Man with a Mission

I was sitting in a café with a friend (a very beautiful lady) a few months ago having cake, when the conversation shifted to music. Now to be totally honest, although I listen to my fair share of Japanese bands, I had given up hope of finding anything new I liked of late.

Then my friend showed me this Youtube video on her smart phone (God bless those things!):

Men with wolf masks, shooting guns, making things explode and reflecting laser beams back at robots. Oh! and guitars from space. What else can I say? I was swept off my feet! Ok, so the special effects are actually pretty crap, but more than than, I really liked what I was hearing.

Man with a Mission (MWAM or “Manwizu” for short) is a rock band that started playing Shibuya venues in 2010 and quickly made its major debut. Oh! sorry, I mean, they “embarked on their new mission on earth” in 2010. Because, you see, they created a whole back story to explain their appearance.

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Sometime in the 20th century, in the far reaches of an Earth trapped in the egoistical game of war between countries and people trying to gain wealth and fame for themselves, genius biologist Dr. Jimi Hendrix (hobby: playing guitar) from Electric Ladyland completed his insane research: ‘Man with a Mission’, the ultimate life-form.

Are they men? Are they wolves? Although their appearances may seem funny at first glance, they possess superhuman intellects and bodies. And this world’s authority was not to overlook these beings with the power to complete any top secret mission. Especially notorious bad guys such as Gih**n Zabi of the Principality of Ze*n. (ref. Mobile Suit Gundam)

In the dark shadow of history all over the world, these new beings were continually secretly controlled toward somber ends. For sole atonement, Jimi, constantly tormented by the knowledge of how the craft his own research bore to this world was used, made the crucial decision never to activate them again. He thought of freezing them in the farthest lands, out of reach, letting them slumber for eternity.

Let it be known that, at that time, Jimi made sure he never had the urge to create again by burning his beloved guitar. Although he escaped again and again the clutches of demons acting on ill intent, in the end, he forfeited his life to putting MWAM in the glaciers of the South Pole. It is said his last words were “Next time I am reincarnated, I’ll try a straight perm.”

Fast forward to 2010, the Earth is threatened by a global economic crisis, unstable conditions and global warming. Who could have predicted that this global warming would melt the ice coffin in which Jimi risked his own life to put his creation.

MWAM woke up from their perennial slumber. Are they here to uphold justice or do evil deeds?
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(Translated by yours truly from the official site: http://www.mwamjapan.info/
Please ask before copy-pasting.)

They had a US tour last year as well as a short European tour earlier this year and and are now touring Japan. They are scheduled to appear at SUMMERSONIC2013 in Tokyo and Osaka this summer. I recommend a song titled Fly Again from their first album which I’ve been listening to a lot lately. There’s something hypnotic about the chorus. I’ll most likely try to attend a show soon.
Anyone in?