The iDol

The iDol is a 2006 film made and produced by independent filmmaker, Norman England. A science fiction satire, filmed entirely in Japan, The iDol tells the story of a Japanese collector who comes into possession of a figure with origins not of this world. It is a satirical look at the world of "otaku" and the mass marketing of media culture, so prevalent in Japan, that creates these legion of obsessed fans. The iDol was a small production which did not receive worldwide attention due to its limited budget of $25,000. The iDol premiered at the Fantasia Festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on July 16, 2006 and has subsequently played at various festivals around the world. It was shown on television for the first time on Japan's SKY Perfect satellite channel on March 3, 2008. Plot Ken is a mild-mannered man in his mid-twenties who, like many men his age, has interests that stopped developing during adolescence. On a visit to a local toy collectors' shop, he acquires a rare alien action figure. Unexpectedly, Ken's world is turned inside out as the somewhat silly looking toy alters his life by benevolently giving him everything he has ever dreamed of and then callously taking it all back. Ken's immature desires and indecisive nature are pit against a collection of seemingly normal, yet equally misguided characters who are meant to illustrate how people are victims of a socially implanted drive for things not in their own best interests.