The Consequences of Your Opinion

What is written here is, undoubtedly, my opinion, and you may like it, you may not, and some will ignore it because they do not want my opinion. In the end, there will be someone who conflicts with what I say, what you say, what we all say - it is life. However, all of our opinions count, but please don't be so close-minded as to ignore someone else's opinion just because you value your own. Let yourself open your mind to what they have to say, and learn from both your opinion, and theirs.

I want to point out that, originally, I did write a rant post before this one, however I have decided against posting it because it was created from direct anger and hurt. However, it did help me to write this post, which is a reflection of what has happened.

I summarised my entire post in my Disclaimer. Are we done now?

I think that this image is a perfect representation of what I am going to talk about today, class.

So, opinions. We all have them, and we all use them at some point in our day to day lives, whether we are talking to someone we know at work, school or home, or if we are on the internet. No matter what, we openly voice our opinions, and in a sense, we know what to expect; either someone will agree with us, or they will disagree. It is a part of the by and by of life.

But, having an opinion is not a simple thing, especially when you are a part of a fandom that has a lot of strongly opinionated people. Whether it is a Justin Bieber fan (they are shit scary, and don't listen to reason; TRUST ME) or someone who closely follows the Jpop culture that we all love ourselves, there will be someone out there who will bite at your opinion, and not let you win because, like you, they are heavily passionate about what they believe in, and they don't want to listen to reason or take into account that, just maybe, you have said something they understand or something that is probably true. Heck, we have all been there, and some of us are probably still in that position.

The thing is, with fans like this, they can quickly turn an opinion into a hate speech, and will never look at the good in what you say, and only take in the bad of it all and immediately judge you on it. That is how internet fights in fandoms spark, and it is also one of the reasons why many fans of certain pop cultures stray away from them, because it seriously is scary and disheartening. I admit, I stray away from forums a lot now because of the fans, though I am not saying ALL fans are like this, just the ones who are so heavily opinionated that they don't listen to what someone else has to say, because they have already thought of them as a hater and someone to judge because of what they have said.
 This is why I stick to Facebook, though sometimes that is no better, but people are a lot more open there I have found.

Now, I bring this topic up because recently, I experienced something like this. After writing my article in 'The Issue With Berryz', it came to light from a friend on facebook that I had been, and I quote, "bashed" on an online forum for what I had said, and that they thought I should know. Now, because I rarely frequent online forums for this very reason, I initially would have had no idea that this was going on, but now that I did, I decided to take a look to see what had been said. Of course, it wasn't the worst I had seen from the person who had started the post, but it wasn't generally nice either in a way. I mean, knowing that someone has felt so upset by something you have written is actually very upsetting for the person who wrote it, and I did go and apologise, but in the end, it was my opinion and I did note that if you didn't like it, then don't read what I write. Of course, what they had said on the forum did spawn a few other posts from people who were like-minded to the original poster about me, and they did of course dish out that I was a hater, and someone who was unworthy of the Berryz fandom.

Now that is bashing.

Every person who disagrees with me because of an Opinion, and when I try to talk to them

The original poster was hurt by what I had said, and I understood that. I also understood the consequences I would have to take on by posting something as risky (for the H!P fandom, at least) as a post on Berryz and how I felt they should disband, otherwise I would have never posted it, and I knew that I would potentially get some dislike and hate for it. The thing is, I expected people to comment on my blog with the hate, but instead it was on a public forum, for fans who had the same mind-set to see, instead of commenting and talking to me about it. And yes, I did take a serious issue with it, and even now I find the original poster to be rather immature and scared to do that (but not bad), but in the end they made it public to other Berryz fans who would also take issue with it. Why? Because it's the safe thing to do, rather than come out to the original writer and take issue with them, and listen to their own reasons.

Now, my main issue with this whole bashing thing wasn't the person who originally wrote about how it affected them, but the people who posted afterwards. I highly doubt a lot of those who posted afterwards, calling me out as a hater and what not, had even read my post, let alone looked at it. If they had taken a read of it and decided to hate me afterwards, then fine, but it was that fact that it looked like they were all basing their opinions (oh look, that word!) on me from what someone else had said... and what that person had said was all the things that were, you know, bad. So yeah, it did rub me in the wrong way.

Of course, even after I did try and talk to the person about what had been said, and heck, I even apologised, I still received the same answer from them that they had originally started the topic with... as if they hadn't even read what I said, and disregarded anything I would say after that. So, I just left it at that afterwards (I did respond once more, after Wotutu, my Knight in Frilly Lolita, dashed to my defence on the forum without telling me she would do so... my hero <3) and I haven't looked at the forum since, because I don't want to know what has been said now, as how they feel about me and what they think has already been confirmed; they don't like me, and they think of me as a Berryz Hater who will never be a fan in their eyes of their Holy Group. The end, pretty much.

Honestly, it is really good to have an opinion, especially a strong one, but it is not good to have an opinion so strong that you are ignorant to everyone else's opinion and blatantly ignore what they have to say to try and help you see their point of view. Yes, this person had stated I could have my opinion, but even when I talked to them about it they answered with 'You hurt my feelings, I am still hurt, and nothing you can say will change that' (in a sense), and that just showed me how indifferent they were to what I thought and felt. They didn't care that I was willing to talk to them and let them show me what they saw in Berryz, or let me know information I had gotten wrong (they had stated Berryz did indeed sell out Budokan, but someone else said 'we know they did, who cares if she doesn't' as if to pass off my opinion was nothing, and that I would not learn because I was ignorant to what they knew... erm... yeah...). This person did not really care for what I had to say I think, and whilst I think their opinion of Berryz is as good as my own, I do take issue in the fact that they won't listen to what others have to say, and will only let in the like-minded souls who share their passion and love for Berryz, rather than allowing for a more diverse opinion to infiltrate their perfect image of the group.

But, this is what happens, and it is to be expected. When you are vocal, online or in the real world, there will be consequences that shall, at some point in life, be met, and even though you know that this will happen, it will still surprise and hurt you, and you won't like it. People will jump to conclusions, and they will think of what you say as hate speech, and because of what has been written or said, others will immediately judge you for it based on what someone else has said about you. They don't see the good, they only see the bad, and whilst that original poster has been hurt by what you have said, you will also hurt because people are calling you a bitch or a hater, and bashing you with ill-intention, and they do not understand that you are stating opinions, not facts. There will be some people who don't judge you straight away, not everyone is like that, but if one person talks to another person or a group of people who share their ideals because it is safer for them, then you will be branded as someone who is unworthy and evil, no matter what you say to help them see what you mean, or to show them that you are willing to talk to them and learn.

The thing is, to be willing to learn about someone else's passions and interests, you both need to be willing to learn. Sadly, not everyone is as open minded as you are, but that is life, and life is a bitch.

Let your opinions be open, but don't let yourself become so close-minded that you shut out what another person thinks just because you don't want them to break your ideal. Be willing to open yourself up to facts and theories, and let yourself learn more about the person, because then you will not only learn more about a group or culture someone else likes, but you will learn more about what you like, and why you like it, and the flaws that make it awesome.

Chiima~

A Dummy's Guide To The Senbatsu: What It Is And Why It Is There

If I say anything wrong, then just remember this: I am still learning about AKB48 in general. Gimme time!!!! Also, I researched as much as I could. I tried... I TRIED!!!!

PS*** Yes, I am scared about posting this, but Nia says go for it... so go forth, post, go forth and be post-y!!!!

I recently wrote, and did a video, about the recent AKB48 32nd single Senbatsu Elections that took place on June 8th, 2013. The event itself was the first that I had seen and taken a part of for AKB48, and the experience itself was extremely enjoyable, but after posting my video on my youtube channel about my thoughts and experience with the election process itself, I received a comment that really got me thinking...

I was surprised by the comment, and honestly, I myself am a Dummy and a Nooblet when it comes to the Senbatsu system; this is, after all, my first election and also the first time I have really looked at AKB48 as anything more than a group to review or bash, but the challenge within the question itself made me think, and it made me want to write a blog post as well as ask Serenyty of Happy Disco if she herself knew of any articles that could explain the Senbatsu well. The post that she sent me, Details on AKB48s 2013 Senbatsu General Elections Released, explains the system quite well I believe, however I felt that it lacked when it came to explaining what the term 'Senbatsu' is as a whole, because when I read the question given, I felt that it was aimed more so towards what the Senbatsu itself is, and not just the voting system as a whole... and so, here I am to try and talk about what the 'Senbatsu' is, but also to learn with you all, because I am a Dummy too.

So, all of that said and done, let's venture into my latest AKB48 based post. Let's begin... Douzo!

A Dummy's Guide To The Senbatsu:

What It Is And Why It Is There

The Term 'Senbatsu' and Where it Originated

When you, as a fan or a casual listener, first venture into the realm of AKB48, SKE48, NMB48 or HKT48, you will find yourself stumbling upon a word that may seem rather alien to you, and that word is: Senbatsu. The word itself simply means 'Selection', and is often used to refer to the selected members in singles, events, performances and more. Due to the large number of AKB48 members, within the group itself as well as the sister groups now, it has become common practice for a certain amount of girls to be picked for singles and media appearances.
 The 'Senbatsu' system itself has been in practice since the single Skirt, Hirari, however at this time the members were simply picked by management for their hard work and determination within the group, and ultimately earned the right to be placed in the front.

The General Senbatsu

Whilst the general 'Senbatsu' system is not limited to certain members, there will, almost always, be certain girls in the front of a single. These girls most commonly appear in the Media, on the covers of the singles, and will also appear in the title song. This is due to their high popularity, or because Management wish to push a certain girl in order to try and sell her. These girls can be chosen at random, or they could be chosen through their hard work and dedication, or even by how popular they are in stage performances; As an outsider to AKB48's stage performances myself, I can only guess that these stages are used not only as a way to show off the talent of the girls in singing or dancing, but also to see which girls are popular, or up-and-coming in popularity, but I do believe that these performances do play quite a big role in finding out which girls are fan favourites, as well as the selling of merchandise and other things.

From what I, as a casual listener of AKB48 music, know about the general 'Senbatsu' as a whole though, is that there are very few changes in who is shown; these are the girls that sell well, and the faces of the group that management wish to push and sell, and very rarely do these girls unless a graduation occurs, or a scandal arises, or the girls themselves fall out of favour with the fans and/or management.

The General Election

Introduced in 2009, the first General Election was held. The idea behind the election was to allow the fans to ultimately determine which girls would become the 'Senbatsu' members for the single by allowing the fans to vote for their favourite members. The first single to feature this new 'Senbatsu' system was Iiwake Maybe, and featured Maeda Atsuko as the centre of the single.
 Originally, the elections were held for both AKB48 and SKE48, and would only feature a total of 30 members; 21 would be chosen for the main Senbatsu, and would be featured on the A-side single, whilst the remaining 9 would sing the accompanying song. Additionally, only the 12 most voted girls would be a part of the 'Media Senbatsu' and would be featured on the single cover, as well as promote the single for the Media.

For the first two elections, the singles included only the Senbatsu and Undergirls members, however as AKB48's popularity, fanbase and member number has grown since then, the new elections have included the ranks of the 'Next Girls' and the 'Future Girls', totalling the number of members for one single to 64, rather than 30 or 40 like the past two singles. This has also given the members of AKB48 and its sister groups a greater chance at becoming a part of either four of the groups present for the 'Senbatsu' single. Additionally, the 'Senbatsu' rank has decreased from 21 to 16, making the positions more and more valuable to members who hope to rank higher each year.
  By being ranked higher through voting, and also finding out who the fans support the most, these girls will become promoted and featured more than they previously had throughout the year until the next General Election takes place, however it should be taken note of that, before the voting process begins, management will possibly select the girls that they want or hope fans to vote for in singles by placing these girls in the 'General Senbatsu' for the single and music video that holds the voting ballot for the Senbatsu Election. Because of this, AKB48's summer singles have a larger senbatsu than previous singles do, as it features girls from all of AKS groups.

So far, there have only been five General Elections. The fifth General Election, held on June 8th 2013, was the first to feature a new centre from the previous four singles, where the centre positions were previously held by Maeda Atsuko or Oshima Yuko, and also the first where a member that was not from AKB48 (but, was previously a part of the group) was crowned centre. For AKB48 and its fanbase, the General Election is one of the most important elections of the year, as it can determine where a member stands in popularity, and her placement in AKB48 as a whole.

The General Elections have been held in the Summer since 2009 onwards.

The Janken Senbatsu Taikai

The final, and most recently introduced, form of the 'Senbatsu' system is the Janken Senbatsu Taikai. Introduced in 2010, this new system was a fresh and daring approach to how the 'Senbatsu' system as a whole worked; instead of the management or fans choosing who would be placed in the single, it would all be left to pure chance through a game of chance, namely, Rock-Paper-Scissors. This change in how the system worked would show a never-before-seen line-up, possibly eliminating all front girls that fans previously knew of, and also bringing the possibilities of introducing new faces to the front of the group and allowing these girls to earn promotion through a simple game of chance.

For the 'Janken Senbatsu' single, there are 16 spots that members can claim, and through various rounds, the girls will be eliminated depending on their choice of rock, paper or scissors. Through this process, any girl can win or lose depending on their choice, making this way of creating a 'Senbatsu' on that is, in a way, left to the choice of the member who is up against her opponent. By winning the Janken tournament, a member is able to gain exposure through the media such as magazine interviews, appearances and also as the centre of the single itself. However, whilst these singles are indeed left by chance, members who are regularly featured in singles already can also place because of how random the odds can be.

The Janken Tournament has been held every winter from 2010 onwards.

Why Is It There?

As I am still learning about AKB48 myself, I can only come to this conclusion; the Senbatsu is there to ultimately determine who is popular, and who Management wish to promote. Whilst there are fairer, or at least fair in our eyes, cases such as the Janken tournaments which are now held yearly, we as fans can only assume that the Senbatsu itself is a popularity contest, and a way for the members to get noticed. The 'Elections' are there for the girls to try and appeal to the fans in order to get votes, whilst the Janken tournaments are a way for the girls to get a chance to shine as Senbatsu members for one single. In general, however, it really is up to management when it comes to who they want to promote, though right now it does seem that the elections themselves help in just 'who' management decide to promote.

Helpful Links:

Details on AKB48's 2013 Senbatsu General Elections Released

AKB48 Wiki Senbatsu Elections Pages

Yahoo! Answers

Generasia Article

Wikipedia Article

Thank you to 554466551 for asking about this and also requesting it. It's helped me to learn more about the Senbatsu, and in turn I hope that it helps all of you to have a better understanding of it if you are, like me, new to AKB48 as a whole as well. Thank you for reading everyone~

Chiima~

PING!!! Idolminded Recommended Reading: June 11th, 2013

Graduation Shock: YuiKaori to Graduate StylipS and My Thoughts

There is one thing about Morning Musume and AKB48 that I have just found I truly appreciate; the graduations within these groups are expected, so as a fan, you kind of mentally prepare yourself for these graduations even if you don't want them, because in these groups it is a written rule; at some point, a member will graduate, and a new one will replace them soon after.

So when it comes to other groups that don't have this system, or never had this system from the beginning, it is shocking when it happens.

... Just like it shocked me when I found out that Ishihara Kaori and Ogura Yui had announced their graduation from StylipS.

I Reading this announcement, I think I went into a state of shock; I was probably being mellow-dramatic about it, but at 5am in the morning, there is not much you can do when you want to scream - so I resorted to crying and rocking back and forth for a few minutes as I talked to Nia on facebook about it, though I doubt I made much progress in trying to construct a decent sentence. Even now, about 45 minutes after reading the news, I am still in a state of shock over it. Disbelief too, but mostly shock and sadness.

I mean, really... this is completely unexpected. Why? Why why why is this happening? A few hours ago I was thinking I was so incredibly happy, and wondering what could happen to make me sad and ruin that happiness. Well, considering I just damn well jinxed myself, I am now completely sad, because YuiKaori are graduating StylipS... so of course I fear for YuiKaori as a duo itself, too.

YuiKaori are, to me, an awesome duo; I love them, and I don't want them to disappear... ever. If I knew that eventually they would leave I think I would be perfectly fine with this development, but because both YuiKaori and StylipS seemed to be stable line-ups, I never prepared myself for a 'graduation' like I did with Morning Musume and AKB48, so knowing that these two are now leaving, especially so suddenly, is extremely saddening and shocking to the system in a way. I feel so put out, like my heart has literally been torn out because they are leaving.

I still don't know what to think if they actually are graduating as YuiKaori as well, because if they are then I might just go into a short, miserable state like I did with Saki and Yuuka when they left S/mileage, which brings me to this point...

This reminds me of when Saki suddenly left S/mileage. Much like the new member announcements, it was sudden and unexpected, and many people did not react well to it. This is, to me, Ogawa Saki graduating all over again. It's unexpected, and it certainly is not welcome (for me). Of course I can't do anything about it, it's their choice to leave, but still... with a group like StylipS, and one like S/mileage before the newbs joined, you kind of expect to see the same faces until the group eventually disbands.

Sadly this obviously isn't the case, not that I want StylipS to disband anyway, but because YuiKaori are leaving, two girls who are a BIG part of Style Cube because of their activity in voice acting and singing, and are the two most recognisable members because of that activity and their past with Hello! Project. Okay, so Noto Arisa also has a good fanbase, but YuiKaori are, from what I know, the most recognisable because of their promotion and anime work.

Of course, considering their popularity, I don't think (or at least I hope) that YuiKaori will leave Style Cube, and especially not their duo unit together, because they certainly are popular and very hard working, and I think that right now Style Cube still needs them because they are still building their company.

So, the reason why they are leaving? Both Yui and Kaori have busy schedules and work loads, so they are leaving StylipS to focus on that. From what I know, Kaori is a University student, whilst Yui is probably in her last year of high school, and considering the fact that they both have a lot of seiyuu work... that could be a reason to leave StylipS. Hopefully it is only StylipS they are leaving though, or I would once again be a wreck and so devastated.

And, whilst I'm writing this post, I had better get this out there: When I saw the title on Tokyohive that 'two members of StylipS' were to graduate, I actually thought, and hoped, that it would be Noto Arisa and Matsunaga Maho. Yes, I like Maho, but when it comes to StylipS, I can only think that the two members who could fully carry the name around and still bring it popularity would be YuiKaori, so to hear that they were the ones graduating... well, I was speechless and shocked as I have already said, and even now I still kind of think that, however selfish that is, but it's true; I really think that StylipS is carried by YuiKaori... though mostly Yui.

I'm still shocked, and I still want to cry. Why wouldn't I? I love StylipS, and I love YuiKaori, and knowing that StylipS will go through the same change that S/mileage did leaves me feeling doubtful for their future. When S/mileage had four members, I loved them, and when they had new members, I embraced them only to be disappointed because their music was a shadow of their former selves, and seeing how StylipS is now, well... yes, I am scared. I think that they might go the same route as S/mileage did when they lost their two best singers, and one of the most recognisable faces.

Much like YuiKaori are to StylipS.

But that doesn't mean the new additions will be bad, because you never know; these new girls they may choose might just be great additions to StylipS and pull them forward, or they might go the S/mileage route and show a more lacklustre side in their singles, you never know. For me, I do hope that the new StylipS girls will be promising and show strength, and give StylipS a new kind of edge...

But I will still be scared for their future.

I am still upset over this, but writing down my thoughts has greatly helped me with the news; I wanted to rage and cry, much like I did after finding out about the graduation, but being able to have a blog to write on has helped me greatly with the news. Really, after writing this much, I feel a lot better with myself and more at ease with the news, though still a little put out.

But all I can do now as a fan and a 3rd party person is to wish YuiKaori luck, and to hope that they won't fade out or disband YuiKaori, and also to hope that the new girls who will be a part of StylipS will be just as wonderful as these two are. Right now though, all I can do is sit back and wait for more announcements to come out, and we will see where we go from there.

Chiima~

PING!!! Idolminded Recommended Reading: April 21st, 2013

Subtitles - Yay or Nay?

A recent development in the world of Hello! Project and UFP is the use of subtitles on their video's, more notably, their music video's. The first group to introduce this was Morning Musume with the full PV for Brainstorming. Of course Kimi Sae Wah Wah followed suit, as did Tasaki Asahi's new PV for her song Sakura Dokei. The thing is though, is this really necessarily?

I know that fans have wanted subtitles for a while because we like to understand what's going on, and when the video for Brainstorming was uploaded, there was a lot of positive responses from foreign fans of Morning Musume because they could now understand it a little better, even if English was not their mother tongue. However, when I was told by my sister that the music video had subtitles, I was a little less than happy by the news. I have my own reasons for this of course as both a blogger and a fan, and really, I am not overly excited by this sudden development... much like Japanese fans, I think. (read this for a better understanding of what I mean... Takamaruyo, I salute you guys!)

I know I may be a part of a minority, but that is how I feel right now about the subtitles, and I want to write this to get that across.

So first thing first: Why the music video's and not the announcement video's? I don't understand this at all. Currently, only one announcement video has been subbed, and that is the C-ute Budokan and Paris announcement, which I actually greatly appreciated the subs for because I could understand the video more, and it felt more emotional for me as a fan. But when it comes to other announcement video's, I also want to know what everyone is saying, such as the new video on Morning Musume's channel where the girls comment on the 12th generation auditions that are currently going on. Why not sub that? I know that subbing takes time and all, but I would rather see these announcement video's subtitled than the music video's. It is a lot more logical and it will give fans a better understanding of what is going on.

So, why the music video's? In my opinion, music video's do not need lyrics added to them, Japanese or English, because music is there for enjoyment.

I have always believed that music is universal, regardless of the language you speak or whether or not you understand it. I don't need to understand Morning Musume's lyrics to enjoy the song, and even if I wanted to understand the lyrics, I can just find them by myself by typing into google 'Brainstorming English Lyrics' or looking for a video that has the lyrics hard subbed onto them by a fan. I also think that a music video does not need lyrics added to the video because, in a way, it can be a huge distraction, especially if you just want to watch the video and not read anything.

In fact, for me the lyrics added to the video are very off-putting as both a blogger and a fan; I want to watch the video and enjoy the music along with it. I like looking at everything visually and seeing the different panning shots on a clean video without any distractions, which leads me to my next problem with the subtitles...

As a blogger, and one who actually relies pretty heavily on her pic spams to get her emotions across or even my lacking wit, this is a very problematic development; I comment on my screen caps, and that requires a clean slate. How can I now comment on these screen captions if they have subtitles there already, subtitles that we can clearly understand, with something I want to say that I think 'fits' the caption? I can't, because the video, or at least the picture I have taken, is telling me something different, and it won't feel right writing something 'new' there, because I now understand it and know what the scene is telling me, or at least what the scene wants to tell me, and that is very off-putting for me as a blogger and in fact stops me from wanting to screen caption video's with hard subtitles added onto them, which is actually my current dilemma with Tasaki Asahi's PV for Sakura Dokei which I desperately want to review, but the subtitles really put me off because I find that I feel restricted to what I can say about it now because of those subtitles.

As both a fan and a blogger, I find the subtitles a problem more than a blessing. Admittedly I did find it quite nice to understand the video, but that feeling does not last when I want to watch it a second time around because I want to look at it and not be distracted by the hard subtitles or because I want to take a caption and comment on it. Having these subs limits me now in my opinion rather than aid me in any way, and are just a big problem when I look at these video's.

I do think that, whilst these are a problem for me, these are some sort of blessing for other fans who want to understand the video's, but as I said earlier; music is universal, and you do not need to understand the lyrics to enjoy the music or the visuals. I got into these groups and singers because I enjoy what they create, not because I can understand their lyrics.

And whilst I think that UFP are doing something right by moving forward and appealing to their overseas fans, I do think that they are going in the wrong direction with the subtitles; use the subtitles on announcement video's or during concert MC's, not on music video's or during a performance, because it is off-putting and takes away the enjoyment of the video for some of us. And, if subtitles really are needed, then use the subtitle function that youtube provides. It isn't that hard, I assure you.

All in all: Nay to subtitles, but only on music video's. Announcement video's are fine, but when it comes to music and visuals, really, you don't need it.

But that is simply my 2 cents on the matter. What about you? Are you happy with the subtitles, or just as unhappy with them as I am? Let me know.

Chiima~

PING!!! Idolminded Recommended Reading: April 11th, 2013

[Guest Post] Spreading One's Juices (by Sarah in Kpopland!)

I first want to disclaim and say that all opinions within this post are entirely Sarah's and not my own. This is a guest post, so please respect the poster and what she has to say.

This post is my first guest post, and a post which is not made by me or collaborated by me either. Sarah asked a few other bloggers and myself if we would allow her to post her thoughts on a blog because her own blog is dedicated to solely K-pop and not J-pop. Because I love Sarah's writing, an also curious to know her thoughts on Juice=Juice, I accepted this... that, and I get to promote her! Amazing sauce, right?

Please visit Sarah on her blog at Sarah in Kpopland!

(Jump to see the full post )

Becoming the Wota I am Today: A Response to Ray's Fandoms Preparing For Other Fandoms

I thought about posting this as a response to Ray's post on Idolminded as an Idol Thought for the day, and then decided that that might be a cheap shot (haha, no idea how) and decided to write it here instead, because hey, I can let loose... Not that I really can let loose too much on this sort of topic, because Ray himself explains it magnificently in his post and I'm basically retelling it, just with my own words and experiences.

But it's not just Ray's post that makes me want to write this; I've been thinking about it a lot lately, what makes me the Wota I am today, and after reading Ray's post about his own Fandoms preparing him for being a Wota shed a little more light on how I have also mentally prepared myself for being a Wota, or at least, how my childhood prepared me.

The start of my geekiness, or at least my inner nerd, was awakened through my siblings; my younger sister and I are the babies of the family, so when we were a lot younger we naturally followed our older siblings around and basically copied them, trying to be like them. One of the things that they did avidly was play video games, the four most prominent being Super Mario Bros, Tekken 3, Street Fighter II and Sonic the Hedgehog. Of course there were other games that my sister and I weren't allowed to play, one being Silent Hill, but the four games I have exampled were the ones that we played religiously as children and the ones that stick in my mind mostly whenever I think back to playing games as a child.

Of course there were other games, Final Fantasy VII being a prominent one that I clearly remember my older sister playing as me and my sister watched, but my sister and I really only played on the NES and original Playstation at that point, and games like FF were a bit too lengthy and heavy on the writing for us to really want to play it. Thinking about it now, I actually don't recall if any of my female friends really played these games when I was younger. Then again it was the 90's, and most of my friends liked Barbie and the Bubblegum Kids franchise, as did I, but I don't recall talking about console games or anything with my friends.

Another game that became a big part of my life, though a lot later, was Kingdom Hearts; when my sister and I had just moved we were heavily into that game to the point where we were both obsessed and enchanted by it. I remember playing that game nearly everyday, trying my hardest to beat the damn bosses. It was great obsessing over something and making friends through that game, and honestly, I really wish that I could just find a PS2 and start playing again because damn, KH2 is an amazing game.

Then there was Pokemon; currently this is still a large part of my life, though it wasn't always so prominent because I actually didn't start caring about it fully until I was a little older, however this was the 90's, and every kid either had a deck of Pokemon cards or a tamagotchi on them, and in my case, I had a deck of Pokemon cards. This further enhanced my nerd levels I think (more so later on in life) and also helped me to learn how to, in no better words than what I am about to use, collect them all and become completely obsessed with collecting things and basically showing off just how much Nerd I have for a certain thing.

Later on in life Pokemon of course became more prominent; I actually have more to do with Pokemon now than I did as a child. I have plushies, cards, marbles, magazines, a Pikachu mask, a game of Pokemon Yahtzee Jr and probably a lot more that I don't remember ever getting, and honestly that has increased my Nerd more than anything, and is one of the things that I think really helped me to prepare myself for being a Wota. Where childhood games with my siblings helped me to understand the joys of enjoying something so amazing, Pokemon pretty much allowed me to prepare myself for a future of people never understanding just why I was into this sort of stuff and also for being ridiculed because of it, something which I am more than accustomed to today, I guess.

And then there was Anime and Manga, the obsession before Idols; Anime and Manga came about in my early teen years, a time when I was actually obsessed with cartoons such as Xiaolin Showdown and Teen Titans already, but also a time where me and my sister were a little more distant with each other to the point where we didn't talk much. I was 13 at that point, and I wasn't playing games or into Pokemon; I was actually doing regular, girly stuff that normal teenagers did like throwing tantrums and oogle over boys or the boy band Busted. Of course it changed (not the tantrums) when my younger sister introduced me to Anime by asking me if I remembered childhood shows such as Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, Pokemon or Digimon. We then watched Fruits Basket, an Anime and Manga that her friends had introduced her to, and basically from there I became a major anime/manga fan.

My older sister actually helped my sister and I with our obsession early on into our fandom; she bought us our first manga books, one of which was Chobits, and basically aided us in our interests. Of course after that our love for Anime and Manga grew well into our teen years and allowed us to gain a good amount of friends with the same interests whilst also becoming our ultimate comfort during harder times, but it also allowed me and my younger sister to bond once again and become closer, something that I am extremely thankful for even till this day.

I can still remember pouring over my manga books religiously and avidly collecting series, with the first series that I ever completed being Fushigi Yuugi. It was wonderful reading each manga and taking in every detail, laughing or crying at whatever happened in the storyline and ultimately enjoying each experience with the more I read. I also had a fun little contest with my sister to see who could get the most manga, and during my time as a fan I won, however as my interest dwindled my sister has slowly caught up with me and now how more Manga books than I do, though I am still the reigning Queen in the fact that I have more completed series than she does.

Thinking of Anime and Manga is actually one of my fonder memories, and that's because of what it has ultimately lead me to. Can you guess what it is?

I was 16 when I first found out about Idols; it was the middle of 2009 and I had started a new Anime that included cute songs and a singing main character which ultimately served as a follow up to one of my favourite Anime's, Mermaid Melody. At that time I was heavily into anything cute that had songs in it that I could sing along to, and of course, being a fan of Kirarin Revolution ultimately lead me to PV's by the voice actress who also sung the same songs, Kusumi Koharu. Needless to say, I was enchanted, and did a bit of research on the girl where I also found out that she and Buono! were within a project together, because at the same time I was also an avid fan of Shugo Chara.

Of course my interest in Koharu grew (Buono, for me, was not a patch on Koharu and her cuteness) and I found out about Morning Musume through this research, though it should be noted that in 2007-8 a friend of mine showed me and my sister a clip of Morning Musume performing Go Girl ~Koi no Victory~ and we totally blew it off and had no interest, and gained a little bit of interest them... and I mean very little. At that time my sole interest was Koharu and no one else, so when I found out about her graduation I was obviously gutted. As I have said before in another blog post or two, I was ready to leave the fandom of Morning Musume, but I was pulled back and brought back into it pretty quickly after watching the Cinderella Musical and harnessing a massive girl crush on Niigaki Risa, and that pretty much brings me where I am today as a fan.

And you know what? I don't regret it, not one bit. Everything that I have been into has lead me to this point and made me the Wota that I am today; watching the Cinderella Musical introduced me to an amazing Idol group which I would have abandoned if I had not watched it for the sake of clinging to Koharu as much as I could, and becoming a fan over Pokemon, Anime and Manga and Kingdom Hearts allowed me to fully appreciate the nerdier things in life that people would have otherwise turned their noses at. I enjoyed being a fan of these things and knowing something that other people had no idea about, or learning new facts and information about something and telling other people with similar interests about it, and honestly, I still enjoy it; I may not be as knowledgeable in Anime, Manga or games like I used to be, but to know that I still harness that knowledge from my past makes me happy, and I am extremely thankful that I was able to experience these things at different points in my life, because it all allowed me to become the Wota that I am today.

And to finish this off, from Ray's own words;

"- something compelled us to seek out the different, and from there we’d see other different sparkly things to enchant us, and so on. So what story do you have to tell?"

Chiima~

PING!!! Idolminded Recommended Reading: February 24th, 2013

Idols and Boyfriends

This is a post that I wanted to write for a while, however my motivation to write it has been spurred on by a topic created by Ray on Idolminded. As always, please do not take offence at my opinion; take it with a grain of salt, rice... whatever you want to take it with, and let it broaden your views on things. Do not take my word for everything I say; I only want to share my opinion with you all and let you know what I think about this subject. Thank you.

In a recent Idol Thought For the Day on Idolminded, Ray touched on the subject of changing the public's perceptions of Idols to make their careers easier. One of the topics he brought up was Idols and Boyfriends, a topic which is a bit taboo in the Japanese Idol society that we all know about. Of course Ray has said that this is not likely to happen but I wanted to share some of my own opinion and insight on the subject.

It is safe to say that the Idol industry in Japan is different to any other; if an Idol, especially one who is from a highly acclaimed group, is found dating despite what the guidelines say, then she will either be kicked out of the group or withdraw because she has 'done something unforgivable to her fans'. Either way an Idol dating will most likely result in her departure from the group unless she is very popular and can get away with it or another Sashihara Rino case shows up.

But is it right? I don't think it is, but I'm a Westerner, and as one commenter on the Idol Thoughts post said, we Westerners don't understand, or at least (to me) we don't understand it as much as the Japanese do. In Japan the system is a bit more strict, and for an idol - a female Idol especially - to date is risky business. Even having an ex-boyfriend can be risky, because it ultimately destroys that 'pure image' that has been created for the Idol who has dated, ultimately destroying the hopes of their fans who think that they have a chance with the Idol.
 I would like to note that this system does tend to lax a little when it comes to male Idols though, with the males generally getting away with dating, but I do put this down to how Japan views certain things; after all, Japan is still quite a male dominated society, or at least it seems that way, hence why it may seem easier for a male idol to get away with certain things like dating. But this is just my view, so don't take my word for it.

Again, the system is strict - but it isn't completely different to the system in America or Britain, either. Most singers or Idols now in the Western entertainment industry are free to date who they like, but that doesn't mean that their agencies don't try to stop them. The 'no-dating' rule, or a rule that they were not to get caught, was a little more prominent in the 90's when boy bands were big. Why? So that the fans could feel like they had a chance with a member of the band that they liked. It's the same with Idols in Japan now - it's that sense of availability and the 'chance' that the Idol might like the fan that fantasises about them one day. Of course when that Idol does eventually date, it ultimately breaks that fantasy and brings you back into reality, making you realise that you may not have a chance with the Idol or singer you have adored for so long.

This is the reason why many of the younger singers in America or Britain don't date in the early points of their career; it's to create the illusion that they are there for everyone, and that they are available to their fans and only their fans, giving their hearts and souls to the girls and boys who support them adoringly.

The first and last time you will ever see Bieber on my blog, I hope

I want to use Justin Bieber as an example here of a modern day Western Idol. Why Idol? Because whilst he is technically a singer, he also sells more so on his looks and merchandise than anything else and what used to be that 'everyday boy next-door' image that everyone absolutely adored. It's also interesting to note that for the first two years of his career he was single. Why? To create the image of being available to his fans and only his fans of course. If he had begun his career with a girlfriend on his arm, I doubt it would have helped him as much as being single did because his tween fans adored him and liked the fact that they could think they one day had a chance with him.

Of course upon getting a girlfriend his popularity didn't waver at all, but there was a clear backlash; Selena Gomez, despite being pretty popular herself thanks to her Disney contract, received a good amount of abuse from female fans of Justin over the internet because she was his girlfriend. It doesn't sound right, but it happens still, and it's because Justin Bieber broke the fantasy of his availability for his own fans.

Not to say that all fans are like this, because not all of them are. There are actually a few British boy band groups out there now who have girlfriends and are readily accepted by their fans despite this, but for someone as big as Justin Bieber is in today's society, his availability played a huge part in how he was seen by his fans; he was a single young boy who all the girls could pretend would one day become theirs and no one else's. Once that fantasy was broken, the girls went to the internet to abuse Justin's girlfriend because they felt that she had done something unforgivable and probably thought that she had corrupted him in a way.

It may just be me who thinks this way, but I do see similarities between all societies and cultures in how we view our Idols and the ideals we have for them; Idols and singers are there for us to not just enjoy, but to also fantasise about and pretend that we have a chance with all of these Idols. Yes, the Western culture is a little more laid back in how we view things and we certainly don't kick out our Idols or singers for coming out and dating - if we did, then singers like Taylor Swift would probably be in debt by now - but there are similarities with how we like to see our Idols available and there for only us and staying pure for the sake of the fans.

When the commenter for Ray's post said that we Westerners don't understand that if AKB48 Idols date then they won't sell, I do think that they were wrong. To a certain degree we do understand; we're just a little more laid back about it and accept what comes, however we also use a different method of backlash if we are the sort of fan who takes our obsessive love to the next level; we threaten and rant about the person that our Idol is dating, not the Idol themselves dating. Unlike Japan, we Westerners tend to either take it out on the person who is dating our beloved singer or we sit back and don't care - it all depends on our maturity and/or obsessive levels, really.

We all know that the dating rule for Idols in Japan won't end any time soon, but it doesn't stop us from dreaming that it will go, does it? Maybe it's because of how laid back Westerners are that we wish the rule was gone, because whilst the rule itself applies to our own Idols it is applied very loosely and only stays around for a few years or so.

And I love my Idols, but I do think that the way Japan see's things can be a little sexist at times - especially where it concerns female Idols and their purity - and with a vast amount of the fans being made up of middle-aged male wota, the no-dating rule is currently impregnable. Will it ever go away? Possibly, but not until Japan becomes more aware of the fact that their Idols also need love and care from people outside of their fanbase. You really can't expect these girls to stay virgins forever, and you can't expect them to stay true to a persona they created for the sake of society. Girls can only act like dolls for so long, really.

Until then though, the no-dating rule still applies. Of course this is only what I think; take my opinions with a grain of salt, and think about what the no-dating rule in Japan's Idol society means to you. Would you keep it or not?

Chiima~

PING!!! Idolminded Recommended Reading: January 18th, 2013

2012: The Year That Was

Seeing as the world didn't end (as we all knew anyway), it seems that another year has gone by and another one is coming into our lives, bringing forth the Year End recaps of the Idol and blogging world! The year that has passed us as held tears and joy, happiness and loss in many versions. Or maybe that's just me? Who knows!

Either way, 2012 is ending and I am here to post my Year End recap, so prepare yourselves for 2012: The Year That Was. Let's go!

2012: The Year of Graduation ('48 Family edition)

2012 has been a busy year for many fans; Hello! Project's finally getting some decent promotion, songs are getting better, and AKB48 are still ruling the world with their generic million-seller singles (Manatsu no Sounds Good is the awesome exception).

But I think that we can all agree that this year has been the year where Graduations have overruled all. Disbandments, kick-outs, scandals, withdrawals... all of these relate to the loss of a member in a group, whether or not that member has left with dignity or humiliation. There is, of course, one group which has suffered the most from loss, whether or not the member is a Kenkyuusei or not.

I can't stretch enough at how shocked I am with the amount of graduations and departures the '48 family have experienced this year. Not only did SDN48 disband earlier this year, but the group has faced many withdrawals or girls being kicked out. Adding salt to the wound, this was also the year where AKB lost their most popular and profitable member, Maeda Atsuko. No, sales have not gone down, but the amount of girls leaving (or announcing their departure) this year has been an astonishing amount.

Now, I was actually going to leave this article until a later date, because I had planned on writing something concerning the massive amount of graduations a while ago, but I wasn't sure if there would be more graduation announcements after Masuda Yuka and Sato Natsuki announced that they would be leaving the group. Well, if you're wondering what has kicked me up the arse to write this, it's mostly because of Kasai Tomomi's graduation announcement.

Yahoo~ I'm off, bitches!

Firstly, I'm shocked by this - some people aren't shocked by the news, but others are, and that's only because she recently had her solo début  However, many speculate that this sudden graduation announcement is due to her unprofessional behaviour during her time on the Ougon Densetsu, a show which she left without warning and didn't apologise for. After reading about that (I forgot that she was the one who jilted the show, actually) I do think that it is one of the main reasons why she is leaving the group, because her behaviour reflects not just herself, but AKB48 as a whole.

But it isn't just Kasai's graduation which has made me want to write this article; it is everyone's graduation, including the Kenkyuusei, who have made me want to write about the graduations and my thoughts on them, and whilst many people may not count the graduations of the trainee members, as I have found out through my facebook, I do, because each one of these girls are an important member of a team and they each contribute something to their respective groups, and each girl has a fan who adores them and hopes for their début  So yes, I will be including the Kenkyuusei members, because they are just as important as the members that we see up-front.

The reason why I actually wanted to begin this post is actually because of NMB48; reading an article on Tokyohive, there was a post which announced a graduation of one of the Kenkyuusei members, as well as a total of the amount of girls who had left the group. 13 NMB48 members at that time had either graduated or announced their departure, and that shocked me. It also made me wonder just how any girls had graduated from AKB48 itself, as well as the other sister groups. It didn't help that I already knew of a few other graduations within the surrounding sister groups, either, but my interest hadn't peaked so high until the umber of NMB graduations had totalled.

Right now, NM have actually lost 15 members, making NMB the group with the most member losses of the year as of right now.  Yes, most of the girls that have left or dropped out are Kenkyuusei here, the girls that some people don't regard as members, but they are still members and they still play a huge role in the group, no matter how many people seem to forget that they exist or fail to acknowledge their existence. These girls are still a part of an important group, and their departures have affected their friends within NMB48 as well as the people who support them.

Next up is AKB48, who have lost, or will lose, 13 members from 2012, the most notable being the departure of Maeda Atsuko. Masuda Yuka and Sato Natsuki have also proven to be members who have affected the fandom with their graduation announcements, apparently being two of the better singers of the group. That's three girls who are pretty important to AKB48 and the fandom who have left or will leave. I'm also pretty sure that these three were a part of the original line-up (Gen 1-2), so many fans will know these girls well and will have grown with them.

And with Kasai's recent graduation announcement, that makes four original members of AKB48 who have graduated or will graduate. It's pretty shocking that many original members are backing out, but AKB48 has been going for a good 7 years now, and it seems that the girls are all old enough to decide what they want to do with their lives that doesn't revolve around being an Idol.

Again, Kenkyuusei here outweigh the amount of members lost, but it's pretty apparent that the main members who have graduated or announced their leave of the group outweighs the Kenkyuusei, because some of these girls are a pretty big deal for the fans.

SKE48, thankfully, have not lost as many members as her sister groups have. There have been seven announcements and/or graduations from the group, with an equal amount of main members and Kenkyuusei departing from SKE. Even though 7 is fewer than the 15 and 13 we have experienced so far, it's still sad to know that the girls have graduated. I know that one of the girls, Yagami I think, was a member whom many liked, and her graduation announcement was certainly a shocking one for everyone. There was quite the outburst, actually, even causing quite a blow to Greg from Selective Hearing. His article concerning the graduation actually made me realise how much of an impact Yagami's graduation was having on people.

Even though very few have left SKE or will leave, the impact of Yagami's graduation alone is pretty big for the fans, and will possibly change how fans view the group now. Who knows? Either way, her graduation announcement was a shock for everyone, and actually overshadows all the other five graduations from SKE this year, I'm not going to lie.

HKT48 have been a little luckier this year in terms of losing members, though it isn't deniable that they still lost members, though these girls left in a less than admirable way; i.e.  they were kicked out due to fraternising with boys.

Three out of five of these members are girls who became 1st generation members, and only two were Kenkyuusei, and whilst HKT have yet to officially début, the loss of girls is still saddening for their fans and members who have grown close to them. I'm glad that a small number have graduated for one of the youngest groups of the '48 family, but it's still sad that these girls had to leave with the knowledge that they had been outed for doing something they should not have done.

Finally, we're onto the last group; JKT48. I know that many people won't really bother with this group at all, me being one of those people, but JKT are one of the more promoted International groups out of the three sister groups who were created internationally. So far, they have only lost five members this year, much like HKT, but the reasons behind it are a little fuzzier than the rest of the 48 groups who have lost members. Actually, I only know of the graduations because one of these graduation announcements was posted on Arama they didn't.

I'm not really a big follower of JKT, but the graduations still shocked me a little because that's more girls leaving the '48 family tree, and despite the fact that the groups themselves are quite big and have plenty of members left, the amount of girls leaving is still pretty astonishing.

So far this 2012, 45 girls have left the '48 family groups. That may not be a lot for some people, especially those who don't take Kenkyuusei into account, but it's a lot for me, and the loss of certain members will impact the fans greatly.

Some of these girls have graduated for reasons which are questionable, such as going back to school to study or to find another career path. Some speculate that many of the girls are tired of getting nowhere in their respective groups, such as Sato Natsuki or any of the Kenkyuusei members, whilst some girls have left because of a scandal like Masuda Yuka or the HKT girls. They may just be getting older and realising that they want to try new things in life despite their importance to the group, like Maeda Atsuko or Yagami. Others may have been pressured into graduating, whilst some are genuinely ill and withdraw from the group to improve on their health instead of suffering within their respective group and constantly having others worry about them.

No matter what it is, these graduations are shocking. The amount of girls who have left for any given reason is astounding and I really can not believe the amount of graduations or withdrawals that the '48 family has experienced this year. Whether they are main members or Kenkyuusei, each girl is important and plays a role in the group, and their graduation, no matter how big or small, has affected the other members and their fans.

2012: The Year of Graduation. Let's hope that 2013 is a brighter year for the '48 family and their members.

Chiima~

*Edited - 45 members are graduating, I missed one out DX

PING!!! Idolminded Recommended Reading: December 18th, 2012

The Potato Idol

Within this post is my opinion. You may or may not like it, but that is your personal choice. Just because we don't agree on something does not mean that we clash all the time! Give other opinions a chance, and see if you learn something new. Opinions make the world go round, and learning how another person see's something is interesting. Hence why I love blogs!

I aimed to write this a while ago, but somehow, I never did. I started it, but I obviously never finished it because I am going back to it, and seeing where it will take me this time. Why am I returning to something I started but didn't finish? Well, my sister reminded me during a trip back home on the train after a day out with one of the nieces and one of the nephews, after calling Mizuki Fukumura 'Potato'.

Allow this picture to ease your confusion:

Confusion eased? Good.

I found this little treasure on one of the confession Tumblr's I frequent, though this was quite a while back, so this picture is a little old. Anyway, I decided to save this gem because: 1) It was quite humorous (and still is), and 2) I intended to make a post about how an Idols personality could equate to that of a boring garden vegetable.

So, why potatoes, you ask? Well, let me answer that simply for you: The popular girl you love, the ones you pine for, but have the personality of a potato, the ones who bore you to high heaven? Yeah, there's your Potato Idol.

There is a 'Potato' in every group... I think. That one person who you personally find to be as boring as dirt, as interesting as a dish cloth and as fun as watching paint dry. There is one of those idols in every group for you, and for a person like me, those sorts of people are: Maeda Atsuko, Fukumura Mizuki, Sayashi Riho (who has her cute moments, admittedly), and many many more. They are the equivelant of a potato because they are so painstakingly boring, so much so that you just have to compare them to a bloody vegetable.

But what makes a Potato Idol? What makes this vegetable so interesting, and what makes them so desirable?

Well, I can't honestly say just why these girls are desirable, because I don't really care for girls who lack in the personality department, but I can kind of garner a guess to as just why the Japanese Wota have quite a love for these plain, boring girls.

There is one thing we all know for sure when it comes to Japan though, and that is how much they like their girls youthful. In general, a lot of female Idol groups in Japan now are made up of younger girls. You will find very few groups that actually consist of girls who are much older than 20 years old in the Idol industry, and that's mostly due to Japan's infatuation with youthful, pretty little girls.

I guess the key factor in an Idols popularity right now comes down to how youthful and innocent a girl is, because for the Japanese Wota, innocence is precious. The naivety of a girl to love is quite endearing in a way for these men as it keeps them innocent in the eyes of a fan, and allows them to feel like their Idol is still pure in a world filled with cruel love. For an Idol, your innocence is a key factor, and in recent years it seems like it has come into play many more times as the Idols get younger and younger.

But it isn't just their innocence which plays a key factor in how an Idol can become popular. It's also in how the Idol looks and acts.

Most of the popular Idols that we know, love or hate are generally your typical everyday, run of the mill girls. They have no special look to them, nor do they really have any great quality to their personalities, other than the fact that they look like your typical everyday girl, but that is what the Wota like, and that is what sells right now in the Idol industry.

Girls like Maeda Atsuko, Ogura Yui, Sayashi Riho and even Takahashi Ai have, or used to have, no absolute prettiness about them. They have all, at some point, been average looking girls who haven't stood out to people as anything special or in any way memorising. There are no real quirks about their looks, not like Iikubo Haruna with her wide eyes and chubby cheeks, or Ishida Ayumi with her mature and stand-out looks. Even Tokunaga Chinami, who has smiling moon crescent eyes, stands out because of her prettiness. Each of these girls have a certain quirk to their looks which allows them to stand out from everyone else, whilst Idols who are, in general, quite popular are usually the girls who are pretty, but don't stand out from the crowd.

But again - this is what the Wota like, but it isn't just that plain, every-day look they go for. It's also the personality that they have.

Or lack of, if I am going to bluntly honest.

Many Idols actually take up this personality, and it is probably the most common Idol persona you will find. This persona is that of the sweet, demure and gentle girl, the one who is naive, quiet and a little ditzy with a bit of a shy air around them and a well-paced nature. This is the personality which a lot of Japanese Wota seem to like, and it is this personality, the youth, innocence and the plain looks of a girl which create the perfect Idol for Japanese fans.

Of course that doesn't apply for every popular Idol - there are those who have taken on certain personalities to reflect certain aspects of their personalities, and that has made them popular as well. Michishige Sayumi is a good example of this. By becoming a poison-tongued, narcissistic character, she has made herself quite popular (and also, rather hated) in the entertainment industry through variety shows. Unlike other Idols, she didn't take on that gentle character that would have suited her quite well. Instead, she created a devilish character, one who counter-acted that modest and shy character that Idols and Wota adore so much. She is a narcissistic character, and it honestly plays well with the other members of Morning Musume, and this is the character that made her popular and helped her to stand out from her generation.

The same goes for Sato Masaki in a way - whilst she may not the quietest member of Morning Musume, her child-like innocence works in her favour. She is a ditzy, naive little girl, and because of this natural character, she has become quite popular. It is her purity and innocence that help to maintain her popularity, as well as her ability to act selfishly and carelessly like any child does. Acting like a natural child seems to draw in the Wota, and it is quite endearing. She is an average looking Idol, however she has different personality traits to other Idols whilst still maintaining that innocent and pure approach.

But in the end of it all, what the Wota wants is your everyday girl - average, quite bland and innocent. These are the desired girls in Japan, and every Japanese Idol group will have one of those girls hidden in there somewhere, whether that girl is from AKB48 or Station♪, no matter what, you will find one who does not appeal to you personally, but will appeal to plenty of Wota who are ready to cheer that specific girl on.

This seems to be how the Japanese men like not just their Idols, but also their women in general. The traits of the perfect Idol or woman are the traits of, in my opinion, a Potato. Someone who is obedient, shy, gentle, doesn't talk back and all around bland, these are the girls who dominate the front and centre position in the Idol industry. What they lack, or pretend to lack, in personality is in fact their key to the top which is, in my opinion, rather strange, but also helps me to understand just why Fairies are so well-liked despite how boring and vanilla the girls are.

But even though there are so many Potato Idols out there, rest assured there are still a few interesting girls in their groups. Whilst they may be hidden somewhere behind that sack of potatoes dancing their way in front, their personalities will come out eventually, whether it be on variety shows or making of's. One day, they may just be noticed, and they may take the spotlight and allow their full force to be known.

It happened with Kamei Eri, and hopefully it will happen with other Idols who have added flavour.

A Sack of Potatoes: An Idol is Closer than you Think!

Chiima~

PING!!! Idolminded Recommended Reading: August 28th, 2012