The problem is that management selectively enforces the rules, mostly based on popularity- if the girl is popular (see Kashiwagi Yuki, who had a couple scandals), they'll ignored it and pretend it didn't happen, but if the girl is less popular, she may be forced out (or will "graduate" shortly thereafter, supposedly by their own choice but I have doubts- see Owada Nana and Nishino Miki, who after being caught with Johnny's boys both "graduated" a couple months later within short periods of each other).
Popularity is a key factor I agree. Those two weren't among the most popular of their generation.
For kpop it is included in their contracts a lot of the time though it varies by agency; some agencies don't have it enforced but strongly discourage dating by telling stars that they'll likely become less popular if they start dating (which is true). Though in general kpop is laxer about dating than they used to be.
Oh okay I see. I would say that only SNSD wasn't that much impacted but they are still the biggest girls band I think.
Anyway, undergoing plastic surgery just so that an idol that you like might find you attractive? How do you know that she'd find you handsome after the surgery anyway? And hey, I'd be a hypocrite to say that being handsome doesn't help, but for girls what really matters is body language - the kind that exudes confidence. And not everybody likes muscular guys. Don't work out for an idol, work out because that's who you are.
When you read that some crazy guys send tons of messages, presents to the idols and stab them because they didn't reply positively to them ... A minority is ready to do anything (sadly).
I agree that not everybody likes muscular guys. In my country though, there is a lot of hypocrisy, and it's even funny when some girls say "it's ugly" if you are in fact muscular rather than looking like a TV spot model. Those girls are usually not in a good shape so they prefer to criticize as it's easier than going to the gym. That's hwy I workout for ME not for someone else. If the girl like muscular guys, that's good, if she doesn't care, I have couple of charm points I think (funny, gentleman, ...).
You can be into a famous person and in touch with reality at the same time. Believe me, I've done it!
I'm actually right into that haha. But yeah, I know the girl (or even the girls haha) is an idol so I'm just fanboy-ing and buy some merch (photoshooks, ..). I read her blog posts, watch her group MVs and that's it, I'm not sending her 10000 messages per day or anything else.
My question is - since I don't follow these idols - that isn't the innocent/chaste image part of what they sell? Part of the idol culture? Isn't putting them on a pedestal not only encouraged but a requirement? So maybe a change in that might end the whole idol-culture as we know it or, if it's really that important, sales might even drop so much that it wouldn't be possible to go on for a lot of those idol groups?
The innocent/chaste image is part of what help them to sell merch. At least for AKB but Nogizaka 46, it's the same thing I think as it's an idol group too. I think that for AKB, they say the girls are "idols you can meet". You can do photo, handshakes, ... here is a virtual event (with my favourite) :
