アイドルaidoru
Quick definition:An idol is a young pop performer in Japan, usually a singer and dancer who is also a media personality, marketed through close fan relationships, and idols are a popular subject in anime.
Meaning
Idol, called aidoru in Japanese, refers to young performers who are marketed as singers, dancers and entertainers with a friendly, approachable image. A pop idol may appear in television programmes, advertisements and magazines as well as on stage, and an idol group often has a large cast of members who each have a distinct personality. Fans follow their progress and support them through concerts, albums and events.
Idol anime and manga follow fictional performers, often teenagers training for fame, forming groups and performing at festivals. School idol stories place the performers in a school setting, where they start a club to save their school or realise a dream. These series combine music, friendship, hard work and the pressures of the entertainment world, and often include songs and dance sequences.
The idea has also inspired real franchises where fictional idols release songs and perform at concerts, voiced by actors who sing in real life. These franchises often produce games and merchandise too.
Origin:Idol is the English word, which Japan borrowed as aidoru and used for popular young performers from the 1970s onwards. The concept grew with television and music companies, and it spread through anime, which often depicted idols as heroines. Today the word is used worldwide for such performers.
Example:Love Live! School Idol Project follows a group of students who form a school idol group to try to save their school from closing, practising songs and dance routines together. The series helped popularise school idol stories among anime fans, and its cast members are voiced by actors who also perform the songs in real life.
Did you know?Idol concerts have their own fan culture, including glow sticks and organised cheers that fans chant in time with the songs. Some groups run handshake events, where fans meet performers briefly, which is part of the close fan relationship the idea is built on.
