**アイドル –** _aidoru._ **idol** or **pop idol**. This is a complicated topic that deserves its own place but has to be mentioned here because idol culture has become a significant part of _seiyuu_ culture that one eventually encounters it or has gotten into _seiyuu_ because of it.
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**アイドル** - _aidoru._ **idol** or **pop idol**. This is a complicated topic that deserves its own place but has to be mentioned here because idol culture has become a significant part of _seiyuu_ culture that one eventually encounters it or has gotten into _seiyuu_ because of it.
Traditionally, “idols” are entertainers in a very broad sense. Usually presented as fresh-faced hopefuls with huge dreams of stardom, they would grow over the years aiming to fulfill their potential with adoring fans following their journey (and of course with the backing of a media entity). They bring smiles to people, perform shows, hold outreach events, host gigs, interact with fans, appear in merchandise, and do all sorts of things in much the same way some _seiyuu_ have been doing lately but in a more specialized manner. In _seiyuu_ circles, they tend to be discussed in two ways — 2D and 3D — where the emphasis is either on the idol character they’re voicing (2D) or the _seiyuu_ themselves (3D), who usually embody the character. It could also be both.
