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It's not secret that the idol industry is rampant with abuse and exploitation of its performers. It's also no secret that idols are closer to character performers at amusement parks than singers or dancers. Often criticized for the lack of vocal or dancing skills of many of its members, the group AKB48, which has since become almost synonymous with idols and idol culture itself, serves as a common representation of all of these concepts.
The author analyzes song lyrics, album releases, fan events, concerts and media made about AKB48 to explore how the group was puppeteered by producer and songwriter Akimoto to at all times capture whatever spirit of the times seemed most profitable, and how his practices influenced the Japanese idol industry (and arguably the worldwide industry).
The first part focuses heavily on lyrics, which I found insightful but a bit dry after a while. The second part looks at the aforementioned usage of media and how they helped in constructing an image of AKB48 and its members, breaking down personalities into their barest, most marketable parts.
If you have an interest in idol culture and want to start with something a bit more on the lighter side in terms of difficulty (though of course you will need your standard economic and cultural studies vocabulary, especially because I think this work never got an ebook release), I can recommend this book.