Janne Da Arc

Janne Da Arc
Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1991 in Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
Defunct	April 1, 2019
Headquarters	Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
Area served	Japan
Products	Albums, singles, DVDs
Number of employees	5 (members)

Janne Da Arc was a Japanese rock group associated with the visual kei movement, established in Hirakata, Osaka in 1991. Although they ceased activities in 2007, the band officially dissolved on April 1, 2019. The ensemble is commonly referred to as or simply "JDA".

Career

Under the Motorod label, a subsidiary of Avex Group's Avex Trax, Janne Da Arc produced three independent albums, nine major-label albums including compilations of singles, 26 single releases, and 14 DVDs.

The band celebrated their tenth anniversary on May 9, 2006, marking the date when their last member, shuji, became an official part of the lineup. Contrary to popular belief, the band’s name was derived from a character in Go Nagai’s manga Devilman, not from the historical figure Joan of Arc. This character is featured on the limited edition Janne Da Arc 10th Anniversary Indies Complete Box released in March 2006.

Though they identified themselves as pop rock, their musical approach encompassed alternative rock, progressive rock, and hard rock genres. Vocalist yasu cited Motoyuki "Morrie" Ōtsuka of the heavy metal group Dead End as a key influence. The members are recognized for their adaptability and skill across diverse musical styles.

Starting January 26, 2007, individual members began engaging in solo endeavors alongside their commitments to the band.

On May 19, 2009, a Complete Box Set commemorating their tenth anniversary was issued.

The formal disbandment in April 2019 was triggered by legal complications involving bassist ka-yu and health concerns affecting vocalist yasu. Their management company Uprise Product disclosed that during preparations for a forthcoming album and tour in late 2018, legal accusations directed at ka-yu alleged conduct contrary to societal standards. As a result, all collaborations including ka-yu were halted and the band terminated its activities altogether.

Members

yasu (Yasunori Hayashi), lead vocalist born January 27, 1975, in Hirakata, Osaka. He also contributes guitar and keyboard performances and is the primary composer for the group. In 2007, he started his solo venture known as Acid Black Cherry.
you (Yutaka Tsuda), guitarist born July 24, 1974, in Kobe. His style has been influenced by Unicorn and Nuno Bettencourt.
ka-yu (Kazuyuki Matsumoto), bassist born January 21, 1975, in Hirakata, Osaka. He is distinguished by his unique visual kei aesthetic. In 2010, he founded a new project called DAMIJAW which released its debut album on April 28.
kiyo (Masanobu Kiyose), keyboardist born June 27, 1974, in Hirakata, Osaka.
shuji (Shuji Suematsu), drummer born November 21, 1974, in Kobe.

All members except ka-yu graduated from Hirakata West High School together. For their single Furimukeba...'’, they performed at their former high school; this event was documented in the film Hirakata.

Discography

Singles

"Red Zone" – March 19, 1999 / June 20, 2001
"Lunatic Gate" – September 22, 1999
– January 13, 2000
"Heaven's Place/Vanity" – April 12, 2000
– June 26, 2000
"Mysterious" – November 8, 2000
"Dry?" – January 31, 2001
"Neo Venus" – April 25, 2001
"Seed" – July 25, 2001
– October 24, 2001
"Feel the Wind" – December 12, 2001
"Shining Ray" – August 7, 2002
– November 20, 2002
– January 16, 2003
– May 8, 2003
– August 20, 2003
"Freedom" – March 24, 2004
"Kiss Me" – April 7, 2004
"Dolls" – May 19, 2004
"Romance" – May 26, 2004
"Black Jack" – June 2, 2004
"Love is Here" – November 17, 2004
– January 19, 2005 — reached No. 2 on charts
– May 18, 2005
/Destination" – February 8, 2006 — peaked at No. 2 on charts
"Heaven/" – May 10, 2006 — attained No. 2; certified Platinum by RIAJ in 2008 for sales exceeding 250,000

EPs

Dearly – April 17, 1998
Resist – December 5, 1998
Chaos Mode – March 17, 1999

Albums

No.	Details	Units Sold
1st / Debut Release	D・N・A Launch Date: March 8, 2000 Available Formats: CD5", CD5"+DVD Peak Position on Oricon Weekly Top 200: No. 11	77,150 copies moved
2nd	Z-Hard Release Date: February 28, 2001 Formats: CD5", CD5"+DVD Highest Rank on Oricon Weekly Top 200: No. 16	36,830 copies sold
3rd	Gaia Issued: January 23, 2002 Format Options: CD5", CD5"+DVD Oricon Weekly Top 200 Peak: No. 6	71,320 units sold
4th	Another Story Released on: February 13, 2003 Format Types: CD5", CD5"+DVD Best Oricon Weekly Ranking: No. 4	75,639 copies sold
5th	Arcadia Launch Date: July 7, 2004 Formats Offered: CD5", CD5"+DVD Peak Oricon Weekly Chart Position: No. 2 (Daily peak at No. 1)	102,484 copies sold
6th	Joker Release Date: June 15, 2005 Available Formats: CD5", CD5"+DVD Highest Oricon Weekly Spot: No. 4	165,349 copies sold

Videos

1999 Tour "Chaos Mode" (June 30, 1999)
5 Stories <Clips & More> (September 27, 2000)
Fate or Fortune: Live at Budokan (March 28, 2001)
Six Clips (March 13, 2002)
100th Memorial Live Infinity 2002 at Budokan (December 26, 2002)

DVDs

1999 Tour "Chaos Mode" (September 27, 2000)
5 Stories <Clips & More> (September 27, 2000)
Fate or Fortune: Live at Budokan (March 28, 2001)
Six Clips (March 13, 2002)
100th Memorial Live Infinity 2002 at Budokan (December 26, 2002)
Another Story Clips (March 19, 2003)
Singles Clips (November 12, 2003)
Danjiri Night (December 25, 2003)
Arcadia Clips (September 29, 2004)
Hirakata (February 16, 2005)
Live 2005 "Dearly" at Osaka-jō Hall (March 27, 2005)
10th Anniversary Special Live: Osaka Nanba Rockets (September 20, 2006)
Live 2006 Dead or Alive: Saitama Super Arena (September 20, 2006)
Tour Joker 2005 at Budokan (March 25, 2009)

Blu-ray

Tour Joker 2005 at Budokan (March 25, 2009)

Box sets

Janne Da Arc 10th Anniversary Indies Complete Box (3CD,1DVD) (March 15, 2006)
Janne Da Arc Major Debut 10th Anniversary Complete Box (6CD,3DVD) (May 19, 2009)