"Real Face" is a song written by Shikao Suga, Joker, Tak Matsumoto and Chokkaku for the debut single and debut album of the Japanese boy band, KAT-TUN. It was released on March 22, 2006, and debuted on the Oricon daily and weekly singles charts at number 1 where it stayed on the latter for 3 weeks. The song would eventually sell over a million copies by the end of 2006 and was named Japan's best-selling single of the year.
Song information
There are two different versions of the song in KAT-TUN's discography. The single version is not the same song on Best of KAT-TUN which is named "Real Face #1" and features a different arrangement. "Real Face #1" was used as the theme song to band member Junnosuke Taguchi's drama two-part television movie, Happy!, aired by TBS on April 7, 2006 and December 26, 2006 respectively.
Release and promotion
The single was released in two pressings - a normal edition containing the instrumental versions of all the songs released in this single and six limited editions containing the three songs with a music video of the single focusing on each respective member. As such, there are seven different covers. It was part of a tripartite release by the group and became available in stores on the same day as KAT-TUN's debut album, Best of KAT-TUN, and the tie-in DVD for the single, Real Face Film. All three releases were also available as a box set which has since gone out of print. KAT-TUN performed the song on television for the first time on Music Station on March 10, 2006 and sang on variety show Utawara two days later where they were already regular guests with Jun Matsumoto of Arashi. They followed up with their first appearance on Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ on March 13 and performed live at the Tokyo Dome on March 17 which was simulcast on Music Station. The group were invited to Utaban for the first time on March 23 and performed on Music Fighterthe day after. KAT-TUN rounded off the month by performing on Music Station for the third time in less than a month for the show's spring special episode on March 31. Other subsequent promotional performances for the single were on CDTV, Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ, Shounen Club, Utawara, Music Station and NTV's Minna Terebi 24 Hours TVcharity fundraiser special. KAT-TUN also acted as hosts of the latter event. The group also collaborated with the song's lyricist, Shikao Suga, for a one-off live performance on Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ on May 12, 2008. On Shounen Club Premium in March 2011, KAT-TUN member Kamenashi performed a rock version of Real Face with Suga.
Chart performance and reception
The single displaced NEWS' double A-side single "Sayaendou/Hadashi no Cinderella Boy" from the top spot and stayed at number 1 for 3 weeks on the Oricon weekly singles chart, a feat rarely achieved in the Japanese music industry, selling over 754,234 copies in its first week which broke fellow JE boy band, Arashi's record for their debut single, "Arashi." By the end of the year, the single had sold over a million copies and was certified as the best-selling single of 2006 by Oricon. Real Face was reported in 2010 by the Oricon's magazine, OriStar, for having sold over 1,046,125 copies and was later certified Million by RIAJ denoting over 1,000,000 shipments. The single was honored at the 21st Japan Gold Disc Awards when it was named "Single of the Year " and placed on the "Best 10 Singles " list along with "SIGNAL" and "Bokura no Machi de".
