A Female Idol And Her Former Girl Group Members Dated Fans

Some entertainment agencies place their idol groups under dating bans, as publicly dating can and has negatively impacted many idols’ careers. One girl group, however, was actively encouraged to date their fans.

The Japanese idol group AeLL. (Activity eco Life with Love.) was a four-member girl group formed in 2011. The most popular member of the group, Ai Shinozaki, was a gravure swimsuit model prior to debuting with the group. During an interview with reporters, she revealed details about AeLL.’s marketing and their relationship with fans.

To encourage fans to buy their second album, 4/4 YON BUN NO YON, AeLL. offered prizes based on the number of albums purchased. Fans who bought 30 albums received a meal prepared by AeLL., while those who bought 50 got a one-hour karaoke session with all the members. The grand prize went to fans who bought 100 copies: a 90-minute date with their preferred AeLL. member.

At the time of Ai Shinozaki’s interview, nine fans had already bought 100 albums to go on a date with her. At 2,300 yen (approximately $15.48 USD today), each one of those fans would have spent 230,000 yen (approximately $1,548 USD). She told interviewers that she had already gone on two dates with fans, one of which happened at a popular Korean barbeque restaurant called Jojoen Yugentei.

Was the idol worried about her safety during these dates? She told reporters that she was not worried about her well-being, but rather her fans’ experience with her. “At the end, I asked [the fan], ‘How was it? Did you have fun?’ and he told me, ‘I’m totally satisfied,” she said. AeLL.’s manager acted as a chaperone, accompanying AeLL.’s members on their dates.

AeLL. was formed on January 1, 2011 and remained active until September 14, 2014. Just months after their second album release and Ai’s interviews, the group began an indefinite hiatus. Ai has continued her career as a singer and a gravure model.