Oshi-Katsu Chronicle 2017: Insta-Bae and TikTok, Kemono Friends, TWICE's Japan Debut, and the Rise of VTubers

In 2017, “insta-bae” (Instagram-worthy) was chosen as a grand prize winner in the Buzzword of the Year awards, referring to photos or places that look striking when posted on Instagram. In autumn, the short-form video app TikTok also launched in Japan, expanding the spaces where people shared what they loved through photos and short clips.

The anime Kemono Friends grew from shared theories and reactions on social media into collaborations with real zoos, while in music TWICE made its Japan debut and Namie Amuro announced her retirement for the following year as her all-time best album Finally earned a double-million shipment certification. The year also saw the launch of the Nintendo Switch console and the rise of “Virtual YouTubers (VTubers)” led by Kizuna AI.

Kemono Friends: From Reacting to the Anime to Visiting the Zoo

Aired late at night from January to March, the TV anime Kemono Friends followed the journey across the vast “Japari Park” zoo of Serval—an animal transformed into a human girl known as a “Friend”—and Kaban, a girl who does not know what kind of creature she is. Mysteries hidden behind director Tatsuki’s gentle dialogue and affirming catchphrases like “Sugoi!” (“Amazing!”) and “Tanoshii!” (“Fun!”) caught fire on Twitter and Niconico Video, pushing free streams of Episode 1 past 10 million views. Report on the reaction at the time (in Japanese)

On February 8, the opening theme song “Youkoso Japari Park e” (“Welcome to Japari Park”), written and composed by Masayoshi Oishi and sung by Doubutsu Biscuits x PPP, was released. Praise from musician Gen Hoshino on his radio show helped propel the song to music-show appearances and long-running CD sales. Victor’s record of the release (in Japanese)

After the broadcast ended, from April 22, a collaboration event was held at Tobu Zoo in Saitama Prefecture, placing character panels around the real animal exhibits and playing in-park announcements by the voice actors. Series official record of the event (in Japanese) / Event guide at the time (in Japanese)

“Insta-Bae” and TikTok: Posting Photos and Videos

According to an announcement in October, Instagram’s monthly active accounts in Japan passed 20 million. Colorful sweets, cafes, hotel night pools, and art spots were dubbed “insta-bae,” and fans increasingly arranged and photographed their favorite character goods and uchiwa fans in stylish settings. Article on the announcement at the time (in Japanese)

TikTok official look back at its start in Japan (in Japanese)

In autumn, ByteDance’s 15-second short-video app “TikTok” began service in Japan, letting users film and edit lip-sync and hand-dance clips to in-app background music and inspiring teens to post videos using the same songs.

TWICE Debuts in Japan, and BTS Plays Its First Japanese Dome Shows

On June 28, the nine-member K-pop girl group TWICE—which includes three Japanese members, Mina, Sana, and Momo—made its Japan debut with the best-of album #TWICE, featuring both Korean and Japanese versions of their signature hits just as their “TT pose” was sweeping Japanese middle and high schools. Official announcement of the Japan debut (in Japanese)

On July 2, they held two shows of their debut showcase TWICE DEBUT SHOWCASE “Touchdown in JAPAN” at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, and at year’s end they made their first appearance on NHK’s Kohaku Uta Gassen. Official concert guide (in Japanese)

Following their Top Social Artist win at the Billboard Music Awards in May and an arena tour of 13 shows across six Japanese cities, the seven-member group BTS held their first Japanese dome concerts over two days at Kyocera Dome Osaka on October 14 and 15, and their eighth Japanese single MIC Drop/DNA/Crystal Snow in December became the first release by an overseas artist to top 300,000 first-week copies and 500,000 total sales. Concert announcement at the time (in Japanese)

Namie Amuro Announces Her Retirement, and Finally Earns a Double-Million Certification

On September 20, her 40th birthday, Namie Amuro announced on her official website that she would retire on September 16, 2018, sending shockwaves across Japan and abroad just days after her 25th-anniversary outdoor concerts in her native Okinawa on September 16 and 17. Report at the time (in Japanese)

On November 8, she released the all-time best album Finally, with 52 tracks spanning her debut and six new songs. It sold 1.113 million copies in its first week, making Amuro the first artist to achieve million-selling albums in her teens, twenties, thirties, and forties. In December, the Recording Industry Association of Japan certified the album double million, signifying at least two million net copies shipped. avex / MANTANWEB / Recording Industry Association of Japan (in Japanese)

On December 31, she made a special appearance on the 68th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen for the first time in 14 years, singing her NHK Rio Olympics theme song “Hero” in a white dress and drawing a peak moment rating of 48.4% in the Kanto region. Announcement of the appearance (in Japanese)

Pia Research Institute estimated that year’s domestic live entertainment market at ¥515.1 billion (roughly $3.4 billion), up 2.7% from the previous year to set a new all-time high as large venues returned from renovations. Pia Research Institute (in Japanese)

Rino Sashihara’s Three-Peat, =LOVE’s Debut, and Nogizaka46’s First Tokyo Dome Concerts

At the 9th AKB48 Senbatsu General Election on June 17—broadcast live without an audience from the Central Community Hall in Tomigusuku, Okinawa after severe weather forced the cancellation of the outdoor beach concert the day before—Rino Sashihara won 246,376 votes to achieve an unprecedented third consecutive first-place finish. Vote count (in Japanese)

On September 6, the 12-member voice-actor idol group =LOVE (“Equal Love”), produced by Sashihara in partnership with Yoyogi Animation Academy, made its major-label debut with the single “=LOVE,” showcasing an active top idol writing lyrics and directing costumes and staging for a new group. Official guide to the release event (in Japanese) / Costume company’s record (in Japanese)

In the Sakamichi Series, Keyakizaka46 delivered an intense performance shouting “Boku wa iya da!” (“I refuse!”) on their fourth single “Fukyouwaon” in April, while Nogizaka46 staged their first-ever Tokyo Dome concerts on November 7 and 8 (drawing 100,000 fans over two days) and won their first Japan Record Award Grand Prix at year’s end with “Influencer.” Special awards at the Record Awards also went to Yoko Oginome and the Osaka Prefectural Tomioka High School Dance Club, whose “Bubbly Dance” to her 1985 hit “Dancing Hero” drew tens of millions of views on YouTube. Japan Composers Association (in Japanese)

Kizuna AI Streams Games in Character Form

Having opened her YouTube channel “A.I.Channel” in December of the previous year, Kizuna AI launched the dedicated gaming channel “A.I.Games” on March 30. Performing talk and game commentary as an expressive 3DCG character under the title “Virtual YouTuber” (later abbreviated VTuber), she passed one million subscribers before year’s end. Kizuna AI official timeline (in Japanese)

From autumn into winter, Dennou Shojo Siro, Mirai Akari, Kaguya Luna, and Nekomasu rose alongside her in a boom dubbed the “Four Heavenly Kings of VTubers,” while on September 7 Cover Corp.’s Tokino Sora held her first live stream before 17 viewers, laying the foundation for the female VTuber group hololive. Official profile (in Japanese)

Nintendo Switch and Dragon Quest XI, Giant Panda Xiang Xiang, and Sota Fujii’s 29 Straight Wins

On March 3, Nintendo launched the Nintendo Switch at a suggested retail price of ¥29,980 before tax, allowing players to switch seamlessly between TV mode, tabletop mode, and handheld mode with detachable Joy-Con controllers. Nintendo’s release announcement (in Japanese)

Alongside the launch title The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Splatoon 2 (July 21) and Super Mario Odyssey (October 27) drove persistent hardware shortages, while Square Enix’s Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age launched simultaneously on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo 3DS on July 29 and topped three million copies. Nintendo FY2018 earnings release (in Japanese)

In smartphone games, Bushiroad and Craft Egg launched BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! on March 16, and the ship-personification shooter RPG Azur Lane began service on September 14, inspiring a wave of fan works and cosplay at year-end Comic Market 93 (which drew about 550,000 attendees over three days). Comic Market Preparation Committee (in Japanese) / On-site report (in Japanese)

On June 12, the giant panda cub “Xiang Xiang” was born at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. Public viewing began by lottery on December 19, with about 46 applicants for each available place on the first day. The zoo also streamed live video, allowing people who could not visit to watch her grow. Tokyo Zoological Park Society / TV Asahi (in Japanese)

Key Events of the Year

The Year’s Buzzword Awards

The grand prizes went to “Insta-bae” and “Sontaku” (surmising a superior’s unspoken wishes), while the top ten included comedian Blouson Chiemi’s catchphrase “3.5 billion” (“35-oku”) and “Hifumin,” the affectionate nickname for retired shogi master Hifumi Kato. Jiyu Kokuminsha (in Japanese)

Selection Committee Special Prizes went to sprinter Yoshihide Kiryu’s “9.98” on September 9—the first sub-10-second men’s 100-meter dash by a Japanese athlete—and junior high school shogi prodigy Sota Fujii’s record “29 straight wins” on June 26, which expanded the ranks of “miru-sho” fans who watch shogi broadcasts and follow players’ match-day meals.

In 2018, we trace Namie Amuro’s final tour, Kenshi Yonezu’s “Lemon,” Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer, and the spread of VTubers.