Johnny's Idols vs Fans
Japanese Extreme Fandom: Yarakashi & Oriki
There is no something wrong with idolizing someone. Sometimes, idols make our life more passionate because they give us a role-figure that can be our inspiration. The relationship between idols-fans ideally gives advantages on both sides. But, it ironically is always not like that. Some idols often get a bitter pill as receiving treatment from a number of less sympathetic fans.
Believe it nor not, not all fans in this world can really be properly being called as ‘true fans’. Some ‘fans’ precisely give misfortunate to their own idols because they can not control their ego and being childish. This kind of fans only think about their own desire without even caring their idols’ feelings [the question is, does this kind of people proper to be called ‘fans’?]. For example, the following are two worst kinds of fans in all along the history of Japanese entertainment, Oriki and Yarakashi.
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ORIKI
The word ‘Oriki’ comes from sentence ‘Okakke ni riki wo ireru hito’, which means, ‘the fans who extremely try to meet their idols as can as possible’. Oriki can be called super groupies. This type usually do not care about etiquette at concerts, such as, pushing others audience, shouting during the performances, raising the uchiwas as high as possible so that blocking the sight of the audience on the back, until stalking the idol when offstage. Oriki tries to memorize the idol’s daily schedule and come to the location where the idol works, creating uncomfortable situation.
IKUTA TOMA AND YAMADA RYOSUKE’S STALKER
One of dorama’s staff who was filming with Ikuta Toma said, “When Ikuta came to the Setagayaku studio for filming, a man who was suspected as Oriki has already been waiting in front of the studio since the morning, grinning foolishly while chewing a bubble-gum.” The next day, the man did not come to the studio, instead, stalked Yamada Ryosuke. The phenomenon was frequently happened every day and his activities alternating between waiting Ikuta Toma in front of the studio or stalking Yamada. The worst was, the Oriki waited in front of their houses for ours as well. Although the staff and the artist’s manager tried to carefully speak and persuade him to leaving the location, the man kept coming again. Finally, Johnny’s Jimusho took a resolute step in accordance with the law procedure. Purportedly, Johnny Kitagawa as the leader of Johnny’s Jimusho built a relation with some yakuza to be the bodyguards for his talented artists.
YARAKASHI
This type is inclined to have uncontrolled and bad manner where ever they are, whether on in the net, concerts, live show, or offstage. They can confront other Johnny’s because considering their idol is much better. Their act such as pelting their idol’s house by rocks or hurting their idol’s boy/girlfriend is often happened. This act ever hurt the idol him/herself, as the fracture of Nino’s [Arashi] thumb.
KAMENASHI’S INCIDENT
Before this incident happened, Kame and some of the other KAT-TUN’s members actually gave a little unpleasant comment about NEWS’s member. But this incident had a long consequences and Kame became a Yarakashi’s target. At KAT-TUN’s concert on Osaka, a number of Yarakashi came, bringing Kame’s illustrated uchiwa which written “Go to Die, Kame!”, “Disgusting”, or “Disappear forever”. Kame who usually being a MC in the middle of concert, was always shouted by “Kamenashi SHUT UP!” shouts until he was shocked and almost cried. When Kame performed his solo, the Yarakashi shouted, calling “JIN JIN JIN” instead. Jin, himself, did not care with the shouting and went on to support Kame. Koki and Maru also cooperated to checking every uchiwa came into the concert hall, confirming there were no hurting words written on it. The next day, Kami still looked down and depressed until he could not peacefully sleep and lost his appetite. KAT-TUN concerts, several times experienced a chaos because of Yarakashi’s manner. In one concert, 30 fans who did not manage to get tickets walked into the concert hall. In concert at Osaka, one audience pushed the other one until fell down and got serious injury. They also throw something to KAT-TUN’s members, tugged their shirts, until used a Mickey Mouse headband so blocking the sight of the audience on the back. After the concerts ended and the incident passed, Kame said to the public that his feeling was getting better and thanked to the fans that always supported him. When he said it, his eyes looked red and gave not many smiles.
YAMASHITA TOMOHISA [YAMA-P] WAS SPLASHED BY HYDROCHLORIC ACID
This incident was done by one of Hello Project’s fans. It was happened when YamaP was rumoured dating with one of Hello Project’s artist, Maki Goto. The fan who was jealous suddenly approached YamaP and within seconds splashed YamaP by hydrochloric acid. The liquid did not directly strike the face but only several parts of that NEWS’s member. YamaP immediately was nursed by medical team and he, fortunately did not get a serious treatment.
AKANISHI JIN WAS STALKED
Akanishi Jin was attacked by 2 women who suspected as Yarakashi. The incident started after Jin held a farewell party for him who would go to America, with his close friends called Akanishi Gundan [brigade Akanishi]. The party ended about 03.00 a.m. and Jin went to one of his friends’ house in Setagaya. And there was it happened. Two women coincidentally saw Akanishi and right away chased him by motor cycle. Knowing the women were Yarakashi, he shouted, “Shit, enough! Stop your silly act!” Instead of stopping, the Yarakashi became more aggressive and enjoyed their chasing. It made Jin and his group be snowed under. “We tried to escape from their chasing, even had to hide behind the nearest truck that was being parked. We were sometimes tired and wanted simply to run away from this situation.” one of Akanishi Gundan’s members said.
4 HEY! SAY! JUMP’S MEMBERS AFRAID OF COMING TO SCHOOL
Yamada Ryosuke, Chinen Yuri, Nakajima Yuto and Arioka Daiki almost decided to quit their education after being stalked by Yarakashi for several times. The Yarakashi squatted/hung around for days and left scattered trash. The head master almost dropped the four of them out from school because of making the school situation uncomfortable for study. In the end, the Yarakashi was managed to be taken into custody and the members were not dropped out. [A/N. Yeaay… they weren’t dropped out so Arioka-san could graduate… congratulation Arioka-san! Ah… why did they not mention about Morimoto’s incident???]
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The longer the time, the extreme fans’s behaviour become more uncontrollable and end up with criminality. In the series of the incidents happened, it is so obvious if Johnny’s management firming the guard for them. When it happens, the fans, itself who suffer, isn’t it? It will be so wise if we try to be mature and polite to anyone whom we idolize, because basically idol is a human like all of us.
END
Any correction is always welcomed.
SPECIAL NOTE:
First, thank you for snowqueenofhoth for telling me that there's a quite possiblity for a misconception about the term ORIKI and YARAKASHI the original article brings [I, honestly don't know about the difference before reading the original article and snowquuenofhoth's explanation. I only TRANSLATE what is written in the original article]. And thank you so much for talisa_ahn as well for telling me about the video of Morimoto Ryuutaro's stalker [you can download it from http://newshfan.livejournal.com/110898.html ] and about Ikuta Toma and Yamada Ryousuke's incident you can see it at http://uwasako.livejournal.com/10846.html
Second, the original article is probably contains a rumour as well since the writer doesn't include the source.
Third, Thank you so much for every one who read this translation and let's become good fans together!