AKB48 / Patrick W. Galbraith and Jason G. Karlin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Galbraith, Patrick W., author.

Karlin, Jason G., author.

Series:

33 1/3 Japan

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

AKB 48 (Musical group).

Girl groups (Musical groups)--Japan.

Girl groups (Musical groups).

Celebrities--Japan.

Celebrities.

Celebrities in popular culture--Japan.

Celebrities in popular culture.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (155 pages).

Edition:

First edition.

Distribution:

London, England : Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Bloomsbury Academic, 2019.

Summary:

"Since its formation as a girl group in 2005, AKB48 has become a phenomenal success and institution in Japan. Having originally recruited fans with photocopied fliers and daily performances in the Akihabara area of Tokyo, AKB48 now saturates Japan. Its members--nearly 800 of them, including five sister groups and four so-called "rival groups" across Japan, as well as six sister groups in other Asian cities--appear in print, broadcast, online, and social media; in advertisements and on products; at home and on the train; on- and off-screen. AKB48's multi-platform omnipresence is characteristic of "idols," whose intimate relationship to fans and appeals to them for support have made the group dominant on the Oricon Yearly Singles Chart in the 2010s; they hold several records, including most consecutive million-selling singles sold in Japan. A unique business model relentlessly monetizes fans' affections through meet-and-greet events and elections, which maximize CD sales, and their saturated presence in the media. At a time when affect is more important than ever in economic, political, and social theory, this book explores the intersection of idols and affect in contemporary Japan and beyond."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

Contents:

List of Figures and Tables Note on Japanese Names and Words

Introduction

1 The Birth and Evolution of Idols in Japan

2 The Democratization of Idols

3 "Idols That You Can Meet"

4 The Affective Economics of the Idol Industry

5 The General Election

6 Toward a Critical Political Economy of Idols

7 The Ordinary as Extraordinary

8 Tears of the Idol

9 The Labor of Love

10 Female Fans as Aspirational Consumers

11 Placebo Idols

12 AKB48 in the Global Imagination

Conclusion

Notes

References

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on November 15, 2019).

ISBN:

9781501341144

1501341146

9781501341137

1501341138

9781501341120

150134112X

OCLC:

1117629298