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Kuwait Times
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
Japanese filmmaker Fukada casts queasy gaze on J-pop idols
Exploitative contracts that force young female Japanese pop stars to forego relationships are at the heart of director Koji Fukada's latest film, which has premiered in Cannes. The 45-year-old director said he was inspired by a news report about a Japanese "idol", as the starlets are known, who was sued by her management agency after breaking a "no dating" clause. Fukada cast former idol Saito Kyoko in the lead role of his feature "Love on Trial" which tells the story of a young performer who undergoes a similar ordeal. "I felt a deep discomfort, a real unease when I found out, and that's what made me want to look into the subject a bit and then turn it into a screenplay," he told AFP in Cannes. The film highlights the unequal relationship between management agencies and the idols, who are usually teenagers trained to become a mixture of pop star, online influencer and advertising prop. But the core of the film examines the more unusual demand that the women remain unattached and chaste -- in order for their older, male fanbase to project their fantasies. As the lyrics to the songs of Fukada's fictional five-member group "Happy Fanfare" make clear, the performers spend their time singing about the idea of falling in love. "The industry really encourages this kind of artificial love between fans and their idols," the director of "The Real Thing" and "Harmonium" explained. "As soon as an idol appears to have a romantic relationship with someone, it's well known that they lose a lot of popularity." As well as selling merchandise, the women also offer their time for meet-and-greet events -- for a price -- at which fans can come to talk to them, hold hands, and take selfies. 'Unusual job' The activist director, who has previously spoken out about sexual harassment and the Japanese film industry's over-reliance on manga adaptations, believes the J-pop industry reflects the prejudices of Japanese society. "There is a lot of prejudice and gender discrimination towards women in our patriarchal system," he said. "We tend to believe that women must be pure, untouched and submissive." As his film makes clear, many of the stars themselves are happy to encourage this image in pursuit of fame and wealth. "I met idols who are still active. Some believe that the ban on romantic relationships is a problem. Others think it's normal because it's a very unusual kind of job," he said. He hopes his film, which is set for release from May, will spark debate in Japan. "I tried to make a film that could bring out each person's perception of gender, love, freedom, and issues of discrimination," he said. "And that every viewer, whether they agree or disagree with the choices made by the heroine, could take part in a discussion around these questions." - AFP
Japan Today
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Japanese filmmaker Fukada casts queasy gaze on J-pop idols
By Adam Plowright Exploitative contracts that force young female Japanese pop stars to forego relationships and sex are at the heart of director Koji Fukada's latest film, which has premiered in Cannes. The 45-year-old director said he was inspired by a news report about a Japanese "idol", as the starlets are known, who was sued by her management agency after breaking a "no dating" clause. Fukada cast former idol Saito Kyoko in the lead role of his feature "Love on Trial" which tells the story of a young performer who undergoes a similar ordeal. "I felt a deep discomfort, a real unease when I found out, and that's what made me want to look into the subject a bit and then turn it into a screenplay," he told AFP in Cannes. The film highlights the unequal relationship between management agencies and the idols, who are usually teenagers trained to become a mixture of pop star, online influencer and advertising prop. But the core of the film examines the more unusual demand that the women remain unattached and chaste -- in order for their older, male fanbase to project their fantasies. As the lyrics to the songs of Fukada's fictional five-member group "Happy Fanfare" make clear, the performers spend their time singing about the idea of falling in love. "The industry really encourages this kind of artificial love between fans and their idols," the director of "The Real Thing" and "Harmonium" explained. "As soon as an idol appears to have a romantic relationship with someone, it's well known that they lose a lot of popularity." As well as selling merchandise, the women also offer their time for meet-and-greet events -- for a price -- at which fans can come to talk to them, hold hands, and take selfies. The activist director, who has previously spoken out about sexual harassment and the Japanese film industry's over-reliance on manga adaptations, believes the J-pop industry reflects the prejudices of Japanese society. "There is a lot of prejudice and gender discrimination towards women in our patriarchal system," he said. "We tend to believe that women must be pure, untouched and submissive." As his film makes clear, many of the stars themselves are happy to encourage this image in pursuit of fame and wealth. "I met idols who are still active. Some believe that the ban on romantic relationships is a problem. Others think it's normal because it's a very unusual kind of job," he said. He hopes his film, which is set for release from May, will spark debate in Japan. "I tried to make a film that could bring out each person's perception of gender, love, freedom, and issues of discrimination," he said. "And that every viewer, whether they agree or disagree with the choices made by the heroine, could take part in a discussion around these questions." © 2025 AFP
France 24
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- France 24
Japanese filmmaker Fukada casts queasy gaze on J-pop idols
The 45-year-old director said he was inspired by a news report about a Japanese "idol", as the starlets are known, who was sued by her management agency after breaking a "no dating" clause. Fukada cast former idol Saito Kyoko in the lead role of his feature "Love on Trial" which tells the story of a young performer who undergoes a similar ordeal. "I felt a deep discomfort, a real unease when I found out, and that's what made me want to look into the subject a bit and then turn it into a screenplay," he told AFP in Cannes. The film highlights the unequal relationship between management agencies and the idols, who are usually teenagers trained to become a mixture of pop star, online influencer and advertising prop. But the core of the film examines the more unusual demand that the women remain unattached and chaste -- in order for their older, male fanbase to project their fantasies. As the lyrics to the songs of Fukada's fictional five-member group "Happy Fanfare" make clear, the performers spend their time singing about the idea of falling in love. "The industry really encourages this kind of artificial love between fans and their idols," the director of "The Real Thing" and "Harmonium" explained. "As soon as an idol appears to have a romantic relationship with someone, it's well known that they lose a lot of popularity." As well as selling merchandise, the women also offer their time for meet-and-greet events -- for a price -- at which fans can come to talk to them, hold hands, and take selfies. - 'Unusual job' - The activist director, who has previously spoken out about sexual harassment and the Japanese film industry's over-reliance on manga adaptations, believes the J-pop industry reflects the prejudices of Japanese society. "There is a lot of prejudice and gender discrimination towards women in our patriarchal system," he said. "We tend to believe that women must be pure, untouched and submissive." As his film makes clear, many of the stars themselves are happy to encourage this image in pursuit of fame and wealth. "I met idols who are still active. Some believe that the ban on romantic relationships is a problem. Others think it's normal because it's a very unusual kind of job," he said. He hopes his film, which is set for release from May, will spark debate in Japan. "I tried to make a film that could bring out each person's perception of gender, love, freedom, and issues of discrimination," he said. © 2025 AFP
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Koji Fukada Talks J-Pop Industry's ‘No-Dating' Clauses in Cannes Premiere Title ‘Love on Trial,' First Clip Unveiled (EXCLUSIVE)
What happens when a pop star falls in love? In Japan's cutthroat idol industry, she gets sued. That shocking reality forms the backbone of 'Love on Trial,' Japanese director Koji Fukada's Cannes Premiere drama that rips the veil off the draconian 'no-dating' clauses that keep J-Pop's brightest stars legally barred from romance. The project marks Fukada's fourth collaboration with MK2 Films and his first with Japanese giant Toho, who have unveiled the film's first clip exclusively with Variety. More from Variety Jessica Hausner and Annemarie Jacir Films Among Projects Pitched by Up-and-Coming European Producers in Cannes (EXCLUSIVE) Damson Idris, Anamaria Vartolomei to Star as Miles Davis and Juliette Greco in Mick Jagger-Produced 'Miles & Juliette' Women Direct Only 11% of Top-Grossing Films Globally, According to New Study From Annenberg Inclusion Initiative The film follows Mai, a rising idol whose career implodes when her forbidden relationship is discovered, triggering a court battle that exposes the industry's iron grip on young female performers' personal lives. 'The starting point was a small article I came across on the internet around 2015,' Fukada told Variety. 'It told the story of a female idol who was sued for damages by her agency after having a romantic relationship with a fan. I was particularly shocked to learn that the contract between the idol and the agency included a clause prohibiting romantic relationships with the opposite sex.' What began as industry-specific commentary evolved into an exploration of broader societal issues. 'By exploring this subject, I could delve into more universal issues, such as gender and free will, that lie beneath the surface,' the filmmaker said. To create an authentic portrayal of the idol industry, Fukada and co-writer Shintaro Mitani, who actively writes for a current idol group, conducted extensive research. 'During that time, I conducted numerous interviews with actual idols and producers who manage idol groups,' said Fukada, adding that they studied court records and consulted lawyers to construct the film's legal scenes. While the film takes aim at problematic industry practices, Fukada was careful to avoid sensationalism. 'This film deliberately avoids portraying the most dramatic and scandalous moments of her social downfall in real time,' he said. 'Doing so would risk replicating the old-fashioned media practices of sensationalizing celebrity scandals for entertainment.' Instead, he focused on 'the lingering, dull pain Mai experiences after losing her status, her subsequent transformation and the significant decisions she makes afterward.' For Fukada, the idol industry represents deeper societal issues within Japan. 'The idol industry is often criticized for tendency to demand immaturity and excessive purity from young women, idolizing them while denying them sufficient autonomy and tolerating no deviation,' he said. 'I believe this characteristic is deeply rooted in Japanese society, which consistently ranks below 100th in the Gender Gap Index and is by far the lowest among G7 countries.' Though 'Love on Trial' may appear more overtly political than some of Fukada's previous works like 'Harmonium' or 'Love Life,' the director said that this as 'a natural outcome of the subject matter.' He noted that the concept began during the editing of 'Harmonium' and was developed alongside other projects, with earlier works like 'Hospitalité' and 'Sayonara' also addressing social issues including immigration and refugees. For the casting, Fukada took the unusual step in Japanese cinema of holding auditions for almost every role. 'We were able to cast actual idols to play idol roles, which allowed us to capture the authenticity of their performances as individuals living in the world of show business,' he said. 'The young idols are delivering stunning performances on screen that only they can achieve. In particular, I hope audiences will feel the presence of top Japanese idol Kyoko Saito throughout the two-hour film.' Despite the film's specific cultural context, Fukada believes its themes will resonate globally. 'While 'Love on Trial' is set in the uniquely Japanese world of idols, its themes — such as gender disparity, oppression, the conflicts of the entertainment industry, and the struggles for independence — are universal.' Fukada said he hopes that the film 'reaches as many viewers as possible' and that international audiences will find 'their own perspectives and societies reflected back at them, as if holding up a mirror.' Watch the clip here: Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
