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The Curious Case of the Non-Japanese Shinto Priest In The Dragon Dentist
Japanese Idol Culture is Engrossing, But It Can Also Be Dangerous
Sarah Nelkin Sarah Nelkin
September 24, 2017 23:00 PM submit to reddit
Filed to: 18if

Image Source: ????18if????????@??? on Twitter

In the anime 18if, one of the dream-controlling witches is an idol who contracted
the Sleeping Beauty Syndrome after she was stabbed by a fan enraged by a passionate
scandal in the tabloids. This episode is a representation of the darkness of the
idol industry in Japan.

The idol industry in Japan is a money-making monster almost completely unique to

Japan (though South Koreas is similar). Idol groups in Japan are teams of young
girls, usually under 20, that sing and dance on stage. However, thats not all they
dothey appear on talk shows, do handshake events, appear in swimsuits in
magazines, star in plays, and even appear in movies. There are tons of idols in
Japan, including those registered at official record labels like Sony and Avex and
independent idols that work as so-called underground idolsidols that perform at
little clubs and make their money through ticket fare and goods sales.

Sometimes, the word idol is translated as pop star, comparing idols in Japan to
singers like Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera. However, the circumstances
surrounding the female idols is completely different. The first difference is
romance. When pop stars like Britney have romance gossip, its the talk of the
town. In fact, its a plus, with fans making cute couple names for celebrity pairs.

However, in Japan, having a romantic relationship is considered an irreversible

mark of shame. Many idol groups forbid the girls from having boyfriends at all. The
most famous incident of an idol repenting for having a boyfriend despite her
position in AKB48an idol unit that forbids romanceis Minami Minegishi, who shaved
her head and tearfully apologized to fans on camera for having a relationship in
2013.

Forbidding idols from having romances creates the perfect image of a woman for the
fans, especially the male ones. Like Murasaki Shikibu in the Tale of Genji, theres
an idea that you are raising the idol youre a fan of as time goes by. For
example, a fan might buy a large amount of the same AKB48 CD so they can get serial
numbers to enter in on the AKB48 General Election website to vote for their
favorite girl. The more CDs purchased, the more chances to vote. This is why when
Ririka Sato, a member of the AKB48 sister group NMB48, announced her engagement to
a fan despite being only 20 years old, there was a huge fan backlash. Fans claimed
that she had tricked them, and said that because they had poured money into her,
so it was wrong of her to do so. They felt a sense of ownership over the young girl
because they bought CDs that raised her up to be a star, ranking high in the
election. Sato left the group soon after.
Despite this shame put upon the women in the idol industry, there is a rampant
culture of older men in the business putting female idols through what is called
makura eigyo, literally pillow business. Makura refers to the pillow on the
bed, which is a euphemism for sex. Minako Komukai, a former model and actress,
revealed in a column in a magazine that she has seen many models and idols selling
their bodies to men in order to further or protect their careers. Rejecting an
advance could have serious repercussions, including a loss of jobs or reputation.
On the other hand, be found out having a sexual relationship with someone, and a
fan might do something nuts, like threaten or attack you. The standards for idols
are put so high that its a common joke amongst netizens to say that idols dont
poop, referring to how perfect the idols are in the eyes of the fans.

Image Source: ????18if????????@??? on Twitter

Emi Nitta, the voice actress of the witch in this episode, ironically (or
unironically, possibly) went through a similar experience to her character. The
voice of the Love Live! character Honoka, she also had a successful solo music
career. Everything was on the up-and-up until the Weekly Asahi Geino magazine
reported that Nitta appeared in a porn film in the past. After this occurred,
Nittas Nico Nico live streams were indefinitely postponed, security was increased
at her events, and she stopped posting on her Twitter account altogether. She just
recently left her agency she debuted from, and joined a brand new agency
Difference.

Image Source: ????18if????????@??? on Twitter

The obsession with purity and ownership over women in the idol industry is
something that is constantly debated, especially outside of Japan. While it creates
the image of the perfect woman for fans to enjoy, it also puts pressure on the
personal freedoms of these young girls. However, for the rules of these idol groups
to change, the male-centric society surrounding them needs to change first. And in
18if, the witch of the day takes that into her own hands as a dominatrix, teaching
the very men that abused her the harshness of the idol world and the ideals that
surround it.

18if is currently streaming on Crunchyroll with subtitles, and with an English dub
on FUNimation.

September 24, 2017 23:00 PM submit to reddit

Filed to: 18if

Comments (2)
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ATPLana September 26th, 2017 at 10:51 AM
Just a correction. Riripons surname is Sutou, not Sato. Additionally, Ive read
that he wasnt really a fan, but he met her at a restaurant her mom works at.

While I do agree that the ojisan appears to be the main demographic of idol fans,
there appears to be less of a harsh treatment of idols by management when scandals
appear after Minegishis actions. That however does not deter the fan reaction.
However, you have idols like Sashihara Rino that go through a scandal and can
revive their career. Its some sort of twisted give and take between management,
the fan, and the idol themselves. While some can see the system as flawed, others
can see the system as something that can be manipulated to make a star.

Furthermore, with idol groups like Nogizaka46 and Keyakizaka46, that sexualization
of idols isnt really as apparent with these groups which reach to a more female
demographic.

Nerdy Show Wicked Anime Podcast :: Episode 123 :: Saiko Psychos

October 6th, 2017 at 11:40 AM
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