Forum - View topicIdol Incidents (TV).
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15462 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Idol Incidents (TV) Genres: Themes: idols Plot Summary: In a parallel world similar to ours, the nation of Japan is plagued with social problems, yet its government can do little or nothing. To save the nation from collapsing, seven idol parties become Diet members and, by their song and dance, will rescue the Japanese society from stagnation. ---------------------------------- Available on Crunchyroll. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15462 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episodes 1 to 7
I am coming out with this topic a bit late, seven episode in, but at this point I really want to talk about this show, like weekly thinking on topics. But it is not on a positive reason. The series' main premise is mixing being a member of the diet, politician, with being an idol, a kind of celebrity. And it is kind of a really horrible concept, being good at one does not mean they should be the other. From the first episode the main character is pretty much completely ignorant of things relevant to being a politician, it is treated completely okay because she is apparently an idol to locals in her area. Idol shows can be okay, I can enjoy some, but especially when it comes to real life I get really unnerved because often it feels like full on manipulation of its fanbase by a phony reality put in place, and that becomes even creepier when you consider politics. A lot of the situations the show has put in where the main characters stand on is some sort of point that could be easy to get behind on an emotional level, but the reality of these topics is that they are complicated. In response the show has made the opposing side to the idol diet women into strawman caricatures, made kind of ridiculously ugly in body and mind, where they are scheming with shadowy dealings in the same restaurants. In episode 7 we got introduced to a construction company building a stadium in the main character's hometown, and all of the citizens there are protesting because they "know" that it will spoil their nature, create garbage, and be of no use because they are too far away. It is treated like a major injustice and I am just thinking, "wait how do these random rural people and children know this?". On the question of them being far away, the answer is that it is development, and chances are that bringing development to such areas would bring people and jobs, it is exactly what such areas should want and just not would know. But this show really does not go into the difficult topics, the initial emotional response of them put into simple terms are always treated as right. I have to mention episode 5. It actually had a kind of interesting topic, one of supporting mothers to return to the workforce, and thus their kids need some sort of long hour care, a kind of great topic. But the episode was also horrible with how it was handling it, simply a hostage situation at a kindergarten, one where apparently the kindergarteners were holding people hostage to keep their place from being defunded. As ridiculous as that sounds, the truth was that another group of idol diet women were allowing themselves to be hostages, essentially these politicians were faking a hostage situation to combat politician who openly shouts that mothers should stay home instead of work. This does not even go into the episodes where problem happens, idols try and solve it by singing, and it appears the day is saved with bringing everyone to help in some way, but the show the truth is that the core problem was never solved. A lot of illegal dumping of garbage is "solved" by people dressing it up like an amusement park. Cats kidnapped and shipped off an island illegally just have them swim back, it all forgotten. Sabotage of a swimming event including sexual harassment and dissolving swimwear and live octopus put in is solved by suddenly selling takoyaki. And questions in the validity of shooting water rockets off of the government building is solved after revealing there is no ghost, statues of the founding fathers of Japan's government or something come to life saying they are idol fans, and instead they invite children into the observatory of the die building to do stargazing, mind you right in the middle of the city which is silly. There actually is the opportunity of an interesting topic for the premise, and that was perhaps the danger of politicians being voted in on merits such as being popular while being incredibly incompetent, and profiting off of it for the further exposure while really not knowing what they are doing. It would be like, for example, someone was a reality TV star, and got voted in as a politician, maybe even the leader of the country, despite having no understanding of the position or complex topics, and making a bunch of snap decisions off of a certain public that are equally ignorant or misinformed on the topics. Could you imagine such a scenario? In that way it has been kind of timely. But this show is playing it completely straight, these pretty and young idols apparently know better than all of the other politicians, and should be free from criticism because practicing dancing and singing is a proper use of their time. Backing up a bit, the idol bits are not the best, but there are can be some pretty charming parts, which makes me think the show would be better if there was more of a focus on this sort of thing instead of also making them members of the congress. |
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 Bargain Hunter Posts: 23769 |
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Cuteness is justice!!!
We are working for the smiles of the people!!! Heh-heh-heh, DP I can totally understand why this show would get under your skin. The issues you raise are valid. However, I like it. Yes, it is about half-an-inch deep (I'm being generous), but there is something about its frothy, shiny, "we can do it!" spirit that appeals to me. I think part of it is sheer wish-fulfillment. There is so much crappy stuff going on in politics these days, from my perspective, like Trump and Brexit, that people who think like me seem helpless to prevent. So a show where obvious, ridiculous, strawpeople political villains get thwarted is satisfying even on a ridiculous level like this. Fortunately, I am a master at being able to sit back, relax, turn off my brain and enjoy a bit of frippery. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15462 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Please, teach me your ways sensei. *Buddhist bow*
It is not like I totally dislike everything. The part I think the show has right is character of all the idols. Even the dopey rice ball main character can be fun, and it was in a way fun when she won over the hard boiled police officer. I think it was a goth loli who especially won me over. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15462 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 8
Interesting, it felt like this episode touched on a lot of the issues I had that the show had left open. A lot with media, even a mention of fake news. |
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Bargain Hunter Posts: 23769 |
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Ha ha, while I was watching the show, I was wondering how you would react to it, DP. It's almost like they read your comments and magically put together an episode to address them.
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15462 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 12 (finale)
Will admit I laughed at the very end at the absurdity of it, and felt invested in the whole idol thing, so it was all enjoyable. But the logic section of my brain kicks in that in terms of politics it was kind of a bit too much with platitudes. I do think the idol part of this show was not too bad, it could be nice and silly, but bringing in politics as a serious issue and never able to treat it seriously. Sure it was flirting with the topic a few episodes ago with saying that they focused too much on being idols and not necessarily making sure the politics were holding up, but it did not feel like it properly addressed it. As it was, the show kind of treated that idol work was all about concerts and preparing for them, but in the end I think it was a bit of a disservice marrying the two concepts of a member of the diet and an idol. That they maybe could create a following and live up to those people while maybe they could weed out the corruption. The last episode had the PM abusing power to create various roadblocks to the venue, and what I was thinking about it was perhaps an updated modern perspective you could have them and their followers take pictures of cronies set up to cause problems, and track down the corruption back to the source. That it was not a case of idols flooding the streets and bringing things to a standstill with their fans, but a clear act of sabotage by those in power to keep a status quo. In the world right now there is a certain level of politic nature, and while I am not sure how it is in Japan, but if there was a message in this on the topic, it was kind of messy. Okay, I will break like a kind rule and actually discuss politics. I am Australian, so it is not my country, but right now in the world America has Donald Trump, a man that used his "star power" to manipulate the American people into worshiping by putting on a face of among other things as anti-establishment. Over the run of this show I have just as much treated the messed up things I am hearing disastrous looming consequences as a type of entertainment, that people will find an idol and believe in them regardless of how awful they are for the job. As I saw the idol dietwomen work up to do a concert to rally people in some sort of no plan to solve the problem, what kept coming to mind is that one guy running rallies filled with platitudes or grossly misinformed announcements and not actually looking at decisions that would focus on helping people. I probably have no way to even think on things that way as an outsider, but it can kind of look like a joke to outsiders, and even for entertainment it can not look like something that should not be made of too lightly. Maybe in the scheme of things I have not been too fair. I have thought quite a lot in this show, talking about despite bad things I can kind of stand behind some fun characters. But it was this show that decided to make something like the diet be involved, and I don't think it did enough or had a right message to be congratulated. I give a rating of Weak (3/10), more than anything I regret having expectations that it would improve itself beyond what it started out as. |
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