Ask John: What is Para Para Music?

Question:
I’ve been hearing the word “para para” a lot lately. Mainly, I’ve seen tons of music CDs and video games with “Para Para” in the title. For example, I was visiting an online anime store because I was interested in buying a CD of remixed anime songs. I found this CD called “Para Para Max” that is supposedly a collection of remixes of popular anime songs, and the description said “a collection of remixed anime songs done in the para para style.” I have no clue what this “para para” is, and I thought it was finally time to ask someone. So, what is para para style music?

Answer:
Actually, if you’re savvy enough to have heard of “Para Para” dancing, you probably already know what it is. “Para Para” identifies the high-energy, highly choreographed “Eurobeat” dance music craze that has possessed much of Asia over the past couple years. If you’ve watched any Initial D anime, or seen music videos by Asian pop groups including S.E.S., Dream and Earth, you’ve seen and heard “Para Para.”

Over the past few years “Eurobeat” music, very highly synthesized, digital, dance club music, has combined with traditional J-pop, and highly choreographed aerobic dance routines similar to a high-energy version of the “Macarena” fad that swept America for 15 minutes a few years ago have taken hold in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Making every effort to tie into this popular trend, the anime industry is utilizing more and more “Eurobeat” music and beginning to incorporate anime characters in para para dancing sequences in opening and ending animations such as Super GALS! Kotobuki Ran and even an entire 5 minute long mini Para Para dance movie bonus on the end of the second One Piece theatrical feature.

Pioneer of Japan has published several CDs of anime para para re-mixes of anime themes and even re-mixes of famous “tokusatsu” (live-action superheroes like Ultraman) theme songs. Here’s a little Real Media example of a CG “kogal” para para dancing to a remix of Evangelion’s “Cruel Angel’s Thesis.”