Kininatteru Hito ga Otoko ja Nakatta - Ch. 153 - Distraction

[SrNevik]

Cause after aaaaaalllllll you’re my wonderwaaaallllllll

No! Don't put that in my head.

 

[MsW0lf]

It should be taken into account that there also is the publisher involved that may shut things down

Publisher? She literally puts out every chapter on social media. And it’s so freaking popular that she could recommend Cannibal Corpse’s Butchered at Birth and STILL get it released in paperback, omnibus and a song on vol. 2 of the soundtrack on vinyl.

(Do NOT look that up if you have no idea what band I’m talking about.)

 

[outinthegardener]

Another mini time skip? Feels like a structural turning point for the time skip stuff we already got. It establishes a new "ugh talking is hard" point of tension between our leads. Here's to what follows after the turn!

I like how people are arguing about what western music is too basic or too obscure for the manga. Hipsters, assemble! It is the song of my people. That's why I think they should exclusively mention Skinny Puppy from now on. Everyone who goes to listen will be revolted, except the ones who want to pretend they like it for cred.

 

[yogurtman250]

IT'S BACK!!!

 

[veryresponsible]

love this series but it has only ever referenced the most basic and bland aspects of western music

 

[n1151]

they're gonna break up over some stupid bullshit which could be resolved by just opening up. i can even clearly imagine it going like "you don't understand me Aya-san" walks out the apartment timeskip next chapter and Aya goes "i haven't talked to Mitsuki for a year now after she left" and she has a new girlfriend

 

[Thrembs]

Gotta say:
This isn't a good relationship.

They don't trust each other, they don't talk to each other, they keep things from each other...

Here's a tip from someone who's been in a toxic long term relationship: BREAK UP!!!

 

[Thrembs]

love this series but it has only ever referenced the most basic and bland aspects of western music

Correct.
Those are still pretty big deals in Japan, though.

Music doesn't matter as much to personal identity in Japan, and caring about music isn't as common as a result.

Most people don't care about music, worldwide. They just listen to it if they like it, and don't if they don't.

And Japan doesn't rock, as a rule. It's pop and pop-rock for days.

Being into Western music at all is like being a punk, here. It's kinda exotic, kinda cool, kinda weird.

Case in point: they LIKE WONDERWALL. They think Oasis is cool!

Incidentally
The fact that Mitsuki (and every American below 26) dresses exactly like the kids who got beat up in the 90s, not how most people dressed in the 90s (Square. Most people dressed really square), or at all original makes the fact that they're even MORE pretentious about their banal music taste than we were 🤦‍♀️ af.

"Alice in Chains, man!" Yeah. Top 40 radio hits. Got sick of Man in the Box constantly on the radio.

All the Cobain worship resurfacing creeps me out. They put out one great album, one decent album, and before those, Bleach.

 

[TanyaTheEvil]

It was so good to see a chapter come out. Thanks for the translation

 

[Mangamoz]

Really wish the author would make these chaps longer, the story is getting hurt by the short length and rushed pace.

 

[veryresponsible]

Correct.
Those are still pretty big deals in Japan, though.

Music doesn't matter as much to personal identity in Japan, and caring about music isn't as common as a result.

Most people don't care about music, worldwide. They just listen to it if they like it, and don't if they don't.

And Japan doesn't rock, as a rule. It's pop and pop-rock for days.

Being into Western music at all is like being a punk, here. It's kinda exotic, kinda cool, kinda weird.

Case in point: they LIKE WONDERWALL. They think Oasis is cool!

Incidentally
The fact that Mitsuki (and every American below 26) dresses exactly like the kids who got beat up in the 90s, not how most people dressed in the 90s (Square. Most people dressed really square), or at all original makes the fact that they're even MORE pretentious about their banal music taste than we were 🤦‍♀️ af.

"Alice in Chains, man!" Yeah. Top 40 radio hits. Got sick of Man in the Box constantly on the radio.

All the Cobain worship resurfacing creeps me out. They put out one great album, one decent album, and before those, Bleach.

It’s strange because a vast majority of J-rock mirrors a lot of more niche western subgenres like math-rock and post-hardcore. A lot of the guitar work in some of Ano’s music even has a lot of those technical math-rock aspects. You’d think with this that there’s a much wider pool of reference for western music there, but a lot of Japan’s artistry does exist within its societal bubble.

 

[veryresponsible]

Publisher? She literally puts out every chapter on social media. And it’s so freaking popular that she could recommend Cannibal Corpse’s Butchered at Birth and STILL get it released in paperback, omnibus and a song on vol. 2 of the soundtrack on vinyl.

(Do NOT look that up if you have no idea what band I’m talking about.)

No everyone should look that up and see what real riffs sound like. You don’t know riffs until you hear meathook sodomy.

 

[kahoshi]

i really hope this storyline will unfold into something reasonable, because for me it's still unclear why Mitsuki was nearly torturing herself playing in that band, and even quit playing guitar after the incident... because being a guitar player myself i can't imagine the situation that will make me do that

I'm not sure why this is surprising. People do things they don't enjoy all the time because "it seems good enough". She wasn't happy with the band, but it was her first band that hadn't broken up yet. She's trying to be a successful musician and this is the first time it seemed like she'll have a chance at that. It was only after seeing her GF's face did she realize "good enough" was not good enough, and she was faking it.

 

[BigGuyForUUUU2012]

I dunno, I would feel honored if someone gave me a beetle

 

[ozanty]

Twins grew up.

 

[matchazen]

Finally, we are so back. I can relate to Mitsuki.

 

[Thrembs]

It’s strange because a vast majority of J-rock mirrors a lot of more niche western subgenres like math-rock and post-hardcore. A lot of the guitar work in some of Ano’s music even has a lot of those technical math-rock aspects. You’d think with this that there’s a much wider pool of reference for western music there, but a lot of Japan’s artistry does exist within its societal bubble.

Rock music in general isn't that big, local or not.

If a western band had big, melodic hits, they'll sell out tours.

Know who sells out every show in a national tour, 5 shows at the Budoukan and at least one at the Tokyo Dome every year? Eikichi Yazawa. Know what they call him? ロックの神様。
Know who doesn't spend much time on the charts? Eikichi Yazawa.
I have the Z from his logo tattooed on my arm, and it's opened doors for me, but only amongst 元属とおっさん。

Metallica isn't exactly tearing up the charts in the west, but they were influential.

Nirvana was heavily inspired by Melvin's, and they most play they got was on Beavis and Butt-head

Where are these j-rock bands on the Oricon? I didn't hear much rock playing over speakers when I was there.

No friends I met even cared one way or the other about music, aside "I like this band/song/album."

We form tribes around music, in the west.

Another place to step out of standard Western perspectives on music is to look at cultures that are just breaking into modern music.
Yeaaaars ago I spend a month listening to Serbian pop music for some reason. Amazing, inspiring use of western instruments and production methods with local flair.
Hasidic pop music is WILD. It'll morph from one genre to another, arrangements are super uncommon and creative, traditional moods and motifs with modern/western instrumentation and methods...
Now, that's religious/culturally-focused music, so it's socially different, but the point is that they are taking elements from an outside source and using it in a different context.

In Japan, music is music, unless you're a punk or an extreme metalhead.
I hang with them in the USA. Didn't meet any in Japan, because I dressed boring so people would talk to me.

By insisting on dressing like a 90s movie character, Mitsuki may as well have a 1m spiked mohawk and a face tattoo of the anarchy symbol.
Butch AND alternative.

...but jeebus kreebus she's dressed like such a caricature that it makes me cringe.

She's dressed like a band at a photo shoot or a music video set in 1996. Like the cool kid in the 90s movie that's aged like fish.

OASIS?!

 

[AnacondaHL]

Anyway, here's wndrwll

came here to post this, the definitive version, emptyquote, no further notes

 

[FoolTarot]

We're so back, girls

 

[Thrembs]

No everyone should look that up and see what real riffs sound like. You don’t know riffs until you hear meathook sodomy.

Carcass > Florida