The J-Pop girl group f5ve has just released their new song, "Magic Clock" (f5ve, Youtube, 2025). This evening, I took a few minutes to sit down and patiently replay the music video a few times. Despite the video's short length, it sparks a great amount of discussion.
First off, this song is unique compared to a lot of other songs that I have reviewed on this blog. It's is one of the first (or maybe the first) electric pop song I have reviewed on this blog. While electronic pop can be enjoyable and energizing to listen to, the way it is incorporated in this song feels a bit different. The singers in the video are talented entertaining to listen to, but their singing feels overshadowed by the electronic music in the background. For future songs from them, I would like to hear what their singing would sound like with this background effect turned down (not completely removed because it does sound good at the right volume).
As for the concept of the "Magic Clock" in the video it appears that whenever the clock changes by the unnamed man, the ages of the girls change in the music video. It was a creative concept to add to the song which is a plus for me. It kept me viewing the music video until the end to see how it was going to end, and the ending (which I will not spoil) was fairly funny too. That being said, there is one big thing about the song that that just happened to get to me a little.
There is an overall feeling of K-Pop from the song, and while I am a big fan of both K-Pop and J-Pop, this is not one of my major preferences when listening to J-Pop songs. Over the years of listening to J-Pop, my preferences are that it sticks to the traditional Japanese background music to sound more fitting. This song has a bit of K-Pop in it vibes from the dancing, visuals and electronic beats in the background that make it feel more like it's marketed towards a worldwide audience than towards Japan,which is not my style of J-Pop music, but I can see why a lot of other people like it. There is nothing wrong with the music video, the quality or the song, but I would have liked it better if it incorporated a more J-Pop sound to it than mixing K-Pop sounds in the background music because that is what I am used to when listening to J-Pop.
Update based on response to Adam: I like electropop, I just mean that I felt that the implementation of electropop in this song could be improved. Thank you.
Update message number 2: In my post, Popular K-Pop & J-Pop Terms Explained Using Song Examples , number 4 of the J-Pop terms or number 9 overall addresses a Perfume song as Adam was discussing. I also need to edit my last paragraph to be more factual. Thank you for reading my review and I do happen to like f5ve's music I just wanted to post a review where I would give a less than perfect score to a song because past reviews had too many near perfect scores.
With all that being said, below is my final rating of the song:
This week we will take a different focus of viewing J-Pop/rock. This time, the focus is on J-Pop or J-Rock songs that have been used in anime intros. Below is my top ten ranking of best anime intros with the reasons why. I have included a shortened list of the ten at the bottom in case you do not want to read through the whole thing. I was sure not to include it at the top though so that it would not spoil the list in case you do want to read through everything.
Without further ado, here is the list:
10."Again" by Yui Yoshioka- Fullmetal Alchemist:Brotherhood
At number ten, we have Yui's short version music video of "Again", the intro to Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. (I couldn't post the anime intro due to copyright) (YUI OFFICIAL Youtube Channel, Youtube, 2012). Although, I have never watched Fullmetal Alchemist, I know very much about Yui's song for a while. It is a great song to listen to and one of my favorites of Japanese music but the reason it ranks at number 10 (which is still good) is that I do not know that much about the anime intro apart from knowing a lot about YUI and her music.
Her singing in the short music video is both phenomenal and fast. Due to this fact, I would have pictured the first Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood intro to be a bit different such as perhaps taking place in the sky instead of on the ground (FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood Opening 1- "Again" by YUI).
Nonetheless, I thought the intro video to FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood itself and Yui's song to be very high quality. One of the major reasons I posted it on this list is both because of the quality of the intro, to add more diversity to the list (as opposed to only talking anime intros from my favorite two anime) and because it makes me want to get more into the plot of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood.
9."Dtechnolife"by Uverworld- Bleach Intro 2
At number nine, we have the second intro to Bleach with the song, "Dtechnolife", by Uverworld (vizmedia, Youtube, 2023). Bleach was one of my favorite animes growing up and I find the intro music and the arc the opening represents to be very fitting. In the anime intro, we see a lot going on. Two of my favorite moments include Ichigo's clash with Kenpachi at 0:39 and Toshiro's running to escape the arrows of Ishida (0:50).
Speaking of the Uverworld music video, it has a lot going for it as a J-Rock song (UVERworld Official Youtube Channel, Youtube, 2015). The location that the band is in (which seems like an abandoned home) is emotionally gripping as well as the lead singer TAKUYA∞ being in chains through part of the video (1:24). The little girl who I cannot find the name of online also seems central to the story of the video and the song. All of these musical ingredients combined make this J-Rock anime song an awesome anime intro for other fans and me.
8."Haruka Kanata"by Asian Kung Fu Generation- Naruto Intro 2
At number eight, we have "Haruka Kanata" by Asian Kung Fu Generation (ASIAN KUNG FU GENERATION Official YouTube Channel, Youtube, 2012). This time it is the second intro to the original Naruto series. What can I say, just like the last two entries on this list, "Haruka Kanata" stands out as a unique and motivating song fitting for the Naruto anime. The build up starting at 0:55 was particularly epic and exciting to listen to. We hear the build up again at 2:10 and once we get to a bit after the three minute point to the end, it is just purely emotionally charged that makes it so good to listen to that I have no more words to describe it.
The same build up can be summed up in the official second intro of Naruto too because we see Sasuke, Gaara and Naruto at 0:44 and Naruto again at 1:14 with his hand seal (Crunchyroll Deutschland, YouTube, 2018). This intro is simply epic beyond words and the animators and Asian Kung Fu Generation did a great job with this intro.
7. "Colors" by FLOW- Code Geass Intro 2
At number seven, we have "Colors" by Flow (Crunchyroll, Youtube, 2016). This first intro to the Code Geass anime was very energetic and fierce in terms of singing. Though I cannot list any lyrics due to copyright restrictions, watching the first 20 seconds of the intro felt like a very immersive experience. Like "Haruka Kanata", it has its build up in the beginning and tells a story in the middle (0:44). What earns it the seventh spot on this list is that the song and anime intro had a great fade out ending in my opinion (not that the previous three did not).
6. "Namikaze Satelite" by Snowkel- Naruto Intro 7
At number six, we have "Namikaze Satelite" by Snowkel . What I particularly like most about the seventh into to "Naruto" is how carefree and lighthearted it is in both the animation style in the intro and overall vibes from the song itself (Crunchyroll Deutschland, Youtube, 2018).
The seventh intro to "Naruto" was quite relaxing to listen to and I felt that the song emphasized the importance of friendship which is why I feel it deserves to be ranked number six.
5."Wind" by Yamazaru- Naruto Shippuden Intro 17
At number five, we have "Wind" by Yamazaru (Crunchyroll, Youtube, 2018). This song is used as the seventeenth intro to "Naruto:Shippuden". The reason I rank both the song and intro so high is that it emphasizes Naruto's strength, resilience and growth throughout his years of training.
The ending to the 17th intro is particularly emotional for me due to how motivating it feels which is why is part of the top five of my personal favorites.
4. "Daybreak's Bell" by L'Arc en Ciel- Gundam 00 Intro 1
At number four we have "Daybreak's Bell" by L'Arc en Ciel (L'Arc-en-Ciel, YouTube, 2022). Here we have another diverse entry because this intro is the first intro to the "Gundam 00" anime. Like with "Again" by YUI, I had to use a different video than the anime intro because I could not find an official channel that had the anime intro.
The reason I like this intro so much is because I like anime about robots and flying and I thought that the lead singer,Hyde, made the intro exciting through his vocal skills which lands this intro in the final four.
3. "After Dark" by Asian Kung Fu Generation- Bleach Intro 7
At number three, we have "After Dark" by Asian Kung Fu Generation (vizmedia, YouTube 2023 & ASIAN KUNG FU GENERATION Official YouTube Channel, Youtube, 2012).
The second song used in Bleach on this list; this time it is used for the seventh Bleach intro. The anime intro and the official music video both present us with high emotional stakes that center around the idea of heroism. For Ichigo Kurosaki, it is his inner battles and struggling with what is potentially ahead for him. For the unnamed hero in the music video, it is about the heroic act of saving the falling person at the end. (2:58) Asian Kung Fu Generation added so much story both the anime intro and music video through their cohesive singing and instruments which causes this intro to fall into the top 3.
2. "Sakuramitsutsuki" by SPYAIR- Gintama Intro 13
At number two, we have "Sakuramitsutsuki" by SPYAIR (Crunchyroll, YouTube, 2019). Being that this is a post about anime music used in intros, I have never watched "Gintama" personally, but I found this 13th intro of Gintama to be highly moving and inspiring.
The song title, the singing style and lyrics (which I cannot list due to copyright) used in the intro felt very impactful on me in a profound way. Not only was the intro and song impactful, but it was very mesmerizing thus making it deserving of second place on my list.
1."Line" by Sukimaswitch- Naruto Shippuden Intro 18
1. Finally, the part of the post you have all been waiting for, we have number one which is "Line" by Sukima Switch (Crunchyroll, Youtube, 2018).
Both the song and the intro are uplifting in many ways and seem to be encouraging about following and completing one's personal goals in life and never give up which is the vibe that I get whenever I watch this video. The song and video is also deeply melancholic and I happen to love listening to such songs because they serve to motivate me to follow my goals in life and I believe they motivate others too. These are the reasons that "Line" by Sukimaswitch/ Naruto Shippuden Intro 18 is my number one favorite anime into of all time.
I hope you enjoyed my list and below is the promised shortened list in case you want to read through it faster:
10. "Again" by YUI, The first intro to "Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood" 9. "Dtechnolife" by Uverworld, Bleach Intro 2 8. "Haruka Kanata" by Asian Kung Fu Generation, Naruto Intro 2 7. "Colors" by Flow, Code Geass Intro 1 6. "Namikaze Satellite" by Snowkel, Naruto Intro 7 5. "Wind" by Yamazaru, Naruto: Shippuden Intro 17 4. "Daybreak's Bell" by L'Arc en Ciel, Gundam 00 Intro 1 3. "After Dark" by Asian Kung Fu Generation, Bleach Intro 7 2. "Sakuramitsutsuki" by SPYAIR, Gintama Intro 13 1. "Line" by Sukimaswitch, Naruto Shippuden Intro 18
As you may have all guessed, this post wraps up our three part series of questioning what would happen if K-Pop and J-Pop increased its relationship with western music than it already has. To recap, we looked at the recent instances of K-Pop and J-Pop artists covering western songs. After that, we went further back in time to view how K-Pop has always had some connections with hip hop and other genres; and how J-Pop as City Pop was more western influenced in the past than it is now. The number of covers discussed in Part One and in this blog are among the numerous amount of covers that K-Pop and J-Pop artists have done.
When I watch modern K-Pop videos, I get the feeling that the performers do much more than singing. They engage in dancing and wear special costumes related to the music video. Therefore, it seems with respect to American singers, that K-Pop performers are adding more content to their songs and music videos to make them more appealing to the rest of the world. It seems based off of this that it is safe to say that K-Pop artists will continue to be innovative in providing the best quality music for their fans and that may mean incorporating music styles and dances from other western genres into K-Pop than just hip hop or pop. Therefore, fusing more western elements into their music would help the artists rather than cause their sales to be lower.
When it comes to modern J-Pop, I tend to get much more eastern vibes in the music compared to K-Pop. The beats, instruments and music styles feel nearly 100% Japanese whereas the music in modern K-Pop feels like more of a mix. Knowing that J-Pop has a somewhat different target audience than K-Pop, I feel that it will be a while before J-Pop artists will want to integrate more styles of music from western artists than K-Pop.
Let me know below in the comments whether you agree or disagree with my views and don't forget to post your opinion.
