An Emerging Subjectivity

An Emerging Subjectivity

Social phenomenon that happens on a everyday basis A community that has collevtive identity

A typical popular Idol concert in Tokyo

AKB48 Tokyo handshake event

Emerging Subjectivity: Metamorphosis of the ‘Virtual Idol’

Definition of the word ‘Idol’ in Japanese pop culture, as an emerging phenomenon;

In Japanese pop culture “idol” (アイドル) is a term typically used to refer to young manufactured stars/starlets marketed to be admired for their cuteness. Idols are intended to be role models and they are supposed to maintain a good public image and be good examples for young people. Idols aim to play a wide range of roles as media personalities: e.g. pop singers, panelists of variety programs, bit-part actors, models for magazines and advertisements.

[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

The term is commercialised by Japanese talent agencies,[8] that hold auditions for boys and girls with little or no prior experience in the entertainment industry, often as aspiring stars/starlets to be adored for their sweetness and innocence[8] with the intent of creating a passionate following. Most idol singers work across genres of Japanese pop music, usually in the genre that is most popular at the moment, but since many idols sing cute sentimental songs,[8] one can say that those kind of idols form a sort of music genre of their own.[6] [8] Their songs typically do not require great singing skills; their popular appeal comes largely from the attractiveness of their public image. Idols are often not considered “serious” musicians[1] or “serious” actors. Consequently, many young stars now reject the idol label in their desire to be seen as professionals rather than as objects of fanatical devotion.[9]

Many Japanese people who are fans of female idols see them as akin to sisters or girl next door types;[6] they empathised with the idols and love the way in which they are presented as ordinary kids who happened to become popular, enthusiastically following their growth from inexperienced amateurs to famous experienced artists.[8]

References: 1. William W. Kelly (ed.). Fanning the Flames: Fans and Consumer Culture in Contemporary Japan. p. 65. 2. “Islands of Eight Million Smiles: Idol Performance and Symbolic Production in Contemporary Japan (Harvard East Asian Monographs) [Hardcover] - Book Description”. Amazon. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012. 3. Idols and Celebrity in Japanese Media Culture - Google Books. Palgrave Macmillan. 2012-08-31. 4. Carolyn S. Stevens. Japanese Popular Music: Culture, Authenticity and Power. 5. David W. Edgington (2003). Japan at the Millennium: Joining Past and Future. UBC Press. 6. William D. Hoover. Historical Dictionary of Postwar Japan. p. 202. 7. Minoru Matsutani (2009-08-25). “Pop ‘idol’ phenomenon fades into dispersion”. The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 13 August 2011. 8. Timothy J. Craig (ed.). Japan Pop!: Inside the World of Japanese Popular Culture. 9. “戦隊モノ、アイドル...、グループにおける色と役割の関係”. Nikkei Business Publications. 2011-12-05.

Series of advertisment using Idols as front promotion

The phenomenal influences on Media, Economy and Community;

The influence of idols in Japanese culture is complex due to various factors. Idols are seen everywhere in Japan from television advertising, dramas, films, variety shows, to magazine ads, posters in shopping malls, and train stations, not to mention concerts and fan events. The image of what an idol is, affects every aspect of their career and the idol’s contracting office (jimusho) are responsible for crafting this image and market the idol. The image of an individual idol is crafted based upon fluctuations in the market and is crafted to generate as much revenue as possible, and their image is what is presented to the public.[10]

The proliferation of idols in Japanese media today reveals how tightly tied media such as television and idols are to the economy in Japan. Idols are used to advertise products much like other celebrities around the world. Idols are a key part of advertising in Japan with 50-70% of commercials featuring an idol.[11] The commercials themselves are promoting a product, but are also promoting the idol. Pitches for commercials are often made with a specific idol in mind, one that matches with the image of the company, and the product being advertised. Idols sign contracts with strict agreements not to do things that could damage the image of the company, or to work for a competitor. However, they do not endorse products like celebrities in other countries; they simply lend their image to the product being advertised. These advertisements serve to promote both the idol and the product by keeping both at the forefront of consumers’ minds. Magazine ads, online videos, and appearances in dramas, and other advertising all constitute part of this agreement.[11]

Idols have also shaped the development of television programs in Japan. Beginning in the 1980s there was a shift in Japanese television production. Companies would compete to secure contracts for dramas which lead to the current four-season system of television in Japan. Variety, talk, and music shows also became popular, in part for featuring idols as guests or the stars of the show. Idols also began providing the image music for commercials. These different forms of media served to promote and further strengthen the ties between idols, advertising, and media.[12]

Kyoko Date, the 1st Virtual Idol in 1997’s Famitsu Weekly (Gaming and Anime magazine)

Hatsune Miku and her Vocaloid members

Emergence of the ‘Virtual Idol’;

Virtual Idol emerged as an offshoot of Japanese idols in the late 1990s. The world’s first ‘Virtual Idol’ was Kyoko Date in 1997[13][14] She has a fabricated history, statistics, and her own songs. Eventually the idea of the ‘Virtual Idol’ did not considered successful until the emergence of a turquoise haired ‘Virtual Idol’ named Hatsune Miku, which stared the resurgence and rocketed to stardom in Japan. Crypton Future Media created the character using Vocaolid engine, a synthesized voice technology developed by Yamaha that was able to autotune notes in a human-like manner based on user input. This gave Hatsune Miku a unique voice and personality that enabled users to create original music and dialogue for the character. She became a digital phenomenon due to the collaborative nature of her multimedia content, which was openly shared on Nico Nico Douga, a popular Japanese consumer-streaming platform where fans were encouraged to write original music and remixes, create and edit videos, and illustrate and animate 2D and 3D renditions of her.

Hatsune Miku performs live as an animated holographic singer at concerts around the world. Her fanbase numbers in the millions, and she has hundreds of millions of views and listens across the internet. She has appeared in TV commercials, TV shows, animations, books, and magazines, as well as on billboards, promotional cars, and online soundtracks.

Due to the popularity of Hatsune Miku and low-cost hardware and software, the proliferation of “Virtual YouTubers” has been increasing in Japan. Virtual YouTubers are animated characters generated in real time using reasonably priced motion capture software, motion capture hardware, and open source animation software MikuMikuDance(MMD).

Different types of Virtual Idols in Japan, 2018

Technologies of the ‘Virtual Idol’;

The technologies and tools for animating CG characters in real-time are now more accessible to companies, educators, and content creators. Mostly, they require either low-cost facial tracking software or a gaming engine such as Unreal or Unity installed on mid- to upper-level consumer laptops with powerful GPUs. A new generation of mobile apps with facial and body tracking technology will take advantage of ARKit and ARCore, making it easier to animate characters from mobile phones.

Since the technology is becoming simpler and more cost-effective, computer generated personalities and avatars will become more prevalent in the virtual space and online for live events, corporate communications, customer support, and training, and avatars will be integrated into more presentations. Content producers will find new ways of using these tools to improve on how people interact with their clients to achieve their creative and business objectives. Production for cinema, television, gaming, and live streaming will be merged into one common pipeline.

Virtual Idol is segregated into 3 different types

The Virtual youtuber

Kaguya Luna (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQYADFw7xEJ9oZSM5ZbqyBw) Mirai Akari (https://www.youtube.com/user/bittranslate) Kizuna Ai (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4YaOt1yT-ZeyB0OmxHgolA) Siro (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLhUvJ_wO9hOvv_yYENu4fQ) Virtual Girlfriend Yomemi (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy5lOmEQoivK5XK7QCaRKug)

The singing synthesizer software voice bank

Hatsune Miku (https://www.crypton.co.jp/miku_eng) Vocaloids (https://www.vocaloid.com/en/)

The collective creation of Avatar by communities

Reality Avatar (https://le.wrightflyer.net/reality/)