This week I got a lovely comment from one of my favorite idol bloggers and a friend of mine, Chiima of Okay! Musume Time!

Much like you, I feel that Sasshi is right in one way, but wrong in another. Idols don’t necessarily need that talent, but they need a likeability factor about them, and for some, their likeability factor is their skills in dancing, singing, or how they portray themselves. Nakanishi Kana, for example, has the skill of being able to speak. She speaks very well (which surprised me, because I always took her as the goofy girl I loved and cherished) and, whilst it doesn’t seem like a talent, has become one of her strong points, as Yattaruchan has shown (and Hello! Pro Station when she MC’ed). But some girls do need their talent to get them by, like Maeda Atsuko. I find Acchan so boring and bland, and she is forgettable with her looks, but her voice is so pretty to listen to.

For me though, I like Idols for various reasons, whether it is their talent (Ayumi as a dancer), their looks (Iikubo Haruna) or just because I absolutely adore them for their lack of talent and other driving factors about them which make them shine in my eyes (Eripon and her awkward beauty, her love for Gaki etc, and Niigaki Risa for her acting skills).

But like you say in your post, it is how the Idol is marketed, and when marketed well, they can truly shine as Idols and prove their worth in different areas that do not focus on singing or dancing.

By the way, very well written, and a joy to read. I love you~

This is pretty much what I think. Standing out is pretty much the biggest thing an idol needs to do. At this point, there are hundreds and hundreds of idols in Japan. The 48 groups alone have hundreds of members, and there are even more groups out there. If you’re going to be an idol, it’s important, if you want fans, to have something that they can latch onto. The reason I became a fan of Team Syachihoko’s Ooguro Yuzuki, for example, is her obvious enthusiasm while performing. Other idols have similar qualities, but just the level of her excitement is really special.

Chiima brings up an interesting point with Maeda Atsuko, though. I’d consider her to be one of the most important, popular idols of all time. Yet, there’s nothing about her that really stands out. She does have a pretty voice, but there are stronger vocalists out there. She’s pretty, but not particularly gorgeous. She doesn’t have a big personality, or something that really stands out. Yet she was very popular. A good part of this is the push, since she was pushed as AKB’s center since pretty much the beginning .Really, the thing about her that stands out is that she’s kind of the archetypal girl next door. She’s pretty, but seemingly attainable.

Basically I agree with Chiima; idols are capitalizing on what the individual girls have to offer, and marketing them.