entertainment

J-pop idol fans run amuck, drop their pants at Tokyo concert

15 Comments
By Casey Baseel, RocketNews24

Many Japanese venues allow concertgoers to wave glow sticks, but waving your junk? That’s a no-no.

Although idol singers are expected to be good-looking and emotionally attractive, their most obsessive supporters generally don’t care for it when the pop vocalists present anything other than a very pure image. However, judging from what transpired at a recent idol event, some fans apparently don’t think such outward chastity needs to be a two-way street.

On February 3, the bombastically named Japan Idol Super Live 2016 vol. 2 was held at Tokyo’s O-East music club. A total of 20 idol groups came together for the joint concert at the venue, located in the Shibuya neighborhood.

Among the performers was Maneki Kecha, a five-person idol unit made up of members between the ages of 16 and 20. However, while the young ladies were on stage, a portion of the crowd got out of control. Some of them slipped on masks and started throwing beans, which isn’t something you should ordinarily do at a club, although they might have been able to get away with it since February 3 is also Setsubun, the holiday on which throwing beans is said to banish evil demons.

It’s a bit harder to justify ignoring event staff’s directions by climbing over fences that had been set up, presumably to keep some kind of buffer between the idols and the audience. But even that isn’t quite as bad as what some were spotted doing: dropping their pants and exposing their naked lower bodies.

Kan Furuya, head of Maneki Kecha’s talent agency Collet Promotion, issued an apology through a pair of tweets, the first of which came on the day of the incident.

“This is an unfortunate announcement, but at the concert today a number of fans were seen engaging in outrageous behavior. If such actions constitute a disturbance of the event, those fans will be asked to leave, and we will bar them from any future events at which our company’s talent appear. Moreover, please be aware that for those ejected from the event, refunds will not be issued.

“We reserve the right to prioritize making a safe, enjoyable concert environment. Our measures may be strict, but that is our stance on the matter. Thank you for your understanding.”

We’re not sure asking concertgoers, no matter how excited they may be, to literally keep their pants on qualifies as a “strict stance,” but in any case we hope that if and when Japan Idol Super Live vol. 3 rolls around the unsheathed dong-to-idol ratio is lower than it was for vol. 2.

Source: Suponichi via Hachima Kiko

Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- Three tricky ways the Japanese entertainment industry keeps idol singers from dating-- Japanese judge dismisses lawsuit against idol singer who violated contract’s no-dating clause -- Japanese idol unit plans concert for men only, draws complaints from women’s organization

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

15 Comments
Login to comment

20 "idol" groups at a small venue only reinforces my opinion that there are way too many "idol" groups in Japan. I'm considering starting an "idol" production company...

You five girls stand together. Now pick up your microphones...okay, you pass. You are now an idol group. What shall we call you? Hmmm...How about "Bump of AKB Funky Monkey Baby Metal Kara Perfume E Girls?"

6 ( +10 / -4 )

Sounds like the Japanese are finally learning how to party. They should keep in mind though, the head of the 'talent agency' has warned that "...measurements will be strict".

They may suffer an ejection the next time they drop their pants at a concert and may also end up feeling dejected as a result of the act.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@sensei258: 20 idol groups is too many? As compared to countless other musical groups in other genres? There's a quota on idol groups because, why, exactly?

I found this article to be hysterical and well written. Kudos to JP for getting this one right. And shame on the fans for acting so immature in front of the idols they are supposedly trying to support. I wonder if they were even fans?

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

I always said Japan was a generation behind the rest of the world. This brings flashbacks of women throwing underwear and Tom Jones concerts way back in the early seventies.

Sex obviously sells! I'm curious about the audience ratio of male to female. No doubt it was mostly male!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Uh yeah. So the operators hold an event at which children are put on stage and then have adult men in the audience expose thmselves (and who knows what else) to them. And the response by said operators is to treat the incident as an inconvenience to other members of the audience and nothing more, in the same way they would respond to complaints about poor lighting or something.

But anyway, everyone please feel free to defend said operators and condemn anyone who finds these events disturbing as you always do when stories like this appear on JT.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@rainyday: "children"? As the article even states, the age range of Maneki Kecha is between 16 and 20. 20 is considered to be an "adult' in Japan. So yeah, hardly little kids were onstage, but that's beside the point. Nobody is defending this at all. It's wrong what those fans did, and who knows if they were adult men or not? Were you there? It might have been ten teenagers who went a little nuts for all we know. I think it's a huge assumption to assume it's just grown men that were in the audience.

What I'm most interested in is defending intellectual honesty when it comes to reading articles like this, and not making gross assumptions based on biases. And for the record, my heart goes out to the performers. I don't care what age they were, that's uncalled for what happened on any level.

but anyway, everyone please feel free to indirectly attack people who comment on this forum and state an opinion that is hardly offensive, much like you always do whenever somebody opposite your paradigm comments on stories like this that appear on JT.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

"Moreover, please be aware that for those ejected from the event, refunds will not be issued."

Just because I dropped my pants? I'll be moving on to another idol group.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

O.K.,Fellas!-That's Instant Ejection for Public Erections & all displays of public affection to those tiny erections are forbidden as well-

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Altamont it wasn't...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The solution to the problem is quite simple.If it happens again,have the staff grab the miscreants,call the cops and have them charged with indecent exposure.That'll send a message to any of these plonkers who are thinking of flashing the performers.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

djv124

"children"?

16 years old is a child. So yes. Children.

who knows if they were adult men or not? Were you there? It might have been ten teenagers who went a little nuts for all we know.

Might have been. But whether it was teenagers or adults doing it doesn`t really change much.

What I'm most interested in is defending intellectual honesty when it comes to reading articles like this, and not making gross assumptions based on biases

The only thing I assumed was that the perpetrators were adults, everything else is based on facts stated clearly in the article. While it may turn out to be incorrect (though I doubt that) its largely irrelevant to the substance of what I was saying and hardly a gross assumption worthy of a melodramatic response defending intellectual honesty, etc.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

But even that isn’t quite as bad as what some were spotted doing: dropping their pants and exposing their naked lower bodies.

. . . .Oh My!! The lolicons were out in full force. And some people say the J-pop idols and those "groups" have nothing to do with sexual exploitation. Good grief!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

At least the fans are having a 'reaction'.......

0 ( +0 / -0 )

These fans brought up on Crayon Shin Chan?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

sensei258, No, that would be "Bump of AKB Funky Monkey Baby Metal Kara Perfume E Girls48" To be followed next year with "Bump of AKB Funky Monkey Baby Metal Kara Perfume E Girls68"

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites