Social media has always been built around a reaction or response. After all, it’s the online equivalent of having a conversation, albeit one with sometimes millions of followers.
In recent years, though, the act of someone watching or listening to something and filming their first reaction to it has become popular worldwide. As is often the case when it comes to digital developments, such content is starting to attract attention in Japan.
Let’s take an upload from the reaction-heavy YouTube channel Fannix in May that has logged more than 2 million views to lay out just what this type of content is all about. The person behind it greets viewers, white Airpods sticking out from their ears, before playing the music video for one of the most popular songs in Japan this year, Yoasobi’s “Yoru ni Kakeru.” For the next 4½ minutes, the host bobs along to the beat, their face revealing what they think. The host also includes text overlays on the clip to make it clear they’re pretty positive about the tune.
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