‘Me!Me!Me!’ The Iconic Anime Music Video Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary!

Me!Me!Me!, the iconic anime-style music video that impacted an entire generation, has just turned 10 years old since its release.

Origin

Me!Me!Me! debuted on November 21, 2014, as part of the Japan Animator Expo, a project aimed at showcasing the creativity of Japanese animators.

The music for the clip was composed by the well-known Japanese DJ and producer TeddyLoid, with the unique vocals of singer Daoko, adding an emotional and nostalgic dimension to the track. The video was directed by Hibiki Yoshizaki, who is also known for his work on the final Evangelion movie.

Story

Me!Me!Me! tells the story of a young, socially withdrawn otaku who lives trapped between fantasy and reality, immersed in a world of dreams with fictional girls. However, what begins as innocent fantasies soon turns into a double-edged sword, as his isolated life and disconnection from the real world begin to consume him mentally and emotionally.

Reception

Thanks to its impressive artistic direction, excellent animation, captivating female characters, and an abundant dose of ecchi, Me!Me!Me! quickly became a sensation not only in Japan but worldwide. Its impact on popular culture was so great that, during its release year and the years following, thousands of illustrations of its characters were created. Fans produced hundreds of covers of its iconic song, and the work even inspired cosplays of the protagonists, which appeared at pop culture events.

However, its enormous popularity wasn’t without controversy. The video faced intense criticism for the sexualization of the female characters and some of its explicit and grotesque scenes, sparking a polarized debate between its supporters and detractors.

Trivia

1. The animation was produced by Studio Khara, the iconic studio founded by renowned author Hideaki Anno.
2. The music has two official remixes: ME!ME!ME!ME! CHRONIC feat. Daoko and ME!ME!ME!ME! (INFINITY) feat. DAOKO.
3. Although the video is narrated from the protagonist’s perspective and was designed with the intention of targeting a male audience, it unexpectedly also received notable attention from the female audience.
4. Figures of the female characters of Evangelion appear in the video.
5. The protagonist of Me!Me!Me! is known as Syu, while his ex-girlfriend is called Hana-chan. Interestingly, the malevolent and seductive version of Hana is known as Fallen Hana. On the other hand, the blue-haired girls featured in the video are called Meme-chan, or simply, Meme.
6. It is speculated that the gore scene in which Syu is devoured by Fallen Hana could be a reference to Tokyo Ghoul, whose first anime season premiered a few months before the release of the Me!Me!Me! music video.
7. Given that Syu immerses himself in his fantasy world with anime girls, where he also avoids the painful breakup with what is likely his ex-girlfriend, many interpret the clip as a critique of Japanese otakus who isolate themselves from society. In addition to this perspective, others argue that the video also critiques the prevalent sexualization in anime.
8. On August 11, 2015, GIRL, a “sequel” music video to ME!ME!ME!, was released.
9. Unlike ME!ME!ME!, where the events unfold from the protagonist’s perspective, in GIRL, the narrative focuses on the girl’s perspective.
10. Although the designs of the music video are clearly influenced by the visual style of Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt anime, many fans have pointed out that Hana appears to be inspired by Mana Ouma, a character from Guilty Crown.
11. The mask of Fallen Hana could be inspired by Lilith‘s mask from Evangelion.
12. In GIRL, it shows what seemingly happened to Syu and Hana after the events of ME!ME!ME!. In this video, he and his presumed ex-girlfriend are back together, suggesting that Syu has left behind his fantasy world to focus on himself and his beloved.
13. The line between reality and fantasy in ME!ME!ME! is blurred, leading to multiple interpretations among fans. One of the most popular theories suggests that the Hana who appears in the song GIRL is not the real Hana, but rather Fallen Hana, her corrupted version, since Hana was absorbed by Fallen Hana before Syu was defeated.
14. The protagonist of GIRL is referred to as Kami-sama (Goddess). Although she is a Meme-chan, her origin remains unknown.
15. Kami-sama displays behavior similar to Syu, as she also lives in a fantasy where she awaits her “prince charming.”
16. The ship where Fallen Hana appears, accompanied by thousands of Memes, is a clear allusion to the female sexual organ, with the disco ball symbolizing the clitoris.
17. Meme-chan popularized an iconic dance that has been recreated by artists and cosplayers around the world.
18. ME!ME!ME! became extremely popular worldwide due to its outstanding animation and its shocking and erotic scenes. However, in addition to receiving praise, it was also heavily criticized by other members of the otaku culture for the sexualization of its characters, complaints that were also fueled by the predominance of the ecchi genre at the time.