#idol culture

[lilimpark]

pien chan.

#pien chan #jirai kei #地雷 #jirai #line sticker #line stickers #line stamp #line stamps #discord emoji #transparent #png #sticker #stickers #地雷系 #ぴえん #otaku #idol #idols #idol culture #my post #ryosangata #量産型

[tokyo-fashion]

KILLREMOTE Fashion Show in Harajuku

Photos from Japanese underground fashion brand KILLREMOTE's fashion show in Harajuku. The brand - known for their work in underground idol culture, often creating costumes for idol live shows - has a popup shop at Laforet Harajuku until June 26, 2023.

#Japanese Fashion #Harajuku #Japanese Streetwear #Idol Culture #Japanese Idols

[usakofashion]

Sailor Moon Episode 154 - Confrontation in Dreams! Minako and Makoto's Broken Friendship

#minako #sailor venus #sailor moon #minako aino #aino minako #party #artsy #retro #80s #90s #80s fashion #90s fashion #80s japan #90s japan #80s idol #90s idol #idol culture #japan idol #blue

[kdramachingoo]

His visuals and their chemistry 🎇🎇🌸🌸

#drama korea #kdrama blog #asian actor #asiandramanet #drama recommendation #k drama #kdrama #kdrama actor #korean drama #korean entertainment #lovely runner #teendramasource #byeon woo seok #kim hye yoon #novel adaptation #school crush #crush #celebrity #celebrity crush #kpop idol #idol culture #asian actress #korean idol #korean romance #school love #handicapped girl #kdrama love #time travel #past love #kdrama actress

[soloragoldsun]

Another thing I'm changing in my fics is that Rise does NOT go back to being an idol. Fuck that shit. Idol culture is incredibly toxic, and the game freaking SHOWS that, but because she gets guilt tripped by her manager bringing a letter from a little girl fan and telling her about all her potential, she goes back?!?!

Like, we see her getting objectified by people throughout the game! She quit being an idol and came to Inaba so that she could figure out what being a person was like outside of the Risette personality that was MADE for her by the agency! Hell, she didn't even want to become an idol! A family member sent her info to the agency for an audition without her consent! We learn about how her free time was not really hers for years. She doesn't have any memories of spending Christmas and other holidays with friends, for crying out loud! And her character arc ends with her going BACK to that life?!

The stuff that idols go through would fuck up any adult, and Rise is a freaking CHILD! She can inspire people and sing and act and do whatever the hell she wants WITHOUT belonging to an agency that would sexualize her and police her every move!!!!

#persona 4 #p4 golden #rise kujikawa #risette #idol culture #i have many feelings about this #let her be a regular high school kid

[solrin]

hate that idol culture is so immersed in purity culture that things like this happen. god damn let your favorite have a life. go outside, touch grass, lick some salt, stop being like this. forever.

Also, she was talking about

#bimten #vtubers #these people are very casually surging into radical conservatism #idol culture #vtuber culture #purity culture

[apas-95]

i am admittedly more than a little ignorant about china but im trying to learn more and your posts have been very interesting and informative! if its not too much trouble i was hoping you could direct me to some sources or explain whats going on with this ban on "sissy men" in chinese media that ive seen western news sources talking about? i get the feeling what ive heard about it on the news is not the whole story

Broadly, the actual story is that regulators were cracking down on idol and celebrity culture (on the back of measures curbing tax evasion in media industries), with notable restrictions being placed on, say, displays of money-worship, promotion of products to 'support' a certain idol, recruitment of child idols, etc. 90% of the regulation push was related to regulation of idol companies, and otherwise regulating the management side of the idol industry, to prevent the exploitation of idols. This was, also, following multiple incidents of prominent idols being revealed to be sexual predators or holding reactionary views, alongside other idol-culture scandals.

The relevant guidelines that the western press jumped on were, really, about gay caricatures. Across countries, there's a fairly standard way that idols are made, by idol companies, to effectively parody the image of a gay person so as to cause controversy. This happens a lot on the variety show circuit, and drives up attention. Gaybaiting, 'acting gay', doesn't just draw attention from fetishistic idol fans, it's scandal-bait, and purposefully drums up wider social controversy around gay people, for profit.

The general pressure was to move the focus away from the personal lives of artists, and back onto their actual art, in order to stem the source of toxic idol culture: the parasocial relationship, cultivated by the idol companies who profit from it. Allowing companies to affect culture is dangerous - their sole goal is personal profit, and anything else is disregarded. The western anti-vaccine movement was the accidental result of a marketing campaign between competing vaccine producers, so it's not exactly over-cautious to try to cut the problem off at the root.

For this specific regulation, the best case scenario was that it stops idol companies from using mocking portrayals and gay stereotypes as scandal bait, and the worst case scenario was that it ends up as a reactionary measure against gay idols. That depended on the specifics of its actual enforcement and application in the real world. This was a year ago, and no notable cases of gay repression have actually come of it - there hasn't been any new western media coverage of it since the initial story last year, and they would have undeniably jumped on anything they could. We can conclude that not only was the reasoning and basis of the regulation non some evil homophobic move, but also neither was the implementation.

#china #idol culture

[greyestflower]

Oshi No Ko and Perfect Blue

Oshi No Ko (2023) and Perfect Blue (1998) are two Japanese anime that critiques and exposes the dirty business of the entertainment industry, especially idol culture. Although Oshi No Ko takes on a supernatural element to it and Perfect Blue is a horrifying psychological thriller, both anime have captured the depravity of the crooked and shameless minds involved in the industry.

MILD SPOILERS AHEAD (Oshi No Ko anime series and Perfect Blue anime film)

Oshi No Ko is a (somewhat) recent anime series starring Japanese idol, Ai Hoshino who was killed in the very first episode. She was murdered by her fan as she gave birth to a child despite promising her audience that she loves them in her songs. This disturbing incident is unfortunately based on true events in the Japanese entertainment industry. Many idols are treated wrongly, which is often covered up by their agencies or the media to have a clean outside.

Japanese idols (or アイドル, pronounced aidoru) are young entertainers of Japanese pop culture, both male and female, who, as a group perform on-stage. Their entertainment mainly composes of producing their own music and singing and dancing to it. They are adored by their fans and very often, despite their young age, sexualized.

This is sometimes considered normal and the adults of this mindset of adoring and sexualizing young female idols are called lolicons (lolita+complex). Anime itself sexualises underage characters and dehumanises them by saying "it's just animation" (but we'll save this conversation for later). This complex is still prevalent in the idol industry. The extremity of the audience's lolicon mindset is visible in both Oshi No Ko and Perfect Blue (Perfect Blue more than Oshi No Ko). In Oshi No Ko, Ai Hoshino is stalked and murdered by her fan for giving birth to children despite promising her audience that she loves them in her songs.

Idols work under a contract for an agency. This agency is in charge of the idol group and could also be in charge of other entertainers. The more underground agencies scout for idols in the street by approaching every conventionally beautiful girl they encounter. This tactic is practiced in Japan till date. This was seen in Oshi no Ko when Ai Hoshino was approached by Ichigo Saitou from Ichigo Productions. And during the conversation between Ai and Ichigo, we get to know how the entertainment industry is made out of lies and that it is normalised.

These anime bring forth the many realities of the entertainment industry, not only idol culture. There are so many social issues that one can find in both Oshi no Ko and Perfect Blue. For example in Oshi No Ko, Kana Arima, the prodigious child actor, grows up to be forgotten by the public. She tries different jobs in the entertainment industry but nothing works well. She becomes desperate for acting gigs and other jobs that will get her the recognition she seeks. Mem-Cho (stage name) is a 27 year old YouTuber who hides her age so she'll still be accepted in the entertainment industry. Idol agencies usually do not hire girls above 20 (they like them young… a disgusting mindset, really), therefore many 20+ year old idols quit that field and move to a different entertainment field, usually acting, like seen in Perfect Blue with Mima, the protagonist. So, 27 year old Mem-Cho finds it difficult to pursue the dream of becoming an idol. In fact, it is difficult to be a 27 year old YouTuber (like I said, they like them young).

Perfect Blue is the right film to watch if one wants to experience the mental torment that any person used by the entertainment industry as an object to showcase. Mima, a former idol who gets into acting, receives threatening messages, letters from her stalkers and her fans who are obsessed with the idol ideal. She endures a feeling of dissociation as her reality warps and her memory crumbles. The director, Satoshi Kon, gives the viewer the same dystopian feeling that Mima goes through. My words will not do justice to the film. If you are fine with having an existential crisis as though you are in Mima's place throughout the duration of the film, do watch the film. I highly recommend it!

Both anime have a lot in common except Oshi No Ko leans more towards fantasy and Perfect Blue towards dystopia. None the less, both anime portray the Japanese entertainment industry accurately. I recommend both anime (not that I am some sort of expert). Thank you for reading!

#my writing #perfect blue #satoshi kon #oshi no ko #aquamarine hoshino #kana arima #film analysis #japanese idol #idol culture #entertainment #movie review #anime #anime analysis #dystopia #social justice #lolita complex

[rumbleonthemill]

here is a thing about idols and idol culture. by that, I mean people you look up to.

they are people. humans.

they have fucking flaws, and their life is sometimes fucked up. sometimes they are blind as shit, and immature. sometimes YOU, who's reading this, see things more clearly than they, as elder people do.

just because a youtuber you follow has 47238598235 fans with 5M views on the videos, it doesn't mean they are wise and mature. or that they are free from sins.

same goes to anyone. literally anyone.

this comes from someone, who once had a ton of idols. I looked up to people. I was inspired by people. I used to agree with them wholeheartedly, trying to calibrate my mindset to be similar to theirs. I was their FAN and someone who respected them to death, tried to support them etc.

but as time passed, and maybe I got to know a few of them because we talked, I slowly began to see the truth. "never meet your heroes". I became disappointed. I became sad, because what you build up about an idol, is just good things, no flaws. it is a fake image.

I could go on all day, but I think you see the main message of the post.

you can agree with people, but never fucking ever blindly follow, or admire anyone. they will only hurt you, willingly or unwillingly. dead or alive, doesn't matter.

#idol #idol culture #idols #discussion

[crybabyzine-subtext]

PROTECT ME FROM HEAVY SOCIAL MEDIA USE

#loona #haseul #social media #loonatheworld #instagram #cho haseul #kpop #idol #k pop idol #idol culture #cameras

[whysojiminimnida]

Hi, not necessarily jikook related, but I wanted your opinion about something of the perilla leaf discussion that I haven’t seen mentioned.

One thing I really don’t like about K-pop in general is the gatekeeping of the artists, so much so that if they are found out to have a SO it’s a huge scandal. I think two idols posted “apology” posts for their fans when they got married/had kids. Now I know this is something cultural that I clearly cannot wrap my head around, but I find it quite sad.

So back to BTS, I was very surprised about the perilla leaf discussion because it was them admitting (albeit indirectly) that they date and have relationships. Hopefully it is not news to anyone that men in their middle-to-late twenties date, but seeing the culture around Kpop in general I thought it was very cool that hybe would release that video (not to mention the whole gender neutral language use that dalloga explained).

I know it’s nothing but maybe one day the culture around idols can change (not that they should disclose their relationship status, just you know live their life knowing that if their relationship is founding out/they want to disclose it they don’t risk losing their careers).

A-HA. This is the commentary on the perilla leaf I was looking for. Thanks, nice anon! Here, please enjoy a pretty Jeon-Park hug-and-rub because NOTHING TO SEE HERE NOBODY DATING ANYONE AHEM (and thanks to phorenjj on twt for it because i stole it from them LOOK AT JEIKEI'S HAND) :

This stuck out to me and I have a call later with Kevin for oppa reasons (he hovers, lately) so I'm gonna ask him. About the perilla leaf thing, not about JeiKei's hand. Because I agree with you.

I haven't seen @dalloga 's explanation but I love her so whatever she said is definitely correct. For me I just noticed that the word used was gender neutral in Korean. It just means "partner" basically and can be used for any gender, so it was a good choice and I was happy to hear it. My spoken Korean is truly awful but I know a little bit. Kev's trying y'all. HE'S TRYING. Regardless, the intent was there not to say "girlfriend" or "boyfriend" specifically but to punt that word in favor of a gender neutral term, and I appreciated that. AND HOLY CATS YES I have been hoping someone would bring up the "oh hey we are adults who, y'know, peel perilla leaves and have partners and do adult sex things" because THIS IS SO UNUSUAL FOR KOREAN ARTISTS. Y'all know this is very out of the ordinary when just last year iKON's Bobby had to apologize to fans for getting married and fathering a child. In 2020 EXO's Chen did the same, even though he did not say he was sorry when his wife had their second child in January. It's an issue. We've seen how stans handled Tae's probable girlfriend and his response to that fairly recently. These guys even THINK about showing up with a woman (god forbid a man) and we like to think ARMY would be cool with it but based on my observations, that is NOT THE CASE. Maybe half of us would be fine, even supportive, but there are real, actual dangerous solo stans out there who could and would present a physical threat to the safety of ANY significant other. There's a whole slew of reasons our guys have ALL stayed "single" all this time, even though it's very likely that the majority of them are involved outside the group and two of them have been a couple for years. And I do think Bang and Co. are supportive of, IDK, letting grown ass adults be, IDK, grown ass adults. Which, in K-pop, is refreshing. I dunno if it's just BTS or if they'll do the same for other groups. I hope they do.

Speaking of whom, have some pretty Jikook doing that photoshoot hug.

Thanks again, nice anon. :)

#perilla leaves #idol culture #k idol dating life #bts are grown ass men who do grown ass man things like sex and dating and real estate and taxes they are adults #and yet #half the fandom writes college boy aus or high school aus and calls them their boyfriends #i mean tae that poor guy #save taehyung from all of us really #but also #omg let people live #jikook #nothing to see here #jikook hardly even jikooking just hugging and touching and shit #and nobody says boo because they just be like that #thanks nice anon

[oneinchbarrier]

#tokyo idols #japan #Kyoko Miyake #idol culture

[seanartzy]

(via Oshi no Ko - Ai Hoshino Classic T-Shirt by SeanKnows)

#findyourthing #redbubble #ai hoshino #oshi no ko #anime #manga #idol culture #suspense #drama #music #otaku #fanart #cosplay #japanese #digital art #illustration #character design #anime art #manga love

[luteofthunder]

#shut up lute #aggressive retsuko #aggretsuko #apathy #social commentary #politics #idol culture #marriage #employment #homelessness #Youtube

[understandablyirrelevant]

I'm a USian, so feel free to ignore me, but...

Everything I hear about Japanese idol culture makes it sound deeply horrific and inhumane.

#idol culture

[the2amrevolution]

This drama I'm watching has the main character start dating a famous actor - a common trope, and when it becomes public, a bunch of mostly teenagers show up outside her work with signs saying "give him back" and whatever.

Like, they and reporters would be annoying, but she feels all bad and people at her work are mad at her. Why? No? Their delusion isn't her problem? Disperse the problem folks for trespassing and harassment, and ignore everyone else.

Like, if I were her:

"Give him back, he's ours!"

No? You are a stranger? We are coworkers and were friends years ago.

Its just the weirdest concept to me. People say stuff like that about celebrities here, but its mostly as a joke. People who actually get upset at their celeb crush dating are teens and the response is "honey, its okay. You know it was fantasy. You can still like him, but he's his own person," and an adult who gets actually upset is seen as an actual mental health issue because it is. People aren't out validating delusional fans by not letting celebrities date or pretending they're all chaste and whatever.

I've never understood this with celebrity and idol culture in Japan and Korea (and other places probably but those are the two I'm most familiar with).

I really don't understand enabling parasocial to the point of delusional people to dictate your private life. Like, deal with ones who are a real safety issue and then change the conversation and culture in a way that everyone else is forced to develop an understanding of fantasy versus reality or they are the ones who end up ostracized, not the celebs or whoever they're dating. Make mental health a higher priority and have actual availability so that you don't have fans committing suicide when their fave celebrity gets a partner, rather than prohibit adults from having adult relationships.

Sorry you're sad about your fantasy being fantasy, but it doesn't affect their job or the types of interactions they have with their audience in anyway, so as long as you don't hurt yourself or others, you can still fantasize all day everyday if you want to. Pretending your fave idol is going to date you is already fantasy. Its not a big leap to just add them being single to your fantasy if its not reality. People do it all the time. Shit, there's people with intense fantasy relationships with fictional characters. None of that is real, and its not the responsibility of the creator of the characters to make any part of someone else's fantasy real, and such an expectation would be seen as absurd. So why force the artists in a different field to cater to delusion just because their self/persona is a larger part of their art?

#rants #idol culture #celebrity culture #mental health #kdrama #jdrama #kpop #jpop