MADKID, Axcels, and ALL the happenings...

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!

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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!

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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

MADKID kicks off 2019 with the very first episode of **MAD MUSIC** on LINE LIVE of the new year. The boys began the festivities with a paddle game similar to ping-pong (without a table) and badminton. Rather than "punishing" the loser with the bitter tea, the winner gets to be rewarded with a gift from the staff. SHIN, despite not paying attention to the rules beforehand, defeated the rest of the members until he faced the leader YOU-TA. In the end, the leader prevailed and was rewarded for his victory. Next, the members write their "word for the new year" almost similar to a new year resolution or a new year goal and explained why they chose these words. The members have to write this in *shoudo* (brush calligraphy) format:

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

You can watch the entire episode on your LINE messaging account. Just follow the MADKID Official LINE account by scanning the QR code on the front page of this site. If you are a first-timer Axcel or the first time you've been to this site and are unfamiliar with MAD MUSIC or if you don't have a LINE account, you can watch this episode and all of their past episodes here as well.
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.

On DAY 2 of the SWISH New Year Special, there were 10 acts on the lineup, which of course, includes MADKID. The acts were as follows (in alphabetical order):

BananaLemon

COLOR CREATION

DREAM MAKER

First place

FlowBack

FREAK

MADKID

UNIONE

SOLIDEMO

Yuya Matsushista

Among the 10 acts, MADKID performed second to the last act (FlowBack). Their set list are as follows:

GIANT KILLING

GET STARTED (Remix?)

OVERAGAIN

Lovin' You

RISE

For those who weren't able to attend their last live tour, GIANT KILLING, the SWISH livestream gave those who missed the live tour a chance to see MADKID perform their upcoming single **RISE** on stage. I had to crop the clip to get rid of the frame from the SHOWROOM app, which is why the quality is quite blurry, but please enjoy. https://youtu.be/ubqMszlHu2g
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

The new anime series kicking off in 2019, **The Rising of the Shield Hero** (盾の勇者の成り上がり - *Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari*) will begin airing on Japanese TV later tonight (1/9/19 (Wednesday) JST). Follow the official (Japanese) twitter for the regional airing schedules. But, this doesn't mean that the rest of the world is far behind. If you live in the U.S., the anime will also be on air on the same date (1/9/19 (Wednesday), U.S. time zones) on the Crunchyroll anime streaming service. In fact, the first episode preview was already available for Crunchyroll subscribers since last December, so in a way, we are a little ahead of Japan. Crunchyroll is also available in some countries, however, I also read that some countries are region-locked and aren't able to see the new series. If you don't live in the U.S. and are located in these countries who are unfortunately region-locked, all you have to do is wait for the announcements. There have been videos and other clips about *Shield Hero* spread around on YouTube featuring *RISE* on the opening theme, not by Japanese fans, but by overseas anime fans. I know this is a little "illegal," but this is a good, high chance that MADKID will gain exposure within the worldwide anime/manga community. This would also mean a high chance for MADKID to be invited in some worldwide anime/manga conventions to perform, not just *RISE* but also their other known tracks. Will 2019 be MADKID's year to rising stardom? Let's wait and see! **PERSONAL NOTE:** I will relaunch my writing/reading reviews blog sometime this month to write my reviews and thoughts on *Shield Hero*. Because I'm already way ahead story-wise, I'm re-reading what I've read so far and right now, I'm almost finishing vol. 5 of the light novel series, as of this writing. If you're interested in following my reviews of the anime/light novels, please follow me on that blog instead.
"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!

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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

MADKID kicks off 2019 with the very first episode of **MAD MUSIC** on LINE LIVE of the new year. The boys began the festivities with a paddle game similar to ping-pong (without a table) and badminton. Rather than "punishing" the loser with the bitter tea, the winner gets to be rewarded with a gift from the staff. SHIN, despite not paying attention to the rules beforehand, defeated the rest of the members until he faced the leader YOU-TA. In the end, the leader prevailed and was rewarded for his victory. Next, the members write their "word for the new year" almost similar to a new year resolution or a new year goal and explained why they chose these words. The members have to write this in *shoudo* (brush calligraphy) format:

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

You can watch the entire episode on your LINE messaging account. Just follow the MADKID Official LINE account by scanning the QR code on the front page of this site. If you are a first-timer Axcel or the first time you've been to this site and are unfamiliar with MAD MUSIC or if you don't have a LINE account, you can watch this episode and all of their past episodes here as well.
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.

On DAY 2 of the SWISH New Year Special, there were 10 acts on the lineup, which of course, includes MADKID. The acts were as follows (in alphabetical order):

BananaLemon

COLOR CREATION

DREAM MAKER

First place

FlowBack

FREAK

MADKID

UNIONE

SOLIDEMO

Yuya Matsushista

Among the 10 acts, MADKID performed second to the last act (FlowBack). Their set list are as follows:

GIANT KILLING

GET STARTED (Remix?)

OVERAGAIN

Lovin' You

RISE

For those who weren't able to attend their last live tour, GIANT KILLING, the SWISH livestream gave those who missed the live tour a chance to see MADKID perform their upcoming single **RISE** on stage. I had to crop the clip to get rid of the frame from the SHOWROOM app, which is why the quality is quite blurry, but please enjoy. https://youtu.be/ubqMszlHu2g
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

The new anime series kicking off in 2019, **The Rising of the Shield Hero** (盾の勇者の成り上がり - *Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari*) will begin airing on Japanese TV later tonight (1/9/19 (Wednesday) JST). Follow the official (Japanese) twitter for the regional airing schedules. But, this doesn't mean that the rest of the world is far behind. If you live in the U.S., the anime will also be on air on the same date (1/9/19 (Wednesday), U.S. time zones) on the Crunchyroll anime streaming service. In fact, the first episode preview was already available for Crunchyroll subscribers since last December, so in a way, we are a little ahead of Japan. Crunchyroll is also available in some countries, however, I also read that some countries are region-locked and aren't able to see the new series. If you don't live in the U.S. and are located in these countries who are unfortunately region-locked, all you have to do is wait for the announcements. There have been videos and other clips about *Shield Hero* spread around on YouTube featuring *RISE* on the opening theme, not by Japanese fans, but by overseas anime fans. I know this is a little "illegal," but this is a good, high chance that MADKID will gain exposure within the worldwide anime/manga community. This would also mean a high chance for MADKID to be invited in some worldwide anime/manga conventions to perform, not just *RISE* but also their other known tracks. Will 2019 be MADKID's year to rising stardom? Let's wait and see! **PERSONAL NOTE:** I will relaunch my writing/reading reviews blog sometime this month to write my reviews and thoughts on *Shield Hero*. Because I'm already way ahead story-wise, I'm re-reading what I've read so far and right now, I'm almost finishing vol. 5 of the light novel series, as of this writing. If you're interested in following my reviews of the anime/light novels, please follow me on that blog instead.
"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!

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AXCEL Stories Project

Hello again, fellow Axcels! As promised, here is the entry that will provide more detailed information regarding the **Fan Stories** project. To make it a lot more appropriate, I gave it a title of the project: **AXCEL Stories Project** or just simply call it **AXCEL Stories**.

I've thought long and hard on how I can get this organized, how often will I be posting stories and other factors that play in the project. I'll include them in this post too so that those who may be reading this may probably (?) pitch in some ideas that would make this project run smoothly.

Factors

So, while I was brainstorming about this project, and I really did think about this a lot, there were some factors that came into play:

How often will these fan stories be posted on AXCEL STYLE?
Would there be guest contributors writing their stories on AXCEL STYLE or will the maintainer be writing and posting these stories herself?
Will these fan stories include ones from Japanese Axcels? If so, who will translate them?
Should we also include fan stories from fans who want to remain anonymous?
What types of stories should we accept? Format, etc.?

There are probably more factors I didn't list, but the ones mentioned above are what was going through my head. So, I thought through them and here's what I came up.

How often will these fan stories be posted on AXCEL STYLE?

For the time being, whatever is submitted will go through thorough reviews and then get them posted. I don't expect a huge turnout of submissions in the beginning, but I am somewhat expecting that submissions will eventually increase. But, when we do get a lot of submissions, that's when we'll have to go through batches (monthly, maybe?) and provide a due date of these submissions. It may be like an online magazine in a way, or it may come to have its own stand-alone site, just like with the blog translations and other translations in Letters @ AXCEL STYLE.

But in the beginning, fan stories will commence in **January 2019**. Submissions will be open on December 30 and will be reviewed and posted as we go along. When submissions are increased, that's when I would have to think about management and organization. More on this much later.

Would there be guest contributors writing their stories on AXCEL STYLE or would the maintainer be writing and posting these stories herself?

With this, I decided to make this project a **guest contributor**-based project. What this means is that those who are interested in sharing their fan stories will have a *Contributor* access to this site. You can log in the backend and you can start writing your stories. There will be a video tutorial on how you can post your stories if you've never used a blogging platform before.

But, for those who are familiar with WordPress, then everything should be straightforward.

The *Contributor* access will allow a user to write their posts on the main dashboard. However, once submitted to be posted, I will be reviewing the post first and will also going through proofreads (grammar, spelling, punctuation check). If there are some things questionable with the content of the post, we'll contact you directly.

If you are interested in sharing your stories and be a contributor, you will have to contact me. I'll get to this much later.

Will these fan stories include ones from Japanese Axcels? If so, who will translate them?

I will be honest on a few things: I don't have any Japanese Axcel friends. Sad, but true. Another thing I will be honest on: my Japanese translation skills are on a subpar to close to non-existent level. Third to be honest on: Most Japanese in general are very shy and would rather not share their stories. Tying to that, we also have some of these fans who are what Japanese fandoms consider as *yarakashii* fans and would sometimes pick fights with fellow fans who have the same favorite group/member/artist as them. I'm not saying that us global/non-Japanese fans are any better, as we all know in general that there will be obsessive fans like these in any fandom, no matter what genre or country they may be.

The language barrier is definitely a struggle, and sometimes the shyness and the culture shock can also play a factor too. For now, we'll only focus on global/non-Japanese Axcels until further notice.

Should we also include fan stories from fans who want to remain anonymous?

Here's the truth. Among all five members of MADKID, four out of five know or have visited AXCEL STYLE. In fact, one of them tweeted one of my review posts on his Twitter account.

But, this doesn't guarantee that any of the members come and visit the site frequently. After all, they've got their careers and their lives to work and rehearse that they have very little time to meddle with anything fan-related. That can only mean one thing: they wouldn't take the time reading fan stories posted here.

Fans who want to remain anonymous can still contribute their fan stories, but we want some kind of names (like a nickname or an alias name) to be credited on your stories. We also require your email address so that we can set up and register you on the site and get your contributor account. Also, please provide your location, so that everyone will know which country or city you represent.

What types of stories should we accept? Format, etc.?

Just keep in mind that **fan stories** and **fan fiction stories** are completely different from each other. **Fan stories** are experience stories from fans who may have met, encountered, or at least recognized by MADKID or any one (if not all) of the members. Here are some suggestions that you can get ideas from:

Why is (member name) your bias/favorite member?
How did you discover MADKID and eventually became a fan?
If you like to do fanart, you can share your fanart and tell us your story behind that fanart.
Receiving likes on your tweets and/or Instagram posts by a MADKID member and how you reacted to them.
Your first livestream session with one or a few of the MADKID members (via Instagram Live, 17/LiveAF app, Pococha app, TwitCast app, etc.) - talk about the comments you shared, the responses from that member, your reactions, moments, etc.
When one or a few of the members have read your comment while you're watching MAD MUSIC on LINE (LIVE) or other online-only variety talk show hosts like *Danzen Live* on the Nico Nico video site or *SWISH ROOM* on the Showroom app.
The first (etc.) live or release event you've attended with MADKID on stage when you travel to Japan. This could be one of their one-man lives or their variety lives such as SWISH, TOKYO TRAX, etc. It could be a review of the entire live or what you experienced while watching the live, etc.
The gifts and/or fan letters you sent to MADKID or any one of the members. If it's too personal for you, please don't share it in public.

If you're able to, please provide some screenshots or images that will incorporate to the stories you share. I'm aware that you're not allowed to take any photos during lives and release events unless stated. If you have any videos, please share them by uploading on **YouTube** or any other video platform like **Vimeo**. We do not allow video clips to be uploaded directly to the site.

There's no specific format on how you want to share your story, but we do want you to be honest also. Just writing your story as if you're writing a letter to a close friend is a lot more raw and real than writing your story in a "fan fiction" format if you know what I mean.

I have a story to share!

Please use the contact information in our Contact section. It has an email form that you can send via email or if you have Twitter or Instagram, you can contact me on @axceltweets (Twitter) or @axcelstyle (Instagram). These three are the easiest ways to contact and are guaranteed that I'll be receiving your messages through any of these platforms. Although, I can get to you a lot faster if you through Twitter or Instagram than through email, but it's all up to you.

Once I contact you, you will have to provide me the following:

Your name/username/nickname
Email address (so I'll be able to register and create your contributor login)
(Optional) Twitter account, IG account, or a personal website if you have one

Once you're set up with your contributor account, you'll receive further instructions on what to do next. There will also be a link to a video tutorial in case you're not familiar with the WordPress dashboard.

The process will go as follows:

Write your story along with images, screenshots, fanart, video, etc.
Submit your post to the system. You will be given a notice stating that it's in queue for a review.
Site maintainer (me) will be reviewing your post and make any edits and proofreads when needed.
If there are any questions or clarifications needed on your post, I will be contacting you about it.
Once everything's finalized, your post will be posted.

The *Fan Stories* posts will be on display at the front page at another mosaic grid, right below the main mosaic post grid that you're seeing right now. When it's posted, *@axceltweets* (Twitter) and @axcelstyle (IG) will automatically tweet/post them, so be sure to follow both of them to see that notification.

How often can I share and submit my stories?

If you have plenty that you'd like to share, share them. There's no limit as to how many stories you can share. The more, the merrier!

I will be taking submissions effective **December 30, 2018**. The fan stories posts will be up on the site anytime on **January 2019**.

I have some questions about the project...

Please contact me using any platforms in the Contact section.

And that's it! I really do hope you'd be able to share some of yours so that all other fellow Axcels would be able to read them. It can be a great way to make friends also. I'll be sharing some of my fan stories too when I have the time to do so.

Hope you all have fun! I look forward to reading about your fan stories soon!

View more

What’s Happening? #18

Counting down to 2019!

Hello, Axcels far and wide! 😊

We all hope you are enjoying the holidays as we begin to countdown with this final week of 2018. Knowing MADKID, the year always begins with something huge and special and ending the year the same way. That’s how MADKID rolls and that’s how we AXCELS should roll too.

There are a lot of things that is to come for 2019... and I mean A LOT. Let’s get started, shall we?

"We never going back!"

Why would you want to "go back" when you're already "moving forward"?

On **January 31, 2019**, we will be celebrating the first anniversary of MADKID's major debut with their first major single, ***Never going back***.

For the time being, it's only an announcement. We don't know what's going to happen on that day, but for sure there will be a gathering of some sort with MADKID and the Axcels. Who knows, maybe it'll be livestreamed on LINE LIVE too...

"MADKID RISING HOPE" - New Radio Show

If you have been following AXCEL STYLE since the site was first opened, you'll certainly remember that MADKID had a trial run with a temporary radio show called ***MADKID FROM TOKYO***. Not only that, we all are required to download the Japanese radio streaming app **JFN PARK**. Like the livestream app Shin used for his livestreams in the past, **Pococha**, JFN PARK is another Japan-only app that you (as a non-Japan/foreign fan) would have to do some workaround to get that app installed.

If you were one of the test listeners of *MADKID FROM TOKYO*, AXCEL STYLE has a guide on how to install JFN PARK in English. The page may have outdated screenshots for the demo *MADKID FROM TOKYO*, but as far as I know, the steps and the registration instructions remain the same. I'll be updating the guide with the new radio show title **MADKID RISING HOPE** to avoid any confusion.

If you still have JFN PARK installed in your mobile device, just search for the title: *MADKID RISING HOPE.* The radio show will begin airing on **January 2, 2019** at **10:00 am JST**. The format is (probably) the same as their *MADKID FROM TOKYO* demo show, where the show will be archived should you miss it on the actual date. But, the format of the show itself will be a little different.

The radio show will run for **3 months** starting on Jan. 2nd, then every Wednesdays from then on. The members will have an MC to host their projects this time and will also be challenging the MC with different events and projects. Listeners who get to catch them at the live time (10:00 a.m. JST) will also have the chance to leave messages and requests at the TALK ROOM section of the app.

MADKID + A'GEM/9 Fashion Collab

2018 introduced us to high-end retro-style fashion brand **Hysteric Glamour**, which graced MADKID with 1960s-80s media-inspired fashion, starting from their debut single ***Never going back*** to their summery blue ***Summer Time*** and ***Forever young*** to the stylishly cool ***RISE***. 2019 now introduces us to a new fashion collaboration with fashion brand **A'GEM/9**. Because I don't have a lot of info regarding this fashion line, this may be a surprise.

However, they do have a Twitter account. From reading the description (and consulting with a fellow global Axcel who wears a lot of similar Korean streetwear), A'GEM/9 is a select streetwear fashion distribution shop specializing in Korean streetwear brands. If you are a SHIN or a YUKI bias, the two of them are already strutting their Korean street/K-Pop style fashion for the longest time, and now we get to see all of MADKID donning this *street but sweet* style through this fashion collaboration.

Let's wait and see, Axcels, once 2019 arrives. MADKID is still a J-Pop boy group, regardless of the fashion they wear.

MAD MUSIC New Year's Special Episode

Let's not forget! We still have MAD MUSIC on LINE LIVE!

There will be a **New Year's Special Episode** next Friday, **January 4, 2019**, at **6:00 p.m. JST** on the **LINE** messenger app or (recommended) the **LINE LIVE** mobile livestream app. All you have to do is scan the MADKID Official Line account QR code located at the site's home page and scroll to the bottom and you should be good.

If you want to install the **LINE LIVE** app, you will have to follow the installation instructions as **Pococha** and **JFN PARK**. But, everything is self-explanatory once you install the app in your phone or tablet. The LINE LIVE interface is completely in English.

MADKID LIVE TOUR Spring 2019: "CIRCUS"

Yesterday was the final day of the first live tour, **MADKID LIVE TOUR: "GIANT KILLING."** If you have been an Axcel long enough, you'll notice a pattern with MADKID and all the new events coming up. I've been expecting that brand-new surprises were going to be announced at the end of the final show, and they did.

Aside from the ones mentioned above, the boys already announced their second series of one-man live tours under the guise of "**CIRCUS**." There's still more information about this at a later date, but we finally got a schedule:

**5/18/19** - Fukuoka DRUM SON
**5/19/19** - Osaka RUIDO
**5/25/19** - Nagoya LIVEHALL M.I.D.
**5/29/19** - Tokyo Ebisu Liquid Hall

If you do plan on flying over to Japan to attend one (or more) of the one-man live tours, keep an eye out for more info by following the MADKID Official Twitter account... or follow us if you don't know how to read Japanese.

"RISE" CD Cover Jackets

Type A
Type B

The design of the ***RISE*** CD cover jackets are here! Information about the CD single and its contents are already mentioned on this post. In that way, this will help you decide which type you plan on getting.

**SOURCES:** MADKID Official Twitter, JFN PARK News, AGEM Official Twitter, OMigseu Twitter, MADKID @ Nippon Columbia

AXCEL STYLE Fan Stories

It's coming very soon! We're finally going to open a new section of blog posts straight from the hearts and words of fellow (global) Axcels! We call them **Fan Stories**. I've already touched based a bit on this on the previous post, but I want to make a separate post about the *fan stories* project in full detail, so it doesn't get mixed up with this very long *What's Happening?* post.

I decided to make this project as *guest blogger* based, instead of going through interview-style or me writing everything for that said fan. I think it's a lot more raw and authentic if the fan him/herself writes his/her stories. Again, more to come in detail about this project in another post.

I will also be joining the project as well, as I've got a lot of stories to share.

Keep an eye out on the Twitter account for more tidbits of info and when submissions are open.

Whew, what a long post! But there will be more posts coming as we count down to the end of 2018, which will include a **recap post**.

Till next time, Axcels!

Type A CD Jacket

Type B CD Jacket

View more

What’s Happening? #18

Counting down to 2019!

Hello, Axcels far and wide! 😊

We all hope you are enjoying the holidays as we begin to countdown with this final week of 2018. Knowing MADKID, the year always begins with something huge and special and ending the year the same way. That’s how MADKID rolls and that’s how we AXCELS should roll too.

There are a lot of things that is to come for 2019... and I mean A LOT. Let’s get started, shall we?

"We never going back!"

Why would you want to "go back" when you're already "moving forward"?

On **January 31, 2019**, we will be celebrating the first anniversary of MADKID's major debut with their first major single, ***Never going back***.

For the time being, it's only an announcement. We don't know what's going to happen on that day, but for sure there will be a gathering of some sort with MADKID and the Axcels. Who knows, maybe it'll be livestreamed on LINE LIVE too...

"MADKID RISING HOPE" - New Radio Show

If you have been following AXCEL STYLE since the site was first opened, you'll certainly remember that MADKID had a trial run with a temporary radio show called ***MADKID FROM TOKYO***. Not only that, we all are required to download the Japanese radio streaming app **JFN PARK**. Like the livestream app Shin used for his livestreams in the past, **Pococha**, JFN PARK is another Japan-only app that you (as a non-Japan/foreign fan) would have to do some workaround to get that app installed.

If you were one of the test listeners of *MADKID FROM TOKYO*, AXCEL STYLE has a guide on how to install JFN PARK in English. The page may have outdated screenshots for the demo *MADKID FROM TOKYO*, but as far as I know, the steps and the registration instructions remain the same. I'll be updating the guide with the new radio show title **MADKID RISING HOPE** to avoid any confusion.

If you still have JFN PARK installed in your mobile device, just search for the title: *MADKID RISING HOPE.* The radio show will begin airing on **January 2, 2019** at **10:00 am JST**. The format is (probably) the same as their *MADKID FROM TOKYO* demo show, where the show will be archived should you miss it on the actual date. But, the format of the show itself will be a little different.

The radio show will run for **3 months** starting on Jan. 2nd, then every Wednesdays from then on. The members will have an MC to host their projects this time and will also be challenging the MC with different events and projects. Listeners who get to catch them at the live time (10:00 a.m. JST) will also have the chance to leave messages and requests at the TALK ROOM section of the app.

MADKID + A'GEM/9 Fashion Collab

2018 introduced us to high-end retro-style fashion brand **Hysteric Glamour**, which graced MADKID with 1960s-80s media-inspired fashion, starting from their debut single ***Never going back*** to their summery blue ***Summer Time*** and ***Forever young*** to the stylishly cool ***RISE***. 2019 now introduces us to a new fashion collaboration with fashion brand **A'GEM/9**. Because I don't have a lot of info regarding this fashion line, this may be a surprise.

However, they do have a Twitter account. From reading the description (and consulting with a fellow global Axcel who wears a lot of similar Korean streetwear), A'GEM/9 is a select streetwear fashion distribution shop specializing in Korean streetwear brands. If you are a SHIN or a YUKI bias, the two of them are already strutting their Korean street/K-Pop style fashion for the longest time, and now we get to see all of MADKID donning this *street but sweet* style through this fashion collaboration.

Let's wait and see, Axcels, once 2019 arrives. MADKID is still a J-Pop boy group, regardless of the fashion they wear.

MAD MUSIC New Year's Special Episode

Let's not forget! We still have MAD MUSIC on LINE LIVE!

There will be a **New Year's Special Episode** next Friday, **January 4, 2019**, at **6:00 p.m. JST** on the **LINE** messenger app or (recommended) the **LINE LIVE** mobile livestream app. All you have to do is scan the MADKID Official Line account QR code located at the site's home page and scroll to the bottom and you should be good.

If you want to install the **LINE LIVE** app, you will have to follow the installation instructions as **Pococha** and **JFN PARK**. But, everything is self-explanatory once you install the app in your phone or tablet. The LINE LIVE interface is completely in English.

MADKID LIVE TOUR Spring 2019: "CIRCUS"

Yesterday was the final day of the first live tour, **MADKID LIVE TOUR: "GIANT KILLING."** If you have been an Axcel long enough, you'll notice a pattern with MADKID and all the new events coming up. I've been expecting that brand-new surprises were going to be announced at the end of the final show, and they did.

Aside from the ones mentioned above, the boys already announced their second series of one-man live tours under the guise of "**CIRCUS**." There's still more information about this at a later date, but we finally got a schedule:

**5/18/19** - Fukuoka DRUM SON
**5/19/19** - Osaka RUIDO
**5/25/19** - Nagoya LIVEHALL M.I.D.
**5/29/19** - Tokyo Ebisu Liquid Hall

If you do plan on flying over to Japan to attend one (or more) of the one-man live tours, keep an eye out for more info by following the MADKID Official Twitter account... or follow us if you don't know how to read Japanese.

"RISE" CD Cover Jackets

Type A
Type B

The design of the ***RISE*** CD cover jackets are here! Information about the CD single and its contents are already mentioned on this post. In that way, this will help you decide which type you plan on getting.

**SOURCES:** MADKID Official Twitter, JFN PARK News, AGEM Official Twitter, OMigseu Twitter, MADKID @ Nippon Columbia

AXCEL STYLE Fan Stories

It's coming very soon! We're finally going to open a new section of blog posts straight from the hearts and words of fellow (global) Axcels! We call them **Fan Stories**. I've already touched based a bit on this on the previous post, but I want to make a separate post about the *fan stories* project in full detail, so it doesn't get mixed up with this very long *What's Happening?* post.

I decided to make this project as *guest blogger* based, instead of going through interview-style or me writing everything for that said fan. I think it's a lot more raw and authentic if the fan him/herself writes his/her stories. Again, more to come in detail about this project in another post.

I will also be joining the project as well, as I've got a lot of stories to share.

Keep an eye out on the Twitter account for more tidbits of info and when submissions are open.

Whew, what a long post! But there will be more posts coming as we count down to the end of 2018, which will include a **recap post**.

Till next time, Axcels!

Type A CD Jacket

Type B CD Jacket

View more

What’s Happening? #17

First up, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to those who don't celebrate Christmas or don't celebrate anything in the last month of the year. It's really amazing how 2018 went by really fast! But most of all, if it's chilly where you may live right now, be sure to stay warm, drink plenty of hot beverages (tea), and, as SHIN mentioned on one of his blogs, try and eat some good ol' hot pot for the winter season.

GIANT KILLING One-Man Live Tour

It's here! It's finally happening! OMG! 😱

So, we're counting down to the **GIANT KILLING** One-Man Live tour, and it's happening this upcoming weekend in Osaka and Nagoya! So, if you happen to be there around this time and you didn't get a chance to pre-order tickets online months ago, you can actually order them at the door.

Or, better yet, you can travel to Shibuya, where the third and final day of the GIANT KILLING tour will take place. It will be on the 26th, right after Christmas Day. Tickets are still available for pre-orders online, but it's also possible that you may also purchase tickets at the door too if there happens to have extra tickets.

... and we've got the goodies too!

On each venue, we've got the goodies on sale for you to splurge! The available items are as follows:

Pamphlet
Size L white T-shirt
Clash Denim Tote Bag
Parka hoodie jacket
Muffler towel
SLYKY Gacha-gacha button pins
Original photo sets
**(Limited Edition Special)** Special Sticker sets featuring KAZUKI's art.

If my memory serves me correct, if the official items were not sold out during the venues, they will be available for sale online at the Nippon Columbia store. You would have to use a shipping service such as Tenso to order and purchase the items. I haven't tried this service yet, but hopefully, I'd be able to if the goods go up on sale online.

The Final AXCEL Meeting of the Year!

Are you single? Or if you have a special someone but don't have a clue on where you're going to spend your Christmas Eve date, there is one place: The final **AXCEL MEETING** with MADKID, of course!

Because of the holidays, the boys will be holding the final AXCEL MEETING of the year at **Nippon Columbia Studios** in the afternoon, from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Celebrate Christmas, or whatever it is you celebrate (or not celebrate), with the boys, maybe exchange gifts and share what you want to share with them and your fellow Axcels.

Updates on AXCEL STYLE

If you have been following our Twitter for awhile now, you should see a short 1-week poll that I opened regarding the site. The results came out with the following:

https://twitter.com/axceltweets/status/1069719050282950657

So, if your choice was not the majority, don't worry about it. We're still going to consider the other choices as part of the site, but will not be priority in comparison to the choice majority. In this instance, that would be **Fan Stories with MADKID**.

But, let me explain the choices in full detail first:

**Opinion posts about fandom** - I, or a guest writer, will be writing opinion pieces regarding the MADKID Axcel fandom and/or J-Pop fandom in general. Eventually, there may be some bad apples that will emerge within our budding fandom, so we'll be prepared for this if anything like that should ever happen. So far, the Axcel fandom is still chill.
**Fan stories with MADKID (MDKD)** - These posts will be about fan experiences with MADKID, whether if you're able to see one of their lives in Japan and able to meet the members through their handshake/meet and greet sessions, encounters with one or more of the members on social media, your first time meeting some of the members on livestream, etc. You can even write about your feelings towards the group or your favorite member. Get a little creative if you want by adding some photos or fanart (if you do fanart) of them if you want.
**Guest writers from Axcels** - This idea is a little vague, but I'm leaning on combining this with the **Fan Stories...** idea. I think the fan stories posts would be a lot more authentic if the fan would be writing about it from his/her point of view instead of me writing it. But, this is also a general idea where some Axcels would like to contribute some posts about MADKID. It can be about anything, including opinions, as long as it's about MADKID or the Axcel fandom.
**Other (please reply)** - If you have any ideas other than the ones mentioned, to reply to the tweet with your idea. Unfortunately, whoever voted for this choice didn't even reply to the tweet.

Because **Fan Stories with MADKID** won the majority of the vote, AXCEL STYLE will add this content feature starting next year. Because their 3rd single **RISE** and the **MADKID FACTION** campaign will come to fruition starting January, the first month of 2019 would be the perfect time to introduce this new series of posts. As mentioned regarding **Guest writers from Axcels**, I think I'm going to combine the two.

More information about **Fan Stories** will come much later, hopefully sometime next week or after Christmas Day, so please, stay tuned.

That's all for today before the GIANT KILLING tour, Axcels. Till next time!

View more

What’s Happening? #17

First up, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to those who don't celebrate Christmas or don't celebrate anything in the last month of the year. It's really amazing how 2018 went by really fast! But most of all, if it's chilly where you may live right now, be sure to stay warm, drink plenty of hot beverages (tea), and, as SHIN mentioned on one of his blogs, try and eat some good ol' hot pot for the winter season.

GIANT KILLING One-Man Live Tour

It's here! It's finally happening! OMG! 😱

So, we're counting down to the **GIANT KILLING** One-Man Live tour, and it's happening this upcoming weekend in Osaka and Nagoya! So, if you happen to be there around this time and you didn't get a chance to pre-order tickets online months ago, you can actually order them at the door.

Or, better yet, you can travel to Shibuya, where the third and final day of the GIANT KILLING tour will take place. It will be on the 26th, right after Christmas Day. Tickets are still available for pre-orders online, but it's also possible that you may also purchase tickets at the door too if there happens to have extra tickets.

... and we've got the goodies too!

On each venue, we've got the goodies on sale for you to splurge! The available items are as follows:

Pamphlet
Size L white T-shirt
Clash Denim Tote Bag
Parka hoodie jacket
Muffler towel
SLYKY Gacha-gacha button pins
Original photo sets
**(Limited Edition Special)** Special Sticker sets featuring KAZUKI's art.

If my memory serves me correct, if the official items were not sold out during the venues, they will be available for sale online at the Nippon Columbia store. You would have to use a shipping service such as Tenso to order and purchase the items. I haven't tried this service yet, but hopefully, I'd be able to if the goods go up on sale online.

The Final AXCEL Meeting of the Year!

Are you single? Or if you have a special someone but don't have a clue on where you're going to spend your Christmas Eve date, there is one place: The final **AXCEL MEETING** with MADKID, of course!

Because of the holidays, the boys will be holding the final AXCEL MEETING of the year at **Nippon Columbia Studios** in the afternoon, from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Celebrate Christmas, or whatever it is you celebrate (or not celebrate), with the boys, maybe exchange gifts and share what you want to share with them and your fellow Axcels.

Updates on AXCEL STYLE

If you have been following our Twitter for awhile now, you should see a short 1-week poll that I opened regarding the site. The results came out with the following:

https://twitter.com/axceltweets/status/1069719050282950657

So, if your choice was not the majority, don't worry about it. We're still going to consider the other choices as part of the site, but will not be priority in comparison to the choice majority. In this instance, that would be **Fan Stories with MADKID**.

But, let me explain the choices in full detail first:

**Opinion posts about fandom** - I, or a guest writer, will be writing opinion pieces regarding the MADKID Axcel fandom and/or J-Pop fandom in general. Eventually, there may be some bad apples that will emerge within our budding fandom, so we'll be prepared for this if anything like that should ever happen. So far, the Axcel fandom is still chill.
**Fan stories with MADKID (MDKD)** - These posts will be about fan experiences with MADKID, whether if you're able to see one of their lives in Japan and able to meet the members through their handshake/meet and greet sessions, encounters with one or more of the members on social media, your first time meeting some of the members on livestream, etc. You can even write about your feelings towards the group or your favorite member. Get a little creative if you want by adding some photos or fanart (if you do fanart) of them if you want.
**Guest writers from Axcels** - This idea is a little vague, but I'm leaning on combining this with the **Fan Stories...** idea. I think the fan stories posts would be a lot more authentic if the fan would be writing about it from his/her point of view instead of me writing it. But, this is also a general idea where some Axcels would like to contribute some posts about MADKID. It can be about anything, including opinions, as long as it's about MADKID or the Axcel fandom.
**Other (please reply)** - If you have any ideas other than the ones mentioned, to reply to the tweet with your idea. Unfortunately, whoever voted for this choice didn't even reply to the tweet.

Because **Fan Stories with MADKID** won the majority of the vote, AXCEL STYLE will add this content feature starting next year. Because their 3rd single **RISE** and the **MADKID FACTION** campaign will come to fruition starting January, the first month of 2019 would be the perfect time to introduce this new series of posts. As mentioned regarding **Guest writers from Axcels**, I think I'm going to combine the two.

More information about **Fan Stories** will come much later, hopefully sometime next week or after Christmas Day, so please, stay tuned.

That's all for today before the GIANT KILLING tour, Axcels. Till next time!

View more

[REVIEW] LIN & HYLEN (feat. RI-U) – IRONICAL

**LYRICS:** IRONICAL (LIN rap line only)

For the month of November, LIN & HYLEN released another collaborated joint with fellow brother boy group **XOX**'s rapper, **Riku Tanaka** (credited under the pseudonym **RI-U**). Because of MADKID's heavy schedules back in October, the two partners-in-crime haven't released a single for that month. But, now they're back in action, as the end of the year continues to close in, little by little.

Lin & Hylen have done a good number of collaborations with third-party collaborators in their recent few singles from a solo rapper (LIL'B) to a duo of vocalist and mixmaster (XYLOZ), but with **IRONICAL**, this was the first time that the duo have collaborated with a member of an already seasoned, well-known boy group, **XOX**. We've seen MADKID perform with various dance and vocal groups of all backgrounds, whether they're from the major leagues to the indie scene, on huge live events like the SWISH series, TOKYO TRAX series, and more, but we rarely, almost never, see any of these groups do collaborations with each other when it comes to originally produced tracks.

Even though that this is a side collaboration with XOX's Riku Tanaka/RI-U, this could also mean a sign that there will be many future collaborations with more established artists and groups. Who knows, some of these tracks may even end up being released as a major track and get counted on the coveted Oricon Charts. Let's all hope for the best!

As we all know, the kickoff of MADKID's end of the year one-man live tour, **GIANT KILLING**, begins this weekend, **12/15**, in Osaka, followed by their second day on **12/16** in Nagoya. There will be a long break as we all spend the Christmas holidays with our loved ones. After Christmas Day, the final day of the tour will be back in Shibuya on **12/26**. After that, we get to spend the rest of the final days of 2018 resting, preparing for the new year, and spending more time with our family and friends.

But first, let's check out the November single, **IRONICAL**.

The title **IRONICAL** is based on the English vocabulary word *ironical*. The meaning of the word is rooted from the noun *irony* and is also the same meaning as the more known term *ironic*. According to the Quick and Dirty Tips English Grammar section, *ironical* is a much older version of *ironic*, and because of the English colonization of many parts of the world including the U.S., different varieties and "dialects" of English have been developed in each colonized nation. Because *ironical* is the original word, the term is more common in the U.K. than it is in the U.S., Canada, Australia, or any other English-speaking nation.

So, in other words, *ironical* is not a typo or an intended misspelling.

To start off the song, we get this very simple, very nice, very laid back organ chord, followed by another smooth, laid-back beat. Imagine yourself driving in an open-top convertible with your homeboys, just bopping your heads while cruising through the streets at 2 mi/h (3.22 km/h) so everybody sees you. And while the song hypnotizes the bystanders, they begin to follow you Pied Piper-style, leading them to some special place where you can party all day, all night. For me, that's how I pictured on the first few chords.

**IRONICAL** reminded me of those iconic past hip-hop/rap songs from the '90s-early 2000s where the lyrics' message is in "poetic" format expressing the sadness and disappointment of the man towards a girl who pretty much played him. We've heard of those types of hip-hop tracks before, but there are at times where society dismisses them, criticizing these forms as random rambling. Sometimes, the tune and sound of a song can play tricks on our minds, thinking that a song that sounded so smooth and relaxing would also mean that the lyrics sung to this sound would have the same theme.

In the case of **IRONICAL**, that doesn't mean that the sound/tune of a song and the lyrics performed to the song are the same. After all, as the title says, the lyrics and the sound opposite (but complement) each other, which makes this song *ironical*.

LIN posted his part of the song on his lyrics blog, but other than LIN being dope as eff as always, how about giving some props to Riku Tanaka's/RI-U's rapid-fire rhyming skills? Though it's still difficult for me to pick up Japanese lyrics (especially rap lyrics) by ear, his style and flow is a huge contrast in comparison to the style and genre of music that his group, XOX, is known for. Maybe it's a little too early or sudden to say this, but maybe in the near future that XOX may try to experiment with other concepts since their lineup change, just like how MADKID stepped down from their usual upbeat badass concept to something more relaxing and smooth during the summer when they released their 2nd major single, **Summer Time**.

You can check out **IRONICAL** from your favorite audio streaming services right now.

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THE 4 Vows of the MADKID FACTION

Greetings from President (Leader) YOU-TA.
CD Recession - do you know this word? In Japan, the number of CD sales has peaked in 1998, and since then, sales have been decreasing. The spread of the internet, mobile phones, and flat-rate (audio) streaming services have diversified the consumers' trends, and thus, CDs were not being sold well. Simultaneously, sales from the music industry as a whole are said to have declined. However, honesty is not relevant, because good music never dies. I think that there is always a song that cannot be forgotten in everyone's memories and a song to listen to when there is time. Music is always accompanied by one person's life. As the leader of MADKID and one human being, only the unity of the five of us together that a MADKID LIVE is completed. Each LIVE is a once in a lifetime event where you can go from sorrow to joy, defined only in each of those specific moments. There is no guarantee that the one who came to yesterday's LIVE will come to today's LIVE. That moment is the first and the last. That is why everything is now visible. There are still many people around the world who are unfamiliar with MADKID. We will continue to perform the stage seriously from this point on. We have no intention to say "If you don't mind, please come and see us" with an easy feeling. However, when you do come and see us, we are confident that you will feel "something." Therefore, please come, feel that "something" within your own skin. We will change the music industry in Japan. With our body and soul, we will continue to tread forward with all AXCELS to support MADKID. The catchphrase is PLAY WITH ME.

3rd Single "RISE" Release Campaign: MADKI党の４つの公約
In every single MADKID releases, there's always a themed campaign series to promote the upcoming single. For their new single ***RISE*** is **MADKI党**. In the Japanese language, how this word is read is a pun to make it sound like MADKID. The kanji character 党 *(tou)* means *(political) party*, *faction*, *clique*, *association*, etc. Because the theme does resemble something of a political campaign aiming for world domination, I decided to translate the campaign name to **The 4 Vows of the MADKID FACTION**. Starting this weekend, **December 1st**, (President) YOU-TA will return from his hiatus. With him back in action, the MADKID FACTION release events begin. The lucky Axcels in Japan who will be attending their release event on that day will get to hear one of the two B-side singles, ***Puzzle***. As for as global Axcels, we may not get to hear at least a sample of the track unless if we're able to watch the first episode of ***The Rising of the Shield Hero*** anime to be aired on January 2019 or wait until February 6, the official release date.
The 4 Vows of the MADKID FACTION
Along with the release events, there are some little perks that the faction calls **The 4 Vows of the MADKID FACTION**. Here they are below: Posters and flyers and ads, oh my! In 100 locations throughout Japan, the faction has plans to post a lot of posters, flyers, and other ads throughout every street corner, every small business, every train station, and every block, promoting the 3rd single ***RISE***, as well as promoting the faction. The faction's epidemic begins right here. The faction's first one-man live as a mainstream dance and vocal group held back in April 2018... did you get to go and watch? Did you miss it? Did you want to go but unable too? Or are you a brand-new Axcel who has never seen a single live performance and want to see a lot? No worries, the faction got your back. If you purchase the **Type A** version of the *RISE* CD, you will get to see the entire footage of the 4th One-Man live and the introduction of their second major single release, ***Summer Time***, included in TYPE A's DVD with the *RISE* music video and its behind-the-screen footage. Yes, indeed! The faction vows for world domination by winning more hearts with plenty of smiles! 😊 Okay, maybe that only works with Shin and that infectious smile of his... ❤ But, in all seriousness, the faction has been known to ooze the cool and swag vibe, almost to the point that they become more intimidating than welcoming because of their lack of smiles. When you do have a chance to attend one of their release dates, rest assured that you will be welcomed with a whole lot more smiles. Why? Because we all know that even with a simple smile, all smiles matter. That is a faction vow. Want to surprise that one special someone, but don't know how you'd be able to do that? The faction can assist you in preparing the best surprise moment for you and that special someone. That can be a birthday surprise, a surprise celebration of one's success such as graduation or a job promotion, or even a special proposal for marriage. Is the faction capable to turn the moments sweeter from a surprise? Have you heard of the words of Never judge the book by its cover? The same applies here. The utmost badassery spawning from their well-known tracks is not afraid to shed their coolness and show their sweet tenderness to make your moments a lot sweeter. The faction altogether has the words written on them: street but sweet. But how can you reach for their assistance? Join the faction and declare yourself an AXCEL, of course!
March with the FACTION! Join and become an AXCEL!
Stay tuned for more news and surprises during the faction's long release campaign. New Axcels, current Axcels, and those wanting to become Axcels, in one of these days, will be called upon by the faction to provide assistance to their cause. Are you up to it? Now, spread the word out, have them register to join the faction, and become an AXCEL!

View more

THE 4 Vows of the MADKID FACTION

Greetings from President (Leader) YOU-TA.
CD Recession - do you know this word? In Japan, the number of CD sales has peaked in 1998, and since then, sales have been decreasing. The spread of the internet, mobile phones, and flat-rate (audio) streaming services have diversified the consumers' trends, and thus, CDs were not being sold well. Simultaneously, sales from the music industry as a whole are said to have declined. However, honesty is not relevant, because good music never dies. I think that there is always a song that cannot be forgotten in everyone's memories and a song to listen to when there is time. Music is always accompanied by one person's life. As the leader of MADKID and one human being, only the unity of the five of us together that a MADKID LIVE is completed. Each LIVE is a once in a lifetime event where you can go from sorrow to joy, defined only in each of those specific moments. There is no guarantee that the one who came to yesterday's LIVE will come to today's LIVE. That moment is the first and the last. That is why everything is now visible. There are still many people around the world who are unfamiliar with MADKID. We will continue to perform the stage seriously from this point on. We have no intention to say "If you don't mind, please come and see us" with an easy feeling. However, when you do come and see us, we are confident that you will feel "something." Therefore, please come, feel that "something" within your own skin. We will change the music industry in Japan. With our body and soul, we will continue to tread forward with all AXCELS to support MADKID. The catchphrase is PLAY WITH ME.

3rd Single "RISE" Release Campaign: MADKI党の４つの公約
In every single MADKID releases, there's always a themed campaign series to promote the upcoming single. For their new single ***RISE*** is **MADKI党**. In the Japanese language, how this word is read is a pun to make it sound like MADKID. The kanji character 党 *(tou)* means *(political) party*, *faction*, *clique*, *association*, etc. Because the theme does resemble something of a political campaign aiming for world domination, I decided to translate the campaign name to **The 4 Vows of the MADKID FACTION**. Starting this weekend, **December 1st**, (President) YOU-TA will return from his hiatus. With him back in action, the MADKID FACTION release events begin. The lucky Axcels in Japan who will be attending their release event on that day will get to hear one of the two B-side singles, ***Puzzle***. As for as global Axcels, we may not get to hear at least a sample of the track unless if we're able to watch the first episode of ***The Rising of the Shield Hero*** anime to be aired on January 2019 or wait until February 6, the official release date.
The 4 Vows of the MADKID FACTION
Along with the release events, there are some little perks that the faction calls **The 4 Vows of the MADKID FACTION**. Here they are below: Posters and flyers and ads, oh my! In 100 locations throughout Japan, the faction has plans to post a lot of posters, flyers, and other ads throughout every street corner, every small business, every train station, and every block, promoting the 3rd single ***RISE***, as well as promoting the faction. The faction's epidemic begins right here. The faction's first one-man live as a mainstream dance and vocal group held back in April 2018... did you get to go and watch? Did you miss it? Did you want to go but unable too? Or are you a brand-new Axcel who has never seen a single live performance and want to see a lot? No worries, the faction got your back. If you purchase the **Type A** version of the *RISE* CD, you will get to see the entire footage of the 4th One-Man live and the introduction of their second major single release, ***Summer Time***, included in TYPE A's DVD with the *RISE* music video and its behind-the-screen footage. Yes, indeed! The faction vows for world domination by winning more hearts with plenty of smiles! 😊 Okay, maybe that only works with Shin and that infectious smile of his... ❤ But, in all seriousness, the faction has been known to ooze the cool and swag vibe, almost to the point that they become more intimidating than welcoming because of their lack of smiles. When you do have a chance to attend one of their release dates, rest assured that you will be welcomed with a whole lot more smiles. Why? Because we all know that even with a simple smile, all smiles matter. That is a faction vow. Want to surprise that one special someone, but don't know how you'd be able to do that? The faction can assist you in preparing the best surprise moment for you and that special someone. That can be a birthday surprise, a surprise celebration of one's success such as graduation or a job promotion, or even a special proposal for marriage. Is the faction capable to turn the moments sweeter from a surprise? Have you heard of the words of Never judge the book by its cover? The same applies here. The utmost badassery spawning from their well-known tracks is not afraid to shed their coolness and show their sweet tenderness to make your moments a lot sweeter. The faction altogether has the words written on them: street but sweet. But how can you reach for their assistance? Join the faction and declare yourself an AXCEL, of course!
March with the FACTION! Join and become an AXCEL!
Stay tuned for more news and surprises during the faction's long release campaign. New Axcels, current Axcels, and those wanting to become Axcels, in one of these days, will be called upon by the faction to provide assistance to their cause. Are you up to it? Now, spread the word out, have them register to join the faction, and become an AXCEL!

View more

What’s Happening? #16

To all my fellow American Axcels out there, Happy belated Thanksgiving! To all my fellow Axcels around the world, Happy Holidays! Whether you're celebrating Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hannukah, or not celebrating anything at all, please enjoy the rest of 2018 as we are nearing to a close. But, AXCEL STYLE has been quiet. That's because MADKID has been quiet and also, I have been busy myself seeking for a new job and taking code/dev bootcamp preps and enrolling in coding bootcamp programs. But the primary reason was that MADKID had been quiet most of November. Still, the silence was very well worth it, because we've got PLENTY of things going on that is to come when we kick off 2019. Just like their major debut back in January 2018, something awesome will be happening alongside the current events that we have today. But first, a little bit of a throwback.

MAD MUSIC Special Edition Episodes
As part of the ***One for All, All for One*** campaign, **MAD MUSIC** provided four special episodes starring all four members coming in pairs per episode. More info about the campaign here. Throughout all four special episodes, the format is the same. The only difference is that there were different members and come in four combinations of pairs. At the beginning of the episode, the pair is presented with a letter from the leader on hiatus, YOU-TA, with a few instructions regarding the members' efforts of continuing MADKID's activities without him. At the second half of the episode, the pair will play against each other in a Yamanote Match . Based on the points earned from the game, You-ta will reward the members with a lunch treat:

**1st Place**: Yakiniku Lunch
**2nd Place**: Gyudon Bowls & Starbucks
**3rd & 4th Place (?)**: Bento Box Lunch
At the end of the special edition series, the results came out:
**LIN** - Yakiniku Lunch
**SHIN & YUKI (tied for 2nd place)** - Gyudon Bowls & Starbucks
**KAZUKI** - Bento Box Lunch
Congratulations to all four members! Here are a few highlights I extracted from the MAD MUSIC archives, but do visit their archives channel to watch the replays:
MAD MUSIC Special Edition 3: KAZUKI reads YOU-TA's letter in English
Because Google Translate is everybody's best friend, YOU-TA decides to troll KAZUKI by writing his mission letter in (Google Translated) English and having him read it aloud. All the MADKID members, long-time Axcels, and those who know Kazuki well know that he has the worst English ability of the group. Will Kazuki succeed? https://youtu.be/2f0CZ3JYyVY
MAD MUSIC Special Edition 4: K-Pop Groups Yamanote Game
The two hardcore K-Pop fanboys of MADKID, SHIN and YUKI, square off with each other by listing out all their favorite K-Pop artists and groups. https://youtu.be/qJTMSjRLFLo Finally, we fast forward till today.
The return of YOU-TA
**December 1st** is the official date of YOU-TA's return from his month-long hiatus and resume his activities with MADKID. And as part of the celebration of his return, he will be having another **MAD MUSIC** special episode on his own to be aired on **December 6 (Thursday)** at 8:00 p.m JST. For those who haven't had a chance to meet him, whether in person or in real life, will finally have a chance to hang out with him, send him some comments, welcome him back from his month-long medical rest. We don't know exactly what You-ta has in store for us, so please, don't miss this!
KAZUKI Solo Covers Project 2: Mika Nakashima's "ORION"
KAZUKI continues to grace our ears with his soothing voice and the sweetest songs! Here, he covers Mika Nakashima's sweet hit, ***ORION***. https://youtu.be/2tBzwBNIWro
3rd Major Single: "RISE"
I've only been a fan for about 8 months now, and when I first started, it was only two weeks until MADKID's fourth one-man live. During their live, they also made a huge announcement: the release of their second major single, ***Summer Time***. Somehow, when MADKID announced their one-man live concert tour this coming December, I also had a gut feeling that they will be having a new release. The only thing then was whether it would be a new single or a full-length album. As of yesterday's AXCEL MEETING (7/25) and YOU-TA's monthly live, They made their huge announcement prior to the upcoming **GIANT KILLING** live tour and YOU-TA's official return: MADKID's third major single, ***RISE***, will be released early 2019 on **February 6**, in CD format with 2 types as always, as well as the digital format that you can purchase and download from major audio streaming platforms such as **iTunes/Apple Music**, **Spotify**, and now **Google Play Music**. The CD releases will come in two types: **Type A** and **Type B**. The differences are as follows.
TYPE A (CD + DVD):

RISE
Puzzle
出ていってよ
RISE (instrumental)
Puzzle (instrumental)
出ていってよ (instrumental)

TYPE A DVD:

4th One-Man Live "Never Going Back" (4/28/2018)
RISE music video
BTS (behind the screen) of the RISE music video

TYPE B (CD only):

RISE
Puzzle
出ていってよ
RISE (instrumental)
Puzzle (instrumental)
出ていってよ (instrumental)
Unlike their previous major singles, **RISE** is a little bit more special. **RISE** was also chosen as the opening theme for the upcoming anime version of Aneko Yusagi's light novel/manga series, ***The Rising of the Shield Hero***. It may be an anime opening theme, but because anime and manga (as well as light novels) are immensely popular around the world, this will finally bring MADKID's recognition to the world through this opening theme. The light novel series was first published in Japan back in 2013. The English translation of the light novels was published and released in the U.S. back in 2015. Around that time, I was still in otaku storyteller/reader mode and purchased the first four volumes in Kindle format. I haven't been keeping in touch with the series itself, but as reported, the series is still ongoing. ***Shield Hero*** is the story of a (video games) otaku college student named Naofumi Iwatani, who was magically transported in a fantasy world after stumbling upon a very old fantasy novel during his visit in the library. Stuck with three others, also transported from Japan, Naofumi must train himself to be a full-pledged chosen warrior, the *Hero of the Shield*, by forming parties, take up quests, and level himself from nothing to a powerful hero. It sounds like your typical fantasy MMORPG at first, but that's exactly the type of world Naofumi ended up at. There is also a manga version published after the light novels, but personally, I prefer reading light novels. I like to imagine things in my head as I read, and even though I haven't kept up for years now, I still recommend this to all avid readers of fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, and adventure. The light novels and manga (if you prefer) are available online at Amazon and online bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
"RISE" Release Events Campaign
Just like with **Never going back** and **Summer Time**, MADKID will be launching a three-month long campaign starting this weekend. More information on this campaign will be posted in an article right after this.
Updates on AXCEL STYLE
We now have a new theme and a new look to commemorate the upcoming release of the 3rd single, ***RISE***. As you can see at the gorgeous visuals above, the boys are sporting a red and black theme. So, I created a whole new theme with the red and black scheme on it. And that would be it for today's ***What's Happening?*** post. More to come, I promise! Till next time, Axcels! **SOURCES:** MADKID Twitter, MADKID Official website

View more

What’s Happening? #16

To all my fellow American Axcels out there, Happy belated Thanksgiving! To all my fellow Axcels around the world, Happy Holidays! Whether you're celebrating Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hannukah, or not celebrating anything at all, please enjoy the rest of 2018 as we are nearing to a close. But, AXCEL STYLE has been quiet. That's because MADKID has been quiet and also, I have been busy myself seeking for a new job and taking code/dev bootcamp preps and enrolling in coding bootcamp programs. But the primary reason was that MADKID had been quiet most of November. Still, the silence was very well worth it, because we've got PLENTY of things going on that is to come when we kick off 2019. Just like their major debut back in January 2018, something awesome will be happening alongside the current events that we have today. But first, a little bit of a throwback.

MAD MUSIC Special Edition Episodes
As part of the ***One for All, All for One*** campaign, **MAD MUSIC** provided four special episodes starring all four members coming in pairs per episode. More info about the campaign here. Throughout all four special episodes, the format is the same. The only difference is that there were different members and come in four combinations of pairs. At the beginning of the episode, the pair is presented with a letter from the leader on hiatus, YOU-TA, with a few instructions regarding the members' efforts of continuing MADKID's activities without him. At the second half of the episode, the pair will play against each other in a Yamanote Match . Based on the points earned from the game, You-ta will reward the members with a lunch treat:

**1st Place**: Yakiniku Lunch
**2nd Place**: Gyudon Bowls & Starbucks
**3rd & 4th Place (?)**: Bento Box Lunch
At the end of the special edition series, the results came out:
**LIN** - Yakiniku Lunch
**SHIN & YUKI (tied for 2nd place)** - Gyudon Bowls & Starbucks
**KAZUKI** - Bento Box Lunch
Congratulations to all four members! Here are a few highlights I extracted from the MAD MUSIC archives, but do visit their archives channel to watch the replays:
MAD MUSIC Special Edition 3: KAZUKI reads YOU-TA's letter in English
Because Google Translate is everybody's best friend, YOU-TA decides to troll KAZUKI by writing his mission letter in (Google Translated) English and having him read it aloud. All the MADKID members, long-time Axcels, and those who know Kazuki well know that he has the worst English ability of the group. Will Kazuki succeed? https://youtu.be/2f0CZ3JYyVY
MAD MUSIC Special Edition 4: K-Pop Groups Yamanote Game
The two hardcore K-Pop fanboys of MADKID, SHIN and YUKI, square off with each other by listing out all their favorite K-Pop artists and groups. https://youtu.be/qJTMSjRLFLo Finally, we fast forward till today.
The return of YOU-TA
**December 1st** is the official date of YOU-TA's return from his month-long hiatus and resume his activities with MADKID. And as part of the celebration of his return, he will be having another **MAD MUSIC** special episode on his own to be aired on **December 6 (Thursday)** at 8:00 p.m JST. For those who haven't had a chance to meet him, whether in person or in real life, will finally have a chance to hang out with him, send him some comments, welcome him back from his month-long medical rest. We don't know exactly what You-ta has in store for us, so please, don't miss this!
KAZUKI Solo Covers Project 2: Mika Nakashima's "ORION"
KAZUKI continues to grace our ears with his soothing voice and the sweetest songs! Here, he covers Mika Nakashima's sweet hit, ***ORION***. https://youtu.be/2tBzwBNIWro
3rd Major Single: "RISE"
I've only been a fan for about 8 months now, and when I first started, it was only two weeks until MADKID's fourth one-man live. During their live, they also made a huge announcement: the release of their second major single, ***Summer Time***. Somehow, when MADKID announced their one-man live concert tour this coming December, I also had a gut feeling that they will be having a new release. The only thing then was whether it would be a new single or a full-length album. As of yesterday's AXCEL MEETING (7/25) and YOU-TA's monthly live, They made their huge announcement prior to the upcoming **GIANT KILLING** live tour and YOU-TA's official return: MADKID's third major single, ***RISE***, will be released early 2019 on **February 6**, in CD format with 2 types as always, as well as the digital format that you can purchase and download from major audio streaming platforms such as **iTunes/Apple Music**, **Spotify**, and now **Google Play Music**. The CD releases will come in two types: **Type A** and **Type B**. The differences are as follows.
TYPE A (CD + DVD):

RISE
Puzzle
出ていってよ
RISE (instrumental)
Puzzle (instrumental)
出ていってよ (instrumental)

TYPE A DVD:

4th One-Man Live "Never Going Back" (4/28/2018)
RISE music video
BTS (behind the screen) of the RISE music video

TYPE B (CD only):

RISE
Puzzle
出ていってよ
RISE (instrumental)
Puzzle (instrumental)
出ていってよ (instrumental)
Unlike their previous major singles, **RISE** is a little bit more special. **RISE** was also chosen as the opening theme for the upcoming anime version of Aneko Yusagi's light novel/manga series, ***The Rising of the Shield Hero***. It may be an anime opening theme, but because anime and manga (as well as light novels) are immensely popular around the world, this will finally bring MADKID's recognition to the world through this opening theme. The light novel series was first published in Japan back in 2013. The English translation of the light novels was published and released in the U.S. back in 2015. Around that time, I was still in otaku storyteller/reader mode and purchased the first four volumes in Kindle format. I haven't been keeping in touch with the series itself, but as reported, the series is still ongoing. ***Shield Hero*** is the story of a (video games) otaku college student named Naofumi Iwatani, who was magically transported in a fantasy world after stumbling upon a very old fantasy novel during his visit in the library. Stuck with three others, also transported from Japan, Naofumi must train himself to be a full-pledged chosen warrior, the *Hero of the Shield*, by forming parties, take up quests, and level himself from nothing to a powerful hero. It sounds like your typical fantasy MMORPG at first, but that's exactly the type of world Naofumi ended up at. There is also a manga version published after the light novels, but personally, I prefer reading light novels. I like to imagine things in my head as I read, and even though I haven't kept up for years now, I still recommend this to all avid readers of fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, and adventure. The light novels and manga (if you prefer) are available online at Amazon and online bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
"RISE" Release Events Campaign
Just like with **Never going back** and **Summer Time**, MADKID will be launching a three-month long campaign starting this weekend. More information on this campaign will be posted in an article right after this.
Updates on AXCEL STYLE
We now have a new theme and a new look to commemorate the upcoming release of the 3rd single, ***RISE***. As you can see at the gorgeous visuals above, the boys are sporting a red and black theme. So, I created a whole new theme with the red and black scheme on it. And that would be it for today's ***What's Happening?*** post. More to come, I promise! Till next time, Axcels! **SOURCES:** MADKID Twitter, MADKID Official website

View more

[REVIEW] GIANT KILLING

Welcome, November! It's almost the end of the year, and why not end it with a bang? As we enter YOU-TA's 30-something-day hiatus period as he recovers from his recent polyps removal surgery two weekends ago, the remaining four are taking strides to continue without their leader. One of these happens to be a prelude to their upcoming one-man live nationwide tour this coming December. That prelude is revealed in a digital-only format single sharing the same name as their tour, **GIANT KILLING**. The single is now available for purchase and download in your favorite audio streaming services, such as **iTunes**, **Apple Music**, **Google Play Music**, and **Spotify**. When we first heard of their newest single from last month's MAD MUSIC, the members already gave us a hint that GIANT KILLING will be a "mashup remix" of two singles, ***I Don't Care*** and ***Never going back***. I have to say that upon hearing the teaser of the song, the boys were not joking. Just transitioning slowly from the smooth and relaxing period of ***Summer Time***, fall is almost nearing its end and Winter will be creeping in soon. This can also mean that we need the hard push and the adrenaline rush that we need to stay warm and on fire to our daily lives or goals that we are about to enter and take the chance while opportunities are available. When the weather begins to cool, we need an *accelerator* to battle the cold and keep us moving through all obstacles and reach for our goals. The lyrics of GIANT KILLING is exactly what that is about.
The meaning behind "GIANT KILLING"
What do the words *GIANT KILLING* mean? If you happen to be a native English speaker, we don't normally put the words "giant" and "killing" together in the everyday spoken language. Let's ignore the "killing" from the title for now and focus on the first word, "giant." Since revealing the end of the year one-man live tour back in the Summer, I pondered about the name of their tour, because "giant killing" can mean anything, whether if it was a direct meaning or a deeper meaning behind it. Along with the release of the single earlier today (in America), a short interview article of MADKID from Billboard Japan was also released. Other than the relatable chorus (which is mostly in English), it's now clear what the message of this song is about. I say it's relatable because this is what we all face every single day. We always wanted to recluse ourselves in our comfort shells, comfort zones, comfort walls, whatever you may call it. Comfort shells, our very own spot for comfort and safety, are built with these invisible walls. We can't always break through them because we don't want to break through them. And as we continue having that same mindset, these walls continue to grow taller and larger, eventually becoming *giant* walls. Then somewhere out there, we see a good opportunity for us to grasp and claim. However, each opportunity always has requirements in exchange for you to claim it as yours. Requirements such as experience, knowledge, solid backgrounds related to that opportunity, in which these can also be some of the materials that make up our personal walls. But what makes these walls continue to grow faster is our lack of confidence in ourselves. And then, we see this opportunity that's right outside our shell. We need to get to it. How can we do it? We break down our giant shell. We demolish our giant shell. We *kill* the *giant shell*. Not only that the lyrics resonate in us, but it also resonates MADKID from Day One until today. The story is in that Billboard Japan article that I just linked. It will be translated and posted on the Letters @ AXCEL STYLE blog.
The sounds
As the members mentioned before, the song has a mashup remix feel of *I Don't Care* and *Never going back*. In other words, this is going to be a very upbeat, high-adrenaline rush rhythmed track. As seen on the teaser tweeted by the MADKID staff, the song is what we all expected. The echoing chorus of "*Don't be afraid and just take your chance now... take your chance now... no one can stop me..."* pretty much sums up the entire message of the song. The message matches the high-energy uptempo beat. After all, it won't do any good if you utter these words in a slow and normal tone because it doesn't have its *accelerator*. Not only that those words echo and become a highlight of the song, but the fast rhythm itself is more than enough to push you out of your shell and break yourself out and grasp that opportunity waiting for you. A personal tidbit about myself that I'd like to share right now: I want to be a better web developer (or a web engineer) that is focused and able to build things with clean, efficient code. The only way for me to reach my goal is to apply for a coding bootcamp. But, applying in a thorough bootcamp has its own requirements. Without GIANT KILLING playing in my head, I would still be hiding in my comfort shell. After hearing the song many times, it has become my personal anthem. The song is about 3:30 long, so it's not a very long song. However, the song itself isn't just a prelude to their upcoming tour next month, but it has also become MADKID's open testament to the Axcels and to everyone else. They've gone through several obstacles from the group's formation and now they are a major mainstream artist. 2018 has become a huge year for MADKID, and they've only just begun.
This is it? Just the digital single?
If there was an accompanying MV to this song, that would have been released first before the single itself. There won't be any CDs for this song either. That would also mean that you would have to play the song by your ear if you want to write down the lyrics. Releasing a digital-only single can also mean one thing. They are aiming to build something a lot bigger sometime early next year. GIANT KILLING is their testament song. For sure, I feel that they're creating something a lot more huge than this single. Once again, GIANT KILLING is now available for purchase and download from iTunes, Apple Music, Google Play Music, and Spotify.

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