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I just watched newest episode of ARASHI's diary: Voyage...kinda feel emo. Now I hv an urge to start rambling abt how I rediscovered ARASHI. Little did I know that I would feel this way towards them. Kindly mute this thread if you're not interested bc it will be long
I knew ARASHI since junior high school. Back then, when I was in manga class, my sensei played their songs most of the time. Happiness, One Love, Love So Sweet, Attack It!, Sakurasake, were songs I remember the most (though I didn't know all the songs' title that time)
Sadly, I had already got into deep to another fandoms (bands, u know, All Time Low, ARTTM, etc?). I thought "nah I won't listen to j-pop beside animes opening and ending, j-rock still ok tho" I AM SORRY I hate my younger self I WAS TERRIBLY CLOSE-MINDED
However, deep inside, their songs are my guilty pleasure. I remember jamming to Hana Yori Dango's theme song, Wish. But I kept it as low-key as possible :(
I grew up liking more and more bands from many genres! I had some comfort genres (pop punk, power pop, emo, etc?). That was a great time, when I discovered Knuckle Puck, The Wonder Years, Neck Deep, Tigers Jaw, etc. I love them! I love their music! But I wanted more
I discovered more and more bands from Japan. I fell in love. ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, ELLEGARDEN, MY HAIR IS BAD, etc. I widened my horizons, my perspective. Sadly I was still a close-minded moron who thought "bands are cool I don't need anything else"
Fast forward to 2020. The pandemic hit us. I was desperate. I couldn't find any source of happiness since everything seemed gloomy. I needed something to lift up my soul. Thank God, my sister told me "hey you should watch ARASHI's storytelling series on Youtube!"
ARASHI? memories flooded in my head. Their name reminded me of a simpler time when I was younger. Nostalgic. I tried watching some episodes of ARASHI's kamishibai series. I laughed a lot. I had fun. That was the time I finally realized, "I need them in my life".
5 middle-aged men, telling stories to lift up children's soul (not only children's tho haha). Their idea was brilliant. I started following their social medias, started rediscovering their songs (thanks Jun!), started watching their live concert on Youtube (thanks again Jun!)
That was quick. I couldn't stop jamming to their songs. Happiness, PIKA☆NCHI, PIKA☆☆NCHI DOUBLE, A.RA.SHI, Kimi no Tame ni Boku Ga Iru, Sakurasake. I couldn't stop watching their live concert video. Gori-Mucyu, Fight Song, Summer Splash!, Hadashi no Mirai...
I cried listening to PIKA☆☆NCHI DOUBLE and Yasashikutte Sukoshi Baka. I smiled so big while listening to Love Situation and Ai Wo Sakebe. I was head-banging to Kotoba Yori Taisetsu na Mono and Brave. They have songs for every situation. More, more, and more. I fell deeper.
Afterwards I started digging their life stories. I began watching ARASHI'S Diary Voyage (cried a little!). I started watching older clips of various ARASHI's reality shows before watching the newer ones. I've noticed something's never changed: their bond. Their friendship.
Before I realized I already hv fallen for all of them! I love their energy. I love their passion. I love their friendship. I love watching them smile, laugh, sing, and dance. Something wonderful grew inside of me. Never in my life I've felt this way towards a group of idols!
Ohno Satoshi, Sakurai Sho, Aiba Masaki, Ninomiya Kazunari, and Matsumoto Jun. Each of you radiates colors I never knew I needed before! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you for being there when I needed the most (it may sounds crazy but yes they were?)
I am so sorry I've only rediscovered you this year, one year before your hiatus. I am so sorry I put you down years ago (yes I was a moron lol!). I'm very grateful to be able to support you before your hiatus :'D please take care of yourself and have a good rest
To wrap up this thread, hi @arashi5official if you happen to read this thread (not in a million way tho! lol) you just got a new (big) fan! Thank you for widening your storm, a bright-colored storm that brings 5 colored-rainbow to the world!
Nb: I'm sorry for my messy grammar on this shameless love letter HAHA
STAN ARASHI Y'ALL!
STAN ARASHI Y'ALL!
