Bikkuri Project

For a while now, I’ve been thinking about the “idol” concept. What is an idol really all about anyway? I guess it depends on who you ask.

There’s the casual fan who just happened to like a song or two or maybe the guy who bought a photobook because the girl on the cover was hot. To them, an idol is simply a pretty girl working for a company whose job is to have her picture taken, dance, sing, and entertain the public. Their view is perfectly valid and true, but the roll of simple entertainer applies to any actor, model, or singer anywhere, so what makes idols different?

At the next level you have the people who view their idols as somewhat of a modern-day geisha, a living work of art. They are lovely both to look at and listen to, so these fans collect their pictures, music and videos. They see their idols as some kind of far-off perfect ideal of a woman.

Then you have the true fans. We view the idols as our friends, sisters, and especially, our daughters. We genuinely care about these girls. We are disappointed when they mess-up, and we’re proud when they succeed. We’re happy when they laugh and sad when they cry. We usually know that they’re not perfect, but we love them all the more for it. We might not know much about their personal life, but a girl can only be unscripted on camera for so long doing everything from attempting improvised humor to crying at a graduation to goofing off back-stage to just shopping at the supermarket and cooking dinner, before you begin to feel that you really do know something of her real personality. What you really have is an actual emotionally fulfilling relationship with someone you probably have never met, and probably never will meet. It’s kind of an extraordinary thing, I think.

It’s been said that fans are fickle, because as soon as a girl leaves her group or steps out of the lime-light, she begins to lose fans by the truckload. I tend to disagree. When a girl steps out of the spotlight she’s effectively stopping or at least sharply reducing communication with you and thereby ending the relationship as it was. It’s like your best friend from high school. You tearfully promised at graduation that you would be friends forever, but as the years and physical distance between you took their toll, you just don’t talk much anymore. You’re happy when you hear from them, and you really hope they’re doing well, but the relationship can’t be what it was before because you just don’t see them that much. Still, even when you come to make new friends (or become interested in new idols) you will always have fond memories of that person, and they will always hold a special place in your heart.