LeetStreet Boys' "She's So Kawaii" may have mainstream appeal

When Boston-based Otaku band Leetstreet Boys released the animated music video for their catchy single “Yuri the only One” in 2008, little did they know the video would become viral amongst anime fans and generate hundreds of thousands of views in the first few months. The song, which was featured on Japanese television and at prominent anime conventions around the world, put LeetStreet Boys at the forefront of the Otaku music world and launched the band into anime stardom.

After the release of two popular but less successful music videos in 2009, LeetStreet Boys is back at the forefront of the American anime world with the music video for their single “She’s so Kawaii,” the feature track off the band’s recently released full-length Otaku Hearts. The video, which debuted Saturday, has already shown viral qualities, accumulating over 20,000 views, and it could trump “Yuri the Only One” in popularity due to a major differentiating factor -- its potential mainstream appeal.

Leetstreet Boys founder and frontman Matt Myers, famous in the world of anime-related music for his fun, catchy lyrics, obviously put in the extra mile for “She’s So Kawaii,” as the song seamlessly incorporates both mainstream and Japanese culture references in its memorable, sing-a-long lyrics. Like “Yuri the Only One,” there are the references only fans of Japanese culture will get, like “fawning over Zach Fair,” a character from the Final Fantasy video game series, and “says she like to RP,” which stand for role playing, a popular activity where fans of anime dress up as their favorite characters. But unlike the popular 2008 hit, “She’s So Kawaii” makes reference to several pop-culture icons (“Edward Cullen is lame” and “met her at Gamestop” come to mind), which could ultimately push the song into music’s mainstream. Additionally, “She’s so Kawaii” is brilliantly composed and super catchy -- two factors that could ultimately have music fans of all types sharing the song with their friends and playing it over and over.

Aside from the musical components, the video for “She’s So Kawaii” is aesthetically brilliant, with a major step up in animation quality from “Yuri the Only One.” Myers teamed up with artists Heather Bloss and Brianna Plaud, as well as special fx /post-production supervisor Colby Peterson with hopes of taking American animation to the next level. He did just that, as the response to the visual components of “She’s So Kawaii” has been resoundingly positive. The video’s visual elements alone could have people clicking back over and over again, even if they’re not knowledgeable about Japanese culture.

Whether “She’s So Kawaii” serves as a bridge from the mainstream to the world of anime or is just so left of center that the average Joe won’t be able to take his eyes off of it, expect the video to match or even trump the high success of “Yuri the Only One.” Despite receiving a plethora of hate comments and a dislike swarm from the trolls of infamous forum 4chan, “She’s So Kawaii” is ultimately a great song coupled with a great video. And that combination usually leads to mainstream success.

This article was originally written by Dan Horgan of HorganEntertainment.com