What do you mean you haven't heard of Ladybaby or "Nippon Manju" yet? Well, it's about time you did and this is why.
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1. Ladybeard
Let's talk about the elephant in the room. Yes, that is a 6 foot bearded man dancing in a kawaii ("cute") dress. And you may call him Ladybeard.
Ladybeard describes himself as a five-year-old Japanese girl who "mysteriously" looks like an older Australian man. Apparently, she can "mysteriously" growl like one too.
2. Rie & Rei
Not be outdone, Ladybeard's band mates are two junior Japanese idols: Rie Kaneko and Rei Kuromiya, who are 17 and 14 respectively. Oh Japan, you're so cray.
3. J-pop + death metal = awesome!
Ladybaby combines the saccharine sounds of Japanese pop music with the, um, less-saccharine sounds of screamo death metal. They, along with their peers Babymetal, are at the forefront of an emerging musical scene known as kawaii metal or kawaiicore.
4. One catchy chorus
The whole song is great but if you're time poor and want to get to the chorus quick, then head to 1:05. Now try getting that out of your head for the next 48 hours. You're welcome.
5. A new "Gangnam Style"-style set of dance moves to learn
The horse trot is sooo 2012.
If you're having trouble learning the moves, Ladybaby themselves have uploaded a set of videos to teach you each step.
6. The lyrics (yes, the lyrics)
On first blush, the lyrics may seem a bit random, but apparently they're meant to be their take on the extreme commercialism of Japanese culture. Lines like "New products already sold out" can only be meant to be taken ironically, right?
7. Did we mention Ladybeard?
Whether you love the song or hate the song, you can't deny that Ladybeard (aka Australian pro-wrestler Richard Magarey) can rock a dress.
Enjoy, enjoy!
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