Anime Music vs Western Music (mainstream music)

[bhl88]

Which of these:

- do you listen to
- like
- store in an mp3 player
- why?

Do you listen to game BGMs too?

I listen to anime music and game BGMs (they are very catchy)

Notes:

Anime > Western Music = I have more anime music than western music stored on mp3 player.
...... < ... = More western music than anime music
.... = ... = like them both

[roriconfan]

i hate most of jpop but i like many rock pieces and ballands.
As for western, I listen the the rock and metal classics.
And yes, I listen more to Western than Eastern only because there are more classics of those.

[Kazu]

I have mostly western music like rock (Zeppelin,Hendrix,RHCP,Nirvana,Pinkfloyd for example)But I also have some BGMs from Shoji Meguro(persona music) Daisuke Ishwatari(Guilty Gear music) I also have some songs from the mongolian chop squad anime,so I pretty much like them equally,but I just think of music as music no matter where it's from

[Kotohono]

Originally Posted by bhl88

Which of these:

- do you listen to
- like
- store in an mp3 player
- why?

Mostly Anime/J-pop stuff makes up around 98% of music on my MP3 player, so I had voted anime, since it's a very rare case for me to like a western song enough to put it on there. As why, I've just never been a fan of much western music, and I didn't really listen to much music at all until I found type of music in anime/J-pop that I liked.

Do you listen to game BGMs too?

Yes if I like a series's BGM/OST I'll put it on my MP3 player though it's usually select songs, instead of the whole thing.

[The Master]

Exclusively western music I love the songs used in anime but it always feels out of place removed from the anime. Since I dont know japanese most of the j-pop songs miss me.

[ac3y]

Almost only western music. I'm sure I'd like J music better if I could understand the language, but I can still appreciate the great beats of m-flo

[Professor Waldorf X]

Why do you have to segregate music based on where its from?

[Traece]

Originally Posted by Professor Waldorf X

Why do you have to segregate music based on where its from?

Well they make it so easy to do so. Besides, you really can tell because of the styles.

I've actually loaded more anime-related music on my PSP than I have Western music. By more, I mean I have no Western and all anime. They just tend to create these really unique and enjoyable pieces that you can listen to repeatedly. That's just the rock and metal and such that I'm talking about. I can't even describe how amazing the orchestral pieces are by comparison. If I went in to detail I'd probably blow the internet up.

[Professor Waldorf X]

Originally Posted by Traece

Well they make it so easy to do so. Besides, you really can tell because of the styles.

I've actually loaded more anime-related music on my PSP than I have Western music. By more, I mean I have no Western and all anime. They just tend to create these really unique and enjoyable pieces that you can listen to repeatedly. That's just the rock and metal and such that I'm talking about. I can't even describe how amazing the orchestral pieces are by comparison. If I went in to detail I'd probably blow the internet up.

Are you serious? "Because of the styles" my ass. For just one of the numerous examples I can pull off the top of my head, compare the Japanese neo-classical metal band Galneryus to the European neo-classical metal band Stratovarius.

The location a band is from has little impact on their style, besides, you're trying to convince me that Japanese music is better when you have no western music to use for your point.

Furthermore, I know the most common arguments. From a lyrical standpoint, people usually argue (horribly incorrectly) that all western music is about sex, money, drugs and violence while Japanese music is not. Notably, they never go into detail as to what Japanese lyrics are about. I can guarantee that there is just as much Japanese music about sex, money, drugs and violence as there is western music about the same subjects.

From a stylistic standpoint, aside from my go-to Galneryus example, I know of plenty of other comparisons to prove my point.

If you want to argue quality, you hear a disproportionate amount of bad western music as opposed to bad Japanese music. I'm sure that there are plenty of Japanese music fans that think just the opposite of what many western music fans think in regards to Japanese music. I'm sure that there are Japanese online communities that are thinking "American music is just better" like many American online communities are thinking "Japanese music is just better." My point is that you simply haven't been exposed to the absolute worst work that Japan has to offer and similarly, the Japanese haven't been exposed to the absolute worst work that Western countries have to offer.

The terms "j-pop" and "anime music" are absolutely useless. Japanese music isn't some sort of holy grail of musical prowess and, personally, I listen to a very proportional amount of Japanese music to American music, Canadian music, Finnish music, British music, German music and music from other countries. Put simply, a bands nationality does not and never will say anything about their quality and will give almost nothing about style. After all, we don't call British pop "b-pop" or American pop "a-pop", so I ask again, why do we have to have a specific segregation based entirely on nationality?

TLDR: Nationality means nothing when it comes to musical prowess.

[bhl88]

Originally Posted by ac3y

Almost only western music. I'm sure I'd like J music better if I could understand the language, but I can still appreciate the great beats of m-flo

Originally Posted by The Master

I love the songs used in anime but it always feels out of place removed from the anime. Since I dont know japanese most of the j-pop songs miss me.

Originally Posted by Minitokyo forums by NeoStryder

A formerly Elton John producer said once: People don't listen music for the letter, people listen music for the sound and rhythm.

Don't need to understand to enjoy it.

Should have expanded the choice to:
- Anime music
- Asian music (c-pop, k-pop, j-pop)
- Western music (US, Europe, wherever is Western influenced.)
- Other music (punk, rock, R&B, hiphop, etc.)
- Game BGMs

[Otaku Emperor]

Anime music kicks Westans ass!

[Miyuki-ism]

You put mainstream at the end of Western Music there.

If I had to choose between the two, I'd choose anime/j-pop. However, I like English sung music quite a bit more than j-pop.

About 10% of the 926 I have on my iPod are anime related, but the other 90% is all bands I like. (The Cure, The Police, Duran Duran, KoRn, Faith No More, Sound Garden etc....)

But I do not listen to mainstream western music at all, it just does not appeal to me.

[Otaku Emperor]

Every single song on my I pod is anime

[bhl88]

@Miyuki-ism: I just felt that Western music is mainstream (since most of the songs on the radio are English...)

@Otaku Emperor: no need to repeat twice

[Cosmic Eagle]

You realize there's no difference between choice 3 and 4 of your poll?

As for me....never listened to western music. Couldn't get into it. So J-pop/ enka and anime/game music for me.

[Traece]

Originally Posted by Professor Waldorf X

Are you serious? "Because of the styles" my ass. For just one of the numerous examples I can pull off the top of my head, compare the Japanese neo-classical metal band Galneryus to the European neo-classical metal band Stratovarius.

The location a band is from has little impact on their style, besides, you're trying to convince me that Japanese music is better when you have no western music to use for your point.

First of all, you're putting words in my mouth. I never once claimed to have not listened to Western music, and I never once claimed that Japanese music is better by default. Clearly, I find more personal enjoyment out of listening to Japanese orchestra pieces. Not only have I listened to Western music, but I've played Western music. Not just music from the United States, but music from multiple different countries (most of which are European). Beyond that, I've played Rock, Jazz, Classical, and a few other genres here and there. I'm not really sure where you pulled those insulting comments out of, but you should probably put a lock and key on there.

Secondly, I can quite easily tell Galneryus is Japanese compared to Stratovarius. It doesn't really help you trying to tell me I don't know what I'm talking about when your example is of a Japanese band with a singer who clearly has an Asian accent. Not to mention that their keyboard parts in the metal song are a big red flag that it's probably not American and more than likely not European.

Put simply, a bands nationality does not and never will say anything about their quality and will give almost nothing about style. After all, we don't call British pop "b-pop" or American pop "a-pop", so I ask again, why do we have to have a specific segregation based entirely on nationality?

TLDR: Nationality means nothing when it comes to musical prowess.

Yes because classic British marches are not pompous and snooty by default. The fact that you refer to it as "segregation" makes me question your credibility in the matter. The labels you seem to think are so segregating are called musical genres. J-Pop is a sub-genre of Pop, and we wouldn't have the J-Pop sub-genre if J-Pop wasn't so obviously Japanese.

It really helps to know what you're talking about if you're going to try and spark an argument, and a good way to spark an argument is to not treat the guy you're trying to correct like he's an idiot. Especially if you're going to do a poor job of it.

[Miyuki-ism]

Originally Posted by bhl88

@Miyuki-ism: I just felt that Western music is mainstream (since most of the songs on the radio are English...)

@Otaku Emperor: no need to repeat twice

Just because it's western, and spoken in English, doesn't mean it's mainstream. I consider mainstream to mean popular, top 40 etc.

[Honoakari]

I definitely choose Japanese music over music from any other countries. I've had enough of Western stuff.

[Professor Waldorf X]

Originally Posted by Traece

First of all, you're putting words in my mouth. I never once claimed to have not listened to Western music, and I never once claimed that Japanese music is better by default. Clearly, I find more personal enjoyment out of listening to Japanese orchestra pieces. Not only have I listened to Western music, but I've played Western music. Not just music from the United States, but music from multiple different countries (most of which are European). Beyond that, I've played Rock, Jazz, Classical, and a few other genres here and there. I'm not really sure where you pulled those insulting comments out of, but you should probably put a lock and key on there.

OK, I misread you, my apologies. To be fair, your post did suggest my error to be true.

Also, what insulting comments?

Secondly, I can quite easily tell Galneryus is Japanese compared to Stratovarius. It doesn't really help you trying to tell me I don't know what I'm talking about when your example is of a Japanese band with a singer who clearly has an Asian accent. Not to mention that their keyboard parts in the metal song are a big red flag that it's probably not American and more than likely not European.

A vocalist's accent has nothing to do with how a band sounds. Yes, Yama-B has a thick accent, but the band's style is almost identical to that of western bands such as Stratovarius and Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force. Accents do not make stylistic difference. The reason I use the Galneryus example is because of how much of an exemplary example it is at showing this point. If it weren't for Yama's voice, I probably could convince some people that Galneryus is a western band,

And are you seriously going to tell me that its mostly the Japanese that use keyboards in metal? Seriously? If that is the case, explain Dream Theater (American), Kamelot (American), Between the Buried and Me (American), Lordi (European), Battlelore (European), DragonForce (European), Rammstein (European), Eisbrecher (European), The Protomen (American), Luca Turilli's Dreamquest (European), Nightwish (European), Machinae Supremacy (European), Sonata Arctica (European) and even Black Sabbath (European) at times. The use of a keyboard means nothing more than the band choosing to use said instrument. If you're arguing particularly talented keyboards, a certain Jordan Rudess (solo starts at about 5 minutes) would probably have something to say about that.

And to really get into western keyboardists, lets look away from metal for a second and look at progressive rock. Bands such as Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Jethro Tull, Yes and Rush paved the way for keyboards in rock during an era where many rock bands refused to use them as they saw keyboards and synths as cheating.

Yes because classic British marches are not pompous and snooty by default. The fact that you refer to it as "segregation" makes me question your credibility in the matter.

From Webster's dictionary:
seg·re·gate

Function: verb

transitive verb 1 : to separate or set apart from others or from the general mass : isolate
2 : to cause or force the separation of (as from the rest of society)

What's your problem with me using the word "segregate" again?

The labels you seem to think are so segregating are called musical genres. J-Pop is a sub-genre of Pop, and we wouldn't have the J-Pop sub-genre if J-Pop wasn't so obviously Japanese.

The only thing that signifies it as Japanese is the language the majority of it is sung. That isn't stylistic difference. Stylistic difference isn't as simply as changing the language the song is sung in. Do we call pop sung in English "e-pop?" No? Then do we call German pop "g-pop?" No? Then why do we need to call Japanese pop "j-pop?"

Like I said, the term "j-pop" is absolutely useless. All it does is say "This is different because its Japanese and only because its Japanese." It says nothing about the style of music the artist plays.

Now, the orchestral pieces I missed. You're not going to try to convince me that all Japanese composers are flat out better than geniuses such as Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin?

It really helps to know what you're talking about if you're going to try and spark an argument, and a good way to spark an argument is to not treat the guy you're trying to correct like he's an idiot. Especially if you're going to do a poor job of it.

Well, lets see, I've given examples (and I can promise you more examples if necessary), expressed facts and used logic, while you simply claimed that I don't know I'm talking about and more or less claimed that language differences is enough to warrant the creation of a new genre, when, as I've explain, it does not, nor have you provided examples to elaborate your points. I don't mean to sound elitist here and I apologize if it comes out that way, but this is simply a subject that gets under my skin as a music geek. Also, if you want to argue credibility, I'd have less trouble taking you seriously if you'd stop with the smilies.

Anyway, your move.

[Photonbeam]

Anime music of course.

Spoiler for 4th:

4th vote -> anime music.