Let's talk about idols: Are you actually into any idol groups?

[Midna]

Often times we complain about idols in the industry, but it makes me wonder if any of us actually dislike them as much as some of us say we do.

 

So real talk: Are you into any idol groups and which ones? Why? Would you consider yourself an idol fan?

 

If no, do you like any idol songs? From

Those songs, would you wanna check out more of their music? And possibly the idol industry? Or do you just have absolutely no interest in it? Why not?

 

 

I used to like AKB48 and Fairies back in the day, but have lost interest. I also liked Tegomass. Nowadays the only idol group I care for is Arashi. I like Arashi because of some unique songs they have, and their antics on TV. I wouldn't consider myself a fan of the idol aspsct of the industry because it still does annoy me sometimes, but I don't hate it. I only dislike it when people assume the industry is all about idols. Overall, I do think the industry needs to improve, especially compared to Kpop. But it's not as bad as some people make it out to be.

[Darling]

I was sooo into AKB c. 2014 especially the member, but not anymore. Their music sucks and the energy isn't the same :(

[PanicInParadise]

I used to be a hardcore Momusu stan but with the newer generations it's getting harder for me to keep stanning them

[Midna]

I was sooo into AKB c. 2014 especially the member, but not anymore. Their music sucks and the energy isn't the same :(

I lost interest cuz my fave members graduated. :/

[Just Choco]

I liked Johnny's groups and now I kinda lost interest

idk they became very repetitive....

[rosinate]

I was a pretty big fan of Arashi for about a year, then I lost interest in that side of J-music. No particular reason, I just stopped. Still follow some bands, though.

[Delincious]

i honestly don't consider myself an idol fan because i pretty much dislike all idol music japan puts out

the only group i can say i really like is nmb48. and tiny bits of other 48s here and there but it's getting rarer with each crappy release

[DocumentaLy]

For some reason, female idols bother me a lot more than male idols do. I don't know why... I think it may be because I am a fan of so many strong female figures in the music world, that seeing these other female figures I view as weaker and inferior leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There's like a misogyny in that world that I really can't bring myself to be ok with.

 

I have liked some Arashi and Yamashita Tomohisa songs, but not to the point where I'd call myself a fan, because there is a lot of stuff that I don't like.

 

In the end, I actually have to like the music. I can't like them because of variety shows or dramas because I really only care about music.

[Mandilinn]

Used to be into MoMusu when I was growing up. Not so much anymore. I really liked Fairies for a while, but they're so hit or miss these days. Now I just listen to them when they put out something that sounds good. (For example, Killing me Softly by TGS or Especia's recent work).

[wiz109]

I can deal with some Johnny's groups, Arashi mostly, when it comes to females though, there aren't too many.  Fairies did interest me some, but began to bore me after a little.  Tokyo Girls style have some really good songs I enjoy, and then of course there is Perfume.

The 48's never did it for me, though I can admit to liking Uza

[miss_bangtan]

Not anymore. I used to love Morning Musume back in the day though but then lost interest. That was so long ago though. They were the only idol group I liked (and acts like Aya Matsuura and ROMANS, Sexy 8, the "spin offs" I guess? Don't know what to call them). I'm more into J R&B and when it pretty much died out, I pretty much stopped listening to Japanese music too, with only a few exceptions. Some of my old faves music style changed too so....

 

But that new AKB48 'Halloween Party' sounded good to me. 

[Sana Muñequita Linda]

I have no problem in skipping idol stuff I don't like. It's the nasty treatment some of these people get (especially females) the thing that turns me off (f.ex. Minami Minegishi and Alan Shirahama's case, I already discussed about this and I still keep my opinion about the case as blatant male chauvinism in the treatment of Minami as a "traitor" and "a person who only belongs to her fans instead of herself").

[Ron Swanson]

Yeah Nogizaka and Tokyo Girls Style are the only j-idol groups I'm actually into. Did lose interest in Momosu after Reina left. 

[Midna]

For some reason, female idols bother me a lot more than male idols do. I don't know why... I think it may be because I am a fan of so many strong female figures in the music world, that seeing these other female figures I view as weaker and inferior leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There's like a misogyny in that world that I really can't bring myself to be ok with.

 

I have liked some Arashi and Yamashita Tomohisa songs, but not to the point where I'd call myself a fan, because there is a lot of stuff that I don't like.

 

In the end, I actually have to like the music. I can't like them because of variety shows or dramas because I really only care about music.

I am the same (music part). While the shows are the nice bonus, I can't fully stan an act if I don't like a lot of their music. It actually took me 4 years to fully get into Arashi lol. If it wasn't for Ohno, I probably would never stan. I wish they released more cool/unique songs rather than the typical idol pop songs, but that's cuz I'm not fond of the genre. Bubblegum pop does nothing for me.

[Guest]

Yes, I like AKB48 and morning musume.. But that's about it tbh.

[Dakotanta]

well i'm not much of an akb fan like before ! the only one i really follow there is my oshi , she's the only one i'm stanning...and the fact that she's graduating soon makes 48G over for me .....luckily she's still going to be a solo singer and a variety figure so she'll still release music and i can stan her only fully

 

i'm still a 48G casual fan though

[tillapia]

I was a huge news fan for nearly 5 years but then I kind of just... stopped? I think it's because a lot of the fansubbers quit so the lack of things to watch in between the long time in-between albums/singles seemed to be too much and I lost interest. I still listen to their music and other idol music but I don't stan any groups anymore.

[Renos]

well i'm not much of an akb fan like before ! the only one i really follow there is my oshi , she's the only one i'm stanning...and the fact that she's graduating soon makes 48G over for me .....luckily she's still going to be a solo singer and a variety figure so she'll still release music and i can stan her only fully

 

i'm still a 48G casual fan though

 

i'm pretty much the same :/.........i don't call myself an akb48 fan anymore since i only follow one person and 1 or 2 others now most of the members i was fan of graduated  , i'm not interested in the group like before and i only watch their videos or concerts songs/units only if my oshi is included in them 

 

now that she'll graduate....eh....that'll cut the last string that attaches me to 48G :/ i bet i'll still be a casual fan though

[IceHism]

I listen to them but i wouldn't consider myself a fan anymore.  Maybe i check up on it once a month or something.  I don't really see myself being a serious fan of music anymore (probably more casual).  I'll listen to what i have right now and whatever that comes up if i'm bored (and i'll get it if i like it) but i'm not actively(as in daily) checking for anything related to music.  I still like reading about all the business / economic / trend aspects of music though.  The sound itself is just not the focus anymore.

 

I have more fun playing/watching video games and reading books or really anything with a literature / narrative structure so that's what i do.  

 

My stance on the idol industry hasn't really changed tho.  The industry was meant to transition amateurs into professional industries and that's not being done. It's more like a cesspool where higher ups circlejerk themselves and the idols are just stuck in limbo. i'm supportive of anything that will get idols on that path to being a professional.  Anything that deters them from that path is something that i dislike.

[eyeless]

I only like female idol groups, and currently really into BiSH and POP

 

 

 

https://soundcloud.com/periodofplastc2mercy/plastic-2-mercypop-ver

 

Ofc, my favorite group is still Shiritsu Ebisu Chuugaku

 

 

 

And listen to other groups as well that interest me like Dempagumi, Tokyo Girls' Style, Momoclo, Especia, Negicco, etc.

[Soleria]

Aside from some other Japanese bands and solo artists, I used to be a huge J-Idol fan, it's crazy how much time has passed since then. I really liked Berryz Koubou, Morning Musume, SweetS, Arashi, Hey Say JUMP, NewS, a few AKB48 songs, etc. I only fell out of the fandoms because a lot less people started subbing videos, making it harder to watch anything involving them. And then it was hard to just watch recent tv appearances, music videos, and just access the music online because Japan's copyright laws would remove them. Naturally I fell out of love and moved on to Kpop, which was so easy to follow and be a fan of. It also helped that there were more international Kpop fans online and around me, because I've been able to make a lot of friends in the fandom, whereas I didn't have any when I was a fan of those groups.

 

I still have almost all of my old J-Idol music saved though and like to listen to it from time to time.

 

I think the idol industry can easily take advantage of kids with big dreams, but it can also do a lot of good for people. Mixed feelings.

[Thebluecapricorn]

Almost as much as I am with artists since many of these that I like are idols. I'm a fan of Akb48, Ske48, Berryz Kobo, Hey Say Jump, Sexy Zone, Babymetal (do they count?) , Tokyo Girls Style (even though they aren't idols anymore) , Little Glee Monster, Fairies and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. I though have limits. Very cute groups or groups with members with voices that I find Annoying are no-no for me.

[gyrobot]

AniSong Idols from Bamco's big money makers like LoveLive and Idolmaster are ones I follow since I am part of the anime fandom. Although I try to get into idol groups as well but when you are from a background where hip hop was your favorite genre, idol do lack appeal since most of them don't play nice with my hip hop style. One of the recent jpop/kpop comparison has given me some groups to take a look at.

[DocumentaLy]

I listen to them but i wouldn't consider myself a fan anymore.  Maybe i check up on it once a month or something.  I don't really see myself being a serious fan of music anymore (probably more casual).  I'll listen to what i have right now and whatever that comes up if i'm bored (and i'll get it if i like it) but i'm not actively(as in daily) checking for anything related to music.  I still like reading about all the business / economic / trend aspects of music though.  The sound itself is just not the focus anymore.

 

I have more fun playing/watching video games and reading books or really anything with a literature / narrative structure so that's what i do.  

 

My stance on the idol industry hasn't really changed tho.  The industry was meant to transition amateurs into professional industries and that's not being done. It's more like a cesspool where higher ups circlejerk themselves and the idols are just stuck in limbo. i'm supportive of anything that will get idols on that path to being a professional.  Anything that deters them from that path is something that i dislike.

 

What do you think can be done to make this happen?

 

 

AniSong Idols from Bamco's big money makers like LoveLive and Idolmaster are ones I follow since I am part of the anime fandom. Although I try to get into idol groups as well but when you are from a background where hip hop was your favorite genre, idol do lack appeal since most of them don't play nice with my hip hop style. One of the recent jpop/kpop comparison has given me some groups to take a look at.

 

I made a thread about you: http://onehallyu.com/topic/204785-i-want-there-to-be-a-thread-where-yknok-and-gyrobot-discuss-things/

[kittykoo]

I don't really consider myself as an idol fan since the the only idol groups that I regularly follow are from H!P. (I have started to listen to Dempagumi.inc and E-girls in recent years though). About five years ago I used to be a hardcore H!P fan and loved everything they put out but then new groups that I couldn't into started being added, Berryz Kobo was putting out crappy singles, and S/mileage singles also started to suck [imo] after a while (it wasn't even the members changing just H!P stopped caring about giving them good songs). I still follow C-ute and Morning Musume along with the ones I included before, but other than that I don't listen to idols so much anymore.