Nobody expects to become an addict. But the opening scenes of Rikiya Imaizumi¡¯s ¡°In Those Days¡± show with chilling precision how easy it is to get hooked on the bane of contemporary Japanese society: idol pop.
Based on a memoir by musician and author Mikito Tsurugi, this bittersweet comedy-drama captures the heyday of the Hello! Project idol collective, whose popularity in the 2000s paved the way for the full-spectrum dominance of idol group AKB48 during the following decade.
It¡¯s 2004 in Osaka, and Mikito (Tori Matsuzaka) is down on his luck. He¡¯s flunked his university entrance exams, his rock band ambitions aren¡¯t working out, and his career prospects don¡¯t look much rosier. So when a concerned friend slips him a little pick-me-up ¡ª a DVD of pop idol Aya Matsuura ¡ª he¡¯s easy prey.
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