CityPop and Anime during the late Showa era
- asboccomics
- Feb 2, 2025
- 3 min read
[Author: Silvia Jiang]
Japanese music has always had a global influence. Today, I’d like to introduce you to a genre that’s a branch of Japanese music and one that I personally listen to often. With its vibrant rhythms and breezy melodies, this genre captures the essence of summer beach vacations, urban nightlife, and romantic sentiments. For those familiar with Japanese music, you may already know the name of this style - City Pop.
Figure 1
City Pop emerged in the 1980s, coinciding with Japan’s economic boom. It embodies the consumerism and optimism of the bubble era, reflecting the bustling city nightlife and a hopeful and optimistic view of the future. It often gives listeners a feeling of being in a surreal dream filled with love, hope, and the joy of life.
After World War II, Japanese society was heavily influenced by American culture and lifestyle. With rapid economic growth, young people became increasingly interested in Western pop culture. City Pop blended elements of both Western pop music and Japanese traditional music. It’s a mix of dance music, jazz, and funk, marked by a steady beat, thick bass lines, and bright keyboard melodies, creating a warm, summery atmosphere.
Someone may think that the folk-rock band Happy End (1973-1976), founded by musicians like Haruomi Hosono and Eiichi Ohtaki, was the pioneering band of City Pop. Their work combined light rock with catchy Japanese lyrics. Another, instead, considers the release of the album SONGS (1975) by the band Sugar Babe, which has Tatsuro Yamashita and Taeko Onuki as members, the start of the Citypop era in Japan. Both these two bands were influenced by European and American bands. Following these pivotal moments, artists like Tatsuro Yamashita, Taeko Onuki, Mariya Takeuchi, Minako Yoshida, and Yumi Arai cemented the foundation of City Pop. Each City Pop song seems to transport listeners to palm-lined beaches or neon-lit cityscapes, evoking the carefree spirit of the era.
Some classic City Pop tracks include:
“Mayonaka no Door - Stay with Me” by Miki Matsubara, 1979
“Ride on Time” by Tatsuro Yamashita, 1980
“Midnight Pretenders” by Tomoko Aran, 1983
“Remember Summer Days” by Kazuto Murata, 1983
“Do you wanna dance”, by Toshiki Kadomatsu, 1983
“Christmas Eve” by Tatsuro Yamashita, 1983
“Plastic Love” by Mariya Takeuchi, 1984
“It’s Hard to Say Goodbye”, by Toshiki Kadomatsu and Yurie Kokubu, 2014
The Connection Between CityPop and Anime
City Pop is not just a musical genre—it’s a lifestyle aesthetic. During the late Showa era, many anime integrated City Pop elements, making it a symbol of “urban romance.”
City Pop, filled with the vibrant spirit of 1980s urban life, also became the theme for many anime works. For example, Cat’s Eye, a series by Tsukasa Hojo. It was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine from 1981 to 1985 and was adapted into an anime just two years after its initial publication. The story follows three sisters who embark on heists to recover valuable artefacts in hopes of finding their father. They send calling cards to the police before each heist and each episode covers one mission. Its theme song, Cat’s Eye, performed by Anri, features a classic night-time City Pop vibe. With funk and disco rhythms, the song aligns perfectly with the story of urban thieves, transporting viewers into the dreamy atmosphere of bustling cityscapes. This song even topped the Oricon charts, becoming one of the best-selling anime themes of all time and a classic City Pop track that invokes nostalgia for the 80s.
Figure 2
Tsukasa Hojo’s City Hunter (1985-1991) is another work that blends City Pop with lighthearted, humorous plots. Ryo Saeba (the male main character) repeatedly takes on missions from beautiful clients, leading to comedic highlights, along with his partner, Kaori. Many of the night scenes evoke the classic elements of City Pop. The anime’s iconic song, Love, Don’t Leave Me, sung by Kahoru Kohirumaki, also carries City Pop vibes, adding a romantic layer to the story. Additionally, other City Pop musicians contributed to the soundtrack, filling City Hunter’s 140-episode run with unforgettable music.
Figure 3
Listening to City Pop songs can make one dream of a bright, hopeful future. However, as Japan’s bubble economy burst and the “Lost Decade” ensued, the happy and optimistic tone of City Pop also faded. The rise and fall of City Pop closely mirror Japan’s economic trajectory.
Reference
FIGURE 1 – BY HIROSHI NAGAI https://x.com/hiroshipj
FIGURE 2 – “Cat’s eye” album cover https://recordsale.de/it/artists/anri/albums/cat-s-eye
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