/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>21566390
>why would she be hated/blamed for shit that started when she was 8?
She is not. You're greatly mistaken.

>isn't she more of a victim than a shitty person?
She is not and never was a 'victim'. This is a long drama story, but since you asked...

Firstly she has never said anything in terms of regretting her career but she's just being edgy for the sake of being edgy. Why would she? Everything she got is because of her gravure career. Her current band was founded and is still managed by the same media group who also did her gravure works. The only backlash and demonizing came from Westerners after they saw Ladybaby. If the West never happened, it would all be sunshine. But thanks to that small event & the resulting crusade, the entire JI gravure industry was destroyed over night so the critique is on her not at least defending the people that gave her everything but instead amplifying this whole crusade by acting like a huge drama queen, because it plays directly into the faux narrative of Westerners who mistake her artificial emo attitude for a consequence of her gravure career. Just look at her Western fan sites telling stories about her 'tragic fate' and all this nonsense.

Secondly, the JI industry is not what you think it is. The girls know exactly what they're doing and where it can lead and they're mature minded. There is no 'exploitation' involved but quite the opposite. (if you want to see exploitation, look at the Philippines or Cambodia) They're being incredibly pampered and it's an easy jumping board into stardom. Most JI companies have many sub-branches and contacts into music and movies. I can't possibly count the hundreds of ex-JIs who became news casters, actresses, singers, etc. because by the time they leave school, their fan base is already so massive that they can do literally anything in entertainment and their company promotes them. Even if they leave the public, the money they saved is easily enough to finance university and study in comfort.

My favorite ex-JI owns a limited edition super sports car in her early 20s. Yes, they take spunky bikini photos (deal with it!) and they venture on to massively successful careers. Rei's old agency just formed their first pop group and they're exploding in popularity. Literally the highest profile Japanese stage actress in Disney musicals today was a JI at the same company. Mana, Mayumi and Tomoe decided to continue gravure and they seem to do well. It's free money after all. The difference is that they all stand proud to their roots, embrace their loyal fans and not feed into some faux narrative to possibly appeal to Westerners. Rei was intoxicated the moment she stepped on an international stage and it completely changed her. She became a terrible, self-centered character and her old fans don't dislike her for quitting gravure, but because they miss the old Rei that is buried somewhere under that edgy act (if there's anything left of her at this point...) and can't accept the giant backstabbing sell-out she has become. The irony is that her career is on life support, while her old gravure mates are just starting theirs.

I personally wish her well, but I know she'll eventually wish she could turn back time.