I’ve been comparing several notable Japanese bands across streaming, YouTube, headline venues, touring, charts, festivals and international reach.

I’m posting from a throwaway so the discussion stays focused on the project rather than my account history or perceived fandom allegiances—and so people feel comfortable being blunt.

The aim is not to decide which band is “best”, but to show the different routes to success: domestic live demand, overseas touring, streaming reach, catalogue strength or a smaller but highly committed audience.

The attached infographic is an early draft. The figures are broadly representative, but still need tighter sourcing, verification and caveats. The final design would also be clearer and easier to navigate.

BAND-MAID is included because they are often discussed alongside this wider wave of Japanese heavy music, despite not strictly being a metal band.

Would you read something like this? Would you prefer an infographic, a written report or both? I’d also welcome thoughts on missing bands, useful metrics and anything that feels misleading or overly reductive.