Asian Kung-Fu Generation (アジアン・カンフー・ジェネレーション Ajian Kanfū Jenerēshon, styliz… Read Full Bio ↴Asian Kung-Fu Generation (アジアン・カンフー・ジェネレーション Ajian Kanfū Jenerēshon, stylized as ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION) is a Japanese alternative rock band formed in Yokohama, Japan, in 1996. For nearly its entire career, the band has consisted of vocalist Masafumi Gotō, guitarist Kensuke Kita, bassist Takahiro Yamada, and drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi. Starting out as a college band, Asian Kung-Fu Generation released a series of independent EPs featuring lyrics mostly sung in English. In 2002, they released their major-label EP debut Hōkai Amplifier, from that point singing their lyrics in Japanese. The band's musical style is influenced by seminal Western alternative rock acts as well as their own local Japanese indie-rock and punk scene. Their songs incorporate various aspects of the genres, most typically expressing fast tempos and prominent power chord guitar riffs in addition to rhythmic groove and emotional lyrics. Despite the indie nature of their music, the band has enjoyed worldwide commercial success in addition to critical acclaim. Asian Kung-Fu Generation has been cited as one of the best, most balanced modern rock bands to emerge from Japan in the 2000s.

The four of them came together in the music club of their university in 1996; for Gotoh, Kita, and Yamada, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION was the first band they ever formed.

After a while, they began to perform at the school and in the local Yokohama area. Interestingly, their first songs were all written in English and, in fact, their first independent 6 track album (released in 2000) was entirely sung in English. The CDs were sold at concerts and over the internet.

In 2001, beginning with "YMD" they held many self-planned events at Yokohama's CLUB24.

Once "Konayuki," the first song in which they used Japanese lyrics, was completed, they sent copies to all the independent shows on the FM stations, and were consequently able to get their music played for the first time on FM radio.

After that, they released their second CD of original works, this time using Japanese lyrics. It achieved great success within the region and at all the Live Houses.
From this time on, starting at Shibuya, Shimokitazawa, Kichijouji and other places, they started putting on shows famed for their energy.

In 2002, they submitted a track to the Underflow Records Compilation CD. In November of the same year, they released "Houkai Amplifier," their first Mini Album to be produced professionally. This album, which would decide their future, debuted in the number 1 spot of Highline Records weekly charts, and also made it to the number 35 spot in the Oricon Indies Chart.

On April 4, 2003, "Houkai Amplifier" was re-released under Ki/oon Records. That summer, they appeared at FUJI ROCK (on the "ROOKIE A GO GO" stage), and at SUMMER SONIC '03 in Osaka.

Following their October 16, 2003 single "Kimi to Iu Hana," their first full album "Kimi Tsunagi Five M" was released on November 19.

From January 19 to February 25 2004, they went on the "five nano seconds" tour. All shows immediately sold out and were a massive success.

In 2004, their first proper single "Siren" and their second single, the iconic "Loop & Loop," were released, the former on April 14th and the latter on May 19th.

Their self-planned event ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION presents "NANO-MUGEN FEST" took place on July 1st at Nihon Budoukan and, that summer, they appeared live at festivals in areas all over the country. On August 4th, their new single "Rewrite" was released, followed by "Kimi no Machi Made" on September 23rd.

On October 20, 2004, their long-awaited new album "Sol-fa" was released and this really pushed the band to the forefront of the J-Rock scene. Then, on November 2nd, they started their second national tour: ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Tour Suihai No!

June 8 2005 saw the release of "NANO-MUGEN COMPILATION," an album composed of songs from various acts, both Japanese and English-language alike. Included was their first single after "Sol-fa": "Blackout." Later, the band released their first real single in over a year; "Blue Train."

In 2006, the band released another single "World Apart," followed by their third album, "Fanclub." A month later, they released their latest album "Feedback File," which includes live versions of some of their most popular tracks.

Their song "Haruka Kanata" was chosen to be a theme song for the anime series "Naruto," and the popular single "Rewrite" was selected as a theme song to the hit anime series "Fullmetal Alchemist." The song "Aru Machi no Gunjou" was used in the animated movie "Tekkon Kinkreet," and the song "After Dark" was used as a theme song for the animated series "BLEACH." The song "Maigo Inu to Ame no Beat" was used as the opening theme for the anime "The Tatami Galaxy".

Senseless
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Lyrics

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センスレス

コンクリートの間を意識が舞う
抜け落ちた白い花弁のよう
色を失って黒くなるだけ

液晶を世界の上辺が這う
音速のスピードで文字に酔う

醒めて冷えきって
忘れ去るだけ

画面の向こうに読み込まれた言葉
最終的に飲み込まれる心

見せかけのセンスレス
温度感も何もない

灰色の空を夢のように染めた
華やかな赤と緑のネオンサイン
歪んだ幻は朝になれば消える
僕らの心に跡だけ残して

行き交う人混みに溶ける
そんな毎日　今日も明日も
無意識に歪んだ自意識とブランド・バッグ
濁って混ざり合う現代のスタンダード

それでも想いを繋いでよ

世界中を悲しみが覆って
君に手招きしたって
僕はずっと
想いをそっと此処で歌うから
君は消さないでいてよ

闇に灯を
心の奥の間に灯を

Overall Meaning

The song "Senseless" by ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION is a commentary on the loss of meaning in modern society. The opening lines describe a consciousness drifting aimlessly amidst the concrete jungle, like fallen white petals losing color and turning black. The next lines speak of scrolling through LCD screens, becoming intoxicated with text moving at sonic speeds, only to be left cold and forgetful. The words on the screen eventually consume the heart, leaving it empty and meaningless.

The chorus emphasizes the hollowness of modern life, with a fake sense of meaninglessness and an absence of any real emotional warmth. The colorful neon signs lighting up the gray sky are likened to distorted illusions that disappear without a trace come morning. The personal and social identity of individuals is blurred and subsumed into the standards of consumerism that dictate the use of brand bags and warped self-awareness. Despite this, the song pleads for keeping the connections of the heart alive, even as the world is increasingly consumed by sadness and darkness.

The final line exhorts to shine a light in the darkness, igniting the flame in the depth of one's soul or consciousness. Overall, the song has a melancholy undertone that highlights the sense of despair, dislocation, and emptiness of life in modern society.

Line by Line Meaning

コンクリートの間を意識が舞う
My mind dances between the concrete

抜け落ちた白い花弁のよう
Like fallen white petals

色を失って黒くなるだけ
I lose my color and become black

液晶を世界の上辺が這う
The surface of the world crawls on my screen

音速のスピードで文字に酔う
I get drunk on the characters at the speed of sound

醒めて冷えきって
I wake up, feeling cold

忘れ去るだけ
Just forget about it

画面の向こうに読み込まれた言葉
The words loaded on the other side of the screen

最終的に飲み込まれる心
My heart will eventually be swallowed by them

見せかけのセンスレス
A senseless appearance

温度感も何もない
Without any feeling of warmth