New York based international documentary film distributor Icarus Films shows good instincts regarding release the 2017 UK/Canadian film "Tokyo Idols" on October 3, 2017. This study of young and middle-aged Japanese men obsessed with the innocent school girl image that the titular teen and 20-something pop stars present is right in line with the observation of HBO talk show host Bill Maher that adult Americans dressing up for Halloween demonstrates that we are failing to properly mature.
On a deeper level that is very consistent with the Unreal TV tenet that tough times call for amusing escapist entertainment, filmmaker Kyoko Miyake notes that the idol phenomenon is a response to the prolonged Japanese recession.
The central performer is 22 year-old Rio, who fully embraces her image as a fun-loving but virginal high-school sophomore. This star who almost surely can afford new footwear extends her good-natured manipulation of her adoring almost to the point of being brain-washed male fans beyond songs that emphasize her school girl persona and that assert that her audience members are not losers to beg for new shoes while on stage.
We learn that Rio and her fellow girl power singers literally are the hardest working people in show biz in that they perform several times a week and act as modern dime-a-dance taxi girls by holding equally constant events in which men who buy their CDs get the bonus of getting to stand in line to have a Polaroid taken with the literal girl of his dreams.
Miyake illustrates the aforementioned obsession through interviews with men who gleefully discuss spending every cent not required for the basic necessities on concert tickets and CDs. More than one man admits to not even trying to find a woman to date, one member of this group states that this expensive hobby prevents him from buying a home, and another discusses essentially abandoning his parents in order to rock out in a crowd and amass a large collection of instant photos.
Coverage of the Rio Brothers, who are the fan club of the aforementioned siren, makes the bronies who are the adult men obsessed with the television series "My Little Pony" look like casual viewers. These men constantly sport yellow t-shirts that pledge their allegiance to their idol and gobble up every bit of encouragement that she feeds them.
All of this is in the context of an annual competition to select the lucky 30 singers who will be featured in a massive 300-member girl group for the next year. Seeing both the girls and their fans openly discuss contestants who are not fully developed having an edge over their more physically mature competition is very creepy.
Although the history of female humans manipulating gullible men is long and most likely eternal, "Idols" shows how dressing like anime heroines and performing catchy pop tunes can be huge business.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Idols" is encouraged either to email me or to connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
No comments:
Post a Comment