(the) Road to the Deep East

In the previous entry, I suggested Aoyama Thelma as a substitute for a social function of girl singers. If she or other adult women who are over 20 can become a remedy for our tired society instead of genuine kids, we won't have to depend on U15 girls, even after anti-lolicon porn law was set.

And now, at the same time, we will have to worry about the endangered culture called idol business itself. Some may say it is not necessary, it is just a creepy perverted culture, so just ban and destroy. But in a long run, I think it should be preserved for the future.

For example, remember Kabuki. When it was started around 16th century as Kabuki Odori(dance), this Japanese traditional play was seductive dancing and play performed by sexy women. It was a part of sex industry, just like Kyabakura today.

In Edo Era, the government at that time forbid the play performed by women because it was related to prostitution. But people who liked the dancing or play itself didn't give up, and continued Kabuki with pretty boys, just like Johny's concerts today. Soon, the ruthless government forbid the boy Kabuki again because there was a homosexual point, but people didn't give up again, and developed it until the realm of art, performed by men. And now, needless to say, 400 years later, Kabuki has become one of Japanese sophisticated traditional cultural products, as well as Sumo wrestling or geisha.

So, no matter how it looks stupidly today, nobody can say idol culture won't become the sophisticated art in the 30th century. At least, idol culture is unique. Especially, the very unique style of idol performance – the dance with pop music, which emphasizes the cuteness of young girls can't be seen any other countries in this world. Any cultural uniqueness should be preserved, otherwise, the world will be invaded by commercialism and American Empire.

But who can preserve and protect this tradition?

Of course, Hello Project or AKB48 is still very popular in Japan, and they have already succeeded commercially. And idol culture itself is being sharpened up among them. However, it seems they are depending too much on true loliconess recently. When the Idol Dark Age, the time the women under 20 years-old can't perform on the stage with sexiest costumes comes, fans won't follow them, and these troupes will have to disband themselves.

Then, I'd like to recommend, Perfume. What we need is more drastic approach, just like Kabuki in early days. If one style is forbidden , just create something similar but new. And I think Perfume can do it.

Today, they dropped a new album 'Game' today on April 15th, and in this album, we can see the magnificent futuristic style of idol culture - which will be able to survived, even after all child related things disappear from this country.


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According to some research, the people who were waiting for this album most was the men in their thirties. ... Now I have to admit, I'm one of this generation. Although I'm not so interested in idol music recently, Perfume was the exceptional. Certainly, I was longing for the release of album since I heard the news.

After I listen this album twice, I realized it is very natural the people over 30 can become interested in Perfume, musically, not loliconally. There are a lot of references from the music our generation( or more elder) used to listen. Especially, I was impressed by #2, 'Plastic smile', which reminded me of 80s techno pop and 70s disco together. Of course, our man in Shibuya (maybe), Nakata Yasutaka is spending his tremendous talent on this album, and making these references more sophisticated futuristic sounds just as he does for his group, capsule.

But at the same time, I have to think, Perfume is becoming too similar to capsule. In early works, other lyricist Kinoko was writing the lyrics, so there were apparent borderline between Perfume and capsule. But in this album, all songs and lyrics are penned by Yasutaka, and arranged by himself. If Yasutaka replace a-chan's distorted voice with Koshizima's, I think not so many listeners will notice at the difference.

Maybe only the point differenciate perfume from other Yasutaka works like capsule or coltemonika is how their songs are played at a live concert. The limited edition of this album include DVD with the live version of 'Polyrhysm' and 'SEVENTH HEAVEN', and we can see that exactly.

When I watched this DVD, I was just surprised, because they are still idols, and nothing has been changed from when I knew them well. Their style, and cutest choreography and short pants were still intact.

And what I said to myself then was.. Damn, Kashiyuka and Nocci are still too cute!!!



(Don't ask me about a-chan.)


As far as I remember, they are over 19 years, but their looks and behavior on the stage seemed to me the one from U18 ones, just like Aoyama Thelma's voice. Especially, I realized the goodness of idol choreography, which emphasizes the cuteness of girls.

So, in this album Perfume showed us the possibility that idol music ,idol style itself, can be performed by O20 women, and they can form idol culture, very naturally. And these very cute, traditional idol styles are combined with Nakata Yasutaka's fashionable sense, and their haromony is createing their own very unique world.

Then let's go back to today's theme. Even after U15, U18 or U20 idol culture was forbidden and destroyed by the Japanese government today, Perfume and Nakataka will be able to survive just as they demonstrate in this album. And they will pass down the trace of idol culture to the next generation. Just like Kabuki odori (dance) becomes artistic kabuki, bizarre idol culture is now becoming one kind of art or culture, called Perfume.