Girl groups: kpop vs jpop

[bubbleguMs]

Hey guys, I have been curious about this for some time. Personally, I have only been exposed to one jpop idol group that is AKB48. So for the sake of comparison, SNSD for kpop should suffice.

Personally, I started following kpop first. Jpop (or AKB48) was okay to me when I decided to try listening. But soon, I realise that most of AKB48's songs sound rather similar. Their dance moves as well, are boring. Their costumes too. Why does AKB48 always appear in that lolita, maid uniform of theirs. I know some of you would think the same for SNSD, since SM artists have been known to stick to a "template" of sorts with their music. I think so too, SNSD and Suju are becoming predictable, boring and dull. However safe SM's tactic is, I still find that I prefer kpop to jpop. For one, their costumes change, even during the different times they go on stage to perform the same song. Dance moves wise, I find kpop's sleeker and appropriate, while jpop's girls are always jumping around. This might be a reflection of the difference in both country's culture. Probably men in japan prefer the cute to anything else -that's why the popularity of the term kawaii. Korean men probably had a different perspective on beauty. They prefer mature girls. Even if kpop girl groups do a lively and energetic song, they manage to make it cute and mature at the same time.

I am very interested to know how is kpop faring in Japan. If there are any japs here, please fill me in. What do you think about kpop in japan, and how popular is kpop in japan? Is kpop, which has already started to "dominate" the globe, also taking over jpop?

[tenkei]

Well, now.

You're making a generalization by looking at very specific element of Japanese pop culture, AKB48; i.e. Idols. Then again you're also using the same generalization for Korean pop culture, so I'm not really sure how to respond to the question entirely. If you want to just compare Korean Idols (SNSD) against Japanese Idols (AKB48), then yes they are very different. They actually have the same goals and endgame in mind, but they package it in rather different ways. Also, while AKB48 tends to be more cute than sexy, they do have their sexy side. Just as SNSD has their cute side despite usually being more sexy. And each culture has groups that do one more than the other. There are plenty of sexy groups within the Japanese music industry and plenty of cute ones in Korea.

If you take a broader scope of both industries, Jpop and Kpop, you'll actually see that neither SNSD nor AKB48 are good representatives for their respective cultures. I'm not saying they're bad, rather I'm saying that one group should never, and will never, represent an entire music industry. If I let SNSD represent Kpop for me, I probably wouldn't be very interested in it--which is why I sought out other Korean groups to hold my interest. If you don't understand the appeal of AKB48, I suggest you try looking for other Japanese artists. If you want something that's similar in style to SNSD or other Korean artists, there are plenty.

As for Korean groups in Japan, they are doing well. The Hallyu wave has always been popular in Japan. Years ago it was BoA and DBSK that made the impact on the Japanese music scene, this time it's just everyone and their mothers. Some acts do better than others, SNSD and KARA do pretty well in Japan. Just like anything, there are two sides to the Hallyu wave. A lot of people enjoy it, support it, buy the music and fan over the groups--how else would it get popular, right? But there is a more silent force in Japan that doesn't appreciate it and does want the Korean influx to stop. But it's called a wave for a reason, and waves dissipate over time.

[bubbleguMs]

Haha. Yea yeah. I admit I'm making too hasty a generalisation. SNSD and AKB48 are by no means representative of the industry they're in, even though they might be heading those very industries. I suddenly realised what a point you have made there. Although AKB48 and the japanese culture at large are so kwaii-obsessed, that doesn't mean they only have their cute side to show. In fact, I have seen member(s) of AKB48 posing sexily for magazine photoshoots. And if I'm not wrong, some members (or probably only one) has ventured into the porn industry. It is interesting to see how japan culture can be so paradoxical, when at one hand, innocence and pure cuteness are the primary attractions of pop culture, but at the same time, the country's porn industry is one of the largest, if not the largest, in asia. And trust me, I know japan's porn industry rather well. It has the most elaborate range of fetishes I have ever come across.

I just want to understand this paradox here. Are we talking about the same group of people here who are into both fandoms. Or are we looking at different demographic ranges in japan? The fans or cutesy idols and adult idols are certainly not mutually exclusive, but what is the extent of that?

[Deft-Monkey]

If I may go on a tangent from the main topic to respond to some of your questions:

It is interesting to see how japan culture can be so paradoxical, when at one hand, innocence and pure cuteness are the primary attractions of pop culture, but at the same time, the country's porn industry is one of the largest, if not the largest, in asia.

You say that, but, perhaps even more paradoxically, cuteness and innocence have a large role in Japan's porn industry. I see it as Japan telling us that cute and innocent girls can have sex too. Possibly. The porn industry in Japan should be considered as part of their pop culture. There are now idol groups comprised of JAV actresses. There are series dedicated to parodying AKB48 to aid the folks at home with realising their fantasies. Visualising, anyway. It's all connected in one way or another. In some sense, for want of a better phrase, the two industries go hand in hand.

How did we arrive at this topic exactly?