Oshi-Katsu Chronicle 2020: Streamed Concerts in the Pandemic, NiziU and YOASOBI, and the Demon Slayer Film

In 2020, the spread of the novel coronavirus brought a string of canceled and postponed concerts and events. With big crowds hard to allow, more people turned to video streams to watch their oshi on stage.

Even so, hits kept coming and new groups kept debuting. YOASOBI and NiziU became well known, and in autumn the Demon Slayer film opened.

Shows Canceled and Postponed, and Cheering at Venues Restricted

On February 26, Japan’s professional baseball league decided to play the remaining 72 preseason games with no spectators. In March, the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics were postponed too, and the way events with audiences could be held changed dramatically. Nippon Professional Baseball’s announcement (in Japanese) / News report on the agreement to postpone the Olympics (in Japanese)

The pro baseball regular season opened on June 19 without spectators, and from July 10 it admitted up to 5,000 fans. Not every venue stayed closed all year; some reopened with limits on attendance and on how fans could cheer. Pacific League timeline (in Japanese)

In music and theater, many performances could not go ahead as planned. Pia Research Institute estimates the market for live entertainment held at venues at ¥110.6 billion (roughly $740 million), with ticket sales down 82.4% from the year before. Pia Research Institute survey (in Japanese)

¥110.6 billion

Venue live market (roughly $740 million)

-82.4%

Ticket sales versus the year before

Estimate by Pia Research Institute.

Source: Pia Research Institute survey (in Japanese)

Southern All Stars Stream Live, Arashi Stream a Recorded Show

Streaming live video was nothing new. But in 2020, with shows for audiences hard to hold, paid streamed concerts spread. The ticket sellers eplus and Pia launched “Streaming+” and “PIA LIVE STREAM.” eplus service announcement (in Japanese) / Pia service announcement (in Japanese)

June 25: Southern All Stars, live

A no-audience show at Yokohama Arena was streamed. Viewing tickets were ¥3,600, and there was a replay period afterward.

November 3: Arashi's ARAFES

A no-audience show recorded in advance at the National Stadium was streamed. Fans watched the footage of the venue during a set broadcast window.

For the Southern All Stars show, viewing tickets had no lottery or first-come limit; anyone who bought one could watch. There was also an archive stream, so viewers could rewatch the show during a set period. Official ticket information for the show (in Japanese)

Arashi’s ARAFES 2020 at National Stadium was recorded with no audience after a postponement. The show, with songs chosen from fan votes, reached fans through their screens. Report on the announcement of the advance recording (in Japanese) / Official video release page (in Japanese)

The video cover shows a large nighttime venue without implying an attended concert. Released in 2021, it offers a later way to revisit the performance held in 2020.

Pia Research Institute estimated that year’s market for paid online concerts with e-tickets at ¥44.8 billion (roughly $300 million). The figure covers viewing tickets and the like sold in Japan, not free video views. Survey on paid online concerts (in Japanese)

Online Chats in Place of Handshake Events

On October 17 and 18, AKB48 held an “online chat and streamed concert” in place of the nationwide handshake events, where fans line up to shake hands and talk with members, for the singles “Sustainable” and “Shitsuren, Arigatou.” Coverage at the time of the event (in Japanese)

Members said that in these screen-to-screen conversations, some fans showed off merchandise they had at home. Things you could not see at an in-person handshake, such as a fan’s room and daily life, sometimes came across.

Handshake event at a venue

Fans and members talk face to face. A fan's room and everyday life stay out of view.

Online chat

They talk through a screen. Some fans showed the goods in their homes, so members sometimes got a glimpse of their daily lives.

YOASOBI’s “Yoru ni Kakeru”: A Song from the Previous Year Tops the Annual Chart

YOASOBI’s “Yoru ni Kakeru” (“Racing into the Night”) was released digitally in December 2019. In 2020 it became widely known through videos and social media, and it ranked first on Billboard JAPAN’s annual overall song chart. Annual chart announcement (in Japanese)

The cover pairs a blue profile with a red field, using illustration instead of a singer’s portrait. The song’s 2019 release is distinguished from its broad success in 2020.

“Yoru ni Kakeru” was a song whose release year and breakout year differed. Interview with the duo after the year-end win (in Japanese)

Eito’s “Kōsui” (“Perfume”) is another song released the year before that spread in 2020. People discovered it through TikTok and cover videos, and more of them went on to listen to the singer’s own version. Article analyzing the hit at the time (in Japanese)

Simultaneous Debuts and Audition Shows: Getting to Know New Groups

On January 22, SixTONES and Snow Man made their CD debuts. The release carried SixTONES’ “Imitation Rain” and Snow Man’s “D.D.,” and each group’s version came with a different track order and different bonus items. SixTONES official announcement (in Japanese) / Product information at release (in Japanese)

NiziU is a group born from the audition show Nizi Project. It pre-debuted on June 30 with the digital mini-album Make you happy, and made its official debut on December 2 with “Step and a step.” Official notice after the pre-debut (in Japanese) / Official announcement of the official debut (in Japanese)

Also, after its final show in October, Keyakizaka46 began activities as Sakurazaka46 on the 14th. The official website and social media accounts were set up under the new group name. Official transition notice (in Japanese)

The Demon Slayer Film Becomes Japan’s Highest-Grossing Film Within the Year

On October 16, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train opened. The film picks up the story of the previous year’s TV anime, to be seen in theaters.

In an announcement on December 28, domestic box office revenue had passed ¥32.4 billion (roughly $216 million), overtaking Spirited Away to become the highest-grossing film in Japan at the time. The figure covers takings through December 27, 2020. Article on the year-end record (in Japanese)

The Mugen Train visual prominently adds Kyojuro Rengoku to the familiar characters. It identifies a film with its own focus rather than substituting the television series’ original image.

¥32.4 billion

Domestic box office through December 27 (roughly $216 million)

No. 1

Highest-grossing film in Japan at the time

It overtook Spirited Away, the previous record-holder, before the year was out.

Source: Cinema Today report (in Japanese)

Screenings continued into the new year, and the record kept growing.

Animal Crossing and Air Comiket: Enjoying Works Even When You Can’t Meet

On March 20, the Nintendo Switch game Animal Crossing: New Horizons went on sale. In the game you shape your own island and live with its residents, and you can go online to visit a friend’s island. Nintendo’s product page (in Japanese)

The launch notice combines island residents with wording about the release-day update. It records the original starting point, rather than presenting later additions as launch features.

You pick the furniture and clothes you like, build your island, and show it to other people.

Comic Market, the giant convention for self-published works, was not held at a venue this year. In May, an online event called “Air Comiket” took place, where circles (creator groups) shared their works and information about distribution. It did not recreate the experience of picking up and buying a book in person, but it was an attempt to keep chances to discover works alive. Comic Market event history (in Japanese)

Key Events of the Year

1. Jan. 22Snow Man and SixTONES make their CD debuts on the same dayIdols
2. Feb. 26Pro baseball plays the remaining 72 preseason games without spectatorsSports
3. Mar. 20Animal Crossing: New Horizons is releasedGames
4. Mar. 24A postponement of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics by about one year is formally agreedSports
5. Mar. 27Comic Market 98, planned for May, is canceledFan works
6. May"Air Comiket," which introduces works online, is heldFan works
7. MayThe paid streaming service "Streaming+" startsMedia
8. Jun. 19The pro baseball regular season opens without spectatorsSports
9. Jun. 25Southern All Stars hold a streaming live show with no audienceMusic
10. Jun. 30NiziU make their pre-debut with "Make you happy"Idols
11. Jul. 10Pro baseball resumes admitting spectators, up to 5,000 peopleSports
12. Oct. 14Keyakizaka46 begins activities as Sakurazaka46Idols
13. Oct. 16Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train opensAnime
14. Oct. 17–18AKB48 hold online talk events in place of handshake eventsIdols
15. Nov. 3Arashi stream the pre-recorded "Ara-Fes 2020"Music
16. Dec. 1The Grand Prize of the Buzzwords of the Year awards goes to "San-mitsu" (the Three Cs)Media
17. Dec. 2NiziU debut with "Step and a step"Idols
18. Dec. 28It is announced that the Demon Slayer film has taken the all-time No. 1 spot in Japan with domestic box office revenue above 32.4 billion yenAnime

1. Jan 22SixTONES and Snow Man debutSimultaneous CD debuts
2. Feb 26Baseball goes spectator-freeRemaining 72 preseason games
3. MayAir ComiketOnline stand-in for the convention
4. Jun 25Southern All Stars stream liveFrom an empty Yokohama Arena
5. Oct 16Demon Slayer film opensRecord set within the year
6. Nov 3Arashi's ARAFES streamsRecorded at the National Stadium
7. Dec 2NiziU officially debutsAfter a June pre-debut

The Year’s Buzzword Awards

Grand PrizeSan-mitsu (the "Three Cs": closed spaces, crowded places, close-contact settings)

Yuriko Koike (Governor of Tokyo)

Top 10Ai no fujichaku (Crash Landing on You, Korean drama)

Hyun Bin (actor)

Top 10Atsumori (Animal Crossing: New Horizons)

The Animal Crossing: New Horizons development team, Nintendo Co., Ltd.

Top 10Abe no masuku ("Abenomask," the cloth masks distributed to every household by the government)

NPO Salad Bowl (a specified nonprofit corporation)

Top 10Amabie (a plague-warding yokai)

—

Top 10Online OO ("online anything," as in online drinking parties and consultations)

Tohoku Shinsha Co., Ltd.

Top 10Kimetsu no Yaiba (Demon Slayer, manga and anime)

Koyoharu Gotoge (manga artist)

Top 10Go To Campaign (government travel and dining subsidies)

—

Top 10Solo camp (solo camping)

Hiroshi (comedian)

Top 10Fuwa-chan (YouTuber and comedian)

Fuwa-chan

The grand prize for the year went to “san-mitsu” (the “Three Cs”), a phrase used to avoid crowded places, close contact and closed spaces. The top ten also included “Online [anything]” (the prefix “online” attached to everything), “Atsumori” (short for Animal Crossing) and “Kimetsu no Yaiba” (Demon Slayer), putting the constraints of daily life beside works enjoyed at home and in theaters. 2020 winning words (in Japanese)

The next year, “oshi-katsu” makes the list of Buzzword of the Year nominees. On to Oshi-Katsu Chronicle 2021.