#oshi culture

[waytray]

The Tiktok trinket takeover

[pienhime]

my ten manga/game/anime/etc recs for jirai

hiii long time no long ass recs post! i wanna recommend media that is popular w landmine types for newbies to the subculture, and recommendations for those who might have been here long enough to know the most popular media within jirai subculture and want some recommendations beyond that!

so without further ado...

1. Tomorrow, I Will Become Someone's Girlfriend

TW: unsafe sex work, abusive relationships, body dysmorphia, self harm, substance use, misogyny, and parental death

Okay you knew this was coming. It's probably the most popular manga amongst jirai girls as it literally is about Kabukicho, sex work, trauma, and jirai culture. Everyone's seen Yua at this point, and she is a jiraicon, but the other characters are interesting and may be relatable to jirai girls too!

2. Mahou Shoujo Site

TW: sexual assault, r@pe, abusive family dynamics, transphobia, self-harm, suicide, murder, gore, bullying, human sacrifice

This is probably also familiar to people in the jirai community and yandereblr. Super mega fucked-up parody of magical girl animes with a cast of memorable but mentally unhinged and often morally gray-to-terrible characters with a hopeful message at the end. The most unfortunate girls around Japan get given magical girl items to improve their lives, but using them drains their life force- and someone's on the hunt for magical girls, all while the countdown to the apocalypse ticks down on the mysterious magical girl site. DO NOT BOTHER WITH THE ANIME, JUST READ THE MANGA!!

3. Needy Girl Overdose/Needy Streamer Overload

TW: substance abuse, self-harm, murder (potentially), suicide, non-graphic sexual content, abuse (player is being abused by the main character), unreality, internet addiction

Duh. I can't not have this game on here! Created by a renowned menhera subculture artist and featuring Jirai icons Ame-chan and KAngel, this game has blown up unexpectedly since its release, getting art exhibits and collabs with brands like DearMyLove. You play as P-chan, Ame/KAngel's boyfriend and producer, while you try to help her achieve her goals of becoming an influencer and prevent her from killing herself or going insane along the way. If you've been in a relationship like this as the P-chan, I'm sorry we relate but this game was super therapeutic to me so maybe it'll help you process too!! Also the soundtrack fucks. Hard.

4. Neeko wa Tsurai Yo!

TW: agoraphobia, existentialism, substance use (kind of), ecchi (of both adult and high schooler characters), suicidal ideation, internet addiction

This is a super underrated personal favorite I've posted about a few times before. It follows hikki-NEET gacha gamer Niiko, as she faces jealousy of her little sister for being farther in life than her as a high-schooler, the trauma of a particularly horrific job rejection keeping her from going outside or trying for another job, and being totally fed up with her life. It's a pretty depressing read for the first half, but becomes a realistic story about recovery by the end.

5. Wristcut Warriors: Menherachan

TW: suicide attempts, self-harm (duh), parental abuse, parental death, parental neglect, attempted sexual assault, mild gore, societal ableism/sanism

Much more popular in the menhera subculture than anywhere else, but still popular enough with landmine types to be included, and a personal comfort series of mine. This is a satire manga about three teenage magical girls who have to self-harm to transform, meant as an allegory for how suffering and self-sacrifice for the sake of upholding societal norms is seen as more noble in Japan than speaking out etc. It's pretty short with only 20 chapters and some supplemental material, and tons of merch collabs but due to Ezaki being the actual fucking worst i encourage you to only but fanmerch and second-hand.

6. Danganronpa

TW: murder, suicide, ableist depiction of DID, misgendering (kind of, im not getting into ******* discourse so ill put it jic), SA, addiction,and general violence and blood

I'm biased as a Danganronpa multi-kin and selfshipper but I personally think every jirai should play Danganronpa, read the supplemental materials and watch DR3 if they can. Quirky teens with mental issues locked in a school and forced to kill each other or themselves? Prime insanity and mindbreaking ensues, with some really cool characters coming out of the franchise. Despite the premise, theres a pretty hopeful message.

7. Oshi no Ko

TW: stalking, teen pregnancy, exploitation of minors, suicide attempts, murder, terminal illness, age gap relationships, bullying, abortion, parasocial relationships, and... sigh... pseudo-incest is apparently in the manga as well

If you are into idol anime and expect your standard cinderella story about passionate girls and guys hitting it big... Oshi no Ko isn't the idol anime you're used to. This doesn't even follow the hit idol herself- rather, her two children who are reincarnated fans. They have to find their way in the exploitative and often dark showbiz world while trying to solve their mother's murder.

8. Bocchi the Rock!

TW: agoraphobia, alcohol abuse

I only watched this one recently, but it's already an all-time fav. It follows agoraphobic and severly socially anxious Hitori (aka Bocchi), and her newfound friends as they do their best to become a successful local band! They make odd friends along the way and Bocchi starts to try to recover and better herself, with often comedic failures along the way.

9. TUYU's interconnected songs

TW: abuse, substance abuse, unsafe SW, dysmorphia, suicide, self harm, parasocialism

Okay so... ik the timing is bad but I meant to make this list ages ago and this was on it so... a lot of the TUYU songs and MVs are interconnected! Some specifically cover jirai kei and ryousangata otaku topics! My favorite songs and MVs are the ones involving my favorite characters, Anhiro and Anzu, who are heavily featured in the Under Mentality album.

10. School-Live!

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!! I RECOMMEND GOING IN BLIND FOR THIS ANIME SPECIFICALLY!!

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TW: unreality, major character death, parental death, self-harm, animal death, graphic depictions of delusions and hallucinations

I loved the anime, so I picked up the manga recently. I'm only a little ways in, but I want to complete it since the anime didn't cover it all! You don't even know the plot until the final seconds of the first episode, where it's revealed that Yuki is the only member of the squad who doesn't realize what's going on- she's not in school for class, she's living there for shelter in a zombie apocalypse. Oh, and she sees dead people. She has moments of clarity, and the story often follows other characters' memories and POVs, so you still get to have a clear look into what happened and what's going on for real.

That was my list of my current top ten media recommendations for jirai kei! Please lmk if you decide to give any of these a try! Remember that I also regularly post music recs under #music too! Bye-bye!!

[ashen-angel]

i was severely depressed then i started blasting POP IN 2 from oshi no ko and damn i feel like the cutest girl in whole world with no reason to be depressed

✨✨THERE IS NO REASON TO BE SAD IF YOU’RE THE CUTEST GIRL IN THR WORD HIGH ON MYSLEE ✨✨

[clarablightt]

during my nightly calls with my queerplatonic girlfriend, i’ve been reading I’m in Love with the Villainess to her! it’s so fun and it’s such a nice activity to do together when we’re so far apart!

[sanastrawberryy]

Pentellow would have a shrine for each of her favourite artists and would show them off whenever she could(+yapping about them for 3 hours)

[my-anime-goods]

Oshi no Ko - New goods by Culture Entertainment with new illustrations. Release: January 2024

[yuseirra]

It's so interesting how Ai wanted to stop Hikaru from "being lost" when Ame-no-Uzume's(the entertainment god in the story should be her, I feel? The shrine they visited in the story was hers AND her husband's) husband has to do with guidance and finding the right way in life..... he's the "greatly virtuous god"... the god who HELPS people from getting lost..the god who's supposed to direct people into goodness

and he loses direction after the loss of his wife...it's really ironic

if Hikaru's really related to that particular god, then it makes sense for the gods to help him out of being lost because it'd be a fatal FLAW(remember the lyrics of fatal?) it's not supposed to be the way he originally is

gosh I really hope the manga does something with this lore because it really seems to fit so well together....

[greyestflower]

Oshi No Ko and Perfect Blue

Oshi No Ko (2023) and Perfect Blue (1998) are two Japanese anime that critiques and exposes the dirty business of the entertainment industry, especially idol culture. Although Oshi No Ko takes on a supernatural element to it and Perfect Blue is a horrifying psychological thriller, both anime have captured the depravity of the crooked and shameless minds involved in the industry.

MILD SPOILERS AHEAD (Oshi No Ko anime series and Perfect Blue anime film)

Oshi No Ko is a (somewhat) recent anime series starring Japanese idol, Ai Hoshino who was killed in the very first episode. She was murdered by her fan as she gave birth to a child despite promising her audience that she loves them in her songs. This disturbing incident is unfortunately based on true events in the Japanese entertainment industry. Many idols are treated wrongly, which is often covered up by their agencies or the media to have a clean outside.

Japanese idols (or アイドル, pronounced aidoru) are young entertainers of Japanese pop culture, both male and female, who, as a group perform on-stage. Their entertainment mainly composes of producing their own music and singing and dancing to it. They are adored by their fans and very often, despite their young age, sexualized.

This is sometimes considered normal and the adults of this mindset of adoring and sexualizing young female idols are called lolicons (lolita+complex). Anime itself sexualises underage characters and dehumanises them by saying "it's just animation" (but we'll save this conversation for later). This complex is still prevalent in the idol industry. The extremity of the audience's lolicon mindset is visible in both Oshi No Ko and Perfect Blue (Perfect Blue more than Oshi No Ko). In Oshi No Ko, Ai Hoshino is stalked and murdered by her fan for giving birth to children despite promising her audience that she loves them in her songs.

Idols work under a contract for an agency. This agency is in charge of the idol group and could also be in charge of other entertainers. The more underground agencies scout for idols in the street by approaching every conventionally beautiful girl they encounter. This tactic is practiced in Japan till date. This was seen in Oshi no Ko when Ai Hoshino was approached by Ichigo Saitou from Ichigo Productions. And during the conversation between Ai and Ichigo, we get to know how the entertainment industry is made out of lies and that it is normalised.

These anime bring forth the many realities of the entertainment industry, not only idol culture. There are so many social issues that one can find in both Oshi no Ko and Perfect Blue. For example in Oshi No Ko, Kana Arima, the prodigious child actor, grows up to be forgotten by the public. She tries different jobs in the entertainment industry but nothing works well. She becomes desperate for acting gigs and other jobs that will get her the recognition she seeks. Mem-Cho (stage name) is a 27 year old YouTuber who hides her age so she'll still be accepted in the entertainment industry. Idol agencies usually do not hire girls above 20 (they like them young… a disgusting mindset, really), therefore many 20+ year old idols quit that field and move to a different entertainment field, usually acting, like seen in Perfect Blue with Mima, the protagonist. So, 27 year old Mem-Cho finds it difficult to pursue the dream of becoming an idol. In fact, it is difficult to be a 27 year old YouTuber (like I said, they like them young).

Perfect Blue is the right film to watch if one wants to experience the mental torment that any person used by the entertainment industry as an object to showcase. Mima, a former idol who gets into acting, receives threatening messages, letters from her stalkers and her fans who are obsessed with the idol ideal. She endures a feeling of dissociation as her reality warps and her memory crumbles. The director, Satoshi Kon, gives the viewer the same dystopian feeling that Mima goes through. My words will not do justice to the film. If you are fine with having an existential crisis as though you are in Mima's place throughout the duration of the film, do watch the film. I highly recommend it!

Both anime have a lot in common except Oshi No Ko leans more towards fantasy and Perfect Blue towards dystopia. None the less, both anime portray the Japanese entertainment industry accurately. I recommend both anime (not that I am some sort of expert). Thank you for reading!

[sweetheart-headspace]

miA save me . . miA from mejibray . .

[ofsavior]

Since the Oshi no Ko fandom is on fire right now, I figured I’d post my take.

Fandom: Aka Akasaka won’t go down that route!

Me, who has read Scum’s Wish: Haha, but Mengo Yokoyari would

Idk to what extent they are collaborative, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they did try to do something a little more taboo.

That being said, I can’t see Aqua indulging in it. If anything, I could see him kissing Ruby and expressing how he isn’t the same person she knew back then. A gentle rejection with a hint of nostalgia to bring her back to her senses. Ruby’s in a very vulnerable state, and she’s the person Aqua wants to protect most.

I would be incredibly surprised if they went anything beyond that.

Still, it’s possible. If I was writing the series, I’d personally consider it. It’s a marketing strategy, and a GOOD one. The audience is talking and drawing people in because of the controversy.

Personally, I do not intend to write Ruby and Aqua in any romance plot. I’m not opposed to taboo themes and triggering content (inc*st doesn’t bother me personally), but it’s not something I will go out of my way to do. If it does come up for some reason, all will be tagged appropriately. But I am of the opinion I want good things for Ruby, and Aqua is not good things. But Kana is.

Generally though, I’m tired of tum.blr’s need/insistence of censoring everything considered “wrong.” So I’m not going to really censor myself anymore. This discourse was causing me to mull over Aqua as a muse, and I got to thinking how it’s sad that I feel like I can’t write a character I want to because people don’t like it. So just fair warning. Anything controversial or potentially triggering will be tagged, but I’m not going to refrain from doing what I want anymore.

[mythos05reviews]

The Hitman's Fave vol 1 and 2

5/5 stars

I'm 100% being biased here. This manga is about a hitman retiring in order to filly support their favorite idol. We see the MC navigate being new to idol culture while dealing with the effects of leaving the mafia. Its fun to see how such an intense character deals with learning idol fan culture. This first volume focusing more on establishing the character while giving is hi.ts of what future conflicts may arise due to the MCs past. Even though the tone is generally cheerful it makes for the violence potrayed to be even mire imopactful. I hope that future volumes dont forget the wholesomeness/lightheartedness while delving in darker aspects of the MCs life. So far, its been doing a good job of that.

[otogariado]

ok this is so fucking funny actually

[01tsubomi]

sometimes your favorite song is by the idol group you see every time you go to tokyo but they haven't released it to streaming and they're quite obscure (not to mention taping performances is extremely NG in jpop idol culture) so the only time you have a chance of hearing it is when you go watch them perform and it's like not even guaranteed that it'll be on the setlist every time and then you find out it's actually by a disbanded sister group of theirs and they also didn't release it to streaming but they did put it on youtube in a 20 minute long video that features their entire first mini-album except for some reason it's the absolute worst quality vocals you've ever heard on a professional recording as in not the mic quality but the actual singing quality as in it sounds like a group of friends doing karaoke not even professional singers just some friends with no retakes no autotune touchups not even re-recording the lines that are off rhythm but it still means you kinda get to hear the song in your apartment. but is it even really the same song as the one you hear when your favorite member gets the solo in the chorus and walks from the back of the stage out towards the audience between the rest of the members as if parting the sea. is it

[chediosblog]

New Available Women's Collection.

[mihai-florescu]

oshi no ko is fr shaping up to be one of the best animes of all time for me i was Just rewatching ep 1 rn the animation is Amazing

I think the way my roommated presented it to me last month saying "there's a new idol anime that's gonna come out where a gynecologist gets reincarnated as his favorite idol's baby" is. Possibly the worst way to try to present this anime. I mean, sure, that's what happens, but you can imagine why i went in thinking it'll be a bad isekai. And then. Well, you know. I wonder what the budget was because i have not seen such a beautiful show in a while.

[seanartzy]

(via Oshi no Ko - Ai Hoshino Classic T-Shirt by SeanKnows)