. Band-Maid completely reignited my interested in hard rock, initially because of their musicianship but eventually include that creativity you spoke of, interaction with the fans and the fact that they just make you feel happier, without listening to music that makes you stick your finger down your throat. There are often a handful of bands in one's lifetime that it seems "saved your life" or helped you get through really bad times. Band-Maid was that for me, and remain my favorite band. And yes, they are attractive but I don't think of them that way. It's more like I feel protective of them, like they were my daughters or something. Plus, I have always been one to try to spread the word about a band that you think are criminally unknown. The maids (and many of these other bands) should be more well known in the western world. The language barrier is a factor for many but not for me. I just like to feel the music. It's all about emotion, and whether a band makes you feel something.

Lovebites has my heart. The only band that makes me bang my head one minute and tearing up the next with their amazing solos.

Something I witnessed in Japan blew my tiny English Brain. I flew to Japan in 2023 to follow Band-Maid on tour for a few weeks (I saw four shows in nine days). At one point I got to Sapporo the day before the Maids were to play and went to check out where the venue was. When I got there a punk band was loading in. I decided to buy a ticket. The Band-Maid shows were (as usual) about 85-90% males with an average age of at least 50. This punk gig (two all male bands playing) the audience was about 75-80% female with an average age of about 18. Yes, a huge portion of the crowd were under 18 young females. Many attending on their own. Some in large 'gangs' lol! The girl in front of me was 13 if she was a day. The crowd went totally nuts. One band was crowd surfing on wooden boards about the size of two doors while playing a song. There was a bar and absolutely no security. Everyone was safe and well behaved, I didn't see any under age drinking either. It made this old punk (I'm 57) VERY happy to see youngsters rocking out to punk rock! But the crowd demographics really did blow my brain. The older ages and mainly male audiences at Band-Maid concerts is understandable due to the music they play - us old fogies remember that music from our youths. But young Japanese girls into punk? Who knew lol!

Gen X elder here - discovered the Beatles in 1980 when John died and my school played their A Hard Days Night movie and I became a Beatlemaniac. 41 years later I clicked on Thrill, found Band Maid and got that feeling once again. Their attention to detail in their music is brilliant. I have a driving job and for the last 3 years I just have them on - all their albums and half a dozen live shows. I never get bored. Most western music is boring and formulaic (for radio play). Band Maid reinvigorated my love of rock music. Now I'm a Maidiac (or even Beatlemaidiac). Music corporations in the west have ruined radio and in turn produced boring rock music acts. The Japanese rock scene is like the 70's all over again - great bands with great sound popping up everywhere. It's fun finding them and discovering great new music.

Lovebites is my favorite. It helps that they are one of the few Japanese bands that sings all their songs in English. Their musicianship is as good as any legendary metal band in all of history too.

It is fascinating that as an oldie I found my love of music was slowly dying. I used to love everything from Black Sabbath to The Eagles and YES etc etc. But all I ever listened to was music that I listened to years ago. Then I heard some Japanese rock bands. Man with a Mission and Band Maid and later Trident. Then I found that Band Maid had been going for five years when I first heard about them and I listened and there wasn't a bad song in their repertoire. Seeking out KZfaq videos after watching Baby Metal. I appreciated the work and dedication these bands put in to their music. Band Maid especially had the GAP as they called it between what they look like and the wonderful music. Based on the Maid Cafe look they suddenly became a band I wanted to listen to and I bought CDs. Bought DVDs that are expensive with postal charges. I am sure the female 'cuteness' in Japan plays a part. Yes they are pretty. But if the music isn't there then why bother? You talked about nostalgia and for me that is what made me turn to Japan and Asia. They played and play the music I loved. They have fun doing it. They don't play on sexuality but just perform the music. It works and thank goodness there is music to love again. It is fascinating why we didn't know about it earlier. What have the western radio stations been doing?

When I found Band-Maid I was listening to western male-oriented extreme metal, and absolutely none of that has changed. But after finding Band-Maid, I realized that there was an area of compositional genius that I didn't know existed. My first experience was listening to Domination, then immediately bought the CD and didn't listen to anything else for another week. I'm not a personality guy, so those factors never mattered, and still don't. It's the consistently brilliant songwriting. I could go on ad nauseum about the specifics of what that means, but mainly, it's just that there are so many musical elements and details that they cram into a well-crafted 3-6 minute song.

Lovebites is phenomenal. I've been listening to metal for 5 decades - Slayer, Priest, Maiden, Metallica, Testament, Anthrax, etc. and all are awesome. I have some favorites with Lovebites, but they just don't miss overall - they don't have any songs I would not listen to over & over. They are just incredible. If they played in the 80's/90's they would likley be considered 1 of the top 3-4 metal bands of all time (I believe they are the best). There is absolutely a nostalgic vibe across many of the songs from all the bands (Lovebites, Band-Maid, Nemophila especially) which brings in all us older metalheads. The quality of musicianship ftom all these bands is incredible and locks us in. They are all incredibly tight live. The Japanese culture of trying to do things perfectly is obvious in the high quality we are fortunate to hear/see from these awesome musicians.

Band Maid has become this old rockers favorite band. Been listening to rock since the early 70's. The energy and talent they display is amazing.

1 year ago I discover for myself amazing band : BAND MAID! This amazing band very quickly did become my #1 band and since then Band Maid moved so far ahead of rest of the bands for me that I forgot who was my #2 band? I love Band Maid , this is my favorite band and I can say only one band I enjoy to watch and listen every single day!Maidiac for life!Thank you for doing this program.

LOVEBITES and nemophila are two bands in which each member's skills are very good. I think LOVEBITES is orthodox metal, and nemophila is modern metal. Bandmaid's songs have their own individuality.

Thanks be to Japanese female rock and metal,I'm 52 and had grown tired and bored of virtually all of the Western bands,and since a brief foray into the Rave scene 20 years ago,I hadn't been to any gigs or events in about a decade,until I discovered Babymetal by chance on KZfaq about 6 years ago,since then I've fallen head over heels down the Japanese Female rock/metal rabbit hole 🕳 I've attended regular concerts ,gotten excited about buying blu rays,cds and band merch again, the musicianship, creativity, enthusiasm, style and apparent love of what they do,and genuine appreciation of their fans are for me what sets bands like Nemophila, Bandmaid, Babymetal and Hanabie apart from the rest,also the way they seem to cultivate their fan bases and create a fun,friendly and informative place to interact with other fans,all hail our wonderful Japanese female rockers,💣🔥💣🔥💣🔥💣🔥

Female here, 50. Lovebites, Nemophila and Band-Maid are my top three bands. Iron Maiden, which i still love, is now 4th.

I'm 64 and I've been listening primarily to Asian bands and primarily all-women bands for about 5 years now. Before that, I was aware of a few bands from Japan such as X Japan, Loudness and Show-Ya but, apart from Show-Ya, they were mostly male bands. For me the epiphany came in stages. Firstly, I saw the music video for BABYMETAL's 'Karate' and I was blown away by the quality of the song and MV and by the positive, empowering message. That was cool, but what really hooked me with that band was the Kami Band who back BABYMETAL at live shows. The Kami's are, or course, all guys: nevertheless, I realised that women were fronting bands making some great, positive music and putting on epic shows. From there I discovered Nemophila's cover of 'Megitune' and their other songs. Again, I was totally impressed by the band's virtuosity and happy vibe. Within weeks I discovered Band-Maid, Aldious, Mary's Blood, Bridear, Hanabie, Gacharic spin, Maximum the Hormone (who have a female drummer/vocalist), Fate Gear, Lovebites and many more. The whole scene is just such a wonderful change from sweaty dudes singing about battles, demons and corpses, and trying to out-evil each other. It's hard to pin down just one or two reasons for the appeal of these bands. Certainly the positivity is a key factor. As a guitarist, I love good guitar playing and Japanese women can shred forever. The bands also seem to consist of such quirky and engaging characters (Miku and Kanami from Band-Maid for example, who are just nuts). The general girl-power, women-doing-it-and killing-it thing is very cool. Voice of Baceprot from Indonesia is another favourite. Three young Muslim women who make great music and who take no crap from anyone who tries to tell them what they should or shouldn't do. American Muslim rapper Mona Haydar is another great artist in the women-taking-no-shit vein. Sadly, she hasn't released anywhere near as much music as she should. But it is Japan that is totally the beacon in the dark. Japanese women, more than anyone else, have made music fun again for me. Of course, to be totally honest, the fact that many of the musicians are attractive women certainly doesn't put one off but, with hand on heart, I can say that definitely isn't the main point of engagement. I think many of us old geezers feel as supportive and protective of these young musicians as we would if they were our daughters or even granddaughters. I don't even hate the fact that there are 18 year-old women who can play guitar better than I can after 50 years of playing. That's as it should be! Progress! I have no idea what I set out to say so ...

Lovebites is my favorite band. I'm a fan of NWOBHM, American thrash, prog and neoclassical metal (incorporating classical music). When Lovebites innovatively blends these genres/sub-genres seamlessly into modern tunes, they absolutely resonate with me.

These Japanese Rock bands are essential on keeping the genre alive, add it to the uprising of western bands and the fact a lot of them are female. About Japan, the female band I'm totally invested is Band Maid; I love the girls skills, stage presence, charisma and there's something unique about them I get on my knees. Besides it, I still recognize the capacity of others like Lovebites, Nemophila and I'll be looking for more of them as well. Meanwhile, I'm on my love for Band Maid 😆 Another amazing video Nena, sending you a big hug ✨😉

Hello, 58 year old man here for a change, lol. I found your video excellent and you summarize in it all the strong points of the current Japanese rock scene. I started to know it by chance through Baby Metal in 2017 and what caught my attention the most was the groundbreaking nature of the proposal, that strange mix between what you saw and what you heard. That gap. Before, the artist's ability to innovate, the desire to be daring and original, that intention to find your flank and surprise you and make you think, it was in a large part of mainstream music... damn, rock was mainstream!. They were artists working in their profession. Over time that was lost and the effort of learning to play an instrument and compose stopped being important. After a short period of starting to listen to BM, a group called Band Maid popped up on my screen. And they won my heart and my wallet. All the reasons are in your video, the musical talent, the presence on stage, the infinite energy, the songwriting mastery, the personalities of its members, the fun, the positive message, the lack of ego and that collaborative effort... and also the courage and the daring to write original music, choosing the difficult path, sometimes against the current and always without staying in the same place for long. Perfect music. That´s the sign of the true artist. The same thing could be written about The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Hendrix, The Who, Pink Floyd or later about people like Joe Satriani or Steve Vai. For me it was tremendously surprising to find that this artistic spirit was alive and well in Japan, with an extraordinary offer of well-made music without fear of trying new things, mixing and developing genres, offering variety, versatility, daring and extreme quality. Generosity is perhaps the word that comes to mind. My life is a before and after of Band Maid and for that I am tremendously grateful to them.

Lovebites is my fave right now. I have yet to see them, but I have seen Babymetal and Nemophila, and I've got tickets to see Hanabie in a few weeks. Babymetal will always hold a special place in my heart for introducing me to all these great bands and others. Because of them I learned about idol culture through Sakura Gakuin. Because of Babymetal, a then 8 year old Li-Sa-X appeared in my feed. I saw Marty Friedman teaching her guitar and in a later interview discussing Japanese music he mentioned Dempagumi Inc., they're awesome! I saw Li-Sa-X playing with Hazuki and thought, who's this? That's how I found Nemophila. The ladies in Nemophila are friends with the ladies in Lovebites. Next thing I know, I'm checking out the Gaijin Guys. They turned me on to Hanabie, who apparently started as a Maximum the Hormone cover band. On and on the connections go. I'm quickly becoming a Japanese music Otaku! In 2013 when I watched my first Babymetal video, I had no idea what that word meant or that any of this was happening on the other side of the Pacific. 😂

My only thought worth mentioning is I think the demographic skewing toward the older age is (as a 60 year old myself) that we are past being at the Angry stage of life so we seek out music less hateful and dark and this is where the Japanese scene SHINES plus the older you get (speaking for myself) the more open you are to new things like songs being sung in a different language etc.

Amazing analysis. I am a 48 yo metalheads who are drawn into the Warning and Band-Maid for 2 main reasons: nostalgia and female appreciation. Everytime I listen to Kanami playing her riffs or solos, I feel at home. I think this is because Kanami's playing is very much similar to the hard rock/metal music I grew up listening to. And the fact that this music of my adolescence is produced by these girls who were not even born in the heyday of metal in 80s-90s is mindblowing. For me personally the looks is just a bonus. Their fun personality and humility is more factoring to me. I remember I saw how fun Dream Theater personnels were from the home videos made by Mike Portnoy about their recording activity. Band-Maid is 10x the fun, thanx to the social media. So, thank you so much for this video. It really explains the unexplainable. And one more thing: my colleague roasted me for wearing Band-Maid tshirt, implying that I'm a pervert for liking a female band wearing maid outfit. This made me questioning myself again, why do I love Band-Maid? Your video answers this and makes me feel good again. And I am sure many of us here feel the same.

BAND-MAID is a band that changed my life in an incredible way. Re-sparking my love of writing music, opening me up to hundreds of great bands and eventually bringing me to visit Japan a couple times. The older fans come from the technical aspect and straight quality of the music as opposed to what is pushed here. It harkens back to when SUPER talented people were all over the radio. Every band member is super skilled. This applies to the majority of the bands I've discovered from Japan. ALSO, this has led me to take another look at some American bands I may have dismissed because it's my own biased. I've found many bands from home that are amazing as well because of this. Their inter-band relationships are VERY important and engaging as opposed to the seemingly endless in-fighting with American bands. Thanks for this video, great subject matter!

Thank you for making this video. I'm only 31, so young in terms of most in these fandoms lol and I grew up as a rock fan but I discovered Band-Maid in the middle of October 2022 and like some others have said, they changed my life. I feel like I'm just an overall happier person because now I mainly listen to all of the bands that you featured in this video. Does it help that they are cute girls? Sure, but that's really just a plus on top of the amazing music they play. The music is always what is so impressive to me. Then like you said, they are all so positive and always smiling. You can tell how much they love their fans, which you don't get a whole lot of in western music. I've also made so many friends through the community of fans, whether online or people I've met and become friends with from going to multiple of the same shows. Now I'm going to Japan in a week to see Band-Maid and a bunch of other bands while meeting up with other fans. I would never have thought I would ever be able to go to Japan if you asked me just 2 years ago, so that is the impact these bands have had on my life. Again, thank you for such a well said video that in my opinion hit the nail on the head for every single point that you went over 🙂

as a 72 yr male I can tell you unequivocally that the only reason I listen to, and love, Band Maid is because of the music. Yes the ladies are gorgeous, So What ( get it- very inside joke ?). None of my favorite bands from my era came close to being this professional, always, on stage- no late srtarts, short shows, sloppy drunk/stoned shows, etc. None of them put out recordings that NEVER had any filler, every song a keeper, most of them well beyond that, outstanding with lush, complex melodies played to perfection by the tightest, most proficient band ever. I had given up on rock, now I play it again every day

Man asking: does it enhance the attraction of the music that it is beautiful women performing? Yes, but what makes them interesting in the first place is the quality of the music. It happens that I watch Western pop videos where the stars have more looks than skills, and some are semi-pornographic which makes me feel creepy. In contrast, the Japanese bands focus on their musical performance and never compromise with quality and creativity. I adore the Kawaii girl imagery. It is sweet and sassy, feminine and flamboyant, corny and colourful. It is eye candy as well as ear candy, and I don’t feel the least creepy about it. But it is not their looks or costumes or even stage shows that is the most important; what matters ultimately is the unbounded passion and joy they bring to their music and performance, audience and fans.

I fit the fan demographic you described to a tee and must say this is very insightful analysis. I'm drawn to the traditional speed/power/thrash metal styles, so of course LOVEBITES tops my playlist. Dream concert would be LOVEBITES opening for IRON MAIDEN to witness first-hand the official passing of the heavy metal torch. New-metal influences of NEMOPHILA and how they totally own their cute "fluffy band from hell" brand Montra has completely captured my soul. That band has got the magic in spades, and I am waiting with bated breath to see how they will move forward after the SAKI era.

Grew up loving 80s thrash in particular Megadeth. Was tired with the music of today, and then I discovered LOVEBITES. 🤘🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🐺

The demographics of Band-Maid shows seems very similar to the Rush shows I saw. Not only the demographics, but the atmosphere as well. People who like rock but are generally laid back for the most part. I wouldn't hesitate to bring kids to see either one. Maybe an issue not touched upon is most of these current musicians were inspired by other female artists. I think there were enough role models that it has kind of exploded there. I'm hoping these groups inspire girls all over the world. I believe they are a breath of fresh air in what had become a pretty stale environment. One of the times I saw Band-Maid was in a festival setting. There were 3 or 4 generic metal bands, and then Band-Maid came out and they were so different in every way imaginable. It was striking.

I'm greatly enjoying reading your insightful comments! I have a bunch of work to catch up on before I can sleep, but I look forward to reading more of your thoughts tomorrow and responding to as many as possible. Thanks for being here and for having great taste in music ;) Nena

Band-Maid fan here. I'm a simple guy when it comes to music, so for me the psychology was just that: the music caught my attention. Heard a song by them during the height of the pandemic, and said to myself: this is really good (iirc, it was either Yolo, Awkward or Puzzle). Discovered the song was made by a group of Japanese women dressed in maid outfits. Didn't care. They sing in Japanese? Didn't care. Hard to understand what most bands are singing in English. The music was so good to me that I'd eventually work my way back through the band's entire catalog, and buy all their music in hard copy just to support them (something I haven't done for any band in 30 years). Hadn't felt compelled like that in years (the last time for me was perhaps the early Twenty-One Pilots). So Band-Maid opened up the diverse and rich Japanese music scene to me. Today, after quite a bit of listening, I really haven't found myself falling in love with any other bands from Japan. Tons of bands now that I enjoy and appreciate from Japan, but Band-Maid has been kind of a one-off love affair.

The young Japanese girl bands have got this figured out. Their demographic is us old guys with some disposable income to buy tickets, merch, deluxe blue-ray packages etc. They are really entertaining and musically talented as well, and a lot of that has to do with learning music at very young ages. At 68 (just a pup) I'm glad I lived long enough to enjoy this.

Lovebites is my favorite metal band of all time because they incorporate classical music into old school power and thrash metal. I also really like Band-Maid cuz of the rhythm section, them and The Warning together is going to be an epic concert! I completely agree with you about the positive and uplifting lyrics cuz Lovebites has several songs: Frozen Serenade, Rising, We The United, Edge of the World, etc. that all have powerful messages in their lyrics. M&M are my favorite guitar duo and they compliment each other so well. Obviously, Lovebites' members are gorgeous but they also seem to be genuinely pleasant and humble people too and every one of them is a virtuoso with their instruments and the arrangements of their songs are always so beautiful too. I love how frantic Band-Maid's songs are cuz they are loud and very fast but very well written as well. Band-Maid's ballads Daydreaming and Memorable are two of my favorite songs of theirs and the new song Bestie is fantastic too.

In the modern Japanese music scene, everyone can find their favorite band. I have been captivated by Gacharic Spin, and the reason is simple: they are by far the most talented and creative funk/rock-band I have seen in 50+ years of listening to music. It is striking that so much incredible quality rock music comes out of Japan, and a lot of it by all-ladies bands. I am guessing it is because of the thorough music education they can receive and their deep commitment to hard work (stereotype of Japanese culture). It also seems that categories of music are very fluid, so that musicians from rock, metal, jazz, blues, fusion are often working together, creating this amazing blend of genres of which Gacharic Spin is a prime example.

I actually saw Bandmaid and The Warning last year. They and Halestorm are the best live performers I've seen since Journey back in '82.

This band made me love rock music again 🙏

I like all these bands, but Lovebites is my favorite. I am an old-school metal guy, so naturally Lovebites checks all the boxes for me.

I randomly discovered Band-Maid in a KZfaq music mix in 2023. I'm 45. I think rock was extremely dull in 2010s and I didn't listen to much of anything new. I was about to dismiss Band-Maid based on the costumes, but within 10 seconds their music had me hooked. The music is great, the presentation is amazing, the stage presence is captivating, their attitudes and personalities are so likeable and admirable. I haven't felt like this about a band in over 20 years.

older male fan here and I agree totally with your observations...it's for me all those reasons you pointed out - song writing, skill/talent, performance, charisma - all delivered with a smile and infectious enthusiasm. It's also a unique combination of old-school rock/metal but refreshed and modern sounding. And the live shows! As a guitar player, some performances are just jaw-dropping good.

When Algorithm saw I was curious about Japanese music, after watching BabyMetal. It let me on a run. So I either pushed play or went to the next song. When I came to Band-Maid I saw this dark haired Bassist with a 5 string fenderish style bass. I was about to pass, but deicided to let to set my preminitions to the test. How bad could it be. And was blown away, when I saw her do a solid riff, and the guitarist go into some hammer-ons. I'm very picky about music. If it can't convince me, it doesn't matter how cute the musicians are. So I continued.

At the last Band-maid and Nemophila shows I went to, there were whole families in the audience! Yes, it's still mostly dudes, but as you said, that is changing. I do have women friends who are absolutely closed to the idea that we like these bands for the music, but then these are women who are not into hard rock anyway. You hit on an important point re. nostalgia. It's become a cliche to say "rock is dead". Now we can point to proof that it is alive and well, but it just moved. Re. the Gap, yes, it's something a lot of fans love, and why not? Feminists should love this stuff, because it shatters every stereotype in the book. Thank you for doing this, we need more women speaking up for this scene!

I am a 60 year old guitarist/musician myself and all the reasons you gave make perfect sense . i have two daughters that are mixed half asian so I hate when someone says it is a creepy old man thing to like these bands I am very protective of my girls and i think most of the fans are like me protective and appreciative of the talent the fact that most are also beautiful has always been a factor in the industry you just do not see many super popular ugly bands male or female . Japan has always had outstanding musicians the culture and the education system there is vastly different in regards to music then the West is . musicians are highly respected, encouraged and supported in Japan and music education is important to them .just go to any high school in the U.S and see where the priorities are in 99% of all schools you will see next to unlimited funding for sports and little if any for the arts and music

What’s great about the fans of female Japanese rock bands is that they respect each others choices. I love Band Maid. I don’t care for Metal but I know from what I’ve heard and what Metal fans say that Lovebites is a great band. Lovebites supports Band Maid and Band Maid returns the favor. I have read comments that say Lovebites renewed their love of Metal and I know that Band Maid renewed my love of rock.

Hard rock has been a wasteland since Bon Jovi in the late 80s/early 90s. I am in my mid-50s, and I came up with the hard rock scene of AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Quiet Riot and Def Leppard. The Japanese ladies seem to have the same attitude toward music as these bands, without all the baggage. I could overlook the baggage when I was in my teens and 20s, but now the whole "stick it to the man, ignore my heroine addiction" lifestyle is just exhausting. And the talent and dedication to the craft, not the ego drive for fame and riches, is more appealing to me now.

-More than 70% of children in Japan are engaging in extracurricular activities -How many activities? 1 (45.2%) 2 (33.9%) 3 (15.1%) 4 (5.7%) -Popular extracurricular activities for elementary school kids 1 Swimming 31% 2 English conversation 21% 3 Preparation and review of school subjects 20% 4 Piano/Music 20% 5 Calligraphy 12% 5 Football 12% 7 Calculation/Kanji 9% 7 Presentation for Entrance Exams 9% 7 Dance 9% 10 Gymnastics/Eurhythmics 7% -Popular extracurricular activities for elementary school boys 1 Swimming 36% 2 English conversation 21% 3 Football 20% 4 Preparation and review of school subjects 19% 5 Piano/Music 10% 6 Presentation for Entrance Exams 10% 7 Calculation/Kanji 9% 7 Calligraphy 9% 9 Baseball 8% 9 Martial Arts 8% -Popular extracurricular activities for elementary school girls 1 Piano/Music 30% 2 Swimming 27% 3 Preparation and review of school subjects 21% 3 English conversation 21% 5 Calligraphy 15% 6 Dance 14% 7 Calculation/Kanji 9% 8 Presentation for Entrance Exams 8% 8 Gymnastics/Eurhythmics 8% 10 Abacus 7%

From a young age, I've been a huge fan of female rockers across metal, punk, and alternative genres. Tanya Donnely's incredible journey, from Throwing Muses and The Breeders to Belly and her solo career, was a major inspiration. Living in Japan exposed me to a whole new world of music, including the unique blend of rock and pop that often finds its way into anime soundtracks. Unlike the West, where "selling out" can be a negative term, Japan seems to embrace artists who contribute to anime. This cultural openness, in my opinion, has led to a greater diversity of successful female rock and metal artists in Japan compared to the US or Europe. In America, at least, female rock artists often seem to feel pressure to be edgier or more aggressive to gain recognition. Japan, on the other hand, seems to offer a wider range of opportunities for women in rock, regardless of style. This is just my observation, of course, but it's definitely made me a lifelong fan of both female rock music and the vibrant world of Japanese music!

Band Maid! ❤ 🤘🏽 Why? I’m 57, male, musically inclined and grew up going to major concerts nearly every month. Band Maid has the heavy metal instrumentation combined with just plain fun and happiness. The dark, angry, skulls and screaming self-absorbed band vibes? I have had enough of it. Eddie Van Halen was almost the only smiling face in rock for decades. I think he would have enjoyed these artists

Very nice work! I started to listen more and more to female artists and bands a long time ago, because I'd been all over the male rock scene and I couldn't stand their tics and mannerisms any more. So listening mostly to female artists was refreshing. Then 6 years ago I found Band-Maid, and they opened the gates of the female japanese rock and metal scene to me. Since then, I've seen many of them live and they are killer performers live! I can compare them to some of the best bands ever (think the most famous ones) and they are at the same level! Lovebites in a few weeks (and Fate Gear next week - but Lovebites is really the show I'm waiting for!).

Great analysys and discussion on the topic! I resonate with most all of your points, and here is how I feel the various facest of these artists attracted me: 1. Sure, an attractive thumbnail will get many to click on a video and see what it's really about. And as others have alluded to, in almost all entertainment since the invention of video, attractiveness of the performers is important for marketing. 2. The talent and technical proficiency of the performer is the next feature that gets me more interested. 3. Then I think there has to be some sort of chemistry between members in a group, and as you said, the respect and appreciation of their fans. 4. Then the final point that will really cement a group as a favorite for me: if the music can communicate with me on some level, regardless of langauge. Band-Maid songs are so well crafted, full rich, detailed, without really becoming dense. On most of their tracks, I could literally listen to each instrument separately and find enough interest for a whole song. That they are able to combine all their instruments, plus two vocals, and craft something that is even more interesting and can take me on a journey, without me understanding japanese, is a seriously impressive.

OMG you have to see/hear Asterism. The lead guitarist, Haruka Noma, is phenomenal, both her playing and her composition skills.

Great video! You touched on many relevant points. I feel that the musicianship in these bands rival and in some cases just flat out surpasses many popular male bands. These are serious musicians who work hard for what they achieve, they have to since the Japanese music scene is so competitive. And since Japan promotes musical education from a very early age, we end up with fantastic musicians!! I agree a lot of them sound even better Live, and im really excited to see Lovebites, Hanabie and Babymetal this year!

You pretty much nailed it on the reasons why they are so popular with the male audience. I am also an old geezer metal head at 60-years old. A lot of the sound of what these ladies are putting out reminds us of the glory years of rock and metal in the late 70's and 80's when rock and metal was fun and was going mainstream on radio. Much of it has great melody, which went missing from most of the genre once grunge hit. In my opinion, what really makes the female Japanese bands different is the fact that they are making all this incredible music while keeping 100% of their Japanese femininity. They are not trying to compete with the guys like they do in the West. They are doing their own feminine thing, and they are melting our faces with it!! There is zero masculinity seen while watching Band Maid. On a skill/technical level, these ladies are as good as any male metal musicians from any decade has ever been. Of course, the women looking pretty does not hurt at all. It beats the hairy, sweaty men we are used to seeing. It is a breath of fresh air. They don't have to rely on their sexuality, but sex sells, and they have it in spades. And I'd be lying if I said I did not watch every live Lovebites video waiting with bated breath for Asami to fall out of that dress of hers!! Hey, an old man can still dream, can't he?

Discovering LOVEBITES opened up a new world for the music I always liked best. I had thought new bands for that kind of music was gone forever. So glad they exist, and have discovered a handful of other bands I like along the way like Aldious, BAND-MAID, Mary;s Blood, Trident, Paradoxx, East Of Eden to name just a few. There are a few more mixed Male/Female bands as well. I can't stand harsh vocal bands, so I am limited to the number of rabbit holes I am willing to go down, but have been very impressed with the talent these female bands have, they are as good or better than any all-male bands in rock history. I care first and foremost about the music, not what they look like, but can't deny I would rather watch female bands live than male.

You smacked the nail dead center on the head. The most cogent analysis I've heard! You really covered all the reasons I love BANDMAID! If you could make money doing this you would be a billionaire! Well done!

In 2016 I clicked on a BabyMetal video out of boardom and curiosity, thought it was cute, and the next recomendation was Thrill By Band Maid, I was complely ennamord, I fell in love, that was my gate way to my wirld of Japanese music, which at 63 years old, I listen to exclusively now, its not about atractive girls, its about music composition, exicution, tallent and pure awesomness, I personally had not been to a luve show in over 25 years, because of my personal injuries and the pain thats included in somrhing like that, I saw Band Maid in concert on 8/11/2023, thats how much I love that band, I thank the heavens every day for ALL the fantastic bands that I have found since that fateful day at a bus stop hearing my first Japanese Rock/Metal song, and Ive never been happier musically, I even started playing again after a long hiatus.

For me, Band-Maid combines elements from the classic bands I grew up listening to: The Beatles, The Stones, Led Zep, Pink Floyd, Rush and then adds a feminine element that Western musicians seemed afraid to try. Band-Maid has a bunch of songs that I can't imagine being sung by men, Particularly "Page". I know that Kanami wrote "Page" as a song that she imagined could be played at a wedding, but Miku's lyrics remind me of a mother consoling an upset young child. Their newest song, "Bestie", co-written with Mike Einziger of Incubus, is another song whose lyrics are 100% feminine, and it's a wonderful song.

Nemophila. Such amazing musicians and so fun to see a band that looks to be having so much fun.

I'm 33 years old, I've been a fan of BAND-MAID for almost 9 years now, and I have to say that the vast majority of fans of them here in Mexico are between in the early 20s and late 30s. I have been in the 3 concerts they have had here in Mexico and the demographics have not changed since the first one, in fact in the last concert there was even more presence of girls and boys under 18yo.

I'm 63, been Rocking and Metalling at live gigs since seeing the likes of Sabbath and Queen in 76, Zappa and Judas Priest in 78 and Zeppelin in 79 but had given up on the genres by the late 80's (I think Pink Floyd were one of the last I saw that decade, in 88) and got into EDM for the next 20 years. Then I discovered Babymetal, who led me to THE best Hard Rock band I've ever seen, Band-Maid, and on to the likes of Nemophila, Hanabie, Asterism. What attracted me to them all? Seeing utterly brilliant Rock and Metal being played live to a very high standard by performers who weren't gurning or making stank faces (in case we'd missed how difficult the playing was!) every time they played. Instead, these women (yes, often beautiful) were smiling and laughing as I watched them play like the maestros they are. It was the most refreshing thing I'd seen in literally decades and - apart from an honourable mention for The Warning (who I saw live in concert last Friday, here in Wales, UK!) - I haven't looked West for music since 2017. I loved Hendrix and saw Zappa, Page, Carlos, Gilmour, SRV and many other great guitarists but it was the never-ending determination of Miku of Band-Maid to make her Rock Star dream a reality who inspired me to take up the guitar again and actually work at it as I've watched her journey from wearing a guitar as a necklace in the THRILL MV to shredding a great solo intro to INFLUENCER at the Yokohama Arena show. I love the lack of ego from the superb musical maestros of Band-Maid, Lovebites, Asterism and others, the fact that their social media is all about the stage personas and never about their private lives - almost the opposite of Western artists. Yes, I'm a hetero guy who can appreciate the beauty that many of these band members have but I always felt like a proud grandad watching Babymetal in their teens and 20's and I have daughters older than all of Band-Maid's members so there's never been any sexual lusting after them, only admiration of their supreme talents in lyric writing, song composing, musicianship and stage presence. If there are some male musicians out there who can create and perform music of this quality, especially if they learn to smile and laugh as they play, then I'd be happy to give them a chance - but every male band I loved happened in the 20th century and the women of Japan are now the ones making the very, very best Metal and Rock for the 21st century.

For me LOVEBITES is the best metal band....and ROLLING QUARTZ (from Korea) is the best rock band - they are so talented too.

I'm a 53 year old metal head. I do love the Japanese metal bands. I've been listening to the same metal bands for 40 years. I was just aching for something new. And I found it in Japanese metal bands.

Lovebites my fave!!!

47 years old metalhead talking. I’ve always been a fan of Japanese culture and in my teen days I was - and still am - an absolute fan of X Japan and Loudness. Three years ago I heard the name Lovebites being mentioned quite often so, I thought I ought to hear them. I went to KZfaq and randomly chose one of their songs - it was ‘When destinies allign -. From the first note I knew I was about to listen to something that felt made for me. Fast, galloping, classic, full of rythm. I felt like I was discovering heavy metal once again. I ordered all their discography snd discovered that each song was better than the previous one. I can say these girls have invigorated my love for heavy metal and next June I’ll make 600km to hear them live.

Great review and well deserved these ladies have contributed to styles of rock and metal I have always endured... LOVEBITES is definitely my favorite but I always watch and support the other bands also and to think a lot of these bands have been around a long time and the reality of exposure is well over due.... 🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺💪🤘🤘🤘🤘

Thank you for this great Video. I´m a Male and I love all of these female japanese Bands. Their skills, their songwriting ability, their mixing of old Genres to a new and exciting music direction and seeing them enyoing themselves and their respect for all of the other bands (no competitors), Nemophila were visiting the Lovebites concert, Lovebites were visiting the Band Maid Concert, all of them support the others, how great are they ........... the west has to learn tons of them. They opened a new music world for me, an old Metal Head. Thank god, I explored Lovebites 2 years ago and so I learned about Band Maid, Nemophila, Hanabie, Bridear, ............... an endless list of absolutely Top Bands. Thank you, Japan ...... and not to forget the male japanese Bands at least. And in most of the Bands are 4-5 absolutely perfect musicians. And some of them are multiinstrumentalists like Miyako from Lovebites, Tamu from Nemophila, Misa from Band Maid and many others. Respect!

I'm 66 and last August my wife and 2 of my kids went to my nephew's wedding to one of the children of the Go-Gos. I stayed home with my daughter who couldn't travel. I saw the Go-Gos live in the early 80s and loved their music. While missing the wedding i stumbled upon a YT of Band-Maid at Lollapalooza that just had happened. Ive been hooked ever since. The music is different but the vibe an all female band brings is very similar and refreshing.

Like many other Maidiacs, Band-Maid reinvigorated my love and enjoyment of music. I was basically that old fogy saying, "Get off my lawn" and listening to the same 6-10 bands over and over. UNTIL, one day, I forgot to turn off autoplay on KZfaq and heard Freedom by Band-Maid. After that, I was intrigued. After watching the next recommended video by them, which was "Onset" I was totally hooked. By their skill, their stage presence and their music. They have opened my eyes and ears to the whole J-Rock/J-Metal scene and that in turn has caused me to seek out ALL music. I have even gone back to music from when I was a kid in the 60's and 70's from Europe that I never was exposed to before. Because of Band-Maid I have found Missus Beastly, Trace, Flying Island, the Mysterious Flying Orchestra, Eloy, and over a hundred other bands that I had never been exposed to before. Because now, because of Band-Maid, I seek out that music to hear what I have missed. And I am enjoying not just the music but the nostalgia of music from my youth. All because of 5 wonderfully talented young Japanese Ladies. I have also discovered many new Japanese, Korean, and other Asian bands and groups as well. I still haven't really gotten too much into K-pop but K-rock however shreds hard.

It's hard to be wholly objective with such a wonderfully subjective topic - music. I can say that I have been a fan and an amateur participant (i.e., garage bands, etc.) in rock. From early rock n roll to Acid Rock to Southern Rock to Prog Rock to Grunge and so forth, all were significant in rounding off my musical appreciation. For whatever reasons, rock and pop music died for me in the early 2000's. That is until 2014 when I had a wild hair and decided to check out on the internet rock and metal and if this kind of music existed in the Far East. Yep, KZfaq offered up BAND-MAID and BABY METAL. BAND-MAID did it for me. I regained my interest in the rock world. I couldn't wait for the next BAND-MAID video, and to this day, I still am anxious for anything these 5 very talented ladies offer up for listening to and viewing. To add, because of this group I have discovered a world filled with talented musicians and I have expanded my enjoyment to include a multitude of genres including K-Pop (which I never thought would happen. lol). Sorry for being long-winded. To conclude, I believe the current majority of 'old male' fans are being counted because they have finally tapped into a new generation of qualified musicians who have rejuvenated rock as a whole and who happen to be mostly females from Japan. That said, I have noted a steady growth of younger folk being attracted to these young Japanese rockers and these youthful fans' gender divide is less significant. Thank you, BAND-MAID.

Before I discovered Japanese HR HM, I was mostly into UTA, Iced Earth, Megadeth & Metallica, I still like these bands a lot. I grew up in the 80s-90s and was a big fan of 80s & 90s music (80s rock, 90 alternative, & grunge that was popular)along with some of the more traditional classic rock greats, biggest influence was Jimi Hendrix. Over time I found more interest in the older stuff over the newer stuff in a lot of ways, I can take a full day and just listen to Jimi Hendrix, so I do lean into guitar heavy music. I can still listen to and appreciate *some* pop music but I will always gravitate to more heavy metal music. I also really like listening to classical music as it is to me Heavy Metal without a guitar. I discovered Band-Maid in 2019, boy was that an amazing experience, Band-Maid reinvigorated the great Rock- Hard Rock music fan I once was and made listening to rock music a thing again. I found out that Kanami was a fan of Carlos Santana and Eddie Van-Halen, Jeff beck etc. Misa was a fan of The Jimi Hendrix experience. This was a big deal for me since these were people I enjoyed listening to growing up so it was cool to find out their inspirations were also stuff I was listening to. So with that I was very dedicated to the Music and the overall fandom of this particular band exclusively. I didn't listen to any other Japanese band other than band-maid until around early 2022. Then I discovered Li-Sa-X, One of the coolest guitar child prodigies ever. I started listening to Li-sa-X band then from there finally decided to check out Nemophila, I was hesitant to try Nemophila because I was never really big on the scream side of heavy metal, But Mayu changed my mind with her incredible ability to play both sides of the scream vs clean so well. I immediately fell in love with their incredible dual guitar heavy metal sound with Mayu being the Icing on the cake. Nemophila's sound is amazing and I couldn't get enough, At this point I realized that it's not just a couple of good bands with music I can really really get into it was for some reason the whole Japanese culture that somehow inspires great song writers to explore the Hard Rock & Heavy Metal songs. So I jumped into many other bands and put aside favorites just to see what I can find and I found a lot of things. I realize my comment is starting to get too long, so I will try to be brief. I discovered Lovebites and actually allowed myself to enjoy their music, Initially I wasn't able to faithfully listen to them for some reason I rejected this band as I only listened to Band-Maid for 2 years. But now that I had tried out other bands I was able to really listen without bias. I was so shocked at just how good they were at performing live music, i just couldn't believe it. I kept listening to their videos and I expected to find some "older stuff" that was not as good but I only found out their original 3 albums and 2 EPs were Amazing without their live videos. They have this epic 70s -80s-90s Metal music that isn't really limited to any genre other than Metal itself. So that was it I decided the Trifecta (for lack of a better term), was Lovebites-Band-maid-Nemophila but it didn't end there... Now I own music and actively listen to other bands that are also amazing musically talented bands. Asterism, Aldious, Bridear, Hanabie, Koiai/Lisa X Band, Lonesome_Blue, Hagane, Mary's Blood, Fate Gear, but wait there's more.... IronBunny, PaleNeØ, D-Drive, Paradoxx, Rie a.k.a. Suzaku(muses), East of Eden, Mardelas, ArkRoyal, Cran Arcanaria. This is just the bands that I own CDs for and listen to but there is still more that really hit the spot. Most under-rated bands are D-Drive, Bridear, Asterism, Hagane & Mardelas. Eventually Lovebites became my favorite mostly because their music resonates with me more than the other bands do but they are still in my rotation. My thoughts on the mostly Female bands, I think it has a lot to do with the Japanese culture, if you watch a lot of their personal videos you will find that a lot of these groups have a raw unapologetic interest in this type of music, they grow up playing piano and watching movies or Anime. They love music and western music industries have forgotten how to make good music "in my opinion" When you are very passionate about something you tend to do the best job doing what you love to do. I constantly think about how thankful I am for them putting out such amazing music. I have seen some Men from the USA(not Europe) who won't even give Lovebites a chance, these men all belong to the Metal Gate-Keepers club and are usually dismissive and resort to using cheap shots while attacking their music. I'm not sure why this happens but I do remember my first Lovebites experience was me basically making up reasons in my head why I didn't like it. I really think that it comes down to the fact that we see women making music that we like, I just think there is a lack of female artists that like the same music I like. So if these bands make more female fans then I believe that will inspire more women to become female rock & Metal heads. Also a lot of it has to do with "Wow, That's cool, These women are bringing back music I like" I'm going to take them very seriously. People who do not take these bands serious and dismiss them, do have some sort of in group bias that they cannot open themselves up to trying something different or just allowing themselves to release the ego and stop casting their own expectations of what a band "Should Be like". Sorry if the comment is too long, my thoughts are my own...

I'd say you've summed it up perfectly. I've been a rusted on Metalhead for 50 years and still love all of it as much today as I ever did. Now we have a tidal wave of FANTASTIC female bands that I love every bit as much. In fact my favourite band now is NEMOPHILA. I was hooked from the very first minute I stumbled on them performing "Oiran" and "Zen" live on separate KZfaq clips. Whilst it was their heavier songs that pulled me in, I quickly found myself enjoying pretty much anything they did - from the aforementioned super heavy to the beautiful ballad, "Life" - and everything in between. However the main difference for me, as opposed to everything prior, is the overriding preference to WATCH them rather than just listen, which I'd never cared that much about before. Sure they're very easy on the eye but it's much more than that. Their on-stage chemistry and enthusiasm as well as so much SMILING is unbelievably infectious and makes me literally HAPPY!!! With the loss of guitarist, Saki, they're currently experimenting with the idea of continuing as a quartet. They're all so talented that they could easily make that work but I'm hoping they find a new guitarist because they've built a terrific "brand" and Mayu is such a GREAT front woman. Long live NEMOPHILA!

Lovebites are amazing man! 🔥🤘🏽🔥

Nothing much to add that others haven't but I wanted to express some gratitude to you for not dwelling too much on the beauty aspect, particularly in regard to the difference in age between the "average" fan and the performers. I remember the sort of comments Babymetal fans were subjected to when they first started blowing up and they were not pleasant (God help you if you liked Sakura Gakuin as well!). By contrast I also wanted to add that, perhaps, for many female fans the way that East Asian bands present themselves appeals because it allows them to indulge in the same. I don't mean that in a disparaging way, frankly it's refreshing to see colours other than black and blue in an audience as well as on stage. Lastly, I think there will always be more men than women at Rock, and especially Metal shows simply because of the nature of the music but things _are_ improving. When I first started going to shows back in the early '80s, you could count the women on the fingers of a boxing glove. The last show I went to (which happened to be Babymetal), the crowd was much more mixed. Still about 80/20% male to female but definitely heading in the right direction.

Great analysis. Love that you are asking us what we think. Why do we love these bands? Talent level, songwriting both musically and lyrically are off the chart. Lyrics website that translate lyrics are essential. Japanese is a very lyrical language. This is a major reason. All of the bands are playing music like we grew up with. We want more and more. Sure. The girls in these bands are very kawaii and many could be models. Some are models. But again, that talent level is the best part. What they wear on stage is also very attractive and often contrasts the sound of the music. I appreciate the fact that the costumes can be beautiful without sexualizing the members of the band. That is unlike some Western entertainers. They are bad ass musicians who want to keep their femininity. This may be the most refreshing part. Despite the fact that these girls are competing in what has traditionally been a male dominated space, they don't disrespect those that came before them. In fact, they are as likely to fan girl out as much as anybody if they meet one of their inspirations. Another also mentioned social media. From Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook to KZfaq, these bands reach out in a way that was never possible before. They don't get caught up in politics. It's all about giving their fans a positive experience. I even get likes from many of the bands and members. Captain Mina of Fate Gear and a few others have given me a few replies. No Western band has ever replied, though I have gotten some likes from Rob Halford. I won't tell which bands, but the negative bands that came out of certain eras put me out of new music. Japan got me back into new music. That positive attitude in Japanese Metal is such an attraction. Just as an aside, in 2005 I was introduced to anime and Naruto. Toshio Masuda wrote the score for the show and it was so varied in style. Excellent music. I was also captivated by the opening and closing themes like Hound Dog 'Rocks', Asian Kung Fu Generation 'Haruka Kanata' and others. Babymetal impressed when I first saw them on KZfaq after seeing their name on the bill for Sonisphere 2014. The explosion happened though, when I heard Lovebites. It was actually Miyako's Instagram account. She was playing guitar at home. What talent. "Was she in a band?" That eventually lead me to Lovebites, their wiki and then ordering their albums blind. I haven't looked back since. You need to see Band-Maid in a one man show to get the full experience of their serving. The love goes both ways from the Maids to their Masters and Princesses and back to the Maids. In the future there will be more women and girls at the shows. Dads who are hooked will take their wives and daughters to see the show. They will become fans. I'm already seeing a large number of women doing reactions to Japanese metal and even metal from the 70's and 80's. Is Metal is in a Renaissance?

Your observations were very interesting and entertaining. Thank you for taking an interest in Japanese girl bands. I am a Japanese who loves BAND MAID. Japanese girl bands have their own core fans, but I feel they are not as well-regarded as they are overseas.ARIGATO🙏🙏🙏

Wow this was an absolutely spot on and excellent video! I have been in the Japanese female rock scene for a bit over 4 years now. It's all I listen to now honestly lol But every single reason you listed is exactly why once I discovered the amazing music scene in Japan...I never looked back. Keep up the great work and I look forward to your future videos 🤘🏻

After going down the Japanese rock/metal hole of Aldious, Lovebites, Band Maid, Nemophila, Bridear, Trident, Hagane, East of Eden, Unlucky Morpheus, Mary's Blood, Lonesome Blue, Sirius to name a few, have renewed my faith that rock/metal is still alive. Most are either are all female or female fronted. To me it doesn't matter, its all about the music they play. I've also gone down the European rock/metal rabbit hole. Bands like Nightwish, Epica, Ad Infinitum, Dark Side of the Moon, Visions of Atlantis, Within Temptation, Delain, Beyond the Black, Frozen Crown, Nocturna, and Xandria are female fronted. If you don't know them, check them out.

From Japan This may be my wild argument. Art, whether it's art or music, needs support from critics, the media, and business to gain worldwide recognition. In a sense, the global boom is not created by artists, but rather by controlling the tastes of the public and creating them intentionally. That's because all success is tied to money. Making good music and increasing the number of fans is certainly effective, but in order to become a worldwide hit, it is not enough. There are many artists who are taken on a commercial route and who in the real world disappear and are consumed by a few worldwide hits. I feel like Japanese female rockers are artists who just love music and love performing. In a sense, there is something real that is not something that has been created.

You hit the nail on the head for me. Heavy yet happy. They aren't the usual group of scowling egos you see in the west. They are humble yet vastly talented. There are a few male fans of these bands that are a little creepy, but for most it's about the music. I have always been a big fan of female rockers and when I discovered the Japanese female band scene, it was like a treasure trove of great music. A vast catalog to listen to and discover.

Its definitely nostalgia to me. I'm enjoying hearing music which sounds the same as the music I was listening to decades ago which at the same time also feels new and fresh. And I do like that it is performed in a smiley type of way rather than the angry way of the old performances.

I really like this video because you show a lot of understanding about what draws men towards these bands and that we're not just horny old creeps or something like that. There are people who are rock fans but don't take these bands seriously as musicians and imply that their fans are there for the looks and outfits alone. This shows that we are still in a process of discovering that women can do this type of music just as men can do. When I discovered Japanese female rock and metal bands and idol groups, I became more aware of the fact that I had been listening to all male bands since I started listening to music. It feels really refreshing to see so many all female bands (not just female-fronted bands), just because it makes rock music feel like a universal phenomenon and not just something that has only to do with a certain demographic. It's true that I often find the musicians attractive, but the music will always be the most important aspect about why I'm a fan. I would love to see more women in the audience as well, for the same reason as I said before, because I would like rock music to be something that everybody can enjoy equally.

I'm a 58 year old male. All female rock bands were non-existent throughout my years growing up listening to music. Certainly none worth mentioning. 2 years ago if you had recommended an all female Japanese rock band for me to check out I would have said "no thanks". Then one day I was looking through youtube to find some new music to listen to. I saw a thumbnail of 2 cute Japanese women wearing maid outfits and playing guitar. That was enough for me to at least click and listen. The song was "From Now On" . I instantly fell in love with them and their music. And here's the thing... Yes they are very attractive women. But even if that wasn't the case, they are all incredibly talented musicians. Far better musicians than most of the male groups I listened to in my , Since first hearing Band-Maid I went to 2 of their concerts last year in the US and I'm going to see Hanabie this month. As far as why so few women are at the concerts I don't know... Is it the language barrier ? Are men less interested in the lyrics than women ? I do not know the answer.

Nemophila blewn me away the second I clicked on them covering Iron Maiden's Trooper. The drummer(Tamu) cracked this huge smile and I was hooked. They jammed so hard while at the same time where having so much fun. Fast foward and all us Nemo fans say the same thing. Nemophila made music fun again. Most of us old rockers stopped listening music and Nemophila woke us up agian and reminded us how much we love this type of music. Yes cute, but I'm not overly sexed up watching them.Mayu and Nemophila mosAt times, they dress in baggy grunge clothes. I find myself caring for them like little sisters, which may sound odd, but social media creates a sense of connection. I've shed tears over some ballets. Offstage, they resemble school teachers. They've taught us about manners and respect. Their politeness is so infectious, it makes you strive to be a better person. I've fallen in love with Japanese culture. It's noteworthy that most children there start music classes at age 3, and they truly enjoy practicing. The arts are an integral part of their education. They've studied classic rock and made it uniquely their own. Also, historically, few bands have attracted women to concerts, with exceptions like Journey and Bon Jovi. Before rap, dance music was prevalent, and it was mostly young women who went out.at night "clubbing". PS- Your report was so insightful, it was perfect. You outlined how I feel about this new phenomenon out of Japan. I can't thank these talented ladies enough!

As someone who saw Rush live 11 times... I can tell you that 90% of the crowds at those shows were male as well. ....and it wasn't because of their looks. You will see a *LOT* of overlap with fans of bands like Rush, Dream Theater, Tool and other hard-rocking progressive bands and these Japanese female hard rock bands. It's the music.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and theories on this, and which bands are your favorites right now! Are there any bands that weren't features that I should know about? ;) Nena

one of the Wolfpack here, Lovebites are mine and my dad's favourite band

First heard Band Maid about 5 years ago, which turned me on to Lovebites and I remember thinking these ladies can play! But admittedly the vocals just didn’t quite do it for me so I didn’t delve too deep into it. Then about 3 years ago I was watching Iron Maiden videos and got recommended Nemophila and their The Trooper cover, and that was it! I checked out some of their originals and was blown away, not only could they play, MAYU reminded me of the lead singers I grew up on, her stage presence, attitude, the rasp in her voice, not to mention that scream of hers, just so appealing. That caused me to revisited the other groups and now Band Maid and Lovebites are favorites as well, have seen Nemophila as well as Band Maid in concert and will see Lovebites later this year. Have tried listening to many of the other groups from Japan, but other than Mary’s Blood they just don’t check the boxes like NEMO, Band Maid and Lovebites. For me the appeal is the shear talent, the music itself, yes nostalgia, the joy they exude when playing, and in my opinion they do everything without having to over sexualize themselves. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

What we are seeing is a movement that is reshaping rock and metal music much like The British Invasion of the 60’s, New Wave of British Heavy Metal of the early 1980’s, and the Seattle grunge movement of the 90’s. These ladies have truly raised the bar in musicianship as well. Thank you ladies!!

38-year old metal fan: personal favourites - Nemophila, Lovebites and Bridear. What I love the most about them is that they give away the impression that they LOVE what they're doing. Their musicianship is impressive, yes, but the love towards their own creations is just as important. One of my entry points was the (now disbanded) "Hagane", formed by Sakura Yoshida. Sakura's musicianship is INCREDIBLE, but she is giving away the impression that she is never fully satisfied with her work and that dissatisfaction is not good for the mood. As for any further thoughts, I'd be parroting what you said. Lovely video!

General fan stats give only general info and can be misleading. There is a difference between being a fan and being an active fan- Buying every music release, going to live shows, promoting you band on the internet and KZfaq etc. Mosh Pits are still common at rock and metal shows, but not all. I am a Band-Maid fan and shows are a family event, sometimes with sections of the venue for females only and as expected the same for disabled fans. Fans allow children to get to the rail and in some cases stand inside the rail in front of the stage. I'm sure that this kind of activity must be promoted by the band themselves. The mutual love and respect between Band-Maid and the fans is visible at every show. I celebrated my 60th year of going to live bands this year and these ladies are the best.

Ever since the YT algorithm dropped a Gacharic Spin suggestion my way three years ago, I've been captivated by the energy and fun these bands generate as well as their brilliance. There are so many great things happening at once that my brain constantly overloads, but in a good way. I also like the visual aspect (a lot of these bands must be watched, not just listened to) and the fact that a lot of the visuals don't seem to be directed at male viewers (I noticed that especially about Band-Maid and Gacharic Spin). They 'own' their presence and I find that very refreshing. So, out of the reasons you mentioned? All of them, in my book. I've often wondered why the audience isn't more gender diverse, though. Maybe it is just tradition, maybe it just needs some time to change. I hope irt will. We an all do with a bit less toxicity at rock shows.

Band Maid all the way! I’m 58 years old and Band Maid reinvigorated my love of rock, and showed me that great rock music was still being made. The Warning, too, of course is another favorite. No current male bands are as good, IMO. Now, of course, those not in the know will immediately think “this is just eye candy for pervy old men.” Nothing is further from the truth. They are all attractive, of course, but I love the music more than anything. These bands don’t lean into sexuality, nor do they need to, because there are no musical shortcomings to be covered up. My wife kiddingly made fun of me at first about “the old man” thing, but she likes their music now, too.

I’m a 33 year old male, so about the same age as the members of Band-Maid, and I initially ignored them because I assumed that their appeal was all to do with their looks. Eventually, though, I heard people talking about their musicianship, and so I decided to listen. They quickly came to be one of my favorite bands to listen to them, and I think I look at them the same way guys in the ‘70s look at bands like Deep Purple.

nailed it. awesome video. as a HUGE RUSH fan, still my #1 all time, I have seen them more than 20 times live, so many of your points are just so spot on. especially about talent, skill, stage presence, showmanship, positive energy and of course it never hurts that they are either adorable, beautiful, or flat out sexy. their charisma and connections with their fans are beyond anything I have ever experienced prior to the past 15 years of digging into various Japanese bands, mostly all women. I have always preferred softer, clean female vocals, like Pat Benatar, HEART, etc. so they really just finally give me more more more of what I have always loved with lots of new twists. solid video, thank your for sharing your POV.

Nailed it! Thank you for putting into words the reason I love this genre so much! I thought it was extra-appropriate that when you began to speak about stage presence and enthusiasm Haraguchi-san from Nemophila was on the screen!

Hard to add anything. Very insightful thoughts and description. Many ladys that I know love Japanese metal and rock. But they are not as nerdy as many of us men. We often wants to seek out all the facts. Knows all the songs, members albums and visit every possible concerts nearby or far away. I think that between men and women. That men are often more common to really nerd out on something. Another thing is also as you said theres been a gap for us a bit older. Who loves some of the older rock and metal bands. Thats now is been filled with the the same type of rock and metal that many of is listened too as younger. That often many japanese especially the metal bands are playing. Like for an example Lovebites does music that may remind of many European older metal bands like Accept, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and such. There's also been a big development in female metal voices and singing styles. That I also thinks contribute to many more discovering female metal. I agree with everything you have been talking about. I can get tired sometimes when someone says its just cause they look so pretty I listen to them. Infact borh Nemophila, Bandmaid, and Lovebites it took me time until I actually saw how they looked. I just listened to their music and got more and more excited until I finally saw them on KZfaq. For me its just like you said. The excellent technical skill, musicianship and the songwriting. Also another nerdy thing that I like in especially Japanese rock and metal is how good they do the sound of the bass. In the sound mix. Both live and on albums. And thats something that follows many different rock and metal genres in japan. So yes we men tend to really nerd out on different things in music. Things thats good in different ways. And some of the best rock and metal in the world is currently coming from Japan... Love ure chanel. Im a new subscriber from today. Love from Stockholm Sweden/ J

I love that you put a clip of Nek! Just discovered them today.

If you thought that in order to play metal/hard rock you needed to wear black leather, chains, piercing, tattoos, make ugly faces, do drugs and drink lots of alcohol, well, you are totally wrong. Miho (former bassist and founder of Lovebites) said that they wanted to play as heavy as men but keeping their femininity. Lovebites is one of the bands that are breaking the walls of stereotypes in the metal scene. Most all-female Japanese metal/rock bands don’t try to imitate men and I like that. For some reason I find Japanese women so charming and adorable. I discovered Band-Maid and especially Lovebites almost 5 years ago (Nemophila and others later) and I’m still in awe. Female Japanese musicians are outstanding.

Sugoi! I agree with your opinions on this. I'm a 67 year old American white male that grew up listening to the Beatles, Stones, Led Zepplin, etc., and I've been captivated by what I've heard out of Japan for about 6 years now. My favorites are BAND-MAID, BABYMETAL, NEMOPHILA, MAXIMUM THE HORMONE among others. You'll note that the first 3 are all-female. Why do I love them? It's because they're so effing good! Their gender MIGHT have 5-10% to do with it. But, imo, they're just BETTER than anyone else out there. Sensational songwriting, musicianship, stage presence, and overall performance. I've seen BAND-MAID twice and BABYMETAL once, and they are not to be missed! Arigatou! 🦊🤘🤘 #Share!Happy!LetsDance! #fusionmetal

I'm 62 and have been a music fan most of my life. For whatever reason, I was never a fan of some of the female rock bands like Vixen. Dunno why, because I loved The Bangles and The Go Gos. I discoved Kittie from an article in Spin ( I think) when Spit came out and absolutely LOVED it. My gateway drug to Japanese metsl was Babymetal, who I read about in an anime magazine. I was invited to jaoin a Babymetal fan page on FB and one of the admins was a J-Rock fan. He would post videos from differenr Japanese female bands and I was hooked. And, because of YT keeps track of what videos I watch, I'm always discovering new Japanese bands to fall in love with!