Reaction to 'The 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘰 Extensive Guide to BABYMETAL' (Johnny Reacts)

[@AFoxSong]

Thanks for reacting to my guide.

[@JohnnyReacts1]

No, thank you! I really enjoyed watching it and love your sense of humor.

[@Grington300]

Great reaction. Let's see if I can explain Sakura Gakuin for you. It was not a real school - as the guide said, the girls all continued to attend their own regular schools. SG was was something they did outside of school at the weekends (and maybe some evenings, I don't know). Amuse is a talent agency representing singers, actors, models, groups and all sorts of people working in entertainment. They will scout for new talent and sign them on with a view to representing them, getting them jobs and positions etc. With some of the young talent they signed up Amuse wanted to develop their talents, to prepare them for careers. They set Sakura Gakuin up as an Idol group aimed at coaching and training and providing practical experience for up to about a dozen of the most talented young girls on their books in all aspects of entertainment (acting, modelling, singing, dancing, writing, stage management etc) with a view to those girls finding what they liked best, what they were best at so they could choose and start their careers with Amuse as their agent when they graduated from school. Amuse gave SG a school theme - it worked as the girls were all school age (between 10 and 15) and SG would put on shows with song and dance acts, skits and so on. They would also perform as a group at Idol festivals. In order to give the girls even more experience they set up the "clubs" or sub-units as if they were after-school extra curricular clubs, just as normal schools would have after-school clubs for pupils with an interest in cooking, playing tennis, science, journalism, playing music or whatever. Within each club there would be two, three, four or maybe more of the girls. Some girls might be members of two or three of the different clubs as well. The sub-units or clubs would then get their own themed song and dance routines that they would perform during the SG shows and at the Idol festivals as well as performing big numbers as a whole group. The heavy music club would perform under the name BABYMETAL (the cooking club as Mini Pati, baton twirling club as Twinklestars and so on). When girls reached the age of 15 they would 'graduate' from SG to begin their careers, new younger girls would transfer in to take their place, so the clubs would continue, but they would have new members every two or three years. BABYMETAL was the one exception, it was the only club that would separate from SG to become an independent band in their own right since they had become popular in their own right and had gained their own fanbase. Su would be graduating in 2013 after her 15th birthday. It was decided that BABYMETAL should be her (also Yui's and Moa's) vehicle as she progressed her career as a singer ... Yui and Moa agreed to continue with Su and BABYMETAL while they also continued their own training within SG (they would graduate in 2015). In advance of and in preparation for the split BABYMETAL started to do solo shows in tiny venues and the Kami Band was introduced late in 2012 playing the encores at a some shows and supporting BABYMETAL at a couple of festivals. They were phased in over the next 18 months or so until, with the release of the first album at the end of February 2014, they became the full time support for all live shows from there on.

[@Wolfpack94487]

Again, thank you very much for all the work you put into your comments! Very good explanation of the Sakura Gakuin inner workings.

[@Grington300]

@@Wolfpack94487 Thanks, I was hoping I'd got it right and hadn't misunderstood or missed anything important.

[@JohnnyReacts1]

Wow amazing. Thank you so much for spending time writing and educating me, it is much appreciated.

[@Grington300]

@@JohnnyReacts1 You are most welcome 🙂

[@road-runner]

I appreciate that you did the not so extensive... extensive guide. It really means a lot. Can't wait to watch your reactions to Moa and Momoko's versions of "Headbanger" (known as "Moabanger" and "Momobanger" respectively). For The Fox God channel has decent versions. 🤘🦊

[@Wolfpack94487]

That was a nice one! 😄 Much appreciated! We couldn´t give you THAT much information about BABYMETAL in our comments, otherwise you would had to read thousands and thousands of pages of text. "A Fox Song" summarized a lot of BABYMETAL´s history in a very entertaining way, and with much love, obviously. The guide doesn´t contain the whole of BABYMETAL´s history though. They are just too big to put all the important events, performances, the Sakura Gakuin stuff and whatnot into a video guide of about 40 minutes. You still have a lot of digging to do 😉 But it´s worth it. We witness something like a "one of a kind" thing, watching them growing up, getting big, touring the world and conquer lands they´ve never seen themselves before (South America!). I think it is a thing for the history books. And all that started back in 2010 as a pretty weird idea of a J-Pop producer, and with three very young, but very talented girls... Oh, and I second road-runner´s suggestions! React to Moa´s and Momo´s renditions of "Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!", please!

[@Killem911]

Glad you enjoyed the latest guide to Babymetal. The slightly older and outdated one from CrypticMisery is still very informative and worth watching to fill in some gaps :) ❤🤘🦊🔥

[@jakemuller8626]

Finally you reached this BM guide. It's no longer updated since a lot of things happened from April but it's still helpful and more complete unlike any other guide around. 🦊🤘🔥

[@martinbroten9467]

Great reaction. I was late to the babymetal party as well. Never even heard the name until a little over a year ago. Now, I have huge respect for the band. Whenever their validity is questioned, I always recommend the “Trilogy of Lights” - “Starlight”, “Shine” and “Arkadia” - alongside “From Dusk till Dawn” (all live performances, of course). I would put “Shine” and “From Dusk till Dawn” right up there with “Monochrome” as songs that are just stunning, regardless of genre.

[@JohnnyReacts1]

Thanks for your kind comment! Many people have said 'Dust till Dawn' so I feel this has to be my next reaction.

[@kiino001]

Nice reaction and glad you enjoyed it. I've watched this guide several times, once myself and some reactions, and I always enjoy seeing their progression and development. It brings home how they had to start out small and work their way up to being the phenomena they are today. As you said hopefully Yui is healthy and happy in whatever she is doing today.

[@kitkat6407]

Glad you enjoyed watching this long video to the end. As you may have guessed living in Japan, BABYMETAL is a group that has developed in a very particular way in the Japanese music scene. They have been mostly dedicated to live performances with very little media exposure. I can't help but cry when I think of all the hard work and effort they have put in so far. I think you will like From Dusk Till Dawn and The Trilogy of Lights.

[@yunametal344]

I bet Johnny would cry😭💕

[@kitkat6407]

@@yunametal344 Yeah, I'm sure.🤘🦊

[@JohnnyReacts1]

Thank you for your comment. I keep hearing 'Dust till Dawn' so I think this should be my next reaction.

[@Nana-dy1it]

I've been their fan since their 2015 viral and they are now coming to Brazil, im going to see them for the first time i cant wait😭😭😭😭

[@Slytherkins]

Sakura Gakuin play acts at being a school, and schools have school clubs, like Glee or Drama. So the Cooking Club, Science Club, Baton Club, ect were little mini groups within Sakura Gakuin, and they sang songs related to their club's theme. All the girls went to the same 'school' and were all part of and performed as Sakura Gakuin, but then they participated additionally and separately in various 'extracuriculars'. The clubs only had a few members each, never the whole group. Imo, they were pushing the theme a little with the Heavy Music Club, but I'm not complaining. XD Whatever excuse they needed to give me BabyMetal is fine in my books. :p Sakura Gakuin skits are great fun, you should check some out.

[@lencooke944]

Slytherkins, a really good explanation for Sakura Gakuin for a newcomer. In fact, I don't think I have read better explanation in so few words.

[@Slytherkins]

@@lencooke944 Tanks. ^-^

[@simno345]

The Heavy Music Club is not really pushing it that much. Maximum the Hormone, Hanabie., and Scandal originally formed in 'Light' (i.e. popular, not Classical) Music clubs in high school

[@JohnnyReacts1]

Thanks for your comment, I will check them out.

[@charlietricque5611]

I agree I always thought of it or explain it as school of rock type deal and the clubs being the style of music studied within those classes…

[@Ganimal83]

Thanks Johnny, great reaction! I hope you do more Babymetal soon, and not only that, interviews, funny moments, and some fan cam compilations showing their on stage shenanigans 😂. There’s a good one of Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers cameoing as Babymetal’s drummer as a thank you to Babymetal for supporting and opening for RHCP’s 2016’s UK tour. This concluded with a special surprise for Su-metal from Chad, and was an amazingly wholesome moment! 🤘🦊

[@JohnnyReacts1]

Thanks for the comment, I need to find the clips you are talking about.

[@lordsheogorath-bz5ti]

SUMETALs father was also a bass guitarist for a Japanese band called the Hooligans. There might be a soundtrack on YT somewhere. 🤔😊

[@Roin8]

Thank you for this great reaction to the BABYMETAL saga. There are a lot of documents about Sakura Gakuin and her activities, seeing them makes the girls even more endearing...yes, it's possible!🌸

[@yunametal344]

Nice reaction Johnny! I'm so glad you watched the BABYMETAL guide video too! When I became a BABYMETAL fan, Yui had already left BABYMETAL🍅and Mikio unfortunately passed away, but I love Yui and Mikio💕 and of course I love MOMO too!🍑🦊

[@dangermouseuk78]

Your right Sakura Gakuin or Cherry blossom academy was based around school life, the individual side groups were based around extra curricular activities and then you had the main SG group. The music was supposed to be educational and they had their own TV show and then online show where they did classes. It was basically training school to prepare them for the entertainment industry to be super ladies. But once they reach the end of the end of compulsory education in their real school life they would also graduate from SG and move onto what they want. Such as Nene who left SG to become a nurse so it didn't have to in the entertainment world.

[@silverj1697]

Love this video and reaction. If you wanted to watch some of the SG videos, I would definitely watch. The nendo test videos are hilarious and you get to see another side of the girls. Also, there is Su's graduation and surprise for Su as well. Be sure to bring tissues if you watch those two though. Very heartwarming.

[@papeh01]

You should definitely look more into Sakura Gakuin, they are amazing. Think of it as a big core group that is divided into several subgroups, like the clubs you had when you were in school. Sakura Gakuin served as an academy for girls who wanted to dedicate themselves to the entertainment industry. After graduation, the girls could follow the path they chose. Actresses, models, idols, voice actresses, etc.

[@GenTzu]

Out of the original 12, 11 went on to careers in the industry. Nene didn't want to be an idol and became a nurse like her mother. Yui as we know performed until 2017 and officially "retired" in 2018. Many of the follow on girls also went into the industry. @OneFive was formed by the four girls from Nendo 2019; Kano Fujihira, Soyoka Yoshida, Tsugumi Aritomo, and Momoe Mori. Miku Tanaka, lead of group "Metalverse" is another example. The sub-reddit Sukura Gakuin has a complete list of all the girls and their current known activities.

[@rickwagner-]

⚡ 💀 💕 🍑 It's very cool to see you react to a BABYMETAL Guide, and this is a very good one. Also the most up to date. Clearly a lot of work involved. Great to see you invest the time watching this. The current version has some great updates and corrections. There are still a few things I hope the guide creater will consider updating if they bring out a new version. I think it's more accurate to describe Sakura Gakuin as consisting of between eight to twelve members, rather than ten to twelve. The group even started and ended with eight members. The October 11th, 2019 concert at the LA Forum wasn't the introduction of the Western Kami Band. Their first show was at Orlando, Florida on September 4th, 2019, and they performed at all the US shows on that tour. The guide doesn't specifically say the Forum show was their first appearance, but I think you could definitely get that impression. Kokona Kato from METALVERSE is better known as a Ciao Girl member, and was their Grand Prix winner, rather than just being at Amuse Camp, which is a training opportunity for Amuse Kids talent. A Fox Song, (the guide creator) thinks the Amuse Camp credit is more important since the supporting dancers of METALVERSE all attended it. The other members were all described as being former Sakura Gakuin members though. BTW, the clip where they think they might see Momoko is not the same as the METALVERSE clip, it's just in a similar style.

[@John-l7y1t]

I drank whiskey and a beer while watching this. Was a great time! Can you react to Kimi To Anime Ga Mitai please? The channel For the Fox God has english subtitles. Thank you!

[@Dennis-DK2]

Great reaction, thank you so much for sharing it with us.

[@jonabitstream]

In my imagination, Amuse was trying to find a way to exploit the Japanese fascination with Idol culture when creating Sakura Gakuin. And BabyMetal was completely unexpected as its greatest success. I imagine Kobayashi met with a lot of resistance in the early months from Amuse. More needs to be said about his genius and insight, as well as his successes producing those amazing shows.

[@TreadheadA1]

Good stuff, Johnny! Just in case you never found it. This was made by A Fox Song and I agree with you about the sense of humor. I have seen this about a kagillion times already and I still crack up at the jokes. Some time or another you need to check out some Sakura Gakuin. The singing and dancing is of the highest quality and to me, makes a lot of older idol groups look amateurish. Which I think is amazing considering their aga and the fact that they are replacing members every year (after the first two years). The skits and nendo tests are a lot of fun. They eventually had a weekly show on tv that is really fun. The first was Manande Monday on LoGiRL before it ended. Then they moved to Fresh Monday which continued until the disbanded. You would have to watch them on your own most likely since they are about an hour long. If you haven't seen From Dusk Til Dawn from the 2021 Budokan show yet, you really need to! Su-metal kills it!

[@TheHomelessDreamer]

The one bit of information that kind of caught me off guard was that Yui and Moa were still in Sakura Gakuin when they performed at Sonisphere... not sure why that impresses me, but it does.

[@martinmetal7481]

The thought that they were doing BabyMetal, SG, and normal school always impressed me 😁🤘🏼🦊

[@JMxx6204]

You think that’s impressive they had sold out Budokan in Tokyo twice while they were in SG too. Su had only just left. They are endlessly impressive young women.

[@justinbarnes8834]

Great reaction, I have watched you fall unexpectedly into the fox hole. Welcome fellow Kitsune

[@tonygriffin_]

I've watched a few extensive guides to Babymetal over the years but this seems a more recent addition and therefore more up-to-date. One of the many things that has amazed me about Babymetal over the years is their commitment to learning and perfecting their art. How they managed to go to 'normal' school and attend the Sakura Gakuin 'school' and also play to crowds in the tens of thousands in between is astounding, especially as they were in their early and mid teens. The name Babymetal is a play on the Kanji for Heavy and Baby, which are almost identical - HebbeMetaru and BebbeMetaru. Gotta recommend that Sonisphere performance of IJIME, DAME, ZETTAI if only because Su herself has said that it was the moment they knew they could make it anywhere in the Metal world. I've also compiled all the available fancams of that iconic 30 minute set into a chronological order and posted it on my YT channel.

[@rickwagner-]

"ベビーメタル" (Bebīmetaru) is in katakana, not kanji. Kanji are ideograms adapted from Chinese characters. Katakana is primarily used for words of foreign origin, like English.

[@tonygriffin_]

@@rickwagner- OK.

[@fabianochevallier]

I recommend doing a REACT of Sakura Gakuin. Some songs. And especially the General Knowledge Quiz. If you want to focus on Babymetal, watch the quizzes between 2010 and 2014. It's really funny.😅

[@Will_I_am59]

Nice reaction :) I'm glad you did this guide, it's my favorite of the ones out there. Not to shift your focus away from BabyMetal or other Japanese bands but how would you feel about branching out to Mexico? Recently I've discovered a band called 'The Warning'. Three sisters who started playing at a young age and formed their own power trio. They ROCK! If you get a chance, check out their live performance at the MTV VMA's in '23 doing the song, 'Evolve'. I guarantee you'll be both shocked and delighted :) I'd post the link to their channel for the video but yt might block it. Keep on Rockin! P.S. They released a 50/50 collaboration with Band Maid called 'Show Them' about a month ago

[@DaniloSouza84]

The For the Fox God channel has the Headbanger and Meta Taro versions of the Legend MM show that Momo made her special appearance on.

[@NutHuck]

Thank you for your, once again, great reaction video and for taking the time. It‘s cool to see how invested you are!

[@JohnnyReacts1]

Thanks for your kind comment.

[@kevinmalone7167]

I've recommended "From Dusk Till Dawn" before as an example of her incredible range. Can't wait until you get to it!

[@jm3415]

So glad you checked out this video!

[@tmmetal4237]

I would like you to watch the BABYMETAL Guide edited by CrypticMisery. There is another information.

[@khelatar]

Yes, the "clubs" were small themed subgroups within Sakura Gakuin. Most - like Mini Pati - were parts of SG only, and when the members graduated the club would just get new members. The Heavy Music Club (Babymetal) were an exception as they began to grow a separate fanbase so it was decided to split them off.

[@rickwagner-]

Although Mini-Pati is unusual, since the group existed before Sakura Gakuin began.

[@monkut]

You should check out "rock may kan" in Meguro, one of the first places babymetal played. It was scheduled to be demolished, but it's been postponed for a while.

[@thenormalman3409]

Also watch other videos about Kamiband, they are great musicians.

[@kirariniwa3948]

Good reaction! :)

[@paulog2162]

Hi Johnny, if I remember correctly the old logo had a skull draw by Yui, a heart draw by Moa and wings draw by Su, So they removed those items that represented the old BM. (No need for that if you ask me).

[@ksbrst2010]

Yes, they were originally idols. And only 12, 10 and 10. An important part for Suzuka was that he added a different kind of education after she left Sakura Gakuin. She became a Stage Hand and then he qualified her more and more So that her zeachers more and more saw who she really would be. But this is the real reason why she is always so responsive for her team. She learned how much of her success lies on their shoulders. While Tank the tech presumed that this is Country specific, I think I trust the Kami Band West that explained that this is Babymetal specific. For them the Staff was a oart of the reason why they came. And Suzuka started when she was three. A Model for Baby Diapers.

[@織田ペコ]

Your reaction is always wonderful✨ Speaking of Sakura Gakuin, the keyword school reminds me of the leaders of the new school(Atarashii Gakko).Have you ever heard of it? I love BM aut I like Atarashi Gakko(AG)also,so I'm wandering if you have checked AG personaly.I think you will like them too,because they are unique and funny😊

[@kc28kenneth]

🤘🦊🤘

[@ksbrst2010]

Abd in fact the success in Europe was pretty much a surprise for Koba and Amuse itself. They wete nuold atound s specific japanese problem. No one knew if they would find any success Europe and the US.

[@michaela.4992]

It‘s a nice little guide. I rejoined BM after the official join from Momoko. Was 2018 in Innsbruck on the concert and you could feel the loss of Yui. to reactions: there are many bad compliations out. The channel „For the Fox God“ with a Yui Picture has only original DVD/Bluray. You see in the details all copyright claim by Amuse. In my opinion it‘s a unofficial Amuse channel. But be careful, if you do to low you will earn a block or a strike. Moa‘s and Momo‘s birthday headbanger are also on this channel and the last full BluRay concerts.

[@Icipher353]

Are Babymetal a band? Sort of. Not really. They have a band, but they're and idol group. There has been a lot of conjecture over the years about what they are, but there really isn't anything else like them. They exist in their own category. Regarding Yui, she hasn't made any appearances, or made any public statements at all except for a brief messing in the Sakura Gakuin 10th Anniversary book in 2020. However, she is still listed on Amuse's website as a contracted talent, so who knows. Given that it's been five years, it does seem odd that nothing has happened. We will never really know what went down as no-one involved in Team Babymetal will ever talk about it, especially now that Momo has joined the group. I was at Babymetal Begins to see Momo announced as the new member and it was such a great occasion. She well and truly earned her spot as the new member. There was no-one more qualified for the role. Sakura Gakuin was an idol group featuring girls aged 10-15 years, with a target audience of the same age group. It's purpose was to train young idols in singing, dancing, acting, presentation, and other performing arts skills to prepare them for careers in entertainment. It was themed around a fictional school and the various after-school clubs associated with school life, which each club having a group of members and doing skits, songs, and performances related to the theme. Members would join the group aged 10-12, and would graduate at 15 and move on to other projects either with Amuse or with other talent agencies. An example would be Avenger Kano Fujihira, who joined SG in 2015, performed as part of it until 2020, then moved full time to the Amuse managed J-pop group @onefive along with Tsugumi Arimoto, Momoe Mori, and Soyoka Yoshida, which started when they were still in SG. Other members leave Amuse and go off to seek their own careers elsewhere.

[@ksbrst2010]

The clubs were simply sub Bands of the complete unit. It was only a part of the school scheme. With the exception of the hard music club. Koba was in fact the Boss of Sakura Gakuin and the Hard Music Club was his project. He had no Budget, but he gad ideas and his girls. They gad to open Malls and department stores to guarantee that the hard music club could give their first concerts.

[@bradkornatowski3866]

Yeah, SG is a training band for girls ages of 10-15, once they turn 15, they graduate, and new girls come in. With the clubs in SG. There are like 10-15 girls in SG and doing songs with 10-15 girls every song would be a pain so they will split them into themed subgroups along with doing the full group songs. BabyMetal was the Heavy Music Club.

[@rickwagner-]

8 to 12 girls, aged 10 to 15. Although with COVID related delays, Soya and Kano were already 16 when they graduated. Sakura Gakuin started with 8 members and ended with 8 members. They've never had more than 12.

[@StarlightBeloved]

If I rember correctly Mikio fell of some sort of high up observation deck whilst stargazing with his wife, he then passed a couple days later surrounded by his wife and 2 daughters

[@JohnnyReacts1]

Very very sad.

[@Eliimore93]

↑↓←→BBAB is an absolute banger. Unfortunately is not so popular so no that much people react to it. (hardly recommended, seriously)

[@babymetaldesu_br]

I love this song so much! 😩❤️❤️

[@Killem911]

Its a great song but has no official video and not many reactors search for it. One of my friends made a fan video for it a while back tho :)

[@Killem911]

Its a great song but has no official video and not many reactors search for it. One of my friends made a fan video for it a while back tho :)

[@Eliimore93]

@@babymetaldesu_br I kinda disliked it once when I heard it for the first time. Some time later, I just listened it carefully and enjoyed the hell out of it

[@ksbrst2010]

Black Babymetal had , as Sus Solos the reason that they were underage and the law demandef a longer break. So Moa and Yui gave Su a longer break, while Su guaranteed Moa and Yui their long break.

[@autohmae]

"These bands [idol groups] are so popular in Japan." Yes, this is why Babymetal exists, meant to be the dark heroin in the idol world. Kobametal used to do bands for Amuse and because of popularity of J-Pop idol groups (and also because some where abuse the charts system in ways it wasn't meant: selling CDs as part of handshake events, the more CDs you buy the more minutes you get to talk to the idol of your choice) caused other genres to do less well in the charts, getting less popular in the mainstream. This is also why Babymetal has the moto of Metal Resistance, because metal had become less popular in the west as well. Suzuka started at age 3 as a child model, so yeah, really her whole life she has been in the spot light of entertainment industry. And I think it's part of why she is so comfortable on stage, you even get the impression the bigger the audience, the more she enjoys it ! 🙂 She was on morning TV and performing in front of 20 000 people at age 10 and 11. Surprisingly, run-up to the performance of 20 000 people (Saitama Super Arena, 1 song as Karen Girl's) she wasn't nervous at all. I think choreographer Mikiko is even producer or similar of the live shows of Perfume. "started of at these small venues" The image you have of the video is 200 or 250 venue, the first ever official Babymetal show (2012, they've performed at other events before this, but this is the first 'one man live show'), the venue is called: Rock-May-Kan in Tokyo. Because it's Kobametal involved, the venue Babymetal got started in is actually a historic venue, this is the same venue many bands like X-Japan also started. "if I could have been a little more open to them.." Babymetal makes almost all fans more open, it's such a great thing about them.

[@JohnnyReacts1]

Thank you for this message, I really enjoyed reading it.

[@autohmae]

@@JohnnyReacts1 no problem, gladly helping fans. 🙂

[@poohbear4702]

I'm still waiting for Momo's kazoo solo in the next album!

[@brian_mighty9663]

I think Metalverse is a cash grab by amuse company as baby metal spawned a slew of metal based idol groups like Bish, Passcode, Kamen Joshi etc… not to mention Lady Beard as well, Baby Metal also influenced the recent explosion of interest in female Japanese metal bands as well, (at least that’s what I think)

[@scorpio5174]

As we both love Kingslayer so much. I would like to suggest "Road to Kingslayer" video by SniMetalli. Pretty much a video compilation of Bring Me The Horizon and Babymetal wholesome relationship with each other.

[@SirGreenDay]

Lol. Wrong! There's only 1 Kami band. The Western. All. Americans. The Eastern band stopped backing up BabyMetal several years ago.

[@rickwagner-]

That's true if by "several years ago" you mean one. The last Eastern Kami Band appearance was in late January of 2023.