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bigsexydaniel · 2 months

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Tale of Three Mothers - Part Two (Part One)

My current obsession has been to think of possible theories for a Korrasami kid, and this is the best one I’ve come up with so far.

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bigsexydaniel · 3 months

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Oshi No Ko and Perfect Blue

Oshi No Ko (2023) and Perfect Blue (1998) are two Japanese anime that critiques and exposes the dirty business of the entertainment industry, especially idol culture. Although Oshi No Ko takes on a supernatural element to it and Perfect Blue is a horrifying psychological thriller, both anime have captured the depravity of the crooked and shameless minds involved in the industry.

MILD SPOILERS AHEAD (Oshi No Ko anime series and Perfect Blue anime film)

Oshi No Ko is a (somewhat) recent anime series starring Japanese idol, Ai Hoshino who was killed in the very first episode. She was murdered by her fan as she gave birth to a child despite promising her audience that she loves them in her songs. This disturbing incident is unfortunately based on true events in the Japanese entertainment industry. Many idols are treated wrongly, which is often covered up by their agencies or the media to have a clean outside.

Japanese idols (or アイドル, pronounced aidoru) are young entertainers of Japanese pop culture, both male and female, who, as a group perform on-stage. Their entertainment mainly composes of producing their own music and singing and dancing to it. They are adored by their fans and very often, despite their young age, sexualized.

This is sometimes considered normal and the adults of this mindset of adoring and sexualizing young female idols are called lolicons (lolita+complex). Anime itself sexualises underage characters and dehumanises them by saying "it's just animation" (but we'll save this conversation for later). This complex is still prevalent in the idol industry. The extremity of the audience's lolicon mindset is visible in both Oshi No Ko and Perfect Blue (Perfect Blue more than Oshi No Ko). In Oshi No Ko, Ai Hoshino is stalked and murdered by her fan for giving birth to children despite promising her audience that she loves them in her songs.

Idols work under a contract for an agency. This agency is in charge of the idol group and could also be in charge of other entertainers. The more underground agencies scout for idols in the street by approaching every conventionally beautiful girl they encounter. This tactic is practiced in Japan till date. This was seen in Oshi no Ko when Ai Hoshino was approached by Ichigo Saitou from Ichigo Productions. And during the conversation between Ai and Ichigo, we get to know how the entertainment industry is made out of lies and that it is normalised.

These anime bring forth the many realities of the entertainment industry, not only idol culture. There are so many social issues that one can find in both Oshi no Ko and Perfect Blue. For example in Oshi No Ko, Kana Arima, the prodigious child actor, grows up to be forgotten by the public. She tries different jobs in the entertainment industry but nothing works well. She becomes desperate for acting gigs and other jobs that will get her the recognition she seeks. Mem-Cho (stage name) is a 27 year old YouTuber who hides her age so she'll still be accepted in the entertainment industry. Idol agencies usually do not hire girls above 20 (they like them young… a disgusting mindset, really), therefore many 20+ year old idols quit that field and move to a different entertainment field, usually acting, like seen in Perfect Blue with Mima, the protagonist. So, 27 year old Mem-Cho finds it difficult to pursue the dream of becoming an idol. In fact, it is difficult to be a 27 year old YouTuber (like I said, they like them young).

Perfect Blue is the right film to watch if one wants to experience the mental torment that any person used by the entertainment industry as an object to showcase. Mima, a former idol who gets into acting, receives threatening messages, letters from her stalkers and her fans who are obsessed with the idol ideal. She endures a feeling of dissociation as her reality warps and her memory crumbles. The director, Satoshi Kon, gives the viewer the same dystopian feeling that Mima goes through. My words will not do justice to the film. If you are fine with having an existential crisis as though you are in Mima's place throughout the duration of the film, do watch the film. I highly recommend it!

Both anime have a lot in common except Oshi No Ko leans more towards fantasy and Perfect Blue towards dystopia. None the less, both anime portray the Japanese entertainment industry accurately. I recommend both anime (not that I am some sort of expert). Thank you for reading!

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bigsexydaniel · 3 months

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