Idol Spotlight:Oshimen , Idols the Memory Creators

I am not one who really likes to write about my life ,while my friends say that I should be proud of things that take place in it and with my daughter’s music careers  and be more open.

 For some time now my two daughters have been preparing for their music career debuts ,something that is important to me to see them follow my career path.

This made me think of how they can one day be someone`s oshimen. Well that`s not completely right as the oldest is entering rock music ,while the younger is walking the Idol  group road ,so I guess really one can be an oshimen. While both are on different roads of Independent music ,it`s the oshimen road in Independents that I want to discuss.

 I have made it no secret that when it comes to Idol genre or music in general ,I  love supporting Independent small known groups, it`s just something special about these little known ,a challenge to follow groups that make makes them more exciting to me.

When I think about how my youngest could now become someone`s oshimen ,I end up thinking about the whole Idol-wota dynamic ,and how fans will be buying her merchandise and collecting Idol memories.

You know ,to this day I still remember the smiling face that was Okada Yukiko  more than I do that tragic last day of her life. That is the memory I hold on to.

If   Idol fans are memory collectors , then surely that makes oshimen ,Idols the memory creators, yet it is much deeper than that in many ways.

The road to fame for Independent artists can often be difficult , if you were not successful first and then decided to go back to your Independent roots. One only has to look at this recent show with Steamgirls to see the road can have many difficulties along the way. Yet you can`t judge every group by this example or the reasons they face difficulties by it.



When you’re supporting a group such as Steamgirls or any Independent ,the system is designed so that you feel that you’re directly helping their success. You’re asked at the door which group your tickets is for , after lives the groups sell their merchandise themselves ,not some merchandise company or agency staffers as the Idols leave the arena by some backdoor. So you’re buying CDs ,shirts ,towels and so on from the members you support, from their own hands ,allowing you to create better friendships, while respecting that magical border between Idol and fan. Your voice , your actions have meaning to these groups.

The Idols become our little or in some cases big sisters . Independent  Idols and fans are banded together like rampaging armies for Idol microstates moving from venue to venue in a meaningful ballet march  as one .With our Idols  leading the way ,the memories they create that night and the memories we collect are treasures to claim at journeys end.

[The Ballet of Idol Armies]


Every Idol microstate has its own story to  tell and its own tribe of followers and in some ways that hurts the overall growth of Independents as a genre, but that is a story for another time.

I don`t know the outcome of the road that my daughters will take on their music careers or anyone`s daughter entering music . Both are talented and whatever their career results, their experiences will be something special to both of them and  the fans that decide to support them.

How do I know that ? well it`s simple , where there are oshimen and Idols the memory creators ,there will be the fans ,the battle scarred knights collecting those memories ,until the final curtain call, and there is no more memories to create.