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Tokyo Idol Project

15 Comments

Idol groups HKT48, Dempagumi. Inc, Idoling!!!, Babyraids Japan and Negicco pose at Fuji TV in Odaiba, Tokyo, on Tuesday, to publicise the launch of Tokyo Idol Project in which numerous groups take part to promote Japanese idol culture.

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15 Comments
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Just what we need, more squeaky voiced idols.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

The talent on offer is almost too much to handle

2 ( +3 / -1 )

YOU! In the back! Stop looking intelligent!

ok, let's take another one...

1 ( +3 / -2 )

This kind of thing (shallowness of these idol groups, music, surrounding media) reflects strongly an interesting article at the BBC about the Japan's depressed generation - the fundamental problems of Japanese education and how uninspired and basically unhappy the young generation are here.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

They'll be popular for a couple yrs, then nobody will ever hear about them again. These so-called idols don't get too far outside Japan. Not further than K Perry, T Swift, Ariana G, Beyonce, Rihanna, J-Lo etc. . .

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

So basically they have reached such a low in creativity and taste that they simply gather some young ladies and call them something with 3 letters followed by 48.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Japanese idol culture.

This is what a culture so proud for thousands of years of amazing accomplishments in art, literature, architecture, music, cuisine, science, etc., etc. has devolved into.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Yeah, and once they (those idol groups) hit a certain "age" all of their so-called fans suddenly become unloyal. Where is Morning Musume? Nowhere. Cause they were dropped more than a decade ago like a Hot Potato. Its Pathetic-

4 ( +5 / -1 )

If only all of this energy could be re-directed and used for something productive!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

There's rigorous testing involved in becoming an "idol" in Japan...Step 1: Are you a young female" (check) Step 2: Do you have a pulse? (check)... Then congratulations! You are now an idol!

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Ah wow what a bunch of high-class serious intellectuals is gathered here. I'm sure y'all read Shakespeare night and day and only listen to jazz-soul fusion, right? And laugh at only politically correct jokes mind you. And feel proud about Western culture being superior with the likes of Justin Bieber and Lindsay Lohan. I bet most of you haven't even seen an idol group perform. But hey that would take away the fun in prejudice, wouldn't it? :-) Oh, and as for Morning Musume. The group is still very active. And almost all old members are still with the agency and active in showbusiness (despite several of them having kids by now).

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Idols should be seen as a National Treasure in Japan.

They are ambassadors of happiness and good will and people the world over look up to them and believe in them as they have affected and changed many of our lives for the better.

They are also a purely Japanese phenomenon, from Momoe Yamaguchi and Pink Lady through Seiko Matsuda, Chisato Moritaka, and the early years of the big groups, Morning Musume and then AKB48 and it's sister groups.

Now with the reach of the Internet the whole world is learning about this wonderful and intrinsically Japanese genre.

Yes, BABYMETAL are huge (and rightfully so, they are amazing) but so are the 48 groups, Hello! Project with C-ute and Morning Musume (who just had a sold out concert in NYC last October) among others, the wonderful Stardust Groups, Momoiro CLover Z, EbiChu and Team Syachihoko not to mention the wide breadth of styles, genres and producers in the Indie Idol scene, from BELLRING GIRLS HEART, Lyrical School and Especia to ANNAS, Tsuri Bit and tons more... yes some better than others, but incredible music and production is being made in this extremely creative genre.

You don't have to like it yourself, but understand it is much more than what some see on the surface and means so much to people of all ages around the world.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I guess what angers me most is the highly male chauvinistic approach of saying "Hey, pretty girls - they must be talentless and dumb". And that without having taken even a look at what they can do These girls probably work harder than most people in showbusiness with relentless schedules and enormous stress given the fact that many are still in school. And music wise the idol scene covers everything from pop to rock to deathmetal to folk to hiphop to rap to punk. Name it and you'll find it, It's a shame that too many people judge at face value only

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I have to ALSO agree with Hoodlum here.

Misogyny abounds in the comments above and these girls work harder and have more talent than you ever will.

GIRL POWER CAN HEAL THE WORLD!!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I see a comment above about BABYMETAL. This is exactly illustrating the point. However cute they might be, they aren't metal. They (the 3 teeny vocalists) never liked nor listened to metal / rock. Heck, not even 1 of them plays an insturment. How shallow. Yeah, kinda like the rest of the J-pop scene.

As for the actual band members of Babymetal- congrats on your success. You are the reason Japan is on the metal scene worldwide.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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