どうも、なっキーさん、ベンジャミンさん、こんにちは。
お久しぶりにコメント書かせて頂きます。
今年８月からアメリカのニューヨークに引っ越ししたMichaelです。まだ日本語が勉強中ですが、優しい目で読んでください。指摘もお願い致します。
私も最近のAKBが残念だと思うが、AKBの中に先輩（１－４期生）のメンバーが「胸を張って卒業」ということだけでファンとしての悩みが解けないと思う。なぜならば、多くのファンがまだアイドルたちに正しい推し方が知らないと思う。
指原莉乃のスキャンダルの後にも人気がある理由は、彼女のイメージがアイドルから芸能人になったわけだ。もちろん、偶然ではない。色んな番組に出たりしたのでメディアイメージが変わった。
そして文春に載せたスキャンダル、改めて指原は「人間だ！個性的、肉食系な女の子」だとその時にファンでもない人たちが思ったでしょう。つまり、彼女の人間性で同情を生まれました。
しかし、多くのAKBのメンバーが、古くからのメンバーも、山口百恵の時代に生きていないのに、山口百恵のようなアイドルのイメージに頑張ってる。そしてぐぐたすとかで活躍したりして、ソーシャルメディアを利用してファンへ強めの「全身がアイドル」ということを無理にも受け取らせる。
私の意見だが、AKBの良さが皆が「個性的な女の子」という親しいイメージです。それから「会いに行ける」というキャッチコピーも発揮できる。昔のアイドルのイメージを捨てなきゃならない。多元の社会では純粋なアイドルが存在しません！とファンの人も覚悟して欲しいです。
ちょっと書き始めた時の意味が忘れてしまうので、次はベンジャミンさんへの英語のコメントです。
Hi Benjamin,
I've always felt the group worked best when there is a regular cycle of girls. We talked about this back in March 2011, when we met in Akihabara. The last girl to leave the group with grace (dignity?) was probably Ono Erena, who had over 3 months to say goodbye to her fans since it was announced that she will leave. After that, for some reason, the management of AKB48 started to really hold onto a strong 鉄板 top-members line-up.
2011 was a horrible year for true fans of AKB because everyone knew that Acchan and Yuko were getting tired: You can tell from the dramas they were in, that the media business overall had a bad effect on their character. The creation of Team 4 was doomed from the beginning, and there was no creation of Team 5 or 8. The regular TV shows that they were in became stale: Shukan AKB became a series of interviews and personal challenges, much like Nemousu AKB (I did not know which was which at one point). Gachi-Gase was really, really stupid because there were always transvestites (おネエ?）, which did not help AKB's media image. 清純さVS不清純さ？意味が分からない。
I believe the March 11 Earthquake had a lot to do in the matter. The management could not afford to shuffle the teams or let older members go because they were the ones guaranteed to be good for business. In a time when Japanese people were losing faith in the economy and in the government, what else could they believe in if not that they will see their favorite girls stay where they are?
But people move on. As a fan, I felt that many AKB members wanted to leave. Acchan's eyes looked so tired, but she had to stay to keep the group in tact. Plus, she lost to Oshima in 2010, so the stupid fans wanted to have revenge. They got their revenge with the best selling single, Everyday Kachusha.
Now comes the end of 2011, and no one graduated. The management and the fans looked elsewhere. This is when there was a huge boom of NMB48 and SKE48, when Tokyo AKB fans switched their eyes to view the BIG Akimoto Yasushi group as one thing, picking their Oshimen from each of the sister groups. (By the way, this is what I have done since the creation of SKE48, because I knew each group had great girls with great personalities)
The AKB management realized it too, and keep on putting members outside of AKB in the AKB events. But the biggest question is: Who will graduate in 2012? The fans were waiting.
I don't think long-time fans of AKB were surprised at Acchan's "surprise" 卒業 announcement on March 25. In fact, I don't think people would have been too shocked if they announced the graduation of Oshima Yuuko too, but guess what, the newer fans would not allow them.
"I haven't had enough time looking at Yuko!" They would say. They could say the same for Acchan, because they've only followed the group since Everyday, Kachuusha.
But for Acchan and Yuko, they've been here for 6 years. SIX YEARS under the name of AKB, SIX YEARS of going everywhere and have to explain that they are a part of a big collective of girls. Their names do not come before the group's name. They must feel a bit frustrated.
Nope, the management decided. It was too much shock to take both of their stars away. So they kept Yuko, who is older than Acchan and wasn't offering anything to TV than her laughing on variety shows. Then, the management put on one more 選抜総選挙, just to prove to themselves a point: Hey, we can still make money after Acchan is gone.
Well, they have, but without competition, Oshima won with only 100,000 votes, less than what she got from 2011 senbatsu. It was a pity award. No one doubted that she would win. Did she feel good? If I were her, I would be 苦笑い。
So this is where we stand. I don't regularly check AKB music or TV shows anymore because they do not offer me anything new or explore the girl's personalities. They simply reinforce what we already know about them. In Sashihara's case, it was something new! Who knew the shy girl was actually aggressive? That's why her image exceeded that of AKB, and out of the prison that confines most girls.
Recently, I was happy to discover that Ariyoshi AKB Kyowakoku is back, and the 14期生 are very great girls. But how will they climb out of the 封印 of AKB? That is the question.
When you have time, let's hang out online. I have skype.
Michael
P.S. My favorite girl, Yagami Kumi from SKE, is graduating, but I am happy for her.
お久しぶりにコメント書かせて頂きます。
今年８月からアメリカのニューヨークに引っ越ししたMichaelです。まだ日本語が勉強中ですが、優しい目で読んでください。指摘もお願い致します。
私も最近のAKBが残念だと思うが、AKBの中に先輩（１－４期生）のメンバーが「胸を張って卒業」ということだけでファンとしての悩みが解けないと思う。なぜならば、多くのファンがまだアイドルたちに正しい推し方が知らないと思う。
指原莉乃のスキャンダルの後にも人気がある理由は、彼女のイメージがアイドルから芸能人になったわけだ。もちろん、偶然ではない。色んな番組に出たりしたのでメディアイメージが変わった。
そして文春に載せたスキャンダル、改めて指原は「人間だ！個性的、肉食系な女の子」だとその時にファンでもない人たちが思ったでしょう。つまり、彼女の人間性で同情を生まれました。
しかし、多くのAKBのメンバーが、古くからのメンバーも、山口百恵の時代に生きていないのに、山口百恵のようなアイドルのイメージに頑張ってる。そしてぐぐたすとかで活躍したりして、ソーシャルメディアを利用してファンへ強めの「全身がアイドル」ということを無理にも受け取らせる。
私の意見だが、AKBの良さが皆が「個性的な女の子」という親しいイメージです。それから「会いに行ける」というキャッチコピーも発揮できる。昔のアイドルのイメージを捨てなきゃならない。多元の社会では純粋なアイドルが存在しません！とファンの人も覚悟して欲しいです。
ちょっと書き始めた時の意味が忘れてしまうので、次はベンジャミンさんへの英語のコメントです。
Hi Benjamin,
I've always felt the group worked best when there is a regular cycle of girls. We talked about this back in March 2011, when we met in Akihabara. The last girl to leave the group with grace (dignity?) was probably Ono Erena, who had over 3 months to say goodbye to her fans since it was announced that she will leave. After that, for some reason, the management of AKB48 started to really hold onto a strong 鉄板 top-members line-up.
2011 was a horrible year for true fans of AKB because everyone knew that Acchan and Yuko were getting tired: You can tell from the dramas they were in, that the media business overall had a bad effect on their character. The creation of Team 4 was doomed from the beginning, and there was no creation of Team 5 or 8. The regular TV shows that they were in became stale: Shukan AKB became a series of interviews and personal challenges, much like Nemousu AKB (I did not know which was which at one point). Gachi-Gase was really, really stupid because there were always transvestites (おネエ?）, which did not help AKB's media image. 清純さVS不清純さ？意味が分からない。
I believe the March 11 Earthquake had a lot to do in the matter. The management could not afford to shuffle the teams or let older members go because they were the ones guaranteed to be good for business. In a time when Japanese people were losing faith in the economy and in the government, what else could they believe in if not that they will see their favorite girls stay where they are?
But people move on. As a fan, I felt that many AKB members wanted to leave. Acchan's eyes looked so tired, but she had to stay to keep the group in tact. Plus, she lost to Oshima in 2010, so the stupid fans wanted to have revenge. They got their revenge with the best selling single, Everyday Kachusha.
Now comes the end of 2011, and no one graduated. The management and the fans looked elsewhere. This is when there was a huge boom of NMB48 and SKE48, when Tokyo AKB fans switched their eyes to view the BIG Akimoto Yasushi group as one thing, picking their Oshimen from each of the sister groups. (By the way, this is what I have done since the creation of SKE48, because I knew each group had great girls with great personalities)
The AKB management realized it too, and keep on putting members outside of AKB in the AKB events. But the biggest question is: Who will graduate in 2012? The fans were waiting.
I don't think long-time fans of AKB were surprised at Acchan's "surprise" 卒業 announcement on March 25. In fact, I don't think people would have been too shocked if they announced the graduation of Oshima Yuuko too, but guess what, the newer fans would not allow them.
"I haven't had enough time looking at Yuko!" They would say. They could say the same for Acchan, because they've only followed the group since Everyday, Kachuusha.
But for Acchan and Yuko, they've been here for 6 years. SIX YEARS under the name of AKB, SIX YEARS of going everywhere and have to explain that they are a part of a big collective of girls. Their names do not come before the group's name. They must feel a bit frustrated.
Nope, the management decided. It was too much shock to take both of their stars away. So they kept Yuko, who is older than Acchan and wasn't offering anything to TV than her laughing on variety shows. Then, the management put on one more 選抜総選挙, just to prove to themselves a point: Hey, we can still make money after Acchan is gone.
Well, they have, but without competition, Oshima won with only 100,000 votes, less than what she got from 2011 senbatsu. It was a pity award. No one doubted that she would win. Did she feel good? If I were her, I would be 苦笑い。
So this is where we stand. I don't regularly check AKB music or TV shows anymore because they do not offer me anything new or explore the girl's personalities. They simply reinforce what we already know about them. In Sashihara's case, it was something new! Who knew the shy girl was actually aggressive? That's why her image exceeded that of AKB, and out of the prison that confines most girls.
Recently, I was happy to discover that Ariyoshi AKB Kyowakoku is back, and the 14期生 are very great girls. But how will they climb out of the 封印 of AKB? That is the question.
When you have time, let's hang out online. I have skype.
Michael
P.S. My favorite girl, Yagami Kumi from SKE, is graduating, but I am happy for her.
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