What a wonderful article! You give us a well-rounded picture of the "oshi" phenomenon so we can get some idea of what it is like from the inside.

My own version is to revere sages, artists, and activists who show me what a human being is capable of and inspire me to follow their path. My oshi changes over time. For about 10 years it was Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Buddhis monk and antiwar activist. Your article helps me realize that oshi is a product of both pop culture and "art" and it is how you experience this love that matters, not whether or not it is "high" art.