Twenty Years of Arashi

Arashi has acquired enough album sales to reach the No. 1 spot in the world with massive equivalent sales of 1,304,000! This twitter post is what prompted this article. This quote is from June 27, 2019 on JpopAsia:

Japanese idol group Arashi have released their 20th anniversary Best Of album, 5×20 All the BEST!! 1999-2019 and it’s already set new records for the group!

The album sold over 729,000 copies on its first day, beating the group’s previous record for first-day sales which was 413,000 copies with Japonism back in 2015.

Arashi also set another incredible record for male artists. With their new release, Arashi now holds the top five sales records for a male artist in Japan. The first and second are 5×20 All the BEST!! 1999-2019 and Japonism respectively, followed by 2017’s [untitled], 2014’s THE DIGITALIAN and 2013’s LOVE.

So let’s talk about their music and dramas, which was how I found them in the first place.  Most of the Arashi fans I hang out within the community are the opposite of me, falling in love with their variety shows and/or their music, and have barely dipped their toes into dramaland. Mind you, they are the subbers for said variety shows, so as Arashi’s schedule is grueling, so are theirs. 🙂 We also only have one more year before they go on hiatus… yeah I said it, hiatus not disbandment or “cease all activities as a group” as I have seen on other sites.  I will believe they believe they are going to return.

Unfortunately, the text editor does not allow us to embed videos at this time but I will link the video in text for each title.

1999 – 2001

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Drama: V no Arashi Starring: All members Song: A.RA.SHI – Debut Single

Drama: Kindaichi Shonen No Jikenbo 3   Starring: Matsumoto Jun Song: Jidai

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Early in their career their music was a little less pop, had more guitar and was more crunchy. At this point they did not need to please everyone, just their fans who helped them get their debut.

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2002 – 2004

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Drama/Movie: Kisarazu Cat’s  Eye          Starring: Sakurai Sho Song: A Day In Our Life	Movie: Pika*nchi Life Is Hard However Happy Starring: All members Song: Pikanchi Song: Michi	Drama:  Yoiko no Mikata Starring: Sakurai Sho Song: Tomadoi Nagara
Drama: Stand Up!! Starring: Ninomiya Kazunari Song: Hadashi no Mirai  Song: Kotoba Yori Taisetsu na Mono	Movie: Pika**nchi Life Is Hard Therefore Happy Starring: All members Song: Pikanchi Double	Drama: Minami-kun no Koibito Season 3  Starring: Ninomiya Kazunari Song: Hitomi no Naka no Galaxy  Song: Hero

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Still very early and true to their unpolished and youthful sound.  A few ballads per the industry standards, but they were still under the mass appeal radar.

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2005 – 2007

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Drama: Hana Yori Dango Starring: Matsumoto Jun Song: Wish	Movie: Honey and Clover  Starring: Sakurai Sho Song: Aozora Pedal	Drama: Hana Yori Dango 2  Starring: Matsumoto Jun Song: A Love So Sweet
Drama: Bambino! Starring: Matsumoto Jun Song: We Can Make It!	Drama: Yellow Tears Starring:  All members Song: Midori Ame Song: Namida no Nagareboshi	Drama: Yamada Taro Monogatari Starring: Ninomiya Kazunari, Sakurai Sho Song: Happiness

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This is when the group obtains MASSIVE attention with Matsumoto Jun’s Hana Yori Dango, Wish, A Love So Sweet and One Love becoming a staple at almost every concert to this day. Other members of the band credit him with shining the spotlight on them that catapulted them into National Idols. They are the next tier up from Super Idol from this era until now.

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2008-2010

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Drama: Uta no Onii-san   Starring: Ohno Satoshi Song: Kumorinochi, Kaisei	Movie: Saigo no Yakusoku  Starring: All Members Song: Sora Takaku  (Ending Song)  *song starts at 3: 07	Drama: Kaibutsu kun Starring: Ohno Satoshi Song: Monster Song Yukai Tsukai Kaibutsu-kun
Drama: Maou Starring: Ohno Satoshi Song: Truth	Drama: 0 Goshitsu no Kyaku  Starring in Story 1: Ohno Satoshi Song: Tokei Jikake no Umbrella (fanvid) or concert footage	Drama: The Quiz Show 2 Starring: Sakurai Sho Song: Ashita No Kioku
Drama: Tokujo Kabachi!!  Starring: Sakurai Sho Song: Troublemaker	Movie: Yatterman Starring: Sakurai Sho Song: Believe Animated version	Movie: Hana Yori Dango: Final Starring: Matsumoto Jun Song: One Love
Drama: Natsu no Koi wa Nijiiro ni Kagayaku Starring: Matsumoto Jun Song: Love Rainbow	Movie: Ooku Starring: Ninomiya Kazunari Song: Dear Snow	Drama: Ryusei no Kizuna Starring: Ninomiya Kazunari Song: Beautiful Days
Drama: Freeter, Ie o Kau. Starring: Ninomiya Kazunari Song: Hatenai Sora		Drama: My Girl Starring: Aiba Masaki Song: My Girl

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Vs Arashi began in this time period, adding to their already busy schedules and in 2010  Arashi ni Shiyagare started adding yet another show for them to do as a group.  Sakurai Sho begins his newscaster career with News Zero at this time also. The music is now a more polished machine, and the choreos for their dance routines become a little more complicated.  Powerful dramas such as Maou and Quiz Show 2 are released but the songs that you will hear now are Truth and Troublemaker.

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2011 – 2013

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Drama: Kagi no Kakatta Heya  Starring: Ohno Satoshi Ending Song: Face Down	Drama: Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato de Starring: Sakurai Sho Song: Meikyu Love Song	Drama: Kazoku Game Starring: Sakurai Sho Song: Endless Game
Drama: Lucky Seven Starring: Matsumoto Jun Song: Wild at Heart	Movie: Platina Data Starring: Ninomiya Kazunari Song: Breathless	Drama: Bartender Starring: Aiba Masaki Song: Lotus
Drama: Mikeneko Holmes No Suiri Starring: Aiba Masaki Song: Your Eyes		Drama: Last Hope Starring: Aiba Masaki Song: Calling

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The Brand of Arashi is now everywhere: old fans, young fans, generations of fans. The songs are now being tailored for mass appeal, all bad boy images long erased and tried to be forgotten. Kazoku Game was released and is still lauded as a one of a kind drama that others have tried to replicate but fallen short at it.  For me, “Endless Game” and “Facedown” from Kagi no Kakatta Heya (a locked room mystery that DOESN’T SUCK) are the highlights of this era.

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2014 – 2016

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Drama: Shinigami Kun Starring: Ohno Satoshi Song: Daremo Shiranai	Drama: Sekai Ichi Muzukashii Koi Starring: Ohno Satoshi Song: I seek	Drama: Shitsuren Chocolatier Starring: Matsumoto Jun Song: Bittersweet
Drama: 99.9: Keiji Senmon Bengoshi  Starring: Matsumoto Jun Song: Daylight	Drama: Yowakutemo Katemasu Starring: Ninomiya Kazunari Song: Guts	Drama: Yokoso Wagaya E Starring : Aiba Masaki Song: Aozora no Shita, Kimi no Tonari
	Drama: Ouroboros Starring: Oguri Shun  and Ikuta Toma Song: Sakura

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At this point, you cannot turn on the TV, go to the train station, or anywhere, without seeing one Arashi somewhere (call me out if I am wrong, this is the impression I get). Sakura is the only OST Arashi has done that was for a drama none of them was in.

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2017 – 2019

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Drama: Mumon: The Land of Stealth  Starring; Ohno Satoshi Song: Tsunagu	Drama: Saki ni Umareta Dake no Boku Starring: Sakurai Sho Song: Doors (Yūki no Kiseki)	Drama: 99.9: Keiji Senmon Bengoshi – Season II  Starring: Matsumoto Jun Song: Find the Answer
Drama: Kizoku Tantei Starring: Aiba Masaki Song: I’ll Be There		Drama: Sakanoue Animal Clinic Story Starring: Aiba Masaki Song: Kimi No Uta

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I myself have seen most of these and with a lot of them cannot separate the two If I hear “Endless game” I picture the ending of Kazoku Game and “Truth” and Maou are just go hand in hand. This is not always a good thing I detested Aiba’s character in Kizou Tantei but I sort of like “I’ll be there for you” and my dislike for the drama mars my feelings for the song.

Thank you AMV for helping with the layout and checking to make sure I am not too boring! 

Haha, I see what you did there⬆️ AMV thanks!!!

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Which of these are your favourites? Would you like me to create the same on any other Jpop band that does drama music? Let me know in the comments below!

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