Why are girl bands and glamour groups like AKB48, SKE48, Morning Musume and Miniskirt Police so popular in Japan?
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57 Comments
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0
Lunchbox
Clever marketing.
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ebisen
Because of salarymen with Lolita complex...
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FishHead
Good question, why . . . WHY?
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pathat
"Clever marketing."
True
"Because of salarymen with Lolita complex..."
There is some truth here too.
In the case of AKB48, I would say that former member Rina Nakanishi's move to the AV world has drawn them a ton of attention and new fans who are wondering which young girl will be the next to move to porn.
For some fans, though, I would say that these groups give them an escape from the drudgery of their daily lives. It's fun.
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Pestronika
Fun music, lots of cute girls. It's escapism.
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SeasonedVet
Um, I think they have a lot of female fans as well. Although Miniskirt Police is for total pervs like myself.
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my2sense
According to an MIT professor it has something to do with the loss of the war/military and the US sex/style influence. It's a very spoiled society, and women and girls are seen as objects. The men in general have severe problems with communicating, basic maturity and the women have issues as well. Marketing, school girl uniforms, living at home until 30 or forever, insecurity, the quest to be accepted in a group... I think the little girl lip sync bands stems from most of the society's issues and morals. I mean look at how much trouble US GQ got in with the Glee kid and two girls (cover)... The outside world finds the Japanese disturbing and perverted with this question but its still a nice place to live with no bombs and terrorist attacks.
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Okinawamike
Because it's a country of little girls.
I saw a guy yesterday with tights down to his ankles on under his knee lenght camo shorts. What a fashion queen.
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kujiranikusuki
duh. because someone says they are. People are like this in the USA, but it is ten times worse in Japan. They say you jump, you say how high, (not hey say jump!!!) If they TV says so, then you must follow its commands. Never have I seen media machines work so well as they do in Japan.
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kujiranikusuki
I love this from the fist comment: "Clever marketing." your kidding right? how come no one else in the ENTIRE world cant stand Japanese music. If it was clever then it would on other people too. It is simply Japanese group mentality. I have almost never seen ANYTHING clever when it comes to japanese comericals, TV, music, (most) films.
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SeasonedVet
Do you need some cash for a TV, radio or movie ticket?
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ratpack
because there are so damn many of them on stage at the same time and if they invite a few friends to their concerts they have a full house.(sarcastic of course)
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bababooey
Because they are the cutest things, like, ever. They're as cute as Hello Kitty, just not as intelligent.
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Junnama
Because sex sells :|
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gogogo
Because it is legal underage girls that 40 year old men buy. AKB48 is a liveshow performance group in Akihabura, do you really think anyone but men would goto Akihabura?
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sarahsuz25
Because they're a safe bet--you always know what you're getting, even when the members change. There is no shortage of really talented and creative musicians in Japan, male and female, but some people prefer entertainment as escapism, and don't want to have to think about it.
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Proffesor
Honestly, I don't know. Maybe JT can fill me in as to why.
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seaforte03
Because they're cute - and they can actually play their instruments - unlike when shonen knife first started - and people loved them aside from the fact they couldn't play their instruments (or sing in key)...ah...don't know.
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travsam
Cute-girls-bands are famous there because there the most of the japanese men fanbase are a bunch of perverts :P
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bicultural
I wouldn't put the miniskirt police in the same category as AKB and morning musume. The former has an almost all male fan base. The latter two have a bunch of middle school and high school girls who are fans (and of course a big group of oyajis). I think the latter two are popular because seemingly "normal" girls are transformed into "idols." They have huge auditions and constantly change the members. The fans can relate to the girls because they are the same age and were living similar lives. They also think maybe, just maybe they can become like them. Just look at NMB, the new AKB of Osaka. A bunch of normal girls who became stars overnight.
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majimeaussie
Since when are "miniskirt police" a girl band?
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Ari94
Because there is a Media and Promoters behind them.
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Smorkian
You must not be watching anything at all then. Japanese CMs are very catchy and clever.
Western elitists may find these girl bands weird, or juvenile, or even disturbing but they are popular at home and abroad. Popular =/= good necessarily but it does mean that quite a few people like what they are doing.
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Patrick Smash
It's the correct fan base. High School girls and older males. Neither of these groups cares if the music is awful or not. Japan has a concept of cute idol that is virtually impossible for anyone outside of Japan to understand. Well maybe apart from South Korea where Girls Generation is big, and which happens to be the only other country that can suffer Japanese music.
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Mittsu
@majimeaussie Since when are "miniskirt police" a girl band?
They are a glomour group. good at it too. The girl bands music is just bubblegum, but some of them are easy on the eye. Lolikon indeed.
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KaptainKichigai
because the demographic for such things are teenagers that have no idea what they want, who they are or what is tasteful or talented, so they just follow what images re sold to them through media sources and peer pressure.
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kaze221
near enough moost of the members of these groups can pass as high school girls so more guys tend to go than they should
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TokyoHipHop
Sex sells, exactly as earlier comment mentioned. That Mini skirt police group, just the word mini skirt is basically what most wear and attracts people or well men. Same as Korean girl pop groups such as SNSD popping up wearing low cut undergarments screaming gee gee baby in tennis skirts but music not so appealing, gaining better exposure over the greater talent, its the cute factor I guess.
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UdaMan
To echo majimeaussie, I had no idea Miniskirt Police were a band (are they still around??). I just thought they were a little troupe of tarts paraded around for bawdy-humor effect, like the girls they used to have on stuff like the Benny Hill Show...
0
talking2U
Well, I have junior high school students who always have something to say about AKB near every single day. But of course its always more fun to accuse the male adults of nation of other people of being sick. That said, I suspect the most persistent posters on that score are working over-time to deny things to themselves as well as us.
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Pestronika
Or, alternatively (this is the "I don't hate young people" interpretation) - maybe the people who like these girl groups have their own tastes, and those who don't find these girl groups enjoyable have their own reasons. One person's impeccable taste is another person's pile of crap.
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bass4funk
As to why they are popular, I have absolutely no idea. Usually, I listen to music to hear talent, to get inspiration. What does miniskirts have anything to do with music?
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debittoo
Well as many people post before, the reason is so clear, because japanese salariman and pederast love them. if you go to their concerts the first lines are full of old guys...pathetic.
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smartacus
Actually debitoo, that's not quite true. At their concerts, the overwhelming majority of fans are teenagers, mainly girls. I would say there would be very few salarymen or older guys. The fan base for all these groups is the teenage bracket.
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Klein2
Non threatening, weak, non challenging....
They are the kind of entertainment that is so banal that no brain is needed to enjoy them. None at all. They mean different things to different people, but that meaning is very close to meaningless.
The message? I don't think there is one. The medium? Children. There is not even a focus. Finding some meaning in 48 members of a group is something that a trained professional schoolteacher can't accomplish during a 50 hour work week.
I think it is noise.
Maybe they are popular because nearly everyone can find something to say about them.
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herefornow
smartacus --
That's a stretch, at least based on the couple of their concerts I happened to see on TV. I'd say the ratio was no more than 60/40 in favor of teenage girls to low-life men. But, even if it is only 20% men, that is still not a healthy things, which is the point debittoo is making. Plus, I bet TONS of guys visit their web-sites and buy videos -- to better enjpy in private.
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porter
There are examples all over the world of girls bands, ex., Spice Girls. In Japan, they just have more members to the band so they can keep the turn over high. Its good that it gives a bigger stage for young aspiring artists.
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Junnama
Plus more members means there are more stories to keep them in the news....
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nisegaijin
Don't know... Personally, when I hear them I have an immediate urge to call Eeearrrllll, and then raaaalhpppp
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goddog
They should refrain from singing and just bounce around. They are cute.
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GW
this is what you get when you have sheep like native population, the young girls just dont know any better & follow, do what they are told.........the guys are perv`s & this sick behavior is unfortunately basically condoned by society so thats what it gets.
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FukuokaRocks
Most of the band names sound like cleaning compunds or chemical weapons.
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Raymasaki
musume is a clone of onyanko club. the others just kawaii=ness sex sells? UH NO not all he time, you have to have good music & Talent in most views. AC/DC has sold over 150 Million LP/CDs world wide. would you say "sex sells" there/ NO WAY
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genji17
cuz they are like pokemon. You want to catch them all!
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Weasel
'Cause there's little else on TV to watch.
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Sarge
Because they're so awesome, of course!
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kujiranikusuki
@porter yeah. that is ONE example of 4 girls (not 34234234 in one band) and that was 10 or was it 15 years ago.
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buggerlugs
Lack of taste.
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buggerlugs
Please let me clarify. Lack of taste in musical or dancing talent. Looks ok though.
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aj2o1
It's an extension of manga's popularity. Nubile young girls in the flesh appeal to the perverse nature of their male fans.
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ramiresbf
I have a part-time job at the seven eleven and I see lot's of old guys in their 60's or 70's buying these stupid mangas with those AK47, sorry, I mean, AKb4whatever girls half naked... well, I think the industry of sex and porn of Japan might be behind this...
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kurumazaka
Wish I could say otherwise, but really think it is because so many salarymen (not all, but many) are hot for high school girls. Sure as hell isn't about talent. AKB 48 doesn't seem as bad, but the older mid 90's Morning Musume stuff was absolutely feeding off the **enjo kosai* *wave. Tsunku should be ashamed of what he did back then.
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Pukey2
I think it's because they are really talented and extremely gifted singers, actresses and dancers. They also show the more mature side of women. And their fans are just showing their respect. There certainly is something elegant about the way Minisuka-pori act.
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Stranger_in_a_Strange_Land
What's not to like about high school girls?
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Antonios_M
Their age perhaps?
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Stranger_in_a_Strange_Land
What's wrong with their age?
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velvia
errr...i honestly like AKB48, but not all of their songs & PV of course.. have u watch Heavy Rotation? that one i'm a 100% dont like at all.. the soon i realize it's a kind of 'fan service' , i close my youtube tab.
Yes i admire them, love their dance, and actually some of their songs are pretty good. but fan service? no.
fyi, i'm just 20. not an old geezer lol
i would love to see them at AFA this november ^^
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