[Sunday Culture] Idol Fans' Lightstick Dance... The Story of 'Otage'

How Idol and Animation Fans Show Support
From Clubs to International Competitions, Solidifying as Culture

"What on earth does that dance mean?"

Have you ever seen Japanese idol or animation enthusiasts gather and swing their arms side to side in a dance?

In Korea, a video of a group performing this dance in front of a sign directing to the storage area at an animation expo went viral. Recently, a "dance challenge" mimicking this dance from the Japanese animation about idols, "Saiai no Ai," has become popular on social networking services (SNS) like TikTok.

Otage, a character appearing in the Japanese animation 'Oshi no Ko'. (Photo by Oshi no Ko Official Website)

This dance is called "Otage," performed by anime or idol fans waving light sticks in rhythm to the music as a form of cheering.

Aren't you curious why and how this dance is performed? Today, we will share a story about Otage.

Otage is a compound word combining "Otaku," meaning passionate fan, and "Ge" (芸), meaning entertainment. It refers to the intense dances or chants shown by enthusiastic fans. Its origins date back to the 1990s. Popular culture researchers believe it originated from cheering for "underground idols" who performed in underground live houses and did not appear on TV. Initially, only a small number of fans clapped their hands together in rhythm.

The term Otage became widely known in the 2000s. At that time, Japan was experiencing an idol boom with girl groups like AKB48. What became widespread then was the glow sticks commonly called "cheering sticks" or "fan lights." They are highly visible, and idols themselves requested fans to bring them to concerts, making them essential items for fans.

Otage involves holding these glow sticks and performing various choreographies. Each movement has its own name. The most basic choreography is "Taiga," where fans cross their arms and send passionate gazes.

There is also "Mawari," a movement where fans clap above their heads and rotate to the right or left, and "Romance," where the arm is pulled while pointing diagonally upward. Since Mawari and Romance are usually connected movements, they are often called "Mawari Romance."

Japanese Otage dance group 'Evolution N's Thunder Snake. (Photo by Evolution N Facebook)

The movement of rotating the arms while holding the glow sticks like playing with sparklers is called "Thunder Snake." Since Otage is performed in groups, the Thunder Snake movement is very common in what we typically recognize as Otage.

It is difficult to explain the movements in words, but Otage's popularity is surprisingly strong. The company "Lumica," which sells the most glow sticks used for Otage in Japan, launched a cheering stick specialized for concerts in 2007. Currently, annual sales reach 4 to 5 million units. Since the trademark of these glow sticks is "Cyum," Otage is also called "Cyum Dance."

However, as more people enjoy concerts, the Otage culture has started to receive some criticism. Cases have arisen where fans modify their glow sticks to stand out or perform intense movements that cause collisions, disturbing other audience members.

Because of this, since 2010, various rules have been introduced, such as limiting the length of glow sticks, creating designated Otage areas at the back of the venue, or even banning Otage altogether. There was even an audience member who filed a lawsuit against the organizers for damages, claiming they could not properly enjoy the performance due to Otage.

Performance photo of Japanese Otage dance group 'Evolution N'. (Photo by Evolution N Facebook)

Still, when enjoyed with good manners, it seems to be a culture that fosters unity. In Japan, there are many Otage clubs, including not only student groups but also Otage clubs for working adults. There is even a world Otage competition called the "Cyum Dance World Battle." This international competition is held not only in Japan but also in Taiwan and Singapore, and it is said to be quite large in scale.

Today, we shared a story about Otage. It seems to have a meaning beyond simple gestures, representing a subculture of fans that has evolved alongside the history of idols.