One of my favorite things about the J-pop group Naniwa Danshi is that none of the members seem remotely interested in taking themselves too seriously. Their careers? Absolutely. Their performances, music, and connection with fans are things they clearly work incredibly hard at. But when it comes to their personalities, what you see is what you get. The image they project is one of seven young men who are every bit as bright, chaotic, and endlessly enthusiastic off-camera as they are on it. If you need proof, look no further than their latest music video.

「ビーマイベイベー」 (English: Be My Baby).

Serving as the theme song for the upcoming film 『山口くんはワルくない』 (English: Yamaguchi Isn’t So Bad) starring group member Kyohei Takahashi, the track is also one of the brand-new songs featured on the group’s first greatest-hits collection, ND⁵, which arrives on 17 June in five different editions. The song itself is a perfect fit for the group’s Kansai roots, blending a driving pop-rock sound with an earnest, straight-from-the-heart confession of love delivered in the region’s distinctive dialect. According to the group’s label, it was specifically created as a passionate Kansai love song, combining youthful energy with the kind of sincere romantic optimism that Naniwa Danshi have built their career on.  

Conceived, filmed, and edited entirely by the members themselves, the video feels less like a polished idol production and more like a weekend adventure captured by seven best friends who happened to become pop stars. Renting out a high school and armed with little more than an iPhone, the group turned classrooms, hallways, and gymnasiums into their personal playground. There are basketball games, impromptu dance breaks, ridiculous camera angles, and plenty of moments where the members seem more interested in making each other laugh than looking cool. Somehow, they still manage to look every bit the superstar idols fans know and love.

The result is wonderfully chaotic in the best possible way. Rather than chasing perfection, 「ビーマイベイベー」 captures the genuine chemistry that has made Naniwa Danshi one of the most beloved groups in J-pop. 

An invitation into their friend group, by the time the video ends, it’s impossible not fall more in love with them. But, that’s the magic of Naniwa Danshi. Beneath the glitter, the chart success, the sold-out arenas, they’re still just seven Kansai boys having the time of their lives – and they want to invite all of us along for the ride. 

You can pre-order  ND⁵ here.

The video also sparked an unexpected discussion among international fans when an AI-generated translation on X mistakenly described the project as “fan-made.” The original Japanese wording, however, was jisaku (自作), meaning “self-made” or “created by oneself,” the same terminology posted on the group’s official YouTube channel.

While some fans were quick to blame STARTO ENTERTAINMENT for the confusion, the issue was actually the result of a limitation in current machine translation technology rather than an error by the agency itself. In this case, a subtle difference in context transformed “made by the members” into “made by the fans,” creating the misunderstanding for English-speaking fans. It’s a reminder that while AI translation has made Japanese entertainment more accessible than ever, it still isn’t perfect when it comes to nuance.

There will be more Naniwa Danshi soon so…

Stay Tuned!