Over the history of idols, there have been some whose actions have earned them criticism from fans and netizens.
In the past, one female idol’s behavior was so outside of what was expected that she was regarded as having an attitude problem.
The most popular girl group in Japan is widely regarded as AKB48. AKB48 functions on a rotational basis, meaning line-ups change as members are added and graduate from the group.
In 2007, Rino Sashihara was chosen to become a trainee for the fifth generation of the group, debuting as a member of AKB48’s Team B in 2008. She saw a steady rise in popularity, was promoted to Team A in 2010, and ranked 4th in the 2012 general election.
However, in June 2012, the idol was demoted and transferred to sister group HKT48 following a dating/sex scandal. A man shared his story of dating Rino Sashihara in 2008 and 2009 when she was 16 and he was 17.
According to his story, the man was a huge fan of AKB48 and came to the theater often, where he caught her eye. He also shared details about the two having sex and shared images he claimed were of Sashihara.
Sashihara claimed that the two were just friends but later apologized for her “immoral actions,” which many believed was a partial admittance.
Instead of the demotion and scandal resulting in less popularity, the opposite happened. Her single released that same year hit number one on the Oricon Weekly chart and was ranked first in the 2013 general election.
2013 also saw her duties evolve as she worked as a co-manager and theater manager for HKT48 while promoting with the group’s Team H. She also produced a member of SKE48‘s solo single and was given creative control.
Many were not fans of the idol’s “attitude,” however, as she would go on to joke about her scandal on variety shows. She also hit back at the dating bans imposed on idols, reportedly saying, “I think the rule against idol relationships is sh*t” on a broadcast.
She also received mixed reactions for her thoughts on idols’ abilities, saying that idol hopefuls didn’t need to practice singing and dancing. She claimed this was because most idol fans were “old men” who liked girls who seemed unable to perform well.
Rino Sashihira remained at the top of AKB48’s general elections for the remainder of her time in the group, and her graduation concert was held in February 2019.
Since then, she has focused on producing her three idol groups, =LOVE, who debuted while she was still a member of HKT48, ≠ME, and ≒JOY. The latter released their debut album in January 2024.
She is also somewhat active on YouTube, with over 1.23 million subscribers. Sashihira has also produced her very own make-up brand, Ririmew, and is also the face of the brand.
At 31 years old, Rino Sashihira is living her best life despite all the criticism she faced in the past and managed to overcome!
