UlasanAnime.com – The question of whether an anime can be classified as an “idol anime” is a complex one, often depending on individual interpretation rather than a strict definition. While many series feature characters who are idols, the term “idol anime” itself can be a misnomer, akin to how “slice-of-life” has evolved in its application within the anime community.
The rise of media-mix intellectual properties (IPs), particularly those like Love Live, has significantly influenced this discussion. These IPs encompass a wide range of media, including anime, manga, games, music, and live stage events. This multi-faceted approach is not new, tracing its roots back to the late 1990s and early 2000s.
What sets Love Live and similar franchises apart is their emphasis on live performances and events as a primary driver for the IP. This strategy serves to deeply engage fans, offering them a rewarding and reinforcing experience in the current media landscape. Such high engagement is also highly valuable in advertising terms. Furthermore, the contemporary trend among younger fans, both in Japan and internationally, leans towards social interaction and networking, making live events a natural fit.
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These live events also offer numerous advantages in an era where voice actors (seiyuu) are increasingly diversifying their roles beyond just acting. However, this aspect is somewhat tangential to the core debate about idol anime itself.
Many of these “idol” IPs function similarly to professional wrestling characters. As a non-anime-savvy friend might observe, the characters are performed by individuals, much like wrestlers in promotions like WWE or NJPW. These performances, in the form of dramatic matches, deliver content to the audience. The emergence of Love Live as a perceived first or definitive “idol” anime in the West seems to have coincided with a broader understanding of this concept among fans.
The immense popularity of Love Live, coupled with its self-proclamation as an idol story, likely cemented the term “idol anime.” However, a common misconception is to categorize Love Live itself as purely an “idol” thing. Instead, it’s more accurately described as another media-mix narrative where characters aspire to be “school idols.” This is comparable to how characters in Girls und Panzer are practitioners of “tankery” – a fictional activity within the anime’s context.
These are fabricated concepts, and the characters in “idol anime” are as close to real idols as teenage individuals singing and dancing in a fictional entertainment setting might be. SIF and Love Live are works of fiction, yet the “idol” label persists and is tenaciously held onto by many fans.
The existence of real Japanese idols, a genuine cultural phenomenon, undoubtedly contributes to this confusion. However, an increasing number of fans seem unable to distinguish between fictional portrayals and reality. This is reminiscent of how the term “slice-of-life” has been loosely applied to series like Wake Up, Girls! or other seemingly unrelated titles. While the misuse of “slice-of-life” might involve a term losing its original meaning, “idol anime” and “idol” generally refer to existing entities. The issue arises when uninformed anime fans apply these terms to vastly different concepts, irrespective of their relevance.
This confusion is highlighted by individuals like the one who complained that calling “Revue Starlight” an idol anime is misleading. The author would not classify Utena or Sakura Taisen as idol anime either, despite their similarities to Revue Starlight. The parallel is drawn to asking if Girls und Panzer is a war anime or a tank anime; it’s more accurately an anime about tanks, specifically fictional ones.
The true disservice, however, is the pollution of discourse surrounding actual Japanese idols. The stories presented in series like Love Live, IDOLM@STER, and certainly Revue Starlight bear little resemblance to the reality of the idol industry. This misapplication can lead to fans of groups like Aqours urging management to prevent “overwork” of the idols, a sentiment the author finds to be overly sanctimonious and paternalistic, especially within the context of long-time fandom.
This is akin to someone unfamiliar with real tanks believing that “Tankery” is a genuine sport where a small team can service multiple tanks within a week and that it’s acceptable to fire live shells at each other. The author posits that much of this fictional content, including anime, only gains true meaning when viewers have sufficient real-life experience to contextualize it.
It is disheartening when individuals learn about Japanese idols solely through anime, neglecting the vast number of real people and resources available within the actual idol scene. While anime can serve as an introductory gateway, it should not be the sole source of information or understanding.
The author notes that this topic has been a recurring point of consideration, with multiple draft ideas conceived over the year. The concern stems from the fact that while the popularity of Love Live has benefited many related IPs, it has also attracted individuals who are demonstrably uninformed about idol fandom, culture, and the nuances of what these idol IPs aim to evoke. The lack of accessible educational resources for these newcomers is lamented, with the author wryly observing that YouTubers often seem to be their primary source of information on these matters.
