Context

Gachimuchi refers to the originally Japanese style of Internet meme originating from the Japanese video streaming website Nico Nico Douga. Initially beginning with the submission of a gay pornographic wrestling video with a deceptive title circa 2008, it eventually evolved to take the form of a mash-up, where specific sound clips originating from said pornography were extensively sampled to cover existing musical pieces or create new sounds. This style of trolling later spread to nearby countries of South Korea and China, and recently Europe and the Americas through video streaming communities such as Youtube and Twitch.

As more of these videos are made through existing video samples, there is a regular cast of characters, and inside jokes have formed around many of them. Billy Herrington in particular achieved international stardom, visiting Japan and China multiple times, “thanks to the unexpected later success of his pornographic work”.

Analysis

At a fundamental level, Gachimuchi is very much a misunderstanding of homosexuality, just in the opposite direction than usual, at least in the case of Asia. Gay men are typically seen as feminine by Asian cultures at large, but the widespread popularity of Gachimuchi led to a warped view of homosexuality – although gay men were no longer seen as effeminate they became part of an internet joke on an international scale. This is definitely one of many growing pains in Asia’s struggle in achieving social justice.

On the other hand, Gachimuchi showcases the creativity of its own folk group; content creators like HIWIRE reached a point of musical refinement where their take on Gachimuchi resembles electronic dance music productions (taking influences from various genres of house) rather than poorly sampled mash-ups of gay pornography. With the resurgence in western listeners and attention, this meme has been, and will be on the rise for a while.