MADKID, Axcels, and ALL the happenings...
What’s Happening? #24
It hasn't been that long since I posted the latest What's Happening? post. I mentioned in the previous post about the Major/Urgent Press Conference that was to be held earlier today (PST) and was livestreamed on LINE LIVE through MADKID's LINE account and LINE LIVE channel. I had to sleep really early to be able to wake up and catch up with this press conference and I'm glad I was able to participate.
We now finally what the huge urgent fuss was about during that last-minute planned press conference, and here it is!
1st Full-length Album Release: CIRCUS
I don't know about you, but ever since the announcement of this spring's live tour CIRCUS came out, I started to wonder the meaning behind the tour's name. Normally, they would name all their one-man lives and live tours from the latest singles released. The CIRCUS tour was announced at the same time as the 3rd major single RISE right after the end of the GIANT KILLING live tour, and the first initial thought that I had was "Shouldn't the new live tour be called 'RISE' instead of 'CIRCUS'?"
Finally, we've got our big reveal during the major/urgent press conference. You can watch the entire press conference here.
As always, there is a Type A and a Type B version. Both types will contain 15 songs in total. Aside from some of their tracks released last year and the two anime openings RISE and the upcoming FAITH, we also get fresh new tracks:
- CIRCUS
- COME
- Sayonara...
We also get four bonus tracks:
- RISE English Version
- FAITH English Version
- Sing for you
- STAY GOLD
Preorders are now available in your favorite online outlets like CD JAPAN, HMV, etc. You can check out the Exits section for the links of online stores you can preorder from.
But wait, there's MORE! Our boys also got new visuals!
CIRCUS Promo Contests
There are two promo contests that officially began today: a photo contest and a Twitter social media promo contest. For international Axcels, we're only able to participate in the Twitter social media promo contests, with some few requirements that may be difficult to fulfill. But there are some easy promo contests under this. More on this later.
But first, let's talk about the photo contest.
Release Events Photo Contest
If you plan on visiting Japan from the dates of March 10 to May 12, then yes, you can participate on the Release Events photo contest.
All you have to do is look on a scheduled release event list below that you plan on attending:
If you can't read Japanese, please contact me and I'll list out the places written above. I don't plan on listing them here on this blog post.
When you get there, all you have to do is take candid photos of MADKID during their performances. If you've got some mad photography skills, whether you're using a shiny DSLR camera or your mobile phone, here's your chance to show to the world of your discriminating photographic eye.
Not sure what this is? I recommend checking out the Twitter accounts of fan photographers Muteking and MiLKTEA POPCORN, who earned their places as two of the prominent fan photographers for MADKID. Check out their Twitters and see all their beautiful candid shots of MADKID, almost to the point that their subjects seemed to be more posing on purpose than being candid. These shots are prime examples of what this photo contest is all about.
Good luck!
Member-hosted Promo Contests
Starting today until June 30, 2019 (JST), Axcels can now participate in a variety of member-hosted promo contests to celebrate the upcoming CIRCUS album release. All you have to do is submit your entry on Twitter and add the following hashtags: #MADKID and #(member name)コンテスト. The latter hashtag is written in Katakana, meaning you would have to write the tag the way it looks. You can just copy/paste from here.
We don't know what you'll get if your submission was chosen. We'll find out more about the rewards later.
For example, say you made a RISE dance cover video on YouTube for SHIN's dance covers contest. When you tweet your submission, you would tweet along with the hashtags:
RISE dance cover.
#MADKID #SHINコンテスト
The following member-hosted contests are as follows:
SHIN: Dance Covers
Calling out all dancers and aspiring dancers around the world! Love MADKID and their dance routines to their singles? Submit your dance cover version of your favorite MADKID song. So far, they've got dance videos of Never going back and RISE available on YouTube. You can also find fan cams of their live performances from their past release events. The song you choose doesn't have to be the ones included in the album.
I have to rewatch the press release archives to see if you can also submit a different original dance you've created from one of their songs. SHIN, who is one of MADKID's best dancers, will be the one who will choose the winner. Impress him with your sweet styles, swag moves,
Hashtags: #MADKID #SHINコンテスト
LIN: Favorite Lyrics & Your Reasons Why
If you're not that much of an artistic or a creative person, you may want to participate in LIN's promo contest.
All you have to do is to submit your favorite MADKID song lyrics. It doesn't have to be the entire song, it could also be a few lines or more from your favorite MADKID song. Along with those lyrics are your reasons why you like these lives and how it resonates to you personally. One requirement is that your reasons have to be written in Japanese. Therefore, you'll have to find someone who can speak Japanese, especially if that person also happens to be a fellow Axcel.
If you're stuck, you can even contact my friend, Karu-chan of Letters @ AXCEL STYLE, through Twitter DM. She's offering her own Japanese translation service just for the MADKID promo contests.
Hashtags: #MADKID #LINコンテスト
YOU-TA: Catchphrase Contest
"The catchphrase is 'Play with me!'"
If you have been a long-time Axcel, we're all very familiar with MADKID's catchphrase. It's always been MADKID's signature catchphrase, so much that Axcels have been saying these words along with them, and we're very used to hearing the boys saying these words right in the beginning and the end of their segments, from lives to release events to even livestreams. But, what if one day that MADKID decided to change the catchphrase into something a lot catchier than "Play with me!"?
YOU-TA wants to challenge all you writers, poets, and (social media) marketers your best-ever catchphrase that would describe MADKID and Axcels altogether. Since Play with me! is already in English, the catchphrase can also be in English. You can even use Japanese if you prefer. Along with the catchphrase, you also have to explain why you chose these words and how it relates to MADKID. Just like with LIN's promo contest with the lyrics, you will also have to write your explanation in Japanese.
If you don't know anyone who is well-versed with Japanese, you can even contact my friend, Karu-chan of Letters @ AXCEL STYLE, through Twitter DM.
Hashtags: #MADKID #YOUTAコンテスト
KAZUKI: Fanart Contest
All you artists, illustrators, and graphic designers, this promo contest is for you!
KAZUKI is known for his stylish doodle (?) art and is always amazed at all the fanart and the edited graphics that fans make of MADKID or even of himself that he decided to host this contest for all the artistically talented Axcels around the world.
Create your art, traditional or digital, and simply tweet the fan art with the hashtags below:
Hashtags: #MADKID #KAZUKIコンテスト
YUKI: Fashionista Contest
To all the Axcels who aren't afraid to show off their unique fashion styles, natural fashionistas, cosplayers, and (wanna-be) models! Got what it takes to match YUKI with your obsession over stylistic outfits? Now you have a chance to show off your fashionista swag by joining in YUKI's Fashionista Contest!
There is one requirement that would probably give international Axcels a bit of a disadvantage: You must have at least one MADKID item as part of your outfit or an accessory. For example, the live tour goods that you get to purchase when you come to a live event with all the shirts, towels, shopping bags, tote bags, and pins, any one of those should be part of your stylish attire. Even the clothes that MADKID collaborated with AGEM'9 can also be considered.
You can order some of the goods through the Nippon Columbia store through a shipping service such as Tenso. I haven't tried ordering directly through a Japanese shipping service before, so I suggest you make your own research and check the shipping service out.
Hashtags: #MADKID #YUKIコンテスト
AXCEL STYLE New Site Theme
I don't have it completed yet. In fact, I haven't started with it.
I actually had this post already completed earlier, but there was some kind of a bug in the CMS system that didn't even save half of my post. Therefore, I had to start over with this post. Anyway, proceeding.
It's been a personal tradition of mine to change site themes per single or album that MADKID releases through time. If my memory serves correctly, AXCEL STYLE has gone through several theme changes... I think 5 times already? The first time I've launched the site, I wasn't quite organized as I used to and was debating on what to include in this fan site. Once I finally figured things out, I decided to minimize the site theme changes by following every MADKID release.
I also normally grab my color palettes based on the group's latest photographic visuals. However, for the CIRCUS group photo, red with some pinkish hues is the dominant color. Since we've got red for the current version you're seeing now (RISE version theme), I decided to get deeper with some of the prominent colors of the CIRCUS visuals and noticed that the flamingo bird at the background appeared a lot with the individual visuals.
So, in short, I plan on putting up a site theme with flamingo pink (or something somewhat pinkish) as its prominent color. The display/heading fonts I will be using will probably be close to the outline-style heading fonts that the promo images posted above have. As always, it would take me about 3-4 days to even a week to complete one theme, so please stay tuned for the new change!
That's it for today's What's Happening? post! Till next time, Axcels!
![[REVIEW] LIN & Hylen – Subconscious](https://axcel.style/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/img_20190303_205200684660102892296338-1024x1024-600x300.jpg)
[REVIEW] LIN & Hylen – Subconscious
Since May 2018, two friends and talented composers and trackmasters LIN and Hylen have been making music together and releasing dope tracks that not only make you bop your head, but the lyrics can be relateable all at the same time. Even around that time, with the power of Twitter, word spreads out quickly about their collaborations and I ended up following the duo since then. With LIN's creative rhymes and Hylen's intricately soulful backtracks combined, the duo has become one of the rising names within the underground (?) J-
When I opened
This month, their first full-length album has been released with brand-new dope tracks, as well as the ones they previously released last year. I wrote reviews on all of them, so I'm not going to write about them in this post. You can read the following if you're interested:
The Tracks
Aside from the six tracks that LIN & Hylen released last year, the following new tracks are included:
- Rollin
- Oversky
- NGS (feat. CHERRY BROWN)
- Whatever
- Drizzing (feat. YUKI (MADKID))
- Tips (feat. Snow Smile)
- 君と何処へでも (Kimi to doko e demo)
- Say Your Name (feat. bit_not_yet)
- Found You
In total, 15 tracks altogether.
When it comes to reviewing single releases, I normally would dig deep into the lyrics. But because this is a digital album review and there are no lyrics available (yet), I'll just write about what I think of the album altogether.
My Thoughts
I'm not ashamed about my age. I was in high school when all the MADKID members were born.
But that aside, I grew up listening to rap/hip-hop since the late '80s. Back then, not very many people understand the concept of rap and hip-hop, as many think that they're just talentless people who can't sing and just play some random background music to it as they "mumble along with some loud bass music." That wasn't the case for me. As a child, I thought it sounded really cool and how I enjoyed their wordplay and rhyming from line to line. When I got older in middle school, the golden age of rap, hip-hop, and R&B began. As I listened to the genres evolving rapidly, I also started to understand the genre a lot more.
My favorite rap/hip-hop groups back in the day were mostly duos: an MC (rapper) and a DJ (one who mixes the back track). To name a few, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, as well as Pete Rock & CL Smooth. We don't really see much of MC-DJ duos in today's rap/hip-hop, but LIN & Hylen are a breath of fresh air for these past twenty-something years.
Sometime in between my graduation from high school and my first few days in college/university, I also discovered the rising of Asian-American (mostly Filipino) groups and artists in the hip-hop/rap/R&B genre. Sure, most of these artists were only popular in local areas here in California, but in some ways, they still made a mark in American pop. This was in the late '90s also. Some of the hip-hop/rap tracks I've heard were very distinctive from the mainstream hip-hop that we were hearing on the radio then that somehow it's added some kind of an "Asian flavor" to it.
There was one particular compilation album that I recently downloaded from Apple Music. I don't know if it's available around the world through iTunes and/or Apple Music, but the album is called Motivate Movement: ASIATIC. The artists included in this compilation are mostly Asians and Pacific Islanders from my hometown and California, but there were a few from outside California also. If you're into underground/indies (old school) rap/hip-hop or simply support Asian artists, I recommend taking a listen to this. One day, when my Japanese becomes better, I'd like to recommend this to LIN & Hylen.
I remembered the '90s back in high school, where Asian-American (mostly Filipino) kids would just randomly pass out flyer cards promoting an underground club party where teens and (probably) young adults would gather around at night at some "underground location" along with a DJ mixing the freshest tracks with rhymes and bass completely unheard of from the mainstream. I've never been in any of these underground parties because I was raised to be a Dalagang Pilipina or something like that, my parents would never let me go to these underground parties. However, some of my friends who are into rap/hip-hop and in hip-hop dance crews have been there, and all they could do is tell me about them and even let me borrow some tapes with tracks I've never heard from the radio.
During the early days of college/university, I branched out from the Asian-American scene to the real deal Asian scene, starting with Filipino rap/hip-hop and eventually, with J-Pop/J-HipHop. I remembered KICK THE CAN CREW, Heartsdales, and A.I. during her earlier days. Almost a decade later, MADKID and I met, which lead me to LIN & Hylen.
Subconscious isn't just another underground (?) rap/hip-hop album, but each of these tracks was carefully crafted, even though many of them were short in length. Although we hear a lot of trap elements as we all are familiar with MADKID tracks, each of the tracks has different, distinctive character and flavor. I guess that also depends on who is the third collaborator in some of these songs, but it also depends on the subject or theme of the rap lyrics. Just listening to this album repeatedly (not including the tracks they released last year since I'm already familiar with all six of them) really brought me back to the old rap/hip-hop days during the Asian(-American) music scene. I could seriously bump this album while I drive anywhere, just like how I once bumped old cassette tapes on my old car as I drive to college and back.
I don't expect anyone to understand what I'm talking about, or what I'm trying to point out regarding my thoughts of this album. To make it short, I really love this album. I added the entire album under my Underground Hip-Hop playlist along with the Motivate Movement Asiatic album and a few others.
All I'm saying is take a listen to Subconscious and you be the judge. When you do, holler at LIN and Hylen on Twitter, thank them for this, regardless of whether you like the album or not. But for me, I look forward to more LIN & Hylen collab tracks in the near future.
After all, the album itself reached #2 in the Japan-region Hip-Hop/Rap category on iTunes/Apple Music during the first two days of release. Why wouldn't you check the album out?
Extra Omake Thing...
There is another MADKID member who is interested in a collab with Hylen.
SHIN was congratulating LIN & Hylen for the top #3 rank on the first day of the
If you support this idea, please go reply to SHIN and Hylen on Twitter. I did just that. 😏
What’s Happening? #23
Happy March, everyone! Spring season is around the corner, Japanese students of all grades are going through their graduation ceremonies, DST (Daylight Savings Time) is on the 10th, and Spring Break is nearby for all the students in countries that do have a spring season. It should be a wonderful, happening month for all of us! MADKID included.
Originally, I was going to call this What's Happening? #22.5, since there isn't much detailed reporting for this post. Whenever I put a ".5" on the title, it basically means that it's a quick entry with some quick (but quite important) news. I posted the last What's Happening? post last weekend because the RISE release campaign period ended. If you've been a long-time Axcel, especially when you started around the time the boys made their debut in the mainstream J-Pop scene, you all should get used to the fact that the MADKID staff just loves to surprise everyone. Everyone including the members themselves.
But, I decided to spread the news as #23 instead. Let's see what this is all about.
March Calendar
I don't normally post the monthly calendar anywhere on AXCEL STYLE because the majority of the events in the calendars hardly involves their global Axcels. The red color represents live events and the green color represents media appearances, like radio, TV, magazines, etc. There isn't much detail in this calendar yet, so not so much to report.
I only write about events that we global Axcels are able to participate, whether it's a livestream show or a Twitter media campaign. But, in a nutshell, March is somewhat of a rest period for the boys. What I mean by rest period is that there won't be any major campaigning and release events, however, they use this rest period to prepare for the next event. So far, before today, we only know that their upcoming spring season
The Rising of the Shield Hero 2nd Anime Opening: "FAITH"
I haven't been watching that much anime for several years, but I do know that the pattern of having new opening and ending themes in a series do occur sometime in the middle of the current season. In this case, The Rising of the Shield Hero. But, the good news is, MADKID and Chiai Fujikawa will still be performing these brand-new opening and ending themes.
Starting in April, MADKID's new 2nd opening theme FAITH will premiere on the anime series, one month from today.
In addition, there will be an advanced release of the single digitally on April 4th on iTunes/Apple Music. Eventually on April 11th, the single will be released on other digital audio streaming platforms like Spotify, Google Play, LINE Music, Rekochoku, etc.
Keep in mind that RISE just came out early February, and that was considered a major single. There was a CD release with two types and a whole series of weekend release events that began in December and ended last weekend. Because March is somewhat of their rest period, there won't be any huge release event series or even special CD releases for FAITH. The boys have to prepare for their May live tour Circus, so they won't have any time to heavily promote their 2nd opening theme.
If you've been a fan long enough, they did the same thing when they released GIANT KILLING last November. The song was released digitally and it wasn't heavily promoted. Still is a bop.
Major Press Conference
This was released on MADKID Twitter quickly not too long ago as of this writing. There will be a major press conference that will take place next Wednesday, March 6th at 8:00 p.m. JST. Yes, it's the same day as the Shield Hero anime airing.
The press conference will be streamed on LINE LIVE, so even global Axcels will have a chance to watch this. If you haven't done so yet, all you need is a LINE Messenger account and scan the QR code on the home page of this site. You also have the option of downloading LINE LIVE stand-alone app, but you would have to follow the instructions here.
I don't know what this is about because there wasn't any info provided with this announcement, but it looks like it's got something to do with FAITH and probably more. Let's all look forward to it!
That's it for today's post. Till next time, Axcels!
What’s Happening? #22
In the Axcel social media world, it has been quiet, besides the RISE single release events nationwide from every music store to every mall. But, as of this writing, today (2/24/19 JST) is the last day of this series of the single release events. In fact, this is the last day of anything else related to the RISE promotions, including the MADKID FACTION campaigns. The guys have done it all, we've all done it all. But, keep in mind, The Rising of the Shield Hero is still running, so please, don't forget to watch the anime, enjoy RISE playing on the opening credits, and if you're not satisfied with the length of the episodes right after Episode 1, read the light novels or the manga.
Speaking of RISE...RISE (English Version)
I know that most hardcore anime otaku around the world outside Japan aren't really fans of non-Japanese language dubs on an anime. However, if you do watch anime in English dub, here's a piece of news. The English dub of The Rising of the Shield Hero is now available on Crunchyroll and you can watch all current seven episodes, as the next episode will also be released at the same time as in Japan and the English sub version. Along with the English dub is also the official English version of RISE as its opening theme. I've seen a few covering RISE on YouTube and even made their own English version based on the English translations, but the one used in the English dub was also written, composed, and performed by MADKID, just like the original Japanese. The ending theme, Kimi no Namae (Your Name), still remains in Japanese as the original. If you haven't been following me on Twitter, I also posted my English translation of the RISE lyrics. Translating Japanese lyrics to English is no easy task. I still have to polish the English to make it sound more accurate to the original lyrics' intentional messages, which also takes a while to do. It's not the most perfect translation, but nevertheless, it's a translation. You can find it here in the Letters @ AXCEL STYLE site. I'm just going to go for the first few minutes of the song since that's all we have for the anime opening theme. MADKID's take on an English version is quite close to my translation, which made me feel relieved as a rusty translator. But, like the usual process of writing an English version from a non-English song, you would have to write the English equivalent that would also fit the rhythm of the song as well. The rap parts are a little difficult to understand. Then again, this is just me and my failing ears with rap tracks in general, including American ones. It would take me a lot of times for me to grasp the words in the raps regardless of language, which is why... It'd be so awesome if MADKID releases the English version of RISE also, even if it's in digital format. I'd love to hear the entire song and then write my thoughts of it a little more elaborate.The conclusion of the "RISE" Release Period
As I write this, the final release event for RISE just ended. What a way to finish it because the final event took place in Shin's beloved hometown of Miyazaki.
During the campaign, Miyazaki displayed a life-sized cardboard panel of their native son, SHIN, in the local Aeon Mall (where today's final release event took place). During the first day of the display, locals are able to take a photo of themselves with the panel, and it will be on display until today. At long last, MADKID and Shin have met the life-sized panel.
This is the second time MADKID had their single release event in Miyazaki, and Shin couldn't be any happier. Not only that, Miyazaki's mascot, Kaa-kun, also came for a visit along with the hinata smiles of Shin's fellow locals!
Four more days till the end of February. And then, March and Spring will be just around the corner! Not just that, so is their upcoming one-man live tour, CIRCUS.
KAZUKI's New YouTube Talk Show "Tanabe-Ya" Begins!
KAZUKI's new YouTube Talk Show Tanabe-Ya (Tanabe x Heya) premiered last week on the Nippon Columbia channel. You can watch the first episode on this site's main page. Furthermore, Kazuki talks about the show briefly in his latest blog entry. You can read the translation here. In a quick nutshell, Kazuki also has a co-host, a comedian and 17/LiveAF streamer who goes by Mori Grill Chicken. MADKID (naturally!) is the first guest of his show. The first half of the episode features Shin introducing a local Miyazaki pastry which also happens to be his favorite: Cheese Manju. Shin explains that not only that it has cheese in it, but it also has a special cookie-like batter that's baked inside the manju. He also introduces a specialty store that sells food and goods directly from Miyazaki, KONNE. The second half of the episode has the boys play a card game of sorts called the Jinrou (Werewolf) game. There are different ways of playing the game, but their version is divided into two teams of two (werewolf team and villagers team) and one fortune teller role. The cards are distributed at random, the host of the game is the only one who knows which one the players plays which role. The game begins when the players start discussing and talking to each other while figuring out which one of them are the werewolves. The werewolves will also guess which one of them is the villagers and then "kill" them in turn. Whoever guesses which person is the werewolf or villager correctly, that team wins. We don't know when the next episode will be released (March?), but let's all stay tuned!YOU-TA goes on a "GIANT KILLING" spree!
Are you an Axcel who also loves video games and is a fan of Twitch channels and follow players play their favorite games while you watch and comment? You may want to add YOU-TA in your list of Twitch favorite channels. He just opened his own Twitch channel to play the remake of Resident Evil 2 and "go on a GIANT KILLING spree." You can follow him and check out his archives here. I've already played the original game when it was first released in the late '90s so I already know how the story of this game goes and I won't spoil. I love going to the guys' livestreams if I don't miss them and do comment a lot, however, with You-ta's Twitch, I'm just a viewer. I don't want to comment anything that may spoil the game and I also want him to figure out any obstacles that come in his way (not including killing off zombies...). However, I also learned that he does encourage everyone to keep commenting even if doesn't answer all of them, mainly because he needed moral support while playing the game. Next time when I do join in, I'll be sure to comment. That's it for today's What's Happening? post. Are you all ready for the spring season, Axcels? I sure am! Till next time!![[CD REVIEW] RISE](https://axcel.style/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/img_20190201_2313084727234140249240917-1024x768-600x300.jpg)
[CD REVIEW] RISE
I apologize for the long delay of this review. I went through some payment problems and here's how it went in the nutshell: pre-ordered my CDs through HMV instead of the usual CD Japan this time my debit card was held by my bank, the bank approved the payment transaction; sent email to HMV support to use the same card; HMV support staff refuses to use the same card and asked me to use another card; canceled my pre-order and re-ordered the same CDs through CD Japan and used EMS delivery. Three days later, I finally received them. So, as you can see at the above packaging, CD Japan takes very good care of the products they delivered to their customers. They treat every purchased item as a gift to you, which is indeed very nice. They did the same thing as my previous Summer Time CD, which I only purchased Type A. I decided to order both types this time. Fact is, you don't really need to purchase the CDs if you only cared more about the songs than the visuals and the extra freebies. However, whether you purchase the CDs or purchase the digital versions from iTunes, Spotify, etc., if you don't live or currently located in Japan, your purchases don't count on the Oricon Charts. But, speaking of rankings, their third single ranked at the following:
- Oricon Charts Daily Ranking: #8 on the first release day (2/6/2019)
- Oricon Charts Weekly Ranking: #11 after the first week of its release
- Billboard (Japan) Weekly Ranking: #10 after the first week of its release
The differences between Type A and Type B
As mentioned in my previous CD review, it's not just about the songs that I wanted to get the CDs for when they're already available in iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, and Google Play. It's primarily the extras that come with that you won't see digitally on the audio subscription services. During the MADKID FACTION/MADKI党 single release campaign blog post, YOU-TA did mention that even in Japan, CD sales are decreasing because of the popularity and the convenient accesses of audio streaming sites by the general public, whether if they're region-locked in Japan or open around the world. In the case of Type A, it's the RISE music video, the MV's BTS, and the footage of their last one-man live (Never going back) back on April 28, 2018. It's a monumental one-man live for the guys because this was their first one-man live as a mainstream J-Pop male dance and vocal group. Hopefully, for their next release (single or album?), we would also get to see their first three-city live tour GIANT KILLING, and in the future, their upcoming four-city live tour, Circus. Aside from Type A having that special incentive DVD extra included, the only other differences between Type A and Type B are shown above the mini-gallery. Type B gets to have a back image of the main characters in the new winter anime The Rising of the Shield Hero.The Tracks
For their third single, the format is similar to the Summer Time CD release last year: three tracks, with the third track composed and arranged solely by LIN, but the lyrics still remained as LIN and YUKI. Going a little in-depth.#1 - RISE
Because MADKID was chosen to provide the opening theme for the new anime series The Rising of the Shield Hero, there seemed to be a change of pace in their usual musical styles by going on the "traditional" rock-style track to appease their bigger market yet: the anime/manga otaku community around the world, no niche in particular. I personally hope that MADKID gained a lot more Axcels outside Japan and I hope that these fans stick with MADKID and the Axcels right after RISE and not just stick with them because of Shield Hero and then abandon them right after the series is over. Sometime last week, I translated (roughly?) the RISE lyrics. You can find it on the Letters @ AXCEL STYLE site. It's not the most perfect translation out there, however, translating, in general, is difficult, even if it's with your native language. It's like translating a math word problem into numbers and formulas and translating a programming algorithm problem into an actual code base. But with that being said, I made my translation to have the exact same intent as the lyrics themselves. If you've read the Shield Hero light novels or even the manga companion, you already know the premise of the series. If you've never heard of it and started watching the anime, hopefully, you're finally getting what the premise is about. But, speaking as an Axcel for almost a year now, the lyrics are also relatable in real life. After all, we've known MADKID as a self-produced dance and vocal group, represented by a smaller management agency, but on contract with Japan's oldest and one of the highly prestigious record labels in Nippon Columbia. The boys produce everything by themselves from the writing, composing, and arranging their songs, create their own choreography, create the concepts of the songs they produce, and a whole lot more. From the beginning, many of the songs, at least those officially released as major singles, tell a story, almost a biography, of themselves as a group. Never going back gave us MADKID's prelude to being a legit dance and vocal group in mainstream J-Pop, ascending themselves from the indies scene to a much more open scene. The song reminds us that they have come this far and they're not turning back anytime now. Summer Time gave us a more chill and refreshing break from the huge rush that we got from Never going back. We still have to be mindful that every rush of excitement needs a cooldown period. MADKID so far isn't quite known for the mellow and chill concepts, and Summer Time is a reminder to us that, even if it's not summer, we all need to take a break and revisit the ones we've left behind and enjoy the times while we are alive. RISE may possibly be MADKID's breakthrough single, being that it was chosen as an anime opening theme to a highly-anticipated anime series The Rising of the Shield Hero. Or maybe their next single (album?) may even become the breakthrough single. Most debuted artists don't get breakthrough singles on their first year. Usually, this breakthrough will come as their second, third, fourth, or even the fifth release. Could RISE be the breakthrough single that we've been waiting for? Let's all wait and see.#2 - Puzzle
The second follow-up track in the RISE single release is yet another sweet love song, Puzzle. The format of this single release is reminiscent of the format of Never going back with its second follow-up track, Stuck on U. This song, as well as Stuck on U is a perfect anthem for couples and those in love and for Valentine's Day. If you think of puzzle pieces, they're separate pieces, but they do come together to form one precious picture. When we deal with jigsaw puzzles, we have to figure out to see which pieces fit together. In the case of this song, two lovers fit together like two puzzle pieces, and with two together, they form something a lot larger and meaningful for both. We've already heard LIN's different rap styles from his side-collab singles with his friends Hylen (and others), where he can be mellow, hard, tender, and melodic. In Puzzle, those who aren't familiar with LIN's non-MADKID work, we finally get to hear one of his stylistic rap skills by spitting out melodic words without making it obvious that he was rapping all this time, and it really does complement with the mellow and romantic themes behind the song. SHIN also had a longer part on this song on the second verse, with YOU-TA and KAZUKI splitting up the same two lines on the first verse. Based on interviews and on his blog entries, Puzzle seems to be more his theme. I plan on translating this song also. I don't know when, but I hope I'll be able to do it.#3 - 出ていってよ (Deteitteyo)
Deteitteyo is translated literally as "go out." But, the intent behind these words isn't really telling you to "go out." The intent behind this phrase is to say farewell. In short, like the previous two singles, RISE's third track is yet another heartbreak song. If you purchased and downloaded the single on (U.S.) iTunes or Apple Music, the title came out as Goodbye rather than the actual Japanese title. I tweeted LIN directly regarding the change. I wasn't really expecting him to reply, but I just wanted him to be aware and wonder if the "Goodbye" title change from Deteitteyo was intentional. In some ways, whether if it was intentional or not, the "Goodbye" title change made sense. After all, you'll hear the word goodbye at the chorus more times than the word deteitteyo, which is only heard once throughout the entire song. Because this song is yet another LIN-only joint, I don't need to explain the concept and style of the song. LIN already explained that himself: https://twitter.com/LIN_MDKD/status/1092808669597745153 Like with Puzzle, I plan on translating this as well. I don't know when.Type A DVD Extra
I'm not going to go into detail with this one. It contains the music video (found on YouTube or even at the main page of this site), the BTS (behind the screen) documentary of the music video, and footage from last year's Never going back one-man live. Maybe I'll write a separate review on the DVD extra at a later time.Conclusion
If you're a brand-new MADKID fan and only downloaded the singles and interested in getting to know the group better, I recommend purchasing at least the Type A CD. You can order them online in various online stores. I listed some of them on the Exits section of the site. The reason why I recommend this, mainly because of the DVD extra that comes with it. The one-man live footage from last year would give you a fresh outlook on how MADKID performs in slightly larger scale live shows and the previous songs you (probably) have never heard of or discovered from YouTube or even in iTunes/Spotify/etc. Will RISE become MADKID's breakthrough single? We'll find out once the release events and promotions of the single ends this weekend. Also, MADKID's upcoming live tour Circus will be coming in May as well. We've already gotten the pattern that in every end of a one-man live (or a tour of one-man lives), something huge and big will be announced. Whatever that something huge and big, we'll have to wait.
What’s Happening? #21
I got myself immersed so much with the site transfer of my fiction and books blog that I found myself delayed in the latest What's Happening? post. I've had some minor problems that really annoyed me at that time that I had to go back and forth with my host's tech support. It turned out to be an image optimization setting issue that made all my images appearing broken on the site itself after uploading and launching, so I went ahead and fixed it. I checked with the settings of that same image optimization plugin on all my other sites including AXCEL STYLE. Now I can finally breathe and write this post.
MADKID FACTION UPDATES
You all still remember the MADKID FACTION campaign that I wrote about a few months ago?
The campaign began at the beginning of January 2019 with their weekend (sometimes weekdays) release event. And ever since then, out of the four, they are currently fulfilling at least three of them.
Here is the quick status of their four mentioned vows as of today (2/4/19 PST):
- 01 - MADKID "RISE" PROMO POSTERS IN 100 LOCATIONS Just 38 more spots to go until they reach 100 locations. Follow the MADKID Twitter to check out the spots they're posting promo posters at!
- 02 - 4th ONE MAN LIVE FOOTAGE RELEASE This Wednesday, 2/6/19, when you purchase the Type A version of the single CD.
- 03 - ALL SMILES DURING FAN MEETS ... the members are doing all they can to smile more like Shin!
- 04 - ELEMENT OF SURPRISE Who will be the lucky Axcel... or a loved one of an Axcel... to receive a special surprise from MADKID?
1st Major Debut Anniversary - "We never going back!"
Last Wednesday, MADKID and the (Japanese) Axcels gathered together in the very first AXCEL Meeting of the year. To commemorate this very historical day, the boys appeared wearing their attire during their Never Going Back days exactly a year before during this event.
A reflection from me...
What happened during that date remains confidential. AXCEL Meetings are strictly for FC members that even the location and entrance fee was only disclosed to FC members. Even FC members who aren't able to attend these meetings will remain out in the dark. The activities that the boys have done with the FC members will only be kept between the group and the FC themselves. And that's fine, really. One day, I'll attend one of these Axcel Meetings, once I get myself secured with a better job, better pay, and more time to travel, especially to Japan. I even made a promise to the guys (during their livestreams) months ago about meeting them one day, whether through going to one of their lives, events, or even in Axcel Meetings. One of them also gave a promise that they will come here too in exchange. With RISE and Shield Hero being heard and aired around the world and not just in Japan, I really couldn't help but think and hope and pray. I live in the Bay Area, in which famed American anime subscription service Crunchyroll Headquarters is located. Every summer, Crunchyroll holds its Crunchyroll Expo somewhere here in the Bay Area. This year's expo will take place in San Jose, which is only about 22 miles down south from my hometown. The expo runs for 3 days. Because the expo invites special guests to appear in order to make appearances, presentations, or perform. I can't help it but think that Crunchyroll would invite MADKID to come here to perform. After all, the boys wrote the opening theme to the Shield Hero anime, in which the latter has become a hit among the anime/manga otaku community around the world. And because Crunchyroll was the one hosting the anime, to me, it would just make perfect sense. It's been my long-term goal to go to Japan, not just to visit the country itself, but to meet MADKID. But I also want to pray that MADKID would also come here to perform and meet their fans too. I'm praying. I'm really praying. 🙇♀️ I don't normally write my personal reflections, feelings, and opinions on this blog, but I just wanted to let this out of my chest for a bit. Maybe one day, I'll probably start blogging my own thoughts about anything related to MADKID or probably just J-Pop in general, but MADKID is priority for this site.Wednesday is Coming!
This Wednesday, 2/6/19, as we know it, is the official release of the 3rd major single RISE. As I've written about this a few months ago, the single will contain two B-sides: Puzzle and Detteitteyo The CD release will have two types, and all three singles will be released digitally on iTunes/Apple Music, Spotify, and Google Play Music. Type A will contain a DVD freebie which consists of the RISE MV, BTS (behind the screen) documentary of the RISE MV and the complete footage of the 4th One-Man Live that took place late April of last year. In addition to the release, there will be a special MAD MUSIC episode this Friday, 2/8/19, at 8:00 p.m. JST on LINE LIVE. Be sure to follow MADKID's LINE account by scanning the QR code (located at the home page of this site) using your LINE Messenger account. If you don't have the LINE Messenger account yet, you can download it from the App Store, Google Play, or the Microsoft Store if you would like to install it on your desktop or laptop. If you prefer using LINE LIVE app instead, you will have to follow instructions here. It's a short entry, but this will do for now. For sure there will be more happenings to come right after this week. Till next time, Axcels!
What’s Happening? #20
"RISE" is coming in 2 weeks!
From where I am, today is Friday, January 25. From where MADKID is, today is Saturday, January 26.
This means, we only have about two weeks left until the official release of the guys' increasingly blowing up 3rd single, RISE. This is in all due to the success of the premiere launching of one of this year's most anticipated anime series, The Rising of the Shield Hero. Within the worldwide anime/manga otaku, the impact of an anime series has contributed to the huge recognition and popularity of the opening and ending themes: RISE being the opening theme, and Chiai Fujikawa's Kimi no Namae. The ending theme is a lovely piece with words pertaining to main female character Raphtalia's thoughts about the series' main male character, Naofumi Iwatani. I'm still in the middle of migration of my fiction writing and book reviews blog to the same server as AXCEL STYLE, and once I'm finished, I'll be writing more about Shield Hero (the story itself) over there. Now, I've built this site to only post news and updates regarding MADKID, but after reading some comments to those who aren't familiar with MADKID, I'm compelled to open a new FAQ section on this site, rather than writing a ranty opinion piece on this site. I initially had opinion posts as an upcoming option to this site, but I don't want to prioritize this and emphasize more on this feature, as it'll derail AXCEL STYLE's original intent. I'm not having this mindset because I'm a fan, but because of my current experiences as a blogger and technical writer. Yes, my fandoms and my job-related experiences can integrate. Anyway, moving on. Keep an eye out on February 6, the official date of the RISE release. That includes the CDs and the digital releases on iTunes/Apple Music, Spotify, and Google Play. But do keep in mind that the date is also based on your time zone. In other words, when the single is released in Japan and you live somewhere in the U.S., you'd have to wait till 12:00 a.m. EST for the releases to come out on digital format.MAD MUSIC Special Episodes 2019
Do you remember what happened in November 2018 when YOU-TA had to take a medical hiatus? If you haven't, one of the entries about it is here.
After the hilarious antics that happened back in the New Years Special, the next weekly MAD MUSIC episodes are promised fulfillments from YOU-TA of rewarding his fellow members for taking care of MADKID and the Axcels while he was getting his throat polyps removed.
MAD MUSIC Special vol. 1 - January 10
KAZUKI came in fourth place last November during their no-YOU-TA MAD MUSIC episodes, YOU-TA is rewarding his blonde-haired fellow vocalist a special bento box.
That is, a special homemade bento box, made from scratch by the red-haired boss himself!
It's also known among fans that YOU-TA has serious leet cooking skills that making homemade dishes for their loved ones is their way of showing how much they love and care for them. You can go and eat out at some fancy restaurant with fancy dishes, but nothing still beats the power of home-cooked meals.
MAD MUSIC Special vol. 2 - January 17
In this volume 2 of the MAD MUSIC Special episodes, YOU-TA treated the two fan-favorite K-Pop lovin' members, SHIN and YUKI, to Starbucks and ordering gyudon at a local convenience store.
Unlike his homemade bento for KAZUKI, YOU-TA would have to bring his wallet and fork up the cash to buy the bowls and the Starbucks beverages for himself and the two boys. In the episode, a Starbucks barista became curious and asked the boys if they're famous. YOU-TA simply replied to the lucky barista: "Nah, we're just some dudes who like to sing."
YOU-TA ordered a Strawberry Frappucino. Both YUKI and SHIN ordered Caramel Macchiatos.
After their Starbucks stop, they headed to the nearest convenience store next to buy their gyudon bowls. Afterward, they walked back to the studio to eat their dinner. When the episode ended, YOU-TA tweeted that he was "happy that the boys loved their rewards, but his wallet started crying."
MAD MUSIC Special Vol. 3 - January 24
The lucky winner of the four, LIN, earns his reward: a free fancy yakiniku dinner all paid for by YOU-TA.
YOU-TA invited LIN to a yakiniku restaurant called Miyoshi Yakiniku. I recently learned from fellow fans that the restaurant is actually owned by YOU-TA's grandparents, which can only mean one thing. YOU-TA may have the yakiniku dinner discounted on a "family discount" or probably prepared by the owners "in the house." I haven't watched this episode yet, but when I do, I'll update the post with a little more detail.
Again, you can watch all their past episodes on their official LINE Messenger account or on their LINE LIVE Archives Channel.
SHIN returns to model for the Jamie AnK 2019 Spring Collection
I don't remember if I even wrote about SHIN's solo fashion collab with newly-launched fashion line Jamie AnK here on this site last November, but I do remember tweeting about it. He began modeling with another model back in Fall 2018 for their Fall collection, but he didn't have much exposure because the collection was leaning more towards females and not so much co-ed/unisex fashion such as parkas and sweaters. I'm just glad that Jamie AnK decided to have him to model again for their newest spring collection for 2019 that only featured him on his own. The collection just recently launched on sale at the Ailand fashion website. You can find all of SHIN's pics in there, and a little more from his Instagram account. Non-Japan customers can order through this site too, but you would have to use special shipping services like Tenso to ship your goods to your location.YOU-TA, SHIN, and KAZUKI IG ACCOUNTS VERIFIED
You know that shiny blue check badge next to your username on Twitter and Instagram to prove that you're really behind that account? Early this week, three of the five members have their Instagram accounts officially verified. Therefore, if you're a clueless Instagram user who suddenly gets a "like" from one of the members, you'd be jumping for joy with that blue check mark next to their usernames. From what I read, users have to apply for account verification through Instagram. This would mean that LIN and YUKI haven't done that yet. Even their MADKID official IG account hasn't been verified yet. Hopefully, they'll get to that soon. Still, follow all of them. You can find their usernames on the SLYKY profiles section of the site. And that's it for this entry! I think I'll be writing another one when RISE comes out with a review. Till next time, Axcels!
What’s Happening? #19
Welcome, 2019!
Happy new year, everyone! As how the Japanese say it, 新年明けましておめでとうございます。
With the upcoming 3rd major single RISE arriving in less than a month from today, the year has already kicked off with a bang for MADKID and the Axcel family. So, without further ado, let's begin!MAD MUSIC New Year Special
- SHIN: 笑顔 (egao) - smile
- LIN: 上昇 (joushou) - ascension
- YOU-TA: 気合 (kiai) - fighting spirit (scream/yell)
- KAZUKI: 黄金 (kogane) - golden
- YUKI: 信頼 (shinrai) - trust
SWISH 2019 New Year Special 2 Days (Day 2)
Remember the Autumn Edition of SWISH, which it was livestreamed on the SHOWROOM app? DAY 2 of the first SWISH event of 2019 was also livestreamed as well.
- BananaLemon
- COLOR CREATION
- DREAM MAKER
- First place
- FlowBack
- FREAK
- MADKID
- UNIONE
- SOLIDEMO
- Yuya Matsushista
- GIANT KILLING
- GET STARTED (Remix?)
- OVERAGAIN
- Lovin' You
- RISE
MADKID RISING HOPE
MADKID's new radio show, MADKID RISING HOPE, began airing last week, 1/2/19, and their second episode was released earlier today. You can still listen to last week's episode by checking out their archives on the JFN PARK app. If you still haven't downloaded the app and want to listen to their radio show, instructions in English are here.KAZUKI, YUKI, and SHIN are BACK!
It's been months since our three favorite livestreamers of MADKID have streamed to talk to all the fans, old and new. Fearing that MADKID will be overwhelmed with so many activities because of their upcoming 3rd single release, all three have returned to livestreaming again starting January 2019! There are a few changes with the way the boys are streaming:- KAZUKI still remains active on 17 (now known as LiveAF). In fact, he was already awarded as one of the top livestreamers by 17 last October, so congratulations to him!
- YUKI began livestreaming on Instagram Live using his personal Instagram account. He still uses 17 as his livestream platform, so please don't delete the app.
- SHIN decided to change livestream platforms again. This time, on the same platform as MAD MUSIC: LINE LIVE. It's still uncertain whether he decided to completely ditch Pococha altogether, so I wouldn't delete the app just yet. This time though, you can't actually watch his streams (or even his archives) on your standard LINE messenger account because he is using his personal LINE account rather than the MADKID Official LINE account, so you really don't have any choice but to download LINE LIVE. Because his version of LINE LIVE is the Japan-region only app, you can follow instructions on how to download it here, just like how you downloaded Pococha and JFN PARK. The only awesome thing about the Japan-only LINE LIVE app is that it's much simpler, less complicated, a lot lighter, and for those who can't read Japanese at all, the app's interface is in English. I may open up a separate guide for LINE LIVE, but once you install the app, everything else from registration and setup is pretty much self-explanatory that you won't need any translations to go through. I'll let you know when I open this section next time.
THE RISING OF THE SHIELD HERO
"RISE" MV OUT!
... and right after the airing of Shield Hero, the MV for the single RISE is finally here! Please take a listen, spread it around, and support MADKID! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs85gCoCaBA And that would be it for the first entry of 2019! I know it's a little late, but we're back to normal lives again in this brand-new year. Are you all excited for 2019 as much as I am? Till next time, Axcels!THE AXCEL SIDE Fan Takes, Fan Stories, etc.
[The AXCEL Side] Doubts about AXCEL STYLE
The AXCEL Side doubts, personal fandom, web dev talks 0
Yesterday (8/15/19 U.S. PDT), I posted my second attempt at an Instagram Story Q&A box on the AXCEL STYLE Instagram account. I’ve done this before earlier this year or sometime late of last year, but unfortunately, no one really dropped a question that I can answer and post it on the IG story. Just out […]
[The AXCEL Side] CIRCUS Merchandise
The AXCEL Side CIRCUS goods, gong cha friends
The first week of July just ended, but this post is still somewhat relevant. Their second circus tour CIRCUS already ended back in May and the CIRCUS album release events also ended last weekend. This month begins their official summer schedule of lives throughout summer music festivals and other venues. And of course, their first […]
[The AXCEL Side] Global Expansion Begins
The AXCEL Side crunchyroll expo 2019, the axcel side, the rising of the shield hero
Happy July, Axcels! Since tomorrow is this country’s Independence Day, I would like to extend my greetings to Happy Independence Day, America! or just simply Happy Fourth of July! Here’s me again with another blog post on The AXCEL Side. I actually had a long list of topics to write about for the newly-launched The […]
[The AXCEL Side] 初めまして。(Nice to meet you!)
The AXCEL Side hajimemashite, personal intro, the axcel side
Hello, my name is Adrianne. I am a 40-something-year-old web developer, blogger, artist, and an enthusiast of a lot of things. I’m a Filipino-American born in the Philippines and raised in the U.S. I speak English, Tagalog, some Spanish, and almost-fluent Japanese. The gist of who I am can be found in the About section. […]
Introducing The AXCEL Side
The AXCEL Side fan blogs, fan stories, the axcel side
Because the guys are on their (more or less) sabbatical period right after their super-hectic months of the first five months of 2019 thanks to RISE, FAITH, and CIRCUS, we won’t be getting any big news and announcements for awhile. This doesn’t mean that they’re going to disappear from the limelight or anything like that, […]
What’s Happening? #25
Spring has officially begun last week (3/20) and March 2019 is reaching its end this weekend. It also marks the end of RISE as the opening theme of the hit anime series The Rising of the Shield Hero. It also marks the end of the group's second radio show run on the JFN PARK radio mobile app, MADKID RISING HOPE. And because the Spring season has begun last week, March also marks the end of MADKID's Winter season... and just the winter season in general.
But April 2019 also marks the beginning of something fresh and new. We already know what they are, right?CIRCUS 1st Album Release Events
The future of MADKID's radio shows on JFN PARK
We still don't have any info of the new show, including the new show's title and when the show will start airing. I'm guessing sometime in May. Stay tuned for more info, either here or on the AXCEL STYLE Twitter.Introducing FAITH
Starting next week's episode of The Rising of the Shield Hero, the 2nd opening theme FAITH will finally premiere--- both versions. If you watch the English dub of the anime on Crunchyroll, the English version of FAITH will also be premiered on that episode as well. The 2nd opening theme (Japanese version) will also have its premiere release digitally on iTunes (Japan region-locked on this day) as well on that same day. On April 12, the rest of the streaming platforms (Spotify, Google Play, etc.) will release the song worldwide. On April 24, their 1st album CIRCUS will drop, which will include FAITH and its English counterpart of the song, as well as RISE English version. This means all y'all Shield Hero fans who dig both RISE and FAITH, whether if it's in Japanese or English, should buy their album on that day.Introducing TANABE-YA
If you've been noticing on the main page of this site, I have been posting episodes of KAZUKI's brand-new YouTube talk show, TANABE-YA. I haven't given much info on what the show's format is about, but if you have been watching and paying attention, you should be familiar with the format already. Kazuki is the group's official MC, spokesperson, comedian, and an all-around motormouth. This guy can't stop talking that he wished to have his own talk show to organize his random talking. He finally got one starting last February: TANABE-YA. The show's length is about 20-25 minutes. The name of the show is fused with Kazuki's last name (Tanabe) and the word heya, which means room. So, in English, the show's name will be TANABE'S ROOM. Kazuki also has a co-host: a comedian and fellow 17/LiveAF streamer who goes by Mori Grill Chicken. The format of the show is as follows:- Every episode will introduce a guest. Kazuki's fellow MADKID members were his first guests (naturally). After MADKID, he will be having a different guest.
- I don't know if this is going to be a permanent segment, but fellow MADKID member SHIN also has his own segment, in which he introduces a type of food, from snacks to refreshments, that's only native or local to his hometown of Miyazaki. He is also a spokesperson for the flagship Miyazaki grocery store KONNE, located in Shibuya, so Tokyo folk has a chance to check out snacks, refreshments, and other goodies not found anywhere else but Miyazaki. I really do hope Shin continues to share us all his favorites!
- A type of card game with Mori-san and the guest(s) for the rest of the show.
You can check out the episodes on YouTube just by searching for たなべや。(Just copy/paste the Japanese text if you don't know how to type in Japanese) Or you can follow the AXCEL STYLE YouTube Channel's playlist of the episodes. And that's it for this post! I was supposed to write this post last weekend, but studies and babysitting duties took a lot of my time and I was completely exhausted and slightly behind my coding studies and projects. Thank you for your patience, everyone. Till next time, Axcels!