Hey guys, Nitsuj here and welcome to another side blog the blogs between the blogs. Since we just started the idol arc I thought it be a good idea to explore the differences between an American idol and Japanese idol. In life no matter where you go you will see that a country has a different outlook and idea on something and idols are no exception. So for this side blog I’m going to explain the image, culture, and songs of a Japanese idol while doing a little comparison between the 2 countries and at the end say who is better.
The Image
In Japan idols are attractive and cute boys and girls in their teens and early 20s who present an image of purity and innocence. What I mean by this is that Japanese idols are people who are kind and peaceful, don’t have a relationship with boyfriends or girlfriends, and are inexperienced romantically and sexually. I guess what Japan is trying to show is that their youth are young people who don’t fully understand the world and because of that are inexperience, have a pure outlook on life and people, and thus can be positive and happy while focusing on the average problems a teenager faces. Personally I like this image because it’s somewhat true. Outside of the whole purity I think teens and young adults of Japan aren’t as pure as idols project them to be, I mean just look at some of the animes I’ve reviewed in the past. Sure most of the guys are innocent and good by nature but they still have their perverted thoughts and feelings for girls that make them realistic and girls are still attractive and cute but can be naïve and perverted as a boy but less open about it than them. I also like the idea that they don’t allow relationships to happen when their idols, that’s a smart move on their part. Here in America we see our idols go through relationship after relationship with all of them getting caught in scandals and damaging their popularity. In Japan by removing that out of the equation the idols are free to focus fully on their careers and not be distracted in the problems that come with being in a relationship. Take for example AKB48, if you’ve read my review of AKB0048 and saw the live performances you should know that something like that isn’t something you just do after school or on the weekend it’s something you have to do on a consistent basics and put a lot of hours into weekly so that when the concert comes you’re not making mistakes and that it becomes a second nature to you that when you hear the music to the song you need to think you can just do it.
The Culture
In Japan the culture of idols has changed greatly throughout the decades. In the 70s when idols were getting started there was a mysterious aura around them, their lifestyles were kept secret, and when in public they would always appear perfect and live the lavish lifestyle that you would expect celebrities to live but in reality they were under constant surveillance and could rarely enjoy their private lives. Their pay was also surprisingly low (most of the money going to writers and musicians), fans rarely got to interact with them, and they were overworked. In the 80s things got a little better; their personalities became closer to the average Japanese person instead of a manufacture personality and while the pay was still small and still tightly controlled they were given a little more freedom then they were in the 70s. They also began exploring new media to promote themselves such as video games. In the 90s and to this day things have greatly improved. Instead of being marketed as people who lived better they became like the average Japanese person who just had that little spark to become popular. They became more open, we got the chance to explore their lives such as seeing how they live, what they do for fun when they’re not working, what their dreams were, and they didn’t always have to smile they could show anger or sadness over something just like an average person. They also started getting into anime with some singing the opening and ending songs of the show and some becoming voice actors in the anime. In fact, it’s quite common for a voice actor to have a singing career on the side or vice-versa.
So as you can see throughout the decades they went from a manufactured person who was seen as perfect in the eyes of the people to a realistic person who was just like them except they had a certain spark that just made them popular. If I had to put American idols in a category I say they have a mixture of each the 70s, 80s, and 90s Japanese idol characteristics. We see them have a manufactured personality without really knowing who they are in their private lives; example, Justin Bieber and One Direction, their personality is just the cute boy who wants to love you and nothing else, that’s the public image their respected companies choose for them. Some of their lives are open to the public to see like in the 80s and 90s but I don’t know a part of me feels that it’s still being staged. Even when some of them do get the chance to show their true personality it’s usually them getting bad press such as sex scandals, drug use, divorce/break-up bombshells, and getting into fights with other idols over comments they’ve made.
Handling of scandals
This is where our countries really do appear differently from each other. Here in America when we see an idol get caught in a scandal be it sex, drug, or violence we’ll usually talk about for a bit and then just shrug it off saying we’re not surprise. And in truth I agree, whenever an idol does get caught in a scandal we’re not really in an uproar in fact most of us don’t really care. In Japan it’s very different, if an idol were to get caught in a scandal or be seen on a date with someone of the opposite sex or anything else bad it would spell the end of their career. Some agencies will try to cover it up if it gets exposed but if they can’t the idols image will be badly damaged or their career over completely. Take for example, the Minami Minegishi of AKB48 scandal early this year in which she was caught spending the night with a boy idol. In the scandal it was never reported that the two had sex or slept together but it’s still suspicious and makes the group look bad because it’s a violation of the rules AKB48 set. Because of this scandal she was demoted to an understudy and it damaged her career. While most of her fans forgave her for the incident she still felt guilty about what she did and shaved head to show how guilty she felt because of it. Many of her fans including myself think she might have went a little too far and didn’t have to do it but I think it was to show that she seriously thought about what she did and realized that she was wrong and that it not only made herself look bad but it made the whole group look bad and she wanted to show her resolve not to let it again.
The Songs
Once again, another category where our countries are so different. In America most of the songs sung by idols are songs that talk about partying and relationships in general. Songs usually reflect how a society views life and I think what American idols are trying to say in their songs is that life is a party go out, have fun, get wasted, and get in a relationship otherwise your life is meaningless. I also don’t enjoy the fact that they keep singing break-up songs; can we please stop singing about breaking up and sing about something else like I don’t know life or here’s a crazy idea, problems that we actually do have in life instead of talking about relationships. Now don’t me wrong I know having a relationship with someone special is important but the way we present them is like we need to be in a relationship to be happy otherwise you’re miserable and it just pisses me off. I mean I’m single right now and currently not in a relationship with anyone even though I would like to be but I’m happy, I got good health, a caring family, good friends, a job, a great education, and I’m writing blogs that I enjoy doing. Also, there songs are usually the same thing over and over again. They never try to sing about anything different or try to explore different music areas. On top of that there is no emotion or feeling in their singing. I mean it; it just feels like they’re just singing just to get paid.
In Japan most of the songs are more energetic and focus on enjoying life and love. Their songs are catchier, sound different, and energetic than what we hear in America that I practically never listen to American music these days accept for the occasional old school music artist from the 80s and 90s like Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind, and Fire. There’s just a sense of emotion and passion in their songs that you hear every time you listen to their songs. They also explore different areas of music, they don’t just stick to singing the same song over and over again they go out of their comfort and try something new and see what the fans think of their music. That shows a lot of courage and shows that if they want to they can try a different style of music.
Who has the better idols?
Japan has the better idols obviously. There’s a sense of respect and dedication to their work as a opposed to idols here in America. I’m sure there are American idols who work hard each day and give it their all but there are some who are just doing this because they just attention and some of them aren’t really that good. In Japan the idols are always working hard to improve their popularity and take their roles seriously trying not to damage their reputations but also having fun in the process and when I see or hear them I can honestly say that I’m hearing and seeing a person who loves to sing and is doing this because it’s something their passionate about and they’re being themselves instead of showing a manufactured image as we see here in America. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.
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