Ask John: Have Any J-pop Stars Appeared in Anime?

Question:
I was wondering have there been any anime that have featured real Japanese music groups make an appearance in their series?

Answer:
Japanese pop music and anime have a long and intertwined history that includes real-life Japanese pop stars appearing in anime. However, the nature of these appearances varies quite a bit, from walk-on cameos to anime adaptations to anime incarnations. The former category may be the most interesting. It also seems to occur least often.

Anime are particularly neat when they seem to occur in the same world and time that viewers do. It’s a neat treat when anime characters refer to real-life events or people because these references allow viewers to imagine that the anime characters on screen actually exist somewhere in the world. So it’s also intriguing when individuals from real-life interact with anime characters, seemingly breaking down the distinction between fiction and reality. But largely due to conflicts over licensing and publicity fees, real life Japanese pop singers don’t cameo in anime very often. The pop group Tokio, which performed the first opening theme song for the Kodomo no Omocha television series, did have a brief guest appearance in the series’ first episode. Unfortunately, American fans may not realize that because licensing rights conflicts required nearly everything related to Tokio to be removed from the American release of the anime. Immensely popular boy band SMAP briefly appeared in the Hime-chan no Ribbon television series. Shazna lead singer Izam had a cameo appearance in the sixth Crayon Shin-chan movie. And although he’s not strictly a conventional J-pop performer, popular enka singer Jero had a small role in the 17th Crayon Shin-chan movie. The three members of m.o.v.e. appear in an uncredited cameo in the Initial D: Fourth Stage television series. They also literally get sucked into the Initial D anime in the music video for their song “Raimei ~out of kontrol~.” The members of Monkey Majik play anime versions of themselves that encounter the Lupin gang in the music video for their song “Lupin the Third.”

A number of J-pop artists have been immortalized in anime. The story of hit 70’s pop duo Pink Lady was chronicled in the 1978 anime TV special Pink Lady Monogatari: Eiko no Tenshitachi. The girl group Scandal was the subject of a biographical Flash anime series last year. Mini Moni has starred in the Yarunoda Pyon! and Mini Moni the TV anime series. And the members of Mini Moni also portrayed hamster versions of themselves in the Tottoko Hamutaro anime franchise, joining a number of other J-pop celebrities that have had anime alter-egos. The Japanese metal band Seikima-II starred in the 1992 fantasy OVA Seikima II Humane Society ~ Jinruiai ni Michita Shakai. Japanese pop group Exile starred in the historical fiction and sci-fi Examurai Sengoku anime series. The members of TM Network were portrayed as anime characters in the 1990 Alice-in-Wonderland-esque OVA Carol. The pop duo Chage & Aska were portrayed as futuristic police with good conscience in the Hayao Miyazaki directed short movie On Your Mark. Animated versions of the X Japan band members starred in the apocalyptic action anime video for their song “Rusty Nail.” An animated version of Amuro Namie appeared as a Gundam pilot in the music video for Namie’s song “Defend Love.” Anime versions of the pop duo Two-Mix starred in their music video “White Reflection.”