A film by Kyoko Miyake

In recent years, ‘‘idols’’—broadly defined as young girls performing in public—have become a major social phenomenon in Japan. Millions of predominantly middle-aged men spend their time and money on these idols. Thousands of girls work as idols and many more dream of becoming them. The idol culture is all about accessibility. Idols and fans meet at concerts, handshaking events, and through incessant online communication.

The film follows three aspiring singers and their fans as each girl attempts to get to the next stage in her career by responding to the fans’ demands and trying to become the most desirable idol. It explores the gender dynamics of these virtual relationships and how the idols’ lives are affected. It is a story about loneliness and disconnection between men and women in a hypermodern society.