Oshi-Katsu Chronicle 2013: Amachan, Hanzawa Naoki, Attack on Titan, Rakuten's First Title and KanColle

In 2013, NHK’s morning drama Amachan followed a high school girl who set out to become an ama diver in Tohoku, became a local idol, and went on to pursue idol life in Tokyo. On TBS’s Sunday Night Theatre, Hanzawa Naoki captivated viewers every week with its banker standing up to corporate fraud and workplace injustice.

Across anime and music as well, fans increasingly participated in the worlds of their favorite works. Companies and local governments uploaded dance videos for AKB48’s “Koisuru Fortune Cookie,” while television anime such as Attack on Titan, Love Live! Season 1, and Free! inspired passionate followings. Hayao Miyazaki’s film The Wind Rises led the box office, and the coinciding grand shrine renewals at Ise Jingu and Izumo Taisha drew millions of worshippers.

Enjoying Amachan’s Characters Through the Drama and Its Songs

Airing from April to September and written by Kankuro Kudo, NHK’s morning drama Amachan starred Rena Nonen (now Non) as Aki Amano. Visiting her mother Haruko’s (Kyoko Koizumi) hometown of Kitasanriku in Iwate Prefecture, Aki trains as an ama diver, forms the local idol duo “Shiosai no Memories” with her best friend Yui (Ai Hashimoto), and later joins the regional-idol group “GMT47” in Tokyo. Toei Video’s series page (in Japanese)

Blending homage to 1980s idol pop with contemporary local-idol and theater-idol culture, the series won a wide audience and brought visitors from across Japan to its filming location in Kuji, Iwate Prefecture.

On August 28, Amachan: Uta no Album (Amachan: Song Album) came out, collecting in-show songs such as “Shiosai no Memory” (sung by Kyoko Koizumi and Hiroko Yakushimaru), “Koyomi no Ue de wa December,” and “Jimoto ni Kaerou,” and reached No. 1 on the Oricon weekly album chart. Victor Entertainment (in Japanese)

Airing from July and based on Jun Ikeido’s novels, Hanzawa Naoki starred Masato Sakai as a banker confronting corrupt superiors. Its September 22 finale recorded a 42.2% household rating in Kanto and 45.5% in Kansai, one of the highest ratings for a commercial TV drama in the Heisei era. TBS series page (in Japanese) / Video Research (in Japanese)

Intense verbal showdowns with co-stars Teruyuki Kagawa and Ainosuke Kataoka sparked live commentary on Twitter every Sunday night, and the signature line “Baigaeshi da!” (“Double payback!”) became a nationwide catchphrase.

NHK, April to September

Amachan

• A girl trains as an ama diver in Tohoku
• She later goes to Tokyo as an idol
• Songs released on an album
• Catchphrase "Je-je-je"

TBS, from July

Hanzawa Naoki

• A banker faces a superior and corporate fraud
• Finale rated 42.2% in the Kanto region
• Lines and face-offs became talking points
• Catchphrase "Baigaeshi"

Both gave viewers lines to repeat with friends as well as episodes to follow.

Rino Sashihara Takes First at the General Election, and “Koisuru Fortune Cookie” Is Released

On June 8, the vote count for the 5th AKB48 General Election drew 70,000 spectators to Nissan Stadium in Yokohama. Under a newly introduced candidacy system, Rino Sashihara, who had transferred to HKT48 the previous year, won first place for the first time with 150,570 votes, while fifth-place finisher Mariko Shinoda announced her graduation for the following month during her speech. Report that day, Natalie Music (in Japanese)

Ahead of the August 21 release of “Koisuru Fortune Cookie” with Sashihara as center, AKB48 released a “STAFF Ver.” video on YouTube on July 19 showing 365 group staff members dancing to the song. The official site posted choreography instructions by Papaya Suzuki and invited fans and organizations to submit their own dance videos. AKB48 official (in Japanese)

Learn the song and dance

Watch videos of members and staff, and learn the choreography.

Dance with your friends

Film the dance in your own places, such as workplaces and neighborhoods.

Share it as video

Videos of the same song, with different people and places, are published.

In October, a “Kanagawa Prefecture Ver.” featuring Governor Yuji Kuroiwa, prefectural staff, and residents dancing at local landmarks was released, followed by videos from Saga and Tottori prefectures, companies, and university clubs in Japan and abroad. Introduction of the Kanagawa version (in Japanese)

At the year-end Japan Record Awards, the Grand Prix went to EXILE’s “EXILE PRIDE: Konna Sekai wo Aisuru Tame ni,” and Best New Artist went to Kota Shinzato. Japan Composers Association (in Japanese)

Watching Momoclo in Movie Theaters, and Making the Rounds of TIF’s Stages

Momoiro Clover Z held “Haru no Ichidaiji 2013” at Seibu Dome on April 13 and 14, drawing about 60,000 fans over two days alongside simultaneous live viewings in movie theaters nationwide. On August 4, they held their first stadium concert at Nissan Stadium before more than 60,000 fans. Concert report (in Japanese) / Live viewing guide (in Japanese)

On July 27 and 28, “TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL 2013 (TIF)” took place across Odaiba, featuring 111 idol groups—including HKT48, Idoling!!!, Sakura Gakuin, Dempagumi.inc, and BiS—and drawing over 33,000 attendees across its stages. On-site report, Natalie Music (in Japanese)

Attack on Titan, Love Live! Season 1, and the Launch of KanColle

From January to March, the first TV anime season of Love Live! aired, following Honoka Kosaka and the nine members of μ’s as they work to save Otonokizaka High School—located between Akihabara, Kanda, and Jinbocho—from closing. Fans visited real-world landmarks such as Kanda Myojin Shrine and the sweet shop Takemura, and in June the voice cast recreated the anime’s choreography at their 3rd Anniversary LoveLive! concert at Pacifico Yokohama. Love Live! official site (in Japanese)

From April, Season 1 of the TV anime Attack on Titan based on Hajime Isayama’s manga aired. Its dynamic 3D Maneuver Gear action and Linked Horizon’s opening theme “Guren no Yumiya” became a sensation, inspiring countless parody opening videos online and earning Linked Horizon a spot on New Year’s Eve’s Kohaku Uta Gassen. Anime official portal (in Japanese)

On April 23, the browser game Kantai Collection -KanColle- (developed by Kadokawa Games and distributed by DMM.com) entered official service, allowing players to collect and raise World War II warships personified as “kanmusu” (“fleet girls”). Announcement at launch, 4Gamer.net (in Japanese)

AprilAttack on Titan

The first season of the TV anime begins.

April 23Kantai Collection (KanColle)

The browser game officially launches. Destroyers, battleships and other vessels appear as "kanmusu," characters in human form.

The boom in historical personification (gijinka) also prompted players to visit former naval port cities such as Kure, Yokosuka, and Maizuru.

Among anime popular with female fans, Uta no Prince-sama: Maji LOVE 2000% aired from April, and Kyoto Animation’s boys’ swimming-club anime Free! aired from July, drawing many fans on pilgrimages to its model town of Iwami in Tottori Prefecture. Comic Market 84 in summer drew about 590,000 attendees over three days, and Comic Market 85 in winter drew about 520,000. Comic Market Preparation Committee (in Japanese)

The Wind Rises at the Box Office and the Dual Grand Shrine Renewals at Ise and Izumo

In cinemas, Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli film The Wind Rises, released on July 20, earned ¥12.02 billion to top the 2013 Japanese box office. Depicting aircraft designer Jiro Horikoshi with Hideaki Anno voicing the lead, it brought Yumi Arai’s 1973 song “Hikokigumo” back up the charts. In live-action cinema, Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Like Father, Like Son starring Masaharu Fukuyama (¥3.20 billion) won the Jury Prize at the 66th Cannes Film Festival. Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (in Japanese)

In travel and shrine visits, 2013 brought a rare convergence: Ise Jingu’s 62nd Shikinen Sengu (held every 20 years, in October) and Izumo Taisha’s Heisei Grand Renewal (held after 60 years, in May). Combined with Mount Fuji’s inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage site in June, collecting temple and shrine seal stamps (goshuin) grew popular among young women. Ise Jingu (in Japanese)

SHOWROOM: Sending Comments and Gifts to Streamers

On November 25, DeNA launched the PC version of the virtual live space “Showroom” (now SHOWROOM), where viewers could send real-time reactions while watching streams by idols and entertainers. Record of the launch date, DeNA (in Japanese)

Viewers appeared as avatars seated before a virtual stage, writing comments and tossing free or paid digital gifts onto the stage to support performers. Announcement of the service (in Japanese)

November 25

DeNA launches the PC version.

Viewers

Shown as avatars. They react with comments and with free or paid gifts.

Performers

At first, mainly idols and entertainers from partner agencies.

Meanwhile, LINE announced on January 18 that its global user base had passed 100 million, and household smartphone ownership in Japan reached 62.6% by year’s end, making smartphones the primary way fans followed streams and social media. LINE’s announcement (in Japanese) / Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications survey (in Japanese)

Rakuten’s First Japan Series Title, and Masahiro Tanaka’s 24-0 Season

In professional baseball, ace pitcher Masahiro Tanaka of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (managed by Senichi Hoshino) posted an undefeated 24–0 regular-season record with a 1.27 ERA, leading the club to its first Pacific League pennant in its ninth year. Nippon Professional Baseball (in Japanese)

24-0

Win-loss record

1.27

Earned run average (ERA)

Source: Nippon Professional Baseball (in Japanese)

Facing the Yomiuri Giants in the Japan Series, Tanaka threw a 160-pitch complete-game loss in Game 6 on November 2, leaving the series tied at 3–3. In Game 7 the next day, after Manabu Mima and Takahiro Norimoto held the lead through eight innings, Tanaka took the mound in the top of the ninth as the stadium sang along to his entrance song, FUNKY MONKEY BABYS’ “Ato Hitotsu,” sealing a 3–0 victory and Rakuten’s first Japan Series title in Sendai. Game 6 record (in Japanese) / Game 7 record (in Japanese)

In the Central League, Wladimir Balentien of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows hit 60 home runs, breaking the single-season Japanese professional baseball record of 55 held by Sadaharu Oh and others. Nippon Professional Baseball (in Japanese)

Key Events of the Year

1. Jan. 18LINE passes 100 million registered users worldwideMedia
2. Apr. 1The NHK morning drama "Ama-chan" begins broadcasting (through September)Media
3. Apr.The TV anime "Attack on Titan" Season 1 begins broadcasting (through September)Anime
4. Apr. 13–14Momoiro Clover Z's "Haru no Ichidaiji 2013 Seibu Dome Taikai" (about 60,000 total visits)Idols
5. Apr. 23The browser game "Kantai Collection (KanColle)" officially launchesGames
6. June 8At the 5th AKB48 General Election at Nissan Stadium, Rino Sashihara takes first placeIdols
7. JulyThe TBS Sunday drama "Hanzawa Naoki" begins broadcasting (through September)Media
8. July 27–28TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL 2013 is held (111 acts perform)Idols
9. Aug. 10–12Comic Market 84 (about 590,000 total visits over 3 days)Fan works
10. Aug. 21AKB48 releases "Koisuru Fortune Cookie"Idols
11. Aug. 28"Ama-chan Uta no Album," collecting the drama's songs, is releasedMusic
12. Sept. 8Tokyo is chosen to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Japan time)Business
13. Nov. 3Rakuten wins its first Japan Series in the team's 9th yearSports
14. Nov. 25The PC version of the live-streaming service "Showroom" beginsMedia
15. Dec. 2The 30th Buzzwords of the Year awards; four words share the grand prize for the first time everMedia
16. Dec. 29–31Comic Market 85 (about 520,000 total visits over 3 days)Fan works
17. Dec. 30The 55th Japan Record Awards; EXILE's "EXILE PRIDE" wins the Grand PrixMusic

1. AprAmachan and Attack on Titan begin
2. Apr 23KanColle enters full service
3. Jun 8Sashihara wins the general election
4. Aug 21"Koisuru Fortune Cookie" released
5. Sep 22Hanzawa Naoki finale
6. Nov 3Rakuten wins its first Japan Series
7. Nov 25SHOWROOM launches on PC

The Year’s Buzzword Awards

Grand PrizeIma desho! ("Now's the time, right?" prep-school instructor Osamu Hayashi's line)

Osamu Hayashi

Grand PrizeO-mo-te-na-shi (Japanese hospitality)

Christel Takigawa

Grand PrizeJejejeh (the "je-je-je" exclamation of surprise in Iwate dialect, from the drama "Ama-chan")

Kankuro Kudo and Rena Nounen

Grand PrizeBaigaeshi ("double payback," from the drama "Hanzawa Naoki")

Masato Sakai and the TBS Sunday drama "Hanzawa Naoki" team

Top 10Abenomics

Shinzo Abe

Top 10Gotochi kyara (local mascot characters)

Kumamon (Sales Director, Kumamoto Prefecture)

Top 10Specially Designated Secrets Protection Act

Taikichi Nishiyama

Top 10PM2.5

Japan Weather Association

Top 10Black kigyo ("black companies" that overwork and exploit employees)

Haruki Konno

Top 10Hate speech

Ikuo Gonoi

For the first time in the awards’ history, four phrases shared the grand prize: “Ima deshou!” (“When will you do it? Right now!”), “O-mo-te-na-shi” (“hospitality”), “Je-je-je,” and “Baigaeshi” (“double payback”), coming from cram-school teacher Osamu Hayashi’s TV commercial, Christel Takigawa’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic bid presentation, and the dramas Amachan and Hanzawa Naoki. Jiyu Kokuminsha (in Japanese)

A special jury prize also honored the Rakuten Eagles’ championship for bringing courage to Tohoku and Japan.

In 2014, we trace the phenomenon of Frozen and Yo-kai Watch, Yuzuru Hanyu’s gold medal at the Sochi Olympics, and new safety procedures at handshake events.