This week I got one response to my thoughts about solo idols. However, what a response it was! Steve from Selective Hearing wrote an article about his thoughts on solo idols. Now, since I won’t quote everything he wrote; you should just go read what he said. However, here’s a few of my thoughts on his response.

“As far as competing in the idol market today, in sales and popularity, I think soloists don’t even stand a chance, and the sales numbers and happenstance of the last few years seem to support this.”

I think this is very true. Steve goes on to describe how large groups allow people the idea that they can choose, and encourages people to only have one favorite (oshimen). Even though AKB48 isn’t my top idol group, even when I wasn’t really a big fan of the songs I felt like I should still follow the group. Now recently I’ve become a fan of Kawaei Rina, and that’s because there’s a big group to encourage variety. I don’t necessarily think this is a bad thing; I would say the majority of AKB48 girls would stand a chance as a soloist. That said, I like that I can be a fan of a girl who isn’t exceptionally talented or cut out to be a solo idol. I liked following Hata Sawako, the girl who was extremely shy. I like that there’s a girl like Shimazaki Haruka out there.

That said, I definitely agree that large groups like AKB48 make it difficult to justify a soloist idol. Steve also mentions that the popularity of soloist idols is almost certainly because of their group, which I would agree with. However, I think it could be a bit more complicated than that. A friend of mine became a fan of Watanabe Mayu’s primarily through her solo work, and I know I’ve gained an appreciation for Mayu because of that. I’ve personally gained a bit of interest in Yokoyama Rurika from Idoling because of her solo career. She may have gotten her start through Idoling, but I know it piqued my interest in her. That said, while it may promote the group, I’d say the majority of the popularity comes from the group, not from the soloist.

In his article, Steve brings up the decline in solo idol acts, which it’s impossible to refute. However, I have to wonder about the economics of the whole situation. I know that usually the rationale goes “larger idol group = more fans = more profit,” but there are a lot of girls in AKB who aren’t popular. The majority of the money is driven by the top senbatsu members, and there are a lot of other girls who have to be paid (though idol acts don’t necessarily pay well). Could a smaller idol act be more profitable than a larger one, simply because a larger one takes up more resources? I suppose if this was the case, there would be more smaller acts. However, I think a lot of companies are trying to emulate the 48 group success. When that dies down, could solo idols make a comeback at all?

Steve also brings up a good point when bringing up soloists who do songs for anime and dramas. One of my favorite idols is Aso Natsuko, a soloist. She’s not very popular, and her biggest selling single did well because it was the opening theme to the anime “Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu.” However, even though she doesn’t sell very well, this has allowed her to keep going and have a fairly steady solo career. That said, she didn’t start singing because she was a seiyuu or for this anime, but she does release singles primarily as themes for something or another.

Steve also mentioned Idoling!!!, and wonders if the group focusing on solo efforts is part of a larger management that’s less risk-averse than, say, Hello!Project counterparts. This may be true, but Idoling’s biggest asset is its TV show on Fuji TV. Since Idoling was formed for this show, it’s a huge part of their identity, I’d say more than any one single or music release. The fact they have this relatively guaranteed support from Fuji TV, this allows them to be a little more risky with their music releases. Just a theory, though.

I would like to see more soloist idols, though. Matsuura Aya is one of my favorite idols of all time, and I love that she was able to perform on her own. She was an extremely charismatic and compelling idol, and I think she did better as a soloist than in any of the side groups she was placed in. I also think it’s a better venue for the more talented girls out there; I had no idea that Yokoyama Rurika was such a talented vocalist from my very casual Idoling fandom. However, her solo career has given me a new appreciation of her. From my experience meeting Aso Natsuko, there’s something special about watching an idol command a stage by herself, and I hope that more soloists debut soon. There’s a place for large groups and soloists, and I hope both of them find a place to coexist.