fandom woes
13 Jul 2006 06:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mayoraaseiI think fans who've stuck with KAT-TUN since before they debut must have expected it once their debut was announced. When people said "they don't belong to us" any more, I had rolled my eyes and thought, "they didn't in the first place."
But I think, now, more or less, I know what they meant.
Before they debuted, KAT-TUN was sheltered, not only by Johnny's but in fact by their relative lack of fame. With the release of Real Face that shot unerringly to the top of the charts and sold more copies than my mind could grasp (I think within a week it was well over millions?), they've catapulted straight into the mainstream, with all its glitter and all its ugliness.
All kinds of dirt have been unearthed, and where it didn't exist, people fabricated it and threw it into the mix for good measure. Dating older women, under-age drinking, porn stars, god knows what.
Along with media scrutiny and idiocy is the unmistakable blooming of "fans", trampling into the fandom with their banners of love and ripping the place apart with their petty feuds.
When Kamenashi Kazuya and Akanishi Jin first came into popular notice with Gokusen, they brought with them a huge wave of enlistments in the fandom. Some of these fans matured. Others took sides and proceeded - when Kame progressed onto other jobs and Jin retreated quietly - to start wars between the fans.
That's not to say that the band members are relieved of all responsibility - after all, one of KAT-TUN's biggest problem (and asset) is that each member is individualistic and egocentric, and it has never been a sweet, close-knit group like Arashi.
But for fans to come in and try to rip apart alliances...it does nothing for the group.
I remember Irene saying, over and over again, "If they're KAT-TUN fans, they wouldn't start wars between Jin fans and Kame fans. If they're KA fans, they wouldn't take sides with one or the other."
Real fans...fans who've grown up with the group before they debuted, have acquired the patience and maturity that KAT-TUN's long road to debut demanded. Many new fans have less awareness. Less realisation of the hardwork each and every single KAT-TUN member had contributed, of the fear of being buried by Johnny's like so many other groups before it.
Maybe that's why these older fans have sighed and drew back slightly as new fans flooded in. KAT-TUN is no longer their sheltered treasure any more. The band is now in the public consciousness...and unfortunately, subject to all the malice and stupidity that inevitably comes with it.
I'm glad Irene's not here to hear of it ~~; But it's here just for the record![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fangirlzilla. If you get disturbed by retarded gay porn, I don't recommend actually clicking on that link. Honestly though...he doesn't even look like Ueda. ...And I know this is another rant altogether, but Ueda's always been one of the less (mentally and behaviourally) dandy group members amongst them. Sure, he fanboys Gackt, which in itself is disturbing enough, but he's always had that whole "big man" attitude ==;;;;
Completely unrelated...I want him to release a solo CD of his songs! Sung by Jin and/or Kame...because though Ueda's songs are always beautiful................he can't sing!!! *Cries*
But I think, now, more or less, I know what they meant.
Before they debuted, KAT-TUN was sheltered, not only by Johnny's but in fact by their relative lack of fame. With the release of Real Face that shot unerringly to the top of the charts and sold more copies than my mind could grasp (I think within a week it was well over millions?), they've catapulted straight into the mainstream, with all its glitter and all its ugliness.
All kinds of dirt have been unearthed, and where it didn't exist, people fabricated it and threw it into the mix for good measure. Dating older women, under-age drinking, porn stars, god knows what.
Along with media scrutiny and idiocy is the unmistakable blooming of "fans", trampling into the fandom with their banners of love and ripping the place apart with their petty feuds.
When Kamenashi Kazuya and Akanishi Jin first came into popular notice with Gokusen, they brought with them a huge wave of enlistments in the fandom. Some of these fans matured. Others took sides and proceeded - when Kame progressed onto other jobs and Jin retreated quietly - to start wars between the fans.
That's not to say that the band members are relieved of all responsibility - after all, one of KAT-TUN's biggest problem (and asset) is that each member is individualistic and egocentric, and it has never been a sweet, close-knit group like Arashi.
But for fans to come in and try to rip apart alliances...it does nothing for the group.
I remember Irene saying, over and over again, "If they're KAT-TUN fans, they wouldn't start wars between Jin fans and Kame fans. If they're KA fans, they wouldn't take sides with one or the other."
Real fans...fans who've grown up with the group before they debuted, have acquired the patience and maturity that KAT-TUN's long road to debut demanded. Many new fans have less awareness. Less realisation of the hardwork each and every single KAT-TUN member had contributed, of the fear of being buried by Johnny's like so many other groups before it.
Maybe that's why these older fans have sighed and drew back slightly as new fans flooded in. KAT-TUN is no longer their sheltered treasure any more. The band is now in the public consciousness...and unfortunately, subject to all the malice and stupidity that inevitably comes with it.
I'm glad Irene's not here to hear of it ~~; But it's here just for the record
fangirlzilla. If you get disturbed by retarded gay porn, I don't recommend actually clicking on that link. Honestly though...he doesn't even look like Ueda. ...And I know this is another rant altogether, but Ueda's always been one of the less (mentally and behaviourally) dandy group members amongst them. Sure, he fanboys Gackt, which in itself is disturbing enough, but he's always had that whole "big man" attitude ==;;;; Completely unrelated...I want him to release a solo CD of his songs! Sung by Jin and/or Kame...because though Ueda's songs are always beautiful................he can't sing!!! *Cries*
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no subject
Date: 2006-07-13 03:12 pm (UTC)personally i think the older woman dating scam was part of the sapuri thing ~.~
anyway well said!!!
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Date: 2006-07-14 12:13 am (UTC)Yay for Arashi! Matsujun kakkoiiii!
Unrelated note... I am having trouble finishing Gokusen 2. Somehow it doesn't have the same charm as Gokusen 1...
no subject
Date: 2006-07-14 04:00 am (UTC)Yeah, Gokusen 2 is crap unless you're watching it for the guys, but even then it was bloody trying ~~; Personally, I prefer Kindaichi in all of Kame's roles. His new one, Sapuri, is too romance soapy for my taste.
Hmm, big fat Kame fan vs Jin fan wars XD Especially during the time when Jin didn't do anything and Kame got roles in Dreamboy, Nobuta, Kindaichi and played MC on most shows (well...he's always been MC for KAT-TUN hosted shows anyway). A lot of Jin fans were like "OMG, you know, Kame's such a self-centred unscrupulous bastard, stealing all these jobs from Jin" and Kame fans were like "OMG, look at how talented Kame is, Jin sucks in comparison".
It was pretty retarded ==; Both Kame and Jin have their strengths, and they sure as hell don't need fans to defend them from each other =0=|||
Oh...the Kame and Yama-P thing...I thought they got along really well during Nobuta? But the two have never been really close in the first place. There's always been a bit of...wedge? in their relationships because Kame and Jin head KAT-TUN, but Yama-P and Jin are best friends. It's just after Nobuta, Yama-P went on a live interview and said some rather unsavoury things about Kame, which pissed a lot of Kame fans off >__>;
...Wow, long reply ^^;;;;;
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Date: 2006-07-15 02:01 pm (UTC)I gave up after watching Gokusen 2 hahaha. Though Tara/_roentgen_ is dying to give it a go due to the pretty boys on show XD! I wonder if there was much proactiveness on Jin's part to get more roles? Surely with his looks he could do well himself... (his nose's side-profile looks better than Kame's for one thing......)
I think the minor animosity b/w Kame and Yamapi was indeed due to Yamapi being such good friends with Jin...? Unfriendliness by association :P I haven't heard much about Yamapi's personality (his backstabbing of Kame might provide some indication) but Tara reckons Yamapi's quite full of himself XD Acts like he's all that...
HAVE YOU WATCHED HANA YORI DANGO!? OMG?! *SQUEEEEEEEE*
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Date: 2006-07-15 02:23 pm (UTC)Well, he did get Anego, which was quite similar to the one Kame's doing right now (working white-collar woman romance with younger man). Umm...I think he also did go for Dreamboy, but Kame got that role instead, and apparently...that made him peeved enough to pull out of Dreamboy altogether (it was the case for the first one, can't remembered what happened in the second one).
I'm rather glad that he's not acting though. Kame's been so busy with acting lately that he's now really bad on live shows because of lack of practice. Jin's a natural at singing, and I'm glad he's focusing on that now instead of fighting over roles. It's a pity Kame's out of practice T__T Kame and Jin ballad duets are really beautiful, their voices just complement so well ;__;
I haven't heard much about Yamapi's personality
Girly, thus the "P" XD But otherwise...hmm, he's smart and he's popular with senpai's in the company, and he knows it.
HAVE YOU WATCHED HANA YORI DANGO!? OMG?! *SQUEEEEEEEE*
YES OF COURSE I HAVE!!! *SQUEEEEEE*!!!!!!! OMG MATSUJUN WAS THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE WAS SO DAMN ADORABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! Oguri Shun wasn't half bad either. He has such a kind voice.
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Date: 2006-07-17 01:20 am (UTC)LOL I did get an idea of how badly Kame sings from Seishun Amigo lives... that really is terrible haha. Though Yamapi isn't much better... have you seen the hilarious clip where he drops the mic and fumbles for it, hence getting caught for lip-syncing?
Oh yes... Boku wa Imouto ni Koi wo Suru... what do you think?!
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Date: 2006-07-17 05:55 am (UTC)Is Boku-Imo out already? The last I've heard of it was some preview pictures of the shooting process.
I don't know. I'd love to see it just for MatsuJun, but I've read bits of the manga and IT REALLY PISSED ME OFF (http://luna-rainbow.livejournal.com/76236.html). It's so pretentious and sickening, and the basis doesn't even make biological sense.
If you've watched it, tell me how it is ^^;
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Date: 2006-07-18 12:38 am (UTC)However ridiculous the manga, we can reassure ourselves that the movie is a challenge for Matsujun and we'll watch it just to see how he fares ^^. Apparently the actress he's working with is a hopelessly inexperienced model-turned-actor who is said to be only good for her looks, and they supposedly don't get along well at all o.o.
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Date: 2006-07-15 02:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-15 02:26 pm (UTC)