Writer Minori Suzuki takes a feminist perspective on idols for fun and support

Started writing after being approached by an editor of a magazine

Celeina (MC): Minori Suzuki, you often write from the perspective of gender, sexuality, and feminism.What inspired you to start writing?

Suzuki：I never thought of becoming a writer myself, but I was picked up by an editor of a magazine. I met with other editors, but my job hunting was not going well at the time, so we were talking about it and they said, “We can pay you this much,” and I said, “I’ll do it!”.

Takano (MC): That was a miracle.

Suzuki: That’s right. My friend was also taking photos for that magazine, so that was part of the story.

Celeina：You originally liked writing, didn’t you?

Suzuki：I was also writing a diary at the time when mobile novels were popular, so I was familiar with it.

Celeina：I used to read cell phone novels!

Takano: It brings back memories, doesn’t it?

Thinking from a feminist perspective to enjoy supporting idols

Celeina: In 2022, there was “Et cetera Vol. 8: Idols, Labor, and Lips,” which was edited as a joint feature with Ayaka Wada. This feature, now that I think about it, is an amazing project. What was the background behind this project?

Suzuki: I love Hello Project, and I have been a fan of a group called ANGERME, to which Ayacho (Wada’s nickname) belonged, since the time of its predecessor S/mileage. I just thought that in order to support idols and enjoy them myself, I had to consider the working environment and the feminist viewpoint that women, mainly, are easily objectified sexually. I talked about these things with Ms.Matsuo, the representative and editor of “Et cetera” and he suggested that I should do a feature with Ms.Wada.

Celeina：I see. It’s an important topic, isn’t it?

Suzuki: Now we talked about female idols, but there are also male idols, and their fans include both men and women. In the context of heterosexuality, I tried to express in an easy-to-understand way that there are not only those who support men because they are women or women because they are men, but also those who admire them and have various points of view.

Takano: The questionnaire conducted in the feature is very interesting, isn’t it?

Suzuki: We conducted three types of questionnaires: those who are idols or used to be idols, those who work with idols, and idol fans. However, the number of responses from idols was smaller than we expected. Considering all the news from last year, I thought it might be difficult for them to talk about it, even though it was anonymous.

Celeina: I think it is very important to change the situation where it is difficult for idols to talk about their idols.

Takano: Looking at the results of the questionnaire, we can see that the difficulty of working is oozing out.

Suzuki: That’s right. Another good thing about the survey was that many people, fans and idols, responded. There were people from overseas who answered in English, and there were people who said they were fans in the context of homosexuality. It’s not just male and female, but also genderqueer and non-binary people who don’t fit into existing gender categories, so it was great to see that a variety of people are interested in idols.

Takano: I have a question. Why is “lip” in the title?

Suzuki: One of the former members of ANGERME is Momona Kasahara, who is now active in ME:I. When she was a member of ANGERME, there were a lot of comments from fans about lip color. At that time, Ayacho wrote on her blog that she should apply her favorite color lipstick. I thought that although it is a job where one has to care about how one looks in order to be accepted by the fans, it is important for a person to choose how to express his or her own personality. I put “lip” to combine the two: representation and expression.

Takano: This is not something else, is it?

Suzuki: Yes, it is. However, I wanted everyone to think of it as meaning various things, not just that episode between Ms.Kasahara and Ayacho, so I dared to use an abstract expression.

Look at SHINee, who also inspired us to create the magazine feature.

Takano: In addition to reviewing books and movies, you also write novels.

Suzuki: In 2023, I wrote a novel titled “Transit” for the August issue of the literary magazine “Subaru”. It is difficult to explain, so I will read out the description from “Subaru”: “Fumi works in the product planning department of a cosmetics manufacturing and sales company and follows several SNS accounts.When I read posts from people who I perceive as different versions of myself, I know it will trigger self-loathing, but I still open them anyway.”. It’s like that’s the kind of novel I wrote (haha).

Celeina: It is sometimes difficult to be objective about what you wrote yourself, isn’t it?

Suzuki: I thought it would be difficult to summarize it because there are several characters and their points of view switch, but since you made this kind of introduction from one character’s point of view, I think I will make this the official introduction.

Celeina：There has been a lot of heart-wrenching news recently. Amidst all this, is there any entertainment or culture that Minori-san pays attention to?

Suzuki：I’m getting a bit tired of getting information in Japanese and consuming entertainment and culture, so I’m enjoying more overseas works, but I like SHINee, which was one of the reasons I made this special feature “Idols, Labor, Lip”. K-POP idols also have a lot of difficulties in terms of working conditions and contracts, and fans are starting to see that. It’s not just a group to enjoy, but it’s a group that gives me the opportunity to think about various things when I’m cheering for them and having fun. They have a concert at the Tokyo Dome in February, and a movie commemorating their 15th debut anniversary will be released in Japan in March, so I’m looking forward to it.

Celeina: Are you excited?

Suzuki: It also makes me feel like crying. The group evokes feelings of being torn apart.

Takano: In this vein, shall we play a song that Ms.Minori has chosen that we all want to listen to together at this time?

Suzuki：Mr. Jonghyun of SHINee has actually passed away. This song is by IU, who also worked with Mr. Jonghyun. It is a selfish guess, but I think it is a song about mourning his passing. I chose this song because it makes you feel happy, but also makes you feel torn apart. IU’s “Blueming”.

Contributed to the pamphlet for the film “20.000 especies de abejas” a film that has a hook for many people.

Celeina：Ms.Minori, you have contributed words to various films, what kind of films have you dealt with recently?

Suzuki： I contributed to the pamphlet of the Spanish film “20.000 especies de abejas” and I also supervised some of the wording.

Celeina: What is the story of “20.000 especies de abejas”?

Suzuki: The film is set in the Basque Country in Spain and begins with a mother returning to her parents’ home with her three children for summer vacation. That youngest child is uncomfortable about his sexuality. However, the film is not only about the children, but also about the mother’s way of life, the grandmother, the various women in the family, the lives of the women living in the Basque Country, and the interactions between the siblings.

Celeina：That’s interesting. It is a human drama depicting various perspectives.

Suzuki: It depicts something that cannot be summed up in the word “transgender,” and I think it is a film that has something to offer to many people.

Celeina：You should check it out. Now, “FIST BUMP” is a circle of friends connected by the goo touch, and we are asking you to introduce us to your friends.

Suzuki: This is Ms. Ryoko Kuwabara, who is the chief editor of a web media called “NeoL”.

Takano: In a word?

Suzuki: A late-night family restaurant friend.

Takano: I would like to hear more about that tomorrow. Tomorrow, we welcome Ms. Ryoko Kuwahara, editor-in-chief of the culture web magazine “NeoL”.

Celeina： “FIST BUMP”, we welcomed writer Minori Suzuki today. Thank you very much.

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