Male idol dance group finds hidden stalker gadget inside stuffed animal present from fan

In Japan, there’s a bit of a stigma that surrounds male fans of female idol singers, which stems in no small part from a number of high-profile cases of guys becoming intensely possessive of or attracted to their favorite female performer. But female fans of male idols can be just as startling obsessive in their desire to create a connection of any kind, which brings us to Anatashia.

Since the members of Anatashia don’t sing, they’re technically not idol singers, but the six young men who make up the dance troupe are marketed in much the same way as vocalist idol units, with their choreographed routines, trendy fashions, and smooth-faced, non-threateningly handsome good looks being their major selling points.

As with many popular musical entertainers in Japan, Anatashia’s fans sometimes send them gifts, including stuffed animals. But one plushie they received was more than just a vessel to convey the fan’s ardent affections, because it also contained a GPS tracker.

The group’s official Twitter account released a statement, saying:

"Thank you all for the gifts you send us.

However, we’re sad to inform you that inside a stuffed animal we received the other day, there was what we believe to be a GPS signal emitting device.

As this is both malicious and dangerous, from now on we will be prohibiting fans from giving us stuffed animals. Thank you for your understanding.

The intent seems to have been that the stuffed animal would end up either at the group’s practice studio or in one of the member’s homes, giving the fan a way of determining the location in order to stalk or surprise Anatashia’s members. In reaction to the news, several more scrupulous fans said that whoever gave the GPS-hiding stuffed animal should be blacklisted from all future performances and fan events, but its unclear whether the gift was mailed to the group (in which case the mailing address could be determined, and perhaps from it the sender’s identity) or if it was simply dropped into the present collection boxes that are often set up at live appearances by idols and idol-like performers."

Source: Twitter/@antsa_official via Jin

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