Anime songs x DJ x street dance! We went inside the "Akiba x Street 6" JAPAN FINAL, an A-POP dance battle competition held in front of 13,000 people!

Have you ever heard of the anime song dance battle "A-POP"? It is a unique Japanese dance battle in which dancers compete in one-on-one dance battles to anime songs randomly played by DJs. The "Akiba x Street 6" JAPAN FINAL, a national competition to determine the strongest "A-POP" dancer, was held at Shinjuku BLAZE in Tokyo on October 4, 2019.

In the street dance scene, there is a dance battle culture in which dancers showcase their skills and performances to music, aiming for the top. In recent years, with the rise of video-sharing sites such as "Nico Nico Douga" (Nico Nico Video), there have been many examples of the rapid approach of otaku culture and dance culture, as exemplified by "Odotte-mita" (I tried dancing to it) videos.

The "Akiba x Street" national A-POP (ani-song dance battle) competition produced by "RAB (Real Akiba Boys)," a pioneer in ani-song dance performances, has been held five times so far, starting with the first competition in January 2015. And on Friday, October 4, 2019, the 6th competition "Akiba x Street 6" was held.

This time, in addition to the seven dancers (one from each of the regional qualifiers and two from the previous day's qualifier) who won the Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Hokkaido qualifiers, as well as the previous day's qualifier held in Tokyo, the previous "Akiba x Street 5" winner, Ness-san, participated.

In addition, there were group battles and crew battle competitions between dance teams, live performances by guest artists, guest dance showcases, and much more, all moderated by RAB member Keitan and DJ/dancer Zakaruto.

Crew battles entertained with a variety of team colors

The event started with a crew battle, in which the dance teams performed to their heart's content.

The 10 teams that entered the preliminary round performed on the floor, and the four teams that won the preliminary round would go on stage for the finals to be held later in the evening.

Not only the teams that danced to anime songs, but also those that emphasized entertainment by incorporating juggling, and those that performed as if they were in a musical with multiple dancers, each team had their own original color, and both the performers and the audience seemed to be having a great time. All of them were creating their own original colors, and both performers and audience seemed to be truly enjoying themselves.

On the other hand, there were also scenes of sparks flying, which had me on the edge of my seat for a moment, but when the performance was over, the audience was on the side, hugging each other and shaking hands, all in a very relaxed manner!

What was surprising, however, was the depth of the dancers' knowledge and understanding of ani-songs, which they instantly incorporated into their performance. What was also surprising was the depth of the dancers' knowledge and understanding of ani-songs, and their ability to instantly incorporate this knowledge into their performances. With anime songs being played at random, it was unlikely that any arrangements had been made. However, as soon as the music started playing, they immediately leapt to the rhythm (as they say) and sometimes excited the audience with their performances based on the lyrics or anime motifs. Some dancers even incorporate the choreography of the voice actors who sing the anime songs into their live performances, making them much deeper than your average otaku. On the other hand, the dancers also included the controversial "Yettiger! which is controversial at many venues, and some of the dancers would get the floor going with their "YETTY TIGER! It was a melting pot of otaku culture, to say the least. This sense of chaos was new to me, but I can honestly say that I enjoyed it.

I was impressed that Azusaki Shibuya, a member of i☆Ris, who was watching the battle from the stage as a judge, rolled her eyes with her mouth hanging open.

Personally, I discovered the affinity for dance in the OP theme "Ring! It was originally an ani-song with a hip-hop groove, but I didn't realize how much fun it could be when fused with dance. ...... I think I'm beginning to understand how to enjoy "A-POP," if only a little.

A solo battle where a gachinko dance competition unfolded!

After all 10 teams finished their battles, it was time to judge. In the meantime, it was time for DJ Caesar and other anime song DJs to perform a dance. Here, both contestants and the general audience mingled and danced. This kind of chaotic, in a good sense of the word, is also a stimulating part of the street culture.

Next, the solo battles began. (From this point on, the names of the performers are abbreviated to reproduce the atmosphere of the day's fierce competition.)

The four battles were Nobi (Tokyo preliminary) vs. Ness (previous champion), Nico the NATURAL (previous day's preliminary) vs. SALT (Fukuoka preliminary), HIDE (Nagoya preliminary) vs. Mar'c (previous day's preliminary), and UK (Hokkaido preliminary) vs. Ko-Key (Osaka preliminary). Ko-Key (Osaka preliminary).

A complete change from the somewhat festive Crew Battles. This is a serious one-on-one battle. There were not a few dancers who had participated in the Crew Battle, but their eyes and the atmosphere they created were clearly different. Some dancers danced provocatively to stir up their opponents, some tried to excite the floor, some tried to silently create their own world, and some used until the last minute to show off their skills to the fullest. A-POP" was embodied in each style.

The four winners were Ness, Nico the NATURAL, HIDE, and UK. They will continue to compete for the championship.

Guest live performances by bands such as "SHiNNOSUKE(ROOKiEZ is PUNK'D)×GORI&SHU(Macaroni&Cheese_ex.BACK-ON) Special Band Set" and "The Second Gian", and the dance team "Hamutsun Serve C After showcases by the teams "Hamutsun Saab CREW," "TOKYO FOOTWORKZ," and "Muscle Teishoku," the semi-finals featured two battles, Ness vs. Nico the NATURAL and HIDE vs. UK. (I personally like the really macho "Muscle Teishoku" members for their "How many kilos can you hold a dumbbell?" ED theme "Macho a name?" was the best dance performance of the night!)

All of the battles were of a high level, but the battle between HIDE and UK left a particularly strong impression. The floor went wild as HIDE, with his powerful performance, and UK, with his feminine flexibility, clashed with each other on stage.

The winner was UK, but HIDE's passionate mic performance was also met with thunderous applause.

In the final match, it will be a battle of Ness vs.

As the event entered the second half, the finals of the crew battle were held. 4 of the 10 teams made it to the stage. The first match was between Akibi~z vs. APOPLOCKERS, and the second match was between Takamari Sentai Highlander vs.

The finalists were APOPLOCKERS and BATTLE PEOPLE.

Both top battles will be broadcast on LINE LIVE.

Everyone cried at the hot drama! Solo Battle Final

At 7:30 p.m., about 6 hours after the show began, 13,000 viewers watched the live streaming on LINE LIVE. 13,000 viewers watched the live performance by MAD KID and Machico to warm up the audience, and then the final battle started.

First up was the crew battle. To be honest, I was both impressed and burst out laughing at the too high level of team play. The audience, the judges, and the dancers themselves seemed to be truly enjoying themselves in the entertainment space created by their hard-hitting skills.

The flawless teamwork of the APOPLOCKERS, to which Nobita belongs, was a sight to behold, but the dynamic stage performance by HIDE's Battle Tribe, which took advantage of their overwhelming physicality, was a cut above. Combat Tribe won the first prize.

The last program of the day was the solo battle final. In a complete change from the crew battle, Ness and UK clashed with each other in an explosive mood.

In fact, these two had met once before in the qualifying round of "Akiba x Street 5". Ness won that time. In "Akiba x Street 4," UK was a finalist, but ended up as the runner-up. This fight will be UK's revenge match for those two tournaments. Ness, who will be taking on UK, will also be facing the competition, recognizing UK as a rival. The heat in the venue naturally soared as these two fighters battled their old rivals. The battle began with "Caste Room," the OP theme song of "Welcome to the Classroom of the Highest Level of Achievement," which was the most exciting of the day. (It is important to note that the beginning of this song has an acid-jazz sound with a high affinity for the dance scene!)

) The two dancers were at the extremes of the A-POP competition, and their performances were of a quality befitting a final!

It was impressive that even the MC, Zakarutomo, stopped speaking at one point. The battle was at a level where nothing could intervene, and it was a battle that could have been won by either side. The result, however, was a victory for Ness. Ness, who will be joining the RAB in the future, did not shy away from his title.

When asked to comment on his victory, Ness said, "I respect all eight finalists," but he also challenged the RAB members, saying, "Come on, everyone, ......! He also challenged the RAB members, saying, "Come on, you guys, ! In response to the words of this strong-nosed new face, RAB member Atsuki Suzumiya said, "If we can do a one-man live performance at the Budokan (RAB's dream) with Ness, we will definitely participate in the A-POP battle! After we fulfill our dream, we will challenge again with everyone from scratch.

The "Akiba x Street 6" event, which brought various dramas, emotions, and excitement, came to its finale, foreshadowing the next drama to come.

The A-POP scene has been increasing more and more in recent years. Akiba x Street 6" was an event that made us realize that the A-pop scene, once looked down upon by mainstream hip-hop dancers, is now growing into a major movement with the participation of many young people.

If you are at all interested in this event, we urge you to attend one and experience the passion of the scene for yourself!