KeyHolder has cancelled their special benefits program. I posted more details in the SKE general thread. http://stage48.net/forum/index.php?threads/general-the-ske48-thread.1263/page-356#post-1668506 Update: Kurochan talked about the state of AKB48 in EntameNext. He starts by talking about the graduations, Miichan, Sasshi, and Jurina, but then says AKB48 is not dead yet. In particular, he likes Suzuki Yuka from Team 8. "People who talk badly say things like "AKB48 is already an Owakon [product past its prime]", but I don't think so at all. Rather, the current AKB48 is very interesting. Speaking of notable members, Yuka Suzuki, the representative of Team 8 Shizuoka Prefecture, is definitely a masterpiece. What's amazing is that it's erotic. Sometimes I show myself the valley at SHOWROOM (laughs). I also feel that you can aim for "flame in a good sense" from yourself. I think fans who cling to their old appearance are crap. AKB48 cannot always continue "heavy rotation". Why don't you support it when the members are about to change? Wouldn't it be more exciting to see a new one than to do the same as before?" https://entamenext.com/articles/detail/4583
Kurochan, a true akb wota. but he should direct some (public) anger to mgmt as well, since they're the ones pulling the strings.
And Yuka has already stopped flashing cleavage ages ago since she gained enough notoriety from doing it. I confess I'm a bit bored with AKB lately but that's probably because of the lack of any stages let alone new ones and they have barely any tv presence these days. The only surfeit of content we're getting is Showroom and that's of limited value and interest. The OUC48 stuff is ok and it's nice that they're trying to entertain us but girls dancing around in their sweatpants just isn't the same as watching a stage.
Online news site AERAdot has published an interview with idol journalist Nakamori Akio (credited as popularizing the term 'otaku' in its modern usage) about the future of HS events for AKB48 and other groups, he's not very optimistic: https://dot.asahi.com/wa/2020051400014.html?page=1 Google translation: (Incidentally, yesterday the AKB48 HS event on 6/7 in Aichi was announced as postponed meaning that currently there's just one remaining (in Yokohama on 7/4) out of the nine originally scheduled for the 57th single.)
i think Nakamori is too pessimistic. they will need to modify the system but i don't think a real change is necessary. i mean they didn't stop after a fan assulted the members with a weapon, but they changed the secutity checks. like he said, 1 minute online talk is the safest way to go and you can still sell cds that way. but even if they want to keep the handshake, they could use gloves+mask+distance. plan the meeting in a venue by controlling how many people will show up, with a booking system similar to an hotel; this way it's easier to know how many tickets they have and how many members they need in the venue. and ofc, no sick people allowed.
They can't really keep the fans a safe distance from the idols though, unless someone has 6 foot long arms- and even then if they're shaking hands, trying to keep distance between them is a moot point. Also, keeping out everyone who's sick is a challenge. Some ppl might lie, and there's no good way to prove they don't have the virus. Are they going to ban everyone who has the common cold or allergies, too? Then there's the asymptomatic people who don't even know they're sick.... it's just way too much risk for something as non-essential as handshake events. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
I think for Japanese wota physical contact with your oshimen is all-important, so for many of them distancing isn't going to work. Also controlling the number of people will almost certainly mean a financial hit for the organisers. However to take a more optimistic view, indeed solutions were found after the Iwate Incident so maybe something will happen in the future to keep HS events as close as possible to how they've been up to now.
Here's a good solution. They're separated by acrylic, but you can hear the person on the other side, like in a prison. The idol wears gloves attached to the acrylic wall like this. Each fan is given a pair of gloves at the entance and they wear it until they leave the venue, otherwise the security will ask them to leave. You can still shake hands and talk to them, you just can't feel the skin nor feel their tits. Fans have to keep a certain distance between themselves, of course.
handshakes are essential and thats the whole point. without it akb will collapse. but if the fans (and members) are ok with talking online or taking all the safety measures in a normal HS, i don't see a problem. i think the staff could request a medical certificate or the result of a test for the HS. another problem is they have accumulated a lot of handshakes, so to get it all done it will take time.
I don’t think AKB will collapse without handshakes if they figure out another good alternative that allows the members to interact with fans. I say 10 second one on one video conferences.
Hm.... All (Japanese) big spenders I know would be just fine to just talk through some kind of barrier though. I do read a lot of stories where a newer fans just forgot to do the actual HS (after doing 2S, etc), and has to be called back by the staff. Of course, direct contact can be important to some members (some are very good at HS), but I don't think it will affect the overall sale that much.
We are literally at the homestretch in AKBISION representatives. We only have three teams left; Team E, SKE48 Kenyuusei, and Team KIV. If you want to be part of an interactive contest to see which team has the best song, please visit the AKBISION Edition #1 forum here on Stage48 (http://stage48.net/forum/index.php?threads/akbision-edition-1.23314/)
Yeah without vaccine it's really not safe to do big HS event. Maybe start doing phone call/video call with a similar system to HS event? NMB and JKT start doing it if I remember correctly
Personally I’d be happy with any solution which allows me to meet my favourite members even if there’s no physical contact and I’d guess that most if not everybody here would feel the same way. The point I want to make though is that we are international fans - what about Japanese wota who buy probably 99.99% of HS tickets? I’ve been led to believe that for Japanese fans, the physical contact of the HS has a very significant meaning to them. I’m happy though to be proved wrong?
It feels different if you can talk to them by call/video call than in person. It's also has a meaning to international fans who have to make the effort to visit them.
PR TIMES is reporting that the July issue of BLT magazine will have a feature entitled "48 AKB48 Group members show off their 'curry at home' brilliantly! 48 Ultimate Curry Festival! ~ OUCHI CURRY of 48G ~": https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000001029.000006568.html All 48G members taking part are listed - for AKB48 it's Yuihan, Tomu, Yuiri, Seichan, Rinrin, Yuiyui, Satopi and Zukkii.
If anyone's interested, I've subbed Sasshi and Yuko's 2013 sounsenkyo speeches - currently working on the rest of them if people want it? if the video does not show watch the video here
https://ameblo.jp/akihabara48/entry-12598753050.html The AKB48 Official blog is reporting that the group will take part in the 'One Love Asia' online charity concert which will be distributed on YouTube from 21:00 JST on 5/27. YT link: https://www.youtube.com/c/oneloveasia Official site: https://onelove.asia/ AKB48 participating members are listed as Mahopyon, Yuiyui, Miu, Erii and Zukkii. There'll also be members from the 48 overseas groups.