/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>15016260
>>15018054

Well I agree with the comment about the "global" economy, but to stay in the "alt-idol" market. I know that we have all in mind Babymetal as an example of how successfulness an idol group can be oversea, but I've a feeling that trying to discuss how I can be generalized will be a source of endless shitstorm (Are they even using an “idol-type” marketing now? Etc...).

First I think we can all agree that “alt idols” going “mainstream” in the West can end up backfiring. Just imagine what can some media/blogger say about Death Rabbits : “Nazi-symbolism plus little girls showing their tummies to middle aged men etc..” . I mean, it's now even science fiction, I remember this reportage of Vice(if we can call any of the turds they produce reportage), where they establissed an almost direct relation between JK cafe, Schoolgirls prostitution in Japan, and idol bands like MechaHigh. Keeping the “western” opinion away from our private garden is definitly a good idea.

Now, what about us, the “gaijins alt-idol fanbase”? I would be really interessed to know “how much divisions” we represent, for example, how much people a band like BiSH or Passcode could bring if they did a concert to a random AnimeCon in a easily reachable place (like Paris or London for West Europe). Also, how much we may spend to cd if they're easily reachable etc...
I would also be thankful if someone reposted the interview of the last thread that was talking about the “economical” model of a idol bands. It's a question that I'm asking to myself since I'm in Japan. To stay in the ゆるめるモ! example, as I'm starting to go to their show on a really regular basis, how much of the group revenues come from the CD selling and the “big” concert like the one at Zepp Diver City vs the revenues from the small weekly concert that host like a bit more than an hundred person? And what fraction on their revenues comes from the “hardcore” fanbase of ~50 peoples that seems to comes to every shows? What I want to say is that, except if they are located in Japan, Western fan are not really “rentable” in a economic point of view.

Which lead me to my last point, that can be called naive, that is that most of these small band are not here for (only) for the money. Well obviously the idols and the staff (which I estimate to be around of a total of ten persons for a band like ゆるめるモ!) have to live and everyone, including us, are pretty happy when they begin to win a shitload of money for their work. But realistically, if money was the “main” motivation, if being an alt-idol the most efficient way to earn it ? Given the cost involved in money ( renting venues, producing goods) and in time (multiple show per weeks, endless training) I don't think it would be worth the effort if the motivation was “only” financial. That lead us to the motivation of the “glory”, aka having a dedicated fanbase, a potential springboard to pierce in the show-business world , etc... And here comes our “interest” as foreigner fan, showing that there are people, located a thousand kilometers away, and that for most of us I guess don't speak more than a few words of Japanese, that sufficiently love your work to by your CD or even to travel in Japan to see your live shows. And that should be a pretty cool feeling if we think about it.

So know, what can we do it to support these groups, except buying stuff, going to live when possible? I was thinking about the fact that, if there exist a few website/blog (of various quality) that aggregate english news about alt idols group, we may need a sort of wiki that will try to aggregate more concrete informations about the group themselves. For example, song translations/interpretation, useless/fun trivia about the group numbers (XXX like this sort of food and had/have a solo carrier under this name) or even a list of the mix/chants that are used by the fans during the live. I don't know if anyone is interested by this project but that seems to me a pretty a pretty cool way to increase the visibility of the alt idol scene to the western fanbase.

Tldr; To much free time on Sunday morning, just read the last paragraph for concrete stuff.