FANDOM, SAY WHAT?!

article taken from ficaholics...just laugh. no need to get defensive.

It’s almost the end of the concert tour, and despite all the problems that occurred before I arrived to Japan, it seems the gods are finally looking my way. Throughout the entire concert, my favorite member would not look at me even though he was always in front of me. Instead, he looked at other fans and shook their hands, threw them peace signs, even played rock-paper-scissors with some of them. But never once did he look my way. As I sat there waving my sign, “I came from AMERICA!” as far as my short arms could reach, I promised myself that he was no longer my favorite member.

Fortunately for me, maybe things didn’t have to end this way. As the concert went longer and longer, all the fans around me began to rush out of the stadium, despite the fact that we had some of the best seats in the large venue, and despite the fact that the concert was actually still going on. But as it was in Japan, people had to catch the last trains home, and the only way was to miss the ending of the concert. As I looked left and right, I soon came to realize I was the last person in my row, but still, this was no reason for my idol to turn my way. As I sulked in my own misery, I saw a shine of light and right in front of my nearly teary eyes was a God-sent hand. When I looked up and met the face of the owner; it wasn’t my idol, but it was another member I equally adored.

He helped me on stage and guided me towards the main stage with a smile that could make any female faint. Completely at a loss of words, I looked around to find that the other four members had all gathered a fan as well. Wondering what was going on, and the fans still unluckily standing in front of their seats yelling at the top of their lungs, I thanked God that he had waited to bless me till the very end. Before I knew it I was surrounded by the other five-selected fans and the five members of the group and was escorted backstage. As we stood there in curiosity wondering what was going on, the members immediately disappeared back onto the main stage and left us with a young woman that looked too stern to be giving us good news.

“Hello, I’m with Johnny’s Associates. We’re aware that you bought your tickets off of Yahoo Auctions, which you should know is ILLEGAL and will be punished with severe consequences!”

And then I woke up.

There is only one word to describe such a dream.

Fandom.

Every fandom is different and the same. Similarities come from the aspect that essentially, minus the crazies, every fan feels the same despite who they are fanning over. Most of the differences are because of the differences in cultures. As someone that has experienced both JPOP and KPOP fandoms, I can confidently say, there is always the good and bad, despite who, what, where, when, and why the hot boy is swaying his hips.

Some of the strongest and most enduring similarities of JPOP and KPOP come from the deepest roots of what we see as humanism. It didn’t matter whether I understood what my idol was singing or saying, what I was 100% sure of from both worlds was that their music was something that was implanted within my soul. But that goes for all music all over the world.

Another eerie similarity in both fandoms would be the crazies. It seems no fandom can run from the crazies. The fans that think their idol is theirs, and only theirs. The fans that have nothing better but to annoy the living daylights out of other fans. The fans that make voodoo dolls out of all the beautiful actresses their idols have kissed. Basically the fans that make live a living hell for the artists as well as for the other non-crazy fans.

Due to the crazies, there will always be the same kind of drama in fandoms. Communities versus communities, fan groupies versus fan groupies, the older fans that think all newer fans are completely imbeciles, the new fans that think no one loves their idol more than they do causing for an attack from the crazies, and last but not least, the drama ensued by overwork from the management companies, anti fans, rival groups, rival group fans, and most popular scandals with pretty celebrities. I guess there is no such thing as completely peaceful, whether it is in the world, in countries, in families, and now even in fandoms.

Some of the best similarities need no words.

• Taking off clothes.
• Really really really yaoi yaoi lemon lemon sour sour rated XXXXR fanfics.
• Touching each other and enjoying the fans’ reactions.
• Couple rivalry.
• At least one crying fan at a concert.
• Foreign fans growing with each day.
• Falling for other pretty boys from the same management company.
• Any drama or movie with a member is a must watch.

Whilst there are far too many similarities, there are also slight differences that make experiencing the different fandoms an entirely new experience. Most of it would have to be blamed on the different cultures of the two countries, which cause fandoms to react in different ways according to the tradition that their idol was brought up by.

Starting from the foundation of it all, while the top management companies of both countries seem to have one object and only one object, they still go about things quite different, even if the end result is the same. Fans spending too much money for their own good.

Johnny’s Entertainment the factory that produces boy bands at the speed of light, will offer plenty of things to fans, and then they let the fans dual it out, Gladiator style, except cash instead of swords. The company follows a strict, living within Japan only fans allowed format, but even so all concert tickets are sold on a lottery system, causing an auction war in order to obtain prime sits in any venue. This also causes havoc for fans living outside of the country, once again causing young girls to go bankrupt before they’ve even graduated college.

On the other hand SM Entertainment of Korea, the Johnny’s equivalent of Korea except with female counterparts that make for great scandals within the company, has the exact opposite way of ticketing. Fans still have to fight for their lives, but instead of with prices, they fight to get any tickets to any show before the server of the ticketing site crashes. Best seats always go to those that ticket with a stable internet connection, and a stroke of good luck.

Another obvious difference is the way fans treat their idols. Within Japan, the notion of inconveniencing others is quite frowned upon and is in no way accepted by the society. Along with such thinking is the condition that all rules must be followed and will be punished at all costs. This brings us to the idols and their fans. Rules will not be broken by fans nor the idols, and anything that is done in ill manner will be met with severe punishment. Drinking underage will be met with at least a year of no activities and shunned from the public eye. Fans invading the private lives of the artists will conclude to such things as digital cameras being thrown onto train platforms, or the members sending out a massive email reprimanding everyone at how inconsiderate they all are. I can confidently say that compared to the Korean fandoms, the celebrities definitely have the upper hand in a Japanese fandom.

Now onto the flip side. Korea on the other hand is about appeasement. Whether it be the fans or the idols, it’s completely about appeasing. Sometimes to appease oneself, sometimes to appease the fan, sometimes to appease the idol. One will never see an idol riding a train like a JPOP idol, because for sure at least a few people would get trampled to death. There is no such thing as private lives because no matter where the idol be, at a funeral, school, live broadcasting, community service, no matter how inappropriate the fans will be taking pictures, because you’ve got to appease those fan websites. But KPOP idols will always appease their fans, even their antis. If you ever decide to attempt to kill the leader of the most popular group in Korea, do it with the most confidence, because it’s not like they’ll ever press charges anyway.

Some of the most obvious differences. Of course while both countries have guys too hot to ever exist in our normal lives, there are definitely physical differences that differentiate the Koreans from the Japanese.

For example.

169 centimeters versus 178 centimeters.

These are average heights. Which one is Japanese and which one is Korean? For those that don’t know, the Koreans tend to be slightly taller, generally. As if height was not the only differences, both countries will produce massive hotties, but once again, generally, the KPOP world seems to be much more accepting of male cosmetic surgery, despite how rabidly the fans deny their idol's new nose is obviously just because he lost two pounds.

Lastly, the biggest difference is about performances.

When a song is sung live, the KPOP idols usually melt hearts. Their voices are powerful and soothing, their dancing exotic, vibrant, and breathtaking. In every way, you can feel the strength of a live performance from the depths of your soul. That’s not saying it’s not the same with JPOP. When experiencing JPOP lives, it’s very different. Unlike KPOP, lives have been mandatory for a much longer time in Japan, and what they sometimes cannot fulfill with flowery voices, they do with performances. Whether it be clear stages that move above the heads of the fans, or members bungee jumping from ceilings. What one country lacks, the other country fulfills, but that doesn’t necessarily make one better or worse. Essentially, what matters is that both are able to bring joy in the same manner despite their weaknesses and strengths.

Fandom has its similarities and differences.

But that’s not what matters. What matters is what you make of your fandom at the end of the day, despite the fact that no one else in the world understands.

Because you know in the end…whether in Korean or Japanese, idol is still idol.