74 comments on “The “true love” type vs. the “parental” type vs. the “music fan” type — which is the grossest wota of them all?

  1. Honestly, I’m so weird now when it comes to idols. Usually I’m attracted initially by the music, and sometimes it does just stop there. I’m quite into Passpo’s music, but I couldn’t tell you the name of a single member, or identify any by face. So ostensibly I have to have something, usually a member or two, draw me in further. Again, sometimes here it stops. Bellring Shoujo Heart had Tira, now they don’t. I still like their music, but I saw them live and it was boring as fuck.

    On the other side of the coin you have the 48 groups, whose music is 90% throwaway garbage, but I can still identify a lot of members and class some as group “oshi” just because of the surfeit of TV programming they have.

    Then in the middle you have H!P, Momoclo, 9nine, Babymetal and a load of the underground idols who draw you in with the music, then you stay because the members invoke strong reactions in you. I don’t think that the gachi-koi types are that prevalent. I know very few wota who are actually in love with their idols to the extent of blocking out “the real world” as it were. But gachi-koi is definitely the grossest.

  2. I’m a big fan of unique performance, and Momusu definitely qualifies. They are so talented – dancing and singing with vigor while keeping a cute image the whole time. That’s a feat! And the fact that most are still in school makes it even more impressive. So I like them on a respect level.
    Idols have their finger on the pulse of what’s cool. One could even say they drive the cool train. That makes them powerful – especially in such a masochistic country as Japan.
    Idols embody youth and energy. I’m in my mid-30s, my youth is fading. As is my energy, on a less severe degree. But their music picks me up and recharges me. It just makes me happy to see and hear them. I stick to things that make me happy, avoiding the drama and negativity of idols. I stress enough about politics and environmental issues and such. Idols are my happy time.
    I don’t view idols on a romantic level, or an OMG level. Maybe a bit of an older-sibling perspective. Maa-chan is my favorite. She’s not the cutest, but she’s a crazy genius. Riho I like for her high level of skill; Kudo I like for her ernest nature and her beauty despite the ikeman persona. But I like all the gen 9-11 girls – admittedly, Fuku-chan the least.
    When I’ve been to handshake events, I’m not freaking out. I’m happy to see them, to be in the moment. It may be because I’m not a stranger to famous people and I have performed a lot myself. Or because I don’t want to be them or bed them.
    Sorry for the long post, but I feel I have a healthy relationship with idols and wanted to share.

  3. Y’know. I never considered myself “Gross” for being a wota (If I even qualify). I have plenty of other claims to grossness. I personally feel Idols are girls who can give a face to dream-people. Like…”I’d like a wife like is like so and so….Oh, hey this girl kind of qualifies.” I’ll be the first to admit I fap to them as well though. I also use them as basis for the characters I’m writing, as I don’t get out much, so I write about hyperviolent J-Pop Idols. Mostly because it amuses me.

    But to answer the original question.
    Wouldn’t the grossest wota be Shiwasu no Okina, the author of Shining Musume?

  4. I don’t get how being most interested in the music is gross. Maybe that’s just because I’m that type, lol. Music is a great passion in my life.

    “86: 名無し募集中。。。 2015/02/02(月) 00:26:05.01 0.net
    I’m the “music fan” type, too, but for me °C was easily the best group last year, music-wise. Berryz and S/mileage, though, had it so bad I almost feel sorry for them.”

    ^this one has really bad taste.

    The ones who only like idols for the sex appeal are the grossest imo.

  5. I really dislike the ones that are after the sexappeal. I mean it’s ok once the girls reach a certain age when they understand why they’re posing in bikini and stuff and when they don’t look like little children anymore. Fapping to anyone who looks like a child is gross – and age of consent is bullshit. If the girl looks like a child it’s pedophilia.

    Other than that, I agree with 17 a lot:
    “17. 名無しプロジェクト 2015年02月12日 18:13 ID:FYHYwFaV0
    The grossest wota are the ones who start attacking the members just because their hairstyles or sales numbers don’t look quite like what they’d hoped for.”

    Myself, I’m a … transforming wota? When I first found MM I was like 12, with no idea about sexuality and stuff. I kinda got into it for the music, around that time 4th gen just joined. I stayed for the girls, I wanted to be like them and I wanted to become their friends.
    Now I’m older than all of H!P, and with that electronic music I can’t say I’m into it for the songs anymore. Why do I keep looking for them? I guess I’m still into the girls. I care more about the energy on stage than for costumes, I like it when the girls have fun. I’m not even much into collecting photos. What am I? Still a music/performance wota? lol.

    • Quote:

      “If the girl looks like a child it’s pedophilia. ”

      I honestly do get where you are coming from but you are wrong, most probably from having been fed misinformation by the media, and saying it’s pedophilia is utterly wrong, and an insult to many wota.

      Pedophilia is ONLY the primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children
      The closest you can get with H!P Idols would be Hebephilia which the primary or exclusive adult sexual interest in pubescent individuals approximately 11-14 years old, or ephebophilia, which is the primary or exclusive sexual attraction to those in later adolescence, approximately 15-19 years old.

      (b.t.w. i am not getting at you at all or trying to start a flamewar, I am just trying to correct some misinformation that most people have)

      Personally, I am not sure who I would classify as the grossest type, as I don’t see being a fan of Idols as gross in any way.
      If I had to call it, I’d call the active haters gross (like anti AKB’ers or anti H!P’ers for instance), as they are trying to stop someone from enjoying something that gives them pleasure, and makes their life happier.

      • Good point. I still think Hebephilia is gross. Ephebophilia, well, I can kind of get this, since many girls that age already developed adult-like features. But seeing people over there at H!O who are like “I want to see 12th gen’s cleavage” just creep me out.

        • “I want to see 12th gen’s cleavage”.

          That doesn’t creep me out as much as it baffles me. At that age, what is to see???

          • Not the 12th Gen, u idiot! I’m going after Fukuchan. For obvious reasons. Unlike u, I don’t fuck the pussies of nor kiss the (non-existent) breasts of children,…by children I meant very VERY young girls. Now, THAT is PAEDOPHILIA!

  6. Not the grossest but the wotas who should just disappear are the “know-it-alls”. Also the anti’s and bashers should just perish.

  7. Hmmm I guess I’m a mixture of “parental and music” fan but leaning towards more to music. I feel nothing romantically or sexually for anyone in H!P. Everyone in H!P (except Captain) is younger than me so I only see them like little sisters or something. But even that is kind of stretching it for me. For me to even care about an Idol group I need to like the music first. Even if a group has members with the funniest personalities or has the most “beautiful idols ever”, if I don’t like the music, I’m not gonna care about the group at all.

    I think wotas who like idols only for sexual reasons are the grossest ones, especially when they’re under 18.

  8. I like Maachan, but I want to become Riho.
    Since I’m playing instruments, I follow only H!P for the idol scene because I think the other idol music sucks(except Baby metal & Perfume+KPP). Please identify me.

  9. I never understood why being an idol fan is creepy by default, even if you care more about the girls than the music. To like someone is something pure and fantastic. Their presence makes us happy, we feel worried when they’re going through bad times and a single one of their smiles can brighten up our days. Why is this automatically linked to sexual interest when they are two separate things? Sure, if you like someone there’s obviously a damn good chance you wouldn’t mind reproducing with them but that is a different story. When I see my favorite idol I just think “She’s so cute, lemme hug her~!” but nothing sexual crosses my mind. If you walk into a club and see a hot women you’d like to bang do you actually like her? Hell no, you’re just aroused. Again, love is different and innocent in nature and to truly care for another person should never be looked down upon. That said, I am certain there are plenty of wota who do see them as nothing more than fap material and those would be the ones I’d consider most creepy.

    • I’ll feel gross and creepy if by chance other people will see me. you can’t avoid the activities of browsing through their pictures that (most often) oozes with bikini shots and suggestive appeal, or watching their videos that either is dancing on shortest skirts or sexy-ish/mature content despite being so young and having childlike faces. Reading their blogs in succession that it feels almost like stalking, full of their selfies and other girlfriends being so touchy close in pics to the point it might seem disturbing to have excessive exposure on such images. I’m a girl. Sometimes it seemed I am so lesbian.
      In reality, idols are portrayed this way. even you don’t feel so yourself, it is gross by default.

  10. Pingback: Recommended Jpop♀ Reading: February 18, 2015 | Idolminded

  11. i am first stumbling at idol world when i’m browsing music from outside my country, so basically i used to be “music fan type”, but then i took an arrow in the knee,,

    no seriously then i discover about idol world and then i fall in love with member that slightly older or around same age with me, with new much younger member now, now seems like watching my younger sisters ,not parental yet because maybe i’m not that old XD,,

  12. i guess i’m a music type. the “parentals who want to commit incest” types on H!O think i’m gross and not wota enough

  13. Well, when it comes to me, it’s hard to explain. My best friend introduced Buono! to me in 2009, so now I’m a HP fan. Being a woman, I do not feel any attraction to the girls. At the start, I liked Morning Musume very much. I liked them for their music, but also for their personalities. Tanaka-san, Michishige-San, Kamei-san, Niigaki-san, Ai-chan…they were very inspiring to me. They were really my “Idols”. Since they are all older than me, I saw them as older sisters, models of life, as examples to follow. Then, Momusu changed. Now the members are all younger than me. The feeling changed too, but I never stopped to support them. I feel like the members now are like younger sisters, for which I cheer on and watch them grow. Now I really like Fukumura-san, Iikubo-san, Ishida-san, Oda-san and Kuudo-san, but in general I think all the members are pretty cool. Now, however, the group that appeals to me the most is C-ute. I am a huge fan of Yajima-san. Yajima-san has a strong and positive character, so I admire her. Since Yajima-san and I are the same age, she is like a “benchmark” for me. I don’t know how to explain this… it’s a feeling like “since Yajima-san is able to do this, I should too!”. She motivates me, in a way. She is a good dancer and singer, really her songs are the best. Even if Suzuki Airi-san is two years younger than me, I feel like she’s a “rival” to me. She is so young but she is so cute, beautiful, has a strong character and an astonishing voice. It makes me feel like I should work harder in order not to lose to her shining image, even if that is impossible. However, Suzuki-san really motivates me as well. Maybe this will sound foolish to you…. but in the end I think I am the parental type right? Well, I know I am gross anyway XD

  14. I used to be the “parental” type when I first got into idol fandom back in 2009. But now that my favorite girls, namely the members of Berryz Kobo and C-ute, have grown into young women, my fascination with them has become more sexual in nature. The fact that I’m a lot closer in age to their parents, than to the idols themselves, probably makes me look gross to some people. Funny thing is, even back when I was still the “parental” type, I kinda knew that I would feel sexually attracted to some of the girls later on in the future.

  15. I’m pretty sure every type of wota is at least a little bit gross in some way or another. But that’s what makes us wota, and we should be proud of that.

  16. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure what type I am. Maybe I’m a “music fan” type since my first focus is (and always has been) the music with the other intricacies coming later. (The fact my exposure to H!P came in my late tween/early teen years (2002/2003) and was primarily auditory until late in my Junior year of high school (2007) might have something to do with it.)

    Regardless, it takes all kinds of fans to create a fandom, even the wota who become “swollen” at the sight of idols.

    (As for as self-consciousness towards the perception of grossness, Japanese idols isn’t the strangest of my interests. I’m somewhat known for my weird interests anyway. XD)

  17. I agree with #22. 80’s idols are the reason I got into j-pop in the first place, and H!P is the only idol conglomerate that still follows that style. That is what defines idols to me and I find it impossible to like other idol groups for that reason -and trust me, I’ve tried-.

  18. I see a lot very long explanations in here about why you guys aren’t gross.

    Well I just have one thing to say to you: Lolicons! You’re all Lolicons!
    .
    .
    .
    Haha, I’m just trolling.

  19. I think more people are taking this thread seriously than they should. After all, the TC is ignoring all females and their opinion how they feel about their idols.

  20. I’m a fan because hp members are so cute they make me feel all happy and fuzzy inside. And ofc I enjoy the music and performances.
    Also I’m a straight girl.

    • My orientation is the same as yours but I’m a straight man in his fifties. I can’t say for sure or why but if they weren’t Japanese I wouldn’t give them a second look. It’s puzzling.

  21. whoa.
    True love type of wota? Me? Not since ManoEri graduated.
    Parental type of wota? Sakura Oda is a lovely girl.
    Music fan type of wota? I blacked out from Morning Musume’s routine music through Ishikawa’s, yoshizawa’s, Fujimoto’s leadership. I returned when Takahashi took the lead and has stayed since.

  22. I personally think the worst kinds of any sort of fan (wota or really any fan) is those that act condescending towards others AND/OR bash real people. Those kinds of people just disgust me personally.

    Also I am uncomfortable with people who only like idols for their sex appeal especially if there is a large age difference AND they frequently talk about the fact their favorite member’s boobs or what sexual acts they would do with them. This only increases if the member in question is underage. This just disturbs me. Like okay, I get crushes-most people have a what we would call in America “celebrity crush” at some point in their life. But just talking about that is just not right in my opinion. If someone has to think that way, keep it to themeselves.

    I love Morning Musume because I love their music and they make me happy. I am asexual, so I don’t experience sexual attraction towards anyone so that has never been a factor in me being a fan. I am not really that much older than the members so I can’t call myself a “parent” type. I guess I’m a music type then, but that isn’t what I’d call my “primary” focus because I don’t think I have one.

  23. This isn’t related to this post, but as I don’t do twitter, I figured I’d just write a comment here about your excellent list of attendees at BK concert on twitter. It seems like Inaba Atsuko (Taiyou to Ciscomoon) was also there based on the picture from Ogawa Mokoto’s blog. Or at least I think it’s her that I see in the picture. :)
    from: http://ameblo.jp/ogawamakoto-blog/entry-11997184549.html

  24. 11: 名無し募集中。。。 2015/02/01(日) 18:58:05.05
    >>9
    All idol wota are lolicon.

    Not if they’re the same age as the idol in question lol

    • That’s definitely true. Let’s say you have a 17 year old fan of Ikuta Erina. Well that can’t be classified as “lolicon” because, well, Ikuta is 17 years old.

  25. I posted in the thank you HP thread.. How I dealt with my medical conditions by being a HP fans.. So I mean I do love their songs, most if not all but I’m more toward true love..

    Sigh.. In the end, they will graduate and marry some ikemen or comedian.. lol.. Damn, gross as it may sound.. I don’t if I should be glad or be sad for the fact I fell into this category.

  26. Hey Henkka, are you still alive? I’m starting to wonder if you drank a bad batch of viina or something.

    • I’m impressed you know that word.

      Anyway, I’m alive and well, thanks for asking. My recent inactivity here is simply because of a mix of real life and, believe it or not, lack of interesting threads popping up. I just genuinely don’t seem to be coming across that many threads in recent months that make me think “oh shit, I have to post this on the site ASAP!” With that said, I don’t actually know if it’s the threads’ fault or mine. It doesn’t feel like it’s all just in my head, but I guess it’s hard to be objective.

      I recently added a couple of new matome blogs in my RSS reader (I now follow a total of seven) so hopefully that’ll help me discover more stuff I think is worth translating.

      (Does anyone here read 狼 “raw” or through matome blogs? It’d be interesting to know if anyone else feels a drop in the number of entertaining threads being made, or if it’s just me.)

      • Glad to know you’re still alive. I’m sure something good will come along soon. The wotas of 2ch can’t go very long without writing some crazy shit. It’s in their nature.

      • man.. you should approach Hello Project and told them they should add english subtitles to their dvds. Maybe they’ll hire you

      • No rush, take your time, Henkka. Hopefully some interesting threads for you to translate pop up in the meantime ^_^

        We’ll be here when you get back =D

        (and yet I can’t help but check this site every day to see if there’s anything new lol)

      • I don’t read them regularly, but my recent glances at matome blogs have been met with mostly disappointing results.

  27. Hi Henkka. I am Creampie, Nakadashi-kun’s American cousin. Please continue translating more 2ch threads. It’s been too long since your last post. We need something to keep our obsession alive. Thank you very much.

  28. Yo Henkka,
    first of all of course, thank you for your hard work. Your translations always make my day.
    If you’re looking for a new thread to translate, what about one about Tsunku? I’ve heard they’re popping up atm. Of course, only if you’ve got the time and the nerves to translate something rather sad.

  29. I’m not sure what type I am. A mix of all three maybe. It was the music that got me interested in the first place. I have been actively buying music since I was five years old so it’s always been a big part of my life. However the music is always instilled with personality. Liking music is not a dry academic thing. It’s about the feelings it invokes. Liking individual members is much the same though. It’s about the feelings they invoke. The music grabbed me but it’s the idols personalities that made me what could be classed as “a wota”. As for what type I am that depends on the idol I’m looking at. True love type? Well Ai-chan as a human being certainly made me feel “ahhh”. Not to a weird hide from reality extent by any means. More just a healthy admiration. She actually inspires me in lots of ways. Meanwhile Sayumi or Junjun…inspired other feelings. But even with them I didn’t see them as objects and really admired their heart and humour. Finding someone sexually attractive doesn’t automatically mean you are somehow reducing them to being an object. It’s a bizarre assumption many people make. As for younger members? I guess I’m at an age where it’s very much a paternal feeling.

    I think overall though people are complex and the most natural type of fan to be is a mix of all three depending on the groups and the idols. I don’t mean you should feel parental and want to shag the same idol though. >.>

    Ultimately I hate labels. Humans are messy. Most people don’t truly fit into such neat boxes surely? Also I do think the most important thing about enjoying life (as a wota or otherwise) is to truly not give a shit whether random strangers think you are disgusting or not. What makes others such arbiters of taste anyway? I’m happy in my lifestyle choices so why care?

    Next I’ll comment on some more threads several months too late. ><

  30. Ishibashi had the right attitude as far as I could tell. He had genuine? fun with the girls while doing his job and getting ratings .
    I just watch variety shows with them, cute and funny segments from sketches, older satoyams utabans and behind the scenes stuff.
    I don’t really care for swimsuit s and photo books.
    I tried loliconing on them once or twice but I discovered regular porn is my thing.
    Its not out of respect I don’t fap to them.
    Its because I’m a bald middle aged guy mostly.
    Its like gundam(yeah I know)
    I watch it sometimes but don’t collect cards or plastic models or get that deep into it.
    Some of the Japanese guys are up to their necks in it lol

  31. I’m def. the ‘music type’. I’ve sat down at my piano before I tried to figure out how to play the songs that I enjoy the most (with varying degrees of success).

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