Arashi Choreography - The Beloved, the Beautiful, the Breathtaking and the Just Plain Silly

Arashi performances are a wonder to behold, whether they're done live in a stadium full of hopping people or in a studio stage with no one but the staff and cameras. So much heart, so much effort goes into an Arashi performance, but of course, what it always boils down to in the end are two things: the song. And the dance.

And boy, do they dance. Over the years, these five boys-turned-men have tried their hands (and perky little butts!) at a broad sampling of dancing styles, from Latin to hip hop, from jazz ballet to straight up breakdance. Go through a string of Arashi performances, and you'll find moves that are contemporary, disco, funk, acrobatic, with a creative sprinkling of experimentation in aerials and traditional Japanese dance. And sometimes, when the day is done and the boys just want to relax, you'll even see the very Arashified version of the "move your body and look dorkily silly" school of dance.  

So here, I've endeavored to list some of my personal favorite Arashi dance moves. I tried to choose from a variety of styles, just to showcase how versatile our fab five are! Please enjoy a wonderful gif-filled Arashi dance selection!

*Warning: Very very gif-heavy!

Arashi CM's - When Corporate Giants Take Note of (and Capitalize) Arashi Personalities

It's the year of Arashi's 15th debut anniversary, and our five lovely men are going to be in Hawaii this September to celebrate it in style. With 30,000 fans there to celebrate with them, of course. But the fans aren't the only ones eager to show their appreciation of the wonderful social phenomenon that is Arashi. Several of Japan's biggest corporations are also publicly throwing their weight behind the Arashi Hawaii Blast 2014 with special deals and interactive quizzes/raffles that offer consumers the chance to win the highly coveted tickets to the concert. I'm talking about international industry giants like Hitachi and Nissan, both of which are offering concert tour packages to a few lucky winners, and other prominent companies like Salonpas (also offering concert tour packages to participants who complete a quiz and then enter a raffle) and JAL (Japan Airlines), who is collaborating directly with J&A to provide the air transportation in the aforementioned concert tour packages.

From top to bottom: Hitachi, Nissan, Salonpas, all
offering chances to win Awashi Blast tour packages!
(via @st0rmluuuuuv on Twitter)

And what do these four companies all have in common? That's right, an Arashi endorsement! Nino is currently the face of Salonpas, while all five members appear in ads for the other three.

Which brings us to the vibrant topic of Arashi CM's. I'll admit it, I obsess over Arashi CM's. I download them, I watch every second of the precious 15 or 30 seconds of running time, and I even delight myself with the short little "making of" segments that pop up on ZIP! or Asa Days or whatever other news digest program it is that reports them.

When Arashi Watches Others Dance to Arashi Songs

So I've finally discovered the joys of making gifs! Yeah, yeah, I know I'm late to the party, but I think for a post like this, mere screencaps won't do it justice. So please enjoy!

Warning: this will be GIF heavy, so it might take a while to load for slow internet connections!

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First off, we have the 2008.09.24 episode of はねるのトびらSP 短缩铁道の夜, which is some variety show that all five members guested on to promote VS Arashi back in the day when VSA still needed promoting. One of the regular hosts of this show decided to welcome these five super idols by showing off some of his dance moves:

Of course, this comedian gets the due smacks on his wigged head from his team mates, and Arashi's reaction is one of polite amusement. Domyouji himself seems quite taken with the creative license this guy has exercised to help promote their new game show. 

My Arashi Wish List

Chances are really low that anybody with any power over Arashi's projects will ever see this post, but I'll put it out there anyways. Here are some things I would really really want to see Arashi do, in no particular order (and I might keep adding to this list as I randomly think of more things).

* Do another plot-based PV (like the ones for アオゾラペダル"Aozora Pedalu" and マイガール"My Girl")

I thought it was really cute to see MatsuJun as the encouraging friend who was trying to get the girl to confess to Sho (and that moment when he realizes she's been rejected and he looks at Sho just sitting on the back of the truck; it was like a scene from a dorama, only better because it made my mind jiggle with all those precious Sakumoto fanfic moments...kyaaa!!). And I've always been a sucker for the concept of all five of them as brothers because in my mind, they are kind of like a special family to each other. 

Favorite Arashi Songs

It is always a daunting task to choose a top ten or even a top twenty when you're talking about artists as prolific and as variable in style as Arashi. So I'm not even going to try to limit the number of songs I talk about here. I'll just give some of my thoughts on the songs that particularly stick with me. They're not in any particular order.

But first, I'll digress a little by talking about some playlists I have on my iTunes, because I just need a reason to post pictures of these awfully good-looking boys.

I have a few Arashi playlists on my phone. They're named after members, of course.

Under Arashi Aiba, I have happy songs, things that make me nod my head and smile cheekily like SuperFresh and Everybody Zenshin and most of Aiba's solos. Arashi Aiba is like the boy-next-door who comes over all the time and wants to pick up your mood by making you appreciate all the little things until life is not mundane anymore. Everybody loves Aiba. I have such a soft spot for him, and this playlist is so dedicated. I play it a lot in the morning right after I get up, to remind me that the day is beautiful, and that Aiba is telling me Ganbatte!

Yes, that's right. Hidden inside this tender-faced shonen is a powerful voice that will take you far far away. 

Arashi Ohno is pure magic. It will transform me into a soaring bird. It's because his voice is just so suited to taking flight. It's got such clarity, such power, such precision, that you feel like you are a piercing ray of light shining out of a crystal and shooting straight into the clouds. In this playlist, I have all his solos and I also have songs where his voice picks it up to a different altitude (like movin' on and Monster).

Arashi Nino is a little melancholy, and a little sentimental. It's the perfect soundtrack for a night alone, with only a glass of wine and the distant voices of the streets for company. It's what you're feeling when you enter heartbreak hotel, but it's also what you feel deep down inside for every wasted day you spend hating yourself for not doing more with your life. It's got anguish, it's got sorrow, and it's got tons and tons of regret. Select Nino solos (and some Ohno solos!) and Arashi ballad numbers such as truth, refrain, Akashi and Your Eyes are included.

I was tempted to post the an an pictures, but that would have been "very, very danger."

Arashi Sho is manly, sexy, and full of swag. He wants to get into your face and really make you listen to him. He's the type of guy you want to be rapping in your ears when you need to rough it out in the gym or just when you're just feeling fly. His voice is husky and low but very distinct, and you can hear him chugging out his words with a gruffness that you wouldn't ever imagine to be in a person as polished as he is. But Arashi members surprise us at every turn, don't they? It's part of their charm. The playlist is upbeat with a bit of in-your-face conceit, the type of thing you want to cross your arms and wear your baseball caps sideways for. Think A.RA.SHI, a Day in our Life, Pikanchi, Jidai, and of course La Tormenta.

Arashi Jun is one fine beast. Where Sho is swagger, Jun is slick. Arashi Jun has a futuristic feel. Jun knows how to be smooth and sexy, and he likes to take you for a ride while he's at it. There's something about that nasal voice of his that, when flattened and treated, is the perfect vehicle for a ride into an alternate sci-fi universe. Arashi Jun is something to play when one is dressed in a sleek leather suit and strutting down the street, ignoring all the heads you turn, because, like Jun, we can be vain princesses ;) *smirk* Songs we princesses strut to include Come Back to Me, Face Down, Breathless, Intergalactic, Mada Minu Sekai E, Lotus, and a swoonworthy number called Tokei Jikake no Umbrella.

All right, on to my favorite songs!