Fandom on the whole, whatever its centric media is, is a little universe all its own. In general, I keep to the fringes of whichever ones I associate with, if even participating at all. But it’s hard not to get sucked in to the drama and discussion surrounding J-Pop, no matter what company or group you like. If you couldn’t already tell, my personal vice is Hello!Project, particularly their star group, Morning Musume. And like all major fans, momosu fans can get a little nuts, especially with their favorites and their not-so-favorites. Me included. And my least favorite of the most current generations? Mitsui Aika. And she’s not exactly the darling of many others either. But lately, I’ve been thinking about her very recent graduation, and what it meant for both her and my own views as a fan – can you really dislike an idol just for what you see on screen and stage? What are the effects of this behavior?
