This episode delves into the rise of underground idol culture in Taiwan, exploring how Japanese influences have been adapted to create a unique and localized scene. Through the perspectives of fans, industry experts, and idols themselves, we examine the intense devotion and emotional labor that defines this subculture, as well as the controversies surrounding commercialization, fan expectations, and privacy.
As we follow the journey of aspiring idols balancing passion with practicality, the episode reveals both the allure and challenges of Taiwan’s underground idol world.
As we follow the journey of aspiring idols balancing passion with practicality, the episode reveals both the allure and challenges of Taiwan’s underground idol world.
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00:00I'm going to show you a short clip of the performance of Aishan Lai Lai from the royal dance troupe.
00:18I first saw the performance of Aishan Lai Lai from the royal dance troupe on Facebook.
00:25She looks like a royal dancer, but she is doing something that is not royal.
00:29So I thought, if I want to be an idol, I have to be like her.
00:59Aishan Lai Lai is a popular dance troupe in Japan.
01:04It is a popular dance troupe in Japan.
01:09It is a popular dance troupe in Japan.
01:14Aishan Lai Lai is a popular dance troupe in Japan.
01:19Aishan Lai Lai is a popular dance troupe in Japan.
01:24Aishan Lai Lai is a popular dance troupe in Japan.
01:29Aishan Lai Lai is a popular dance troupe in Japan.
01:34Aishan Lai Lai is a popular dance troupe in Japan.
01:39Aishan Lai Lai is a popular dance troupe in Japan.
01:44Aishan Lai Lai is a popular dance troupe in Japan.
01:49Aishan Lai Lai is a popular dance troupe in Japan.
01:54Aishan Lai Lai is a popular dance troupe in Japan.
01:59Aishan Lai Lai is a popular dance troupe in Japan.
02:04Aishan Lai Lai is a popular dance troupe in Japan.
02:09Aishan Lai Lai is a popular dance troupe in Japan.
02:15Yuka, who is Taiwanese, but goes by a Japanese stage name,
02:19Initially moved to Taipei to work at a maid bar, Night Tour.
02:24Initially moved to Taipei to work at a maid bar, Night Tour.
02:29She is chasing a long-held ambition.
02:34I like this culture, because I am a fan of cartoons.
02:39Japanese animation has been around for a long time.
02:41In Taiwan, many people started to watch Japanese animation
02:44when they were very young.
02:47They like anime.
02:48In fact, anime has a lot to do with idol culture.
02:52The most primitive idol culture is after World War II.
02:55Because Japan was defeated.
02:56So Japan doesn't really trust adults.
03:02So in Europe and America, there were Mao Wang,
03:04Beatles, who were more mature,
03:05and had a certain social experience.
03:07In Japan, youth is the most important thing.
03:09It doesn't have to be an adult.
03:10It could even be 3 or 12 years old.
03:13In terms of Japanese idol culture,
03:16it's about performers singing and dancing on stage.
03:22They create a positive image.
03:26It will make fans agree with the idol.
03:30And from these idols,
03:32they may get some positive emotions,
03:35which will motivate them.
03:37Or it will make them feel happy,
03:40and relieve the pressure of work.
03:43I think this is the spirit of idol culture.
03:46But as the Internet became more and more popular,
03:49it became easier for idols to interact with their fans.
03:53So idols can no longer use the traditional packaging method.
03:58So the so-called underground idol was born.
04:02An underground idol is not a mainstream idol.
04:05It doesn't go through a large commercial agency
04:10to promote themselves.
04:12They don't appear on TV or other platforms.
04:18They don't have many opportunities.
04:19After 2000,
04:21this culture started to spread from Japan to Taiwan.
04:26With the Taiwan idol scene in its infancy in the early 2000s,
04:31Tommy Chen was one of the first to actively nurture
04:34and promote the nascent culture.
04:36At that time, the industry was very popular.
04:40Sometimes we were so poor that
04:42there were fewer audiences than performers on stage.
04:44And in fact,
04:46there were almost no Japanese underground idol performers
04:49who came to Taiwan at that time.
04:53When the epidemic broke out,
04:57Japanese groups couldn't perform in Taiwan.
05:00The idol market could only rely on local groups in Taiwan.
05:05At that time,
05:06a group of young people who were interested in singing and dancing
05:12also started to run underground idol activities in Taiwan.
05:20And it was during this time of rapid expansion
05:23that Yuka first came into contact with Taiwan's idol industry.
05:28I met Tommy Chen for the first time
05:32at an event the year before last.
05:36I met the underground idol at that time.
05:39He told me that he wanted to work with me.
05:45So I came to Taipei from Taitung
05:47and became his subordinate.
05:52Yumei, also a stage name,
05:54founded Night Tour
05:56after leaving her previous position as a maid waitress.
05:59For many, Yumei included,
06:01the bar is just a helpful support
06:04to dreams of being an idol.
06:07Most people who want to be an idol
06:09think that being a maid is a job for a living.
06:14On the one hand,
06:15the group of customers is overlapping.
06:17So when you are not an idol,
06:19you can communicate with your customers in the bar.
06:23On the other hand,
06:24it is a bit difficult for an idol in Taiwan
06:26to live on this job.
06:28If there is a support fund from the bar,
06:30you can do more things you want to do.
06:33At first, I didn't come to Taipei to be an idol.
06:36I just came to work at Night Tour.
06:38After working at Night Tour for a while,
06:41Xiao Ying asked me if I wanted to join.
06:44I said,
06:45Oh my god!
06:46He is so handsome!
06:47I want to join!
06:49I said,
06:50Do you want to be this kind of person?
06:51But I am this kind of person.
06:52I already am.
06:53I just want to show it to the world.
06:55As the least experienced member,
06:58Yuka was devoting all her spare time
07:00to rehearsals for the upcoming Night Tour idol group debut.
07:05Now I am practicing the original song.
07:09Not only the original song,
07:10but also the cover song.
07:11I have to practice all the performances
07:13until there is no mistake.
07:15This is my biggest effort.
07:16Other than that,
07:17the performance during lunch time
07:19should be fine.
07:21The most important thing is the performance on the stage.
07:25And during this period,
07:26it is best not to catch a cold.
07:27I have been trying hard not to catch a cold.
07:29I have been trying hard not to catch a cold.
07:30I have been trying hard not to catch a cold.
07:34I am using love to generate electricity.
07:38The inherent instability of life in the underground
07:41and the nature of idols' financial dependence on their fans
07:45means that many groups never even make it
07:48to their first show.
07:50Every two months,
07:51there will be a new group disbandment
07:52or withdrawal from the group.
07:55When you are not popular,
07:56you may have little income.
07:58You have to think about
07:59how to manage your economy
08:01and your interests.
08:03What your fans can help you the most
08:05is to support your fans more.
08:08Then you will have more income
08:10to make it through the period when you are not popular.
08:13To support your fans,
08:15the key point is that you have to pay your fans.
08:18There are many ways to get money.
08:20But these ways of getting money
08:21are not necessarily positive.
08:25The source of the income is usually paid.
08:28It's all about money.
08:29If you sell one,
08:30how much money do you have today?
08:32If you don't sell a single one today,
08:34then you didn't earn anything today.
08:37The relationship between D.O. and fans
08:38is actually built on consumption.
08:40So their expectations may be higher.
08:43It may even be a bad expectation.
08:45Because it is based on the accumulation of money.
08:49Fans will think that I bought you.
08:52If you use money to buy this product,
08:55of course,
08:57if they don't have a good concept,
09:00they won't be able to manage their money well.
09:03But in Japan,
09:04there are some bad cases.
09:22In court, he gave his reasoning.
09:25I sent a gift, but it was returned.
09:28I asked her why,
09:29but she gave an evasive answer.
09:32So I became mad and stabbed her numerous times.
09:36While Taiwan has not yet experienced tragedy on that scale,
09:40the country saw its first related crime earlier this year,
09:44when a man was arrested for indecent behavior
09:47at an idol show in Taipei.
09:49This aura of bad news
09:51has created a still strong social stigma
09:54which weighs on the personal lives
09:56of those involved in the industry.
09:58My family is worried about me.
10:01So I will try my best to tell them the good news.
10:05For this kind of cultural capital,
10:08they belong to the lower class.
10:11If you like these things,
10:13you may not be considered a good achievement in society.
10:19I have seen it.
10:20If you don't come to see an underground idol show,
10:23you will feel like you are watching a rare animal.
10:28They will look at you and say,
10:30these people are crazy,
10:31I don't want to get close to them.
10:33When I go back to my hometown,
10:36I will try my best to look good.
10:40I will try my best not to make them think
10:42I am in Taipei.
10:45I am very nervous now.
10:51Taipei, China
10:56Taipei, China
11:16Good morning.
11:17Good morning.
11:18Good morning.
11:19Good morning.
11:20What are you doing here?
11:22I bought a ticket and came back.
11:28What have you been doing in Taipei?
11:31What have I been doing in Taipei?
11:32I am...
11:34I am...
11:38I am an idol.
11:40I sing and dance, perform, practice,
11:43and perform.
11:46Do you have a video?
11:48Do you want to send it to me?
11:49I don't want to send it to you.
11:51I will play it on my phone.
11:55This is the latest song.
11:56But this part is too loud.
12:07Is this it?
12:08Yes.
12:10That's it for this scene.
12:12That's it.
12:13Okay, I'm done.
12:16I think it looks good.
12:18You are all girls.
12:20Why are you all here?
12:23You are here to shoot a scene.
12:25Annoying.
12:27If you don't come, we will add a ticket for you.
12:31Let me say it directly.
12:32I will be in the video.
12:33Do you want to come?
12:34No, I don't want to.
12:35I don't want to.
12:36I don't want to.
12:37I will be in the video.
12:39Anyway, if you come, you will be in the video.
12:44I will be in front of the ticket gate.
12:48If you don't come, I will charge you 3000 NT dollars.
12:52I won't come.
13:11I really like the feeling of this performance.
13:14It's a feeling that flies in my head.
13:19I think it's good to play with the audience.
13:22I hope I can keep this style until the end.
13:25I don't want to be liked or cater to others.
13:29I want to change myself.
13:31I prefer underground idols to be close to the audience.
13:36I can be friends with the audience.
13:38I can interact with them on the stage at any time.
13:44I want to be in this world.
13:47I want to be in this world.
13:50I want to be in this world.
13:53I want to be in this world.
14:02I saw them on stage.
14:04I thought they were really there.
14:06My sister was there.
14:07My parents were there.
14:09I didn't dare to see them that day.
14:11Because I thought I would cry.
14:15When I finally did something,
14:17I felt like I was seen by them.
14:19Yes, they saw me do it.