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The story
The unwritten “no dating” rule remains deeply entrenched in the idol world. Against that backdrop, a current idol’s comment — “That rule doesn’t really need to exist, does it? We’re professionals at singing and dancing” — became a hot topic on 5ch. In the thread, some agreed: “If they’re professionals, they should be free like artists are.” Others pushed back: “Idols are sold as a total package that includes pseudo-romance, not just singing and dancing.” Opinions split over how dating affects popularity and over what “professional” even means.
What people said
Artists don't have some unspoken rule like that.
Idols don't really have it either lol
No way, that's impossible.
Juice=Juice has the most members with fans seriously in love with them in all of Hello! Project right now.
https://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv351359919
A 16-year-old schoolgirl-type who looks like she could be in Hello! Project, whose birthday was yesterday, opens presents sent in by listeners
https://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv351356331
It's just that goods and cheki (polaroid photo) sales drop, which causes trouble for management.
But she has to accept the price that comes with it.
You only get to pick one: popularity or love.
There's demand from female fans too, so it's fine even if a relationship gets exposed.
The idols themselves are the ones imposing the restriction on themselves — otherwise fans won't spend money.
Her male fans have such a niche fetish that they'll keep cheering her on even with a boyfriend.
Maybe it's because Hello! Project fans don't buy into the 'death idol' rumors.
But the guy's a former industry insider, so his info is actually pretty credible.
If you're that confident in your singing and dancing, don't be an idol — write, compose, arrange, and sing everything yourself and sell it that way.
Then nobody would complain.
People would still complain.
As for dancing, you can't make a living at it unless you're world-class to begin with.
But just say 'I don't have a boyfriend' and you can get fans to shower you with money even if you're terrible — that's obviously the better deal.
What people like that are picturing is some wholesome romance with a good-looking guy their own age.
Reality isn't some manga world like that.
A baseball player batting under .100 is still a pro.
A guy who looks headed for retirement without ever leaving the minor leagues is still a pro.
Being a pro doesn't mean you're high-level — if you get paid for it, you're a pro.
That's true.
But idols aren't selling singing and dancing alone as their product, so they're not 'professional singers and dancers.'
An idol is still just an idol.
Background and Key Points of This Debate
The idol “no dating” rule sometimes comes from an explicit clause in an agency contract or internal rulebook, and sometimes it’s a line idols draw for themselves out of fear of fan backlash or a drop in popularity. In this thread, one comment noted that “it’s not the agency banning it — the idols restrict themselves because otherwise fans stop spending money,” and reactions split depending on differing assumptions about who’s actually imposing the ban. Opinions also clashed over what counts as “professional” — whether it should be judged purely on singing and dancing skill, or on the idol’s overall value as a product, pseudo-romance included. How popularity is affected once a relationship comes to light also varies by group and fanbase, suggesting there’s no one-size-fits-all answer here.
※This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Current idol: “Isn’t it fine if idols just aren’t banned from dating? We’re professionals at singing and dancing”.”
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