| |
|---|---|
| Idol Is Dead | |
| Japanese Title |
アイドル・イズ・デッド |
| Directed by |
Yukihiro Kato |
| Written by |
Yukihiro Kato |
| Release Date |
October 20th 2012 |
| Run Time |
62 minutes |
| Genre |
Horror, Comedy, Musical |
| Starring | |
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Trailer-Idol Is Dead Trailer
Idol Is Dead (アイドル・イズ・デッド) is a Japanese independant film starring members of BiS. The film was written and directed by Yukihiro Kato. Idol Is Dead was released on October 20th 2012, just a few days before the album of the same name.
Plot
Spoiler warning!
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Rui (Pour Lui) and Tsunko (Wada Misa) have long aspired to become singers, but currently work at a hostess bar instead. While walking home, they encounter Momoko (Hirota Tomona), an old rival of Rui's, and the members of Ikaho Onsen, the idol group she since formed. A fight quickly breaks out between Rui and the idols, only for Rui to accidentally kill all three of them by pushing them off the bridge.
After they bury the bodies, Tsunko suggests going into hiding, which Rui rejects. Instead, they are going to disguise themselves as Ikaho Onsen and replace them at the live show they were scheduled for. Tsunko initially protests but Rui reassures her that the plan might work, as she knows someone who can help them.
Rui and Tsunko visit the home of Non-chan (Hirano Nozomi), a hikikomori and former school idol whom Rui knew growing up. They ask her to teach them some choreography, which Non-chan initially rejects, saying that she was bullied at school after being caught plagiarizing Morning Musume. However, she changes her mind when Tsunko tells her not to worry about ripping off other acts. They research idols together and begin to come up with a dance routine.
Rui, Tsunko and Non-chan successfully disguise themselves as Ikaho Onsen and proceed to perform BiS at their debut live in a supermarket parking lot. During the show, one of the supermarket workers (Mizusawa Shingo) enounters a strange old man who begs him to look at his invention. He ignores the man and enjoys the performance instead. Later, at their real job, Tsunko pulls out Ikaho Onsen's gig schedule and tries to persuade Rui to keep performing. After Rui argues that they will be exposed, Tsunko says that it'll be fine as long as they change their name. Non-chan appears immediately to share her idea for a group name; "Brand-new Idol Society, BiS". Meanwhile, a hand emerges from the grave of the real Ikaho Onsen.
BiS arrive at the location of their next live, a suspicious-looking building in the middle of nowhere. While waiting to perform, they are offered food and drink by an idol duo who are also waiting to perform. The other idols reveal that they are at the Idol Battle Arena; a venue created by the renowed producer Takemoto Yasuo for the purpose of finding new idols. It is rumoured that idols are given three chances to give a successful performance. Those who "pass" are rewarded with a gig at Saitama Super Arena, the "idol's holy land". Those who "fail" are punished. Meanwhile, the supermarket employee is reading Non-chan's blog at home, and panics upon reading where they are about to perform.
While Rui and Non-chan practice their dance backstage, Tsunko panics and runs to the bathroom to take drugs and drink sake. While there, she hears voices from outside and looks through the window. Outside, she sees the idols who had fed them moments before, handcuffed, with bags over their heads, being forced into the back of a van. She screams and tries to run away, but instead runs into Rui, Non-chan and one of the venue's staff members; it is time for BiS to perform. Despite her fear of what's to come, Tsunko reluctantly joins the rest of BiS on stage where they perform Give Me Your Love Zenbu to an unenthusiastic audience. The fan from the supermarket enters and attempts to push through the crowd. When he fails, he starts dancing and cheering from the back instead but fails to get the audience to join in. As the show ends and the audience leaves, the fan is knocked over and trampled on, but is found by a girl cleaning the venue (Terashima Yufu). Meanwhile, Momoko has been captured by the old man from the supermarket, after he revived her with his invention. She kills the old man and escapes.
Backstage, Tsunko tries to get the other girls to leave, but Rui instead scolds her and Non-chan for getting the performance wrong. The cleaner enters the dressing room while Rui and Tsunko fight and overhears their argument. She scolds Tsunko for not taking idol seriously enough, critiques Non-chan's choreography, and spends the rest of the day training BiS for their next attempt. As the girl leaves them behind to go to school, BiS encounter the fan from the supermarket, who reveals that he has been a fan of Non-chan since her time as a school idol.
Momoko finds two men planning to go to the next Idol Battle. After hearing one of the men say he likes Rui, she decapitates him and declares that she is going to kill every BiS fan. Meanwhile, BiS are waiting for their second attempt in the Idol Battle. Tsunko panics again and runs to the bathroom again where she is found by the cleaner who tries to take away her can of sake. The cleaner throws Tsunko on the table and reveals that she has been taking drugs and drinking sake. When Rui confronts her about this, Tsunko says it is impossible for someone like her to be an idol, quits BiS and leaves. In tears, the cleaner apologizes for outing Tsunko, explaining that because she is an honor student, she has always been strict about following rules. In response, Rui makes her replace Tsunko in BiS. Later, Tsunko is playing with children in the park and sees one of them watching a video of BiS performing Nerve with the honor student at the Idol Battle. While the audience starts off just as unenthusiastic as before, they quickly join in with the dance and cheers. After the video ends, Tsunko breaks down only to be confronted by Momoko who offers her a white powder.
As BiS are about to perform at the Idol Battle for the third and final time, the man from earlier throws the headless corpse of his friend at the audience and warns them that they will end up the same way if they become BiS fans. The audience panics and runs out of the venue but are killed by Momoko, who then goes after Rui. Meanwhile, after seeing their performance, Takemoto Yasuo decides to send BiS to Saitama Super Arena, however, is killed by Tsunko, whose hand has been replaced by blades. She then tries to kill the honor student. Instead however, the honor student kicks Tsunko in the head, killing her, and passes out. As Momoko and Rui fight outside Non-chan is dragged away by her fan who urges her not to go after them. He begs Non-chan to quit being an idol and become his lover, but changes his mind and lets her go when Non-chan explains how her life has improved since joining BiS. As she leaves, he tells Non-chan that he will always be her fan. As the honor student leaves the venue with some survivors she sees that Pour Lui has Momoko pinned to the ground and crushes her head with a cinder block. Non-chan reunites with Pour Lui and the honor student and they perform Primal. (single) as the credits roll.
Trivia
- Rui, Non-chan and Momoko are the only named characters in the movie.
- Terashima Yufu's character being an honor student is a reference to her member role in BiS
- Although they were members at the time of the Idol Is Dead's release, Michibayashi Rio and Wakisaka Yurika do not star in the movie, as it was filmed prior to their joining.
- Brand-new Idol Society was spelled as "Bland-new Idol Society" in Non-chan's notebook.