love and eros may have actually been the best jdrama ever
my lovelorn for lost underapreciated japanese media may stick with me til the end of time I'm afraid. It's how unknown it is that really makes me love it even more. I actually don't know how I feel about the best art getting so little attention and being lost to time. On one hand I like it but then again I wish the people involved would have been able to get recognition. But the again it's possible the Japanese purposely didn't want their precious gems to be given to the west because it would have been changed and altered to fit a wider audience and then it would no longer be art. It would just be a product for mass consumption. I kind of want to write a whole series of my favorite J ent pieces. It's so interesting that Japan actually went out of their way many times to make sure their works wouldn't be spread to those who don't appreciate it. Anime was...as hayao miyazaki would say A MISTAKE. It's the only piece of Japanese media that became heavily focused on reaching a global audience and making a ton of money from it. It's their K-pop. Though with Anime it's just cartoon pictures being objectified and commodified but with K-pop it's people. Still both had a great effect on the economy and a terrible influence on the culture as a whole. The otaku's in Japan and the fan culture in Korea both swirled out of control and ended up having a hand in lowering the birth rate. So art truly is a powerful thing.
This work was one I actually stumbled on when I was on a j ent binge, this and a few other japanese 90s dramas really fascinated me. This one was intriguing and memorable because it was the first time I was aware that whatever Korea had continued with using idols in drama's to boost the rating Japan had most defintely started.
Nagase Tomoya was a hearthrob no doubt and it is also hard to even find someone comparable to him in the current era. In japan being an idol is just a stepping stone and everyone knows this. There aren't really leaders like in kpop. In fact it's usually the visuals that are just in charge or speak for the group. They are the front men or women and it's normal for them to be the face and do interviews alone in the group's stead. No one is ever super emotional when these visuals become actors nor is there an uproar that they are betraying the group. It's natural and they usually are asked to get into different projects because this will eventually get the group more attention in the end. Japanese groups in some cases have EXTREME longevity. Some groups lasting decades. It isn't always the case but the most popular groups it's moreso a question of dang when are they going to disband. This is because the attitude towards idols in japan is different. There are some cases where idols from fanservice heavy groups do get in trouble from dating but its' important to know in Japan it's more of a hierarchy of groups because idol culture has been around for so long. There are some groups that are more dependent on heavy fanservice to survive and there theme is catering to there fans whereas some groups are more..free. It's clear to see these differences when you see some groups that are very free and others that are very not. In korea although I see that all groups are treated like how fanservice heavy groups are in japan. No matter what age it is weird and not acceptable for them to act in romantic drama's or date. The companies and contracts pretty much all around reflect the mindset of the public towards idols. Where in recent years traditional idol culture in japan is kind of slowly dying and because of that celebs dating is seen moreso how american celebs dating. In korea strangely enough it's like things are regressing. The fanservice is becoming even more intense even though kpop is gaining global fame. More money is being made but it's being made by going super jhorror virtual boyfriend/girlfriend parasocial paralysis demon. It's quite concerning. It could be that in Japan they stopped focusing on real people who eventually would date or get married and leave idol life behind to focus on more vulnerable animated or fictional characters who really couldn't speak or fight back.
I still find it interesting to look at the cultural remains of Japan's idol industry.
I don't even want to get into the tradgedy of Johhnny's boys and what happens when young children are commodified off their looks and sex appeal from a super young age because..it speaks for itself. It was terrible what happened and I do feel that overall it's definitely what is happening in kpop but because of the current hype and popularity honestly nobody cares. Similar to how nobody cared about what was happening in america with the many disney stars who would years later open up about how the trauma they experienced being a childstar would later cause them to become drug addicts or commit self harm. People may feel sorry for them now but the truth is at the time when it was happening nobody cared and that is what made them feel so alone. It doesn't help to pity them after the fact when they have healed and gone to therapy.
Although I think it was rather unfortunate what many of child stars go through I do think the art they leave behind should be treasured even more so because of it. Tomoya was a fabulous actor and I see in him many of the current idols of today that are treasured.
I believe he was extremely lucky given that he was able to stay in a band that spanned decades and have a very successful acting career. When I watched this show not only was I interested in the plot but I also was wondering why were so many idols barred from also having similar opportunities. Some like him were able to act in various projects playing different characters but others were stuck in a box because their fans weren't interested in seeing them any differently. I believe he was such a compelling performer that it allowed him to be accepted by the public as an actor.
but I can't lie Johnny kitigawa's connectiong probably helped as well..also his face plus the fact that he aged well probably helped. Many idols get copius amounts of plastic surgery that does not age well at all
but there are still other decent looking idols that never kept up with the changing tides of the ent industry. On an old translated forum some people were arguing why he wasn't as famous as Takuya Kimura
but I think it's because the japanese love androgyny like over everything Tomoya was just a tad bit too masculine.
In this show though and others like it he starred in he was a silent brooding type so it worked. I don't want to spoil it and this isn't a review basically it's a comparasion of different types of love. Which is ..kind of genius. His character is in a eros or romantic type of love with a woman engaged to his brother. Who has a much more friendly type of love with her. It's probably a metaphor for something but..hmmh oh and it has the iconic Hosho mai
her role isn't that big she is toted as mostly just the tagalong girlfriend but really as the show progresses you start to like her more than the main love interest.
anywayz its a good show very deep if you watch it closely.
black soul was everything in the 2000s
I don't think any long posts will be in my immediate future because school work is government ordained brain torture and like creative thought like I can do it, but I've been trying to be balanced with exercising more, personal, journaling, reading ect ect ect so writing really long intelligent thought out post is too much ...like I still would like to do it but I have to have energy in my soul to do it and like after like 9 my brain is like factory reset mode. I really would like to do a analysis for taeyongs new mv at least shalala had a bunch of good stuff to break down but like...literally nobody picks up on it and I dont like stressing. I wanna do fun stuff every once and awhile like tier ranking who in super m would survive in walking dead or which baddies east member they are. Also im starting to think taeyong's work is just qanon bait, like really teasing conspiracy theorists?
I think they just playing with us now, but honestly whats the point like the celebs know they hint only people with understanding get it and 70 percent of people if not more are like....... lights on no one will ever be home. So like basically I'm doing it for me which means I'm my own boss mentally and I say whenever's clever. I hate rushing it makes for poor work. Like I have something in my drafts but I would like it to be good and sometimes good work takes patience
I feel like people pressured Shawn to address his sexuality again and he didn't want to address it really from how he talked about it and to me it's disgusting how this keeps happening and this pressure is coming from other queer people most of the time, I will never get why y'all do this to others that you believe are in your own community instead of giving them space to do that on their own time
its more like my slightly edited polite artsy journal. Cant be completely honest but its good enough.
this blog is not a well-curated museum. it's my bedroom & i'm putting things on my shelf & taping things on the wall