hmm but in jpop scene itself, there are a lot of IDOL groups too rite?
they seem to like taking kpop industry's method to produce IDOL groups to compete with the Kpop idols, perhaps?
avex also debuts few IDOL groups examply, TOKYO GIRLS and few others, i can't remember the names.
and mostly the ones that conquer the ORICON CHART are no longer soloists/bands, but most are group artists, obvious ones are AKB48 and ARASHI.

guess that it's not just about kpop vs jpop.. but group artists/idol groups vs soloists/bands now (both kpop and jpop)

Idol making machine?
If you're talking about 'the wave of idols' actually the trigger is AKB48, back in 2010, if you remember. I don't remember which single that makes them become so popular (I think it's Ponytail to Shushu or maybe before that single) and if you realized, after the news of their popularity, so many idols are debuting, including Kpop.

Right after Beginner released, we heard news that solo artists sales are declining. Around that time, lots of Korean artists debuting in Japan, which makes them even more popular than before. Plus, not only Korean artists debuting as well, Japanese idol groups also rising one after another.

I'm not a big fan of AKB48, but they are sure the trigger for the current trends. I know many Korean artists debuting before the rising of AKB48 (Hallyu wave appears in early 2010, I guess), but lots of idols, boybands, and girlbands, surprisingly rising after AKB48 popularity.

Correct me if I'm wrong though.

I totally get what you mean... It's like they'll give you a kind of "shocked stare" if you're not into the KPop trend... Ugh...

I'm only just an occasional fan of Kpop (some are def quite catchy!), but this overwhelming trend here of who's hot or not is really irritating me. My friends around me prefers Kpop as well... try telling them you like Ayu or GACKT, you'll hear nothing but cricket sounds. XD;;;

Sometimes they do try to flood me with Kpop stuff, and seriously I don't like it. Don't force me to listen to something I hate. So, in turn, I know they hate Jrock, I will flood them back with GACKT. Hahaha!! It's my way of "letting them know that's how it feels". And it does work, I think, cuz they've stopped forcing me to follow the trend and learn to respect my choices.

(To be honest, I think Jrock fans are totally feeling even more outcasted than Jpop fans over here...it's really like the minority!!)

But all in all, I've convinced myself that I'm unique with what I choose & love to listen to, and that's what sets me apart from the trend followers who follows blindly (well not all...but you get what I mean...). Well, I never liked trends in the first place... lol.

I dont have any friend/person who i can talk to about ayu too nowdays.*at least i have this forum*.. but she is still my one and only singer which i would spend $$$ for her album/single/etc.

My friend would talk about the K-pop thing.. but meh.. I am not really cares,

yupyup, actually my point is not to discuss about Jpop Vs Kpop. or who is better etc...

it's just to highlight how insensitive those seasonal kpop fans could be... And most of them actually migrated from CPOP....

I feel you actually..until a certain point of my life when i finally realize i had this ONE friend that likes ayu. we arnt that close coz we only speak online..so it still feels as though there isnt really anyone.

it totally rocks if your closest friends who at least bother sometimes. even if they are not ardent fans, if they show some interest and even respond well to it, the feeling is awesome.

so do i,i used to have my close friend who loved ayu..
but recently he lost interest with her n the only reason is she is looks like aunty in his opinion...no that kawaiii anymore...
now he's turnin out to be namie fans...

I feel the same too.... I don't have any close friends who likes ayu... yes, thank god we have this forum... And i felt quite a sense of belonging when attending Arena tour next level movie in sg...

^i went there alone. that was how pathetic it was zzz..i thought someone would be there for me but...

and i really cant stand superficial fans =.=

Well my friends are rather ok.. they do know i'm not into kpop though the number of korean songs i have in my phone has increased to 5 after returning from Korea. So anyway as long as they are not brainwashing me to love kpop i'm ok with it... though it is sad that I have yet to find a close friend that likes Jpop as much as I do... Now this is the time that i will kill to have my friend's elder brother and sister (they are from the Jpop era! i don't get how come my friend isn't into Jpop with both of them there 'brainwashing' her)

I actually respect all my friends who listen to KPOP. Like i never insult K music... The problem is when you mention ayu/jpop, they'll give u the strange look and say, "Isn't ayumi outdated already??".. Listen to snsd la! they are way better..."

Then i'm like, WTH??? -_-

^ SNSD better than Ayu?! Please...! :headache

To me, they sound like the losers for liking something based on how many other people like it. :dead2

if they had iPhones and loves lady gaga then I wouldnt say that they're kpop fans. they're just followers who follow blindly with the taste of other ppl ^^ (no offense to the product n artist but these are the craze in sg ><)

Yes this happens in Taiwan as well. No more J-pop news are reported but all K-pop news even though the news tag is labeled "J & K-pop News" in Yahoo Taiwan.

I am used to it now.

Even in Australia, my niece who likes J-pop and K-pop tells me all her asian friends from high school listen to K-pop, and if she mentions J-pop they would say "huh?/who?"

though i can see why the K-pop craze, even though i will always listen to Ayu, i love to watch K-pop and their dancing and catchy music, it's just seomthing fun to watch/listen. i don't listen to k-pop seriously like i do with Ayu.

yes.. I encounter this too..

n I don't like how my friends would only want to talk about what's 'IN' which is Kpop and think Jpop is outdated. I don't like how Kpop is overrated although I do listen to some Kpop songs cos some are quite cool and addictive. but pretty soon I'll get sick of them anyway. And I'm very sure of myself that Jpop is for me, especially Ayu.

I just don't like the fact that cos I listen to some other artiste's music occasionally or even Kpop, immediately they say I don't support Ayu or Jpop anymore. How can they make such a statement!! What's more irritating is that they are none other but your friends. How can I argue with them over this?? (-_-)

I just hope the Kpop sensation will die down fast and all of them will regret on what they've said! hahaha..

I just ignore people like that. People who follow blindly to trends are not worth my attention.

LOL, my reaction was kinda same. haha. Those Seasonal kpop fans are actually not true Kpop lovers.
They just listen to Kpop cos it makes them look "COOL" or "IN TREND"

Not to mention music only... The H&M trend is soooo.....
Singaporeans are really singaporeans..