u/After-Emphasis-1459 — reddlx

Hi everyone! I'm a Game Boy fan from Japan.

In my country, the original DMG is often nicknamed "Renga" (煉瓦), which means "The Brick." I personally like this name because of how the Kanji characters are formed:

煉 : To refine or bake with fire

瓦 : Tile

So it literally describes something "hardened by fire," which I think fits the legendary durability of the original Game Boy perfectly.

I know "The Brick" is a common name in English-speaking countries too, but I’d love to hear if there are any other unique nicknames or local slang in your language!

What do you call it where you're from?😆

EDIT: Thank you so much for all the comments! 😆💕✨ I’m truly happy to learn about all the amazing nicknames from your countries. I’m really looking forward to calling my beloved Game Boy by all these different names from now on! Thanks again, everyone! ✨

Hey everyone! I’m a Radiohead fan living out in rural Japan.

I was wondering if anyone here has ever listened to the Japanese rock band Spitz?

They debuted right around the same time as Radiohead and are an absolute household name here in Japan, known for their mainstream pop-rock anthems.

But here's the catch: the frontman and primary songwriter, Masamune Kusano, is a massive Radiohead fan.

While Spitz is so famous that their songs are literally in our school textbooks, their true essence shares a lot of DNA with Radiohead. Their music is packed with irony and morbid metaphors. What sounds like a sweet love song on the surface is almost always masking deep themes of apocalyptic isolation, death, and eroticism.

I’ve linked a few of my favorite tracks below.

I'd love for you to listen to the soundscapes and read the English translations of the lyrics! ✨

1. 夢じゃない (It's Not a Dream)

https://youtu.be/DIWRNAR-Od0?si=6nAXtzknx9SwCMl3

At first listen, this sounds like a standard, beautiful J-Pop love ballad. However, the lyrics are widely interpreted as lovers reuniting in the afterlife or walking together through the end of the world. Lines like "meeting in a place where we won't get hurt" give it a deeply tragic, Exit Music (For a Film)-esque undertone hidden beneath a radio-friendly, uplifting melody.

死に物狂いのカゲロウを見ていた (Watching a Mayfly Struggling to the Death)

https://youtu.be/SZkImKraa\_E?si=eWUp5wZa-UsO62QV

A perfect example of Spitz's 90s shoegaze/alt-rock era. Just look at that title. The song juxtaposes a sweet, nostalgic melody with the grotesque, morbid act of two youngsters watching an insect die. It beautifully captures the transience of life and a quiet, youthful cruelty that fans of The Bends era might really appreciate.

田舎の生活 (Country Life)

https://youtu.be/XoTqyn8cvtA?si=2NT5vVh3W8qMFA1I

Don't let the peaceful title fool you. Driven by cold, beautiful guitar arpeggios reminiscent of A Moon Shaped Pool, this song is less about a quiet rural life and more about suffocating isolation. It paints a picture of escaping society only to slowly, quietly fade away into nothingness.

ヘビーメロウ (Heavy Mellow)

https://youtu.be/BASmTe-x-Ok?si=gN05SHFUp9985k8U

The title itself is an oxymoron. It’s an incredibly upbeat, groovy pop tune, yet the very first line cheerfully invites the listener to "the entrance of the demon world." It’s the ultimate twisted pop song—dancing happily into the abyss, sharing the same cynical brightness as No Surprises.