YOASOBI’s “Idol,” the opening theme song for the anime adaptation of Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari’s manga “Oshi no Ko,” has achieved remarkable milestones. In the week of June 30 to July 6, the song soared to the top spot on YouTube’s Global Top Song music chart with a staggering 41.9 million views, marking a remarkable 22.3% increase. It has also dominated Oricon’s weekly streaming ranking for an impressive 13 consecutive weeks since its debut, accumulating over 300 million streams in Japan. Notably, “Idol” holds two speed records in Japan, surpassing 100 million streams in just five weeks and reaching 200 million streams in a mere nine weeks.
The song’s success extends beyond Japan, as it claimed the number one position on Apple’s Music Top 100: Global chart as of June 21. Moreover, upon its digital release on April 12, “Idol” instantly topped Billboard Japan’s streaming song chart on April 19, a feat only reinforced when it emerged as a CD single on June 14.
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Internationally, “Idol” made history by becoming the first-ever Japanese song to conquer Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, debuting at number one on June 10. The English version, introduced on May 26, propelled the song to number six on the same chart. The achievements continued with the song reaching number seven on the US Billboard’s Global 200 chart (dated July 1), marking the highest position ever achieved by a Japanese artist..
The anime adaptation premiered on April 12 with an extended 90-minute episode and concluded its 11-episode run on June 28. Due to its immense popularity, the series has been renewed for a second season. HIDIVE streamed the first season simultaneously with its Japanese broadcast and provided an English dub, making it the most successful series launch in the streaming service’s history.
Aka Akasaka, the original manga’s author, contributed a short story titled “45510,” which served as the inspiration for YOASOBI’s captivating “Idol” song.
Under the direction of Daisuke Hiramaki (Selection Project) and Chao Nekotomi (Love is Like a Cocktail), the first season of the anime was produced by Doga Kobo. Jin Tanaka (The Misfit of Demon King Academy) masterfully crafted the series scripts, while Kanna Hirayama (Rent-A-Girlfriend) skillfully designed the characters. The ending theme song, “Mephisto,” was performed by Queen Bee.
“Akasaka” and “Yokoyari” joined forces to launch the manga in Shueisha’s Weekly Young Jump magazine in April 2020. The English digital release is handled by Shueisha’s MANGA Plus service, while Yen Press holds the license for the manga’s publication. Described as an outrageous tale, the story follows Gorou, a gynecologist and passionate idol fan, who forms an unexpected bond with his beloved star, Ai, despite her sudden hiatus. Lies become a formidable weapon for idols in this extraordinary manga created by Aka Akasaka (Kaguya-sama: Love is War) and Mengo Yokoyari (Scum’s Wish).
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The manga has garnered numerous accolades, winning first place in the seventh “Next Manga Awards” (Tsugi ni Kuru Manga Taishō) in 2021 and securing the Best General Manga award at the 46th annual Kodansha Manga Awards. It was also nominated for the 26th Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize and the 14th and 15th Manga Taisho Awards. In the 2022 edition of Takarajimasha’s Kono Manga ga Sugoi! (This Manga Is Amazing!) guidebook, it ranked seventh on the top 20 list of manga for male readers. With over 3 million copies in circulation, the manga continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
Sources | YouTube’s Global Top Song music chart, Mainichi Shimbun’s Mantan Web
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