It seems I like "that band"

Sometimes I wake up and am startled by something I said in my dream.

In the dream, I was at a cheap izakaya like Torikizoku or Ikkyu with a few friends, talking about our favorite bands while holding a mega-mug of highball. I believe it started when a friend who loves Unison Square Garden lamented the drummer's departure and the band's hiatus, which somehow led to us each naming three favorite bands.

My statement at that time was as follows.

I was talking happily in my dream, but after waking up, a big question mark floated over my sleepy head.

"Wait, did I really say, 'Well, it's gotta be Fujifabric with Masahiko Shimura on vocals!'?"

And I was talking about it with quite a lot of passion, too.

It is true that I love Fujifabric, or rather, Masahiko Shimura. I own his essay books and poetry collections, and I even visited his hometown, Fujiyoshida. I ate the "Yoshida Udon" mentioned in his essays, and I heard the chimes of "Wakamono no Subete" and "Akaneiro no Yuuhi" at Shimoyoshida Station.

I feel like I wrote a note about that. Which one was it... ah, yes, this one.

Writing it out like this, I sound like a huge fan, but in reality, I just listen to the album "TEENAGER" (which includes the masterpiece "Wakamono no Subete") on repeat like a demon, and I haven't listened to many of their other famous songs or albums. I don't know much about the music released after Masahiko Shimura passed away. It would be more accurate to say I love this album rather than saying I love Fujifabric or Masahiko Shimura.

It is surprising that I named them as one of my "favorite bands" with that level of affection. Or rather, it's at a level where I wouldn't be surprised if a real fan got angry at me.

By the way, the other two bands are ones whose names would come up naturally even if I weren't in a dream. I've listened to BUMP OF CHICKEN so much that I pride myself on being 60% made of them, and I've even written about The Otals' live shows in my notes. I'm going to their solo show this summer, and I attended their shows last winter and summer as well. I must say, I'm quite hooked. Both are bands I truly love.

Compared to those two bands, "Fujifabric with Masahiko Shimura on vocals" feels a bit lacking in the intensity of my "love" for them. At the very least, I don't think the real-world me could talk about them with the same passion as in my dream. That's because I have many bands that I like to that degree.

For example, I've listened to every album by Thee Michelle Gun Elephant and have even smoked Lucky Strikes to imitate their vocalist, Yusuke Chiba. If I see Heineken at a bar I go to, I remember him and order it. I even went to see the theatrical screening of their farewell concert. I love Number Girl, Yura Yura Teikoku, and Supercar just as much, and I like Relative Theory enough to set them as my LINE BGM. The first live concert I ever went to in my life was a The Cro-Magnons show.

Come to think of it, I've been hooked on many different bands.

That is precisely why I am surprised that "Fujifabric with Masahiko Shimura on vocals" came up as a favorite band.

In the momentum of my surprise, I am listening to "TEENAGER" again. It's not that it brings back repressed memories of my high school days, but since it's an album I've listened to from start to finish every year since graduating high school, I can listen to it along with various memories. I especially like how the atmosphere snaps and changes with "Wakamono no Subete." Then, after settling down again with "Mabataki," the feeling of rushing through from "Hoshi Furu Yoru ni Nattara" to the end. It is truly the momentum of a "TEENAGER."

Being able to listen to this album while I was in my teens is one of the joys of my life.

And after finishing it, I thought, "I really do love this album."

I don't think I was being considerate of anyone when I spoke in my dream. I wasn't trying to look cool, either; I think I was just naming the bands I genuinely like. That's why I think I truly love "Fujifabric with Masahiko Shimura on vocals."

So, at the very least, I decided to listen to their other albums. So that I can say I "love" them with confidence.

And I want the me in my dreams to talk about the "things I like" again. It doesn't have to be bands; it could be my favorite books or manga. My dream self taught me something about myself that I hadn't realized. I hope to have such a mysterious experience again.

By the way, here are my favorite books and manga in the real world right now.

It will be interesting to see if these works appear in my dreams as well.
By the way, my "favorite manga" list fluctuates quite a bit even now, so I'm a bit skeptical. It wouldn't be strange if something like "Chainsaw Man" showed up, so I want my dream self to talk about "favorite manga" soon.

With that said, thank you for reading this far!
Please tell me about "an impressive dream you've had recently" in the comments section!