A few weeks back I tweeted some of my feelings about the phenomenon that is Babymetal. I figured I would take this month’s column to discuss the band in more than 140 characters and to shed light on the connection between their approach and specific aspects of Japanese culture. It may be a very westernized take on the very Japanese export or it could be my college studies (Gender & Women’s Studies with minor focus on Queer Theories) forcing my brain to read between the lines. What I do know, from scouring the internet and from private messages I received, I am not even close to alone in my thinking. In fact, my opinion might constitute the majority, despite many fellow concerned citizens reluctance to speak up. Continue reading →