As defenders of the common people that elevate them to a god-like status, idols fight back against the existential crisis that their mirages represent. In Tokyo Mirage's world, idols are more than just performers they have the capacity to enter the world of hostile mirages, which seek to dominate the real world by draining all colour and energy out of it. Not because they are good at performing, though. A young boy and girl find themselves thrust into the world of idols when their talent for the work is discovered. Tokyo Mirage Sessions takes place within that context. But it's a quality to Japanese entertainment that has been around for a very long time fans of the all-woman Takarazuka Revue theatre actors as far back as 1913 wear sashes and other such garments to represent their “fandom” of a particular performer. It leads to tragedy at times, as we saw recently when an idol was attacked by a fan, and it wasn't the first time such a thing has happened. Fans feel an intense ownership over the fate of “their” girls and guys, and that ownership comes from their being active participants in the sub-culture. Those CDs come with voting slips that allow the fan to elevate their favourite girl up the rankings within the idol group. Those same fans will buy boxes of music CDs, but not because they want many copies of the same music. Idols are, via their marketing machine, far more approachable than the typical celebrity, with the girls and guys regularly meeting with - and interacting with - fans that are willing to spend obscene amounts of money on special-grade concert tickets. It's all but guaranteed celebrity.įor the fans, idols are equally aspirational. We all dream of doing this when we sing karaoke in the shower, but these people get to live this dream, and do so with minimal risk once they're 'discovered' by an agent their work in promoting themselves is largely done. For the idols (both men and women), it's a chance to realise the dream of celebrity - to have the most adoring fans and perform at sell out concerts. It’s because the idol culture is one built around fantasy and aspiration, on both sides. You might ask why anyone would want to become an idol, or alternatively why anyone would be interested in supporting such manufactured celebrity. For instance, not long ago one of the girls from AKB48 - the most famous idol group of all - made headlines globally because she shaved her head as an apology to fans for being caught with a man AKB48 girls are not allowed to date, else their fans get jealous and for that to then destroy the fantasy that the girls represent. They belong to agencies, than manage their careers to the most minute of details, and are expected to behave according to strict behavioral guidelines. Essentially, idols are manufactured celebrities singers, actors or models selected more for their marketability than talent in this chosen fields (and often they don't actually choose their field). Idols are a concept quite unique to Asia (and far more prominent in Japan than anywhere else), and Japan has a complex relationship with it. Related reading: On the PlayStation 4, Omega Quintet also has a Japanese idol theme.
The difference is that where the Persona games focus on personal growth stories of kids through high school, Tokyo Mirage is instead a game about Japan's idol culture and celebrity. As a Persona game in all but name, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE follows that series' penchant for bright, colourful aesthetics, and complex storytelling that mixes themes around personal development and cultural reflection.
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