Reply To: Live Actions & JDorama Review & discussion

Yes and no.

In the show, she changes via makeup etc to become the idol. So yes. In real life Watanabe Mayu had to become one year older in order to play in Majisuka Gauken 1. Here she had to age by 21 years. It’s the reverse. If you are looking for an older lady idol doing those idol poses, you will be served, too. All of these AKB48 featured shows have some (funny) real world relationships.

The following is just my opinion on everything. Don’t read it if you are not interested.

The thing I like about Saba Doll is that it relates to common situations or typical slice of life: idol and normal student’s life and troubles.

It doesn’t get too deep into the problems, though, but it solves them somehow.

An idol’s life is hard. In the show Mayu gets for example only 5 hours of sleep in 3 days. That’s one hour longer then me on a live-fire week long ‘field trip’ with pyrotechnics and bad guys running around under extreme weather and environment conditions.

The idols also start out at a very young age: Watanabe Mayu@12, Oshima Yuko@13, Maeda Atsuko@14. They practically lose their teenager years. In Japan it seems they are exploited more than in western countries. Well, I’m not much of an idol fan and I don’t know enough to make a direct comparison. I just gleamed these from the wiki.

It’s hard for the family, too. The show does show this with a conflict of interest between Mayu and her sister. Then there’s the problem with certain fans. The show features a creepy (understatement) fanatic stalking fan who infiltrates into her family in order to expose her.

The show also deals with uncertainty of decisions for the future of an idol/student, their dreams and goals. Saba Doll also shows some interesting rivalry among idols, gender relationship problems, sacrifices, and other little backstage stuff. Well, it ends up with her starting her legendary idol career.

Idols work hard for a career that only last about at most a decade. After that I guess many disappear from the stage who knows where they all will end up. Atsuko (Acchan) for example made it to Center, became ABK48’s face and Japan’s No.1 idol. Yet, she quit half way, which is amazing in itself, in order to have the romance-ban and other bans lifted. She left AKB48 to pursuit love. But when she confessed she got dumped. Acchan broke down that day (understatement). She practically risked her life and future and ended up in hell. She started drinking and got caught being drunk. Her show got canceled. Officially, it’s not because of the scandal but nobody believes that. Yet, somehow she crawled back from her personal hell in just a few weeks/months (I’m guessing).

That’s some strength I have to commend. But she thinks of herself as talentless… Idols usually lack skills we acquire in our teens as well as some life experiences. Acchan for example is worse at cooking quick meals than Jamie Oliver that is if she can cook to begin with. Gome Acchan! But there are exceptions like Mayu who even excels in skills outside the skill set of an idol. Then there are the genius idol (whatever that means) like Minegishi Minami.

The entertainment industry is not something for everyone.

Edit: In case you don’t know the MG2 ED farewell song I posted two posts earlier is about the idols themselves and their lost youth/life. It’s a sad song.

For some stress relief – AKB48 Skirt Hirari 😈

[BBvideo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XRddQr-tOo[/BBvideo]