[BlackSilence]

I think that companies go after personal lives of the celebrities in japan only if they feed on their pure/single/innocent image like idols tend to sport, who basicly have less talent and depend more on the label and producers than any other musicians. i mean how many idols actualy have great voices and musical skills? Very few. They sell purelly on their image.
I think with artists like Ayu, GACKT (who's in Avex too) etc. they get more respect (and sure thing you have to earn that respect) from labels and far more freedom than idol groups cuz they are grown up people, and have more of a last word in everything they do with their carrer, HOWEVER i was a little surprised when some time ago GACKT said he wanted his hair color back to black but said that company told him to keep it like that for a little longer and didn't want him to change it.

In general i think veteran artists, or musicians are more likelly to have more freedom with their labels than idols and idol groups.