J-Pop Y2K: A Guide to Japanese Pop In The 2000s (LA Comic Con 2023) Panel Slides

This was a completely brand new panel that I wrote after Fanime. I had just found a source for the complete Oricon data I needed for the 80s (in Japanese) and after I went through all the trouble compiling all the info I needed, and romanizing it, I figured I might as well start on a potential 2000s list since I was already on a roll with the 80s list. It was then that I started seeing all the familiar songs that really took me back, and a few that I was surprised made it into the criteria I had set (such as "Taiyou no Uta"), from there I wrote the outline and submitted to the only con that I hadn't already submitted other panels to, LA Comic Con. I was a little surprised they took it if I'm being perfectly honest, but I was extremely excited to do a panel outside of the normal round of anime ones A-to-J usually attends. Doing this one was really easy too since I had a lot of this knowledge already in my head, and didn't need to rehearse it as much as other panels. Since it was at LA Comic Con though, that meant I had to do a 50 minute version of it, but I've already thought up the ways I'd do this one as a full hour, or even a 90 minute, version. Maybe I'll get that chance at FanimeCon 2024... Anyhow, be sure to come to a panel near you, and thank you to everyone who has either attended one or somehow made it to this page!

Lastly, the songs from the opening montage can be found below:

• L'Arc~en~Ciel - NEO UNIVERSE (2000 #10)
• Naminori Johnny - Keisuke Kuwata (2001 #4)
• Way of Difference - GLAY (2002 #5)
• Taisetsu na Mono - ROAD OF MAJOR (2003 #10)
• Sign - Mr.Children (2004 #2)
• GLAMOUROUS SKY - NANA starring MIKA NAKASHIMA (2005 #10)
• Konayuki - Remioromen (2006 #2)
• weeeek - NEWS (2007 #10)
• DON'T U EVER STOP - KAT-TUN (2008 #8)
• RIVER - AKB48 (2009 #22)