In Japan’s music and entertainment world, Idols, young artists who are adored by their fans, have long maintained a pure image and a strict ban on romantic relationships. It was believed that having a partner could harm their connection with the followers and hurt their careers.
However, a recent survey conducted by the technology company Polimill Co., Ltd. based in Minato-ku, Tokyo, has revealed a surprising shift in perspective in the industry.
Fans support Idols being able to have partners
The survey, which was carried out from May to July 2023 on the web service Surfvote, operated and developed by Polimill Co., Ltd., collected responses from 61 users with accounts on the service. The questionnaire focused on the controversial question: “Is it okay for idols to fall in love?” The results showed a surprisingly favorable opinion towards the romantic relationships.
An astounding 70% of the respondents answered positively to the questions about the permissiveness of romantic relationships for Idols. Phrases like “the idea of banning romance is not good” and “it is okay to have romance” dominated the responses, indicating a significant change in the public perception of this topic.
The most revealing was that 36.1% of the respondents expressed that they did not like the idea of banning dating in the first place. The 31.1% of the respondents considered that Idols should be allowed to fall in love, even if they profess to have dating prohibited, which indicates that about 2 out of 3 people have a positive opinion about the romantic relationships of Idols.
The comments of the respondents reflected a noticeable change of mindset. Many argued that “idols are also human beings” and that “everyone has the right to fall in love”. Some even mentioned concern about power harassment and sexual harassment in the entertainment industry, suggesting that romantic relationships could be a way to prevent such abuses.
However, not all respondents agreed with this new perspective. A 19.7% stated that Idols should not engage in romantic relationships, especially if they profess to have dating prohibited. They argued that discrepancies between words and deeds, such as profiting from bans without backing them up with real actions, could be detrimental to the credibility of Idols and their management agencies.
A small, but significant 11.5% of the respondents who answered “none of the above” expressed concern about the possibility that Idols would be forced to abstain from performing activities if they maintain romantic relationships. This suggests that, although public opinion is changing, concerns remain about the pressures and coercion within the Japanese entertainment industry.
This change in the perception of the romantic relationships of Idols marks an important milestone in the Japanese entertainment industry. Over the years, cases of these celebrities whose careers were negatively affected by revealing that they had partners, such as the voice actress who voiced Miku from Quintuplets, have fueled controversy around this topic. However, the survey demonstrates that public opinion is evolving and that the stigma surrounding the romantic relationships of Idols is gradually diminishing.
