Early 2000s Popular Characters... Z Generation Revives Trends
Sensitive to Change, Nostalgic Memories That Forget COVID-19 and More
"Do you also know Dr. Hong?"
These days, the song "Do You Know Dr. Hong," which comes out to trot music accompaniment, is going viral on social networking services (SNS). Even Japanese acquaintances ask, "I wonder if people really sing that song."
Dr. Hong, who captured the hearts of Generation Z with old trot sensibility and a fashion that looks rustic, is actually part of a broader trend. Nowadays, Generation Z in both Korea and Japan is deeply into this kind of retro style.
In Japan, there is someone similarly well-known like 'Dr. Hong.' That is 'Matsuken Samba.' Japanese entertainer Matsudaira Ken created this character imagining "What if a shogun wore dazzling clothes and danced?"
Matsudaira originally debuted this stage in 1994, but it actually started to surge in popularity about 10 years later, in 2003. In the early 2000s, the Matsuken Samba boom was in full swing. Matsuken Samba even appeared in the Kohaku Uta Gassen, Japan’s year-end music festival.
Then, around 2021, Matsuken Samba began to be mentioned again among netizens. When issues like poor preparations for the Tokyo Olympics came under scrutiny, comments like "If it’s going to be like this, it might be better to just show foreigners Matsuken Samba" started circulating.
Since then, this nostalgic name, which had been quietly mentioned, began to be embraced by Generation Z. Recently, stickers resembling talismans have been put on smartphone cases, and goods like fans have appeared. Collaborations with the popular smartphone game "Ensemble Stars" have taken place, and themed collaboration cafes have opened, bringing back its popularity.
Why Generation Z suddenly focuses on this sensibility is being analyzed in Japan as well. Originally, in Japan, 'Showa Retro,' which recalls the economic boom era of the Showa period, was popular. Now, things from the early 2000s, when Generation Z were kindergarteners, are starting to be revived. In Japan, this kind of revival of 1990s to 2000s items is called 'Heisei Nostalgia.'
Regarding this phenomenon, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) sees the sensitivity of Generation Z to change as a factor. The era of everyone following one trend is over, and rather than seeing old things as rustic, they feel "unique and cool."
Additionally, Nikkei analyzes that for Generation Z, who have gone through dark times like COVID-19 and economic slowdown, the dazzling memories of the past help them forget negative situations.
Nikkei stated, "Characters and cultures experienced by Generation Z when they were young still have the potential to be revived," and "Various collaborations will continue to happen in the future."
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