BabyMetal Oh! Majinai: chat #21 about with AJ Hartley, Alex Gideon and Deanna Tipton

[@flugelhornoldman1362]

Great online lecture again & I appreciate it 有難うございます💛。This song has been so far performed only 3 times in Japan. Very fortunately I witnessed all of them. The trio of Su, Moa and Riho in the world premiere last year was perfect. This year's trio with Momoko was perfect at the Budokan, too. I would like to mention a potentially dual meaning of the title. As you said, Japanese word "omajinai" means a good luck charm or magical spell. But if you separate this title into two parts you will find different meaning. When young generation here in Japan says "maji nai", it means "seriously impossible" or "absolutely no". So "Oh! Majinai" can be interpreted as "Oh! No way!" or something like that, too. In this sense, this song is a playful or joking one . Talking about new vocabulary I learnt in today's video, "mishmash" is the appropriate word to this song. It is a little bit laughable to see many European fans are claiming the origin of this song. Irish points out elements coming from Irish dance. Russian says Cossack style and Joakim with pickaxe on the backdrop indicates Russia. Swedish raises a question if you know which country Joakim is from. Polish claims this song has Polish flavor. And Czech points out influence from Polka. And Finnish insists similarities between this song and Ievan Polkka. From a neutral position as a Japanese, I want to say smilingly "This is Europe-ish. BABYMETAL is enjoying everything but the European kitchen sink and wanted hilarious reactions from European people". I believe that is why they performed this song in each and every show in their 2020 European tour right after the world premiere in Japan. Then you, Alex and Deanna did the reaction they wanted. 😄

[@AndrewHartley]

Thanks, as ever, for your thoughtful response. I totally agree, though I hadn't made the connection to the other meaning of the word you suggest, though I have heard that phrase before. And yes, I think the plurality of sources (the mishmash!) is right. There's no attempt at 'purity' here, which I think is a good thing for this song.

[@jancmyon4240]

Sabaton is concidered as a power metal band. They are war-themed, telling about battles and about persons in war and they are always historically accurate as far as it is possible. They are politically neutral, they don'ttake sides they just tell you history. A lot of their songs is from WWII but they have lots from other time periods, one album about WWI, one album about swedish empire rise and fall. One song about the battle at Shiroyama 🤘🦊🤘🇸🇪/4 They have a History channel on YT

[@safrisaleh412]

I like Oh!Majinai from Babymetal cos it's a fun song. I was surprised at myself listening to Professor Hartley dissecting Oh!Majinai from Babymetal for an hour.

[@autohmae]

Thank you for doing this ! My impression was that Meta Taro was the Viking Metal song and while Oh! Majinai is it's brother or sister, I've never considered it as much Viking Metal. A metal podcast said Oh Majinai sounds like Pirate Metal. Now obviously their is a lot of overlap in those anyway. The reason why Meta Taro is clearly Viking Metal is because in an interview Kobametal said (paraphrasing the translation): "the male vocals in Meta Taro have been done by real Vikings !' The way I see Sabaton is: they don't glorify killing, they honor heroism in battle. The hero act can be to let people life or to have the guts to fight a lost cause, etc. Sabaton has no nationalism, they honor all soldiers from any country/culture. It's not just WW II, but also WW I and for example Swiss Guards during the 1527 Sack of Rome, Japanese internal wars, etc.

[@AndrewHartley]

Thanks. Yes. As with a lot of things, I suspect that some of this is in the eye of the beholder, and that lots of music straddles or draws on multiple subgenres. BabyMetal are always a hybrid product, so I think both songs dip into viking, pirate and (esp.) folk metal. And if we follow the purist line that viking metal has to be about expressly viking themes (as pirate metal has to be expressly nautical) then none of them are. For me, the take away is that the music (like the cultures that produce them) is necessarily plural rather than singular, and always something of a mixture. I think that's good, since the most 'pure' form of any art quickly gets limited. Just my 2 cents, of course.

[@10Shun]

I can't believe I just watched a 1-hour dissection of Oh Majinai. And even more unbelievable is that I enjoyed it! Oh well, for me the song will always be some Celtic happy dance tune perfect for raucous pub scenes post football match of Irish, Scot or any Nordic nations.

[@hedobannord1184]

That was very fascinating again, thanks for all the input and the discussion with your friends. Yes, I think I like OM a bit better now too. :-) And I will definitely check out Hitsuhi Bungaku. Oh, I liked Eluveitie a lot as well - that's music which is right up my alley (with their Pagan/Gothic elements).

[@TankSenior]

Thank you so much for another great video Professor! The guests were again incredibly valuable with their insights. I thought I had a pretty decent grasp on metal by now, but I learned a LOT. It is impressive how many layers you were able to uncover on this song, and I see that in the comments here there is even more being unveiled. Of course there is no saying how much of it exactly was planned and meant or intended this way by the author(s). But I believe we're certainly looking in the right direction. I was already fond of this song but I'm going to be listening with deepened understanding and appreciation from now on.

[@AndrewHartley]

Thanks so much. Glad you found something interesting in it. As you probably know, I think discovering the intent of the artist is really helpful for understanding a song, but I'm finally more interested in the effect it has on its audience. For me, that's where meaning finally resides. So glad you enjoyed what my guests had to say. Cheers!

[@seregamolodets5286]

🍅🍅🍅 🤘🏼🦊🤘🏼 Love this song, its just so much fun.

[@tonygriffin_]

I wasn't sure about this song until I saw them live in Feb 2020 and found myself singing "Nai, nai, nai, nai, nai, nai" along with the other 1999 members of The One at the concert! 😂🤘🦊 Another fascinating analysis. PS Band-Maid's founder and rhythm guitarist, Miku, always has a half-time speech at their concerts which she calls 'Majinai Time' and tells English speaking audiences that it means 'Magic Spell Time'. Oh, and I just checked out Atarashii Gakko for the first time after you mentioned them...and after watching their MV 'Freaks', I am now picking my jaw up off the floor! Domo arigatogozaimashita for that!

[@AndrewHartley]

Didn't;'t know that about Band Maid. Thanks! And yeah, Freaks is wild :)

[@tonygriffin_]

@@AndrewHartley Miku's Majinai Time with all band members having a go on the drums. Too kawaii! kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmfMhJltaLGch5I

[@AndrewHartley]

@@tonygriffin_ yeah, that’s pretty cute 😊

[@rickwagner-]

⚡ 💕 / 🏴 ☠️ I watched the first upload right away, just in case it got pulled down. : ) Glad to see this back up so quickly. Some of that early stuff with Perfume is pretty cringey and inappropriate. Fortunately they signed with Amuse, Inc. a year later, and they seem to have more respect for their artists. Su seems to really like Folk Metal songs. 'Oh! MAJINAI' was a favorite of hers on 'Metal Galaxy'. 'Meta Taro' was a favorite from the second album. She was really looking forward to fans seeing this one live. It sounds like you might have seen the interview with Herman Li (of DragonForce) from his Twitch stream with Joakim Brodén. They talked about the experience they each had collaborating on a song with BABYMETAL. Joakim's story about the large number of takes while recording his vocals in that Osaka sound studio, reminded me a little of Bill Murray in the movie 'Lost In Translation'. In one scene, Murray is recording a commercial for Suntory whiskey. After each take, the director seems very agitated, and gives him a bunch of instructions in rapid-fire Japanese that he doesn't understand. When he asks the on set translator to explain, she always just says "More intensity".

[@AndrewHartley]

Yes, I was going to include a bit from the Broden interview but in the end didn't feel it added enough to justify the hassle of yet more copyright issues :) Loved Lost in Translation, which captured something of how I felt when I first went to Japan. And yes, glad to see Perfume evolve into artists.

[@DeePal072]

I think it's just that SU loves funny stuff... and dancing, like a lot. No surprise that her favourite Black BM song may be Onedari Daisakusen 😱😅

[@minamihideki7123]

Lost in Translation is my favorite movie, too. I also like Bill Murray. I have also watched Jarmusch's "The Dead Don't Die" this year. Japanese rock singer, Diamond Yukai plays a role of the CM director in the scene. Part of the Japanese entertainment industry seems to be a world that uses people roughly, so I think it is a wonderful performance that makes me think that there is such a guy. I think it has also a bit exaggeration, but it expresses it funny that kind of difficulty in communicating. It seems that Japanese people, including myself, are timid to convey our intentions to Westerners. So it is often said that we seem to be a little excited, or just smiling. The other day, I had interesting exchanges here with Mr. Scott Humphreys about mutual understanding of cultures.

[@AndrewHartley]

@@minamihideki7123 Yes. Have you seen Mystery Train? Another great one with some good stuff on the intersection between US rock and roll and Japanese music fans. Plus, Tom Waits :)

[@minamihideki7123]

@@AndrewHartleyYes, I like Jarmusch's movies. Youki Kudoh, Masatoshi Nagase as a roles of fans of US rock, and Steve Buscemi are the ones who appeared out. and I forgot their names, but the two Africans who appeared as Clarks in the hotel were also funny. But since I watched it when I was a university student, so I don't remember much about it. I also like Tom Waits. I have Night on earth soundtrack. I listen to it sometimes. I have many videos of NHK BS, edited and rebroadcasted The Tube in the UK, but I occasionally watch his songs, In the neighborhood or Walking Spanish from the videos. I will borrow a DVD from rental shop and watch it again tomorrow😀.

[@tiaopiak]

Great content as usual. Glad to see the first version before it got taken down by Amuse again. Like and shared. :)

[@JMxx6204]

Thank you again for all your efforts. This is a great, fun, song immensely enhanced by the girls clearly having an absolute blast dancing to it. This is the one where Moa reckons she dances better going backwards than forwards. I am absolutely convinced Moa just pulls the leg of any & all interviewers. 🤣

[@AndrewHartley]

I feel the same way. Their interviews often feel either carefully scripted or jokey, so I'm always wary of taking them too seriously.

[@Varksterable]

That's a great point; looks like a really fun song to perform. That's enough to justify it for me!

[@10Shun]

Moa is perhaps the most "tongue in cheek" heavy metal/pop star right now (ever?)... She really gets how it is not to take yourself too seriously and still appear both earnest and silly.

[@Varksterable]

@@10Shun Possibly one of the hardest working too? It's a weird combination of talents. And thus entirely fitting for Babymetal

[@autohmae]

@@Varksterablethe way some fans hsave descibed it hardest working in bringing serious joy to people. :-)

[@emb5091]

This was great. Thank you!🦊🤘

[@junsb9306]

You're like the go to guy when it comes to Babymetal. A well-spoken guy.

[@AndrewHartley]

Thanks!

[@KingPK]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Red_Shoes_(fairy_tale)#Adaptations If you look at this, there is Korean media that references this story, so I think it's fair to say that it is probably pretty well known in Japanese culture as well.

[@fridayjune9603]

There were many things I didn't know about this analysis, and I could feel the professor's keenness. Leaving aside the detailed analysis, I have a rough idea that it resembles the world of the drama "Outlander. I'm sensing a European entanglement that extends all the way to the Civil War (?). I sympathize with Deanna Tipton's words. BABYMETAL is the one who heals the men who like to fight and hurt themselves by themselves with love and peace.

[@oragutan8635]

I was very surprised that you found the song "OMAJINAI ☆ Perori".

[@Neuntoeter]

Ah, I have been waiting for this one. Just like with Meta Taro, Oh Majinai! always felt like the kind of Babymetal song that was deceptively simple but actually full of stuff I just could not (pop)culturally grok.

[@papa_xan]

Really enjoyed this video. OM has never been a super favorite song of mine, but seeing them dancing makes it worth it. Moa said it was the most difficult choreo to learn, and bruised up her feet while practicing. It isn't that I dislike the song, but there isn't much to it without being able to see the choreography.

[@Varksterable]

That colourful rainbow bridge leading somewhere unobtainable.. Norse stuff.. Look up "Bifrost" and tell me it's just a coincidence.

[@autohmae]

Ha, that's a good one !

[@Grington300]

Excellent content and analysis as always. When you started with the lyrics I was thinking you need that intro cartoon first to give the lyrics (limited as they are) better context or meaning. That said, right from when I first heard it I couldn't wait to see what they did with it and what they would do with the choreo when they played it live ... and I was most certainly not disappointed. It is just pure fun and joy to witness and you can just see how much fun they're having performing it. I think Su said it is her favourite song from the album (much like Meta Taro was her favourite from Metal Resistance - she seems to like folk metal). It is amusing that the mosh pits and circle pits at the shows pretty much turn into the sort of Shakiriki Mosh'sh described in the intro cartoon ... there is a fancam video of the mosh in St Petersburg and it is hilarious to watch. Somebody in the comments of a reaction some time ago pointed out that the melody is actually based on a Finnish Polka and they provided a link to a Finnish folk group playing it (sorry, I can't remember who it was, nor can I find it again) - and it may not be completely identical but it is certainly not far off. I meant to say, the last song you played reminded me a bit of something Alex Park may have written (she was the winner of the short lived BBC programme Fame Academy that they set up to rival the X Factor and she had a relatively short career before deciding the life wasn't for her and quit, presumably to go home to Cornwall).

[@AndrewHartley]

Thanks! Yes, I was torn as to where to put the intro material. A part of me always wants songs to stand entirely on their own, reliant on their own music and lyrics. Everything else (interviews, set up videos etc.) should add layers to what is already there rather than redirect or define the song. It doesn't always work, of course, and it may be the only area where I can be a bit of a purist, but I feel the same about books, movies etc. The art should speak for itself. In a case like this, I'm less sure, but I also find myself wondering if the context provided by the video was part of the original conception of the song, or was just invented for a live show. Not sure. And it probably doesn't matter either way :)

[@Grington300]

@@AndrewHartley Yes I can understand your thinking and quite possibly that intro was just made up for that show ... I haven't seen it being played before they perform the song at any other shows, but the same goes for similar intros they played before songs like Onedari Daisakusen at a couple of the early shows.

[@takeshibrb7495]

It is Ievan Polkka (ievan polkka), that is, Eva's Polkka in Finnish, dialect of Savonia. It's Finnish folklore, it has several versions. Korpiklaani made a Folk-Metal version. In my opinion, the beginning of Oh! Majinai is very similar to part of this version. There's even Ievan Polkka Vocaloid Hatsune Miku, a lot of fun.

[@Grington300]

@@takeshibrb7495 That does sound familiar, so I wouldn't be at all surprised, thanks.

[@jameschamblin7120]

This is the most well known version, kzbin.info/www/bejne/barLapxmhaadmc0 Also just realized it is called "Ievan Polkka" and not "Levan Polkka"

[@minamihideki7123]

Me too, I do not like this song so much same as you do at first, even though I have known this is Su-'s favorite song. Because I didn't understand the meaning of the lyrics and the song, so I thought it was just a simple cute song. it was only literally for me, "what the hell it is!", and I was not interested in it more than that. But the other day, thanks to Mr. Rick Wagner's clew, I could understand the meaning of this song. Of course I don't think I understand it completely, but it made me feel better as if the fog cleared, and it has turned into my favorite song. This song has double meanings. And as always, it is playful or is a song of play on words like "BABYMETAL DEATH", that BABYMETAL is good at. Even though I am Japanese, I was stupid and didn't notice this at all. I am not sure about the lyrics of the second verse in English, but the first verse is funny lyrics, I think. The Japanese word "o (お、御)" is a prefix that expresses politeness. However, here it becomes "Oh", used as an interjection in English. "Majinai (まじない、呪い)" is a Magic spell as you said, but here it is read as "Maji nai ( マジ、無い)". "Maji (マジ)" is a slang term for " majime (マジメ、真面目) (noun) or majimeni (マジメに、真面目に) (adjective)" and means "seriously, or not a joke." Therefore, it means "oh no, I seriously lost it." So the lyrics of the first verse are rhymed with "nai" of "o negai", "nan demo nai", "ki ni sinai", "mottainai" "o majinai", as if to chant a magic spell so that we can find what we lost. The magic spell is repeated on a beat and dance that sounds like a mix of Scandinavian folk metal, Russian, or Irish?, polka, I think (I am not sure around these, but it was informative for me this lecture, thank you). So I think this song is so fun and I made my sense why Su- likes such a fun song for sure. I did not have The DVD delo, Extra show 2020 yet, so I was not sure why SABATON featuring. But I understood it when I watch the opening picture show. Koba intentionally combined this song with JoaKim from the beginning. I think the pickaxe was also used in some video games, of role playing or adventures, but it seems to express something powerful, haha. "ないものねだり(無い物強請り、nai mono nedri)"is a Japanese idiom and means, " to want something that isn't there, or frcibly hope that it cannot be achieved", from dictionary. "しゃかりき (syaka riki)" is originally written as "釈迦力", and means "The power of the lord Buddha" and "How to do our best to save people" as Buddhism term. However, now it means simply, "Sticking to one thing". What I love about BABYMETAL, is that they understand what they look like, and direct themselves on the stage production. With an objective point of view, "This is not metal, such a thing", or in another video, "Challenge a huge force, an idol (implicitly suggesting the AKB group)", they have somehow objective and calm, but It is funny. Kitano Takeshi, my favorite, and Nishimura Kenta, also my favorite the head of contemporary I-novelist , all have such a objective and calm perspective. The early Perfume is surprised. I think it was due to the instructions of the director at that time. I think Amuse does not let them do such sexual things. There are some Japanese comments on the MV to be grateful to the fans who supported this era. The last, Hitsuji Bungaku, I thought the lyrics were wonderful. But I don't like it because the vocals are sloppy and sweet, it sometimes exists in Japanese female vocals, I am sorry. Thank you for your huge efforts, Sensei, the professor. I deepened my understanding of this song. From Japan.

[@AndrewHartley]

Thanks again! I guess the pick axe could symbolize various northern European cultures both as a mining tool and a weapon. It's very like Tolkien's dwarves :) I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt that way about the Perfume video!

[@azureskys]

First off, thank you for examining this! Are you familiar with Devin Townsend? I feel a kinship between some of his music and Babymetal with fusing so many elements together and making a song into a theatrical story full of light and dark. His latest album, Empath, goes in all sorts of places but has meaningful themes underlying it. So, having been a fan of his I've felt primed to take on Babymetal and all the places they go musically.

[@AndrewHartley]

I'm not, no. Swill check him out. Thanks!

[@brandonmagee7262]

Excellent content as always. Oh! Majinai is a song that I go back and forth on... Largely due to the rondo of (nightmare) nai at the end. Sometimes it makes all the sense in the world... Sometimes I'm like... It's too long. I still find that Joakim being part of the song is as much about convenience (Sabaton was opening for Babymetal) as it is his voice... As he is not really known for this type of song. (Regarding Sabaton... The songs tend to be about the heroism of War... So there is nationalism... But they spread it around. For example, 82nd All The Way is a US hero song (WWI) and Shiroyama is a Japanese hero song. If there is a Babymetal song that has a Sabaton approach... It isn't this one, it is Meta Taro). But, I think that pushing Joakim to the rasp fits in with these folk metal bands... Especially stuff like Eluvietie and Cruachan who have these more ethereal female vocals mixed with the raspy male vocals. Also... I do think there can be a lot of "goofy fun" in this style... Korpiklaani certainly has some... But this song always gives me Finntroll vibes. I'm glad you found more appreciation for this song... And hopefully for the entirety of Metal Galaxy through these explorations. I think MG has lots of layers that one really need to dig into to see (if you aren't aware of every single sub-genre there is...)

[@AndrewHartley]

Thanks. Yes, I think you are right about Sabaton's focus on heroism. I agree too about the feel of the BM song overall, and how it will sometimes fit one's mood and sometimes not.

[@mikepowers9486]

As usual. This song Live is 1000X better. It's just pure fun and the crowd usually just joins in the fun. I love the part where Su belts out some powerful notes though. It's beautiful and almost haunting.

[@1991jwp]

I liked the song at first when I heard it on the album. Yes, it's simplistic, but that is its strength and you can hear the fun and that's what made it great. This was only reinforced when I went to see Babymetal live and they performed this. When I saw what the choreography was, I burst out laughing because it all just fit and made sense. Also, for what it's worth, when they were doing the early promotion for Metal Galaxy, an interviewer asked them what their favourite song on the album was and Su said O! Majinai.

[@hedobannord1184]

Wow, finally you've gotten beyond the one hour mark :-) OM is one of my least favourite BM songs but of course I'm still excited for your video on it.

[@steffenjachnow8176]

I'm absolutely convinced KOBAMETAL does know "This Is Spinal Tap". From what I've heard and read over the years he's an absolute music nerd when it comes to rock/metal music. He has to know it! It's about time to rewatch the movie, I think...

[@jefffromchicago6321]

As I remember the cucumber at airport security scene got the biggest laugh in the Theater.

[@steffenjachnow8176]

@@jefffromchicago6321 I bet... "Do you have any artificial plates or limbs?" "Not really no?!" ROFL

[@watcher2554]

Ok, so the melody in the Main section where they sing the "Nai Nai Nai"....it is Finnish Folk from "Ievan Polkka" (first letter is cap i). Here are a few links for comparison... kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3m2mop5ptChitU kzbin.info/www/bejne/barLapxmhaadmc0 The first is from the 1950's (oldest video recording I could find). The second is a cover by the group 'Loituma' and was one of their greatest hits!! Hope that clears up those points for you. Put your Kitsune UP!! Po!

[@autohmae]

Maybe the song really is about catchiness, Su-Metal said about Metta Taro on the previous album it's her favorite and extremely catchy. This song is too on both, and the introduction basically talks about how the dance is catchy too.

[@Varksterable]

"[Spinal Tap] Are you familiar with the movie?" [Blank looks] Wow. Just wow. Credibility and expert witness status degraded all 'round. From 11 back to a mere 10.

[@AndrewHartley]

Ha! I was surprised too, but suspect it's generational. The movie is almost 40 years old at this point! :)

[@Varksterable]

@@AndrewHartley 40. Years. Old... That's nearly an armful. Yes, you're right, it's a generational thing, probably. But even the BBC iPlayer has a volume control that goes up to 11. Any 'yoofs' ever wonder why that is? As someone for whom 'pop' culture is mostly anathema, to me it still seems odd (hypocritically) when people don't share the few references I do actually know about. Possibly our generation's fault for not passing on enough cowbells. Um, I mean memes. Or 'ideas' as they were, back in the day. ;)

[@jakemuller8626]

Ok, interesting, in global terms. For me first time i heard Oh Majinai! it reminds inmediately to *Mago De Oz* an spanish folk metal band since 1988, i came to know this band before Babymetal and they got quite very good (not too shaby) success, just listen Fiesta Pagana and you will notice folk metal or celtic metal is more accurated rather than "viking-metal", of course Oh Majinai got some elements inspired on different songs probably, but the core of the song is more like folk-metal. I recommend "Gaia" album, for me is the best album, many echological and environment protest lyrics there.

[@zerozeroKatuhisa]

The title of the song, "Majinai," includes Japanese wordplay. 1. Curse 2. Really nowhere The first meaning is the traditional usage of words. This alone is not a word game. Especially the second meaning is modern broken usage. "Maji" is used to say the word "really" strongly and crushed. In summary, it means "really nowhere". When the Japanese realize that "majinai" can have two meanings, they start playing with words. Babymetal's songs have a lot of such Japanese play.

[@AndrewHartley]

Yes, I should have addressed this. Thanks!

[@ianthomas865]

It honestly surprised me to hear that anybody could actually dislike this song. I was aware that lyrically it was pretty light, but the song as a whole is just pure high octane fun and joy, one of my favorites. I hadn't seen that intro before tho ... now, knowing that, knowing that it is about a guy being cursed to dance until his life is ended by blood loss from the stumps that used to be his feet, and all the while he is singing along with something that is close to "no n-n-no n-n-no no no n-n-no no no n-n-no no no" is more than a bit disturbing! I suppose that every Babymetal song has to have at least a little darkness in it.

[@AndrewHartley]

Yeah, finding a little darkness in it made me like it more. I've always found the repetition a bit much. Thanks!

[@jeffschreifels8651]

Oh Majinai is not my favorite song from Babymetal but if you 'get' Babymetal at all, i'm not sure how you can dislike it. It's a very Babymetal song. Silly, fun, and just enough cringe to sweeten it up. 😆 Besides, that breakdown part is as good as it gets.

[@owenbauer4524]

The intro lore video adds so much to the song, not sure how I missed that and it's meaning. Brings a new depth to the song for sure, might not be at the bottom of my list anymore because of that, thank you. As to the seeming nod to perfume with the lyric, that has to be intentional, even if it isn't to draw any parallels in meaning, it's a nice nod to thier elders (we all know how much Su looks up to Perfume) And yeah, that perfume vid is... Troubling, luckily for everyone they found a better direction after a bit of a stumbling start.

[@AndrewHartley]

Thanks. Completely agree. Perfume really matured well.

[@thenormalman3409]

Great review,, awesome👏

[@amartins8213]

One more discussion that I listened to carefully and that should have helped a lot to those who are not familiar with this genre of metal. The first time I heard OH Majinai I clearly got the idea that they made the music as a connection to the deep Celtic roots of Europe. Much due to touring festivals in England and central Europe. A pure and simple folk metal song. Fun to listen to and asks to dance with a beer in hand. If you saw any of the concerts on the European tour, you can easily see how the girls and the public had fun. In Holland, Sweden, Finland.

[@AndrewHartley]

Thanks! Appreciate the comment.

[@billfaubion6295]

Looking for that which is lost is the keys to the vehicle that can take them to the Fox Realm --- Yui took it with her! She'll bring it back with her return & they'll all sing & dance at it's return --- and all will be in balance with The One. ('til then we will calmly wait knowing it's BM's destiny)

[@AndrewHartley]

Ha! Good one.

[@MasqueChosen]

Or I bet Yui pinched The One Ring - explains why no-one has seen her for 3 years

[@billfaubion6295]

@@MasqueChosen Now you have me a little worried! However, the group dances in O! Majinai with smiles on their faces so maybe they already know she's destined to return --- we can only hope!

[@jefffromchicago6321]

Not even the FOX GOD knows the full power of YUI's magic

[@Hadesillo]

Yeah I always see people speaking of this song as Viking Metal for some reason, or relating it to that celtic inspired musical, Riverdance was it? I don't see any of those elements in the song. Oh! Majinai is another step on their trip around the metal galaxy, they are visiting Europe and they are doing that japanese thing of messing everything because they don't really care where each thing is from. The dance seems a cossack dance with the soviet imagery in the background, they have that finnish party folk metal like Korpiklaani in it, they have Joakim being silly around that's the swedish guy...they are just throwing north european things around. I see of special relevance in Oh! Majinai that this might be the first clear artistic push Su has had in a song. Nothing confirmed, but it is very akin to her. She mentioned some years ago how she sometimes had problems because when she was on the train from Hiroshima to Tokyo and she was so into the Sabaton music she had on her earphones that she was missing stops. It has been mentioned somewhere that she is a person with interests in culture and history, both japanese and the world. We don't know nothing about them, but the rumors around are that she is studying a culture related major. Also she mentioned that this was her favorite song from the album, i guess why. Oh and I didn't know that Perfume had done an Oh Majinai song, for sure Suzuka had that song very present, she spent 5 or 6 years at ASH. So there is a lot of hints that lead us to think all this Oh Majinai thing was Su's idea, that's how they do this things lately, when Moa mentioned in an interview that she would love to do a fried chicken song for the fourth album, she would send the idea and the melody music to the music people. So Oh Majinai is very Su-esque, I don't think they had any artistic input during the Babymetal and Metal Resistance eras. I love this song, it is so fun.

[@AndrewHartley]

Good input. Thanks!

[@ralfklonowski3740]

I watched Oh! Majinaj as a live vid some time before I bought the CD, so I always liked it as something really fun. Like a Pacific lagoon, a bit shallow but extremely pleasant. To stay with that metaphor, you took a surprisingly deep dive and discovered the one or other murky underwater cave I was not aware of. Thanks to you and your guests pointing out so many new bands to me! "Man with a plan" was just hilarious. Speaking of hilarious: " ... that story (by Andersen) is pretty Grimm." 😆😅🤣😂 @tonygriffin_ in the comments already talked about Band Maid's Majinai Time. I knew about that half time break during their concerts where Miku does some sort of one woman comedy (and lead vocalist Saiki can get a rest), but wasn't aware of the thing done by maid café waitresses. Miku worked as such for about one and a half years, so the choice of words can't be a coincidence. I'd like to add one or two bits about Sabaton. As others have pointed out, they do sing about deeds of courage, valour and some times humanity in war, not sparing the suffering and despair it causes, but "They don't take sides". That isn't entirely accurate, though: They take the side of the people they sing about in that particular song, making you a patriot of a country that is not your own. As a German, I can celebrate Rommel smashing the French in 1940 (Ghost Division) or the exploits of Manfred von Richthofen (Red Baron) or the Sturmtruppen ravaging the allied trenches in 1918 (Storm Troopers), but their next song will make my heart beat for the Poles defending their country in 1939 (40 to 1) or the Russians doing the same a bit later (Defense of Moscow, Night Witches) or the Swiss Guard making a last stand to protect the pope and so on. After looking on war from all sides, you can't help but realise that the whole thing is utterly terrible and useless and should be stopped immediatly. They sing about war, but if you look closely, they do not glorify war itself. The Christmas season has officially kicked off in Germany. A good time to watch Sabaton's "Christmas Truce" MV. That contains my take on Sabaton in a nutshell. Have some paper towels at hand; it's not only extremely well produced, but a heartwrencher. Last remark: Depicting Joaquim in a tank might well be a reference to Sabaton's stage layout while on tour. At one time, they had a "tank turret" containing the drum set and the gun pointed to the audience. When I saw them in May with Babymetal as support, they had the front half of a Red Baron styly triplane with an organ built into the cockpit. The propeller actually rotated slowly at times. The front edge of the stage was lined with a WW1 sandbag barrier, much to the frustration of hardcore Babymetal fans, who had fought their way to the barrier only to find that the sandbags partially blocked the view on our favourite girls. This has become a wall of text. As always, professor, thank you for everything you do with these videos. See you!🦊

[@ralfklonowski3740]

P.S. The lyric line "I don't care" might describe fighting off despair by pretending to be cool about it, only to completely fall apart one minute later.

[@AndrewHartley]

Thanks. I'm not, as you know, a huge Sabaton fan, so your clarification is particularly appreciated. Makes sense to me.

[@Ratherbflyin]

Another great in-depth analysis of a Babymetal song. I will agree that this isn't one of my favorite Babymetal songs, but it always did seem kind of fun so I never went out of my way to avoid it. Thanks for taking the time to discuss this with your friends and let us see what your thoughts are. With regard to Sabaton, I would like to try to provide a little bit of clarification. I am far from a Sabaton expert, but my understanding is that their primary goal is to tell historical stories, mostly involving war or military stories. From what I have seen and heard of their music (and I certainly cannot say that I have heard their entire discography), they do not seem to try to praise, glorify, or condone any specific nationalist ideal or philosophy. Instead, they strive to tell individual stories of extraordinary heroism or bravery regardless of what national flag those deeds were performed under. While a good chunk of their songs do deal with World War 2 (and a handful are actually about German soldiers during that war), they tell stories from many different historical periods and regions of the world. They even have a song about the Battle of Shiroyama which you may find interesting. Sabaton also has a history channel on KZbin where they post videos discussing the historical background for each of their songs.

[@AndrewHartley]

Yes, you're right about Sabaton, I think. I'll check out more. Thanks!

[@emb5091]

I see this song as a fun way to represent that part of the world and that type of metal. This is probably the only angle that BABYMETAL's style would work with too.

[@RichardGriffis]

I love the song! Especially the choreography, the fun atmosphere that is created...

[@michelledelaloye8555]

When I first heard this song it was in a random Babymetal playlist that my partner played on youtube (I was in my early 'obsession' with Babymetal last year, I had recently found them and I was hearing mostly the first and second album; I knew nothing of metal at all, but my partner did, he is a fan of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and many more). We both instantly liked the song: despite its repetitiveness, we found it funny and certainly 'magical' in a way, as we thought it was telling some kind of story (we even thought that it was placed on an old tavern or something with bearded men singing with jugs of beer haha). Later, and trying to understand the lyrics and contents of every song of Babymetal, I found the intro that you shared with us, that precisely tells the story of the Shakariki mosh'sh and gives context to the song itself. It's, as you said, both funny but dark at the same time, because dancing is something enjoyable, but not for eternity haha. Somehow, I enjoy this song more than Meta Taro, I'm not sure why. Maybe this one is faster or more cheerful? And as was already pointed out in the comments, both are Su's favourites. You can tell right away when you see them performed it live (I don't have the pleasure yet, only videos are what I can watch, hoping someday they come nearby to Argentina), and the crowd instantly is having a blast with them. As mentioned in another comment, this is a great example: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZuyiZljhMihkMk Thanks again for these insightful analyses, they are getting better and better, and I'm finding even more bands to check out. And your guests bring more too. Babymetal certainly accomplished one of their objectives: introducing me to metal and different subgenres :)

[@AndrewHartley]

Thanks so much for this response. I'm really glad you are enjoying the videos and discovering more music through them.

[@autohmae]

The Perfume clip you showed was from the original members ? That would mean it really is very old/very early in their career indeed. It's always the question: is their a connection with other Amuse groups: Brand New Day is also a song from Sakura Gakuin subunit: Scoopers Babymetal has Gimme Choco and Perfume has Chocolate Disco. Babymetal has Future Metal and Perfume has Future Pop.

[@AndrewHartley]

Yes, I believe it was their first (limited release) single in 2002 or thereabouts.

[@autohmae]

@@AndrewHartley I really do think Babymetal does this taking titles from other Amuse groups is on purpose. After all if they take ideas from metal. Or make a song with references to X-Japan, why not do it for the other side (Pop) as well ? I wonder if Babymetal ever incorporated something from really far back like Candies.

[@jefffromchicago6321]

@@autohmae It didn't sound right that these were original members so I looked it up. My reasoning was wrong but I turned out to be right anyway. Think I'll buy a lottery ticket. This video was made while they attended ASH. Before AMUSE. After they had replaced the member that left. These are the current members. Nobody yet mentioned in the comments that PURFUME is Su-metals childhood IDOL. After watching the PURFUME AT BUDOKAN DVD I think SU did a tribute in the 2019 shows.

[@autohmae]

@@jefffromchicago6321 the Sakura Gakuin girls with Suzuka as president attended a Perfume concert at Budokan. Date: May 19th 2012 Title: It's Nakamoto Suzuka Everyone, hello(^o^)/ It's sudden, but if you're asked about musician from Hiroshima, who comes to your mind first? For me it's Perfume!! I love and respect them (*≧m≦*) Together with everyone from Sakura Gakuin we went to aspiring Perfume's live show in Budokan (o^−^o) This year I, as president of the student council​(leader), will guide everyone to their seats!! ...or so I thought. I couldn't immediately understand where the entrance is and as I looked at the tickets where seats were written... do I have to decipher the code?! ...this feeling I was getting(lol) From the very beginning I was excited: "Senpais are so awesome to do a live show in a gigantic maze like this!!" (☆ω≦) We came to this live show as Sakura Gakuin, so we couldn't be noisy, but... half way through we forgot about this and started really enjoying it. In the end we were waving our hands, jumping, shouting: "encore!"... we couldn't stop(*_*) Our bodies were moving on their own♪ We could spend fun time and actually feel:"Now this is live show~" During MCing A~chan said: "If you won't give up on your dream, it will definitely come true!" ...and at that time I felt butterflies in my stomach, I was thinking: "There is still unknown world to me, and I probably can't do anything..." and then I got courage to believe in myself. This is wonderful! I want to become wonderful singer like Perfume(*´∇｀*) I'll stick to my big big dream!! I'll do my best in Tokyo Power of people from Hiroshima is truly awesome(*^-’)b

[@jefffromchicago6321]

@@autohmae WOW! Thanks for typing all that. I haven't seen it before. I checked my DVD but it's from 2008. I was gonna watch it all night looking for SG. Wonder if they were in uniform. Anyway if you search - m.bilibili.com. Then on that site search- Perfume 2008 . About 50 results down, picture is white background w/multicolored letters. Description reads- BudokaaaaaaaaaN!!!!! . At the 1:30 mark- compare to Babymetal Forum 4:10 or Legend Metal Galaxy day 1 at 3:10. (I'm assuming you have those but if not full Forum show is also on site). I'm going to believe that this is a tribute from Suzuka to Perfume. What do you think?

[@emb5091]

I have never seen that intro to this song before.....now the song makes a little more sense to me, or at least I see it's storyline more now.

[@stuttchenangelicanicolem.4616]

sabaton is more about war history , also 2nd siege of vienna , and other war events .

[@Marty-Metal]

Excellent content Professor, I can't wait for Brand New Day

[@marcelopinheiro5557]

Hi. BABY "folk" METAL. Como eu gostaria de ve-las cantando "prog psych folk metal"! Com temas da cultura japonesa. Ou ainda doom prog metal. Com temas futuristicos. Future raining cities. Thanks. 🦊👯🦊 💮💮💮

[@ClawCarver]

I've agreed with pretty much 100% of what you've said in your videos so far, but I remembered you saying you didn't like Oh! MAJINAI much and it's one of my favourite Babymetal songs so I approached this particular video with a certain amount of trepidation. In the end, though, this was a very enjoyable and valuable discussion. Or at least it was after the first 28 minutes that you spent chasing the wild red herring of Viking Metal. Don't get me wrong; your guests were knowledgeable and thoughtful on the topic. (And, speaking as an erstwhile Old Norse scholar, it's always good to hear criticism of white supremacist knuckleheads for appropriating the iconography of Norse myths.) However, as you eventually realised, Viking Metal has nothing to do with Oh! MAJINAI. Half an hour in, Alex said, "It makes me think of Korpiklaani" and I thought, "Thank you. Alex! Now we're getting somewhere." Kobametal is known to be a long-time fan of Korpiklaani. Oh! MAJINAI is a playful homage to that brand of Finnish Folk Metal and it makes perfect sense in that context. Is it a “joke”? Well, yes, in the same way that Gimme Chocolate!! or Awadama Fever - or the whole concept of Babymetal, for that matter - are jokes. In other words, they skilfully and playfully subvert expectations for humorous and entertaining effect. (I want to ask all those who profess dislike for Oh! MAJINAI, “Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?” Or, to use one of your own catchphrases, “How can you not like this?”) I think by the end of the video you came very close to “getting” Oh! MAJINAI, but I think you still misunderstood the target of the "joke". It's certainly not poking fun at the practitioners of Finnish Folk Metal, however silly or trivial those bands might seem to some people. Those bands are entirely self-aware and conscious of their own ridiculousness. (More so, perhaps, than many so-called “serious” metal bands, but that's another discussion.) It seems to me that the animated video about the SHAKARIKI MOSH'SH makes it very clear: the joke is on the metal elitists who are “disgusted” by this childish dancing and nonsense that they claim isn't heavy metal at all. It's about those whose prejudices about what metal is “supposed to be” prevent them from letting their hair down and enjoying something as fun as a rousing metal polka knees-up. Based on interviews with Koba, Su and Moa, I believe it's also a playful (and simultaneously serious) memo to Babymetal fans informing them that “Babymetal elitism” is also a thing, and that the band doesn't intend to be limited by the prejudices of some fans regarding what Babymetal is “supposed to be” either. It's about the joys of being open to surprising and novel experiences. It says, “Expect the unexpected.” From Babymetal, I'd expect nothing less.

[@ClawCarver]

Also, if you're interested, I wrote a thing about Oh! MAJINAI on reddit a few weeks ago. I was inspired to do so partly by your video essays (so thank you!) and partly by the translated interviews with Koba, Su and Moa from Hedoban magazine #24. I included relevant passages from the interviews in my ramblings on the song. Many of those people who were kind enough to comment underneath had extremely valuable insights to share. I know KZbin's spam filters sometimes delete comments containing links, but I hope this works. www.reddit.com/r/BABYMETAL/comments/nt3u4u/the_magic_of_oh_majinai/

[@AndrewHartley]

Yes. I agree with everything here. I meant to circle back to the thing about the metal purists not getting it, but forgot, and hadn't fully articulated the point you make to myself. But yes, I think you're right. Appreciate the comment.

[@AndrewHartley]

Thanks for this too!

[@ClawCarver]

Unrelated to my comments above, but I just heard this for the first time half an hour ago and thought it might be of interest. It's a song by a new underground idol duo called Bon Club (ボンクラ) whose bio states, "The old Japanese word ボンクラ means that even if you can't live well or do things properly, you only have one life, and you are irreplaceable, so let's sing, dance and have fun together! We both love to drink!" If you listen to the lyrics of the song (or read them), you'll see why I mention it here. Spells, curses, and omajinai in abundance! kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHmVkp9ojL15adU

[@stevechevy3382]

Nice thoughts on the song as to what it means for Babymetal. For me this a going for a long drive kinda song. So I always have it ready to play in my car.

[@Shoe-metal]

Thanks, I didn't know about the connection to Perfume's debut single, but _Omajinai Perori_ even has its own page in Wikipedia (English) for that distinction! It also hadn't occurred to me that the noticeably overlong repetition of the chorus could be considered to fit the theme, at least of the kamishibai. As for the Soviet-feeling imagery and style of the background video that the robot Joakim inhabits (like robot Meta Taro?), someone told me it reminded them strongly of Russkaja, and I could see why after watching their music video for _Energia:_ kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIe6l6SFiMmtqZY I would have loved for more discussion of that breakdown, though. It really caught your guests' attention and they had good initial comments, but to me this is the other half of the song, this is its other core. After your discussion of magic at length, coming at it and the title phrase from a few angles, it seems clear to me now that this *is* the spell. That's even more apparent live with the graphics and the choreography .

[@AndrewHartley]

Yeah, I cut the end short because I was anxious about copyright strikes (which sometimes depend on how much of the original footage you include). In the end (after about 5 failed attempts) I switched to the watermark video, which is what I should have done from the outset, and then spent more time discussingthe final breakdown and chorus.

[@glenkelley6799]

Deja vu, thought I watched this last night, guess the gods of copyright sent you a lighting bolt. Enjoyed it the first time. Interesting discussion about folk metal. While it's not in my top 10 BM songs for me it's just fun. Probably plays better in northern Europe than in the US.

[@AndrewHartley]

Yes, indeed. I hope you noticed that I credited you in the section on unattainable desire :) Thanks! At the 35:16 mark.

[@glenkelley6799]

@@AndrewHartley When I posted this comment, I hadn't reached that part yet, was surprised when I saw that, thanks.

[@grumpus5248]

This is one of my favorite driving songs. Edit: Key & Peele's take on the non-stop dancing... kzbin.info/www/bejne/amPLfaGqiN2Im68

[@MacTaipan]

I also call it my "least favourite song", and I'm pretty happy that that's as bad as it gets with BABYMETAL. I generally have a hard time when Metal has too much pathos (I hope that's the correct word), which is pretty much always the case with Viking or Pirate Metal (or whatever it's called) or bands like Blind Guardian and (sadly) the newer Iron Maiden. I don't like to use the word, but it makes me cringe a bit. Having said that, who could not love to watch the girls perform this song live. And watching the fans have fun with it (like the Russian fans during their 2020 tour) makes my heart jump. Even if it's my least favourite song, it still oozes the BABYMETAL fun and positive vibe and makes me smile like an idiot.

[@Varksterable]

Good point. "Least favourite song" in the Babymetal universe is still a pretty high bar, comparatively. I really liked this song initially. But it does go on my "quickest to lose interest in" list along with Babymetal Death.

[@DeePal072]

23:53 soooo, let's talk about Cannibal Corpse, shall we? 😅 Just kidding, great video, as always 🤩👍 🤘🦊⚡

[@Wombatmetal]

I like these. I also went to the Red Shoes with this and have for Vatch Me if you Can for some years. Talking connections, one of the members of Blood Stained Child, whom your friend mentioned, contributes music for Babymetal Also you talk about connections with Su and Perfume, when Karen Girl's came out, before SG, they were marketed a little sisters to Perfume. Babymetal does have a lot of connections. On Rob Halford. I started listening to Priest in the 70s. If you listen to the lyrical content of his songs, Grinder is a good one, everyone knew he was gay, at least his fans. So when he came out, it was like yeah, we know. No drama involved.

[@AndrewHartley]

Yeah, I think I knew that that had been the fan response to Halford coming out, but--never having been a big Priest fan--I was still surprised by it. What my guests said about the niche appeal of some kids of metal to people who, for lots of reasons, feel a bit outside the mainstream, makes sense to me.

[@jefffromchicago6321]

To me it's very catchy but tedious. When I listen to it on the CD, even live,I comprise by listening to half then skipping. On Blu-ray I watch it all.

[@Dennis-DK2]

The best Sabaton song is the one of the 300 Allied Spartans defeting the Nazi Persians in WW2 :D :D :D Just kidding , you are right most of their songs are about ww2

[@robertadams8094]

It is my least favorite song on its own but in typical Babymetal fashion they elevate live .