Why do otaku hate it when their 'oshi' gets discovered?
"My oshi has been 'discovered'."
"They've been exposed to the world..."
"They feel like such a distant existence now."
Every time I see words like that online,
I feel a sense of confusion.
Isn't it a happy thing when the things you love become known to many people
and gain popularity?
Today, starting from that sense of discomfort I feel,
I'd like to write on the theme of "Why do otaku hate it when their 'oshi' gets discovered?"
I'm going to try writing on that theme.
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■ Just having something you love is wonderful
First, as a major premise, I think that "having something you love"
is a wonderful thing in itself.
I had an idol I was obsessed with in the past, and I would follow their shows,
check their social media, and watch their live concert footage.
Their existence gave me energy and became a daily joy.
However,
to be honest, I felt a bit uneasy about some of the voices saying, "I don't want them to be discovered" or "I don't want them to become famous."
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■ I was an 'otaku' too
If I talk a little about myself here,
I was also completely an "otaku" for a period of time.
I attended an idol concert for the first time after being invited by a friend.
"Nogizaka46 6th YEAR BIRTHDAY LIVE"
It was held simultaneously at Meiji Jingu Stadium and Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium,
which was a very overwhelming live experience for someone attending for the first time.
On the way home, I created a social media account
dedicated to gathering information about the idol, and my days of following them began.
Connecting with people who shared the same hobby and talking passionately about the things I loved was truly fun.
But, at one point, I suddenly realized.
"Maybe my feelings don't align with these people."
For example,
they were strangely negative about "sharing the things you love," or as the term 'veteran fan' implies, there was an atmosphere of "I don't want casual fans talking about them."
I, on the other hand, wanted more people to know about the things I loved.
I thought that having more people who like the same things is a purely happy thing.
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■ The discomfort of "my oshi was exposed"
The voices I see online like
"Their existence was exposed to the world" or "They became a distant existence."
The feeling of "I'm happy, but it's complicated..."
regarding the fact that an oshi appears in the media and their field of activity expands.
That emotion might be something like this, for example.
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■ If I were to compare it to a "favorite restaurant"
A small, favorite restaurant I had been going to for a long time.
The taste and atmosphere were the best, but it was a hidden gem.
One day, it went viral on social media, and a line started to form.
I couldn't go as easily as I used to,
and I felt a little lonely.
It's a feeling like, "Everyone found out about the treasure I was keeping all to myself."
But is that really a "bad thing"?
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Spreading the word is not a bad thingHaving more people who like the same things is, after all, a happy thing.
You get more people to empathize with, saying "That person is great, right?" or "I know, that song is the best!"
My oshi gets known, their field of activity increases,
and then more people discover their charm.
I think that's actually something to be proud of, isn't it?
Instead of "they were discovered," it's "they were found."
If we can think of it that way, don't you think we can support them more happily?
Wouldn't the idols themselves be happier being told "you were found" rather than "you were discovered"?
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Summary: It's okay to be more open about what you "love"This time it was about idols, butI think it's a story that can be applied to many different types of otaku.
Perhaps otaku have a tendency to "try to hoard the things they love"
rather than having an attitude of talking about what they "love."
You have something you love.
You can say you love it.
And there are people you can talk about it with.
Isn't that a wonderful thing? Let's be more open about what we love.
That's all. This was something I was struggling with for a while.