Janne Da Arc
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese rock band from Hirakata, Osaka. The band's name is often seen shortened to either "Janne" (ジャンヌ) or "JDA".
On May 9, 2006, they celebrated their tenth anniversary, the date marking when the final member, Shuji, became an official member of the band. The band was not named after historical figure Joan of Arc
, despite their song "Kyuuseishu --Messiah--" being about her. Yasu named the band after a character in the manga
Devilman
by Go Nagai
. A picture of the character can be seen on the art for the band's limited edition Janne Da Arc 10th Anniversary Indies Complete Box, released March 15, 2006.
Their sound is self-described as "pop rock", and vocalist Yasu takes many musical cues from his musical idol, Motoyuki "Morrie" Ootsuka of the metal band Dead End
. However, the members of Janne Da Arc have proven themselves to be very versatile as well as proficient at their chosen instruments, and are influenced by many bands and musical styles.
As of January 26, 2007, the members of Janne Da Arc are pursuing solo projects, concurrent with their work in the band.
On May 19, 2009, they released a 10th Anniversary Complete Box Set, which topped the Oricon chart.
All the members, with the exception of Ka-yu, graduated from Hirakata West High School in the same class. For the release of their single Furimukeba..., Janne Da Arc returned to their high school to give a special performance, which became the feature film Hirakata.
Career
The band is currently signed to the Motorod record label, which is owned by Avex Group. They have released three indie albums, nine major-label albums (including single collections), 26 singles, and 14 DVDs.On May 9, 2006, they celebrated their tenth anniversary, the date marking when the final member, Shuji, became an official member of the band. The band was not named after historical figure Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
, despite their song "Kyuuseishu --Messiah--" being about her. Yasu named the band after a character in the manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
Devilman
Devilman
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai which originally started as an anime adaptation of the concept of Nagai's previous manga series, Demon Lord Dante. A 39 episode anime series was developed by Toei in 1972 and Nagai began Devilman as a manga in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen...
by Go Nagai
Go Nagai
, better known by the penname , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy, horror and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with Meakashi Polikichi, but is best known for creating Cutie Honey, Devilman, and Mazinger Z in the 1970s. In 2005, he became a...
. A picture of the character can be seen on the art for the band's limited edition Janne Da Arc 10th Anniversary Indies Complete Box, released March 15, 2006.
Their sound is self-described as "pop rock", and vocalist Yasu takes many musical cues from his musical idol, Motoyuki "Morrie" Ootsuka of the metal band Dead End
Dead End (band)
is an influential Japanese metal/rock band formed in Tokyo in 1984. They were one of few Japanese metal bands who had international exposure in the United States during the eighties...
. However, the members of Janne Da Arc have proven themselves to be very versatile as well as proficient at their chosen instruments, and are influenced by many bands and musical styles.
As of January 26, 2007, the members of Janne Da Arc are pursuing solo projects, concurrent with their work in the band.
On May 19, 2009, they released a 10th Anniversary Complete Box Set, which topped the Oricon chart.
Members
- Yasu (Yasunori Hayashi), vocalist, born January 27, 1975 in Hirakata, Osaka, Japan. Favorite artists include Dead EndDead End (band)is an influential Japanese metal/rock band formed in Tokyo in 1984. They were one of few Japanese metal bands who had international exposure in the United States during the eighties...
and Boowy. Yasu describes himself as someone who generally likes to remain at home, with a penchant for going out and playing pachinkoPachinkois a type of game originating in Japan, and used as both a form of recreational arcade game and much more frequently as a gambling device, filling a niche in gambling in Japan comparable to that of the slot machine in Western gambling. A pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but...
and reading mangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
late into the night. Yasu also plays the guitar and keyboard, the latter of which he uses to compose most of his music. In 2007 he started his solo project, Acid Black CherryAcid Black CherryAcid Black Cherry is Janne Da Arc vocalist Yasu's solo project, formed in 2007 when they went on hiatus. The band's name is often seen shortened to A.B.C..-Background:...
.
- You (Yutaka Tsuda), guitarist, born July 24, 1974 in Kobe, Japan. Favorite artists include Unicorn and Nuno Bettencourt. Yasu describes him as a very cool, collected individual. Shuji, however, describes him as the member of the band that rainy weather seems to follow around, thanks to several of Janne Da Arc's live shows being done on days with severe rainfall.
- Ka-yu (Kazuyuki Matsumoto), bassist, born January 21, 1975 in Hirakata, Osaka, Japan. Favorite artists include Crazy Cool Joe (Dead End bassist) and Boowy. Ka-yu is like a brother to Yasu, and is characterized by his more visual keiVisual Keiis a movement among Japanese musicians, that is characterized by the use of make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics. Some sources state that visual kei refers to a music genre, or to a sub-genre of Japanese rock, with its...
look in comparison to the rest of the band members, as well as his love for animals. In 2010 he has announced the start of a new project called DAMIJAW, starting out with an album on April 28.
- Kiyo (real name unknown), keyboardist, born June 27, 1974 in Hirakata, Osaka, Japan. Favorite artists include Earth, Wind, and Fire and Keith EmersonKeith EmersonKeith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
. Kiyo is the oldest member of Janne Da Arc, and acts as an older brother to the band.
- Shuji (Shuji Suematsu), drummer, born November 21, 1974 in Kobe, Japan. Favorite artists include X JapanX Japanis a Japanese heavy metal band founded in 1982 by Yoshiki and Toshi. Originally named X , the group achieved their breakthrough success in 1989 with the release of their second album Blue Blood...
and LoudnessLoudnessLoudness is the quality of a sound that is primarily a psychological correlate of physical strength . More formally, it is defined as "that attribute of auditory sensation in terms of which sounds can be ordered on a scale extending from quiet to loud."Loudness, a subjective measure, is often...
. Shuji is often referred to by the other members as "Gramps" because of his older appearance and down-to-earth nature. In contrast to guitarist You, Shuji considers himself to be a fair-weather man.
All the members, with the exception of Ka-yu, graduated from Hirakata West High School in the same class. For the release of their single Furimukeba..., Janne Da Arc returned to their high school to give a special performance, which became the feature film Hirakata.
Singles
- Red Zone - March 19, 1999 / June 20, 2001
- Lunatic Gate - September 22, 1999 - January 13, 2000
- Heaven's Place/Vanity - December 4, 2000 - June 26, 2000
- Mysterious - November 8, 2000
- Dry? - January 31, 2001
- Neo Venus - April 25, 2001
- Seed - July 25, 2001 - October 24, 2001
- Feel the Wind - December 12, 2001
- Shining ray - August 7, 2002 - November 20, 2002 - January 16, 2003 - May 8, 2003 - August 20, 2003
- Freedom - March 24, 2004
- Kiss Me - April 7, 2004
- Dolls - May 19, 2004
- Romance - May 26, 2004
- Black Jack - June 2, 2004
- Love Is Here - November 17, 2004 - January 19, 2005 - #2 - May 18, 2005/Destination - February 8, 2006 - #2
- Heaven/ - #2 Ranked Platinum (selling more than 250,000 copies) by RIAJ in 2008
Albums
| # | Information | 1st week sales |
|---|---|---|
| 1st / Debut Album |
D・N・A
|
41,020 copies sold |
| 2nd | Z-Hard
|
25,680 copies sold |
| 3rd | Gaia
|
47,060 copies sold |
| 4th | Another Story
|
43,122 copies sold |
| 5th | Arcadia
|
62,502 copies sold |
| 6th | Joker
|
100,907 copies sold |
Video
- 1999 Tour "Chaos Mode" (June 30, 1999)
- 5 Stories
(September 27, 2000) - Fate or Fortune: Live at Budokan (March 28, 2001)
- Six Clips (March 13, 2002)
- 100th Memorial Live Live Infinity 2002 at Budokan (December 26, 2002)
DVD
- 1999 Tour "Chaos Mode" (September 27, 2000)
- 5 Stories
(September 27, 2000) - Fate or Fortune: Live at Budokan (March 28, 2001)
- Six Clips (March 13, 2002)
- 100th Memorial Live: Live Infinity 2002 at Budokan (December 26, 2002)
- Another Story Clips (March 19, 2003)
- Singles Clips (November 12, 2003)
- Danjiri Night (December 25, 2003)
- Arcadia Clips (September 29, 2004)
- Hirakata (February 16, 2005)
- Live 2005 "Dearly" at Osaka-jō Hall 03.27 (March 27, 2005)
- 10th Anniversary Special Live: Osaka Nanba Rockets 2006.5.9 (September 20, 2006)
- Live 2006 Dead or Alive: Saitama Super Arena 05.20 (September 20, 2006)
- Tour Joker 2005 at Budokan (March 25, 2009)
Box Sets
- Janne Da Arc 10th Anniversary Indies Complete Box (3CD,1DVD) (March 15, 2006)
- Janne Da Arc Complete Box (6CD,3DVD) (May 19, 2009) #1
Other Notes
- Destination was the theme song for the video game Over G FightersOver G FightersOver G Fighters is an Xbox 360 video game developed by the Taito Corporation and released by Ubisoft on June 27, 2006 in North America.The single player mode revolves around a group of multi-national fighter pilots in the fictional Energy Airforce in the near future...
- Neo Venus was released as the commercial theme song for the video game Rockman EXE.
- Feel the Wind was released as the commercial Theme song for the video game Rockman EXE 2MegaMan Battle Network 2Mega Man Battle Network 2, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the Game Boy Advance handheld game console. It is the second game of the Mega Man Battle Network series . It was released in 2001 in Japan and 2002 in America and Europe...
. - Mysterious was released as the Opening Theme for the animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
Sci-Fi HarrySci-Fi Harryis an anime series broadcast in Japan in 2000. It was a joint production of TV Asahi Corporation and Nagoya Broadcasting Network. It is a dark psychological horror series that was produced for nighttime broadcast slot.-Plot:...
. - Shining Ray was released as the 8th Ending theme for the anime One PieceOne Pieceis a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump since August 4, 1997; the individual chapters are being published in tankōbon volumes by Shueisha, with the first released on December 24, 1997, and the 64th volume released as...
, and was a cover track for the music arcade video game DrummaniaDrumManiais a music video game series produced by Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., where colored notes travel down the screen which correspond with color coded parts of an electronic drum set...
8th Mix. - Wild Fang was released as the Opening Theme for the video game Rockman X8Mega Man X8Mega Man X8, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the PlayStation 2 console. It is the eighth game in the Mega Man X series and the most recently released game in that series. It was first released in North America on December 7, 2004...
. - Gekkouka was released as Opening Theme for the anime Black Jack.
- Kasumi Yuku Sora Se ni Shite was released as the 2nd Ending Theme for the anime Monkey TyphoonMonkey Typhoonis a Japanese manga written by Tadashi Agi and illustrated by Romu Aoi. It was serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine between 2001 and 2002....
. - Möbius was released as Opening Theme for the anime BakegyamonBakegyamonis an anime and manga series. Kazuhiro Fujita created the original concept. Mitsuhisa Tamura created the story and art of the manga. The series ran in Shōnen Sunday from 2006 vol. 13 through 2007 vol. 16....
.