PARK CITY,what eroticism does to the brain Utah -- There's a scene in Tokyo Idolswhere Rio Hiiragi, a pop star trying to make it big, bikes to small provinces as a publicity stunt to meet her fans. She's wearing a cute yellow helmet and live streaming her trek. Trailing behind her are a handful of older men. They are her biggest fans.
The documentary premiering at the Sundance Film Festival spotlights the world of young female performers -- "idols" -- who dress like anime characters and sing and dance for adoring crowds, even though many aren't very good at singing or dancing.
It's more important for idols to be cute and tender to fans than sing well.
SEE ALSO: The 'most anticipated' Sundance movies top bloggers can't wait to seeThe idols are beloved for their innocence by middle-aged men who call themselves their "brothers." They make glittery t-shirts, spend $2,000 a month on idol-related merchandise and events, attend near daily performances, and long for the opportunity to hold their favorite girl's hand during timed meet and greets -- even though they won't talk to women during their daily lives.
"It's really about that ephemeral quality of girlhood," filmmaker Kyoko Mitake said during a Sundance Q&A, going on to add later that "the fans have this almost, the illusion, [as if] these girls are their girlfriends." The girls' lyrics can even center around empowering the socially awkward.
In Japan there are 10,000 idols making up a billion-dollar industry, which is distinct from the general music scene. There are mainstream idols and underground idols and some, like Rio, dream of shedding their idol personas to become legit music artists. The idols livestream twice a day, tweet incessantly and perform daily, often not making enough to get by as managers and venues profit.
Last 1 about Tokyo Idols, from Miyake on growing up in Japan: "Not being or acting cute was taken as an act of defiance" #Sundance
— Brittany Levine (@brittanylevine) January 21, 2017
The brothers, also known as "otaku," speak of failing to achieve their own dreams so they strive to help realize those of their idols, who are as young as 10. Twenty-one is considered the end of the road.
While the film aims to focus a critical eye on the idol industry and its impact on the girls, the best scenes spotlight the otaku -- a catchall term for pop culture super fan. It's also used to describe idol devotees. Once a diss, otaku has risen to be a badge of honor (although they still have their critics and admit to being socially challenged outside of the super fan community).
As otaku culture seeps into the mainstream, more men are letting loose at idol concerts, shaking glow sticks and dancing until they sweat profusely. Adult men aren't the idols' only fans -- they are also beloved by women and girls, too, but their presence is limited in the film.
For the most-devoted otaku, their idol is their life. During Rio's 21st birthday concert, her fan club collected donations for presents and gave her a cake. She blew out the candles on stage as the crowd sang "Happy Birthday." Their de facto leader even gave a raspy speech before leading a fervent chant of "Encore!"
"This isn't a fad, it's a religion," a commentator in the film aptly remarked.
Then and Now: 5 Generations of GeForce Graphics Compared
Finally there's proof that Britain's 4G is as bad as you thought
Apple Watch update delayed after reports of bricked devices
Surfing under the Northern Lights is definitely as gnarly as it sounds
Apple, Tesla, Spotify: The tech announcements that never happened in 2024
This very NSFW nativity scene is causing outrage in Spain
Mitú launches Snapchat Discover channel
Here are all the new Pokémon you can get in 'Pokémon Go'
Clean energy projects soared in 2016 as solar and wind got cheaper
Martian dust devil swallows another in rare video
CES 2025: Hands
How a pair of leather trousers reduced the government into a bunch of 'Mean Girls'
These are the hottest trends for 2017 according to Pinterest
Check out all the new 'Overwatch' Winter Wonderland hero skins
SpaceX is so close to turning its rocket headquarters into an actual city
The Arctic is reeling from its warmest year since at least 1900
One dad was so confused by 'Pokémon Go' he made a short film about it
Massive crush of thousands of soccer fans looks like a total nightmare
Sinner vs. Shelton 2025 livestream: Watch Australian Open for free
Uber expands its motorbike
Xbox's rumored handheld console is real and it's called ROG Xbox AllyE3 2017 Trailer Roundup: Upcoming PC GamesNYT Connections hints and answers for June 8: Tips to solve 'Connections' #728.How Much RAM? 4GB vs. 8GB vs. 16GB PerformanceBeats Studio Pro deal: Get 51% off at AmazonUEFA Nations League livestream: How to watch Nations League for freeHow to unblock Pornhub for freeHow to unblock Pornhub for free in FranceNYT Connections hints and answers for June 9: Tips to solve 'Connections' #729.How to unblock Pornhub for free in FranceJohn Oliver gleefully weighs in on the TrumpThe viral TikTok dog who stole the internet's heart is now ready for adoptionAdobe Premiere Pro CC CPU & GPU PerformanceSlack is being weird for a lot of people todayBest tablet deal: Save $170 on Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+NYT Strands hints, answers for June 9Using a U2F Key to Secure Your Google, Dropbox, and GitHub AccountsBest headphones deal: Save 25% on the Sony XM5 headphonesSave up to 50% on Amazon's best books of 2025Best gift card deal: Get a $100 DoorDash gift card for only $85 at Best Buy Wednesday's dancing was very mother of her Ghana vs Uruguay livestream: How to watch World Cup Group H live Trump subreddit r/The Portugal vs Uruguay livestream: How to watch FIFA World Cup Group H live Julia Weldon on new opportunities for non YouTubers only get canceled when everyone's bored 'Quordle' today: See each 'Quordle' answer and hints for November 30 Spain vs Germany livestream: How to watch FIFA World Cup Group E live Kim Kardashian's new 'Kimono' brand is getting a lot of backlash Elon Musk suspends Kanye West's Twitter account South Korea vs Ghana livestream: How to watch FIFA World Cup Group H live 'Quordle' today: See each 'Quordle' answer and hints for December 2 Iran vs USA livestream: How to watch World Cup Group B live This trans teen wants to change the world through storytelling Cameroon vs Serbia livestream: How to watch FIFA World Cup Group G live Jake Paul and Tana Mongeau got engaged and no one is sure if it's real How the queer community can embrace the asexual spectrum Adam Rippon on Trump, Taylor Swift, and coming out Bad Bunny is Spotify's top global artist of 2022 Apple's latest short film is a glimpse into the lives of users with disabilities
1.3929s , 8288.0546875 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【what eroticism does to the brain】,Defense Information Network