FAKY is a five-member "girls' union"—as they would like to be called— that has attracted attention for their activities in Japan and overseas since their formation in 2013. Since their debut, they have gone through two reformations, and from 2018 their members are Lil' Fang, Mikako, Akina, Hina, and Taki. Their various backgrounds and unique style, compounded with a high fashion sense, and above all, their outstandingly powerful performances, has gotten them some hot attention, not only from the J-POP scene but from all over the world. For this two-part feature, we sat down with FAKY, their A&R Director Tomomi Fujisawa, and Risa Monma, a recent graduate who has been their planner since joining the company two years ago, to talk about the present and future of FAKY.
Embodying “real”
as a team.
Changes in consciousness
brought on by makeovers
To put their group philosophy simply, it is "a union, not a group." This is summed up in their self-proclaimed position, "Next Generation GIRLS UNION". This means that each member is a specialist and a solid artist in their own right. So when their powers are combined, they become something truly formidable. Before unraveling the depth to this statement, however, let's go back and take a look at the transitions they have had to go through. Fujisawa describes their initial unification and interprets for us the context that their paradoxical and ironic name FAKY, a play on the word "fake," was chosen.
Fujisawa "Our original idea was to form a group of special young women who all grew up in totally different places, have them unite here in Tokyo, and then take on the world. This was at a time when there weren't many artists in Japan with hopes of penetrating the rest of the world. We didn't want to be compared to the standard, I mean, we wanted to draw a line between us and the rest in regards to creative aspects, and show that we're not fake. It may sound a bit cynical, but naturally there are so many other parts to the name FAKY. I wasn't involved before Akina joined the team, so this is of course my take on things."
On the other hand, for one of the original members, Lil' Fang, the four letters in FAKY are like a cross, a self-imposed principle, to always be true to what’s real.
Lil' Fang "The name FAKY means a lot to us. We see it mostly as a continuous challenge. When we first formed the group, both Mikako and I were minors, and honestly, I didn't know what was real and what was fake. But I always thought that by naming ourselves FAKY, it would keep us in search for what's real, in a challenging way."
As mentioned in the introduction to this article, the group's history can be split into three phases, phase one; from when they first debuted until Akina joined, phase two; from then until Anna graduated, and phase three; after Hina and Taki joined. Fujisawa, who has directed many other artists, started working with FAKY from phase two. It was around this time when the catch copy "Feeku na furi shite, tokoton riaru ni [Act fake, be real as hell]," came to be. Fujisawa knew that there would have to be a makeover if she were to get involved with the team, and when she first saw Akina, who had come from California for the audition to be a new member, she caught a clear glimpse of what FAKY could be with a new approach.
Fujisawa "The first time I saw FAKY perform was at a club event around the end of the first phase, but at that time they still had this newcomers vibe, and I could tell what they were aiming for. At that time, I told them how I felt, that if I were to be in charge, there would be changes made. Akina joined after that. But there wouldn't have been a point of her joining if they weren't willing to change up their previous image up until then. It would have been completely boring if we were just like, 'We have a new team member! That's it!' But, honestly, I spent a lot of time thinking about what changes needed to be made. So first of all, I had all the members change their hairstyles. You might not be able imagine it now, but Mikako used to have brown hair, and I told her, 'You're gonna have a black bob'."
Mikako "It was actually almost blonde, but she was like, 'Black!' (laughs)"
Fujisawa "The first phase was so-called 'battle mode,' in a good sense. They had this brilliantly decorated feeling to them. So, I thought they needed some room to breathe, to loosen up. We had to go the other way. I wanted to express the charm they possessed in real life, a sense of youth, which became a keyword. Not the melodramatic-teen kind of youth. That’s the feeling they put off. These new elements were what changed the direction of the music during the second phase."
At the same time, Lil' Fang recalled the start of the second phase when Fujisawa and Akina joined, being so shocked that two of the original members left that she thought her dreams were over.
Lil' Fang "I was so despaired my knees buckled. Then Fujisawa-san came along and said, 'I'm going to change everything up, but you have my word that I'll fight alongside you, so cheer up.' I thought, 'who is this cool lady?' It gave me the chills (laughs). And then, Akina, with her amazing talent, really changed things. The taste of the music changed dramatically. But, from our point of view, it was overwhelming pressure. Up until then, we just did what was given to us. But from then on, we were running ourselves. I really felt that we needed to change. After that, we experienced a few clashes in musical creativity for the first time, and so much other stuff. Now I have a very strong sense that we are fighting together. We have complete trust in each other. I can say with confidence that FAKY is solid."
Joining FAKY two years
after graduation.
The flatness to
everyday learning
Three years after Akina joined, Anna graduated, and former Def Will member Hita joined along with Taki, who was active in TV shows, dramas, and movies in the Philippines. Now there were five, and along with that came further upgrades. There may have been some confusion amongst fans when the image of the group they had finally come to resonate with had to change again. However, Fujisawa's gaze is always on the members, which was the very reason why she had no intention of moving ahead the way things were.
Fujisawa "When Taki and Hina came in, I had already changed things up completely in the second phase, and had to do it again. But I think that's a crucial part. If we continued on with FAKY as it was when Anna was there, fans would compare Aki and Hina to everyone else. 'They were better before,' is the last thing you want to hear. Aki and Hina are very sparkly, they're like jewels. So, I thought I had to do something that made the most of them. So I changed the visuals again."
Monma "I was in awe of Fujisawa-san, almost every day. She'd say things like, 'We have to show them we've powered up, without a doubt." As a new graduate, I remember hearing these things and I would be hot in the chest with inspiration."
Fujisawa "In a sense, this was a self-convincing mechanism. I always think I have to be the strongest on the team. If I'm not, I can't extend a helping hand in the case that everyone is about to break down. There's a certain kind of thing where you have to be bullish, or like, you're always in control of yourself."
Monma joined the team as a staff member in 2019, two years after graduation. Monma who had always liked music, but more than that she wanted to be in a position where she could handle planning, something that she was good at. It was a major turning point for her when she was asked to be on the artist's staff. At the same time, she said, 'Up until becoming an intern, my impression of the music industry was that it was very vertically structured, so I was surprised at their company style, in that they were so open to the opinions of a new graduates on such a flat playing field."
Monma "I feel that they are imposing on me the weight of what we were doing. In particular, I really felt like they had put their trust in me, when they asked me to do the YouTube content on REAL FAKY, that showed the realness of the group through the making of the dance practice videos and music videos. Them being like, 'Yeah, let's try what you said!' was so huge fore me. Also, I wasn't very good at detailed work like handling social media stuff, but Fujisawa-san said, 'I want you to be a stickler about every word, even the way you put your photos together, everything.' I felt like I had to do my best."
Fujisawa "There are things I can do, and there are things she's better at, and if I had time to spend on something I can't do, I'd rather do something else. I also think that 'teaching' isn't necessarily all that good. Young people also have young ideas and talent that surpass age. I don't want to have the stance where I'm sticking my nose into everything and micro-managing. We have to fit in with the times. I think that in order to fit in, I have to change some things inside of me too."
FAKY: Attracting attention
the world over.
Respect for individuality
With the vision of becoming global artists, FAKY has had successful tours in Brazil, Canada and Spain. Though they may be based in Japan, one look at the comment section of YouTube and other social media platforms, and you'll see how much passionate attention they are getting abroad. Overseas recognition can also be a useful barometer in regards to an artist's sense of scale, but Fujisawa is unnerved about any difference of location, saying, "Wherever you are, what you do is the same." On the other hand, Monma sees another side to FAKY, something signature of Japan; what each member has in common — an absolute respect for their individuality.
Fujisawa "What we have here is a gathering of specially gifted girls of different nationalities and various backgrounds, and that point right there, I can't see any reason to be conscious of any gap between Japan and overseas. I don't think about bringing any japanese-ness into the mix either, just because they're Japanese artists. And to me, they can't be boxed in this frame called Japan in the first place."
Monma "It's exactly as Fujisawa-san says. If I dare to mention any Japanese-ness in the group at all, I'd say it's the aspect of localizing, our ability to adapt overseas’ culture as our own. Japanese people have been tweaking things so that they're suitable for local pallets, such as food, forever. And FAKY, they're multi-cultural, right? I think that pursuing one's own personality, and what works for you, without having to reach too far, this is all linked to this culture of localization in Japan."
Fujisawa "I really like everyone's personality, and I'm always on the lookout to see when and where they will make it explode in the forefront. I usually try not to say too much because it loses its weight when I put in words, but I am ecstatic when the members give me their opinion on something, like, 'I want to do this!' At first, they were kind of holding back from me, but they've finally found their own colors that they want to express. It's when those are heightened that individuality emerges, and it doesn't matter at all whether that's overseas or Japan. You can do whatever you want. Isn't that outlook on life just great? Including the unpleasant things too, you know? At least I think so. I think that when they find that one weapon, that certain tool for expressing something, that FAKY will leap to a place that even I can't imagine at this point. That's what I think is the most fun part now."
This union is a special existence, incomparable to anyone. We all are. That's why the possibilities are immense. That's the message they embody with the name FAKY. What will the future hold for the "new wave J-POP world"? In the second part, we will focus on the relationship between members and staff, and will talk about FAKY's process and vision for their next step.
(From the left)
Lil’ Fang / Hina / Mikako / Akina / Taki