Hello everyone, it's me Yuriko Tiger <3
*You might have had an epileptic attack*
Hello everyone! Today I'm here to talk about Jpop idol's super phenomenon
I finally get to talk about this topic
after four years
and I was like: " Ok, sooner or later I'll have to do it"
because the majority of people think I'm an idol
and that you can become an idol with... I don't know
People mistakenly take me as an example of being an Idol
because I'm actually one of the worst examples of being an idol
Because it's something that I've done for a certain amount of time
but it wasn't exactly what I was aiming for
or what I've become
And today I'm going to explain to you what a Jpop idol is
When people define Yuriko as the Italian idol
I personally think that if a Japanese reads it, it's different
from what a foreinger might think
But this is because everyone pictures idols
in a different way
We have so many categories nowadays
It's like walking inside of a huge doujinshi store
maybe it's not the right example....
But there are so many categories and the idol world
is changing so much
What four years ago was considered unthinkable is the new trend now
and exactly on this field
Let's have a look
Wikipedia says that (idols) are teenager who became famous in the entertainment industry
while also dancing and singing
doing a bit of everything...ok
Idols actually start training when they are children
we are talking about 8\9 yo girls
until 20 (in theory)
And here I'd like to bust this myth
it's not like this in reality, because the majority
of idols lie about their age
Come on guys
I understand that most of them look like they could be 15 yo
but try to do some calculations... it's not exactly true
And I'd also really recommend you to watch a documentary on Netflix
called Tokyo Idol
(I know the protagonist Kisaragi Rio)
And she actually was older then me when we worked together
so when I first saw the documentary I was like: "there's something wrong"
Or maybe I'm just mistaken
But many idol groups
that I know and like
are almost 30, so it's not true that idols can only be small and young
Because it's not true, the majority of them starts
from when they are teenagers
and then there are also the older, "weird" groups
That unfortunately started being succesful too late
and are made of people from 25 yo +
But this is normally not recommended
because when you get a bit older
you try to aim at other stuff
And the majority of people who work as idol
in reality aim to become something else
They use being an idol as a way to gain exposure
so that they can later become a singer
to attend the red carpet, become an actress, a talent
A good example of how this world works is the crazy idol from the anime Kakegurui
There are some pretty scary idols out there...
I've already debunked half of your dreams
Most people see being an idol as something kawaii
it's a person who's idolized
for her exterior
We think: "oh, she\he's an idol because she has accomplished something big, something that I wanted to do"
But in Japan people do it when someone is kawaii
and so she becomes my idol
"Uh, she's trying her best so she has become my idol"
But in reality it's not like we define it
And most importantly, something that i'd love to write on a huge note
don't ask me about Kpop stuff please
because Kpop and Jpop are different. Idols included.
they might look similar but they're completely different.
Something that I've personally noticed
in the Japanese industry
is the fact that they try not to be too perfect
when you become too perfect there is something wrong
and when you're too much you start having troubles with your job
I don't know how to put it >< They usually
hire people with flaws
because it's considered kawaii
their flaws become points in their favour
and it's something that I appreciate because they are not like soldiers
who dance and sing perfectly
the majority of them (and I'm talking about chika idols)
so idols who are not extremely famous
like, for example, Momoiro Clover Z
AKB48
And if you watche AKB48 first concerts they used to make lots of mistakes too
The majority of idols is not in tune
or they don't sing for real
the discovery of warm water
And the majority is also underpaid
Why couldn't I choose and easier path such as becoming an astronaut
People think that idols gain lots of money
but you gotta remember that there is an agency behind
you must share everything with the group, you must pay for singing lessions
and they charge everything on you *bye money*
Let's start from the method: how to become an idol
If you want to become an idol I'd recommend you to join a Japanese production
so you'll need to have a manager
someone that might produce and sell your works
because most of the time, in the (chika) idol world,
you might bump into some pretty shady people
this happens in the big companies as well tought
even if it's slightly safer
this people could lead you to a pretty questionable path
and it's not that rare
to hear of idols who sell themselves for money
And most importantly, depending on the agency,
idols have a huge list of rules
that they must obey (and it's all for buisness)
Most people see idols as Kami Sama
a god\ goddess
untouchable and unattainable
this is why people spend like if they were Hollywood actors
20\30 euros (and even more) to get a picture with them
or they buy their cds in hope of winning the lottery so that they could be able to hold their hand
and after that they pay for tickets
they do all this stuff just to see her for maybe 5 seconds
and hold hands
and if you want to see her again you do the same thing another time just to hold her hand for five seconds.
That's it (in theory)
Most idols don't communicate with fans because they try to be distant
and private romantic relationships are prohibited
I don't know if you have ever heard of the
AKB48 idol who had to completely shave her head
just because she had sex with
the person that propably was her boyfriend
and she had to shave her head to apologize
to her fans and the Country for betraying them
Ok, I can understand that she's your idol
and your idol becomes your God
so it's hard for you to realize that, in the end, she's human
Most of the time people tend to idolize so much
that the person becomes an abstract object
And, unfortunately, we must try to understand this point of view
but also think about what we're doing and saying.
Most idols have a boyfriend, they just hide it
like they hide the fact that they're human beings and want to fuck
It's normal. Girls, boys, man, women
we're human beings and it's normal
But since the idol once was a symbol of purity
something that has definetly changed.
What is trendy now it's definetly not pure
But recently idols have definetly changed, they are not like they used to be in the 90s\00s
they vary a lot
depending on the category, music genere
they do metal, jazz, punk, opera
Nowadays you don't really know what an idol is anymore.
You try to understand what you're good at
if you enter an agency you must try to find
your skills or
even if it's sad to admit they'll find them for you
Because when you join a big production
unfortunately
you can't choose the type of songs you'll make, where you'll go
your favorite color
your name and introduction
Everything will be made up by the agency
even in the case of Bis
who are the first "anti idol" group
but this concept is still under a production
So if you think: " OMG what a revolutionary idea"
this idea was created by some people who sat around a table and by their managers
so this is the risk of joining a big production.
What happens if you want to join a big production?
You'll have to go trough auditions
and the majority of chika idols (who are subway idols)
Most of them audition
there are lots of contests around the Country
and they challenge eachother
on stages to decide who is the best at something
So that they can link themselves to a new job opportunity
it's not weird that some idols might
work as actresses once or twice
(This is really similar to what I'm doing)
But I wanted to become an idol
and they made me become a talent
completely changing what I wanted to do because
i didnt' have the skills or money to pay
singing\dance classes every day
and I was also maybe kinda lazy
I used to think with my head
and this is not good for an idol (except for the ones who self promote)
So uuhm, yea
I've always wanted to have\join an idol group
But even if I had the possibility
it still wasn't ok
So being an idol is something that I do in my spare time
as a talent i do so many things
that I can't keep up with everything
The main thing that idols do is singing and dancing
(even if the majority doesn't really sing). They also need to entertain
and make sure that
they are supporting you by also being otaku and that they are transpiring energy
Most fans
of female idols are 30 yo and above men
and this is because they like to have fun
they can pour out their emotions
while listening to cute songs
and looking at their favorite girl
One of the most important things for an idol is the introduction
if you noticed all idols have an introduction
like I used to in the beginning
but mine was kinda invented on the spot
and I don't even remeber it anymore
This depends a lot on your character and
most importantly, you must be cheerful and happy, a depressed Idol doesn't exist
(even if the majority of them might be actually depressed)
But they must not show it too much
because idols must be cheerful and have an aura
and she must also be good at relating with others
because the majority of idols are in a group, it's really hard to debut as a solo artist
it's easier with a group
This means that if a person alone doesn't shine enough
they put it with another member
and it creates a huge light: the group
Idols once had to be pure
Mogami Moga from Dempagumi inc. on of my fav groups
she was the first\ one of the first groups to become major
where one of the idols
had short, blonde hair with piercings.
And it was something like OMGGG
It also was one of the first groups
that openly shared the otaku culture
because this was taboo once
10 years ago AKB48 were really popular
but now there is another group called
Nogizaka46 that is made up of beautiful girls
(I personally think that they are a bit similar to Kpop)
Because they are perfection, purity and strenght
While AKB were a less known group
where AKB stands for Akihabara
I've never understood if they chose 48 because they started with 48 members
Lately I have some favorite groups that I also know
that are Pikarin, Shiina and Cyber
Three groups
that are not so well known
even if sometimes they managed to become mainstrem
But it's hard for an idol to only attend big stages
unless she's also a voice actress
or actress... you have to do several things
or join huge agencies
to continue being an idol (like Iris and Momoiro)
It's hard. Let me know
what you think, if you're ready to do al these steps in order to become an idol
And if yes, how and why.
See you <3
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