Unlike Western pop stars (who are musicians first), Japanese idols are personalities first. Singing and dancing are secondary to "growth" and "connection."
Unlike Hollywood, where agents work for the talent, in Japan, the talent works for the agency. The jimusho system is feudal. Agencies like Burning Production (influential behind the scenes) or Yoshimoto Kogyo (comedy monopoly) control access to TV slots. Key Platforms: ABEMA (domestic streamer with anime block),