Oshi no Ko offers a realistic look at the harsh realities faced by pop idols in Japan. Perfect Blue and Oshi no Ko both ...

Decoder Ring’s Evan Chung told the story this week of the Japanese musical duo Pink Lady and their ill-fated American TV variety show in 1980. Pink Lady’s meteoric rise in Japan was exceptional—but it ...

And though idols are distinctive and have been around in Japan since the 1960s, they presaged so much about contemporary Western celebrity culture. Listening to Evan and Patrick’s conversation, I ...