by AishwaryaMV & Old_Anime_Lady, August 4, 2019
33


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, 5x20 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 5x20 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


                         
                         

Starring: All members
                       
                                         

Starring: Matsumoto Jun
Song: Jidai

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.


2002 - 2004


   
         
  Drama/Movie: Kisarazu Cat's  Eye         
Starring: Sakurai Sho





Movie: Pika*nchi Life Is Hard However Happy
Starring: All members
Song: Pikanchi
Song: Michi


Starring: Sakurai Sho


Drama: Stand Up!!
Starring: Ninomiya Kazunari


Starring: All members

Starring: Ninomiya Kazunari
Song: Hero


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.


2005 - 2007


   

Starring: Matsumoto Jun
Song: Wish

   

Starring: Sakurai Sho


   

Starring: Matsumoto Jun
 
   

Drama: Bambino!
Starring: Matsumoto Jun

Drama: Yellow Tears
Starring:  All members

Song: Midori Ame
Song: Namida no Nagareboshi


   

Starring: Ninomiya Kazunari, Sakurai Sho
Song: Happiness

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.


2008-2010


Drama: Uta no Onii-san  
Starring: Ohno Satoshi
Song: Kumorinochi, Kaisei

Starring: All Members
(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

Starring: Sakurai Sho
Starring: Sakurai Sho
Movie: Yatterman
Starring: Sakurai Sho


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

Starring: Ninomiya Kazunari
Starring: Ninomiya Kazunari



Drama: My Girl
Starring: Aiba Masaki
Song: 
My Girl

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.


2011 - 2013


Starring: Ohno Satoshi
Ending Song: Face Down
Starring: Sakurai Sho
Drama: Kazoku Game
Starring: Sakurai Sho
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

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.


2014 - 2016


Drama: Shinigami Kun
Starring: Ohno Satoshi
Song: 
Daremo Shiranai
Starring: Ohno Satoshi
Song: I seek
Drama: Shitsuren Chocolatier
Starring: Matsumoto Jun
Song: 
Bittersweet
Starring: Matsumoto Jun
Song: Daylight

Drama: Yowakutemo Katemasu
Starring: Ninomiya Kazunari
Song: 
Guts
Starring : Aiba Masaki

Starring: Oguri Shun  and Ikuta Toma
Song: Sakura


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.


2017 - 2019


Drama: Mumon: The Land of Stealth 
Starring; Ohno Satoshi
Song: 
Tsunagu
Starring: Sakurai Sho
Starring: Matsumoto Jun

Drama: Kizoku Tantei
Starring: Aiba Masaki
Song: 
I'll Be There

Starring: Aiba Masaki


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!!!


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!


Like writing articles for MDL and want to be able to interact with "veteran writers" or help newer writers? 

Join us on Slack!


matsumoto jun sakurai sho arashi aiba masaki ninomiya kazunari ohno satoshi