J-Pop Idol VS K-Pop Idol [INFO]

 Japan Idol Group 

 VS

Korean Girlband

In 2011 be the year that many K-pop began to flood the music industry in the world, especially in Japan. Many Korean girlband who made ​​their debut in Japan, the most successful is the Shojo Jidai and KARA. From year to year, K-pop stick nails in the Japanese music world. Concrete evidence was seen of the 100 best-selling CD single in Japan. In 2009 there were 3 single K-pop CD that goes into the chart, in the year 2010 there were 6 CD singles were entered and in 2011 there were 14 CD singles were entered. K-pop counter are also beginning to look at leading music stores in Japan like Tsutaya Music Store. Store employees who were interviewed also said that over the years seen an increasing number of buyers K-pop. However, this does not mean J-pop can not compete in their own country. J-pop genre has a very broad and diverse.  

While the successful K-pop in Japan today is fill segments idol group and only one part of the J-pop. In addition to having the very large, the Japanese idol group itself is still strong in the presence of the AKB48 is Idol Group has been named the number one in Japan. AKB48 is up to the influence of various countries in Asia and has been holding concerts in several European countries. In fact, sales of some of the latest AKB48 single recent record CD sales ever recorded in Japan as well as a group with the highest single sale in the United World Chart. 

From Hello! Project Agency also have S / mileage that are currently regarded as the most prominent group among other groups in the family Hello! Project Agency. After its debut in 2010 with an average member age of 14 years, S / mileage much interest fans of Hello! Project, not only in Japan but also outside of Japan. S / mileage was awarded as The Best New Comer Group and was named the group "Mottomo Kawaii Onna-tachi Nihon" [The Japanese Cutes Girls].

If followed carefully, competition idol group in Japan is very hard because of idol group that there are very many, they are struggle for identity that makes them stand out among the other idol groups. One of the idol groups are said to have a very good quality in the singing and dancing are the E-Girls, a group that has just debuted and ready to shake the Japanese music scene in 2012. Meanwhile, producer Tsunku known as Hello! Project, has just set up a Akihabara Back Stage Pass is expected to give birth to new idols with the formation of a different system from the existing idol group. However, the idol of the many groups that already exist, Korean Girlband could be favored because it has different genres and things that are not owned idol group in Japan. The presence of Korean Girlband make the world idol competition heats up in Japan. Now, the question arises in the presence of Kanryuu [Korean boom], as the Japanese idol group to position themselves. To find the answer, interviews with several key figures who are experts in the world was made.

Sayuki Fuma, a professor at one of Tokyo's leading who also works as an observer of Korean pop culture, providing an opinion on the value of K-pop owned. He observed that there are a lot of very serious condition that must pass to become an idol in Korea. The main concern is performance, an idol away, because there absolutely must be handsome or beautiful. Because it looks to be a mandatory requirement for the idol there, then the plastic oprasi culture is not a taboo in Korea. they also must have the support and height should also have beautiful feet. Fukuyama-sensei actually add almost anything you could say there is no group who sing while doing the dance is energetic and hard in Japan. Although there are several such groups in the era of the 1990s, but they have different market segments. It could be said that Korean Girlband are a group of "Kansei" or can be considered perfect, although the system is actually owned by Korean Girlband take the base of the idol group in Japan who later developed their own approach to Korean Style. They apply high dicipline training and military-style, that's a lot of Japanese people was surprised with the way they sing and dance. They provide something different for the Japanese people, so start preferred.

The second person interviewed is Tsunku, who gave his opinion on the differences Girlband and Idol Group . According to him, Japan Idol and Korean Girlband have some similar groups. In addition to singing and performance, they also appeared on numerous TV shows and dramas. What distinguishes it is the Japanese girl has a factor of "moe" which may be difficult to be described in words, but can be felt at the sight of them. Besides Japan Idol at first birth for a segment to the otaku, but now the idol began to be accepted in various circles. If the Korean Girlband have a high level of perfect. Japan Idol girls usually are not perfect. Not perfect but because this is what makes Japan Idol more interesting because the fans can see how they evolve. This makes the interaction between Idol and fans closer. He stated support for something that most fans are perfect with a rudimentary very different. Psychologically, the fans will be feeling more moved to see a rudimentary idol to continue their support counts, so the relationship between idol and fans semkain closer and better understanding between them.

Takamasa Sakurai, one producer of media contents that have been introduced Japanese pop culture to various countries, were to give an opinion on the K-pop. According to him, the unique factors that have a Japanese girl is kawaii. Although it could be interpreted literally kawaii is cute, but the sense of how the Japanese kawaii cute owned different girls outside of Japan. Kawaii factor, too, who make very large Japanese idol group outside Japan. Actually, fans of the Japanese idol group in the world very much, even he often find Hello! Project's fans in many European countries. He described his experiences. while in China, when he asked why so many people in the country was really like K-pop, he received the many reasons is because many Korean artists to come. The frequency of arrival of Korean artists to various countries in Asia are much more frequent and more than the Japanese artist, so the news about a Japanese artist who came to Asia countries very little bit. According to him, this is unfortunate because the real fans of Japanese idols in Asian countries is very extensive, especially among young people, and they are still waiting for their idol to come to his country. Another problem faced by the Japanese idol is a language. Of course when singing, Japanese Idol who will use the Japanese language, as well as Korean artists will use the Korean language, but Korean artists have the ability to speak English as an international language is better than the Japanese artist. Because it does not master the language to communicate outside of Japan, the Japanese Idol will usually be discouraged in advance before setting out the Japanese, unlike the Korean artists who are more confident to go to any country outside of Korea.

A Korean citizen named Jon Kim who works as a cultural observer of Japan and Korea could share his views. According to what distinguishes young J-pop and K-pop J-pop is more focused to succeed in their own country, while the K-pop is more focused to be successful globally. Therefore, K-pop over to have a more customized content to global markets, while J-pop still holding with Japanese tradition with restrictions that have never penetrated from the first.

Out of interviews with figures above, the Idol fans in Japan are not too concerned about outbreaks of K-pop in Japan because to them, Idol Group fans and K-pop fans can not be together because they are different things with each character masign. From the results of one survey in the Japanese magazine also obtained the results, usually K-pop fans in Japan are the ones who used to be fans Ayumi Hamasaki and Namie Amuro, while the Japanese Idol fans can say almost nothing is a K-pop fans . Beyond all that, lately, not all Japanese people accept the presence of K-pop. There are some things that trigger the movement of K-pop sentiment lately. One trigger is considered a newcomer could not pronounce Japanese properly Degnan. Allegedly due to be tempted by the success of its predecessor in the Japanese market, the group is forced to make its debut in Japan with bad language Jepan.

Credit from Animonster Magazine   

Original Laguage : Indonesian

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