True Life Seek

Regular scheduled programming has slowed on TLS. I’ve been trying to gather my thoughts on Aibon coming back. It’s been difficult putting together the right style for this entry. So instead of pushing myself any further, here is all I could come up with.

Deconstruction is a process that we all must face. It happens with celebrities, but it’s also a process seen with professional athletes, mentors and even parents. Every figure that we admire has another side to them. Deconstructing a person you cherish is not necessarily a negative process. The surface results may be unwanted. However, we humanize these people by breaking them down. A greater appreciation can be found here.

So many fans of Ai Kago will look at the last two years and this interview that has brought her back and not begrudge her. For better or worse, they’ve gotten to see a more personal side to the idol that they love.

So why am I bothered by her return?

I’m not going to suggest how you should appreciate pop entertainment. You may follow Hello!Project because you truly feel that you have a personal connection to an idol. You may enjoy the music. Hell, you may even think that it is really is the best music in the world. To each his own.

I pay attention to H!P for the fantasy. I enjoy watching the manufactured, exaggerated and sometimes larger-than-life personalities. I enjoy watching these personalities interact with each other. Sure, a scandal can peak up my interests. But deep down, I just want to see the act that cannot exist in real life.

There’s no more fantasy with Ai Kago.

I know that I said that I’d welcome her back with open arms. Maybe that was something that I could only say under the firm belief that she wasn’t coming back. Now her return, in some capacity, is seemingly a reality. I’m not accepting her back with open arms. It has to be due to the circumstances. The interview is definitely with the “real” Ai Kago.

The fantasy is absolutely gone with her. It’s not because she smoked a puff or sucked some d’s. Every time that I see Aibon now, I’m going to see a real person. A person who wants to have a tell-all about her career published (although these types of books in Japan can be less than revealing). A person with real life problems and concerns.

This is not why I pay attention to pop entertainment.

She is her own person making her own decisions. No matter how dedicated of a fan you may be - she owes nothing to you. She isn’t back to make up for her absence and decisions, she’s back to get paid. She may not even regret the past (despite what she has and will say in public). Lastly, I’m not saying that she SHOULD be the idol Ai Kago.

I just can’t definitely say that I’m going to be a big fan of Ai Kago’s career from here on out - despite what I’ve said in the past.

Posted on April 9th, 2008 by broomhead. Filed under Articles.
Tags: Ai Kago, Hello!Project, Idol Theory